493 / 772
Coxnfortablepreferuatíuesagainf
deiperatron.
¿
6S
committed veto them,
and they
haue
power giuen them
of
f
fY1,ful1
r,.
God
here
on
earth to
bind
and
loofe;
not
as
though
they
h]a;cf1
16.
could
by
their owne
authoritie,and
in
their
owne
naine
giue
pardon offinnes
to whom they
lift
(as
the
Papi(lrs
teach and
pra
&ife)
for this
is
proper and
peculiar
vnto
God
alone,
as
euen
the
Pharifes well knew
;whereofit
was,
that
Peeing
our
Sauiour
Chrifl
take vpon him
to
forgiue
finnes,whom they
imagined to
bee
a
meere
man,they
affirmed
that
he
blafphe-
med. For who
(fay
they)
can
forgiue
fipne
but God
onely
?
but
they
haue
authoritie
giuen
them of'God
vpon due cxa-
tninationandtriall oftheir
faith
by
the
fruites
thereof,vn-
fained
repentance, certainelie
to
declare and pronounce vn-
to them that
their
finnes are
forgiuen. Whofoeuer therefore
haue
this teflimonie
ofGods
faithful! miniflers
who
are well
acquainted with their
eflates
giuen voto
them,
they
may af-
fure thetnfelues
that
it
is
vndoubtedly
true
and
mofl certain
;
for who
is,it
that
dare oppofe himfelfe
and
contradi& the
te-
flimonie
ofGods
fpirit
in
the
mouth offo
many
his faithful!
ambaffadours
?
who
dare
bee
fo
prefumptuous
as
to take vp-
pon
him
the
difcerning
of
his
flare
better
then the Miniflers
ofGod,
who being appointed
of
God
to this funelion
are
indued
with
a
great
meafure
of
his
fpirit, whereby
they
are
inabled to
difcerne and
iudge
of
mens eflates,
better
then
they
themfelues? for he
that
is
fpirituall difcerneth
al
things,
and
is
made
acquainted with the mind
of
Chrifl,
as
the A-
pofile
fpeaketh,
i.Cora.i
5.16. And therefore
if
diuers
of
Gods
faithful! Miniflers
with
one
confect pronounce vnto
any
penitent
firmer
the
remiflìon
of
their
finnes,
and
affure
them
after
the examination
oftheir
eflate
that
they
are in
the
loue and fauour
ofGod,it
íhould
be
veto
them
ten thoufand
times more forcible an
argument
to perfwade
them
{and
to
confirme
their
faith
in
ÿ
affurance
ofGods
loue,then
the
con
-
trarie teflimony
of
Satan
or their timorous vnbeleeuing
flefh
to
moue
them
to doubting thereof ?Ifour
bodies be
ficke,we
commit
our
felues
to the
skill
and
care
of
the
Phyftion,
and
good
reafon,becaufe
vì'ee
know
he
is
better
able
to
difcerne
ofour
eflate
then
we
our felues,and
beleeuing
his
iudgement
to
bee
good
wee
fuffer
him to
applie fuch remedies
as
hee
Hh
thinketh