that he knoweth nothing as he ought to know, he shall cast himself into a labyrinth, and never find that he seeketh for. GOD hath bound Himself by His promise unto His Church of purpose, that men by her good direction might in this point be relieved; to whose godly determination in matters of question, her dutiful children ought to submit themselves without any curious or wilful contradiction. I could bring many authorities to this effect. ANDREWS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR.-Sermons on Whitsunday, than one. He The Holy Ghost may be received more ways hath many spiramina; Tоλvrρórwe" in many manners" He comes; and multiformis gratia He comes with. He and they carry the name of their cause; and to receive them is to receive the Spirit. There is a gratum faciens, the saving grace of the Spirit, for one to save himself by, received by each, without respect to others; and there is a gratis data (whatever become of us) serving to save others by, without respect to ourselves. And there is xápis diakovias, the grace of a holy calling, for it is a grace, to be a conduit of grace any way. All these; and all from one and the same Spirit. That was here conferred, (in John xx. 22.) was not the saving grace of inward sanctimony; they were not "breathed on" to that end. The Church to this day gives this still in her ordinations, but the saving grace the Church cannot give; none but God can give that. Nor the gratis data it is not. That came by the tongues, both the gift of speaking divine languages, and the gift of åñoþ¤éyveσðar, speaking wisely, and to the purpose: and (we know) none is either the holier or the learneder by his ordination. Yet a grace it is. For the very office itself is a grace; mihi data est hæc gratia, saith the Apostle, in more places than one; and speaks of his office and nothing else. The Apostleship was a grace, yet no saving grace. Else, should Judas have been saved. Clearly then, it is the grace of their calling (this) whereby they were sacred and made persons public, and their acts authentical, and they enabled to do somewhat about the remission of sins, that is not (of like avail) done by others, though perhaps, more learned and virtuous than they, in that they have not the like mitto vos, nor the same accipite that these have. Ibid.-Sermon on Absolution. (Appendix, p. 90.) The power of remitting sin is originally in GoD, and in GoD alone. And in CHRIST Our Saviour, by means of the union of the Godhead and manhood into one person, by virtue whereof, "The Son of man hath power to forgive sins upon earth." This power being thus solely vested in GoD, He might, without wrong to any, have retained and kept to Himself, and without means of word or sacrament, and without ministers, either apostles or others, have exercised immediately by Himself from Heaven. But we should then have said of the remission of sins, saith St. Paul, "Who shall go up to heaven for it, and fetch it thence? for which cause," saith he, "the righteousness of faith speaketh thus, say not so, &c." Partly this, but there should be no such difficulty to shake our faith, as once to imagine to fetch CHRIST from heaven for the remission of our sins; and partly also, because CHRIST, to whom alone this commission was originally granted, having ordained Himself a body, would work by bodily things, and having taken the nature of a man upon Him, would honour the nature He had so taken, for these causes; that which was His, and His alone, He vouchsafed to impart, and out of His commission, to grant a commission, and thereby to associate them to Himself, (it is His own word by the prophet) and to make them σvvépyous, that is cooperatores, workers together with Him (as the Apostle speaketh) to the work of salvation, both of themselves and of others. From God then it is derived; from God and to men. Now if we ask, to what men? the text is plain. CHRIST said this Remiseritis, were the Apostles. * * They to whom In the Apostles, (that we may come nearer yet) we find three capacities as we may term them, 1. As Christians in general. 2. As preachers, priests, or ministers, more special. 3. As those twelve persons, whom in strict propriety of speech, we term the Apostles. Some things that CHRIST spake to them, He spake to them as representing the whole company of Christians; as His Vigilate. Some things to them, not as Christians, but as preachers or priests; as His Ite prædicate Evangelium, and his Hoc facite; which no man thinketh all Christians may do. And some things to themselves personally; as that He had appointed them witnesses of His miracles and resurrection, which cannot be applied but to them and them in person. It remaineth we inquire, in which of these three capacities, CHRIST imparted to them this commission. Not to the Apostles properly; that is, this was no personal privilege to be in them, and to die with them, that they should only execute it for a time, and none ever after them. GOD forbid we should so think it. For, this power being more than needful for the world, (as in the beginning it was said,) it was not to be either personal, or for a time; then those persons dying, and those times determining, them in the ages following (as we now in this) that should light into this prison or captivity of sin, how could they or we receive any benefit by it? Of nature, it is said by the heathen philosopher, that it does neither abundare in superfluis, nor