In the meane tyme arme thy selfe agaynste falshode wyth this approued and certen truth that not onely God by his passing prerogatiue maye forgiue sinnes but that he hath so souerainglye anoynted Christ our highe prieste and head that as he is man and occupieth the sayde functions in earth he maye remitte by the vertue of the holy Ghost oure offenses also Lette the prowde cogitations of men here attend that so highlie doe disdayne the ministery of mortall men in the remission of their sinnes lett theÌ„ controlle the wonderfull wisdome of God which would no otherwise salue the pityfull sores of our soules but by the seruile fourme of our owne nature ioyned merueilously in one person to the woorde and eternall Sonne of God the Father let them reprehende the vnsearchable secrete counsel of the holy Trinitie which beinge of power infinite to woorke their will in all creatures yet wolde not repayr the worlde nor remitte our sinnes any otherwise but by the seruice of the Sonne of man lette them mislike that flesh bloud and the soule of our blessed Sauiour beinge all creatures should ioyne wyth the onely almightie creatour of all thinges in the remission of our offences lette the presumptuose thus doe and lette vs humbly reuerence Goddes ordinance and gloryfie him in his Sonnes high calling in our kinde through whose singular prerogatiue we shall vndoubtedly finde excedinge power to the geuen to his body and brethren in earth to his moste deare spouse the Church Here it is declared by scripture that the same power of remittinge sinnes which God the father by coÌ„mission gaue vnto his soÌ„ne as he was maÌ„ was also by Christ bestowed on the Apostles after his resurrection The second Chapter IN what high reputation man hath euer bene wyth God his maker it is not miâ— purpose now to treat of neyther will I make anie tediouse talke though it be somwhat more neare the matter howe his estimation is encreased by the honourable and moste merueylous matchinge of Gods onely euerlasting SoÌ„ne wyth our nature and kinde wheerof whosoeuer hath any woorthy coÌ„sideration he shall nothing wonder I warraÌ„t him at the soueraingtye of such as be placed in the seate of iudgment and gouernement for the rule of that common welth whereof Christ is the head These thinges though they be well woorthie our labour and deepe remembrance and not very farre from our matter yet so wil I charge my selfe wyth continuance in my cause that I wil onely seeke out the dignitie of priesthood touchinge the right that the order claimeth in remission and reteining of mannes sinnes In al which cause I take this a grounde that our Maysters messenger stoode vpon when his disciples grudged that Christe had his folowers and practised Baptisme no lesse theÌ„ him selfe did which is That no maÌ„ can rightlie receyue any thinge that is not geueÌ„ him from aboue Iohan. 3. Therfore if it may be sufficiently declared that the order holdeth by good warrant this their preheminence of pardoninge or punishinge the peoples offences that by commission from him who wythout all controuersie is the Heade of the Church then the matter is good in it selfe and the contrarie must learne to leaue their contentions reasoninge and vniuste contempt of that order which is honoured by power and prerogatiue proceding from Christ Iesus And of two or three places in holy scripture perteininge to this purpose that shal be firste proposed which wyth moste force dryueth downe falsehood and moste properly perteynethe to the pithe and principall state of the cause whiche we haue in hande Thus then we finde of Christes wordes will and behauioure concerninge the commission graunted out to his holy Apostles for the remission and punishment of our sinnes in the xx chapiter of the gospell of S. I. where the Euangeliste thus reporteth Cap. 20. that Christe after his glorious resurrection came into a secret chamber where his disciples were togeother the doer beinge shutte for feare of the Iewes and there after he had geuen them as his custome was his peace blessinge and shewed him selfe to their infinite comforâ— yeâ—he was perfectly rysen agayn in the same body that so lately was buried he then streight afterwarde to make woorthye entrance to so highe a purpose gaue them his peace agayne in manner of a solemne benediction and there with sayd Sicut misit me parer ego mitto vos Euen as the Father hath sent me so I doe send you And when he had so spoken he breathed on them and sayd Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum remiserit is peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis retenta sunt Receyne yow the holy ghoste whose sinnes soeuer yow shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes youe shall retein they be reteyned This is the place lo in which the iudgement and rule of our soules wyth all authoritie in correcting our sinnes in moste expresse and effectual termes and in moste ample maner is geuen to the Apostles and their successours Christe him selfe dooth communicate vnto them the iurisdiction that he receiued of his Father he giueth them in a solemne ceremonie the same spirite of God by which in earth him selfe did remitte sinnes he maketh them an assured promise that whatsoeuer they pardoned or corrected in mans life the same shoulde stande in force before God What dignitie could euer be giuen more in what termes more plaine by what order more honourable for surely if either Christ could remitte sinnes as we haue at large proued that he could by the commission sending of his Father or if the holie spirite of God maye remitte sinnes or if Christes woorde may procure man any power to remitte sinnes then vndoubtedly may the Apostles remitte sinnes For they haue the expresse warrant of them all Much sayd Paule 2. Cor. 5. wheÌ„ he affirmed in the Apostles name and person of al Priestes Quòd Deus erat in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi posuit in nobis verbum reconciliationis Pro Christo ergo legatione fungimur That God was in Christ reconciling the worlde to him selfe and hath putte in vs the woord of reconcilement therfore our callinge is to serue as in Embasie in Christes own stead These wordes be of great weight excedingly set forth the vocation of the spiritual gouernours as of those that hold by the warrant of Goddes sending and thereby occupie Christes owne rowme Mary the place for all that apperteineth to their calling generallie as wel to preach as otherwise to guide the people of God in the behalfe of their Maister to whome we all be subiect but this present texte wherevpon we nowe treate doth properlie concerne the commission geuen to the Apostles for the sacrament of penaunce and remission of sinnes For it doth in most cleare and vndoured sense geue to them the like right in that case that Christ him selfe had by the sending of God the Father that is to saie the very same
Apostles Ergo the same remaineth stil in Gods church WhervpoÌ„ it is clear that the Priests at this day haue as ful power to forgeue sins as the Apostles had And this ArgumeÌ„t of the coÌ„tinuance of al offices rights of the Churche is the most plainest rediest way not only to help our cause now takeÌ„ in haÌ„d but vtterly to improue al false doctrines detestable practises of heretikes A certain truth to ouercom falsehod by For thei must here be examined diligeÌ„tly what coÌ„mon welth that is or what church that is in which Christ doth preserue the gouernmeÌ„t geueÌ„ to the Apostles Where it is that the power not only of making but also of practising al Sacraments hath coÌ„tinued stil What company of ChristiaÌ„ people that is wherin the Apostles Doctors preachers ministers through the perpetual assistaÌ„ce of Gods Spirit be continued for the building vp of Christes bodie which is the number of faithful people What Church that is whiche bringeth foorth from time to time sonnes to occupie the roomes of their fathers before them It is not good Reader the pelting pack of Protestants It is not I say and they know it is not their petie congregations that hath till this daie continued the succession of Bishops by whom the world as S. Augustin saith is ruled as by the Apostles and firste Fathers of our Religion Surely our Mother the Churche hath ben long baren if for her Fathers the Apostles who died so long since shee neuer brought foorth children til now to occupie their roomes and great lack of rulers if shee haue made her only contemners to be her owne gouernours No no these fellowes hold not by her but they hold against her Esai 1. Heretiques vsurp vnlaufully Catholiques roomes these sitte in no seat Apostolike but they by all force dishonour the seat Apostolike these are not they qui pro patribus nati sunt tibi filij but these are the sonnes quos enutriuisti genuisti ipsi spreuerunt te If you ask of these men how they holde they seeke no Fathers after whome they maye rightly rule they seke no large rew of predecessours in whose places they may sit they aske no counsel of Gods Church by whose calling they should gouerne but they make a long discourse of statutes and teÌ„poral lawes to couer their ambitious vsurpatioÌ„ that in greate lacke of Christes calling their vniuste honour may be approued by mans fauoure Therby let them holde their teÌ„poral dignities their landes their lyuelyhodes their wiues also if they can obteine so much at the common wealthes handes but their spiritual functions their ministering of sacraments their gouernaunce of oure soules and what elles so euer they vsurpe without the warrant of Goddes Church the longer they exercise them the farther they be from saluation and the nerer to eternall woe miserie But to come to our purpose it is our Church Catholike in which all holy functions haue bene practised after Christes institution euer since his AsceÌ„sion vp to heaueÌ„ And therfore this principal power of remitting and reteining sinnes muste needes be continued in the Church by her ministers and priestes as it was begonne in the Apostles before An answer to suche as deny this power to passe from the Apostles to all other priestes because many of them being euel men may be thought not to haue the holy Ghost whereby they should effectually remit sinnes The Sixth Chap. AND to Caluin or other of his secte that require the like vertue force of the holy Ghostes assistaunce in al men that take vpon them to remitte sinnes as was giuen to the Apostles who firste receiued that power I aunswer that the same gifte of the holy Ghoste is yet in the ministers of the same Sacrament no lesse then in the Apostles For thoughe they had more plentiful sanctification whereby they were in all their life more holie and more vertuous then lightly any other eyther priestes or lay men were after them yet the giftes of the holy Ghost touching the ministerie and seruice of Goddes Church which were not so muche geueÌ„ them for their owne sakes as for the vse of the common wealth and for the right of practising certayne holy functions requisite for the peoples sanctification as they were imployed vpon them so they were also giuen to diuers that were neyther good nor vertuous and therfore lacked that which properly is that grace of the holy Ghost that is called of our schoole men gratia gratum facieÌ„s such a grace as maketh man acceptable to God Therefore the holy Ghost breathed vpon the Apostles then by Christ and giuen yet to priestes in their ordering by Bishopes is a gifte of God and a grace of the holy Ghost not whereby euery man is made vertuous Grace geueÌ„ in the sacrameÌ„t of Order vvhat ye ys or conning or happy before God but it is a gifte onely of God whereby man is called aboue his owne nature and dignitie to haue power and authoritie to doo and exercise any function in Goddes Church to the spiritual benefite of the people which is not onely not alwayes ioyned to vertue and holy knowledge but is ful often by calling due to them which are most wicked persons without any impaire of their authoritie And these kind of giftes and graces of the holy Ghost be called graâ—iae gratis datae certayne giftes giuen to men for no desertes of their persons but freely for the vse of other men to whome they be beneficial euen there where they be hurteful to the bestowers In which sense S. Paul numbreth a greate sorte the fourth to the Ephesians Eph. 4. Cap. 12. and the first Epistle to the Corinthians and he calleth theÌ„ not onely the graces of the spirite but also the diuisioÌ„s of functions and ministratioÌ„s as the gifte of working miracles the gifte of tunges the gift of prophecieÌ„g the gifte of preaching and so furth all which being the giftes and graces of the spirit for the Churches edifiyng Cap. 2. and of S. Peter being called the holy Ghost in the Actes yet they were giuen to euil men often as well as to good without al impairing of Goddes honour yea with the greate encrease of Goddes glory that euen by the wicked is able to woorke his wil and holy purpose for the benifite of his elect And in this sense the spirite of God breathed vpon the Apostles was a gift of the holy Ghost whereby man should remitte by lauful power of God the sinnes of the people Whervpon Theophilact sayeth that In 20. Cap. IoaÌ„ potestatem quandam donum spirituale dedit Apostolis vt remittant peccata ostendens quod genus spiritualium donorum eis dederit inquit quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis that is to say Christ gaue to his Apostles a certayne povver and spirituall gift vvherby they might remitte sinnes For he shevved what power of the spirite it was that he breathed on them when he
God the Father to his only Sonne from him again to such as he hath sent and made the messengers of his blessed mind and disposers of mysteries he hath no feelinge at all of the wayes that he wrought for mans redemption he can not atteyne to the intelligence of Christes vnction wherby he is made our head and prieste he in the middest of the glorious light of the Churche can not heholde the practise of so heauenlie ministeries In Epist sua Canoâ—â—ca therefore such thinges as he knoweth not he blasphemeth sayth S. Iude. But to wooâ—k all in light order I wil build vpon the forsaid the intended conclusion that the Aduersaries maie see and beholde the force of our faith and the singular weaknes of their assertions I thus ioyne with them in argumentes barely and playnly without couert That power and Commission which was giuen to Christe by his heauenlie Father concerninge remission or reteining of sinnes was geuen to the Apostles at his departure hence but Christe him selfe did truelie effectuallie and in proper fourme of speach by his Fathers sending and commission remitte sinnes Ergo the ministers of Christ may and doo truly perfectly remitte sinnes Or thus more brieflie As Christ was sent of his Father so are the Apostles sent by Christ but Christ was sent to forgeue sinnes Ergo the Apostles be sent to forgeue sinnes also The second part of the reasons which is that Christ had power of his Father to remit sinnes was sent for the same purpose is sufficientlie proued in the chapter before The first part of the argumeÌ„t standeth vpoÌ„ the sure grouÌ„d of Christes owne woordes which be these Like as my Father sent me so I doo send you Which woordes were so plaine and so deeply noted for this intent of S. Chrysostome that with admiration of the dignitie and excellent calling of priesthod he thus trimly difcourseth vpon them I will report his saying in Latin De sacerdot lib. 3. as Germanus Brixius hath translated it all that he speaketh for that purpose hereafter shall be reciâ—ed but nowe no more but this Quid hoc aliud esse dicas nisi omnium rerum coelestiuÌ„ potestatem illis à Deo esse concessam Ait enim quoruÌ„cunque peccata retinueritis retentae sunt Quaenam obsecro potestas hac vna maior esse queat Pater omnifariam filio potestatem dedit caterum video ipsam candem omnifariam potestateÌ„ à Deo filio illis traditam Nam quasi iam in coeluÌ„ translati ac supra humanam naturam positi atque nostris ab affectibus exeÌ„pti sic illi ad principatum istum perducti sunt And in English thus it is What els canst thou make of this or what lesse then that the power iurisdiction of al heauenly things is by God graunted vnto them For it is said Whose sinnes so euer you do hold or reteine they be reteined For Gods loue what power can be geueÌ„ in the world so great the Father bestowed al maner of power vpon his Son I find the very self same power of al things to be deliuered to the Apostles by God the Son For now as though they were already translated out of this life to heauen and there promoted aboue mans nature and discharged of al our feeble affections they are aduanced to the princely soueraigntie wherof we now haue said Thus farre Chrysostome So doth this woorthie Father helpe our cause and so doth he thinke of