THat God a­lone absol­ueth y ^e truly penitent, and onely forge­ueth the syn­nes of so ma­ny as with vnfayned fayth and harty repentaunce conuerte, turne and fle vnto his mercy, it is manifestly proued by diuers textes of y ^• holy scripture. First let vs heare, Esa. xlii [...] what God him self sayeth by the Prophet, I am he yea, I am he in dede, which putteth awaye thy synnes, yea, and that for myne owne sake, and I will remember thy synnes no­more. Call to remembraunce, & let vs be iudged together. Tel, [Page] if thou haste any thinge y ^• thou mayste be iustified. Thy first father synned, & thy Prophetes haue trespassed agaynste me.

Are not these woordes euident ynough? Math. xxiiii▪ God the father per­ceyuynge righte wel, that there shoulde aryse fals annoynted & fals preachers, whiche without all shame woulde arrogantlye arrogate, and proudely chalēge to them selfes that power of forgeuinge synne, whych alone pertayneth to him, plainly here affirmeth, that he alone putteth away oure sinnes. And because he would haue vs the more se­riously and earnestly to beleue it, he repetethe thys worde, I twyse, sayinge, I am he, yea, I am he in dede, whiche putteth awaye thy synnes, yea, and that for myne awne sake. And leaste any man shoulde thynke, that [Page] one may more forgeue another hys synnes (I speake of those synnes, which are betwene God and our conscience, and not of the brotherly reconciliation) he affirmeth that our firste father Adam, and all Prophetes and preachers haue synned, so that of them no remission of synnes is to be loked for. Ioan. iii. Can fleshe purifye the soule? Roma. iii.. that whiche is borne of fleshe, Roma. xi▪ is fleshe sayeth Christ. All haue synned, sayeth saint Paule, and wante y ^• glory of God. Again, God hath wrapped all nacions, sayth he in vn­belefe, that he might haue mer­cy on all. Ephe. ii. If al be sinners, flesh, and the chyldren of wrath, Luce. xvii. if al be hipocrites, vnprofitable ser­uauntes, earth, dust and ashes, if all be the enemies of God & vnfaythfull, howe dare we be so bolde, as to take vpō vs one [Page] to forgeue another their syn­nes? Is a traytoure a mete mā to purchase a pardon of a Price for another traytoure? Can one traytoure forgeue another hys treason? Cā one sinner forgeue another his sinne? Iob xiiii▪ Of the vn­clene what cā be made clene? as Iob saith: Who can make him clene, that is conceyued of vn­clene sede? Is it not thou alone o Lorde? It is the Lorde alone in dede, Psal. x. ii. as Dauid sayeth, thou o Lord, shalte sprinkle me with Hysop, & I shall be made clene, yea, I shall be made whyther than snowe. And as our sauior Christe sayde vnto Peter, Ioan. xiii. If I washe the not, thou haste no parte with me. If God washeth vs not from oure filthines, we haue no parte in the heritage of Christ. Agayn the aforesayde Prophet sayth, Ese. xxxiii the Lord is our [Page] iudge, the Lorde is our Lawe­geuer, the Lorde is our Kynge, and he it is that shall saue vs. Howe ofte is the Lorde here re­peted, to shewe y ^• it is he alone, whiche worketh all good thin­ges in vs, which forgeueth our synnes, and saueth vs, yea, and none but he alone. Agayne the Lorde hym selfe sayeth by the same Prophet, [...]. I am the Lorde & there is no Sauiour besides me. Here God hym selfe cōfes­seth, that he alone is the Lorde, and that there is none other sa­uiour besydes hym, that is too saye, none that forgeueth synne and geueth eternall lyfe, but he alone. [...]. xii [...]. By another Prophet he also saieth, thy destrucciō, o Is­rael, cometh of thy self, onely of me cometh thy healpe and sal­uacion. Dauid that holy kyng and godly Prophet, knowyng [Page] hys deliueraunce from sinne to be of God alone, stireth vp his inwarde man to magnifie the Lorde, sayinge: magnifye the Lorde, o my soule, and all that are within me, prayse his holy name. O my soule blesse y ^• Lord and forget nor al his benefites. [...]. For he it is that pardonneth al thyne iniquities, & that healeth all thy diseases, yea, he it is, y ^• deliuereth thy lyfe from destruccion, and crouneth the in mercy and louing kyndnesse. Agayne let Israel trust in the Lord, Psal. [...]. for with the Lord there is infinite mercy, and plenteous redēptiō. And he it is that redemeth Is­rael frō all their sinnes. Who­soeuer therfore taketh on hym to forgeue synne, maketh hym selfe a sauiour, and sayeth with the Aungell Apostata, Es [...]. xiiii. I will clyme vp aboue the hygh clou­des [Page] and I will be lyke vnto y ^• mooste hyghest. But let hym knowe, that pryde will haue a faule, and that the Lorde is a ielous God, and will geue hys glorie to none other. Esa. x [...]ii Who deli­uered Adam from euerlastinge damnacion, Gene. iii. whan he with hys wyfe had transgressed the com­maundemēt of the hygh Lord? Who absolued Nohe from his dronkennes? Who deliuered Loth frō the vnclennes, which he committed with hys doughters? Gene. xix. Who saued Moyses, and forgaue hym hys manslaugh­ter? Exod. ii. Who absolued Dauid frō hys adultry? iii. Reg. xi. Who had cōpas­sion on the Niniuites whā they repēted, Ionus. iiii. beleued and cōuerted? To be shorte, who forgaue and absolued all the Patriarckes, Kynges, Prophetes, prestes, &c with all other of the olde testa­ment, [Page] whan they knowledged their sinnes, and returned vnto the Lord their God, with faith­full repentaūce, but onely God alone? to whome did theif [...]e for remission of sinnes, but to God alone? In whome did they put their afflaunce and trust, but in God alone? as the Psalmogra­phe testifieth, Psal. xx [...]. sayinge: Our fa­thers trusted in the, o Lord, yea they trusted in the, and thou deliuerest them. They cryed vnto the, and they were made safe, in the o Lord, they trusted, & were not confounded. Are not these the woordes of blessed Dauid? I sayde, Psa. xxxii. I wil confesse my sin­nes vnto the Lorde, and thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne. Here is no menciō made of Aarō or of any of that priest­hode, nor yet of Pope, Patri­arcke, Cardinall, Archebishop [Page] Bishop, Prieste, or of any other man to forgeue vs our synnes, but of God alone. So foloweth it, that the Lorde alone remit­teth the vngodlynes of oure synne, and that he alone absol­ueth a pena et culpa. This was godly doctrine in the olde testament, neyther was he counted of godly mē any Heretyke that taught this kynde of learning at that tyme. God was thā the Lorde alone omnisufficient for all hys people that truly repen­ted and conuerted to his vnmesurable mercye, neyther had he nede at that tyme of any other to be conioyned with hym, as he hym selfe sayde vnto Abra­ham, Gene. xv. feare not Abraham, I am thy defender and thyne altoge­ther sufficient rewarder, and is the Lordes hande nowe so ab­breuiated and shortened, Esa. lix. that [Page] he can saue nomore? or is hys eare so stopped that he can not heare? Lorde God, what a so [...]ē chaunge is this? But I sted­fastly beleue, that he is thesame Lorde now, that he was in the olde tyme, and of no lesse po­wer to remit sinne at thys pre­sent, than he was many thou­sande yeres before these oure dayes, in asmuche as he aby­deth euer one, and is not chaū ­geable, as he sayeth by the Prophet Malachie, Malac. iii. I am the Lord and am not chaunged.

