also tréene vessels and earthen vessels and some to honour and some to dishonour Let vs geue diligence and labour as muche as it lieth in vs that we maie be a vessell of Golde or of syluer And truely this doctrine is moste necessarie to be marked and also to be folowed For as all the benefites that God doth of his méere mercie and goodnesse graunt vnto his Churche doe parteine vnto all bicause the Communion and felowship that is betwixt the members of Christes bodye So without this Communion and felowship of the sainctes there is no remission or forgeuenesse of sinnes but eternall and euerlasting condemnation For how coulde it be that they shoulde enioy the priuiledge of the true members of Christ that doe by a self willl deuide themselues from his body as the Papistes dooe now in these dayes Shoulde not that braunche deserue to be dried vp and to be caste into the fire that woulde wilfully deuide it selfe from the true vine The .xl. Chapiter ¶ Our offences and synnes are forgeuen vs by faith through Christe and not by our workes and merites ALso my beléefe is that in this church sinnes are freely forgeuen through faithe in the mercie of God obteined and purchased vnto vs by the merites of the death passion bloodsheddyng of our sauiour Iesu Christ wihout any of our owne deseruynges or merites or without any matter of satisfaction that we be able to make though wee were able to liue as long as euer any man did liue vpoÌ„ the earth For if any amendes coulde haue beene made for synnes or if any iustification could haue been gotten by the workes of the lawe Christ needed not to haue dyed And therefore the lorde saide right well I am he I am he that taketh awaie thy wickednesse and that for mine owne sake and thy sinnes wil I remember no more Here haue we a promise that God will put awaie our wickednesse and synnes not for our deseruinges or merites but for his owne sake that is to say of his frée mercie and goodnes as saieth sainct Paule Iustificamur gratis ex gratia ipsius Wee be iustified fréely of his grace Againe we iudge that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe And for this cause his only begotten sonne our sauiour was by the angell called Iesus bicause that he should saue his people from their synnes If our good workes merites and deseruinges could saue vs from our synnes why should they not be called by that name For there is none other name vnder heauen geuen vnto vs whereby we must or can be saued Therefore I doe thinke it moste conuenient and méete that we saie with Barnarde Mèritum meum miserationes domini Non sum ego inops meriti quam diuille non est inops miserationum Si miserationes eius multe multis ego sum in meritis Hoc totum est hominis meritum si totam spem suam ponat in domino That is to saie My merite is the mercie of god So long as god is not poore of mercy so long cannot I be poore of merites If his mercies be great then am I greate in merites This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce and trust in the Lorde I marueile much of the papistes and meritmongers that are so bold to set vp their owne righteousnes and merites But before we seeme to speake any thyng to their obiections I thinke it best to declare in what signification this word to iustifie ought to be taken This worde iustificare to iustifie hath been of S. Paul borowed of the common vse of the lawe for in iudgement to iustifie a man it is to assoyle or quite him of the crime that is laide to his charge or that he is accused of and to pronounce him righteous iust innocent and guiltlesse After the same maner when we saie that God doeth iustifie vs our meanyng is that God doeth assoyle and quite vs of all crimes offences and trespasses that can bee layde to our charge or that we can be accused of that he doth pronounce vs iuste and righteous in his sight that is to saie that firste he doeth pardone and forgeue vs our synnes he couereth them and doeth in no wise impute them vnto vs but imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not our owne whiche is none at all but the righteousnes of his Sonne our Sauiour and so through his righteousnes doeth both saue vs and make vs blessed so doth the Apostle expounde this our iustification saiyng As Dauid doth set foorth the blessedfulnes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without woorkes where he saieth Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couâ—red Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lorde imputeth no synne As for the places of sainct Iames where he saith Was not our father Abraham iustified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter And a little after ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faithe onely It maketh little for their purpose if it be well considered We reade that Abraham beleeued the Lorde it was accompted vnto hym for righteousnesse whiche text is of Paule alledged after this sorte If Abraham were iustified by woorkes he hath wherein to reioyce or glorie but not with God for what saieth the Scripture Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse Whereby the Apostle proueth strongly that Abraham was iustified by faith But this that saincte Iames doeth speake of whiche is the offeryng of Isaac was doen thirtie yeres after that the scriptures did pronounce Abraham iustified or that his faithe was compted vnto hym for rigteousnesse Uerely sithe that fifteene yeres afore that Isaac was borne Abrahams faith was imputed vnto hym for righteousnesse it was impossible that he should be iustified by the offryng of his sonne Isaac whiche was as I sayd before thirtie yeres after That that the Apostle goeth aboute here is onely to shewe that the faith which Abraham was iustified by was no idle or deade faithe but suche a faithe as made hym obedient vnto God as it is plainely set foorth to the Hebrewes Therefore if the circumstaunces bee considered there is no repugnaunce or coÌ„trarietie in the doctrine of the Apostles at all For what contrarietie or repugnaunce could there bee in their doctrine sithe that they were bothe led by one spirite Therefore we shall marke that the holie Apostle saincte Paule in his Epistle to the Romaines and to the Galathians did dispute and reason against them which did attribute iustification to workes But saincte Iames did write againste them which did vtterly contempne and despise good workes And therefore Paule sheweth the causes of our iustification Iames sheweth theffectes and fruites of the same Paul declareth how we are iustified Iames declareth how wee are knowen to bee iustified Paule excludeth
woorkes as not the cause of our iustification Iames approueth woorkes as effectes proceedyng of the same Paul denieth that any good workes can be in them that be not iustified Iames affirmeth that they which be iustified caÌ„ in no wise be without good workes But ye shall heare what S. Augustine saith touching this matter Non sunt coÌ„trariae duoruÌ„ apostoloruÌ„ sententiae Pauli Iacobi cum dicit Paulus iustificari homineÌ„ sine operibus Iacobus dicit inaneÌ„ esse fideÌ„ sine operibus Quia Paulus loquitur de operibus quae fideÌ„ praecedunt Iacobus de ijs quae fidem sequntur That is to say in englishe The saiyng of the two Apostles Paul Iames are not contrary whereas Paul saith a man is iustified without workes and Iames saith faith without workes is in vaine For Paul speaketh of the woorkes that goe before faith Iames speaketh of the workes that followe after faithe Thomas of Aquine also saieth I acobus hic loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem quae dicuntur iustificare non secundum quod iustificare dicitur iustitiae infusio sed secundum quod dicitur iustitie exercitatio vel ostentio vel consummatio Res enim dicitur fieri quando perficitur vel innotescit Iames in this place speaketh of suche woorkes as followe faithe whiche workes are saied to iustifie not as iustification is the procuryng of righteousnesse but in that it is an exercise or a shewyng or a perfectyng of righteousnes For we say a thyng is doen when it is perfected or knowen to bee doen. So that wee maie easily see that the offeryng vp of Isaac is a testimonie of the faithe and righteousnesse of Abraham he could not be iustified by it but rather it was thereby declared that he was iustified alreadie So that this obedience of his to the worde of God did onely manifest and shewe that he was when he beleued Goddes promises made righteous before God through the same faith and beliefe That was the meanyng of Dauid when he saith That thou maiest be iustified in thy wordes and ouercome when thou arte iudged that is to saie that thou maiest bee declared iuste and thy goodnes and truthe appeare in performyng thy promises when man either curiously or arrogauntly would iudge thy workes Therefore this worde iustificare to iustifie is not taken of saincte Paule in that signfication that sainct Iames taketh it in for of Paule it is taken for to deliuer from synne and for to impute rightousnesse But Iames doeth take it for to declare and shewe one iust and righteous Sainct Paule doeth speake of a liuely faithe whiche can no more bee without good workes then the Sunne can bee without lighte or fire without heate But sainct Iames doeth speake of an idell faithe which maie bee in the reprobate yea in the deuill hymself as the Apostle