The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 8 · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. In what ſenſe the word Penitence is taken in Scripture, and in the Fathers.
AS the word Poenitere in Latine, ſignifieth to repent, ſo the word Poenitentia, ſignifieth repentance. But it is proper unto falſe Religions, to change vertues into Ceremonies, and ſpiritual Ornaments into bodily exerciſe. As flatterers uſe more cringes and more fair words, then true friends, ſo ſuperſtition hath more outward ſhew then true Religion.
Hence comes the depravation of the words and language of the Holy Ghoſt. Thus to obey Chriſts commandment of bearing the Croſs, that is, ſuffering afflictions for his cauſe, they carry a Croſs in proceſſion, or hang a little Croſs upon their belly, although the belly be an enemy to the Croſs of Chriſt: Thus the Come ye unto me, of the Goſpel, is changed into pilgrimages. And to be made like little children, the Monachal beggin was invented. And becauſe Chriſt ſaid, I am the light of the world, they light candles in the day time. They that bear ſome words of the Goſpel hanging at their neck, dare not read the Goſpel; and words of inſtruction, are changed into a kind of charm and preſervative. Little balls thredded together, are called(a)Pater n…ſter. Our father: And the vertue of prayer, which ought to conſiſt in faith, directed by intelligence, conſiſteth now in a repetition, by a preciſe number, of the ſame prayer. Popery, by increaſing Ceremonies, hath put out Piety: And by amuſing the eyes, and exerciſing the hands, hath laid the conſcience aſleep. As when ſhadows grow, the night draws near; when the ſhadows of Ceremonies multiply, you may ſay, that for certain the night of dark ignorance is advancing apace.
The doctrine of Penitence was corrupted in the ſame manner, for whereas doing penitence according to the language of Scripture, and according to truth, is nothing elſe but repenting of ones ſins; the Roman Church by penitence, (which the Engliſh Romaniſts corruptly call penances) underſtands ſcourging, faſting, pilgrimages, and pecuniary pains, which the penitent undergoeth to ſatisfie Gods juſtice, after the ſin is pardoned. Wherefore Bellarmine ſaith(b)Bellar. lib. 1. de Poenitentia cap. 17. ſect. Adde. that penitence is not neceſſary to all men, but only to ſinners: As if all men were not ſinners, or, as if any could be ſaved without repentance. Holy Scripture ſpeaks not ſo. When Scripture ſaith that the Ninivites did penitence, the Holy Ghoſt means that they(c)foreign. Mat. 12.41. amended their lives; for the Greek word that Chriſt uſeth, ſignifieth that they corrected themſelves, and altered their mind, and changed their ſpirit and will. Faſting, ſackcloth, and aſhes, which they added to their inward ſorrow, were not penitence or repentance, but only outward ſigns and helps of repentance. Thus when Chriſt ſaith, that the people(d)Matth. 11.21. foreign. of Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago in ſackcloth and aſhes, he underſtands not that ſackcloth and aſhes were penitence it ſelf, but that the Tyrians would have teſtified their repentance by theſe exterior ſigns, uſual with them and other Nations of the Eaſt. And the word foreign (e)1 King. 8.47. 2 Chron. 6.24.7.24. Jer. 18.8. Joel 2.11. Ezech. 18.21.30.which we tranſlate penitence or repentance, ſignifieth a return, or a converſion, not a bodily puniſhment, and pecuniary fines. The Apoſtle Peter doth clearly expreſs this, Acts 3.19. Repent and be converted. Where he ſhews that penitence or repentance conſiſteth in converſion. And the Spirit of God, Rev. 2.4. complaineth that the Epheſians had left their firſt Charity, then he tells them,(g)foreign. Age poenitentiam & prima opera fac. (f)foreign.Repent and do the firſt works; ſhewing evidently, that agere poenitentiam, doing penitence, or repenting, is doing the firſt works that we had neglected before.
