forgive our brethren their offences against us Mat. VI. 14. 15. Our Lord rendring a reason why he had taught his disciples to pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us For if it forgive men their sinnes your heavenly Father will forgive you also But if you forgive not men their Transgressions neither will your Father forgive your Transgressions And the Apostle James II. 13. to the same purpose Judgement shall be without mercy to him that sheweth not mercy And the foote of our Saviours Parable Mat. XVIII 35. So also shall your bravenly Father do to you if from your hearts yee forgive not every one his Brother their transgressions So Mar. XI 25. 26. And Luc. VI. 37. 38. Judge not and yee shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned pardon and ye shall be pardoned give and there shall be given to you good measure crouded and shaken and runing over shall be given into your bosome for the measure that ye mete with shall be measured to you againe And againe Luk. XI 41. But give Almes according to your power and all things shall be cleane to you So Solomen Prov. XVI 6. By mercy and truth shall inquity be expiated And Daniell to Nebuchodonosor Dan. III. 5. Redeeme thy sins by righteousnesse or Almes deeds and thy iniquity by shewing compassion upon the afflicted For the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can signifie nothing but Redeem in the Caldee though there is a figure of speech in the Prophets Language intending redeem thy self from thy sinnes as I shall have occasion to say in another place and therefore t is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from hence come those sayings Tobit IV. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe Tob. XII 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almes delivereth from death and suffereth not to enter into darknesse And Almes delivereth from death and purgeth away all sinne And Ecclus. III. 33. Water quencheth flaming fire and with almes shall he make prepitiation for sinnes And XXIX 15. Shut up almes in thy store houses and they will deliver thee from all afflictions And the words of the Apostle are plainest in this sense I Pet. IV. 8. Charity shall cover a many sinnes The Prophet also to the same purpose Isa I. 17. For they that make that filth which alone justifieth not to include or presuppose that condition to which Baptisme tieth Christians must needs crucifie themselves and set the Scriptures upon the rack to finde another meaning for them then the words bear By which that which God hath made due without and before any condition may turely be said to be given in consideration of it Which reason and the common sense of all men abhors But supposing that faith which onely justifieth to include the profession of undertaking Christianity as the condition upon which the promises of the Gospel are to be expected So certaine as it is that this will not be due if the condition be not fulfilled so necessary and so proper it will be to say That whatsoever that condition includeth is the consideration upon which the promise cometh though not by virtue of the thing done but by virtue of Gods tender and the Covenant of Grace and the promise which it containeth and the free goodnesse of God which first moved him to tender that promise And therefore you shall find those that suppose it not alwayes tormenting themselves to force upon the Scriptures such a meaning as the words of them doe not beare And in the last place concerning the consent of the Church though the Fathers are free in acknowledging with S. Paul justification by faith alone yet notwithstanding they are on the other side so copious in attributing the promises of the Gospel to the good workes of Christians that it may truly be said there is never a one of them from whom sufficient authority is not to be had for evidence thereof Which will amount to a tradition of the whole Church in this point In particular S. Augustine to whom appeal is wont to be made in all parts of that dispute which relateth to the Heresie of Pelagius hath so clearly and so copiously delivered the answer which I maintaine to those texts of S. Paul where he denieth that Christians are justified by the workes of the Law that those that challenge him in other points of this dispute concerning the Covenant of Grace doe not pretend to be of his mind in this Though the ground of this answer consisting in the twofold sense of the Law deserved as I conceive to be further cleared even after S. Augustine and the rest of ancient Church-writers I would therefore have the reader here to understand that I account all the rest of this second book to be nothing else but the resolution of those difficulties the answer to those objections and demandes which arise upon the determination here advanced The chief of them is that which followes in the next place How the promises of the Gospel can be said to be the effects of Gods free grace requiring our Christianity as the condition upon which they become due and not otherwise But there are also others concerning the possibility of fulfulling Gods Law by the new obedience of Christians concerning the goodnesse and perfection of it concerning the force and effect of good workes either in making satisfaction for sinne or in meriting life everlasting Which I shall allow that consideration in due time which the model of this abridgement will bear As for the sense of the Fathers evidencing the Tradition of the Church I am yet to learn that there ever was any exception alledged to infringe the consent of the Church in the necessity of good workes to the obtaining of salvation for Christians But onely the case of those who being taken away by death upon professing Christianity have not time to bring forth the fruits of it And how good workes can be the necessary meanes to procure the salvation of Christians but by virtue of that Law or condition for obtaining salvation which the Gospel now expresly enacteth and alwaies did covertly effectuate no sense of man comprehendeth For that the ancient Church agreeth in allowing the force of satisfaction for sinne to workes of Penance of Merit for the world to come to workes done in the state of Grace none of the Reformation which either disowneth or excuseth it for so doing according to the respect they have for it can make questionable And therefore though this be not the place to justifie the ancient Church in these particulars yet this is evident that those who maintaine more then my position requires do agree in that which it containes I shall therefore content my selfe for the present with producing some speciall passages of the Fathers expressing in my opinion the markes of my position and the reasons whereupon it proceeds As limiting the position between faith and workes in the matter of justifying
who fall away in time of persecution are not to expect to be restored by Penance makes their Excommunication without release which therefore hee granteth may be released ù on repentance in the case of other sins To which purpose the Apostle 1 John V. 16 17. If a man see his brother sin a sin not unto death let him ask and hee shall give him life To such as sin not to death There is a sin to death I say not that yee pray for it All unrighteousnesse is sin but there is a sin not to death The meaning of these Scriptures I have argued and cleared more at large in my book of the Right of the Church in a Christian State pag. 17-40 by such reasons as have not been disputed by those that have questioned this power of the Church since the publishing of it But I will remember in this place that which I have also pleaded there pag. 13-16 that all this power is grounded upon the power of baptizing to forgivenesse of sins because of the evidence lately produced for the interrogatories of baptisme and the profession of Christianity which the Church did injoyn and all that were baptized undergo The promise of everlasting life in the world to come and the gift of the Holy Ghost inabling to performe so great an undertaking depending upon it according to such termes as the preaching of the Gospel importeth For if the Church be trusted by God first to induce men to believe Christianity then to instruct them wherein it consisteth is it not properly said to forgive the sins of them who upon that instruction undertake that profession with a good conscience and a heart unfained which God requireth of those that seek his promises And this is the ground of that which is there argued that the power of the Keyes is first seen in granting baptisme though not in ministering of it other acts of the same power depending upon this I will not here omit S. Cyprian Ep. LXXIII Manifestum autem est ubi per quos remissa peccatorum detur quae in baptismo scilicet datur Nam Petro primum Dominus super quem aedificaviâ— Ecclesiam unde unitatis originem instituit ostendit potestatem dedit ut id solvereâ—ur in coelis quod ipse solvisset in terris Et post resurrectionem quoque ad Apostolos loquitur dicens Sicut misit me Pater ego mitto vos Hae cum dixisset inspiravit ait eis Accipite Sp. Sanctum Si