distributed by the keies of the church An. Iohn saith farre otherwise who saith That Christe is both our aduocate with the father the propitiation for sinnes and that sinnes are forgiuen for his names sake * For hee is the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world* Therefore we neede none other recompence or satisfaction 1. Ioh. 2.2.12 * 1 Ioh. 1.36 27 Wee must heere consider two thinges The first that Christ his honour bee kept to him vndiminished Secondlie that mens consciences being fullie certified of remission of sinnes may haue peace with God Both of these are violate by the doctrine of satisfaction 28 Obiect Certaine sinnes be veniall and certaine mortall for mortall sinnes The veniall sinnes of the Papists a great satisfaction is due veniall sinnes are purged with more easie remedies with the Lords prayer with holie water with the absolution of the Masse An. That is to toy and mocke with God Such a distinction of sin is contrarie to the scripture which pronounceth death to bee the rewarde of sinne* Rom. 6.23.14 Ezech. 18.20 and that the soule which shall sinne is worthie of death* Obiect The sinnes of the faithfull are veniall or pardonable An. Not because they do not deserue death All sinnes are mortall Rom. 8.1 but because through the mercie of God there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus* Obiect This is the paradox of the Stoicks touching the equalitie of sinnes An. It doth not followe that those sinnes are equall which are together mortall Of the offence and punishmēt of sinnes 29 Obiect The offence is forgiuen through the mercie of God but the iustice of God doth require that the punishment should be paid An. The scripture teacheth the contrarie This is the testamēt which God hath concluded for vs in his Christ that he will not remēber our iniquities* And in another place If the wicked man shall depart from his iniquitie Ier. 31.34 Ezech. 24.27 I will put all his iniquities out of my remembrance* 30 What had Christe done for vs if the punishment should yet bee required for sinnes 1 Pet. 2.24 Ies 53.5 Rom. 3.24 For when we say that he hath borne all our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree there is no other thing signified but that he hath suffered the punishment pain which were due to our sinnes Quest Will the Lord admit no recompence Ose 14.3 An. We will pay the calues of our lips* namelie thanksgiuing Dauid 2 Sam. 12.13 31 Obiect Dauid obtained pardon for his sin and yet he is punished afterward with the death of his sonne* Punishment of the wicked An. Such punishment is a correction and not a punishment for sinne which two must be diligentlie distinguished For there be two kinds of iudgemēts the one of a iudge such as the punishment of God is when the punishment is ioyned with his indignation Correction of Children The other of a father which is properlie called a correction or admonition The sonne is beaten the seruant is beaten but the seruant is punished as a seruaunt because hee hath offended But the sonne is chastised as a sonne needing discipline 32 Therefore the chastisement of the faithfull is a blessing of God and a sure testimonie of Gods loue* Ioh. 3.17 Pro 3.11 Heb 12.5 But what afflictions soeuer the wicked doe suffer it is depainted out vnto vs as the entrance into hell from whence they beholde their eternall damnation alreadie a farre of Obiect God is oftentimes saide to bee angrie with his Saints when hee punisheth their offences* Isa 12.1 Abac. 3.2 The anger of God An. That is not referred vnto the purpose of God who doth punish but vnto the vehement feeling of paine which those suffer which abide his seueritie 33 Therefore when the reprobate are scourged with scourges of God The whipps of the reprobate they are not therefore punished that they may returne to a better minde but onely they trie with their great euill that God is a iudge and reuenger* 1 Sam. 15.23 But the children are beaten with roddes not that they may thereby be punished for their sinnes but that they may therby be brought on to repentance* 1. Cor. 11.32 34 The faithful haue neede to be furnished with these cogitations in the bitternesse of afflictions It is time that the iudgement beginne at the house of the Lord wherein his name is called vpon* 1 Pet. 4.17 Ier. 25.29 Why God did chastice dauid What should the children of God do if they did beleeue the seueritie of God which they do feele to be his vengeance 35 Therefore we see plainly that after that God had forgiuen the adulterie of Dauid he chastised him both for a common example and also to humble him In this respect the faithfull to whome he is mercifull are daylie subiect to the common miseries of this life 36 Obiect Daniell counselleth Nabuchadnezar to redeeme his sinnes with righteousnesse Dan 4.24 What it is to redeeme sinnes and his iniquities with pitying the poore* An. This word redeeme is referred rather vnto men then vnto God For it is all one as if he had sayd Thou hast exercised