Mary Magdalenes Tears Wiped Off, Objection 9
OBJECTION IX.
But you ſay, that could you have believed the point of Sacerdotal Abſolution, and the Obligation (that ſeems to inferre) to private Confeſſion; you had long ſince enjoyed your Peace, at leaſt you had not felt ſo great a trouble as now you do.
SOLUTION.
14. OUr Judgements no whit differ in this, for I clearly believe, that on earth, as there is no ſurer way to prevent mens falling into ſin (eſpecially many cloſe Enormities) then the diſcreet and conſcionable practiſe of the Duty of Confeſſion: ſo is there not a more proper and undoubted way, for allaying the Troubles of minde, flowing from the guilt of Sin; then a grave and conſiderate Execution, of the Power of Abſolving Sinners.
I ſay the power of abſolving Sinners; for if this Clauſe in his Commiſſion ſtand not good by Divine Right; I know nothing a Prieſt can do more then other men; and am well aſſured, that in ſome part of their Office, they can do (many of them) much leſs. Not to ſignifie any thing of the grief I have, for your not believing ſo evident Texts of Scripture, as this Doctrine is built upon; I ſhall endeavour to cut up your Infidelity in this point by the Roots, by a very brief Examination of theſe few particulars. 1. What the power of Abſolving is. 2 Whether it be conveyed down to the preſent Paſtors of the Church, in the ordinary way of commiſſioning them to that Function, by the Impoſition of the hands of Biſhops and Preſbyters. 3. Of what concernment this Power is, in the Execution thereof, upon Penitent Sinners.
1. The power of Abſolving Sinners, is comprehended in one branch of the power of the Keyes, viz. remitting ſin: expreſsly mentioned in Chriſts Commiſſion given to the Apoſtles and their Succeſſors, Matth. 16.19. and Joh. 20.23. which in the point in hand, as it much differs from re-admitting into the Church, (that part of the power of the Keyes which ſeems, and doth but ſeem to be the ſame with this) ſo is it in a Prieſt or Presbyter (to my Judgment) no judicial, but rather an Annuntiative act, the Prieſt being none of that order to whom the promiſe of our Saviour is made, Matth. 19.28. of ſitting on twelve thrones, and judging the twelve Tribes of Iſrael. My reaſon for my opinion is, becauſe a Prieſt cannot be thought to Abſolve otherwiſe, then he can Retein (elſe there will be more in one, then in the other of the correlatives,) Now a Prieſt doth not retein ſin judicially (for that is the office of the Biſhop, and is onelyonly done by the ſentence of Excommunication) but declaratively only, ſhewing the Impenitents (whether collectively, or perſonally) that by reaſon of ſuch or ſuch Impediments, their ſins are not forgiven; but not binding their ſins upon them judicially, ſo that the Offender ſhall not only be obliged to repent, but alſo (as under the ſentence of Excommunication) to ſue for the removal of the Cenſure. Like as in the Law, one who is ſued to an Outlawry for Debt, muſt as well procure the Writ of Outlawry againſt him to be reverſt, as take care to pay the Debt.
Neither do I by this, make the pronouncing of a ſinner abſolved, by a Prieſt, to be of no more efficacy then if a Layman had done it: for a power to pronounce or proclaim a Pardon in the name of a Prince, by vertue of a Commiſſion iſſued out to one for that purpoſe, or by one to whoſe office it belongs ſo to do; is quite another thing, then the ſame Pardon reported by one, who hath no power and authority to proclaim the Princes pardon.
But if I am thought by this to infringe the power and priviledge of the Sacerdotal Function, and any way to leſſen the Authority of that Order; I muſt ſpeak my minde freely, I do not conceive that the ſame words in the Ordination of a Prieſt, do in the Intention of the Church ſignify to the ſame latitude, as they did in the Inſtitution of Chriſt, and therefore I believe a Presbyter or Prieſt, doth no (more, but yet as much) in this point, as the Church hath inveſted him with in her Ordination of him to that Function; which is the exerciſe of an Authority limited, as I have already ſaid.
