The Institutes of the Christian Religion — John Calvin

The Institutes of the Christian Religion · John Calvin

The fourth Chapter. ¶That all that the Sophisters babble in their scholes of Penance, is far from the purenesse of the Gospell. Where is entreated of Confession and Satisfaction.

NOwe I come to discusse those thynges, which the Schole sophisters hauehave taught of repētāce.The firste is out of Gregory, and is rehersed Lib. 4. S…t. Dist. 14. ca. 1, The ij. out of Ambr. & reser. illie, & in D…r. Dist. 3. de p…ni…ēt. c. Poeni. priore. The .3. out of August. reser…. ca Dist. c. Poe…t. post. The 4. out of Ambr. resert. Dist. 1. Poenit. c. Vera poeni. Which I wil run ouer in as few wordes as may be, bycause I minde not to goe through all, least this boke, which I labour to draw into a short abridgment, should growe to a huge greatnesse. And the Sophisters hauehave entāgled it in so many volumes, beyng a matter otherwise not very hard, that a mā shal hardly finde how to get out, if he ones fal into their dregges. First, in definyng it, they shewe y^t they neuer vnderstode what repentāce was. For thei take hold of certaine sayenges of the olde writers, which do nothing at al expresse y^e nature of repentance, as that to repent is to wepe for sinnes passed, & not to commit sinnes to be wept for: Agayne, that it is to lament euels passed, and not to commit agayne other euels to be lamented. Agayne: that it is a certaine sorowful reuēge, punishing in himself that which he is sory to hauehave committed. Againe: that it is a sorrow of heart, and bitternesse of soule, for the euels that a man hath cōmitted or to which he hath consented. But, to graunt these thinges well sayde of the fathers, (which a contentious man might easily enough denie) yet they were not spoken to this entent to describe repentance, but only to exhort thē to whom they wrote, that they should not fal againe into the saine offenses, out of whiche they had ben drawen. But if we liste to turne all suche titles of commendation into definitions, then other maye also be adioyned as rightfully as they. As this of Chrysostome, Repentance is a medicine that destroyeth sinne, a gift geuē from heauen, a maruellous vertue, a grace surmounting the force of the law. Yea and the doctrine which thei afterward teache, is somwhat worse than these definitions. For they sticke so earnestly in outward exercises, that a manne can gather nothyng els out of infinite volumes, but that repentance is a discipline and rigorousnesse that serueth partly to tame the fleshe, and partly to chastise and punish vices: but thei kepe maruellous silence of the inward renewing of the minde that draweth with it correction of life. Ther is in deede muche talke among them of Contritiō & Attrition, thei tormēt soules with many doubtes, and do thruste into them muche troble and carefulnesse: but when thei seeme to hauehave throughly wounded the heartes, thei heale y^e bitternesse with a light sprinkling of ceremonies.Lib. 4. Sen. .16. ca. 1. …e po…. i. distri .1. c. psecta poenitentia. And whē thei hauehave thus curiously defined repentance, thei diuide it into contrition of hearte, confession of mouthe, & satisfaction of worke, no more logically than thei defined it, although thei wolde seeme to hauehave wasted all their age in framinge of syllogismes. But if a man will go about to proue by the definition (which kinde of argument is of force among logicians) that a man may wepe for his sinnes passed, and committ no more to be wept for, that he may bewaile his euels passed, and commit no more to be bewailed, and that he maye punishe himselfe for that which he was sory to hauehave committed. &c. although he do not confesse with his mouth: howe will they maintaine their diuision? For if that true penitent man do not confesse, then repentance may be without confessiō. But if thei answer, that this diuision is referred to repentance, in respect that it is a sacrament, or is meant of the whole perfection of repentance, whiche thei comprehend not in their definitions, then is ther no cause to blame me, but let them lay the fault in themselues that make not a purer and plainer definition, I truely (according to my grossnesse) when any thing is disputed of, do referre all things to the very definition, which is the stay & grounde of the whole disputation. But admit that to be their masterlike licence. Now let vsus particularly consider all the partes in ordre. Wheras I do negligently leape ouer as trifles those thynges that thei wyth greate grauitie of countenance do publish for misteries, I do it not vnwittingly, neither were it very painefull for me to confute all that thei thinke them selues to hauehave depely and suttlely disputed) but I woulde think it against conscience to wery the readers with such trifles without any profit. Truely it is easy to know by the questions which thei moue and tosse, and wherewith thei miserably encomber themselues, that they prate of thinges that thei know not. As for example: whether the repentance of our sinne pleaseth God, whē obstinacie endureth in other. Againe: whether the punishmentes laied vponupon man by God, do auaile to satisfaction. Againe: whether repentance maye be oftentimes reiterate for deadly sinnes: wher thei fowly & wickedly define, that penance is dayly done but for veniall sinnes. Likewise thei very much torment themselues with a grosse erroure, vponupon the saieng of Hierome, that repentance is a second bourde after shipperack. Wherin thei shewe that thei neuer waked from their brutish dulnesse, to feele so much as a farr of the thousandth part of their faultes.

But I wold the readers shold note, that here is not a quarel about the shadow of an asse, but the most earnest mater of al other is entreated of, that is to saie, forgeuenesse of sinnes. For wheras thei require three things to repentance, contrition of heart, confession of mouth, & satisfaction of worke: thei do therwithal teache that those three thinges are necessarie to the obteining of forgeuenes of sinnes. But if it behoue vsus to know any thing at all in all oure religion, this truely behoueth vsus moste of all, I meane to vnderstand and knowe well by what meane, with what lawe, vponupon what condition, with what easinesse or hardnesse the forgeuenesse of sinnes is obtained. If this knowledge stande not plaine and certaine, the conscience can hauehave no rest at all, no peace with God, no confidence or assurednesse, but continually trembleth, wauereth, is troubled, is tormented, is vexed, horriblye dreadeth, hateth and fleeth the sight of God. But if the forgeuenesse of synnes hange vponupon those conditions to whiche thei do binde it, then nothing is more miserable, nothinge in more lamentable case than we. They make Contrition the firste parte of obteining pardon, and they require that to be a due contrition, that is to saie perfect and full: but in the meane time thei do not determine when a man may be assured, that he hathe to the full measure perfectly perfourmed this contrition. Truely I graunt that eueryevery man ought diligently and earnestly to enforce hymselfe, with bitterly weping for his synnes, to whett himselfe more and more to a lothing and hatred of them. For this is a sorrowe not to be repented, y^• breedeth repentance vntounto saluation. But when there is suche a bitternesse of sorrowe requyred as maie proportionally aunswer the greatnesse of the fault, and suche as maye in balaunce counterpaise with the trust of pardon, here the pure consciences are maruelously tormented and troubled, when they see them selues chaunged with a due contrition of sinnes, and doe not so atteine the measure of that due, that they can determine with them selues, that they hauehave duely perfourmed so muche as they duely oughte. If they saie that we muste do as muche as lyeth in vsus, then come we still to the same pointe that we were at before: for howe dare any manne assure himselfe that he hath employed all his force to bewaile his synnes? So when the consciences hauinge longe wrastled with them selues, and longe been exercised with battailes, doe at length finde no heauen to reste in, yet somewhat to ease them selues, thei enforce them selues to a sorrowe, and wringe out teares to make perfect their contrition.

But yf they saie that I slaundre them: Let them come forthe and shewe any one man, that by suche doctrine of contrition hathe not eyther ben driuen to despeire, or hath not set for his defense a counterfaiting of sorrowe in steede of true sorrowe, againste the iudgemente of God. We hauehave also oure selues saide in one place, that forgeuenesse of synnes neuer commeth without repentance, bycause none but the afflicted and wounded with conscience of synnes, can syncerely call vponupon the merciemercy of God: but we hauehave therewithall further saide, that repentance is not the cause of the forgeuenesse of sinnes. As for those tormentes of soules, whiche they saie muste be perfourmed of duetie, we hauehave takē them awaie: we hauehave taught the sinner not to loke vponupon his owne contrition nor his owne teares, but to fasten bothe his eyes vponupon the onelyonly merciemercy of God.Mat. xi.xviij. Esa. lxi. Luc. iiii.xviii. We hauehave onelyonly putte him in minde that Christ called the laboring & loden, when he was sent to publish glad tidinges to the poore, to heale the contrite in heart, to preache remission to captiues, to deliuer prisoners, & to comforte them that mourne. From whiche shold be excluded both y^e Pharises, that filled with their own righteousnesse, doe not acknowledge their owne pouertie, and also the despisers that carelesse of Gods wrath do seke no remedy for their euels. For suche doe not laboure, nor are loden, nor contrite in hearte, nor bounde nor captiue. But there is greate difference betweene teaching a man to deserue forgeuenesse of sinnes with due and full contrition, whiche the sinner can neuer perfourme: and instructing him to hunger and thirste for the merciemercy of God, that by the acknowledging of hys owne miserie, by his owne vnquietnesse, wearinesse and captiuitie, it maie be shewed him, where he ought to seeke for releefe, rest and libertie: and finally, he maie be taught in the humbling of himselfe, to geue glorie to God.

Concerning Confession, ther hath been alwaie great strife betwene the Canonistes and Scholediuines: while the one sorte affyrme, that confession is commaunded by the special commaundement of God, and the other sorte denie it and saie, that it is commaunded onelyonly by the Ecclesiasticall constitutions. But in this contention hathe appeared the notable shamlessnesse of the diuines, that hauehave corrupted and violently wrasted as many places of Scripture, as thei alleaged for their purpose. And when thei sawe y^t thei coulde not so obteine that which they required, thei which woulde be thought more suttle than the rest, escaped away with this shifte, that confession came from the lawe of God, in respect of the substance of it, butte afterwarde receiued frome of the lawe Positiue. Euen as the foolishest sorte amonge the laweyers doe saie, that Citations came from the law of God, bicause it is said: Adam wher arte thou? And likwise Exceptions,Gen. i….… bicause Adam aunswered as if were by waie of exception saieng: The wife that thou gauest me. &c. but that bothe citations and exceptions receiued forme geuen them by the Ciuile law. But lette vsus see by what argumentes thei proue thys confession, either formed or Unfourmed to be the commaundement of God. The Lorde (saie thei) sent the leprous men to the preestes.Matt. v…i… …. Luc. v.x… Deu. xixi.viii. But what? Sente he them to confession? Whoe euer hearde it spoken, that the Leuiticall preestes were appointed to heare confessions? Therfore thei flee to Allegories, and saie: It was commaunded by the lawe of Moses, that the preestes shoulde discerne betwene leprosie and leprosie: sinne is a spirituall leprosie: therfore it is the preestes office to pronounce vponupon it. Before that I aunswer them, I aske this by the waie, If this place make thē iudges of y^e spiritual leprosie, why do thei draw to them y^• knoweledge of natural & fleshely leprosie? This forsoothe is not to mocke with the Scriptures. The lawe geueth to the Leuiticall preestes the knowledge of Leprosie, therefore let vsus take yt vponupon vsus. Sinne is a spirituall leprosie, therefore lette vsus also bee examiners of sinne. Nowe I aunswere: sithe the preestehoode is remoued, it is necessarie that the law be remoued also.Heb. vii.…x Al presthodes are remoued to Christe, and fulfilled and ended in him, therefore to him onelyonly al the right and honoure of preesthoode is also remoued. It thei louelove so wel to folow Allegories, let them set Christ before them for the only preest, and heape vponupon his iudgement seate the free iurisdiction of al things: this we can easily be content to suffer. Moreouer their allegorie is very vnfitt, that setteth among the ceremonies that lawe whiche is mearly politike. Why then did Christe send the leprous menne to the preestes? That the preestes shoulde not cauill that hee did breake the lawe that commaunded the man healed of the leprosie, to bee shewed before the preeste and purged with offering of sacrifice: therefore he commaunded the leprous men being cleansed, to do that whiche belonged to the law. Goe (saith he) and shewe your selues to the preeste, and offer the gifte that Moses hathe commaunded in the lawe that it shoulde be for a witnesse vntounto them. And truely this miracle shold hauehave ben a witnes vntounto them, for thei had pronounced them leprous, and nowe they pronounce them healed. Are thei not whether thei will or no compelled to become witnesses of Christes miracles? Christ leaueth to them his miracle to be examined,Mat. xxuii xiiii. Matt. x.xviiii. thei canne not denie it. But bicause thei still dallie with it, therfore this worke is for a witnesse vntounto them. So in an other place: This Gospell shalbe preached in all the worlde, for a witnesse to al nations. Again: ye shalbe ledde before kinges and gouernours, for a witnesse to them. that is: that in the iudgemen…e of God thei maie be more strongly conuinced.Hom. 12. de muli…re …hananaea. But if thei had rather folow Chrysostome: he also teacheth that Christe did this for the Iewes sake, that he shoulde not be accompted a breaker of y^e law. Albeit in so cleare a matter I am ashamed to alleage the wittnesse of any man: wheras Christ pronounceth that he leaueth the righte of the lawe whole to the preestes as to the professed enemies of the Gospell, whiche were alway bent to carpe against it, if their mouth had not ben stopped. Wherfore that the popish sacrificeng preestes maie still keepe this possession, let them openly take partes with them which must of necessitie be restrained by force, y^t they speake not ill against Christe. For this nothing belongeth to his trewe ministers.