cujus remiseritis peccata remittentur illi Si cujus tenueritis tenebuntur Vnde intelligimus non nisi in Ecclesia praepositis in Evangelicâ Lege ac dominicâ ordinatione fundatis licere baptizare remissam peccatorum dare Foris autem nec ligari posse nec solvi ubi non sit qui ant ligare possit aut solvere Here it is plain that the Keyes of the Church and the power of remitting sins is exercised in baptizing according to S. Cyprian For thus hee writeth Now it is manifest where and by whom remission of sins is given which forsooth is given in baptisme For first our Lord gave power to Peter upon whom hee built his Church and in whom hee settled and declared the original of Unity that it should be loosed in heaven which hee should loose on earth And after his resurrection hee speaketh also to his Apostles saying As my Father sent mee so I also send you And having said so hee breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost Whose sins yee remit they shall be remitted whose sins yee retain they shall be retained Whence wee understand that it is not lawfull but for those that are set over the Church and founded upon the Evangelical Law and the Ordinance of our Lord to baptize and give remission of sins But that without nothing can be either bound or loosed where there is no body that can either binde or loose This is then the ground of Excommunicating out of the Church The profession of Christianity is as necessary to obtain the promises of the Gospel at Gods hands as baptisme at the Churches The Church is trusted to allow or to refuse the profession tendered and accordingly to receive into the Church or exclude out of it And shall not hee that transgresses the profession of a Christian as visibly as hee made it which not onely Hereticks and Schismaticks but Adulterers Murtherers Apostates and the like do shall hee not forfeit the communion of the Church which hee attained by it Adde hereunto the consideration of that which I observed afore out of the Constitutions of the Apostles VIII 32. specifying what professions and trades of life there were which then were refused Baptisme unlesse they would professe to leave them as inconsistent with Christianity For example all that lived by the Stewes by the Stage by the Games and by the Races of the Pagans all Soothsayers Diviners and Fortune-tellers all that kept Concubines and refused to conforme themselves For let no man think this book the onely witnesse of this truth You have it in many other writers of the Church But especially in S. Austines book de Fide Operibus The subject whereof concernes those who having put away wives or husbands and married others were refused Baptisme for it This some plain Christians marvelled at and thought it reason that all should be baptized that would then taught their duty Which whoso regarded not might neverthelesse as they thought be saved so as through firâ— according to S. Paul And this is that which S. Austine disputes from the beginning to the XIV Chapter of that book that no man is to be baptized till hee undertake to live like a Christian marvailing afterwards cap. XVIII where those Christians had lived and spent their time who seeing every day before their eyes Whores Players Fencers Panders and the like refused Baptism found it strange that those adulteries which Christianity no lesse condemned never to inherit the kingdome of heaven should not be admitted into the Church without a promise to leave them for the future Certainly if the Church have power not to admit those who undertake not this then is the power of excluding those who undertake it and perform it not well grounded I shall not repeat here the reasons that I have elswhere to show that Penance and by consequence Excommunication is to be counted in the number of Traditions introduced with the force of Lawes into the Church by the Aposâ—les It is enough that they remaine intire I confesse they inferre an opinion thâ—â— is not so common That under the Apostles some sins of the deepest dye were not admitted to Penance nor to regain the Communion of the Church by the same But referred to the mercy of God whereof it was not alwaies thought fit that the Church should become surety or warrant And this brings in an interpretation of some very difficult texts of Scripture which is not received
difference between the Law of all righteousnes and the Law of all unrighteousnes signifieth For upon other terms can no man professe himself a Christian And as great and as reall a change it is that succeeds upon that change between the relation which he that is so changed did hold towards God afore and now holds afterwards as the difference between the heir of Gods wrath and of his kingdome importeth But supposing that change which justifying faith importeth already in being that change which the effect of it in justifying importeth is of necessity meerly morall and consisteth onely in the difference between that remission of sinnes and Gods kingdome which the promise of his grace and the debt of punishment which the sentence of his justice declareth Whether therefore justifying faith be Gods work or not which here I dispute not because here I cannot resolve for the cause of it the effect of it in justifying which here I debate will signify no more then an attribute due by right to him that hath it upon Gods promise importing no change in him but that which it supposeth how much soever it import his salvarion that his relation to God be so changed For I may safely here suppose that which the title of this dispute and the very name of the Covenant of Grace attributed to the Gospel of Christ involveth That Faith justifyeth not by virtue of the work naturally but morally by that will and appointment of God by virtue whereof the Covenant of Grace standeth And this necessarily holds in the sense of the Church when it ascribeth justification to faith alone in opposition to the workes of the Law A necessary consequence whereof is this That the forgivenesse of our sinnes will presuppose and require of us that we forgive others their offenses against us Because we hold the forgivenesse of our sinnes by the title of our Christianity Whereof seeing it is one point that we forgive other men their offenses against us of necessity failing of the condition required on our part we faile of the promise tendered of Gods Therefore the Fathers also as the Scriptures afore attribute remission of sinnes to Charity to almes deeds and to forgiveing of offenses against us Clemens in his Epistle to the Corinthians p. 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Happy were we if we did do the commandments of God in the concord of Love that our sinnes might be forgiven us through Love The Apostolicall constitutions VII 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou hast give by thine own hands that thou mayest act to the redemption of thy sinnes For by almes and truth sinnes are purged away Lactantius VI. 12. Magna est misericordiae merces cui Deus pollicetur peccata se omnia remissurum Si audieris inquit preces supplicis tui ego audiam tuas Si misertus laborantium fueris ego in tuo labore miserebor Si autem non respexeris nec adjuveris ego animum contra te geram tuisque te legibus judicabo Great are the wages of mercy which God hath promised that he will remit all sinnes If thou hearest saith he the prayers of thy suppliant I also will hear thine If thou takest pitty on them that are in paine I also will take pitty upon thy paine But if thou respect not nor help them I also will carry a mind against thee and judge thee by thine owne Law S. Chrysost Tomo VI. Orat. LXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is another way of cleansing sinne not inferiour to this not to remember the malice of enemies to containe wrath to remit the sinnes of fellow-servants For so those which we have done against our Lord shall be forgiven us Behold also a second way to purge sinnes For if ye forgive saith he And by and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you will learn a fourth I will name almes For it hath great force and not to be expressed For to Nabucodonosor being arived at all kinde of wickednesse and going over all goodnesse Daniel saith Redeem thy sinnes with almsdeeds and thy transgressions with pittying the poor To the same purpose the same S. Chrysost makes forgiving of injuries giving thanks in affiction mercy in helping our neighbours the cure for sinne as well as humility confession and prayer In 2 ad Corinth Hom. II. Because thereby a Christian retires to his promise in Baptisme expecting remission only from Gods promise in the same So also In Epist ad Rom. Hom. XXV S. Ambrose De poenitentia II. 5. David beatum praedicavit illum cui peccata per Baptismum remittuntur illum cujus peccata operibus teguntur David proclaimes for blessed both him whose sinnes are remitted by Baptisme and him whose sinnes are covered with workes So charity covers many sinnes done after Baptisme Caesarius of Arles Homil. I. Quoties infirmos visitamus in carcerem positos requirimus discordes ad concordiam revocamus indicto in