CHAP. XVIII. Of repentance.
ALthough that all these thinges, Faith, Hope, and Charitie; Repentance, Iustifi∣cation, the studie of good works and of a godly life, cannot indeed be separated from one another: yet in as much as one of them dependeth on another, they are therefore to be distinguished, and each of them seuerallie to bee considered of, and to bee seene, what they be, and what they worke. And therefore wee thinke good brieflie to declare what wee thinke of them euerie one, and first of repen∣tance the continuall and inseparable compa∣nion of faith. For albeit it bee daily made more perfect after iustification: yet because no man is iustified without repentance, and the beginning thereof goeth before iustifica∣tion: therefore wee haue purposed in this first place, to declare what our beleefe is concer∣ning the same.
I. To Justification, and therefore to the commu∣nion with Christ, Repentance is necessarie.
Wee beleeue that to the true participation of Christs righteousnesse, and so to the com∣munion with Christ, repentance is very neede∣full: whereby beeing turned from sinne and from the worlde, by chaunging our mindes & Page 143willes, we are turned to God, and are ioyned vnto him, and so obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes in him and by him, & be cloathed with his righteousnesse and holinesse. For the first thing, that Iohn Baptist, yea that Christ himself preached, * was repentance for the remission of sinnes. And, except (saith Christ) yee repent, * yee shall all likewise perish.
II. What we meane by the name of repentance.
By the name of repentance we vnderstand two things especially; first, an earnest griefe, & a true sorrow for our sinnes cōmitted against God: and that not so much for the feare of pu∣nishment due to sinne, as for that we haue of∣fended God himselfe, our chiefest good, yea our maker and louing father: and then, an vn∣fained chaunging of our mindes, hearts, wills and intents, and so of our whole life. For this part, which Christ calleth properly repentance, and the Prophets, a turning to God, * and the cir∣cumcision of the heart, the Apostle teacheth to come of the former, ioyning both partes to∣gether, where he saith, Godly sorrowe causeth re∣pentance vnto saluation.
III. Repentance is the gift of God.
We beleeue, that repentance is the gifte of God, comming from his meere grace: & not due to any of our deserts or endeauours, as the Apostle saith, * If god at any time will giue them repentance that they may acknowledge the trueth, & Page 144may come to amendment out of that snare of the de∣uill: * and the Prophet saith, Turne me O Lord, and I shalbe turned.
IV. To stirre vp repentance in vs, God vseth or∣dinarily the word of the law and the gos∣pell: and therefore the hearing of both is most necessarie in the church.
God accustometh, for the stirring vp of re∣pentance in vs, to vse ordinarily aswell the de∣claration of his lawe, which discouereth our sinnes, and laieth open gods wrath: as also the preaching of the gospel: which sheweth remis∣siō of sinnes, & fauour of god in Christ: euē as it manifestly appeareth to euerie godly man, which readeth the holie scriptures. And ther∣fore wee iudge the declaration and hearing of them both to bee verie needefull in the church.
V. A summe of the doctrine of repentance, euery where and alwaies necessarie to all of yeares of discretion.
The summe of our faith concerning repē∣tance necessarie euerie where and at al times, to all that bee of yeares of discretion, is this; that, repentance is a chaunging of the minde and heart, stirred vpp in vs through the holie ghost, by the word both of the law and the gos∣pell: wherein wee greeue from our heart: wee detest: we lament: we loath and bewaile: and Page 145cōfesse before God, all our sinnes, & euen the corruption of our nature, as things vtterly re∣pugnāt (as the law teacheth) to the wil of god, & to the cleansing whereof, the death of Gods owne sonne (as the gospell preacheth) was needefull: and doe humblie pray and intreat for pardon and forgiuenesse of the same: and do earnestly resolue vpon amendment of our life, and on a continuall studie and care of in∣nocencie and christian vertues, and exercise our selues in the same diligently all the dayes of our life: to the glorie of God, and edificati∣on of the church.
VI. That the vulgar or vsuall partes of poenitencie, as contrition, confession of sinnes and satisfaction, are not simplie condemned.
Concerning the partes of repentance, be∣sides those, which are alreadie declared, wee haue not much to speake: being taught by the holie scriptures, that the same doth wholy and chiefly consist in an earnest mortification of the olde man, and a quickening of the newe: whereof, the former taketh the force from the death of Christ; the latter, from his resurrection the holie ghost imparting them both vnto vs. Meanewhile we doe not simplie disallow that same distinction, receiued and long held in Page 146the schooles, of the partes of repentance, into contrition, confession of sinnes & satisfaction: name∣ly if it bee examined to the rule of the holie scriptures, and doe not varie from the vse and custome of the auncient church. For there want no testimonies in the scriptures, of con∣trition, and likewise of confession of sinnes, both before God, and before our brother whome we offend, and also before the whole congregation, when it is expedient. As also, if any man ouerloaded with the burden of his sinnes, and troubled with grieuous temptati∣ons doe priuately require counsaile, or instru∣ction, or comfort, either of a minister of the church, or of any other brother who hath knowledge in the lawe of God, we disallow it not. Moreouer, those Ecclesiasticall satisfacti∣ons, whereof we reade in Tertullian, Cyprian and others, which consist onely herein, that an assured testimonie of true repentance may be shewed to the whole congregation, which they call to doe pennance, wee cannot con∣demne it. But we condemne, the superstitions thereunto added, the torments of conscien∣ces and vngodly opinions, wherein appeareth to bee taken no benefite of the death and sa∣tisfaction of Iesus Christ, the one and onely washer away of sinnes, and perfect and full redeemer from all fault and punishment.
