men so far above his reach there had been no need of He having in those and divers other aspersions which he hath cast upon him in his late book which may hereafter be fully cleared done himselfe the chiefest wrong I commend the whole to the Readers charitable and impartiall censure that no prejudicate opinion doe obstruct his right apprehension THE CONTENTS Of the Severall TREATISES The First consists of three POSITIONS 1. THat a great City called Babylon shall be a Seducer 2. That by this City is meant ROME 3. Not Heathen Rome but since it was freed from the Government both of Heathen and Christian Emperours and became the possession of the Pope The Second How the Papacy may be said to be the Beast that was and is not and yet is Rev. 17.18 The Third being Bishop Bedels Sermon on Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people c. The Speaker our Saviour Christ His people those within the Covenant of Grace A paralleling the Speeches here with those of the Prophets Of Litterall Babell who meant by Mysticall Babylon The judgement of Bellarmine Salmeron Viegas to be the City of Rome How the title of Babylon the great and her reigning over the Kings of the earth rather agrees to Rome Papal then Heathen The Cup of inchantment whereby she hath deceived all Nations and one in speciall in imitation of literall Babell Dan. 1. applyed to that See Her Wantonnesse Pride sitting as a Queen glorifying her self the blood of Christians shed by the Papacy to be beyond that of Heathen Romes persecution his conclusion from the Premises That there are some of Gods people in Babylon That they are to goe out not only in affection but the place also Of Baptisme Grounds of the Catechisme Faith taught there of the doctrine of of merits What is to be thought of those that doe yet live there and cannot come out Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church rightly stated p. 83. Of the Ordination had there by the use of these words Whose sins ye remit c. That the Papall Monarchy is Babylon proved by arguments at the barre of Reason and from common principles of Christianity p. 89. Answer to that motive of staying in Babylon because they are told they may be saved in it An exhortation of such as are yet in that captivity to come out and of our selves to come further out Of Impropriations Dispensations c. with a conclusive prayer for the destruction of Babylon The Fourth A Confirmation of the abovesaid judgment From some grounds out of the Ancient Fathers consenting in an expectation that Rome must be the place and the successor of the Emperour there the Person A clear application of it to the See of Rome by the Fathers and Writers in successive ages before and after the tenth Century The Judgment of the eminent Bishops of England since the reformation the book of Homilies especially in 2 places calling the Pope Antichrist and the Babylonical beast of Rome A Synod in France as Ireland How far confessed by the prime writers of the Church of Rome The mistake of such as have diverted the application of it some other way an Answer of a passage of Doctor Heylenes concerning it in relation to the Primate and Articles of Ireland The Fifth Of laying on of Hands Heb. 6.2 Reasons why not confirmation but ordination Paraeus and Mr. Cartwrights concurrence in it with the Primate The necessity of an ordained Ministry The neglect of it as undermining the foundation Objections answered with a seasonable application to the present times The necessity of an external call The Authority not from the People That objection against our ordination being derived from Rome at large answered p. 218. That personal faults in the ordainers doth not null the ordination Some application The 6. Of the old form of words in Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost not meant of the sanctifying grace of the spirit nor extraordinary gifts of it but of ghostly or spirituall Ministeriall authority 1 Cor. 3. verse 3.6 and 1 John 2.20 The anointing teacheth you c. illustrated An objection out of S. Augustine answered Whose sins thou forgivest c. In what sense Ministers are said to forgive sins The Primates judgement in his answer to the Jesuits Challenge defended to be according to the doctrine of the Church of England which Doctor Heylene hath scandalized him in it The 7th Of a Set Form of Prayer The judgment of Calvine Dutch and French divines with their Practice Examples out of the Old Testament and New The pattern of our Saviour giving a form to his disciples taking one to himself and observing the set forms made by others That objection of Stinting the spirit answered An Vniformity in publique prayer a means of reducing unity in Church and State The full concurrence of Mr. Rogers Mr. Egerton Dr. Gouge Mr. Hildersham Dr. Sibbs Dr. Preston c. Of the length and gesture in prayer Mr. Hildersham of an outward reverence in the publick A Character