the excellent authoritie geuen by the Father to his Sonne and deriued froÌ„ him to the ministers of his holie will testament in earth Whose iurisdiction so highly holden so truely obteined so nerelie ioyned vnto Christes honour and so daily practised no otherwise but in his right and name whosoeuer shal comtrolle or contemne they not onely irreuerentlie touche Gods annointed but they sacrilegiouslie laie handes on ipsum Christum Domini euen on him that is annointed aboue all his fellowes Lib. 1. de PoeniteÌ„t Cap. 7. Wel I conclude vp this matter with these few woordes of S. Ambrose Vult Dominus plurimum posse discipulos suos vult à seruis suis ea fieri in nomine suo quae faciebat ipse positus in terris Our Lordes pleasure is that his disciples should haue great prerogatiue he will haue the same things wrought by his seruantes in his name that him selfe did in his own person when he was in earth The power of priesthod touching remission of sinnes is proued by the solemne action of Christ in breathing vpon his Apostles and geuing them therby the holie Ghost The third Chap. THE commission power that our maister Christ receiued of his euerlastinge Father beinge in most ample maner communicated with the Apostles made great proofe and euidence for the right that they claime in remission of sinnes but the present power of Gods Spirite breathed by Christ vpon them and geuen vnto them for the ministerie and execution of that function helpeth our matter so much that who so euer nowe denieth this authoritie of the Apostles concerning the pardoning of our offenses doth not so much sinne against the Sonne of man which of it selfe is greuous inoughe as he doth controll the worke of the spirite of Christ which is the holie Ghost in whome both he and his Church doth remitte sinnes The more plaine and more exact our master Christe was in the bestowing of that power to remitte and reteine sinnes the more is our contempt in the disobedience deniall thereof He sendeth them forth with his owne authoritie in this case he geueth them the very spirit of God by whose diuine power they maie execute the function to which he called them he geueth them the expresse warrant of his own woord that sinnes they might pardon and punish and yet we make doubt of their vsurpation But howe they mighte forgeue sinnes by Christes sending we haue alreadie said Nowe for the holie Ghostes power prerogatiue in the same action which was breathed on the Apostles we must further conferre with suche as call in question matters so plaine And firste I am in good hope that no man will denie but Christ gaue them the holie Ghost for no other purpose so much as to remitte sinnes secondly I doubt not of their faith and beliefe in this point but they wil confesse the holy Ghost to be of power by nature and propriety to forgeue sinnes Thirdlie I claime of their sinceritie thus muche more that Christ being as wel God as man was well able for the furniture of their calling to geue them the holy Ghost all which being confessed of al men and denied of no Christian aliue how the coÌ„clusion so besette with al proofe on euery side standeth not vpright let the Aduersaries tel me In the Apostles there can be no lacke touching that office for the execution whereof they receiued both Christes commission first and the holy Spirit of God afterward In Christ there
sinnes except he be thus qualified much lesse may a mortal man be he neuer so great in dignittie or calling in the Church take vpō him to forgeue or pardō him that is gylty of deadly syn dānation without the cōfession submission of the penitēt as is premised All this trueth hangeth orderly vpō the necessitie of the sacramēt of penaunce Christes ordinance therein whereby he hath made dedly sinnes only remissible in the sacramēt by the cōfession of the party to a priest who hath in his order receiued power to remit them as is sufficiently proued in the former parte of this treatise it is only a priest whether he be of base state or of high dignity that cā laufully loose mans sinnes as by the keye of his order as they terme it with sufficient iurisdiction ouer the penitent for the secret discussing of his conscience in this sacramēt of confession Vpon which grounde you may well perceiue Marke well that the Popes remission and Pardō being a publike acte of the keye of his highe iurisdiction rule ouer the flocke of Christ not an exercise of his iudgement of his ghostly father thē can not the pope or any other power in earth forgiue him by any grace or indulgēce which taketh only place vpō such as be alreadie loosed frō their mortal crimes Then herevpon the Reader must learne and diligentlie consider that we attribute a greate deale more power to any simple and base priest in this base and by force of the sacrament then we doe to the highest Pope or Patriarch in the worlde oute of the sacramēt woorking onely by the right of his iurisdiction and gouernance of the people The cause is that the effecte of remission of sinnes procedeth from Christ more abūdantly in the grace of sacramētes which be ministered by the priest principally by his power of orders Keyes in the Church be of tvvo sorts Mat. 16. Esai 22. Apoc. 3. Keie of Order thē it doeth by the high iurisdictiō and key of gouernment of any man with out the sacrament I trust euery man vnderstādeth that ther is in the Churche a dooble Key for so the doctours and schooles folow Christ in that Metaphore and him selfe the Prophetes the one of Order which is the power annexed or giuen in the order to woorke any holy function by ministering of sacramentes or other thinges to them belōging as to cōsecrate the Sacramēt of the Altar to absolue in penāce so furth in the rest to woorke in euery of them according to their institution There is an other Keye of regiment and rule of the Church or some principall portion thereof Keie of iurisdition which is called the Key or power of iurisdiction Nowe by this power of regiment and rule as no man can take vpō him to consecrate so no man out of the sacrament of penāce can take vpon him to absolue any man of deadlie sinnes and damnation due therfore For though some doo think that S. Paule did absolue the incestuous Corinthian both of his sinne and damnation with al temporall punishment due therefore after assured repentaunce of the partie out of the sacrament of penaunce yet I can not agree in any case thervnto because the sacrament of Cōfessiō hath euer ben of necessity since Christes institutiō thereof because the remissiō of sinnes is so proper a worke vnto God that no creature could euer woork the same absolutely without sacrament sauing only the humanitie of Christ to which the actes of Diuinity as being vnited to the Godhead were communicated vpon which it is certē that Christ our Sauiour might remitte sinnes absolutely out of al external sacramentes Christ might absolutelie vvithout sacramēts remitte sinnes by his woord and will only which being the power of excellencie was as Diuines doe think communicated to no other creatur in what iurisdiction or preheminence so euer he should be placed And in the act of absolutiō and remission of sinnes we must not in Christ our Sauiour put any suche seperation of his double natures that we need to doubt but remission of sinnes proceedeth ioyntlie frō that one excellēt person being both God mā Neither is it to be thought that S. Paul did pardon the foresaid Penitent any other waies then by the hāds of the ministers Priests of the Corinthian Church For though the confession penance of the party were publike as the sin it self was opē yet the vsage of the Apostle open practise of the Corinthiā Church towards him was no lesse a sacramēt then than it is now being secret Therefore I doubt not but S. Paul spake especially to the Priestes of the Corinthians when he willed thē to cōfirm their charitie towards the sinner to forgeue him by their ministery whō he thought in absence worthie to receue the grace pardō at their hāds whereof we shall speak more hereafter in place cōuenient We do not thē exalt the Pope or Bishops in this case any thing so farre as heresy seemeth or the simplicity of many mē cōceiueth wheras they may wel vnderstād that we geue more authority to the most simple Priest aliue in respect of his Order because of the satramēt by which he worketh then to the Pope or highest Potentate in the world cōsidering but only his iurisdiction And therfore S. Peter him self who receiued both the keies as also other Apostles and Bishoppes hauing as wel the keye or power of Orders as the keie of iurisdiction regiment of their subiects may doe the actes of both the keies that is to say may as wel laufully minister sacramentes of al sortes as also exercise iurisdictiō vpon their subiectes in such thinges as we hereafter shal declare But out of the sacramēts only by the vertue of their iurisdictiō to absolue mē of mortal sins though they be subiect vnto them they can not nor as I thinke euer Pope or Prelate toke vpō him any such preheminēce And therfore let this be the first point of our cōsideration that the Popes Pardōs or Indulgēce which he geueth in respect of his iurisdictiō Popes pardons vvithout the Sacr. of confession forgeue not deadlye synnes which also as most men do thinke he might geue when he were once elected before he wer a priest or any other bishop in like case according to the cōpasse of his regimēt let it be first noted I say that suche pardōs how so euer they be geuen out of the sacramēts do not forgeue sins that he deadly And if any mā thought before that the Pope might or did vse to geue such liebral graūts or pardōs wherby wtout the sacramēt of penāce or confession any mā might claim ful remission of all his deadly sins let him correct the miscōstruing the matter in him self assuredlie know that it is not so thought of Gods Church nor so meant by the geuer nor so expressed in any pardon Notwithstāding the power of
in earth whiche both he and his eternall Father with the holy Spirit of them both do woorke by their own one equal authority in heauen euerlastinglie And though God hath euer sithens mans fall God hath euer vsed mans ministeri in reconciliation vsed the meanes and seruice of man to his restore againe and to â—he reliefe of his lackes and therefore â—ath geuen authoritie by his holy Spiâ—ite and vnction to diuerse of the â—lde Lawe to offer sacrifice praie and procure remission to the people of all â—heir offenses and no lesse as occaâ—ion serued and the matter required â—o correct their misdeedes by iudgemente and iurisdiction geauen vnto them for which soueraigne calling thei were called the annointed of God an external ceremonie of anoyling being solemnly annexed therevnto yet our Lord and maister whether you coÌ„sider his high priesthode by which in most ample maner through commission receiued he may procure our pardon or his calling to be the head of the church by which he ruleth and keepeth all the body in due subiection and order or his ministerie of preaching whereby farre aboue al the prophets and preachers of the old law he openeth to his flock the Church the secret mysteries of Gods truth Christ I saie in al these respectes being man is yet much more abundantly blessed and annointed without comparison Psal 44. aboue all his fellovves and coparteners as the holy Prophet Dauid doth testifie VpoÌ„ whose words touching that matter S. Hilarie writeth thus De Trinit 10. Vnxit te Deus Deus tuus oleo exultationis prae participibus tuis non secundum sacramentuÌ„ aliud quà m secuÌ„duÌ„ dispensationeÌ„ assumpti corporis Vnctio eniÌ„ illa noÌ„ beatae illi incorruptae in natura dei maneÌ„ti natiuitati ê“fecit sed sanctificationi hoiÌ„s assumpti Namet in Actis ait Petrê° vnxit illuÌ„ Deus in spiritu sancto virtute Thus he meaneth in English God euen thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of ioy far aboue thy coparteners not in any other meaning but according to the dispensatioÌ„ of a body receiued For that vnction could not be beneficial to the holy vnspotted and euerlasting natiuitie in the nature of his Godhead but only it was agreable to the mysterie of his manhod and flesh assumpted in his temporall natiuitie whereof S. Peter speaketh in the Acts that God hath annointed him in the holy Ghost and in power The holie Father also S. Cyril agreâ—th herevnto De recta fide ad Reginas confessing that al this honour power and authoritie which the Prophets haue signified so long before â—y the annoynting of the sonne of God â—ame vnto Christ in consideratioÌ„ of his manhode thus he saith Quòd vnctio sit â—ecundum humanitatem nemo qui rectè sapere â—â—let dubitabit quia absque omni controuersia â—inus à maiore benedicitur That the anâ—ointing of Christ shoulde be meant of his humanitie no man doubteth that is of any right vnderstanding For without al controuersie the inferiour and lesse euer receiueth blessing of the superiour and greater There can be no question then but al soueraignty and supreame iurisdiction which he exercised ouer the Church being his body and spouse in that respect that he was either Priest and Bisshop of our soules 1. Pet. 2. as S. Peter calleth him or els as he was our head and pastour it is certen that al this came vnto him by his Fathers sending and the vnction of the holy Ghost and the benediction of the holy Trinitie to which he was inferiour according to his manhode If thou doubt of this Priesthode in this case heare Theodoretus Christus autem quod ad humanitatem quidem attinet Dialog 1. Sacerdos appellatus est non aliam autem hostiam quà m suuÌ„ corpus obtulit Christ saith he touching his humanity was called a Priest and he offered no other hoste but his owne bodie But we maie haue more forcible testimony herof in S. Paule him selfe who in sundrie other places that are knowen Heb. 5. 9. professeth euery Bisshop to be elected aÌ„d chosen out amoÌ„g an number of men to offer sacrifice for sinne And that he is made the supreame gouernoure and heade of the Churche in his humanitie yea and in respecte thereof is appointed to be the high minister of God the Father in pardoning or iudging the worlde it is an assured ground of our faith approued not onely by the consente of all Doctours but also by the Scriptures euerie where protesting that al power in heauen and earth is geuen to Christ in so muche that the Apostle calleth him the man Act. 7. in quo viro statuit iudicare orbem terrarum In which or by which appointed man he will iudge the world Al these things though they may seme to the simple to be farre from the matter yet they be both neare our purpose and necessarie to be laied vppe in memorie for the further establisshing of our faith in the Article proposed and diuerse other profitable pointes of Christian beliefe nowe impugned For as the due coÌ„sideration of Christes authoritie and excellent office touching his manhod wil helpe vp the decayed honour and iurisdictioÌ„ that the guides of Gods Churche by the right of his high calling doe iustlie chalenge so it shal represse the boldnesse of certaine miscreants of this age who to further their sundrie euil entents and detestable doctrines haue dishonoured Christes dignitie touching his incarnation and office of his redemption exceding much both in him self and in the persons of his Priestes and substitutes Some of them fearing as I take it least the honour and office of Christes Priesthod might by participation descend to the Apostles and Priests of the Church letted not to hold that Christ was his Fathers Priest according to his diuine nature of which blasphemie Iohn Caluin was iustly noted Vide Oricouij Chimer wherin the wicked man whiles he went about to disgrace the dignitie of mortall men became exceding iniurious to the second person in Trinitie One other of that schole and of his own neast denied that Christ in his manhode should â—udge the world least there might seme â—o be some force of punishment and corâ—ection of wickednes practised by maÌ„s ministery in this life for the resemblaÌ„ce of Christes iudgement to come And so â—aught one Richerus of a Carmelite a Caluinist Vide Villegag contra articulos Caluini Ita Hartop MoÌ„hem alij Heb. 7. Other denie Christ being now in heauen to make prayer for vs â—ccording to his manhode because it â—endeth towardes the intercession of Saints though S. Paule in expresse wordes recordeth of him Quòd saluaâ—e in perpetuum potest accedens ad Deum persemetipsum semper viuens ad interpellandum â—ro nobis That for euer he is of power to geue saluation hauing accesse to God by him self and alwaies liuing to make intercession for vs. Yea most of the Sacramentaries
