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 unâ—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
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
of the Pope The Second How the Papacy may be said to be the Beast that was and is not and yet is Rev. 17. 18. The Third being Bishop Bedels Sermon on Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people c. The Speaker our Saviour Christ His people those within the Covenant of Grace A paralleling the Speeches here with those of the Prophets Of Litterall Babell who meant by Mysticall Babylon The judgement of Bellarmine Salmeron Viegas to be the City of Rome How the title of Babylon the great and her reigning over the Kings of the earth rather agrees to Rome Papal then Heathen The Cup of inchantment whereby she hath deceived all Nations and one in speciall in imitation of literall Babell Dan. 1. applyed to that See Her Wantonnesse Pride sitting as a Queen glorifying her self the blood of Christians shed by the Papacy to be beyond that of Heathen Romes persecution his conclusion from the Premises That there are some of Gods people in Babylon That they are to goe out not only in affection but the place also Of Baptisme Grounds of the Catechisme Faith taught there of the doctrine of of merits What is to be thought of those that doe yet live there and cannot come out Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church rightly stated p. 83. Of the Ordination had there by the use of these words Whose sins ye remit c. That the Papall Monarchy is Babylon proved by arguments at the barre of Reason and from common principles of Christianity p. 89. Answer to that motive of staying in Babylon because they are told they may be saved in it An exhortation of such as are yet in that captivity to come out and of our selves to come further out Of Impropriations Dispensations c. with a conclusive prayer for the destruction of Babylon The Fourth A Confirmation of the abovesaid judgment From some grounds out of the Ancient Fathers consenting in an expectation that Rome must be the place and the successor of the Emperour there the Person A clear application of it to the See of Rome by the Fathers and Writers in successive ages before and after the tenth Century The Judgment of the eminent Bishops of England since the reformation the book of Homilies especially in 2 places calling the Pope Antichrist and the Babylonical beast of Rome A Synod in France as Ireland How far confessed by the prime writers of the Church of Rome The mistake of such as have diverted the application of it some other way an Answer of a passage of Doctor Heylenes concerning it in relation to the Primate and Articles of Ireland The Fifth Of laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. Reasons why not confirmation but ordination Paraeus and Mr. Cartwrights concurrence in it with the Primate The necessity of an ordained Ministry The neglect of it as undermining the foundation Objections answered with a seasonable application to the present times The necessity of an external call The Authority not from the People That objection against our ordination being derived from Rome at large answered p. 218. That personal faults in the ordainers doth not null the ordination Some application The 6. Of the old form of words in Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost not meant of the sanctifying grace of the spirit nor extraordinary gifts of it but of ghostly or spirituall Ministeriall authority 1 Cor. 3. verse 3. 6. and 1 Iohn 2. 20. The anointing teacheth you c. illustrated An objection out of S. Augustine answered Whose sins thou forgivest c. In what sense Ministers are said to forgive sins The Primates judgement in his answer to the Iesuits Challenge defended to be according to the doctrine of the Church of England which Doctor Heylene hath scandalized him in it The 7th Of a Set Form of Prayer The judgment of Calvine Dutch and French divines with their Practice Examples out of the Old Testament and New The pattern of our Saviour giving a form to his disciples taking one to himself and observing the set forms made by others That objection of Stinting the spirit answered An Vniformity in publique prayer a means of reducing unity in Church and State The full concurrence of Mr. Rogers Mr. Egerton Dr. Gouge Mr. Hildersham Dr. Sibbs Dr. Preston c. Of the length and gesture in prayer Mr. Hildersham of an outward reverence in the publick A Character of Bishop Bedell his industry at Venice and at home humility moderation government and sufferings An answer to Mr. Thomas Pierces fifth Letter wherein three Certificates have been published by him for the justification of a change of judgement in the late Primate of Ireland in some points ERRATA SOme omissions of Accents Poâ—nting and number of pages the intelligent Reader may correct himself Page 39. l. 2. r. professed p. 40. l. 8. r. â—o-ammi p. 44. l. 18. r. irâ— p. 45. Lo. for there t is related that p. 46. l. 15. d. and p. 48. l. 8. circun p. 49. l. 6. ly p. 63. l. 