of Bishop Bedell his industry at Venice and at home humility moderation government and sufferings An answer to Mr. Thomas Pierces fifth Letter wherein three Certificates have been published by him for the justification of a change of judgement in the late Primate of Ireland in some points ERRATA SOme omissions of Accents Pointing and number of pages the intelligent Reader may correct himself Page 39. l. 2. r. professed p. 40. l. 8. r. Lo-ammi p. 41. l. 18. r. ir p. 45. l. 9. for there t is related that p. 46. l. 15. d. and p. 48. l. 8. circun p. 49. l. 6. ly p. 63. l. 21. d. p. 59. l. 11. although p. 60. l. 4. her p. 63. l. 1. As gods l. 21. dis p. 64. l. 22. they they p. 70. l. 10. val p. 82. l. 20. d. p. 92. l. 6. may p. 160. l. 23. p. 161. l. 11. Padre p. 162. mar l. 8. justif p. 185. l. 2. baptizing p. 189. l. 2. mining p. 198. l. 6. of the p. 248. l. 22. mediatly p. 250. l. 22. 2. p. 278. l. 12 there p. 317. l. 8. Wethersfield p. 322. l. 18. prayer p. 329 l. 21. and Mr. p. 362. l. 12. d. following p. 378. l. ult d. which The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland what is understood by Babylon in Apoc. 17. 18. Apoc. 18. v. 4. Go out from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues IN these words we are straightly enjoyned upon our peril to make a separation from Babylon For the understanding of which charge these three Positions following are to be considered The first Position THat it is plainly foretold in the the Word of God that after the planting of the Faith by the Apostles the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth should be seduced and drawn into damnable errours and that the mother of all these Abominations of the Earth should
ever in the Priests Pharises Scribes Sadduces c. yet as he permitted their administring of some rites for himselfe whether of circumcision or the offering made for him in the Temple at the purification after the custome of the Law in his infancy so at his manifestation about 30 yeares after he sends those that were healed by him to the Priests to offer what Moses commanded ye see he did not determine against the office for the personal defilements of their Predecessors or themselves 3. Nay under the Gospel about four hundred years after our Saviour Christ was not the world so over-run with Arrians that it groaned under it as St. Jerom saith when they had the commands of the Pulpits ordaining of Preachers children were baptized by them men put to receive the communion of them as Hilary and Basil say the Orthodox were hatched under the wings of the Arrian Priests yet upon a reformation and the renouncing of that heresie we read not of any rejecting of the succeeding Ministers because they were derived through such hands which I conceive to have been as bad as the Bishop of Rome and his followers The Church then was so wise as to consider a jewel looseth not his vertue by being delivered by a foul hand so neither is this treasure of the Ministry to be despised because it hath passed through some polluluted vessels to us which is appliable for the saving harmlesse our ordination though transmitted through the Popish defilements of some persons so much in vindicating the ordination of the Church of England from the scandall of being Popish Antichristian with which by some ignorant and rash people it is frequently aspersed Let me conclude with this short admonition Be not hereafter so unworthy as to blurre that Ministery with being Antichristian by whom ye have received the knowledge of Christ both by their translating of the Scriptures out of the Originalls into your Mother-tongue for your reading and their labour in the exposition of them for your understanding by whom you and your fathers have been baptized and instructed Be not such ill birds as thus to defile your own nests do not side with the agents of the Bishop of Rome in thus detracting and lessening the reputation and esteem of them Let them not say in their hearts so would we have it nor you with your tongues unlesse in your hearts you are Romish your selves Is it not strange that those who have been so great opposers of the errors of Popery wrot so learnedly and fully against them who have applyed that in the 2 Epist of the Thessalonians concerning the man of sin and that of Babylon in 17. Revel to the Papacy as Bishop Downham Abbot Jewell and the late eminent Primate with divers others that now they should with their very calling and profession be styled Popish can we think otherwise but that the hand of Joab I mean the Jesuit is privily in it Is it not a wonder it should so come about that such as have been the greatest enemies to the See of Rome should be reckoned as members and friends of it and thus perpetually yoked together as twins nay trod under foot as unsavory salt upon that very account as being Episcopall Is this a just reward of their labour in the defence