Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

364 What is meant 6y forgiving of our trefpaf1es: which will never be. Whereas therefore our Sa' viour Chrift reacheth us thus to pray, he fheweth that we cannot be difcharged from thefe our debts by our own fatisfat5tion or merits, or any other means, but onely by the free remißion of them and imputation of Chrifts righteoufnefl'e. And this is to be underftood not oncly of our great and grievous finnes, but alfo of our leffe offenfes, which the Pa- pifts call venial/, and erroneoufly hold not to be mortali, neither need the death and merits of Chrift for their expiation, but may by the holy- water- fprinkle, or by epifcopall benedi6tion, or by knock- ing of the breaft be taken away. As therefore eve- ry finne, great or fmall, deferveth death, and is alto punifhed with death,either in Chrift or in the inner himfelf; and as the bloud of Chri/1 loth purge tofrom all iniquitie, r John 1.7. fo that by him we have re- miffion of all our finnes : fo are we to pray that the Lord would for the precious merits and righteouf- nef% of our Saviour Chrift remit all our finnes both more and lefle, from which we could by no other means be delivered but by the merits of Chrift. objea. But here it may be objeâted ; Our finnes were forgiven in baptifme, As 2.3 8. therefore we need not now the forgiveneffie of them. infv. I, Some anfwer, That becaufe we finne after ba- ptifme , therefore we ought after baptifme to pray that the Lord would forgive our finnes. But this an- fwer is not fufficient, confidering that in baptifme is fealed the remiffion offinnes, not onely paft, but al- fo for the time to come during the whole courfe of our life : For otherwife baptifme had need to be re- iterated.