writeth in the same place I might bryng many placâ—s of Scripture wherein the excellencie of faithe is highly sette forthe but one or twoo shall suffice at this tyme. In the actes we haue these wordes out of S. Paules sermon that he made to the Iewes at Antiochia a citie of Pisidia Be it knowen vnto you therefore brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes And that from all thynges from whiche ye could not bee iustified by the lawe of Moises by hym euery one that beleueth is iustified These wordes are plaine and neede no exposition at all for all wee see that he taketh awaie altogether iustification from the lawe of Moises and doeth attribute it vnto faithe in our Sauiour Iesu Christe But to the Romaines he maketh the matter more plaine when he saieth Thei haue all synned and are destitute or voide of the glorie of god But thei are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forthe to be a purchaser of mercie through faith in his bloud Marke here First he saieth thei haue all synned â–ª and that thei are depriued of the glorie of GOD by whiche woordes he sheweth openly before our eyes the miserable estate that mankinde was in Secondlie he sheweth how and by what meanes we are deliuered from it I meane from that damnable estate that we are in by our own nature and first birthe when he saieth thei are iustified freely by his grace Now if we bee iustified freely by the grace of God where are our workes merites or deseruinges become For if any workes deseruynges or merites doe goe before our iustification how can it bee saied that wee are iustified freely by the grace of God our heauenly father Therefore he saieth in an other place By grace are ye saued throughe faithe and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of woorkes leaste any man shoulde boast hym selfe S. Ihon saith Blessed are they that haue washed their roabes not in their own merites but in the blood of the Lambe Againe I will giue the thristie to drinke of the well of life not for his deserts but for nothing Sainct Ambrose an holy father saieth As there be no synnes so detestable that can kéepe of the gifte of grace so there can be no workes so excellent that vnto them by the iudgement of retribution or recompence the same shoulde be due whiche is fréely geuen and graunted For the redemption of the blood of Christe should waxe vile and the mercie of God be faine to geue place to the prerogatiue of mens woorkes if iustification which is doen or wrought by grace were due vnto the merites that go before so that it shoulde not be the free gifte of the giuer but the rewarde or hire of the worker What plainer wordes can there be spoken therefore Iob saieth if a man will dispute with God he is not able to aunswere hym one for a thousande and therefore he saide Verebar omnia opera mea I stoode in doubt and was afraide of all my workes Although I were perfect yet my soule shall not know it if I woulde iustifie my selfe myne owne mouth shall condemne me and Esai saieth all our righteousnes is like a menstrous cloth of a woman Therfore al our doctrine is grouÌ„ded vpon the wordes of Christ when ye haue doen all say that ye be vnprofitable seruaunts therfore haue deserued nothing Sainct Origene therefore saieth Say ye that ye be vnprofitable seruauntes For notwithstandyng we haue done all things that are commaunded yet haue we done no good thing For if our doynges were good in deede then were we not vnprofitable But any good déede of ours is called good not rightly or duely but by abuse of speache So Sainct Augustine saieth if God woulde deale with vs accordyng to that we haue deserued he should finde nothyng but that he might condemne Againe he saieth what bee the merites of any men For Christe that came not with his due rewarde but
vnto it and beleued that thei should bee saued by the blessed promised seede haue all entered into the heaueÌ„ly ioye whiche hath been purchased vnto them and vs by our sauiour Iesus Christe And for thy better learnyng good reader marke this what I saie Although our Sauiour Christe hath been offered vp vpon the Crosse for to make satisfaction vnto the righteousnes of God for vs at the tyme that was appoincted him of the father yet was he slaine and offered in the presence of God froÌ„ the beginnng of the world For it is written The Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world Againe Iesus Christe yesterdaie and to daie the same also is for euer In this the Apostle coÌ„prehendeth all the whole tyme passed â–ª presente and to come Iesus hym self had respecte hereto when he saied your father Abraham reioyced to see my daie and he sawe it and was glad Uerely verely I saie