Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of repentance.
ALthough that all theſe thinges, Faith, Hope, and Charitie; Repentance, Iuſtification, the ſtudie of good works and of a godly life, cannot indeed be ſeparated from one another: yet in as much as one of them dependeth on another, they are therefore to be diſtinguiſhed, and each of them ſeuerallie to bee conſidered of, and to bee ſeene, what they be, and what they worke. And therefore wee thinke good brieflie to declare what wee thinke of them euerie one, and firſt of repentance the continuall and inſeparable companion of faith. For albeit it bee daily made more perfect after iuſtification: yet becauſe no man is iuſtified without repentance, and the beginning thereof goeth before iuſtification: therefore wee hauehave purpoſed in this firſt place, to declare what our beleefe is concerning the ſame.
I. To Juſtification, and therefore to the communion with Chriſt, Repentance is neceſſarie.
Wee beleeue that to the true participation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and ſo to the communion with Chriſt, repentance is very needefull: whereby beeing turned from ſinne and from the worlde, by chaunging our mindes & willes, we are turned to God, and are ioyned vntounto him, and ſo obtaine forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes in him and by him, & be cloathed with his righteouſneſſe and holineſſe. For the firſt thing, that Iohn Baptiſt, yea that Chriſt himſelf preached, Mar. 14.15.was repentance for the remiſſion of ſinnes. And, except (ſaith Chriſt) yee repent, Luc. 13.3.5yee ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
II. What we meane by the name of repentance.
By the name of repentance we vnderſtand two things eſpecially; firſt, an earneſt griefe, & a true ſorrow for our ſinnes cōmitted againſt God: and that not ſo much for the feare of puniſhment due to ſinne, as for that we hauehave offended God himſelfe, our chiefeſt good, yea our maker and louing father: and then, an vnfained chaunging of our mindes, hearts, wills and intents, and ſo of our whole life. For this part, which Chriſt calleth properly repentance, and the Prophets, a turning to God, 2. Cor. 7.10.and the circumciſion of the heart, the Apoſtle teacheth to come of the former, ioyning both partes together, where he ſaith, Godly ſorrowe cauſeth repentance vntounto ſaluation.
III. Repentance is the gift of God.
We beleeue, that repentance is the gifte of God, comming from his meere grace: & not due to any of our deſerts or endeauours, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2. Tim 2.25.If god at any time will giuegive them repentance that they may acknowledge the trueth, & may come to amendment out of that ſnare of the deuill: Ier. 31.18and the Prophet ſaith, Turne me O Lord, and I ſhalbe turned.
IV. To ſtirre vp repentance in vsus, God vſeth ordinarily the word of the law and the goſpell: and therefore the hearing of both is moſt neceſſarie in the church.
God accuſtometh, for the ſtirring vp of repentance in vsus, to vſe ordinarily aſwell the declaration of his lawe, which diſcouereth our ſinnes, and laieth open gods wrath: as alſo the preaching of the goſpel: which ſheweth remiſſiō of ſinnes, & fauour of god in Chriſt: euē as it manifeſtly appeareth to euerie godly man, which readeth the holie ſcriptures. And therfore wee iudge the declaration and hearing of them both to bee verie needefull in the church.
V. A ſumme of the doctrine of repentance, eueryevery where and alwaies neceſſarie to all of yeares of diſcretion.
The ſumme of our faith concerning repē tance neceſſarie euerie where and at al times, to all that bee of yeares of diſcretion, is this; that, repentance is a chaunging of the minde and heart, ſtirred vpp in vsus through the holie ghoſt, by the word both of the law and the goſpell: wherein wee greeue from our heart: wee deteſt: we lament: we loath and bewaile: and cōfeſſe before God, all our ſinnes, & euen the corruption of our nature, as things vtterly repugnāt (as the law teacheth) to the wil of god, & to the cleanſing whereof, the death of Gods owne ſonne (as the goſpell preacheth) was needefull: and doe humblie pray and intreat for pardon and forgiueneſſe of the ſame: and do earneſtly reſolue vponupon amendment of our life, and on a continuall ſtudie and care of innocencie and chriſtian vertues, and exerciſe our ſelues in the ſame diligently all the dayes of our life: to the glorie of God, and edification of the church.
VI. That the vulgar or vſuall partes of poenitencie, as contrition, confeſſion of ſinnes and ſatisfaction, are not ſimplie condemned.
Concerning the partes of repentance, beſides thoſe, which are alreadie declared, wee hauehave not much to ſpeake: being taught by the holie ſcriptures, that the ſame doth wholy and chiefly conſiſt in an earneſt mortification of the olde man, and a quickening of the newe: whereof, the former taketh the force from the death of Chriſt; the latter, from his reſurrection the holie ghoſt imparting them both vntounto vsus. Meanewhile we doe not ſimplie diſallow that ſame diſtinction, receiued and long held in the ſchooles, of the partes of repentance, into contrition, confeſſion of ſinnes & ſatisfaction: namely if it bee examined to the rule of the holie ſcriptures, and doe not varie from the vſe and cuſtome of the auncient church. For there want no teſtimonies in the ſcriptures, of contrition, and likewiſe of confeſſion of ſinnes, both before God, and before our brother whome we offend, and alſo before the whole congregation, when it is expedient. As alſo, if any man ouerloaded with the burden of his ſinnes, and troubled with grieuous temptations doe priuately require counſaile, or inſtruction, or comfort, either of a miniſter of the church, or of any other brother who hath knowledge in the lawe of God, we diſallow it not. Moreouer, thoſe Eccleſiaſticall ſatisfactions, whereof we reade in Tertullian, Cyprian and others, which conſiſt onelyonly herein, that an aſſured teſtimonie of true repentance may be ſhewed to the whole congregation, which they call to doe pennance, wee cannot condemne it. But we condemne, the ſuperſtitions thereunto added, the torments of conſciences and vngodly opinions, wherein appeareth to bee taken no benefite of the death and ſatisfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, the one and onelyonly waſher away of ſinnes, and perfect and full redeemer from all fault and puniſhment.