¶Hytherto haue I bene holde in few wordes to proue, y ^• in the time of the olde law, God alone forgaue the synnes of his peo­ple without the helpe, eyther of Bishop, Prophet, prieste, leuite or any other, y ^t the whole glory of their saluacion might be as­cribed to hym alone. Nowe let [Page] vs also labour to declare, that God alone doth the very same thynge in the new testament, y ^• he alone maye stil remayne the God of health agaynst the pe­stilent doctrine of the wicked Papistes, whiche so borishelye sweate to maintaine their vsurped power, and fayned authoritie to the greate obscuringe of Gods glorie, and that to hym alone all honour and prayse maye be geuen. i. Timo. i

¶We reade in the holy gospel that when a certen man beyng diseased of the palsey, was bro­ught vnto Christe to be made whole, Christ sayde vnto hym: Sonne be on a good conforte, Math. ix thy sinnes are forgeuē the. The Scribes hearing these wordes of forgeuing sinne, thinking w ^t thē selfs y ^• Christ was not God, but mā onely, & that it was the [Page] office of God alone too remit & forgeue synne, spake on thys manner within them selfs. Hic blasphemat, this felow blasphe­meth, Marc. ii. or as Marke & Luke writeth, Luce. v Who is he y ^• speaketh blasphemies? Who is able to for­geue sinne but God alone? here the Scribes tēdering more the glory of God then our papistes & pharises do at this time, could not abyde y ^• Christ, whome they iudged only mā, should chalēge to him power to forgeue sinne, seing y ^• alone pertained to God. And vpō this place of y ^e scripture many write y ^t y ^• Scribes er­red not in this cōfession y ^• God alone forgeueth synne, but in this thei sai, thei were deceyued because thei beleued not, y ^• christ was bothe God and man. If Christe had bene nothinge but mā, he had blasphemed in dede, [Page] that is to say, taken that thing vpon hym, whiche is the office of God alone, but forasmuche as he was not onely man, but also God, he blasphemeth not, he chalenged nothing but that was hys righte. So did the Scribes and not Christe blas­pheme. Let all men therefore learne of this historie, that God alone forgeueth synne. Doeth not Christe also in the aforesaid chapter of Matthew, Math. ix call hym selfe a Phisicion, and shew that he came to call synners vnto repentaunce, and to make them whole? Why calleth he him self a phisicion, but because it is his office to cure and heale? Iere. xvii. Iere­my prayed vnto this phisicion, sayeng: heale me o Lorde, & I shall be healed, saue thou me, & I shall be safe, for thou arte he whome I will magnifye. For [Page] he did knowe full well, that all other phisicions were vnprofi­table without his helpe, and no more mete to cure sicke conscī ­ces of them selfes, then the olde Lyon was to heale the horse, of whome Esope writeth in his fables, whiche notwithstandyng take on him to practise phisicke whā of that same sciēce he was altogether ignorante. Math. xi. More­ouer Christe calleth all them y ^• labour and are laden to hym, & promiseth that he will refreshe, ease and conforte them. He sen­deth them not awaye to other, but calleth them all withoute excepcion to hym, whereby he sheweth that no creature, ney­ther in heauen nor in earth can truly and sufficiently heale our infirme and sicke consciences, but he alone, Ioan. x [...]. whiche sayeth, I am the resurrectiō and lyfe. He [Page] that beleueth in me, althoughe he be dead, shal lyue, and euery one that liueth and beleueth in me, shal neuer dye. For who can forgeue me my synne, but he a­lone, which is without al sinne? Who can deliuer me frō death & hel, i. Pe [...]. ii [...] but he alone, which hath ouercome them both? Ose. xiii. Who cā make me good, but he alone, whiche onely is good? Math. xix. Who cā make me wyse, righteous and holy, but he alone, which is ap­poynted of God the father to be our wysdome, righteousnes, & sanctification? i. Cor. [...]. Finally, who cā engraffe in me life & vertu, but he alone, in whome is all hope of life and vertue? Eccle. xxiiii Therfore ful well doth Christ cal so many as labour and are loden with the burdē of synne to him, Mat. xi. and pro­miseth that he wil refresh them, that is to saye, absolue and de­liuer [Page] them frome their synnes. Hereto belongeth the sayinge of blessed Iohan Baptiste, Ioan. i. Be­holde that lābe of God, whiche taketh awaye the sinne of the worlde. Here blessed Baptiste confesseth, that it is Christe a­lone, whiche absolueth and ta­keth awaye the synne of the worlde. Doeth not also the holy Euangelist sainct Iohan in the aforesayde Chapter call Christe that true lighte, which lighteneth euery man that co­meth into this worlde: what o­ther thinge is it to lighten, thā too put awaye the cloudes of synnes, and to sende into oure hertes the radiante and gliste­ringe beames of the eternall sonne, whiche is the knowlege of Gods mooste holy will. And this, sayeth saincte Iohan, is the office of Christe alone.

