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of that sin, but a further manifestation only of the remission formerly granted by God himself.

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The Master of the sentences after him, having propounded the divers opinions of the doctors touching this point, demandeth at last, 297 In this so great variety what is to be held ?" and returneth for answer: "Surely this we may say and think that God alone doth forgive and retain sins, and yet hath given power of binding and loosing unto the Church; but he bindeth and looseth one way, and the Church another. For he only by himself forgiveth sin, who both cleanseth the soul from inward blot, and looseth it from the debt of everlasting death. But this hath he not granted unto priests; to whom, notwithstanding, he hath given the power of binding and loosing, that is to say, of declaring men to be bound or loosed. Whereupon the Lord did first by himself restore health to the leper, and then sent him unto the priests, by whose judgment he might be declared to be cleansed: so also he offered Lazarus to his disciples to be loosed, having first quickened him." In like manner, Hugo Cardinalis sheweth, that it is 298 only God that forgiveth sins: and 299 that "the priest cannot bind or loose the sinner with or from the bond of the fault, and the punishment due thereunto; but only declare him to be bound or loosed: as the Levitical priest did not make or cleanse the leper, but only declared him to be infected òr clean." And a great number of the schoolmen afterward shewed themselves to be of the same judgment: that to pardon the fault and the eternal punishment due unto the same, was the proper work of God; that the priest's absolution hath no real operation that way, but presupposeth

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the party to be first justified and absolved by God. this mind were 300 Gulielmus Altissiodorensis, 301 Alexander of Hales, 30 Bonaventure, 303 Ockam, 304 Thomas de Argentina, 305 Michael de Bononia, 306 Gabriel Biel, 307 Henricus de Huecta, Johannes Major, and others.

To lay down all their words at large would be too tedious. In general, Hadrian the Sixth, one of their own Popes, acknowledgeth, that 309 the most approved divines were of this mind, "that the keys of the priesthood do not extend themselves to the remission of the fault:" and 310 Major affirmeth, that this is "the common tenet of the doctors." So likewise is it avouched by Gabriel Biel, that the old doctors commonly" follow the opinion of the Master of the sentences; that priests do forgive or retain sins, while they judge and declare that they are forgiven by God or retained. But all this notwithstanding, Suarez is bold to tell us," that this opinion of the Master is false, and now at this time erroneous." It was not held so the other day, when Ferus preached at Mentz, that "man 313 did not properly remit sin, but did declare and certify that it was remitted by God. So that the absolution received from man is nothing else than if he should say, Behold, my son, I certify thee that thy sins are forgiven thee; I pronounce unto thee that thou hast God favourable unto thee; and whatsoever Christ in baptism and in his Gospel hath promised unto us, he doth

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300 Altissiodorens. Summ. lib. iv. cap. de generali usu clavium.

301 Alexand. Halens. Summ. part. IV. Quæst. XXI. Membr. 1.

20 Bonavent. in iv. Dist. XVIII. Art. 2, Quæst. 1. et II.

33 Gul. Ockam, in iv. Sentent. Quæst. IX. lit. Q.

304 Argentin. in iv. Sent. Dist. XVIII. Art. 3.

305 Mich. Angrian. in Psal. xxix. et xxxi. 306 Biel. in iv. Sent. Dist. XIV. Quæst. 11. d. n. et Dist. XVIII. Quæst. 1. k.

207 Henr. de Oyta (al. Jota), in Propositionib. apud Illyricum, in Catal. Test. Veritat.

308 Major, in iv. Sentent. Dist. XVIII. Quæst. I.

30 Hadrian. in Quodlibetic. Quæst. v. Art. 3. b.

310 Major, in iv. Dist. XIV. Quæst. II. Concl. 3.

311 Et illam opinionem communiter sequuntur doctores antiqui. Biel. in iv. Dist. XIV. Quæst. 11. d.

312 Verumtamen hæc sententia Magistri falsa est, et jam hoc tempore erronea. Fr. Suarez. in Thom. Tom Iv. Disp. XIX. sect. 2, num. 4.

213 Non quod homo proprie remittat peccatum; sed quod ostendat ac certificet a Deo remissum. Neque enim aliud est absolutio, quam ab homine accipis, quam si dicat: En fili, certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata, annuncio tibi te habere propitium Deum; et quæcunque Christus in baptismo et evangelio nobis promisit, tibi nunc per me annunciat et promittit. Jo. Ferus, lib. ii. Comment. in Matt. cap. ix. edit. Mogunt. ann. 1559.

now declare and promise unto thee by me. Of this shalt thou have me to be a witness: go in peace and in quiet of conscience." But, jam hoc tempore, "the case is altered:" these things must be purged out of 314 Ferus as erroneous; the opinion of the old doctors must give place to the sentence of the new Fathers of Trent. And so we are come at length to the end of this long question, in the handling whereof I have spent the more time, by reason our priests do make this faculty of pardoning men's sins to be one of the most principal parts of their occupation, and the particular discovery thereof is not ordinarily by the writers of our side so much insisted upon.

OF PURGATORY.

FOR extinguishing the imaginary flames of Popish Purgatory, we need not go far to fetch water; seeing the whole current of God's word runneth mainly upon this, that 'the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin; that all God's children die in Christ, and that such as 3die in him, do rest from their labours: that, as they be absent from the Lord while they are in the body, so when they be absent from the body they are present with the Lord; and in a word, that they come not into judgment, but pass from death unto life. And if we need the assistance of the ancient Fathers in this business, behold they be here ready with full buckets in their hands.

