Popery Anatomized, Section 13
SECTION XIII. Concerning Confeſſion and Abſolution by the Priest.
Maſter Gilbert Brown.
FIfthly, our doctrine is, that the lawful Miniſters and Prieſts of the Church of Chriſt, have power given them by Chriſt to forgive and to retain ſins, becauſe Chriſt ſaith to his Apoſtles, Receive ye the holy Ghoſt, whoſe ſins ye ſhal forgive, they are forgiven them; and whoſe ſins ye ſhal retain, they are retained, John 20.23. And in another place, That ye may know, ſaith Chriſt, that the Son of man hath power in earth to forgive ſins, &c. Matth. 6.9. and 16.19. and 18.18. with ſundry other places conform to the ſame. And this is denyed by the Proteſtants.
Maſter John Welſch his Reply.
As for the fifth point of your doctrine, that the lawful Miniſters of Chriſt have power given them by Chriſt to forgive ſins, and to retain them. If you mean that they have this power as Gods Witneſſes, Miniſters and Embaſſadors, yea, and Judges too: (For the Apoſtle ſaith, We judge them that are within) to teſtifie and to declare, to judge and give out judgement according to Gods Word; not only by the preaching of the Goſpel, and adminiſtration of the Sacraments joyned therewith: but alſo by the cenſures and diſcipline, in excommunicating the obſtinat impenitent, and abſolving the penitent. If, I ſay, your doctrine be this, then you injury us, in ſaying we deny it: and you needed not to have quoted theſe places, to confirm the thing which we both teach, and alſo practiſe. But what is the cauſe ye would not quote the place where we deny this doctrine? But if you mean that the lawful Miniſters of Chriſt have an abſolut power, and full authority; not as Miniſters and Witneſſes only, but as Judges and Lords over our Faith, to forgive or retain by their own authority, and that the very pronouncing of the words of abſolution, is the cauſe of remiſſion of ſins: and that it ſo ſcattereth the ſins, and makes them to evaniſh, as the blaſt of wind extinguiſhes the fire, and ſcatters the cloud, as Bellarmin ſaith, Controv. Tom. 2. If you mean ſo, this we utterly deny un-you, and all men; becauſe it is only proper unto God. The which the Jews, ſuppoſe they were blinded, did acknowledge; and ſo not ſo blind as ye are. For it is only God that forgives in Jeſus Chriſt, Matth 9. It is only his death that hath merited it, and only faith that apprehends it, and only his Spirit that ſeals it up, and the Word and Miniſtery that declares, teſtifies, and confirms it. For the Apoſtle ſaith, He hath committed to us the word and miniſtery of reconciliation, and we are in his ſtead to beſeech men to be reconciled to God, 2. Cor. 5.18.19.20. So we are but Miniſters of this, Auguſtin is plain in this, Homil. 23. It is the Spirit, ſaith he, that forgives, and not you; meaning of the Miniſters, and the Spirit, is God: it is God therefore who forgives, and not we. There is one argument: God only forgives ſins, therefore not man. And again, What is man but a ſick man to be healed himſelf? Wouldſt thou be a Phyſician to me, with me ſeek the Phyſician thy ſelf. Here another argument: He cannot be a Phyſician to others, who needs a Phyſician himſelf. Further, he ſaith, He that can forgive by man, can alſo forgive without man: for he may as well forgive by him, as by another. But to what purpoſe do ye quote the 9. of Matthew, That the Son of man hath power to forgive ſins: For will you ſay, that the Miniſters of the Church have that abſolut authority that he had? The which if ye do, then are ye blaſphemous. As for the word Prieſt, wherewith ye ſtyle the Miniſters of the Church, I know that you and your Church takes more pleaſure in this ſtyle, then in all the ſtyles which the holy Ghoſt hath given to the Miniſters of the Church in the New Teſtament: For among the manifold ſtyles which are given to his Miniſters, yet hath he never given this ſtyle of a ſacrificing Prieſt, as proper to them, throughout the whole New Teſtament. But as your office of Prieſthood is not written in Chriſt his latter Teſtament, ſo neither is your ſtyle of ſacrificing Prieſts, contained in the ſame. But new offices muſt have new ſtyles.