Quest. LX. What is the true sense of the distinction of pastoral power, in foro interiore et exteriore, rightly used?

Answ. 1. Not as if the pastors had any power of the sword or outward force, or of men’s bodies or estates immediately: for all the pastoral power is immediately on the soul, and but secondarily on the body, so far as the persuaded soul will move it. Reason and love, and the authority of a messenger of Christ, are all the power by which bishops or pastors as such can work, in foro interiore vel exteriore; they rule the body but by ruling the soul.

2. But the true use of the distinction is only to serve instead of the usual distinction of public and personal obligation. It is one thing to satisfy a man’s private conscience about his own personal case or matters; and another thing to oblige the whole church, or a particular person, of his duty as a member of the society to the rest. When the pastor absolveth a penitent person, in foro interiore, that is, in his own conscience, he delivereth him a discharge in the name of Christ on condition he be truly penitent; else not. But in foro exteriore he actually and absolutely restoreth him to his visible state of church communion. The rest of the members perhaps may justly think this man unlike to prove a true penitent; and then in foro interiore they are not bound to believe him certainly penitent or pardoned by God; but in foro exteriore that he is restored to church communion, and that for order’s sake they are bound to hold communion with him, they are bound (internally) to believe. So that it comes near the sense of the distinction of the secret judgment (of God and conscience) and church judgment.