*

I Cor. 6.20.

2 Pet. 2. I.

a

captivated and in bonds, and Chrift did give his life a ransome for them, and that a proper ranfome, if that his life were of any price, and given as fuch. For Hefych. Aú- a ransome is properly nothing elfe but fomething of *price given by way of T9, Tinua. redemption, to buy or purchase that which is detained, or given for the releafing of that which is enthralled. But it is moft evident that the life of Christ was laid down as a price; neither is it more certain that he died, than that he bought us: Te are bought with a price, faith the Apostle, and it is 7.23 the Lord who bought us, and the price which he paid was his blood; for 31 Pet. 1. 18, We are not redeemed with corruptible things, as filver and gold, but with 19. This is the precious blood of Chrift. Now as it was the blood of Christ, so it was a fufficiently expreffed by two price given by way of compensation: and as that blood was precious, fo was words, each of it a full and perfect fatisfaction. For as the gravity of the offence and inithem fully fig-quity of the fin is augmented and increaseth, according to the dignity of the price: the first perfon offended and injured by it; fo the value, price, and dignity of that Simple, which which is given by way of compenfation, is raised according to the dignity of is done, the perfon making the fatisfaction. God is of infinite Majesty, against whom compofition, we have finned; and Chrift is of the fame divinity, who gave his life a ranizaloeg Zev. fome for finners for God hath purchafed his Church with his own blood. Although therefore God be faid to remit our fins by which we were captivated, yet he is never faid to † remit the price without which we had never been redeemed: neither can he be faid to have remitted it, because he did require it and receive it.

nificative of a

That the

Word

Se in the

New Tela ment fignifieth properly

to buy, ap

peareth generally in the Evangelifts, aud particularly in that place of the Revelations 13. 17. iva un ris duún) aloeštas ἢ πωλῆσαι. In the fame fignification it is attributed undoubtedly unto Chrift in respect of us whom he is often faid to have bought, as 2 Pet. 2. 1. álogo arla auto's decorlu ágvéμpoi and this buying is expreffed to be by a price, 1 Cor. 6. 20. 8x ise cautŵy, nłogάanle go Tiμns, Vulg. Non eftis veftri, empti enim eftis pretio magno, & 1 Cor. 6. 23. Tiμns ἡ δοράσθηκε, μὴ γίνεσθε δὅλοι ἀνθρώπων. What this price was is allo evident, for the τιμὴ was the τίμιον αἷμα the precious blood of Christ, or the blood given by way of price, Rev. 5. 9. öri ispálne, i nogσas TWS O‹ã nμãs is of aμató Coo Which will appear more fully by the compound word italota, Gal. 3. 13. Xessos iμás invocaGev cu ↑ xalúgas tõ véμε, γυόμθυοι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα, and Gal. 4. 4. 5. θυόμθμον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τὸς ὑπὸ νόμον, ἐξαγοράση. Now this εξαγόρασε as is proper Redemption, or aurewos, upon a proper price, though not Silver or Gold, yet as proper as Silver and Gold, and far beyond them both, & φθαρτοῖς ἀς[υρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ ἐκυρώθηκε ἐκ τ ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀνατροφῆς πατροπαραδότε, ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αίματι ὡς ἀμνὸ ἀμώμεν καὶ ἀστίλε, Χρισέ, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. As auregy is a certain price given or promised for

Liberty, fo apievas aurogy is to remit the price fet upon the head of a Man or promised for him; as we read in the Teflament of Lycon the Philofopher, Δημητρίω με ελευθέρω πάλαι ὄντι ἀφίημι τὰ λύτρα. Demetrius had been his Servant, and he had fet him free upon a certain price which he had engaged himself to pay for that Liberty; the Sum which Demetrius was thus bound to pay, Lycon at his death remits, as also to Criton, Keitavi j Kagzndoviw, xỳ TÓTH, TÀ KÍTOM apinu. Diog. Laert.

