C?P. VIII.] PBNANCE--ABSOLUTIO?. 305 CHAPTER VIII. PENANCE--ABSOLUTION. Remsxb ou the ?.mment of penance. It cmnprises abeolution, coutrition, conres* s/on, and satisfaction. ASaclution considered. I. Tlmy invest the priest with the power of forgiving sins. Council of Trent quoted. Dens cited. Roman Catech/mn cited. The form of absolut/on. The precatoryform invalid. Dens cited. Bishop Hay cited. Milner ciVz, d: 2. Examination of the s of Scripture which are quoted to establish it. Matt. xviii, 18, considered; o?n x?, 2?l: 9. The first preach= em never exercised such power: 4. No nmn can be qualified for exercising such an act am atmolution, especially immoral priests-' 5. God only can forgive sins: 6. The primitive church never believed in it: 7. In the exercise of it there is no lifoper dis- tinction between the righteous and wicked: 8. The Scripiure ?vay of obtainin? panIon is different from the popish mode. REPENTANCE embraces a great part of what the gospel requires o� us; for the whole conditions of the gospel are reduced to these two parts, namely, repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts xx. Although this doctrine is very plain, there is scarcely any that is more obscured, ntisrepresented, or more corrupted by the Church of Rome than this is. Their innovations on this part of the Christian system perplex the consciences of the more scrupulous, and give encouragement to the vices and excesses of the more Proff/gate part of mankind. The Roman Church has been pleased to term re- , pma?�e they have also made it a sacrament. Hear their own detmiuon or- it by the Council of Trent, in their fourteenth session, canon 1: "If any one says that in the Catholic Church penance is not truly a sacrament, instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, to reconcile the fa/thful to God, as often as they sin after baptism; let him be ac- cursed." Canon 4: "If any one denies that three acts are requisite in a penitent for the entire and perfect remission of sins, which are, as it were, the matter of the sacrament of penance, namely, contrition, conferion, and satisfaction, which are called the three parts of Pe- nance, &c.; let him be accursed." Besides, they believe that the clergy are, endowed with the power of retaining and remitt/ng sins. There are therefore four points in- cluded in or connected with this sacrament of penance, as it is called, namely, absolution, contr/tion, confertalon, and satisfaction; each of which will require a separate consideration. 1. We will state the doctrine o1' the Church of Rome on this point l?om their own acknowledged standards. In the fourteenth session of the Council of Trent we have the doctrines of penance fully la/d down in nine chapters and fifteen canons. The council teaches unequivo- cally that the priest has the power of forgiving s/ns, not ministerially, but judicially; not by praying to God for forgiveness, but as a ?dge or governor, pronouncing him pardoned. In commenting on, "?eceive ye the Holy Ghost,"the council says, chapter 1: "The power of for- ?ving and retaining sins, in order to reconcile the faithful who have sinned after baptism, was communicated to the aimsties and their law- �ui successors. Wherefore this holy synod, approving and receiving the above most evident sense of these words of our Lord, condomats the vain interpretations of those persons who falsely restr/ct them to the power of preaching the wont of God sad lmblishing the gospel of Vo*-. I.--20
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