1. Luther s Attitude. — He retained private confession and private absolution, although he knew them to be innovations of the ^Middle Ages ; he even never wholly abolished the sacramental character of absolution. Vet, notwithstanding this ai)parent adherence to Eomish practices, it will be found that he changed, so to speak, regeitcrated the whole institution in a refonnatory spir- it. With Luther also the power of the kej-s is identical with the power to bind and to loose. The keys he re- gards as nothing else than the authority or office by which the "Word is jiracticed and propagated. As the Word of God, from the nature of its contents, is both law and gospel, so the sermon has the t^\•ofokl task of alarming the secure sinner by threats of the law, and of giving peace to the troubled conscience by the consola- tions of the Gospel, i. e. by the forgiveness of sins. The former is denoted by the binding key, the latter by the loosing key, which are both equalh' essential to keep Christians in the narrow path of spiritual life. 1-2 ven the sermon Luther therefore considers as an act (the essential act) of the power of the keys, and the consola- tion afforded by it as a perfectly effectual absolution. From the latter, however, is to be particularly distin- giushed common absolution, accorded at the close of the sermon, to which Luther assigns the task of admon- ishing all hearers to obtain for themselves forgiveness of sin ; also^^ru'tj^e absolution, to be received only at the
KEYS, POWER OF THE
67
KEYS, POWER OF THE
confessional, and which is notliing more nor less than a sermon contined to one auditor. The existence of these different modes of exercising tiie power of the keys he ascribes partly to God's riches, who did not wish to manifest any littleness in the matter, and partly to the wants of an abashed conscience and a timid heart, which greatly need this strength and stimulant against the devil. The value of private absolution he places in its quasi sacramental character, for, like the sacrament, it also affords a real advantage in confining the ^Vord to a particular person, and thus more securely strikes home than in the sermon. It is true, for this reason, private absolution camiot be regarded as an absolute necessity to forgiveness of sin ; but he views it as unquestionably ben- eficial and advisable {Stcitz, I'ricatbeicltte u.Privatabso- lutioi), p. 7-1-1). As Luther, moreover, did not look upon the confessional as a judicial authority, but simply as a mercy-seat, so he looked upon absolution, which he rec- ognised as the most important feature of confession, not as a judicial decision, but as the simple announcement of the Gospel : " Thy sins arc forgiven thee" — the apportion- ment of the forgiveness of sin to a ;;ar?z«<fa7- person, the confinement of its consolation to the most individual needs of a single heart. The power and effect do not depend, according to Luther, upon the priestly character or upon the priestly utterance of him who administers it, but upon the word of Christ, which is announced by it, and upon the command of Christ, which is executed by it. For this very reason, all distinction of human and di- vine activity disappears from it ; neitlier is the sentence of the person absolving afterwards ratified by God, nor docs the absolver announce upon earth the judgment of heaven; but in the forgiveness at absolution God's forgiveness is directly afforded. The only condition upon which the effect of absolution depends is that upon which rests the effect likewise of the Word of God, i. e. of the sermon, namely, faith ; for by faith it is received. Repentance is efficacious only so far as it is the indis- pensable preparation for the reception, but in itself can- not insure forgiveness, as without faith it remains sim- ply sin come to life and experienced in the heart, a Judas-pain of despair (Steitz, vt sirpra, § 6, 13, 15-18). Notwithstanding this irremissible necessity of faith, Lu- ther is far from basing upon it the power of absolution; a weak faith may receive strength also ; yea, even to the unbeliever it is truly offered, and affords him for- giveness on account of the indwelling of the "Word of God, at least for the moment, but if repelled by unbelief it only adds to his responsibility before the judge. The result of absolution is consolation to the conscience and peace with God in forgiveness of sins and restitution in innocence of the baptismal pledge. Private absolution, Luther holds, must be administered to every individual M'ho demands it ; and on this account the power to loose in private absolution is not accompanied by the power to bind. Upon this rests the importance of the distinc- tion between private absolution and private confession ; for to confess does not mean anything else than inward- ly to desire absolution for our sins and for our guilt: confession can therefore not be offered to any one, for God liimself does not offer it; it must be an inward want. For this reason, again, no remuneration can be demanded of the person confessing. Luther makes no distinction between the absolution of the layman and that of the priest. It is also his opinion tliat man cannot too frequently enjoy absolution and the consolation of forgiveness, hence God, in the riches of his mercy, has so ordered it that this cfnisolation may be experienced wherever the Cluirch of tlio faithful exerts her influ- ence. He holds, finally, that while it may be well to confess all one's different sins, it is most important to confess those that particidarly oppress the heart.