can be no default who was well able to geue and in deede did giue the holie Ghost In the holie Ghoste there can be no lette nor lacke whose power is infinite and his verie propriety to remitte sinnes Al things then standing on so safe and sure groundes the giuer the gift and the receiuer competent and fullie answerable eche to other on euery side let the disconteÌ„ted ioyne in argument let him alledge why the Priest so authorised by Christe and so assured of the holie Ghost may not either pardon or geue penance Neuer man auouched that he exercised the high actioÌ„ vpoÌ„ his own authoritie but that he may not as a minister and seruaunt practise it vppon the warrant of Christ present power of the holy Ghost that no faithful person can affirm nor any reasonable man stand in Some holy writers vpon this text of S. Iohn in which the order of Christes authorishing his Apostles for the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is described do dispute of the differeÌ„ce of geuing the holy ghost then to his Disciples afterwarde on whitsonday some note the external ceremonie that our Maister vsed when he gaue them the holy Spirite whiche was by breathing on them that suche outwarde actions might bothe be an euidence to them of that excellent gift which they inwardlie then receued Grace ioined to external elements aÌ„d vvhy and should further be an euerlasting instruction to the Church that Gods grace gifts be ofteÌ„ ioyned to external elemeÌ„ts for the solace of our nature that deliteth to haue our outward man schooled as well as the inward man nourished These and many things moe be of profitable remembrance and consideratioÌ„ but not so much to our purpose Therfore let vs see whether the iudgement of the holy Fathers do not wholy help our present cause by prouing the Priests ministerie through the holy Ghostes authoritie that our declaration staÌ„ding on the plaine wordes of scripture with their vndoubted sense may obtein inuincible force against the aduersaries and woorthy credite of the true beleuers Hovv Priestes being but men mâ—ie remitte sinnes coÌ„mitted agaiÌ„st God We wil make our entrance first with S. Cyril who debating with himselfe vpon the incomparable authoritie and power geuen to the Apostles for remission of sinnes standeth first as in contention with him self and with Christes wordes how it may be that they being but meÌ„ shuld forgeue the sinnes of our soules being sure of this that it is the proprety only of the true and liuing God to assoile vs of our sinnes against whom only al sinnes be proprely committed And therefore being not of stomake as men be now a daies to deny that which Christes wordes so plainly doe import he made answere that the Apostles were in deed deified made as you would say partakers of Gods nature to woorke Gods own office in the world Cap. 5â— lib 12. In Ioan. interpre TrapezuÌ„ Qua igitur ratione saith he diuinae naturae dignitatem ac potestatem discipulis suis saluator largitus est Quia certè absurdum non est pecâ—ata remitti posse ab illis qui spiritum Sanctum in seipsis habeant Nam cùm ipsi remmittunt aut detinent spiritus qui habitat in eis remittit detinet By what meanes did our Sauiour giue vnto the Apostles the preheminence power of Gods own nature Surely because it agreeth very well that they should remit mans sinnes that haue in them selues the holy Ghost For when they assoyle or reteine sinnes it is the holy Spirit that dwelleth in them whiche by their ministerie doth remitte or reteine sinnes Thus he I marueil not nowe Lib. 6. cont Iul. why this same Father termeth the Apostles somtimes Protectores curatores animaruÌ„ corporuÌ„ Titles geuen to priesthod the protectours and curers both of bodies and soules it is not straÌ„ge why S. Ambrose should cal the whole order of priesthod OrdineÌ„ deificuÌ„ De Sacerdot Neither that he should terme officiuÌ„ Sacerdotis munus spiritus Sancti The Priestes office to be the function of the holy Ghost No I doe not wonder at some of our forefathers that in the admiration of Gods Maiestie which they saw to be so present in the execution of so high an office they did simplie and plainlie terme the principall Pastours of the Churche halfe Gods and not mere men not hauing respect to their persons whiche be compassed with in firmities as other the sinfull sort of people in the worlde be but casting eye vpwarde to the holie and excellent functions whiche they practised by the spirite of God which dwelleth in them and deifieth their persoÌ„s to make them of habilitie to exercise the works of God But S. Ambrose helpeth our matter with a long discourse al I wil not now report for the present purpose thus he saith disputing against the NouatiaÌ„s for the assertioÌ„ of priestlie dignity inassoyling our sinnes Qui SpirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ accipit sol uëdi pecâ—aâ—a potestateÌ„ et ligandi accipit Cap. 2. li. 1 De Poen sic eniÌ„ scriptuÌ„ est Accipite Spiritum sanctuÌ„ quoruÌ„ remiseritis peccata remittuÌ„tur eis quoruÌ„ retinueritis reteÌ„ta sunt Ergo ê™ soluere peccatuÌ„ non potest non habet SpirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ Munus spiritus sancti est officium sacerdotis ius autem spiritus sancti in soluendis ligandisque criminibus est He that receiueth the holy Ghoste hâ—â— meaning is in the taking of orders receiueth therewith the power to bind loose For so is it writen Receiue you the holy Ghost whose sinnes you do forgeue they are forgeueÌ„ them whose sinnes you do reteine they are reteined Therefore they which can not forgeue meÌ„s offeÌ„ces thei haue not the holy ghost that is to say thei haue not the gift of the holy ghost which is geueÌ„ to the officers for th executioÌ„ of their functioÌ„ in Christes behalfe for the gift of the holy Ghost is the office of the Priest the proper right of remission of sinnes staÌ„deth in the holy Ghost Thus wrote S. Ambrose against the heretikes of his time both toucheth and ouercoÌ„meth all the falshode of our daies against the ministerie of man which so ioyneth with Gods Spirit in al these diuine functions that it can not without blasphemie and special contempt of God be contemned Contra Pelagianos Manichaeos Donatistas passim But I remember S. Augustine the Churches great Capitaine against her aduersaries of those daies did euer in disputation against the Pelagians and other like ennemies of faith make the greatest accompt of victorie and their ouerthrow when they were driuen to denie that which euer before had bene not onlie acknowledged of al men for truth but also had ben vsed as a grauÌ„ted truth ground and principle for the notable euidence thereof to the impugning of other falsehodes For there can be no doubt but that whiche our holy Fathers did vse without controling and contradiction euen
to the same ende and purpose I haue hithertoo declared at large Now the third part of the place before alleadged out of S. Iohns Gospel concerneth the woordes of Christes promesse and warrant made vnto his Apostles out of which playn woordes distinctly vttered we must see what force may be further added vnto our Cacholike assertioÌ„ for the priestes autoritie to remitte reteine sinnes And surely if none of the former woordes of CoÌ„missioÌ„ nor any other meane or mentioÌ„ had ben made of the holy Ghostes assistaunce herein these onely woords vpon the credite that al faithful men owe to Christ had ben sufficient to haue assured the world of the autoritie of priesthod and of the whole cause that now is called in controuersie For what caÌ„ be said either of God or man more properly or more playnly then this whose sinnes you shal forgiue they be forgiueÌ„ Ioan. 20. whose sinnes you shal reteine they be reteined I must needes here complayne of these vnfaithful and vnhappy tymes that in the continual lothsom bragges of the scripture Scripture maliciously peruerted in the vvoordes of sacraments and Goddes woorde in perpetual tossing and tumbling of the bokes of the Bible in endlesse contentioÌ„ and disputation of most high mysteries in them conteined haue yet wholy peruerted the cleerest and only vndoubted meaning of suche places specially as most touch the verie life and saluation of al man kinde which be of al other thinges in termes of scripture moste open and euident ful foolishly vnlernedly haue both the simple sorte handled Goddes woorde as in suche grosse ignorance of all thinges they needes must and their new procured maisters also in not muche more knowledge and farre paâ—ssing pride can not otherwise doe but whilest they playe them selues in thinges of smaller importance they are to be laughed at rather then lamented but if the Diuel driue them farder as he lightly doth where he so quietly possesseth and cause them to dallye and delude the places of scripture that principallie concerne the state and saluation of vs al there we must with al force resiste leaste we leefe the fruyte and good of oure Christianitie What can be of higher importaÌ„ce in the worlde or touche our soules and saluation so nere as the holie sacramentes of Christes Church by which grace and mercie throughe Goddes appoyntment be procured and yet these blessed fountaynes especially eueÌ„ these waters springing euerlastingly to oure life and comfort haue these men moste infected In the institution of Sacramentes Christes woordes were euer playne without coloure or figure as woordes that woorke with singular efficacie grace and vertue and therwith giue to the ministers iust authoritie for the executioÌ„ of Christes meaning which could not be done in figuratiue speaches and parables without infinite erroure Did God speak parables wheÌ„ he instituted the solemnitie of so many sacrifices in the olde lawe when he signified vnto Moyses and Aaron euerie seueral sorte of beaste or creature with their sexe and kind and al the ceremonie thervnto belonging Exod. 12. Did he speake parables when the sacramente of the lambe was to be instituted Did he speak by figure to Abraham Genes 17. Exod. 35. when he commaunded him to circumcise the male of euerie of his people Did he speake by figure when he instituted the Sabaoth Did he to be brief euer in the olde lawe speake one thing and meane an other when any external worke by the charge of his woord was to be practised for euer amongest the people In common speach in prophecieng in preaching in similitudes in Examples vttered for the declaratioÌ„ of many thinges A necessarie note for to Knovve vvhere the speaches be figuratiue and for grace varietie of talke to styrre vppe mans industrie in searchinge the secretes of trueth there figures of al sortes be vsed but where by external woordes and actioÌ„s force of inward grace must be procured or perpetual vsages in the Church are in outeward signes elements to be instituted or coÌ„missioÌ„ of greate matters graunted or charge of singular weight giuen to seruauntes in absense of their maisters in all such cases playne speaking by Goddes prouidence was euer vsed by al reasoÌ„ must be vsed or elles man falling into errour in the executioÌ„ of his coÌ„mission is sufficiently to be excused because he could not atteine to the meaning of his maisters woordes And yet the wicked of these dayes haue fouÌ„d sucke light in scripture that thâ—y haue made oure Maister Christe to speake one thing meane the contrarie in the verie institutioÌ„ of the Sâ—cramentes and haue founde figures to delude defeat that world of the necessarie fruicte of theÌ„ all Ther were some of olde that droue the mysteries of Christes incarnatioÌ„ speaches that proued his equalitie with his Father in godhead to figuratiue phrases and sought for the defence of their folie the like phrases in other of Christes talke but neuer none were comparable in this kinde to oure newe deuisers For by the face and crake of Goddes woorde they haue brought to passe amongste fooles that no one texte of scripture which perteineth to any of the Sacramentes can haue his meaning and such sense as the verie woorde beareth The B. Sacr. of the Altar and the worlde hath euer taken and coÌ„strued of it The blessed and moste soueraigne sacrament of the aultar instituted in a solemne actioÌ„ in moste careful maner amongest his most secrete seruantes the last almoste of al his woorkes in earth Matt. 26. in moste euident termes with fore charge giuen to the Apostles of the continuance of his euerlasting memorie in the same yet must meane nothing lesse then that which oure Maister made it and must by a thousand figures be wrasted wrythen to what yow list and like so that it be not to importe that which oure Maister said it did and the Church hath euer beleued of the same Baptisme woordes of the like solennitie were vsed for the ordering of the holy vse of Baptyme to be doen as the woorde doth also importe necessariely in the external element of water with certayn moste holy prescribed woordes vnder payne peril of euerlasting perishing to the neglecters therof yet in suche playnesse figures are found out by these pernicious conueiers that neyther water is compted so much necessarie nor the woordes of suche streÌ„gth but that one of these malapert felowes was bold to write Brentius coÌ„tra PetruÌ„ à Solo that it was muche superstition to binde the Church to the same as to the prescribed woordes of arte Magike sorcerie and witchcrafte Of the honourable acte and sacrament of extrem vnctioÌ„ Extream VnctioÌ„ what can be said with more euidence of woordes then is spokeÌ„ of the holy Apostle S. Iames If any man be sicke amoÌ„gest you Cap. 5. let him cal for the priestes of the Church and let them annoynt him with oile and yet so lytle matter these
men make of the Apostles spirite woorde and writing that they haue cōdemned the whole vse therof as superstitious Holy Orders not helping thē selfes by figures but by opē force Grace is giuen to Timothy as in a sacrament when he tooke orders of Paule 1. Tim. 4 the Apostle sayeth so much in expresse termes yet this grace and the whole sacrament of Orders these holy men reiecte Matrimonie Matrimonie to S. Paule is a great sacrament of oure ministers not misliked so farre as concerneth their fleshly coniunctiō which they onely lust after Ephes 5. but grace they list not receiue thereby least it should be a sacrament wherby the vnitie of Christ and his spouse the Church which in no sauce they can abide might be fullie represented and signified These felowes therfore that dare be so bold to disturbe al the orders and sacramentes of Goddes Church and to mainteine their phantasies dare brast the sacred bandes of expresse scriptures in such poyntes as doo directly touche the whole policie of oure Christian common wealth and ordered wayes of oure saluation euen in those which Christ moste carefully left to be practised for the vse of his louinge flocke by the warrant of woordes moste playne what shal wee saye to such bolde and impudent faces that thus dare doo and yet which I more merueyl at in this their vncurtesie and moste vnhonest dealing will not sticke to crie and call vpon Goddes woorde as thoughe they did that by scripture the contrarie whereof they expressly find in scripture And truely where they be not holpen by the verie woordes vaine it shall be for them to stand with vs and with all oure Fathers and with the practise of al nations and with the verie expresse iudgment of the Church of God it shal not boote them I say in their dark ignorance and infinitie pride to stand with vs hauing so many helpes for the true meaning and the expresse text of the woorde for oure selues and side Sometymes where it maie appeare that the woordes and outwarde face of scripture serue not oure assertions so playnly as the holy traditions of Christes Church doo there they cal vpō vs with infinite clamoures to abide the iudgment of the woorde which they would be thought to esteme aboue al mans meaning But whither wil they now runne thincke you where al oure sacramētes stand vpō euident woordes more thē woordes vpon the verie expresse notorious actiō of Christ him selfe all instituted sincerly to be practised of the Churce after his departure hēce al cōmended in knowen termes of greatest most efficacie that could be not by way of preaching in which he vsed sometyme figures not at suche tyme as he vsed other then common knowen speach but after his resurrection when he now vttered no more parables as he did before Matt. 13. Marc. 4. that suche as sawe should not see and such as were of vnderstanding might not vnderstand but did open vnto his dearest their senses that they might vnderstand scriptures and more carefully expressed his meaning for the instruction of his holy Disciples to the better bearing of that charge which he ment to leaue them in after his departure whither wil these men I say where they see al thinges so enuironed with trueth whither wil they flye The scriptures be playnly ours the doctours thei dare not claime reason is against them ther is then no waye to beare it oute but with boldnesse and exercised audacitie Yet here we wil assaye