A treatise made in defence of the lauful power and authoritie of priesthod to remitte sinnes of the peoples duetie for confession of their sinnes to Gods ministers: and of the Churches meaning concerning indulgences, commonlie called the Popes pardo[n]s. By William Allen M. of Arte, and student in diuinitie.

It is proued as wel by sundrie examples of the olde Lawe, as by Christs owne often facte and his Apostles, that enioy¦ned or deserued punishement may be released by the gouernours of the Church in their Pardons. The Ninth Chapter.

SOme may here marueile perchāce, that such power should be giuen to mortal men, as to remitte suche great portion of penaunce as by iustice ought to be enioyned, or such a number of yeares as are oppoin∣ted for satisfaction and correction of for∣mer misdedes, thereby to remoue from the party, the heauy hande of God pre∣pared for iudgement, who, would not wonder much hereat, if they considered that the debt of hel paynes and eternity of punishement, which incomparably excedeth many thousand yeares, might by the priestes office, and alwayes is in the due execution of the sacrament of penaunce, fully remoued from the party

penitēt. And wher mercy putteth away deserued damnation, there may muche lesse force of grace turne away the pu∣nishement of Purgatorie, being but tran∣sitory, and equiualent onely to the pe∣naunce of a number of yeares prescri∣bed. In which case, if y^e Church of God should haue no preheminence now af∣ter the incarnatiō of Christ, since which time the wayes of mercy towards man∣kinde must needes be muche enlarged, oure state and gouernement should be much inferiour to the regiment and to the priesthod of the olde lawe, which truely did in al thinges, but as a sha∣dowe and figure, resemble the Maiesty of our Churches preheminence, especi∣ally there, where mercy and grace were to be shewed, which came by Christ Iesus.

Behold thē some steppe of this more excellent power giuen to oure chiefe priestes, in the persons of Moyses and Aaron, who are noted in the booke of Exodus and Numbers meruelously to haue procured Goddes mercy, & some∣times by force of sacrifice, prayer, & sin∣gular

zeale, to haue released some great portion of the paines and punishment which God him selfe by his owne mouth & determination had layed vpō the people. With what meruelous con∣fidēce of his office, & pity of the afflicted sorte, did one of thē crye out vnto God to hold his hande, and pardon the peo∣ple, after they had deserued so greate pu∣nishment for worshipping the golden Idol of the Calfe in wildernes? Lorde (saith Moises) this people hath cōmit∣ted an horrible sinne, and they haue erected golden Goddes. Forgiue them this sinne, Lorde, or ells if thou wilt not, dashe me oute of thy booke toe, which thou haste writen.

This gouernoure and this priest, prayed not after a commō sorte for par∣don of the peoples punishement, but he claimeth it with confidence, & in a ma∣ner requireth it as by his iurisdiction & office. Suche was the force of prayer & priesthod, before Christes spirituall so∣ueraignty was honoured in the world, otherwise then in a figure. And yet, God, in a maner, was at y^t point with

them then, that he would pardon and punishe at their pleasures. For when the sinne was exceding greuous, he ma¦keth as it were means to Moises, that he should not stay him, nor his Anger, from punishing of the offenders: Let me alone Moyses (saith oure Lorde) and suffer me to be angrie.

So when his sister Mary was pu∣nished by a leprosie for enuiyng at her brothers auhority, he cried vnto oure Lorde and said: Lorde God heale her againe of this disease, and of his mercy so he did, enioyning onely vnto her se∣uen dayes separation. Aaron also pro∣cured pardon for the people by the like force of this prayer, and priesthod, when by sedition the people had highly offen∣ded God: yea he did as it were limite & moderat Goddes appointed punishe∣ment, that his wrath should extend no farther but to the destruction of a cer∣taine number. For whē God saide vnto Moyses and Aaron, departe you hēce from amongest this people, for euen now I wil consume them. Vpō which woorde streight the destruction began

and grew very sore, a flame of fier piti∣fully consuming them. But Aaron out of hande with his incense, ranne to that parte where the plague of Gods ire wasted most, and there censed vpp to∣wardes heauen, and earnestly requested for the people, and so placing him eue•• iust betwixt those that were slaine, and the residewe that were aliue, the wrath and indignation of God ceassed.

