his Lords name and applied by his special direction The place wherein they serve is a Stewards place and the Apostle telleth them 1 Cor. 4.2 that it is 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 2 Cor. 5.20 Ambassadors they are for Christ 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 tantùm tribuit potestatem solvendi ligandi i. e. ostendendi homines ligatos vel solutos In Levitico se ostendere Sacerdotibus jubentur Leprosi quos illi non faciunt leprosos vel mundos 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 remitted Lombard is followed by Occam The Priests bind or loose in shewing men to be bound or loosed Sacerdotes ligant solvunt quia ostendum homines ligatos solutos Occ. l. 4. Q. 8 9. 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 sili certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata annuntio tibi te habere propitium Deum quaecunque Christus in baptismo Evangelio promisit tibi nunc per me annunciat promittit Ferus in Matth. 9. edit Mogunt 1559. And they both by Ferus Not that any man properly remitteth sin but that he sheweth and certifieth from God that it is remitted for the absolution thou receivest from man is nothing else then as if he should say Behold my son I certifie unto thee thy sins 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 The last property to be inquired Whether Ministerial and Judicial 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 Apostolus in tantum se huic officio imparem credidit ut à Deo nos spiritu optaret impleri Quis tantus est qui hujus traditionem muneris sibi audeat arrogare itaque Apostolus votum precatione detulit non jus 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 coâ—ceited 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 potestatis 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 ejus quod est justum which are declarations what Law is in particular cases or is it because the Priest may erro in his declaratory sentence and that laies hold of a Civil Judge likewise who hath lawful authority to judge right yet no assured infallibility 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
the Lepers was Gods doing the Priest serving onely to discern what God hath already done and to pronounce the same Richardus herein saith well though not alwayes well Distinguamus diligenter quid Dominus faciat per sâ—mâ—tipsum quid faciat per Ministrum suum per semetipsum resuscitat mortuum per Ministros solvit ligatum per sâ—mâ—t ipsum mundat Leprosum ministâ—rio Sacâ—rdâ—tis reducit eâ— etum Mortuum resusciâ—â—râ— Ieprosum mundar ad idem videtur resâ—â—â—re nam utrobique solvitur obligatio culpa sed vinctum solvere vel rejectum educere ad id m nihilominus vidâ—tur respicere quoniam utrobique sequitur obligatio paenae Leprosus mundatur quando pervâ—rsus quisque pravitatis suae sordiâ—us divinitùs exuitur Mortuus resuscitatuâ— quando peccato captivatus ad benè vivendum divinitus animatur Past emundationem leprae Sacerdotali officio interveniâ—â—â—â— ejectus priùs in sua reducitur instâ—tis involutus à Domini Ministris abirâ— ad sua redire permittitur quando per absolutionem consilium Sacerdotis ad vitae novitatem reformatur Rich. de Clavibus cap. 18. We are diligently to distinguish what God doth by himself and what he doth by his Minister by himself he raised the dead by his Ministerâ— he loosed him that was bound by himself he cleansed the Leper by the Ministery of the Priests her stored him that was cast out To raiâ—e the dead and to cleanse the Leper have respect unto one and the same thing for in them both the obligation of sin is loosed so also to loose him that was bound and to restore him that was cast forth seem to be the same for in both there followeth an obligation of punishment The Leper is cleansed when a sinner is by God stripped forth of the filth of sin The dead is raised when he that was in bondage unto sin is quickned by God to lead a good life After the cleansing of the Leprosie the Priests office intervening he that was formerly cast forth is restored and he that was bound with grave-clothes and loosed by the Lords Ministers is permitted to depart and return unto his own when through the absolution and counsel of the Priest he is reformed unto newness of life Thus much Richardus where we plainly see that absolution in the hands of a Priest is but an infranchising not a reviving of a dead sinner a reconciling and not a cleansing of a leprous Penitent 3. Spiritually The third way of absolution is which a Penitent in some select cases by the testimony of the Holy Ghost pronounceth it upon himself for remission of sins is the proper work of Gods Spirit therefore Christ endowed his Disciples first with the Holy Ghost and then with the power of remission and retention Hereupon saith Ambrose He that cannot absolve from sin Quâ— solvere non potest peccatum non habet Spiâ—itum Sanctum munus Spiritûs Sâ—nctii est officium Sacerdotis jus autâ—m Spiritús Sancti in solvâ—ndis ligâ—ndisque criminibus est Ambros l. 1. de Poen c. 4. hath not the Holy Ghost the charge of the Holy Ghost is the Priests office and the right of the Holy Ghost