〈◊〉 d. â— p. 59. l. 11. although p. 60. l. 4. her p. 63. l. 1. As gods l. 21. disâ— p. 64. l. 22. they they p. 70. l. 10. val p. 82. l. 20. d. 〈◊〉 p. 92. l. 6. may p. 160. l. 23. p. 161. l. 11. Padre p. 162. mar l. 8. justif p. 185. l. 2. baptizing p. 189. l. 2 -mining p. 198. l. 6. of the p. 248. l. 22. mediatly p. 250. l. 22. a. p 278. l. 12 there p. 317. l. 8. Wethersfield p. 322. l. 18. prayer p. 329. lâ— 21. and Mr. p. 362. l. 12. d. following p. â—78 l. ult d. which The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland what is understood by Babylon in Apoc. 17. 18. Apoc. 18. v. 4. Go out from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues IN these words we are straightly enjoyned upon our peril to make a separation from Babylon For the understanding of which charge these three Positions following are to be considered The first Position THat it is plainly foretold in the the Word of God that after the planting of the Faith by the Apostles the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth should be seduced and drawn into damnable errours and that the mother of all these Abominations of the Earth should be a certain great City called Babylon in a Mysterie Proof THis we finde directly laid down in the Revelation that a great Citie called in a mystery Babylon should become the mother of the spiritual whoredome and abominations of the earth so that the Kings of the earth should commit fornication with her and the Iâ—habitants of the earth should be made drunke with the wine of her fornication The second Position THat by this great City Babylon the Mother of all the abominations of the earth is understood Rome Proof 1. BY the clear Testimony of Scripture in the seventeen Chapter of the Revelation where
little to satisfie for thy sins For as for thy siâ—s thou must offer Christs works his pains and wounds and his death it self to him together with that love of his out of which he endured these things for thee These are available for the satisfaction for thy sins But thou whatsoever thou dost or sufferest offer it not for thy sins to God but for his love and good pleasure wishing to find the more grace with him whereby thou mayest doe more greater and more acceptable works to him let the love of God then be to thee the cause of well-living and the hope of well-working thus he and I doubt not but many there be on that side that follow this Councel here with I shall relate the speach of a wise and discreet Gentleman my neighbour in England who lived and died a Recusant he demanded one time What was the worst Opinion that we could impute to the Church of Rome It was said there was none more then this of our merits And that Cardinal Bellarmine not onely doth uphold them but saith we may trust in them so it be done soberly And saith they deserve Eternal life not onely in respect of Gods propromises and Covenant but also in regard of the work it self whereupon he answered Bellarmine was a learned man and could pâ—rhaps defend what he wrote by learning But for his part he trusted to be saved onely by the merits of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and as for good works he would do all that he could Et valeant qâ—uantum volere possint To proceed In or under the Obedience of Rome there is Persecution and that is a better mark of Christs people then Bellarmines Temporal felicity all that will live godly in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle shall suffer persecution ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake saith our Saviour and so are all they on that side that are less superstitious then others or dare speak of redress of abuses yea there is Martyrdome for a free opposing mens traditions Image-worshipers Purgatory and the like Add that inobedience to this call of Christ there do some come dayly from thence and in truth how could our Saviour call his people from thence if he had none there How could the Apostles say that Antichrist from whose captivity they are called shall sit in the Temple of God since that Ierusalem is finally and utterly desolated unless the same Apostle otherwhere declaring himself had shewed us his meaning that the Church is the house of God and again ye are the Temple of the living God and the Temple of God is Holy which are ye It will be said that there are on that side many gross errors many open Idolatries and superstitions so as those which live there must needs be either partakers of them and like