What should be thought about the distinction between legal and evangelical contrition.
What should be thought about the distinction between legal and evangelical contrition.
§ 69. These points have given some people occasion to draw a distinction between legal and evangelical contrition. They attribute the latter to the truly devout, who grieve over their sins and in turn are lifted up by their faith. But they attribute the former to the despairing, who indeed deplore their sin but without any hope of pardon (Bucanus, locus 30, p. 287). But we cannot subscribe to this opinion in every respect, because this very contrition of the devout, which they call “evangelical,” springs not from the Gospel but from the Law, according as it is contrition. Nevertheless we concede that it can be called “evangelical” in the sense and respect that it is connected with faith kindled from the word of the Gospel, through which it becomes salutary; yet we judge that this misuse of words should be avoided.