custom of the primitive Church under the apostles, that the _ordination_ or _consecration_ of all churchmen, which is done by _prayer_ and _imposition of hands_, belonged to the _apostles_ and _doctors_; but the _election_ of those who were to be consecrated, _to the Church_. [Sidenote: The power of remitting sins to the penitent, and retaining those of the impenitent, belongs to the pastors; but judgment of the repentance, to the Church.] 25. Concerning the power of _binding_ and _loosing_, that is to say, of _remitting_ and _retaining of sins_; there is no doubt but it was given by Christ to the pastors then yet for to come, in the same manner as it was to the present apostles. Now the apostles had all the power _of remitting of sins_ given them, which Christ himself had. _As the Father hath sent me_, says Christ, (John xx. 21), _so send I you_; and he adds (verse 23): _Whose soever_ _sins ye remit, they are remitted; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained_. But what _binding_ and _loosing_, or _remitting_ and _retaining of sins_, is, admits of some scruple. For first, to _retain_ his sins, who being baptized into remission of sins, is truly penitent, seems to be against the very covenant itself of the New Testament; and therefore could not be done by Christ himself, much less by his pastors. And to _remit_ the impenitent, seems to be against the will of God the Father, from whom Christ was sent to convert the world and to reduce men unto obedience. Furthermore, if each pastor had an authority granted him to _remit_ and _retain_ sins in this manner, all awe of princes and civil magistrates, together with all kind of civil government would be utterly destroyed. For Christ hath said it, nay even nature itself dictates, that _we should not fear them who slay the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him, who can cast both soul and body into hell_ (Matth. x. 28). Neither is any man so mad, as not to choose to yield obedience rather to them who can remit and retain their sins, than to the powerfulest kings. Nor yet on the other side is it to be imagined, that _remission of sins_ is nothing else but an exemption from ecclesiastical punishments. For what evil hath excommunication in it, beside the eternal pains which are consequent to it? Or what benefit is to be received into the Church, if there were salvation out of it? We must therefore hold, _that pastors have power truly and absolutely to forgive sins; but to the penitent: and to retain them; but of the impenitent_. But while men think that to repent, is nothing else, but that every one condemn his actions and change those counsels which to himself seem sinful and blameable; there is an opinion risen, that there may be repentance before any confession of sins to men, and that repentance is not an effect, but a cause of confession. And thence the difficulty of those, who say that the