required in stewards that they be faithful They may not therefore behave themselves like the unjust Steward Luke 17.7 8. presuming to strike out their Masters debt and put less in the place without his direction and contrary to his liking Ambassadors they are for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 and must be careful to follow their Masters instructions and not to intrench upon soveraign points as to imagine the power of proclaiming war or concluding peace lay at their devotion this indeed were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exceed their Commission and upon the matter to subject themselves to the danger of the law and their proceedings to be vacated and made of none effect The Master of the Sentences resolveth this power to consist not in binding or in loosing Sacerdotibus tantùâ—tribuit potestatem solvendi ligandi i. e. ostendendi homines ligatos vel solutos In Levitico se ostendere Sacerdotibus jubentur Leprosi quos illi non faciunt leprosos vel mandes sed discernunt qui mundi vel immundi sunt hi ergo peccata remittunt vel retinent dum dimissa à Deo vel retenta indicant ostendunt Lomb. l. 4. dist 18. Sect. non autem but in shewing forth onely who are bound and who are loosed and produceth the authority of Saint Hierome to maintain his resolution that as in the Levitical law the Lepers were commanded to present themselves unto the Priests whom they made neither clean nor unclean but discerned who were so and concludeth that Evangelical Priests remit and retain sins when they discover and shew forth what sins by God are retained or reâ—itted Lombard is followed by Oceam The Priests hind or loose in shewing men to be bound or loosed Sacerdotes ligant solvunt quia ostendunt homines ligatos solutos Occ. l. 4. Q. 8 9. And they both by Ferus Not that any man properly remitteth sin but that he sheweth and ceâ—tifieth from God that it is remitted Non quòd homo propriè remittat peccatum sed quòd ostendat certificet à Deo remissum neque enim aliud est absolutio quam ab homine accipis quà m si dicat En fili certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata annuntio tibi te habere propitium Dâ—um quaecunque Christus in baptismo Evangelio promisit tibi nunc per me aununciat promittit Ferus in Matth. 9. edit Mogunt 1559. for the absolution thou receivest from man is nothing else then as if he should say Behold my son I certifie unto thee thâ— siâ—s to be forgiven I declare unto thee that thou hast a merciful God and look whatsoever Christ in baptisme or in the Gospel hath promised unto us he now by me declareth and promiseth unto thee And with this pregnant testimony we conclude this property Whether Ministerial and Judicial The last property to be inquired If the act of this absolution be Ministerial or Judicial and my answer is both ministerial and judicial per partes to be demonstrated For the first It cannot be otherwise no effect exceeding the virtue of its cause and no property transcending the nature of its subject If therefore our calling be ministerial so is every office and act thereof And let none of that order distaste the name for Jesus Christ was a minister of Circumcision Rom. 13.8 and the Apostle styles himself a Minister of the Gospel Colos 1.23 1 Tim. 4.6 and Timothy a consecrated Bishop a good Minister of Jesus Christ Away then with all contemptuous thoughts 2 Cor. 3.6 Heb. 1.7 for God hath made his Ministers a flame of fire able Ministers and of the Spirit Ministers of the Spirit and graces thereof amongst whom remission of sin is not the meanest and not Lords Therefore before they were habilitated for remission of sins our Lord is said to breathe upon them and say Receive the Holy Ghost for this is not the gift of man saith Ambrose neither is he given by man Non humanum hoc opus neque ab homine datur sed invocatus à Sacerdote à Deo traditur in quo Dei munus Ministerium Sacerdotis est Paulus Atestolus in tantum se huic officio imparem credidâ—t ut à Deo nos spiritis optaret impleri Quis tantus est qui hujus traditionem muneris sibi audeat arrogare itaque Apostolus votum precatione detulit non â—us authoritate aliqua vendicavit impetrare optavit non imperare praesumpsit Ambr. l. 1. de Spiâ—itu S. cap. 7. but being called upon by the Priest is given by God wherein the gift of God is the Ministery of the Priest Paul the Apostle held himself so far unmeet for this office that he rather prayed we should be filled with the Spirit of God what man hath so highly conceited of himself as to arrogate the collation of this gift The Apostle therefore made his request by prayer and challenged no right by authority choosing rather to intreat