redemptioÌ„ euen by hys bloude remission of synnes Ergo by Christes bloude are we absolued and deliuered frome oure synnes Euery good gyfte and euery perfecte gifte sayeth Iames cometh from aboue and desceÌ„deth frome the father of lyght Ergo absolucion whiche is a good and perfecte gyfte cometh doune frome the father of lyghte Blessed Ihon in his epistle sayeth If we confesse our synnes god is faythfull righteous to forgeue vs oure synnes to make vs cleÌ„ne from all iniquite Here saynct Ihon affirmeth that God forâ—eueth vs our synnes and maâ—â—h vs clene from all vnrighteousnes He sayeth also that the blâ—ude of Iesu Christ gods owâ—â—onne maketh vs cleane 〈…〉 sinne And in the chapâ—â—â—olowyng he sayeth If any â—an synneth we haue an aduocate with the father Iesu Christ that righteous one And he it is that obtaineth mercy for our synnes not for our sinnes only but for al the world also Again he sayeth I writte vnto you o ye litle chyldren that your synnes are forgeuen you for Christes name sake Here se we agaiÌ„ that by Christ remission of synnes cometh to vs from God the father Moreouer blâ—ssed Ihon in hys reuelacion writteth on this manner Christ hath loued vs and washed vs froÌ„ our synnes by hys bloude Here se we y â— all our synnes be washed away by Christes bloud alone What shoulde I write more â–ª If I go forthe to gather together al the places of holy scripture y â— proue the absolucion of our sinnes to come from God alone I shuld not onely trouble the mooste godly Reader but also writte a volume more Prolâ—rior thaÌ„ the Iliades of the greke poet Homere whan to any christen iudgement I maye iustly seme all redy to haue poroued my article true sufficiently christeÌ„ meÌ„ vnto y â— great shame of all these Papistes which cease not with their steÌ„torous voyces to speke euill of the true preachers of Gods worde and to obscure or deface the glory of God Take away the power of onely remittinge synnes from God what remayneth there wherfore we should confesse our selfs bouÌ„de to hym I speake of matters concernynge the saluacion of our soules If all that be of the shauen nacion haue power to absolue men of their sinnes at their pleasure and to remit or retayn whose iniquities it pleaseth them than is God wel promoted eueÌ„ out of y â— Halle into y â— Kytchyn as they vse to saye So shoulde it also folowe that so many as pleased the priestes shoulde haue their synnes forgeuen them and so be saued otherwyse not O intollerable blasphemy But as God alone remitted the synnes of the fathers of the olde Testament so in lyke maner doth he nowe in the new testament Who absolued Mary Magdalene froÌ„ her sinnes but Christe Who forgaue the thefe hys robbery and maÌ„slaughter but Christ Who had compassion on Peter whaÌ„ he had denied his master christ but Christ Who made of Mat thew the publicaâ—e and tolgatherer a faithful apostle preacher but Christe Who is that good shepeharde that fetcheth home the strayeshepe louingly vpon hys shulders vnto the shepefolde is it not Christe whiche sayeth of him self I am that good shepeharde A good shepeharde geueth his lyfe for the shepe Who receyued home ioyfully the loste sonne was it not Christe Who healed the wounded manne the Prieste or the Leuite Or rather Christe the Samaritane who made of Saul the persecutour Paule an Apostle was it not Christe Who absolued al these with many other in y â— scripture from their synnes but Christe alone the sonne of the liuynge God Doth not al power beloÌ„g to Christe both in heauen and in earth to hym therfore alone doeth the power of remiâ—tinge synne pertayne Seyng than y â— this is true and nothyng more true why maye we not be bolde to saye â—agre the Papistes y â— God alone absolueth the truly penitent and onely remitteth the synnes of so many as wyth an vnfayned fayth conuerte fle vnto hys mercy If this be heresy whiche we onely confesse and teache I coulde allege diuers sentences out of the holy doctors of Christes churche which maintaine this doctrine But seyng I fighte not for the auauncement of man but for y â— glory of God I wil not satisfie this my worke with mans doctrine but with the infallible verite of Gods word For I know that euery man is a lyar but God is true hys worde abydeth for euermore Now will I prepare my self to the second parte of this treatise and afterwarde make aunswer to the obieccioÌ„s of the aduersaries that God maye styll remayne a glorious God in