act of preaching or baptizing, or admitting men to the holy communion; for all these powers were given before this grant was made, as you may see St. Matt. x. 7. "As ye go, preach, saying," &c. And St. John iv. 2. Though "Jesus baptized not, but His disciples." And 1 Cor. xi. 23. in the same night that He was betrayed, He instituted and delivered the Eucharist, and gave His Apostles authority to do the like: Do this, that I have done, bless the elements, and distribute them; which is plainly a power of admitting men to the holy Eucharist. And all these powers were granted before our Saviour's resurrection. But this power of remitting sins, was not granted, though promised, till now, that is, after the resurrection; as appears, first, by the ceremony of breathing, signifying that then it was given; and, secondly, by the word "receive," used in that place, which He could not properly have used, if they had been endued with this power before. Therefore the power of remitting, which here God authorizes, and promises certain assistance to, is neither preaching nor baptizing, but some other way of remitting; namely, that which the Church calls Absolution. And if it be so, then to doubt of the effect of it, supposing we be truly penitent, and such as God will pardon, is to question the truth of God; and he that under pretence of reverence to God, denies or despises

x John xx. 23. y Matt. xvi. 19.

z John xx. 22.

this power: does injury to God in slighting His commission, and is no better than a Novatian, says St. Ambrose.P

WE

After the priest hath pronounced the Absolution, the Church seasonably prays, WHEREFORE BESEECH HIM TO GRANT US TRUE REPENTANCE, AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT, &c. For as repentance is a necessary disposition to pardon, so as that neither God will, nor man can absolve those that are impenitent; so is it in some parts of it a necessary consequent of pardon; and he that is pardoned, ought still to repent, as he that seeks a pardon. Repentance, say divines, ought to be continual. For whereas repentance consists of three parts, as the Church teaches us in the Commination. I. Contrition or lamenting of our sinful lives; II. Acknowledging and confessing our sins; III. An endeavour to bring forth fruits worthy of penance, which the ancients call satisfaction; two of these, contrition and satisfaction, are requisite after pardon. The remembrance of sin though pardoned, must always be grievous to us. For, to be pleased with the remembrance of it, would be sin to us: and for satisfaction or amendment of life, and bringing forth fruits worthy of penance, that is not only necessary after pardon, but it is the more necessary, because of pardon, for divers reasons; as first, because immediately after pardon, the

C

p De Pœnit. b. 1. ch. ii. vol. ii. p. 392.

devil is most busy to tempt us to sin, that we may thereby lose our pardon, and he may so recover us again to his captivity, from which, by pardon we are freed: and therefore in our Lord's Prayer, as soon as we have begged pardon, and prayed, "Forgive us our trespasses," we are taught to pray, "And lead us not into temptation," suffer us not to fall into sin again: which very method Holy Church here wisely intimates, immediately after pardon pronounced, directing us to pray for that part of repentance which consists in amendment of life, and for the grace of God's Holy Spirit enabling us thereunto. Again, repentance in this part of it, viz. an endeavonr of amendment of life, is the more necessary upon pardon granted, because the grace of pardon is a new obligation to live well, and makes the sin of him that relapsed after pardon the greater; and therefore the pardoned had need to pray for that part of repentance and the grace of God's Holy Spirit, that both his present service and future life may please God; that is, that he may observe our Saviour's rule given to him that was newly cured and pardoned by Him, that he may go away and "sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to him."r

There be three several forms of absolution in the service. The first is that which is used at morning prayer. ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FATHER

O

r John v. 14.

OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, &c. AND HATH GIVEN POWER AND COMMANDMENT TO HIS MINISTERS TO DECLARE AND PRONOUNCE TO HIS PEOPLE BEING PENITENT, THE ABSOLUTION AND REMISSION OF THEIR SINS. HE PARDONETH AND ABSOLVETH.

The second is used at the Visitation of the Sick. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HATH LEFT POWER TO HIS CHURCH TO ABSOLVE ALL SINNERS WHO TRULY REPENT, OF HIS GREAT MERCY FORGIVE THEE: AND BY HIS AUTHORITY COMMITTED TO ME, I ABSOLVE THEE, &C.

The third is at the Communion. ALMIGHTY GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WHO OF HIS GREAT

MERCY HATH PROMISED FORGIVENESS OF SINS TO ALL THEM THAT WITH HEARTY REPENTANCE AND

TRUE FAITH TURN UNTO HIM, HAVE MERCY UPON YOU: PARDON AND DELIVER YOU, &c.

All these several forms, in sense and virtue, are the same; for as when a prince hath granted a commission to any servant of his, to release out of prison all penitent offenders whatsoever, it were al one in effect, as to the prisoners' discharge, whether this servant says, by virtue of a commission granted to me under the prince's hand and seal, which here I shew, I release this prisoner; or thus, the prince who hath given me this commission, he pardons you; or lastly, the prince pardon and deliver you, the prince then standing by and confirming the word of his servant: so is it here all

one as to the remission of sins in the penitent, whether the Priest absolves him after this form; Almighty God, who hath given me and all Priests power to pronounce pardon to the penitent, He pardons you; or thus, by virtue of a commission granted to me from God, I absolve you; or lastly, God pardon you, namely, by me His servant, according to His promise, "Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted." All these are but several expressions of the same thing, and are effectual to the penitent by virtue of that commission mentioned in St. John xx. "Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted." Which commission in two of these forms is expressed, and in the last, viz. that at the Communion, is sufficiently implied and supposed. For the Priest is directed, in using this form, to stand up and turn to the people. Rubric immediately before it. Which behaviour certainly signifies more than a bare prayer for the people, for if it were only a prayer for the people, he should not be directed to stand and turn to the people when he speaks, but to God from the people, this gesture of standing and turning to the people signifies a message of God to the people by the mouth of His Priest, a part of His ministry of reconciliation, a solemn application of pardon to the penitent by God's Minister, and is in sense thus much, Almighty God pardon you by me. Thus the Greek Church, from whom this form is borrowed, uses to