fit down by the Confcience, but never upon it. And they are usually looked upon as poor Men do upon their not having Coach and Horfes, or as that knowledge is miffed by Boys and Hinds which they never had; it will be hard to make them understand their Ignorance; it requires knowledge to perceive it; and therefore he that can perceive it, hath it not. But by this preffing the Confcience with omiffions, I do not mean receffions or diftances from States of eminency or perfection: For although they may be, ufed by the Ministers as an Inftrument of Humility, and a Chaftifer of too big a Confidence, yet that which is to be confessed and repented of, is omiffion of Duty in direct Inftances and Matters of Commandment, or collateral and perfonal Obligations, and is especially to be confidered by Kings and Prelates, by Governours and rich Perfons, by Guides of Souls and Prefidents of Learning in publick charge, and by all others in their proportions. 10. The Minifters of Religion must take care that the Sick Man's Confeffion be as minute and particular as it can, and that as few Sins as may be, be intrusted to the general Prayer of Pardon for all Sins: For by being particular, and enumerative of the variety of Evils which have difordered his Life, his Repentance is difpofed to be more pungent and afflictive, and therefore more falutary and medicinal; it hath in it more fincerity, and makes a better Judgment of the final Condition of the Man; and from thence it is certain the hopes of the Sick Man can be more Confident and Reasonable. II. The Spiritual Man that affifts at the Repentance of the Sick muft not be inquifitive into all the Circumftances of the particular Sins, but be content with those that are direct Parts of the Crime, and aggravation of the Sorrow: Such as frequency, long abode and earnest Choice in acting them, violent Defires, great Expence, Scandal of others; Dishonour to the Religion, Days of Devotion,, Religious Solemnities and Holy Places; and the Degrees of Boldness and Impudence, perfect Refolution, and the Habit. If the Sick Perfon be re-minded or inquired into concerning thefe, it may prove a good Sect. 3 203 good inftrument to increase his Contrition, and perfe&t his penitential Sorrows, and facilitate his Abfolution and the means of his Amendment. But the other Circumftances as of the relative Perfon in the partici pation of the Crime, the Measures or Circumstances of the impure action, the name of the injured Man or Woman, the quality or accidental Condition; these. and all the like, are but Queftions fpringing from Curiofity, and producing Scruple, and apt to turn into many Inconveniences." 12. The Minifter in this be diligent to obferve concerning the Perfon that repents, that he be not impofed upon by fome one ex-Y cellent things that was remarkable in the Sick Man's former Life. For there are fome People of one good thing. Some are Charitable to the poor out of kindheartedness, and the fame good nature makes them eafie and compliant with drinking Perfons, and they' die with Drink, but cannot live with Charity: And their Alms it may be fhall deck their Monument, or give them the reward of loving Perfons, and the poor Man's thanks for Alms and procure many temporal Bleffings; but it is very fad that the reward fhould be all spent in this World. Some are really Just Persons and punctual obfervers of their Word with Men, but break their Promifes with God, and make no fcruple of that. In thefe and all the like Cafes the Spiritual Man must be careful to Remark, that good proceeds from an intire and integral Caufe, and evil from every Part: That one Sicknefs can make a Man die; but he cannot live and be called a found Man without an entire Health, and therefore, if any Confidence arifes upon that Stock, fo as that it hinders the strictness of the Repentance, it must be allay'd with the reprefentment of this fad Truth, That he who referves: one evil in his Choice, bath chofen an evil Portion, and Colloquintida and Death is in the Pot: And he that Worships the God of Ifrael with a frequent Sacrifice, and yet upon the Anniversary will bow in the house of Venus, Duty of Repentance must Nunc fi depofitum non inficiteur amicus, and and loves to fee the Follies and the Nakedness of Rimmon, may eat part of the Flesh of the Sacrifice, and fill his Belly, but shall not be refreshed by the holy Cloud arifing from the Altar, or the Dew of Heaven defcending upon the Mysteries. 