Why We Resist The Doctrines Of The Church of Rome 

 

PENANCE AND INDULGENCES

Many modern Roman Catholics do not believe in the doctrine of indulgences and many are not as diligent in Confession and Penance as in former times. Romanism is ever a doctrine at work, a doctrine of “do”, whereas as far as our sins and the forgiveness of them according to the Bible is concerned, it is a doctrine “done”. Essentially Romanism is sacramental. It is by baptism that they believe they are “born again”, there is no room for a work of grace, repentance and faith in this. They are taught that baptism cleanses from all sin. Were they to die immediately after being baptised they believe they would go at once to Heaven. However, after baptism various sins are committed which are not regarded as covered by baptism. They must be confessed to a priest, who is regarded as able to absolve them and to adjudicate on behalf of the sinner, awarding a penance in satisfaction for the sin committed. This is all based on a false interpretation of our Lord’s words to the Apostles “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23). The remitting and retaining of sins is regarded by Protestants as the preaching of the Gospel, not confession to a human being who is also a sinner. The Roman method of formulating theology is often to form a convenient doctrine, then interpret a passage of Scripture, often by taking it out of context, to support what has been formed.

NOT KNOWN IN THE EARLY CHURCH

It is clear that there was no auricular confession to a priest in the Early Church. There is no trace of it in the writings of the earliest Church Fathers or the Bible. It was developed in this way. If a member of the church had fallen into some open sin he or she was barred from the Lord’s Table by the elders of the church. In order to be readmitted to the full fellowship of the church they were required to confess their sin before the assembled church. When the church became more numerous and popular and many people who were of some social or official standing in the community became Christians, the earlier practice of confession before the local church was abandoned because it was embarrassing, and was delegated to ministers. Later it was developed into the doctrine of Confession to a Priest. Because this was done orally, into the ear of a priest it was called “auricular” confession. Penance was gradually developed as the teaching of the Church corrupted from the Biblical doctrine of salvation, of repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work and shed blood, to that of works. This was later further developed for financial profit of the Church. With rulers it was used, at times, politically.
Louis XIV was advised by Jesuit confessors in the confessional, because of his wickedness, to persecute the Huguenots in order to obtain merit in the world to come. Leo X who was contemporary with Luther, used the confessional and the sale of indulgences to raise money for the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This contributed to the Reformation, as Luther protested against it.

UNBIBLICAL AND IN ERROR

The whole system is completely at variance with the Biblical doctrine of salvation. The only way, according to the Bible, whereby sin can be atoned for is by the shedding of the blood of Christ. Penitential works are not capable of cleansing the sinner “without shedding of blood is no remission”. (Hebrews 9:22).  The disciples of Christ by preaching the Gospel were remitting sins in that they declared the only way whereby the sinner could be relieved of his sin. John Bunyan, when writing in his Pilgrim’s Progress of the relief of Christian from his burden of sin and guilt at the cross, states that the burden fell into the sepulchre. He says “I saw it no more”. The whole doctrine of Penance and Indulgence is anti-Christian, a dreadful unbiblical fallacy, a deceit.

A SOURCE OF DREADFUL CORRUPTION

As the doctrines of Penance and Auricular Confession were developed they became a source of great power and financial gain, especially for the Church of Rome. The doctrine of Purgatory gave birth to the idea of Indulgences. It was taught that the Church had great treasury of merit, the merits of the saints, the virgin and others. These were like a vast deposit which the Church, through the pope, could grant to people, on payment of money or as a reward for saying certain prayers, attending shrines or adoring relics. These Indulgences could apply to living people who earned them or the departed souls of one’s relations. Certificates purporting to release people from their sins were sold. An enormous trade was engaged in, in Germany by Tetzel, in Switzerland by Samson, and elsewhere, which was denounced by Luther.
The Indulgences of these indulgence mongers were somewhat more liberal than formerly.
Previously it was only the guilt of the sinner the Indulgence covered, but those issued by Pope Leo X remitted the penalty and punishment of the sins. The preaching of these “pardoners” purported that the person pardoned was freed from all penalty of sin both here and in the world to come.

THE PRICE OF SIN

Price-lists of sins were issued - the cost of adultery, murder, rape and arson. The most detested of all sins in the eyes of the Roman Church was anything that challenged its authority, heretical teaching or preaching, or even the expression of any view contrary to the doctrine or custom of the Roman Church. In the period before the Reformation, challenging the wealth and power of the clergy brought swift retribution. There was no cover in Indulgences for heresy or any deviation from accepted custom. On the other hand, relics, shrines and reciting of certain prayers carried an Indulgence.

FORGIVENESS NEVER EARNED - THE GIFT OF GOD

It was the doctrine Luther found in the Epistle to the Romans, of justification by faith alone in Christ that brought down the awful error of the Roman Church on these matters. There is a confessional, It is the Throne of Grace. There is Purgatory, it is the precious blood of Christ. That precious blood atones for all our sin, the Bible regards all sin as mortal. We are exhorted to confess to Christ alone, for He alone by virtue of His precious blood can cleanse us. Romanism is clearly not the Gospel.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND PENANCE

Under the Reformation settlement the practice of habitual, auricular confession to a priest was abolished from the English Church. In the Book of Common Prayer there was a general confession of sins followed by a statement known as the General Absolution. In this the sinner is directed to God in the wonderful words “He absolveth all who truly repent and unfeigned believe His holy Gospel”
When John Henry Newman went over to Rome the leadership of the Tractarian, High Church Party fell to the Rev. E.B. Pusey. He reintroduced into the Church of England The practice of the Confessional and its system of penance. However in his Manual for Confessors he wrote “that it is a road by which a number of Christians go down to Hell”.
In many parish churches of the Church of England and in the Cathedrals provision is made for the hearing of confessions and the awarding of penance. It is a great disgrace to the Established church that it has allowed this Romish practice to reappear in it. 

Click to go back to Part 3

Click to go forward to Part 5