Faction and Indulgences; of the Old and New Man; of the Power or Strength of Men, and the Other Things Pertaining to Repentance. The Second Sermon
I proMISED in my last sermon, that I made of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to add a discourse of repentance; which by the help of God and your good prayers I purpose in this sermon for to perform.
They among the Latins are said to repent, which are rorepent. aggrieved at or ashamed of the thing that they have done. Thou hast done a good turn, and thinkest him unworthy of it for whom thou hast done it, and for that cause art sorry to thyself: that sorrow of thine is repentance. We Germans call it Den reuen. The Greeks do name it Metanaam. Now they which are skilful of that tongue say, that μετα- νοεῖν signifieth to bethink afterward: so that Metanea is there properly used, where a man, having once slipped by doing something foolishly, doth notwithstanding at length come to himself again, and verily purpose to correct his own error. It is therefore referred, not to the thought of the mind only, but also to the deed done. For he that perceiveth that he hath offended, doth devise with himself how to amend it. So now the thing beginneth to displease thee, which before did please thee: so now thou eschewest the thing that before thou ensuedst’. Moreover the Hebrews call repentance 7’heschubal’, that is, a conversion, or returning to the right way or mind again. The metaphor seemeth to
[3 Bullinger here refers to Erasmus’ annotation on Matth. 111. 2:]
[μετάνοια dicta est a μετανοεῖν, hoc est, a posterius intelligendo, ubi quis]
[lapsus, re peracta, tum demum animadvertit erratum suum. ] [4 cupidissime, Lat. omitted; most eagerly.] ἘΣ ΩΝ]
be taken of them which once did stray from the right path, but do again at length return into the way: which word is translated to the mind, to the manners, and deeds of men.
But now this word is diversely used; for repentance signifieth the changing of the purpose once conceived, or of any other thing. For by Jeremy the Lord saith: If they turn from evil, I will also repent me of the evil which I meant to lay upon them.” Therefore God doth then repent, when he changeth his purpose: he repenteth not, when he doth not alter it. Paul saith: “The gifts and calling of God
4.1 are without repentance.” And David said: The Lord hath SWOrN, and will not repent.” Elsewhere repentance is figuratively attributed to God, like to the affection of mortal men: as when he saith, I repent me that I have made man.” For God of his own nature doth not repent as men do, so that he should be touched with grief, and that the thing should now mislike him which he before did like of; but he doth barely alter that which he hath done. Among ecclesiastical writers they are said to repent, which after a prescribed manner of punishment do penance for their sins which they have committed. The scripture in another place doth use it for the whole effect and matter of the gospel:
18. for in the Acts we read, that God gave to the Gentiles repentance unto life. But we, in this disputation of ours, will use repentance for a converting or turning to the Lord, for the acknowledging of sins, for the grief conceived for sins committed, for mortification, and the beginning to lead a new life; and finally? for the change, correction, and amendment of the life from evil to better: that which we Germans call Bekeerung, Enderung oder Besserung?.
And as diversely too is repentance defined of the ecclesiastical writers: howbeit all agree that it is a conversion or turning to the Lord, and an alteration of the former life and opinion. We therefore do say, that repentance is an unfeigned turning to God, whereby we, being of a sincere fear of God once humbled, do acknowledge our sins, and 50, by mortifying our old man, are afresh renewed by the
[1 Τὸ repenteth, ed. 1577.] [2 breviter, Lat.; shortly] [3 bekehrung, conversion; aenderung, changing; besserung, cor-]
[rection. ]]
Spirit of God% This definition doth consist upon her parts, which, being somewhat more largely opened and diligently expounded, will declare unto us and lay before our eyes the whole nature of repentance.
First we say, that repentance is an unfeigned turning unto God. For I will hereafter shew you, that there are two sorts of repentance; to wit, feigned and unfeigned. And the apostle Peter saith: “Repent, and turn, that your sins may be blotted out;” expounding, as it were, the first by the last, to wit, repentance by returning; (he meaneth) to him from whom they had turned themselves away. For there is a certain relation betwixt turning to and turning fro. If thou hadst never turned away, then hadst thou had no need to have turned to again. But we have all turned away from the true, just, and good God, and from his holy will, unto the devil and our own corrupt affections. And therefore must we again turn us from the devil, and from our old naughty life and will, unto the living God and his most holy will and pleasure. We do here significantly say, to God, and not to creatures or any help of man, For the Lord in Jeremy doth say: “If, Israel, thou wilt return, return to me.” Whosoever therefore do not turn to God, nor make themselves conformable to his holy will, howsoever they do turn to creatures and other means of man’s invention, yet are they not to be esteemed or counted penitents.
Now there is none so blind but seeth, that for the stirring of us up to repentance the preaching or doctrine of the truth is needful and requisite, to teach us what God is to whom we must be turned; what the goodness and holiness is, to which we must be turned: who the devil is, and what the evil and wickedness is, from which we must be turned; and lastly, what the thing is that must be amended in our “mind and life, and also how it must be altered and amended. Truly the prophets and apostles of the Lord, in exhorting men unto repentance, do travail much and stick very long in describing of God’s nature, goodness, righteousness, truth and mercy; in painting out the laws and offices of the life of man; and in accusing and heaping up the sins of men;
[[ spiritualiter.] [5 revera, Lat. omitted; in truth. ] [6 falsum, Lat.] [7 exaggerandis, Lat.]]
whereunto they add the grievous and horrible tokens! of God’s just judgments: as is in every place of the prophets’ writings to be found very rifely. And therefore some there are which bid us even now to preach the law to those men whom we would draw unto repentance: which thing as I do not gainsay, but very well like it, so do I withal admonish them, that the preaching of the gospel also doth object to men their sins, and grievously accuse them. For the Lord
8. in the gospel saith: “When the Holy Ghost cometh, it shall argue the world of sin, because they believed not in me.” Whereupon St Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, upbraiding to the Jews their sins committed, and preaching unto them Christ and faith in Christ, exhorteth them unto repentance. The places are very well known. Acts ii. and iii. St Paul, going about to draw the Athenians unto repentance, doth say: “God, who hath hitherto winked at the times of this ignorance, doth now preach to all men everywhere that they should repent; because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world with righteousness through Christ.” Let them therefore, to whom charge is given to draw men? unto repentance, learn here to use much liberty and wisdom, that all men may acknowledge their sin and the greatness of their iniquity. Moreover God doth stir up men to repentance, not by his word only, but also by divers afflictions and sundry sorts of punishments: yea, all the calamities that happen in the world are certain sermons, as it were, persuading and drawing us unto repentance. For, that I may in silence overpass that which is written in the prophets; did not our Lord himself in the gospel, when he heard tidings of the slaughter which Pontius Pilate had made upon the Galileans, and the death of the eighteen men upon whom the tower in Siloe fell, presently say, “Think ye that they were greater sinners than the rest? No, verily; but unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” It is assuredly certain therefore, that war, famine, and plagues do always invite us unto repentance; that is, they premonish us, by laying sin aside, to be converted unto God, and wholly to give ourselves to sincere integrity.
[1 minas graves et horrendas hypotyposes, Lat.] [2 doctrina, Lat. omitted; by doctrine.] [3 pestes omnes, Lat.; all plagues.]]
But in vain is repentance preached unto us, unless by fear and trembling conceived in our minds we do reverently dread the wrath and judgment of Almighty God conceived against us because of our sins and wickednesses. Now this fear is outwardly stirred in us by the external preaching or discipline of the minister, as I told you before; but that external doctrine availeth nothing alone, unless inwardly, that is, in our hearts, we be moved by the Holy Spirit of our heavenly Father. And therefore Jeremy in his Lamentations crieth: “Turn us, O Lord, and we shall be turned.” And in the thirty-first chapter: “Turn thou me, O Lord, and I shall be turned; because thou art the Lord my God. And after I was turned, it repented me of evil.” We read that St Peter, being provoked by the words of the damsel that kept the door, and of the soldiers, did foully deny his master Christ; but, being revoked at the cock’s crowing, he repented his fault or folly from the bottom of his heart. And yet it was not the crowing of the cock of itself alone, that stirred that motion in him; but that and the word of Christ together, who had said unto him: “Verily I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice.” Whereupon St Matthew saith; And Peter remembered the words of the Lord, which had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice,” &c. With these also is joined a more secret touching of Peter’s mind; for the good Lord touched the heart of Peter, as the evangelist testifieth, saying: “And the Lord, turning himself about, looked upon Peter.” That looking back of the Lord made Peter’s heart to melt, and drew it from the destruction whereinto it was about to fall. Therefore if our ears be pierced with the word of God, and our hearts touched with his Holy Spirit, then shall we, like true penitents, unfeignedly reverence and dread the Lord.
And therewithal, being humbled before the most just and holy God, whom we with our sins do so much offend and provoke to wrath and indignation, we confess his judgment to be just against us, and freely acknowledge all the sins and iniquities that in the word of God are objected against us, crying out and saying with the prophets: Thou, verily, O Lord, art righteous, thou art true, and thy judgments just; but we are most unrighteous, liars, wicked, and wholly over-
[4 of the minister, not in Lat.]
whelmed with detestable iniquities. There is nothing sound or sincere within us. All that we have is corrupt and miserable. We have sinned, we have been wicked, we have done unjustly, we have forsaken thee. We have gainsaid thy servants the prophets, we have not obeyed the words of thy mouth. To thee therefore, O God, doth righteousness belong, and to us wretches shame and confusion.” This humiliation and free confession of sins doth God require of penitent sinners: touching which I will hereafter speak somewhat more; for now I return more fully to expound the fear of the Lord.