by the notorious euidence of this one cause that we now haue in hande to breake their stonie hartes to the obedience of Christes Church and woorde for whose faith if they haue seen great light and force of argument allready and shall yet see much more I truste they will not still withstande the knowen trueth Al woordes then of institution of sacramentes being literaly to be taken thinges of so great charge not otherwise to be vnderstanded then are both by act and woord of Christe sincerely vttered we neede not doubt but the fourme of Christes sentence in which he giueth the Apostles power to remitt sinnes is plainely to be taken in that common sense as the same by woordes importeth and therefore that by force thereof they maye remitte sinnes And yet to make more proofe to satisfie all men I wil ioyne to these woordes of oure Sauioure that most properly concerne the sacramente of penaunce other his woordes touching oure principall conclusion not vnlike wherby in cōferēce of the like sainges together which our Aduersaries doe alwayes as they would seeme wel to allow trueth may trie it selfe Therefore as our Maister here saieth vnto them whose sinnes you shal forgiue they be forgiuē And whose sinnes you reteine they be also reteined euen so said he twice before vnto the Apostles expressing in other woordes almoste the same meaning and sense once to them altogether in the xviij of S. Matthew an other tyme before that in the xvi of the same Gospel to S. Pecer alone To them in general thus saith Christ If thy brother haue committed any offence towards thee go to him and admonish him priuately betwixt him and thy selfe If he take it wel thou hast then wonne thy brother if he regarde thee not take one or twoo with thee that in the mouthes of two or three wittnesses euerie vvoord may stande if he regarde not them neither then make complainte of him to the Churche that is to saye as S. Chrysostome expoundeth it Super hūc locū to the Gouernours of the Churche and if he will not obeye the Church thē take him for no better thē a Heathē and a Publicā And streight vpon these woordes De fide operib cap. 3. least any mā should sette light by the Churche or rulers thereof Christ added sayth S. Augustine a wonderfull terrour of her seuere authoritie saing Amen dico vobis quaecunque alligaueritis super terram erunt ligata in coelo quaecunque solueritis super terram erunt soluta in coelo surely I saye vnto you what thinges soeuer you binde in earth it shal be bounde in heauen And what soeuer you loose in earth it shal be loosed in heauen This text is cleare for the Churches claime in remission of sinnes thoughe it properlie perteine rather to the outwarde power iudiciarie and courte of external iudgment for open crimes and notorious contemptes then for the sinnes of the people that be secrette and onely subiect to power practised in the sacrament of penaunce which nowe lightly is closse and onely vttered in secret to him that hath charge of his soule Neuer the lesse if the priestes of God haue receiued power to loose and bynde which is to pardon and punishe open notorious crimes and contemptes whiche towchinge the giltinesse of the faulte doth no lesse perteine to the proper power of God then the absoluinge of secrette sinnes doth then without question they
may pardon or reteine mans sinnes of all sortes as wel in the sacramente of penance al that be confessed as in publike iudgment what soeuer is by witnesse proued And as in this they maye at their pleasure where iustice requireth correcte the open offender by moste graue censures of Goddes Church so may the priestes giue due penaunce in the sacrament for the chastisment of suche sinnes as be to them confessed and for the satisfying of Goddes iustice by sinne violated The other text of holy scripture coÌ„teining Christes woordes to S. Peter seuerally A more peculiar prerogatiue geueÌ„ to S. Peter than to other Apostles by certayne notable circumstances of the letter and by woordes of great graunt spokâ—n singularly to him giueth the chief of all his Apostles in more ample termes and beneficial clauses this power and prerogatiue also To him it was onely said thou aâ—t Peteâ— which is as much to say as a rocke for oure Maister gaue him that name newe at his firste calling Ioan. 1. in significatioÌ„ of further intent and purpose which he here vttered and vpon this rocke will I sette my Church and hel gates shall not preuaile agaynste it That so sayd he thus spake in playne termes Et tibi dabo claues regni coelorum Et quodcunque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum in coelis quodcunque solueris super terram erit solutum et in coelis And to the wil I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what soeuer thou shalt binde in earth it shall be bounde in the heauens And what thow loosest in earthe it shal be loosed in the heauens Ibid. 21. This promise made vnto Peter and performed no doubt after his resurrection when he committed to him the feeding and gouernement of all his deare flocke both yong and olde doth excedingly importe a wonderfull incomparable soueraygntie and iurisdiction ouer mens soules For a mortall man to receiue the keyes of Christes kingdom by them to binde loose to locke out and lett in Keies of heauen vvhat they be before our maister Christe who had the full iurisdiction therin it was neuer heard of And when the holy Propheces doe meane to sette out the greate and passing power giueÌ„ by God the Father to his onely SoÌ„ne in earth they vse to expresse the same ofteÌ„ by the termes of keyes as when the prophet Esaie saith I wil lay the keyes of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder he shall shutte and ther can none be hable to open and he shall open so that none can shutte agayne And Christ him selfe speaking to his beloued Iohn in the Apocalipse saith Cap. 22. I am the first and the last I am aliue and was dead before Apocal. 1. 3. and I haue the keyes of death and hell The keyes therfore euer signifyng power and gouernemeÌ„t of the houshold was giueÌ„ to Christ as to whom being the principall most excellent rectour of his own Church that he bought so dearly they most duely belong But he coÌ„municated vnto Peter as to his speciall steward that vse of the same for the gouernment of our soules with exceding much preheminence both in binding loosing Yet I do not remeÌ„ber that any of the olde writers doe put any greate differeÌ„ce betwixt the authorities of Peter the rest of the Apostles coÌ„cerning the remitting of sinnes which is a thing perteining indifferently to the whole order of priestod therfore no more proper to the Pope or Peter then to priestes Apostles thoughe Origen noted well that the iurisdictioÌ„ of Peter semed by those woords to be enlarged aboue the residue by that that our Sauiour sayde to him that what soeuer he bounde or loosed in earth it should be loosed or bound in the heauens wher to the rest he spake of heauen only in the singular number I speake only of this latter clause of binding loosing with the keyes therunto belonging For there is no doubt but great preheminence of rule iurisdictioÌ„ is promised before in the same text now recited elles where actually giuen vnto him more then to the rest of his brethern Neuerthelesse eueÌ„ this power of bindig loosing coÌ„mon to all the holy order was in him first seuerally planted for the coÌ„meÌ„datioÌ„ of vnitie order De simplicitatâ— prelatorum as S. Cyprian saith so the same authoritie geuen to other might yet after a sort be deriued from his fullnes of power and prerogatiue as from a founteyne But we wil not stand hereon nowe nor yet to put difference betwixt these woords and termes loosing or remitting binding or reteining nor to dispute whether these two textes more proprely signifie the authoritie and iurisdction geuen to the spirituall Magistrates for punishing by temporal pain enioyned and releasing by mercie as they see occasion the same appointed penance againe or els it proprely concerneth the very release of sinne it self or reteining the sinne which they vppon iust causes wil not forgeue These things would grow to ouer tediouse a tale and ouer curiouse for the simple whoÌ„ I would most helpe in these matters and I shal briefly touch so muche hereof as is necessarie hereafter when I shal dispute of pardons For in deede these two textes of binding and losing as wel spoken to Peter as to the residue afterwarde shall be the ground of our whole discourse there and therefore til then we must touch these textes no farther but as in common perteineth to remitting or reteining sinnes For they are brought indifferentlie of the holy Fathers with that foresaid words of S. Iohn in which as I haue declared the very institution of penance and Priestes iudgement of our soules and sinnes be most proprely grounded Therefore that by al these woordes so often vttered by our Sauiour you may wel perceiue the very litteral and vndoubted meaning to be that Priests haue authoritie by Christes warraunt effectually to remit and reteine sinnes I wil recite one or two notable places of most auÌ„cient Fathers that they ioyning with such plaine woordes of sundrie places of scripture may make all most sure to such as can by any reasoÌ„ be satisfied First I alledge the saing of S. Maximê° an old author a blessed saint Homil. In natali Petri Pauli He doth by conference couple together these textes wheroÌ„ we now stand thus he speaketh very pithely therefore you shal heare his own woords Ne qua vos fratres de creditis Petro clauibê° regni more no straruÌ„ clauiuÌ„ cogitatio terrena ê‘moueat clauis caeli lingua est Petri quam singulorum merita censendo Apostolus vnicuique regnum caelorum aut claudit aut aperit Non est ergo clauis ista mortalis artificis aptata manu sed data à Christo potestas est iudicandi Denique ait eis qnorum remiseritis peccata remissa erunt quorum detinueritis detenta erunt Thus he saith in our tung Least
any earthly cogitation moue you to thinke of any succh materiall keyes as we occupie in earth when you heare of committing the keyes of the kingdom to Peter Keie of heauen vvhat yt ys you must thus vnderstaÌ„d that the key of heauen is Peters woord or tunge because the Apostle weighing well euery of oure desertes openeth or shutteth to euery man the kingdoÌ„ of Christe This key therefore is not made by mortall mannes hande but it is the power of iudgment giuen by Christ To be brief he saith to them all whose sinnes you shal forgiue they shal be forgeueÌ„ c. Thus saith Maximus ioyning together fittly two textes for one purpose out of both maketh a most forcible argument that the iudgment of oure soules which is a passing authoritie that very letting in keping out of heaueÌ„ is addicted by the keyes to Peters the Apostles ministerie For which cause also S. Gregorie calleth all Christes Apostles and the iust occupiers of their roomes the dores by which meÌ„ must enter into heauen or euerlastingly bide our which is a fearfull saing to all suche as contemne their authoritie His woordes be these Quid cuncti Apostoli nisi sancta ecclesiae ostia existunt cùm eis dicitur Cap. 16. lib 28. in Iob. Accipite spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ quoruÌ„ remiseritis pecc c. ac si illis apertè diceretur per vos ingrediuÌ„tur ad mehi quibus vos ipsi paÌ„ditis et repelleÌ„tur quibus obseratis what are all the Apostles elles but the doores of holy Church seing it is sayde to theÌ„ take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you doe forgiue they be forgiueÌ„ eueÌ„ as thoughe in plainer termes it had beÌ„ spoken thus by you all must enter that will come vnto me those I saye to whoÌ„ you opeÌ„ the doore by loosing of their sinnes those shall be put backe that you locke out Hyherto S. Grerie This woÌ„derful authoritie caused S. Hilarie thus to make exclamatioÌ„ O holy and most happy men for the desert of youre faith yow haue obteyned the keyes of heaueÌ„ De Trin. lib. 6. and now the whole right both of bindiÌ„g aÌ„d loosing in heauen and earth is assuredlie in you But that you may fullie beholde their right herein consider his notable woordes vpon the alledged place of S. Matthew Super Math. 18. Ad terrorem metus maximi quâ— in praesens omnes continerentur immobile seueritatis Apostolicae iudicium praemisit vt quâ—s in terra ligauerint id est peccatorum nodis innexos reliquerint Som read CoÌ„fessione for coÌ„cessione quos soluerint concessione scilicet veniae receperint in salutem in Apostolicae conditione sententiae in caelis quoque aut soluti sint aut ligati That is to say To the terrour and feare of al men and necessarie keping of them in awe and discipline Christ premised the immouable iudgement of the Apostles seueritie that whom so euer they bound in earth that is to say left fast tied in the bandes of sinnes and whom they loosed that is to witte by mercie receiue to the benefite of pardon that the same person so bound or so released in the same case that the Apostles left them should be in the heaueÌ„s either loose or fast Thus farre S. Hilarie by whom we euidentlie may learne in what carefull case all men be that passe this life not loosed by them whose sentence in earth is so surelie ratified in heauen aboue no lesse how the woords of Christ vttered somtimes in termes of binding loosing other times in remitting reteining doe literally signifie But I will adde S. Chrysostomes testimonie thervnto the rather because our Aduersaries do abuse his woordes sometimes against confession whiche necessarily hangeth on the authoritie of Priesthode in remission and reteining sinnes as anon I shall declare That I be not ouer tediouse I wil reporte his saying in English onelie Those saith he that dwel in earth and are conuersant amongst men Lib. 3. de Sacer. haue receiued power and commission to dispose and dispense such things as be in heauen A povver geuen to Priestes that vvas neuer geuen to Angels yea these meÌ„ haue receued power such as neither God either gaue to Angels nor yet Archangels for it was neuer said to theÌ„ what so euer you bind in earth it shall be bound in heauen and what soeuer you loose in earth it shall be loosed in heauen Earthlie Princes in deed haue power to bind but that perteineth to the bodies of their subiectes onely but the bonde which I nowe talke of that is proper to the power of priestes toucheth the verie soule it self and is so ample that it reacheth to the heauens aboue yea and that so largely that what so euer the priestes doe beneth the very selfe same God wil allow and ratify in heauen aboue and so the Lorde wil confirme the iudgement and sentence of the seruauntes Thus farre spaeketh Chrysostome His woords be so playn that to stand long on them for farther proofe of my matter then the verie face of the sentence dooth importe it were vayne For man may here rather merueyle to see suche straunge power vpoÌ„ Christes woords giueÌ„ to the holy order yet that to be so litce estemed of wicked men so litle regarded euen of the honester sorte of simple folkes that fewe either seeke after their iudgmeÌ„t in causes of their soules or duely honoure that power in them which passeth all other prelacie that euer either maÌ„ or Angell receued in this greate contempt I say of most holy thinges wickednes is rather to be woÌ„dered at lameÌ„ted then by long reasoning to be confuted The sequele of true thinges is so plain in it selfe the diuers places of scripture so answer iustly eche to other that Fathers so coÌ„sonantly coÌ„firme that knowen meaning of the same the verie termes of so many scriptures writen at diuers tymes by sundrie of the Euangelistes so fal vpoÌ„ one vndoubted sense that we may rightly conclude the power to be in all cafes giuen to the Apostles of remission of sinne And vpon such knoweÌ„ termes I make this argument against the aduersaries They treuly and properly doe remitte sinnes vpoÌ„ whose senteÌ„ce in earth the pardoÌ„ of God immediatly ensueth in heauen but Goddes pardon vndoubtedly foloweth the priestes pardon in remission in earth Claue non errante ergo they assuredlie remitte sinnes The maior is manifest the minor hangeth vpon playne scripture thrise told which first appoynted man to loose in earth then that God shall in the same instant forgiue in heaueÌ„ God shall coÌ„firme the seÌ„teÌ„ce of his seruauntes saith S. Chrysostom mans iudgment saith Hilarie shall be as a sentence preiudiciall to God in heauen And thus farre for the woordes of Christ att this present and farther streingth shall more and more be gathered vnto them by diuers partes of all the processe folowing That the same power of remitting and reteining