However this is enough for the Penitent, for if the Prieſt hath Judgment (which in Reverence to the Church which hath had Inſpection of his abilities we ought to believe) to diſcern when the Penitent is pardonable, you cannot deny but he hath authority committed unto him, in Gods Name, and from his Word, to let the Penitent know, not only that he is pardonable, but that God will undoubtedly pardon him, and all ſuch as he is; in caſe of their Perſeverance in their Repentance.
2. As for the ſecond thing propoſed, viz. whether this power be ſo conveyed down, &c. it is ſtrange, me thinks, it ſhould be any matter of ſcruple to you. For if you had not ſome prejudice to every thing that relates to pardon of Sin, I would ask you (and do verily ſuppoſe ſhould go away without an anſwer) whether you believe a Presbyter hath power to conſecrate the Elements in the bleſſed Sacrament, by vertue of this Ordination? and whether a Lay-man can do as much therein, if he ſhould take the Common prayer Book, and read over the Bread and Wine, the Form of the Conſecration? I know you believe the later as much as you believe the former. What hinders then, that this branch of power ſhould not be conferred upon him in his Ordination? The Authority conferred upon the Church by Chriſt is the ſame in both, and both are by the Church (with due Limitation) inveſted on the Presbyter in his Ordination. And good reaſon it ſhould be ſo, for I doubt not that the Sacrament ought (regularly) to be adminiſtred to none but abſolved perſons; as none were to eat the Paſsover, but thoſe who were clean from all Legal pollutions. We ſee that the Presbyterians, and all other Sectaries amongſt us, are ſo tender of this point, that they are ſo far from leſſening the Authority of their Church-officers in this particular, (or at leaſt of the whole Church as they pleaſe to terme it) that they are much more rigid and ſevere, in executing a Power like this, of their own making, then ever the Biſhops were, in putting the power Chriſt undoubtedly gave them, in execution. But I need not ſay much of this ſecond branch to one of your perſwaſion.
3. Laſtly, if you deſire to know what advantage, this is to a Penitent? I anſwer, that if a Penitent do but believe, as much of the Prieſts authority (though I ſhall be thought no very great friend to the inlargement of it) as I have aſſerted; viz. an Annnnciative power from God not only to declare men Pardonable (as he doth in preaching the Goſpel) but to pronounce them pardoned, upon inſpection of their faith and repentance, as he doth in giving them abſolution; he ſhall not only recieve comfort, by the Preiſts aſſuring him of the ſafety of his condition, and of his redintegration into grace and favour with God; but ſhall enjoy the benefit of his prayers, whom God hath appointed to that Duty moſt eſpecially, and whom he hath promiſed to accept: together with the Bleſſing of the Prieſt (Bleſſing him in Gods ſtead as well as in Gods name) a favour which nothing but ſome lend Hophni's, and Phinees's amongſt the Clergie. Numb. 6.23.27. but multitudes of prophane Eſau's amongſt the Layety, could have had the skill or luck to have rendered ſo contemptible as we ſee it is, the puniſhment whereof (as likewiſe of Deſpiſing the Perſons and Offices of ſuch whom God hath appointed to ſerve at the Altar of Bleſſing, in many other particulars) both this preſent and many future unreformed Ages ſhall (as well as have ſome paſs't times) undoubtedly bear, even to the removall of the Golden Candelſtick from among them.
That thus a Prieſt is inabled to do, is cleare from the Form of Abſolution, appointed in the Liturgie of our Church to be uſed in the Viſitation of the ſick, wherein as the Authority of the Church in that point, as alſo of the Prieſt, are plainly aſſerted, ſo is it matter of wonder, that ſo many Legall Proteſtants have ſuch a ſlender reſpect for an important and neceſſarie duty, it is not to be believed that either that Power of the Prieſt that form of abſolution, and the Duty of Confeſſion are reſerved to be huddled up in ſo troubleſome an hour, and all the time of health paſt over without any inquiry into our Accounts: the Church injoyns it to be uſed then, but doth not forbid the uſe of it at other times. My advice to you is that if you deſire the recoverie of your own Peace of conſcience; you put this Duty in practiſe more frequently, and ſee that your Ghoſtly Father, do his Duty in this and no other forme of Abſolution, (I mean any of his own making) leaſt by ſome error he may ſeem to do more then his power will permit him, or not do as much as the Church hath enjoyned.