As

"the priest pours forth to God at the altar, the recom"mendation of the dead hath its place." De Cura de Mort. c. 1, 4. "Neither is it to be denied that the "souls of the dead are eased by the piety of their liv"ing friends, when the sacrifice of the Mediator is of"fered for them," says the same St. Augustin. Witness again of this is Tertullian, where he says, "We "make anniversary oblations for the dead." Witness of the same is St. John Chrysostom, "Not rashly was this "thing decreed by the Apostles, that in the dread mys"teries commemoration should be made of the dead." Hom. 69. ad pop. Ant. In a word, all the holy fathers and doctors of the church held it, and applied several texts of the New Testament to confirm it. first, that in St. Matthew, ch. xii. Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor the next: this implies that some sins are forgiven in the other world; not in heaven, where there is no sin to be forgiven; nor in hell, where there is no forgiveness; therefore in a third place, which is meant by purgatory. 2. That of St. Paul to the Corinthians: If any man's works shall burn, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire, 1 Cor. iii. where the apostle teaches, that some will be punished in the other world, and pass through fire, yet so as to be saved; which is the doctrine of purgatory. Both these texts are so expounded by St. Augustin, who, in his book of Care for the Dead, maintains three points: 1. The custom of praying for the dead; 2. What dead we are to pray for; 3. How best assisted. The first he proves from the book of Maccabees, from the New Testament, above cited, and from the authority of the universal church, which offers sacrifice and prayers at the altar for them, as he did himself for the soul of his mother. As to the second, what dead are to be prayed for? They are such as having been re-born in Christ, have not lived so bad in this life, as to make them unworthy of his mercy after death; nor yet so well, as not to stand in need of his mercy. As to the third, by what means they are best assisted, he says, "Oblations, prayers, and alms in abundance,

"are the true comfort we can procure to those who are "dead." Even Calvin owns that it was a received custom in the church to pray for the dead, above 1300 years before his time; and the argument must needs be strong, which is taken from the confession of such an adversary, l. 3. Insti. c. 5. sect. 10.

Reason teaches us a third place; for God is just, to render to every one acccording to his works, and to punish sin those who have sinned most, will be punished most; those who have sinned less, will be punished less; and those who have sinned the least, will at least be punished; and if they have not done all the penance God's law required here, why must we believe he is not just, to punish sin in the other world as well as here? Yet their sins may not be such as deserve damnation, since the grace and love of God is not lost in our souls by every sin we commit, for even the just man sinneth, Prov. xxiv. 16. Then there must be a third place to cancel our debt.-To this third place, or middle state of souls, the church has given the name of purgatory: if some do not like the name, and object, that no such word is found in scripture, neither is the word Trinity or consubstantial there, but the thing meant by purgatory is there; and we do not contend with them so much about the names of things, but about the things themselves, and the substance of the doctrine. If they recur to Calvin's old objection, that all is sufficiently punished in the good by death, and forgiven; this must seem very weak to all who know that death is the punishment properly of original sin, not of other sins; for if it were, the good and bad would all suffer the same punishment, without any equal distribution of justice. If they reply, that what faults the good die guilty of, will be forgiven at the general absolution, at the last day; we desire to know in what place they are to be in the mean time? Not in heaven, before they are forgiven; not in hell, where is no forgiveness; but in a third place they must be, whatever it is. Now, as the faithful are all in the same church, though in different states, there is a participation of prayers and good works among them: and as we here

receive benefit by the intercession of the saints in heaven, so do the souls of our brethren departed by our prayers, sacrifice, and alms-deeds. Let them rest in peace. Amen.