minded or else very Hypocrites But many errors and much ignorance so it be not affected may stand with true Faith in Christ and when there is true Contrition for our sins that is because it displeaseth God there is a general and implicite repentance for all unknown sins Gods Providence in the general revolt of the ten Tribes when Elias thought himselfe left alone had reserved seven thousand that had not bowed to the Image of Baal and the like may be conceived heâ—e since especially the Idolatry practised under the obedience of Mystical Babylon is rather in false and will-worship of the true God and rather commended as profitable then as absolutely necessary enjoyned and the corruptions there maintained rather in superfluous addition then retraction in any thing necessary to salvation Neither let that hard term of hypocrisie be used of the infirmity and sometime humble and peaceable carriage of some that oppose not common errors nor wrestle with the greater part of men but do follow the multitude reserving a right knowledge to themselves and sometimes by the favour which God gives them to find where they live obtain better conditions then others can We call not Iohn the beloved Disciple an hypocrite because he was known to the High Priest and could procure Peter to be let to see the arraignment of our Saviour nor Peter himself that for fear denied him much less Daniel and his companions that by suit obtained of Melzar their keeper that they might feed upon pulse and not be defiled with the King of Babels meat and these knew themselves to be captives and in Babel But in the new Babel how many thousands do we think there are that think otherwise that they are in the true Catholike Church of God the name whereof this harlot hath usurped And although they acknowledge that where they live are many abuses and that the Church hath need of reformation yet there they were born and they may not abandon their Mother in her sickness Those that converse more inwardly with men of Conscience on that side doe know that these are speeches iâ— secret which how they will be justified against the commands of Christ come out of her my people belongs to another place to consider For the purpose we have now in hand I dare not but account these the people of God though they live very dangerously under the captivity of Babylon as did Daniel Mordecay Hester Nehemiah and Ezra and many Jewes more notwithstanding both Cyrus Commission and the Prophets Command to depart This point may give some light in a Question that is on foot among learned and good men at this day Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church or no where I thinke surely if the matter be rightly declared for the tearms there will remain no question As thus whether Babylon pretending to be the Church of Rome yea the Catholick Church be so or not or this Whether the people of Christ that are under the captivity be a true Church or no either of both waies declare in these tearms and the matter will be soon resolved Except some man will perhaps still Object Though there be a people of God yet they can be no true Church for they have no Priesthood which is necessary to the Constitution of a Church As Saint Cyprian describes it Plebs sacerdoti adunata people joyned to their priest They have no Priesthood being by the very form of their Ordidination Sacrificers for the quick and the dead I answer under correction of better judgements they have the Ministery of Reconciliation by the Commission which is given at their Ordination being the same which our Saviour left in his Church Whose sins ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retain they are retained As for the other power to sacrifice if it be any otherwise then celebrating the Commemoration of Christs sacrifice once offered upon the Cross It is no part of the Priesthood or Ministery of the New Testament But as superfluous additions thereunto which yet worketh not to the destruction of that which is lawfully conferred otherwise
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 fâ—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 â— 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