[Page]Why doth Christe cal so many as thyrste vnto hym, Esa. iv. & promy­seth that floudes of lyuysh wa­ter shall flowe out of their bel­lies: Ioan. vii. yea, [...]poc. xxii. and that he will geue them the water of life frely▪ but onely to shewe, that whosoeuer is thyrsty, and hartely desireth remission of synnes, muste with all haste come to hym, Psal▪ [...]. and saye with the Psalmographe, Lyke as the harte desireth the water brokes, so longeth my soule af­ter the, o God. My soule is a thyrste for God, yea, euen for y ^e liuinge God. &c. Furthermore Christe commaundeth y ^t repen­taunce and remission of sinnes shoulde be preached in his na­me. [...]. [...]i [...] iii. Where we may learne, that forgeuenes of synne cometh onely by the name of Christe. And in the Actes of y ^• Apostles we fynde, y ^• when any famous [Page] & notable acte or miracle was done▪ the people, as manye at this daye, did ascribe it to the vertue and power of the Apo­stles, willynge to do sacrifice vnto them for it, but the Apo­stles did reiecte and cast awaye all suche immerited honor and vndeserued prayse, contendyng and maynly laborynge to per­swade the people, Act. [...]iii. &. xiii [...] that whatso­euer was don, came not to passe by their power, but by the ver­tue of Iesu Christe, whom God raysed vp from death. And whē they made mencion of remissiō of synnes, they did neuer remē ­ber and reherse their owne po­wer to forgeue synne, but onely preached, that so many as bele­ued and were baptised into the remission of synnes, shoulde be absolued and frely forgeuen by the name of Iesu Christe. And [Page] in the actes of the apostles bles­sed Peter playnly confesseth, Act. x. y ^• there is no health, no lyfe, no remission of synnes, but in Christ alone, and that there is none o­ther name geuen vnto mē vn­der heauen, wherein they muste be saued, Act. iiii. but the name of Iesu Christe alone. Neyther did the Apostles absolue any otherwise than by the preachyng of gods worde, which whē it was heard & beleued, than were y ^• diligent hearers, and faythful beleuers of the same truly absolued, as Christ sayeth. Now are ye clene for the wordes sake that I haue spoken vnto you, that is. Now are ye deliuered frō your sinnes because ye haue beleued my preaching. [...]an. xv. The fayth of y ^• herte iustifieth, sayeth sainct Paule. Where it maye be learned, Roma▪ x. y ^• if fayth be not geuen to the worde [Page] there is no absolucion or deliueraūce frō sinne. Roma. xiii For whatsoeuer is not of fayth, is sinne, & where fayth is not, there abydeth the wrathe of God, as holy Iohan Baptist sayeth, Ioan. iii he y ^• beleueth y ^• sonne, hath euerlasting life, but he that beleueth not the sonne, shal not se life, but the wrath of God abydeth vpon him. Math. viii ix. xv. Ther­fore before Christ absolued any man of his synnes, Marc. v. ix. he did be­holde & se, Luc. xvii. xv [...] whether he had faith or not. Ioan. xi. If Christe founde true fayth in his hert, thā he alwais sayde, thy fayth hath saued the. Seyng than y ^e none can search the hert, whyther it be faythfull or vnfaythful▪ but God alone, seynge also that the absolution beareth no strength, but where faythe is, it foloweth that none canne absolue me of my syn­nes, Iere. xvii. but that Lorde alone, [Page] whiche searcheth the raynes & the herte. Psal. vii. The prieste is onely Gods minister, Apoc. [...]i. appoynted of God (if he be truly sent) to prea­che that absolucion and fre de­liueraunce from my synne, tho­row the name of Iesu Christe, whiche pre [...]chinge if I beleue, I am so sure to be deliuered frō all my sinnes, as though Christ hym self had sayde vnto me, [...]oan. xv. I frely absolue the, or thy synnes are forgeuē the for thy faythes sake in my name. Are not these the wordes of Christ, Tit. [...]. whiche is the self trueth and can not lye, spoken too all faythfull Mini­sters? Luc. x He that heareth you, hea­reth me, and he that de [...]pyseth you, despiseth me, and he that despyseth me, despiseth hym y ^• sent me. But let vs reherse mo scriptures, althoughe too anye Christen hert, these, whiche hy­therto [Page] I haue recyted, maye seme abundantly too suffice.

Blessed Paule in his Epistel to the Romains proueth mani­festly, Roma. viii. that God alone iusti [...]ieth vs. If our iustificacion cometh from God alone, than foloweth it wel, that the remission of our sinnes cometh from God alone also. For remission of synnes goeth before Iustification. Roma. iiii. By Christes death are we deliuered from our synnes but by his re­surreccion are we insti [...]ide and made righteous. So doeth it euidently appere, that it is God alone, i. Cor. i. which both remitteth the synne, and also iustifieth y ^• syn­ner for Christes sake, which is our righteousnes. Roma. viii. Agayne the aforesayde Apostle sayeth, that God hath not onely geuen vs his sonne, but also all thinges with hym. Ergo absolucion of [Page] synnes. So se we y ^• God alone absolueth & forgeueth vs oure synnes for Christes sake. Saīt Paule to the Galathians affir­meth, Galat. i. that Christ gaue him self for our sinnes, that he might deliuer vs from this present euill worlde, that is to saye, from all euil in this present worlde. Er­go God alone it is, [...]. Cor. vi. which deli­uereth vs from oure sinnes in this vale of misery. Ye are was­shed awaye from your sinnes, sayeth he, yea, ye are sanctified & made righteous by y ^• name of the Lord Iesu, and by the spirit of our God. Ergo our absolu­cion, oure deliueraunce frome synne, our sanctification, oure iustification and all that euer good is cometh frome God thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord. Agayn he sayeth, Ephe. i. God y ^• father [Page] hath blessed vs with all spiri­tuall blessinges, ergo with the blessinge of absolucion and fre deliueraunce from all oure sin­nes. Colos. i. God hathe deliuered vs from the power of darkenes, and caryed vs into the kynge­dome of his welbeloued sonne, by whome we haue redemptiō, euen by hys bloude remission of synnes. Ergo by Christes bloude are we absolued and deliuered frome oure synnes.

Euery good gyfte and euery perfecte gifte, Iac. [...]. sayeth Iames, cometh from aboue, and descē ­deth frome the father of lyght. Ergo absolucion, whiche is a good and perfecte gyfte, co­meth doune frome the father of lyghte. Blessed Ihon in his epistle sayeth: If we con­fesse [Page] our synnes, god is fayth­full & righteous to forgeue vs oure synnes & to make vs clēne from all iniquite. Here saynct Ihon affirmeth, i. Ioan. i that God for­ [...]eueth vs our synnes, and ma­ [...]h vs clene from all vnrigh­teousnes. He sayeth also, that the bl [...]ude of Iesu Christ gods ow [...] [...]onne, i. Ioan. ii. maketh vs cleane [...] sinne. And in the chap­ [...] [...]olowyng he sayeth, If any [...]an synneth, we haue an aduocate with the father Iesu Christ that righteous one. And he it is that obtaineth mercy for our synnes, not for our sinnes only, but for al the world also. Again he sayeth, I writte vnto you, o ye litle chyldren, that your syn­nes are forgeuen you for Chri­stes name sake. Here se we agaī that by Christ remission of syn­nes cometh to vs from God the [Page] father. Moreouer bl [...]ssed Ihon in hys reuelacion writteth on this manner, Apoc. i. Christ hath loued vs, and washed vs frō our syn­nes by hys bloude. Here se we y ^• all our synnes be washed away by Christes bloud alone. What shoulde I write more▪ If I go forthe to gather together al the places of holy scripture, y ^• proue the absolucion of our sinnes to come from God alone, I shuld not onely trouble the mooste godly Reader, but also writte a volume more Prol [...]rior thā the Iliades of the greke poet Ho­mere, whan to any christen iud­gement I maye iustly seme all redy to haue poroued my arti­cle true & sufficiently christē mē vnto y ^• great shame of all these Papistes, which cease not with their stētorous voyces to speke euill of the true preachers of [Page] Gods worde, and to obscure or deface the glory of God. Take away the power of onely remittinge synnes from God, & what remayneth there, wherfore we should confesse our selfs boūde to hym? I speake of matters concernynge the saluacion of our soules. If all that be of the shauen nacion, haue power to absolue men of their sinnes at their pleasure, and to remit or retayn, whose iniquities it pleaseth them, than is God wel promoted, euē out of y ^• Halle into y ^• Kytchyn, as they vse to saye.