Ecclesia jejunio jejunamus hospitibus pedes abluimus ad vigiliâ—s frequentius convenimus eleemosynam ante ostium praetereuntibus pauperibus damus iniâ—icis nostris quoties petierint indulgemus istis operibus his similibus minuta peccata quotidie redimuntur As oft as we visit the sick seek those that are put in prison reduce those that fall out to agreement fast when a fast is published in the Church wash the feet of strangers assemble more frequently to wakes give almes to the poor that go by the doore pardon our enemies as oft as they demand by these works and like to these small sinnes are every day redeemed S. Austine Libro L. Homil. Hom. L. Cap. VIII Non enim ea dimitti precamur quae jam in Baptismo dimissa sunt nisi dimissa credimus de ipsa fide dubitamus sed utique de quotidianis peccatis hoc dicimus pro quibus etiam sacrificia eleemosynarum jejuniorum ipsarum orationum supplicationum quisque pro suis viribus offerre non cessat For we pray not for the pardon of those which are already pardoned in Baptisme which if we believe not that they are pardoned we call the faith it self in doubt But this forsooth we speak of daily sinnes for which also no man ceaseth to offer according to his power the sacrifices of almes and fasting and even of prayers and supplications S. Gregory In Psalm II. Poenitent Habent enim sancti viri aliquid quod in hac vita operire debeant Quia omnino est impossibile ut in loquutione aut etiam in cogitatione nunquam delinquant Student igitur viri Dei oculorum linguae culpas tegere meritis vita student pondere bonorum operum premere immoderata verborum For holy men have something in this life which they ought to hide Because it is altogether impossible that in speech or at least in thought they should never faile Therefore the men of God study to cover the faults of the eyes and tongue
State of reconcilement which is our right to life But so that if the State be from Christ as S. Paul saith we have received reconcilement by Christ then is the right to it in consideration of Christ when he saith that being enemies we were reconciled to God by his death Saint Paul againe arguing how God hath abolished the difference betweene Jew and Gentile by the Law pursues it thus Eph. II. 15. 16. That he might make up both into one new man through himselfe making peace And reconcile both in one body to God by the Crosse slaying the enmity by it Here Socinus will have us to construe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but absolutely to the behoofe and glory of God Which had a Schooleboy doâ—e he should have been whipt for seeking something out of the text to governe that case which he hath a verbe in the text to govern Therefore the Gentiles are indeed reconciled to the Jewes according to S. Paule But why because both to God And therefore the reason is the same in the reconcilement oâ— men and Angels Col. I. 19 22. For in him he pleased that all fullnesse should dwell And by him to reconcile all to himselfe pacifying through him by the bloud of his Crosse whether the things that are on earth or that are in heaven And you being once estranged and enemies in your mind through evil workes now hath he reconciled by the body of his flesh through death Especially comparing this with the purpose of God which he declareth Eph. I. 10. For the ordering of the fullnesse of time to recollect all in Christ whether thinges in heaven or on earth For that which here he termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to recollect unto Christ that is by Christ to reduce to the originall state of dependence upon God is in part the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reconcile to himself afore But wholy agrees not in as much as this particularly concerns the case of mankind whose sinne required reconcilement that they might be reduced to God in one body with the holy angels that had no sinne All this the Apostle meant to expresse at once and yet imply what was particular to man besides that which belonged to the Angels And we must either admit reconcilement between Men and Angels because both reduced to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of Christ mention had been made afore Col. â— 20. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. I. 4. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 1 Pet. I. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes I. 5. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. VIII 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or show how the Angels are reduced to God by the death and bloud-shed of Christ his Crosse It remaines that I say something of the effect of all this in cleansing and purging of sin and in making propitiation and attonement for it Of which you have the words of the Apostle 1 John I. 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne Where cleansing of sinne by Christs bloud supposing the condition of Christianity it is manifest that the effect of Christs bloud in cleansing of sinne is not to bring us to Christianity Againe 1 John II. 1 2 If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Saith Socinus Jesus Christ the righteous that is Jesus Christ the faithfull 1 John I. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive our sinnes and cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse That so he may be thought to expiate our sinnes by testifying the Covenant which ingages Gods faith So farre he goes for an interpretation that destroyes the virtue of Christs intercession founded upon his innocence 1 Peter I. 19. Isaiah LIII 7 9. For if Christ be an effectuall advocate because he suffered innocently for Gods will then not onely because he hath obliged God by dealing in his Name to make good what he hath promised us Whereas if his bloud be a propitiation for the sinnes of Christians that are not any more to be moved to receive the faith as well as for the sinnes of the rest of the World that are it must be the same consideration of Christs obedience that moves the goodnesse of God to send the Gospel to the World and to make it good to Christians And what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meanes is seen by the Latine hilaris according to Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chearfull in countenance And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chearfully mâ—râ—ly So the condition of Christianity being supposed in these words also the consideration of Christs bloud makes the face of God chearfull to a Christian that sinneth Here they alledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. II. 17. to signify expiating sinnes and that must presently be by bringing men to be Christians But there is in diverse speeches of this subject that figure which Servius so often observes in Virgil calling it Hypallage As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. I. 3. It is not the sinne that is cleansed but man from sinne And yet the Apostle saies of Christ who having made purgation of sinnes So neither are sins ransomed but men from sinne and yet he saith againe Heb. IX 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the ransoming of the sinnes that were under the former Covenant And this is the true sense of Dan. IV. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redeem thy sinnes For though a man ransomes not his sinnes yet he ransomes himself from his sinnes by repentance as I said afore So seeing propitiation tends to make God propitious of angry It is manifest that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for variety or brevity or elegance of Language stands for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is alledged to be the Greek in the signification of expiating a man of sin which the sacrifice of Christ does say they by perswading him to be a Christian sometimes it is said of the Priest making propitiation for the sanctuary or the Altar with the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for the people with the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Levit. XVI 33. And then out of that which hath been said it may appear how the sacrifice is the consideration whereupon it is made But if it be said of God as Jer XVIII 23 Ps LXXIX 9. with the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it seems to expresse God propitious to sin when
