The Bishops and Pastors of the Church, do not forgive sin by anyd absolute power of their own (for so only Christ the•r Master forgive▪ […]) bute ministerially, as the servants of Christ, and Stewards, to whose fidelity their Lord and Master •ath committed his Keys,3 and that is, when they do declare and pronounce, either publicly, or privately, by the Word of God, what bindeth, what looseth, and the me•cie•• of God to penitent sinners, or his Judgments ⟨p. 437⟩to impenitent and obstinate persons,4 and so do apply the general promises or threatenings to the penitent or impenitent. For Christ from Heaven doth by them (as by his Ministers on Earth) declare whom he remitteth and bindeth, and to whom he will open the gates of heaven, and against whom he will shut them. And therefore it is not said, Whose sins ye signify to be remitted, but whose sins ye remit. They then do remit sins, because Christ by their Ministry remitteth sins, as Christ by his Disciples loosed Lazarus, Joh. 11. 44. And as no water could wash away Naaman's Leprosy, but the waters of Jordan, (tho' other Rivers were as clear) because the promise was annexed unto the water of Jordan, and not of other Rivers: so tho' another Man may pronounce the same words, yet have they not the like efficacy and power to work on the conscience, as when they are pronounced from the Mouth of Christ's Ministers, because the *promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouths: for them hath hea chosen, bseparated, andc s•t apart for this work, and to them he hath committed the dministry and word of reconciliation: by their holye calling andf ordination they have received theg holy Ghost, and the ministerial power of binding and loosing. They are sent forth of theh holy Ghost for this work, whereunto he hath called them. And Christ gives his Ministers power to forgive sins to the penitent in the ⟨p. 438⟩*same words that he teacheth us in the Lord's Prayer, to desire God to forgive us our sins: to assure all penitent sinners, that God by his Minister's absolution doth fully, through the merits of Christ's Blood, forgive them all their sins. So that what Christ decreeth in heaven, in sorrow ju •icii, the same he declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers, in foro poenitentie: so •hat as God hath reconciled the world to himself by Jesus Christ: 15so hath he (saith the Apostle) given unto us the ministry of this reconciliation.
The Bishops and Pastors of the Church, do not forgive sin by anyd absolute power of their own (for so only Christ the•r Master forgive▪ 〈…〉) bute ministerially, as the se•vants of Christ, and St•wards, to whose fidelity their Lord and Master •ath committed his Keys,3 and that is, when they do declare and pronounce, either publickly, or privately, by the Word of God, what bindeth, what looseth, and the me•cie•• of God to penitent sinners, or his Judgments ⟨p. 437⟩to impenitent and obstinate persons,4 and so do apply the general promises or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent. For Christ from Heaven doth by them (as by his Ministers on Earth) declare whom he remitteth and bindeth, and to whom he will open the gates of heaven, and against whom he will shut them. And therefore it is not said, Whose sins ye signifie to be remitted, but whose sins ye remit. They then do remit sins, because Christ by their Ministry remitteth sins, as Christ by his Disciples loosed Lazar•s, Joh. 11. 44. And as no water could wash away Naaman's Leprosie, but the waters of Jordan, (tho' other Rivers were as clear) because the promise was annexed unto the water of Jordan, and not of other Rivers: so tho' another Man may pronounce the same words, yet have they not the like efficacy and power to work on the conscience, as when they are pronounced from the Mouth of Christ's Ministers, because the *promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouths: for them hath hea chosen, b
- d1 Cor. 5. 4.
- e1 Cor 4. 1, 2.
- 3Act. 13. 38.
- 4To this end •ith Passel▪ i• •sc. c. 13. Ch•istus omnibus Pasto••bes & De••o•ibus […] [Greek or Hebrew] […] quòd omnes ex aequo ligant & solv•nt, ut Pet••s. Papists dare not deny this. Quilibet s•ce•dos •quantum est ex virtute clavium) habet potestat•m indiffer•nter in omnes. In supplement. Thom•• 4. 6. […] 10.To this end •ith Pas•l▪ i• •sc. c. 13. Ch•istus omn•bus Pasto••bes & De••o•ibus 〈…〉 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 〈…〉 quòd omnes ex aequo ligant & solv•nt, ut Pets. Papists dare not deny this. Quilibet scedos quantum est ex virtute clavium) habet potestatm indiffernter in omnes. In supplement. Thom 4. 6. 10.
