, be ye reconciled to God."_ If we would see how this
ambassador exercised his high authority in an individual case, he
tells us in 2 Cor. ii. 10: _"If I forgave anything, to whom I forgave
it for your sakes forgave I it, in the person of Christ."_

If now we take these passages together, we must admit that in
their plain literal sense; they do teach that Christ, the Head of the
Church, has _in some sense_ committed to His Church the power to
remit and retain sins, and that this power is exercised in the Church
through its ministry.

In what sense then has a minister power to remit sin? Certainly
not by any inherent virtue of his own, nor by any power originating in
his own person. In this sense only God can forgive sin, as all sin is
committed against Him. But God can _delegate_ that power to
another, and permit him to use it _in His name_. And this is all
the power any human being can have in this matter. It would indeed be
blasphemy for any man to claim that he had power in _himself_ to
forgive sins. If he can have any power at all, it must be
_Christ's_ power. He can only use it as a deputy, as an
ambassador, or as an agent. And this is exactly what the Word teaches.
The minister is Christ's ambassador. He beseeches and speaks in
Christ's stead, as though God were speaking by him. Paul forgave the
penitent Corinthian, not in his own name or by his own authority, but
"_in the person of Christ_."

When part of our country was in rebellion, the government sent
deputies to those who had renounced their allegiance, empowered to
confer pardon, and reinstate as citizens, all who accepted the
government's terms of pardon. These agents had no power in themselves,
but they were authorized to carry the pardoning power of the
government, and to those who accepted it from them, it was as valid as
though each one had received a special proclamation of pardon from the
government. Just so does the pastor, as Christ's ambassador, offer and
bestow Christ's forgiveness to the penitent and believing sinner. He
offers this pardon only on the terms laid down by Christ. The means
through which he conveys this pardon is God's Word. This Word,
_preaching repentance and remission of sins_, when spoken by the
minister, is just as effective as when it fell from the lips of Christ
or His inspired apostles. Whenever he preaches God's Word he does
nothing else than declare Christ's absolution. It is the Word of God,
that still