vnto you before Abraham was I am that is to say not onely God but the mediatour betwene GOD and man appoincted from before all eternitie For although in respect of vs he was crucified in the fulnesse of tyme and in the latter daies yet in the presence of God he hath been alwaies crucified and his Sacrifice hath been euerlastingly present with hym For in God is no difference of tyme as is in vs because that all thynges are presente vnto hym and for that he is aboue and beyonde the tyme and out of it For a thousande yeres are vnto hym but as as one daie So sainct Augustine saieth Apud deum autem nihil deest nec praeteritum igitur nec futurum sed omne praesens est apud deum That is With God there is nothing wantyng nothyng paste or to come but all thynges are presente c. Wherefore euen as the death and passion of Christe dooeth serue vs now vnto saluation whiche beleue that he hath been crucified for vs although he hangeth no more on the crosse So bee ye certaine and sure that it hath profited them â–ª that haue liued before that he was Crucified whiche beleeued that he should come and dye for them as wee dooe beleeue that he is come and hath died for vs. Therefore wee ought to acknowledge no iij. iiij.v.vj.vij.viij.ix.x or a xj places as if some soules had been lodged in hel some in Limbo some in a darke place in hell where was no paine Some in Paradise some in heauen some in earth belowe some in Purgatorie fire some in the water some in the ayre some in houses and cloisters and some in fieldes c. But notwithstandyng all these phantasies of mens deuises Christ giueth vnto them all their lodgyng either in Abrahames bosome or in the vnquencheable fire of hell that is to saie either in heauen or hell For so Augustine saieth Duâ— quippe habitâ—tiones sunt vna in igne aeterno alia in regno aeterno There are but twoo habitations one is in the euerlastyng fire of hell the other is in the euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Wherevpon wee maie gather that Christes soule wente straighte beyng separated from his bodie into heauen and not to helle For he saieth hym self to the Theife that honge on the crosse after he desired to remember hym when he came into his kyngdome to daie shalte thou bee with me in Paradise Also Christ commended his soule into the handes of his father His bodie was laied in the graue his soule was in heauen for so he saied the Theife should bee there that daie with hym c. And so he desired his father in his praier that al thei whiche his father had giuen vnto hym might bee with hym euen where hee is c. Now I maruaile what parte should goe into helle then The principalleste cause of this erroure is as I iudge for that thei thinke and suppose God the father did neuer loue vs nor fauour vs before we and thei were reconciled to hym by the death of his sonne whiche is cleane contrary For GOD the Father did with his loue preuente and goe before as the efficiente cause of our reconciliation in Christe Yea because he first loued vs therefore he afterwardes reconcileth vs vnto hym self And for this cause sainct Paule saieth God setteth out his loue towardes vs seyng that while wee were yet synners Christe died for vs And sainct Ihon saieth God so loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlastyng life For the free election of Goddes loue is the efficient cause of our Saluation Christes obeidience the materiall cause our callyng by the outwarde woorde the formall cause Our sanctification by the holie Ghoste the finall cause Herevnto agreeth that saiyng of saincte Augustine where he saieth Quapropter incomprehensibilis est dilectio qua diligit Deus neque mutabilis Non enim ex quo si reconciliati sumus per sanguinem filâ—â— eius nos caepit diligere sed ante mundi constitutionem dilexit nos vt cum eius vnigenito etiam nos filij eius essemus priusquam omnino aliquid essemus Quod ergo reconciliati sumus deo per mortem Christi non sic accipiatur quasi ideo nos reconciliauerit ei filius vt iam amare inciperet quos oderat Sed iam nos diligenti reconciliati sumus ei cum quo propter peccatum immicitias habeamus Quod vtrum verum dicam attestetur Apostolus Commendat inquit dilectionem suam deus erga nos quoniam cum adhuc peccatores essemus Christus pro nobis mortuus est habebat itaque ille erga nos charitatem etiam cum inimicitias aduersus eum exercentes operaremur iniquitatem Proinde miro diuino modo quando nos oderat dilegebat Oderat enim nos quales ipse non fecerat quia iniquitas nostra opus eius non omni ex parte consumpserat Nouerat simul in vno quoque nostrum odisse quod feceramus amare quod fecerat that is to saie in Englishe The loue of God is incomprehensible