ô king an vniust and violent gouernment nowe in steede of thy vniust exactions repay to the people iustice and mercie Obiect Salomon saith that the multitude of sins is couered by loue* Prou 10.12 An. Not with God but among men them selues For the whole verse goeth thus How loue couereth sinnes Hatred rayseth contentions but loue couereth all iniquities as if he should say They which hate one an other do one pull an other in peeces but those which loue together do winke at manie things do one forgeue another manie things Obiect Sinne is cleansed by mercie and liberalitie An. That is they shall find God fauorable who bidding adieu to their former wickednesse do turne to him by godlinesse truth So doth the Apostle* and Christ * Mat. 23.25 Luke 7.36 expound them 37 Obiect The woman had manie sinnes forgeuen her because she loued much* An. Her loue was not the cause of the forgeuenesse of her sinnes but the proofe because the Lord sayd Thy faith hath saued thee Hom. 2. in Psal 50. 38 Chrysostome writeth wel in a certaine place* Where mercie is required examination ceasseth where mercie is craued iudgement doth not rage where mercie is asked Note there is no place for punishment where mercie is there is no question where there is mercie the answer is pardoned Hom. 10. in Gen Euch. ad Laur. Obiect Augustine calleth the works of mercy remedies to obtaine remission of sinnes An. He expoundeth himselfe in another place The flesh of Christ saith he is the true and only sacrifice for sins not only for those which are all blotted out in baptisme but for those also which come vpon men afterward through infirmitie for which we say
Yea loue doth not seeke the things that are her owne Whether loue beginne at her selfe 1. Cor. 13.5 Touching our neighbour * Obiect The thing ruled is inferiour to the rule An. When Christ commaundeth that wee loue our neighbours as ourselues he will that we be readie with no lesse cheerefulnesse to doe good to our neighbour then to our selues 55 Also wee must note that vnder the worde neighbour as Christe interpreteth it What is meant by the word Neighbour Luke 10.36 * we comprehend all mankinde and also our verie enemies 56 Obiect That which is spoken touching the not desiring of reuenge and the louing our enemies is a counsell not a commaundement An. Yea commandements are common Pro. 25.21 which do most straightlie require at our hands loue of our enemies * Exod. 23.4 * Deut. 32.35 57 It is manifest that Christe commaundeth Loue your enemies do good to those that hate you c. That you may be childrē of your father which is in heauen * Obiect It were a burden too heauie for Christians to loue their enemies Mat 5.44 An. As if there coulde any heauier thing bee inuented then to loue God with the whole heart c. Obiect Christians are vnder the law of grace An. They ought not therefore any more to giue themselues to vices A veniall sinne 58 Obiect Lust without a deliberate assent which doth not long continue in the heart is a veniall sinne An. Where the transgression of the law is there is the curse Paule calleth death the rewarde of sinne Rom. 6.23 * Ezech. 18.20 59 So saith the Prophet likewise the soule which hath sinned shall die * Therefore euerie sin is mortall Obiect The sinnes of the saints are veniall Why the sinns of the Saintes are pardonable An. I graunt but not of their owne nature but because they obtaine pardon through the mercie of God CHAP. IX That Christ although he was knowen vnder the law to the Iewes yet was he deliuered onlie by the Gospel 1 THE fathers did in deed tast of grace which is at this day offered to vs more fullie They saw the day though with a darker sight the glorie whereof doth now shine in the Gospell without any veile put betweene 2 Furthermore I take the Gospell for the euident manifestation of the mysterie of Christ What the Gospell is Obiect The Gospell is the doctrine of faith* 2. Tim. 4.9 Therefore whatsoeuer promises are founde euerie where in the Lawe concerning free forgiuenesse of sinnes they are counted partes therof An. I graunt if we take the word Gospell largely But according to the principall signification it is applyed to the publishinge of gace geuen in Christ* Mat. 4.6 Mat. 1.1 Seruetus Obiect By the faith of the Gospell the fulfilling of all promises is brought vnto vs therfore we stād no longer in neede of promises An. We enioy in deed the benefits which Christ hath purchased yet that is true Hope is nourished by promyses 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Tim. 1.1 2 Cor. 7.1 that our saluation is hidde in hope* Therefore the holy Ghost commaundeth vs to leane vpon promises so long as we liue 4 Obiect The Law is set against the Gospell as the merites of works are set against free imputation of righteousnesse An. The Gospel did not so succeed the whole Law that it might bring another way to attaine to saluation but rather that it might proue that that was firme whatsoeuer it did promise Rom. 1.16 and did ioyne