At this present I speak of the sincere fear of God: for we confess that the fear of God is of two sorts, sincere and unsincere. The sincere fear of God is perceived in the faithful, and is a godly reverence consisting in the love and honour of God. For the prophet bringeth in God saying: “The son honoureth the father, and the servant the master: therefore if I be a father, where is my honour? if a lord, where is my vii fear?” And Paul saith: “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, by which we ery, Abba, Father.” Therefore the sincere fear of God in them -that do repent is not the servile dread of punishment, but a careful study mixt with the love and honour of God. An honest wife feareth her husband, and a gracious daughter feareth her father!; and yet each of them doth therewithal love, the one her father, the other her husband, and doth with an holy love endeavour herself to keep his favour, and fear lest at any time she should do anything tolose it. And therefore penitents do not only fear? because they know, being taught by the Spirit of God, that they have committed sins, for which they have deserved to be forsaken of the Lord; but do also love him as their merciful Father, and are therefore sorry with all their hearts for their sins committed; and do above all things most ardently require to be reconciled again to their merciful God and loving Father. ἰο For with this sincere fear of God is joined the grief or sorrow, which is conceived by the Spirit of God for our sins that we commit. St Paul maketh mention of two sorts of sorvii. rows. “The sorrow that is to God-ward,” saith he, “doth bring forth repentance? not to be repented of; but, contrarily, the
[1 parentem, Lat.] [2 Deum, Lat. omitted; God.] [3 ad salutem, Lat. omitted; to salvation. ]]
sorrow of the world bringeth death.” The king and prophet David sorrowed to God-ward, when he cried: Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand doth press me sore. There is no whole part in my flesh, because of thy displeasure: there is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin:” and so forward, as is to be seen in the thirty-eighth Psalm; which, although it were written of his grievous disease or sickness, doth yet notwithstanding, as it were in a shadow, shew us the great grief that is in the saints for offending their good and gracious Father with their continual sins. To God-ward was the sinful woman sorry in St Luke, who, falling prostrate at the Lord’s heels, did wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with her hair. To God-ward was St Peter sorry, and wept (as we read) full bitterly for his offence. The godly are” greatly grieved because they do so oftentimes offend so foully 80 good a God and gracious Father. No words, I think, can possibly express the grief and sorrow that they conceive, But the prophet Jeremy, describing the contrary affection of impenitent sinners, doth say: “Do men fall, so that they may not rise again? Doth any man go so astray, that he may not turn again? How doth it happen then that this people of Hierusalem is turned away so stubbornly? I gave ear and hearkened, they spake not rightly: there was none that did repent him of his wickedness, to say, What have I done? Every one of them turned to his own course, like a fierce horse headlong to the battle.”
The worldly grief is the sorrow of such men as know not God, and are without faith and the true love of God; yea, of such as yield under the burden of sorrow, adversities, and? very sins. Like to this also, in a manner, is the consideration of the unsincere fear of God. For the wicked, with their head the devil, do fear God, not as a father, whom they are sorry to offend, and to whom they desire to be reconciled as to a father; but as a tormentor, because they know that he will revenge their evil deeds; and therefore with Judas they run? to the rope. There is in them no love of God, no honour, no good-will, no reverence, but mere hatred? horror,
[4 continual, not in Lat.] [5 adeoque et, Lat.; and so of their sins also. [6 Iscariotha, Lat. omitted.] [7 tandem, Lat.; at last.] [8 odium Dei, Lat.]]
and utter desperation. But such fear the apostle and evangelist John denied to be in charity, saying that perfect charity casteth out all fear:” I mean not that fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom; but that of which I have spoken all this while; the fear, I mean, that is in the devil and wicked men his members. need. And now by this we gather, that unto penitents faith in tod and the merit of Christ is most of all and especially needful. In which sense it is, I think, that many have made faith a part of repentance: which as I do not greatly deny, so yet do I see that St Paul made as it were a difference betwixt faith and repentance, when in the twentieth of the Acts he saith, that “he witnessed both to the Jews and Gentiles the repentance that is toward God, and the faith in Jesus Christ.” Therefore repentance and faith seem to be diverse: not that true repentance can be without faith; but because they must be distinguished, and not confounded. We do all know that true faith is not without works, as that which of necessity sheweth forth good works?; and yet we make a difference betwixt faith and works, so yet that we do not separate them or rend the one from the other: and in like manner we acknowledge that true faith and true repentance are undividedly knit together, and closely fastened the one to the other. I will not stand in argument, whether faith be a part of repentance, or doth by any other means depend upon it. It seemeth to me a notable point of folly to go about to tie matters of divinity? to precepts of logic: for we learn not that of the Lord’s apostles, I admonished you before in a sermon of the gospel (which thing I do here repeat again), that the acknowledging of sins doth not of itself obtain grace or forgiveness of sins; even as the bare acknowledging of a disease is not-the remedy for the same: for even damned men also do acknowledge their sins, and yet are not therefore healed. The acknowledging of sin is a certain preparative unto faith; as the acknowledging of a disease doth minister occasion to think upon a remedy. To this at this present we add, that not the very fear of God, how sincere soever it be; not the very sorrow conceived for our
[1 the fear—members, not in Lat.] [2 lege utique communi, is Bullinger’s parenthesis. ] [3 ubique, Lat. omitted; in all cases.] [ Sce above, p. 35.]]
sins, how great soever it be; nor the very humiliation, how submiss soever it be, do of themselves make us acceptable to God: but rather that they prepare an entrance and make a way for us unto the knowledge of Christ, and so consequently do lead us to Christ himself being incarnate and crucified for us and our redemption, and lay us upon Christ alone, by him to be quickened and purely cleansed. For he that is truly converted to God is utterly turned from himself and all hope of worldly aid. Whoso doth truly fear God and is sorry in very deed from the bottom of his heart, he doth fear and is sorry for his sins committed; and not for that alone, but because he findeth himself to be corrupted wholly, and to have in himself no soundness or integrity: yea, because he reverenceth God as his Father, he doth disclose to him his wounds as to a chirurgeon, desiring instantly to be reconciled to him as to his loving Father. And whereas here true godliness doth ery, that no man can be reconciled to God the Father but by the only-begotten Son; the penitent doth by faith lay hold on the Son, and so seek the means of his reconciliation. Faith is grounded upon the only grace or mercy of God exhibited to us in Christ Jesus, and the penitent believeth that he is accepted of God for Christ his sake alone: and therefore he maketh his supplications to God, committing himself wholly unto his mercy; as we read that David, and the prodigal son in the fifteenth chapter of St Luke’s gospel, did. To this place might be annexed the doctrine of7 the gospel, of faith in Jesus Christ, and of the remission of sins; touching which I have already spoken.
And here I think it not amiss, that the minds of penitents must by all means be confirmed with many and evident places of scripture plainly uttered concerning the full remission of sins, to the end that hereafter we have no scruple of conscience to cause us to despair or doubt in our temptations: wherein notwithstanding I repeat again and again this note to be throughly marked, for the confirmation of the glory of the only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Christ Jesus, that penitent sinners have their sins remitted, not for their repentance, in respect that it is our work or action; but in respect
[5 peenitentes, Lat. ] [6 and so—reconciliation; an addition of the translator’s. ] [7 de, Lat.; concerning. ]]
that it comprehendeth the renewing of man by the Holy Ghost, and true faith, which delivereth us to Christ our physician, that he may heal all our diseases and bind up all our griefs’. And although this treatise doth properly belong to the common place of faith and the gospel, of which I have so briefly as I could already discoursed; yet notwithstanding I will here recite some evident sentences touching the grace of God and free remission of our sins,
David in the hundreth and third psalm saith: Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not the things that he hath done for thee: which forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thine infirmities: which saveth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness. Ile hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness. For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth; so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. And look how far the east is from the west; so far hath he set our sins from us. Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, so is the Lord merciful to them that fear him. For he knoweth that we are frail (prone to sin), and doth remember that we are but dust.”
Esay in the first chapter of his prophecy saith: “Thus saith the Lord, Though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made whiter than snow; and though they be red as purple, they shall be made like undyed? wool.” Again, in the forty and third chapter, he bringeth in the Lord saying: “I am he that blot out the? transgressions, and that for mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.”
In the thirty-first chapter of Jeremy, which saying is also alleged by Paul in the eighth and tenth chapters to the Hebrews, the Lord saith: This is my covenant that I will make with them after these days; I will be merciful unto their iniquities, and not remember their sins any more.”
In the thirty-sixth chapter of Ezechiel the Lord saith: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be cleansed from all your uncleanness. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: as for that stony heart, I will take it out of your flesh, and give vou a fleshy heart. 1 will deliver you from all your un- [1 contritiones, Lat.] [2 nativa lana, Lat.]
[3 tuas, Lat.; thy.]
IL OF REPENTANCE, AND THE CAUSES THEREOF. G5 cleannesses. But I will not do this for your sakes, saith the Lord, be ye sure of it, &ec.”