Thei bring their second argument out of the same fountaine, that is, from an allegorie, as though allegories were of greate force to confyrme any doctrine. But lette them be of force, if I do not proue that I can make a fairer shewe of them for my syde, than thei can for theirs. Thei say,Ihou. xi.xliii. The Lorde commaunded his Disciples, that when Lazarus was raised vp, thei shold vnbinde an losse him from hys bondes. Here first the lie: for it is no wher reade thay y^e Lorde saide this to the Disciples: and it is muche more likely that he saide it to the Iewes y^t stoode by him, that y^e miracle might be made the more euident without suspition of fraud, & his power appeare y^• greater, y^• without any touching, with his onelyonly worde he raised vp deade men. For thus I expounde it: that the Lorde, to take awaie all wrongfull opinion from the Iewes, willed them to rolle awaie the stone, to fe…le the stinke, to beholde assured tokens of death, to see him rising by the onelyonly power of his worde, and them first to feele him liuing.…er. contra Iudes, Gentiles & haer…ti…. And this is the iudgement of Chrysostome. But let vsus graunt y^t this was spoken to the Disciples: what wil thei get therby? That the Lord gaue his Apostles power to loose. But how much more fitly and more handesomely might these thinges be applied by waie of allegorie, to saie that by this signe y^e lord meanie to instruct his faithful, to loose them y^t he had raised vp: that is, y^t they sholde not cal into remembrance those sinnes y^t he had forgotten: that thei shold not condemne them for sinners whom he had acquited: that thei sholde not reproche men with those thinges that he had forgeuen: that thei shoulde not be rigorous to punish, and lightly offended, wher he is mercifull and easily entreated to spare? Truely nothing ought to moue vsus more to readinesse to forgeue, than the exaumple of y^e Iudge that threatneth that he wyll be vnappeasable to them that be to rigorous and vngentle. Nowe let them goe and boaste of their allegories.

But nowe thei ioyne more nere hande with vsus, when thei fight (as thei thinke) with open sentences. Thei that came to Ihons baptisme, did confesse their sinnes, & Iames willeth that we confesse oure sinnes one to an other. No maruell if they that wolde be baptised did confesse their sinnes, for it was saide before that Ihon preached the baptisme▪ of repentance, and baptised in water vntounto repentance. Whom shold he then hauehave baptized, but them that had confessed themselues sinners? Baptisme is a token of the forgeuenesse of sinnes: and who shold be admitted to this token but sinners, and thei that acknowledg themselues to be such? Therfore thei confessed their sinnes, that thei might be baptised. And not without a cause doth Iames bidde vsus confesse one to an other. But if thei did marke what foloweth nexte after, thei would vnderstande, that this also maketh little for them. Confesse (saithe he) one to an other your sinnes, & praie one for an other. He ioyneth together mutuall confession and mutuall praier. If we must confesse to prestes onelyonly, then muste wee also praie for prestes onelyonly. Yea, What and if it might folowe of the wordes of Iames that onelyonly preestes mighte confesse? for when he willeth that we shold confesse one to an other, he speaketh onelyonly to them that may heare the confessions of other: his worde is in greke Allelous, mutually, enterchangeably, by turnes, or (if thei so like best to terme it) by waye of reciprocatiō one to an other. But so enterchāgeably none can cōfesse, but thei that are meete to here confessions. Whiche prerogatiue syth thei vouchesaue to graunt only to prestes, we do also put ouer y^e office of confessing to thē only. Therefore away with such trifelinges, & let vsus take the very meaning of the Apostle which is simple & plaine: y^t is, y^• we sholde laye our weakenesse one in an others bosome to receiue mutuall counsel, mutuall compassiō and mutuall comforte one of an other: then that wee be naturally priuie to the weakenesses of our brothren, shold praie for them to y^e Lord. Why do thei then alleage Iames against vsus, which do so earnestly require y^e confessiō of y^e mercy of God?Gala. iii… xxii. but no man can confesse Gods merciemercy, vnlesse he hauehave first confessed his owne miserie. Ye wee rather pronounce him accursed y^t doth not before God,Ro. iij.ix. before his Angels, before the Churche, yea and before all men confesse himselfe a sinner. For the Lorde hath concluded al vnderunder sinnes y^t al mouthes might be stopped, and all fleshe humbled before God, and he onelyonly iustified and exalted.

But I maruell with what face thei dare affirme, that the confession whereof thei speake, is of the lawe of God: the vse wherof we graunt in dede to be very auncient, butte suche as we are able to proue in olde time to hauehave ben at libertie. Truely euen their owne cronacles declare, that there was no certaine lawe or constitution of it before the times of Innocent y^e thirde. Surely if thei had had a more auncient lawe, they wolde rather hauehave taken holde thereof, than hauehave been contented with the decree of y^e counsell of Laterane, and so made them selues to be laughed at,This … the …83. Pope. euen of children. In other things thei sticke not to come forged decrees, whiche thei father vponupon the most auncient Counsells, that thei maie with very reuerence of antiquitie dasell the eyes of the simple. In this point, it came not in their minde to thrust in such a false packe. Therefore by their owne witnesse, ther are not yet passed three hundred yeares sins Innocent the thirde laied that snare vponupon men, & charged them with necessitie of Confession. But, to speake nothinge of the time: the very barbarousnesse of the woordes minisheth the credit of that law. For wher these good fathers commaunde eueryevery one of bothe kindes, male & female, ones eueryevery yeare to confesse all hys sinnes to his own preest, pleasant men do merily take exception, y^t in this commaundement are conteined only Hermaphrodites, and sate that it belongeth not such a one as is either male or female only. Sins y^t time, a more grosse beastesnesse hathe bewrated it selfe in their scholars, that can not expounde what is meant By his own prest. Whatsoeuer al the Popes hyred bablers do prate, we holde bothe that Christ was neuer the author of thys law that compelleth men to recken vp their sinnes, and also that there passed a thousande and twoo hundred yeares from the resurrection of Christe before that any suche lawe was made. And so, that this tyrannie was then firste brought in, when all godlynesse & learning being destroied, the visors of Pastors had without choise taken al licentiousnesse vponupon them. Moreouer there are euident testimonies bothe in hystories and other auncient writers, whiche teach that this confession was a politike discipline redemed by the byshops, not a lawe made by Christe or his Apostles. I wil alleage but one out of many, whiche shall be a plaine proofe thereof.Tripart. hist. lib. 9. Sozomenus reporteth that this constitution of bishops was diligently kepte in all the west Churches, but specialli at Rome. Wherby he sheweth that it was no vniuersall ordinance of all Churches. But he saith that there was one of the preestes peculiarly appointed to serue for this office. Whereby he dothe sufficiently confute that which these men do falsly saie of the keyes geuen for this vse vniuersally to the whole ordre of presthode. For it was not the common office of all preestes, but the special duetie of some one that was chosen thervnto by y^e bishop. The same is he, whome at thys daie in all cathedrall Churches thei call Penitentiarie, the examiner of haynous offenses, and such wherof the punishment perteineth to good example. Then he saith immediatly after, y^t this was also y^e manner at Constantinople, till a certaine woman faining that she came to confession, was founde so to hauehave colored vnderunder that pretence y^e vnhonest cō panie that she vsed with a certaine Deacon. For this acte, Nectarius a man notable in holines & learning bishop of that Churche, toke away y^e custome of confessing. Here, here let these asses lift vp their eares. If auricular confession wer the lawe of God, how durst Nectarius repelle and destroie it? Wil thei accuse for an heretike & schismatike Nectarius a holy man of God, allowed by the consenting voices of all the olde fathers? But by the same sentence thei muste condemne the Churche of Constantinople, in whiche Sozomenus affyrmeth that the manner of confessing was not onelyonly let slype for a time, but also discontinued euen till within time of his remembrance. Yea let them cōdemne of apostasy not onelyonly the Church of Constantinople, but also all the cast Churches whiche hauehave neglected that lawe, whiche (if thei saie true) is inuiolable and commaunded to all Christians.

This abrogation Chrysostome, which was also bishope of Constantinople, doth in so many places euidently testifie,Homil. 2. in Psal. 50. that it is maruell that these dare mutter to the contrarie. Tell (saith he) thy sinnes that thou mayest do them away, if thou be ashamed to tel to any man the sinnes y^t thou hast done, tell them daily in thy soule. I do not say, Confesse them to thy fellow seruant, that may reproche thee: tell them to God that taketh care of them. Confesse thy sinnes vpō thy bed, y^t there thy cōscience may daily recognise her euilles.Sermone de Poeniten. & confess. Again. But nowe it is not necessary to confesse when witnesses be present: let the examinatiō of thy sinnes be done with thy thought: let this iudgement be without witnesse: let only God se thee confessing.Homil. 5. de incōprehen. Dei natura, contra Ano maeos. Again. I do not leade thee into a stage of thy fellow seruantes, I do not cōpell thee to disclose thy sinnes to men, rehearse & vtter thy conscience before God. Shewe thy woundes to the Lord the best surgeō, & aske salue of him. Shew to him that wil reproche thee with nothing, but wil moste gently heale thee. Again. Tel not man,Homil. 4. de Laz…ro. least he reproche thee, for neither is it to be confessed to thy felow seruaunt, that may vtter it abrode, but to the Lord. To the Lord shew thy woundes which hath care of thee, that is both gentle & a Phisitiō. Afterward he bringeth in God speaking thus. I cōpel thee not to come into y^e mids of a stage, & cal many witnesses, tel thy sin to me alone priuatly, that I may heale thy sore. Shal we say that Chrysostome did so rashly, when he wrote this & other like thinges, that he would deliuer mens consciences from these bondes wherwith they be bond by y^e law of God? not so. But he dare not require that as of necessitie, whiche he doth not vnderstand to be cōmaunded by the worde of God.

But that the matter may be made the plainer & easier, first we will faithfully rehearse, what kinde of confession is taught by the worde of God: & thē we wil also declare their inuētions, but not al (for who could draw drie such an infinite sea?) but only those, wherin thei cōprehend y^e som of their secret confession. Here I am loth to rehearse how oft y^e old translatour hath geuen in translation this worde Confesse in stede of Praise: whiche the grossest vnlearned men cōmonly knowe: sauing that it is good to hauehave their presumptuousnesse bewrayed, y^• doe geue away that whiche was written of the praises of God, to their own tyrannical commaundement. To proue that cōfession auaileth to cheare y^e mindes they thrust in that place of the Psalme:Psar. xli… ▪v. In the voice of reioising & confession. But if suche change may serue, then we shall hauehave what we list, proued by what we list. But seing thei are so become past shame, let the godly reders remember that by the iust vengeaunce of God they hauehave ben cast into a reprobate minde, that their presumption should be the more detestable. But if we will rest in the simple doctrine of the Scripture, we shal not be in danger of any suche deceites to beguile vsus. For therin is apointed one order of confessing, that for as much as it is the Lord y^t forgeueth, forgetteth, & putteth away sinnes, therfore we shold confesse our sinnes to him for to obtain pardon, he is y^e Phisician, therfore let vsus shew our diseases vntounto him. It is he that is greued & offended, therfore let vsus seke peace at his hand. He is the knower of hearts, and priuie to al thoughtes, therfore let vsus make haste to poure out our hartes before him. Finally it is he that calleth sinners, therfore let vsus not delay to come to him.Psal. l….v. I hauehave (saith Dauid) made my sinne knowen vntounto thee, & hauehave not hidden my vnrighteousnesse. I hauehave sayd, I wyll confesse against me my vnrighteousnesse to the Lord, & thou hast forgeuen the wickednesse of my heart. Such is the other confessiō of Dauid. Then, that euen they that vse it for their nede, should not be cōpelled by any cōmaundement, or trained by any deceite, to recken vp all their sinnes, but so far as thei shal thinke it behouefull for them, y^t they may receiue sound frute of cōfort. Faithfull Pastors ought not only to leaue this libertie to the churches, but also to mainteine it, & stoutly stand in defence of it, if they wil hauehave tyrannie absent from their ministerie, & superstition from the people.