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counteth it injurious unto called from hence by him

Tertullian, to begin withal, Christ, to hold that such as be are in a state that should be pitied. Whereas they have obtained their desire of being with Christ, according to that of the Apostle Philip. i. 23, I desire to depart, and be

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with Christ. What pity was it, that the poor souls in purgatory should find no spokesman in those days to inform men better of their rueful condition; nor no secretary to draw up such another supplication for them as this, which of late years Sir Thomas More presented in their name: "To all good Christian people. In most piteous wise continually calleth and crieth upon your devout charity and most tender pity, for help, comfort and relief, your late acquaintance, kindred, spouses, companions, playfellows, and friends, and now your humble and unacquainted and halfforgotten suppliants, poor prisoners of God, the silly souls in purgatory, here abiding, and enduring the grievous pains and hot cleansing fire," &c. If St Cyprian had understood but half thus much, doubtless he would have strucken out the best part of that famous Treatise which he wrote of Mortality, to comfort men against death in the time of a great plague, especially such passages as these are, which by no means can be reconciled with purgatory:

"It is for him to fear death, that is not willing to go unto Christ: it is for hint to be unwilling to go unto Christ, who doth not believe that he beginneth to reign with Christ. For it is written, that the just doth live by faith. If thou be just, and livest by faith, if thou dost truly believe in God, why, being to be with Christ, and being secure of the Lord's promise, dost not thou embrace the message whereby thou art called unto Christ, and rejoicest that thou shalt be rid of the devil? Simeon said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation:" "proving thereby and witnessing, that the servants of God then have peace, then enjoy free and quiet rest, when being drawn

7 The Supplication of Souls, made by Sir Thomas More; which seemeth to be made in imitation of Joh. Gerson's Querela Defunctorum in Igne Purgatorio detentorum ad superstites in terra Amicos, part. IV. Oper. edit. Paris. ann. 1606, Col. 959.

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Ejus est mortem timere, qui ad Christum nolit ire: ejus est ad Christum nolle ire, qui se non credat cum Christo incipere regnare. Scriptum est enim, Justum fide vivere. Si justus es, et fide vivis, si vere

in Deum credis, cur non, cum Christo futurus, et de Domini pollicitatione securus, quod ad Christum voceris, amplecteris, et quod Diabolo careas, gratularis? Cypr. de Mortalit. sect. 2, edit. Goulart.

9 Probans scilicet atque contestans, tunc esse servis Dei pacem, tunc liberam, tunc tranquillam quietem, quando de istis mundi turbinibus extracti, sedis et securitatis æternæ portum petimus, quando expuncta hac morte ad immortalitatem venimus. Ibid.

from these storms of the world, we arrive at the haven of our everlasting habitation and security, when this death being ended, we enter into immortality." 10 The righteous are called to a refreshing, the unrighteous are haled to torment: safety is quickly granted to the faithful, and punishment to the unfaithful." "We are not to put on black mourning garments here, when our friends there have put on white." "This is not a going out, but a passage; and, this temporal journey being finished, a going over to eternity." 13 Let us therefore embrace the day that bringeth every one to his own house; which having taken us away from hence, and loosed us from the snares of this world, returneth us to paradise, and to the kingdom of heaven."

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The same holy Father, in his Apology, which he wrote for Christians unto Demetrian, the Proconsul of Afric, affirmeth in like manner, that "the end of this temporal life being accomplished, we are divided into the habitations of everlasting, either death or immortality." 15 When we are once departed from hence, there is now no further place for repentance, neither any effect of satisfaction. Here life is either lost or obtained." But if 16 thou," saith he, " at the very end and setting of thy temporal life, dost pray for thy sins, and call upon the only true God with confession and faith, pardon is given to thee confessing, and saving forgiveness is granted by the divine piety to thee believing; and at thy very death thou hast a passage unto immortality. This grace doth Christ impart, this gift of

10 Ad refrigerium justi vocantur, ad | supplicium rapiuntur injusti: datur velocius tutela fidentibus, perfidis pœna. Ib. sect. 11.

11 Nec accipiendas esse hic atras vestes, quando illi ibi indumenta alba jam sumpserint. Ibid. sect. 14.

12 Non est exitus iste, sed transitus, et, temporali itinere decurso, ad æterna transgressus. Ibid. sect. 15.

13 Amplectamur diem, qui assignat singulos domicilio suo; qui nos istinc ereptos, et laqueis secularibus exsolutos, paradiso restituit et regno cœlesti. Ibid. sect. 18.

14 Donec ævitemporalis fine completo, ad æternæ vel mortis vel immortalitatis hospitia dividamur. Id. ad Demetrian. sect. 16.

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15 Quando istinc excessum fuerit, nullus jam pœnitentiæ locus est, nullus satisfactionis effectus; hic vita aut amittitur, aut | tenetur. Id. ibid. sect. 22.

16 Tu sub ipso licet exitu et vitæ temporalis occasu, pro delictis roges; et Deum, qui unus et verus est, confessione et fide agnitionis ejus implores; venia confitenti datur, et credenti indulgentia salutaris de divina pietate conceditur; et ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur. Hanc gratiam Christus impertit, hoc munus misericordiæ suæ tribuit, subigendo mortem tropæo crucis, redimendo credentem pretio sanguinis sui, reconciliando hominem Deo Patri, vivificando mortalem regeneratione cœlesti. Ibid.

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