Daniel in his ninth chapter leaveth to us a manifest example of confession of sins, and doth in express words say that by the Messiah sins are forgiven, iniquity purged, and everlasting righteousness brought in instead of it. So doth the prophet Zachary in his third chapter affirm, that the iniquity of the earth is purged by the only sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
The Lord, in the gospel after St Matthew, doth say: “They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. Neither did I come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” And therefore is he called Jesus, that isa Saviour: for the angel said, “He shall save his people from their sins.” And St Paul to Timothy saith: “It is a sure saying, and worthy by all means to be received, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.”
In the same gospel the Lord saith: “Every sin and: blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven men. And whosoever shall say a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.” Concerning sin against the Holy Ghost I have already spoken in another place. Now to this place do belong all the examples of that most liberal kind of forgiveness, which is expressed in the gospel: as for example, of the sinful woman, Luke vii; also John iv. and Matthew viii.; of Zachee, St Peter, and the thief upon the cross. But who is able briefly to reckon them all? To this also do appertain the three parables in the gospel after the evangelist St Luke. In the gospel after St John the forerunner of the Lord doth cry out, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.” And the Lord himself did say to his disciples: “” Whose sins soever ye forgive, they are forgiven.”
Peter the apostle in the Acts doth cry and say: All the prophets bear witness to Christ, that whosoever believeth [6 instead of it, not in Lat.]
[5 See Vol. 11. p. 420.] [6 ex 15 cap. Lat. omitted.]
li 66 THE FOURTH DECADE. [sERM. in him should by his name receive remission of his sins.” 24] The same apostle again in his Epistle saith: Christ his own self bare our sins in his body upon the cross’, that we, being dead to sin, might live to righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed.”
The apostle Paul in the fifth chapter of his second Epistle to the Corinthians saith: “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their sins unto them. For him, that knew not sin, he made sin for us; that we through him might be made the righteousness of God.” And in the tenth to the Hebrews he hath: Christ, having offered one sacrifice for sin, is set down at the right hand of God for ever; from henceforth tarrying till his foes be made his footstool. For with one offering hath he made perfect for ever them that are sanctified.”
Moreover the blessed apostle and evangelist John doth ΠΟ less truly than evidently testify, saying: ‘” The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God doth cleanse us from all sin.” And again: “And he is the propitiation for our sins; not for ours only, but for the sins also of the whole world.” the But now most vain and the very messengers of Satan himself are the Novatians and Anabaptists, which feign that we are by baptism purged into an angelical life, which is not polluted with any spots at all: but if it be polluted, then can he that is so defiled look for no pardon at all>. For, to pass over many other places of holy scripture, was not St Peter consecrated to God in baptism? Had he not tasted of God’s good grace? 3After that notable confession which he made, the Lord said unto him: “Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Again, when the Lord demanded of his disciples, saying, Will ye depart also?” then Peter in the name of them all answered; Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe and know that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” And yet this very same Peter, after his baptism and tasting of the grace of God, sinned notwith-
[1 super lignum, Lat.] [2 See Vol. 11. p. 424. n. 3. and Bullinger, adv. Anabapt. Lib. 1.]
[cap. 11.] (8 Certe, Lat. omitted; unquestionably. ]]
standing, and that too not lightly4, in denying and forswearing his Lord and Master. Now was he, for this sin of his, altogether unpardonable? Was his return to God again stopped up by his stumbling? No, verily. For when he heard the cock crow, he remembered presently the words of the Lord, he descended into himself, he considered what he had done, he wept bitterly and mourned lamentably. And yet he was not long tormented in that grief without consolation. For the third day after, to the women which came to the Lord’s sepulchre it was said by the angels: Tell his disciples, and Peter, that he is risen, and goeth before you into Galilee.” Lo here, the Lord will have it known to Peter by name, that he was risen. And why to Peter by name? Because, forsooth, he had sinned more grievously than the other: not that the Lord did like of Peter’s sin; but because he would thereby declare to us that penitents do obtain forgiveness of their sins, so often as they do turn to the heavenly grace of God again. And not many days after he restored Peter to the ministry again, commending to him the charge of his sheep.
Moreover the Lord in Jeremy speaketh to the people of Israel, saying: “If any man put away his wife, and she marry to another man, will her first husband turn to her again? But is not this land defiled.? Hast thou not committed fornication with many? Yet turn thee to me again, saith the Lord.” And the Galatians, being once rightly instructed by the apostle Paul, but after that seduced by the false apostles, revolted from the truth and preaching of the gospel: yet notwithstanding they obtained pardon. The Corinthians also, after they had received grace, did wittingly and willingly sin in many things: but yet upon repentance the apostle Paul promised them forgiveness of their sins at the hands of the Lord.
And what is more manifest than this, that all the saints do daily in earnest and truly, not hypocritically or falsely, pray saying, “Forgive us our trespasses?” They which pray thus do plainly confess that they are sinners; and the Lord promiseth to hear those that pray with faith. Therefore even those sins are forgiven at the prayers of penitents, which [ sed gravissime, Lat. omitted; but most heinously.]
[5 ab ipso divertens, Lat. omitted; turning aside from him.]
are committed after the grace of God is once known and obtained.
Now the places in the epistle to the Hebrews, which the Novatians allege for the confirmation of their opinion, I have in another place so thoroughly discussed! that I need not here busily to stand long upon them. of But now to gather a sum of those things which I have hitherto said concerning repentance; let us hold, that repentance is a turning to God, which, although he doth by his word and other means stir it up in us, is notwithstanding especially by the Holy Ghost so wrought in us, that with fear we love and with love we fear our just God and merciful Lord2, from whom we were turned back, being sorry now with all our hearts that we with our sins did ever offend so gracious a Father. For being humbled before his eternal and most sacred majesty, we acknowledge the sins that are objected against us by the word of God: yea, we acknowledge that in us there is no integrity or soundness; but do heartily desire to be reconciled with God again: and since that reconciliation cannot be otherwise made than by the only Mediator the Lord Christ Jesus, we do by faith lay hold on him, by whom we, being acquitted from all our sins, are reputed of God for righteous and holy. This benefit whosoever do sincerely acknowledge, they cannot choose but hate sin and mortify the old man.
I would therefore now add other members belonging to this treatise of repentance, to wit, the mortification of the old man, and the renewing of the spirit, were it not that the very matter itself doth require to have somewhat said touching the confession? of sins and satisfaction for the same. For some there are that, when they speak of repentance, do speak some things contrary to the truth. To the end therefore, dearly beloved, that ye be not ignorant what to think of these points according to the truth, I will not stick to stay somewhile in the exposition of the same. And I hope ye shall out of my words gather such fruit as ye shall not hereafter repent yourselves of.
[1 See Vol. 11. p. 424.] [2 ut revertamur ad ipsum, Deum, inquam, justum, a quo &ec. Lat. ] [3 de confessione, Lat. But ed. 1587 has forgiveness.) [4 de his, Lat. omitted: touching these points. ]]
To confess, or a confession, is in the holy scriptures diversely used. For it signifieth to praise the Lord, and to give him thanks for the benefits that we receive at his hands; and therefore confession is put for praise and thanksgiving. For the prophet saith: “Ὁ praise the Lord; for he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever” Paul in his epistle to Titus, speaking of hypocrites, saith: “In words they confess that they know God, but in their deeds they demy him.” Here to confess doth signify to say, to profess, or to boast. In another place it is taken for to trust, to stay upon God’s goodness, and to testify that confidence as well by words as deeds: and in that sense did St John use it in the fourth chapter of his epistle, and Paul in the tenth to the Romans. Moreover, to confess is to give glory to God, and freely to acknowledge thy sin and the judgment which is objected to thee for thy sin. Salomon in the twenty-eighth chapter of his Proverbs saith: “Whosoever hideth his iniquities” (or? doth as it were defend them), “nothing shall go well with him: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, to him shall be shewed mercy.” The Hebrew tongue useth the word Jadah for that which we call, to confess. Now Jadah signifieth to let slack, or loose?, as when a bow once bended is unbended again. And Modeh’, which cometh of Jadah, is as if one should say, confessing, yielding, or granting to be vanquished!!. For God accuseth us, and pleadeth us guilty of sin and endangered? to punishment: which our flesh doth presently 15 acknowledge, but yet standeth stiff like a bended bow, until at length, when that stiffness is unbended, it doth acknowledge every thing that God objecteth against us. This acknowledging is called Modeh, that is, a confession. And we Germans say, Es hat
[5 Psal. cxxxvi. 1. Confitemini Domino. [6 Chap. i. 16. they confesse, Tyndale, 1534. Cranmer, 1539.] ΠΤ imo et, Lat.; nay also. ] [8 in hac sententia, Lat. omitted; in this sentence. ] [9 projicere vel dimittere, Lat. ] [10 9 to cast, cast forth, cast out. [YN confessing. Parkhurst,]
[Heb. Lex. in voe.] [11 herbam preebens, Lat. For this proverbial phrase see Erasm.]
[Adag. Chil. p. 707. col. 1. Hanov. 1617.] [12 endangered to. See Tyndale’s Doctr. Treatises, ed. Park. Soc.]
[pp. 236, 502.] [13 non protinus, Lat.; doth not presently. ]]
gelassen, Er hat geschnellt, when we mean that anything hath yielded, or that a man hath at last confessed that which he did afore either flatly deny or else dissemble.
