Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 40
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING REPENTANCE. XL.
1 SEeing the wickednes of mans nature is ſuch, that not onlie no man can performe the Law of God, but not ſo much as perfectlie fulfil the leaſt part therof; and therefore, no man in this corrupt fleſh can liue without ſinne; it will not bee amiſſe, now that wee hauehave done with the opening of the lawe, to ſet downe the treatiſe concerning Repentance: For euen as by the diligent reading ouer of a thing, the faultes eſcaped in writing, are oft corrected; ſo the ſinnes of our life are amended by repentance.
2 Repentance therefore, which the Hebrues call TSHVVAH from turning againe, and the Greekes foreign from the changing of the mind, may be thus aptlie defined.
3 Repentaunce is the true conuerſion of our life vntounto God, proceeding from the true and ſound feare of GOD, whereby, the ſinner leauing the follie of ſinne, commeth home againe, & changeth the former purpoſe of his mind into a better.
4 Two things are diligentlie to be noted in this definition; the one (where we ſpeak of the conuerſion vntounto God) that there is required a renuing, not onelyonly in our workes, but alſo in the very ſoule it ſelfe, which then dooth caſt off the old man, when as, it bringeth forth the fruits of works that are anſwerable vntounto the renuing thereof.
Therefore, the prepoſterous endeuours of hypocrites are to be reprehended, who externallie make a ſhewe of outward repentaunce, when as in the meane time, they neuer go about to vntie the bundles of iniquitie, which they hauehave within them.
5 The other, in that wee teach, that it ought to ariſe from the true feare of God: For the ſoule of a ſinner muſt be touched with the ſenſe of Gods judgement, before ſuch time as it can be drawen to repentance; For ſuch is the obſtinacie of our fleſh, that vnleſſe it be bruiſed with threats, as with a hammer, the ſlouthfullnes thereof will neuer bee amended.
6 Now of Repentance there are two parts; Mortification of the olde man, and the quickning of the Spirite.
7 Mortification of the olde man, is the abolliſhing of our naturall corruption, which is doone by the Spirite of God, and is by little and little, perfected by the ſame.
8 The quickning of the Spirite, or the gift of the newe man, we define to be that power, which by little and litle, comming into the place of the abolliſhing of our naturall corruption, (as the day ſucceedeth the driuing away of the darkenes) maketh that after we hauehave knowen and allowed the will of God, wee beginne to do and to will, that which is good.
The Papiſticall diuiſion of Repentance, into contrition of the heart, confesſion of the mouth, and ſatisfaction of the deed wee allow, if it bee rightly expounded: but we refuſe the ſame, as altogeather falſe and vngodlie in that ſenſe that they bring and vnderſtand it.
9 For they doe vnderſtand nothing els by the contrition of the heart, then that biting, wherehy, ſinne doth gnawe the conſcience, either when it ſtandeth in the feare of the judgement, of GOD, or of mans, that hangeth ouer it, or when it ſuffereth the puniſhment impoſed by men.
10 But we call that a contrite heart, whereby the conſcience is marueilouſlie greeued indeed, and that not with out the biting of ſinne, but properlie by the inſpiration of the holie Ghoſt; not ſo much for feare of puniſhment, as becauſe a man hath offended his GOD, and by reaſon of the hatred of ſinne; the which heauines, the Apoſtle, that he might diſtinguiſhe it from the other, which begetteth deſperation, calleth ſorrowe or heauineſſe according vntounto God.
11 Againe, moſt foule, and moſt contumelious againſt the grace of God, is that other errour of theirs, whereby, they make that biting of ſinne, which is altogeather deadlie, vnleſſe it be healed by the grace of God, to bee a part of that puniſhment, which ſhould be paid as a recompence for ſinne.
12 So alſo wee acknowledge, that the Scripture dooth make mention of a double confesſion: The one, which is done either vntounto God alone, & that either priuatly by one man, or publickly by the whole Church: or that which is done vntounto God and the Church, by thoſe who hauehave offended the Church by ſome publicke ſcandall or offence: the other which is doone vntounto our neighbour, beeing hurt by ſome priuat injurie.
13 Now, this latter confesſion hauehave the Papiſts, contrary vntounto the whole lawe of God, turned vntounto an auricular confesſion: ſetting downe a lawe, whereby with vnſpeakeable tyranny they hauehave bounde miſerable conſciences to recken vppe their ſinnes both all and ſome that they hauehave committed, in the eare of the ſacrificing Prieſt.
14 The puniſhments alſo called foreign of the Grecians being ordained not for everie one, but for thoſe onelyonly who ſinne with the publick offence of the church, and who hauehave their cauſe made known before the Presbyterie, not that anie ſatisfaction ſhoulde thereby be made vntounto God, as though the penaltie were ſatisfied, but to the end that the pride of the ſinner being beaten downe, the Church might hauehave a ſure teſtimonie of his repentance (thoſe puniſhments wee ſay) hauehave the ſaide Papiſts changed, with manifeſt impietie into certaine formes of penalties, that partlie are full of ſuperſtition, and partlie altogether blaſphemous: which alſo they teache to bee ſuch a ſatisfaction of the penalty in the preſence of God, as deſerueth remisſion of ſinnes.
15 VntoUnto this moſt foule deluſion, they joyne an other twofolde error, to wit, purgatorie, and indulgences wheras indulgence was nothing els at the firſt, but ſome mitigation of the ſeueritie of the Canons, whereby vponupon good grounds, ſome fauour was ſhewed vntounto thoſe that had offended, leaſt they ſhould hauehave bin ſwallowed vp with over much heauines.
Wee deteſt therefore that whole fable of purgatory, as being an execrable impietie, and meere contrarie vntounto our free reconciliation by Chriſt.
16 The lawe is properlie the object of repentance, as the promiſes of the Goſpell are of fayth.
Therfore to ſpeake properlie, Faith is the mother, and not a parte of repentance.
17 Yet if by repentance wee will vnderſtand the whole change of man vntounto better, we acknowledge, that fayth is a principall parte thereof, whereby a man is changed from beeing an vnbeleeuer, to be a beleeuer.
18 Nowe we rightly gather by the former things, that repentance is a meere gift of God, and that it is ridiculouſlie ſaid, to ariſe from our naturall free-will; ſeeing by nature we are ſeruants vntounto ſinne.
19 And ſeeing that the fleſh doth in ſome ſort remaine in vsus, two things doe followe thence; firſt, that continuall Repentance is required of vsus, as long as we are in this life: Secondly, that Repentaunce is acceptable vntounto God, not by any merrite thereof, but onelie by his meere free merciemercy.
20 We condemne the Nouatians, who deny repentance vntounto them that are once fallen.
21 And the Annabaptiſts, who dreame, that they hauehave attained vntounto a perfect degree of righteouſnes in this life.
22 And that ouer great ſeueritie of the Cannons, who did exclude the Miniſters of the Church, after they had once made publicke repentance, from al hope of being receaued againe.
Defended by DANIEL DOOLEGIANVS a Low-countrey man.