the presence of al men and al other recouÌ„ted duste and ashes in coÌ„parison of hym The seconde parte of this treatise is this as concernyng the priest he forgeueth not the synne but onely is a minister of God appointed to vtter declare that fre remissioÌ„ of synnes purchased for vs of God the father by the most precious bloude of Iesu Christe This maketh the Papistes to cry ad ignem ad ignem For this doctrine plucketh them doune one staffe lower than they were before They may now become no more Checkemate with God For before they were not onely not contented to be his ministers but also they woulde be heylefellow wel mette with hiÌ„ Now shall they be fayne eyther to be y â— messengers and seruauÌ„tes of God or els playne Antichristes and papistes But let vs se what the scripture sayeth That the priest forgeueth not synne but God alone it is sufficieÌ„tly proued before Now must we learne of y â— holy scriptures whyther y â— priest be but onely a minister appoynted of God to vtter declare y â— absolucioÌ„ fre deliuerauÌ„ce from synne or not That this is his office it is manifest by diuers places of y â— new testameÌ„t WhaÌ„ Christ sent forth his disciples he sayd vnto them on this maner Go into y â— vniuersal worlde preache y â— Gospel to euery creatur who so shal beleue be baptised he shall be saued but who so wil not beleue shalbe condeÌ„ned Here is it euident ynough what authoritie prestes haue what their office is verely to preache y â— Gospel to baptise Marke y â— they must preache y â— Gospell as s. Paule sayeth Christ sent me not onely to baptise but to preache y â— Gospel Again wo is vnto me if I preache not y â— Gospel And in y â— discripsioÌ„ of a spiritual minister he sheweth y t such one ought to be chosen as is not onely learned but also apte too teache able to exhorte with wholsome doctrine to conuince or ouercome them that speake agaynst the trueth of Christes gospell And sainct Peter sayeth ye elders fede the flocke of Christe somuche as in you is What other thynge is it to preache the gospel than to declare vnto the people that their synnes be
The Castell of comforte in the whiche it is euidently proued y t God alone absolueth and freli forgeueth the sinnes of so many as vnfaynedly repent and turne vnto hym Lately compyled by Thomas Becon Prouer. xviii The name of the Lord is a stroÌ„g castell vnto that doeth the righteous runne and he shal be preserued Csa lv COme to the waters all ye that be thyrsty ye that haue no money come bye that ye maye haue too eate Come bye wyne mylke without money or money worthe Wherfore do ye laye out youre money for y e thing y â— fedeth not spend your labour about the thing y â— satisfieth you not But harkeÌ„ rather vnto me ye shal â—at of y â— best your soule shall haue her pleasure in pleÌ„teousnes Encline iour eares come vnto me take hede your soul shal lyue For I will make an euerlasting couenaunt w t you euen the sure mercies that were promysed to Dauid ☞ Iohan. vii If any man be thyrstye let hym come vnto me and drynke ☞ Psal. xxxiiii Oh taste and se howe swete the Lorde is blessed is that man that putteth hys trust in hym To the moste honorable and verteous Lady Marie duchesse of RychemoÌ„de her grace Thomas BecoÌ„ wissheth from God the father thorow our Lord Iesu Christ a faythfull perseueraunce in gods most holy worde vnto the ende IT is not without a greate cause moste godly Lady that y â— holy Apostle sainct Paule desired the Thessalonians to holde faste y â— doctrine that he had taught theÌ„ afore and not sodenli to be moued from their knowlege vnderstanding nor to be troubled neyther by spirite neyther by wordes nor yet by letter For he vndoubtedly did afore se by the reuelacion of Gods spirit that there should aryse false anoynted and false preachers whiche shoulde worke great miracles and wonders insomuch that if it were possible the very elect chosen people of God shoulde be brought into errour whiche also shoulde saye beholde here is Christe or there is Christe bringing in damnable sectes vtterly denyenge the Lord that bought them as Peter sayeth He considered the imbecillitie weakenes and chyldishe hertes of men whiche excepte they be corroborated fortefied with y â— streÌ„gth of Gods spirit are sone caried aboute with diuers and strauÌ„ge learninges embrasing no lesse gredely that that is to them selfs noysome and pestiferous than that whiche is good and profitable as we at thys present