order to prove and examine the patience of the sick; the Curate may add, that impatience does not remove, does not lighten, but increases the evil; forasmuch as every trouble presses more heavily upon any one in proportion as he less willingly endures it. instruct him the uncer sickness, neither to The Curate may, moreover, show him that Third Rule. the issue of diseases is uncertain, and, there- He should fore, he should not so despair of recovery as by reason of to reject the medicines which, under God's tainty of blessing, are able to remove the malady; nor, despair of on the contrary, so hope as to venture to bodily repromise himself another season for repentance, or think it safe to postpone to another day that work so essentially necessary. covery, nor to delay the care of his soul. of the Order Then, on his knees, he should supplicate Fourth Rule. God in behalf of the sick, according to the Prayers out order appointed in the Liturgy; and prayer for Visiting being in a little while interrupted, let him said." arise and the Sick to be should now Proceed to that exhortation which is con- Fifth Rule. tained in the Book of Common Prayer, or if The Curate he shall judge it more convenient, to some proceed to other exhortation, such as I have already composed. address him. Sixth Rule. And point out to him Seventh Rule. In what manner his faith should The exhortation being ended, he may show him how impossible it is without faith to please God, and, therefore, of how much consequence it is to ascertain whether his be a right faith. And that this inquiry may be rightly performed, the Curate should rehearse, with a be examined, clear and distinct voice, all the Articles of the Apostles' Creed, and (as our Church appoints) ask the sick, with respect to each of them, whether he heartily assents to the same, and if he shall perceive him to hesitate in any one article, then he should take upon him to strengthen him in the faith. Eighth Rule. should be taken with respect to articles of faith. And since certain of the articles of our Especial care faith are so essential that they cannot, without loss of salvation, remain entirely unknown, or fundamental be accounted untrue, the Curate should at least endeavour, as far as relates to them, that the person visited should rightly underThe circum- stand and give his assent thereto; neither sick having should the Curate hesitate to discourse with any one about giving his assent to the same, on the ground that he has for a long while been a frequenter at Church; for from defect stance of the been a fre quenter of Church should not deter the inquiring by which have or have, imagine that ар they have knowledge of Christian tinctly to the same. of timely instruction it falls out that many of Curate from very advanced years neither understand that into his faith. which is necessary to be known, nor assent to that which is necessary to be believed. But it The methods may perhaps be convenient to proceed in ano- those who ther way with respect to those who really or imagine that they have a greater degree of a greater knowledge, and to lead them, if they shall ap-faith may be pear to need a more perfect knowledge of any led more disarticles of faith, to a clearer perception thereof, understand either by means of commendation, or dedication, or supplication, or some expression of gratitude, or by exciting hope; and by advising the sick (the Curate leading the way) that he commend himself to the Holy and Divine Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; to the Father as Creator of all things visible and invisible; to the Son, born from everlasting of the Father by an eternal and ineffable generation, who in the fulness of time for the salvation of man was sent into the world, conceived by the operation of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered, died, was buried, descended into the abode of departed Ninth Rule. of repentance shown. spirits, rose again, ascended into heaven, sitteth there at the right hand of the Father, and will finally come to judge the living and the dead, and render to every one according to his works, either eternal happiness or misery; that he commend himself to the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, who quickeneth one holy and Catholic Church the sick, I say, may be led with varied method thereupon, one while to commend themselves, at another while to dedicate themselves, at another to supplicate, at another to place their hopes in that self-same Trinity; mention of these mysteries of faith being always distinctly made, the same may be carried out either by the former or the latter method. The Curate should show, in many or few The necessity words, as it is expedient, that an earnest reand its avail pentance is essential for the salvation of all; and he may prove from Scripture, that that is sufficient for this purpose, since it renders the most grievous sinners capable of receiving divine mercy. Its nature unfolded. Since there is much ground for supposing Tenth Rule. that the true nature of repentance is not understood by the greater portion of mankind, it should for the most part be shown, that by far the greatest difficulty of sick persons consists in arriving at a stedfast conversion of heart from evil unto good, grounded upon love for God, and always evidenced by a circumspect eschewing of every vice, and diligent practice of every virtue. Eleventh Rule. tion of past The Curate may instruct the sick that an accurate examination of his past life is neces- An examinasary, in order to attain to true repentance, life requisite and should exhort him diligently to enter on repentance. the same. And that this may be duly per formed, to attain to The sick should be have recourse of some He should advise the sick to read atten- Twelfth Rule. tively some catalogue of sins, or, if some one else should distinctly read the same, to give advised to his attention thereto, and seriously deliberate to the reading with himself concerning every sin, whether he has at any time been guilty of it; for it is not safe for any one in so momentous an affair to trust entirely to his own memory, or to spurn catalogue of sins. |