If then we confider together, on our fide the nature and obligation of fin, in Chrift the fatisfaction made, and reconciliation wrought, we fhall eafily perceive how God forgiveth fins, and in what remiffion of them confisteth. Man being in all conditions under fome law of God, who hath fovereign power and dominion over him, and therefore owing abfolute obedience to that law, whenfoever any way he tranfgreffeth that law, or deviateth from that rule, he becomes thereby a finner, and contracteth a Guilt which is an obligation to endure a punishment proportionable to his offence; and God who is the law-giver and fovereign, becoming now the party wronged and offended, hath a most just right to punish man as an offender. But Christ taking upon him the nature of man, and offering himself a facrifice for fin, giveth that unto God for and instead of the eternal death of man, which is more valuable and acceptable to God than that death could be, and fo ma keth a fufficient compenfation and full fatisfaction for the fins of man: which God accepting, becometh reconciled unto us, and for the punishment which Chrift endured, taketh off our obligation to eternal punishment.

Thus man who violated, by finning, the law of God, and by that violation offended God, and was thereby obliged to undergo the punishment due unto the fin, and to be inflicted by the wrath of God, is, by the price of the most pre

cious

cious blood of Christ, given and accepted in full compenfation and fatisfa ction for the punishment which was due, reftored unto the favour of God, who being thus fatisfied, and upon fuch fatisfaction reconciled, is faithful and just to take off all obligation unto punishment from the finner; and in this act of God confifteth the forgiveness of fins, Which is fufficient for the first part of the explication of this Article, as being defigned for nothing else but to declare what is the true notion of remiffion of fins, in what that action doth confift.

The fecond part of the explication, taking notice not only of the fubftance, but also of the order of the Article, obferving the immediate connexion of it with the Holy Church, and the relation, which in the opinion of the Ancients it hath unto it, will endeavour to inftruct us how this great privilege of forgiveness of fins is propounded in the Church, how it may bé procured and obtained by the members of the Church.

13. 38.

At the fame time when our Saviour fent the Apostles to gather a Church unto him, he foretold that repentance and remiffion of fins fhould be preach- Luke 24.47. ed in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerufalem; and when the Church was first conftituted, they thus exhorted those whom they defired to come into it, Repent and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out and, Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you Acts 3. 29. forgiveness of fins. From whence it appeareth that the Jews and Gentiles were invited to the Church of Christ, that they might therein receive remisfion of fins; that the doctrine of remiffion of all fins propounded and preached to all wen, was proper and peculiar to the Gofpel, which teacheth us that Acts 13. 39: by Chrift all that believe are juftified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Mofes. Therefore John the Baptift, who went before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, gave knowledge of falvation unto his people by the remiffion of their fins.

This, as it was preached by the Apoftles at the first gathering of the Church of Chrift, I call proper and peculiar to the Gofpel, because the fame doctrine was not fo propounded by the law. For if we confider the law it self strictly and under the bare notion of a law, it promised life only upon perfect, abfolute, and uninterrupted obedience; the voice thereof was only this, Do this and live. Some of the greater fins nominated and fpecified in the law, had annexed unto them the fentence of death, and that fentence irreversible; nor was there any other way or means left in the law of Mofes, by which that punishment might be taken off. As for other lefs and more ordinary fins, there were facrifices appointed for them; and when those facrifices were offered and accepted, God was appeafed, and the offences were released. Whatsoever else we read of fins forgiven under the law, was of fome special divine indulgence, more than was promifed by Mofes, though not more than was promulgated unto the people, in the name and of the nature of God, fo far as fomething of the Gofpel was mingled with the

law.

lex myfteri

Now as to the atonement made by the facrifices, it clearly had relation to Lex peccathe death of the Meffias; and whatsoever virtue was in them did operate torum nefcit through his death alone. As he was the lamb flain from the foundation of remiffionem; the world, fo all atonements which were ever made, were only effectual by um non hahis blood. But though no fin was ever forgiven, but by virtue of that Sa- bet quo octisfaction; though God was never reconciled unto any finner but by intui- culta purgan tion of that propitiation; yet the general doctrine of remiffion of fins was quod in lege never clearly revealed, and publickly preached to all nations, till the co- minus eft, ming of the Saviour of the world, whofe name was therefore called Jefus, tur in Evanbecause he was to fave his people from their fins.

tur: & ideo

confumma

gelio. S. Amb

Being therefore we are affured that the preaching remiffion of fins belong in Lucam. 1. G.

c. 7. eth

Mark I. I.