time se dayly before our eyes both in the Papistes and Anabaptistes with suche other damnable sectaries Therfore this moste excellent Apostle desired the Thessalonians yea so many of vs as professe Christ vnfaynedly to perseuer abide in the worde of trueth eueÌ„ vnto the ende that we may be saued not lightly to be moued with the subtile and crafty persuasions of them that teache weake and beggarly tradicions with humayne constitucions which gyue hede to fables and mens commaundementes that turne away the folowers of them froÌ„ the trueth whiche professe that they know God but with their dedes they deny him inasmoch as they are abhominable disobedient yea and vnmete to al good workes which loue their owne pleasurs more than God hauinge an vtter apperans of godly liuing but denyeng the power therof whiche runne froÌ„ house to house and bringe into bondage both men and women lodeÌ„ with synne which are ledde with diuers lustes euer learnynge and neuer able to come vnto the knowlege of the truth which are enemies of the crosse of Christe whiche call that is euill good and y â— is good euill ce In fewe whiche are rauenynge wolfes not sparyng the flocke Dothe the world wante these enemies of Gods glory Haue not we also nede to take hede vnto the aforesayde wholsome admonicion of the holye Apostle saincte Paule Doeth not the worlde at this daye norishe such vngodly monstures What age hath bene withoute them syns the beginning of the worlde What nede I to speke of that great whore of BabiloÌ„ the mother of fornicacions and abhominacions of the earthe whiche hath made dronken w t the wyne of the wrathe of her whoredom all the nacions of y â— earth yea the very kinges and rulers of the earth haue playde the aduouterers with her The fornicacioÌ„ of that most filthy stinking strompet is so openly knowen made manifest vnto vs both by godly bokes and learned sermons that it nedeth not here to be rehersed And woulde God that as the name of this Babilonical strompet is exiled out of mennes mouthes and rased out of bokes among vs so in lyke maner her whoredome I meane the popysh and deuelish decrees which fighte with y â— manifest worde of God mighte ones be vtterly exiled banyshed and for euer dryuen away from the bondes of Christendome that all thinges in the Christen publique weale both in this and in other foren Realmes mighte be instituted ordered and appoynted accordinge to the veritie of Christes moste blessed Gospell But besides this monstrous beaste are there rysen not a few which are playne Antichristes daily labour to obscure the glory of God No maruel seyng that in the Apostles time blessed Iohn coÌ„fesseth that there were many Antichristes and false Prophetes What nede I to speake of them which teache that Christ by his moste precious death deliuered vs onely from original synne Which teache that man is iustified by his owne workes and not by the fayth alone that he hath in Christes moste blessed death which teache that by obseruinge mens tradicions euerlasting life is gotâ—eÌ„ Which teach that external ceremonies iustifie and put awaye synne Whiche teache that maÌ„ is able of his owne strengthe to fulfill the lawe and to satisfie the iustice of God which teache that our prayers can not be hearde without the intercession of other Which teache that all honour pertayneth not too God alone whiche teache that the bloude of oure sauioure Iesu Christ is not a sufficient Purgatorye for all oure synnes except we be broyled boyled and perboyled in y â— Popes fornace Whiche teache that the Lorde Christe gaue not hym selfe so plenteously a swete smelling sacrifice to God the father for vs that with the one oblacion of hys moste blessed body he hath made theÌ„ perfect for euermore that are sanctified Which teache that God alone forgeueth not synne but synnefull man also Are not these very Antichristes enemies of y e crosse of Christ defacers of Gods glory fals annoynted fals preachers rauening wolfs cloudes without water trees without frute raging waues of y â— sea foming out their owne shame waÌ„dring starres to whome is reserued y â— myste of darkenes for euer meÌ„ pleasers hauing men in greate reuerence for auauntage sake curssed chyldren whiche haue forsaken the right waye are gone astray these are they doubtles of whome