old had under the Law in curing the Lepers who therefore accordingly may be said to forgive and retaine sins whilst they shew and declare they are forgiven or retained of God So the Priests put the name of the Lord upon the children of Israel and were commanded to blesse the people in saying The Lord blesse thee but it was the Lord himself that blessed them according to the next words and I will blesse them And thus in these four things I leave it to be calmly considered of if the Ministers have not power left them by Christ in relation to forgivenesse of sins and with these limitations whether that part of the old form of the words of Ordination might not be continued also which seems to me to be explained in the next following them viz. And be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word and Sacraments c. through both which the graces of the Holy Ghost and remission of sins are conveyed and sealed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost According as in the words at the Communion used to the recipient the former clause was added in Q. Elizabeths dayes to give the more full sense of the latter And let not any by this Moderate expression extenuate the office of the Ministery as Bellarmine would by this inferre that any Lay-man Woman or Child may absolve as well as the Minister as we have among our selves too many of that judgement For it consisteth not in speech but in power or Authority he being as the officer of a King Authorized to make Proclamation of his pleasure Every man may speak one to another to the use of edifying but to them is given 1 Cor. 10. 16. power to edification God hath made them able Ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit That from them it comes 1 Thess. 1. 5. not only in word but in power also and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance which accordingly hath been experimentally found that howsoever another may from the Scripture shew as truly unto the penitent what glad tidings are there intended to him yet to drooping and doubting soules it hath not been so efficacious in quieting them and giving satisfaction to their consciences either in sicknesse death-bed or otherwise as by the Ministery ordained and commissionated for that end That as 't is their office to pray and exhort you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God so having listened to that Motion and submitted your selves accordingly 't is their office to declare and assure unto you in Christs stead that God is reconciled with you All which appeares to be the ancient doctrine of the Church of England by what is publickly declared in the exhortation before the Communion to be read sometimes at the discretion of the Minister which is the recitd and approved by the Primate as followeth And because it is requisite that no man should come to the holy Communion but with a full trust in Gods mercy and with a quiet conscience therefore if there be any of you which by meanes aforesaid i. e. Private examination and confession of sinnes to God cannot quiet his own conscience but requireth further Councell and Comfort then let him come to me or some other discreet and learned Minister of Gods word and open his grief that he may receive such Ghostly Councel Advice and Comfort as his Conscience may be relieved and that by the Ministery of Gods word he may receive comfort and the benefit of absolution to the quieting of his conscience and avoyding of all scruple and doubtfulnesse And now let the Reader judge if Dr. Heylene hath not cause to repent of his rash censure of the Primate in his late book p. 108. as if in this part of his Answer to the Jesuite he had as he saith in this particular utterly subverted as well the doctrine of this Church as her purpose in it c. when those two arguments which himself urgeth from the words of Ordination and the exhortation at the communion are produced and defended by the Primate also What would he have he saith the doctrine of the Church of England is that The Priest doth forgive sins authoritativè by a delegated and commissionated power committed to him from our Lord and Saviour doth not the Primate say the same that 't is not only declarativè but designativè not only by way of information out of the word of God as another understanding Christian may do to the penitent that his sins are pardoned but he doth it authoritative as having a power and commission from God to pronounce it to the party and by the seale of the Sacrament to assure the soule of the penitent that he is pardoned of God which no other man or Angel can do ex officio but the Minister of Christ according to that of the Apostle To us is committed the word of reâ—couciliation this is the summe of the Primates judgement He that would have more must step over into the Church of Rome for it I shall only make a trial whether Doctor Heylene will so conclude against Mr. Hooker as he hath against the Primate who in his sixth book of Ecclesiasticall Policy consents fully with him where after his declaring that for any thing he could ever observe those Formalities which the Church of Rome do so esteem of were not of such estimation nor thought to be of absolute necessity with the Ancient Fathers and that the form with them was with invocation or praying for the penitent that God would be reconciled