Of the other sorte of confession Christ speaketh in Mathew. If thou offer thy gift at the altar,Math. v.xxiii. & there remēbrest that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leaue thy gift there, & go, & first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come & offer thy gift. For so charitie that hath bene appeired by our fault, is to be repaired by acknowleging & crauing pardō of the offence that we hauehave cōmitted. Under this kinde is cōteined their confession that hauehave sinned euen to the offending of the whole church. For if Christ maketh so great a matter of the priuate offence of one mā, to forbid from holy misteries all them that hauehave sinned against their brother, till they be with iust amendes reconciled: howe muche greater reason is it, that he that hath offended the churche with any euill exā ple, should recouer the fauour of the churche with acknowledging his fault?ii. Cor. ii.vi. So was the Corinthian receiued again to the cōmunion, whē he had yelded him selfe obedient to correction. Also this forme of confessiō was vsed in the olde churche, as Ciprian maketh mention. Thei do penance (sayth he) in due time, & then they come to confession, and by laying on of the handes of the byshop & the Clergie, they receiue leaue to come to the cōmunion. Any other order or forme of confessing, the scripture vtterly knoweth not, & it is not our dutie to binde cōsciences with new bondes, whome Christ moste sharply forbiddeth vsus to bring in bondage. In the meane time I do so muche not speake against it that the shepe should present them selues to their shepeherd, when they meane to be partakers of y^e holy supper, that I wold most gladly hauehave it eueryevery where obserued. For both they that hauehave an encombred conscience, may frō thence receiue singular profit, & they that are to be admonished do by that meane prepare place for admonishment, but so alwaye that tyrannie and supersticion be away.

In these thre kindes of cōfession, the power of the keyes hath place: that is, either when the whole churche with solemne reknowleging of their faultes craueth pardon: or when a priuate man, that by any notable fault hath bred cōmon offence, doth declare his repētance: or when he that for y^e vnquietnesse of his conscience, doth nede help of y^e minister discloseth his weakenesse vntounto him. But there are diuerse wayes of taking away offense, because although therby also the peace of cōscience is prouided for, yet y^e principal end is, y^t hatred sholde be taken away, & mens mindes knit together with a bond of peace. But this vse that I hauehave spokē of, is not to be despised, y^t we may the more willingly cōfesse our sinnes. For when the whole churche standeth as it were before the iudgement seate of God, confesseth it self gilty, & hath one only refuge vntounto y^e mercy of God: it is no sclēder or light cōfort to hauehave ther present Christes embassadour, hauing cōmandemēt of recōciliation, of whom it may heare absolution pronounced vntounto it. Here the profitablenesse of the keyes is worthely commended, when this embassage is performed rightly, & with suche order & religiousnesse as besemeth it. Likewyse when he that had in a manner estranged him selfe from the Churche, receiueth pardon & is restored into brotherly vnitie: howe great a benefite is it that he vnderstādeth him selfe to be forgeuē by them, to whom Christ hath said:Mat. xviij xix. Ioh. xx.xxiij. To whom so euer ye forgeue sinnes in earth, they shal be forgeuen in heauem. And of no lesse effectualnesse & profit is priuate absolution, when it is asked by them that hauehave nede of speciall remedy to releue their weakenesse. For it happeneth oftentimes, that he which heareth the generall promises that are directed to the whole cōgregation of the faithfull, remaineth neuerthelesse in some doubte, and hath still an vnquiet minde, as though he had not yet obteined pardon: and the same man, if he hauehave disclosed to his parsone the secret sore of his minde, and heareth peculiarly directed to him selfe that saying of the Gospel,Mat. ix.ij. Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee, be of good hope, stablisheth hys minde vntounto assurednesse & is deliuered from that trembling, wherwith he was before tormented. But when we speake of the keyes, we muste take hede that we dreame not of a certaine power seuered frō the preaching of the Gospell. In an other place we shal hauehave occasion more fully to declare this matter againe, where we shall entreate of the gouernement of the churche: & there shall we see that all the power to binde and to lose, whiche Christ hath geuen to his churche, is bounde to the worde. But this is moste true in the ministerie of the keyes, the whole force wherof standeth in this, that the grace of the Gospel be publikely and priuately sealed vp in the heartes of the faithfull, by them whome the Lord hath ordeined: which can not be done but by only preaching.

But what say the Romishe diuines? They decree that eueryevery one of either kinde,C. Omnis utrius que sexus. De sū ma trinitate & fide catho. It is … …ecre of Pope Innocentius, in the coūsell of Laterane. and is recited, Lib. 4. Senten. 14. c. …. lib. 4. Senten. dist. 19. cap. 2. Mat. xviii xix. so son…e as they come to the yeares of discretion, must yerely ones at the least confesse all their sinnes to their owne prest: and that their sinne is not forgeuen, onlesse they hauehave firmely conceiued an entent to confesse it: whiche intent if they performe not when occasion is offred that they may do it, there is nowe no more entrie open for thē into Paradise. And that the preste hath the power of the keyes, where with he may lose & binde a sinner: because the worde of Christ is not in vaine, What so euer ye binde. &c. About this power they stoutely fight among them selues. Some say that there is but one keye in substance, that is the power to binde & loose, and as for knowledge, that it is in dede requisite for a good vse, but that it is only as an accessary & is not essentially ioyned with the other. Some other, because they sawe this to be to much an vnbridled licence, hauehave reckened vp two keyes, discretion, & power. Other againe, when they sawe y^e lewde boldnesse of prestes to be restrained by this moderation, hauehave forged other keyes, that is to say, authoritie of discerning which thei should vse in geuing determinate sentence: and power, which they should practise in executing of their sentence: & that knowledge standeth by as a coūseller. But they date not simply expounde this binding & loosing to be to forgeue and put away sinnes, because they heare the Lorde criyng out in the Prophet: It is I,Esa. xliij.…i. & .xxv. and none other but I: it is I, it is I that put awaye thy synnes▪ O Israel, But they saye it is the prestes office to pronounce whoe bee bounde or loosed, and to declare whose synnes are forgeuen or reteined: and that he dothe declare it, either by confession when he absolueth and reteined sinnes, or by sentence when he excommunicated and receiueth againe to partakyng of the Sacramentes. Finally, when they vnderstande that they be not yet out of this doubt, but that it styll may be obiected against them, that oftentimes their priestes doe bynde and loose men vnworthye, whiche are not therfore bounde or loosed in heauen: then (whiche is their laste refuge) they aunswere that the geuing of the keyes, muste bee construed with a limitation, that is to saye, that Christ hath promised, that before his iudgement seate suche sentence of the Preste shalbe allowed as hathe bene iustly pronounced, according as the deseruinges of hym that is bounde or loosed, did require. Moreouer they saye, that these keyes are geuen by Christe to all Priestes, and are delyuered to them by their Byshoppes, at the tyme of their promotinge to presthode: but the free vse of them, remayneth only with suche as doe exercise Ecclesiasticall offices: and that the excommunicate & suspended Prestes hauehave in deede the keyes, but rusty & bounde vp. And they that say these thynges may wel seme modest and sober in comparison of the rest, which vponupon an new an uield hauehave forged newe keyes, with which they say the treasure of y^e churche is locked vp. These keyes we shall hereafter trye in place fit for it.

Nowe I wyll in fewe woordes aunswere to euerye one these particularlye. But at this present I speake not by what ryght or what wrong they bynde the soules of the faithfull with their lawes, for as muche as we will consider that when place serueth. But where they charge men with a lawe of reckening vp all their sinnes: where they saye that sinne is not forgeuen but vponupon condition, if there be an intent conceiued to confesse it: where they babble that there remaineth no entrie into Paradise, if occasion of confessing be neglected: this is in no wyse to be suffered.Psa. xix.xiii. Must all sinnes be reckened vp? But Dauid, (Whoe as I thinke) had well studied vponupon the confession of his sinnes, yet cried out: who shall vnderstande his errors? Lorde cleanse me from my secret sinnes.Ps. xxxviii …. And in an other place. My iniquities hauehave passed aboue my head, and lyke a weightye burden hauehave wared heauy aboue my strengthe. Truely, he vnderstode howe great was the bottomlesse depthe of our sinnes: howe many were the sortes of our misch…euous doings, how many heades this monster Hydra did beare, & how long a tayle she drew after her. Therfore he went not about to reckē vp a register of thē, but out of y^• depth of euels, he cried vntounto y^e Lord: I am ouerwhelmed, I am v…ried & choked, the gates of helles hauehave cōpassed me, let thy hande drawe me out, whiche am drowned in the great pit, & am fai…ting and ready to die. Who nowe maye thinke vponupon the nombryng of his sinnes, when he seeth that Dauid can make no nombre of his?

Wyth thys butcherye, the soules that hauehave beene touched with anye feelynge of God, hauehave beene more cruelye vexed. Fyrst they called them selues to accompte: then they deuyded synnes into armes, into boowes, into braunches, and into twigges, according to these mens rules: then they weyed the qualities, quantities, & circumstaunces. And so the matter went a litle forwarde. But when they had proceded a litle further, than was on eche syde skye, & on eche side sea, no hauen, no safe roade: the mo that they had passed ouer, the greater heape alway did thrust it self into their sight, yea thei rose vp as hye mountaines, and ther appeared no hope, not so much as after long cō passinges, any waie to escape. And so thei did sticke fast betwene the sacrifice and the stone, and at last was founde no other issue but desperation. Then these cruel butchers, to ease the woundes that themselues had made, lated certaine gentle plaisters, that eueryevery man sholde do as muche as he coulde. But new cares againe rose vp, Yea new tormētes did slea y^• sylly soules, as to thinke: I hauehave not employed time enough, I hauehave not endeuored my selfe with suche diligence as I oughte, I hauehave passed ouer many thinges by negligence and the forgetfulnesse that commeth by negligence is not excusable. Then were there ministred other plaisters to asswage suche peines, as Repent thee of thy neglygence: if it bee not altogether carelesse, it shall bee pardoned. But al these things can not close vp the wounde, and are not so muche easmente of the euell, as poysons couered with honey, that thei shold not with their bitternesse offende the firste taste, but enter into the bowels before that thei be perceiued. Therfore this terrible saieng alway calleth vponupon them and soundeth in their cares: Confesse al thy sinnes. And this horroure can not bee appeased buy by assured comforte. Here let the readers consider, how possible it is to bring into accompt all the doinges of a whole yeare, & to gather together what sinnes thei hauehave done eueryevery daie: for asmuche as experience proueth to eueryevery man, that when at euening he shall recken vp the faultes but of one daie, his memorie is confounded therewith, so greate a multitude & diuersitie presenteth it selfe. For I speake now of grosse and blockish hypocrites that thinke thei hauehave done sufficiently, if they hauehave noted three or sower of the greatest sinnes: but I speake of the true worshippers of God, whiche when thei see themselues oppressed with the examinatiō that they hauehave made, do adde also this saieng of Ihon:i. Ioh. iii xx. If oure owne heart do accuse vsus, God is greater than oure heart: and so thei quake for feare at the sight of that iudge, whose knowledge farre sourmounteth oure vnderstandinge.