sinnes which was giuen to the Apostles was not bestowed on thē in respect of their priuate persons but as they were publike officers and that therefore the like authoritie is common by Christes graunt to all priestes of Christes Church who in this matter are the Apostles successours The fifth Chap. IF I had here to doe onelie with the learned it were enough that is alreadie proued for the power and preeminence giuen to the Apostles in remission of sinnes thereupon to ground most assuredly the like right in the same cause to perteine to all Bishoppes and priestes of Christes Churche But we studie to helpe suche as can not by this so farre consider that the power giuen to his Apostles or to any of them is one eternall power not ceasing in their persons An ignorante reason of the simple manteined by heretiques agaynst priesthod but during in their succession to the worldes ende For I haue my selfe mette with many suthe as coulde be cōtent as they said to acknowledge vpon so playne scripture the singular priuilege giuen to the Apostles and therupon if thei might haue had av Apostle they would not haue sticked to haue made their confession and sute to him for the remission of theire sinnes but because I had not the like woordes of Christe spoken to all priestes particularlye they thought it was no reason that any such chaleng shoulde be made for thē nor any suche charge to be giuē to others to confesse their sinnes vnto them This simplicitie of the common sorte or rather this rude frowardnesse risinge vpon contempt and disobedience to Gods Churche is mainteyned euen of the more learned sorte who haue charged them selues in all behauiour to be so populare and so plausible that euen against knowen order of thinges they will draw backe from the light of trueth with the common rude and vnlearned reasons of the people For Iohn Caluin Caluin a man borne to seditiō the Churches calamitie mainteineth the madnesse of the multitude by this reason The Apostles saith he had the holy Ghost wherof our priestes haue no vvarrant But enquire of them whether they haue the holy Ghost if they sae yea demaunde of them further whether the holy Ghost maye erre if thei confesse that the holy Ghost can not erre then they proue them selues not to haue the holie Ghoste because it is well seen that they may erre and doe erre both in loosing binding manie otherwise then Goddes sentence will alowe But briefly to satisfie all sides in this case I shall declare the like power to be left by Christes meaning to all Bishopes priestes no lesse then to the Apostles them selues to whome Christ then presently spake that both the peoples lacke of vnderstanding may be corrected the false and craftie conueiance of their captaine may be to his shame and the Diuels plainely disclosed First this is playn that what so euer Christe after his resurrection or before did institute for the cōmoditie of the people weale of the whole Churche The povver geuen to the Apostles ceassed not by their death but cōtinueth still in the Church that did not decay in the persons of them to whome Christ presently spake the wordes for elles all sacramentes had ben ended and all gouernement ceassed at the death of them to whome in person the charge was first geuen by Christe For example Christ in his institutiō of the holy Sacrament of the aultar spake onely to his twelue and to those present persons he onely sayd presently hoc facite 1. Cor. 11. doe this yet in their persons the Church was so instructed and all priestes so authorized that the same some raigne worcke hath vpon that warrant ben truely practised of the Church and by vayne imitation folowed by thier Aduersaries euen till this daye And in deede the verie woordes of the institution did importe no lesse for it is sayde Mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat You shall sette forth Christes death till his comming whiche coulde not be if the ministerie had decayed with their persons to whome Christ spake So the charge both of preaching and baptising was geuen to a fewe chosen men then present but that all the worlde might perceiue that of his wisdom and carefull prouidence the charge and authoritie perteined to the gouernours of the Church for euer no lesse thē to them whom he then called to that function he added I wil be with you to the ende of the worlde Meaning that they should exercise that office in his name and assistance to the day of iudgment Math. vlt Which in theyr own persons was not true but in their successours And for this cause it is no doubt but what authoritie so euer Peter had alone aboue the residewe of his felowe Apostles that the same is by all reason to be deriued from him to al his successours and that caused Chrysostome to saye that Christe shedde his blood to winne the sheepe which he committed to Peter and his sucessours to feed where Christ in person presentlie spake but to Peter alone yet because he knewe the like gouernement was both necessary after Peters death as well as in his time and no lesse by Christes appointment to be continued in the Church after as before the Doctours doubted not to enlarge Christes woorde vttered to Peter alone to all them that succeeded in the same roome Vpon these most strong groūds euerie man plainly may argue the like power yet to be in the Churche of God in euery case euen as Christ did institute at the beginning Reasons for the continuance of the ministerie of Priests when he gaue the Charge to the Apostles first For looke what forme of gouernement and order of the Churche was thought vnto his wisdome to be best then the same must needs be best now I speake for the substance of things for by diuersities of time and person some alteration may rise in the circumstances therfore if it were good at that time that one should be the general Vicare of Christ and pastour of al the sheepe for which he shed his blessed bloud it is good yet also if some had authoritie then to consecrate Christes bodie some haue the same power till this time if some then must needes baptise and preache other some must nowe also doe the same finallie if certaine then had commission by Christe and the holie Ghoste geuen them to remitte sinnes and therewith power by his woorde both to pardon and punnish to bind and to loose it must by force of the foresaid argument necessarily be induced that some at this daie must haue the like office For els Christ could not continue the same power and offices in the Churche which he for the Churches sake did first institute and which he compted of his heauenlie wisdome moste necessarie for the Churches gouernment Christ mainteineth all the functions by him instituted euē til this da◠in his Church But
thirtene hundreth yeares since thoughe they be so modeste Heretikes neuer list to bragge of their auncetours that lightly they list not crake of their auncestours yet we wil not defraude them of that glorie nor helpe our cause by dissimulatioÌ„ of their great antiquitie It is their pusillanimitie I knowe that they wil not ofteÌ„ in distresse of their doctrine call for ayde of their forefathers who were doubtlesse very auncient and many of them within the first sixe hundred yeares In other causes vigilaÌ„tius Vigilantius might helpe in some Iouinian Iouinianus woulde atteÌ„d vpoÌ„ theÌ„ Manes Manes might doe them often highe pleasure Iulianus Iulianus thapostata a prince for their purpose Simon Magus Simon Magus one of the Apostles age would stande by them surely if our Aduersaries had harte they woulde well nere winne of vs by antiquitie And truely I can not dissemble with theÌ„ in this cause that now is in hande they haue one patrone against vs of yeares verie auncient of reason much like vnto them selues Nouatus Nouatus is his name of whom the folowers were called of the Church Nouatians Epipha in haere but them selues liked to be called Cathari Cathar that is to say cleane and vndefiled persons Their opinion was that suche as did fall into any mortall sinne after Baptime could not by any man or meanes be affoiled thereof and for that they disalowed the Churches whole practise of mercie and remission of sinnes in the SacrameÌ„t of penaunce nothing disagreing from Caluin that condemneth the saing of S. Ierome In Institut In cap. 3. Esay as sacrilegious where he writeth that penaunce is as a second boord of refuge whereby after shipwrake a man may be saued Neither did Nouatus deny but him selfe might haue mercie and giue pardoÌ„ after mans fall but the Church could not therein meddle as he thought without singular iniurie to Christ and his only prerogatiue And that he ioyneth in this matter fully with our meÌ„ that they maye take more coÌ„forte on him you shal perceiue by Socrates one of the writers of the Tripartite history Vide Cassiod li. 8. hist triÌ„pâ—rt ca. 9 The Caluinists agree vvith Nouatus against the sacrament of penance who saith thus Nouatus scribebat Ecclesiis ne eos qui Daemonibus immolauerant ad Sacramenta susciperent sed inuitarent quidem ad poenitentiam remissioneÌ„ verò Dei relinquerent potestati cuius solius est peccata remittere Nouatus wrote his letters to diuers Churches that they shoulde not admitte any man to the Sacramentes that had done sacrifice to Diuelles but that they should only moue them to doe Penaunce and coÌ„mitte to God the remission of their sinne who onely can forgiue mans offences And therefore though in some other point Nouatus did ouerpricke his Children yet herein they fully mete in one Epiphanius writeth that he denied saluation to those that did fall to greuous crimes after their Christendom and therewith did hold that there was but one penaunce Ita Caluinus which was done in Baptime and after that the Church to haue none How haÌ„dsomly he defeÌ„ded this errour and vnmercifull heresie ye shal see anone by S. Ambrose who lernedly folowed and chased him or his folowers in an whole worcke writen for that purpose In the meane tyme it were good for the more credite of the man and his cause to note with the ancient doctours of his dayes his conditions his comming vppe his proceding and practises Nouatus described Epist 8. lib. 2. S. Cyprian who was moste molested with him and knewe him best geueth him this praise Nouatê° was a maÌ„ that delighted much in nouelties and newes of insatiable auarice a furrious rauin with pride and intolerable arrogancie almost puffed past him selfe knoweÌ„ and taken of al Bishoppes for a noughtie packe coÌ„demned by the common iudgement of al good priestes for a faithlesse heretike curious and inquisitiue them to betraie for to deceiue allwaies ready to flatter in loue neuer faithful nor trusty A fit felovv to be a minister a match euer fired to kindle sedition a whirle winde aÌ„d storme to procure the shipwrake of faith and to be shorte an aduersarie to tranquillitie and an enemie of peace These were his conditions then Epist ad FabianuÌ„ ex en Mary long before that his fal to heresie S. Cornelius wryteth that he was possessed in his youth with an euill spirit for which he had to doe great while with coniurours and that he lacked all the holy solemnitie of Baptisme and confirmation and consequentlie the Spirite of God whiche by them he shoulde haue receiued and therefore tooke orders againste the lawe vppon sinister fauour and afterwarde by vnlauful artes attempted to get a bishopricke with greate othes protesting that he woulde not be a Bishoppe if he might But when in dede he coulde not atteine to that holy dignitie which he so inwardlie and intolerablie gaped for he fell in despite of Goddes Church to heresie that he might get that without order which he could not obteine in the righte manner of the Churches making And for that purpose he procured three base Bysshoppes out of a straunge and remote parte of Italie who neyther knewe the case the man nor his manners and them throughe ignorance he beguiled and by force caused them to consecrate him Bishoppe by the coulour whereof for true imposition of handes was it none sodeynlie he appeared as a newe creature and a Bishoppe of a straunge stampe apparuit Episcopus velut nouum Plasma sayeth Cornelius And for this attempte one of the poore Bishops did greate penaÌ„ce the other two were deposed In the meane tyme this mocke Bishope vendicabat sibi euangeliuÌ„ calleÌ„ged the worde of the Lorde for him selfe Lib. 3. haereticaruÌ„ FabularuÌ„ Cap de Nouat denied him self to be a prieste because he woulde not giue to the people as Theodoritus saith in their extremitie the remedie for their sinnes which is nothing elles but to giue them absolution which worke he could neuer abide To be shorte he was so inceÌ„sed against his laufull pastour superiour the holie Bishop of Rome An oth for a nevve visitation that in the deliuerye of the blessed SacrameÌ„t to the people he would force theÌ„ to take an othe by the blessed body which they had in theyr handes ready to receiue that they should stick to him and forsake the Bishop of Rome Cornelius Lib. 6. cap. 33. All these thinges in sense hath Eusebius of Nouatus the first patron of the Protestantes doctrine concerning the impugning of the Churches title in remissioÌ„ of sinnes of which her right he would haue robbed her in pretence of maintenaunce of Goddes honoure Whereby he also abrogated the whole Sacrament of penaunce Vide August de haeres hâ—r 3â— This falshod thoughe it were streight with the author condemned in a greate Councell holden at Rome and afterwarde
of Gods prouidence that driueth Heretikes to disdaine destroy and dissanul the graces and manifolde giftes of Christes Churche that impugning them where the very right of such holy actes do lie they may plainly confesse and to their shame acknowledge that they haue none such them selues nor caÌ„ by Gods warrant chalenge any such giftes whiche with al their might they would wholy if they could together with Gods spirite and Churche extinguish Alas into what misery hath this forsakeÌ„ flock wilfully cast them selues and their adherentes whiche can forsake Gods house vbi mandauit Dominus benedictionem vpon vvhiche God hath bestovved his blessing The nevve congregatioÌ„ is barrain of al Gods giftes and abide there where by their owne confession there is no Priesthode no Penance no host no sacrifice no remission where they can let of sinnes no grace in Sacramentes nor no gift of the holy Ghost Al other heresies lightly by force of the Fathers doctrine and iudgement lost either their Priesthod because thei had no way out of the Churche to make Priests Aduersus Luciferianos as S. Hierome writeth of Hilarie the Deacon or els the vse function of Priesthode by reason the works of God can not be orderlie nor benificially vsed out of the house of God and yet they euer claimed to them selues not onely the order but for moste part all other functions that by Christe and his Churche were annexed to that order but ours wherein they passe all their forefathers in a maner willingly giue ouer the whole profession freely without compulsioÌ„ deny them selues with Nouatus to be Priestes denie to sacrifice denie to enioyne penance denie to geue the holy Ghoste either by imposition of handes or by Chrisme Protestants do of them selâ—es renounce the right of al holy actions of Christian religion or by any other solemne right of Goddes Church To be short take nothing froÌ„ these fellowes that belongeth to Christianitie for they wil geue al ouer them selues But briefly to conclude vppe the answere to their reason founded vppon Nouatus his principle touching Gods honour thus I say That neuer derogateth to Gods honour which is agreable to Gods ordinance but that Priests should remitte sinnes is the ordinance of god as is declared therefore the vse thereof doth not derogate any whit to gods honour Againe as great works and as propre to god as remission of sinnes was practised by the Apostles yet is vsed by the Bishoppes of holie Church without al dishonour of God geuing the holy ghost and gods grace by laying on of handes Ergo Remission of sinnes may be also practised of Priests without al iniurie to god his onely right therein For further prouf of the foresaid matter it is declared that neither Christe nor his euerlasting Father nor the holie Ghost doe giue ouer vnto man or resigne the power of remission or anie other holie function of the Churche but doe themselues coÌ„tinually worke al those graces by mans ministerie and seruice The eighth Chap. FVrthermore wee muste here consider that what woorke so euer God appointeth man to exercise in his Churche either in remission of sinnes or giuing grace of Gods Spirit or what other holy actioÌ„ so euer may in his name be don for the benefite of the people by the ministery and seruice of man either by the meanes and meditation of anye other instrumental cause No man doth succeed God in anie diuine function we must learne that in these workes so wrought either by maÌ„ or through other creatures God doth not resigne his right to the waies and and woorkers thereof and giue ouer the whole title that is due to himself in the