But now confession of sins is of more sorts than one; for the one is divine, the other human. I will first speak of the «os. divine confession, then of the human.: We call that divine, whereof there be evident testimonies or examples in the holy scriptures, and which is instituted by God himself. That is a free acknowledging and flat confession of the sin which God! objecteth against us, whereby we do attribute all glory to God, and to ourselves shame and confusion; and therewithal do crave pardon of God, and of our neighbour, against whom we have sinned. Now sin is objected to us by God himself, who outwardly by the word, or the ministry of men, and sometimes by signs and wonders, and inwardly by the secret operation of his Holy Spirit, doth plead us guilty of sin and endangered to punishment, requiring of us a free and voluntary confession of our sins. For he liketh of a free and voluntary, not a feigned or extorted, confession. Truly, the citizens of Hierusalern and people of the Jewish religion did of their own accord come to the baptism of John, confessing their sins which John? in his preaching had objected against them. And after the ascension of Christ into heaven St Peter accused the sins? of the Jews; and immediately upon the accusation it followeth in the history: “When they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said to Peter and the other apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”— and so forth, as followeth in the second of the Acts. Likewise also the keeper of the prison at Philippos?, feeling the earthquake, sprang out, and being instructed with the apostles’ words confessed his sins and was baptized >. And the men of Ephesus which were given to magical arts, when they heard the calamity which the devil brought upon the sons of Sceva, their fellows and practisers in magic and sorcery, did fear exceedingly, and came and did confess their sins. Upon these causes for the most part doth the confession of sins especially arise.
[1 God, not in the original: quee objicitur nobis, Lat. ] [2 beatus Joannes, Lat.] [3 peccatum, Lat.] [+ magister carceris Philippici, Lat. Acts xvi. 26—33.] [5 and was baptized, not in Lat.]]
Again, of the confession instituted by God there are two sorts, whereof the one is made to God, the other to our neighbour. That which is made to God is either private or public. We do then make our confession to God privately, when we disburden our hearts before God, open the secrets of our hearts to him alone, and, in acknowledging the sins that are in us, do earnestly beseech him to have mercy upon us. This confession is necessary to the obtaining of pardon for our sins: for unless we do acknowledge our own corruption and unrighteousness, we shall never by true faith lay hold on Christ, by whom alone we are to be justified. But here we think not that penitents must hasten to any other confessor to confess their sins unto, but unto God alone; for he alone doth forgive and blot out the offences of penitents. He is the physician, to whom alone we must discover and open our wounds. He it is that is offended with us, and therefore of him we must desire forgiveness? and reconciliation. Ie alone doth look into our hearts and search our reins; to him alone therefore we must disclose our hearts. He alone calleth sinners unto him: let us therefore make haste unto him, prostrate ourselves before him, confess our faults unto him, and crave pardon for them of him. This confession, if it be made of a zealous mind to God-ward, although it cannot be made by word of mouth by reason of some impediment or want of the tongue, is notwithstanding acceptable to God? who doth not so much respect the mouth as the mind of man. On the other side, if we male confession with the mouth, and in heart are not thoroughly bent to the same, although we make that confession to God or the highpriest, yet doth not the Lord regard so vain a confession.
Concerning that true confession to God I have already spoken, where 8.51} in the definition of repentance I said that penitents do acknowledge their sins: of which the scripture doth in many places substantially speak. David in the Psalms
[6 of penitents, not in Lat. ] [7 pax, Lat. Bullinger here borrows largely from Calvin. Instit.]
[Lib. ir. cap. 4. 9.] [8 by reason—tongue, the translators addition. ] [9 cordium inspectore, Lat.; who looketh at the heart.—who—man,]
[is the translator’s paraphrase.] [10 in Deum intenti non simus, Lat.] [11 cum, Lat.]]
doth pray! saying: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the greatness of thy mercy. For I acknowledge my sins, and my sin is ever before me. To thee alone have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight.” And so forth. And in another Psalm: “I have made my fault known unto thee, and mine unrighteousness have I not hid. I said, I will confess mine unrighteousness unto thee? against myself? and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.” In the gospel the Lord teacheth to pray, and in prayer to confess and say: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” And, when we pray so, he biddeth us to go aside into our chamber, that our heart and the devotion of our hearts may there appear unto our heavenly Father alone. The prodigal son doth in the field, where none but swine alone were to be seen, privately both make and offer the confession of his sin unto his father. And that publican in the gospel, which is compared with the Pharisee, knocketh his breast, and with a lamentable yoice doth to himself confess and say, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Let us now also hear John, the holy apostle and evangelist, comprehending all that may be truly spoken touching this confession in this one saying: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.” With this private confession, which is made to God, is that voluntary confession always joined that is made before men. For penitents are humbled so often as the matter, the glory of Godand safeguard of our neighbour requireth, and do before men openly testify that they have sinned unto God. For so David, when Nathan the prophet told him of his sin, eried 0 oui saying: “I have sinned to the Lord.” So also Zacheus, understanding that the Lord was upbraided for receiving him?, doth openly confess his sin, and promise amendment.
[1 et confitetur, Lat.; and confess.] [2 Domino, Lat.; unto the Lord. ] (3 confitebor adversus me, Lat.; accuse myself. Coverdale, 1535;]
[and see Ainsworth in loc. ] [1 confitentesque, Lat.: and confess. ] [> Rather, Among the swine frames the confession of his sin, and]
[offers it to his father alone. Luke xv.] [0 etiam testantur, Lat.; also testify.]. [7 for receiving him, added by the translator.]]
We verily do publicly make our confession to God so as I told you a little above; but so much the rather yet, when after the hearing of the word of truth we do after that public or solemn manner, either in the church, or otherwise in some congregation or holy assembly ὃ, recite our sins committed, and cry to God for mercy and pardon of the same. Truly, of old the Lord appointed in our forefathers’ days, that, the priest going before in words premeditated for the purpose, the whole people should follow him word for word, and openly confess their sins in the temple. Whereupon undoubtedly it is at this day received in the church of the Christians, that, the pastor or doctor of the church going before in words conceived, at the end of the exposition of the scriptures!, before the assembly is dismissed, all the people should openly in the temple confess all their sins against God, and heartily desire him of his mercy to forgive them the same!!. The public confessions of sins are notably known, which were made by Daniel, Esdras, and Nehemias. And I say plainly? that that was a public confession of sins, which St Matthew in his third chapter saith that the Jews did make: for all Jewry came out to John the forerunner of the Lord, “and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” For when they did publicly receive baptism, then did they thereby declare and openly confess their sins. For baptism is the sign of the cleansing of sins: therefore they that are baptized confess that they are sinners. They that were not baptized thought
[8 or holy assembly, not in Lat.—coram hominibus, Lat. omitted;]
[before men. ] [9 See above, pages 165, 197.] [10 et paulo antequam, Lat.; and a little before. ] [11 The divines of Cologne, in the Enchiridion appended to the]
[canons of their provincial Council, 1538, having referred, as Bullinger]
[. here, to Nehemiah iv. and ix., also observe: Hine finita concione,]
[generalem et publicam confessionem ad populum pronuntiat (sacerdos)]
[ac monet, ut se pronuntiantem populus eisdem verbis prosequatur.]
[fol. 140.—In the reformed churches the general confession of the]
[minister and people was ordinarily placed at the opening of public]
[worship. Durel’s View of the Government, &c. in Reformed Churches]
[beyond the seas, p. 35. Lond. 1662. Sect. 1. 38. But see The]
[Order of the Church in Denmark, &c. Works of Bp. Coverdale, ed.]
[Park. Soc. p. 472.] [2 interpretor, Lat. ]]
themselves to be otherwise purged, and that they need! not any sanctification. The Ephesians did publicly confess their sins, when, gathering their books of witchcraft together, they burned them in the fire: for by the burning of those books they did confess, that they had committed wickedness that was to be purged with fire,
Now the confession that is made to our neighbour is of this sort: Thou hast offended thy brother? or else he perhaps hath done thee injury, for which ye are at discord, and do hate one another: in this case verily ye must think of reconciliation. Let the one therefore go to the other, and confess, and ask pardon for the fault committed; and let him that is innocent in the matter? freely forgive him that confesseth his fault, and so become his friend again. Of this confession the apostle James spake, saying: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” And our Lord and Saviour did before James teach us, say-
25. ing: “If thou offerest thy gift at the altar” (for he speaketh to those among whom at that time the sacrifices of the law were yet in use), “and dost remember there that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy ways; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou mayest come and offer thy gift.” To this also doth belong that parable, which the Lord putteth forth and expoundeth in the eighteenth chapter after St Matthew, of him that was cast into perpetual prison, because, when he had found favour at his Lord’s hand, he was over cruel upon his fellow-servant, to whom he would not forgive so much as a farthing. For in the sixth chapter after St Matthew the Lord saith: “If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, no more will your Father? forgive you your trespasses.” Not that for our forgiving of others our sins are forgiven us; for so the forgiveness of our sins should not be free, but should come by our merits and as a recompence of our deserts: but now when our sins are freely forgiven through faith, verily that unreconcileable and
[1 needed, ed. 1577.] (2 proximum, Lat.; neighbour.] [3 that is innocent in the matter, not in Lat.] Quia, Lat.; Because.] [5 pater ccelestis, Lat. Matth. vi. 14, 15.]]
hard heart is an assured argument that there is no faith in a hard, stubborn, and unappeasable man. But where there is no faith, there is no remission. Therefore voluntary forgiveness in a man towards his neighbour is not that for which we are forgiven of God our Father, but is an evident sign and natural fruit of true faith and the grace of God in us”.