13. And yet the Minifter is to estimate, that one or more good things is to be an ingredient into his Judgment concerning the ftate of his Soul, and the Capacities of his Reftitution, and Admiffion to the Peace of the Church: And according as the excellency and usefulnefs of the Grace hath been, and according to the Degrees and the Reasons of its Profecution, fo abatements are to be made in the Injuctions and Impofitions upon the Penitent. For every Virtue is a degree of approach to God: And though in refpect of the acceptation it is equally none at all, that is, it is as certain a Death if a Man dies with one mortal Wound as if he had Twenty; yet in fuch Perfons who have fome one or more Excellencies, though not an entire Piety, there is naturally a nearer approach to the ftate of Grace, than in Perfons who have done Evils, and are eminent for nothing that is good. But in making Judgment of fuch Perfons, it is to be enquired into and noted accordingly, why the fick Perfon was fo eminent in that one good thing; whether by choice and apprehenfion of his Duty, or whether it was a Virtue from which his ftate of Life miniftred nothing to dehort or difcourage him, or whether it was only a Confequent of his natural Temper and Conftitution. If the First, then it fuppofes him in the Neighbourhood of the ftate of Grace, and that in other things he was ftrongly tempted. The Second is a felicity of his Education, and an effect of Providence. The Third is a felicity of his Nature and a Gift of God in order to fpiritual Purposes. But yet of every one of thefe Advantage is to be made. If the Confcience of his Duty was the principle, then he is ready formed to entertain all other Graces upon the fame reason, and his Repentance must be made more fharp and penal; because he is convinced to have done against his Confcience in all the other Parts of his Life; but the the Judgment concerning his final State ought to be more gentle, because it was a huge Temptation that hindred the Man, and abused his Infirmity. But if either his Calling or his Nature were the Parents of the Grace, he is in the ftate of a moral Man, (in the just and proper meaning of the Word) and to be handled accordingly That Virtue difpofed him rarely well to many other good Things, but was no part of the Grace of Sanctification: And therefore the Man's Repentance is to begin anew, for all that, and is to be finished in the returns of Health, if God grants it; but if he denies it, it is much, very much the worfe for all that fweet-natur'd Virtue. 14. When the Confeffion is made, the Spiritual Man is to execute the Office of a Reftorer and a Judge, in the following particulars and manner. Of the miniftring to the Reftitution and Pardon, or Reconciliation of the fick Perfon, by adminifring the holy Sacrament. IF any Man be overtaken in a Fault, ye which are fpiri- Gal. 6. 1. tual restore fuch a one in the Spirit of Meeknefs: That's the Commiffion: And, Let the Elders of the Church pray James s.14 over the fick Man; and if he have committed Sins, they 15. fhall be forgiven him; that's the effect of his Power and his Ministery. But concerning this, fome few Things are to be confidered. 1. It is the Office of the Presbyters and Minifters of Religion to declare publick Criminals and fcandalous Perfons to be fuch, that when the Leprofie is declared, the Flock may avoid the Infection; and then the Man is excommunicate, when the People are warned to avoid the Danger of the Man, or to the reproach of the Crime, to withdraw from his Society, and not to bid him God speed, not to eat and celebrate Synaxes and Church meetings, with fuch who are declared criminal and dangerous. And therefore Excommunication is in a very great part the the Act of the Congregation and Communities of the I Cor. 5. 5, Faithful: And St. Paul faid to the Church of the Corinthians, that they had inflicted the evil upon the in2 Cor. 2.6. cestuous Perfon, that is, by excommunicating him. 12, 13. All the Acts of which are as they are fubjected in the People, Acts of Caution and Liberty'; but no more A&ts of direct proper Power or Jurifdiction, than it was when the Scholars of Simon Magus left his Chair and went to hear St. Peter: But as they are Actions of the Rulers of the Church, fo they are declarative Minifterial, and effective too by moral Caufality, that is, by Perfuafion and Difcourfe, by Argument and Prayer, by Homily and material Reprefentment, by reafonableness of Order and the Super-induced Neceffities of Men; though not by any real change of State as to the Perfon, nor by diminution of his Right, or violence to his Condition. 2. He that Baptizes, and he that Minifters the holy Sacrament, and he that Prays, does holy Offices of great Advantage; but in thefe alfo, juft as in the former, Homines in remiffione peccatorum minifterium fuum exhibent, non jus alicujus poteftatis exercent: Neque enim in fuo fed in nomine Patris, Filii, & Spiritûs Sancti peccata dimittuntur. Ifti rogant, Divinitas donat. S. Amb. de Spir. S. 1. 3. c. 10. he Exercifes no Jurifdiction or Preheminence after the manner of fecular Authority: And the fame is alfo true if he should deny them. He that refufeth to Baptize an indifpofed Perfon, hath by the confent of all Men no Power or Jurifdiction over the Unbaptized Man: And he that for the like Reafon refuseth to give him the Communion, preferves the facredness of the Mysteries, and does Charity to the indifpofed Man, to deny that to him which will do him Mischief. this is an A&t of Separation, juft as it is for a Friend or Phyfician to deny Water to an Hydropick Perfon, or Italian Wines to a Hectick Fever; or as if Cato fhould deny to falute Bibulus, or the Cenfor of Manners to do countenace to a Wanton and a Vicious Perfon. And though this thing, was expreffed by Words of Power, fuch as Separation, Abftention, Excommunication, Depofition; yet thefe Words we underftand by the thing itfelf, which was notorious and And evident, |