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Order of Contents
Intro
Quotes
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Intro
Some Post-Reformation reformed churches included in their worship service an Assurance of Pardon, or the reading of a Scripture promise relating to the forgiveness of sins to those who sincerely confess them, after a public prayer of confession of sin. While an assurance of pardon is (usually) materially the same as a Scripture reading, yet its distinct nature and function may be justified in public worship as an act of Church governance, or discipline (as Perkins). See ‘Acts of Church Government & Discipline are Worship’.
As an Assurance of Pardon is practiced by many reformed churches today, it is very necessary to understand the nature of it, lest one superstitiously understand it as the Absolution (Forgiveness) of Romanism. It is not the case that the repentant sinner only becomes forgiven upon the pronouncement of the minister.
Rather, the Church’s power can only be confirmatory and seal what the Lord’s will makes effectual, the two not being infallibly joined together. Read Turretin below. What applies to an Assurance of Pardon in a worship service applies equally to matters of Church discipline and restoration.
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Quotes
1600’s
William Perkins
A Godly & Learned Exposition or Commentary upon the Three First Chapters of the Revelation… (London: Islip, 1606), 3rd Chapter, p. 180
“Further, this power of the keys… The key of the ministery of the Word is set down and established by Christ, Mt. 16:19, ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,’ etc. This ministry of the Word is a key, because it opens and shuts heaven; this it does…
Second∣ly: by applying the promises of the Gospel and the threatening of the Law: For when in the ministery of the Word the promises of remission of sins and life everlasting, are applied to believers that repent, then the kingdom of heaven is opened; and when as in the same ministery of the Word, the curses of the law are denounced against impenitent sinners, then is the kingdom of heaven shut.
Yet touching the ministery of the Word, this distinction must be remembered; that otherwhiles the church is certain of the faith and repentance of some men, or some congregation; and then they may pronounce remission of sins absolutely.
But otherwhiles they are uncertain of their faith and repentance, or of their impenitency; and then they must accordingly remit or retain men’s sins, that is, conditionally; pronouncing the remission of sins to all that repent: and denouncing damnation to all that repent not. And thus is the word to be publicly handled in God’s Church at this day, because our congregations are mixed companies, consisting of some that repent and belieue, and of others that do not truly repent nor believe.”
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Francis Turretin
Institutes (P&R), vol. 3, 19th Topic, Q. 31, ‘The Five False Sacraments of the Romanists’, p. 554
“XX. The absolution committed to the ministers of the gospel is not judicial, such as belongs to a judge or lord; but ministerial, such as is partly by the preaching of the gospel (which consists in remission of this kind) or by his heralding or ministry of it, and in the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline, as it is subordinated to that preaching of the gospel (which is none other than that declaration by which he who was before leprous is declared clean); or such as belongs to a herald, who officially announces the favor of the magistrate to anyone.
Nor does the power of the keys involve anything else because they are not the principal keys of the Lord (which are ascribed to Christ alone, Rev. 1:18; 3:7), but ministerial, such as belong to stewards and doorkeepers.”
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