Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	baptism_n	preach_v	remission_n	3,201	5	10.1727	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64635	Certain discourses, viz. of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome (with a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words) of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministry, of the old form of words in ordination, of a set form of prayer : each being the judgment of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland / published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard ... : unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late Primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U161; ESTC R10033	109,687	392

them to the Lords Table again as is evident by their frequent expressions that way which the Primate doth declare 3. In the administration of the Sacraments which being a part of the Ministerie of reconciliation and the Seales of the Promises must necessarily also have reference to remission of sins and so the ancient Fathers of whom the Primate alleadgeth diverse do hold that as these words whose sins ye remit are remitted unto them c. are a part of our Commission so 't is exercised by the Ministers of Christ in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Communion yet so that the Ministery only is to be accounted mans and the power Gods it being saith Saint Augustine One thing to baptize by way of Ministerie another by way of power which the Lord hath retained to himself as to the Authority of remission of sins in it according to that of Iohn Baptists distinction between the externall and internall Baptisme he baptized with the Baptisme of water to the remission of sins but attributes that of baptizing with the Holy Ghost to Christ onely 4. In the word of God preached there is exercised this part of our function in loosing men from their sins being a speciall part of this Ministery of reconciliation committed to us as the Embassadours of Christ here upon the earth for that end sinners are said to be holden with the cords of their own sins Prov. 5. 12. The Apostles saith Saint Ierome according to their Commission given them by their Master Whosoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosened in heaven which beares the same sense with remitting and retaining of sins here Did loose those cords by the word of God and Testimonies of Scripture and exhortations unto vertues Saint Ambrose saith the same that sins are remitted by the word of God c. And so calls the Levite that interpreted the Law a Minister of remission As the Iewish Scribes by taking away this key of knowledge are said to shut up the Kingdom of heaven so a Scribe fitted for the Kingdome of God in the Ministery is a meanes by it to open the door of heaven to them by being an instrument to open mens eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sius c. And by applying the word unto the consciences of their hearers the Ministers of Christ did discharge that part of their function which concerns forgivenesse of sins not only declaratively but operatively in as much as God is pleased to use their preaching of the Gospel as a meanes of conferring his spirit upon the sons of men and of working of faith and repentance whereby remission of sins is obtained thus Iohn is said to have preached the Baptisme of repentance and to have given knowledge of salvation to the people for the remission of sins and Saint Iames cap. 5. 20. saith he that converts a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and hide a multitude of sins This hiding or covering is meant forgivenesse as 't is accordingly set forth elsewhere Rom. 4. 7. blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered c. Now is there not as much offence in saying Ministers do save mens soules or save men from their sins the propriety of our Saviour as to say they forgive them their sins the turning men from their iniquities is Gods act alone according to the frequent prayer in the Prophets unto him first yet in regard the word of reconciliation is committed to them as the ordinary meanes of it by a usuall Trope of the Act of the agent given to the instrument it is attributed unto them of which might be given many instances Timothy 1 Ep. 1. 4. is said to save them that hear him though there is but one Saviour because he preached the word of salvation by which they were saved Acts 12. 14. the word of God preached by the Apostles is called by our Saviour their word Iohn 17. 