of your profession thus to be aspersed by you as Absolon to Hushay Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Certainly those of the See of Rome cannot but smile within themselves that they have thus covertly deluded us and so closely taken a revenge of those their adversaries How true is that speech of our Saviour A Prophet is not without honour save in his own country other nations French and German magnifie the Clergy of the Church of England by what is transmitted over Sea in many of their works onely despised at home as the off-scouring of the world what a preparative this is to the expectation of the Papists an able learned ordained Ministery having been hitherto the stop to the introduction of ignorance and superstition which if removed might flow in the more easily which God in his mercy prevent And thus I have endeavoured to confirm the Primates judgement upon this place viz. that by laying on of hands is meant an ordained Ministery The Primates judgement of the Sense and Vse of the Form of words in the former Constitution at the Ordination of Priests or Presbyters defended and enlarged viz. Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou doest retain they are retained Which as an Appendix to the former subject could not well be omitted THey are the words of our Saviour John 20.22 to the Apostles and why they may not be continued to their Successors who are to succeed in that office of the Ministery to the end of the world doth not yet appear and 't is possible that the late offence taken against them to the disuse of them may arise from a misapprehension of the sense of them The Primates judgement of which I think fit to manifest who in all his Ordinations constantly observed them They consist of two clauses 1. Receive the Holy Ghost 2. Whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained 1. For the first Receive the Holy Ghost We do not here understand the sanctifying graces of the spirit For the Apostles had received them before in that they were bid by our Saviour to rejoyce that their names were written in heaven the evidence of which is heaven wrot in the heart here and had his witnesse that they had believed and had kept his word for whom he had also also prayed in that sense Sanctifie them through thy truth John 17. And if this had been the gift there had been no particular thing given to them for all that will be saved must in some measure partake of it Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his And though it be the testimony of a good Christian yet 't is not a sufficient warrant for him to take upon him the Ministery 2. Again it cannot be meant of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost viz. Gifts of tongues c. For in that sense the Holy Ghost was not yet given till fifty dayes after viz. the Feast of Pentecost but this was given upon the day of his Resurrection So that a third sense must be had which was the Primates as followeth 3. Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. receive Ministeriall power of officiating and dispensing those sacred Ministrations unto which the promise of the holy Spirit is annexed and through which as the Conduit-Pipes this holy water is conveyed not so much meant for their own benefit as the good of others In this he gave them power as the Stewards of God to be dispensers of holy and spiritual things to the benefit of such over whom the Holy Ghost had made them overseers which is
selvetur iste non veniet c. Oecumenius upon the place as Theophilact who usually followes Saint Chrysostome unto which divers more might be added But by this ye see the consent of the Fathers to the first 400 yeares for the time and place of revealing him That though some lived 200 years others 400. before the Emperour was cast out of Rome yet they believed it should be and though it cannot be expected they should directly name the person before he was in being yet that Rome must be the place and that he that should succeed the Roman Emperour in it must be the person they agree in So much for clearing it from the aspersion of Novelty 2. Now secondly to take off the aspersion of singularity for which there are a multitude of votes this way of such writers who lived after the Emperour was put out of Rome and the Bishop of Rome had succeeded him viz. after the 600 years after Christ It would be endlesse to relate the Authours who have given their testimony both in the exposition and application of that of the 2 Thessalonians 2. to the See of Rome Baronius himself acknowledgeth in the generall that there was not an age but some learned man or other appeared in it accordingly and even some of their own Communion And about a thousand yeares after Christ when the man of sin was come to the height according to the description of him foretold by Saint Paul there were abundance * Avent Annal Boior l. 5. p. 455. Aventinus who was one