A Letter Unto them of the Romish Church, Treatise
THE Great Iubile and Pardon of full remiſsion for all true Chriſtians.
THe true pardon and remiſſion of all ſinnes is made … the aboundant mercy of God, who pardoneth vsus all our ſinnes by one alone Ieſus Chriſt in the ſhedding of his bloud.Luk. 1Mar. 14Ma. 1. 2. 6
For hee is the propitiation of all the ſinnes of the world, and hath manifeſted himſelfe by taking our fleſh vponupon him, alſo dying and bearing our ſinnes in his bodie to aboliſh them,Ephe. 1 (to the end hee might purge vsus from the ſinnes vntounto the which wee were bound) beleeuing in him who is the Lamb without ſpot once offered for all. In ſuch ſort as no oblation of ſacrifice is now anie more needfull heereafter to abſolue vsus from our ſinnes.Parali. 3 The which Lamb hath been made to vsus of God,Iohn 1 wiſedom, Iuſtice, ſanctification and redemption, by which he hath aboliſhed and whollie brought to nought our folly,Apoca. 1. 4 iniuſtice,Ro. 4. 1. abomination and obligation with wch God the father hath giuen vsus all things. VntoUnto which pardon he himſelf doth inuite vsus aſwel by his Prophets as by his Euangeliſts, ſaying; All yee that be athirſt com vntounto the great ſpring,Tim. 1 and who hauehave no monie make haſte to com,Iohn. 18 … buy yee, drin yee, and eate yee.
Item, If anie bee adrie, Let him come to mee and drink.
Item,Mat. 11. 28 Com vntounto me all ye that are wearie and heauis loden, and I will refreſh you.Iohn 16. 23 And for our aſſurance ſaith thus vntounto vsus: If your demande anie thing of my father in my name he will giuegive it you. And of whome the Apoſtle ſaith,Heb. 7 Wherefore alſo he can fully ſaue them which come neere vntounto him, alwayes lyuing to make interceſſion for them.Acts 4. Saint Peter ſaith there is no other name giuen vnderunder heauen vntounto men, by which wee muſt bee ſaued,Gala. 1 nor is there ſaluation in any other:2 Cor. 8 whereof the Bull followeth.
Theſe are the great Pardons and indulgences of full remiſsion of ſinne and puniſhment, giuen vntounto all the Church and Houſe of God, that is, to all faithfull Chriſtians, vnderunder heauen.
BY the authoritie and vertue of the Commaundements of our holie Father God the Creator our ſoveraigne Lord,Pſa. 109 & by Ieſus Chriſt our ſoueragine Paſtor & euerlaſting Biſhop,Mar. 16 you are commaunded and expreſly enionin'd by your holy obedience, that you reade,Luc. 9. 10 vnderſtand, & giuegive notice vntounto euerie one, of the great priuiledges, remiſſions, & pardons of ſin & puniſhment giune for euer by God the father,Pſal. 18 to al faithful & true ſeruants of Ieſus Chriſt who with al their hartes will render them ſelues vntounto him,Act. 3. 4. 5. 6 faithfullie beleeuing and hoping for euerlaſting life by his moſt precious bloud:Luc. 11. & 28 who hath ſent his Apoſtles through all the world to preach and declare his holie goſpell and good tidings conteyning the remiſſion of our ſinnes, confirming their wordes by miracles which the Lord wrought by them,Pſal. 37 by the which wee hauehave full Iubile & generall pardon of puniſhment and ſinne;Ier. 23 as his moſt holie Father had ordained euen before the creation of the world and promiſed by his Prophets;Gal. 3 That at all and euerie time and tymes, in all places & as often as we miſerable ſinners ſhall acknowledge our pouertie and ſinfulnes, beleeuing in him without doubting,Ioh. 5. 8 & crauing pardon of him, wee ſhall hauehave what wee deſire: and all to ſhew his maruelous bountie and merciemercy which hee intendeth towards vsus for his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt his ſake,Rom. 5. 9. 7. 8 & 12 how great ſinners ſoeuer we bee; who beeing mooued with pitty conſidering the bottomleſs gulfe of all euill in the which wee were held by the diuell,Pet. … and ſubjects and ſlaues vntounto him by our owne wills, did ſend his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt at that tyme which hee had appointed when all wickedneſſe raigned,Rom. 6 and that all the world through ſin were his mortall enimies;Epheſ. 3 and that to make vsus knowe what great charitie hee bore to vsus his enemies that we might bee iuſtified and made cleane by his bloud,Colloſ. 1 and to preſerue vsus from his great furie.Acts. 2. By the which Ieſus Chriſt our true Paſtor and Biſhop, the father of mercy hath opened the ineſtimable Treaſure of grace 1 Cor. 5and merciemercy 1 Pet. 1which is the Treaſure of all faithfull Chriſtians vnderunder Heauen, to the end that all thoſe which truſt and firmely beleeue that this bloud was ſpilt for the remiſſion of their ſinnes, might be ſaued and deliuered from the ſnares of the diuell.Gal. 1 And ſo hereafter in ſteed of ſinning wee might doe good works like vntounto our Redemers, in louing our neighbours yea euen our enemies, euen as Ieſus Chriſt hath loued vsus,Iam. 2 which were his enemies,Deut. 1 & therefore gaue himſelfe vntounto death for vsus;Leuit. 9 and that we ſhould bee helpfull vntounto all in all we can,Mat. 22 with as free and good a will as hee hath done good vntounto vsus, not hauing reſpect vntounto the rewarde, but onelie vntounto Ieſus Chriſt. And to the end ye ſhould not thinke that theſe Pardons and Indulgences bee falſe & counterfeit, we will hereafter following recite the witneſſes which were preſent when they were granted, beeing all credible perſons, and who were all expreſſly commanded to beare witneſſe therof vntounto all in generall.