the bodie to the shadowes* 5 Furthermore Iohn came betweene the Law and the Gospell Iohn was put betweene the Lawe and the Gospell Mat. 11 11. who had a middle office betweene the Prophets which were interpreters of the Law and the Apostles which were preachers of the Gospell CHAP. X. Of the likelihood of the old and new Testament 1 THe couenant of all the fathers doth nothing differ frō ours in substāce very deed that it is alone and the same yet the administration doth varie The agreemēt betweene the Law and the Gospell And they agree in three pointes First the Iewes were adopted into the same hope of immortalitie whereinto we are Secondly the couenaunt whereby they were reconciled to the Lord was vpholden by no merites of theirs but only by the mercie of God who called them Thirdly they knewe Christ to be the Mediatour by whom they should both be coupled to God and also be made partakers of his promises 3 The first is proued by the testimonie of the Apostle who saith that God the Father had promised long before in the holie Scriptures by the Prophetes the Gospell which he pubished concerning his sonne according to the appointed time* Rom. 1.2 3.21 And the Gospell doth not hold mens hearts in the ioy of this present life but it doth extoll them vnto the hope of immortalitie 4 The second appeareth by the saying of Christ Abraham reioyced to see my day he sawe it and reioyced And the preaching of the Gospell in Christ Ioh. 8.56 The end of the preaching of the Gospell doth nothing else but pronounce that a sinner is iustified through the fatherly kindenesse of God without his owne deseruings 5 And Paule teacheth that they had the same Mediator which maketh the Israelits equal with vs not only in the grace of the couenāt but also in signification of the Sacramēts 1. Cor. 10.1.11 There is the same mediatour of both Testaments bicause they were baptized whē they passed through the sea in the cloud Obiect That passing was carnall baptisme An. It answered to our spirituall baptisme For it followeth that they eat the same spirituall meate which we eate and they did drinke the same spirituall drinke which we drinke namely Christ* 1. Cor. 10.11 6 Obiect Your fathers did eate Manna are dead He which eateth my flesh shall not die for euer* Therefore it was not the same meate Ioh. 6.31 Manna An. Christ doeth reprehende the Iewes which comprehended nothing in Manna but a remedie for their carnall neede and hunger they dyd not pearce vnto that high mysterie wherunto Paul hath respect Therefore Christ sheweth that they ought to waite for a farre more excellent benefite at his handes then that which Moses gaue to their fathers as they sayd 7 The fathers Adam Abell Noe Abraham all the rest which were illuminate by the word The Fathers had the same hope of eternall life which we haue seing they did sticke to God it is not to be doubted but that they had an entrance into the immortall kingdome of God For it was a sound partaking of God which cānot be without the good thing of eternal life 8 Also in that couenant I will be your God you shal be my people* The same couenant Leuit. 26.12 the prophets did alwayes cōprehend both life and saluation and all the summe of blessednes 9 Furthermore
Bishop of Rome being not content with their kingdomes laid hands vpō the Empire Lib. de consid 2. who as Bernard saith* had neede of a weedhooke not of a scepter Epist 5 lib. 2. Gregorie 12 Gregorie called the Emperour most noble Lorde and himselfe his vnworthie seruant* 13 Neither are fiue hundred yeares yet past when as the Bishops were in subiection to princes neither was the Pope created without the authoritie of the Emperour Henrie the Emperour sold holie thinges Hildebrand brought the Emperoures in subiection to him Constantinus Increase of the Papacie The Emperour Henrie the 4. of that name who solde holie things gaue occasion to Gregory the seuēth to alter this order At length Hildebrand who called him selfe Gregorie the seuenth made also the Emperours subiect to him Obiect The West Empire was giuen to the Pope by Constantine An. That is a false starting hole vnder colour of donation In the meane season the Popes ceased not sometimes by fraude somtimes by treacherie sometimes by weapons to inuade other mens dominions also they brought the citie it self which was at that time free vnder their power vntill they came to that power which they doe now enioy 15 To iurisdiction is annexed freedome Freedome annexed to Iurisdiction For they thinke it an vnmeet thing if in personall causes they answere before a ciuill iudge and they suppose that both the libertie also the dignitie of the church consisteth in that if they be exempted from common iudgements and lawes Obiect If any question of faith were handled or anie such question as did properlie appertaine to the church the hearing thereof was referred to the church 16 An. By this exception holy men sought nothing els but that Princes which were not religious might not with tyrannicall