and vnchaungable For he began not to loue vs since the tyme that wee were reconciled to hym by the bloud of his sonne but before the makyng of the worlde he loued vs euen before wee were any thyng at all that wée might also bee his children with his onely begotten sonne Therefore whereas we are reconciled by the death of Christe it is not so to bee taken as though the Sonne did therefore reconcile vs vnto hym that he might now beginne to loue vs whom he hated before But wee are reconciled to hym that alreadie loued vs to whom wee were enemies by reason of synne And whether this bee true or no that I saie lette the Apostle beare witnesse He doeth commende saieth he his loue towardes vs because when we were yet sinners Christe died
we saie that they all be damned condemned and cast awaie The holy Patriarkes and Prophetes were in no suche beliefe as it appeareth by the example of Moyses who by the space of fourtie yeres that the children of Israell did wander in the wildernesse did not circumcise the men children that were borne there but deferd the circumcision since their commyng out of Egipte vntill they entered into the lande of Canaan yet it is to be beleued that many might die in the meane while not hauing their foreskinne cut of and though none had died yet any man might haue iudged that both Moyses and all the other Israelites did against the ordinaunce of God bicause that they ministred not the circumcision vpon that day that God had appointed But these auncient Fathers did well declare vnto vs by their example how we ought to vnderstand the matter of the outwarde Sacramentes for although it be written of the circumcision This is my testament that ye shall kéepe betwixt mee and you and thy seede after thee the daie beyng appointed when it shal be ministred and giuen with many other like circumstaunces yet they vnderstoode right wel that this was a Publike ceremonie whiche was as a most sure witnesse of the couenaunte that GOD had made betwixt hym and his people in the Israelitishe Church as the Paschall lambe and other Sacramentes were Therefore when they haue had a iust impediment or let or when they wanted tyme and place and other thynges that were necessarie for their ceremonies they made no greate conscience to leaue them vnministred nor yet thought that their soules health or saluation shoulde be in any daunger for it as long as they knewe that the thyng came not through their negligence nor through the contempt of Gods holy ordinaunces As then they did iudge that the women shoulde bee saued through faith and by the inwarde and spirituall circumcision without the other that was ministred in the fleshe outwardly so they did iudge of the men children in the tyme of necessitie knowyng that they were comprehended in the Testament and couenaunt of God whereby he doeth of his meere grace and mercie graunte saluation vnto his chosen and elect which he geueth by his holy spirite as it pleaseth him as well without Sacramentes as with Sacramentes As we may euidently see by Cornelius and those that were in his house who had receiued the holy ghost afore that they were baptized by Peter yet notwithstandyng thei despised not the outward baptisme although they were already baptized with the holy ghost for that man were too presumptious and arrogant that would despise baptisme which was instituted and ordeined by our sauiour Christ sith that he hymself who is the fountaine and well of all holines that doth sanctifie all sinners And who baptizeth with the holy ghost and with fire did not despise the baptisme of Iohn Zacharies sonne And Iohn Baptist hymselfe was he not sanctified not onely afore his circumcision but also afore he was borne The same may wee saie of Iacob of Ierome of Sainct Paule and other like whom God had sainctified vnto hymselfe euen from the mothers wombe And if the chosen as well the children as other that were among the Heathen and Panymes were saued without the outward circumcision as it appeareth in the Nyniuites in Nahaman in Iob and other like whiche haue had a knowledge of god hauing alwaies their refuge vnto his grace wherefore shoulde the same priuiledge bee denied vnto those whom he hath not onely chosen by his eternall election which doth parteine vnto all his seruauntes but also vnto whom he hath geuen a sure and an infallible token and testimonie of it by his outwarde Sacramentes if thei haue as reasonable lettes and excuses as those gentils and heathen might haue For the first foundation of our election is neither faithe hope loue baptisme nor feare of god but only the election and predestination of god as S. Paul declareth plainely largely And. S. Peter