A Golden Chain

The third point is, what is the means whereby pardon of sin is procured at Gods hand? Ans. The death and passion of Christ: so Paul saith,¹ Christ died for our sins: that is, Christ died to be a payment and satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins. And S. John saith,² The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. And Peter saith,³ Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and g•ld from your vain conversation, &c. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a ••mbe undefiled and without spot. The fourth point is, after what manner sin is forgiven? Ans. By an action of God, whereby for the merit of Christ, he esteems and accounts sin as no sin, or, as if it had never been committed. Therefore David saith,⁴ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin. And in Isaiah the Lord saith,⁵ I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud, and thy sins as a mist. Now we know that clouds and mists which appear for a time, are afterward by the sun utterly dispersed. And King Hezekias when he would show that the Lord had forgiven him his sins, saith,⁶ God hath cast them behind his back, alluding to the manner of men, who when they will ⟨p. 507⟩not remember or regard a thing, do turn their backs upon it. And Micah saith,⁷ that God doth cast all the sins of his people into the bottom of the sea, alluding to Pharaoh, whom the Lord drowned in the bottom of the read sea. And Christ hath taught us to pray thus: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: in which words is an alluding to creditors, who then forgive debts, when they account that which is debt as no debt, & cross the book. Hence it appears, that damnable and vile is the opinion of the church of Rome, which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment: and here withal fall to the ground, the doctrines of humane satisfactions, and indulgences, and purgatory, and prayer for the dead, built upon this foundation, are of the same kind.