of their own tells us in his Annals there were many of the German Bishops and Pastors in Gregory the seventh's time that preached it throughout Germany applying the whole prophesie of Saint Paul to the Bishop of Rome (k) Ibid. p. 470. Qui titulo Christi negotium Antichristi agitat who under the title of Christ doth the work of Antichrist Nay saith he PlerÃque omnes boni justi ingenui Imperium Antichristi coepisse eo tempore cernebant i. e. that all good men and ingenuous for the most part discerned it at that time A. 1100. a Bishop of Florence so publickly averred it Antichristum advenisse in Ecclesia dominari That the Bishop of Rome Paschalis the second an 1105. was fein to convocate a Councel at Florence to silence him Eberhardus Archiepiscopus Salisburiensis in Germany in a great meeting of Bishops applies to the then Bishop of Rome Gregory the seventh divers passages in 2 Thes 2. among which he hath this speech speaking of the Bishop of Rome Perditus ille homo quem Antichristum vocare solent in cujus fronte scriptum est Deus sum errare non possum in Templo Dei sedet i. e. That wicked one whom they use to call Antichrist it seems it was a common Title given in those dayes to him as now in whose fore-head is written I am God I cannot erre he sits in the Temple of God c. And applies divers of the passages of the Revelation 17. 18. accordingly Imperator vana appellatio sola umbra est Reges decem pariter existunt qui Romanum quondam imperium partiti sunt etc. Decem Cornua id quod D. Augustino incredibile visum est Romanas provincias possident c. i. e. See the Emperor is a vain title a meer shadow Ten Kings have parted the Roman Empire among them signified by the ten horns which seemed incredible to Saint Augustine Turks Greeks Egypt Affrick Spain France England Germany Sicely Italy c. Avent Annal. lib. 7. 547. Honorius Augustadunensis (m) Ad caâ—cem 2. Tom. Auctarii Bibliothec. Edit Paris 1620. in anno 1120. applies the prophesie of the Beast and Babylon in the Revelation to Rome and the Pope Bernardus Cluniacensis calls the Pope the King of Babylon Joachimus Abbas (n) Vide Rog. Hoveden in Richard the first 's time anno 1190. set forth his Theses and maintained publickly Antichristum jam natum esse in civitate Romana in Sede Apostolica sublimatum i. e. Antichrist to be now born in the City of Rome and promoted in the Apostolick See Johannis Sarisburiensis a Monk anno 1150. did the like (o) Matth. Paris Richard Grosthead that learned pious and eminent Bishop of Lincoln anno 1253. made an excellent Oration to that purpose a little before his death Papam esse Antichristum and the last words of men are the more memorable Gulielmus Ockam anno 1350. wrote to Clement the sixth and publickly charged that See with Heresie and Antichristianisme Franciscus Petrarcha An. 1347. in Epist 18. c. applies the prophesie of the Babilonish harlot to Rome not Heathen but Papal the then Court of Rome in these words Tu es famosa dicam an infamis meretrix fornicata cum Regibus Terrae illa equidem ipsa es quam in spiritu sacer vidit Evangelista illa eadem inquam es non alia sedens super aquas multas i. e. Thou art the famous should I say or infamous harlot which hast committed fornication with the Kings of the Earth thou art the very same which in the spirit the holy Evangelist saw i. e. John thou art I say the same and not another sitting upon many waters c. Besides throughout these ages from the year 1100. how many were there of those whom the See of Rome (p) Non defuerant etiam in omnibus terris numerosi piorum coetus qui toto soluti Satanae tempore bellum Antichristo indixerunt cujusmodi erant quos Papistae cum primum sectae authorem à quo denominarentur invenire non possent á quodam Petro Waldo Lugdunensi Waldenfium pauperum Lugdunensium nomina indiderunt Usserius Arch. Armach de Eccles Christ success stat p. 150. called Waldenses whom Reynerus confesseth to have filled France Spaine Italy and most of those Western parts they with one mouth declared accordingly thousands of them suffering death by that See upon that account whom we find then in most points consenting with us and declaring against most of the errours of the Church of Rome being guiltlesse of those scandals put upon them by Sanders Coccius and specially F. Parsons which are fully cleared by the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh in his book de Eccles Christi Success statu p. 159. even by the testimony of their own Authours their witness agreeing not together For John Wickleiffe our Countryman one of great learning and piety 't is known sufficiently to have bin his judgment and declaration as those succeeding him Johannes Purveius John Hus Savanorola and divers others long before Luthers time after which it was more generally received in the reformed Churches and the most learned men of each whom time would fail me so much as to name Only as we have given you the votes of our own country-man and others while they lived under the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome so let me adde the votes of the most