Acts 2. 38.

eft, ablutioni peccatorum

eth not only certainly, but in fome fenfe peculiarly, to the Church of Christ, it will be next confiderable how this remiffion is conferred upon any perfon in the Church.

... For a full fatisfaction in this particular two things are very observable; one relating to the initiation, the other concerning the continuation of a Chriftian. For the first of these, it is the moft general and irrefragable assertion of all, to whom we have reafon to give credit, that all fins whatsoever any person is guilty of, are remitted in the baptifm of the fame perfon. For the fecond, it is as certain that all fins committed by any perfon after baptism are remiffible; and the perfon committing thofe fins, fhall receive forgiveness upon true repentance, at any time, according to the Gofpel.

First, It is certain, that forgiveness of fins was promised to all who were baptized in the name of Chrift; and it cannot be doubted but all persons who did perform all things neceffary to the receiving the ordinance of baptifm, did alfo receive the benefit of that ordinance, which is remiffion of fins. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptifm of repentance for the remiffion of fins. And S. Peter made this the exhortation of his firft Sermon, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Fe* Vel Baptif- fus Chrift for the remiffion of fins. In vain doth doubting and fluctuating mo illi, hoc Socinus endeavour to evacuate the evidence of this Scripture: attributing the remiffion either to repentance without confideration of baptism; or else Remiflio- to the publick profeffion of faith made in baptifm; or if any thing must be nem neque attributed to baptifm it felf, it must be nothing but a declaration of fuch rePetrus, fed miffion. For how will these shifts agree with that which Ananias faid unto poenitentiæ; Saul, without any mention either of repentance or confeffion, Arife and vel fi Baptif- be baptized, and wash away thy fins; and that which S. Paul, who was rationem ea fo baptized, hath taught us concerning the Church, that Chrift doth fanin re habuit, Etifie and cleanfe it with the washing of water. It is therefore fufficiently publicam no- certain that baptifm as it was inftituted by Chrift after the præadministration of S. John, wherefoever it was received with all qualifications neceffary in Christi pro- the perfon accepting, and conferred with all things neceffary to be performcontinet, eam ed by the person adminiftring, was most infallibly efficacious, as to this partantùm con- ticular, that is, to the remiffion of all fins committed before the adminiftrafi ipfius etiam tion of this facrament.

quam tribuit

mi quoque

aut quatenus

minis Jefu

feffionem

fideravit; aut

externæ ab

b

lutionis omnino rationem habere voluit, quod ad ipfam attinet, remiffionis peccatorum nomine non ipfam remiffionem verè, fed remiffionis declarationem, & obligationem quandam intellexit. Soc. de Baptismo. Acts 22. 16. b Ephef. 5. 26.

ing of the

* s. ChryfoAs those which are received into the Church by the facrament of bapftome speak- tifm receive the remiffion of their Sins of which they were guilty before Power of the they were baptized: fo fafter they are thus made members of the Church. Priests, they receive remiffion of their future fins by their repentance. Chrift who Tavas ava- hath left us a pattern of prayer, hath thereby taught us for ever to implore and γυνῶσι μόνον, beg the forgiveness of our fins; that as we through the frailty of our nature are TOTα Cuy always fubject unto fin, so we should always exercise the acts of repentance,