Moses is certainly a transcript or rude draught of this originall righteousnesse due from man to God And therefore purposely made so curiously scrupulous that even the earthly promises of the land of Canaan and temporall happinesse in it should not be obtained by the exact observation thereof as I observed afore But it was also an intimation of the Gospell of Christ not onely in the provision which it made for expiation of transgressions the signification whereof the greatest part never understood but in those grounds of assurance which it gave those that should observe it from the heart as before God and for his love of the reward of the world to come In which regard S. Paul and the Apostles so often alledge the saying of the Prophet Abac. II. 4. The just shall live by faith and Saint Paul Rom. I. 15. saith that the righteousnesse of God is revealed by the Gospel from faith to faith That is from the faâ—th of Christ to come to the faith of Christ come And Saint John Baptist saith of our Lord John I. 16. Of his fullnesse we have all received grace for grace Because the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ So that though the grace of the Gospel came by Christ yet it succeeded the same grace under the law though as under a fainter light so in a scarser measure And Saint Augustine rightly accounteth those that attaine truâ— righteousnesse under the law to belong to the New Testament as carnall Christians under the Gospell to the Oâ—d But if the faithfull at that time were saved by that scarse measure of righteousnesse which the faint light they were under required then were they also saved though not by fullfilling the originall Law of righteousnesse due from man to God yet by fulfilling that rule of Evangelicall righteousnesse which God under the Law required at their hands In which regard if the Fathers by things recorded of them in the Old Testament may be seene to have attained that perfection which Saint Paul calles his glory in doing that which he was not commanded as a meanes to the discharging of that wherein the perfection of Christians consisteth that which became mater of precept under the Gospel is necessarily to be taken for mater of counsell under the Law Alwayes understanding that as those helps of grace without which I have showed that they had not been able to performe such righteousnesse under the Law were granted even then in consideration of our Lord Christs interposing his mediation to the redeeming of mankind so was the righteousnesse then performed accepted in no consideration but of the obedience of Christ and his righteousnesse CHAP. XXXIII Whether any workes of Christians be satisfactory for sinne and meritorious of heaven or not The recovery of Gods grace for a Christian fallen from it a work of labour and time The necessity and efficacy of Penance to that purpose according to the Scriptures and the practise of the Church Merit by virtue of Gods promise necessary The Catholicke Church agrees in it the present Church of Rome allowes merit of justice ANother dispute there is that makes an endlesse noise never to be decided but upon this ground not to be maintained admitting it That is Whether the workes of Christians merit heaven or not which I must inlarge into another point of so neer nature to it that both may as easily be resolved as the one Whether the humiliation for sinne in praying fasting giving â—lmes by Christians in confidence of the satisfaction of Christ to obtaine pardon of God be satisfactory for sinne or not For in as much as to be free from evill is good and to obtaine a discharge from punishment is as much as to deserve a reward in so much it is all one to satisfie for sinne so as to be discharged of punishment and to fulfill an obligation so as to claime a reward Whereupon as I said afore that all satisfaction is necessarily of the nature of merit To this question then or to these questions the answer is necessarily consequent from the premises That if we regard the originall law of God neither can any man make God satisfaction for his sinne nor merit the reward of everlasting life at his hands But if we regard that dispensation in it which the Gospel preacheth in consideration of the merits and satisfaction of our Lord Christ neither shall any man attain forgivenesse of sinne without making satisfaction for it nor the reward of everlasting life without making it due to him by virtue of Gods promise The proofe of the first point consists in all those passages of Scripture which require repentance as a condition requisite to the obtaining remission of sins whether in the New Testament or in the Old In as much as I have showed that the promiseâ— of the Gospel were obtained under the Law upon the same termes and conditions for substance as under the Gospel though for the measure proportionable to that light of knowledge and those helpes of Grace which the dispensation of God under the Old Law afforded In particular taking notice of the theme of Saint John Baptist which our Lord also took for the argument of his preaching Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand Mat. III. 2. IV. 17. Mark I. 15. which the Apostles also followed Acts II. 38. III. 19. Upon that ground which Saint Paul also debates in the beginning of the Epistle to the Romanes that the necessity of the Gospell and Christianity is grounded upon a supposition that both Jewes and Gentiles are liable to sinne without Christ and by consequence to judgement And againe of those texts of the Apostles writings wherein there is mention or intimation of Penance required or injoyned by them or by the Church in their time for the obtaining of remission of sinnes by the keyes which I have handled in another place And thirdly of those passages which I have quoted in this book disputing of Justification by faith to show that remission of sinnes done after baptisme is obtained for Christians by prayer joyned with fasting and giving of almes to move God to give us pardon as we forgive or give to our brethren But this proofe consists also in all those scriptures which I have alledged to show that the bloud of Christ and his sufferings are truly and properly satisfaction for the sinnes of mankind For as he that believes this can by no meanes imagine that any man can make satisfaction for his own sinnes by the originall Law of God for then the coming of Christ had been in vaine as not necessary neither had there needed that dispensation in Gods proceeding with mankind upon the originall rule of righteousnesse which the Gospel declareth So can he by no meanes imagine the satisfaction which any man can tender God for his sinne to import any more then the fulfilling of that condition which God by his Gospell requireth to qualify any man that
the premises and the reason why this profession is limited by the Gospel to be solemnized by the Sacrament of Baptism being so clearly rendred that it is impossible to rendâ—r any other reason how the spiritual and everlasting promises of the Gospel should depend upon a material and bodily act of washing away the filth of the flesh I suppose the way is plain to inferre that suppoâ—â—ng God allowes pardon to all that fall after Baptism so often as they return by true repentance it cannot be refused those that return by true repentance whether it be obtained by the ministry of the Church or without it It is not necessary for me here to repete all those sayings of the new Testament wherein the motion from the state of damnation in which the Gospâ—l finds us to the state of salvation by the Gospel expressed under the â—erâ— of Repentance John Baptists and our Lords first Sermon is upon this Text Repâ—nt for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. III. 2. IV. 17. in Mark Repent and believe the Gospel I. 15. and both a thing For he that is moved to repent either by the preaching of John Baptist or of our Lord Christ must needs take the rule and measure of that which he turns to by repentance from him whose Doctrine he followeth whether John or our Lord Christ whom John declâ—reth The same is the theme that the Apostles preach upon Mar. VI. 12. And the same is the case whether the Apostle say Repent and be baptized Acts II. 38. or Repent and turn as Acts III. 19. seeing he must needs be understood to meane that they turn to Christianity by repentance And still the same when S. Paul publishing the Gospel declares that God by it calls all men to repentance Acts XVII 30. that it consists in preaching repentance and faith in our Lord Christ Jesus Acts XX. 21. or in calling men to repent and turn to God doing works worthy of reâ—entance Acts XXVI 20. therefore all our Lords Sermons of repentance in the Gospels Mat. XI 20. 21. XII 41. Luke X. 13. XI 32. XIII 2-9 XV. do imply and presuppose the same limitations to determine the repentance which his Gospel requires Which he that receives not is called the impenitent heart Rom. II. 5. And St. Paul directs Timothy to instruct the adversaries with meeknessâ— if perhaps God may give them repeutance to the acknowledgement of the truth 2 Tim. II. 25. And S. Peter when he commends God as long suffering towards us Because he would have none perish but all come to repentance 2 Pet. III. 5. speaks of those that mock at Christianity saying Where is the promise of his coming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things remain as they were from the beginning Since then converâ—â—on to Christianity is that which qualifies for remission of sinnes those whom it overtaketh in sinne can any reason be given why it should not be effectual to the loosing of any sinne whereby a Christian transgressing his Christianity forseiteth the priviledges of it For the profession which he sealed by being baptized as to the Church fails not by a â—inne that the Church sees not and as to God revives by that new resolution which repentance introduceth There is not indeed much mention of privâ—te repentance in those which are already Christians in the writings of the Apostles But there is frequent mention of sinnes without mention of any cure by the Church without any appearance or signification of any cure applyed to them by the Church As the eating of things offered to Idols when it might be the occasion to make another Christian commit Idolatry 1 Cor. VIII 12. which if publick and yet cannot be thought to come under the Keyes of the Church how much more those that are are not publick I have proved in another place that S. Paul instructs Timothy not to ordain sinfull persons least he communicate in their sinnes Because saith he Some mens sinnes are manifest aforehand going before them to judgement 1 Tim. V 22. 