Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. What the iudgement of Papiſts is of Repentance.
IT followeth now that we conſider what the Papiſts do thinke of their Penance: for they reiect the very name of Repentance T: heir errours are manie which they hold, we will take view of ſome few of them, & briefly confute them: firſt, they ſay, that Repentance is a Sacrament. But A Sacrament.I aske, if it be a Sacrament, what ſenſible ſigne hath it? They anſwer, that the ſigne is partly the act of ye penitent perſon; & partly the words of the Prieſt, whereby the penitent is abſolued. But I anſwer, in a ſacrament there muſt be not only an audible ſigne, but alſo a viſible: there muſt be alſo a certaine element, and not a ceremonie onelyonly: as in Baptiſme, and the Supper of the Lord. Beſides the ceremonies and rites, there are elements, water, bread, and wine. Concerning this errour this ſhall ſuffice.
Secondly, they affirme that the vſe of Repentance is this, to aboliſh mortall ſinne committed after Baptiſme, 2. Errour.and to make him, who of a friend, through ſinne, was become Gods enemie, the friend of God againe, that is, a iuſt man. To this I anſwer. To the reſtoring and repairing of man, who hath ſinned after Baptiſme, we hauehave no need of any other Sacrament then Baptiſme, the force and vertue whereof is perpetuall, and effectuall throughout the whole life of man, for the waſhing away of ſinne to regenerate men: for it is falſe that in Baptiſme theſe ſinnes onelyonly are waſhed away, which were committed before Baptiſme; ſeeing Baptiſme reacheth to the whole life of Baptiſme effectuall to the regenerate all his life.man, and the remembrance thereof is effectuall for the remiſſion of ſinnes, and our regeneration, euen then, when a man giues vp the Ghoſt, and departs this life.
Thirdly, they ſay that the Repentance which was in the old Teſtament, and before the reſurrection of Chriſt, 3. Errour.is not the ſame with the repentance which followed the reſurrection of Chriſt; for that was no Sacrament, but this is: I anſwer, that the doctrine of Repentance, and of our conuerſion to God, is one and the ſelfe ſame; which all the Prophets, Iohn Baptiſt, Chriſt before and after his incarnation, and the holy Apoſtles hauehave preached.
Fourthly, they ſay that the principall efficient cauſe of Repentance is free-will, and the ſtrength of nature ſtirred 4. Errour.vp by a preuenting grace, and that grace is but onelyonly our helper, working together with nature or free-will.
I anſwer, that it is cleane contrarie: for the Spirit, or grace of God is the principall efficient cauſe of Repentance, but the inſtrument are the faculties and powers of the mind, not ſuch as they are by nature, but as they are ſanctified by the Spirit: which may appeare euen by this teſtimonie, Ier. 31. Conuert me, O Lord, & I ſhall be conuerted: where the principall efficiencie, & cauſe of the work is giuen to the Lord himſelfe, and to his grace. But of vsus, it may well be ſaid, that we become actiue in repentance, being acted and moued by the holy Ghoſt.
Fiftly, they diuide Penance eſſentially into the act of the Penitent, as the matter; and abſolution of the Prieſt, 5. Errour.as the formall cauſe: I anſwer, that there is no neceſſitie why repentance ſhould be ſo parted betweene the penitent or confeſſing ſinner, and the Prieſt abſoluing. For the ſinner who doth repent him of his ſinne, may priuately confeſſe vntounto God, and of him alſo bee abſolued, without any conceiued or ſet forme of abſolution by the Prieſt. We repent daily, and yet there is no need that the matter ſhould be dayly ſo perfourmed by the ſinner repenting, and the Prieſt or miniſter abſoluing. Wherefore repentance is not to be reſtrained to this forme and dialogue, or communication, which muſt paſſe (as they ſay) betweene the ſinner repenting, and the Prieſt abſoluing.
Sixtly, they diuide Penance materially into Contrition, 6. Errour.Confeſſion, and Satisfaction: for theſe three parts doe (as it were) appertaine to the acts of their Penitents, which be the matter of their Sacrament of Penance. I anſwer, concerning Contrition, which is nothing els but a ſorrow of heart, we verily admit of it, but without anie opinion of merit, which they attribute thereunto.
And as touching Confeſſion, firſt we ſay, that it is not Signes of Repentance.properly any part of Repentance, but an outward ſigne of Repentance, which is wrought inwardly in the mind: for amongſt the ſignes theſe are numbred; confeſſion of the mouth, teares, humbling of the bodie, and other actions of like kind. Againe, we ſay that their auricular Confeſſion, wherein all, euen the priuate ſinnes of a man muſt be numbred, as neere as they can remember, and whiſpered into the eare of the Prieſt; we affirme, I ſay, that ſuch a Confeſſion is the inuention of mans braine, wherof there is no commandement or example extant in the whole Scripture: Yea verily the will of God is, that manie priuate ſins, vntounto which we alone are priuy, ſhould bee concealed, & not vttered, euen as God doth couer the multitude of our priuate ſinnes of his free will and merciemercy, wherewith he embraceth vsus in Chriſt Ieſus. Notwithſtanding this, he requireth of vsus that we priuately repent of them, ſo oft as we ſhall remember them.
To conclude, concerning Satisfaction, we vtterly condemne and renounce it: for by it (as they teach) we ſatiſfie of ourſelues the wrath and iuſtice of God, and that by temporall puniſhments, which we willingly ſuffer for our ſinnes. This we do vtterly condemne, as an opinion which doth derogate from the merit and ſatisfaction of Chriſt, whereby alone the wrath and iuſtice of God is ſatisfied for our ſinnes. And as for theſe temporall afflictions of the godly, they are not truly ſatisfactions for their ſinnes, but by them God doth mortifie the remnants of ſinnes, and by that meanes prouoke vsus to earneſt repentance; hereby curbing, and keeping vsus from falling into ſinne againe. Finally, as all things worke for the beſt to them that louelove God, ſo theſe things which are not ſo much puniſhments, as croſſes do worke together for the beſt for the godly. Neither is that diſtinction of temporall and eternall puniſhments to be allowed: for it is certaine that whoſoeuer are puniſhed temporally for their ſinnes, and in that reſpect, and for that cauſe, ſuch alſo (without repentance) ſhall be puniſhed for their ſinnes eternally: for temporall puniſhments of the vngodly in this life, are the very beginnings of eternall puniſhments to be ſuffered in another life. And thus farre of repentance.