Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

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heaven_n	bind_v	kingdom_n	loose_v	4,040	5	10.0176	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20606	The rockes of Christian shipwracke, discouered by the holy Church of Christ to her beloued children, that they may keepe aloofe from them. Written in Italian by the most reuerend father, Marc Ant. de Dominis, Archb. of Spalato, and thereout translated into English; Scogli del christiano naufragio, quali va scoprendo la santa chiesa di Christo. English	De Dominis, Marco Antonio, 1560-1624.	1618 (1618)	STC 7005; ESTC S117489	73,138	191

from affoording to any of them a pretended title of greatnesse aboue the rest of his fellowes that when as they diuers times cast out words among themselues and disputed concerning Soueraigntie he alwayes checked them Luke 22.26 and would haue them to remaine as brethren and ioyntly to attend his seruice and mine and to keep themselues from affecting dominion either ouer me or among themselues And when he tooke his leaue of them at his departure vp into heauen they still dreaming on this idle fantasie and asking him whether he would then restore the Kingdome to Israel Actes 1.6 namely that hereby they might know which of them should bee exalted aboue the rest they had the repulse of him in this behalfe with intimation that they should attend and that ioyntly with equall charge and office no other thing then to be throughout the world witnesses vnto him of his resurrection Certes if euer there were a time for him to speake plaine and to declare that hee left in his roome his Lieutenant Peter or some other to bee their and mine Head then most of all it behooued when in regard of his bodily presence he gaue them his farewell and yet he then recommended me his Spouse to them all together ioyntly and equally that they might employ their attendance on me Hane sponsam suis amicis sponsus abiens commendauit Aug. cont 2. Gaud. epist lib. 2. cap. 12. Which is well obserued by my holy doctor S Augustine There was no reason for it nor decencie in it that I beeing his Spouse and an vniuersall Mother should bee domineered ouer and lorded by any one of mine owne members mine owne sonnes nay mine owne seruants As for my Peter certainly he neither exercised nor euer chalenged any such soueraignety ouer me or ouer his Collegues and fellowes neither did he pretend to be an vniuersall Pope or only Vicar-generall of Christ One of the first actions of employment about me after the ascent of my Spouse into heauen was the ordayning of Deacons which should take care of the widowes and poore And this action was neither performed nor gouerned by Saint Peter but by all the twelue Apostles ioyntly This being my perpetuall ordinance Actes 6.2 as I haue receiued it from my Spouse that my Ministers and Officers all together ioyntly should treat concerning the externall good guidance of my family So likewise when there were some to bee sent into Samaria Actes 8.14 to finish the good worke of their conuersion Saint Peter was so farre from taking vpon him to send whom hee pleased that hee himselfe was by the whole body of the Apostles chosen and sent thither as one of the many When the first controuersie brake out in Antioch concerning the obseruation of the ancient Iudaicall Ceremonies to whom did Paul and Barnabas thinke they ought to haue recourse for certaine resolution in that point Surely if Christ had left Saint Peter his Vicar they ought to haue addressed themselues to him principally yet did they say among themselues and resolue that it behooued them to goe vp to Ierusalem to consult about this question with the Apostles Actes 15.2 and Elders of that City Which accordingly was done and there was gathered a Councel and that summoned and ordered not by Peter alone but the Apostles of themselues ioyntly met together with the Elders also And howsoeuer Saint Peter as the most stept in age and the most ancient Apostle and much respected by the rest of the Apostles was the first that deliuered his opinion yet Saint Iames prosecuting the same did further adde of his owne did strike vp the matter And the publique letters dispatched in that behalfe were not stiled in the name of Saint Peter but of all the Apostles and Elders in common Neither was it a sleight checke or reproofe wherewith St. Paul openly tooke vp Saint Peter Galat. 2.11 for halting in the instruction of the faithfull which hee might doe beeing the Apostles were in their office and care of my affaires all of them equall and euen brothers among themselues And howsoeuer yee read in the Gospell that Christ said to Peter Thou art Peter Matth. 16.18 and vpon this rocke will I build my Church yet are ye not therefore to deeme that Peter had hereby committed vnto him any dominion or command ouer mee or that hee was entrusted with a larger cure then the rest of the Apostles For these words according to the interpretation of them communicated to me by the spirit of my Spouse and declared by my most sincere pure and holy Doctors import that that confession made by Saint Peter saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God must bee that Rocke whereon was to bee grounded that faith which is indeed my foundation and supporter By this Rocke is also vnderstood he whom Peter confessed euen Christ who is my true foundation whereon and not on Peter I was built for if Peter had bene my foundation certes more then once should I haue fallen by his falls Matth. 