OF PENANCE.
Repentance goeth before faith, and preparcth the way to Repentance. Christ, and to the promises. For Christ cometh not butf ' unto them that see their sins in the law, and repent. Re pentance, that is to say, this mourning and sorrow of the heart, lastcth all our lives long: for we find ourselves, all our lives long, too weak for God's law, and therefore sorrow and mourn, longing for strength. Repentance is no sacra ment: as faith, hope, love, and knowledge of a man's sins, are not to be called sacraments. For they are spiritual and invisible. Now must a sacrament bo an outward sign that may be seen, to signify, to represent, and to put a man in remembrance of some spiritual promise, which cannot be seen but by faith only. Repentance, and all the good deeds which j accompany repentance, to slay the lusts of the flesh, are sig nified by baptism. For Paul saith, Rom. vi. as it is above re hearsed: " Remember ye not (saith he), that all we which are Rom \\. baptized in the name of Christ Jesus are baptized to die with him? We are buried with him in baptism for to die;" that Repentance is, to kill the lusts and the rebellion which remaineth in the i*\*j*mflesh. And after that he saith, " Ye are dead, as concerning sin, but live unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord." If thou look on the profession of our hearts, and on the Spirit and forgiveness which we have received through Christ's merits, we are full dead: but 4f thou look on the rebellion of the flesh, we do but begin to die, and to be baptized, that is, to drown and quench the lusts, and are full baptized at the last minute of death. And as concerning the working of tliol Spirit, we begin to live, and grow every day more and more, both in knowledge and also in godly living, according as the lusts abate: as a child rcccivcth the full soul at the first day, yet groweth daily in the operations and works thereof.
CONFESSION is diverse: one followcth true faith inscpa- on rably, and is the confessing, and knowlcdging with the ^ mouth, wherein we put our trust and confidence. As when |™"tcst\!jyT we say our Credo, confessing that we trust in God the Father Almighty, and in his truth and promises; and in his Son Jesus, our Lord, and in his merits and dcscrvings; and in the Holy Ghost, and in his power, assistance and guiding. This confession is necessary unto all men that will be saved.
Matt.x. For Christ saith, Matt. x. "He that denieth me before men, him will I deny before my Father that is in heaven." And of this confession, saith the holy apostle Paul, in the xth chapter:
Rom. x, "The belief of the heart justifieth; and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe." This is a wonderful text for our philosophers, or rather sophisters, our worldly-wise enemies to the wisdom of God, our deep and profound wells without water, our clouds without moisture of rain; that is to say, natural souls without the Spirit of God and feeling of godly things. To justify, and to make safe, are both one thing. And to confess with the mouth is a good work, and the fruit of a true faith, as all other works are.
If thou repent and believe the promises, then God's truth justifieth thee; that is, forgiveth thee thy sins, and sealeth thee with his holy Spirit, and maketh thee heir of everlasting life, through Christ's deservings. Now if thou have true faith, so seest thou the exceeding and infinite love and mercy which God hath shewed thee freely in Christ: then must thou needs love again: and love cannot but compel thee to work, and boldly to confess and knowledge thy Lord Christ, if when and the trust which thou hast in his word. And this knowtyrants op- thouhhaevee ^dge maketh thee safe; that is, declareth that thou art safe already, certifieth thine heart, and maketh thee feel that thy faith is right, and that God's Spirit is in thee, as all other good works daj For if, when it cometh unto the point, thou hadst no lust to work, nor power to confess, how couldest /thou presume to think that God's Spirit were in thee?
Another confession is there, which goeth before faith, and accompanieth repentance. For whosoever repenteth, doth knowledge his sins in his heart. And whosoever doth know ledge his sins, receiveth forgiveness, as saith John, in the first of his first epistle: " If we knowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness;" that is, because he hath promised, he must for his truth's sake do it. This confession is necessary all our lives long, as is repentance. And as thou understandest of repentance, so understand of this confession; for it is likewise included in the sacrament of baptism. For we always re pent, and always knowledge or confess our sins unto God,
Another con fession is to knowledge thy sins in thine heart unto God.
OF CONFESSION.
and yet despair not; but remember that we are washed in Christ's blood: which thing our baptism doth represent and signify unto us.