20. and that which is properly the work of God is called their worke 1 Thes. 5. The Corinthians who believed by Saint Pauls Ministery are said to be his Epistle i. e. the Epistle of Christ ministred by him as ye have it expounded in the next verse following And so why may not forgivenesse of sins be said to be the work of the Ministers i. e. the work of Christ ministred by them being so far honoured as to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coworkers together with him According unto which is the judgement of Dr. Ward that Reverend and learned Professor of Divinity in Cambridge in that determination of his in Comitiis an 1637. mense Octob. Potestas clavium extenditur ad remissionem culpae where are many of the like observations which I found inclosed in a letter unto the Primate for his approbation where I find somewhat more then is in that which is printed viz. 80. Sic argumentatur Alensis part 4. q. 21. membr 1. Paris potestatis est interius baptizare à culpa mortali absolvere Sed Deus non debuit potestatem baptizandi interius communicare ne spes poneretur in homine ergo pari ratione non potestatem absolvendi ab actuali peccato fundamentum hujus rationis habetur apud Cyprianum de lapsis And the like may be said of the binding part of their office called here retaining of sins Do we not read how the Ministers are sometimes brought in like those seven Angels in the book of the Revelation which poure out the Vialls of Gods wrath upon the earth Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 10. 6. he had vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience yet vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord what other sense can it be but this he is said to be the inflicter because he was in Christs name the denouncer even as Ieremiah cap. 1. 10. is said to be set over the Nations and Kingdomes to pluck up and to pull down to destroy and to root out because God had put these words in his mouth and was ordained by him as a Prophet to pronounce destruction to them accordingly or as Ezekiel cap. 43. 3. is said to have destroyed the City by being said to pronounce destruction to it The Primate observes that we often meet with these speeches concerning the Leprosie which was a Type of the pollution of sin the Priest shall cleanse him the Priest shall pollute him Lev. 13. according to the Hebrew and the Greek version and out of Saint Ierom that 't is said verse 44. the Priest with pollution shall pollute him not that he is the Author of his pollution but that he declares him to be polluted and uncleane whereupon the Master of the sentences and others do observe that in remitting and retaining of sins the Priests of the Gospel have the like power and office which the Priests of

Phygellus Hermogenes and Diotrephas but as in neither of them doth there appear any sanctified grace of the spirit so we do not read it caused any suspension of the vertue of their ministerial acts to the receivers or that the Apostles gave order for any reiteration of them personal faults not voyding Acts of Office and so why should the like be a prejudice to it in these succeeding Ages Receiving supposeth a gift but 't is as the giving of a summe to a Steward by his Lord not to his own private use but for the dispensing of it to the family And to say no more there are some learned Interpreters do apply that passage 1 Iohn Chap. 2. 20. to an ordained Ministery yee need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth Beza 's words upon the place are these the same anointing he could not with a more cleare Testimony have adorned the Pastors and Teachers from whom they were instructed and daily as yet are then to say they were taught by the holy Ghost had bin formerly c. Piscators words are these The anointing teacheth i. e. the Ministry of the word or the Holy Ghost efficacious by the preaching of the Gospel wherefore the Ministery ought to be in a great esteem with us Ye see they do not understand by this Vnction or anointing signifying the Holy Ghost an immediate teaching or inspiration as by some Enthusiasme but immediately through the Ministery ordained for that end by a Metonymy as they say of the Adjunct the oyntment for the hand which applyes it or delivers it to you and the teaching you all things is meant of all things necessary to salvation the credenda and agenda which by the Ministery had bin so f●lly taught them that they needed not to be taught by Saint Iohn again here If any shall object as it hath been nnto me that of Saint Augustine lib. 15. de Trinit cap. 27. Quomodo ergo Deus non est qui dat Spiritum Sanctum imò quantus Deus est qui dat Deum neque enim aliquis discipulorum ejus dedit Spiritum Sanctum orabant quippe ut veniret in eos quibus manus imponebant non ipsi eum dabant quem morem in suis praepositis etiam nune servet Ecclesia c. i. e. How should not he be God who gives the Holy Ghost nay how great a God who gives God for neither any of his disciples gave the holy Ghost they prayed indeed that it might come upon those on whom they imposed hands they did not give it themseles which custom the Church now observes c. 1. In the words before these he speaks of a double giving of the Holy Ghost by our Saviour the one on earth after his resurrection the other from heaven after his Ascension upon the day of Pentecost now in relation to the latter in those extraordinary gifts of the spirit the words objected have their principal application which doth not concern that we have in hand which is only of the former being meant of successive ministerial authority for the ordinarie dispensing of the