A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 122 – Section 129
§. 122. Of Popiſh Satisfaction.
DEteſtable in this reſpect are many poſitions of Papiſts concerning mans ſatisfaction for ſinne, by puniſhments voluntarily vndertaken,Concil. Trid. §. 14 de oper. ſatisfact. cap. 9. or impoſed by Prieſts, or inflicted by God: and concerning the merit of workes whereby the guilt of temporall puniſhment for ſinne may be remoued.
Some of the chiefeſt of thoſe poſitions I will ſet downe in the words of their great Champion: becauſe the very expreſſion of them is a ſufficient refutation of them.
The Councell of Trent doth teach that God is ſatisfied three wayes,Bellarm. de Poenit. lib. 4. cap. 4. By bearing patiently the puniſhments and ſcourges which are inflicted by God,Concilium Tridentinū docet tribus modis Deo ſatufieri, Poen… & flagella à deo immiſſa patienter ferends, opera laborioſa ſponte aſſumendo, & mulctam ſacerdotum arbitrio iniunctam ſubeundo. Satisfactio noſtra requiritur, vt iniuria deo facta compenſetur, & diuina iuſtitiae ſatisfiat. Debemus ſatisfacere per ea bona quae noſtra ſunt. Satisfactio condigna eſſe debet, & eam proportionē c̄ peccato exigere, vt verè per eam offenſio cōpenſetur Per opera poenalia verè ac propriè deo ſatisfit pro reatu paenae qui poſt culpam dimiſſam remanet expiandus. Accedente gratia dei verè poſſumus aliquo modo ex proprijs, & ad aequalitatem, ac per hoc iuſte, & ex condigno ſatisfacere. Habemus opera propria & indebita quibus pro iniuria ſatisfaciamus. By vndertaking of our owne accord laborious workes, and By vndergoing the penaltie impoſed by the cenſure of Prieſts.
Our Satisfaction is required,Ibid. cap. 9. that the wrong done to God may be recompenſed, and the diuine iuſtice ſatisfied.
We muſt ſatisfie by thoſe good workes which are ours.Ibid. cap. 6.
Satisfaction muſt be worthy,Ibid. cap. 9. and it muſt keepe ſuch a proportion with ſinne, as the offence may be truly recompenſed by it.
By paenall workes ſatisfaction is made to God,Ibid. cap. 7. truly and properly for that guilt of puniſhment which remaineth to be expiated after the fault is forgiuen.
Gods grace aſſiſting,Ibid. we may after a certaine manner truly ſatisfie out of that which is our owne, euen to equalitie, and in that reſpect iuſtly and of deſert.
We hauehave workes of our owne,Ibid. whereunto wee are not bound, by which wee may ſatisfie for wrong done to God.
Our workes as they come from the Spirit of Chriſt dwelling in vsus hauehave a certaine infiniteneſſe,Ibid. and thereby alſo a certaine equalitie with the wrong whereby wee had troubled God by ſinning.
Full remiſſion of ſinne,Ibid. cap. 15. ſo much as concerneth all guilt of puniſhment,Opera noſtra vtà Spiritu Chriſti in nobis habtant procedunt, quandam habent infinitatem, ac per hoc etiam quandam aequalitatem cum iniuria qua deum peccando affeceramus. Plena peccati remiſſio, quoad omnem poenae reatum, premium eſt bonorum operum quae ſatisfactoria dici ſolent. Opera laborioſa proſunt ad culpae remiſſimem, & mortis aeternae liberationem. is the reward of thoſe good workes which are wont to be called ſatisfactorie.
Laborious workes are profitableIbid. cap. 12. for remiſſion of ſinne, and for deliuerance from eternall death.
