Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Of perpetuall remiſſon of ſinns in the church of Chriſt.
I. There is a perpetuall diſpenſation of remiſſion of ſinnes in the church: and thereunto, is the perpetuall miniſterie of the word ordayned.
WE hauehave before confeſſed, that ſo ſoone as any one is ingrafted into Chriſt by his holy ſpirit, he preſently obtaineth forgiueneſſe of all his ſinnes committed, and draweth a new life from his head Chriſt, and ſo is made a liuelie member of the church. But, becauſe the moſt holie ones that are in this militant church do daily ſinne, euē to the laſt ende of their liues, ſo that they hauehave ſtill need of new forgiueneſſe of their ſinnes, and alſo of new repentance, and new faith to apprehend forgiueneſſe of ſinnes in Chriſt: & that faith and repentance, is ſtirred vp by the miniſterie of the word and ſacraments: therefore wee beleeue that remiſſion of ſinnes is diſpenſed and beſtowed perpetually in the church, by the miniſterie of the word and ſacraments, and that the eccleſiaſticall miniſterie which is perpetuall in the church, is ordained thereunto.
II. What we meane by the name of remiſſion of ſinnes.
And ſith there be three things in ſinne, the action it ſelfe; the wickedneſſe of the action & therefore the ſinners fault remaining in him; and laſtlie the deſert of due puniſhment cleauing vntounto the fault; then we vnderſtand that our ſinnes are forgiuen vsus, when not onelyonly the faulte and wickedneſſe of the action is not imputed vntounto vsus, but alſo when as the deſert or guiltineſſe is taken awaye, and the due puniſhment pardoned. For then are our ſinnes properlie forgiuen vsus: and we, when wee deſire in prayer that our ſinnes may be forgiuen vsus, wee deſire not onelyonly to bee abſolued from the fault, and that the iniquitie maye not bee imputed vntounto vsus, but alſo that the puniſhment and condemnation due vntounto vsus for the iniquitie may be forgiuen, and we deliuered from our debts and guiltineſſe: ſeing that neither we can ſay that we forgiue our brethren their debts, vnleſſe wee ſet them free from the debt it ſelfe and from all ſatisfaction: and ſeing it is certaine that we are not commaunded to aske any thing, but that which he will giuegive vsus: and that Chriſt hath cancelled the hand writing of all our debts, hauing himſelfe made a perfect and full payment and ſatisfaction.
III. The afflictions, vvhichwhich the children of God endure after their ſinnes are pardoned, are not puniſhments and ſatisfactions for ſinnes paſt, but fatherly chaſtiſement for thoſe to come.
But whereas God, after the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, is wont to afflict and ſcourge his children with manie torments: wee beleeue that God doth it not, for that, they ſhould by that meanes either wholly or in part ſatisfie his iuſtice for their ſinnes: ſeing that one full ſatiſfaction of Chriſt for vsus, is inough and more then inough: but, that by them, as by fatherly corrections, we may afterwards be more warie, and take heed what belongeth to the mortifying of ſinne that dwelleth in vsus: and that we ſhould no more ſo eaſilie ſlipp into ſinne: whereuppon we with Auguſtine do cal them and teach that they are to bee called, T. 7. de pec. mer. & Rē. lib. 2. c. 33 & 34.not the puniſhments of ſinne, but the tryalls of faith, and exerciſes of the Saints.
IV. Sinnes are properly remitted of God alone freely, and for Chriſts ſake our mediatour.
Wee beleeue alſo, Ieſ. 43.25that our ſinnes are properly forgiuen vsus, of God onelyonly by meere fauour, and for Chriſt our mediatour: ſith alſo it is he alone, againſt whome we properly commit ſinne both mediatly and immediatly, whē as we breake his lawe: Luc. 23.34and it is alwaies in the power onelyonly of the creditour, to gratifie his debtors, and to forgiue their debts. Whereupon Chriſt alſo, as man, prayed his father for them which crucified him, that he would pardon them, Luc. 5.21. &cand forgiue them their offences: & when the Iewes ſaid, vvho can forgiue ſinnes but onelyonly God? he partly by holding his peace, and partly by ſhewing a miracle confirmed it.
Wherefore in that, that Chriſt of his owne authority forgaue ſinnes, we with the fathers, do beleeue it may well bee concluded, he is true God: ſith the ſame cannot bee done by any meere creature, but onelyonly miniſterially, or as being a miniſter (as they ſpeak) & in the name and authoritie of God. Mat. 18.18 Ioh. 20.23Which wee knowe was equallie giuen, not to one alone, but to all the Apoſtles, and ſo to all lawfull miniſters of the goſpell.