So shoulde it also folowe, that so many as pleased the priestes shoulde haue their synnes for­geuen them, and so be saued, o­therwyse not. O intollerable blasphemy. But as God alone remitted the synnes of the fa­thers of the olde Testament, so [Page] in lyke maner doth he nowe in the new testament. Luc. vii. Who absolued Mary Magdalene frō her sinnes, but Christe? Who for­gaue the thefe hys robbery and māslaughter, Luc. xxiii. but Christ? Who had compassion on Peter, whā he had denied his master christ, but Christ? Math. ix Who made of Mat thew the publica [...]e and tolga­therer, a faithful apostle & preacher, but Christe? Luc. [...]v. Who is that good shepeharde, Iohn. x. that fetcheth home the strayeshepe, louingly vpon hys shulders vnto the shepefolde, is it not Christe, whiche sayeth of him self, I am that good shepeharde? A good shepeharde geueth his lyfe for the shepe. Who receyued home ioyfully the loste sonne, was it not Christe? Luc. [...]v. Who healed the wounded manne? the Prieste or the Leuite? Or rather [Page] Christe the Samaritane? who made of Saul the persecutour, Paule an Apostle, was it not Christe? Who absolued al these with many other in y ^• scripture from their synnes, but Christe alone, the sonne of the liuynge God? Mat. xxviii Doth not al power belōg to Christe, both in heauen and in earth? to hym therfore alone doeth the power of remi [...]tinge synne pertayne. Seyng than y ^• this is true, and nothyng more true, why maye we not be bolde to saye, [...]agre the Papistes, y ^• God alone absolueth the truly penitent, and onely remitteth the synnes of so many as wyth an vnfayned fayth conuerte & fle vnto hys mercy? If this be heresy, whiche we onely confesse and teache. I coulde allege di­uers sentences out of the holy doctors of Christes churche, [Page] which maintaine this doctrine. But seyng I fighte not for the auauncement of man, but for y ^• glory of God, I wil not satisfie this my worke with mans doc­trine, but with the infallible verite of Gods word. For I know that euery man is a lyar, Psal. [...]. [...] but God is true, Esa. xl. & hys worde aby­deth for euermore.

Now will I prepare my self to the second parte of this trea­tise, and afterwarde make aunswer to the obiecciōs of the ad­uersaries, that God maye styll remayne a glorious God in the presence of al men, and al other recoūted duste and ashes in cō ­parison of hym. The seconde parte of this treatise is this, as concernyng the priest, he forge­ueth not the synne, but onely is a minister of God, appointed to vtter & declare that fre remissiō [Page] of synnes purchased for vs of God the father, by the most pre­cious bloude of Iesu Christe. This maketh the Papistes to cry, ad ignem, ad ignem. For this doctrine plucketh them doune one staffe lower than they were before. They may now become no more Checkemate with God. For before they were not onely not contented to be his mini­sters, but also they woulde be heylefellow wel mette with hī. Now shall they be fayne, eyther to be y ^• messengers and seruaū ­tes of God, or els playne Anti­christes and papistes. But let vs se, what the scripture sayeth.

That the priest forgeueth not synne but God alone, it is sufficiētly proued before. Now must we learne of y ^• holy scriptures, whyther y ^• priest be but onely a minister appoynted of God to [Page] vtter & declare y ^• absoluciō & fre deliueraūce from synne, or not. That this is his office, it is manifest by diuers places of y ^• new testamēt. Whā Christ sent forth his disciples, he sayd vnto them on this maner: Go into y ^• vni­uersal worlde, & preache y ^• Gos­pel to euery creatur, Max [...]. xvi. who so shal beleue & be baptised, he shall be saued, but who so wil not beleue shalbe condēned. Here is it eui­dent ynough, what authoritie prestes haue, & what their office is, verely to preache y ^• Gospel & to baptise. Marke y ^• they must preache y ^• Gospell, as s. Paule sayeth, Christ sent me not onely to baptise, but to preache y ^• Gospel. Again, wo is vnto me, i. Cor. [...]. if I preache not y ^• Gospel. i. Cor. ix. And in y ^• discripsiō of a spiritual minister he sheweth y ^t such one ought to be chosen, as is not onely lear­ned, but also apte too teache, [Page] able to exhorte with wholsome doctrine, [...] & to conuince or ouer­come them that speake agaynst the trueth of Christes gospell. And sainct Peter sayeth, ye el­ders fede the flocke of Christe, somuche as in you is. What o­ther thynge is it to preache the gospel, than to declare vnto the people, that their synnes be for­geuen them frely of God, if they repent and beleue in Christe, as it is written. He that beleueth y ^• sonne, hath euerlasting lyfe. Ioan. iii. If synnes be forgeuen of God, & the ministers commaunded to declare that same to the people than doth it folowe, that they forgeue not the synne, but only are ministers appointed of god to publishe that benefite of our saluacion. If a Prince pardon­neth his subiect for hys treason committed against hys person, [Page] and sendeth hys, letters of fa­uoure to the traytoure, by one of his faythfull seruauntes, cō ­maundynge him to declare his pitefull mercy to the gilty, who forgeueth the fau [...] the messen­ger or the kynge? I am sure it wyll be answered the kynge. And not vniustly. For y ^• prince alone pardoneth, the messen­ger only declareth hys princes pleasure to the traytoure. Euen so all we haue offended, & wor­thely deserued eternall deathe. Nowe the good pleasure of our moste mighty prince is to for­geue vs euen of his owne fre mercy, without our desertes or merites for Christes sake, and that hys vnspeakable goodnes towarde mankynde maye be knowen, he hath appoynted his ministers to publishe it abrode. The summe of their commissiō [Page] is this, that whosoeuer will re­pente hys former lyfe & beleue to haue remissiō of their sinnes thorowe the mercye of God in Iesu Christ our Lord, they, shal be forgeuen. The ministers of God publish these ioiful newes exhorte vnto repentaunce and fayth. The people repent & be­leue, their synnes are forgeuen. Who forgeueth the synnes of y ^• faythful repentaūte? The graū ter of the commission, or the de­clarer thereof? God or man? I doubte not, but that ye wil aunswer, God. If god alone, whom we offende, forgeueth the sinne, and not the declarers of y ^• for­geuenes, I haue gottē that I haue desyred for the probacion of the second parte of this littel treatyse. But let vs heare what Christe sayeth, Ioan. x [...]. as my father sent me, so sende I you. Nowe [Page] I praye you howe was Christe sent, and for what purpose?

¶Let vs heare, what he hym selfe sayeth, and than shall I be blamelesse. By the Prophete Esaye he speaketh on this ma­ner. Esa. lxi. The spirite of the Lorde is vpon me, Luc. ii [...] because he hathe a­noynted me, to preache y ^• Gos­pell too the poore he hath sende me, to heale the br [...]ken ha [...]ted, to preache deliueraunce to the captiue, and sighte to the blind frely to set at liberte them that are brosed, and to preache the acceptable yere of the Lorde. Agayn he sayth, Luc. [...]iii. I must preach the glad & ioyful tydinges of y ^• kingdom of God to other cities also, fortherfore am I sēt. Once again he saith: Ma [...]e. [...] let vs go into y ^• next tounes, that I may preach ther also, for therfor am I come Al these sētēces declare manife­stly, y ^• [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] that Christ was sent to preach the kyngdome of God, that is to saye, fre deliueraunce frome synne to so many as repent and beleue. If thei wil not be aboue Christe, they must be contented to preache the will of the cele­stiall father, as he was, and not to take vpon them, that thynge wherof only they are ministers. Doth not saint Paule, Iames, Peter, and Iude, call thē selfs the seruauntes of Iesu Christe in all their Epistles, declaringe therby, that they are not the self master, by whome remission & absolucion of synnes cometh, but onely the ministers of him, whiche infundeth and poureth into all men grace, fauoure, re­mission of synnes and euerla­styng lyfe? there is but one ma­ster, that is to saye, Mat. xxiii. Christe, the other are seruauntes, as saynct [Page] Paule witnesseth, We preache not our selfes, but Christe Iesu the Lorde, ii. Cor. iiii. and we your seruaū ­tes for Iesus sake. Agayn, let a man this wyse esteme vs, euen as the ministers of Christ, and stewardes of y ^• secretes of God. i. Cor. iiii. All these textes declare mani­festlye, that priestes, if they be true ministers, and not rather idolles, are nothinge but mini­sters and seruaūtes appoynted of God to declare vnto the chri­sten congregacion, that fre re­mission of synnes cometh vnto vs from God alone, thorow the glorious name of Iesu christe, so farre is it of, that the priestes contrary to their commission cā forgeue synnes, whose office cō ­sisteth in declaring, and not in geuinge remission of sinnes.