office Secondly whereas he saith the Church hath observed that custome in imposition of hands to pray for the persons reciving of it hath bin formerly acknowledged to be one sense of that clause viz. by way of impetration Take the gift of the spirit pro dono infuso so we use the words per modum impetrationis take it pro officio so we use it per modum collationis ministerially conferring the power of executing the office of a Minister there is no contradiction but that in the same act there may meet a collation of the office with authority to execute and an impetration for the persons receiving an assistance of the spirit in the executing of it which in the old in junction immediately followed in a prayer for the person ordained accordingly so that the custome and intention of our Church is no other then what was in Saint Augustines time not presuming to give the Holy Ghost in the latter sense only praying it might be given of God to him but only in the former So much for opening of the first clause in ordination Receive the Holy Ghost which rightly understood is not such a rock of offence as some have taken it to be in the disuse of it The second clause is whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven whose sins thou doest retain they are retained At which as much if not more offence hath been taken then at the former as if it savoured of Popery which ● shall give you the Primates sense of also That it may be retained in ordination and attributed safely to the office of the Ministery without the least savour that way which no man that knew him and what Popery is but will acquit him of the least grain of it Thus far it will be granted by all sober persons 1. The Ministers may be said to remit sins by way of preparative to it in being the instruments by preaching the word of reconciliation to dispose men towards it in bringing them to repentance whereby they are capable of it 2. By way of Confirmation in exhibiting the seales of remission in the Sacraments according as one well glosseth upon these words 'T is Gods act onely to forgive sins but the Apostles are said to do it not simply but because they apply the means appointed of God for that end viz. the word and Sacraments What is there more in forgivenesse of sins then in reconciliation of God and man now ye find this given to the Ministery 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word or ministery of reconciliation Gods act onely authoritate propria by his own supreme authority the Ministers act potestate vicaria as a substitute in Christs stead and the word doth include the Sacraments also as in our usual speech the Letters Pattents doth the Seale affixed to them as the Ministery doth the whole ministerial office 3. Declaratively in testifying this grace of God and declaring Gods good pleasure accordingly upon repentance unto the person like that of Nathan to David or Saint Peter to his Auditory Acts 3. as Ferus saith man doth not properly forgive sin but doth declare and certifie that it is remitted of God so that absolution received from man is as much to say behold my son I certifie thee that thy sins are forgiven thee I declare unto thee that God is at peace with thee which I relate the rather out of him both for his being a writer of the Church of Rome and that this passage is purged out of his book by them as erroneous as may be seen by comparing the Edition of Mentz with the Edition at Antwerp 1559 and 1570 Which agrees with that in the Articles of

Religion of Ireland num 71. God hath given power to his Ministers not simply to forgive sinnes which prerogative he hath reserved only to himselfe but in his name to declare and pronounce unto such as truly repent and unfeignedly believe his Holy Gospel the absolution and remission of sins But that ye may the more fully understand the Primates Iudgement in this point whose authority prevails much with all good men and how remote our Church is from that of the Papists in the use of those words in ordination I shall give you some brief collections out of that Answer of his to the Iesuite Malones challenge concerning this subject and the rather to satisfy the Reader against the injury which among others Doctor Heylene hath done him in this as if his judgement were opposite to the Doctrine of the Church of England First the Primate complains of the wrong done by the Papists in charging us with denying any power to be left by Christ to the Priests or Ministers of the Church to forgive sins being the formal words which our Church requireth to be used in the Ordination of a Minister and there states the question between them us That in the general it was ever the doctrine of our Church that the principal office of our Ministery is excercised in the forgivenesse of sins as the means and end of it The Question is of the manner of the execution and the Bounds of it which the Pope and his Clergy have enlarged beyond all measure of truth and reason We say that to forgive sinnes properly directly and absolutely is Gods propriety onely Esay 43. 25. Psal. 32. 