unto him for which he produceth Leo Ambrose Ierome c. p. 96. He thus declares his judgement viz. As for the Ministerial sentence of private absolution it can be no more then a declaration what God hath done it hath but the force of the Prophet Nathan's absolution God hath taken away thy sins then which construction especially of words judiciall there is nothing more vulgar For example the Publicans are said in the Gospel to have justified God the Iewes in Malachy to have blessed the proud man which sin and prosper not that the one did make God righteous or the other the wicked happy but to blesse to justifie and to absolve are as commonly used for words of judgement or declaration as of true and reall efficacy yea even by the opiâ—ion of the Master of sentences c. Priests are authorized to loose and bind that is to say declare who are bound and who are loosed c. Saint Ierome also whom the Master of the Sentences alledgeth directly affirmeth That as the Priests of the Law could only discern and neither cause nor remove Leprosies so the Ministers of the Gospel when they retain or remit sinnes do but in the one judge how long we continue guilty and in the other declare when we are clear or free Tom 6. Comment in 16. Mat. So saith Mr. Hooker when conversion by manifest tokens did seem effected Absolution
humane nature not that which is accidentall A maimed Father begets a Son like himself as he was before he lost his arme as the circumcised did and doth an uncircumcised child the like application may be made to the transferring of ordination in such a wounded diseased Apostatized Church as the Roman now is and by such corrupted persons in life and doctrine continuing in it so they do observe the essentials in ordination other superstructures or corruption in the ordainers doth not null it either to the persons themselves or successors which might be further manifested by the pâ—actice of the Church in all ages 1. That Ministration under the Law the Priests of which the Jewish Writers say were consecrated by laying on of hands had as much cause to stand upon succession as any yet ye find often that the Priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites had corrupted their wayes were defiled with Idolatry in Ahaz and Manasses time and others as bad or worse then the See of Rome yet after a reformation the succession which was by their hands was not questioned Though the Priesthood ran through much filth yet retaining the essentialls of the Jewish Religion as circumcision c. they were owned of God again in a successive ministration See in the height of their Idolatry when they were offering their children by fire unto their Idols yet by retaining the Sacrament covenant of circumcision their children are called the Lords children Ezek. 16. 20. Thou hast taken thy sons which thou hast borne unto me c. thou hast slayn my children in causing them to pass through the fire etc. 2. In our Saviour Christs time there was as bad a succession as ever in the Priests Pharises Scribes Sadduces c. yet as he permitted their administring of some rites for himselfe whether of circumcision or the offering made for him in the Temple at the purification after the custome of the Law in his infancy so at his manifestation about 30 yeares after he sends those that were healed by him to the Priests to offer what Moses commanded ye see he did not determine against the office for the personal defilements of their Predecessors or themselves 3. Nay under the Gospel about four hundred years after our Saviour Christ was not the world so over-run with Arrians that it groaned under it as St. Ierom saith when they had the commands of the Pulpits ordaining of Preachers children were baptized by them men put to receive the communion of them as Hilary and Basil say the Orthodox were hatched under the wings of the Arrian Priests yet upon a reformation and the renouncing of that heresie we read not of any rejecting of the succeeding Ministers because they were derived through such hands which I conceive to have been as bad as the Bishop of Rome and his followers The Church then was so wise as to consider a jewel looseth not his vertue by being delivered by a foul hand so neither is the treasure of the Ministry to be despised because it hath passed through some polluluted vessels to us which is appliable for the saving harmlesse our ordination though transmitted through the Popish defilements of some persons so much in vindicating the ordination of the Church of England from the scandall of being Popish Antichristian with which by some ignorant and rash people it is frequently aspersed Let me conclude with this short admonition Be not hereafter so unworthy as to blurre that Ministery with being Antichristian