spake these wordes loosen hym and let hym go rather to his Disciples than to all the other indifferently I thynke rather that he spake them to y â— women as mooste comonly occupied aboute suche thinges But to whom he spake the text maketh no mencioÌ„ therfore caÌ„ they proue nothyng As touchyng the losoninge of y â— Asse who seeth not their folishnes the occasion why christ sente the disciples for the Asse was not to geue theym power to losen men from their sinnes at their pleasure but to fulfil y e prophecy of zachary whiche so loÌ„ge before prophecied y â— Christ shoulde come rydynge mekely vpon an Asse contrarye to the expectacion of the ambicious vayne glorious Iewes What is this to the purpose Where as Christ by this example teacheth humilite the papistes gather pryde Christe submitteth hym self euen with the mooste lowest and they exalt theÌ„ selfs with the mooste hyghest yea aboue all that is called God or that is worshypped and syt in the temple of God and shewe them selfes as God Tell me good Reader are not these swete Allegorymakers I woulde they woulde ones cease to moralyse for they haue lyed too longe Some of them also alledge this sayinge of Christe Whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde on the earth shalbe also bouÌ„de in heaueÌ„ And whatsoeuer thou shalt loosen on earthe shall be loosoned in heauen Here they esteme them selfes more thaÌ„ Goddes By this texte they thynke they maye do whatsoeuer pleaseth theym saue or condemne bynde or loose holde vp or cast doune buylde or subuerte briÌ„g to heauen or caste doune to hel but if the good men woulde take the paynes to looke what goeth before theyr coÌ„be should sone be plucked doune they wold not make somuch of their paynted shethe Christ sayeth a littel before I will geue y â— the keyes of y â— kyngdom of heaueÌ„ He sayeth not I geue y â— Christ in this place onely promised y â— keyes to the congregacion and performed his promise after his resurreccion as we maye se in y â— Gospel of Ihon. Hereof maye y â— papistes rightwell perceyue y â— this texte wherof hytherto they haue so greatly gloried and out of the whiche they haue sucked so greate aduauntage maketh littel vnto the aduauncemeÌ„t of theyr fayned power Their laste and moste stroÌ„g bulwarke where y â— keyes were geuen to the true ministers is this text Whosoeuer synnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen vnto them And whosoeuers synnes ye retayne they are retayned Here they triumphe perswade themselfes that they haue gotteÌ„ the victory though they neuer fight stroke But if they will be fauorable to God and worke no iniurie to the other scriptures afore rehersed they shall haue no cause to lifte vp their bristles Christe speaketh here after the manner of our speache whiche diligently must be noted vnles we wil depriue God of his glorie Whan we se a man restored to his healthe whiche longe before hathe ben vexed of some greuous disease is made whole thorowe the diligence of some Phisicion we vse to saye Doctor Turner made this maÌ„ whole or doctor Byll or some other whiche is expert in that kynde of science and yet is it not the doctor that made hym whole but rather y e emplastures and medecines y â— he ministred vnto hym yea rather god if we wil speake truly which gaue such vertue to hys creatures to worke health vnto the sicke So doeth the scripture speake Somtyme it attributeth our health to the ministers of the worde as in thys aforesayde place somtyme and moste comoÌ„ly to God hym self as we tofore haue abundantly hearde somtyme to the worde of God as it is written Nowe are ye clene for the wordes sake which I haue spokeÌ„ vnto you IteÌ„ Neyther herbe nor emplasture hathe healed theÌ„ but thy worde o Lord y â— healeth al thinges Hereto pertaineth y e saying of y e Psalmographe he sent his worde healed theÌ„ deliuered theÌ„ froÌ„ their destruccions and yet doeth God onely make vs whole forgeue vs our sinnes as he himself witnesseth by the Prophet saying thy destruccioÌ„ o Israel cometh of thy self only of me cometh thy helpe saluacion What caÌ„ be more plainly spoke Who is able once to hiske against these thinges Who wil once opeÌ„ his mouth to barcke agaist this doctrine NomaÌ„ I suppose except he be altogether drouned in papisme This therfore is the true meaning of thaforesayd text WhaÌ„ soeuer y â— ministers of y â— Lordes worde declare vnto me y â— swete promises of God y â— father made to me in Christes bloud I beleue theÌ„ thaÌ„ are my sinnes forgeuen me at y â— very instauÌ„t but if I do not beleue theÌ„ than are my synnes retayned