5. produced by our Saviour Matth. 9. to prove his Deity which is accordingly averred by all antiquity But the Papists attribute as much to the Bishop of Rome affirming That in him there is a fulnesse of all graces and he gives a full indulgence of all sins that to him agrees that which we give to our Lord that of his fulnesse all we have received and not much lesse to the meanest Priest viz. That his absolution is such a Sacramental Act that it confers grace actively and immediately and effects the grace of Iustification that as the wind doth extinguish the fire and dispell Clouds so doth his absolution sins and by it Attrition becomes Contrition We do not take upon us any such soveraignty as if it were in our power to proclaim warre or conclude peace between God and man at our discretion We remember we are but Embassadors and must not go beyond our commission and instructions We do not take upon us thus to be Lords over Gods heritage as if we had the absolute power of the Keyes This were Popery indeed No we only acknowledge a Ministerial limited one as Stewards to dispense things according to the Will of our Masters and do assent unto the observation which Cyrill Saint Basil Ambrose Augustine make upon these words of Ordination of the Apostle Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins ye forgive shall be forgiven viz. That this is not their work properly but the work of the Holy Ghost who remitteth by them for as St. Cyril saith who can free transgressors of the Law but the Authour of the Law it self The Lord saith St. Augustine was to give un●o men the Holy Ghost and he would have it to be understood that by the Holy Ghost himselfe sins should be forgiven to the faithfull what art thou O man but a sick man thou hast need to be healed wilt thou be a Physitian to me seek the Physitian togegether with me Saint Ambrose Lo by the Holy Ghost sins are forgiven men bring but their Ministerie to it they exercise not the Authoritie of any power in it Now having acquitted our Church of Poperie in retaining these words in Ordination the Primate proceeds in shewing the Ministers exercise of his function in this particular viz. Forgivenesse of sins in these four things 1. Prayer 2. Censures of the Church 3. Sacraments 4. The word preached 1. Prayer Iam. 5. 14 15. If any be sick let him send for the Elders of the Church let them pray over him and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him and so shewes it to have been the judgement and practice of the Fathers and the ancientest of the Schoolmen that the power of the Keyes in this particular is much exercised in our being petitioners to God for the persons remission not excluding the prayers of the whole Church in assisting them with theirs for which cause in publick offences S. Augustine exhorts men to shew their repentance accordingly that the Church might pray with the Minister for them for the more sure imparting of the benefit of absolution And that before Thomas Aquinas time the form of absolution was by prayer for the partie that a learned man in his time found fault with that indicative form newly introduced Then the form being not I absolve thee but absolutionem remissionem tribuat tibi omnipotens Deus the Almighty God give unto thee absolution and remission c. unto which the antient Ritualls of the Roman Church as the Greeke according to that of Damascenes form yet retained doth agree and 't is the Primates observation that the ancient Fathers never used any Indicative form but alwaies prayer-wise as ye have heard according to which were the ancient Liturgies of the Latine and Greek Churches howsoever the Popish Priests now stand so much upon it that they place the very essence and efficacie of that their Sacrament in it in the first person and not in the third Indeed our Church to shew it stood not upon forms did in its Liturgie observe each 1. In the absolution after the general Confession it is only declarative At the communion 't is in the form of a prayer at the visitation of the sick 't is both Declarative Optative and Indicative 2. In the Censures of the Church there is an exercise of this part of our function which we maintain against the Montanists Novatians who deny any ministeriall power of reconciling of such penitents as had committed heynous sins and receiving them to the Communion of the faithfull which is contrary to that of Saint Paul as 't is generally expounded by antiquity Gal. 6. 1. If any man be overtaken in a fault i. e. in a scandalous one you who are spiritual restore i. e. upon his repentance such a one in the spirit of meeknesse as in the particular of the Incestuous Corinthian whom as in the name and power of the Lord Iesus he had bin excommunicated by Saint Paul and the Elders there so upon his repentance he was in the same name and by the same power restored again even by such to whom was committed the Ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. 27. 10. c. And indeed this loosening of men is generally by the Fathers accounted a restoring them to the peace of the Church and admitting