accordingly attributed to the Elders of Ephesus whom S. Paul had ordained Mr. Hookers glosse in his Eccles Polit. is accordingly Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. Accipite potestatem spiritualem receive ghostly or spiritual Authority in order to the soules of men now to be committed to your charge And if you mark the context their Commission is here from the blessed Trinity the Father and Sonne in the verse before As my Father hath sent me so send I you And in this verse a reception of Authority from the third person the Father sends Matth. 9.38 Chap. 10.20 the Sonne Ephes 4. here the Holy Ghost as Acts 20. And so more fully thus Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. receive Authority from the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the efficacious preaching of the Word and Administration of Sacraments by and through which the graces of the holy spirit in repentance faith forgivenesse of sins and the like are ordinarily wrought and confirmed to the hearers and partakers of them yet not excluding it from being a Prayer also viz. that the person thus authorized might receive such a spiritual assistance in it Receive first by way of donation in the name of Christ as to the office and secondly by way of impetration as to the efficacious spiritual assistance of him in it which the accustomed succeeding prayer did confirm which as it was in both senses frequently effectual by the mouth and hands of the Apostles so hath it been accordingly from age to age in and by the Ministery succeeding and therefore why may not the same form of words be used at their Ordination also Can we think this solemn reception of the Holy Ghost in that sense as hath been explained was onely for the benefit of that age and withdrawn totally again in the next That his being with them thus by his spiritual assistance to the end of the world was to determine with the death of the Apostles some of which as Saint James Acts 12. were not long after No surely this oyle poured upon their heads descended further then so even to the skirts of their garments in these dayes The third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians hath much in confirmation of this In the third verse Saint Paul styles the Minister ordained by Christ his Amanuensis ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God Christ the inditer the Minister is as the hand of a ready writer or the Spirit is as the ink the Minister as the pen through which 't is diffused upon the fleshly Tables of your hearts and by saying us he doth not appropriate it to himselfe but gives the like to Timothy ordained by him which he continues in the sixth verse God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit as he calls the Word the sword of the spirit Ephes 6. committed into the hands of the Ministery so the whole office is called the Ministration of the Spirit v. 8. the Ministration of righteousnesse v. 9. i. e. instrumentally be it that of Justification or Sanctification by which he saith it did exceed in glory that under the law The shining of Moses face the glory of the Temple and vestments of the Priests were glorious but yet had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth for if that which is done away were glorious how much more that which remaineth is glorious Now wherein lieth this glory but in being by this Ministration the Conduits through which the Spirit is conveyed and received or being cap. 6.1 co-workers together with him of it even as the glory of the latter Temple by the presence of Christ himselfe is said to be greater then the former though it had types of him in a more outward glorious lustre 't is therefore called v. 18. the glass of the glory of the Lord by which we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Which as it rebukes the Contemners of the office of the Ministery so it answers that frequent objection made against the use of these words at the Ordination to it viz. That the Sanctifying graces of the spirit were sometimes lacking both in the Ordainers transmitting and ordained the recipients It is answered the Transmission or reception of the Holy Ghost here is not meant in that sense as to the resting of it in the persons themselves but as the conveyers of it for the use and benefit of others viz. through these Administrations which they are now by this authorized to performe And that it may be so ye see it in Judas who by our Saviours Commission to him through preaching and baptizing was the instrument accordingly of the transferring of it i. e. remission of sins c. unto others without partaking of it himself our Saviour calls him a Devill and a son of perdition but yet in this Office the Devils were