24. But those that stood for Ordination could not pretend to be cured of their sinnes by the Church because coming into that rank they could noâ— aspire to be preferred in the Church But the words of S. John are unavoidable for he writ to Christians 1 Ioh. I. 7. 8 9 10 If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have communion with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne If we say that we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse If we say we have no sinne we make him a liar and his word is not in us And immediately My little children I write these things to you that ye sinne not And if any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes But not for ours alone but for the sinnes of the whole world The precept of God to John and by John to the seven Churches to repent Apoc. II 5. 16. 21. III. 3. 9. is to Christiâ—ns and to Churches For though it be directed to the Angels of those Churches yet in behalfe of the Churches themselves Now can the Church be cured by the Church If not then are some sinnes of Christians cured without the Keyes of the Church If so why not the sinne of a man by that man as well as the sinne of a Church by that Church The cure of the sinne of a Church being nothing else but the repentance of that Church oâ— perhaps the greatest part of that Church For otherwise no mans sinne of that Church could be cured till every man of that Church should return by repentance What say you to S. Pauls invections against wronging Christians and against uncleannesse 1 Cor. VI. 6-10 15-20 Shall we think that they who sued Christians before Infidels came to confession foâ— this sinne that these whose sinnâ— S. Paul aggravates above this for it is worse to wrong a Christian then to seek right of a Christian by an Infidels means acknowledged any way the Church had to constrain them to do right Nay that those whom he reduceth there from fornication did acknowledge the cure of it by the Church What then needed S. Paul to perswade them that they could not be saved without turning to God from it For had they been perswaded that it could not be cured without confession to the Church they must have supposed that it could not be cured without confession to God And what say you to S. Pauls instruction Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup 1 Cor. XI 28. For though this may be subject to some limitation as by that which follows it will or may appear that it is to be
Brethren if any man of you go astray from the truth and some body bring him back let him know that he who brings back a sinner from the errâ—r of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sinnes For it is plain by S. Paul that this extendeth to the recovery of a sinner by the Keyes of the Church as they were managed during the Apostles time Certainly if we understand S. Pauls words 1 Tim. V. 22. 24. of imposition of hands in Penance as I have showed in my Book of the Right of the Church p. 23. that they may and ought to be understood it is necessarily to be inferred seeing they who admit those sinners to be reconciled unto God by the Prayers which the Church makes for them with imposition of hands signifying thereby that it alloweth them to be sâ—ncerely penitent are partakers of their sinnes which shall follow upon the readmitting of them to the Church being not worthy qualified for it Therefore the Church is to see that a man be qualified for reconciliation with the Church upon supposition of his reconciliation with God before he be reconciled to the Church And in first procuring him and then judging him to be so qualified consists the right use of those Keyes which God hath given the Church towards them that transgresse the profession of Christianity after they have made it The reason of all this is derived from those things which have been setled by the premises The condition which the Gospel proposeth for the remission of sinnes to them who stâ—nd convict by it that they are under sinne is that they return from sinne â—nd believing that our Lord Châ—iâ—t was senâ— by God to cure it undertake to professe that which he taught and to live according to the same Those which professe so to do the Church accepteth of wiâ—hout exception because this being the first account she hath of them she cannot expect more at their hands then that they submit the rest of their lives to that Christianity which she obligeth them to If by trâ—nâ—gressing this obligation which they have undertaken they forfeit the right which they obtainâ—d thereby is it in the power of the Church to restore them at pleasurâ— In vain then is all that hath been said to show that the Gospel and Christianity in order of nature and reason is more ancient then the constitution of the Church and the corporation of it And that all the power of the Chuâ—ch presupposeth the condition upon which those blessings which it tendreth are due And certainly our Lord when he saith to his Diâ—ciples Joh. XX. 23. Whosesoever sinne ye remit they are remitted intended not to contradict the sense of the Sâ—râ—bes when they say Who can forgive sinnes but God alone Mark II. 7. Luk. V. 21. Much lesse to reverse the word of his Prophets ascribing this power of him alone Esay XLIII 25. Mich. VII 18. Psal XXXII 5 What is then the effect of this promise to them that have forfeited the right of their Baptism supposing that when men first become Christians the Disciples of Christ and his Church remit sinnes by making them Christians according to that which hath been declared Surely the same observing the difference of the case For he who being convict of his disease and of the cure of it by the preaching of Christianity is effectually moved by the helpe of Gods Spirit to imbrace that cure which none but the Church which tenders it can furnish attains it not but by using it That is by being baptized But he who being baptized hath failed of his trust and forfeited his interest in Christ cannot so easily be restored I have showed you what works of mortification of devotion and mercy the recovering of Gods grace and favour requirâ—s Let no man therefore thinke that the power of remitting sinnes in the Church can abate any thing of that which the Gospel upon which the Church is grounded requiteth to the remission of finne done after Baptism The authority of the Church is provided by God to oblige those who are overtaken in sinne to undergo that which may satisfie the Church of the sincere intent of their returne And the Church being so satisfied warranteth their restitution to the right which they had forfeited upon as good ground as it warranteth their first estate in it But this presupposeth the wrath of God appeased his favour regained and the inordinâ—te love of the creature which caused the forfeit blotted out and changed through that course of mortification which hath been performed into the true love of goodnesse for Gods sake The Church therefore hath received of God no power to forgive sinnes immediately as if it were in the Church to pardon sâ—nne without that diâ—poâ—ition which by the Gospel qualifieth a man for it Or as if the act of the Church pardoning did produce it But in as much as the knowledge thereof directeth and the authority thereof constraineth to use the means which the Gospell prescribeth in so much is the remission of sinnes thereby obtained truly ascribed to the Church Lazarus was first dead before he was bound up in his Grave clothes And when he was restored to life he remained bound till he was loosed by the Apostles The Church bindeth no man but him that is first dead in sinne If the voice of Christ call him out of that death he is not revived till the love of sin be mortified and the love of God made alive in him by a due course of Penance performed If the motion of Gods spirit upon the preaching of the Gospel convincing a man that there is no means but Christianity to escape out of sinne and prevailing with him to imbrace it be effectuall to obtain the promises of the Gospel Much more shall the actuall operation of the same moving him that is dead in sinne to put sinne to death in himself that he may live a Christian for the future be effectuall to regain the grace of God for him who hath not yet the life of grace in him but is in the way of recovering it by the helpe of Gods grace But he who is thus recovered to life by the ministery of the Church is not yet loosed of the bands of his sinne till he be loosed by the Church because he was first bound by it as our Lord having raised Lazarus to live commands him to be loosed by his Apostles For if he who accepteth of the Gospel and the terms of it remain bound to be baptized by the Church for the remission of his sinne Is it strange that he who hath forfeited his pardon obtained by the Church even in the judgement and knowledge of the Church should not obtain the restoring of it but by the act of the Church And therefore the Church remitteth sinne after Baptism not onely as a Physician prescribing the cure but as a judge admitting it to be effected And the satisfaction of the Church presupposeth