If by theſe and ſuch like poſitions, that which is due to the all ſufficient ſatisfaction of Chriſt be not attributed to man, let any indifferent reader iudge. Can the things which in theſe poſitions are auouched, of recompencing wrong done to God, of ſatisfying the diuine iuſtice, of a condigne, or worthy ſatisfaction, of ſatisfying truely and properly, to an equalitie, iuſtly, condignely, and that out of our owne workes whereunto we are not bound, of a certaine infiniteneſſe of our workes, and a certaine equalitie with the wrong whereby wee hauehave troubled God by ſinning, of full remiſſion of ſinne to bee the reward of fatisfactorie workes, of the profit of laborious workes for remiſſion of ſinne, and deliuerance from eternall death, Can theſe things ſtand with Gods infinite iuſtice, with mans diſabilitie to any good thing, with mans vnworthineſſe, and with the imperfection of mans beſt workes? Then may light and darkneſſe in their moſt extreme degrees, then may the Arke of God, and Dagon, then may Grace and Workes ſtand together: and yet the Apoſtle ſaith, If by grace, Rom. 11. 6.then it is no more of workes, otherwiſe grace is no more grace. But if of workes, then it is no more grace, otherwiſe worke is no more worke.
They alleadge for grounds of the worth of mens workes that,
1. They come from the Spirit of Chriſt.
2. Chriſt giueth the vertue of ſatisfaction to mens workes.
3. Mans ſatisfaction is not for the fault, but for the puniſhment.
4. The puniſhment for which man ſatisfyeth, is not eternall, but temporall.
To theſe I briefely anſwer, that
1. Though the worke of the Spirit bee pure in it ſelfe, yet comming from vsus it receiueth a tincture: As water that comming from a pure fountaine paſſeth thorow a foule chanell. Beſides, the Spirit worketh according to the capacitie of the obiect,1. Cor. 13. 12. not all fulneſſe and perfection at the firſt, but in part, by degrees.
2. For Chriſt to giuegive the vertue of ſatisfaction to mens workes, is to make men Prieſts, and Sauiours: which offices are his glory.Iſa. 42. 8. But he will not giuegive his glory to others.
3. The fault being diſcharged by Chriſt, the puniſhment is alſo thereby diſcharged.Sublata cauſa tollitur effectus. For the fault is the cauſe of puniſhment. Take away the cauſe, the effect followeth and falleth away. As God ſaid to Adam of the forbidden fruit,Gen. 2. 17, 2. Sam. 12. 13. In the day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye the d…ath: ſo Nathan ſaid to Dauid, The Lord hath put away thy ſinne, thou ſhalt not die. His ſinne being remitted, the puniſhment was remoued.
4. That ſatisfaction which taketh away the greater puniſhment, by iuſt conſequence taketh away the leſſe. If temporall puniſhment as well as eternall were not diſcharged by Chriſts ſatisfaction, it were not complete, but an imperfect ſatisfaction.
But howſoeuer Papiſts being preſt by our vnanſwerable arguments, to auoid them, doe vſe the forenamed diſtinctions of ſatisfying for the puniſhment, & no the fault, for the temporal, and not for the eternal puniſhment: yet in their fore-named Poſitions they apply mans ſatisfaction to the recompencing of wrong dene to God, to diuine iuſtice, to remiſſion of ſin, and to deliuerance from eternall death; and thereupon they attribute thereunto a certaine infiniteneſſe, and equalitie to the wrong wherewith by ſinning we hauehave troubled God. O blaſphemie!
§. 123. Of humiliation and abnegation.
AS the greatneſſe of the debt wherein man ſtandeth obliged to God, ſo alſo mans impotencie, and impoſſibilitie to diſcharge it, aggrauateth that wretched eſtate whereinto man by ſinne is implunged, and giueth him much more occaſion, and matter of humiliation. If there were iuſt cauſe to weepe much, Reu. 5. 4.becauſe no man was found worthy to open the ſealed Booke; how much more cauſe of weeping and mourning is there, that no man is able to cancell the Bils and Bonds whereby wee ſtand indebted to God, or any way to diſcharge that debt?
Hath not man in this reſpect iuſt cauſe alſo to deny himſelfe, and as a ſelfe-condemning Debter and Malefactor to caſt himſelfe downe before the Mercy-Seat of God, and to craue mercy and forgiueneſſe,Math. 18. 26. as that ſeruant in the Parable who had nothing to pay?
