vessels Now for the time of the New-Testament observe that our Lord Christ not onely as he was God but also as he was man did officiate this Ministery He forgave sins and reconciled men to God For he saith unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good cheere thy sins be forgiven thee At which the Scribes murmuring our Lord replies Whether is it easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk but that you might know the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins What could the Lord have said more plainly he spake of very purpose as he said that they might know what power he had not onely as he was God for that was not doubted of whether God could forgive sins but also as he was man and on earth Wherefore when the multitude heard and saw what was done they glorified God who had given such power unto men This power as he was man he purchased by his death upon the Crosse As it is written For the suffering of death he is crowned with glory and honour And againe Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins And in another place He hath obtained a more excellent Ministery Observe the words He hath obtained not as he was God that could not be but as he was man he obtained a more excellent Ministery So that now we may see the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven committed to a Man of our own flesh compassed about with infirmities even as our selves The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins This is that Elihu Job 33.6 His words to mankind are Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay Behold my terrour shall not make thee afraid Job 9.33,34 For Job had wisht for such a dayes-man to stand be twixt him and God because if God should speak His terrour would be upon him As it was with Israel at the delivering of the Law when they heard God speaking unto them out of the mount so terrible was it that they desired they might not hear the voice of God again lest they dyed but desired that God would deliver his Law to them by Moses which desire God approves and then said that he would send them a Prophet raise him from among their brethren like unto Moses who indeed is Gods substitute This is that great Prophet into whose mouth he said he would put his word and surely require it of every one Deut. 18. And now our loving Lord condescending to mans request hath in sending his Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh fulfilled his good word This is the man Christ Jesus whom the Father hath sent with authority to forgive sins Matth. 16. which authority he first promised to Peter saying I will give thee the keyes of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and what ever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which promise after he was risen from the dead he performed not onely to St. Peter but also to the other Apostles and that in a most solemne manner Ioh. 20. when he said to them again the second time Peace be unto you he then said As my Father hath sent me so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Was ever any power upon earth put over from one to another in greater plainnesse then this As the Father saith our Lord sent me to remit and retain sins so send I you What is done is done from God the Father by my commission and the holy Ghost in you To which end I now breathing upon you give saying Receive ye the holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted to them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained And let none seriously imagine as some boldly affirm that all this is done onely by Preaching and Baptisme and that is all which is here meant It is most true that sins committed before Baptisme are sacramentally forgiven by the washing of water in Baptisme but sins cannot properly be said to be retained in or by Baptisme And besides the Apostles had authority before our Lords passion both to preach and baptise without this solemne investment which commission was enlarged after his resurrection The first Commission being to Israel onely but the second inlargement to all the world Matth. 10.5 28.18,20 All power is given me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore into all Nations teaching and baptizing Lo I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world So that I do here conclude that our Lord Jesus did not onely give unto his Disciples authority to absolve by Baptisme such sins as were committed before but also in a most solemne manner hath given them authority to remit unto the penitent sins committed after Baptisme which mercy the learned call the second Table or board after shipwrack The which who ever contemns must utterly perish For as at Sea when a ship splits some laying hold upon boards are saved from drowning so in the Church such as by deadly sins have made their Baptisme of none effect are likely to perish unlesse they hold upon the plank or board namely penitentiall Confession and priestly Absolution And truly that man doth not argue rationally that questions their authority in the latter more then in the former why a man repenting of particular sins committed after Baptisme may not by the Priest be absolved as well as he was by a generall repentance of all sins committed before Baptisme May we not say Thou fool is it not as easie to forgive a few sins to a man truly penitent though committed after Baptisme as to forgive a multitude suppose to an aged man as in the Apostles dayes many such there were that came to be baptized committed before baptisme for it is beleeved that the sins committed all his life time whereby the Minister in the name of the blessed Trinity washed away in baptisme may not the same Minister by the same Authority viz. in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost forgive sins committed after baptisme Obj. But they object that sins are loosed or retained by the word preached Ans The Prophets of old preached Men and women by good counsell and advise may occasion the conversion of some if such therefore have they Keyes of binding and loosing there is no excellencie nor speciality in that gift which our Lord is said to bestow upon Peter I will give thee the Keyes c. What shall we say to these things shall we think that the Apostles of our Lord did not so understand their Master and therefore did not so do and practise Certainly