Shrift in the ear is verily a work of Satan; and that the simfi. w. x. falsest that ever was wrought, and that most hath devoured the faith1. It began among the Greeks, and was not as it is now, to reckon all a man's sins in the priest's ear; but to ask counsel of such doubts as men had, as thou mayest see in St Hierome, and in other authors. Neither went they to priests only, which were very few at that time, no more than preached the word of God; for this so great vantage in so many masses saying was not yet found; but went indiffer ently, where they saw a good and a learned man. And for because of a little knavery, which a deacon at Constantinople played through confession with one of the chief wives of the [ city, it was laid down again2. But we, antichrist's possession, the more knavery we see grow thereby daily, the more we w> Tstablish it. A Christian man is a spiritual thing; and hatfTJ God's word in his heart, and God's Spirit to certify him of j all thing. He is not bound to come to any ear. And as forj the reasons which they make, [they] are all but persuasions of man's wisdom. First, as pertaining unto the keys and manner of binding and loosing, is enough above rehearsed, and in other places. Thou mayest also see how the apostles used them in the Acts; and, in Paul's epistles, how at thel preaching of faith the Spirit came, and certified their hearts ] that they were justified through believing the promises. — "^
When a man feeleth that his heart consenteth unto tKelno law of God, and feeleth himself meek, patient, courteous, andVhat his.sins merciful to his neighbour, altered and fashioned like untop-T-.
Christ; why should he doubt but that God hath forgiven him, and chosen him, and put his Spirit in him, though he never Jerome l his sin into the priest's ear?
^ne ^n^ reason have they, saying, How shall the priest unbhid, loose, and forgive the sin which he.knoweth not? How did the apostles? The scripture forsake they, and run unto their blind reasons; and draw the scripture unto a car nal purpose. When I have told thee in thine ear all that I have done my life long, in order and with all circumstances after the shamefullest manner, what canst thou do more than preach me the promises, saying, 'If thou repent and believe, God's truth shall save thee for Chrisfs sake?' Thou seest not mine heart; thou knowest not whether I repent or no; neither whether I consent to the law, that it is holy, righteous, and good. Moreover, whether I believe the promises or no, is also unknown to thee. If thou preach the law and the promises (as the apostles did), so should they that God hath chosen repent, and believe, and be saved, even now as well as then. Howbeit antichrist must know all secrets, to stablish his kingdom, and to work his mysteries withal.
They bring also for them the story of the ten lepers, verny^eplrs wmcn *s written in the xviith chapter of Luke. Here mark hcarts.irw. T. their falsehood, and learn to know them for ever. The fourml' teenth Sunday after the feast of the Trinity, the beginning of the seventh lesson is the said gospel; and the eighth and the ninth lessons, with the rest of the seventh, is the exposition of Bede upon the said gospel: where saith Bede, " Of all that Christ healed, of whatsoever disease it were, he sent none unto the priest but the lepers;" and by the lepers interpreteth followers of false doctrine only, which the spiritual officers and the learned men of the congregation ought to examine, and rebuke their learning with God's word, and to warn the con gregation to beware of them. Which, if they were after ward healed by the grace of Christ, ought to come before the congregation, and there openly confess their true faith. But all other vices (saith he) doth God heal within, in the conscience2.
Though they thiswise read at matins, yet at high mass, if they have any sermon at all, they lie, clean contrary unto this open truth. Neither are they ashamed at all. For why? they walk altogether in darkness.
Of Contrition.
CONTRITION and repentance are both one, and nothing else but a sorrowful and a mourning heart. And because that God hath promised mercy unto a contrite heart, that is, to a sorrowful and repenting heart, they, to beguile God's word and to stablish their wicked tradition, have feigned that new word attrition3) saying, 'Thou canst not know whether thy sorrow or repentance be contrition or attrition, except thou be shriven. When thou art shriven, then it is true con- Attrition i» trition.' O foxy Pharisee! that is thy leaven, of which Christ of theiM' so diligently bade us beware, Matt. xvi.; and the very prophecy Matt. xvi. of Peter, " Through covetousness with feigned words shall they 2 ret. n. make merchandise of you." 2 Pet. ii. With such glosses cor rupt they God's word, to sit in the consciences of the people, to lead them captive, and to make a prey of them; buying and selling their sins, to satisfy their unsatiable covetousness.
Nevertheless the truth is, when any man hath trespassed against God, if he repent and knowledge his trespass, God promiseth him forgiveness without ear-shrift.
If he that hath offended his neighbour repent and know ledge his fault, asking forgiveness if his neighbour forgive
Matt. xviiL him, God forgive th him also by his holy promise. Matt, xviii. Likewise, if he that sinneth openly, when he is openly re buked, repent and turn, then if the congregation forgive him, God forgiveth him: and so forth whosoever repenteth, and, when he is rebuked, knowledgeth his fault, is forgiven.