To these two kinds of confession some men add that whereby they, that are oppressed in conscience with any grievous sin, doth consult or ask counsel either of the pastor of the Lord’s flock, or else of some other that is expert and skilful in the laws? of God. But that is rather to be termed a consultation than a confession; and it is in no place either commanded or forbidden, and therefore left free at every man’s choice. Wherefore no man ought to be compelled to this consultation. But if any brother do demand counsel either of the minister of the church, or of any other private brother, then charity commandeth thee to satisfy him, if so be that thou canst. Yea, if he demandeth not, and thou dost see thy brother to be in danger, charity again commandeth thee to admonish him that is so in danger, and to handle him as a brother. For Paul to the Galatians saith: “Brethren, if a man be prevented in any fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering theeself lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burden, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” But this belongeth nothing to confession; therefore we return to our purpose again.
Thus much have we hitherto said touching the confession of sins which God hath instituted. Now we will annex somewhat touching the confession of sins that men have ordained. That confession also is of two sorts: the one is publie, ritual or ceremonial, which for the most part they call Εξομολόγησις 3 the other is private or secret, and is called auricular.
I call the public confession ritual, not so much because it is the acknowledging or confession of sin, as for that it is the penitential action for the sin committed. For Isidore the bishop, Libro Etymol.! vi. cap. 18, saith: Exhomologesis is the
[6 is not that—but, the translator’s addition. ] [7 within us, ed. 1577.] [8 do, ed. 1577.] [9 law, ed. 1577. legis, Lat.] [10 Hispalen. Episcopus, Lat.: Bishop of Seville, A.D. 595. ]]
discipline of prostrating and humbling men in habit, in living, to lie in sack and ashes, to deface the body with filth, to mourn and lament with a sorrowful mind, and through sorrow to amend that wherein they sinned before.” These words of bishop Isidore I would not have recited unto you, dearly beloved, who is an author not very famous, unless I had seen the same words in a manner to be read in the book which Tertullian wrote of repentance?; and unless I had found an example thereof in Eusebius, who in the fifth book and last chapter of his Ecclesiastical History saith: Natalis the Martyr, being seduced by heretics, and at length understanding his error, riseth up in the morning, and putting on a sackcloth, sprinkling himself with ashes, and with many tears bewailing his error, casting himself prostrate at the feet of Zephyrinus the bishop and all other, not clerks only, but laymen also, with great lamentation and exceeding sorrow provoked all the congregation with earnest and continual prayers to request of Christ Jesus to pardon his offence.”
Touching the rites of repentance I will hereafter speak. Now this ritual or ceremonial repentance, as it was used among them of old, appeareth not to have been commanded of God, that whosoever at this day committeth any sin should be compelled presently to confess it openly in such [1 Exomologesis prosternendi et humiliandi hominis disciplina est Hal. Mag. 1824.] habitu, atque victu; sacco et cineri incubare; corpus sordibus obscurare; animum meeroribus dejicere; illa, que peccavit, tristi tractatione mutare.—Isidor. Opp. Etymolog. Lib. v1. cap. 19. 79. Tom. 11. p. 292. Rom. 1798.]
[2 Tertulliani Opp. de Peenit. cap. 9. Tom. 1v. p. 52. ed. Semler.
[3 Confessor quidam erat apud nos, Natalis (Narakws Gr. ed.]
[beratus,… mane consurgens, cilicio se induit, et cinere conspergit,]
[ac multis lacrymis errorem suum deflens, ante pedes se Zephyrini]
[episcopi prosternit, et vestigiis omnium, non modo clericorum, sed]
[etiam laicorum, multa cum lamentatione provolutus, in lacrymas et]
[miserationes omnem provocavit ecclesiam, ut indulgentiam sibi a]
[Christo continuis et jugibus pro ipso precibus implorarent.—FEuseb.]
[Eccles. Hist. Lib. v. cap. 28. Ruffinus’ translation, which Bullinger]
[adopts. Basil. 1539. p. 126.] peenitere, Lat. ]]
sort as they were wont to do it. Tor where is it read that such penance was enjoined to the sinful or adulterous woman that is mentioned in the gospel? Many other sinners ἃ received by Christ into the grace of God without such outward penance. For it is very well known how Christ dealt with Matthew, with Zacheus, with Peter that denied him, and with many other. Therefore we do not amiss believe that the old bishops and priests did invent that public kind of penance for discipline’s sake, and that they of their times might have less liberty to sin. Truly Hermius Sozomenus Salaminius, that notable writer of the Ecclesiastical History, in his seventh book and sixteenth chapter saith: In the beginning it pleased the priests, that as it were in a theatre, where all the congregation might bear record of the same, the sins of offenders should be openly punished.” Lo here, he saith, “It pleased the priests.” He addeth also, that there was a priest appointed, to whom they that sinned should come and confess their sins, and should hear of him the penance, to wit, what they should do, or how they should aby? for their transgression. Immediately after he describeth the manner of penance in the Romish church used. And to that again he addeth, that “in the church at Constantinople there was a priest appointed to hear penitents; which office remained still, till at the length a certain gentlewoman, which for the sins that she had confessed was enjoined by such a penitentiary to fast, and to pray to God, and thereby having occasion to be long in the church, was at last bewrayed to have played the whore with a deacon: for which cause the priests were evil spoken of. But Nectareus the bishop, devising how it were best to deal with such a grievous crime, deprived the deacon, that had done the sin, of his deaconship. And for because some persuaded them to leave it free to every one, according to his own conscience and confidence, to come to the communion of the mysteries, he did quite take away the office of that penitentiary priesthood: and ever since that time hath that counsel given to Nectareus prevailed, and doth even to this day endure.” And so forth. The same in the beginning of the chapter saith: “” Nectareus, the bishop of Constantinople, did first take out of the church the priest that was appointed
[[> non temere, Lat.] [6 Hermias.] [7 quid luendum, Lat.] [ him, ed. 1577.]]
to hear the confession of penitents, whom all the other bishops did in a manner follow.” Thus far he.
But the bishop Nectareus would not have abrogated that Ezhomologesis, (being so holy a man as indeed he was,) if he had understood that it had been instituted by God himself: neither had it been lawful for him to have abrogated it. Therefore he knew, even as Sozomen doth also confess, that by the counsel of the bishops that order of penance was usurped in the church. Neither do we read that John Chrysostom, who succeeded Nectareus, and was a very diligent and severe bishop, did ever restore that ritual penance which his predecessor had abrogated before him. For in the thirty-first homily upon St Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews he writeth: “1 bid thee not to bewray theeself openly, nor yet to accuse thyself to others; but I will have thee to obey the holy prophet, who saith, Open thy way unto the Lord. Therefore confess thy sins before God, the true and upright Judge, with prayers for the injury committed: not with thy tongue, but with the memory of thy conscience. And then at length believe that thou mayest obtain mercy, if thou hast it in thy mind continually.” And so forth. Again [1Ev τούτῳ δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν μετανοούντων τεταγμένον πρεσβύτερον οὐκέτι συνεχώρησεν εἶναι πρῶτος Νεκτάριος, 6 τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Κωνσταντι- νουπόλεως ἐπιτροπεύων” ἐπηκολούθησαν δὲ σχεδὸν οἱ πανταχοῦ ἐπίσκοποι. φορτικὸν, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἔδοξεν, ὡς ἐν θεάτρῳ ὑπὸ μάρτυρι τῷ πλήθει τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐξαγγέλλειν (The Tripartite History gives these words of Sozomen, as Bullinger alse,—but incerrectlypropterea visum est antiquis pontificibus, ut velut in theatro sub testimonio ecclesiastici populi delicta pandantur.) πρεσβύτερον δὲ τῶν ἄριστα πολιτευομένων ἐχέμυθόν Te καὶ ἔμφρονα, ἐπὶ τοῦτο τετάχασιν, ᾧ δὴ προσιόντες οἱ ἡμαρτηκότες τὰ βεβιωμένα ὡμολόγουν ὁ δὲ, πρὸς τὴν ἑκάστου ἁμαρτίαν, ὅ τι χρὴ ποιῆσαι ἢ ἐκτίσαι ἐπιτίμιον θεὶς, amélve. Τάδε μὲν ἀρχῆθεν οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἱερεῖς ἄχρι καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς φυλάττουσιν. Ἔν δὲ τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐκκλησίᾳ, &ec.—Sozomen. Hist. Eccles. Lib. vir. cap. 16, pp. 299, 300. ed. Reading. Cantab. 1720. Tom. 1. See also Works of Bp. Pilkington. ed. Parker Soc. p. 553.] i [2 Socratis Hist. Eccles. Lib. νι. cap. 2. Sozomen. Hist. Eccles. Lib. vir. cap. 2.]
[3 Bullinger has here read, delicta pro injuria, for delicta pronuncia, [ it, wanting in ed. 1587.] ’ as this passage is quoted, Lombard. Sentent. Lib. 1v. distinct. 17..]
