The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 44
VERSE 48, 49, 50. Text. And hee ſaid unto Her, Thy Sinnes are forgiven thee, And they ſaid, &c.
Here we have a comfortable Application made by our bleſſed Saviour unto the woman, of that which before he had told Simon: Wherin conſider we, Firſt, Her Abſolution, verſ. 48, 49. Secondly, Her Diſmiſſion, verſ. 50.
In Her Abſolution, we have: Firſt, the Sentence pronounced, verſ. 48. Secondly, an Exception made againſt it, ver. 49.
In the former, we note.
1. The Perſon abſolving [He ſaid thy ſins are forgiven.]
2. The Perſon abſolved [unto her thy ſinnes, &c.] From the Perſon abſolving, we learne,
Doct. The power of Abſolution and Remiſſion of ſins is a power belonging unto Chriſt: His it is
Iſay. 43.12. Luk. 5.21, 24. Matth. 9.6. Revel. 3. & 1.18.
If you aske me, how Chriſt came by it, ſeeing none can forgive ſin but God, I anſwer
Firſt, He had it by Commiſſion from God; it was A Power given him by His Father, as hee himſelfe ſaith.
Secondly, By meanes of the Ʋnion of the God-head and Manhood into one Perſon, he had this Power: As he was God he had it of Himſelfe; as he was Man he had it by virtue of the Ʋnion from God.
Object. But the Apoſtles had, and the Miniſters of the Goſpell have this Power, for ſo we read, Mat. 16.19 which words, though in that place directed to S. Peter, becauſe he by that Confeſſion which he made in the verſes before, gave occaſion to our Saviour of mentioning this Prerogative, and power of the Church, yet they were intended for all the Apoſtles (and in them for all Miniſters ſucceſſively) as appeareth, Matth. 18.18. Ioh. 20.23. In both which places he uſeth the plurall number; and by a ſolemne Ceremony of brea…hing upon them (as S. Iohn ſhews) he inv…ſted them all with this Authority.
Reſp. They have ſo, but their Power was not Primitive, but Derivative, not Abſolute, but Delegate; in their owne name they do it not, but in the Name of their Lord and Maſter, 2 Cor. 5.18. 2 Cor. 2.10. God pardons foreign, The Miniſter onelyonly, foreign: In reſpect of ſupre ame authority in God, this Power is authoritativè, he pardons in dependenter and ex authoritate primaria. In Chriſt this power is ſaid to be excellenter, becauſe he hath by his blood ſet open the Kingdome of Heaven for all beleevers; and he pardons ex commiſſione, by a ſecond and derived authority. In Man this Power is ministerialiter, he pardons by a miniſteriall publication of the word of Pardon (the power of which we ſhall in the next Point ſhew.)
Object. But other men are bound to forgive, as well as Miniſter, ſo we find, Matth. 18. If you forgive not, ſaith CHRIST, neither will my Father forgive you.
Reſp. In one and the ſame act there may be a Trespaſſe againſt man, and a Sinne againſt God (as was in Davids Adultery and murther) men may, yea muſt forgive the treſpaſſe and wrong offered to themſelves; But the Sinne againſt God, they have not to meddle with.
The Rhemiſts in their annotations upon this place charge us (who are Heretiques in their language) with denying the Church this power of remiting ſins by Chriſts Authority.Rhem Annot. in Luc. 7.Vid. Chem. Exā Conc. Trid p. 2. p. 221.
Concerning Abſolution both Publike and Private, agreeable to the Scriptures,D. White in his Orthodox way p. 272. both in the outward Diſcipline of the Church, and in the Miniſtery of the Word and Sacraments, and Remiſſion of ſinnes conferred God therein, we in the Church of England, with other Proteſtant Churches do maintaine and juſtifie: But for their Popiſh Abſolution (being diſſonant from the Scriptures, and as they uſe it, no way thereby warranted) we diſavow: For,
Firſt, They ſay, that their Biſhops and Prieſts, Poteſtas ligandi & ſolvendi non minor eſt in Eccleſiâ, quàm fuit in Chriſto? Cuſanus Chriſtus Petro vices ſuas tradidit, ipſam que cla vem excellentiae, Maldon. Rhem. Annot. in Ioh. 20. Sect. 3. & 5.have full right to remit ſinne, and that not only as Miniſters and Diſpenſers, but they have full power as Chriſt had; nor is that Power leſſe in the Church then it was in Chriſt: They have the ſame Power of excellencie (they ſay) with him. And he that doubteth of this (ſay the Rhemiſts) may as well doubt, whether Chriſt had authority as man to forgive ſin.
