In the early church, absolution was the formal act of a bishop or presbyter in pronouncing forgiveness of sin to a repentant Christian.
Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matt. 18:15.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. John 20:23.
Some, not able to find this peace [i.e., ecclesiastical forgiveness] in the church, have been seeking it from the imprisoned martyrs. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.693.
Is it better to be damned in secret than absolved in public? Tertullian (c. 203, W), 3.664.
The next four quotations from Tertullian reflect the Montanist view that the church cannot extend forgiveness for serious postbaptismal sins, such as adultery.
I am not speaking of the type of repentance after believing that receives pardon from the bishop for lighter sins. For greater and irremissible ones, [pardon comes] from God alone. Tertullian (c. 212, W), 4.95.
Apostolic sir, therefore, demonstrate to me even now prophetic evidence, so that I may recognize your divine virtue and so that you can vindicate to yourself the power of remitting such sins! If, however, you have only had the function of discipline allotted you, . . . who are you, how great are you, to grant indulgence? Tertullian (c. 212, W), 4.99.
You say, “But the church has the power of forgiving sins.” This I acknowledge and adjudge. . . . But now I ask you, “From what source do you usurp this right of the church”? Is it because the Lord has said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build My church” and “to you I have given the keys of the heavenly kingdom”? Or “Whatever you shall have bound or loosed in earth shall be bound or loosed in the heavens”? From these [Scriptures], do you presume that the power of binding and loosing has derived to you—that is, to every church of Peter? If so, what sort of man are you, subverting and wholly changing the manifest intention of the Lord, conferring this [authority] on Peter personally? Tertullian (c. 212, W), 4.99.
You go so far as to lavish this power [of forgiveness of sins] on martyrs as well! No sooner has anyone . . . put on the chains, . . . than adulterers beset him and fornicators gain access to him. Prayers immediately echo around him. Instantly, there are pools of tears. Tertullian (c. 212, W), 4.100.
The impostor [i.e., Callistus, bishop of Rome], having ventured on such opinions, established a school in antagonism to the church. And he adopted the foregoing system of instruction: He first invented the device of conniving with men in regard to their indulgence in pleasures, saying that everyone has their sins forgiven by him. For if anyone who commits any transgression, if he is called a Christian (even though he normally attended the congregation of someone else), they say the sin is not counted against him—provided he hurries off to the school of Callistus. And many persons are gratified with his regulation. . . . Now, some of those persons had been by us forcibly ejected from the church in accord with our judicial sentence. However, they simply went over to him and helped to crowd his school. Hippolytus (c. 225, W), 5.131.
In smaller sins, sinners may do penance for a set time and come to public confession according to the rules of discipline. They then receive the right of communion through the imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy. Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.290.
Let no one say, “He who accepts martyrdom is baptized in his own blood. Therefore, he does not need peace [i.e., absolution for serious sins] from the bishop. For he is about to have the peace of his own glory. He is about to receive a greater reward from the mercy of the Lord.” First of all, no one can be fitted for martyrdom if he is not armed for the contest by the church. Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.337.
They do violence to His body and blood [i.e., the Eucharist]—before their sin is expiated, before confession of their crime has been made! They do this before their consciences have been purged by sacrifice and by the hand of the priest! Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.441.
I entreat you, beloved brethren, that each one should confess his own sins while he is still in this world—while his confession can still be received and while the satisfaction and remission made by the priests are still pleasing to the Lord. Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.445.
Falling sick, he [a lapsed believer] continued three successive days dumb and senseless. Recovering a little on the fourth day, he called his grandchild to him and said, . . . “Hurry, I entreat you, and absolve me quickly. Summon one of the presbyters to me.” . . . The boy ran for the presbyter. But it was night and the presbyter was sick and was, as a result, unable to come. However, I had issued an injunction that persons at the point of death, if they requested it, . . . should be absolved in order that they might depart this life in cheerful hope. So the presbyter gave the boy a small portion of the Eucharist, telling him to steep it in water and drop it into the old man’s mouth. Dionysius of Alexandria (c. 262, E), 6.101.
O bishop, just as you receive a pagan after you have instructed and baptized him, likewise let everyone join in prayers for this [penitent] man and restore him to his former place among the flock, through the imposition of hands. For he has been purified by repentance. And the imposition of hands shall be similar to baptism for him. For, by the laying on of hands, the Holy Spirit was given to believers. Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c. 390, E), 7.415.