[5 οὐ λέγω σοι, ἐκπόμπευσον σαυτὸν, οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις κατηγό-]
[ρῆσον, ἀλλὰ πείθεσθαι συμβουλεύω τῷ προφήτῃ λέγοντι, ᾿Ἀποκάλυψον πρὸς]
upon the fiftieth Psalm: “If thou art ashamed to tell thy sins to any man because thou hast sinned, yet say them daily in thine own heart: I bid thee not confess them to thy fellow, that he should upbraid thee: tell them to thy God who doth regard them. If thou tellest them not, God is not ignorant of them; for he was at hand when thou didst them.” And again in another place he saith: “I bring thee not forth into the theatre of thy companions: I compel thee not to discover thy sins unto mortal men. Rehearse thy conscience before God, and declare it unto him. Shew thy wounds unto the Lord, thy best physician, and ask of him a salve for the same?” Again: “Take heed that thou tell not a man of thy sins, lest he bewray thee and upbraid thee for them. For thou needest not to confess them to thy companion, that he should bring them abroad, but to the Lord which hath the care of thee, who also is a gentle physician: to him therefore thou shalt shew thy wounds.” Moreover he bringeth in the Lord speaking and saying: “I compel thee not to come into the open theatre, and to make many privy to thy sins: tell thy sin privately to me alone, that I may heal thy sore?” Thus much out of Chrysostom. Now all this doth manifestly argue, that that ceremonial penance (as it was once used in the church), not instituted by God,
[Κύριον τὴν ὁδόν gov. ᾿Ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα ὁμολόγησον, ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαστοῦ]
[ὁμολόγει τα ἁμαρτήματα, εὐχόμενος, εἰ καὶ μὴ τῇ γλώττῃ, ἀλλὰ τῇ μνήμῃ,]
[καὶ οὕτως ἀξίου ἐλεηθῆναι. “Av ἔχῃς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα διηνεκῶς ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ,]
[&c.—Chrysost. Hom. xxxr1. in Ep. ad Hebr. cap. 12. Tom. x11. pp.]
[289 290. Par. 1718—38.] [6 Ἀλλ αἰσχύνῃ εἰπεῖν διότι ἥμαρτες; λέγε αὐτὰ kal ἡμέραν ἐν τῇ]
[εὐχῇ σου. Καὶ τί; μὴ γὰρ λέγω εἰπὲ τῷ συνδούλῳ τῷ ὀνειδίζοντί σε]
[εἰπὲ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ θεραπεύοντι αὐτά” οὐ γὰρ, ἐὰν μὴ εἴπῃς, ἀγνοεῖ αὐτὰ ὁ]
[Θεός. Μὴ yap παρὰ σοῦ βούλεται αὐτὰ μαθεῖν; ὅτε ἔπραττες αὐτὰ, παρῆν.]
[—Id. Hom. in Psal. τ,. Tom. v. p. 589. But this treatise is spurious. ] [7 Οὐδὲ yap εἰς θέατρόν σε ἄγω τῶν συνδούλων τῶν σῶν οὐδὲ ékka-]
[λύψαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀναγκάζω τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Τὸ συνειδὸς ἀνάπτυξον]
[ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ αὐτῷ δεῖξον τὰ τραύματα, καὶ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὰ φάρ-]
[μακα airnoov.—Id. de Incomprehens. Dei Nat. Hom. v. Tom. 1. p. 490.] [8 Μὴ yap ἀνθρώπῳ λέγεις, ἵνα ὀνειδίσῃ oe; μὴ yap συνδούλῳ ὁμολο-]
[γεῖς, ἵνα ἐκπομπεύσῃ; τῷ δεσπότῃ, τῷ κηδεμόνι, τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ, τῷ ἰατρῷ]
[τὸ τραῦμα émdekvves.—Chrysost. Cone. de Lazaro. 1v. Tom. 1. p. 757.) [9 Οὐκ avaykilw, φησὶν, els μέσον ἐλθεῖν σε θέατρον, καὶ μάρτυρας]
[περιστῆσαι πολλούς ἐμοὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα εἰπὲ μόνῳ κατ᾽ ἰδίαν, ἵνα θεραπεύσω]
[τὸ ἕλκος.---ΤΌ]4, p. 758. See also Calvin. Instit. Lib. ur. cap. 4. 8.]]
was without any injury taken out of the church, and not! restored again by the bishops that succeeded. They do not altogether in vain tell us that some relics of that ritual repentance abided still in the Roman church. But what have we to do what every church hath taken to itself, either to keep or else to lay away? We rather ought to inquire, what Christ hath delivered unto us, and what his apostles have taught us; of whose doctrine I have, I think, spoken enough already.
The private or secret confession of sins was wont to be confession. made when none were by but the priests alone. For one goeth secretly, and whispereth his sins in the ear of the priest that was appointed to hear those secret confessions; and, being by him absolved, doth think that by the recital of a few ordinary words he is purged from all his sins: and therefore I call it auricular confession. This was unknown in the apostles’ times; and although it be now a good sort of years ago since it first took root, yet notwithstanding it was free from the beginning. At last we read that it was commanded and roughly extorted by the bishop of Rome, when the state of the church was most corrupted, about the year of grace 1215. And yet it was about eighty years or more in controversy, before it was by decree laid upon all men’s necks, “whether it were enough for a man to confess himself to God alone, or else to a priest also, for the purging of his sins?” Hugo in his book of the church’s power to bind and loose doth say: “1 dare boldly say, if before the priest’s absolution any man do come to the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, that he doth assuredly eat and drink his own damnation, although he repent him never so much, and doth never so greatly lament his offences” This did Hugo say boldly without his warrant,
[[! neque mox, Lat.] [? Credimus hanc confessionem—nunquam penitus abolitam fuisse,]
[non solum in Romana, sed ne in Greeca quidam ecclesia.—Enchirid.]
[Colon. fol. 145.] [3 Audacter dico, si ante sacerdotis absolutionem ad communionem]
[corporis et sanguinis Christi accesserit, judicium sibi pro certo man-]
[ducat et bibit, etsi eum peccasse jam multum peeniteat, et vehementer]
[doleat et ingemiscat.—Ricardi Sancti Victor. Scoti Opp. Colon. Agrip.]
[1621. Tract. de Potest. Ligandi et Solvendi. cap. Xx1. p. 519. par. I.—]
[He died abbot of St Victor, A.p. 1173. Gall. Christ. Tom. vir. p. 669.]
unless the word of God doth instruct us falsely. He lived about the year of our Lord 1130. Within a little while after him upstarted Peter Lombard, commonly called the Master of Sentences, because he gathered together the sentences of the fathers, and laid forth their doctrine as it were in a summary: of whose work I mean not here to tell my judgment what I think. It is thought that he flourished about the year of Christ 11504. He, Sententiarwm, Lib. 1v. Dist. 17, and 18, doth by the authority of the fathers shew, first, that it sufficeth to make the confession of sins to God alone: then he annexeth other sentences which teach the contrary; and lastly concludeth of himself and saith: “By these it is undoubtedly proved, that we must offer our confession first to God, then to the priest, and that otherwise we cannot enter into paradise, if we may (have a priest).” Again: “It is certified that it is not sufficient to confess to God without a priest; neither is he truly humble and penitent, that doth not desire the judgment of a priest” Gratian, that gathered the decretals together, was somewhat honester than Peter Lombard, who lived and flourished at the same time with Lombard. He determineth nothing definitively; but shewing sentences for either side, both that we must confess our sins to the priest and not confess them, doth leave it indifferently unto the reader’s judgment. For thus he conclideth: Upon Watt’s Biblioth. Brit. Mosheim, Eccles. Hist. Vol. τ. p. 439. ed. Soames, note 7.—Hugo of St Victor, whom Bullinger names by mistake, was born Α.Ὁ. 1096, and died 1140. Mosheim, ibid. note 6.]
[+ He died bishop of Paris, A.D. 1164. Mosheim, Eccles. Hist. Book IL cent. 12, part Ir. chap. 2. ὁ 23. ed. Soames. Vol. 11. p. 440, note 2.) [5 The title of Sentent. Lib. 1v. distinct. 17 c. is, Si sufficit soli Deo confiteri; and there Lombard says, Quibusdam visum est sufficere, si soli Deo fiat confessio sine judicio sacerdotali et confessione ecclesize:. p- 340. But the title of the following section is, Quod non sufficit soli Deo confiteri, si tempus adsit, si tamen homini possit; and then Lombard concludes in the words quoted by Bullinger: Ex his aliisque pluribus indubitanter ostenditur, oportere Deo primum, et deinde sacerdoti offerri confessionem, nec aliter posse perveniri ad ingressum paradisi, si adsit facultas; p. 341: and in the next section, E. p. 342, Certificatum est, quod non sufficit confiteri Deo sine sacerdote: nec est vere humilis et peenitens, si non desiderat et requirit sacerdotis judicium.]
[ὁ He completed his Decretum about A.p. 1151. Mosheim, Eccles, Hist. Vol. τι. p. 411, note 2.]
what authority and reasons both the opinions of confession and satisfaction are grounded, we have briefly here declared. But to which of these we ought rather to stick, that is reserved for the reader to choose; for both parts have wise and religious men to their fautors and defenders’.” Thus saith Gratian about the end of the first distinction of penance. made, About fifty years after followed Lotharius LevitaZ% a con- doctor of Paris, the scholar? and earnest follower of Peter Lombard. He, being once made bishop of Rome and named Innocent the Third, called together at Rome a general council called Lateranenset, in which he made a law, which Gregory the Ninth reciteth in his decretal of penance and remission, Lib v. chap. 12, almost in these very words: Let every person of either sex, after they are come to the years of discretion, faithfully confess alone, at least once in a year, their sins unto their own proper priest, and do their endeavour with their own strength to do the penance that is enjoined them; receiving reverently at Easter at the least the sacrament of the Eucharist, unless peradventure by the counsel of their own priest, for some reasonable cause, they think it good for a time to abstain from receiving it. Otherwise in this life let them be prohibited to enter into the church; and when they are dead, to be buried in christian burial.”