V. Chriſt, God and man, indeed forgiueth ſinnes, but in a diuerſe manner: as he is God, & as he is man.
Whereon it alſo followeth, that Chriſt god and man, (which wee alſo confeſſe) together with the father and the holie ghoſt, forgiueth ſinnes: but he doth it in one ſort, as he is God, and in another, as he is man. For as he is god, he doeth effect the ſame properly and of his authoritie: but as he is man, he doth it, and did it in the fleſh, as being a fello-worker with the deitie: in his humaine will conſenting to the diuine, and pronouncing the wordes thy ſinnes are forgiuen thee: as alſo Leo the firſt, Epiſt. 10. c. 4ſo expoū deth it to Flauianus, ſaying, each forme (namely of God and man) worketh with communion of the other, that which is proper to it ſelfe: as, the word working that which is proper to the word, & the fleſh performing that which belongeth to the fleſh. To forgiue ſinnes vvas the proper action of the diuine nature: and to ſaye, thy ſinnes are forgiuen thee, of the humaine. Thus farre he.
VI. Jn Chriſt alone is offered the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, and of the elect alone, indued with faith, it is receiued.
But like as in Chriſt alone, our mediatour & redeemer, as the head of the whole church, we hauehave redemption, by his blood and remiſſion of ſinnes; ſo as without Chriſt there is none: ſo alſo wee beleeue that onelyonly the elect, indued with true repentance and true faith, and ingrafted into Chriſt by the holie ſpirite as mē bers to their head, are made partakers therof: and therefore although forgiuenes of ſinnes bee declared vntounto all manner of men by the goſpell, yet to the reprobate, as vnrepentant and vnbeleeuing they are not forgiuen: but by their owne fault and blame, their ſinnes do ſtill remaine.
VII. All ſinnes at once are forgiuen to the faithfull elect.
Wee alſo beleeue, that as Chriſt by his one oblation ſatisfied not for ſome, but for all our ſinnes: ſo alſo is offred vntounto vsus, that are truely penitent, of Chriſt and in Chriſt by the goſpel, the forgiuenes not only of ſome of our ſinns, but alſo of them altogether: and the ſame cō municated to vsus by the holie ghoſt: and receiued by faith: Mat. 18.23 &c.ſeing God declared by a parable: that he forgiueth all our debt, not part of it.
VIII. Forgiueneſſe of ſinnes is beſtowed in the church onelyonly, receiued by faith onelyonly, and that onelyonly in this life.
Laſtlie, to make an ende, we beleeue, that as in Chriſt alone, is found remiſſion of ſinnes, ſo the ſame alſo is diſpoſed and beſtowed in the church onelyonly: and as it was purchaſed for vsus by the merits and blood of him alone, ſo alſo it is receiued by true faith in Chriſt only, without our owne meritts: and as in this life onelyonly the goſpell is preached, and by it, forgiueneſſe of ſinnes declared to the repentant and beleeuers; ſo alſo we can onelyonly in this life be made partakers thereof: ſeing after this life there is no place lefte for faith and repentance: and therefore that the church, by her miniſterie, can do nothing for the obtaining of forgiueneſſe for men after they be departed this life: Cyp. ad Demetr.as Cyprian alſo ſaieth. VVhen a man is once gone hence, there is no place for repentance, no effect of ſatisfaction. Here life is either loſt or gotten: here he muſt prouide for ſaluation by ſeruing of God, and by the effect of faith.
IX. A confirmation of the former doctrine, by the order of the creede.
According to theſe three pointes we interpret this article of forgiuenes of ſinnes in the creede: as firſt, that after the article of the church & communion of Saints, is placed this article, to teach vsus, that, without the church, remiſſion of ſinnes is not beſtowed, nor hath any place. Againe, that the ſame is placed after the confeſſion of our faith in God the father, the ſonne, and the holy ghoſt, and of our faith, wherein we beleeue the church to be holie, & to conſiſt of the ſocietie and communion of Saintes: to wittneſſe vntounto vsus, that not for our owne merites, but by our faith in the father ſonne and holie ghoſt, and becauſe wee are in the church, and hauehave communion with all the Saints, therefore we daily obtaine forgiuenes of our ſinnes. And finally by this placing of the articles of faith, we may well beleeue and confeſſe that after forgiueneſſe of ſinnes obtained in this militāt church: there is no more to be looked for of the dead, but the reſurrection of the fleſh, and life euerlaſting.
X. Errors.
Thus wee condemne, the error, wherein ſome do teach, that after the fault forgiuen, there remaineth a debt to be paied for the puniſhment: and this puniſhment, being eternall death, by penitencie is chaunged into temporall paines: which we muſt abide either in this life or after death in purgatorie, vnleſſe wee bee deliuered thence by maſſes, indulgences and other helps. Secondly we condemn their blaſphemie, which ſeeke for forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, any where then in Chriſt, and doe ſo teach. Likewiſe them which would prooue, that the ſame may bee applied to themſelues and receiued, by any other meanes, then by true faith, and by the holie ſpirite. Wee condemne alſo their ſacrilegious doctrine, which teach, that God doth forgiue alwaies to the faithfull, all their ſinnes: but euer retaineth ſome of them which are to be ſatisfied for, by faſting, almes deeds, prayers, and other works of our owne, or elſe by the oblations of other men, and ſacrifices of prieſts.