But whereas a greate parte of the worlde rested them vponupon suche flatteries, wherewith so deadely a poyson was tempered, thys came not so to passe, bycause they beleued that God was satisfied, or bycause they them selues were fully satisfied: but that the anchor caste as y… were in the midde sea, shoulde reste a lyttle from saylinge, or as a wayfaringe man weary and fainetynge, shoulde lye downe in the waye. I laboure not muche in prouinge thys. For eueryevery man maie be witnesse to hym selfe. I will in a shorte summe shewe, what manner of law thys was. Fyrst simply it is impossible, and therefore it can do nothinge but destroy, damne, confounde, and cast in ruine and desperation. And then when it hath ledde sinners from the true feeling of their sinnes, it maketh then hypocrites and ignoraunce of God and themselues. For whyle they are wholy busyed in reckenynge vppe of theyr synnes, in the meane tyme they forgette the secrete sinke of vyces, their hydden Iniquities, and inwarde fylthynesse, by knowledge whereof they shoulde cheefely hauehave weyed their myserie. But thys was a moste certaine rule of confession, to acknowledge and confesse the bottomlesse depth of our euell to be so great as passeth our vnderstandyng.Luc. xviii.xiii. After thys rule wee see that the Publicanes confession was made. Lorde be mercifull to me a synner: as if he shoulde saie: All that euer I am, I am altogether a sinner, and I can not atteine with witte or expresse with tongue the greatnesse of my sinnes: let the bottomlesse depthe of thy merciemercy swallow vp the bottomles depth of my sinne. But then thou wilt saie, what? are not all oure sinnes to be confessed? is no confession acceptable to God, but that whiche is knitte vp in these twoo woordes, I am a sinner? No, but rather we muste endeuoure our selues as much as in vsus lieth, to poure out oure heart before the Lorde, and not onelyonly in one worde confesse oure selues sinners, but also truely and heartyly acknowledge oure selues to be suche: and with al oure thought record, howe greate and diuerse is oure filth of sinnes, not onelyonly that wee bee vncleane, but what, howe great, and in howe many partes is oure vncleannesse: not onelyonly that we be detters, but with howe greate dettes wee bee loden, and howe manie waies charged: not onelyonly that we bee wounded, but also with howe manie & deadly strokes we be wounded. With this reknowleging when the sinner hath wholy poured out himselfe before God,Psal. xix.xxxi lette him earnestly and syncerely thinke, that yet there remaine moe sinnes, & that the secret corners of their euels are so depe, that thei can not be throughly disclosed. And he crieth out with Dauid: Whoe vnderstandeth his errours? Lorde cleanse me from my hidden sinnes. Now wher thei affirme, that sinnes are not forgeuen but with an intent of confessing firmely conceiued, and that the gate of paradise is shutte against him that neglecteth occasion offered when he may be confessed, God forbidde that we shoulde graunt them that. For there is no other forgeuenesse of sinnes, than alwaie hath ben. It is not reade that all thei hauehave confessed their sinnes in the eare of some preste, that wee reade to hauehave obteined forgeuenesse of sinnes at Christes hande. And truely, thei coulde not confesse, where there were neither any prestes confessors, nor any confessing at all. And in many ages after, thys confession was vnhearde of, at which time sinnes weare forgeuen with out thys condition. But that we may not nede to dispute longer about this, as about a doubtfull matter, the worde of God is plaine, which abideth for euer: Whensoeuer the synner repenteth, I will no more remembre all his iniquities. He that dare adde any thinge to this worde, byndeth not sinnes,Eze▪ xviii.xxi. but the merciemercy of God. For whereas thei saie, that Iudgement canne not be geuen but when the cause is heard, we hauehave a solution in readinesse, that they doe presumptuously take that vponupon them selues, which hauehave made themselues iudges. And it is a maruell, that thei do so boldely frame to themselues suche principles, as no man in his right wit wil graunt. Thei boaste that the office of Binding and Loosing is committed to them, as though it weare a certain iurisdictiō ioyned with Inquisition. Moreouer their whole doctrine crieth oute, y^t this authoritie was vnknowen to y^e Apostles. Neither doth it belong to the preeste, but to him whiche desireth absolution, to knowe certainly whether the synner be loosed or no: forasmuche as he that heareth can neuer know whether y^e reckning be iust & perfect. So shold ther be no absolution but suche as is restrained to his words y^t is to be iudged. Moreouer y^e whole ordre of loosing stādeth of faith & repētance, which two things are hidden from y^e knowledg of man, when sētence must be geuē vpō an other man. It foloweth therfore▪ y^t the assurāce of binding and loosing is not subiect to the iudgment of an earthly iudge: bicause the minister of the worde, when he dothe his office, can not geue absolution but conditionally: but that this is spoken for the sinnes sake, Whose sinnes ye forgeue▪ &c. that thei should not doubte that the pardon whiche is promised by the commaundement and worde of God, shall be ratified in heauen.

Therefore it is no maruel, if we condemne and desire to hauehave vtterly taken awaie this Auricular confession, a thinge so pestilent and so many waies hurtfull to the Churche: but if it were a thinge by it selfe indifferent, yet for asmuche as it is to no vse nor profite, & hathe geuen cause to so many wickednesses, sacrileges and erroures, whoe will not thinke that it ought to be presently abolished? Thei do in deede recken vp some good vses, whiche thei boaste vponupon as very profitable, butte these either false or of no valewe at all. Due onelyonly thei commend with a singular prerogatiue, that shame is a great punishment of him that cōfesseth, wherby the sinner both is for time to com made warer, & preuenteth the punishment of God in punishing himselfe. As thoughe we dyd not humble a man with shamefastnesse enoughe, when we call him to y^t hie iudgement seate of heauen, I meane to the hearing of God. It is forsoothe very wel profited, if for shame of one mans knowledge we cesse to sinne, and bee not ashamed to hauehave God witnesse of oure euell conscience. Althoughe the very same is also moste false, for it is to bee seen that by nothinge groweth greater confidence or licentiousnesse to sinne, than when men hauing made confession to a preeste, thinke that they maie wipe their mouthe and saie, I did it not. And not onelyonly they are made all the yeare longe the bolder to sinne: but all the rest of the yeare bearing themselues bolde vponupon confession, thei neuer sighe vntounto God, thei neuer returne to themselues, but heape sinnes vponupon sinnes, til they vomit vp al at ones as they thinke. And when they hauehave ones vomited them vppe, they thinke them selues discharged of their burden, and that thei hauehave taken awaie from God the iudgment that thei hauehave geuen to the preeste, and that they hauehave brought God in forgetfulnesse, when they hauehave made the preeste priuie. Moreouer whoe doth meryly see the daie of confession at hande? Whoe goeth to confession with a cherefull hearte, and commeth not to it rather against his wil, & as it were drawing backewarde, like as if he were taken by the necke and drawen to pryson? vnlesse paraduenture it be the very preestes, that vse ioyfully to delite themselues with mutuall rehersals of their doinges, as weare with mery tales? I wil not defile much paper with monstruous abhominations wherof auricular cōfession swarueth ful. OnelyOnly this I saie, If that holy man did not vnwisely, that for one rumor of fornication toke awaie confession out of his Church, yea, out of y^e remembrance of his flocke: then we be therby putt in minde what ys nedefull to be done at this daie vponupon infinite whordomes, adulteries, incestes and bawderies.

Where the Consessionars allege for thys purpose the power of the keyes, and doe therevpon sette the peupe and prore of their kyngedome, as the prouerbe is: it is to bee seen howe muche they oughte to auayle. Then (saye they) are the keyes geuen wythoute cause? Is yt sayde wythoute cause:Mat. xviii.xviii. Whatsoeuer you loose vponupon earthe, shall be also loosed in heauen? Do we then make the worde of Christe voide? I answer there was a weighty cause why the keies shold be geuen, as bothe I hauehave euen now already declared, and shal more plainly shew againe when I come to entreat of Excommunication. But what if I do with one swerde cutt of the holde of al that thei require, that ys with saieng, that sacryficeng preestes are not the vicars nor successors of the Apostles? But this shall also be to be entreated of in an other place: but nowe thei raise vp an engine whereby thei wolde most of all defende themselues, and therby may all their buildinges be ouerthrowen. For Christe did not geue his Apostles the power to binde & loose, before that he gaue them the holy ghoste. Therefore I saie, that none hauehave the power of the keies that hauehave not first receiued the holy ghost. I denie that any man can vse the keies, but hauing the holy ghoste going before & teaching him & informing him what is to bee done. They triflinge saie, that thei hauehave the holy ghoste: but in dede thei denie it, vnlesse paraduenture thei faine (as thei do faine in dede) y^e holy ghoste to be a vaine thing and a thing of nothing, but therin thei shall not be beleued. And by this engine thei are vtterly ouerthrowē, that of what soeuer dore thei boast y^t thei hauehave the keie, a man may alway aske thē whether thei hauehave the holy ghoste whiche is the iudge and gouerner of the keies. If thei answer that thei hauehave, then thei maie be asked againe, whether the holy ghoste may erre. This thei wil not be glade to speake expresly, althoughe thei crokedly vtter the same by their doctrine. It is therefore to be gathered, that no preestes hauehave power of y^e keies whiche do commonly without consideration loose those thinges that the Lorde wold hauehave to be bounde, and binde those thinges that the Lorde commaunded to be loosed.

Whereas thei see themselues conuinced by most clere experimentes, that thei do without choise loose and binde the worthy and vnworthy, thei vsurpe a power without knowledge. And although they dare not denie that knoweledge is requisit for a good vse, yet thei write that y^e very power is geuen to euel disposers of it. But this is y^e power, whatsoeuer thou bindest or loosest in earthe, shalbe bounde or loosed in heauen. Either the promise of Christ must lie, or thei that hauehave this power do well binde and loose. Neither may thei dallye and saie, that the saieng of Christe is limited according to the deseruings of him y^t is bound or loosed. And we also confesse, that none can be bounde or loosed, but thei y^t are worthy to be bound or loosed. But y^e messingers of the Gospell and the Churche hauehave the woorde, by whyche thei measure this worthinesse, in thys woorde the messangers of the Gospell, maye promise to all men forgeuenesse of sinnes in Christe by faythe,i. Cor. vi.ix. thei maye proclaime damnation into all and vponupon all that embrace not Christ. In this word the Church pronounceth that fornicatours, adulterers, theues, mansleiers, couetous men, vniust men, hauehave no parte in the kingdom of God, and bindeth such with most sure bondes. With the same worde the Churche looseth them whome yt comforteth being repentant. But what power shall this be, not to knowe what is to be bounde or loosed, and not to be able to binde or loose without knowledge? Why then do thei saie that thei loose by authoritie geuen vntounto them, whē y^e loosing is vncertain? What hauehave we to do with this imaginatiue power, yf there be no vse of it? But I hauehave it already prouch that eyther there is no vse of it, or so vncertaine an vse as maye be accompted for none at all. For wheras they cōfesse that there is a great parte of prestes that do not rightly vse the keyes, and that the power without lawefull vse is of no effect. Whoe shall assure me that he of whom I am loosed is a good vser of the keyes? if he be an euell vser of it, what hath he els but such a voyde disposyng of them, as to say, what is to be foūd or loosed in thee I know not, for asmuch as I lack the right vse of y^e keyes, but yf thou deserue I loose thee. But so much might do, I wil not say a laye man (for they could not beare that with patient eares) but a Turke, or a Deuell. For it is asmuche as to saye, I hauehave not the worde of God the sure rule of loosyng, but there is power geuen me to loose thee, yf thy deseruynges be so. We see therfore what they meant, when they defined the keyes to be the authoritie of discernyng, and power of executyng: and that knowledge is adioyned for a counseller, and like a counseller serueth for a good vse: vndoubtedly euen they desired to reygne at theyr owne will, licentiously, without God and his worde.