26.70 But if any man will presse yet further Galat. 2.12 that Christ doth in these words promise that I should bee built vpon Peter let him vnderstand withall that to build my house is nothing else but to get and prouide petras stones and to reare them vp in my walles that is to say to preach the Gospell to conuert the vnbeleeuers and to bring them home to mee And forasmuch as Peter was to bee of all the twelue or rather by the default of Iudas eleuen Apostles the most feruent and most diligent in conuerting a many of soules therefore to him as to a principall Minister and Builder there was a prediction made of the worke which hee was to performe and that I was to be built vpon him namely that Christ had especiall confidence in his care for the building of my house as being more zealous then the other ten Apostles But it followeth not thence that hee was the onely builder or that hee was chosen for the onely Architect or Chiefe-builder for the other Apostles also were Masteres of this Art and laid to their hands for the rearing vp of my Fabrique and in speciall Saint Paul laboured more abundantly 1. Cor. 15.10 then they all and so surpassed euen Saint Peter himselfe in edifying me and hath acquit himselfe for a skifull Master-builder 1. Cor. 3.10 In like maner when ye heare it said to Saint Peter Matth. 16.19 I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shall bee bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall bee loosed in heauen yee are to remember that the same was also spoken to all the rest of the Apostles So likewise though the keyes were promised to Peter Matth. 18.18 yet it was neuer said to him I will giue the keyes to thee onely And when this promise was performed

sinnes in any sauing Christ alone and in his merits Rom. 3.24 for hee freely iustifieth you without any merit of yours True it is and therefore take heede of the other extreame that no man can present himselfe to God nor rely vpon Christ's merits that goeth on in a wicked resolution to continue still in sin against his conscience And therefore I told you that you must addresse your selues vnto Christ to obtaine this remission but with faith that is with a true and liuely faith Iam. 2.17 not with that faith which without workes is dead but with such a faith in the mind which is accompanied with holy affections and that is to beleeue in Christ to bee subiect vnto him to obey him with detestation of faults committed and intending of a new life and yeelding vp a man's selfe to the keeping of God's holy Commandements And whosoeuer doth not this in vaine shall hee rely vpon Christ and his merits neither shall he euer obtaine remission of his sinnes This rysing vp from sinne and submitting to the obseruance of God's Commandements as farre as humane frailty will afford is not in you any merit whereto remission should bee repayed as due but it is a necessary disposition and taketh away the impediments that otherwise would hinder remission of sinnes And herein consisteth Penitence being both the inwards of true repentance which is the most principall disposition requisite for remission and the outside also of penitentiall workes as fasting almes mortifying the flesh and other workes of piety which are indeede no merits nor causes of forgiuenesse but fruits of inward true repentance and a fit appurtenance vnto the inward good disposition and vnto due humiliation These dispositions being forelaid as necessary required by God let a man hold himselfe to his faith and confidence in Christ and by his mercy hee shall without faile obtaine remission and the whole conueyance betweene God and a sinner is carried in this man̄er by the meanes of Christ mine and your onely Mediatour without any necessity at all of any other Confession made vnto man due Confession made vnto God beeing of it selfe sufficient whereby a sinner beeing humbled doth not any more defend his sinnes but confesseth to God Chrys in ep ad Heb. hom 31. that he hath sinned I doe not aduise thee saith Saint Chrysostome to lay thy selfe open nor to accuse thy selfe to others Psalm 57. but to obey the Prophet who sayeth Reueale thy way vnto the Lord. Confesse thy sinnes before God declare thy offences before the Iudge though not with thy tongue yet with thy memory and then hope that thou shalt obtaine mercy So saith that worthy holy Father I doe not know that I euer intertayned in my house any such Sacrament appointed mee by my Spouse as a true and proper Sacrament whereby hee hath obliged himselfe to giue remission of sinnes after Baptisme I beleeue indeed that whosoeuer groaning vnder the load of sinne shall with true inward pentience and reall repentance approach vnto the holy table and receiue the Communion with due preparation shall receiue remission of his sins For although this Sacrament was principally instituted by Christ and committed to mee for the spirituall feeding of the soule and for the preseruing of charity among my children yet in that it is also a remembrance of the Passion of Christ it auayleth much for the remission of sinnes for the obtayning whereof Christ's body was sacrificed vpon the Crosse his most pretious blood shed and therefore in his first giuing the Communion to his Apostles hee said vnto them Luc. 22.19 Math. 26.28 that that was his body which was giuen for them and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes You must vnderstand also that Auricular Confession and Priestly Absolution which are the ground of this Rocke now set before your view is neither practised aright nor well vnderstood by those