is in binding and loosing offences Wherein observe that Fathers distinction inter Spiritus Sancti munus jus Absolution from the Priest to a penitent is munus Spiâ—itûs Sancti the charge and office of the Holy Ghost whereas the absolution from a penitent to himself is jus Spiritûs Sancti that right whereby the Holy Ghost testifieth unto his conscience that his sins are forgiven Origen after his manner feeding upon an Allegory understandeth by the gates of hell sins Portae inferorum nominari possunt juxta speciâ—s peccatorum Sion autem portae intâ—lliguntur contrariae portis mortis ut mortis quidem porta sit intemperantia porta verò Sion temporantia arbitror quòd pro uâ—â—quâ—qâ—e virtute cognitionis aliqua sapientiae mâ—stâ—â—â—â—â—spondâ—ntia gâ—neri viâ—tutis aperiuâ—tur ei qui secundum virâ—utem vixerit Servâ—torâ— dâ—nte iâ—â— qui suâ—â—rari non possunt à portis insâ—rorum totidem claves quot sunt virtutes Origen and maketh every several vice a several gate and the gates of the daughter of Sion he makes the contrary virtues 〈◊〉 intâ—mperance is a gate of hell temperance of Siâ—n c. and by the keys he will have meant the piâ—us practice of each virtue So by the keys of Righteousness and temperance are opened the gatâ—s of Righteousness and temperance Our Saviour conferring saith he upon such against whom the gates of hell prevail not so many keys as there are virtues According to this Father a man by sinning shuts heaven gate and sets hell gate open for his soul and contrarywise by repenting and practising such virtues as are opposite to his former vices he shuts the gates of hell and sets open for him those of heaven To the same purpose saith Saint Chrysostome if that Homily be his whereof his learned publisher doubteth He hath given unto thee the power of binding and loosing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom super Quaecunque c. tom 7. pag. 268. thou hast bound thy self with the chain of the love of wâ—alth loose thy self by an injunction of the love of poverty thou hast bound thy self with the furious desires of pleasures loose thy self with temperance thou hast bound thy self with the misbelief of Eunomius loose thy self with the religi us embracing of the right faith Thus God hath erected a Tribunal in the heart of man his Conscience arraigneth him upon Gods law as a Transgressor and guiâ—ty of the breach thereof but upon his confession and detestation of the fact Justificatio in S. Scriptura actâ—onem quandam forensem notâ—t qualis â—st absolutio aut absolutionis pronuntiatio D. Twiss de Permis lib. 2. part 2. p. 434. the holy Spirit recreates and comforts him with the sweet voice and promises of the Gospel that his sins for Christ's sake are forgiven kindling in his heart faith whereby he is justified and at peace with God For what else is the justificatâ—on of a sinner but a pronouncing of his absolution and this I call the inward and Spiritual Absolution And this is all our Church guided with Gods word and invested with this power teacheth concerning absolution the Rhemists confessing the use thereof in our Church Rhemist Annotat in Joan. 20. vers 23. That the English Protestants in their order of visiting the sick their Ministers acknowledge and challenge the same using a formal absolution according to the Churches order after the special confession of the party and for which it was even her happiness to have been accused by Schâ—smaticks being justified by the then gracious and learned Defender of her faith for when Arch-Bishop Whitgift read unto King James the Confession in the beginning of the Communion-book and the absolution following it His Highness perused them both in the book it self
those Physicians and be healed for this he would have supposed for a certain and indubitate truth that sick men will gladly offer themselves to Physicians to be cured Let an Hospital be once erected and endowed with maintenance for poor impotent people and you need not command or compel them to come in great suit shall be made to the Founder and Overseers for admittance The Priest sits the Courts are open the Medicines are prepared the reconciling keys are in his hands yet little or no attendance upon this Judg no repair to this Physician no submission to this Reconciler To one that demanded why Philosophers repaired to Rich mens houses and Rich men never to their Cells it was answered That Philosophers knew they had need of such men but Rich men were ignorant what use might be made of Philosophers for concerning spiritual diseases we esteem our selves so sound or if we are diseased our selves so skilful as to need none of the Lords Physicians I say no more but that it were better we did not see so much or saw better then we do And thus much to this argument Another Reason is yet behind to prove confession of divine institution because it belongs unto the Sacrament of Penance By which Sacrament the Popish writers understand not the inward Contrition of the heart but an external sign and expression thereof and not every contrition so expressed for Niniveh published her sorrow in sack-cloth and in ashes but this Sacrament was not