If any man take exception and saye, that the lawfull ministers of Christ shall be no lesse doubtefull in their office, bycause the absolution that hangeth vponupon fayth shall alwaye remayne doubtefull: and then that sinners shall hauehave eyther none or a cold comforte, bycause the minister himselfe whiche is no competent iudge of their fayth, can not be assured of their absolution: we hauehave answer thereunto in redinesse. For they saye that no sinnes are forgeuē by the preste, but such wherof himselfe hath ben the hearer: so by their opinion, the forgeuenesse hangeth vpō the iudgement of the prest, and yf he do not wisely discerne whoe be worthy of pardon, the whole doyng is voyde and of no effect. Finally the power whereof they speake, is a iurisdiction adioyned to examination, wherunto pardon and absolutiō is restrained. In this point is found no sure ground, but rather it is a bottomlesse depth. For where the confession is not found, the hope of pardon is also lame, and then the prest himselfe muste needes sticke in suspense while he can not tell, whether the sinner doe faithfully recken vp all his euell deedes. Finally (suche is the ignoraunce and rudenesse of prestes) the moste parte are no fitter to doe this office, than a shoemaker is to plowe the ground, and the rest in a manner all ought worthily to suspect themselues. Hereupon therefore riseth the perplexitie and doubtfulnesse of the Popes absolution, bycause they will hauehave it grounded vponupon the person of the prest, and not only that, but also vponupon knowledge, that he may iudge only of thinges informed, examined and proued. Nowe if a man should aske of these good docters, whether a sinner be reconciled to God, when some sinnes are forgeuen: I see not what they hauehave to answer, but that they shalbe compelled to confesse that all is vnprofitable, that the prest pronounceth of the forgeuenesse of those sinnes y^t he hath heard rehearsed, so long as the other sinnes are not deliuered from condemnation. On the behalf of him that confesseth how hurtfull carefulnesse holdeth his conscience bound, appereth hereby, that when he resteth vponupon the prestes discretion, as they call it, he can determine nothing certainly by the worde of God. The doctrine that we teache is free and cleare frō al these absurdities. For the absolution is conditionall, that the sinner should trust y^t God is merciful vntounto him, so that he sincerely seeke the cleansing of his sinnes in y^e sacrifice of Christ, & obeye the grace offred him. So he cā not erre, which according to the office of a preacher, proclaimeth y^t which is geuē him in instructiōs by the word of God. And the sinner may embrace a sure & cleare absolution, when that simple cōditiō is annexed of the embracing the grace of Christ, according to that generall doctrine of the maister himself,Matt. ix.xxix. Be it done to thee accordyng to thy fayth. Which hath ben wickedly despised in the Paparie.

How foolishly thei confound those things y^t the Scripture teacheth of the power of keyes, I hauehave promised that I wil speake in an other place, and there shalbe a more conuenient place for it, when I come to entreate of the gouernement of the church. But let the readers remē ber that those things are wrongfully wrested to Auricular and secret confession, whiche are spoken by Christ partly of the preachyng of the gospel, & partly of excōmunication. Wherefore when they obiect that the power of loosing is geuē to the Apostles, which prestes may vse in forgeuing sinnes acknowleged vntounto them, it is playne y^t they take a false & fond principle: bicause the absolution that serueth fayth, is nothing els but a witnesse of pardō takē out of y^e free promise of the gospell. As for the other confession, that hangeth vpō the discipline of the Church, it pertaineth nothing to secret sinnes, but rather to example, that cōmon offense of the church may be takē away. But wheras they scrape together here and there testimonies, to proue that it sufficeth not to confesse sinnes either to God only or to laye mē, vnlesse a prest be the hearer of them, their trauaile therin is but lewde, and such as they may be ashamed of. For whē the auncient fathers coūsel sinners to vnburden thēselues to their owne pastour, it cā not be expoūded of particular rehearsal which thē was not in vse. Then, Lumbard & such like (such was their sinister dealing) seme of set purpose to hauehave geuē thēselues to fayned bokes, by pretense wherof they might deceiue the simple. They do in deede truely confesse, that bicause absolutiō alway accōpanieth repentance, therefore there proprely remaineth no bond when a mā is touched with repentance, although he hauehave not yet confessed, & therfore y^t then y^e prest doth not so much forgeue sinnes as pronoūce & declare thē forgeuen. Albeit in y^e word of declaring thei slily brīg in a grosse errour, thrusting a ceremonie in stede of doctrine. But wheras thei patche vntounto it, y^t he is absolued in the face of the church y^t had alredy obteined pardō before God: they do incōueniently draw to the peculiar vse of eueryevery particular mā, y^t which we hauehave already sayd to be apointed for cōmon discipline, where the offense of a haynous & notorious fault is to be takē away. But by & by after, they depraue & corrupt moderatiō, addyng an other māner of forgeuyng, with an enioyning of penaltie & satisfaction, wherin thei presumptuously claime to theyr own sacrifices a power to part y^t in halfes, which God hath in all places promised vsus whole together. For when he simply requireth repentance and faith, this partition or exceptiō is a very robberie of God. For it is in effect asmuche as yf the prest takyng vponupon the persone of a Tribune, should become intercessour to God, and would not suffer God of his mere liberalitie to receyue him into fauour, that hath lyen prostrate before the Tribunes seates, and there hath ben punished.

The whole summe cōmeth to this point, that yf they wil make God the authour of this counterfait confession, therein is their falshod cō demned, as I hauehave proued them false forgers in the fewe places that they allege. But sithe it is euident that it is a law made by men, I say that it is bothe tirannicall and made iniuriously agaynst God, whoe bindyng mens consciences to his word, will hauehave them free from the bondage of men. Nowe when for the obteynyng of pardon, there is a necessitie prescribed of that thyng whiche the Lord wold to be free, I say that this is a sacrilege not to be suffred, bycause there is nothing more properly belongyng to God, than to forgeue sinnes, wherein cō sisteth saluation for vsus. Moreouer I hauehave shewed that this tirannie was first brought in, when the world was oppressed with filthy barbarousnesse. I hauehave also taught that it is a pestilent lawe, that eyther throweth downe hedlong into desperation the poore soules in whom so euer abideth a feare of God: or where there reigneth carlesnesse, deliteth them with vayne flatteries, & so maketh them duller. Last of all I hauehave declared, that what so euer mitigatiōs they bryng, tend to no other ende, but to entangle, darken and depraue pure doctrine, & hide vngodlinesses with deceitfull colors.

The third place in Repentance they assigne to satisfaction, wherof all that euer they babble may be ouerthrowen with one worde.Lib. 4. Ser▪ Dist. 10. c. 4. c. Non sufficit. de pont. cap. med. …ade… dist. c. nullus. …ade…. dist. They say that it is not enough for him that repenteth, to absteyne from his former euels, and chaunge his behauior into better, vnlesse he make satisfaction to God for those things that he hath done: And that there be many helpes by whiche we maye redeme sinnes, as wepinges, fastinges, oblatiōs & the workes of charitie. With these we must winne the Lord to be fauorable, with these we muste paye our dettes to the righteousnesse of God, with these we must make amendes for our defaultes, w^t these we must deserue pardō. For although by the largesse of his merciemercy he hath forgeuen our faulte, yet by the discipline of his iustice he reteineth the peine, & that this is the peyne that must be redemed with satisfactions. But in effect al that they say cōmeth to this point, that we do in deede obteine pardō of our sinnes at the mercifulnesse of God, but by meanes of y^e deseruing of our workes, by whiche the offense of our sinnes may be recōpensed, that due satisfaction may be fully made to Gods righteousnesse. Against such lies, I set the free forgeuenesse of sinnes, than whiche there is nothing more euidently spokē of in y^e Scripture.Esa. lij.iij Ro. v.v…i, Coloss. ii.xiiii. T…t. iij.v. First, what is forgeuenesse, but a gift of mere liberalitie? For the creditour is not sayd to forgeue, y^t acknowlegeth by acquitance y^t the monye is payed, but he that without any paymēt willingly of his owne liberalitie cancelleth the detters bond. Secōdly, why is this word, Freely, added, but to take away al opinion of satisfaction? With what cōfidence therfore do they yet set vp their satisfactiōs, y^t are strickē downe with so mighty a thūderbolt? But what? when y^e lord crieth out by Esaie,Esa. xliij, xv. It is I, it is I, that do put away iniquities for mine owne sake, and will not be mindefull of thy sinnes: dothe he not openly declare, that he fetcheth the cause and fundation of forgeuenesse only from his owne goodnesse? Moreouer whereas the whole Scripture beareth this witnesse of Christe,… that forgeuenesse of sinnes is to be receyued by his name, doth it not thereby exclude all other names? Nowe then do they teache that it is receyued by the name of satisfactions? Neyther can they denie that they geue this to satisfactions, although they saye that the same bee vsed as helpes by waye of meanes. For whereas the Scripture sayth By the name of Christ, it meaneth that we bryng nothyng, we allege nothyng of our owne, but reste vponupon the only commendation of Christ. As Paule,ii. Cor. v.xix. where he affirmeth that God is reconcilyng the world to him selfe in Christ, for his sake not imputyng to men their sinnes, he immediatly sheweth the meane and manner how: bycause he that was without sinne, was made sinne for vsus.

But (suche is their peruersnesse) they saye that bothe forgeuenesse of sinnes and reconciliation are performed bothe at one time,… when we are in Baptisme receyued into the fauour of God by Christ: that after baptisme we muste rise agayne by satisfactions: and that the bloud of Christ profiteth nothyng, but so far as it is distributed by the keyes of the Churche. Neither doe I speake of a doubtefull matter, for asmuche as they hauehave in moste euident writinges bewrayed their owne filthynesse, and not one or two of them, but all the Scholemen vniuersally. For their Maister, after that he had confessed that Christ had payed the penaltie of sinnes vponupon the tree, accordyng to the doctrine of Peter,i. Pet. ij.xxiiij. ii. Tim. i.ix. …. Ih. ij. v. & xii. immediately correcteth his sayeng with adding this exception, that in baptisme all temporall penalties of sinnes are released, but after baptisme they are minished by the help of penance, that so the crosse of Christe and our penaunce maye worke together. But Iohn sayth far otherwise, yf any sinne, we hauehave an aduocate with the Father, euen Iesus Christ whiche is the propitiation for our sinnes. I wryte vntounto you children, bycause your sinnes are forgeuen you for his names sake. Truely he speaketh to the faythfull, to whome when he setteth foorth Christe to bee the propitiation of sinnes, he sheweth that there is no other satisfaction by whiche God, beyng displeased, maye bee made fauorable and appeased. He doth not saye: God was ones reconciled vntounto you by Christe, nowe se…ke you other meanes: but he maketh hym a perpetuall aduocate, alwaye to restore vsus by his intercession into the fauour of his father: a perpetuall propitiation, by whiche our sinnes maye be cleansed awaye. For this is euer true that the other Iohn sayd:I… …xxvi Beholde, the Lambe of God, beholde him that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde. He taketh them awaye (sayth he hymself and none other, that is to say: for asmuch as he alone is the Lambe of God, he alone also is the oblation for sinnes, he alone the propitiation sacrifice, he alone the satisfactiō. For wheras the right & power to forgeue belongeth proprely to the father, in the respect that he is distinguished from the sonne, as we hauehave alredy sene: Christ is here set in an other degree, that taking vpō himself the peine due vntounto vsus, he hath taken away our giltinesse before y^e iugemēt of God. Wherupō foloweth, y^t we shal no otherwise be partakers of the satisfaction made by Christ, vnlesse y^e same honour remayne whole with him, whiche they doe wrongfully take to themselues that goe about to appease God with their owne recompensinges.

