Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The. lix. Question.

Whether they vse enoyling?

The Answere.

MArke, in the sixth chap∣ter* 1.1 of his Gospell, and S. James in his fifthe chapter, make mention of annoynting. But y^t kinde of annoynting doth very much differ from that which

in our age is vsed in the Romish church to the sicke, of whose life we stande in doubte.

For in the primitiue Churche, the* 1.2 Apostles and their successoures did an∣noynte the sicke with Oyle, and by that meanes they were restored to healthe. And it was a certaine peculiare gifte of God, and done as it were miraculous∣ly: for euen as in the primatiue church, was the peculiare gifte of healing, so also was there the gifte of tonges. For the Apostles laide their handes on the sicke, and they receiued health, & spake with diuers tonges. But as the gifte of tonges is ••eaffed in the Churche, so also is that of healing by the annoynting with Oyle: and therefore the ceremo∣nie of imposition of handes, and anoin∣ting with Oyle, ceaseth. All men know that in the primitiue Churche there were diuers things necessarily requi∣red, as the gift of healing, and of tongs, with other miracles, which wer signes for the vnbeléeuers, and were done to confirme the religion: but nowe, when by the preaching of the Gospell, faithe,

and the religion is published and con∣firmed, the others haue ceased, and are quite out of vse.

And therefore the annoynting vsed in the Churche of Rome, is not by this confirmed that S. James and Marke doe speake of annoynting, for their an∣noynting did muche differre from this, and was neuer instituted by Christe or hys Apostles, but deuised by men, and that a long time after.

The Apostles vsed to annoynt with Oyle, to the ende they mighte restore suche to health: but the Papistes neuer annoynte any, vntill they be paste hope of all recouerie, neyther vse they this theyr enoyling for the healthe of his bodye, but for the remission of sinnes. Yea, and in this their enoyling they pray vnto diuers Sainctes, which li∣ued long since the Apostles time, and diuers suche other Ceremonyes they vse which were neuer knowne to the Apostles, and therefore sufficientlye proue that this their enoyling was ne∣uer ordained by the Apostles.

And what shall I say of that, which

they vse to speake in this their enoy∣ling, when they say: In the name of the father, the sonne, and the holy ghoste, I annoynt thee vvith this holy oyle, that thereby thou maiste receiue remission of al thy sinnes? What ground or forme of institution of this haue yée in all the holy scriptures of Christe, and his Apo∣stels? The Apostles taught that ful re∣mission of sinnes was to be soughte in the bloude of Christe, and not in Oyle. And therefore euen by this one pointe it may euidently appeare to the fayth∣full, that for good consideration we vse not this Ceremonie.

Furthermore, when wée beléeue that one baptisme which we haue once receiued, wherein we were once Bap∣tized with water, in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and of the holye Ghoste, is effectuall by the operation of the holy Ghoste, euen all oure life long vnto death, we thinke it not néede∣full to be againe at the pointe of deathe rebaptized of a Baptisme deuised by man: for they call this their annointing the laste Baptisme. But we according

to Christianitie visite the sicke, instruct them, admonish them, exhort them, cō∣fort them, strengthen them, and pray with them, and charitably looks vnto them. &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What the holy Scripture tea∣cheth of enoy∣ling.
• * 1.2

  Actes. 8. 10. 19.