subject to him and he the means of dispossessing of others like Noahs Carpenters who were instruments to save others but were drowned themselves 'T is probable Saint Paul or some of the Apostles ordained Hymenaeus and Phyletus Phygellus Hermogenes and Diotrephas but as in neither of them doth there appear any sanctified grace of the spirit so we do not read it caused any suspension of the vertue of their ministerial acts to the receivers or that the Apostles gave order for any reiteration of them personal faults not voyding Acts of Office and so why should the like be a prejudice to it in these succeeding Ages Receiving supposeth a gift but 't is as the giving of a summe to a Steward by his Lord not to his own private use but for the dispensing of it to the family And to say no more there are some learned Interpreters do apply that passage 1 John Chap. 2.20 to an ordained Ministery yee need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth (a) Eadem unctio non potuit luculentiore testimonio Pastores doctores ornare à quibus illi instituti fuerant quotidie adhuc instituebantur quam quum ipsos diceret ab ipso Spiritu Sancto doceri jam antea esse doctos Beza's words upon the place are these the same anointing he could not with a more cleare Testimony have adorned the Pastors and Teachers from whom they were instructed and daily as yet are then to say they were taught by the holy Ghost had bin formerly c. (b) Piscator in loc Vnctio docet id est ministerium verbi i. e. Spiritus Sanctus efficax per praedicationem Evangelii quare ministerium verbi in pretio habendum est Piscators words are these The anointing teacheth i. e. the Ministry of the word or the Holy Ghost efficacious by the preaching of the Gospel wherefore the Ministery ought to
be in a great esteem with us Ye see they do not understand by this Vnction or anointing signifying the Holy Ghost an immediate teaching or inspiration as by some Enthusiasme but immediately through the Ministery ordained for that end by a Metonymy as they say of the Adjunct the oyntment for the hand which applyes it or delivers it to you and the teaching you all things is meant of all things necessary to salvation the credenda and agenda which by the Ministery had bin so fully taught them that they needed not to be taught by Saint John again here If any shall object as it hath been unto me that of Saint Augustine lib. 15. de Trinit cap. 27. Quomodo ergo Deus non est qui dat Spiritum Sanctum imò quantus Deus est qui dat Deum neque enim aliquis discipulorum ejus dedit Spiritum Sanctum orabant quippe ut veniret in eos quibus manus imponebant non ipsi eum dabant quem morem in suis praepositis etiam nunc servet Ecclesia c. i. e. How should not he be God who gives the Holy Ghost nay how great a God who gives God for neither any of his disciples gave the holy Ghost they prayed indeed that it might come upon those on whom they imposed hands they did not give it themseles which custom the Church now observes c. Answ 1. In the words before these he speaks of a double giving of the Holy Ghost by our Saviour the one on earth after his resurrection the other from heaven after his Ascension upon the day of Pentecost now in relation to the latter in those extraordinary gifts of the spirit the words objected have their principal application which doth not concern that we have in hand which is only of the former being meant of successive ministerial authority for the ordinarie dispensing of the office Secondly whereas he saith the Church hath observed that custome in imposition of hands to pray for the persons reciving of it hath bin formerly acknowledged to be one sense of that clause viz. by way of impetration Take the gift of the spirit pro dono infuso so we use the words per modum impetrationis take it pro officio so we use it per modum collationis ministerially conferring the power of executing the office of a Minister there is no contradiction but that in the same act there may meet a collation of the office with authority to execute and an impetration for the persons receiving an assistance of the spirit in the executing of it which in the old injunction immediately followed in a prayer for the person ordained accordingly so that the custome and intention of our Church is no other then what was in Saint Augustines time not presuming to give the Holy Ghost in the latter sense only praying it might be given of God to him but only in the former So much for opening of the first clause in ordination Receive the Holy Ghost which rightly understood is not such a rock of offence as some have taken it to be in the disuse of it The second clause is whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven whose sins thou doest retain they are retained At which as much if not more offence hath been taken then at the former as if it savoured of Popery which I shall give you the Primates sense of also