15.5 Section VI

    Section VI.–As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof, upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy: so he that scandelizeth his brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended; who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him.

Exposition In this section we are taught–

1. That every man ought to make private confession of his sins to God. We cannot discover to God anything that was previously concealed from his omniscient eye; but by confessing our sins we give glory to God, as well as take shame to ourselves. Hence Joshua said unto Achan: "My son, give, I pray thee, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him."–Josh vii 19. To cover our sins is to dishonour God, as if he either did not see, or could not punish them; whereas, to confess our sins is to honour God’s holy law, which we have violated–to honour his omniscience, which beheld all our transgressions–to honour his justice, which might have taken vengeance upon them–and to honour his patience and longsuffering, which have forborne to execute the merited punishment.

2. That those who privately confess their sins to God, and forsake them, shall find mercy, though they do not also confess all their sins to a priest. This is amply confirmed by that inspired declaration: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whose confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."–Prov. xxviii. 13. The experience of David corresponded to this declaration.–Ps. xxxii. 5. But the Church of Rome holds that the auricular confession of sins to a priest, and his absolution thereupon obtained is the only means appointed by God for the procuring of pardon of all mortal sins committed after baptism. For such a confession there is neither example nor command in Scripture. The text on which Romanists chiefly rely (John xx. 23) says nothing of the confession of sins in the ears of a priest; and the ministers of religion can only remit sins declaratively, not authoritatively. They can absolve from the censures of the Church, but not from the guilt of sin, as committed against God. In one place we are enjoined to "confess our faults one to another" (James v. 16); but this confession is mutual, not a confession by the people to the priest. Christians ought to confess their faults to those whom they have injured; but the confession of all their sins in private to a priest, as required by the Church of Rome, is wholly unauthorised by Scripture, and it has been the occasion of flagrant abuse. "Not only is auricular confession productive of much inconvenience to society, by giving the ministers of religion an undue and dangerous influence over the minds of the people in their most secret affairs; but it perverts their notions of the justification of a sinner, and it provides a method of quieting their consciences, which is so easy of access that it encourages them to sin with little fear."

3. Though Christians are only required to confess their secret sins to God, who seeth in secret, yet, if they have wronged a Christian brother, in his property or good name, they are bound to confess their offence to him, and to make all the reparation in their power for the injury they have done to him; and upon their repentance he is bound to forgive them.–Matt. v. 23, 24; Luke xvii. 3, 4. When Christians fall into public scandal, they should be willing to make more public confession of their offence, that they may openly honour that God by their confession, whom they have openly dishonoured by their conduct; and the Church, upon their repentance, ought in love to receive them, and restore them to all their Christian privileges. The Novatians maintained that such as had fallen into grievous transgressions, especially those who had apostatised from the faith, in a time of persecution, were not to be again received into the bosom of the Church. But this opinion is contrary both to the precepts and examples of Scripture. If a man be overtaken in a fault, they who are spiritual are enjoined to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering themselves, lest they also be tempted.–Gal. vi. 1. The Church at Corinth was required to forgive the incestuous person, upon his repentance, and receive him again into communion, lest he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow. - 2 Cor. ii. 7, 8.