guilty of those excesses which they are charged with by Epiphanius S. Jerome and others Of these particulars you may see in S. Augustine de Haeresibus and Sirmondus his Praedestinatus both of them Haeresi XXVI and LXXXVI But all the while the subject of this separation is the discipline of Penance received by the whole Church as from the Apostles the limitation of the practice thereof being the ground upon which the difference is stated And for the ground of this ground Whether it could then be pretended that the Keyes of the Church could do no more then cure the scandall of notorious sinne on the one side Or whether it could then be pretended on the other side that the Keyes of the Church import any Power to pardon sinne immediately not supposing that disposition which qualifieth for pardon visible to the Church and procured by those actions which the authority of the Church injoyneth All this I am content to referre to that common sense which is capable to understand these particulars I shall not need to say much of the Novatians at Rome and elsewhere the Donatists in Africk of the Meletians in Aegypt having said this of the Montanists all of them if we regard the subject of the separations which they made in severall parts of the Church being nothing else but branches of the same sect and forsaking the unity of the Church for their part of that cause which ingaged Montanus The Novatians because they would not indure that those who fell away from the Faith in the persecution of Decius should be readmitted to the communion of the Church upon demonstration of repentance The Meletians for the same cause in Aegypt under the persecution of Diocletiane The Donatists upon some appertenâ—nce of the same cause Onely they serve to evidence the discipline of Penance to have been as universall as the Church of Christ when no part of it is found free from debates about the terms liâ—iting the exercise of it They serve also to evidence the ground and the pretenâ—e of the Power of the Keyes in the discipline of Penance by the same reason which I alledged afore After these times when the customes of the Church which from the beginning was governed by un-written Law delivered by word of mouth of the Apostles but limited more and more by the Governours of several Churches began to be both reduced into writing and also more expresly determined by the Canons of severall Councils greater and lesse it were too vain to prove that by dicourse which of it selfe is as evident as it is evident that there are such Rules extant which in their time had the force of Law to those parts of the Church for which they were respectively made Onely I do observe the agreement that is found between the originall practice of the Church in this point and that order which I have showed you out of the Apostles writings evidencing that interpretation which I have given of them by that rule which common sense inforces that the meaning and intent of every Law is to be measured by the primitive practice of it For we see so much doubt made whether those three great crimes of Idolatry Murther and Adultery were to be reconciled by Penance that is by the visible and outward demonstration of inward repentance to the Church not onely by Montanus but partly by Novatianns that that great Church of Antiochia remained doubtfull a great while whether Cornelius or Novatians should be acknowledged the true Bishop of Rome We see the Eliberitane Canons which were unquestionably made divers years before the Council at Nicaea and therefore may be counted as ancient as any that the Church hath exclude some branches of those sinnes from reconciliation with the Church We see this vigor abated by the succeeding discipline of the Church It is indeed said in the Church of Rome at this time that the ground of the Heresie as without ground they call it of the Montanists and Novatians was this that acknowledging the Church to have power to forgive lesse sinnes they the Novatians denied it the Power to forgive Apostasy or Idolatry To which the Montanists added Murther and Adultery But I have showed in my Book of the Right of the Church p. 17-27 that within the Church also as well as among the Montanists and Novatians some of these sinnes were not admitted to communion no not at the point of death And that there never was any opinion in the ancient Church that the Church hath any Power to forgive sinne immediately but onely by the medicine of Penance which it injoyneth I referre my selfe to that which here followeth Now it is plain that neither those parts of the Church nor the Novatians did hold those sinnes desperate but exhorted them to Penance as their cure in Gods sight agreeing in not readmitting them whither for the maintenance of Discipline or for fear the Church warranting their pardon who might prove not qualified for it should become guilty of their sinnes according to S. Paul 1 Tim. V. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man nor partake in other mens sinnes For S. John and the Apostle to the Hebrews had authorized the Church to make difficulty of it though S. Paul had readmitted a branch of one of them the incestuous person at Corinth whether for the unity of that Church then in danger to be divided upon that occasion or as reasonably satisfied of the truth of his repentance But when the zeal of Christianity decreased as the number of Christians increased within and persecution without withdrew so many that there was no means left to preserve the Body without abating this severity the number of Apostates in some persecutions being considerable to the number of Christians we need seek no other reason why the Montanists and Novatians should be Schismaticks not properly Hereticks then their separating from the Church rather then condescend to that which the Body of the Church found requisite to be granted Let us see what crimes they are which the Eliberitane Canons that is the Canons of the Council of Elvira in Spain exclude from the communion even in case of death As if a man at age after Baptism commit adultery in the Temple of an Idol cap. I. If an Idol Priest having been baptized shall sacrifice again II. If such a one after Penance shall have committed adultery III. If a Christian kill a man by Witchcraft wherein there is Idolatry VI. If a Christian commit adultery after Penance VII If a Woman leaving her Husband without cause mary another VIII If a Father or Mother sell a child into the Stews or a child it selfe XII If a professed Virgine shall live in uncleannesse XIII If a man marry his daughter to an Idol Priest XVII If a Clergy-man commit adultery XVIII If he who is admitted to communion upon adultery in danger of death shall commit adultery again XLVII If a Woman kill the childe which she hath conceived of adultery
so that the precept concerns the Church no more then that grace appears But that the effect of it reaches to all ages of the Church abating that which depended upon the miraculous graces proper to the Apostles time For suppose remission of sinne past warranted the sick by the Keyes of the Church that have passed upon him Yet all Christians are to assure themselves that their spirituall enemies are most busie about them in that extremity Whither out of despair to prevail if not then or out of hope then to prevail Their malice being heightned to the utmost attempt of casting him down by the extremity of that instance God forbid then that the Prayers of the Church should be counted unnecessary in such an instance though the remission of sinne be provided for otherwise For all obstructions to Gods grace requisite in so great weaknesse to overcome being the effect and consequence of sinne Neither can it be said that the Apostle attributeth the remission of sinne to the Unction by the promise which he annexeth to the injunction whereby he imployes the Keyes of the Church to that end Nor can it be indured in a Christian to count the removing of them unnecessary and superfluous especially the patient being so disposed and in such a capacity for the effect of them by submitting to the ministery of the Church for the remission of his sinne And therefore certainly as it is necessary to presume that the promise of bodily health is not absolute and generall but where it pleaseth God to give evidence of his presence in and to his Church by the effect of his temporall