that follow the Romane doctrine who hereupon haue built a shop of money-mart and gaine Recall I pray you to your remembrance that which I obserued before in the fourth Rocke of the first part concerning the two first medicinall Excommunications and you shall finde that my ancient custome prescribed vnto mee by my Spouse and practised by my holy and learned Ministers of at least foure of the first Ages was publickly to correct grieuous and scandalous offendors and according to the authority committed to me by Christ to binde them in their sins and afterwards to loose them againe and in this man̄er to imploy the keyes about the remitting of sinnes namely to debarre such offenders for some while from the holy Table sometime also from all other Congregations and meetings of the faithfull for spirituall exercises as heynous delinquents drowned in their sinnes and vnworthy of such participation vnlesse they should first recall themselues vnto due inward penitence and giue also outward satisfaction vnto mee by penitentiall workes enioyned them by me and my Ministers when they thus had by scandalous sins disgraced mee and not yet made mee any due satisfaction And yet in due time according to the pious discretion of my Ministers such as these were loosed and reconciled and were anew admitted to the holy meetings with others and to the Communion of the Lord's Supper This was a course taken to very good purpose and at length did work great setlednesse and comfort in the consciences of such offenders though perhaps it did goe downe with some bitternesse and shame For such a sinner being in this man̄er bound by me vpon earth was infallibly also bound in heauen nor could obtaine remission at God's hands though hee were neuer so well disposed by penitence and inward contrition betweene God and him for that promise made by Christ is most certaine and cannot faile Matth. 18.18 that he would bind in heauen all those whom I had without error bound vpon earth Iohn 20.23 and that he would withhold and suspend all remission from those sinners whose sinnes I had withheld namely by the aforesaid retention or excommunication or solemne penance and as soone as such a sinner thus first bound by me was afterward reconciled and remaunded to the Church and restored to religious commerce and to the participation of the holy Sacrament he did without faile obteine remission of Christ himselfe by vertue of his aforesaid promise that he would release and forgiue the sinne assoone as I had loosed the person and released the sinne by this externall remission and so the internal remission afforded by Christ in such a case dependeth vpon the externall remission giuen by me which truely was a way of dealing on a very sure hand And moreouer many grieuous and also secret offenders nay perhaps all the sort of them in regard of the suretie of this course came to their Bishop or to some other deputed by him who was afterward called the Penitentiary or Confessor and some openly with a lowd and audible voyce

others more priuily vnto the eare but in a publique place in the Church confessed their sinnes those sinnes I meane that were very grieuous and enormous and caused themselues in this man̄er as I haue said to be bound or excommunicated and to haue penance inioyned them that they might afterwards in fit time get reconciliation by the power of the keyes and consequently forgiuenesse in heauen without faile And here you are to obserue that the Keyes were employed onely vpon great and enormous crimes for as for more light and ordinary sinnes though mortall there were other externall remedies as I shall hereafter shew and that by way of accusatiō either by others or by the delinquent himselfe but the binding and reconciling and whole processe was in the same man̄er Whereby you may perceiue that this was not a Sacrament as the Romanists would now haue it for vpon the accusation of others and iudiciall conuiction they proceeded vnto this binding and iniunction of penance after which the partie accused aswell not confessing as confessing publiquely or priuately was absolued with the same for me of reconcilement neither is there to be found in those dayes any other Confession or Absolution Moreouer that this was not then any Sacrament it appeareth in that there was not any verball Absolution nor any ordinary forme of absoluing but this alone was sufficient that the Bishop or his Substitute did giue leaue to the penitent to come into the Church euen into the place where the other people remained which were not in penance and to partake the Communion with them And this was alwayes called Reconciliation not Absolution And howsoeuer afterwards there were brought-in certaine prayers which were pronounced ouer the penitent in the act of his reconcilement yet all was by way of supplication and not by authoritatiue Absolution as may be yet seene in the Romane Pontificall And as for other sinnes which were not so grieuous and enormous howsoeuer mortall of themselues God in his mercy doeth require lesse disposition and lesse adoe concerning them and so supposing alwayes inward repentance namely detestation of those sinnes and firme remouall of the will from them and liuely faith and due confidence God hath promised to acquite them much more easily vpon some performances taught and imposed in the holy Scripture as principally the Lord's praier taught by my Sauiour Christ For assuredly vpon the presenting that petition Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs there followeth the remission of lighter and smaller sinnes which S. Augustine and other holy Fathers doe vnderstand of sinnes which are in trueth mortall howsoeuer they style them by the name of venial not that a veniall sinne is not mortall for euery sinne that is truely a sinne is mortall and if not mortall it is no sinne but because it is in that sort mortall that God vouchsafeth to deeme it veniall that is fit to be pardoned with more facilitie then other heinous offences which by the holy Fathers are called crimes and distinguished from ordinary faults yet both the one and the other are mortall In like sort these lesser or veniall sinnes are cancelled vpon giuing of Almes for as water putteth out fire Ecclus. 