saith Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirite through obedience and sprinkelyng of the bloud of Iesus Christ grace and peace be multiplied vnto you In which we may see plainely that the frée electiō of god is the efficient cause of our saluatiō Chistes obedience the materiall cause our effectuall calling is the formall cause and and our sanctification is the finall cause To be shorte we must beware that we put no such necessitie in the outwarde sacramentes that wee shoulde iudge or thinke that all other necessities must geue place vnto it But contrariwise we must consider that many tymes the ministration of the outwarde Sacramentes deferde and left of bicause of the necessities of men and of the impedimentes and lettes that hath happened vnto them whiche thyng we maie perfectly vnderstande by the example of the circumcision that differed among the Isralites if wee will consider the circumstaunces that be in it for when they were in the deserte and must alwaies bee readie to remoue their hoste and all their houshoulde at the time and houre that the Lorde should commaunde them they did well iudge that God would not haue them to bee murtherers of their owne children whom they could not haue circumcised but that they must haue been very sicke and in ieopardy of death if they had not had tyme and place to see well vnto them which thyng we may see plainelye by them of Sychem which were so sicke after their circumcision that they altogether were not able to defend them selues against two of Iacobs sonnes Therfore Moyses did well consider that circumcision was made and ordained for man and not man for circumcision as it is written of the Sabbath day Euen the like may we saie of Baptisme whiche is a Sacrament of the people of the newe Testament whiche they haue receiued of the Lorde in stéede of the blooddy circumcision For as by circumcision which was a cuttyng of of the foreskinne the children of the Hebrewes were brought vnto God were sealed vp with the Seale of his couenaunt and receiued into his Churche to the greate comforte and ioye of the Parentes whiche were certified by the same that God was not onely their God but also the God of their posteritie and seede and yet if any thyng had happened vnto them afore that thei could be circumcised thei mistrusted not but that God would by the vertue of his Testament saue them as we haue already sufficiently proued So by baptisme the children of the christians are brought vnto Christ are sealed vp with the Seale of the people of god and receiued into his Churche as members of his sonne Iesu christ and felowe heires with him of his heauenly kingdome whiche thyng vnto the faithfull Parentes muste be a heauenly comforte For by it they are certified and assured that their synnes be not onely washed awaie with
if it be iudged mercie being taken away or set a side Barnarde also saieth what can al our righteousnes be before God shall it not accordyng to the prophete be counted as a filthy blooddy cloute And if it bee straightly iudged shall not all our righteousnes be founde vnrighteous and hauyng lesse then it ought to haue What shall then become of our synnes if our righteousnes can not aunswere by it selfe Therfore criyng earnestly with the prophete Enter not into iudgment O lorde with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no man liuyng shal be iustified let vs with all humilitie haue our recourse vnto mercie whiche alone is able to saue our soules What maner of merite is this whiche cannot abyde the censure of Gods iudgement nor be deliuered from condemnation but through mercie onlie Wherefore learne this what soeuer is attributed to workes that same is dooen by reason of faithe which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the foundation and in the fruites of trees to the rootes so whatsoeuer séemeth at the first sight to be adscribed to woorkes is to be assigned to faithe as vnto the mother of al good workes For whensoeuer the scripture séemeth to attribute iustification either vnto hope or vnto charitie or vnto woorkes those places are so to bee vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes So saieth Augustine vpon the Psalmes Laudo super edificationem operis sed video fidei fundamentum Laudo fructum boni operis sed in fide agnosco radicem vbi fides non erat bonum opus non erat bonum opus enim intentio facit intentionem fides dirigit That is I praise the buildyng of good workes but I sée the foundation is of faith I praise the fruict of good workes but I acknowledge the roote in faithe Where faith is not good workes are not the intention maketh a good worke but yet faithe directeth that intention Let