ὅταν ἡμᾶς

χωρεῖν ἔχεσιν

igerian aμagrýμala. De Sacerd. 1. 3. Excepto baptifmatis munere, quod contra originale peccatum donatum eft, (ut quod generatione attractum eft regeneratione detrahatur, & tamen activa quoque peccata quæcunque corde, ore, opere commiffa invenerit tollit) hac ergo exceptà magnâ indulgentià (unde inquit hominis renovatio) in qua folvitur omnis reatus & ingeneratus & additus, ipfa etiam vita cætera jam ratione utentis ætatis, quantalibet præpolleat fœcunditate juftitiæ, fine remiflione peccatorum non agitur; quoniam filii Dei quamdiu mortaliter vivunt cum morte confligunt: & quamvis de illis, ut veraciter dictnm, Quotquot Spiritu Dei aguntur, hi filii funt Dei: fic tamen Spiritu Dei excitantur & tanquam filii Dei proficiunt ad Deum, ut etiam fpiritu fuo (maximè aggravante corruptibili corpore) tanquam filii hominum quibufdam moribus humanis deficiant ad feipfos & peccent. S. Aug. Enchir. c. 44. OUTW x μEτὰ τὸ βάπτισμα εκκαθαίρει αμαρτήματα με πόνες πολλὰ καὶ καμάτω. Πᾶσαν τοίνων ἐπιδειξώμεθα απεδίω, ὥσε αὐτὰ ἐξαλεῖκαι εντεύθεν, καὶ αἰχμης καὶ τὰ κολάσεως ἀπαλλαγῶναι ἢ ἐκεῖ, καν γδ μυρία ὤρθῳ ἡμθμαρληκότες, ἂν ἐθέλωμ.μ, διαησόμεθα απαν TO TAUTA LAPÉNZ I άμaginμátar à Poglia. S. Chryf. Hom. in Pentecoft. 1. Quod autem fcriptum, & fanguis Jefu filii ejus mundat nos ab omni peccato, tam in Confeffione Baptifmatis, quàm in clementia poenitudinis accipiendum cft. S. Hieron, adv. Pelag, l. 2.

and

and for ever seek the favour of God. This then is the comfort of the Gofpel, that as it discovereth Sin within us, fo it propounded a remedy unto us. While we are in this life encompaffed with flesh, while the allurements of the World, while the ftratagems of Satan, while the infirmities and corruptions of our nature betray us to the tranfgreffion of the Law of God; we are always fubject to offend, (from whence whofoever faith that he hath no fin is a lyar, contradicting himfelf, and contracting iniquity by pretending innocency) and fo long as we can offend, fo long we may apply our felves unto God by repentance, and be renewed by his Grace, and pardoned by his Mercy.

And therefore the Church of God, in which remiffion of fin is preached, doth not only promise it at first by the Laver of Regeneration, but afterwards alfo upon the virtue of Repentance; and to deny the Church this Power of Abfolution is the * Herefie of Novatian.

*I call this the Herefie of No

vatian rather

than of Novatus, because though they both joined in it, yet it is rather Sprung from Novatianus the Roman Presbyter, than from Novatus the African Bilop. And he is thus exprefed by Epiphanius, Λέγων μὴ εἶναι σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ μίαν μετάνοιαν με ἢ τὸ λερὸν, μηκέτι διύαπς ἐλεεῖος τραπεζωκότα· that is, he acknowledged but one Repentance which was available in Baptifm; after which if any Man finned, there was no Mercy remaining for him. To which Epiphanius gives this Reply, Ἡ ᾗ τελεία μετάνοια ἐν τῷ λεπρῷ τυ[χάνε· εἰ δέ τις παρέπεσεν εκ Σπόλλὴ τὸ τον ἡ ἁγία τὸ Θεὸ Ἐκκλη σία, δίδωσι γδ καὶ ἐπάνοδον, καὶ μαὶ τὰ μετάνοιαν τ' μεταμέλειαν. And again, Δέχει ἂν ὁ ἅΠος λόγος καὶ ἡ ἁγία Θεῦ ̓Εκκλησία πάντοτε το μετάνοιαν. And yet more generally. Τα πάντα (αφῶς τελελείων με εντεῦθεν ἐκδημίαν, ἔτι ἢ ὄντων ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνε πάντων, και με πλῶσιν ἔνι ανάτασις, ἔτι ἐλπὶς, ἔτι θεραπεία, ἔτι ὁμολογία· καν εἰ μὴ τελειότα]α, ἀλλ ̓ ἦν, γε τ' ἄλλων ἐκ azлyógεn Calneia. Hær. 59.

The neceffity of the belief of this Article appeareth, first, because there can be no Christian confolation without this perfuafion. For we have all finned and come short of the Glory of God, nay, God himself hath concluded all under Sin; we must also acknowledge that every Sinner is a guilty Perfon, and that guilt confifteth in an obligation to endure eternal Punishment from the wrath of God provoked by our Sins; from whence nothing else can arife but a fearful expectation of everlasting Mifery. So long as guilt remaineth on the Soul of Man, fo long is he in the condition of the Devils, delivered into chains and referved unto judgment. For we all fell as well 2 Pet. 2. 48 as they, but with this difference; Remiffion of Sins is promised unto us, but to them it is not.