But it were to long to make reher∣sal of all suche punishementes as God hath afflicted his people withall for sinne, and yet hath bene either wholy put of, or much thereof abated by these priestes euen of the olde lawe, when they had no warrant, promise, ne com∣mission in sacramēt or other wise, other to binde or loose as by iurisdiction, or any otherwise, but by their praiers: where oures of the newe lawe and te∣stament haue expresly receiued a full power and commission concerning the same. Therefore now in the new law & in the dayes of grace where mercy and iudgemēt be met together, trueth and peace haue ioyned, we shall find ex∣presse

exāples of iustice & iudgemēt on y^e one side, & grace & mercy on y^e other, not only in y^e gouernmēt of Popes and Bi∣shopes, but in Christes owne regiment & his holy Apostles, from whom to our priestes, all this power procedeth.

In them then, of whome heresy and falsehod doo stand in awe, lette vs see whether any examples may be founde of pardoning the payne due for sinne. The seuen diuels possession of one wo∣mans body, was no smalle punishment for sinne: yet when it pleased Christ, he both forgaue her the sinne, & discharged her of that horrible punishment for the same: & she had a graūd Pardō & a plena∣ry Indulgence, because she loued much. Yea a woman that had committed ad∣ultery, & therefore by y^e law subiecte to death, was pardoned by Christ, not on∣ly of her sin & damnatiō, but of y^e penal∣ty which by Gods law she was subiect vnto for y^e same syn, wherby he declared that he had ful power, not only to remit sins, but also to giue pardō for any tem∣poral paine or punishment prouided by lawe for sinne. where are they, woman

that do accuse thee, quoth Christ: Here is none here, sayd she, Lorde. If none haue condemned thee, saith Christ, thē doe not I condemne thee: go thy way therefore, and sinne no more. And this is in the viij. of S. Iohns Gospell.

Which exāple I alleadge y^e rather, be∣cause. S. Augustin noteth it as a straūge power & iurisdictiō, y^t should remit the punishement enioyned by y^e law it selfe for a publike crime, wher y^e person was taken with y^e maner: Yea he applieth it to Priestes & Bishopes, & proueth, y^t it becommeth thē at y^e least to make inter∣cessiō to y^e tēporal officers, by occasion, for y^e release of offenders, euē ther wher they be subiect vnto y^e apointed punish∣ment of y^e lawes. Wherin, he saith, that though they cā not by their authority cō¦maund their release, yet y^t it behoueth y^e Ciuile Magistrates to release y^e payne, wher they doe make request. For which cause Macedonius a Magistrat had cha¦lēged S. Augustin, or rather asked him y^e questiō, why Bishopes did so much in∣termedle in y^e tēporal iudgmēt for procu¦ring pardō to offēders, in so much y^t they

woulde not take it wel, if they obteined not the remission of the parties punish∣ment, for whome they made intercessiō. To whome S. Augustin answereth trimly and largely: where amongest other thinges he saith, Ipse Dominus in∣tercessit, ne lapidaretur adultera, & eo modo nobis commendauit intercessionis officium. Oure Lorde him selfe made interces∣sion for the woman taken in adultery, and by that facte commended vnto vs the office of intercession.

And S. Augustin excommunicated County Bonifacius that he tooke from the Churche an offender, and put him to execution when he came to the Church for mercy and pardon. So prone hath Goddes Church euer bene to remitte the paine for sinne deserued, not onely wher she had ful authority to pardon at her pleasure, but euen there where it could not otherwise be had, but by in∣tercession to other men who had to doe therwith.

Again Christ deliuered in the fifte of S. Iohn, one that had bene feeble eight and thirty yeares long for a punishmēt

of his sinnes, and that he might vnder∣stand, that, that sickenes came vnto him for correction of his former offences, he said vnto him after in the temple: Loe, now thou art made whole, look thou sinne no more, least a woorse thinge happē vnto thee. Neither is it vnlike, but the party had his sinnes remitted long before Christ healed him of his cor¦poral infirmity, by the sacrifices of the lawe and by ordinary meanes of that time, through the faith in Christ Iesus. Whereby you may perceiue, that oure high Bishope Christ hath giuen pardon to many, not onely of their sinnes and euerlasting damnation, but also of the temporal paine and punishment, either prescribed by the lawe, or enioyned by Goddes owne appointment. Then we neede not wonder, that the Churches officers holding by his right both the title to pardon and to punishe, should be by his example so proue to mercy, which of the twoo is alwaies most cō∣mended in spiritual regiment.