vs therfore rather to confesse our sinnes with the Publicane then to glory and boaste of our merites with the Pharisee Suche are our merites that the confession and acknowledgyng of our synnes ought to bee preferred before the numbryng of them to obtaine life For all our workes must be vtterly excluded and stande a parte that Grace maie appeare frée the Promise simple and that Faith maie stande alone For the lawe condemneth vs wordes doe not auaile vs but faith in Christe onely iustifieth vs For a man may make this argument which is inuincible All that we can doe with god is onely by Christe our workes and merites be not Christe Ergo our workes and merites can doe nothyng with god Therfore sith it is so cleare let vs acknowledge our sickenes which is synne let vs open it by repentaunce and flée by faith to Christe whiche is our onely phisicion and health of our soules let vs all by faith only make our profite of hym and not of our workes and merites For as Augustine speaketh of the woman that was taken in aduoutrie brought to him when her accusers were all gone he saieth Relicti sunt duo misera misericordia There are two left saith he mercie and miserie And therefore God pardoned her in his christ For Christ saieth to her Go synne no more as though Christ woulde saie saieth Augustine in the same place Deleui quod commisisti obserua quod precipi vt inuenias quod promisi That is I haue taken awaie thy synnes that thou hast committed doe and obserue that I commaunde thee that thou maiest finde that I haue promised thee Therefore I beléeue that Christe onely is the lambe of God that taketh awaie all our synnes Here maie one obiect and saie If God only forgeueth synnes what meaneth this that we reade Whose synnes soeuer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose synnes soeuer ye doe withholde they shal be withholden is it not plaine that not God onely but the Apostles also doe forgeue sinne I aunswere There bee thrée maner of powers to forgeue synnes The first is the same which belongeth vnto God onely for it is proued by the prophetes wordes I am he I am he my selfe whiche dâ—e wipe awaie thy wickednes for myne owne sake The seconde is the ministers when they declare gods grace to the penitent and that all their synnes are doen awaie only by Christe and contrariwise to preache and pronounce malediction and wrath vpon the vnrepentaunt therefore sainct Hierome saieth The Bishops or Priestes neither bindeth the innocente nor looseth the guiltie but accordyng to his office wheÌ„ he hath heard the diuersitie of synnes as in publique offences he knoweth who ought to bee bounde who ought to bee loosed Also Peter Lumbard saith God hath giueÌ„ to priestes power to bind to loose that is to say to declare vnto men that the penitents bee either bounde or loosed Sainct Augustine hath these wordes Wee speake in your eares but how knowe wee what is wrought in your hartes Howbeit what soeuer is wrought in you it is wrought not by vs but by god Hierome saieth It is not the sentence or absolution of the Prieste but the life of the penitente that is accepted before god So you see how the Churche forgiueth synners that is it pronounceth mercie vnto the repentaunt and wrath vnto the reprobate and vngodly as wee haue sufficiently declared before when wee intreated of the aucthoritie of the Churche And as for their auriculer confession it is a méere deuise and a Popishe lawe good for nothyng but to heape Goddes wrathe and displeasure vppon all the dooers thereof for their owne lawes condempneth their doctrine whiche they teache that we can not be forgiuen of our synnes vnlesse wee number them in a priestes eare for these are the woordes in their owne distinctions Saene dici potest quod sine confessione oris solutione poenae exterioris peccata delentur per contritionem humilitatem cordis That is we may safely say that without confession of the mouthe and absolution of the outwarde paine synnes bee forgiuen by the contrition and humilitie of the harte Againe Gratian saieth one of their owne champions Antequam sacerdoti ora nostra ostendamus id est peccatâ— nostra conâ—iteamur a lepta peccati mundamur â–ª Before we open our mouthe vnto the Priest that is to saie before we make confession of our synnes the leprosie of our synne is made cleane Sainct Chrisostome saieth Non dico vt confitearis conseruo tuo peccata tua dicito deo qui curet ea I will thee not to confesse thy synnes vnto the Prieste that is thy fellowe seruaunt Confesse them vnto God that maie heale them Againe Examine thy synnes in thy heart within thee lette this iudgement bee without witnesse let God onely see thee makyng thy confession The