§. 124. Of the remiſſibleneſſe of ſinne.
Q. VVHat doctrine doth praying for pardon of the debt of ſinne afford?
A. Sinne is remiſſible. If it could not be pardoned, it were altogether in vaine to pray for forgiueneſſe. Chriſt would neuer hauehave directed and incited vsus to pray for that which is not poſſible to obtaine.Mat. 7. 7. He ſtirreth vsus vp to aske, ſeeke, and knocke, on theſe grounds, It ſhall be giuen you, Yee ſhall finde, It ſhall be opened vntounto you.
The true reaſons hereof are:
1. The free grace of God.Epheſ. 1. 7.
2. The price that Chriſt hath paid for this debt.1. Pet. 1. 19.
The knowledge hereof doth
1. Miniſter good ground of much comfort to poore ſinners that groane vnderunder the heauy burden of ſinne.Math. 9. 2.
2. Embolden ſinners in faith to ſeeke pardon.1. Ioh. 1 9.
3. Prouoke and encourage them to turne from ſinne.Ezek. 33. 11.
Q. What doctrine may further be gathered from the application of forgiueneſſe,Pſal. 103. 3. to debts in the plurall number?Quia fidelibus oratio iſta conuemat, & Eccleſiae regula ipſa teſtatur, & ipſius erationis exordium. Chryſ. hom. 20. in Math 6.
All the ſinnes of the faithfull are remiſſible. I ſay, of the faithfull, becauſe they who hauehave right to ſay to God, Our Father, (which the faithfull who are ſonnes of God onelyonly hauehave) are taught thus to pray, and becauſe they by the continuall and powerfull aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit ſhall bee kept from falling into the onelyonly vnpardonable ſinne, the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
As the free grace of God, and the price which Chriſt hath paid are the cauſes, that ſinne is pardonable: ſo the infinite riches of that grace,Numb. 14. 19. 1. Ioh. 1. 7. aud the all-ſufficiencie of that price are the cauſes that all manner of ſinnes are likewiſe pardonable.
Let no ſinne therefore keepe vsus from ſeeking pardon.Qui orare nos pro peccatis docuit paternam miſericordiam promiſit, et veniam ſecuturam. Cypr. de Orat. Dom. §. 16. Well note the gracious inuitation of the Lord, Iſay 1. 18. He that hath taught vsus to pray for pardon of ſinne, hath promiſed fatherly mercy and pardon to follow thereupon.
Of theſe two points, that Sinne, and that eueryevery ſinne is remiſſible: See in my Treatiſe of the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt. §. 5. & 6.
§. 125. Of Gods Prerogatiue in forgiuing ſinne.
Q. TO whom is this Petition for forgiueneſſe of ſinne directed.
A, To God. For eueryevery Petition hath relation to the Preface, and to him that is there deſcribed, which is God onelyonly.
Q. What may thence be gathered?
A. 1. God hath power to remit ſinnes.Debitorum remiſſio proprium ac peculiare Dei munus & officium eſt. Greg. Nyſſ. l. de Orat. Mar. 2. 7.
2. God onelyonly hath that power.
As here, ſo eueryevery where in Scripture we are directed to goe to God for pardon: but no where throughout the whole Scripture to any other. The Iewes ſo firmely held theſe doctrines as they accounted it blaſphemie for any to arrogate that power to himſelfe.
EueryEvery ſinne, 1. Ioh. 3. 4.as a ſinne is a breach of Gods Law: and in that reſpect committed againſt him, though it be alſo a wrong done to man. Now God being a ſupreme Lord ouer all, who can bee imagined to hauehave power to forgiue tranſgreſſions againſt him, and his Law?
