we need either advice, or assistance, or direction, or comfort, we may call in the assistance of pious and discreet ministers; nay, we ought in prudence to do so, and we are wanting to ourselves if we do not: but still, the confession that is necessary to the obtaining our pardon, must ever be understood of confession to God. Whosoever humbly and sorrowfully confesses his sins to him, and endeavours to forsake them, such a man shall find pardon, whether he confess to men

or no.

This is the Protestant doctrine; and let us all adhere to it, and practise it.

And God Almighty give us grace, that we may no longer "cover our sins," but with humble and penitent hearts" confess them and forsake them." So shall we "find mercy" through Jesus Christ, &c.

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ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

[BISHOP PEARSON.]

a

THIS article hath always been expressly contained and acknowledged in the Creed, as being a most necessary part of our Christian profession; and for some ages it immediately followed the belief of the holy Church, and was therefore added immediately after it, to show that the remission of sins was to be obtained in the Church of Christ. For being the creed at first

a Therefore Carolus Magnus, in his Capitular, 1. 3. c. 6. inveighs against Basilius, the bishop of Ancyra, because in his confession of faith which he delivered in the second council of Nice (Act. 1.), he omitted the remission of sins, which the Apostles in so short a compendium as the Creed would not omit : " Hanc Apostoli in collatione fidei, quam ab invicem discessuri quasi quandam credulitatis et prædicationis normam statuerunt, post confessionem Patris et Filii et Spiritûs Sancti posuisse perhibentur; et in tanti verbi brevitate, de quo per prophetam dictum est, Verbum abbreviatum faciet Dominus super terram, hanc ponere minimè distulerunt, quia sine hac fidei sinceritatem integram esse minime per、 spexerunt. Nec cohibuit eos ab ejus professione illius Symboli brevitas, quam exposcebat sacræ fidei integritas, tantique doni veneranda sublimitas."

S.

"Concordant autem Angeli nobiscum etiam tunc cùm remittuntur nostra peccata. Ideo post commemorationem S. Ecclesiæ in ordine Confessionis ponitur Remissio peccatorum: per hanc enim stat Ecclesia quæ in terris est, per hanc non perit, quod perierat et inventum est.' Aug. Enchir. c. 64. § 17. And to this purpose it is in his book, De Agone Christiano, passing from one article to another with this general transition; after that of the Church, he proceedeth with these words: "Nec eos audiamus, qui negant Ecclesiam Dei omnia peccata posse dimittere." cap. 31. § 33. So it followeth also in Venantius Fortunatus, and in such other creeds as want that part of the former article of the communion of saints. in qua

с

Orig. Hom. 2. in Genesin." Sanctam Ecclesiam teneat. . .

was made to be used as a confession of such as were to be baptized, declaring their faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in whose name baptism was administered; they propounded unto them the Holy Church, into which by baptism they were to be admitted, and “the forgiveness of sins," which by the same baptism was to be obtained; and therefore in some creeds it was particularly expressed ", " I believe one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

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Looking thus upon this article, with this relation, we find the sense of it must be this, that we believe "forgiveness of sins" is to be obtained in the Church of Christ. For the explication whereof it will be necessary, first, to declare what is the nature of " remission of sins," in what that action doth consist; secondly, to show how so great a privilege is propounded in the Church, and how it may be procured by the members of the Church. That we may understand the notion of

et remissio peccatorum et carnis resurrectio prædicabatur." Ruffin. in Symb. "Sed neque de ipsis criminibus quamlibet magnis remittendis in S. Ecclesia Dei misericordia desperanda est.” S. Aug. Enchir. c. 65. § 17. In remissionem peccatorum. "Hæc in Ecclesia si non esset, nulla spes esset. Remissio peccatorum si in Ecclesia non esset, nulla futuræ vitæ et liberationis æternæ spes esset. Gratias agimus Deo qui Ecclesiæ suæ dedit hoc donum." Author. Homil. 119. de Tempore. cap. 8. "Quia singuli quique cœtus Hæreticorum se potissimùm Christianos, et suam esse Catholicam Ecclesiam putant; sciendum est illam esse veram, in qua est religio, confessio, et poenitentia, quæ peccata et vulnera, quibus est subjecta imbecillitas carnis, salubriter curat." Lactant. de Vera Sap. 1. 4.

