Rejoinder to Bristows Reply, Part 1 · Chapter 9 · Section 6
6 About the sacrament of penance. Absolution.Bristowe
About the sacrament of penance, the Popish Church Fulke.saith foure thinges: first that by the Priestes absolution, the guilt of sinne and eternall paines due for it are taken away, but one houres torment in Purgatorie, as the master of the sentences teacheth, is not taken away therby, and Allen confesseth (Bristowe saith) it auaileth to take away the torments of hell. But Allen Purg. 167. requiring submission to Gods ministers for absolution, giueth them in most ample manner a commission of executing Christes office in earth, both for pardoning and punishing of sinne: that suffering here in his Church sentence and iust iudgement for his offences, he may the rather escape our fathers greeuous chastisement in the life to come. Thus Allen is cleane contrarie to Bristowe, and himselfe, and left naked in this place, as almost in all places, by Bristowe, who would seeme to take vponupon him his defence.
The second thing is temporall debt, remaining after absolution. Touching this matter, I said Purg. 42. That Augustine saith of the deathes of Moses and Aaron, that they were signes of things to come, not punishments of Gods displeasure. Quaest. in Num. lib. 4. cap. 53. Here Bristowe complayneth of my synceritie, and rehearseth the wordes before. When it is said to them, that they should be gathered to their people: It is manifest, that they be not in the wrath of God, which separateth from ye peace of the holy eternall societie. Thereby it is manifest, that also their deathes were signes of thinges to come, & not punishments of Gods indignation. What want of synceritie is here, except there be so great difference betweene indignation and displeasure? But Bristowe cauilleth of the wrath that separateth for euer, as though they were in a wrath that separateth for a time. Yet the scripture presseth, where God saide you shall die, because you did not beleeue me. This was no satisfaction for their temporall debt remaining after absolution, wherof the question is, but a fatherly correction to them, and an example vntounto other. Yea such a correction as was a greater benefite, namely to be receiued into the eternall land of promise, then the punishment was, that they should not enter into the earthly possession.
Likewise I reported, that Augustine Cont. Faust. Lib. 22. Cap. 67. and De Pecc. mer. ac rem. Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith that the punishment laide vponupon Dauid after …his adultery remitted, was the chastisment of Gods fatherly scourge. Bristowe asketh, if it be no punishment, because it is a scourge? yes verily: and whether it be not for sinne? yes truly. But neuer the sooner a temporall debt remaining after absolution, when it is the scourge of a fathers chastisement. For I chastice not my childe, that his punishment should satisfie any part of his fault, but to keepe him in humility, and feare for committing the like, and for example to the rest of my family, as wise a father and diuine as Bristowe will esteme me. And how can Bristowe defend Augustine against the Pelagians, shewing why death that came in by sinne, stil remaineth euen vponupon them whose original sinnes he confesseth to be so fully forgiuen in baptisme, yt they owe nothing, neither eternally nor temporally for them: if death in such, be any temporall debt, remaining after absolution, when he will hauehave the fatherly scourge of God to be a punishment to satisfie the debt of sinne.
But for a contradictorie of Allens assertion, I cited out of Chrysostome in Rom. Ho. 8. where there is forgiuenesse, there is no punishment. Bristow saith, he speaketh of the forgiuenesse in baptisme to a Iewe: Allen of forgiuenesse in penance. But he may not creepe out at that hole, it is too straight for him. Chrysostome speaketh generally, wheresoeuer there is forgiuenesse, there is no punishment, yea he saith, Vbi gratia ibi & venia, where grace is, there is forgiuenesse therefore if there be grace in penance there is forgiuenesse, and where there is forgiuenesse, there shalbe no punishment: neither doth Chrysostome in that place speake a word, either of Iewe, or Baptisme, but of all Christians escaping by grace, the wrath which the lawe worketh, and beeing made heires of the promise by faith.
The third thing is satisfaction, against which, Bristow saith, I alledged Chrysostome, and Ambrose so fondly, that the wordes which I alledge will declare, Chrysost. De Compunct. Cord. lib. 1. Non requirit, &c. God requireth not the burthen of shirts of haire, nor to be shutte vp in the streightes of a little cell, neither doth he commaunde vsus to sitte in obscure and darke caues: This onelyonly is that which is required of vsus, that we alwayes remember our sinnes. He requireth onelyonly compunction of the heart, therefore he requireth no workes of satisfaction, neither those, nor any other. Bristow will see nothing, but the streight mourning of Monkes. The worde onelyonly is so litle for his purpose, that he cannot see it. And when he hath praised this mourning as much as he can, Chrysostome saith it is besides Gods commandement.
To the place of Ambrose in Luc. 22. lib. 10. He saith of Peter. I read of his teares, I reade not of his satisfaction. Bristowe replyeth, that he saith immediatly before, I finde not what he said, I finde that he wept. Wherevpon he will gather, both confession, and satisfaction necessarie. I would faine see that collection in a syllogisme.