1. This Prerogatiue ſheweth that Chriſt is true God.Chriſt true God. Had not Chriſt beene God, the Scribes had iuſtly accuſed him of blaſphemie for taking vponupon him to forgiue ſinne.Mar. 2. 5, &c. Chriſt therefore in anſwering their ſlander doth not deny their principle, that God onelyonly can forgiue ſinne, but by a viſible demonſtration proueth himſelfe to be the True God, and thereby diſcouereth their miſ-application of that true principle, whereby they denied to him who was true God, his Prerogatiue, and in accuſing Chriſt of blaſphemie, they themſelues were impious blaſphemers.
§. 126. Of Papiſts blaſphemie in giuing to men power to forgiue ſinnes.
2. THe Pope aſſuming this Prerogatiue to himſelfe,Bonif. 8. in Extravag. Antig. Ioh. de Turrecr. in coment. dict. 1. de poenil. doth thereby ſhew himſelfe to be plaine Antichriſt. For as by his flatterers there is giuen to him, ſo hee aſſumeth to himſelfe a power of granting Indulgences, Releaſes and Pardons for ſinnes paſt,… plenaria, ple…iar, pleniſſima. preſent, and to come: and of theſe ſome are full, ſome more full and ſome moſt full releaſes. Yea ſome of theſe Releaſes and, Indulgences are oft extended to more yeares to come,See §. 111. then can be imagined that the world ſhall continue.
3. The power of abſolution which is alſo giuen by the Church of Rome is derogatorie to the fore-named Prerogatiue of God, and in that reſpect blaſphemous. For by the a§. 14. de. Abſol. c. 6. Can. 9.Councill of Trent it is decreed, not to be a miniſteriall declaration, but a iudiciall act of forgiuing. Whereupon they inferre thatbVt flatus extinguit ignem, & diſſipat nebulas, ſic Abſolutio Sacerdotis peccata diſpergit. Bellar. de Poen. l. 3. c. 2. as winde doth blow out a flame, and driue away clouds, ſo the abſolution of a Prieſt doth put away ſinne: and that thereby cIbid. l. 4. c. 9.both the fault, and alſo eternall puniſhment is remitted: and that many are damned becauſe they die before they are abſolued of a Prieſt. What is this but to make Prieſts Gods?
§. 127. Of confeſſion of ſinne to God and Man.
THe forenamed Prerogatiue of God doth plainely ſhew that Auricular confeſſion, Auricular confeſſion.as Papiſts enioyne it, is not abſolutely neceſſarie. For they hold that a particular confeſſion of all a mans ſinnes which he can call to minde is neceſſarily to bee made in the eare of a Prieſt,Concil. Trid. §. 14. c. 5. Can. 6, 7, 8. and that vponupon paine of damnation. We deny not a neceſſitie of Confeſſion. For without confeſſion of ſin, no remiſſion,ePro 28. 13. 1. Ioh. 1. 8, 9. no abſolution can be expected. But this abſolute neceſſitie muſt bee applied to confeſſion vntounto God, whoſe Prerogatiue it is to forgiue ſinne. Yea further we acknowledge a neceſſitie of confeſſion to man: and that both publikely and priuately: and both theſe either vponupon iniunction by authoritie, or vponupon a mans owne voluntarie motion. Publike confeſſion is to be made of ſinnes publikely committed, whereby publike offence is giuen, or publike detriment and damage made. In this caſefIoſ, 19, 20. Ioſhua enioyned Achan to confeſſe his ſinne, and he confeſſed it. BecauſegAct. 5. 8, 9. Saphira refuſed to make confeſſion, being required of Peter to doe it, ſhe was ſuddenly ſtrucke with death?hAct. 19. 18. They of Epheſus that had been notorious ſinners voluntarily made publike confeſſion of their ſinnes. Priuate confeſſion is to be made alſo in three caſes. 1. When one in authoritie requireth it, asi2. King. 5. 25. Eliſha required his ſeruant Gehazi to doe it. 2. WhenkMath. 5 24. priuate wrong is done, or offence giuen to one. 3. When a ſinne burdeneth the conſcience: on which grouudl2. Sam. 12. 13. Iam. 5. 16. Dauid made confeſſion to Nathan: and Saint Iames exhorteth all Chriſtians to confeſſe their ſinnes one to another, that ſo they may receiue the more comfort by mutuall prayer and direction. In this caſe choiſe muſt be made of ſuch perſons as are fit to hauehave ſecrets made knowne to them, and able to helpe and eaſe a burthened conſcience. Such are men of vnderſtanding, diſcretion, wiſedome and experience, yea ſuch as are faithfull, and pitifull, and beare a louing heart toward the partie that commeth to them for comfort. Among others, Miniſters are in two reſpects moſt fit. 1. Becauſe by their dayly ſtudie and practiſe they are moſt acquainted with the temptations of Satan, diſpoſitions of people, and conſolations of Gods Word. 2. Becauſe by vertue of their miniſteriall function,2. Cor. 5. 18, 20. being Ambaſſadours for Chriſt, and hauing the ministerie of reconciliation giuen to them, the patient may with more aſſuredneſſe apply to his ſoule the promiſes which they pronounce.