and not presuming to command Ministers then we are and suppliants on the peoples behalf that they may receive power from above and not Lords or commanders of the Spirit of Grace The same Father also informeth us saying Behold how sins are forgiven by the Holy Ghost Ecce quia per Spiritum peccata donantur homines autem in remissione peccatorum ministerium suum exhibent non jus alicujus potestat is exercent neque enim in suo sed in Patris Filii Spiritûs Sancti nomine peccata dimittuntur isti rogant Divinitas donat humanum enim obsequium sed munificentia supernae est potestatis Ambr. l. 3. de Spirit S. cap. 19. but men exhibit their Ministery in the remission exercising no right or faculty of any power for sinnes are not forgiven in their name but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost They intreat but the Deity bestoweth the obsequiousness is from man the bounty from an higher power and thus much for the Ministerial part Whether judicial For the second I have cast my self into divers cogitations why this office of absolution should be denied to be a judicial act Is it because declarative The like exception lieth against all civil judgments Judicium est definitio cjus quod est justum which are declarations what Law is in particular cases or is it because the Priest may erre in his declaratory sentence and that laies hold of a Civil Judge likewise who hath lawful authority to judge right yet no assured infall bility that his judgments shall alwayes be right Is it because Ministerial Then exclude all Judges from the Bench that sit there by virtue of an higher power we determine then that Ministerial power in the Priest is opposed to Soveraigne and Despotical but not judicial because the power in an inferiour Judge is Ministerial in respect of the Authority and
consistory as the Canonists say God and the Pope have My God will I trust with my sinnes upon whom I trust and if sin be my way to him will I commit it to the Spring-head will I have recourse for mercy where the stream flows the fuller and the clearer He is my Physician Ille Medicus est vulnera igitur illi exponamus ille laesus est offensus ab illo pacem petamus ille est cordium cognitor coram ipso corda nostra effundere properemus ille denique est qui peccatores vocat ad ipsum accederenè moremur Calvin Instit l. 13. cap. 4. Sect. 9. and to him will I open my wounds He is the party wronged with him will I make my peace He knoweth the very secrets of my heart before him then I will pour forth mine He it is that invites me a sinner unto him and to him will I hasten nor be slack at his call And this Confession of sin unto God is insisted upon by the Rabbins in the book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Dayes and in the chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the day of propitiations Dixit R. Isaac Veni vide quia mos saucti Dei benedicti non est sicut mos carnis sanguinis mos namque carnis sanguinis est quòd si homo offendit proximum suum quandóque placet eum verbis quandoque nequeat ipsum verbis tantùm placare mos autem Dei sancti benedicti non est sic bomo enim transgreditur transgressione tamen placat ipsum verbis sicut dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non solùm hoc sed etiam confert et bonitatem sicut consequentèr dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forsitan dices vitulóâ—n culpae docet quid ad hoc dicendum sit id quod sequitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petrus Galat. de arcan â—ath verit lib. 8. cap. 8. is extant this passage R. Isaac said Come and see how the manner and custome of the Lord holy and blessed is not as the manner of flesh and bloud for the manner of flesh and bloud is that if a man have offended his neighbour sometimes he may please him with words and sometimes he cannot please him with words alone But the manner of the holy and blessed God is not so for in transgressing man transgresseth and yet pacifieth him with words as it is said Hosea 14 1. O Israel return unto the Lord for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity take with you WORDS and turn unto the Lord and not onely this but he conferreth mercy upon him as it is said in the words following Say unto him take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously Not onely this but the Scripture hath it as if he should offer calves in sacrifice as it is said afterwards So will we render the calves of our lips peradventure thou wilt say the Calves of sin that which followeth teacheth what is to be said to this I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely In which testimony we see that the calves of our lips are the