said diuine actes For then in deed mans practise should derogat to Gods power and he should as it were succeed God in the right of his propre power and euerlasting inheritance which only to surmise as Heretikes doe were mere foly Christ is by euerlasting right made the head of the Church Christ resigned his room but not his right and he resigneth not this office to any mortal man For if he did then the partie that should by his grauÌ„t occupie for a season the same dignitie were his successour should hold in like right the same office as he did before But that notwithstanding he hath made his substitute vicegerent by whom in his corporal absence he ruleth now the Church as he did before in his owne person not geuing ouer his preheminence and supream power therein but nowe practising that by an other whiche afore he exercised him selfe in his own person It had ben a great derogation to Christ that Peter should haue bene Christes heir and successour for then Christ had lost the perpetuitie an other man gouerning after him in like right and preheminence as he had before But for Peter to rule the Church vnder him in his steed as by his euerlasting right with coÌ„mission from him that holdeth that soueraigntie for euer by whome so euer the Church shal be ruled til the worlds end in earth this I saie is no derogation to God nor his Sonne Christ Iesus at al but it muche proueth that Christe accordinge to his manhoode is the heade of the Churche for euer because by man in earth he ruleth the same til his comming againe the which man though he be his Vicar and Vicegerent yet he is not his Successour Psal 44. S. Augustin did trimly allude to the vse of the old Law coÌ„paring the ministers of Gods Church to the yonger brethern who were charged to marie the elder brothers wife wheÌ„ he died without isshue in whose name they did practise the worke of mariage therfore could not cal their childreÌ„ by their own names but by the name of their elder brethreÌ„ For as thei raised seed to their brother for their brothers honour so the Priests that haue taken vppon them as it were in mariage to gouern Christ his Church to bring foorth childreÌ„ not in their own names but in the name of their elder brother her departed husband As when they bring foorth children in Baptisme as through the wombe of the Church they bring them not foorth as for them selues in their own names but in the name of Iesus Christ being thâ—ir elder brother euen so it is in remission of sinnes also in whiche case Christ resigneth not his authoritie Yet the Protestantes briÌ„g forth in their seuerall congregations children not for Christ but for Caluin caluinists and for Lâ—ther LutheraÌ„s as though he lacked that power him selfe but practiseth that mightie woorke by the ministerie of man whiche before he excercised in his own person And as the baptising not in the name of Peter nor Paule nor Apollo but in the name of Christ the first husbande of the Church after whome the Children be called Christians not Petrians or Paulians doth muche sette foorth the honour of the eldest spouse so it proueth
holy woorking by diuers sacramentes the remission of sinnes we conclude against Heresy that the priests power herein derogateth no more to God nor our Sauioure in the sacrament of penaunce then it doth before by baptisme or after by extreme VnctioÌ„ in none of al which as I haue proued before Christe vvoorketh the effect in al sacraments though man minister them Christe doth resigne his power and proper iurisdiction to the priestes but continuing euerlastingly in like preheminence and power as before woorketh his grace and remission of sinnes in al these Sacramentes by the priestes seruice and ministery that it maye be yet as truely as in his life tyme saide and so shall be to the worldes ende Christ baptiseth Christ shriueth assoileth aÌ„d aÌ„nointeth sinners for remission of their offences althoughe Iesus doth none of these now nor much did in his life tyme but his Disciples then and his Disciples nowe doo the same holy actions in his name To coÌ„clude this mater I argue thus It is no dishonoure to God for the priest to remitte sinnes as well originall as actual of al sortes and grauitie in the sacrament of Baptisme by the Protestantes own confession nor by extreme vnction by the warrant both of scriptures and doctours ergo remission of sinnes is not vnlawful nor dishonorable to God to be giuen by the priest in the solemne sacrament of Penaunce And further I ioyne with them thus The woord of God is much more playne expresse for the priestes warraÌ„t to remit sinnes in Penaunce then in baptisme but they may lawfully doe it in Baptisme ergo they may doo it no lesse lawfullie in Penaunce Compare the woordes of institution of them both and iudge your selues of your indifferencie and sincerity by what right you may remoue the one and reteine the other Nouatus and the ProtestaÌ„ts of our tyme coÌ„pared I pray God you seeke not shortly to baptise vs onely by your preaching as you now will onely absolue vs by the same But truely I thinke you be in the case that S. Ambrose tooke Nouatus your forefather to haue bene in not onely for that that he sayeth Nouatus where he listed woulde admit power to priestes of remissioÌ„ Vbi supra But where he listed not there the grace giuen to them must be dishonoure to God So that of thinges equally commended by scripture and commuanded by God the good man muste haue choice for his toothe not onely in this point I nowe compare oure choice men but muche more in that which foloweth in the saide S. Ambrose of all Nouatians whome he trippeth pretily with this terme delicati mei my delicate gentlemen saith he with their lustie lookes and swelling harts caÌ„ not abide in their bruaery to looke vpon a poore caitiffe weping for his sinnes abundantly apparelled mourningly in sadde and sorowful companie and so furthe And this surely is the disease of oure dayes The disease of this time whiche hath not onely infected the vnfaythfull but also hathe made these holy thinges lothsom euen to the better sorte of Goddes people So much is mans will and pleasure pampered where Goddes woorde and writing shoulde be onely folowed For the necessarie bearing with suche frayltie euen of the good almoste generally the Church of God hath sought and allowed muche more gentle remedies then the worlde had wonte full gladly to beare for theire greuous sinnes And therefore the maner and order of Penaunce hath bene diuers in sundry Ages and countries Diuers vvayes of sacramentall poeniteÌ„ce somtimes solemne which could be but once taken in all a mans life somtymes not solemne but yet open and publike which might be iterated as often as mans mortall sinnes so required other tymes priuate onely betwixt the priest and the penitent Which is now vsed and long hath bene in a maner generally throughe the whole worlde Of al which diuersities we wil not now intreate nor for oure matter the consideratioÌ„ of them is very needfull seing that in all sortes and in euery of the sundry formes of dooing penaunce this is a moste firme principle that the penitent had remission of sinnes for which he did penaunce no otherwise but by the ministery of the priestes Therfore the substance of the mater being one of the diuersity of vse and circumstances which may be according to the tyme and maners of men altered we neede not much to care Baptisme was once vsed with solemnitie at two or three principal feastes of the yere for the time so required then and the conditioÌ„ of the people yet the same sacrament of Baptisme ministered now priuatly as occasioÌ„ serueth by the birth of euery child is of the same force and grace now that it was then Wherin to reprehende the wisdome of Goddes Church that is assuredly ruled by the Spiritte of God is ouer muche wantonesse of will and sedition not tolerable That remission of mans sinnes hath bene ioyned often both in the lawe of nature and Moyses to some external ceremomonies and sacrifices whereof in the old lawe Priestes were the appointed ministers The Ninth Chap. LET no man External sacramentes ordeined and maÌ„s ministerie vsed for good causes vpon consideratioÌ„ of these thinges either reprehend or marueile at the counsell and ordinaunce of God that he being haâ—ie to gouerne his creatures and amend or correcte pardon or punishe euery mans misdeedes by him selfe without all helpe and seruice of any other his subiect natures that it pleaseth his wisdom for all that to forgiue sinnes no otherwise in his Church but by external orders ioyned to mans ministerie in sundry sacramentes In sober consideration of these thinges mans reason may well be satisfied if he can conceiue that it is the honoure and estimation of our kinde with almighty God oure maker that he gouerneth not oure affaires onely by him selfe in his owne person but also that we be ruled and led in the wayes of Goddes will by one an other that the maiestie of God which moste appereth in regiment and in remitting of sinnes in correcting of vice and iudgement might be clerely seen in our kinde amongst our selues to oure comforte and Goddes no disgracing nor dishonoure at all And therefore S. Augustin saith of the like doubt of some in his dayes whiche would not be taught by maÌ„ In prefa de doct Christ but by Gods owne Spirite Abiecta esset humana coÌ„ditio si per homines hominibus verbum suuÌ„ Deus ministrare nolle videretur Quomodo enim veruÌ„ esset quod dictum est Templum enim Dei sanctum est quod estis vos si de humano templo Deus responsa non redderet Mans state were to base if God would not that his woorde shoulde be ministered by one man to an other For how shoulde this truelie be spoken the temple of God is holy the which temple you are if God gaue not answers by mannes temple This is one greate respecte surelye especially since the
procurement ministery therin What did circumcisioÌ„ instituted by God in the lawe of nature commaÌ„ded to AbrahaÌ„ his seede coÌ„tinued so many ages euen til Christes lawe tooke place Did it not after a sorte remitte sinnes Was it any other thing but an external worke in the face of the worlde Was it not ministered by man Did it derogate any thinge to the honoure of God which by him selfe for his owne glorie and name sake was ordeined And afterwarde in the lawe of Moyses which did drawe nerer vnto Christian vsages by many actions of sacrifices and solemne rites instituted purposely to represent and foreshew the state of our present Church Sacramentes in the lavve of Moyses there we haue playne profe of certayne outward orders instituted for procuring remissioÌ„ pardoÌ„ of sinnes not without especial mentioÌ„ of the priestes ministery in euery of the sayd actions Wherof S. Paule speaketh to the Hebrewes in these woordes Cap. 9. Omnia penè in sanguine mundari ac sine sanguinis effusione non esse remissionem That all thinges were in a maner cleÌ„sed by bloude and that no remission could be had without bloude Leuit. 17. For so in the xvij of Leuiticus they were charged to absteine from drinking of bloud because sanguis animalium pro piaculo est the bloud of beastes stode for an expiation and cleansing of sinnes And therfore Cap. 4. amoÌ„gst the diuers orders of sacrifice mencioned in the sayde booke of their ceremonies ther be diuers expresse wayes by sacrifice to purge mennes sinnes some for the priestes sinnes other for the Princes the third for the coÌ„mon peoples offences And one way for their sinnes committed of ignoraÌ„ce an other for crimes wittingly done Finally som for thoughtes and other some for euell deedes with many moe diuersities as you may see in the saied booke In all which it is euer expressed that the priest is not onely the minister in the saide sacrifice as needes he must be but also with offering of the sayed oblations for sinne that he must make prayer especiallie for the offenders and euery of them seuerally that God may pardon them of that sinne for which they offer their sacrifice For allwayes after the forme and maner of offering be prescribed according to the diuersity of the peoples offences it is added Rogabitque pro eo sacerdos pro peccato eius dimittetur ei And the prieste shal praye for him and for his sinne and it shal be forgiuen him And againe Agat poenitentiam pro pecâ—ato offerat de gregibus agnam siue capram orabit que pro ea sacerdos pro peccatis eius Let the soule doo penaunce and offer a kidde of the flocke or an ewe lambe and so the priest shall praye for that soule and the sinnes therof All which doth not onely conuince that Goddes wil was that remission of sinnes shoulde be had by external sacrifices penaunce and oblatioÌ„ and that not otherwise but by the priestes mediation CoÌ„fession vsed to the priest euen in the olde lavve but also that there was an order euen then often in the olde law that maÌ„ should vtter his sinnes with the greuousnesse therof and circumstances that according to the difference of the faultes the diuersitie of sacrifices and expiation might be vsed and that the priest seuerallie might praye for the remission thereof In all which dooing I will not now dispute whether a carnall Iewe that then had no further respecte but to the present obseruation of those commanded Ceremonies and sacrifices did obteine therby remission of sinnes by which the soule is recoÌ„ciled to God or elles only a fredoÌ„ from some temporall punishment due to the same by lawe amongst the people or otherwise by Goddes appointmeÌ„t but most sure it is that the spirituall sorte which from those sacrifices did not seperate but include Christes bloud August suê‘ Nu. 25. et Leo serm 3. de nati Domini in respect wherof all their sacrifices had their force thoughe not so ful as oures nowe haue nor with so ample promisse of Goddes grace yet sure it is that they by faith in Christ and yet not without those obseruatioÌ„s which it was necessarie that they shoulde then kepe were sanctified and purged verilie froÌ„ their sinnes External elements be not taken a vvay by the nevv lavve but more grace ys put to them nor without the ministerie of the priest whose prayer and sacrifice was requisite for the same purpose Neither were all externall wayes of Goddes worship and remission of sinnes abrogated by the Gospell as some doe falsly fayne but to the external elementes that now eueÌ„ in the newe law be instituted for grace and remission of sinnes Gods fauoure is giueÌ„ graunted a great deale more fully sanctification more plentifully For ells let vs with penauÌ„ce reiect baptisme al other wayes of Gods seruice that be not oÌ„ly internall separated wholy froÌ„ outward elementes of water bread wine impositioÌ„ of haÌ„ds oyle such like which if they dare not do how caÌ„ they auouch that God remitted not sinnes by externall sacrameÌ„tes or not by the haÌ„des of priesthod seing without the order none these holy actes caÌ„ be duely ministred Seing then that almighty god of his passing wisdoÌ„ careful prouideÌ„ce towards maÌ„ hath remitted sinnes in al ages as by the ministerie of maÌ„ in outewarde soleÌ„ne ceremonies as by circuÌ„cisioÌ„ in the lawe of nature by the same in Moyses gouernmeÌ„t besides many other sacrifices vsed coÌ„manded for diuers sinnes actual both greater lesse how caÌ„ it be otherwise but there should be sacrameÌ„tes ordeined in the newe law first for remitting of original sinnes other of al sortes at our first entraunce into Christes house theÌ„ an other for more greuous actual offeÌ„ces coÌ„mited by relapse after Baptisme For ells the lawe should not fully in figure foreshew the trueth great grace of oure sacrameÌ„tes to come wherof lightlie by Gods appointment it did beare a plain expresse reseÌ„blaÌ„ce But besides these forsayd sacrifices Iudiciarie povver for remissioÌ„ of sinnes prefigured in the old lavve in which sinnes were after their maner remitted there was an other vsuall acte practised by the priestes which did more properlie prefigurate represeÌ„t our sacrameÌ„t of penaunce the priestes authoritie in the newe law coÌ„cerning the iudgemeÌ„t of oure soules the exact discussing of oure misdeades For neither circuÌ„cisioÌ„ nor sacrifice of olde had any face of power iudiciarie therefore could not exactly represent oure priestes power giueÌ„ theÌ„ by Christ for the iudgmeÌ„t of our sinnes But the autority giueÌ„ theÌ„ in the law to discern shut vp separate the leprous vnclean persons froÌ„ other the clean of the people did plainly represent our sacrameÌ„t of penaÌ„ce whervnto by the doctours it is ofteÌ„ reseÌ„bled wherin order is takeÌ„ the xiij xiiij of Leuiticus Leuit. 13. 14. the