y â— is to saye not forgeueÌ„ And forasmuch as I eyther repeÌ„t beleue or els coÌ„tinew still in myne olde daÌ„nable state at the preaching of y â— Lordes ministers therfore y â— scripture attributeth my deliuerauÌ„s from synne or otherwyse to theÌ„ whan notwithstandynge God alone remitteth my synne if I repent and beleue If I do not the vncircumcision of my hert that is my incredulitie and vnfaithfulnes is the occasion that my sinnes are retained and not forgeuen For thys sayinge alwaye muste nedes avyde true thy destruccioÌ„ o Israel cometh of thy selfe onely of me cometh thy helpe and saluacion So y t the priestes I meane the ministers of Gods worde are counted to forgeue synne whan they preache to the truly repentauÌ„te remission of synnes thorowe Christe and to retayne synne whan they declare too the vnfaythfull damnacion and that the wrath of God abydeth vpoÌ„ them so long as they remayne still in their incredulitie and vnfaythfulnes as it is writteÌ„ He that beleueth not on y â— sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrathe of God abydeth vpon hym Thus se we that those teâ—teâ— of the holy scripture which the papistes alledge for y â— maintenaunce of their fayned vsurped power in remitting synne maketh nothing for their purpose if they be truly alledged vnderstande accordinge to the vayne of the holy scriptures The scriptures of God maye not be rent and torne neyther harked nor wrested to serue the priuate affectes of menne but euery text must be so weyed poÌ„dered alledged and vnderstoÌ„d that it may agre with the other textes of the holy Bible that al the glory of our saluacion may be ascribed to God alone which is both the beginner finisher of all our health to hym therefore be all honour and prayse for euer Amen NOw wil I make hast to the laste parte of this treatyse which requireth y â— I should expresse my mynde concernyng the keyes which Christe before hys passion promised too hys churche and after his resurreccion performed hys promyse and shew by the sacred scriptures that the gyfte of the keyes is no vayne and idle gyfte but a necessarie ioyfull and confortable treasure
God ought to be receyued w t greate reuerence and takeÌ„ as an oraele sent doune from heauen vndoubtedly beleued as a manifeste and infallible veritie of God And this preaching of remittyng or retaynyng sinnes are the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen which Christ promysed his Apostles before hys death as we maye se in Matthew and after hys resurrectioÌ„ performed hys promyse as we rede in the Gospel of saint Iohan And by a Metaphore Christ calleth the preachyng of his worde a keye For as a keye hath twoo properties one too shutte another to open so hath the worde of God It openeth to the faythfull the treasure of the giftes of God grace mercy fauouâ—e remission of synnes quietnes of conscience euerlastyng life but to the vnfaithfull it shutteth all his treasures and suffereth theÌ„ to receiue none of them all so loÌ„g as they persiste and remayne in theyr incredulity and vnfaithfulnes These keyes are geuen too so many as beynge truely called vnto the office of ministracion preache y â— worde of God They loosen that is to say they preache to the faythfull remissioÌ„ of synnes by Christe They also bynde that is they declare to y â— vnfaythfull damnacion But he y â— preacheth not the woorde of God can neyther bynde nor loose though he chaleÌ„ge neuer so great dignitie authoritie power For Christ calleth it the keye of knowlege And the Prophet sayth y â— lyppes of a Priest kepe knowledge and at hys mouthe shall they requyre the lawe for he is the Aungell or messenger of the Lorde of hoostes Therefore where there is no kâ—â—wlege there is no keye And where there is no keye there is neyther openynge nor shuttinge that is neyther byndynge nor loosonynge Here let all menne iudge what is to be thoughte of the Papistes absolucion whereof they crake so muche whiche also they sell derely If no remission of synnes cometh from them but by preachynge Gods woorde it foloweth that their absolucion auayleth but littel seyng they neuer preache neyther the lawe of God nor the swete promyses of hym but onely mumble a fewe woordes in the latin tonge yea and this is not vnderstanded so likewise many tymes contrarye too the diuine scriptures and y e glory of god Miserable doubâ—les is that coÌ„gregacion which hath a blynd guyde to their Curate whiche hath neyther