confession of our sins that in confession our wounds are healed and we in God beloved So in Misdras Tehillim that is exposition of the Psalmes on the title of the hundred Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psalme of Confession This is that which is written He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy He that hâ—deth his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est quod scriptum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 28. Qui abscondit peccata sua talis suit Saul cui dictum est 1 Reg. 15. Quae est vox harum ovium ipse autem respondit de Amalek adduxerunt eas Qui autem confitetur relinquit ea misericordiam confequetur talis suit David de quo dictum est 2 Reg. c. 12. Et dixit David ad Nathan peccavi Domino dixit Nathan ad David Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tâ—um non morieris Pet. Gal. lib. 10. c. 13. such an one was Saul to whom it was said 1 Kings 15. What meaneth the bleating of these sheep but he answered they brought them away from Amalek But he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy such an one was David of whom it was said 2 Kings 12. And David said unto Nathan I have sinned unto the Lord and Nathan said unto David the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Instancing in two Kings of a diverse humour the one putting off his sins by collusion hath them charged upon him and the other charging himself by confession hath them put away Saul hid his sins it was but reason therefore he should find them David discovered his and therefore God so covered them in mercy as they were past finding out This then was the custome of the Law and the Prophets Under the Gospel the same custome hath continued the Prodigal son that express pledge and hostage for mercy did but resolve upon Confession to his dearest Father whose speed embracements and kisses prevented the vocal expression God who saw him afar off heard him also what he said (a) Luke 15.18 within himself and what he said to (b) 21. himself also The prodigal sinned against God to whom it is said against thee onely have I sinned Prodigus peccavit coram Deo cui soli dicitur Tibi soli peccavi c. tam citò veniam mâ—retur ut venienti adhuc longè posito occurrit Pater Ambr. lib. 2. de Poenit. cap. 4. and obâ—ained so speedy a paâ—don that while he was yet afar off and but on the way the Father meets him The poor Publican upon his confession fared as well putting up his supplication in the Temple Luke 18.13 14. the contents whereof were O God be merciful to me a sinner and went back to his house justâ—fied without making Confession to any other Ghostly Father but onely the Father of Spirits of whom Saint John giveth this assurance that if we confess our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 1.9 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness why faithful and just rather then kind and merciful seeing forgiveness of sins proceedeth from his bounty not our deserving indeed it was his mercy to annex forgiveness to Confession and his justice to reward that which his mercy promised God is so gracious to promise pardon upon this condition that a sinner confess which condition performed God is faithful and just to make good his promise with actual forgiveness fail not thou him of confession and he will never fail thee of forgiveness Upon these grounds the Fathers direct a Penitent unto God esteeming the confession made unto him of so great value as they seem to make but small account of that which is made
of sin no man besides himself acquainted therewith If he that is so stricken shall keep silence and shew no repentance nor have a will to confess his sin to his Brother and Master the Master that hath a tongue to cure him cannot easily avail him any thing for if the sick man be ashamed to lay open his would to the Physician the Physick cannot cure what it knoweth not Hitherto Hierom. This Physician of all likelyhood should be a Priest because he is called Magister for by that title and of Father ancient times reverenced their Pastors however the adjunct Frater sheweth the Physician was not God but man to whom the wounded Spirit must be opened Saint Augustine upon the Psalm 66. saith thus Be sad before thou doest confess after confession rejoyce Tristis esto antequam consitearis confessus exulta jam sanaberis Non confitentis conscientia saniem collegerat apostema tumuerat cruciabat te requiescere non sinebat adhibet Medicus fomenta verborum aliquando secat adhibet medicinale serrum in correptione tribulationis tu agnosce Medici manum confitere exeat in confessione defluat omnis sanies jam exulta jam laetare quod reliquum est