. on the Lord's Ptayer. mef/, fay they, for who can forgiv~ Sins but Godalone? Mark 2. 7• And this Cbarge of Blafpbemy which they laid agamft Chr1ll, bad he not been the True <:>od,had been unanfwerable: And therefore our Saviour denies not their Principle, which is mo(t certain and infallible 1 but to convince them that they themfelves were Blafphemers in applying it to him, P!oves his f!eity b~ a Miracle, and demonllrates his Aurhoc rity to forgive Sin• by ~~~ Power 1_h heahng ~tf<afes. . . But you will fay, tf a be the wcommumcable Prerogative ofGod only to forgiVe Sins how i• it that we find this Priviledge and Power afcrib'd unto Men alfo ? Job" •o. '2;. Wbofe foevcr Sins ye remit, they ~re remitted. It f~ems therefore t~at the .Apof/lts and Minillcrs ofJefus Chnft, their Succelfors, !land mvefied by Chn(l wuh aPower to forgive Sins. 1 .Anjwer, Remiffion of Sins is Twofold, either Authoritatively and Judicially; or, Secondly, Minillerial and Declarative : The for~er belong• only '?God, who. by the meer Authority ofhi1 Gr~ce and Mercy doth freely and fully acquu us of out Guilt, without rcguiring any Thing at our Hands by Way of Recompence or Puni!hment. Now for any Creature, either in Heaven or Earth, to affume this to him~ felf, is a moll lnfolent and Blofpbemous Pride; which while the PopeofRo~ne dot!!, he ·hath given us the ftrongell Argument that can be to alferr and prove htm to be the .dnticbrijl, and that Son of Perdition; for among the many CharaEI:ers that are given of Antichrifl, all of which do more than fufficiently belong unto him, this is one that be exalteth bimftlf above all that is called God, 2 The!f. 2. 4· Not only above TitularGods, as Kings and Magiftratet are, (for it is notorioully known what Power he arrogates unto himfelf in difpofing Crowns, and transferring States, making Princes tbemfelves far more inferior eo him than their Subje£\:s are to them;) bur alfo above the only Living and True God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, in pretending to a Judicial Authority to forgive Sins and Offences committed againlt God: For it is clear and evident, whofoever can Pardon the Offences of one Perfon againll another mull himfelfhe Superior to both, and have Authority and Jurifdiaion over both I but chiofly over the Perfon offended, to make him cr.afe th; Profecution of his Right, and fit down by the Wrong received ; fpr if a Prince fhould Pardon the Injury that one Subjea doth the other; he mu!t command the Perfongrieved not to mole!\ or profecure him that bath done th~ Wrong, and fo difable him from taking Revenge. Nowwhat awretched and damnable lnfolence is it forany vile, finful, Man to pretend to fuch aPower of forgiving Sins committed againft God, as if by his Auc tbority be could command God to furceafe his Suit, and to require no farther Recom~ pence, but to rell himfelfcontented t•at it is the Pope's Will and P!eafure to have it , fo? What is this but to exalt himfelf above all that is called God, nor only on Earth, but in Heaven itfeff? A moll horrid Blafphertly, and fo propet a Charaaer of ilnticbrift rhat there needs no other to defcribe him by. Secondly, There is a Minifterial Declarative Remiffion of Sins ; and this is either Internal in the Court of Confcience, or External in the Court of the Church ofCbr;ft here upon Earth. The former Remiffio~- is the Office or Minillty oft he Holy Gbojt, feahng of us up unto the D")'of Red~tllptron, by hiS filent and m_oll comfortable Tellimony, wicneffing unto us that our Sins are pardoned, and our Perfons aCcepted. The External Declaration ofRcmiffion of Sins is an open Publication to all Humble Peni_. tent Sinners the Abfolution and Pardon of their Offences, according to the Tenor of God's Faithful Promifes. And in this Senfe alone the Minillers of Jefus Chrill have Power to pa.rdqn and remitSins, wbofe Sin.r yt remit, they are ,·emitted . -that is whofe Sins you ~eclare that God bath remitted, they are remitted; not abfolutel/ bur conditionally, in cafe Men come up to the Performance of rbofe Conaition~ uyon which God bath l'romifed Pardon and Forgivenefs, which are Faith and Repentance. And therefore m our Publrck Prayers, where the whole Congregation bath made an humble Confdlion of their Sins, the Minifter, according to his Office and Power given him by Chrift, declares to them, That God Pardons and .Abfoives all them that trulyRepem, and unft~gnedly Believe h11 Holy Gofpel: Or if on any other Occafion the Mtmlter fay, I .Abfolve_thee from thy Sms, yet the meaning is the fame ; he Abfolves htm Offictally, not JudtctouOy 1 he Abfolves by declaring him Abfolved and Pardoned upon hisfincere Faith· and Repentance, which ifreople did but better under!land they would not be fo forward to carp at, left they carp at the very Go f. pelnfelf. Nor doth this at all inrrench, ypon God"s Prerogative, for the Minifter, only as ' .
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