Neuer the lesse we meane not, that y^e priest hath alwais such power as Christ

had in remouing of bodyly sicknes, not only because they know not when it is the deserued paine for sinne, as he did, but also because, as S. Augustin saith, Remissio in Ecclesia magis fit propter futurum iudicium: Pardoning in the Church hath more respecte to the iudgement of the next worlde. He meaneth by the tem∣poral iudgement, and for that he allea∣geth out of S. Paule, that the iudgmēt, which he willeth vs to preuent by pu∣nishing our selues, is the correction of such as God loueth, least they be dam∣ned with the worlde, which can not sig∣nify the euerlasting iudgmēt. We meane not then, that the Pardons of the Eccle∣siasticall Magistrates should perteine alwaies to y^e releasing of bodyly paines duely deserued for sinne, or for other cau¦ses appointed, because Christ so did not vnto al, but vnto some as it pleased his wisdom: but this we say, that as he of his mercy tooke away and released the sinners of certaine temporal afflictiōs, as well appointed by the Law of Moi∣ses, as enioyned by Gods owne hande, and so gaue a pardō of that which both

Moises and his owne Father appoin∣ted: euen so may the Apostles and their successours, pardon any man, that is worthy of that benefite, of some parte or al such penaunce, as their owne law prescribed, or the iustice of God, vpō the bonde of their decrees, and the debt of the sinners, hath in the next life prepa∣red. Although, as I haue once noted be∣fore, not only y^e Apostles miraculously, but also Gods Priestes dayly doe heale in the sacrament of extreme vnction & prayers, not onely sinnes, but the peni∣tēt of their sicknes and infirmity, wher y^e disease especially came of sin, as I sup¦pose, or otherwise, whē it is expediēt to the party and glorious to Gods name.

But in S. Paul we haue an inuinci∣ble proufe f y^e authority & iurisdiction of Bishopes and principal Pastours, tou∣ching as wel y^e power of enioyned pe∣naūce & satisfactiō for sins cōmitted, as y^e lawful power of pardoning the same which before was enioyned, & so in one fact of y^e Apostle a cleare practise of bin∣ding & loosing. He first boūd him by ex∣cōmunicatiō y^t had so greuously offēded,

and to showe what a terrible torment this kinde of punishment is, and how much it is to be dred, he maketh it eui∣dent by a straunge corporal vexation, y^t al Christian men might conceiue y^e mi∣sery of those persons which be excōmu∣nicated hereafter, whē the external sign & miraculous torment should ceasse in the Church. I will reporte the matter fully: There was amongest the Corin∣thians one of reputation, that kept vn∣laufully his fathers wife, the which be∣ing knowen to their Apostle S. Paule, who then was absent from them, & be∣ing accōted of him, as in deede it was, an exceding greuous facte and notori∣ous, he gaue in charge to the Church of Corinth, to take the person that had so offended, as excōmunicated, that is to say, to be seperated from the sacramēts, the seruice, & the common felowship of Sainctes. But see with what a maiesty & might of operatiō, with what force of woordes and authority of his calling, with what a straunge kinde of punish∣ment Christes officer here correcteth the offender. Thus runneth his de∣terminate

sentence, on the offender, that al the worlde may take heede and won∣der at the Churches autority, and con∣temne the vaine voices of thē that doo restrain the power of Gods ministers only to the preaching of the Gospell. I being absent in bodie, but present in spirite, haue alreadie giuen iudgemēt as well as if I were present, that the person, that hathe thus wickedlie wrought, should be deliuered vppe to Sathan in the vertue of oure Lorde Christ Iesus, you there being gathered with my spirite in the name of oure said Lord Iesus, ād al this for the vexa∣tion of his flesh, that his soule may be safe in the day of our Lord Ies{us} Christ.