facilè sanabitur Aug. sup Psal 66. for withall thou shalt be healed Such a mans Conscience that doth not confess gathereth corruption the apostem is swollen it torments thee it suffereth thee not to be at quiet the Physician applieth fomentations of words and sometimes lanceth it with the knife of tribulation do thou acknowledge the Physicians hand confesse let out the corruption in confession that it may flow from thee rejoyce now and be glad What remaineth Will easily be cured Whether the Lord or the servant be the Physician I resolve not let the place be consulted withall Saint Chrysostome writing upon the conference betwixt Christ and the woman of Samaria related John 4. hath these words Let us imitate this woman in confessing of our sins let us not be ashamed of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Joan. hom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 694. Tom. 2. let us rather as becomes us fear God who seeth whatsoever is done for the present for the time to come will punish whatsoever is not for the present repented of Our actions are to the contrary we fear not him that shall come to judge but such as can hurt us little or nothing we quake and tremble at as ashamed of them but in the very thing we so much feared therewithall shall we be punished for the man that is moved onely to be ashamed before men and is no whit ashamed to do evil in the sight of the all-seeing God neither will repent here nor be converted in that day shall be openly disgraced and made known not onely before two or three but before the whole world It is evident that this Patriarch treateth of that confession made before them of whom carnal men are ashamed that is of men not of God for such the Father blameth that blush not to do evil before God but to confess it before man and affirmeth how they shall be punished even in that they so much dreaded discredit and disrepute with men for the day will come when they and their actions shall be spread abroad before the face of the whole world thereupon he groundeth this exhortation Now I beseech you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. lin 18. that although no man seeth what we do every man to enter into his own conscience and to make reason the judge thereof and to open the sins he hath committed and if he would not they should come to publication at that dâ—eadful day let him procure his wounds forthwith to be healâ—d and the medicine of repentance to be applied It is apparent that confession before man which with sensual men implieth shame and dishonour as drawing their works out of darkness into light is there meant and not secret confession unto God whereof they little pass it being their disposition to be more in awe of being ashamed before Israel and this Sun than before the God of Israel Pacianus hath left behind him thus I beseech you Ergo vos fratres etiam pro periculo meo per illum Dominum quem occulta non fallunt desinite vulneratam tegere conscientiam Prudentes aegri medicum non verentur ne in occultis quidem partibus etiam secaturos etiam perusturos Pacian in peraen ad Poen Brethren upon my peril by that God whom no secrets deceive that you desist from covering a wounded conscience sick men that have understanding fear not the Physicians though they be wounded in their secret parts Nunc ad eos sermo sit qui benè ac sapientèr vulnera sua poenitentiae nomine confitentes nec quid sit poenitentia nec quae vulnerum medicina noverunt similesque sunt illis qui plagas quidem aperiunt ac tumores medicisque etiam assidentibus confitentur sed admoniti quae imponenda sunt negligunt quae bibenâ—â—a fastidiunt ib. and they lance and sear there and rebuking those that confess their sins and take no course to forsake them he saith Let us now speak of such who well and wisely under the title of being penitent confess their wounds but little know what repentance meaneth or any medicine for their wounds and are like to such which open their grief and swelling and confess them before Physicians met together but being admonished what things to apply and what to drink neglect the use of such prescribed receipts Saint Bernard a Father also though born out of due time saith thus What shall I speak of Bethphage a village of Priests Quid de Bethphage dicam viculo Sacerdotum ubi confessionis Sacramentum Sacerdotalis Ministerii mysterium continetur Scriptum est Propè est verbum in ore tuo in corde tuo non in altero tautùm sed simul in utroque verbum habere memineris quidem verbum in corde peccatoris operatur salutiferam contritionem verbum verò in ore tuo noxiam tollit confusionem nè impediat necessariam confessionem Bern. Serm. ad