And here it is good to consider two thinges: that Christ may hauehave his due honour kepte vntounto hym whole and vnminished: and that the consciences beyng assured of the forgeuenesse of sinne, maye hauehave peace with God. Esaie sayth,Esa. liii.iiii. i. Pet. ii.xxiiii. Ro. viii.iii. Gala. iii.xiii. that the father hath layed the iniquities of vsus all vpō his sonne, that we should be healed by his stripes. Which thing Peter rehearsyng in other wordes sayth: that Christ did in his body beare our sinnes vponupon the tree. Paule wryteth that sinne was condemned in his flesh, when he was made sinne for vsus. That is to saye, that the force and curse of sinne was slayne in his fleshe, when he was geuen to bee a sacrifice, vponupon whiche the whole heape of our sinnes, with all their malediction and curse, with the dredfull iudgement of God, and condemnation of death should be caste. Here those trislynges are in no case to be heard, that after the firste purgyng, eueryevery one of vsus doth none otherwise fele the effectualnesse of the passion of Christ, than after the measure of satisfactorie repentance: but so oft as we fall, we be called backe to the onelyonly satisfactiō of Christ. Nowe set before thee their pestilent follies, as for example: That the grace of God worketh alone in the firste forgeuenesse of sinnes: that yf we afterwarde fall, to the obteynyng of a seconde forgeuenesse our workes doe worke with it. If these thynges maye hauehave place, do these thynges that are here before assigned to Christ remayne safe vntounto him? It is a maruellous greate difference, betwene this that our iniquities are layed vponupon Christ, that they should bee cleansed in him, and this that they are cleansed by our owne workes: betwene this that Christ is the procuryng of merciemercy, and this that God muste be made mercifull by workes. But yf we speake of pacifieng the conscience: what pacification shal this be for a mans conscience, to heare that his sinnes are redemed by satisfactions? When shal he certainely knowe the measure of his satisfaction? Therefore he shall alway doubte whether he hauehave God merciefull or no, he shall alwaye bee …exed, and alwaye quake for feare. For they that rest vponupon light pe… satisfactions, doe to contemptuously esteme the iudgement of God, …d doe litle consider how great is the greuousnesse of sinne, as we …all declare in an other place. But although we graunt them to redeme some sinnes with iust satisfaction: yet what will they doe when they are oppressed with so many sinnes, for satisfaction wherof a hū red liues although they were wholy applied therunto cā not suffice? Biside y^t, all the places wherin the forgeuenesse of sinnes is affirmed, do not belong to yonglinges, but to the already regenerate childrē of God, & them that hauehave ben lōg nourished in the bosome of the church. That embassage which Paul so honorably extolleth,ii. Cor. v.xx. I beseche you in the name of God, be ye reconciled vntounto God. is not directed to strangers, but to them that had ben already regenerate. But he, biddynge satisfactions farewell, sendeth them to the crosse of Christ. So when he wryteth to the Colossians,Col. i.xx. that Christ by the bloud of the crosse hath pacified all thynges in heauen or in earth, he restrayneth not this to the only moment wherein we are receiued into the church, but extendeth it to our whole course. Whiche easily appereth by the processe of the text, where he sayth, that the faithfull hauehave a redemption by the bloud of Christ, that is forgeuenesse of sinnes. Albeit it is super…luous to heape together moe places, that redily offer themselues to be founde.

Here they …lie to the sanctuarie of the foolish distinction, that some sinnes are veniall, and some deadly: that for deadly sinnes is greate satisfaction due, that veniall sinnes are purged with more easy remedies, as with sayeng of the Lordes prayer, with sprinklyng of holy water, with absolution at the masse. So they mocke and trifle with God. But whereas they alwaye hauehave in their mouthe veniall and deadly sinne, yet they coulde neuer discerne the one from the other, sauyng that they make vngodlinesse and vncleannesse of heart, a veniall sinne. But we (as the Scripture the rule of right and wrong teacheth vsus) doe pronounce,Rom. vi.xxiv. Eze. xviii.xx. Ro. viij.i. that the rewarde of sinne is death, and that the soule that sinneth is worthy of death. But that the sinnes of the faythfull ar veniall, not for that they doe not deserue death, but bycause by the merciemercy of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, bicause they are not imputed, bycause they are taken awaye by pardon. I know howe vniustly they sclaunder this our doctrine. For they saye, that it is the Stoikes strange conclusion, concernyng the equalitie of sinnes. But they shall easily be conuinced by their owne mouth. For I demaunde of them, whither among the very same sinnes that they confesse to be deadly, they doe not acknowlege one to be greater than an other. It doth not therfore immediatly follow, that sinnes are egall, bicause they are al together deadly. When the Scripture definitiuely sayth, y^t the reward of sinne is death, that the obediēce of the law is the way of life, & that the trāsgre…h of the law is death, they can not escape this sentence. What end o… satisfieng then will they finde in so great a heape of sinnes? If the satisfaction of one daye be the satisfaction of one sinne,Pro. xxii….xvi. while they are about that one satisfaction, they wrappe themselues in many sinnes, siche the iustest man passeth no one day wherin he falleth not many times. Now when thei shall prepare themselues to make satisfaction for these sinnes, they shall heape vp great numbers, yea rather innumerable. Then the hope of satisfieng beyng cut of, what do they staye vponupon? how dare they still thinke of satisfieng?

They goe about to winde out thēselues: but (as the prouerbe is) the water stil cleaueth vponupon them. The forge a distinction of fault & penaltie. Thei cōfesse that the fault is forgeuen by the merciemercy of God, but that when the fault is forgeuen, the penaltie remaineth which the righteousnesse of God requireth to be payed: & that satisfactions doe properly belong to the release of the penaltie. Good God, what a skippyn… lightnesse is this? now they confesse that the forgeuenesse of the fault lieth freely open for men, which sometime they teache men to deserue with prayers & wepinges, and al other kindes of preparations. But yet still al that is …aught vsus in the scripture cōcerning the forgeuenesse of sinnes, doth directly fight against this distinction. Whiche although I think that I hauehave alredy more than sufficiētly cōfirmed, yet I wil adde some other testimonies wherwith these winding snakes may be holden so faste, that they shall not be able ones to folde in the toppe of their taile.Iere. xxxi, xxxi. This is the new Testament whiche the lord hath couenanted with vsus in his Christ, that he will not remember our iniquities. What he meant by these wordes, we learne by an other Prophet where y^e lord sayth:Eze. xviij.xxiiij. Es. xxxviij xvij. If the righteous turne away frō his righteousnesse, I wil not remēber al his righteousnesses. If the wicked depart frō his wickednesse, I wil not remēber al his iniquities. Wheras he sayth that he wil not remēber their righteousnesse, this is asmuch to say, that he wil hauehave no regard of them in respect to reward them. Therfore not to remember sinnes, is asmuch as not to cal them to punishmēt. The same thing is called in an other place,Esa. xliiii.xxij. Mich. vij.xix. to cast it behinde his backe, to wype it away like a cloude, to drowne it in the bottome of the sea, not to impute it & to hide it. By such manners of speche the holy ghost doth plainely expresse his meanyng vntounto vsus, if we would apply vntounto him willinge eares to learne.Psa. xxxij.xij. Truely if God doe punysh sinnes, he imputeth thē: if he taketh vengeance, he remēbreth thē: if he cal them to iudgemēt, he doth not hide them: if he examine thē, he doth not cast them behinde his backe: if he loke vponupon them, he hath not wiped them away like a cloude: if he sift them, he hath not cast them into the bottome of the sea.Ps. lii.…j. And in this manner doth Augustine expoūd it in plaine wordes. If God hauehave couered sinnes, then he wold not loke vpō them: if he wold not loke vpō them, then he wold not mark them: if he wold not marke thē, then he wold not punish them: he would not know them, he had rather pardon them. Why therfore did he say that sinnes were couered, that they should not be seen: What was meant by this that God did see sinnes, but that he did punish them? But let vsus heare also out of an other place of the Prophet, vponupon what conditiōs the lord forgeueth sinnes.Esa. i.xviij If (sayth he) your sinnes be as scarlet, they shal be made white as snow: if they be red like crimosin, they shal be as woll. And in IeremieIer. l.xx. we rede thus: In that day the iniquitie of Iacob shalbe sought for, and shall not be founde: the sinne of Iudah, and it shal not be. Bicause I will be fauorable to the remnantes that I shall preserue. Wilt thou briefely vnderstand what is the meaning of those words?Iob. xiiij.xvii. Osee.xiii.xii. Ier. xvij.i. Weye on y^e other side what is meant by these speches: that the Lorde doth binde vp iniquities in a sacke, doth gather them into a bundell and laye them vp, and doth graue them with an iron pointell in an Adamant stone. If they signifie (as it is out of doubt) that vengeance shalbe geuen for recompense, then is it also not to be doubted, but that by contrarie sentences the Lord affirmeth, that he remitteth all recompensyng of vengeance. Here I muste beseche the readers not to harken to my gloses, but only that they will suffer the word of God to take some place.

What, I praye you, had Christ done for vsus, if we would still be cō pelled to suffer peine for sinnes? For when we saye that he dyd beare all our sinnes in his bodye vponupon the tree,i. Pet. ij.xxiii…. we meane nothing els ther by but that he suffred all the peyne and punishment that was due to our sinnes.Esa. liij.v. And the same hath Esaye more liuely declared where he sayth: y^• chastisemēt (or correctiō) of our peace, was vpō him. What is the correctiō of our peace but y^e peine due to sinne? & which we shold have suffred before that we could be recōciled to God, vnless y^t he had entred into our stede? Loe, thou seest plainely, that Christ suffred the peynes of sinnes,Rom. iii.xxiiij. i. Cor i.xxx. Eph. i.vij Col. i.xiiij i. Tim. ij.vi. to deliuer them that be his from them. And so oft as Paule maketh mention of the redemption performed by Christ, he vseth to cal it in Greke Apolutrosin, whereby he meaneth not only redemption, as it is cōmonly taken, but the very price and satisfaction of redemption. After whiche manner he wryteth, that Christ gaue him self An…ilutron, a price of raunsome for vsus. What propitiatiō is there with the Lord (sayth Augustine) but sacrifice? And what sacrifice is there, but that which is offred for vsus in the death of Christ? But that whiche is apointed in the law of Moses for cleansing the offenses of sinnes, ministreth vsus a strong battel rāme. For the lord doth not there apoint this or that manner of satisfieng, but requireth the whole recompense in sacrifices. Whereas yet in other thinges, he doth moste diligently and in most exact order set out all the ceremonies of expiation. Now commeth it to passe, that he commaundeth to recompense faultes cōmitted, with not workes at all, but requireth only sacrifices for satisfaction: but bicause his will is so to declare, that there is only one kinde of satisfaction, wherby his iudgement is appeased? For the sacrifices that the Israelites did then offer, were not weyed by the worke of men, but were estemed by their truthe, that is to say, by the only sacrifice of Christ. But what manner of recompense the Lord receyueth of vsus,Os…e, xii….iij. O see hath very well expressed in fewe wordes. Thou shalt (sayth he) take away iniquitie, O God. Loe, here is forgeuenesse of sinnes. And we shal paye thee calues of our lippes: Loe, here is satisfaction. I knowe that they yet do suttelly slippe awaye, when they make distinction betwene euerlastyng peyne, and temporall peines. But when they teache that temporall peyne is any kinde of punishment that God taketh as well of the body as of the soule, except only euerlastyng death, this restraynyng of it doth litle help them. For the places that we hauehave aboue recited, do expresly meane this, that God receyueth vsus into fauour with this condition, that in pardonyng the fault, he pardoneth al the peyne what so euer we had thereby deserued. And so oft as Dauid or the other Prophetes do craue pardon of sinnes, they do also there withal pray to be released of the peyne. Yea, the very felyng of Gods iudgement doth dryue thēm therunto. Againe, when they promise merciemercy at the Lordes hand, they do in manner alwaye of purpose preache of the peynes and the forgeuenesse thereof. Truely when the lord in Ezechiell pronounceth that he will make an ende of the exile in Babylon,Eze. xxxvj xxij. & xxxij and that for his own sake, not for the Iewes sake, he doth sufficiently shewe that bothe are of free gift. Finally, if we be deliuered by Christ from giltinesse of fault, the peines that come therof, must needes cesse.