penaunce nor punishment nor binde him according to the diuersitie and noÌ„ber of his faultes nor can make serch exactlie of al his secrete sinnes by him committed that the senteÌ„ce may procede according to the parties desertes but only vpon his seking that sacrament to minister it vnto him according to Christes institution Concil trident Cap. 2. sess 14. whervpon without any sentence of remission giuen by the priest as I absolue thee or such like a pardon general of all his sinnes committed if he come thither qualified most assuredly ensueth Damas de ortha fide li. 4. Ca. 9 But now in the other sacrament of penaunce not onely pardon of sinnes but punishment for sinnes is put in the Apostles and priestes haÌ„des which can not be don without iudiciarie power and exact examination of the penitent because Christ woulde that if any did greuously sinne after Baptsim he should as it were be conueÌ„ted befor his iugement seat in earth in which as in his roome he hath placed the Apostles and Priestes as is alreadie proued And therefor mens sinnes must in this case be knowen with diuersitie of their kindes and encrease by diuersitie of place time person nuÌ„ber intent For without this particular intelligence can neither the appointed iudges of oure soules doe iustice nor the penitent receiue iustice for his offences Therefore it is euident that seing this holy order is authorished not onely to remit sinnes generally as in Baptisme but also placed with al power ouer vs as the iudges of oure sinnes we must needes by force of Christes institution be driueÌ„ to acknowledge coÌ„fesse al our sinnes to the priest so sitting in iudgmeÌ„t vpoÌ„ the examinatioÌ„ of our coÌ„scieÌ„ces For no maÌ„ euer took vpoÌ„ him not in ciuile causes to determing and giue sentence in the matter whereof he hath not by some meanes or other perfit particular instruction and in causes criminall much lesse because the importaÌ„ce of the matter is much more Then in Gods causes and cases of oure conscience and in thinges belonging directlie to mans euerlasting wealth or woe which is the life or death perpetuall of our soules there if either negligence in the iudge in searching our sinnes or coÌ„tempt in vs in declaration opening confessing or cleare vtteraÌ„ce of theÌ„ doe hinder the righteousnes of Gods iudgmeÌ„tes executed by the Priestes office or driuing theÌ„ to giue wrong senteÌ„ce of deliuery remissioÌ„ there the perill is exceding great the daÌ„nger well nere daÌ„natioÌ„ perpetual Neither may we thinke that this authoritie and approued power of Priestes concerneth onely the opeÌ„ offeÌ„ces which by witnesse and proufe may be conuinced and deferred to the publike Magistrates of the Church as some Protestantes confounding al places of like woordes and termes in Scripture doe Wherein they coÌ„sider not that the perfectnesse of the Gospell teacheth man willingly to accuse 1. Cor. 11. condemne and iudge him selfe that he be not iudged of oure Lorde Neither doe they weigh that this iudgment of oure sinnes thoughe it be ministred by man is yet the feat and courte of Christe to whom it no lesse perteineth to binde or loose oure secret sinnes then oure open offences And he without exception committed remission of all maner of sinnes vnto the Apostles and priestes saing Like as my Father sent me so doo I sende you But Christ was sent to heale the contrite and sorowfull of all sinnes priuate and publike therfore al maner of offeÌ„ces be they neuer so secrete belong to the priestes not onely pardon but also correction and punishment wherof because they be men they can not iustelie discerne or determine to remitte or reteine giue pardon or geue penaunce Marc. 10. except they be coÌ„fessed by the parties penitent Christ him selfe Note vvel perfectlie seeing all diseases both of body and soule and the inward sorowe sute of euerie mans harte yet sayed to the sicke man blind Quid vis faciam tibi what wouldest thou haue at my handes And shal the priest being a mortal man take vpoÌ„ him to giue sentence of the diseases of oure soules before he know them or pardon him that will not shewe vnto him wherin for what sinne he asketh a pardon Furthermore the sinnes of manns cogitation that caÌ„ not be discerned by the priest without the confession of the party be often no lesse greuous and daÌ„nable before God then the opeÌ„ offences therfore ther may be no doubt but Christ hath ordeined mercy as wel for them as other that be actually committed and subiect to the light of the world but yet no otherwise but by the sacrament of penaunce in which without exception the priestes haue power to remitte or reteine sinnes as wel priuate as publike Therefore the same secrette sinnes being subiecte to the Churches iudgmeÌ„t no lesse theÌ„ the opeÌ„ they must needes be vttered coÌ„fessed or els they caÌ„ not be released much lesse haue any enioyned penaunce for them But it is mere wraÌ„gling of oure Aduersaries in so plain a case and folie in al other to doubt whether secret offences euen committed in thought onely against the two last commandementes forbidding vnlawfull coueting and desires of the minde be properly subiect to the priestes iudgement seing they caÌ„ be no otherwise released but in the sacrament of penaunce and sincere confession of them For here is practised a iudgement Note wel the difference betvvene the ciuiâ—e iudgemeÌ„t and the sacrameÌ„tal not of ciuile Magistrates which onely punishe by lawes of all nations actually committed faultes against the weale Publike but of soule and coÌ„science which properly perteine to the cure of priestes as they properly occupie Christes owne roome to whose pardon or punnishement not onely open sinnes but also priuate offences either in dede or thought committed doo in like perteine For externall Penaunce or publike is rather vsed to satisfy the Church of her right in which sinnes can not openly be committed but to the greate offence of her children and therefore muste in her by publike Penaunce be corrected for the example of discipline and prouiso of the like sinnes to come Moreouer the sacrifices of the olde Lawe were in many cases doone by the priestes as well for priuate sinnes as open whiche coulde not be without the confession of the penitent ergo much more the secrettes of oure soules be subiect to oure priestes to whom Christ hath giuen al iudgement Yet al this notwithstanding there be some that kepe them selues by vaine excuse of sinne froÌ„ the very principal point and pith of this sacrament which is the particular examination of a mannes sinnes coÌ„mitted by thought woorde or worke wil yet draw backe hold that a general coÌ„fession is enough with termes vniuersal acknowledging a mans selfe to haue sinnes by minde woorde deede though he expresse not the seueral pointes therof But this opinion is coÌ„futed both by al the foresaid reasons and other as a most
neuer shame him a fore men woulde serue Mary the trueth is that the late libertie that his people was sette in through the disordered demeanoure of the foresaid Deacon made this conning shepherd and expert preacher so to vse his woordes as they might winne moste of the woorste and be least offence to the weake And therefore he speaketh so warelye and indifferentlie that sometimes he biddeth them confesse to God and yet with seuerall numberinge of euery of their sinnes otherwhiles in the verie same sermon he saieth atque oportebat maximè apud homines ea dicere aÌ„d yet they should be opened to men that so they might vnderstande his meaning and yet not be hable to reprehend his woordes Who were so weake as I sayd and so vsed to libertie by the looâ—ing of the lawe in Nectarius dayes that S. Chrysostom had muche a doe to make them submitte them selues and their sinnes to the pastours of their soules Wherin not onely his great obtestations in the beginning of his sermon but also his continual bearing on this string that they should not be confounded nor abashed to vtter their sinnes proueth plainly that his onely purpose was to bring theÌ„ to coÌ„fession and penaunce sacramentall doen by the priestes ministerie For there he chargeth them that they did not weepe nor lament nor confesse their sinnes which he coulde not doo rightly if those thinges were onely inwardly in cogitation and harte to be doen. For how coulde he know that they did not make confession to man as we now know that no heretike maketh confession neither lamenteth neither doth penaunce for his sinnes because they haue remoued the way of Goddes Church whereby suche thinges had wont to be doone And by which Christ hath appointed it to be doone Otherwise they will say they confesse them selfes dayly to God and so did S. Chrysostomes flocke I warrantyon but he compted that no sacramentall confessing excepte they did it to God by the priestes ministery which is the way of confession which God hath appoynted But who so euer list see the most assured and vndoubted meaning of this holy Father touching confession to a priest wheron I stand the longer because oure aduersaries would picke quarells with Goddes Church vpon certeine particles of his sentence let him reade the second and thirde booke of the dignitie of prieshod where he doth not onely attribute more dignitie to that order theÌ„ to any other creature vnder God but also maketh the priestes to be as well the iudges as surgeons of our soules as to whom the serching Lib. 2. de sacerdotio the cutting the burning the harde griping the opening or the closing of euerie of oure woundes and sores of conscience doth aperteine In all which cases he saith Qui igitur phramacum ei morbo adhibere quis possit cuius genus nequaquaÌ„ intelligat how should a man salue that sore the nature and kinde wherof he knoweth not and to know it without confession of the partie is not possible Epist 188 For the thinges within a maÌ„ none knoweth but the spirite whiche is in man And truely sayd the Countie Bonifacius to S. Augustine Ipse sibi denegat curam qui suam medico non publicat causam He hindereth his owne health that will not vtter his disease and the cause thereof to his Physition And further if you will be assured of the said ChrysostoÌ„s mind touching confession read his exposition vpoÌ„ the woordes of the institutioÌ„ of this sacrament super 20. Ioannis and of Christes breathing the holy Ghost vpon his Disciples for their power to remit sinnes Where he declareth that these holy thinges committed to the priestes charge doe properly apperteine to God by whose special graâ— we obteine remission euen then when the priest doth absolue vs where he also expresseth the verie maner of the Church in geuing absolution till this daye saing that the priest doth but as you would saye lende his voice and his hande Signifieng that the maner was then at it is yet to speake the woordes of absolution and laye the hande vpon the penitents head in the sacrament of penaunce So in sense saith S. Chrysostom But to leaue him and fall to other of great antiquitie and lerning whose iudgmentes also will proue not onely for the trueth of this doctrine but also which is much more for the vniformitie of this open Ceremonie which the Church of olde vsed and therefore in the like trueth of things yet kepeth DiuinoruÌ„ decret epist cap de poeni ten Theodoritus therefore a Greke author also doth playnly insinuate not onely the whole sacrameÌ„t but eueÌ„ this Ceremonie of layng on handes in the acte of absolution Sunt medicabilia saiht he etiam quae post baptismum fiunt vulnera medicabilia autem non vt olim per solam fidem data remissione sed per multas lachrymas fletus et ieiunium orationem laborem facti peccati quantitate moderatum Qui enim non siâ— affecti sunt eos nec admittere quidem didicimus nec diuina sunt manu impertienda Nolite inquit dare sanctum canibus nec margaritas porcis The woundes whith are made eueÌ„ after Baptisme be to be healed mary they caÌ„ not be remedied as before in Baptisme by remission obteined by onely faith Remedies for sinnes ofter baptism but they must now be cured by teares and weeping by fasting and praing and by penauÌ„ce measured after the quantitie and nature of the faulte For who so euer be not so qualified we haue not learned to receiue theÌ„ to grace neither be the holy giftes to be bestowed wpoÌ„ theÌ„ by oure haÌ„d Giue not saieth he holy things to dogges nor precious stones to swine Thus doth Theodoritus allude also to oure maner yet vsed in the sacrameÌ„t where remission is geueÌ„ by the priestes woord hand For which cause S Augustine calleth this sacrament of recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ somtimes De baptis contra dona tistas li. 8. Cap. 20. Imposition of hande as he doth other sacramentes moe also where the priestes by this externall Ceremonie of laying on of handes vse to giue grace But to go forward in oure matter Quaest 288. regul contra S. Basill a Greke writer also doth euideÌ„ly shew both his meaning his Churches practise touching confession both ofteÌ„ els namely where he saith vpon the occasioÌ„ of a questioÌ„ moued touching the matter thus necessariuÌ„ est vt ijs fiat coÌ„fessio peccatoruÌ„ quibus dispeÌ„saâ—io mysterioruÌ„ Dei credita est Nam hoc pacto qui olim inter sanctos poeniteÌ„tiam egeruÌ„t fecisse reperiuÌ„tur It is necessarie saieth he that oure coÌ„fessioÌ„ shoulde be made to them to whome god hath credited the disposing aÌ„d bestowing of his holie mysteries For so the Saintes of old did penaunce as we reade And he allegeth more the penauÌ„ce was vsed special sorowfulnes for sinnes with som kind of coÌ„fessioÌ„ of sins in baptim how
what should we talke of other impedimentes where this comfortable motion is so great What comforte can be more theÌ„ to haue suche a frend who for that I ioyne with him yea euen my owne soule to his after the dearest maner and moste secret sorte must needes be to me as a ful staye in al doubtes of conscience a witnesse of my sorowfull harte an intercessour for my sinnes a suerty before God for my amending a minister in my reconciliation and one that vnder Christ as S. Clement also saieth shal both beare my sinnes vpon him selfe Clemens li. 2. coÌ„sti cap. 23. and take charge of me to saluation In which case me thinke surely man is after a sorte set in merueilous quietnesse and almost discharged euen of him selfe his owne custody whiles he giueth ouer his owne aduise iudgement and wholly hangeth in earth vpon him whome God hath appoynted to be his pastour and gouernoure of his soule Therfore good Reader cal vpon Christ for encrease of saith and beleue onely this ordinaunce of God was of infinite wisdome and high prouidence prouided for thy sake and it caÌ„ not be burdenous vnto thee Christ shal giue thee courage and hart to withstand the contrary temptations and so serue him though thou forsake thy selfe To vs therfore confusion of face for oure sinful life and to him honoure and glory euerlasting AMEN THE SECOND PARTE OF THE TREATISE concerning the Popes Pardons The authour by iuste causes was moued to beleue the trueth of this doctrine of PardoÌ„s before he knewe the meaning of them and afterwarde founde them to be of greater importaunce then he tooke them before to be The first Chapter OF the highe power of remission and pardoning of sinnes giuen by Christ to his onely spouse the Church in the persons of her holy Bishopes and priestes as a thing annexed to the whole order to be exercised in the sacrameÌ„t of penauÌ„ce vpon al men that be of their seuerall iurisdictions and humbly shall submitte themselues by confession of their faultes to their iudgementes I haue already spoken so muche as may suffice for the satisfiyng of the sober and iust reproufe of the contentious And now because as wel the course of my former matter as the speciall neede of these dayes driueth me therevnto I wil make further searche and trial of the right of that chalenge The argument of the treatise folovving which as wel the highe Prieste as other principall Pastours and Bishoppes make by the force of their prelacie and keye of iurisdiction ouer and aboue the power of orders touching Pardons IndulgeÌ„cies Wherof whiles I doo intreate the more attention hede I require of thee gentle Reader because here al the lamentable Tragedy and toile of this time first did begin and here haue al those that perished in the late contradiction of Core principally fallen And in no article of Christian faith euer more offence hath bene receiued of all sortes almost euen of the wise then in this one of the Popes pardons And to be plain in the matter Tvvo causes moued the Authour to thinkâ— pardons good where sincerity is most required two causes moued me to beleue like and allowe the sayde power of Pardons and indulgencies long before I either knew the coÌ„modity of them or had sought out the ground and meaning of them First was the Churches authority which I credited in al other articles long before I knewe any of them or coulde by reason or scripture mainteine them Whose iudgemente to folowe by my Christian professioÌ„ in al other pointes and to forsake in this one of the Popes PardoÌ„s