by whom ye have received the knowledge of Christ both by their translating of the Scriptures out of the Originalls into your Mother-tongue for your reading and their labour in the exposition of them for your understanding by whom you and your fathers have been baptized and instructed Be not such ill birds as thus to defile your own nests do not side with the agents of the Bishop of Rome in thus detracting and lessening the reputation and esteem of them Let them not say in their hearts so would we have it nor you with your tongues unlesse in your hearts you are Romish your selves Is it not strange that those who have been so great opposers of the errors of Popery wrot so learnedly and fully against them who have applyed that in the 2 Epist of the Thessalonians concerning the man of sin and that of Babylon in 17. Revel to the Papacy as Bishop Downham Abbot Iewell and the late eminent Primate with divers others that now they should with their very calling and profession be styled Popish can we think otherwise but that the hand of Ioab I mean the Jesuit is privily in it Is it not a wonder it should so come about that such as have been the greatest enemies to the See of Rome should be reckoned as members and friends of it and thus perpetually yoked together as twins nay trod under foot as unsavory salt upon that very account as being Episcopall Is this a just reward of their labour in the defence of your profession thus to be aspersed by you as Absolon to Hushay Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Certainly those of the See of Rome cannot but smile within themselves that they have thus covertly deluded us and so closely taken a revenge of those their adversaries How true is that speech of our Saviour A Prophet is not without honour save in his own country other nations French and German magnifie the Clergy of the Church of England by what is transmitted over Sea in many of their works onely despised at home as the off-scouring of the world what a preparative this is to the expectation of the Papists an able learned ordained Ministery having been hitherto the stop to the introduction of ignorance and superstition which if removed might flow in the more easily which God in his mercy prevent And thus I have endeavoured to confirm the Primates judgement upon this place viz. that by laying on of hands is meant an ordained Ministery The Primates judgement of the Sense and Vse of the Form of words in the former Constitution at the Ordination of Priests or Presbyters defended and enlarged viz. Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou doest retain they are retained Which as an Appendix to the former subject could not well be omitted THey are the words of our Saviour Iohn 20. 22. to the Apostles and why they may not be continued to their Successors who are to succeed in that office of the Ministery to the end of the world doth not yet appear and 't is possible that the late offence taken against them to the disuse of them may arise from a misapprehension of the sense of them The Primates judgement of which I think fit to manifest who in all his Ordinations constantly observed them They consist of two clauses 1. Receive the Holy Ghost 2. Whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou dost retain they are
ensuing which could not make served onely to declare men innocent p. 108. When any of ours ascribeth the work of remission to God and interprets the Priests sentence to be but a solemn declaration of that which God himselfe hath already performed they i. e. the Church of Rome scorne it And so after much to this purpofe he thus concludes p. 113. Let it suffice to have shewen how God alone doth truly give and private Ministerial absolution but declare remission of sinnes And thus I leave Mr. Hooker under Doctor Heylen ' s Censure who hath already concluded that forgivenesse of sins by the Priest onely declarativè doth not come up to the doctrine of the Church of England Though the reason he gives because it holds the Priest doth forgive sins authoritativè I do not see the force of The former supposing the latter for the Officer whose place it is solemnly to make Proclamation of the Kings pardon doth it authoritativè nay dares not do it unlesse he were authorized accordingly And so much for the Primates judgement of those words of Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest are forgiven whose sins thou retainest are retained The PRIMATES judgment of the Vse of a set Form of Prayer heretofore declared and now more fully enlarged and confirmed with the concurrence of the Votes of such eminent persons who are so esteemed by the contrary-minded THis Subject hath been so sufficiently discussed and determined by others that no new