The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Concerning Repentance.
ALthough all theſe, faith, hope, and charitie, repentance, juſtification, the ſtudy of good works, and a holy life cannot really be ſeparated one from another: Yet foraſmuch as they depend one upon another, we know that in this regard they are to be diſtinguiſhed, and we are to take them into conſideration each apart, and enquire what they are, and what their efficacie is. We think good therefore briefly to ſet down our opinion and deliver our judgement concerning each of them, beginning with Repentance which is the perpetuall individuall, and inſeparable companion of faith: For, although after Iuſtification it is perfected every day more and more: yet becauſe no man is juſtified without Repentance, and the beginning thereof goeth before Iuſtification it ſelf; Therefore in the firſt place we are reſolved to declare what our faith and belief is concerning this.
DOCTRINE I. That Repentance is neceſſarie to our Iuſtification and ſo alſo to our Communion with Chriſt.
WE believe that, to our true partaking of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and our communion with him, Repentance is neceſſarie, whereby, turning from ſin and from the world by change of mind and will, we may turn unto Chriſt, cleave unto him, and obtain in him and from him remiſſion of ſins, and be endued with his righteouſneſſe and holineſſe. For the firſt thing thataMatt. 1.4, 15. Iohn the Baptiſt and our Saviour preached was the Doctrine of Repentance, for the remiſſion of ſins. And Except ye Repent (ſaith our Saviour) ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
DOCT. II. What we underſtand by the name of Repentance.
BY the name of Repentance we underſtand two things more eſpecially. The firſt is true and ſerious grief and ſorrow for ſins committed againſt God; and that not ſo much for fear of puniſhment due unto ſin, as that we have offended God himſelf the chiefeſt good, who is our Father and Maker. The ſecond is a true change of heart and mind, will and purpoſe, and of our whole life: This part of Repentance, which properly is by Chriſt called Reſipiſcence, and by the Prophets, Converſion unto God, and Circumciſion of heart, according to the Doctrine of the Apoſtle proceedeth from the former: for he joyneth both together, ſaying,a2 Cor. 7.10. Godly ſorrow worketh Repentance to ſalvation not to be repented of.
DOCT. III. That Repentance is the gift of God.
WE believe that Repentance is the gift of God, proceeding from his mere grace, not due to any meries or preparations of ours: according to what the Apoſtle ſaith,b2 Tim. 2.25. If God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth, c26.And that they may recover themſelves out of this ſnare of the devil: and according to the Prophet,dIer. 31.18. Turn thou me; and I ſhall be turned: For thou art the Lord my God.
DOCT. IV. That, for the ſtirring up of Repentance in us, God ordinarily uſeth the word of the Law and Goſpel: and, That the hearing of them both in the Church is therefore neceſſarie.
GOd, to ſtirre up Repentance in us, doth ordinarily uſe the expounding of the Law, which diſcovereth our ſins unto us, and Gods wrath againſt ſin; as likewiſe the preaching of the Goſpel, which declareth unto us remiſſion of ſins, and the grace of God in Chriſt: As it is manifeſt to every godly man which looketh into the holy Scripture: And therefore we judge that in the Church both are neceſſarie, both the expounding of the Law and the preaching of the Goſpel.
DOCT. V. The ſumme of the Doctrine concerning Repentance, and in all every where, and alwayes neceſſarie unto ſalvation to as many as are of years.
THe ſumme then of our belief concerning Repentance every where and alwayes neceſſarie unto ſalvation to as many as are of yeares, is this; That Repentance is the change of heart and mind wrought in us by the holy Spirit, by the word of the Law and of the Goſpel: whereby, Foraſmuch as our ſins and corruption of nature are (as the Law teacheth) things repugnant to the will of God, and ſo ſtand in need to be purged away (as the Goſpel preacheth) by the death of the Son of God; We from our ſouls lament and bewail them, deteſt and abhorre them, humbly confeſſing them before God, and begging pardon for the ſame, reſolving upon amendment of life, and a conſtant ſtudie of innocency, and all Chriſtian vertues, and therein exerciſing our ſelves diligently all the dayes of our life, to the glorie of God, and the edifying of the Church.
DOCT. VI. That ſimply and abſolutely we condemne not thoſe parts of Repentance commonly ſo called, viz. Contrition, confeſſion of ſins and ſatisfaction.
COncerning the parts of Repentance before ſpoken of, we liſt not much further to diſpure, being thoroughly perſwaded out of the holy Scriptures that in brief it conſiſts in a ſerious and earneſt mortyfying of the old man and quickning of the new: the former whereof hath force and efficacie from the death of Chriſt, and the latter from his reſurrection; the holy Spirit communicating both unto us. Yet ſimply and abſolutely we condemne not that long agoe received and yet retained diſtinction in the Schooles, of the parts of Repentance, into contrition, confeſſion of ſins, and ſatisfaction: with this proviſo that they be examined at the rule of the holy Scriptures, and not found to decline from the godly cuſtomes of the ancient Church. As concerning contrition, and confeſſion of ſins likewiſe both before God, and our brother whom we have offended; and before all the Church alſo, when it is expedient; they are not without teſtimonie in the holy writ. Moreover if any man oppreſſed with the waight of his ſins, and perplexed with tentations, is deſirous to receive counſell, inſtruction, and conſolation privately, either from a Miniſter of the Church, or any other Chriſtian brother that is exerciſed in the Law of God: we diſlike it not. Neither condemne we thoſe Eccleſiaſticall ſatisfactions, of which Tertullian, Cyprian, and other Fathers ſpeak, which conſiſted onelyonly in this, that the perſons delinquent and offending ſhould give unto the Church publikely ſome certain outward teſtimonie of their true Repentance, which they called doing of penance. But we condemne thoſe ſuperſtitions which having ſince been ſuperadded, butchering of conſciences, and wicked and ungodly opinions: whereby the benefit of the death and ſatisfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, who alone hath purged away our ſinnes, and perfectly redeemed us from guilt and puniſhment, is much impaired.