had bene mere folly and a signe of phaÌ„tasticall choice of thinges indifferent which is the proper passion of heresy Neither did I theÌ„ know that the Church of Châ—iâ—â— had allowed such thinges because I had red the determination of any generall Councels or the Decrees of some chife gouernours of the sayde Church touching suche Pardons or because I had by histories and note of diuers ages seeÌ„ the practise of the faithfull people herein by whiche wayes her meaning of doubtfull thinges is most assuredly knowen but onely I deemed that the Church allowed them and misliked the contrary because such as bare the name of christiaÌ„ folke and catholike men did approue them and sometimes lamented the lacke of them A good rule for the vnlearned And surely for an vnlearned man I count it the briefest rule in the worlde to kepe him selfe both in faith and conuersatioÌ„ euer with that company which by the general and common callinge of the people be named Catholikes For that name kept S. Augustin him selfe in the trueth and trew Church Contra epistolam Manichaei quam vocant fundamenti cap. 4. muche more it may doe the simple sorte who is not hable to stande with an Heretique that will chaleÌ„ge the Church to him selfe by Sophistical reasons froÌ„ the ChristiaÌ„s that for lacke of learninge can not aunswer him Well this coÌ„pany of Catholikes brought me to knowe the Church my Creed caused me to beleue the Churche no lesse coÌ„cerning the Popes Pardons then any other arcicle of oure Christian professioÌ„ which though it were not of like weight yet it was to me of like trueth and al in like vnknowen at the time The second cause that moued me to reuerence the power of pardoning in the highe Bishope The secoÌ„d cause that moued the vvriter herof to beleue that pardoÌ„s vveâ— good and to like his Indulgencies was the very persons of them which first reproued the same In whoÌ„ because I saw the world to note wonder at other many most blasphemouse inexcusale heresies I verily deemed thoughe I was then for my age almost ignorant of al thinges that this opinion and impugnation of Pardons coulde neither be of God nor of good motion that first beganne in them and begatte suche a number of most wicked and contentious opinions as streight vpoÌ„ the costrolling of the Churches power herein did ensue not onely against Christes officers in earth but against his Saintes in heauen and against him selfe in the blessed Sacrament This extreme intollerable issue methought verely could haue no holy entrance therefore with the other named cause stayed me in the Churches faith euen theÌ„ wheÌ„ I had no feeling nor sense in the meaning of these matters But afterwarde reading the history of the pitiful fal of oure time and there considering the finister intent and occasion of the first improufe of Pardons al the straÌ„ge endeuours of Luther whose name is cursed to all good men who first in all mans memory sauing one wicleffe who was condemned in Constance Councel for the same was so bold onely vpon contentioÌ„ and couetousnes to condemne that which him self in coÌ„science knewe to be true and lawful I could not but muche be confirmed in my faith therby And yet al this while thoughe the matter of Pardons seemed to
IurisdictioÌ„ sometimes ioyneth with the sacrameÌ„t of penaÌ„ce the power of Orders as when any Indulgence is geueÌ„ furth by the Pope in which is expressed that who so euer shal be partaker therof must coÌ„fesse him selfe be coÌ„trite for his sinnes past therwith receiue the holy sacrameÌ„t of the Altar such like Sometymes a pardon ioyneth vvith the SacrameÌ„t of CoÌ„fession by this pardon so ioyning with the sacrameÌ„t of remissioÌ„ or in a maner includiÌ„g the same a ful forgiuenes is had of al sins payn therfore which in that case may be called as it is a plenary remissioÌ„ or a pardon à poena culpa froÌ„ both the fault the payn due therefore Ther be also certain greuous crimes which euery curat or priest ParochiaÌ„ caÌ„ not remit Of causes reserued because they be reserued to the audieÌ„ce of the higher pastours For in the sacrameÌ„t of PenaÌ„ce ther is a power iudiciary therefore can not be practised laufully but vpoÌ„ subiect persoÌ„s causes not exeÌ„pted froÌ„ their iugemeÌ„t excepted froÌ„ their audieÌ„ce In which cases the persons of higher iurisdiction to whom by right and law the cognition of those reserued sinnes belong doe sometimes vpon occasion giuen communicate their power to the said simple Priests and doe license them to exercise their iurisdiction vpon persons causes not proprely perteining vnto them as when the Popes IndulgeÌ„ce geaueth the sinner leaue to choose his Ghostly Father and by him that he may be assoiled euen from such sinnes as be reserued to the supreame power of the Church In this matter also the Indulgence ioyneth with the ordinary sacrament of penance and the Minister receiueth iurisdiction by the Indulgence to heare and assoile the Penitent of such sinnes as before were not subiect to his peculiar regiment therefore this is also called a pardon from sinne and the paine for sinne and a ful remission That thou be not deceiued herein vnderstand good Reader that euery Priest in his taking Orders and by Christes graunt hath ful power to remitte al sinnes and al men of their sinnes that be penitent yet that this power can not be practised by the lawe of nature indifferently vpon all because this sacrament and none other is iudicial therefore profitably can be extended no further but to them that be of their subiection and regiment Where so euer the priest consecrateth it is effectual whome so euer be baptiseth he is lawfully Christianed whome so euer the Bishoppe ordereth he standeth truely ordered so furth though they should not herein medle in other mens cures without special licence No Bishoppe nor prist can absolue theÌ„ which be not their subiects sufferance or necessity But no man can assoile any persoÌ„ at al that is not subiect vnto him either ordinarily or otherwise because it is an acte of Iurisdiction therefore though his power of orders be in it self sufficient yet by that onely he can not absolue any man but in necessity excepte he haue withall authority ouer the person and in that case wherein the penitent requireth his sentence which Iurisdiction he may haue either ordinarily as vppon all those that be of his charge or els extraordinarily by some special graunt of the superiour as Bishope or Pope as we may see in the formes and course of Indulgencies diuers times And thus coÌ„sidering of the matter you see that the Popes Pardons as they be onely proper to the acte of Iurisdiction separated from the power of priesthod and sacramental confession can not remitte the sinnes them selues neither damnatioÌ„ due for their reward thoughe because licence commeth and procedeth by theÌ„ to the inferioure priestes to remitte sinnes in al cases they may be called as I sayde plenary and most liberal graces and grauntes to assoile man both from sinne and the punishement that is due therefore Venial sins may be remitted by pardons and many other vvaies vvithout coÌ„fession The Popes Pardons also may well reache so farre as to take away veniall and daylie infirmities which be of their nature punishable but by some temporal payne and correction because they be remissible many wayes out of the sacrameÌ„t both here in this life and in the next For the merites of Christ may be applied sufficiently to the offenders in suche light maner of trespaces without the especial grace of a sacrament as by saing oure Lordes praier saith S. Augustine and by almose and by the holy Sacrament of the Aultar either receiued or deuoutelie adored by sacrifice now of the holy Masse much more then in olde time in the sacrifices of the law and by the holy peace or blessinges of Christ and his Apostles and Bishopes after them and by their Pardons Therfore to him that is free from greuous sinnes or pardoned of the same al these thinges shal be commodious towards the remissioÌ„ of his lesser infirmities but if he be in state of damnation and out of Goddes fauour which grace must be procured onely by the Sacraments of Baptisme or Penaunce he can not obteine any Pardon at the Popâ—s handes neither aliue nor dead nor none was euer meant vnto him That the Popes pardoÌ„s properly perteine to the remission of temporal paine due for mortall sinnes remitted before in the Sacrament of penaunce whervpon the ful meaning of pardons is opened The Third Chapter THE Popes Holines then being disburdened by most iust meaÌ„s froÌ„ all causes of enuy rising vpon the surmise or open sclander that he would forgiue meÌ„s sinnes euen before they were coÌ„mitted as thoughe he should graunt furth a licence for men to conmit notorious crimes yea being proued to be so farre from that facte that he taketh not vpon him by his Pardons so much as to release any mortal sinne at al therefore that he neuer arrogated so muche vnto him selfe in these matters in respecte of his iurisdicion onely as is must iustely graunted to the simplest priest aliue that is lawfully ordered the case standing then before God and al the worlde so cleare with him lette vs see what he claimeth by his iurisdictioÌ„ and in what sense his Pardons doo remitte or release any thinge to man seing in matters of mortal sinne otherwise then by ioyning with the Sacrament of Penaunce he doeth not intermeddle with remission at al. Truely to be plain and briefe The true meaning of the Popes Pardons they that be the gouernours of Gods Church doe chalenge nothing els nor meane nothing ells by their Pardons but the release and pardoning of such punishement as is often due after the sinnes be remitted in the sacrament of ConfessioÌ„ that is to saye they pardon the Penaunce enioyned by the ghostly Father or that should haue bene enioyned by the rigour of their Canons and by the lawe according to the quantitie of the sinne confessed And what lesse can they being the appointed pastours of oure soules and gouernours of the Church what lesse can
him of the sentence of death and damnation hath yet enioyned penaunce as when he saide to Adam In the sweare of thy browes thou shalte pâ—ouide for thy liuing Gen. 3. And to Ewe Thou shalt in paine bring furth thy children And to them both that they should die the temporall death though they might escape by his mercie euerlasting miserie seing this we need not to doubt but temporall punishment often remaineth after the sinnes be remitted and that the Church of God doth unitate most conueniently the sayed mercie ioyned with iustice in all her moste righteous practise of pardoning and punishing sinne in Christes behalfe by whose iurisdection she herein holdeth But for the further proufe of this matter I haue saide muche in the defâ—nse of Purgatorie and this question properlie perteineth to that place That Christ gaue by his expresse word authoritie to the pastours of Goddes Church to binde and loose not onely the sinnes them selues but also that teÌ„porall paine or penaunce remaining after the sinnes be â—orgiuen The Fourth Chapter BVT now for the great iurisdiction that Goddes Church hath in releasing the same punishmeÌ„t which remaineth after the â—aâ—â—e be forgiuen it standethe no doubte vppon that highe commission whiche Christ receiued of this Father and did coÌ„municate most amply to the Apostles and by them to all Bishopes for euer For the Father did not onely honour Christ his Sonne according to his humanitie with the power of priesthod or with other soueraigntie for the institution of Sacramentes or suche like but with all regiment of that bodie wherof he is the head as he is man By which key of iurisdiction he corrected sinners with great Maiestie pardoned theÌ„ at his pleasure not only of sinne euerlasting pain where the peniteÌ„ce of the partie did so require but also of suche correctioÌ„ as the law had prescribed for sinne or Gods iustice had enioyned for the same Math. 16. 18. And this iurisdiction and power of regiment he gaue to Peter principally when he bestowed on him the Keyes of heauen vpon the rest of the Apostles with him the power of binding loosing which is moste principally properly meant of enioyning penaunce or punnishing by sharpe discipline the sinners euel life either before they forgiue his sinnes or afterward For as the place of the xx of S. Iohn properlie coÌ„cerneth the power of pardoning reteining or giuing penaunce for satisfaction in the sacrament by the right of priesthod receiued in their orders thoughe it maye somwhat coÌ„cerne the Iurisdiction of the high Magistrates also so the place of S. Matthew rather perteyneth to the chastismeÌ„t of the wicked by opeÌ„ discipline as they haue the regimeÌ„t of al our affaires theÌ„ it doeth to the sacrameÌ„tal remissioÌ„ or satisfaction enioyned Cap. 18. binding vvaht vt meaneth For ligare there doth signifie some bonde of punishmeÌ„t wherwith the party is tied charged for his correctioÌ„ not only boÌ„de of sinne wherwith the Church bindeth no maÌ„ no more theÌ„ God him selfe doth but euerie man onely bindeth him selfe in his owne sinnes And the Church or her ministers do properly then binde wheÌ„ they punishe by their Iurisdiction the sinnes committed not for the damnation of them that did fall but for their correctioÌ„ ameÌ„dmeÌ„t And the playn meÌ„cioÌ„ of excommunicatioÌ„ which there is expressed to be giuen to the Apostles for the chastismeÌ„t of such as by more geÌ„tle admonition will not amende nor obeie the Church doth proue that to binde in that place namely importeth power of punishment to be executed on the offenders which way of chastisment is an open exercise of discipline giuen to the Apostles to be vsed at their discretioÌ„s for the edifung of Christes Church Therefore as to binde there is as well an acte of the proper power of iurisdiction Loosing vvhat yt signifieth as it is a function of priesthode to be exercised in the sacrameÌ„t of penauÌ„ce so to loose soluere in the place thoughe it maye signifie to remitte sinnes in waye of sacramental Confession yet it is more aptly correspondent to the woorde that went before of binding which was not sinne but the paine or punishmeÌ„t for sinne whereby it muste needes folow that as to binde doth signifie to charge the peniteÌ„t person with some teÌ„poral payn so to loose must also meane to dissolue the baÌ„de which before was layed on him for present correctioÌ„ For this is a rule moste certen that all the bandes which the Church layeth vpon any offender be medicinable if the partie list so take them and maye be loosed by the same power of the Church by which they were bounde before And therefore euer as mention is made in scripture of binding or which is all one punishing of sinnes ther is also mention of the like power of loosing for Christ woulde not giue power to the Church to binde or correcte sinnes but much more he would haue the Church resemble him selfe being her heade in mercie and therefore gaue her alwaies power to loose that kinde of punishment which she by her ministers had bounde or enioyned before For these two actes being aunswerable in coÌ„ference and coÌ„trarietie must necessarily folow eche other and properly perteyne to the like power and prerogatiue Then the one being giuen to the Apostles euen out of the sacrament of penaunce the other must needes also by the like right be receiued Lib. 1. de poenit Cap. 2. S. Ambrose rebuketh much NouatiaÌ„s because they would haue the Church enioyne penaunce but they liked not that she should mercifullie release the same against nor the penitents sinnes neither Dominus saith he parius soluendi esse voluit ligandi qui vâ—rumque pari conditione permisiâ— ergo qui soluendi ius non habet nec ligandi habet Oure Lorde woulde haue the right of loosing and binding to be like for equally he gaue the power of both Therefore who so euer hath not right to loose he hath no power to binde If any man then list folowe the Nouatians he maye holde at his pleasure that it perteineth to the Churches iurisdiction to binde that which the caÌ„ not loose again contrarie to Christes expresse graunt made vnto her first in the person of Peter and then in the right of all the Apostles to whome when he had promised as well the keyes of Order as iurisdiction he said vnto them what so euer you shall binde in earth it shal be bound in heauen and what so euer you loose in earth it shall be loosed in heaueÌ„ first giuing theÌ„ thereby authoritie to punish theÌ„ to pardoÌ„ And therefor as the SacrameÌ„t of Penance wherin sinnes be released or reteined was grounded vpoÌ„ the woordes of Christ spokeÌ„ to the Apostles after his resurrectioÌ„ wherof we talked so much in the former treatise so the power of giuing pardoÌ„ or punishing out of the sacrament by the vertue of their Iurisdiction as the Pope and other Bishopes now