But neceſſarily to tye eueryevery Chriſtian, vponupon paine of damnation, to make confeſſion of all the ſinnes whereof hee knoweth himſelfe to be guiltie, to the Prieſt vnderunder whoſe charge hee is, bee hee neuer ſo ignorant, or lewd, is without all warrant of Gods Word, and againſt common ſence and reaſon.
§. 128. Of confeſſing ſinne to God, and ſeeking pardon of him.
5 FOr the maine dutie which ariſeth from the fore-mentioned doctrine concerning Gods Prerogatiue in forgiuing ſinne, let vsus not dare to hide our ſinne from God, asaGen. 3. 7, 8. Adam ſought to doe, but humbly and penitently confeſſe the ſame,Iob 31. 33. asbPſal. 32. 5.—51. 1, &c. Dauid, and other Saints of God from time to time hauehave done. This dutie is to be done not ſo much to make our ſinnes knowne to God (For hee knoweth them whether wee confeſſe them or no) as to ſhew that wee our ſelues know them,Neh. 9. 3. take notice of them,Ezr. 9. 6, &c. feele the burden of them,Dan. 9. 4, &c. are grieued for them, hate them, deſire to bee freed from them, and truely repent of them. Thus will God bee moued to take pitie of vsus, and to bee mercifull to our ſinnes. God is not like man who taketh aduantage from the delinquents confeſſion, according to the Prouerbe, Confeſſe and bee hanged, but rather from thence taketh occaſion to ſhew mercy. In relation to God, this may well come into a Prouerbe, Confeſſe and bee ſaued. For if wee confeſſe our ſinnes, 1. Ioh. 1. 9.hee is faithfull and iuſt to forgiue vsus our ſinnes.
§. 129. Of going to God for Pardon.
6. GOds Prerogatiue to forgiue ſinne doth further embolden vsus to goe to him, and to him onelyonly for pardon of ſinne. In that ſinne is remiſſible, and may bee pardoned, we hauehave encouragement to ſeeke for pardon. In that it is God that forgiueth, wee are directed to ſeeke pardon of him. I, euen I am hee, Iſa. 43. 25.that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions, ſaith the Lord. And well wee may be glad that hee reſerueth this prerogatiue to himſelfe. For of whom can wee with greater confidence expect to receiue this gracious fauour then of him, who is full of compaſſion, Pſal. 103. 8.and gracious, ſlow to wrath, and plenteous in mercy. Ier, 2. 13. Fateor quia peccaui, & conſcientia mea nou ſufficit ad ſatisfactionem. Sed certum eſt quod miſeri cordia tua ſuperat omnem offenſionem. Aug. Medit. cap. 39.Let vsus not therefore leaue this fountaine of liuing water, and goe to broken ceſternes that can hold no water. As wee deſire to bee diſcharged of the debt of ſinne, ſo let vsus ſeeke this diſcharge of him that is able and ready to giuegive it. Though we can make no ſatisfaction, yet his mercy ſurpaſſeth all our offences.