Therfore let theim be contēted nomore frō hensforth arrogātly [Page] to arrogate y ^t vnto them, which pertayne to God alone. but hū ­bly cōfesse, that God onely for­geueth the synne, and that they are but commissioners, appoin­ted of God, to publishe and set­forth the same, I meane the re­mission of synnes geuen to the faythfull penitēt of God alone. Neyther let theym frowne at thys doctrine, whiche setteth them in their righte place, but rather (as it becometh good & faythfull seruauntes) let theim geue the glory of our saluaciō to God alone, and be glad that they are called vnto so worthy & honorable office to declare the misteries of God to the people, whose preachinges or sermōs, whosoeuer beleueth, may be so certenly assured of y ^• remissiō of their sinnes, as though God hī self had sayd vnto thē, your sin­nes [Page] are forgeuē you. For thys sayng of Christ is an infallible verite, he y ^• heareth you heareth me. Lu [...]. x. Now let vs beholde y ^e obiecciōs of y ^• papistes, & briefly confute thē, y ^• all y ^• glory may be the Lordes. Fyrst they alledge this saying of Christe, loosen hym & let him go away. Ioan. xl. Agayn, loosen thē a bring thē vnto me. Math. xxi. Here is simple poore shyfte too proue their absolucion, whan thei are cōpelled to fle vnto y ^• vnteiyng of a vile shete, and loseninge of a simple rude Asse. Loke wher­soeuer the papistes fynde any worde that cometh of this ver­be Soluo, that maketh for abso­luciō streyght wayes. I maruel how this escaped theym, Math. xviii. Solue quod debes. I thinke if Salue regina hadde bene turned into Solue regina, as some of theim that be not very fyne mouthed [Page] pronounce it, they wolde not haue bene ashamed to haue al­ledged it for absolutiō, euen as some of the papistes do, which, where so euer they fynde, Ignis, take it for Purgatory streyght-wayes. O noble doctors of Tyrology, rather than of Theology.

As concerning the first text, which is that Christ commaunded that Lazarus should be let loose, and suffered frely to go hys waye, if they will gather their absolucion of that, it may than be proued, y ^• all other men and womē haue that same po­wer so well as they. For there were at that tyme present, not onely the disciples of Christe, but also diuers Iewes with certeyn women, whiche I am sure were not all priestes. Haue they not made a good market? they [Page] haue brought a shillinge to .ix. pens, yea, rather to nothynge.

They haue done fayre by them selfes by my fay. Whyle thei laboure to make them selfs god­des, & to excell all other in dig­nitie, they go so wisely to worke that they haue made them selfs equal to the mooste inferioure. O crafty dawbers. Whiche of them all is able too proue that Christ spake these wordes, loo­sen hym and let hym go, rather to his Disciples than to all the other indifferently? I thynke rather that he spake them to y ^• women, as mooste comonly oc­cupied aboute suche thinges. But to whom he spake, the text maketh no menciō, therfore cā they proue nothyng.

As touchyng the losoninge Math. xxi. of y ^• Asse, who seeth not their fo­lishnes? the occasion why christ [Page] sente the disciples for the Asse, was not to geue theym power to losen men from their sinnes at their pleasure, but to fulfil y ^e prophecy of zachary, whiche so lōge before prophecied y ^• Christ shoulde come rydynge mekely vpon an Asse, contrarye to the expectacion of the ambicious & vayne glorious Iewes. What is this to the purpose? Where as Christ by this example tea­cheth humilite, the papistes gather pryde. ii. Thes. iii Christe submitteth hym self, euen with the mooste lowest, and they exalt thē selfs with the mooste hyghest, yea, a­boue all that is called God or that is worshypped, and syt in the temple of God, and shewe them selfes as God. Tell me good Reader, are not these swe­te Allegorymakers? I woulde they woulde ones cease to mo­ralyse, [Page] for they haue lyed too longe.

Some of them also alledge this sayinge of Christe, What­soeuer thou shalt bynde on the earth, shalbe also boūde in hea­uē. And whatsoeuer thou shalt loosen on earthe, shall be looso­ned in heauen. Here they este­me them selfes more thā God­des. By this texte, they thynke they maye do, whatsoeuer plea­seth theym, saue or condemne, bynde or loose, holde vp or cast doune, buylde or subuerte, brīg to heauen or caste doune to hel, but if the good men woulde take the paynes to looke what goeth before, theyr cōbe should sone be plucked doune, they wold not make somuch of their paynted shethe. Christ sayeth a littel before, I will geue y ^•, the keyes of y ^• kyngdom of heauē. [Page] He sayeth not, I geue y ^•. Christ in this place onely promised y ^• keyes to the congregacion, and performed his promise after his resurreccion, as we maye se in y ^• Gospel of Ihon. Hereof maye y ^• papistes rightwell perceyue, y ^• this texte, wherof hytherto they haue so greatly gloried, and out of the whiche they haue sucked so greate aduauntage, maketh littel vnto the aduauncemēt of theyr fayned power.