This in effecte, is the Apostles sen∣tence on that Incestous person, wher∣by he was temporally tormented by the force of S. Paules power of bin∣ding sinners, giuen by Christ, and exer∣cised no otherwise, as you may see, but in Christes vertue and holy name. Where it may be noted for a straunge efficacy of mans woorde, that the diuel him selfe should be therby appointed to

tormēt a sinners body, not as he would but as far as y^e diuine Magistrat shal li¦mite him. Diabolus enim, quia ad hoc paratus est, vt auersos a Deo accipiat in potestatē, audi∣ta sententia corripit eos: The diuell (saith S. Ambrose) who is alwayes ready to take them to his power, that ar turned frō God, streight as sone as he heareth the sentence pronounced vpō sinners, he doth afflict ād correct thē. As it may also appere by our Sauiors woords in y^e Gospel, of a womam y^• had spiritum in∣firmitatis, the spirite of infirmity, whō, y^t diuel had xviij. yeares together faste bound in sicknes for her sins, to whom also Christ gaue a pardō by impositiō of his holy hands. Wher we may haue an other example of his mercy, in loosing the tēporal band & punishment appoin∣ted for sinne.

But let vs turne to S. Pauls patiēt, whō we lefte by y^e key of y^e Apostles iu∣risdiction so fast locked & bound for his wickednes, & let vs cōsider, whether by the same iurisdictiō, he may not receiue pardō & be loosed, by wich he was boūd & punished before: Yea let vs not doubt

but it stoode in Paules pleasure, to par∣dō y^e man soner or later, as he thought most cōueniēt for y^e Churches edifiyng, & y^e parties profit, & therfore might haue tyed him for twēty yeares together ei∣ther in Sathās bōdes, or other ēioyned penaunce, or cōtrary, if he had thought expediēt, might haue loosed him within one houre, & so haue giuen him so ma∣ny dayes of pardō as he list, & meant to recōpence by Christes satisfaction and the communion of Sainctes, in which, the lackes of certaine may be supplied by the abundance of others. Thus then S. Paule meaning to pardon the penitent, giueth the Church of Corinth to vnderstande his pleasure touching the said sinner, that there stoode in the bandes of penaunce, vpon his former sentence. Let this rebuke and checke giuen him of many, be enough. And now rather, it were expediēt that you did forgiue him and comforte him, least perhaps he be drowned ād ouer∣whelmd with excessiue sorow. Ther¦for I pray you, renew ād cōfirme your loue towardes him againe: I moue you

in this matter to proue, whether you be obedient in al things. And where you pardō, there doo I forgiue also. In deed as for me, whē I pardon, it is for your sakes, and in the person of Christ, that we be not circumuented of the diuel, whose meaning (in suche matters) I wel vnderstande.

Thus yow see did y^t Apostle punish, & thus did he remit again. Hauing y^e mo∣deratiō of y^e Churches discipline in his hādes so far as his iurisdictiō did extēd amōgest Christs people, whose obediēce in all suche matters he claimed, as you may perceiue by his owne woords, not yet without great respect & cōsideratiō of y^e offenders case, & especial care of the Churches edifying. For ful truly S. Au¦gustin said: In actione autem poenitentiae, vbi tale crimen commissum est, vt is qui cōmisit a Christi etiā corpore separetur, non tam conside∣randa est mensura temporis, quàm doloris: In y^e dooing of penaūce wher the sinne is such that it deserueth excōmunication, ther is not so much respect to be had of the time, as of his sorowfulnes that cō∣mitted the facte.

Notes

• Pristhod in the nevve lavve of more po∣vver to purchase mercy them in the olde.
• Moyses and Aarō procured mercy ād pardō for the peo∣ple.
• Ibid.
• Num. 12.
• Num. 16.
• Psal ••4.
• Lucae 7. & 8. Christe him selfe gaue a pardon.
• Ioan. 8.
• Epist. 54••
• Epist. 187
• Enchir. Cap. 66.
• Iacob. 5.
• Iurisdi∣ction ex∣ercised, by S. Paule.
• 1. Cor. 5.
• The form of excom¦munica∣tion and binding. offenders vsed by S. Paule.
• In 1. Cap. 1. ad Tim.
• Lucae 13.
• S. Paule gaue par∣don. 2. Cor. 2.
• Cap. 65. Enchir.