Surely if they were both necessarie, S. Peter, by iudgement of Ambrose, lacked two necessarie pointes of repentance, which Iudas had, and yet obteyned not forgiuenesse: But teares (saith he) are a speciall kinde of confession and satisfaction. And yet where Ambrose sayeth, they obteine pardon, Bristowe saith, they are not sufficient: so that Peter weeping, hauing beside his inward contrition a speciall kinde of confession and satisfaction, had not yt which wold serue. But Br. leauing this place as obscure, referreth vsus to a plain place. Ad vir. Lap. c. 8. For a passing great crime, is necessary a passing great satisfactiō. wherto I answered before, yt an heinous offēce must be earnestly bewailed, if the repentāce be not coū terfet, Brist. saith, He doubted not of her repentance to be vnfeined. What thē? He exhorteth her to continue her repentance, not for satisfaction to God, whose iustice cānot be sa…isfied by mans worke, but by her earnest sorrowe, to satisfie the Church which was offended by her whoredome.
The fourth thing is pardons, whereof Bristowe speaketh as he doth commonly, with wonderfull confusion. I saide the olde satisfaction was in respect of the offence vntounto the Church, and not to satisfie the iustice of God, which is not satisfied but by the death of Christ. The penance enioyned by the Church, vponupon good consideration, might be and often was released by the Church, as appeareth by many places of Cyprian, which Bristowe citeth and many other, but not by the Bishop only, and this release or remission, was called indulgence or pardon, which is no more like to Popish pardons, then the creaking of a goose, is like the songe of a swanne. But as for pardoning of sinne, they affirmed that it was proper to God, as Ambrose to the virgine. Sticke to penance euen to the end of thy life, and presume not that pardon may be giuen thee of mans day, for he deceiueth thee that so promiseth the. For thou yt hast in speciall sinned against the Lorde, it is meete that of him only thou looke for remedy in the day of iudgement. Bristowe saith, He did binde her to penance all her life, bidding her not to hope for any pardon at his hand, as he bounde the Emperour Theodosius indefinitely, and loosed him after eight moneths penance, with a pardon. Who seeth not, quoth Bristow, that all this maketh plainly for pardons?
But Ambrose telleth her, not, that he would not pardon her, but that no man can pardon the offence committed against God, and that if the Pope himselfe should promise to pardon her, he should but deceiue her. And yet the Church might pardon the offence and slander where with they were iustly offended, by her whoredome, and restore her to the Communion, as I doubt not but they did; although she should continue her repentance, al the daies of her life, & when Ambrose did binde and loose the Emperor, he did only vse the discipline of the Church, to bring him to repentance, that God might forgiue his sinnes, not that he might make satisfaction for ye slaughter of 7000. men, of whom the greatest part were innocents by 8. moneths penance, but after such time, seeing him to be sorrowfull in deede, receiued him againe into the communion. The place of Cyprian In Sermon. de Lapsis is very cleare to shewe that God and not man, forgiueth the sinnes. Let no man deceiue himselfe, let no man beguile himselfe, only our Lord can giuegive mercy, only he can graunt pardon to sinnes, as beeing committed against him, who hath borne our sinnes, who hath suffered sorrow for vsus, whom God hath deliuered for our sinnes. Man cannot be greater then God, neither can the seruant by his indulgence remitt or …orgiue that which by so greate offence, is committed against the Lorde, least this offence also be added to him, that is fallen, if he knowe not that it is foreshewed, Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man. Our Lorde must be entreated, our Lorde must be pacified, with our satisfaction, which saith, he doth denie that man that denieth him.
Against this so plaine a place: Bristowe cauelleth, that he speaketh to impenitents, that trusted also in laie mens pardons: which is false, for they were not altogether impenitent, but not sufficiently repentant, neither did they trust in laie mens pardons, but without dewe repentance tried, made hast to be reconciled by entreaty of the Martyrs, yet with the hurtfull facility of the priests, whereof Cyprian complaineth: Sic oportet Dei Sacerdotem: So it behoueth the priest of God not to deceiue with the deceiuable ye…lding, but to prouide with wholesome remedies. As for the pardons whose antiquity Bristowe would hauehave to be noted, were not pardons of sinnes, but release of time of separation enioined by the Church to shewe repentance for their sinnes, as I declared before. Which is euen as auncient as the Gospell, whereas popish pardons Apoena & culpa, are of a much newer stampe, and contrary to the auncient custome in the giuers, for they were geuen by the whole Church, in the persons, for they were giuen to men a liue only, in the time, for they were giuen but of a short time of penance enioyned in this life, and not of so many thousand yeares, &c. in the thing released, for they were neither pardons of punishment, nor of sinne dewe to Gods iustice, but of time of satisfaction to be made to the Church, when the Church was otherwise satisfied.