Their laste and moste strōg bulwarke, Ioan. xx. where y ^• keyes were geuen to the true ministers, is this text, Whosoeuer synnes ye forgeue, they are forgeuen vnto them. And whosoeuers synnes ye retayne, they are re­tayned. Here they triumphe & perswade themselfes, that they haue gottē the victory, though they neuer fight stroke. But if [Page] they will be fauorable to God, and worke no iniurie to the o­ther scriptures afore rehersed, they shall haue no cause to lifte vp their bristles. Christe spea­keth here after the manner of our speache, whiche diligently must be noted, vnles we wil de­priue God of his glorie. Whan we se a man restored to his hea­lthe, whiche longe before hathe ben vexed of some greuous dis­ease, & is made whole thorowe the diligence of some Phisicion we vse to saye, Doctor Turner made this mā whole, or doctor Byll, or some other, whiche is expert in that kynde of science, and yet is it not the doctor that made hym whole, but rather y ^e emplastures and medecines y ^• he ministred vnto hym, yea, ra­ther god, if we wil speake truly which gaue such vertue to hys [Page] creatures to worke health vnto the sicke. So doeth the scrip­ture speake. Somtyme it attri­buteth our health to the mini­sters of the worde, as in thys a­foresayde place, somtyme and moste comōly to God hym self, as we tofore haue abundantly hearde, & somtyme to the worde of God, Ioan. xv as it is written. Nowe are ye clene for the wordes sake which I haue spokē vnto you, Itē, Sapi. xvi. Neyther herbe nor empla­sture hathe healed thē, but thy worde, o Lord, y ^• healeth al thinges. Hereto pertaineth y ^e saying of y ^e Psalmographe, Psal. e. vii he sent his worde, & healed thē, & deliuered thē frō their destruccions, and yet doeth God onely make vs whole, & forgeue vs our sinnes as he himself witnesseth by the Prophet, Ose. xiii. saying, thy destrucciō o Israel cometh of thy self, only [Page] of me cometh thy helpe & salua­cion. What cā be more plainly spoke? Who is able once to his­ke against these thinges? Who wil once opē his mouth to barcke agaist this doctrine? Nomā I suppose, except he be altoge­ther drouned in papisme. This therfore is the true meaning of thaforesayd text. Whā soeuer y ^• ministers of y ^• Lordes worde declare vnto me y ^• swete promises of God y ^• father made to me in Christes bloud, Note. & I beleue thē, thā are my sinnes forgeuen me at y ^• very instaūt, but if I do not beleue thē, than are my synnes retayned, y ^• is to saye, not for­geuē. And forasmuch as I ey­ther repēt & beleue, or els cōti­new still in myne olde dānable state, at the preaching of y ^• Lor­des ministers, therfore y ^• scrip­ture attributeth my deliueraūs [Page] from synne or otherwyse to thē, whan notwithstandynge God alone remitteth my synne, if I repent and beleue. If I do not, the vncircumcision of my hert, that is, my incredulitie and vnfaithfulnes is the occasion that my sinnes are retained and not forgeuen. For thys sayinge al­waye muste nedes avyde true, thy destrucciō, o Israel, cometh of thy selfe, onely of me cometh thy helpe and saluacion. So y ^t the priestes (I meane the mini­sters of Gods worde) are coun­ted to forgeue synne, whan they preache to the truly repentaūte remission of synnes thorowe Christe, and to retayne synne, whan they declare too the vn­faythfull damnacion, and that the wrath of God abydeth vpō them, so long as they remayne still in their incredulitie and [Page] vnfaythfulnes, as it is writtē, He that beleueth not on y ^• son­ne shall not see lyfe, Ioan. i [...]. but the wrathe of God abydeth vpon hym. Thus se we, that those te [...] te [...] of the holy scripture, which the papistes alledge for y ^• maintenaunce of their fayned & vsurped power in remitting synne, maketh nothing for their pur­pose, if they be truly alledged & vnderstande, accordinge to the vayne of the holy scriptures. The scriptures of God maye not be rent and torne, neyther harked nor wrested to serue the priuate affectes of menne, but euery text must be so weyed, pō dered, alledged, and vnderstōd, that it may agre with the other textes of the holy Bible, that al the glory of our saluacion may be ascribed to God alone, which is both the beginner & finisher [Page] of all our health, to hym there­fore be all honour and prayse for euer. Amen.

NOw wil I make hast to the laste parte of Math. xvi. this treatyse, which requireth y ^• I should expresse my mynde, concernyng the keyes, which Christe before hys passion promised too hys churche, Ioan. xx and after his resurrec­cion performed hys promyse, and shew by the sacred scriptu­res, that the gyfte of the keyes is no vayne and idle gyfte, but a necessarie, ioyfull and confor­table treasure. For y ^e Papistes will here obiecte, If remissiō of sinnes cometh from God alone than were the keyes geuen to the congregaciō in vayne. But to the entent, that I maye stop the mouthes of y ^e aduersaries, [Page] and that they may haue no oc­casion to barke agaynst the glory of God after this, marke wel good Reader, what shal be spo­ken. Esa liiii. Trueth it is y ^• God alone teacheth men hys verite by the holy Ghoste, [...]ere. xxxi. as it is written, Ioan. vi. Al shal be taughte of God. Heb. viii. Again I will poure oute of my spirite vpon all fleshe, Ioel. ii. and youre son­nes and your doughters shall prophecye. [...]ct. ii. The Psalmogra­phe also sayeth: Psal. i. I will heare what the Lord speaketh in me, Ioan. v. viii. [...]. yet will he that they shoulde be studious of the holy scriptu­res, bothe daye and nyghte, as it is commaunded of Christe. Searche the scriptures, and also diligently heare the prea­chynge of hys woorde, as it is written. He that is of God, heareth the woordes of God.