c. 30.

b These are the words of the Constantinopolitan creed: 'Oμoλvyŵ ev Βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Before which Epiphanius, in his lesser creed: Ὁμολογοῦμεν ἓν Βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν· in the larger, Πιστεύομεν εἰς μίαν Καθολικὴν καὶ ̓Αποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ εἰς Βάπτισμα μετα voías. in Ancorato. § 120, 121. S. Cyril both these together: Eis v Βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Pelegrinus Laureae. Episc. : "Credo unum Baptismum in remissionem omnium peccatorum." Symbolum Æthiopicum: "Credimus unum Baptisma in remissionem omnium peccatorum in secula seculorum,"

forgiveness of sins," three considerations are required: First, What is the nature of sin which is to be forgiven. Secondly, What is the guilt or obligation of sin, which wanteth forgiveness. Thirdly, What is the remission itself, or the losing of that obligation.

As the power of sin is revealed only in the Scriptures, so the nature of it is best understood from thence. And though the writings of the Apostles give us few definitions, yet we may find, even in them, a proper definition of sin. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth against the law," saith St. John, and then rendereth this reason of that universal assertion, "for sin is the transgression of the law:" which is an argument drawn from the definition of sin; for he saith not, "every sin is the transgression of the law," which had been necessary if he had spoken by way of proposition only, to have proved the universality of his assertion, but produceth it indefinitely, "sin is the transgression of the law," which is sufficient, speaking it by way of definition." And it is elsewhere most evident that every sin is something prohibited by some law, and deviating from the same. For the Apostle, affirming that" the law worketh wrath "," that is, a punishment from God, giveth this as a reason or proof of his affirmation, "for where no law is, there is no transgression." The law of God is the rule of the actions of men, and any aberration from that rule is sin: the

an

a The manner of the Apostle's speech is also to be observed, having article prefixed both to the subject and the predicate; as if thereby he would make the proposition convertible, as all definitions ought to be. Ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία. 1 John, iii. 4.

b Rom. iv. 15.

Quid est peccatum nisi prævaricatio legis divinæ, et cœlestium in

law of God is pure, and whatsoever is contrary to that law is impure. Whatsoever, therefore, is done by man, or is in man, having any contrariety or opposition to the law of God, is sin. Every action, every word, every thought against the law is a sin of commission, as it is terminated to an object dissonant from, and contrary to, the prohibition of the law, or a negative precept. Every omission of a duty required of us is a sin, as being contrary to the commanding part of the law, or an affirmative precept. Every evil habit contracted in the soul of man by the actions committed against the law of God, is a sin, constituting a man truly a sinner, even then when he actually sinneth not. Any corruption and inclination in the soul to do that which God forbiddeth, and to omit that which God commandeth, howsoever such corruption and evil inclination came into that soul, whether by an act of his own will, or by an act of the will of another, is a sin, as being something dissonant and repugnant to the law of God. And this I conceive sufficient to declare the

nature of sin.

The second particular to be considered is the obligation of sin, which must be presupposed to the solution or remission of it. Now every sin doth cause a guilt,

"Peccatum est

obedientia præceptorum?" S. Ambros. de Paradiso, c. 8. factum vel dictum vel concupitum aliquid contra æternam legem." S. Aug. contra Faustum, 1. 22. c. 27. "Quid verum est nisi et Dominum dare præcepta, et animas liberæ esse voluntatis, et malum naturam non esse, sed esse aversionem à Dei præceptis?" Idem, de Fide contra Manich. c. 10. Neque negandum est hoc Deum jubere, ita nos in facienda justitia esse debere perfectos, ut nullum habeamus omnino peccatum : nam neque peccatum erit, si quid erit, si non divinitùs jubeatur ut non sit."

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Idem de Pec. Meritis, et Rem. lib. 2. c. 16.