That it may be retained in ordination and attributed safely to the office of the Ministery without the least savour that way which no man that knew him and what Popery is but will acquit him of the least grain of it Thus far it will be granted by all sober persons 1. The Ministers may be said to remit sins by way of preparative to it in being the instruments by preaching the word of reconciliation to dispose men towards it in bringing them to repentance whereby they are capable of it 2. By way of Confirmation in exhibiting the seales of remission in the Sacraments according as one well glosseth upon these words 'T is Gods act onely to forgive sins but the Apostles are said to do it (a) Non simplicitèr sed quia adhibent media per quae Deus remittit peccata haec autem media sunt verbum Sacramenta Fer. in loc not simply but because they apply the means appointed of God for that end viz. the word and Sacraments What is there more in forgivenesse of sins then in reconciliation of God and man now ye find this given to the Ministery 2 Cor. 5.18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word or ministery of reconciliation Gods act onely authoritate propria by his own supreme authority the Ministers act potestate vicaria as a substitute in Christs stead and the word doth include the Sacraments also as in our usual speech the Letters Pattents doth the Seale affixed to them as the Ministery doth the whole ministerial office 3. Declaratively in testifying this grace of God and declaring Gods good pleasure accordingly upon repentance unto the person like that of Nathan to David or Saint Peter to his Auditory Acts 3. as Ferus saith (b) Non quod homo propriè remittet peccatum sed quod ostendet certificet adeò remissum neque enim alia est absolutio ab homine quam si dicat En tibi certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata Annuncio tibi te habere Deum propitium c. Ferus lib 2. Comment in Matth. cap. 9. edit Mogunt 1559. man doth not properly forgive sin but doth declare and certifie that it is remitted of God so that absolution received from man is as much to say behold my son I certifie thee that thy sins are forgiven thee I declare unto thee that God is at peace with thee which I relate the rather out of him both for his being a writer of the Chutch of Rome and that this passage is purged out of his book by them as erroneous as may be seen by comparing the Edition of Mentz with the Edition at Antwerp 1559 and 1570 Which agrees with that in the Articles of Religion of Ireland num 71. God hath given power to his Ministers not simply to forgive sinnes which prerogative he hath reserved only to himselfe but in his name to declare and pronounce unto such as truly repent and unfeignedly believe his Holy Gospel the absolution and remission of sins But that ye may the more fully understand the Primates Judgement in this point whose authority prevails much with all good men and how remote our Church is from that of the Papists in the use of those words in ordination I shall give you some brief collections out of that Answer of his to the Jesuite Malones challenge concerning this subject and the rather to satisfy the Reader against the injury which among others Doctor Heylene hath done him in this as if
whom as in the name and power of the Lord Jesus he had bin excommunicated by Saint Paul and the Elders there so upon his repentance he was in the same name and by the same power restored again even by such to whom was committed the Ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. 27.10 c. And indeed this loosening of men is generally by the Fathers accounted a restoring them to the peace of the Church and admitting them to the Lords Table again as is evident by their frequent expressions that way which the Primate doth declare 3. In the administration of the Sacraments which being a part of the Ministerie of reconciliation and the Seales of the Promises must necessarily also have reference to remission of sins and so the ancient Fathers of whom the Primate alleadgeth diverse do hold that as these words whose sins ye remit are remitted unto them c. are a part of our Commission so 't is exercised by the Ministers of Christ in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Communion yet so that the Ministery only is to be accounted mans and the power Gods it being saith Saint Augustine (a) Aliud est baptizare per ministerium aliud per potestatem aâ—thâ—râ—tatem One thing to baptize by way of Ministerie another by way of power which the Lord hath retained to himself as to the Authority of remission of sins in it according to that of John Baptists distinction between the externall and internall Baptisme he baptized with the Baptisme of water to the remission of sins but attributes that of baptizing with the Holy Ghost to Christ onely 4. In the word of God preached there is exercised this part of our