But for asmuch as they do also arme themselues with testimonies of Scripture, let vsus see what manner of argumentes those bee that they allege.… Sa. xij.xiii. Dauid (say they) beyng rebuked by Nathan the Prophet of adulterie and manslaughter, receiued pardon of his sinne, and yet he was afterward punished by the death of his sonne that he had gotten by that adulterie. We are taught to redeme with satisfactions such peynes as were to be extended after forgeuenesse of the faulte. for Daniel aduised Nebuchadnezer to redeme his sinnes w^t almes.Dan. iiii.…iiii. And Salomon writeth that for equitie and godlinesse,Pro. xvi.vi. & x.xii. i. Pet. iiii.viii. Luc. vii, xlvii. iniquities are forgeuen. And in an other place, that with charitie the multitude of sinnes is couered. Which sentence Peter also confirmeth. Agayne, in Luke the Lorde sayth of the woman that was a sinner, that many sinnes are forgeuen her, bicause she hath loued much. Now peruersly and wrongfully they euer weye the doynges of God. But if they had marked (as they should not hauehave ouerpassed it) that there are twoo kindes of Gods iudgement, they would hauehave seen in this rebukyng of Dauid, a far other manner of punishment, than suche as might be though to tende to reuengement. But bycause it not a litle behoueth vsal to vnderstand wherunto the chastisementes hauehave respect, wherwith God correcteth vsus for our sinnes, and howe much they differ frō those exāples wherewith he pursueth the wicked and reprobate with indignation: therefore I thinke it shall be not byside the purpose to comprehend it shortly in a summe. For the order of playne teachyng, let vsus cal the one kinde of iudgement, the iudgement of Reuenge, the other of Chastisemēt. It is to be vnderstanded, that God so punisheth his enemies with the iudgement of reuenge, that he vseth his wrath against them, confoundeth them, destroyeth them, and bryngeth them to nought. Therfore let vsus take that to be properly the vengeance of God, when his punishyng is ioyned with his indignation: with the iudgement of Chastisement he dealeth not so cruelly: as to be angry▪ nor punisheth to destroye, nor sendeth downe his lightenyng to kill. Therefore it is not properly punishment or vengeance, but correctiō and admonishment. The one is the doyng of a iudge, the other of a father. For the iudge when he punisheth an euell doer, he hath regard to the offense, and punisheth the very fault: when the father somwhat rigorously correcteth his childe, he doeth it not to be reuēged on him, or to punish him, but rather to teache him & make him water in time to come. Chrysostome in a certayne place vseth a similitude somwhat differyng from this, but yet it commeth to the same point. The sonne (sayth he) is beaten, and the seruant also is beaten: but the one is punished as a bondseruant, bycause he hath offended, and the other is chastised as a freeman and as a sonne, nedyng correction. To the one his correction serueth for profe and amendement, to the other for & scourge and punishment.

But that we maye hauehave the whole matter shortly and in a redy summe, let this be the first of two distinctions. Wheresoeuer punishment is to reuenge, there sheweth it self the curse and wrath of God, whiche he alwaye withholdeth from the faythfull.Iob. iii.xvii. Pro. vi.xi. …eb. xii.i… Contrarywise Chastisement bothe is a blessyng of God, and beareth a testimonie of his louelove, as the Scripture teacheth. This difference is commonly eueryevery where sufficiently expressed in the worde of God. For what so euer afflictions the wicked …uffer in this present life, therein is painted out vntounto vsus as it were a certayne entrie of hell, from whense they doe alredy see a far of their eternall damnation: and they are so far from beyng amended or takyng any profit thereby, that rather by such beginnynges they are prepared to the most cruell hell that at length abideth for them.Ps c.xvii… xviij. Psa. cxix.xvii. But the lord chastisyng chastiseth his seruantes, but he doth not put them to death. Therfore they confesse that to be beatē with his rodde, was good for them into true instruction. But as we rede eueryevery where that the holy ones suffer suche punishmentes with quiet minde, so they hauehave alwaye prayed to escape the first kinde of scourges. Chastise me Lord (sayth Ieremie) but in thy iudgement,Ier. x.xiiij not in thy wrath, least thou destroy me. Poure out thy wrath vpō the nations y^t hauehave not knowen thee, & vponupon the kingdomes that hauehave not called vponupon thy name.Ps. vi.ij. & xxx…iij.ij. And David sayth: Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, nor correct me in thine anger. And it maketh nothyng to the contrarie, that oftētimes it is sayd, that the Lord is angry with them that be his, when he punisheth their sinnes. As in Esaie:Esa. xij.i. I wil cōfesse to thee O lord, bicause thou hast be angry w^t me: thy wrath is turned, & thou hast comforted me. Againe Abacuc.Hab.iii.ii. Thou that hast ben angry shal remēber merciemercy. And Michee:Mich. vij.ix. I wil beare the wrath of the lord, bicause I hauehave sinned against him. Where he putteth vsus in minde that not only they that are iustly punished, nothing preuaile with murmuryng against him, but also y^t the faithful hauehave aswagemēt of their sorto…, in cōsidering the purpose of God. For after the same manner it is sayd that he doth defile his owne inheritāce, which yet (as we know) he will neuer defile. But that is spoken not in respect of the purpose or meaning of God that punisheth, but of the vehement feling of sorrow, which they fele that suffer any of his seueritie what so euer it be. But he not only pricketh his faithful with no smal rigour, but sometimes so woundeth them, that thei thinke thēselues not far from the damnation of hell. So he testifieth that they hauehave deserued his wrath, and so it behoueth that they should lothe themselues in their euels, and be touched with the greater care to appease God, and carefully make haste to craue pardon. But euen in the very same doynge he sheweth a more euident testimonie of his fauorable kindenesse than of his wrath. For the couenant continueth that was made with vsus in our true Salomon: the truthe whereof he, that can not deceyue, hath affirmed,Ps. lxxxix.xxxi. that it shall neuer bee made voyde. If (sayth he) his children forsake my lawe, and walke not in my iudgementes: yf they defile my statutes, and kepe not my commaundementes, I will visite their sinnes with a rodde and with stripes: but I wil not take away my merciemercy from him. Of whiche merciemercy to make vsus assured, he sayth, that the rodde wherewith he will correct the posteritie of Salomon,ij. Sa. vij.xiiij. shalbe of menne, and stripes of the children of menne: by which clauses when he meaneth moderation and lenitie; he there withall secretlye declareth, that they can not but bee confounded with extreme and deadly horrour, that fele the hand of God to be against thē. Now great regard he hath of this lenitie in chastising his Israell, he sheweth in the Prophet:Esa. xlv…ij x. I hauehave purged thee (sayth he) in fyre: But not as Siluer, for then thou shouldest hauehave ben all consumed. Albeit he teacheth that chastisementes serue him for to cleanse hym, but he further sayth that he vseth the same so temperately, that he bee not to muche consumed by them. And that is needefull. For the more that eueryevery man reuerētly feareth God, and geueth himself to follow godlinesse, so muche the tendrer he is to beare his wrath. For the reprobate, although they grone vnderunder his scourges, yet for that they weye not the cause, but rather turne their backe bothe to their owne sinnes and to the iudgemēt of God, by that slouthfulnesse they gather a hardnesse: or bycause they murmure and kicke agaynst him, and do make an vprore agaynst their iudge, that furious soden rage astoni… eth them with madnesse and furor. But the faythfull beyng admonished by his correction, by and by descend to consider their sinnes, and beyng striken with dread and horrour, they flee in hūble wise to pray to him for pardon, vnlesse the Lord dyd aswage these sorrowes wherwith the poore soules torment themselues, they would …ainte a hundred times euen in smal tokens of his wrath.

Then let this be the second distinction, that when the reprobate are stryken with the scourges of God, thei do alredy after a certaine manner beginne to suffer peines by his iudgement, and though they shall not escape vnpunished, for that they hauehave not taken hede to suche tokens of the wrath of God, yet they are not punished to this ende, to make them come to a better minde: but only that, to their great hurr, they should proue God to be a iudge and reuenger. But children are beaten with roddes, not that they should thereby be punished of God for their sinnes, but that they should thereby profit to amendement. Therefore we take it that thei rather hauehave respect to the time to come, than to the time paste.In serm. de poenite. & cō …ess. This I had rather expresse in Chrysostomes wordes than mine owne. For this (sayth he) God doth lay peine vponupon vsus, not punishyng our sinnes past, but correctyng vsus agaynst time to come. And so sayth Augustine: That which thou suffrest, y^t for whiche thou lamentest, is a medicine to thee and no peine, a chastisement and no damnatiō. Put not away the scourge, if thou wilt not be put away from the inheritance, &c. Knowe ye brethren that all this miserie of mankinde when the world groneth is a medicinall sorrow, and not a penall sentence. &c. These sentences I hauehave therefore thought good to alleage, that the manner of speche that I hauehave aboue writen, shuld not seme to any man newe and vnused. And hereunto serue all the cō plaintes full of indignation wherein the Lord oftentimes doth expostulate of the vnkindenesse of the people, for that thei stiffly despised al punishmentes. In Esaye he saith:Esa. i.v, To what purpose should I strike you any more: from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the hed, there is no whole place. But bicause y^e Prophetes are ful of such sayenges, it shalbe sufficient to hauehave briefly shewed that God do the punish his churche for none other intent, but that it should be tamed and amēd. Therefore when he did caste Saul out of the kingdome,i. Sam. iv x…iii. i… Sa. xij.xviii. 1. Cor. xi.xxxii. he punished him to reuengement: When he toke from Dauid his yonge sonne, he corrected him to amendement. Accordyng to this meanyng is that to be taken which Paule sayth, when we are iudged of the Lord, we are corrected, that we should not be damned with this worlde. That is, when we that be the children of God are afflicted with the hande of our heauenly father, this is no peyne wherewith we should be confounded, but only a chastisement wherwith we should be instructed. In whiche pointe Augustine is plainely on our side.Lib. de Peccato, merito, ac remiss. 2. ca. 33. & 34. For he teacheth that the peynes wherwith mē are a like chastised by God, ar diuersly to be considered: bycause to the holy ones they are battels and exercises after the forgeuenesse of their sinnes, to the reprobate they are without forgeuenesse peynes of wickednesse. In whiche place he rehearseth how peynes were layed vponupon Dauid and other godly men, and sayth that the same tended to this end, that their godlinesse shold by such humbling of them,Esa. xl.ij. be exercised and proued. And where Esaie sayth, that the Iewishe people had their iniquitie forgeuen them, bycause they had receyued full chastisement at the Lordes hande: this proueth not that the pardon of sinnes hangeth vponupon the full paymēt of y^e peyne: but it is in effect asmuch as if he had sayd: Bycause ye hauehave alredy suffred peynes enough, and by the greuousnesse and multitude thereof hauehave ben nowe pyned awaye with long mournyng & sorrow, therefore it is nowe time that receyuing the tidynges of full merciemercy, your heartes should reioyce and fele me to be your father. For there God did take vponupon him the person of a father, whiche repenteth him euen of his iuste seueritie, when he was compelled sharply to correct his sonne.

With these thoughtes it is necessarie that the faithful be furnished in bitternesse of afflictions.i. Pet. iiij.xvij. Ier. xxv.…ix. It is time that the iudgement beganne at the house of the Lord, in which his name is called vponupon. What shuld the children of God do, if thei did beleue the seueritie of God that they fele to be his vengeance? For he that beyng stryken with the hand of God, imagineth God a punishyng iudge, can not cōceyue him but angry and enemie vntounto him, & detest the very scourge of God as a curse and damnation. Finally he can neuer be perswaded that God loueth him. y^t shall thinke him so minded toward him, that he is still minded to punish him. But he only profiteth vnderunder the rod of God, that thinketh him to bee angry with his sinnes, but merciefull and louynge to himself. For otherwise that muste needes happen, whiche the Prophet complayneth that he felt,Ps. lxxxviij xiiij. Ps. xx.vii. where he sayth. Thy wrathes, O God hauehave passed ouer me: thy terrors hauehave oppressed me. Also that which Moses writeth, bycause we hauehave faynted in thy wrath: and we hauehave ben troubled in thy indignatiō, thou hast set our iniquities in thy sight, and our secretes in the light of thy countenance: bicause all our dayes are gone awaye in thy wrath: our yeres are consumed as the worde that is passed out of a mouth. On the other side Dauid sayth thus of his fatherly chastisementes, to teache that the faythfull are rather holpen than oppressed thereby:Ps. …iiii.…. Ps. lxx…viii xvii. Blessed is the man whome thou haste corrected O Lord, & hast instructed in thy law, to geue him quiet frō euell dayes, while a pit is digged for the sinner. Truely it is a harde tentation, when God sparyng the vnbeleuers and winkyng at their faultes, semeth more rigorous agaynst them that be his. Therefore he gaue them a cause of comfort, the admonishment of the law, wherby they should learne, that it is done to prouide for their saluation when they are called agayne into the waye, and the wicked are caried hedlong into their errours, whose ende is the pit. And it is no difference whether the peyne be euerlastyng or duryng for a time. For as well warre, famine, pestilence, and sickenesse as the iudgemēt of eternall death are the curses of God, when they are layed vponupon menne to this ende, to be instrumentes of the Lordes wrath and vengeance agaynst the reprobate.