5.30 so Almes extinguisheth sinne as also vpon vndergoing tribulations with faith and patience Ecclus. 2.11 God is full of compassion and very pitifull and forgiueth sinnes and saueth in time of affliction Luke 6.37 Also vpon pardoning of iniuries Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you Also at my requests and intercessions such sinnes are remitted Amb. depae nit l. 1. c. 1. l. 2. c. 7. Aug. l. 3. de bapt c. 17. Chrys in ep ad Rom. home 24. and gemitu columbae by my groaning as you may finde in S. Ambrose and S. Augustine with other conuenient wayes also taught and allowed by holy Scripture and expounded by S. Chrysostome But beware lest you beleeue that any sinnes howsoeuer veniall are cancelled by the holy-water-sprinkle this is a meere superstition Where doeth the holy Scripture euer teach that sinnes are washed away by water of the Priests hallowing This were to bring in a second Baptisme They will haue this effect to arise either ex opere operato or else ex opere operantis That is to say They will haue this effect to bee wrought either by the water it selfe through the vertue of the benediction of it if there be no impediment in him that is sprinkled with it or else they will haue it to come of the deuotion of him that vseth this water If they say by the deed done as for the most part they auouch this is an intolerable impudency namely to auouch that the hallowing of this water doeth giue vnto it a certaine supernaturall force to cleanse sinnes without any further diuine institution or promise and so this becommeth the dotage of the Turkes who by often washings hold themselues to be purified from their sinnes without faile and how then can there be a more formall superstition then to giue to things meerely naturall and humaine a certaine supernaturall force If they will say that it commeth ex opere operantis to what purpose then serues that water otherwise then to bring-in the superstition The other operation which they attribute hereunto is the scaring away of Diuels which certainely this water cannot doe vnlesse God doe impart such vertue vnto it And where I pray you hath God bound himselfe to giue such vertue to a creature by the blessing of a Priest I would haue you therefore to fly from holy Water as from an idle superstition so also take heed you beleeue not that blessings giuen by Pope Bishop or Priest whilest they make the signe of the Crosse ouer you in the aire can cancel your sinnes though but veniall which is likewise a superstition of the same kinde whereto I may adde the Agnus Dei and other such idle trinkets Well may yee collect out of that which I haue said and obserue how manifold great are the abuses of the Romane faction about Confession First they make a Sacrament where none is taking the word Sacrament in the proper and strict sense Secondly they allow an efficacie to authoritatiue absolution which is neither necessary nor hath any force at all Reconciliation being sufficient which in ancient times might bee performed euen by my Deacons but so as in my name Thirdly they make Auricular Confession necessary at least in mens desire of it when it cannot bee had for the remission of euery mortall sinne Yet haue I shewed you that it is left to your liberty thus to worke or no your owne security by first causing your selues to be bound by the keyes that afterwards you may bee let loose by the same And this retention or binding or discommuning ought not to bee vndertaken by me for petty sinnes but onely for those that are heynous and scandalous there beeing in my family so many other meanes for

remission of venials yet alwayes supposing Repentance Fourthly they doe first absolue and afterwards impose the penance that is to say they loose him whom they neuer bound and then they bind him againe whom they neuer loose afterward And yet for my part I cannot loose but that onely which my selfe haue bound and my order is first to binde and then to loose which is the true vse of the keyes True it is that euery sinne doth presently before God binde euery sinner and of this binding Christ did not speake when he said Whatsoeuer yee shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen inasmuch as my loosing is a relatiue vnto my binding and therefore Christ there vnderstandeth not that bond whereby a sinner is bound before God but that bond which is knitte by me whatsoeuer saith hee yee shall binde and when a sinner doth binde himselfe before God by his sinne it is not I that binde him but hee bindeth himselfe by sinning Therefore I let loose nothing but that which my selfe haue bound and so the binding goeth before with imposing of penance and satisfaction and then in good order followeth loosing And he that is bound onely before God and not in respect of mee cannot be loosed by me because I neuer bound him but he must seeke his loosing of God and