The Witneſſes of the Premiſſes.
FIrſt, as concerning the ould Teſtament: Moyſes witneſſeth in his booke of Geneſis, and other following, in divers places, That by Ieſus Chriſt (of the ſeed of Abraham, Iſack, Iacob, Iuda, and Dauid) all people ſhall receiue bleſſing and ſaluation.
Item,Eſay. 19. 2 33. 35. 43. 18. & 53 Eſaie, Ieremie, Ioel, Michay, Malacky, doe witneſſe, That the ſaluation of Iſraell and of the elect people of God is in Ieſus Chriſt.Ioel. 2 Secondly,Mich. … that in the new Teſtament,Mala. 2 Saint Mathew witneſſeth that our great Biſhop Ieſus Chriſt ſaith, I am not come to bee ſerued, but to ſerue, and to giuegive my life for the redemption of manie. Item,Mat. 9. 20. & 26 Behould my bloud which ſhall bee for the remiſſion of ſinnes. Item, hee ſaid vntounto one ſicke of the Palſey that he ſhould beleeue in him,Mar. 9. & 16 and his ſinnes were forgiuen him. The like vntounto the ſick woman, vntounto the Leper, vntounto the Blind and others. Saint Marke witneſſeth alſo, that Ieſus ſaid vntounto the father of the Poſſeſſed, If thou canſt beleeue, all things are poſſible vntounto him that beleeueth. Item, in another place, Whoſoeuer will beleeue and bee baptiſed ſhall bee ſaued. And in manie other places, Saint Luke witneſſeth, ſaying: Bleſſed bee the Lord God of Iſraell: for hee hath viſited & redeemed his people.Luc. 12. 24 Item Behold I bring you tidings of great ioy vntounto all people, to wit, that this daie is borne the Sauiour which is Chriſt.Ioh. 13. 5 Item, it is written, So it behoued that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer death and riſe againe, and ſo enter into his glorie, and that men ſhould preach euerie where in his name repentance and forgiuneſs of ſinnes. Saint Iohn witneſſeth that Saint Iohn Baptiſt did publicklie approue Ieſus Chriſt, ſaying: Behould the Lamb of God which taketh awaie the finnes of the world. Item whoſoeuer belueeth in Ieſus Chriſt the ſon of God, he hath euerlaſting life. Item, Verclie I ſaie vntounto you, whoſoeuer heareth my word and beleeueth in him that ſent mee, hee hath euerlaſting life, and commeth not in to iudgment,1. Ioh. 2 but paſſeth for̄ death vntounto life.Apoc. 1 Item, Wee hauehave an aduocate vntounto God the father euen Ieſus Chriſt: and he is the propitation for our ſinnes, who hath loued and waſhed vsus from our ſins in his bloud. And in manie places of the goſpel, & in the Epiſtles of Saint Paul he witneſſeth in manie texts: & namely to the Hebrewes,Heb. 1. where hee ſaith, Ieſus purgeth awaie ſinne;Actas …. Saint Peter alſo ſaying: It is Ieſus Chriſt by whome wee hauehave remiſſion of our ſinnes.
Concluſion of theſe Pardons.
OVr holie father God the creatour, who euer hath been and ſhall bee: hath confirmed all the graces,Iudith 1 pardons and priuiledges of thoſe reuerend Legats aboue mentioned: and excommunicateth all hinderers, murmurers and gainſayers of thoſe ſaid pardons and indulgences.Deut. 18. Hee which ſhall not heare my great Prophet,Gal. 1 ſhall bee raced out of the booke of life. And Saint Paul: If we or an Angell from Heauen preach anie other thing then that which wee hauehave declared and preached, let him be accurſed. And therfore we recō mend vntounto you this noble and moſt certaine pardon:Iam. 2. for it is that true pardon which maie be got without gold or ſiluer by a liuelie faith which kindleth a charitie in all thoſe which attaine vntounto it, and ſtirreth them vp to giuegive almes vntounto all in want, and render to each one that which appertaineth vntounto them:Phil. 4 vntounto this alſo tendeth the lawe and the Prophets.
Giuen in the ſupreame & ſoueraine Court of Paradiſe, euer ſince the firſt beginning of the world.
FINIS.
End of the text · Peter du Moulin Jr, A Letter Unto them of the Romish Church (1621)