the gyfte nor the knowledge of preachynge For if the blynde leadeth the blynd both falle into y e dyche Agayn greately fortunate is that Paryshe and hyghly blessed of God to whome a learned shepeheard hath chaunced which can feede them wyth knowlege and doctrine Whatsoeuer they shall heare of suche a learned and godly minister lette theym beleue it as a voyce comynge doune frome heauen And so ofte as by suche a shepeharde remission of synnes in y e bloude of Christe is preached vnto the congregation let theÌ„ esteme that preachinge none otherwyse than if the Lord hym self had preached it Let them stedfastly beleue the woorde of God and vndoubtedly by their fayth thâ—row the grace of God they shall obtayne remission of all theyr synnes Contrariwise iâ— they beleue not their synnes are retayned and by no meanes forgeuen These thinges haue I spoken concernyng the absâ—lâ—cion or the keyes which consisteth only in preaching Gods worde that the Papistes maye haue no occasioÌ„ iustly to barke agaynst me as they haue done hytherto both for my sermons and bkes God forgeue them and sende them a better mynde Nowe forasmuche as the true and Christen absolution is nothing els but the preachinge of fre deliueraunce from synne by y â— death of Iesu Christ it ought not to be contemned and despised but rather to be receiued w t great humilitie and reuerence euen as a diuine oracle sente doune from the father of lightes For no maÌ„ caÌ„ expresse how greatly it conforteth infirme weake consciences whiche are troubled with y â— feare of Gods iudgementes Whan the Prophet Nathan came vnto kyng Dauid and rebuked hym for sleyng Urias the Hethite for takiÌ„g his wyfe Bethsabe vnto hys wyfe and tolde hym howe greatly God was angrye with hym and what plages shoulde fall vpon hys house yea vpon hym selfe for hys wickednes it is not to be doubted but that Dauid was stryken with a woÌ„derfull great heuynes and his hert pearsed with an inwarde sorowe insomuche that he was righte ashamed of hym selfe of his faulte of his wickednes was coÌ„pelled euen of conscieÌ„ce to braste out into the knowlege of hys synne to saye I haue synned agaynst the Lorde As Dauid was now full of sorow griefe trouble disquietnes in his hert had ioye of nothing vnto suche shame and confusion was he broughte in hys conscience so likewyse it is not to be doubted but that he was wonderfully reuiued maruelouslye restored vnto the peace and quietnes of his conscience yea and plenteously replenisshed with ioye in hys mynde whan the Prophet sayde these wordes vnto hym The Lorde hath put away thy synne thou shalt not dye Mary magdalen was a famous synner whan she herde her vnclene conuersacion rebuked by the woorde of God she hertely repented and was replenished w t an inwarde sorow lamenting greatly that she had offended so bounteous a Lorde mercifull God insomuche that a large fountayne of teares folowed out of her teÌ„der eyes All this tyme vndoubtedly her sorow was greater thaÌ„ it can be here expressed But whan she herde this confortable absolucion of our sauioure Christe RemittuÌ„tur tibi peccata Thy synnes are forgeuen the. Again thy faith hath made the safe Go thy way in peace that is to saye wyth a quiete and mery conscience O good God who is able to expresse w t howe great ioye and singular solace she was affected So sure and confortable is it to weake and troubled consciences too heare the swete and confortable wordes of our fre deliueraunce froÌ„ the greuous burden of â—ynnes by Christes bloude The thiefe was full of great anguysh and trouble in his conscience whan he hanged vpon the crosse in y â— time of Christes passion confessed that both he hys felowe thefe suffered worthely euen according to their desertes and in the middes of his troubled conscience he cryed vnto the Lord Christe on this maner sayeng Lorde remember me whaÌ„ thou comest into thy kyngdom But whan Christ had made him auÌ„swere and sayde Uerely I saye vnto the this day shalt thou be wyth me in Paradyse O wyth what a quiet conscieÌ„ce suffered he hys paynes and with howe gladde an hert yeldeâ— he vp his spirit into the haÌ„des of the eternal father So confortable a thynge is it to a troubled conscience for to heare any thynge that maye quiet it Agayn whaÌ„ blessed Peter preached vnto the Iewes and tolde theÌ„ that they had crucifyde Christ the Lord the scripture sayeth that they were pricked in their hertes sayde vnto Peter and vnto