deficere in necessariis. God forbid, but we should ascribe as much to God at the least, that neither He would ordain power superfluous or more than needed, or else, it being needful, would appropriate it unto one age, and leave all other destitute of it; and not rather, as all writers both new and old take it, continue it successively to the world's end. And as not proper to the Apostles' person, so neither common to all Christians in general, nor in the persons of all Christians conveyed to them. Which thing the very circumstances of the text do evict. For He sent them first, and after inspired them; and after both these, gave them this commission. Now all Christians are not so sent, nor all Christians inspired with the grace or gift of the Spirit, that they were here. Consequently, it was not intended to the whole society of Christians. Yea, I add, that forasmuch as these two, both these two, must go before it, Missio and Inspiratio, that though God inspire some laymen, if I may have leave so to term them, with very special graces of knowledge to this end, yet inasmuch as they have not the former of sending, it agreeth not to them, neither may they exercise it, until they be sent, that is, until they have their calling thereunto. It being then neither personal nor peculiar to them as Apostles, nor again common to all as Christians, it must needs be committed to them as ministers, priests, or preachers; and consequently to these that in that office and function do succeed them, to whom, this commission is still continued. Neither are they, that are ordained or instituted to that calling, ordained or instituted by any other words or verse than this (John xx. 23.) Yet not so, that absolutely without them, God cannot bestow it, on whom, or when Him pleaseth; or that He is bound to this means only, and cannot work without it. For, gratia Dei non alligatur mediis, the grace of GoD is not bound but free, and can work without means either of word or sacrament; and as without means, so without ministers, how and when to Him seemeth good. But speaking of that which is proper and ordinary, in the course by Him established, this is an ecclesiastical act, committed as the residue of the ministry of reconciliation to ecclesiastical persons. And if at any time He vouchsafe it by others that are not such, they be in that case Ministri necessitatis, non officii, in case of necessity ministers, but by office not so. * The remission of sins, as it is from God only, so it is by the death and blood-shedding of CHRIST alone; but for the applying of this unto us, there are divers means established. * In the institution of Baptism there is a power to that end. * 2. Again, there is also another power for the remission of sins, in the institution of the Holy Eucharist. 3. Besides, in the word itself there is a like power ordained. "Now are you clean," saith CHRIST, (no doubt from their sins) propter Sermonem hunc. And the very name giveth as much, that it is entitled, "The Word of Reconciliation." 4. Further there is to the same effect a power in prayer, and that in the priest's prayers, "Call for the Priests," saith the apostle, "and let them pray for the sick person, and if he have committed sin, it shall be forgiven him." All and every of them, are acts for the remission of sins: and in all and every of these, is the minister required, and they cannot be dispatched without him. * But the ceremonies and circumstances that here (John xx. 23.) I find used, prevail with me to think, that there is somewhat here imparted to them, that was not before. For it carrieth no likelihood, that our Saviour bestowing on them nothing here, but that which before He had, would use so much solemnity, so diverse and new circumstances, no new or diverse grace being here communicated. * * I take it to be a power distinct from the former, and (not to hold you long) to be the accomplishment of the promise made (Matt. xvi. 19.) of the power of the keys, which here in this place and in these words is fulfilled; and have therein for me, the joint consent of the Fathers. Which being a different power in itself, is that which we call the act or benefit of absolution; in which, as in the rest, there is in the due time and place of it, an use for the remission of sins. HALL, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR.-On Episcopacy, Pt. iii. p. 9. And for you, my dearly beloved brethren at home, for CHRIST'S sake, for the Church's sake, for your soul's sake, be exhorted to hold to this holy institution of your blessed Saviour and His unerring apostles, and bless God for Episcopacy. Do but cast your eyes a little back, and see what noble instruments of GOD'S glory He hath been pleased to raise up in this very Church of ours out of this sacred vocation; what famous servants of God, what strong champions of truth, and renowned antagonists of Rome and her superstitions; what admirable preachers, what incomparable writers, yea what constant and undaunted martyrs and confessors, &c. . . . Neither doubt I but that it will please GOD, out of the same rod of Aaron, still to raise such blossoms and fruit, as shall win him glory to all eternity. So you are to honour those your reverend pastors, to hate all factious withdrawings from that government, which comes the nearest of any Church upon earth to the Apostolical. . . . Let me therefore confidently shut up all with that resolute word of that blessed Martyr and |