EXHOR.-As then, O christian, you have learned, from the unanimous doctrine of the whole church, that there is a third place, where souls are detained, till they have fully satisfied for sin; which doctrine of the fathers is grounded upon scripture and tradition; and that the suffrages of the faithful are a relief to them; O think of their condition, and offer up your prayers daily for them. Remember your deceased brethren, friends, and benefactors, who, though in a different state, are yet in one and the same communion with you, Very probable the soul of a father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or wife, or husband, may be suffering great torments there for sins they committed on your account this is their cry to you, Have pity on me, at least you my friends, for the hand of our Lord hath strucken me: and though it should happen, that those you pray for, are not in want of your prayers; your tenderness and charity, God is equally pleased with. If it be great charity to assist the distressed in this world, who suffer, under the hands of God's mercy, in prisons, in chains, in banishment, and death: how much greater charity to help those who are suffering in the other world, under the hand of divine justice? O what is the grief of the one to the other! What the torment! If again you are commanded to visit and assist by your alms the imprisoned; we have the same command to think and pray for the dead. "It is "not in vain," says St. John Chrysostom, "that obla❝tions are made for the dead; it is the ordinance of the "Holy Ghost, who designs we should help one another." Help then those who are detained in the prison of purgatory, till they have paid the last farthing. Descend in thought, into those inferior parts of just punishment, and see what the souls here detained are suffering for lesser faults than you are guilty of; enter in thought into that place with a holy sorrow, tears, and contrition for your own sins. Think again of the greatness

of their punishment, it is beyond expression; yet they suffer in the height of charity, they suffer with the comfort of angels, and their sufferings will have an end in glory. Embrace now, with a love of God like to theirs, what little afflictions you have to suffer under the hand of his mercy, and you will escape those much greater which they suffer under the hand of his justice.

Of the sacrament of Extreme Unction.

Q. WHA

HAT is extreme unction? A. It is the last sacrament given to dying persons, to strengthen them in their passage out of this life into a better, and prepare them for glory. Q. Why is it called extreme unction. A. Extreme unction, in other words, is the last anointing; because of all the sacred' unctions and anointings, this is the last we are to receive. Q. What warrant have you for this sacrament ? A. In St. James v. 14. Is any one sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of our Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and our lord will lift him up; and if he be in sin, his sins shall be forgiven him; from which words the church has learned the matter, the form, the minister, and the effects of this wholesome sacrament. Q. Who are capable of this sacrament? A. Every christian who is in moral danger of death by sickness; except infants, fools, and such as are always mad. Q. Who is the minister of it? A. A bishop, or priest, who has the care of souls. Q. What is the matter of it? A. Oil blessed by the bishop. Q. What is the form of it? A. These words? May our Lord, by this holy anointing, and his own most tender mercy, pardon thee whatever thou hast sinned by seeing; so of the other senses, hearing, tasting, touching, &c. Q. What are the effects of it? A. It comforts the soul in her last agony, against despair; it remits sin, and restores health, if it be expedient.

INSTRUC.-There can be no doubt but extreme unction is a sacrament of divine institution, and was used

by the apostles, witness St. James, who was one of the twelve; though at what time it was ordained by our saviour, is uncertain: it is said in St. Mark, c. vi. that Christ sent his disciples, two and two, and they anointed many with oil that were sick, and healed them: and though it be certain that this was not the sacrament of extreme unction, it was here insinuated, and afterwards fully published by St. James; and the most ancient fathers bear witness that it was used in the primitive church. Greg. hom. 2. in Levit. Chyrsost. l. 3. de Sacerd. Inno. ad Decentium. Cyril. Alex, l. 6. de Ador. Capit. Car. Mag. l. 6. c. 75.

The sacrament of extreme unction is given to none but such as are in danger of death by sickness; consequently it is not to be given to persons in health, although in danger of death; as to soldiers before battle, or to criminals led to execution; because St. James mentions none but sick persons: Is any one sick among you? Neither ought they to defer the receiving this sacrament till the point of death, when the dying person is incapable of making any preparation for it: but it ought to be called for as soon as by sickness any one is in danger of death, and while he is in his senses, that with more sorrow and repentance he may receive the blessed effects of it. For them it was instituted, to give them grace and strength to withstand all the assaults of the devil, and to comfort them in this time of need, when the soul is sinking under the weakness of the body. Infants have no need of this sacrament, nor such as are always mad, without any lucid intervals of reason; nor such as are born fools; because having no use of reason, they cannot be in sin; but if any one has given signs, in their sound senses, of a desire to receive these rights of the church, and afterwards go out of their senses again, to such it may be administered.Cat. of the Coun. of Trent. And after the administration of it, if the sick person should recover, and relapse again, it may be repeated again as often as he recovers and relapses; even in the same illness it may be repeated, if the illness be of long continuance, and the person has been considerably better, and worse again, because there is then a new danger.