him; +

Secondly, It is neceffary to believe the forgiveness of fins, that thereby we may fufficiently esteem God's goodness and our Happiness. When Man was fallen into Sin, there was no poffibility left him to work out his recovery; that Soul which had finned muft of neceffity die, the wrath of God. abiding upon him for ever. There can be nothing imaginable in that Man which fhould move God not to fhew a demonstration of his Justice upon him; there can be nothing without him which could pretend to rescue him from the fentence of an offended and Almighty God. Glorious therefore must the goodness of our God appear, who difpenfeth with his Law, who taketh off the guilt, who loofeth the obligation, who imputeth not the Sin. This is God's goodness, this is Man's happiness. For bleed is he whofe tranf- Pfal. 31. 1, 21 greffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered; Bleffed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity. The year of Release, the Year of Jubilee, t was a time of publick Joy; and there is no Voice.like that, thy fins are forgiven thee. By this a Man is rescued from infernal Pains, fecured from everlasting Flames; by this he is made capable of Heaven, by this he is affured of eternal Happiness.

Thirdly, It is neceffary to believe the forgiveness of fins, that by the
sense thereof we may be inflamed with the love of God: For that love doth
naturally follow from fuch a fenfe, appeareth by the Parable in the Gospel,

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed him Luke 6.41,42¡
Bbb
five

five hundred pence, the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Upon which cafe our Saviour made this queftion, Which of them will love him moft? He fuppofeth both the Debtors will love him, because the Creditor forgave them both; and he collecteth the degrees of love will anfwer proportionably to the quantity of the debt forgiven. We are the debtors, and our debts are fins, and the creditor is God: The remiffion of our fins is the frank forgiving of our debts, and for that we are obliged to return our love.

Fourthly, The true notion of forgiveness of fins is necessary to teach us what we owe to Chrift, to whom, and how far we are indebted for this ForAlis 13. 38. giveness. Through this man is preached unto us the forgiveness of fins, and without a furety we had no releafe. He rendred God propitious unto our Perfons, because he gave himself as a fatisfaction for our Sins. While thus he took off our obligation to Punishment, he laid upon us a new obligation of Obedience. We are not our owu who are bought with a price: We muft Glorifie God in our bodies, and in our Spirits, which are God's. We must be no longer the fervants of men; we are the fervants of Chrift, who are bought with a price.

1 Cor. 16. 20. 1 Cor. 7. 22.

23.

Fifthly, It is neceffary to believe remiffion of fins as wrought by the Blood of Christ, by which the Covenant was ratified and confirmed, which mindeth us of a Condition required. It is the nature of a Covenant to expect performances on both parts; and therefore if we look for forgiveness promised, we muft perform repentance commanded. These two were always preached together, and thofe which God hath joined ought no Man to put afunder. Chrift Acts 5. 31. did truly appear a Prince and a Saviour, and it was to give repentance to Ifrael, and forgiveness of fins: He joined thefe two in the Apoftle's ComLuke 24.47. mission, faying, that Repentance and remission of fins should be preached in his name throughout all nations.

From hence every one may learn what he is explicitely to believe and confefs in this Article of forgiveness of fins; for thereby he is conceived to intend thus much: I do freely and fully acknowledge, and with unspeakable comfort embrace this as a most neceffary and infallible Truth, That whereas every Sin is a tranfgreffion of the Law of God, upon every tranfgreffion there remaineth a guilt upon the perfon of the tranfgreffor, and that guilt is an obligation to endure eternal Punishment; fo that all Men being concluded under Sin, they were all obliged to fuffer the miseries of eternal Death, it pleafed God to give his Son, and his Son to give himself to be a furety for this Debt, and to release us from these bonds, and because without fhedding of Blood there is no remiffion, he gave his life a facrifice for Sin, he laid it down as a ransome, even his precious Blood as a price by way of compenfation and fatisfaction to the will and juftice of God; by which propitiation, God, who was by our Sins offended, became reconciled, and being fo, took off our obligation to eternal Punishment, which is the guilt of our Sins, and appointed in the Church of Christ the Sacrament of Baptifm for the firft remiffion, and Repentance for the conftant forgivenefs of all following Tref paffes. And thus I believe the forgiveness of Sins.

ARTICLE