sins of the penitent are already forgiven in baptism, and theirs who repent not, cannot be forgiven at all, is against Scripture, and contrary to the words of Christ, _whose soever sins ye remit_, &c. We must therefore, to resolve this difficulty, know in the first place, that a true acknowledgment of sin is repentance. For he that knows he hath sinned, knows he hath erred; but to will an error, is impossible; therefore he that knows he hath sinned, wishes he had not done it; which is to repent. Further, where it may be doubtful whether that which is done be a sin or not, we must consider, that repentance doth not precede confession of sins, but is subsequent to it: for there is no repentance but of sins acknowledged. The penitent therefore must both acknowledge the fact, and know it to be a sin, that is to say, against the law. If a man therefore think, that what he hath done is not against the law, it is impossible he should repent of it. Before repentance therefore, it is necessary there be an application of the facts unto the law. But it is in vain to apply the facts unto the law without an interpreter: for not the words of the law, but the sentence of the law-giver is the rule of men’s actions. But surely either one man, or some men are the interpreters of the law; for every man is not judge of his own fact, whether it be a sin or not. Wherefore the fact, of which we doubt whether it be a sin or not, must be unfolded before some man or men; and the doing of this is confession. Now when the interpreter of the law hath judged the fact to be a sin, if the sinner submit to his judgment and resolve with himself not to do so any more, it is repentance; and thus, either it is not true repentance, or else it is not antecedent, but subsequent to confession. These things being thus explained, it is not hard to understand what kind of power that of _binding_ and _loosing_ is. For seeing in remission of sins there are two things considerable; one, the _judgment_ or _condemnation_ whereby the fact is judged to be a sin; the other, when the party condemned does acquiesce and obey the sentence, that is to say, repents, _the remission of the sin_; or, if he repent not, _the retention_: the first of these, that is to say, the judging whether it be a sin or not, belongs _to the interpreter of the law_, that is, the _sovereign judge_; the second, namely, remission or retention of the sin, _to the pastor_; and it is that, concerning which the power _of binding_ and _loosing_ is conversant. And that this was the true meaning of our Saviour Christ in the institution of the same power, is apparent in Matth. xviii. 15-18, thus. He there speaking to his disciples, says: _If thy brother sin against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone_. Where we must observe by the way, that _if thy brother sin against thee_, is the same with, _if he do thee injury_; and therefore Christ spake of those matters which belonged to the civil tribunal. He adds; _if