A gagg for the new Gospell? No: a nevv gagg for an old goose VVho would needes vndertake to stop all Protestants mouths for euer, with 276. places out of their owne English Bibles. Or an ansvvere to a late abridger of controuersies, and belyar of the Protestants doctrine. By Richard Mountagu. Published by authoritie.

XI.

That none but God can forgiue or retaine Sinnes.

SInnes are forgiuen two wayes: by power originall, and authority: by deriued pow∣er, and delegation. God alone, and none but God, doth or can forgiue sinnes the first way; against whom onely sinnes are committed, Psalm. 51. Against thee onely haue I sinned: and therefore Esay 43. 25. I am hee that blotteth out ini∣quities for my selfe. In this sence the Pharises did not erre, Luke 5. Who can forgiue sinnes but God a∣lone? In this sence it is true, and truely maintayned, None but GOD can forgiue, or retaine sinnes. Ve∣rum dicunt Scribae: The Scribes say true, faith vene∣rable Bede, No man can forgiue sinnes but God alone. And hee doth forgiue them by the ministery of those men to whom hee hath giuen power to forgiue them; by actiue delegation.

Hee hath giuen power vnto men to doe that: wee professe and maintaine; The Priest hath power and authoritie from God, to forgiue sinnes, in as ample manner, as hee can receiue it. So your Fathers and Scriptures may well be spared, and haue beene kept by you in store against a dearer time. Your owne di∣rector, Controu. 9. hath these words, to our aduantage and acquittall, and your confusion. Hereunto is also pertinent the doctrine of those Protestants, who hold; That Priests haue power not onely to pronounce, but to giue remission of sinnes. That hold most of the fore∣named

authors, and others very many. Yes, it seemeth to be the doctrine of the Communion Booke, in the vi∣sitation of the sicke; where the Priest saith: And by his authoritie committed vnto mee, I absolu•• thee from all thy sinnes.

If this be acknowledged the Doctrine of our Com∣munion Booke, and practice of our Church according∣ly, as it is, iniurious are those opposites vnto truth, and lyers against their owne knowledge, that impute it to vs, which wee are confessed to deny, That none but God can forgiue sinnes. This must proceede out of fa∣ction, * 1.1 or that which is worse: But this fellow procee∣deth vpon a further extreamity, to strengthen a truth in it selfe, with a lye made by himselfe, that our Do∣ctrine is contrary to our Bibles.

Matth. 9. 3. 8. To proue against vs that which we deny not, viz. this power delegated vnto Priesthood, thus you alledge: But when the multitude saw it, they maruailed, and glorified God, who had giuen such power vnto men, as to forgiue sins. Which words, As to for∣giue sinnes, are not in our Bibles, out of which you vndertake to proue your Assertion: Nor in your owne Bibles, follow which you will. You haue added them out of your store, to serue your owne turne, contrary to Scripture; and further, contrary to sense. Because that thing which amazed them then, for which they glorified God, was a thing sensible, visible, apprehen∣ded of all: When they saw it. Now, see sinnes forgiuen they could not: heare it pronounced; belieue it, they might. Secondly, the power there giuen, is not ordi∣nary, as that of absolution is: but extraordinary, and

miraculous, to heale the sicke. Peter, and his Succes∣sour had that: but very few or none had this. You know, it was answered a Pope once, when he shew∣ed a masse of Gold and Siluer to one, and added, The Church could not say now, Siluer and Gold haue I none; No, quoth the other, Nor can it say; Arise and walke. This is that power there mentioned, could you see it, not that of Absolution ordinary.

That of Ioh. 20. 21. Matth. 16. 19. Giue that pow∣er vnto the Apostles to forgiue sinnes: But may it not * 1.2 be excepted, it was a personall priuiledge? I answere, not so: for I belieue it not. The collation was origi∣nall, to them, as to those from whom it was to be conueyed vnto others. But some are happely of that opinion: and it may seeme probable vnto others: you should haue cleared the Texts of that obiection, and then your performance had beene to purpose.

Matth. 16. 19. May be vnderstood you meane of sinnes forgiuen, but yet only secondarily: for thesi se∣cunda: Because we reade in the Euangelist, whatsoeuer, and not whomsoeuer; this place is to be vnderstood of any knot whatsoeuer: indeede rather of the power of the sword, than of the keyes. And it seemeth that if this place be not personall to Peter, and his successors, as by this allegation for forgiuing, it neither is, nor can be, then our most holy Father hath lost a maine pillar of his Papacy, peculiar to Saint Peter, and his successours: So these Madianites sheath their swords one in anothers sides; and crosse themselues in their owne positions.

In Matth. 18. 18. The Text is so expresse to the

purpose, that Origen, Chrysostome, Theophilact, and Anastasius, vnderstand it of all Christians whomsoe∣uer: that sundry Roman Catholiques, if Maldonate deceiue vs not, vnderstand it of no more than ciuill policy. Goe take it, Whatsoeuer you binde on earth, shall be bound in Heauen, and whatsoeuer you loose in Earth, it shall be loosed in Heauen: as your selues will for the power and execution of the keyes. Wee deny not in any sort, that power is giuen vnto mortall men to forgiue sinnes on earth, nor to binde by excommu∣nication, which is frequently practised, and peraduen∣ture too frequently amongst vs. Vnto that, 1 Cor. 5. 5. Artic. 33. thus wee subscribe, That person, who by open denunciation of the Church, is rightly cut off from the vnity of the Church, and excommunicated, ought to be auoyded, and to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull, as an Heathen, and a Publican, vntill hee be openly reconciled by penance, and receiued into the Church by a Iudge that hath authoritie thereunto. And in this sort Saint Paul deliuered Hymenaeus, and Alexander, 1 Timoth. 1. 20. and forgaue the ince∣stuous Corinthian, 2 Cor. 2. 10. Which places by your direction wee haue seene, and finde the Article agree∣ing with them. As for 2 Cor. 5. 19. It is not to pur∣pose of forgiuing sinnes by delegated authority vnto a Priest, but of Reconciling by the whole office and function of the ministry. God was in Christ, saith the Apostle, and reconciled the world vnto himselfe, not imputing their sinnes vnto them, and hath commit∣ted to vs the word of reconciliation. So wee haue

seene eyther, nothing at all to purpose: or else that of which wee made no question, nor yet doe any at all.

As little in Fathers that affirme the same. Irenaeus * 1.3 Lib. 5. cap. 14. saith, the raising of Lazarus from death to life, was a Symbole or figure of our Resurre∣ction from Sinne to God. Hee saith no more that I can see or finde. Ambrose Lib. 1. it should be de paeni∣tent. cap. 7. Nor August. Tract. 49. in Iohn: Nor Gre∣gor. hom. 26. in Euangel. if wee may belieue Bellar∣mine, Lib. 3. de paenitent. cap. 3. from whom you tran∣scribed these testimonies, without considering of these Fathers, in their owne workes: but so carelessely, that if you were a Schoole-Boy, lures in corpore: for you referre vs to Gregor. hom. 26. in Euangel. Whereas Bellarmine hath it 6. and to Ambrose, Lib. de paeniten∣tia: as if Saint Ambrose had written but one Booke of that Argument, not diuided into Chapters, where∣as Bellarmine directed you aright to the seauenth Chapter of his 1. Booke. Was this securitie, stupiditie, or insolency in you? or what was it?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Contrary to expresse words of their owne Bible.
• * 1.2

  See more, Mat. 16. 19.
• * 1.3

  See Fathers that affirme the same.