function in loosing men from their sins being a speciall part of this Ministery of reconciliation committed to us as the Embassadours of Christ here upon the earth for that end sinners are said to be holden with the cords of their own sins Prov. 5.12 The Apostles saith Saint Jerome according to their Commission given them by their Master Whosoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosened in heaven which beares the same sense with remitting and retaining of sins here (a) quos funes vincula solvunt Apostoli Sermone Dei testimoniis scripturae exhortatione lib. 6. Comment in Is cap. 14. Did loose those cords by the word of God and Testimonies of Scripture and exhortations unto vertues (b) Remjituntur peccata per Dei verbum de Abel Cain lib. 2. cap. 4. Saint Ambrose saith the same that sins are remitted by the word of God c. And so calls the Levite that interpreted the Law a Minister of remission As the Jewish Scribes by taking away this key of knowledge are said to shut up the Kingdom of heaven so a Scribe fitted for the Kingdome of God in the Ministery is a meanes by it to open the door of heaven to them by being an instrument to open mens eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins c. And by applying the word unto the consciences of their hearers the Ministers of Christ did discharge that part of their function which concerns forgivenesse of sins not only declaratively but operatively in as much as God is pleased to use their preaching of the Gospel as a meanes of conferring his spirit upon the sons of men and of working of faith and repentance whereby remission of sins is obtained thus John is said to have preached the Baptisme of repentance Mark 1.4 and to have given knowledge of salvation to the people for the remission of sins and Saint James cap. 5.20 saith he that converts a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and hide a multitude of sins This hiding or covering is meant forgivenesse as 't is accordingly set forth elsewhere Rom. 4.7 Jer. 31.28 blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered c. Now is there not as much offence in saying Ministers do save mens soules or save men from their sins the propriety of our Saviour as to say they forgive them their sins the turning men from their iniquities is Gods act alone according to the frequent prayer in the Prophets unto him first yet in regard the word of reconciliation is committed to them as the ordinary meanes of it by a usuall Trope of the Act of the agent given to the instrument it is attributed unto them of which might be given many instances Timothy 1 Ep. 1.4 is said to save them that hear him though there is but one Saviour because he preached the word of salvation by which they were saved Acts 12.14 the word of God preached by the Apostles is called by our Saviour their word John 17.20 and that which is properly the work of God is called their worke 1 Thes 5. The Corinthians who believed by Saint Pauls Ministery are said to be his Epistle i. e. the Epistle of Christ ministred by him as ye have it expounded in the next verse following And so why may not forgivenesse of sins be said to be the work of the Ministers i e. the work of Christ ministred by them being so far honoured as to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coworkers together with him According unto which is the judgement of Dr. Ward that Reverend and learned Professor of Divinity in Cambridge in that determination of his in Comitiis an 1637. mense Octob. Potestas clavium extenditur ad remissionem culpae where are many of the like observations which I found inclosed in a letter unto the Primate for his approbation where I find somewhat more then is in that which is printed viz. 80. Sic argumentatur Alensis part 4. q. 21. membr 1. Paris potestatis est interius baptizare à culpa mortali absolvere Sed Deus non debuit potestatem baptizandi interius communicare ne spes poneretur in homine ergo pari ratione non potestatem absolvendi ab actuali peccato fundamentum hujus rationis habetur apud Cyprianum de lapsis And the like may be said of the binding part of their office called here retaining of sins Do we not read how the Ministers are sometimes brought in like those seven Angels in the book of the Revelation which poure out the Vialls of Gods wrath upon the earth Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 10.6 he had vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience yet vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord what other sense can it be but this he is said to be the inflicter because he was in Christs name the denouncer even as Jeremiah cap. 1.10 is said to be set over the Nations and Kingdomes to pluck up and to pull down to destroy and to root out because God had put these words in his mouth and was ordained by him as a Prophet to pronounce destruction to them accordingly or as Ezekiel cap.