The agreemente of sondry places of scripture seeming in shew to iarre, seruing in stead of commentaryes, not onely for these, but others lyke, translated out of French, and nowe fyrst publyshed by Arthure Broke. Seene and allowed, accordyng to the ordre appoynted in the Queenes Maiestyes iniunctions.

98 (Book 98)

VVho can forgeue synnes but on∣ly God.

Marc. 2.

VVhose synnes soeuer you haue forgeuē they are forgeuen, & vvhose soeuer you haue kept they are kepte.

Ioan. 20.

CHrist hauyng healed the gowtye sayed to hym, man thy synnes are forgeuen thee. The scribes & hypo∣cryte Pharisies hearyng it, althoughe he had spoken nothyng but what the Prophets were wonte to say whē they bare witnesse of the grace of God, they murmure notwithstandyng, & blame Christ as thoughe he had spoken blas∣phemy and of a myscheuous desyre to slaunder they aske thys question, whoe besyde God only can forgeue synnes? But although this came out of malici∣ous mouthes: yet moste true it is that onely God hath power & authoritye to forgeue synnes, as he onely can con∣demne, so only he can quyte. But whē in thys. 20. Chapter of Saint Iohn Christ geueth charge to hys Disciples to forgeue synnes he geueth not ouer

vnto them that which is propre to him∣selfe. It is propre vnto him to remytte and forgeue synnes, whiche honour he resygneth not to them, in asmuch as it belongeth to hym: but he wil haue thē beare recorde in hys name of the for∣geuenesse of synnes and offences: so that it is he y^e reconcileth men to God. To bee shorte it is he alone to speake fytly that forgeueth synnes by hys A∣postles and ministers. Howe commeth it then to passe that hee aduaūceth so hyghly their dignitie, seing that he ap∣poynteth them only for witnesses and declarers and not for authors of the benefyte. Thys is done for the greate establishyng of oure fayth. As in dede there is nothyng that more profyteth vs, than that we resolue and persuade our self that our synnes cōme not into Iudgement or accompt beefore God. Zachary in the first Chapter of Saint Luke calleth thys knowledge of y^• for∣geuenesse and pardon of synnes the knowledge of synnes.

Nowe seyng the good pleasure of God is such to vse the witnesse of men

for to allowe thys forgeuenesse of syn∣nes, then wee shall quyet our selues, when wee shall knowe that it is God himselfe that speaketh to vs in the per∣son of hys ministers. For thys cause Saint Paule saieth, we exhorte you to be reconciled to god, as if Iesus Christ hymself made obtestation by vs.

The faythfull then ought to be so resolued, that what they heare touchīg the forgeuenesse if synnes, is ratified, and ought nolesse to esteme the recon∣cilyng or attonement whiche is decla∣red vnto them by the voyce and worde of men, than if he hymself stretched his hand to them. Now marke two things which it behoueth vs to remēber. First that a treasure is offred vs, but it is in little vessels, those are men, which are sente vs to offer and open thys trea∣sure vnto vs in the name of another, not as theyr owne ryches but as hys that sente them vs. Nexte that we oughte to esteeme thys treasure no whyt the lesse bycause it is in dyspisea∣ble vessells, but rather wee haue occa∣sion

to geue thankes vnto God in that he hath dealte so fauourably with men that they represente hys person and the person of hys Sonne, when they heare wytnesses of the forgeuenesse of synnes: so God onely forgeueth syn∣nes, yet he confyrmeth that whiche men appoynted by hym declare vn∣to vs touchyng the forgeuenesse of synnes.