Nowe (as I thinke) all men doe perceyue whereunto tended that chastisement of the Lord vponupon Dauid: euen to be an instruction that God is greuously displeased with manslaughter & adulterie, agaynst which he had shewed so great an indignation in his beloued & …aithful seruant: that Dauid should be taught to be no more so bolde to do the like deede: and not to be a peyne wherby he shuld make a certaine recompense to God. And so is to be iudged of the other kinde of correction, whereby the Lord punished his people with a sore pestilence,ii. Sam. x.iiii.i…. for Dauids disobedience whereinto he was fallen in numbryng the people. For he did in deede freely forgeue to Dauid the giltinesse of his sinne: but bicause it perteined bothe to the publike example of all ages, and also to the humbling of Dauid, that such a haynous offense should not remayne vnpunished: therefore he moste sharply chastised him with his rodde. Whiche marke also we ought to hauehave before our eyes in the vniuersal curse of mankinde. For whereas after pardon obteined, we do all yet suffer the miseries that weare layed vponupon our first parent for peyne of sinne: we perceyue our selues by suche exercises to be admonished, how greuously God is displeased w^t the transgression of his law: that beyng throwen downe & hūbled with knowledge in conscience of our owne miserable estate, we may the more …eruētly aspire to true blessednesse. But he shalbe most foolish that shal thinke, that the calamities of this present life are layed vponupon vsus for the giltinesse of sinne.Homil. … de pr… ad S…argi… rium. And that I thinke was the meanyng of Chrysostome when he wrote thus. If God do therfore laye peines vpō vsus, that he should cal vsus, perseuering in euels to repentance, then when repentance is ones shewed, the peine shalbe superfl…ous. Therefore, as he knoweth it to be expedient for eueryevery mans nature, so he handleth one man more roughly, and an other with more louynge tendernesse. Therfore where he mindeth to teache that he is not inmeasurable in takyng punishmentes, he reprocheth to the hard hearted & obstinate people that beyng striken yet they make not an ende of sinning In this meaning he complaineth,Ier. v.iii. Os…e. vii.vi…i. that Ephraim was as a …ake scorched on the one side, and rawe on the other, bycause the corrections did not pearce into their mindes, that the people hauynge their vices boyled out, might be made mete to receyue pardon. Truely he that so speaketh, sheweth, that so sone as a man hath repented, he wil by and by become appeasable: and that by our stifnesse he is enforced to that rigour in chastisyng of faultes, which should hauehave ben preuented with willyng amendement. Yet forasmuch as we all are of suche hardnesse and rudenesse as vniuersally needeth chastisemēt: it semed good to him beyng a most wise father, to exercise al without exception with a cōmon scourge al their life long. But it is maruelous why thei so cast their eyes vponupon the only example of Dauid, and are no… moued with so many examples, in which they might hauehave beholden free forgeuenesse of sinnes.Lu. xviii▪ …ii. Luc. xxii.…i. Mat. ix.ij It is read that the Publicane wēt out of the temple iustified. Their folowed no peyne. Peter obteyned pardon of his offence, his teares we reade (sayth Ambrose) his satis…actiō we reade not. And the man sicke of the Palsey heard it spoken to him: Rise, thy sinnes are forgeuen thee. There was no peyne layed vponupon him. Al the absolutions that are rehearsed in the Scripture, are set out as geuen freely. Out of this great number o… examples, a rule shoulde rather hauehave ben gathered than of that only example that conteyneth in it a certaine speciall matter.

Daniel in his exhortation wherin he counselleth Nebuchadnezer to redeme his sinnes with righteousnesse,Dan. iiij.xxiiij. and his iniquities with pitieng of the poore: his meanyng was not to saye, that righteousnesse & merciemercy are satisfactorie appeasementes of God, & redemption of peines (for God forbidde that there were euer any redemption sauinge only the bloud of Christ) but to referre this word Redeming rather to men than to God as if he had sayd: O king, thou hast vsed an vnrighteous and violent gouernement, thou hast oppressed the humble, thou haste spoyled the poore, thou haste hardly and vniustly handled thy people: for thy vniust exactions, for thy violence and oppression, nowe render to them merciemercy and righteousnesse.Pro. x.xij. Likewise Salomon sayth, that with charitie the multitude of sinnes is couered: not before God, but among men thēselues. For thus is the whole verse: Hatred raiseth vp contentions: but charitie couereth all iniquities. In whiche verse, as his manner is, he doth by waye of comparison of contraries, compare the euels that growe of hatreds, with the frutes of charitie: in this meanyng, they that ha…e together do one byte, barke at, reproche and rayle at an other, and turne all thinges to the worst: but they that louelove together, doe dissemble many thynges amonge themselues, doe wynke at many thinges, and pardon many thinges one to the other: not that the one alloweth the others faultes, but beareth with them, and helpeth them with admonishyng, rather than galleth them with reprochyng them.i. Pet. iiij.viij. Pro. xvi.vi. And it is not to bee doubted that Peter allegeth this place in the same sense, vnlesse we will accuse him of deprauyng and wrongfully wrestynge the Scripture. But whereas he teacheth that sinne is purged with mercifulnesse and liberalitie, he doth not meane that recompense is therewith made for sinne before the face of the Lord, so that God beyng appeased by suche satisfaction dothe release the peyne that otherwise he would hauehave layed vponupon them, but after the accustomed manner of the Scripture he declareth that they shall finde him merciefull vntounto them that leauyng their former vices & iniquities, do turne to him by godlinesse and truthe: as if he should say, that the wrath of God doth cesse and his iudgement rest, when we cesse from our euell doynges. Neither doth he there describe the cause of pardon, but rather the manner of true conuersion. As many times the Prophetes doe declare that Hypocrites doe in vayne pester God with forged ceremonious vsages in stede of repentāce, whereas it is vprightnesse of life with the duties of charitie y^t deliteth him.Hebr. xiij.xvi. As also the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes cōmending liberalitie & gentlenesse, teacheth y^t such sacrifices please God. And when Christ, taū ting the Pharisees that geuing hede only to cleansyng of dishes,Mat. xxiij xxv. Luc. xi.xxxix. they neglected the cleannesse of the heart, cōmaunded them to geue almes that all might be cleane: he dyd not thereby exhorte them to make satisfaction: but only teacheth what manner of cleannesse pleaseth God. Of whiche kinde of speach we hauehave entreated in an other place.

As touching the place of Luke, no mā that hath with sound iudgement read the parable that the Lord did there recite,Luc. vij.xxxvi. will make vsus any controuersie therupon. The Pharisee thought with himselfe, that the lord did not know the woman, which he had so easily receiued into his presence. For he thought that Christ wold not hauehave receiued her, if he had knowen her such a sinner as she was. And thereby he gathered, that Christ was not a Prophet that might in suche sorte be deceyued. The lord, to shewe that she was no sinner to whom her sinnes were alredy forgeuen, dyd put out this parable. There were two dettours to one creditour vpō vsurie: the one ought fifty, the other ought fyue hundred, bothe had theyr dettes forgeuen them. Whether oweth more thanke? the Pharisee answered: he to whome moste is forgeuen. The Lorde replyed: learne hereby that this womās sinnes are forgeuen her, bycause she hath loued muche. In whiche wordes (as you see) he maketh not her louelove the cause, but the profe of the forgeuenesse of her sinnes. For they are deriued vpō a similitude of that …ettour, to whome fyue hundred was forgeuen, to whome he dyd not saye that therefore it was forgeuen, bycause he had loued muche: but therefore loued muche, bycause it was forgeuen. And hereunto muste that similitude bee applyed in this sorte. Thou thynkest this woman to be a sinner: but thou oughtest to knowe that she is none suche, for asmuch as her sinnes be forgeuen her. And that her sinnes be forgeuen her, her louelove ought to proue vntounto thee, whereby she rendreth thanke for his benefite. It is an argument gathered of the folowyng effect, whereby any thinge is proued by signes ensuyng. By what meane she obteyned forgeuenesse of sinnes, the Lord openly restifieth: Thy fayth, sayth he, hath saued thee. Therefore we obteyne forgeuenesse by fayth: By charitie we geue thankes, and testifie the bountiefulnesse of the Lord.

As for those thinges that are commonly founde in the bookes of olde wryters concerning satisfactiō, they litle moue me. I see in deede that many of thē, (I wil speake plainely) in a manner al whose bokes remayne, hauehave eyther erred in this point, or spoken to crabbedly and hardely: but I will not graunt that they were so rude and vnskilfull as to hauehave wrytten those thynges in that sense that the newe Satisfactionars do reade thē.Hom. 2. in Psal. 50. Chrysostome in one place writeth thus: wher merciemercy is required, examination cesseth: where merciemercy is asked, iudgement is not rigorous: where merciemercy is craued, there is no place for peine: where is merciemercy, there is no inquisition. Where is merciemercy, the answer is pardoned. Whiche wordes howsoeuer they be wrested, yet thei cā neuer be made to agree with the Scholemens doctrines. In y^e boke of Ecclesiastical doctrines, whiche is fathered vpō Augustine is red thus: Satisfactiō of repentance is, to cut of the causes of sinnes, & not to graunt an entrie to their suggestions. Whereby appereth that the doctrine of satisfaction that was sayd to be geuen in recompense for sinnes committed, was euen in those times laughed to scorne: for asmuch as they referre all satisfactiō to a heedefulnesse in absteining from sinnes in time to come. I will not allege that whiche the same Chrysostome sayth,Hom. … Gen. Enchi…il. …. that he requireth of vsus no more, but that we shold confesse our sinnes vntounto him with teares: sithe suche sentences are many times founde in his wrytinges and others. Augustine in deede in some places calleth y^e workes of merciemercy, remedies to obteine forgeuenesse of sinnes: but bicause no mā shuld stūble at that litle word, he himself preuenteth it in an other place. The flesh of Christ (sayth he) the true & only sacrifice for sinnes, not only these sinnes y^• are wholly put away in baptisme, but also these that afterward crepe in by weaknesse: for whiche the whole church crieth out at this day, Forgeue vsus our trespasses. And they are forgeuen by that singular sacrifice.

They hauehave for the most part called satiffaction, not a recompense to be rendred to God, but an open declaratiō wherby they that had ben excōmunicate when they would be receiued agayne to the cōmunion, did assertayne the church of their repentance. For there weare enioyned vntounto them when they did repēt certayne fastings & other things, whereby they might perswade men that they weare truely & hartily wery of their former life, or rather blot out the remembrance of their former doynges: & so they were sayd to make satiffaction not to God, but to y^e Church.Cap. 65. and is rehersed in y^e Decretes cap. in acti…bus. de p…rit. dist…. 1. Which is also expressed of Augustine in these words in his Enchirrdion to Laurēce: Out of that auncient custome the cō fessions and satisfactions that are at this day vsed, toke their beginning. Truely very viperous birthes, by whiche is brought to palle, y^t there remayneth not so much as a shadowe of y^e better forme. I know that the old writers doe sometime speake somewhat hardly, and as I sayd euen now, I do not denie that paraduenture they erred herein. But those things that weare besprinkled with a few spots, when thei are ones handled with these mens vnwashed handes, are altogether defiled. And if we must contend with authoritie of old wryters: good God, what olde writers do they thrust vntounto vsus? A good part of those wherwith Peter Lombard their chāpion hath botched vp his patched Sentēces, is gathered out of y^e vnsauorie dotages of certaine mōkes that are caried about vnderunder y^e name of Ambrose, Hierome, Augustine, and Chrysostome. As about this present questiō he taketh in a manner all out of Augustines boke of Repentāce, which is foolishly botched of good and bad by some scraper together. It beareth in deede the name of Augustine, but such a boke as no man beyng but meanely learned, would vouchesaue to acknowlege for his. But wheras I do not so narrowly examine their follies, let the readers pardon me whom I wold ease of that tediousnesse. For to me it shuld not be very laboursome, & yet very plausible to bewray to their great shame those thinges that they hauehave heretofore bosted vponupon as misteries, but bycause my purpose is to teache frutefully, therefore I passe them ouer.

The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 4

The fourth Chapter. ¶That all that the Sophisters babble in their scholes of Penance, is far from the purenesse of the Gospell. Where is entreated of Confession and Satisfaction.