562. I have asked many of the Reformed in the spiritual world why they did not really repent, when this duty was laid upon them, both in the Word and at baptism, as well as before Holy Communion in all of their churches. They gave varying replies. Some said that contrition was sufficient, followed by a verbal confession of being a sinner. Some said that such repentance does not square with the universally received faith, because it is achieved by a person's action as a result of his will. Some said, 'How can anyone examine himself, when he knows he is nothing but sin? This would be like casting a net into a lake full from bottom to surface of mud teeming with noxious worms.' Some said, 'How can anyone engage in such deep introspection as to see Adam's sin in himself, the source from which all his actual evils have poured forth? Have these not been together with original sin washed away by the water of baptism, and wiped out and covered up by Christ's merit? What is repentance then but an imposition which sorely troubles the conscientious? Are we not as the result of the Gospel under grace, and not subject to the harsh law of that repentance you preach?' And there was more said of the same sort. Some said that when they have it in mind to examine themselves, they are struck by fear and terror, as if they saw a monster beside their bed in the twilight. These facts have made plain why it is that real repentance in the world of the Reformed Christian churches is as it were in decay and abandoned.
[2] While I was in their presence, I also asked some people who belonged to the Roman Catholic religion whether the confession they make before their priests was distasteful. They replied that once they had been introduced to the practice, they had no fears of reciting their offences in front of a confessor who was not severe. They experienced some degree of pleasure in making a collection of them, and cheerfully recited the more trivial ones, though they had some hesitation in doing the same with the more serious ones. They said that every year they freely returned to keep up the custom, and absolution cheered them up. They regard all as unclean who are unwilling to open up the filth in their hearts. On hearing this the Reformed who were present took themselves off, some smiling and laughing, some astonished, but none the less praising them.
[3] Later I was approached by some who belonged to the Catholic church, but had spent their lives in areas where there were Reformed Christians. It was their regular habit not to make a personal confession as their brothers did elsewhere, but only to make a joint confession before their priest. These people said that they were quite unable to examine and bring to light the evils they actually committed or secretly pondered; they found this as repugnant and terrifying as wanting to cross a ditch to a rampart where an armed soldier stood crying: 'Keep clear.' This makes it plain that real repentance is easy for those who have repented a number of times, but highly distasteful to those who have not.