blessings So that health of mind necessary to resist the tempter with which Christianity obliges us to suppose that Christians prayed for with bodily health the Prayers of the Church are not effectuall to obtain but upon supposition of that disposition which the Church requireth and that procured by the Keyes of the Church supposing the party obliged to have recourse to the Church for it How well this opinion agreeth with the sense of the Catholick Church I have argument enough both in the sayings of the Fathers whereby they express the reason of anointing the sick and in the practice of the Church Origen Homil. II. in Levit. Est adhuc dura laboriosa per paenitentiam remissio peccatorum cum lavat peccator in lachrymis stratum suum fiunt ei lachrymae suae panes die ac nocte cum non erubescit sacerdoti domini judicare peccatum suum quaerere medicinam secundum eum qui ait Dixi pronunciabo adversum me iniquitatem meam domino tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei In quo impletur illud quod Apostolus dicit Si quis autem infirmatur vocet Presbyteros Ecclesiae imponant ei manus ungentes eum oleo in nomine domini oratio fidei salvabit infiâ—num si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei There is yet a hard and painfull remission of sinnes by Penance when the sinner washeth his Couch with tears and his tears become his bread day and night and when he is not ashamed to declare his sinne o the Priest of God and seek his cure according to him that saith I said I will declare my sinne to the Lord against my selfe and thou forgavest the impiety of my heart Wherein is also fulfilled that which the Apostle saith But if a man be sick let him send for the Priests of the Church and let them lay hands on him anointing him with oyl in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick and if he be in sinne it shall be forgiven him Here he gives Priests the power of forgiving sinne from S. James S. Chrysostome de Sacerdotio â— II. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For not onely when they regenerate us by Baptism but afterwards also have they power to remit sinnes For is any man sick among you saith he let him call the Pastors of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with oyl in the name of Lord. Shall we then ascribe the effects of this power to the bodily act of anointing with oyl or to their Prayers not supposing that disposition to be procured by their ministery which the promise of remission supposeth Neither of both will stand with the premises seeing the Prayers of the Church cannot be effectuall to them that submit hot to the Ministery of the Church when it becomes uecessary for the procuring of that disposition which qualifies for remission of sinne so that the sense of the ancient Church declared here by Origen and S. Chrysostome must be understood to proceed upon consideration of the power of the Keys exercised upon the sick person that receiveth the unction with prayers for his ghostly and bodily health S. Augustine de Tempore Serm. CCXV Quoties aliqua infirmitas supervenerit corpus sanguinem Christi ille qui aegrotat accipiat Et inde corpusculum suum ungat ut illud quod scriptum est impleatur in eo Infirmatur aliquis Videte fratres quia qui in infirmitate ad Ecclesiam accurrerit corporis sanitatem recipere peccatorum indulgentiam merebitur obtinere As oft as any infirmity comes let him that is sick receive the Body and Blood of Christ And then let him anoint his Body that that which is written may be fulfilled in him If any man be sick See brethren that he who shall have recourse to the Church in sickness shall be thought worthy to obtain both the recovery of bodily health and indulgence for his sinnes Now I ask whether the Rule of the Church will allow the communion of the Eucharist to him that hath not recourse to the Church for the cure of his sinne when he ought to have recourse to it For if we suppose the Eucharist to be given him upon confession of sinne then the reason which I pretend appears If without it is because nothing obliges him to have recourse to the Keyes of the Church at that time And so the prayers of the Church and the Eucharist and the unction are therefore effectual because the Church rightly supposeth him qualified for remission of sinnes without recourse to other means For daily sinnes and hourly are abolished by daily and hourly devotions with detestation of the same and yet more firmly abolished by partaking of these offices ministred by the Church Here I must give notice that I undertake not that this Sermon is S. Augustines own which I see is censured among those pieces that have crept under his name by mistake or by imposture For the stile also seemeth to make it some hundreds of years later then his time But I think it more advantage to my opinion that it held footing in the Church so long after S. Austin then that it appeareth to have been the sense of his time For the sense of the now Church of Rome that remission of sin
they shall be forgiven them For sinnes cannot be forgiven without profession of amendment In which sentence this discretion is to be that we confesse daily and light sinnes to one anothers equalls believing that they are cured by their daily prayers But open the uncleannesse of greater leprosie to the Priest according to the Law and see them reconciled at his discretion how and how long he orders This is the very sense that I give the Apostles according to that strait communion Christians then held with Christians as members of the Church Why not rely upon the advice and prayers of Christians as Christians who are commanded to procure the salvation of Christians next their own in matters whereof they may be thought capable Therefore those sins which S. James directs the Priests to pray for are such as for the weight of them must resort to the Keyes of the Church for their cure But when Bede when Pope Innocent allows all Christians to anoint themselves or theirs with consecrated ovl when the Sermon de Tempore commands them to anoint their bodies when the Book de rectitudine Catholicae conversationis directs them to send for it from the Church it is manifest that they speak of Unction alone whereas S. James speaks of Unction joyned with the Keyes of the Church and that the Priests office is required in that case It is also manifest that Pope Innocent calls that unction a Sacrament which Christians give themselves which though he refuses Penitents yet those whom the Priest shall have given the Communion to could not be refused it Which referres remission of sinne to the Keyes of the Church but the hope of bodily health to the unction with prayer such as the case requires In the Penitentiall of Theodore of Canterbury thus it was read according to Buchardus his collection XVIII 14. Ab infirmis in periculo mortis positis per Presbyteros pura inquirenda est confessio peccatorum non tamen illis imponenda quantitas poenitentiae sed innotescenda cum amicorum orationibus studiis elemosynarum pondus poenitentiae sublevandum Ut si fortè migraverint ne obligati excommunicatione alieni vel ex consortio veniae fiant Aquo periculo si divinitus ereptus convaluerit poenitentiae modum à suo confessore impositum diligenter observet Et ideò secundùm Canonicam authoritatem ne illis â—anua pietatis clausa videntur orationibus consolationibus Ecclesiasticis sacrâ cum unctione olei animati juxta statuta sanctorum Patrum communione vietici reficiantur Of the sick that are in danger of death a clear confession of sins is to be demanded by the Priests yet is not the quantity of Penance to be imposed upon them but to be notified and the waight of it to be eased with the Prayers of their friends and zeal in giving alms That if they chance to depart they be not as bound by excommunication strangers and without the participation of paradox From which danger if God save him and he recover let him diligently observe that measure of Penance which his Confessor iâ—â—posed And therefore according to the authority of the Canons that the door of pity seem not shut upon them being comforted with the prayers and consolations of the Church with the holy ointing of oyl let them according to the constitutions of the Holy Fathers be refreshed with the communion of the Eucharist The same Burchardus XVIII 11. quotes that which follows out of the decrees of Pope Eusebius cap. X. in whose decretals now extant which Isidorus Mercator is thought to have forged I find it not But he who observes how proper the order which he prescribes in the case is to that which the former passage prescribed in that case may perhaps have reason to thinke that it is out of the same Penitentiall of Theodore and that the passage premised is the very order to which he referres Si quis poenitentiam petens dum sacerdos venerit fuerit officio linguae prinatus constitutum est ut si idonea testimonia habuerit quod ipse paenitentiam petisset ipse per motus aliquos suae voluntatis aliquod signum facere potest sacerdos impleat omnia sicut supra circa aegrotum poenitentiam scriptum est id est orationis dicat ungat eum sancto