thing can be expected from me onely you have here the Iudgement and Approbation of this eminent Primate which being of so great esteem with all good men 't is possible now upon near an even scale of mens opinions in it his may be of that weight as to give satisfaction First that the Vse of a set Form of Prayer is not a setting up of any new doctrine as the Athenians judged of Saint Paul appeares in that 't is the practise of the Belgick Churches for which ye have the determination of the Divines of Leyden Polyander Rivetus Wala'us Thysius in their Synopsis Theologiae And the resolution of Mr. Aimes our countryman who lived and died a Professor of Divinity among them in his cases of conscience who saith 't is lawfull from the approved practice of the Saints in the Psalmes and other Formes of blessing in the Scripture nay profitable and necessary for some though it be read out of a book Then for the judgement and practice accordingly of the Reformed Church of France Ludovicus Capellus gives us a sufficient account of who is Professor of Divinity in the University of Somer in one of his Theses lately published de Liturgiae formulis conceptis or a set form of a Liturgie where after hee hath answered all the pretended arguments against it which it seemes he had gleaned up out of some of our English Writers of late he concludes that 't is very necessary both for the most learned Pastors and congregations as unlearned and the edification of both being used throughout the Christian world in all ages at least for these 1300 years and is still at this day in all places excepting only as he saith some of late with us in England whose censure of them ◠is so severe that it would be offensive in me to repeat it And surely the general custome and practice of the reformed Churches which Saint Paul urgeth 1 Cor. 11. 16. cap. 14. 33. cannot be contemned by any sober Christian unto which may be added the judgement of diverse pious and eminent men of onr own nation and so esteemed by such as have asserted the contrary whose judgements being too large to be inserted here I shall deferre them till the last who do very fully concurre with the Primate in it Calvin was a wise and learned man now as Beza tells us it was his constant practice to use a set form of Praier before Sermon without alteration So was it his advice in his Epistle to the Protector of England in Edward the sixth's time which hath bin mentioned elsewhere for the establishing of a set form of a Liturgy here from which it might not be lawfull for pastors to depart both for the good of the more ignorant preventing of an affected novelty in others and the declaring of an unanimous consent in all the Churches For which practice and advice he had sufficient warrant from the President of the Ancient Fathers in the Primitive times which might be here also produced And doubtlesse the councell of Eliphaz is is good Iob 8. Enquire I pray thee of the former ages and prepare thy selfe for the search of their Fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing shall not they teach thee c. as that of the Prophet Ieremiah cap. 6. 19. aske for the old way and walk therein which may well rebuke the presumption of some who are so led by their own fancies that the Ancient Fathers are of no exemplary esteem with them Onely I may safely reprepresent this to the consideration of any ingenuous person that if it were the practice of the Church of God in all ages for 1500 or but 1300 yeares after Christ not only of the vulgar but of such as were glorious Martyrs and the most eminent Preachers of former and later yeares with whom the holy spirit did much abound doth not the assertion of the contrary condemn the generation of the just or at least argue a bold presumptuous censure of the spirits of just men now made perfect in heaven This only by way of preparative to the Readers attention that there is no singularity in it 2. See the warrants for it in the Scripture i. e. in the Old Testament Numb 6. 23. the Lord gives a form of words to Aaron and his sons to be continued as a perpetual Liturgy from age to age for the blessing the children of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace c. Numb 10. 35. Moses gives himself a set form at the rising and resting of the Ark. When the Ark set forward Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel Continued by David at the removall of the Ark in his time Psal. 68. 1. In the 26. of Deut. ye have two set formes prescribed of God himself First to him that offers his first fruits verse 3. thou shalt say unto the Priest c. verse 5. thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God c. consisting chiefly of confession to the 11. verse and then to him that offers his third years tythes verse 13. when after a solemne protestation of bringing all the hollowed things paying his Tythes truly