under the Law but under the Gospel nor every external expression under the Gospel Poenitentia signis externis declarata cum verbo absolutionis est Sacramentum Bellar. l. 1. de poen c. 8. unless Priestly absolution be set thereunto If a man would catechise those Rabbins in their own Rudiments it would appear how ridiculous it is to teach mans traditions for Gods precepts for demand of them what is the outward sign in this Sacrament or matter thereof One will answer the sin confessed no saith the Cardinal Peccatum non est materia ex qua sed circa quam Sacramentum operatur cap. 15. sin is not the matter whereof but whereupon the Sacrament worketh Scotus and Ockam make onely absolution to be essential therein And they saith he must be born withal living before such Councils were called which handled the matter accurately Contrition Confession and Satisfaction are not parts of Repentance Contritio confessio satisfactio non sunt partes poenitentiae ut virtus est sed ut Sacramentum Lomb. as it is a virtue as it is a Sacrament saith the Master of the Schools and if Repentance as a virtue be the Saint and as a Sacrament the shrine onely let Rome keep the Sacrament without envy so we retain the virtue Yet the Franciscans assembled at Trent disliked that the actions of the Penitent should be the material part of Penance because the matter of the Sacrament is a sign applied by the Minister unto the Receiver Materia est quiddâ—m quod à Ministro applicatur Recipienti non autem actus ipsius recipientis Hist Concil Trid. p. 284. Signum Sacramenti poenitentiae est verbalis absolutio quam impendit Sacerdos Res Sacramenti reconciliatio est verè poenitentis confitentis Grop de Sacr. Poen p. 107. Antw. 1556. and never the actions of the receiver himself The sign saith Gropperus is absolution granted from the Priest the thing signified is the reconciliation of a true Penitent that hath made his confession Not so saith the Cardinal absolution is not the sign but the form thereof I should weary my Reader with relating popish differences Here Bellarmine would part the fray Neque Scotus satis aptè locutus c. 16. Sect. deinde Gropperus non satis cautè locutus ib. Sect. Resp telling one Schoolman he speaks not so fitly another not so advisedly or else as before he lived before those Councils that went accurately to work For our parts I think we may promise that when their strife is ended about the institute we will become good Friends about the Institution Of a certain thus much Antiquity never knew Repentance by the proper name of Sacrament Damascene a late Father and well-nigh born out of due time upon purpose treating of the holy and undefiled Sacraments of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de Orthodox fide l. 4. c. 6. pag. 110 111. Graec. Veronae 1531. for that title doth that Chapter beare mentioneth two Sacraments onely viz. of our spiritual birth and spiritual food for our birth is of water and of the Spirit I speak this of holy Baptisme but our meat is the bread of life our Lord Jesus Christ for seeing that this Adam is spiritual it behoveth this birth and in like manner this food to be spiritual and laies out the whole Chapter upon these two onely The rest of the Sacraments were not then Orthodox oe fidei else there would have appeared some foot-steps thereof in that Father and that Treatise which so summeth up the necessary and most important principles of Christianity It is time to draw to an end of this matter Then in the name of God what is to be thought of this ordinance to what head is confession to be referred Council of Lateran If the Question be of that confession as is now practised in the Church of Rome the Brat for ought I know must be fathered upon the Council of Lateran under Innocent the III then Councels lost their freedom Nec libera Concilia quae sub Innocentio Clemente c. nec quicquam definitum ab istis Quae sub nisi quod ab illis Qui super praefinitum esset Tort. Torti p. 209. when they were held under no decree could pass by them whâ—ch were under without leave from those which were above A great many met there M. C. persons but Abbots and Priors to the number of DCCC Strange matters fell out there yes that so many assembled to so little purpose Many matters were proposed and consulted on but nothing there could be decreed openly Venere tum multa quidem in consultationem nec decâ—rni tamen quicquam apertè potuit Platin. vit Innocent 3. p. 203. saith Platina Of so many matters consulted on and not any one could be decreed upon Sure so many Fathers consuâ—ted to great purpose Pisani Genuenses maritimo Cisalpini terrestri bello inter se certabant Platin. ib. and perhaps agreed no better than the Republiques of Pisa and Genoa then together by the eares at Sea besides other combustions in the continent But if nothing there was resolved on where is the decree of private Confession that will issue well enough from thence for the Historian saith nothing was decreed openly Clancular Confession then crept in there clanculùm malis artibus at some back doore and under hand Shuffled in there belike it was but not openly Private confession