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Author: Allen, William, 1532-1594.
Title: A treatise made in defence of the lauful power and authoritie of priesthod to remitte sinnes of the peoples duetie for confession of their sinnes to Gods ministers: and of the Churches meaning concerning indulgences, commonlie called the Popes pardo[n]s. By William Allen M. of Arte, and student in diuinitie.
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Print source: A treatise made in defence of the lauful power and authoritie of priesthod to remitte sinnes of the peoples duetie for confession of their sinnes to Gods ministers: and of the Churches meaning concerning indulgences, commonlie called the Popes pardo[n]s. By William Allen M. of Arte, and student in diuinitie.
Allen, William, 1532-1594.
Lovanii: Apud Ioannem Foulerum, anno D. 1567.
Subject terms:
Catholic Church -- Apologetic works.
Forgiveness of sin -- Early works to 1800.
Indulgences -- Early works to 1800.
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16820.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
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title page
To the Christian Reader.
Faultes in the printing.
license
THE PREFACE, CONTEININGE A iuste complaint of the disobediēce that now is towardes the spiritual gouer∣nours, and of the pitiful lacke of suche necessarie reliefe of our soules, as by them wee shoulde haue, with the argument of the treatise fo∣lowinge.
THE FIRST part of this Treatise of the lauful power and authoritie of Priesthode to remit sinnes, and of the distinct confession of sinnes to a Priest.
That Christ did forgeue sinnes not onely by proper power and nature as he was God, but also by ministerie, as he was a man, and as he was a Priest, and head of the Church, and that vpō that groūd the Priests power in remitting sinnes in the Church doth stand. The first Chapter.
Here it is declared by scripture, that the same power of remittinge sinnes, which God the father by cōmission gaue vnto his sōne as he was mā, was also by Christ bestowed on the Apostles after his re∣surrection. The second Chapter.
The power of priesthod touching remis∣sion of sinnes is proued by the solemne action of Christ, in breathing vpon his Apostles, and geuing them therby the holie Ghost. The third Chap.
The power to remitte sinnes is further proued to be giuen to the Apostles by these woordes of Christ: Whose sin∣nes you doo forgiue &cet. by the do∣ctours exposition of the same, and by conference of other woordes of scri∣pture of the like sense. The Fourh Chap.
That the same power of remitting and reteining sinnes, which was giuen to the Apostles, was not bestowed on thē in respect of their priuate persons, but as they were publike officers: and that therefore the like authoritie is com∣mon by Christes graunt to all priestes of Christes Church, who in this matter are the Apostles successours. The fifth Chap.
An answer to suche as deny this power to passe from the Apostles to all other priestes, because many of them being euel men, may be thought not to haue the holy Ghost, whereby they should effectually remit sinnes. The Sixth Chap.
That it standeth wel with Gods honour that mortal men should remitte sinnes, and that Nouatus the heretike was of olde condemned for denieng the same, and that he was the father of this here∣sie which denieth the piests authority. The Seuenth Chap.
For further prouf of the foresaid matter, it is declared, that neither Christe, nor his euerlasting Father, nor the holie Ghost, doe giue ouer vnto man or re∣signe the power of remission, or anie other holie function of the Churche, but doe themselues cōtinually worke al those graces by mans ministerie and seruice. The eighth Chap.
That remission of mans sinnes, hath bene ioyned often both in the lawe of nature and Moyses, to some external ceremo∣monies and sacrifices, whereof in the old lawe Priestes were the appointed ministers. The Ninth Chap.
Here it is proued, that by the right of the Priest in remitting sinnes, the duetie of all Christian people doth necessa∣rilie rise for the confession of euerie of their mortal sinnes vnto him: as the same is also proued by the doctrine of all holye Fathers of Christes Chur∣che. The tenth Chap.
That confession hath euer bene vsed, of al mortal sinnes, in al coūtries and ages since hristes time, it is proued by the witnesse of moste learned fathers, with an aunswer to suche thinges as oute of the fathers be sometimes obiected to the contrarie. The eleuenth Chap.
The conclusion of this treatise, remo∣uing, the impedimentes of confes∣sion.
THE SECOND PARTE OF THE TREATISE, concerning the Popes Pardons.
The authour by iuste causes was moued to beleue the trueth of this doctrine of Pardōs, before he knewe the meaning of them: and afterwarde founde them to be of greater importaunce, then he tooke them before to be. The first Chapter.
For the true meaning of Pardons, and to remoue some vntrue surmises tou∣ching the same, it is declared that the Pope neuer tooke vppon him by par∣don to remitte deadlye sinne, muche lesse to giue any man licence to sinne. The second Chapter.
That the Popes pardōs properly perteine to the remission of temporal paine due for mortall sinnes remitted before in the Sacrament of penaunce, whervp∣on the ful meaning of pardons is ope∣ned. The Third Chapter.
That Christ gaue by his expresse word authoritie to the pastours of Goddes Church, to binde and loose not onely the sinnes them selues, but also that tē∣porall paine or penaunce remaining after the sinnes be orgiuen. The Fourth Chapter.
The Appstles ād Bishopes haue euer, be∣sides the preching of the Gospel, puni∣shed mēs sins ād practised iudgmēt vpō mēs soules, both in binding ād loosing. The fyth Chapter.
That there be diuerse wayes of temporal punnishment remaining after sinnes be remitted, euery of whiche wayes may be in some cases released in parte, or in whole, by the Pardons of Popes and Bisshops. The sixth Chapter.
That not onely the penaunce enioyned in the sacrament, or otherwise by ca∣nonical correction, but also suche paine as God him selfe prouideth for sinne, may be released by the Popes Pardōs, and that Purgatory paines may espe∣cially be preuented by the same remis∣sions. The seuenth Chapter.
How the practise of pardons of these late hundreth yeares, differeth from the vsage of the primitiue Church, and in what sense suche greate numbers of yeares and dayes be remitted by the Popes pardons. The eigth Chapter.
It is proued as wel by sundrie examples of the olde Lawe, as by Christs owne often facte and his Apostles, that enioy¦ned or deserued punishement may be released by the gouernours of the Church in their Pardons. The Ninth Chapter.
That the Churche of God meaneth not to make al men partaker of her Pardōs which would seme to be relieued ther∣by, but suche onely as be of fit disposi∣tion therefore, and how they ought to be qualified, that must be partakers thereof. The tenth Chapter.
That the Bishops being the highest mini∣sters of Gods Church, and namely the Pope as the principall of the rest, may only lawfuly giue Pardōs, and in what sense the soules departed may be releiued by the same. The eleuenth Chapter.
A declaration of the Churches meaning touching the cōmon treasure, which is said to remaine in her store for the re∣cōpēse of suche enioyned penaunce, as she releaseth by her Pardons, with the conclusion of the whole matter. The twelueth Chapter.
approbation
THE CHIEF CON∣TENTS OF BOTH THE parts of this Treatise with the Preface ioyntly.