Thus 2 Chron. 6.24. theſe words according to the vulgar verſion, Si converſi egerint poenitentiam, if converting themſelves they do penitence, ſhew that true penitence conſiſteth in converſion. And 2 Chron. 7.14. Si populus egerit poenitentiam à viis peſſimis; If the people do penitence from their wicked wayes; So then doing penitence, is turning away from evil, to follow good works. And when Chriſt ſaid(h)Matth. 9.13. that he came to call ſinners to repentance, or penitence, he means not that he came to call men to bear ſatisfactory pains, but to amend their lives. And, Rev. 9.20. Non egerunt poenitentiam, they repented not of the works of their hands, that they ſhould not worſhip Devils and Idols, &c. For then an idolater doth the works of penitence, when he forſakes idols, to adhere to the true God. But the Pope hath changed amendment of life, into torment, and corporal, and pecuniary pains, becauſe ſuch a penitence is lucrative unto the Clergy, and raiſeth their authority. And with ſuch a penitence the Pope may diſpenſe, but cannot diſpenſe with amendment of life, and converſion to God.
Wherefore Pope Leo the X. and the Fathers of the laſt Council of Lateran, declare open war againſt God, when (in the Bull Exurge, which is in the end of the Council) they put among the blaſphemies and hereſies of Luther, that he had ſaid that(i)Optima poenitentia nova vita. the beſt penitence was a new life; that is, that the moſt acceptable penitence unto God, is to amend ones life, leaving wicked wayes, and embracing vertue and the fear of God. By pronouncing an anathema againſt Luther for ſpeaking ſo, they excommunicate Chriſt, and the Apoſtles and Prophets, who have ſpoken the ſame language, as we have ſeen. Theſe Prelates then ſhould have told us, what penitence is better then a better life. Did they believe that ſelf-whipping, or abſtaining from fleſh, or pilgrimage, or giving to the Church (that is, to the Fryars) are better things then to live holily, and depart from evil? Who knows not that theſe outward exerciſes may be done with hypocriſie, and that the Pagans and Mahumetans exceed the Chriſtians in theſe auſterities? But the true amendment of life alone, and without theſe outward penances,1 Tim. 4.8. is profitable and acceptable unto God, but the outward penances without a new heart, and without amendment, are a masked prophaneneſs, whereby a man playeth a pageant before God, and payeth him in cringes, putting on the out-ſide of devotion before God, not to pleaſe God but men. Bodily exerciſe profiteth little, (ſaith the Apoſtle) but godlineſs is profitable unto all things, having promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Contrition of heart never makes a man proud, ſince it conſiſteth in humiliation, but outward penances puff up many men with pride, and ſome will boaſt of their humility, even ſo far as to believe that God is in their debt, and that they have ſatisfactions to ſpare. It is the inſtruction of Hierom to Euſtochium, (k)Hier. ad Euſtoch. de cuſt. virg. Nec velis videri plus humilis quam neceſſe eſt, nec gloriam fugiendo quaeras hoc ipſo cupiens placere quod placere contemnis, &c. Nec hoc ipſum tibi jactantiam generet, quod ſaeculi jactantiam contempſiſti.Seek not to appear more humble then thou needeſt, neither ſeek glory by flying glory, deſiring to pleaſe, even in that thou deſpiſeſt to pleaſe, &c. Let not that breed boaſting in thee, that thou haſt deſpiſed the boaſting of this world. And upon the death of Bleſilla, (l)De obitu Bleſillae, Humilitas veſtium in pleriſque tumentes animos arguit.In many perſons humility in clothes, is a ſign of a proud mind. There is an arrogant humility. Many ſtoop that they may riſe. Some being lean with faſting, yet are puft up with pride. Vices will neſtle themſelves even among ſackcloth and aſhes. Some that ſcourge their ſides as if they were angry with themſelves, flatter themſelves in their heart with an imagination, that they have attained a great perfection. Such are thoſe eſpecially, that whip themſelves for others; for they believe that they have merits to ſpare for their neighbours. But this is true penitence, when a man hiding his penitence before men, diſcovereth it before God, whereby a man makes God the only witneſs of his tears, and ſeeks to pleaſe him by amendment of life. Such a penitence is a ſacrifice of ſweet ſavour before God. And it is the true receipt to mortifie ſin, and quell the heat of luſt. God by his wiſdom having ſo diſpoſed it, that as ſin hath brought ſorrow into the world, ſo ſorrow ſhould kill ſin, tearing by an holy parricide, the womb that bore her. This (by Pope Leo's leave) is better then whipping ones ſelf in publick, either for himſelf or for another. The true way to pleaſe God, is not that a man torment his body, but that he change his heart. God forgiveth him that condemneth himſelf. By a mortal war againſt our vices, we keep peace with God.