{"number":205,"title":"THE FIFT PETITION","part":"THE THIRD PART OF MANS THANKFVLNES","questions":[126],"paragraphs":[],"clauses":[],"items":[],"text":"*And forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debtors.*\n\nThis petition is a notable confession of the church, wherein she acknowledgeth and bewaileth her sins: & it is withal a consolation, that the Church shall receiue remission of sinnes, according to Christs promise. Now Christ in this petition, will, 1 *That we acknowledge our sinne.* 2 *That we thirst after remission of our sinnes,* because it is granted to them onlie that desire it, and who do not tread vnder foot the bloud of the Son of god. 3. *That our faith bee exercised:* because this petition confirmeth our faith, and again this petition floweth from faith. For faith is the cause of praier: and praier is the cause of faith, as concerning the encreasing of faith.\n\nThe special Questions.\n\n1 *What Christ here calleth debts.*\\\n2 *What is remission of sinnes.*\\\n3 *Why we are to desire remission of sinnes.*\\\n4 *How sinnes are remitted vnto vs.*\n\n## 1 WHAT CHRIST HERE CALLETH DEBTS\n\nChrist calleth al our sins *debtes,* both originall & actuall, and those both of fact, and omission. And they are called debts, because they make vs debters to god either of obedience or punishment which we are to pay. For when we sin, we doe not giue, nor perfourme vnto god, what we owe vnto him: & as long as we giue not this vnto him, so long we remaine debters.\n\n## 2 What is remission of sinnes\n\nThe creditor is said to *Remit* the debter, when he neither requireth the debt of him, nor punisheth him. *Remission of sinnes,* is, That god wil not impute any sinne vnto vs, but doth receiue vs into fauour, pronounceth vs iust and righteous, and accounteth vs for his sons, of his meere and free mercy, for Christs satisfaction performed by him for vs, imputed vnto vs, & apprehended of vs by faith: And that therefore hee wil not punish vs for our sin, but endoweth vs with iustice, and euerlasting life, because the remission of sinne taketh away the punishment thereof. For sin and punishment, are correlatiues: put sin, and you put punishment; take away sinne, and punishment is also taken away. Obiection. *When we desire, that god will remit vs our sins, we desire that god wil inuert the order of his iustice.* Answer. The consequence of this reason is false. For we desire remission of sinnes, for the satisfaction of Christ, for which they are remitted vnto vs, and therefore our sins are not remitted vs with any breach of gods iustice, because they are remitted vs with recompence made for them. Reply. *If they be remitted with recompence made for them, Then god dooth not remit vs our sinnes freely.* Answere. They are remitted with recompence, & therefore not freely, in respect of Christ: but they are remitted freely, in respect of vs: because hee receiueth not satisfaction of vs but of Christ, who hath fully satisfied him for vs. Reply. *Then is not yet this freely, because wee haue merited it in Christ.* Aunswere. That merit is not our merite, because the father gaue vs his sonne freely, who meriteth without any merit of ours comming between: and that merit of Christ is imputed vnto vs through grace: therefore freely for that merit are our sinnes remitted vs: whereupon also it is truely and wel added, that for Christs satisfaction our sins are not imputed to vs. For we desire not, that god would do contrary vnto his iustice, & would not account vs in mind for sinners; but that he would impute vnto vs anothers righteousnes, that is, the righteousnes of Christ, wherewith we being clothed, our sins also may be couered.\n\n## 3 Why we are to desire remission of sinnes\n\nWe are to desire remission of sinnes, 1. *That we maie be saued, because without remission of sinnes we cannot be saued.* And this benefite God giueth not but onely to those that desire it. 2. *That we may be put in minde of the remnauntes of sinnes, which are euen in the holiest men; and that to this ende, that repentaunce maie euermore encrease.* Wherefore wee are daily also to beg and desire remission of sinnes. 3. *That wee maie desire and receiue the former blessings,* because without remission of sins, those blessings either are at al not giuen, or are giuen to our destruction. So the wicked doe indeed often receiue them, but not for their saluation, as turning rather to their condemnation. Obiection. *What wee haue, that we neede not desire. But the godly haue remission of sinnes: Therefore the godly haue no need to desire it.* Ans. The godly indeed haue remission; but not wholy, neither also as concerning continuaunce, but only as touching the beginning thereof. This remission must verily be continued; and God also doth continue it to them, vnto whom hee remitteth their sinnes in his sonne: yet with this condition, that they daily pray for and desire that continuaunce. Although then god hath remitted vnto vs our sinnes; yet hee will notwithstanding that we aske and desire pardon for them, and therefore we desire, that, what sins wee commit or shal commit, the same god would remit vnto vs.\n\n## 4 How our sinnes are remitted vnto vs\n\n*Ovr sinnes are so remitted vnto vs as wee forgiue and remit our debters.* And this Christ added, 1. *That we may rightlie desire remission of sinnes,* and so that we may come to pray with true faith & repentance, a signe and token whereof is the loue of our neighbour. 