[Page]My shepe heare my voyce. E­uery one that is of the trueth, heareth my voyce. So in like maner although God alone re­mitteth all synne, yet will he y ^• remission of synnes shoulde be preached to the people, that by this meanes they maye repent beleue and be made whole, as Christ testifieth, Lu [...]. xxii [...]. saying: It be­houed Christ to suffer, and too ryse agayn frō death the thirde day, and that repentaunce and remission of synnes shoulde be preached in hys name amonge all nacions. [...] Faythe cometh by hearing, & hearing by the worde of God. For the ministers of the gospell are the organnes & instrumētes of Christ, by whom God worketh thorow his holy spirit, health and saluacion in so many as are predestinate vnto eternal lyfe. They are Gods [Page] laborers & ministers, by whom we beleue, [...]. Cor. iii. euē as the Lord ge­ueth euery man grace. They are the oratours, messengers, interpreters, Asigels, Apostles and Embassadours of the Lord as the Apostle sayeth, all thin­ges are of God, which hath re­conciled vs vnto hym selfe by Iesu Christ, and hath geuē vs the office to preache the attone­ment. For God was in Christ, & reconciled the worlde vnto him self, ii. Cor. v. and imputed not their sin­nes vnto them, and among vs hath he set vp the worde of attonement. Now then are we mes­sengers in the roume of Christ, euen as though God exhorted by vs. We beseche you nowe therfore in Christes steade, that y [...] be at one with god. Goolat. iiii. Agayne to the Galathians he writteth on this manner, Ye did not [Page] despyse nor abhorre me, but re­ceyued me as an Aungell of God, yea, euen as Christe Iesu. Hereto pertayneth hys saying to the Thessalonians, i. Thes. iiii. He that casteth awaye vs, casteth not awaye menne, but God, whiche hath geuen hys holy spirit into vs. Moyses also in tymes paste, sayde to the people that murmured agaynste hym, Exod. xvi. The Lorde hath hearde your grud­gynge and murmuryng, wher­with ye murmure against him. For what are we? Youre mur­murīgs are not against vs, but agaynst the Lorde. So like­wise reade we in the Gospell, Math. x. that the Lord spake of hys mi­nisters, Uerely, verely I saye vnto you: He that receyueth, wl [...]ome soeuer I shall sende, receyueth me. And he that re­ceyueth [Page] me, receyueth him that also that sent me. Luc. x. Agayne he sayeth: he that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despyseth you, despiseth me, and he that despyseth [...]e, despyseth hym also that sent me. Here se we that the ministers of Goddes woorde, are not to be despysed, for they are necessarye instru­mentes vnto the health of men and they are worthy of double honoure, as the Apostle sayeth. Therefore maye it be conclu­ded that the absolucion of the i. Timo. v. Prieste is not too be despysed, seynge it is none other thynge, if it be a true and Christen ab­solucion, than the preachynge of fre remission of oure syn­nes in Christes name. [...]. Cor. iii. And al­though he y ^• plāteth, be nothing & he that wattereth be nothing, [Page] but God, which geueth the en­crease, agayne, albeit the Lorde blesseth vs with al spiritual be­nediction, yet inasmuche as the inestimable kyndnes & many­folde benefytes of God toward vs can not be knowen nor be­leued without preachinge (for fayth cometh by hearynge, [...]. x. and hearing by the worde of God) therefore hath God appoynted hys ministers to open & declare vnto men those excellent miste­ries, those confortable & ioyful promyses of Gods mercy and good wil towarde mankynde, that they maye perceyue, learne and vnderstande, what is geuē them of the Lorde, what they ought to beleue, how thei shuld obtayne the giftes of God, and lede a lyfe worthy the kyndnes of so bounteous a father, God also hath appoynted the mini­sters [Page] to beget men in Christ Iesu by the Gospell, Luc. i. too open the eyes of the blynde, to turne thē from darkenes to lighte, to cō ­uerte the hertes of fathers into children, and the disobedient to the wysdome of the righteous. He hath commaunded them to preache repātaunce and remis­siō of synnes in his name vnto Luce. xxiiii. all nacions, Go youre waye, sayeth he into the worlde vni­uersall, and preache the gospell to euery creature. Marc. xvi. He that beleueth and is baptised, shall be saued. He that beleueth not shal be condemned. Moreouer he hath geuen to his faythful mi­nisters the keyes of the kynge­dom Math. xv [...] of heauē, that whatsoeuer they loosen in earthe, maye be also loosened in heauen. And whatsoeuer thei bynde in earth maye also be bounde in heauē, [Page] that is to saye: he hath commit­ted to theim the office of prea­chyng the Gospel, y ^t they should go forth into the worlde, & preache vnto all men the grace and fauoure that is geuen of God the father for Christes sake, yea and that thei should proclaime, publish and set abrode vnto all men, that so many as repent & beleue, are losoned frō the cap­tiuitie of sathā, purged frō syn, deliuered frō death, & made en­heritours of eternal life: Again that so many as beleue not, re­mayne still y ^• captiues & bonde s [...]aues of satā, & cōtinew boūde in their synnes, and in the state of damnacion, and that there­fore thei shal dye the death, and for euer more be damned, ex­cepte they repent, turne and beleue. And thus their prea­chynge is so certeyn and sure [Page] before God, that whatsoeuer they pronounce, beynge con­formable to the worde of God, shall as certenly come to passe, as thoughe God hym selfe had spoken it. As for an example, Whan soeuer the ministers & preachers of Gods woorde in this worlde shall declare to the faythfull repentaunce, remis­sion of synnes, & tell them that they be losoned frō y ^• captiuitie of sathā, it is euen as certen & sure, as though God hym selfe had sayde these woordes vnto them: Thy synnes are forgeuē the. In lyke manner whan they shall saye to the vnfayth­full, that they remayne still boūde in their synne, and that the wrathe of God abydeth vpon them, and therefore they shall be damned, God appro­approueth [Page] their sayinge, and it shal vndoubtedly come to passe according to their preachinge. So that whatsoeuer the mini­ster of Gods worde sayeth, ac­cordynge to the worde of God, ought to be receyued w ^t greate reuerence, and takē as an ora­ele, sent doune from heauen, & vndoubtedly beleued, as a ma­nifeste and infallible veritie of God. And this preaching of remittyng or retaynyng sinnes are the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen, which Christ promy­sed his Apostles before hys death, as we maye se in Mat­thew, Math. xvi. and after hys resurrectiō performed hys promyse, as we rede in the Gospel of saint Io­han. Ioan. xx. And by a Metaphore Christ calleth the preachyng of his worde a keye. For as a keye hath twoo properties, one too [Page] shutte, another to open, so hath the worde of God. It openeth to the faythfull the treasure of the giftes of God, grace, mercy, fauou [...]e, remission of synnes, quietnes of conscience, & euer­lastyng life, but to the vnfaith­full it shutteth all his treasu­res, and suffereth thē, to receiue none of them all, so lōg as they persiste and remayne in theyr incredulity and vnfaithfulnes. These keyes are geuen too so many, as beynge truely called vnto the office of ministracion, preache y ^• worde of God. They loosen, that is to say, they prea­che to the faythfull remissiō of synnes by Christe. They also bynde, that is, they declare to y ^• vnfaythfull damnacion. But he y ^• preacheth not the woorde of God, Note. can neyther bynde nor loose, though he chalēge neuer [Page] so great dignitie, authoritie & power. For Christ calleth it the keye of knowlege. Luc. xi. And the Prophet sayth, y ^• lyppes of a Priest kepe knowledge, and at hys mouthe shall they requyre the lawe, for he is the Aungell or messenger of the Lorde of hoo­stes. Malach. ii Therefore where there is no k [...]wlege, there is no keye. And where there is no keye, there is neyther openynge nor shuttinge, that is, neyther byn­dynge nor loosonynge. Here let all menne iudge what is to be thoughte of the Papistes absolucion, whereof they crake so muche, whiche also they sell derely. If no remission of synnes cometh from them, but by preachynge Gods woorde, it foloweth that their absolu­cion auayleth but littel, seyng they neuer preache, neyther the [Page] lawe of God, nor the swete pro­myses of hym, but onely mum­ble a fewe woordes in the latin tonge, yea, and this is not vn­derstanded, so likewise many tymes contrarye too the diuine scriptures, and y ^e glory of god. Miserable doub [...]les is that cō ­gregacion, which hath a blynd guyde to their Curate, whiche hath neyther the gyfte nor the knowledge of preachynge. Mark. xv. For if the blynde leadeth the blynd both falle into y ^e dyche. Agayn, greately fortunate is that Pa­ryshe, and