Bedels letter to Wadsworth p. 157. My defence for your Ministry is that the forme Receive the Hâ—ly Ghost whose sins ye remit are remitted doth suciffiently comprehend the authority c a Eadem unctio non pootuit luculentiore testimoniâ— Pastores doctores ornare à quibus illi instituti fâ—erant quotidie â—dhuc instituebantur quam quum ipsos diceret ab ipso Spiritu Sancto doceri jam antea esse doctos b Piscator in loc Vnctio docet id est ministerium verbi i. e. Spiritus Sanctus efficaâ— per praedicationem Evangelii quare ministerium verbi in precio habendum est Answ. a Non simplicitèr sed quia adhibent media per qâ—uae Deus remittit peccaâ—a haec autem media sunt â—erbum Sacramenta â—er in loc b Non quod homo propriè remittet peccatum sed quod ostendet certificet adeò remissâ—m neque enim alâ—a est absoâ—utio ab homine quam si dicat Eâ— tiâ—i certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata Annuncio tibi te habere Deum propitâ—um c. Ferus lib 2. Comment in Matth. cap. 9. edit Moguâ—t 1559. a In summo Pâ—ntifice esse pleniâ—udâ—nem omnium gratâ—arum quia iâ—se solus confert plenam indulgentiam omnium peccatorum computet sibi quod de primo princiâ—e Dâ—mino dicimus quia de plenitudine ejus nos omnes accepimus de Regim Principum lib. 3. cap. 10. inter opuscula Thâ—mae num 20. activè proximè efficit gratiam justificationis â—t flatus extinguit ignem dissipat nebulas sic absolutio sacerdotis peccaâ—a c. Bell. de Sacram. libâ—o 2. cap. 1. de poenitent libro 3. cap. 2. Attritio virtute clavium fit contritio Rom. Correctores Gloss. Gratiani de poenitent duâ—t 1. principio c. a Cui enim praevaricatores legis à peccato liberare licet nisi legis ipsius autori in Joâ— lib. 12. â—ap 56. b Datuâ—us erat Dmiâ—us hominibus Spiâ—itum Sanctum ab ipso Spiriâ—u Sancto fidelibus suis dimitti peccata volebat intelligi nam quid es hâ—mâ— nisi ager sanandus vis mihi esse medicus mecum quaere medicum Homil. 23. Ex. 50. c Ecce per Spiritum Sanctum peccata donantur â—omines ministerium suum exhibent non jus alicujus potestatis exercent de Sp. Sanct. lib. 3. cap. 10. a Aliud est baptizaâ—e per ministerium aliud per pâ—â—estatem autheritatâ—m a quos funes vincula solvunt Apostoli Sermone Dei testimoniis scripturae exhortatione lib. 6. Comment in Is. cap. 14. b Remjâ—â—untur peccata per Dei verbum de Abel Cain lib. 2. cap. 4. Mark 1. 4. Jer. 3â— 28. a â—Contaminatione contaminabit eum haud dubium quin Sacerdâ—s non quo contaminationis Author sit sed quo ostendat eum contaminatum Hieron lib. 7. Esa. cap. 23. b In remitâ—endis vel reâ—inendis peccaâ—is id Iuris Officii habent Evangelici sacerdotes quod olim habebant sub lege legales in curandis leprosis Hi ergo peccata dimiâ—tunt vel reâ—inent dum dimissa adeo vel reâ—entae indicant ostendant Ponunt enim sacerdotes nomen Dominâ— super filios Israel sed ipse benedixit siâ—ut legitur in Num. Petr. Lomb. l. 4. sent dist 14. a Num. 6. a Sacerdos imponit manum subjecto â—edâ—tum Spiritus sancti invocat indicta in populum or atione altari reconcilâ—at c. advers Lucifer a Disput. 36. de cultu invocat Sect. 33. non tantum licitas sed valde utiler esse contendimus c. in magnis conventibus atâ—entio auditorum per usitatas formulas non parum juvatur b Licitum hoc esse manifestum est ex approbata sanctorum praxi quam in praescriptis Psalmis beneâ—iceâ—di formulis scriptura nobis commendat Vtile etiam necessarium est quibusdam istisumodi fâ—rmam sequi quamvis ex libellâ—â—sit denotanda l. 4. cap. 17. de orâ—tione mentali vocali a Vbi sunt 〈◊〉 Pastorâ—s S. Liturgiâ— publica formula est apprimè utilis necessaria â—d communem Ecclesiae aedificationem c. earum usus jure damnari â—on pâ—â—est nec debet câ—um sâ—mper ubique in universa Ecclesia Christiâ—na toto terrarum orbe â—am à piusquam 1300 annis perpâ—tuo obtinuerit etiamqâ—e â—odie ubique obtineat nisi apud novtioâ— c. Donec tandem nuperimè exorti sunt in Anglia c. de Lituâ—g concept form 〈◊〉 3. a Sicuti quoque tota vetustâ— Ecelesia iâ— semper extraâ— controversiam babâ—â—â—t viz. Precâ—â—iâ—nem hanâ— Christi non esse tantum rectâ— preâ—andi normam sed insuper queque 〈◊〉 precandâ— formam Synops Theol. disp 36. Sect. 33. a 〈◊〉 Christum in cruce pendens depreâ—cation iâ—â—rma á Dâ—vide tanquam â—ypo antea â—bservata vsus est Muth 27. 46. Ibid. Object Answ. 1. a Ralph 〈◊〉 Iohn Rough. a Liberty in solitary prayers Lesse liberty in private prayer Least liberty in publiâ—k prayer Object * Cas. Cons. de Orat. Luke 7. 38. Psal. 28. 1. Psal. 1. 41. * Mr. Thomas Price then Fellow of the Colledge of Dublin who afterwards suffered much in the same Diocesse by the Rebellion of Ireland and is yet living in Wales