We teach (as before was ſaid) that the Miniſters Power is but Miniſteriall: And for any mortall man to challenge to themſelves ſuch a Power as they ſpeak off, is a high preſumption againſt God. And if it be as the Phariſees held it to be (and as indeed it is) Blaſphemy to attribute forgiveneſſe of ſins to any but to God, we may be excuſed though we ſhould ſay that with Rabſekah, they have blaſphemed the living God in thus ſpeaking.
Secondly, They ſay,Suarez. 3. D. 9 §. Bellar. de paenit. l 3. c. 2. that their Prieſts forgive ſinne by the words of Abſolution, in ſuch a manner as Chriſt wrought miracles, and forgave ſinne by his voice, Iohn 11.43. Per veram & phyſicam efficientiam, by a true and phyſicall efficiency, reaching to the very production of Grace, and diſſolution and deſtruction of ſin; including the Power of it within certain words and ſyllables.
We ſay, That the Miniſter doth forgive, as he is ſaid to ſave or to give Repentance, and Faith, 1 Cor. 9.22. 1 Tim. 4.16. GOD uſeth their Miniſtery, whereby they coapt and prepare ſinners that they may be capable of Salvation, by working in them ſuch diſpoſitions of Faith and Repentance (through the preaching of the Goſpell) as are required in thoſe that ſhall be ſaved: Now this is not done by a bare pronouncing of words and ſyllables, but by the effectuall working of the Spirit of God. In which reſpect he is pleaſed to account of his Miniſters as Co-workers with him. And herein do ſome of the Principall Schoolemen joyne with us,Pag. 273. as D. White in his Orthodox hath learnedly ſhewed.
Thirdly, In this Point of Abſolution they fayle, whilſt they hold, that at the will and pleaſure of every Prieſt, exerciſing the Keyes on Earth; men are bound and looſed in Heaven: This they ground on the generality of the words,Abſolutio ex cauſa falſa valet, Emman Sa. Aphoriſ. in ver. Excom. Ioh. 20.23. Whoſe-ſoever ſinnes you remit they are remitted, And Matth. 18.18. Whatſoever you bind on Earth ſhall be bound in Heaven. So that ſay they let the cauſe be falſe, or Abſolution unjust, Abſolutio injuſta valet. Tolet de Inſtruct. Sacer l 1 c. 14. Quomodo Sacer dos mundum leproſum non facit, ſic Epiſcopus vel Presbiter non alligat eos qui inſontes ſūt, nec ſolvit noxi os, ſed pro officio Sacerdotali, cū peccatoram varietates audierit, ſcit qui ligandus, qui ſolvendus ſit. Hierōyet it is available.
We ſay, that the uſe of the Keyes is determined and limited by God (as the Prieſts power was in the caſe of Leproſie) and depends not on the Will and pleaſure of the Miniſter. No Miniſter on Earth ever had or ſhall have power to open Heaven to him againſt whom God will have it ſhut; nor to ſhut it againſt him to whom God will have it opened. No man can open it unto a Caine, or to a Iudas, or to a Iulian: Nor ſhut it againſt an Abel, or againſt a Zacheus, or a Mary, &c. God ratifieth the act of his ſervants in Heaven, with the proviſo of Clave non errante, if they abuſe it not on Earth, but exerciſe it daily upon fit perſons. He will not partake with the errours of his Miniſters, nor regard their Paſſions, nor be hindered from doing Juſtice by their Ignorance: He hath not bereaved himſelfe of this Power in committing it to them (as Bellarmine ſeemeth to imply in that he would have the world believe that the Keyes remaine in Chriſts hand only at the vacancy of the Popedome) ſo as that he cannot worke without their meanes:Bellar. de Rom. …ont. For he can beſtow Abſolution when he pleaſeth, and on whom he pleaſeth, without their meanes.Pro 17.15. Pro. 26.3. Joh. 9.34. If a ſinner ſeriouſly converting and believing in Chriſt, cannot obtaine Abſolution from the Prieſt (he being either paſſionate, or miſ-informed of the Truth) yet God will certainely pardon him: Or if on the other ſide, a Prieſt ſhould be indulgent, and apt to winke at vices: Or if he be deceived with an appearance of Repentance, and ſo ſhall abſolve an Hypocriticall Sinner and receive him into the Communion of the faithfull, yet that man ſo abſolved remaineth ſtill bound before God, and ſhall be puniſhed notwithſtanding. He that turns the Key the wrong way (as did the Phariſees and as do the Papiſts) will never open the doore of Heaven.