He also that doubteth, or hath his conscience tangled, ought to open his mind unto some faithful brother that is learned, and he shall give him faithful counsel to help him withal.
whom a man To whom a man trespasseth, unto him he ought to confess.
him must he But to confess myself unto thee, 0 antichrist, whom I have
They of the old law had no confession in the ear. Nei ther the apostles, nor they that followed many hundred years after, knew of any such whispering. Whereby then was their attrition turned into contrition? Yea, why are we, which Christ came to loose, more bound than the Jews? Yea, and why are we more bound without scripture? For Christ came not to make us more bound; but to loose us, and to make a thousand things no sin which before were sin, and are now become sin again. He left none other law with us, but the law of love. He loosed us not from Moses to bind us unto antichrist's ear. God hath not tied Christ unto antichrist's it hath no ear, neither hath poured all his mercy in thither; for it hath no record in the old Testament, that antichrist's ear should ^e Propitiator ium, that is to wit, God's mercy-stool, and that s^ould creep into so narrow a hole, so that he could no where else be found. Neither did God write his laws, neither yet his holy promises, in antichrist's ear; but hath graved them with his holy Spirit in the hearts of them that believe, that they might have them always ready at hand to be saved thereby.
OF SATISFACTION.
As pertaining unto satisfaction, thiswise understand, that he that loveth God hath a commandment (as St John saith in the fourth chapter of his first epistle) to " love his neighbour also:" whom if thou have offended, thou must make him amends or satisfaction, or at the leastway, if thou be not able, ask him forgiveness; and if he will have mercy of God, he is bound to forgive thee. If he will not, yet God forgiveth thee, if thou thus submit thyself. But unto God- ward Christ Christ is an is a perpetual and an everlasting satisfaction for evermore. SSfection.
As oft as thou fallest through frailty, repent and come again, and thou art safe and welcome; as thou mayest see by the similitude of the riotous son, Luke xv. If thou be lopen1 Lukexv. out of sanctuary, come in again. If thou be fallen from the way of truth, come thereto again, and thou art safe: if thou be gone astray, come to the fold again, and the shepherd, Christ, shall save thee; yea, and the angels of heaven shall rejoice at thy coming, so far it is off that any man shall beat thee or chide thee. If any Pharisee envy thee, grudge at thee, or rail upon thee, thy Father shall make answer for thee, as thou seest in the fore-rehearsed likeness or parable. Whosoever therefore is gone out of the way, by whatsoever chance it be, let him come to his baptism again, and unto the pro fession thereof, and he shall be safe.
For though that the washing of baptism be past, yet Baptism iastthe power thereof, that is to say, the word of God which w.T.er< baptism preacheth, lasteth ever and saveth for ever: as Paul is past and gone, nevertheless the word that Paul preached lasteth ever, and saveth ever as many as come thereto with a repenting heart and a stedfast faith.
Hereby seest thou that, when they make penance of re pentance, and call it a sacrament, and divide it into contrition, confession, and satisfaction, they speak of their own heads, and lie falsely.
THEIR absolution also justifieth no man from sin. " For Bom with the heart do men believe to be justified withal/' saith
Of binding and loosing, and of the pope's autho rity or power.
The pope ehallengeth power, not over man only, butover God al
Paul, Horn. x.; that is, through faith and believing the pro mises arc we justified, as I have sufficiently proved in other places with the scripture. " Faith" (saith Paul in the same"! place) " cometh by hearing," that is to say, by hearing the \ preacher that is sent from God, and preachcth God's promises.] Now, when thou absolvest in Latin, the unlearned heareth not: for, "How," saith Paul, 1 Cor. xiv. " when thou blessest in an unknown tongue, shall the unlearned say Amen unto thy thanksgiving? for he wotteth not what thou sayest." So like wise the lay wotteth not whether thou loose or bind, or whether thou bless or curse. In like manner is it if the lay understand Latin, or though the priest absolve in English: for in his absolution he rehearseth no promise of God; but speaketh his own words, saying, ' I, by the authority of Peter and Paul, absolve or loose thee from all thy sins.' Thou sayest so, which art but a lying man; and never more than now, verily.
Thou sayest, ' I forgive thee thy sins;' and the scripture, John the first, That Christ only forgiveth, and " taketh away the sins of the world." And Paul and Peter, and all the apostles, preach that all is forgiven in Christ, and for Christ's sake. God's word only looseth; and thou in preaching that mightest loose also, and else not.
Whosoever hath ears let him hear, and let him that hath eyes see. If any man love to be blind, his blindness on his own head, and not on mine.
They allege for themselves the saying of Christ to Peter, Matt. xvi. " Whatsoever thou bindest on earth, it shall be bound; and whatsoever thou loosest," and so forth. 'Lo, say they, whatsoever we bind, and whatsoever we loose, here is nothing excepted.' And another text say they of Christ, in the last of Matthew: " All power is given to me," saith Christ, " in heaven and in earth: go therefore and preach," &c. Preaching leaveth the pope out; and saith, ' Lo, all power is given me in heaven and in earth;' and thereupon taketh upon him temporal power above king and emperor, and maketh laws and bindeth them. And like power taketh he over God's laws/ and dispenseth with them at his lust, making no sin of that which God maketh sin, and maketh sin where God maketh none: yea, and wipcth out God's laws clean, and maketh at his pleasure; and with him is lawful what he lusteth. He bindeth where God looseth, and looseth where