Milites Templi cap. 12. where the Sacrament of Confession and the mystery of Priestly Ministery is contained as it is written The word is near thee in thy mouth and in thy heart Deut. 32. and remember thou to have the word not in one of those places but in both for the word in the heart of a sinner worketh saving contrition and the word in the mouth takes away all prejudicial confusion that it may be no hindrance to necessary confession At which Testimony startle not that Confession is called a Sacrament that is not in a proper signification but as he calls the Ministery a Mysterie and considering the age this good man lived marvel not to find in him a little touch of the times great is his praise to have been so little defiled Concerning
sentio Roffens contr Luth. art 32. p. 317. but professeth his consent herein with Luther That venial sin is onely venial from the mercy of God and in that respect may all otâ—er sins be venial too as capable of Divine mercy So venial sin hath no prerogative that way nor may for that cause be justly exempted from auricular Confession For reserved cases wherin sins of the greater magnitude are made over to the Pope and whereby they shut up the kingdom of heaven before men without being opened by a golden key we have little to say save considering the great expences tedious journies continual delaies whereby much treasure was exhausted forth of this Land and many of the better sort of the Inhabitants made slaves we are to bless our God that this Antichristian yoke is cast off the tyrannie overthrown and our selves delivered from a more than Egyptian servitude And while the matter was proposed and scan'd at Trent Rem non esse perspicuae veritatis à nullo Patrum mentionem ejus factâ—m â—amò Durandum Gersonem Cajetanum magni nominis viros affirmare non peccata sed censuras modò Pontificis judicio reservatas Colonienses Theologi affirmantes neminem ex antiquis Scriptoribus reservationis mâ—minisse nisi in casu publicorum peccatorum certè haereticos cos accusare tanquam pecuniarum aucupes Hist Concil Trid. l. 4. p. 283. the Divines of Lovain objected that it was not a point of evident verity mentioned not by one of the Fatherâ— that Duâ—and Gerson and Cajetan affirmed not sins but censures to be reserved for Papal Judicature The Divines of Colen added how none of the ancient Writers mentioned Reservation but in case of publick sins and that the Hereticks would for certaine accuse them for contriving how to squeeze and empty mens purses and coffers So then if those men that stand so much for detection of all sins unto the Priest have made so bold as to cut off the two extremes vâ—z the greatest and the least offences I see no reason but that we may use the like liberty Auricularis Confessio prout in Ecclesia Rom. usurpatur nihil ferè est alâ—ud quâ—m reticulam ad hominum sâ—creta arcana expiscanda artificiosè contextam Quod quidem non fit ut aegris Medicina vulneratis conscientiis opobalsamum contritis solatium solidum adhiberi prossit sed ut auâ—um argentum indè conflentur omniaque ad ipsorum lucrum coavertantur Mason de Minister Anglic. lib. 5. c. 12. but upon far more likely and better reasons I shall conclude these exceptions with the saying of an able Divine at home Auricular Confession as it is used in the Church of Rome is almost nothing else but a Net artificially woven to fish after and comprehend the secret and hidden things of men nor is it so used as to afford Physick to the diseased or pretious balme for wounded consciences or sure comfort for broken and contrite hearts but thereby to compass Gold and Silver and to convert all into their own purses There are some Stories or rather superstitious Lies as Sir Tho Moore calls them devised to uphold this doctrine The one is of a Woman who having committed adultery could never in eleven years space be brought to utter the same in any Confession Two Priests whereof one was the Popes Penitentiary and another as holy as he Ad quamlibet expressionem unius peccati Bubo exibat de ore â—â—us Illi Buhones cum uno alio majoris enormioris formae turmatim ingressi sunt in os muliâ—ris ventrem coming into those parts and both being in the Church about their Priestly affaires the woman approached to the Penitentiary to be shriven at every sin she confessed the other Priest standing within view but not within hearing saw an Owle flutter out of her mouth and after the flight of many Owles she stopped it seemeth at her concealed sin and was no sooner absolved of the rest confessed by her and risen up then the same Priest saw all those Owles reenter into her mouth with another more ugly than any of the former The