Fourthly, They faile whilſt they pronounce not Abſolution upon the right condition, Viz. Faith and Repentance, which as you ſee our bleſſed Saviour here eyes in Maries Remiſſion: For according to their Doctrin their Sacrament of Pennance (wherof this is a part) conferreth Grace without any precedent diſpoſition more than Attrition, Coſter enchir. c. de p…enit. Sola attritione, &c. Ʋega pro concil l. 1. c. 21. & 25 Stapl. Antid. Rom. 7.15. Mald ſum q. 16 art 1. Homo invitus poteſt abſolvi igrarus & inſcius, vid. Azor lib. 1. c. 9. q. 2. Buckler of faith, pag. 392.which implyeth (according to ſundry Popiſh Doctours) no formall purpoſe of forſaking ſin, nor any ſorrow, either ſenſitive or intellectuall for the ſame; but a villeity or wiſhing one were able to be ſorry for ſin, and could forſake it. Nay the Pope gives Abſolutions (ſealed with lead in forme of a judiciall Sentence of a Court) although he know not the Repentance of a Sinner, or whether he will be abſolved or not. Peter du Moulin in the Defence of the Confeſſion of Faith of the reformed Churches, againſt the Objections of the Ieſuit Arnoux, tells us, that he had ſeene thoſe who had cauſed Abſolution of their ſins to come from Rome by Bills of Exchange. Yea the Pope takes on him to diſcharge men of their Oaths and of that ſubjection and fidelity which they owe to their naturall Princes, and children of the Obedience which they owe to their Parents, &c. Theſe we hold and maintain are not the Conditions on which Abſolution ſhould be given.
Fiftly,Seſs. 14. c. 6. They teach that the vertue of abſolution depends on the Intent of the Prieſt: So the Councell of Trent declareth that notwithſtanding the Faith and Condition of a Sinner, yet if the Prieſt at the time of pronouncing Abſolution, had no intent to abſolve the Partie, hee ought not to preſume that by this Abſolution his ſinnes are remitted and forgiven him.
We hold and teach that the intent of the Prieſt hinders not a true Penitent from receiving comfort: There are many Prieſts, prophane and incredulous; and there are ſuch as hate thoſe they do abſolve. Nor can the intent of any be certainely knowne, it is onelyonly to be preſumed off.
Laſtly, They tie theſe Keyes to the Popes girdle (too faſt) (whom they ſay is Peters ſucceſſor) whilſt they teach that the Power which other Prieſts have is from him:Conc. Trid. 14. Seſſ. They indeed have the Keyes of Heaven, Sed quodam modo, and with an huc uſ que licet. There are ſome caſes with them, which a Prieſt cannot abſolve: They are reſerved to the Biſhop, and ſome caſes, wherin the Biſhop hath not to do, they are reſerved for the Pope himſelfe.
We teach and maintaine,Vid. Aret. Prob. p. 194. that Chriſt gave his Diſcipies equall power to pardon all manner of ſins without reſerving any caſes to St. Peter. The Keyes were given to all as well as to any one (as before was noted) Nor can we yet learne (as the Church of England ſaith in her Confeſſion) who it was that taught the Pope more cunningly to turne the Key, See the Harmony of Confeſ. pag 363.or better to abſolve than the reſt of his Bretheren. Beare with the enlargement of this Point, and be content that St. Ambroſe may make the reckning: Verbum Dej dimittit peccata; Sacerdos eſt Iudex, ſacerdos officium exhibet, ſed nullius poteſtatis jura exercet.
Vſe 2 And to conclude, If this Power be in the hand of Chriſt, and that he be ſolely inveſted with it: Let us be incouraged to goe to him for it;Sicut ligat Diabolus qui peccata connectit ita ſoluit Chriſtus qui dilecta demittit, Caſſi in Pſal. keeping the way he hath laid forth for us to walke in (which the next Point ſhall ſhew) nothing doubting but that he who died for us and ſhed his blood for our ranſome, will not ſticke to abſolve us if we come rightly qualified. And that you may ſee his willingneſſe, and readineſſe herein; I cannot but acquaint you how our Commiſſion runs: Whoſe-ſoever ſins you remit they are remitted, and whoſe-ſoever ſins you retaine they are retained: Where our Saviour ſpeakes of Remitting in the firſt place, and of Retaining in the laſt; From which Order the ready and inclinable diſpoſition of our bleſſed Saviour to this work may be obſerved. He comes firſt to this work, and but ſecondarily to that other, in caſe of wilfullneſſe and diſobedience. Come we next to the Perſon abſolved.