UNCTION.
The second Sacrament of Recovery is _Unction_, or, in more familiar
language, "the Anointing of the Sick". It is called by Origen "the
complement of Penance".
The meaning of the Sacrament is found in St. James v. 14-17. "Is any
sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
Here the Bible states that the "Prayer of Faith" with Unction is more
effective than the "Prayer of Faith" without Unction. What can it do?
It can do two things. It can (1) recover the body, and (2) restore the
soul. Its primary {159} object seems to be to recover the body; but it
also, according to the teaching of St. James, restores the soul.
First, he says, Anointing with the Prayer of Faith heals the body; and
then, because of the inseparable union between body and soul, it
cleanses the soul.
Thus, as the object of Penance is primarily to heal the soul, and
indirectly to heal the body; so the object of Unction is primarily to
heal the body, and indirectly to heal the soul.
The story of Unction may be summarized very shortly. It was instituted
in Apostolic days, when the Apostles "anointed with oil many that were
sick and healed them" (St. Mark vi. 13). It was continued in the Early
Church, and perpetuated during the Middle Ages, when its use (by a
"_corrupt_[1] following of the Apostles") was practically limited to
the preparation of the dying instead of (by a _correct_ "following of
the Apostles") being used for the recovery of the living. In our 1549
Prayer Book an authorized Office was appointed for its use, but this,
lest it should be misused, was omitted in 1552. And although, as
Bishop Forbes says, "everything of that earlier Liturgy was praised by
those who {160} removed it," it has not yet been restored. It is "one
of the lost Pleiads" of our present Prayer Book. But, as Bishop Forbes
adds, "there is nothing to hinder the revival of the Apostolic and
Scriptural Custom of Anointing the Sick whenever any devout person
desires it".[2]
_Extreme Unction._
An unhistoric use of the name partly explains the unhistoric use of the
Sacrament. _Extreme_, or last (_extrema_) Unction has been taken to
mean the anointing of the sick when _in extremis_. This, as we have
seen, is a "corrupt," and not a correct, "following of the Apostles".
The phrase _Extreme_ Unction means the extreme, or last, of a series of
ritual Unctions, or anointings, once used in the Church. The first
Unction was in Holy Baptism, when the Baptized were anointed with Holy
Oil: then came the anointing in Confirmation: then in Ordination; and,
last of all, the anointing of the sick. Of this last anointing, it is
written: "All Christian men should account, and repute the said manner
of anointing among the other Sacraments, forasmuch as it is a visible
sign of an invisible grace".[3]
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_Its Administration._
It must be administered under the Scriptural conditions laid down in
St. James v. 14-16. The first condition refers to:--
(1) _The Minister_.--The Minister is _the Church_, in her corporate
capacity. Scripture says to the sick: "Let him call for the Elders,"
or Presbyters, "of the Church". The word is in the plural; it is to be
the united act of the whole Church. And, further, there must be
nothing secret about it, as if it were either a charm, or something to
be ashamed of, or apologized for. It may have to be done in a private
house, but it is to be done by no private person.[4] "Let him call for
the elders."
(2) _The Manner_.--The Elders are to administer Sacrament not in their
own name (any more than the Priest gives Absolution in his own name),
but "in the Name of the Lord".
(3) _The Method_.--The sick man is to be anointed (either on the
afflicted part, or in other ways), _with prayer_: "Let them pray over
him". Prayer is essential.
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(4) _The Matter_.--Oil--"anointing him with oil". As in Baptism,
sanctified water is the ordained matter by which "Jesus Christ
cleanseth us from all sin"; so in Unction, consecrated oil is the
ordained matter used by the Holy Ghost to cleanse us from all
sickness--bodily, and (adds St. James) spiritual. "And if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
For this latter purpose, there are two Scriptural requirements:
_Confession_ and _Intercession_. For it follows: "Confess your faults
one to another, and pray for one another that ye may be healed". Thus
it is with Unction as with other Sacraments; with the "last" as with
the first--special grace is attached to special means. The Bible says
that, under certain conditions, oil and prayer together will effect
more than either oil or prayer apart; that oil without prayer cannot,
and prayer without oil will not, win the special grace of healing
guaranteed to the use of oil and prayer together.
In our days, the use of anointing with prayer is (in alliance with, and
in addition to, Medical Science) being more fully recognized. "The
Prayer of Faith" is coming into its own, and is being placed once more
in proper position in the {163} sphere of healing; _anointing_ is being
more and more used "according to the Scriptures". Both are being used
together in a simple belief in revealed truth. It often happens that
"the elders of the Church" are sent for by the sick; a simple service
is used; the sick man is anointed; the united "Prayer of Faith" (it
_must_ be "of Faith") is offered; and, if it be good for his spiritual
health, the sick man is "made whole of whatsoever disease he had".
God give us in this, as in every other Sacrament, a braver, quieter,
more loving faith in His promises. The need still exists: the grace is
still to be had.
_If our love were but more simple,_
_We should take Him at His word;_
_And our lives would be all sunshine_
_In the sweetness of our Lord._
[1] Article XXV.
[2] "Forbes on the Articles" (xxv.).
[3] "Institution of a Christian Man."
[4] In the Greek Church, seven, or at least three, Priests must be
present.
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INDEX.
A.
Absolution, 149.
Adoption, 76.
Affusion, 65.
Altar, 86.
Amendment, 156.
Anointing, 104, 158.
Aspersion, 65.
Augustine, St., 3, 12, 13, 49.
B.
Baptism, Sacrament of, 63.
Forms of administration, 65.
Ministry of, 65.
Bible, the, names of, 26.
Inspiration of, 34.
Interpretation of, 23.
MSS., 27.
Versions, 32.
Bishops, 124.
Their Confirmation, 127.
" Consecration, 127.
" Election, 126.
" Homage, 128.
" Nomination, 126.
Books, the Church's, 21
Breviary, 44.
Bright, Dr., 8.
C.
Chrism, 67.
Christian name, 73.
Church, the, names of--
Catholic, 2.
Church of England, 12.
Established, 7.
National, 4.
Primitive, 17,
Protestant, 18.
Reformed, 14.
Clergymen, 134.
Communion, Holy, 82.
Confession, 145.
Confirmation, 94.
Age, 101.
Essentials, 103.
Names of, 104.
New name at, 73.
Sacrament of completion, 93.
Consecration, 83, 91.
Consignation, 68.
Consubstantiation, 84.
Criticism, 36.
Higher, 36.
Historical, 36.
Lower, 36.
D.
Deacons, ordination of, 139.
Age of, 139.
Laity and responsibility, 140.
Preparation of, 140.
Direction, 153.
Discipline, 54.
Dissenters and Confirmation, 99.
E.
Election, 78.
Endowments, 11.
Established Church, 7.
Eucharist, 81.
Extreme Unction, 160.
F.
Faith and Prayer with oil, 162.
G.
God-parents, 65.
Gospels, the, 44.
Gradual, the, 44.
H.
Holy Orders, 123.
Homage of Bishops, 128.
I.
Illingworth, Dr., 61.
Immersion, 65, 67.
Indulgences, 155.
Inspiration, 34.
Interpretation of Scripture, 33.
J.
Jurisdiction, 129.
K.
Kings and Bishops, 126, 128.
L.
Laity responsible for ordination of deacons, 140.
Lesser Sacraments, 92.
Liddon, Dr., 143.
Lightfoot, Bishop, 124.
Liturgy, 81.
M.
Manual, the, 44.
Manuscripts of the Bible, 26.
Marriage, 106.
A Sacrament, 107, 110.
Affinity, 116.
Age, 117.
By banns, 118.
By licence, 119.
Consanguinity, 116.
Deceased wife's sister, 117.
Divorce, 108.
False names, 121.
In registry office, 110.
Who for, 107, 113, 116.
Mass, 81.
Matter, 61.
Minister, 132.
Missal, the, 43.
N.
Name, Christian, 73.
Nonconformists and Holy Communion, 99.
O.
Oil, Holy, 159.
Orders, Holy, 123.
Bishops, 124.
Deacons, 139.
Indelibility of, 136.
Priests, 130.
P.
Parson, 133.
Penance, 145.
Perpetuation, Sacraments of, 93.
Pontifical, the, 43.
Prayer Book, 40.
Its contents, 50.
" preface, 47.
" title, 42.
Priesthood, 130.
Primitive Church, 7.
Protestant Church, 18.
R.
Reconciliation, ministry of, 145.
Recovery, Sacrament of, 93, 145.
Reformed Church, 14.
Regeneration, 75.
Revelation, 37.
S.
Sacraments, 58.
Their names, 62.
" nature, 60.
" number, 59.
The Blessed Sacrament, 81.
The lesser, 92.
Sacrifice, 82, 87.
Sanday, Dr., 35.
Scriptures, the, 26.
Sects, 9.
Spiritualities and Temporalities, 128.
Sponsors, 65.
Stubbs, Bishop, 8, 10.
Supper, the Lord's, 82.
T.
Table, the Holy, 88.
Threefold Ministry, 124.
Transubstantiation, 83, 84.
Trine immersion, 67.
U.
Unction, Extreme, 160.
Unction, Holy, 159.
W.
Word of God, 31.
ABERDEEN: THE UNIVERSITY PRESS