This is that new law which containeth many absurd and
[1 Quibus auctoritatibus vel quibus rationum firmamentis utraque]
[sententia confessionis et satisfactionis innitatur, in medium breviter]
[exposuimus. Cui autem harum potius adhzerendum sit, lectoris judicio]
[reservatur. Utraque enim fautores habet sapientes et religiosos viros.]
[—Gratian. Decret. pars 11. caus. 33. quest. 3. de Pcenitent. dist. 1.]
[cap. 89. ad fin.] [2 Lothaire Conti, born in A.D. 1160 or 1161, studied in the uni-]
[versity of Paris, and was elected pope A.p. 1198. Mosheim, Vol. 11.]
[p- 508, note 7. Lotharius Levita, or the Deacon, was the name under]
[which he wrote before he became pope. Centur. Magd. cent. XiI.]
[Watt’s Biblioth. Brit. ] [3 the scholar, not in Lat.] [+ The Fourth Lateran, called by the Romanists the Twelfth]
[General Council, was held A.D». 1215. Mosheim, Eccles. Hist. Book 111.]
[cent. 13. part 2. chap. 3. ὁ 2. Vol. 1. p. 559. n.- 2.] [5 This erroris corrected in the London reprint by H. Midleton. P.] [6 Omnis utriusque sexus fidelis, postquam ad annos discretionis]
[pervenerit, omnia sua solus peccata confiteatur fideliter saltem semel]
wicked blasphemies. And, to let pass very many of their absurdities, I will recite unto you not past one or twain of the foulest of them. Is it not a wicked thing, to send a sinner to I wot not what kind of priest of his own, when Christ hath given but ministers and preachers to his church only, being still himself the universal priest, and proper priest to every one in the church, even until the end of the world; to whom alone all the faithful ministers do send sinners from themselves for to confess their sins to him? For John said: “I am not Christ, but am sent before him to bear record of him.” What may be said to this moreover, that it is a detestable blasphemy to attribute the remission of sins to our own confession and the priest’s absolution, as to the works of mortal men? And who, I pray you, is able to reckon up all his sins unto the priest? Doth not Jeremy cry, “The heart of man is evil and unsearchable?” Doth not David say, “Who knoweth his sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.” It is unpossible for a man to confess all his sins. While therefore a man, compelled by the law, doth consider these reasons and ponder them in himself, he cannot choose but must needs be drowned in the bottomless depth of desperation: so great a burden is laid upon the free necks of Christ his faithful people, as a thing so necessary that without it they cannot obtain eternal salvation, directly contrary to the apostles’ decree that is to be seen in the fifteenth of the Acts. And lastly, what, I pray you, is a sinner able to do of his own strength? What power, I pray you, have we silly wretches” of ourselves to do good? But it grieveth me, and I am ashamed of these men’s. ὃ ἣ. impudency, to see that they will have this their auricular confession to be instituted of God, and that they go about to uphold and confirm it by the scriptures; guilefully wresting
[in anno proprio sacerdoti; et injunctam sibi peenitentiam studeat pro]
[viribus adimplere: suscipiens reverenter ad minus in Pascha eucha-]
[ristiee sacramentum; nisi forte de consilio proprii sacerdotis, ob]
[aliquam rationabilem causam, ad tempus ab ejus perceptione duxerit]
[abstinendum: alioquin, et vivens ab ingressu ecclesize arceatur, et]
[moriens christiana careat sepultura.—Concil. Lateran. 1v. in Concil.]
[stud. Labb. et Coss. Tom. x1. par. 1. coll. 172, 3. Lutet. Par. 1671.]
[See also Decret. Gregor. 1x. Lib. v. tit. 38. fol. 314. col. 4. Lugd.]
[1510.) [7 silly (weak) wretches, not in Lat. ] [ proferunt, Lat.; guilefully wresting, the translator’s paraphrase.]]
that place in the gospel where the Lord saith to the leper, Matt. viii. Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest.” Now they do not impudently wrest this place alone, contrary to the true sense; but do also corrupt all the other testimonies of holy scriptures which they are wont to cite. Among all the rest I will tell you of this one. Bonaventura, in his Commentaries, Ad Sententias Magistri, Lib. 1v. Dist. xvii. Quest. 3, imagineth two things to be in confession: the one formal, to wit, absolution, or the power to heal; and this he saith was instituted by the Lord at the giving of the keys: the other is material, to wit, the disclosing of the sin; and this he saith that the Lord himself did not institute, but only insinuate. For immediately after he addeth these words: And therefore confession was insinuated by the Lord, instituted by the apostles, and openly proclaimed by James the bishop of Hierusalem. For as he proclaimed the decree of not keeping the ceremonial laws, Acts xv.; so also he published and laid upon all them that sin the necessity of confession, saying, Confess your sins one to another.” Thus much hath Bonaventura!. But who will not wonder at the blindness of that age? This writer acknowledgeth that auricular confession was not instituted by the Lord, but obscurely? and as it were by conjectures of the consequents; that the apostles expounded the mind of Christ and instituted it; and that St James in the name of all the apostles did by a decree openly proclaim it. He addeth, that the words of the proclamation were, “Confess your sins one to another.” Now what is it else to wrest the scriptures, if this be not to wrest them? Even he that is the blindest doth easily see, that these cham-
[(! Dicendum quod duo sunt in confessione: unum formale et com-]
[pletivum; et hoc est absolutio, sive potestas absolvendi vel medicandi:;]
[et hance Dominus instituit, qui potestatem clavinm concessit; et penes]
[hos residet virtus. Aliud autem est materiale; et hoc est detectio pec-]
[Et ideo confessio fuit a Domino insinuata, ab apostolis instituta, ab]
[episcopo Hierosolymitano, scilicet Jacobo, promulgata: sicut enim]
[sententia de non servandis legalibus promulgata (Actor. xv.) fuit, sic]
[et confessio omnibus peccantibus indicta et imposita fuit, Confitemini]
[alterutrum peccata vestra.—Bonavent. Opp. Sent. Lib. 1v. dist. 17.]
[quest. 1. par. 2. art. 1. quest. 3. Tom. v. p. 224. Mogunt. 1609.] [2 implicite, Lat.] [3 ex quadam consequentia, Lat. ]]
pions arc unweaponed in this same combat’, bringing forth a spear made of a wrapt-up wisp of hay? which they shake and keep a coil with as if it were the lance-staff of Hector or Achilles. It is most evident that the apostle speaketh not of secret and auricular confession, but of that confession which by a certain reciprocation is made of them that have mutually offended one another; and now again, freely confessing theirselves one to another, are mutually reconciled, and pray one for another again: of which I have said somewhat already a little before. They do not see that in the apostle’s words there are two things, which being diligently considered do make them mere mocking-stocks to them that perceive them. For first the apostle in that place useth this word ἀλλήλους, which signifieth mutually, one another, one for one, and as it were reciprocally. Thereupon we infer thus: If according to the apostle’s precept we must confess ourselves one to another, and that ἀλλήλους doth signify mutually or reciprocally, that is, that we must confess ourselves by turns, as it were first I to him and then he to me, as it signifieth so in very deed; then must it needs be, that after the laymen have confessed themselves to the priests, the priests should again confess themselves unto the laymen; for that is to make confession one to another: for we say, φιλοῦσιν ἀλλήλους, that is, they love one another mutually, he him and he him again. But if this trouble the priests’, to have their confessions heard of laymen; let them then acknowledge that this place of the apostle doth make nothing for their secret and auricular confession, which they have devised for their own commodity. Then the apostle addeth: “And pray ye one for another, that ye may be healed.” He doth therefore associate, and as it were join under one yoke, both confession and prayer. And upon that. we do again gather, If we must confess to none but priests, then must we pray for none but priests. But we must not pray for priests alone; ergo, we must not confess to priests
[4 inermes in hac palestra, Lat.] [5 telum hujusmodi, non fraxineum, sed prorsus betaceum: made]
[of beet. ] [6 coil: noise, tumult, difficulty. Nares’ Gloss. ] [7 presbyteris, Lat.] [8 to have—laymen, the translator’s addition.) [9 This argument is also Calvin’s, Instit. Lib. 11. cap. 4. ὁ 6.]]
alone, but every one one to another. The same place of St James must not be understood of secret and auricular confession, but of that open or public confession by which they return into charity again by the mutual confession of their faults, which had before offended each other with mutual injuries; and, being now again reconciled, do pray one for another that they may be saved. We do therefore leave this for an undoubted truth, that the disputers for auricular confession neither have proved, nor can prove, that it was instituted and ordained of God.