violence and lust hinder the church in doing her dutie For they did not disalow it if sometimes Princes did vse their authority in Ecclesiasticall matters so this were done to preserue the order of the church and not to disturbe it Therefore they doe euill to chalendge to themselues freedome CHAP. XII Of the discipline of the church whose principall vse is in censures and excommunication 1 FVRTHERMORE The diuision that we may the more easily vnderstand Ecclesiastical discipline which dependeth vpon the power of the keyes and spirituall iurisdiction let vs deuide the churche into the cleargie and the common people Let vs speak first of common discipline vnder which all men must be then we will come to the cleargie which haue their proper discipline 2 The first foundation of the church is that priuate admonitions doe take place that is if any man doe not his duetie willinglie that he suffer himselfe to be admonished The degrees of comō discipline Priuate admonition and that euerie one studie to admonish his brother when need is Especiallie let the Pastors be diligēt herein whose dutie it is to preach to the people and to exhort through euery house* If any man refuse admonitions and despise two or three witnesses Act. 20.20 and if hee continue stubborne let him be banished out of the companie of the faithfull* Mat. 18.15.17 as a contemner of the church Excommunication 3 But because he intreateth there of secret faults wee must put this diuision that some sinnes are priuate and some publike Christ speaketh of the former Deuision of sinnes Mat. 18.15 1 Tim. 5.20 Gal. 2.14 Reproue him betweene him and thee alone* Paul saith concerning open sinnes Reproue him in presence of all men* that the rest may feare Hee himselfe followed this last in Peter* Therefore in secrete sinnes let vs proceede according to the degrees which Christ setteth down Another destinction of sinnes in manifest sinnes let vs straight way proceed vnto the solemne rebuking of the church 4 Let this be also another distinction Of sinnes some are defaults some hainous offences for these latter Paul vseth a more sharpe remedie in the incestuous person of Corinthus* because he doth not only in wordes chasten but with excommunication punish him 5 And there be three ends whereto the church hath respect in such corrections Endes of correction and in excommunication The first is that they may not bee named among christians which lead a wicked life as if the holy church were a conspiracy of wicked men* Col. 1.24 The second that good men may not bee corrupted with the continuall companie of the wicked* 1 Cor. 5 6.11 The third is that those men themselues beeing confounded with shame 2 Thess 3.14 may begin to repent of their filthines* 6 These ends being set downe it remaineth that we see how and after what sort the church doth execute this point of discipline The diuision of sinnes Publike Priuate Stubbornesse Haynous offences Defaultes which consisteth in iurisdiction First of all let vs retaine that diuision of sinnes that some are publike and some priuate The former kinde doth not require these degrees which Christ reckoneth vp In the second sort they come not to the church vntill stubbornnes come When it is once come to knowledge then must we obserue the other diuision between hainous offences defaults In lighter offences there must a light and fatherlie chastisement be vsed But hainous offences must be chastised with a more sharp remedie 1 Cor. 5.5 as by depriuing of the supper vntill the sinner doe testifie his repentance* This order did the olde and better church obserue whē lawful gouernmēt was in force Let Princes submit themselues to discipline 7 So far of was it that anie was exempted from this discipline that the Princes did submit thēselues together with the common people to abide beare it And it is meet that the scepters of all princes bee made subiect to Christes crowne So Theodosius was depriued by Ambrose of the right of the communion* Am. lib. 1. Epist 3. in orat funeb Theo. This is a lawefull proceeding in excommunicating of a man if not the elders alone do that apart but the Church knowing and approuing the same 8 And such sharpnesse becommeth the church as is ioyned with the spirite of meeknesse that he may not be swallowed vp of sorrow which is punished* 2 Cor. 2.7 For by this meanes a remedie should bee turned to destruction A caueat Sharpnesse of the men of old For when as they enioyned a sinner penance to endure for 7. 4. 3. yeres or during his whole life what could followe thereupon but either great hypocrisie or great desperation 9 All thinges must be tempered with loue and curtesie All things must be temperat with courtesie Neither is it for vs to blot out of the number of the elect excommunicate persons or bee out of hope of them as if they were alreadie damned Wee may indeed count them straungers from the Churche and therefore from Christe but yet onlie during that time wherein they continue diuorsed The difference