oleo Eucharistiam ei det post quam objerit ut caeteris fidelibus ei subministret If a man that demands Penance while the Priest is in coming be deprived of the office of his tongue it is decreed that if he have competent witnesse that he had demanded Penance and he by some motion is ablo to make some sign of his will the Priest fully do all that is written afore about the sick under Penance That is say the Prayers and anoint him with the consecrated oyl and give him the Eucharist and when he is dead do service for him as for other believers By these remarkable passages you see that even when Penance and the Unction both were ministred and prescribed to be ministred by the Priest bodily health was expected from the Unction remission of sinnes from the Keyes of the Church How much more having showed by Pope Innocent and venerable Bede and others that the anointing of themselves and theirs was referred to particular Christians is there reason to presume that this was done in case when there was no question of binding and loosing sinne by the Keyes of the Church We have lately published at Paris a Leter of Amulo Bishop of Lions under Carolus Calvus next successor to Agobardus concerning some forged reliques pretending that fits of convulsions and Epilepsies were stirred at the presence of them for evidence that they were cured by them as true reliques To which he saith Si autem languores aliqui ac debilitates accidunt juxta Evangelicum Apostolicum praeceptum praesto habet unusquisque ut inducat Presbyteros Ecclesiae orent super cum ungentes eum oleo in nomine domini oratio fidei salvabit infirmum But if any sicknesse or infirmity happen it is ready for every man according to the precept of the Gospell and Apostle to bring in the Priests of the Church that they may pray over him anointing him with oyl in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick Here because the occasion is publick and notorious to the Church the Prayers of the Priest are directed though without reference to the ministery of the Keyes Certainly Proculus the Christian that cured Antoninus Son of Severus the Emperour by anointing with oyle according to Tertullian ad Scapulam IV. did it not as a Priest which he did to an Infidel but as a private Christian having hope in God by himself to make his presence in the Church appear Onely this difference we find that whereas Proculus did this as a simple Christian indowed with one of those miraculous graces whereby God manifested
against us This execution then is either upon refusing the termes of reconcilement or upon failing of that which we undertake by accepting them That is not upon those failleures which may consist with reconcilement as those who would have these words to signifie Purgatory imagine but which destroy it And therefore the limitation till thou hast paid the utmost farthing signifies as Mat. I. 15. He knew her not till she had brought fourth her first borne son though he never knew her That is to say his utmost farthing shall never be paid My opinion would allow me to accept of Tertullians and S. Cyprians sense of this text who do indeed acknowledge the voiding of those effects of sin which may remain upon those that depart in the state of Grace between death and the day of judgement to be the paying of this utmost farthing But I have shewed you why it agrees not with the intent of the words And if it did it were nothing to Purgatory because Tertullian expresseth it to be paid mâ—ra resurrectioniâ— by the delay of the resurrection that is not before tâ—e generall judgement whereby Purgatory is quite spoiled For pretending the expinting of veniall sin which consisteth with reconcilement together with satisfying the debt of temporall punishment reserved by God upon that sin which he remitteth it cannot be intended by him that gives warning of seeking reconcilement not of voiding the penalties which may remaine when it is obtained Where you may see by survaying the scriptures which have been debated that there is not the least pretense in them for paying this debt by induring the flames of Purgatory for that sin which is forgiven afore But that all satisfaction endeth in voiding the guilt of sin by appeasing the wrâ—th of God for it before wee goe hence There be other texts both of the old and New Testament that are usually alleaged in this dispute But because rather for show then substance I will rather presume that all reasonable men may see where the consequence failes then use so many words as it requires to show it He shall sit as a refiner that purifieth silver and â—â—all purifiâ— the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in rightousnesse saith the Prophet Malachi III. 3. But manifestly speaking of the first coming of Christ and triall which the Gospel passes them through that turn Christians upon mature advice Whatsoever trial the second coming of Christ may bring with it correspondent to the first it will be nothing to Purgatory the day of judgement determining it As for thee also by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth the prisoners out of the pit where in was no water Saith the Prophet Zachary IX 11. speaking of the returne from the Captivity of Babylon and of the prince of Israel that should figure oâ—t our Lord Christ and rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Whereby it appeareth that the spiritual sense of this Prophesy ending â—n the redemption of mankind by the death of Christ and his Kingdome by the preaching of his Gospel can by no meanes be extended to any delivering out of Purgatory and if it could must not be intended to take place before the second coming Which intent would also appear groundlesse in this Because I have showed that he did not deliver the soules of the Fathers out of the Devils hands at his first coming which this text is alleaged to prove no lesse then Purgatory For this will confine it to the delivery of mankind from sin by the death of our Lord Christ and his sufferings CHAP. XXVIII Ancient opinions in the Church of the place of soules before the day of judgement No Tradition that the Fathers were in the Verge of Hell under the Earth The reason of the difference in the expressions of the Fathers of the Church What Tradition of the Church for the place of Christs soule during his death The Saints soules in secret mansions according to the Tradition of the Church Prayer for the dead supposeth the same No Purgatory according to the Tradition of the Church LEt us now consider the Tradition of the Church in these particulars Justin the Martyr in his dispute with Trypho the Jew by the example of Samuel proveth that the soules of the Fathers and Prophets were in the hands of the Powers of darkenesse And that by the prayer of our Lord Psal XXII 21. wee are taught to pray at our departure that God would not give us up to them as he at his death commends his soule into his Fathers hands It â—s wel enough known that Clemens Alexandrinus believes that both our Lord his Apostles went into Hel to deliver from thence such soules as should admit that which he came to preach He followed in it the Apocryphall vision of Hermes then in request where this is still found libro III. similitud III. and what followers he hath in this opinion you may see by the late Lord Primate his answer to the Jesuites Challenge p. 274. S. Austine de Haer. LXXIX after Philastrius de Haer. LXXIV counts this opinion in the list of Heresies Yet doubted not that he did deliver thence whom he found fit Epist XCIX de Gen. ad Lit. XII 33 34. Nor S. Jerom that he did them good who were there though how it can not be said in Ephes IV. libro II. To the same purpose in IV. Dan. I. in III. Lament II. That this opinion had great vogue in the Church and must be counted in the number of Ecclesiasticall positions cannot be denyed That it is or ever was held as of the Rule of Faith it must Marcion was the fiâ—st that placed the Fathers soules in Hell that he might assigne heaven for the part of his Christ and his God as wee learne by Tertullian IV. 3 4. to wit to entertaine his disciples For this ingageth Tertullian to oppose the Gulfe and the rich mans lifting up his eyes in Hell for arguments that Abrahams bosome is no part of it but higher then Hell though not in heaven to refresh all believers Abr. children til the resurrection for he allowes paradise onely to Martyrs which he maketh also the place under the Alâ—ar where S. Iohn saw onely Martyrs soules though else where Apolog. cap XLVII and in his Poem de Judicio cap. VIII he assigneth it to incertaine the Saints soules without any difference alleaging a revelation to Perpetua a Montanist Virgine to that purpose de Resurr XLIII And therefore de Anima LV. makes that which he made before higher then hell but not in heaven a part of hell where our Lord visited the Fathers soules to wit the upper part of it being all contayned within the entrailes of the earth To the same purpose Iraeneus V. 31. saith it is manifest that the soules of Christians goe into an invisible place the English of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