But when they see that this their confession will to wrack!, they go about with weak props, God wot? to stay it up, and say that that confession is to be retained still in the church, if it were for nothing else but for discipline’s sake, to make men blush when their sins come to light; which is a cause many times that men do sin the seldomer. And also they say, that it is to be retained for private absolution and peculiar or singular consolation of the godly. But if auricular confession be so needful and profitable for the church as they will seem to have it, how chanced it that the church for the space of a thousand years after the apostles’ times was utterly without it? It is marvel then that the apostles did in no place either use it or command it. And again, it is manifest that the times which were before the coming of Christ did not once so much as dream of this confession: neither did the apostles leave the church of God destitute of anything necessary unto salvation. Now what discipline this auricular confession, planted in the church of God, is, the abominable deeds and wicked acts that ensued it do plainly declare. For both he that doth confess, and he that heard the confession, learned horrible wickedness even by the examination and beating out the circumstances of sins committed. By that means there were given and taken causes and occasions of whoredoms and adulteries. Under the pretence of those confessions the chastity of matrons and virgins hath been assaulted, and also corrupted, oftener times and more sundry ways than? is decent to be named. Those confessors fished
[1 wrack: ruin, destruction. Johnson.] [2 quibusdam, Lat.; God wot, the translator’s phrase.] [3 amplius mille, Lat.; more than a thousand. ] [ quam prosit aut, Lat.; than it is expedient or.]]
out the secrets of every man’s conscience: which thing availed greatly to the establishing of their tyranny. By those confessions the confessors could cunningly spoil and rob their shrift-children, as they called them, of their goods and substance; because they knew what riches every one had, and how he came by them. And when the peers of every common-wealth knew that the priests were privy to their faults, they could not choose but fear the priests: and so it came to pass, that they did not so strongly as they might set themselves against the extreme corruption and lust of the priests, that was otherwise not to be suffered. They have been heard to say: “1 have learned by confessions, and know at my fingers’ ends, what kind of men, of women, and of maidens are in this city. I know how to handle every one according to his disposition. They do all fear and stand in awe of me, because they know that I am privy to their most secret deeds and thoughts of their minds.” The secrets told in confession are many times foolishly babbled abroad with the peril of the silly soul that first confessed them. By the means of confessions no small and many treasons are hatched up and put in practice. And surely it is a goodly matter, when we for the fear or carnal blushing that we have by the means of one man (I mean, as some term him, of our ghostly father) we shall cease to sin, rather than for the sincere fear that we have of God; when as in deed we do not blush at all to think that he? shall be a witness against our conscience, nor yet do fear the severity of his judgment that shall lighten upon us. What may be said to this moreover, that by this auricular confession, once established in the church, nothing else is wrought, but that the word of God should be the less regarded through our traditions, and we made the slacker to confess our sins to him, to whom of right we ought for to confess them? For so often as we remember our sins, we do earnestly? put them off again until the time of confession come: and when it is come, then who, I pray you, goeth to it with a cheerful mind? Let wise men therefore judge what kind of discipline this is, and how well it pleaseth God.
[5 in populo Dei, Lat. omitted; in the people of God.]
[6 confessoris inquam, Lat.] [7 Deum, Lat.]
[8 to whom—them, the translator’s addition. ]
[9 securi, Lat.; carelessly, 1577.]
[10 Cf. Works of Bp. Pilkington, Parker Soc. ed. p. 554. Remains
That which they allege of private absolution is a mere device of man’s invention, which hath not in the sacred scriptures any precept or example to back itself withal. For in very deed none doth absolve us men from sin, blame, and punishment!, but God alone, to whom alone that glory doth belong. The minister, by the preaching and consolation of the gospel, doth pronounce and testify that to the faithful their sins are forgiven. Therefore this preaching of forgiveness, being fetched from out of the mouth or word of God, is the absolution wherewith the minister absolveth. Neither is that absolution made any whit the more effectual, if the minister do privately whisper it into the sinner’s ear. The public preaching of the gospel, as it is instituted by Christ our Lord, doth satisfy a faithful mind, which doth not so much respect the demeanour of the minister, as he regardeth the truth of him in whose name the minister doth it. But if a sinner, say they, do hear privately said unto him, “I absolve thee from thy sins,” and that by the virtue of the keys; he doth far better understand that his sins are remitted than when forgiveness of sins is generally preached and publicly pronounced. But we do in this case set against them the apostle’s example; whom when the men of Jerusalem had heard to preach, they 57 Were pricked in heart, and said: ‘ Men and brethren, what shall we do? To whom Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Christ Jesus unto the remission of your sins, &c. And there were added to the church that same day about three thousand souls.” Now who understandeth not, that? upon so great a multitude baptism was at once bestowed, and the remission of sins universally preached unto them all; and not that every one had this saying or the like whispered severally into his ear, Brother, thy sins are forgiven thee?’ And verily a godlyminded man may learn true faith in Jesus Christ (through which his sins are forgiven him) as well by the public preaching of the gospel, as by the private whisperings of privy penitentiaries and absolving confessors: namely? since that
[of Bp. Latimer, Vol. 11. p. 179. Foxe, Monuments, Vol. 51. p. 205;]
[v. p. 191. Lond. 1838.] [1 a pena et culpa, Lat.] [2 simul, Lat. omitted; at one and the same time. ] [8 prasertim, Lat. ]]
public preaching doth contain the commandments of God, when as those whisperings do nothing so; and finally, since that the public preaching of the gospel doth apply to every one the grace of God, and that the sacraments do testify the remission of sins and the heavenly gifts prepared for all them that do believe in Jesus Christ. And yet I say not this because I think it amiss, when occasion serveth so to do, if the minister do preach privately to one or two the gospel of our Lord, or else in the words of Christ do promise remission of sins to him that believeth: but I do here dispute against them which do suppose that public and general preaching, as it was used of the apostles, declaring to all and every man the remission of sins, is not sufficient, except the sinner, going to the priest, do confess his sins, and privately ask and receive private or peculiar absolution of him for the same. For they think that, for that private absolution’s sake, this private or auricular confession must be retained in the church.
But we will not, say they, that all and every peculiar sin with the circumstances thereof should be reckoned up or rehearsed. What of that then? Who, I pray you, commanded us to whisper any sins at all into the priest’s ear? The primitive church was wont to confess to the priests, neither few nor many, nor any sins at all. Bonaventura recorded that before pope Innocent the Third they were not counted heretics which affirmed, that confession made to God alone, without any priest, is sufficient to them that do faithfully believe; but after the decree which he published, touching confession to be made of every man unto his own priest, they were judged heretics that taught men to be confessed to God only”: as though it lay in pope Innocent to make a new article of faith, which the church was without by more than the space of twelve hundred years after Christ. Therefore if all they that lived before Innocent were without
[6 habeat preeceptum, Lat.] [5 Rather, testify that remission of sins and heavenly gifts are]
[theirs who do, &c.] [6 fidelibus, Lat. omitted; that believe. every several man, ed. 1577.] [7 Dicendum quod si quis esset modo hujus opinionis (i. 6. quod]
[sufficiat si soli Deo fiat confessio), esset heereticus judicandus, quoniam]
[in concilio generali hoc determinatum est sub Innocentio III. Sed]
[ante hanc determinationem hoc non erat hezeresis.—Bon.vent. Opp.]
[Sentent. Lib. 1v. par. 2. dub. 1. Tom. v. p. 220. Mogunt, 1609.]]
[1 and merits, not in Lat.] [? odd knacks, translator’s phrase. ] [3 See Vol. τ. p. 108, note 6. Lombard. Sent. Lib. 1v. distinct. 10.]
[cap. 10.]]
ledge that there is a difference, and do not confound them) justification and satisfaction come both to one end. By the justification of Christ we are absolved: by the satisfaction of Christ, or rather for his satisfaction’s sake, we are also absolved. Christ is our righteousness, and therefore also our satisfaction. The price of our redemption is in Christ, not in ourselves. If we make satisfaction for ourselves, then is the price of our redemption in ourselves. And therefore are we both Christs and Saviours unto ourselves: which thing doth flatly make Christ of none effect, and therefore is it extreme blasphemy. Moses in his law doth with little business or none dissolve all the arguments for satisfaction wrought by our works. For where he describeth the manner of cleansing sins, he placeth no jot thereof in the works of men, but sheweth that it all consisteth in the ceremonial sacrifices. Now we do all agree and jointly confess, that in those sacrifices the only sacrifice of Christ was plainly prefigured. And to that is added, that that only preaching and promise of the new testament is this: “1 will be appeased upon their unrighteousness and sins, and will no more remember their iniquities.” Now where such a remission is, there is no oblation or satisfaction for sin. And we in the creed verily do believe the forgiveness of sins, But if the debtor make satisfaction to the creditor, then what, I pray you, doth the creditor forgive him? Therefore this article of our faith, the principal promise and preaching of the new testament, is utterly subverted, if we admit the doctrine of the satisfaction of our works for sin. We do acknowledge that tears, fastings, wearing of sackcloth, alms-deeds, and the other works of piety, humiliation,.. «1, and charity, have a place? in repentance; of which I will speak in place convenient: but we deny that with them we make satisfaction for our sins, lest we should make the price of Christ his redemption of none effect. We acknowledge that at some times the Lord hath whipped them whose sins he hath forgiven, as he did to our parents Adam and Evah, and to king David after his adultery and murder of Urias. But I have already shewed” you that those afflictions were not satisfactions
[1 suum locum, Lat.; their own place.] [> modis omnibus, Lat. omitted; by all means. ] [6 sumpsisse supplicium vel peenam, Lat. [7 See Vol. 11. p. 430.]]
for the sins which God had pardoned, but exercises of God’s discipline and humiliation; which doth by those means keep his servants in their dutiful obedience, and doth declare to all men how heartily he hateth sins, although he doth freely forgive and pardon them. Therefore lest we, because of that free forgiveness, should be the more inclined and prone to sin, he punisheth them whom he maketh to be examples for us to take heed by.
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