Priests proceeding onwards in their journey the one told unto the other what he saw The Penitentiary guessed that the woman had kept back some sin in Confession Spec. exemplor d 9. Sect. 31. Quo libro miraculorum monstra saepiùs quà m vera miracula legas Can. loc Theol l. 11. c. 6. pag. 540. Dist 3. Sect. 46. De omnibus peccatis quae modò protuli et quae non protuâ—â— culpabilem mâ—sateor corâ—m Dâ—o vobis he returned therefore but at his return found her suffocated and dead to whom her soul appear'd tortured in a fearful manner and all for burying of that sin in silence and being questioned by the Penitentiary for what sins those of her sex were usually damned For Fornication said she wanton dressing and Painting and for shame in not confessing Hereby it is intimated that Confession en partie is of no validity and one sin concealed hinders all the rest from pardon But another Woman though faulty in the same kind yet had better success of whom the relation passeth thus She was otherwise very religious but in her younger dayes had fallen into a sin of that nature as she could not for shame utter the same unto the Priest but used to conclude Of all the sins which I have opened or not I confess my self to be guilty before God and you and could never be brought to specifie the same after her death and before her burial she revived and spake to this effect that she had committed one sin which for shame she could not confess but with many tears was wont to utter the same before the Altar and image of the blessed Virgin Coram ipsius altari vel imagine and desire her intercessions that she might not be damned for this concealed sin and told withall that after her death she was seised on by evill spirits Constituit in S. ecclesia nâ—minem sine confessione salvari posse but rescued by the blessed Virgin and by her means to her Son restored from death to life to confess and be assoyled of that sin which was no sooner performed but she again yielded up the ghost Here three Popish tenets are confirmed at one blow 1. necessity to confess every sin 2. worshiping of Saints and 3. before Images and their Altars As this woman made her confession at the blessed Virgins altar so Gregory Turonensis relateth that Clotharius King of France confessed his sins at Saint Martins shrine Clotharius ad Sepulcrum Sancti Martini cunctas actiones quas fortassè negligenter egerat replicans orans cum grandi gemitu ut pro suis culpis B. Confessor Domini misericordiam exoraret Hist lib. 4. Sect. 21. and became an earnest suiter to that Confessor to become a mean for mercy for him but whether Saint Martin took that course
is engendered this way is more than evident for who hath not heard of that of the Apostle Fide ex auditu Acts 4.4 And many of them which heard the word believed the increase and addition made daily to the Church was by the Apostles planting and watering 't is true the efficacy is from God for neither is he that plâ—nteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase His the seed is the Minister is but the sower or rather the hopper where it is deposited and as the seed is his so is the blessing and increase the Priest concurring as a servant in this Spiritual husbandry it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching as the world accounted it to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Conclude we with Pacianus Nunquam Deus non poenitenti comminaretur nisi ignosceret poenitenti solus hoc inquit Deus poterit verum est sâ—â—i quod per Sacerdotes suos facit illius potestas est Pacian ad Sympron Epist 1. God would never threaten the impenitent except he were minded to pardon the Penitent But it will be said God onely can do this very true but that which he doâ—h by his Priests is his power And to these two heads of disposition and application the more ancient Schoolmen limited the power of absolution preaching forgiveness not directly Sacerdotes dimittunt ostendendo manifestando habent se ad modum demonstrantis non directè sed dispositivè ea adhibentes per quae Dâ—us dimittit peccata dat gratiam and from themselves but as disposing thereunto exhibiting those means by which God conferreth grace and forgiveth sin By the Word and Sacraments doth the Priest dispose and prepare sinners for repentance thereby to make them capable of forgiveness and doth actually apply unto such as are so disposed absolution and forgiveness first chafing and preparing the wax to receive the seal and when their hearts are lâ—ke wax mâ—lted in the midst of their bowels Psal 22.14 as saith the Psalmist then as Officers they put a seal to the diploma of their pardon and absolution in the name of Christ actually absolving them so far as their Ministerial power can extend them I say qui non ponunt obicem that hinder not by unbelief or impenitency So the Minister in the first place disposeth to repentance and then applieth pardon to them that repent and as it appeared in Davids case upon whom the reproofs discharged by Nathan fell like claps of thunder the King thereupon truly humbled to repentance 2 Sam. 12.13 breaks forth into tears and confession which Nathan apprehending comforts him with the sweet news of pardon and absolution And this is all we can safely afford unto the Priest whose care must be not to exceed his instructions and to take that which is his own and to go his way Thou wilt say the words of his Commission give him further and more ample authority wherein the Priest hath power not to apply meerly but to absolve not to bear witness but to bind and so farr that Heaven shall not onely ratifie and confirm but second and answer his definitive resolves upon which surmise Hilary thus addresseth himself to Saint Peter O blessed Porter of heaven O Beate Coeli janitor cuâ—us arbitrio claves aeterni aditûs traduntur cujus terrestre judicium praeâ—udicata authoritas sit in coelo ut quae in teâ—ris aut ligata sunt aut soluta statuti ejusdem conditionem obtineant in coelo Hilar. Can. 16. in Matth. to whose disposing the keys of that eternal entrance are delivered whose judgment upon earth doth prejudicate that authority which is in heaven that whatsoever is bound or loosed upon earth the same statute should be of force in heaven also And Chrosostome affirmeth the Priests throne to be founded in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tom 5. p. 152. and he that averreth the same is the very king of heaven himself saying whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. what can compare or be equal with this honour heaven takes the principality or beginning of judgment from earth The Lord followeth his servant and look what the servant judgeth below the Lord confirmeth above For the clearing of these evidences there are three points to be debated 1. If the Priest can be said to be an author or doer of absolution 2. How and when his sentence is ratified in heaven 3. And then how and in what sense these Fathers can rightly affirme and which the words of Christ seem to import The Priests censure on earth to have the precedency and to take place of heaven and to these the resolutions succinctly follow 1. To the first we affirme that the Priest doth discharge his function Priests absolve Operativè not onely declaratively as a Messenger but operatively as a causer and procurer of absolution but a Causer after his kind because he laboureth in the work of the Ministery such as take pains in planting and watering the Lords husbandry are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.9 labourers together with God And as the Apostle styles himself a Father to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 and that he begat them in Christ Jesus through the Gospel though in the adoption of sons the seed be immortal and the quickner thereof the holy Spirit 1 Tim. 4.16 and as Timothy by his doctrine is said to save himself and them that hear him whereas salvation is from the Lord So are the Priests said to absolve as instruments ordained by God to work faith and repentance for the procurement thereof Revel 16.1 for as in the binding part of their Ministery they are like the Angels in the Apocalypse which pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon earth (a) 2 Cor. 10.6 having vengeance ready against all disobedience and a charge from God to deliver up unto Satan yet are they not the Avengers for to God vengeance belongeth but the inflicters thereof for unto the Priests the execution apperâ—aineth And in the Levitical Law which concerneth the Leprosie by so many of the Ancient made a type of the pollution of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXXII Levit. 13.6 vers 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXXII we read the Priest shall cleanse him and the Priest shall pollute him and the Priest polluting shall pollute him where we translate the Priest shall pronounce him clean and the Priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean for the Priest was not the author of that pollution Haud dubium quin Sacerdos non quò contaminationis author sit sed quò ostendat eum contaminatum qui priùs mundus plurimis videbatur Hieron lib. 7. in Esay c. 23. neither making him that had the Leprosie unclean or him clean that was cleared thereof but onely declared him to be polluted saith Saint Hierom who before seemed unto many to