cary this businesse betweene God and him alone and then he knocketh at the right doore for Absolution Which if hee desire to haue at my hands let him first come to haue me binde him and subiect himselfe to my holsome censures and then in fitte time I may let him loose againe inasmuch as I haue bound him Thus and not otherwise standeth the case of Absolution by my keyes there beeing also a liberty left to euery grieuous offendor to vse or not to vse the benefit thereof beeing that euen without these keyes he may be assoyled from his sinnes alwayes excepting those offenders who being accused before mee though against their owne wills stand bound by mee And for such as these my Spouse committed the keyes to mee to binde and loose withall but he dothnot oblige any man to come to me that I may binde him and afterwards loose him there beeing other ordinary meanes of remission prouided for such namely Repentance onely those that either with or against their owne wills haue beene bound by mee are obliged by mee to wait their deliuerance at my hands without which my release except in case of necessity by vertue of Christ's owne words they shall neuer bee loosed in heauen And in this man̄er I exhort all of you my beloued children in grieuous sinnes alwaies to seeke to haue remission by my keyes subiecting your selues voluntarily to my binding but secretly that you may afterward obtaine at my hands Reconcilement whereupon infallibly followeth loosing in heauen Behold this Rocke of Confession and Absolution which are so corruptly and preposterously handled by the Romanists They load you with more bonds then you are liable vnto they beare you in hand with a Sacrament where indeede there is none they secure you with Absolution ex opere operato whereupon you putting such trust in the power of this Absolution especially in that it beareth the name to make you ex attritis contritos it maketh you cast away all care and luls you fast asleepe so that you looke not after true inward repentance without which it is not possible to haue true remission and you rely too-too much vpon this Absolution which is giuen you without first beeing exercised in penance And alas how many wretches be there among you that lead still a wicked life vpon presumption of the great force of Absolution saying thus to themselues When I shall be at the brinke of death I will confesse mee and receiue Absolution and so I shall stand on a sure ground But Saint Augustine saith to such as these Aug. lib. 50. hom 41. serm 47. de temp that indeede hee will not deny them reconciliation presently vpon their confession but he will not bee their warant that it will boot them at all because there doth not come betweene their Confession and reconcilement such penitence as is necessary And so in a most important businesse concerning your soules you my children that are blinde are lead by blinde guides and both of you fall into the gulfe and beat your ship against this infamous Rocke of Auarice for your Confessors excepting some few good ones ordinarily when as they see your almes prepared especially when it glisters rather yellow then white they presently absolue you when you are nothing fit for it or to intertaine the more pay they shuffle vp the businesse that they may runne ouer others and so they dispatch you without examining without sifting your consciences without due considering your estate as well or ill disposed for Absolution I passe ouer the abhominable abuses of making aduantage of Confession either to discouer the secrets of Princes States or to make way for inclinations to forraigne Princes or to fish for inheritances and legacies or to satisfie their owne wanton lusts I passe by the errors and grosse enormities whereby vpon pretence of the secrecie of the seale of Confession rebellions conspiracies king-killing and such like abhominations are couched cherished secured Iudge you therefore if this be not an horrible and dreadfull Rocke Let vs passe on to the rest ¶ The third Rocke with two blind Rockes abutting namely Purgatory together with Satisfaction and Indulgences THe distinction of fault and punishment in mens sinnes beeing an vpstart inuention yet some Ages since deuised by my stubborne vnruly daughter the Church of Rome for the feeding thereby her vnsatiable auarice this distinction I say hath layd the foundation of that harmefull Rocke of Purgatory inlarging it selfe with those two vnderlurking companions Satisfaction after absolution or Penance as they call it and Indulgences I for my part through many the purer ages haue alwayes published absolute and entire pardon and complete remission of sinnes for such I haue learned of my Spouse of whom it is long since testified in the Psalme that with him there is plenteous redemption Psalm 130.7 neither did I euer finde that hee in pardoning of sinnes and giuing Absolution from the fault did at any time change the eternal punishment into temporall or euer enioyned any punishment Luke 7.48 or satisfaction Behold the example of the sinfull woman Matth. 9.2 of the man sicke of the palsie consider the parable of the debtors I forgaue thee all thy debt Matth. 18.32 So also by Ezechiel that God when hee pardoneth a man his sinnes mentioneth them to him no more Ezech. 18.22 whereas if hee left their debt of punishment vnsatisfied certainely he should remember it vntill the said punishment were wholly performed And how can it bee said that a man doeth pardon his enemie if forbearing to take away his life hee should make reseruation vnto himselfe of some