hyghly blessed of God, to whome a learned she­peheard hath chaunced, which can feede them wyth knowlege and doctrine. Whatsoeuer they shall heare of suche a lear­ned and godly minister, lette theym beleue it as a voyce co­mynge doune frome heauen. [Page] And so ofte as by suche a shepe­harde remission of synnes in y ^e bloude of Christe is preached vnto the congregation, let thē esteme that preachinge none o­therwyse, than if the Lord hym self had preached it. Let them stedfastly beleue the woorde of God, and vndoubtedly by their fayth th [...]row the grace of God, they shall obtayne remission of all theyr synnes. Contrariwise, i [...] they beleue not, their synnes are retayned and by no meanes forgeuen. These thinges haue I spoken, concernyng the abs [...] ­l [...]cion or the keyes, which con­sisteth only in preaching Gods worde, that the Papistes maye haue no occasiō, iustly to barke agaynst me, as they haue done hytherto both for my sermons and bkes. God forgeue them, and sende them a better mynde. [Page] Nowe, forasmuche as the true and Christen absolution is no­thing els but the preachinge of fre deliueraunce from synne, by y ^• death of Iesu Christ, it ought not to be contemned and despi­sed, but rather to be receiued w ^t great humilitie and reuerence, euen as a diuine oracle, sente doune from the father of ligh­tes. For no mā cā expresse, Iaco. i. how greatly it conforteth infirme & weake consciences, whiche are troubled with y ^• feare of Gods iudgementes. Whan the Pro­phet Nathan came vnto kyng Dauid, ii. Reg. xi [...] and rebuked hym for sleyng Urias the Hethite, & for takīg his wyfe Bethsabe vnto hys wyfe, and tolde hym howe greatly God was angrye with hym, and what plages shoulde fall vpon hys house, yea, vpon hym selfe for hys wickednes, it [Page] is not to be doubted, but that Dauid was stryken with a wō ­derfull great heuynes, and his hert pearsed with an inwarde sorowe, insomuche that he was righte ashamed of hym selfe, of his faulte, of his wickednes, & was cōpelled euen of consciēce to braste out into the knowlege of hys synne, & to saye, I haue synned agaynst the Lorde. As Dauid was now full of sorow, griefe, trouble, disquietnes in his hert, & had ioye of nothing (vnto suche shame and confu­sion was he broughte in hys conscience) so likewyse it is not to be doubted, but that he was wonderfully reuiued, marue­louslye restored vnto the peace and quietnes of his conscience, yea, and plenteously replenis­shed with ioye in hys mynde, whan the Prophet sayde these [Page] wordes vnto hym: The Lorde hath put away thy synne, thou shalt not dye. Luc. vii. Mary magdalen was a famous synner, & whan she herde her vnclene conuersacion rebuked by the woorde of God, she hertely repented, and was replenished w ^t an inwarde sorow, lamenting greatly, that she had offended so bounteous a Lorde & mercifull God, inso­muche that a large fountayne of teares folowed out of her tē ­der eyes. All this tyme vndoubtedly her sorow was greater thā it can be here expressed. But whan she herde this conforta­ble absolucion of our sauioure Christe, Remittūtur tibi peccata. Thy synnes are forgeuen the. Again, thy faith hath made the safe Go thy way in peace, that is to saye, wyth a quiete and mery conscience. O good God, [Page] who is able to expresse w ^t howe great ioye and singular solace she was affected? So sure and confortable is it to weake and troubled consciences too heare the swete and confortable wor­des of our fre deliueraunce frō the greuous burden of [...]ynnes by Christes bloude. [...]. xxiii. The thiefe was full of great anguysh and trouble in his conscience, whan he hanged vpon the crosse in y ^• time of Christes passion, & con­fessed that both he & hys felowe thefe suffered worthely, euen according to their desertes, and in the middes of his troubled conscience, he cryed vnto the Lord Christe on this maner, sayeng: Lorde remember me, whā thou comest into thy kyngdom. But whan Christ had made him aū ­swere and sayde, Uerely I saye vnto the, this day shalt thou be [Page] wyth me in Paradyse, O wyth what a quiet consciēce suffered he hys paynes, and with howe gladde an hert yelde [...] he vp his spirit into the hādes of the eter­nal father? So confortable a thynge is it to a troubled con­science, for to heare any thynge that maye quiet it. Agayn whā blessed Peter preached vnto the Iewes and tolde thē, Act. ii. that they had crucifyde Christ the Lord, the scripture sayeth, that they were pricked in their hertes, & sayde vnto Peter and vnto y ^• other Apostles: Ye mē and bre­thren, what shall we do? Peter sayde vnto them: Repent & be baptised euery one of you, in y ^• name of Iesus Christ for the remission of synnes, and ye shall receyue the gifte of the holye Ghoste. As they were greatly dismayde, whā the holy Apostle [Page] opened vnto theim their mali­cious fact, in sleayng Christ the Lorde, so were they very much conforted, whan they hearde of sainct Peter, y ^t there was hope of theyr synnes to be forgeuen, so that they repented theym of their wickednes, and were baptised in y ^• name of Iesu Christ. With how entier and vnspea­keable sorow is it to be thou­ght, that the famous and nota­ble adulterer amōg the Corin­thians was ouerwhelmed, Cor. v. whā at y ^• cōmaūdemēt of s. Paule he was deliuered vnto sathā, excō ­municate, put out of the christē company, and reputed among them as an Ethnycke & Pub­licane? Contrariwyse, with what excedyng ioye was he re­plenished, whan after hys re­pentaunce and sorowe he heard the swete promyses of Goods [Page] mercy declared vnto hym, that lygheth bent oute towarde all synners that repent in faythe, and afterwarde was receyued into the company of the fayth­full Christianes? ii. Cor. ii. I passe ouer diuers other histories, bothe of the olde and newe testamente, whiche do abundantly declare, what great conforte the fayth­ful penitēt synners haue alway had in hearing the confortable promises of Gods mercy. Now the absolucion beyng, as I said before, nothynge elles but the preachynge of fre deliueraunce from synne, by the death of Ie­su Christ (for God alone forge­ueth synne and absolueth the faythfull penitent) it ought not to be contemned and despysed, but whansoeuer the Myny­ster of the Lordes woorde, be it priuatly or openly, shall reherse [Page] vnto [...]en, the swete and con­fortable wordes of Gods mer­cye, towarde all them that re­pent in fayth, they oughte too geue earnest fayth vnto them, beynge vndoubtedly perswa­ded, that their synnes at that time be assuredly forgeuen thē, [...]. as thoughe God hym selfe had spoken these wordes, according to this saying of Christ, he that heareth you, heareth me. But it were expedient, that al true mi­nisters should praye that their forme or manner of absolucion be pure and agreable to y ^• vayn of the holy scriptures, without the intermixtion of anye mans authoritie, in remittinge synne eyther of Peter, Paule, Fraun­ces, Dominike, Benet, or anye other, or yet of thē selfs, agayn y ^• it be declared to the penitent that God alone forgeueth the [Page] synne, and that the Priestes are but the ministers of God, too whome he hath geuē the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen for to shewe to y ^• true penitent loo­soning, that is to saye: remissiō of their synnes, to the obstinate and hardeharted synners byn­dyng, that is, that they remayn still in the daunger of damna­cion, and shalbe damned, except they repent & beleue. It wolde also be prouided, that whan the faythfull penitent is desirous to haue hys conscience confyr­med, stablished and conforted with the worde of God, it shuld not be mūbled in the latin tōge as the Papistes haue hytherto vsed in their absolucions, but in the mother tounge, that the Idiote and vnlearned may vn­derstande it and be edifyed. Or els what fayth shall he cōceyue [Page] in hys herte? Howe shall he re­pent? How shall he knowe the goodnes of God towarde syn­ners? Howe shall he arme hym selfe with fayth agaynst sathā, synne and desperacion? Howe shall he prepare hym selfe too geue God thākes for his kind­nes, and lyue worthy of his profession? God graūt that al thin­ges maye be done vnto hys glory, & vnto the profit of hys holy congregacion.

Here hast thou (moste godly Reader) my mynde, concerning the absolucion and forgeuenes of synnes, which if it be exami­ned by the scriptures of God, al mannes doctrine set aparte, I doubt not, but it will stande so stronge, that the gates of hell shall not once be able too pre­uayle agaynst it. Farewel most gentle Reader, and praye that [Page] the Lordes woorde maye haue fre passage, that y ^• name of the great God, and our sauiour Iesu Christe maye be glorified a­monge all nacions, and that al discension layde asyde, we may agree in one faythe and one truthe.

Amen.

☞Geue the glory to God alone. ☞❧☜