2. *That when wee finde in our selues true faith and repentance, we may so haue a certain argument and comfort in vs, that we are of the number of them, vnto whom remission is promised, and that therefore wee shal doubtlesse obtaine remission of sins:* when as we may be certainly assured by this, that we our selues remit vnto others from our heart their trespasses against vs, that we please God, albeit many remnaunts of sinne are dwelling as yet within vs. Obiection. 1. *He that remitteth not, is not remitted. We remit not. Therefore we are not remitted.* Aunswere. He that remitteth not fully and perfectly, is notwithstanding remitted, so that hee remitte truely and sincerely. Obiection. 2. *Christ willed vs to desire, that God will so remitte vs our sinnes, as wee remitte our debters. But wee doe not perfectlie remit our debters. Therefore he willed vs to desire, that god wil not perfectly remitte vs our sinnes.* Ans. This is a fallacy of speech deceiuing by miscōstring a word. For the particle *(as)* in this petition dooth not signifie the degree of remission, or a comparison of our remission with that remission, wherewith God remitteth vs our sinnes, but it signifieth the kinde of remission, namely the trueth and sincerity of our remission, whereby wee forgiue others from our hart, and with a readie wil of forgiuing them: or, (to speak shorter) heere is not made a comparison according to degrees, but according to the truth of the thing, or according to the trueth of remission: so that the meaning is, so perfectly God remitteth vs our sinnes, as we truly and certainely remitte and forgiue our neighbour: or, Forgiue vs our debts, because we forgiue our debters. Reply. *Then is our remission of others the cause why God remitteth vs.* Answere. This a fallacy putting that for a cause, which is no cause. For our remission, wherwith we forgiue others, though not perfectly, yet sincerely, is only an argument and testimony vnto vs, that god wil remit vs our sinnes. For our remission and forgiuing of others cannot merit. 1. *Because it is vnperfect.* 2. *Albeit it were perfect, yet should it not merit, because what we now perfourme, that we owe vnto god.* For were it so that we did now perfourme perfect obedience to god, yet were wee bound of duty to perfourme it. Reply. *But neuertheles yet here is betokened an equalitie of remission in vs and god.* Aunswere Not an equality, but a likenesse and similitude of the kinde of remission. Obiection. 3. *He that remembreth iniuries, and is desirous of reuenge, doth not truly remit and forgiue. But we all remember iniuries, and are desirous of reuenge. Therefore we doe not truly remit and forgiue.* Aunswere. They that remember iniuries, that is, without a resistance and dislike of this remembraunce, or with a yeelding thereto, doe not truely remit. If then wee withstand and resist the remnauntes of sinnes, which as yet cleaue fast vnto vs, and doe not yeelde vnto them, nothing hindereth why wee maie not bee saide to remitte others truelie and from our heart, and so also to attaine vnto that, in regarde where-of this particle *(as)* was added of Christ, to wit, (which before also we mentioned) to desire and pray rightly. Now we rightly pray and desire in faith and repentance, both which this petition confirmeth. Faith is confirmed and strengthned by this petition, because when we truely remit our neighbour, we may and ought certainly to resolue, that our sins are also remitted vs, and so haue we a good conscience, & are assured that we are heard, according to this promise of Christ, *Math.* 6.14. *Jf ye doe forgiue men their trespasses, your heauenlie father will also forgiue you.* True repentance also is confirmed and increased in vs by this petition. For by this petition we are prouoked and incited to true repentaunce, the chiefe part whereof is the loue of our neighbour. For if we will be forgiuen, we must forgiue others. Both causes are conteined in the word of Christ before alleaged out of Matthewe; as also in the rest which are presently added in the same place in Matthewe, by way of opposition. *If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses, your heauenlie father will also forgiue you;* that is, assure your selues also that your heauenly father heareth you. In which worde is comprehended the confirmation of our faith. *But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses, no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses.* In these words is added a spurre to repentance. Obiection. 4. *Paul obtained remission, neither yet did he forgiue al of them their trespasser; because he saith,* 2. Tim. 4.14. *Alexander the Coppersmith hath done me much euil: the Lord rewarde him according to his woorkes. Therefore it is not necessarie that we shoulde forgiue.* Answere. There is a threefold remission or forgiuing▪ 1. *Of reuenge.* This belongeth to all men: because all men ought to remit and forgiue reuenge. Hereof speaketh this petition, and this Paul did forgiue Alexander. 2. *Of punishment.* This, as all can not inflict, so neither can all remit; but neither they also, vnto whom yet the same otherwise is committed, ought alwaies to remit this, but onely for certaine causes. For God will haue the execution of his iustice and Lawe. But Paul forgaue Alexander the punishment also, as much as concerned himselfe, yet hee will notwithstanding haue him punished of God, but with a condition, that is, if hee persist in sinne. 3. *Of iudgement.* This is not alwaies remitted: because it is written, *Mat.* 10.16. *Bee yee simple, as Doues; and wise, as Serpents:* that is, let vs not call him good, who is euil, or contrarily. Wherefore we are also to reteine a true iudgement concerning others. For God who forbiddeth lying, will not haue vs to iudge of knaues that they are honest men: but hee will haue vs to discerne the good from the bad."}