for them that bee present and communicate wyth the Priest in true faythe and deuoute affection And also the Churche offereth Chrisâ—e for the soules of theym that be departed hauynge at theyr departing the sygnes of faythe whyche be the holy Sacramentes and good woorkes and sleepynge in the sleepe of peace whyche is the peace of conscience towardes God wyth sure hope and truste of remission by Christe that is to saye for suche as in theyr lyues obteyned so muche grace of God that oure charitie and Sacrifices myghte helpe and relieue theym after theyr deathe For seeyng the soules of suche be not seperate from the Churche whyche is the kyngdome of Christe amonge the members of whyche kyngdome there is a mutuall communion of all good deedes and godlye woorkes or Sacrifices therefore the Church commendeth them to the mercie of GOD and the intercession of Christes oblation verelye beleuyng that the precious bloude of Christe as it is profytable for the saluation of the lyuinge so it is also auaylable for the absolution and perfection of them that be deade that they being for a tyme deteyned in the temporall afflictions and purgacions might the sooner by the vertue of thys blessed sacrifice be deliuered and brought to the place of light and eternall peace where nothyng entreth that is spotted and vnperfite Thyrdlye because the blessed virgin Marye the mother of God and the holye Martirs and Sayntes in heauen be also oure brethren and members of Christes Churche for the whyche Christ suffered his passion and beyng knyt to vs in one communion by the bande of perfite charitie and being careful for vs and they be sure for them selues cease not to communicate with vs in prayer and to requyre of Christ the perfection of his bodye whiche is the churche therefore in our oblation of Christes body and bloode we ioyne wyth theym and wyth honour and reuerence we remember them at oure Lordes table not to pray for them as we do for other that rest in peace but rather that they should pray for vs â–ª that we maye folowe theyr footesteppes and in all oure affayres be defended by Gods protection and that by the merytes of Christ whom we praye not to weye oure merites but to pardone our offences And laste of all in the Canon is expressed for what ende we offer Christe that is to saye in remembraunce of hys passion hys resurrection and glorious ascension most humblye beseching that God of his mercye woulde accepte him for vs and oure saluation and where as hee is for hym selfe most acceptable in his sight that likewyse he woulde accepte vs that bee hys bodye in earthe for hym that by participation of hys moste precious bodye and bloode wee myghte be fulfylled wyth all grace and heauenlye benediction Thus doth the churche offer Christ her head to GOD the father as a woorthye Sacrifice of prayse and thankes for her redemption for the hope of healthe and saluation and for all his other benefites and also it offereth him as a Sacrifice propitiatorye by the vertue of hys passion for all her synnes and offences that we in this world might lyue in peace wyth GOD and afterward be deliuered from eternal dampnation and with his elecâ—es be rewarded in the kingdome of heauen â–ª And to conclude thys Canonicall prayer the Prieste hauynge Christe Gods Sonne in hys handes before hym who is the onelye Mediatour betwene GOD and manne trustyng to obtayne what so euer hee asketh in hys name and beyng instructed by hym howe to praye to the father saythe boldlye the Pater noster in whyche prayer is conteyned all that is good and needefull for the lyfe of manne bothe temporall and eternall And so maketh an ende of the Canon And because thys is the mysterye of vnitye and peace whyche canne not be hadde but by the mercye of Christe therefore the priest turnyng hym to the Lambe of God who onelye taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde prayeth deuoutly for the peace of conscience whyche commeth by remissyon of synne and for the peace of hys affections whyche commeth by the mortification of the flesh and also for the peace of brotherlye charitye whyche is poured into oure hartes by the holye Ghoste and so taketh and geueth to the people the kysse of peace the token and testimonye of vnitye and Christen charitye The other prayers that folowe in the Masse perteyne to the deuotion of hym or theym that receyue the blessed Sacrament that they maye receyue it worthely to the profite and saluation both of body and soule and that it myght be acceptable to God for al them for whom it is offered therefore good people seyng that I haue now by Gods helpe declared vnto you as shortlye as I coulde the holle summe of all that is sayde and done in the Masse whych is all moste godlye and most comfortable perteyning al to thys ende to set foorthe the benefite of Christe and the vertue of his passion and conteynynge in it almoste all the spirituall Sacrifices of the newe lawe and the exercisies of true fayth as confession of synne inuocation of God prayer doctrine gyuing of thankes and suche other as I haue rehersed I shal most hartely require you as you are moste bounden to haue thys worke of God in such estimation as becommeth Christen men that bee members of Christes Churche redemed wyth bys precious bloude and that by vsing of this Sacrifice of the churche which is a commemoration of Christes passion moste acceptable in the syght of God and commaunded by Christe to be done of vs ye myght thereby receyue plentuous and aboundant grace and mercye bothe for you that be alyue and also for them that be departed in the faithe of Christe and in all your necessities and distresses reliefe and succour And when the consecration of the verye bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour is made by the power of his omnipotent woorde and the price of our redemption is lifted vp for you to see by faithe vnder the seuerall fourmes of breade and wyne to be adoured and woorshipped with godlye honour then call to your remembraunce howe that Christe for your saluation was lifted vp alofte in the ayre vpon the crosse to be seene of all the worlde and howe his precious bloode ranne foorthe aboundantly out of all the woundes of his bodye and then pray that God the father would looke vpon him for vs and accepte him for a full satisfaction of all our sinnes ouer and beside al that we can do and suffer and for a perfite supplieng of all our negligences and vnperfitenes and for a woorthy Sacrifice of thankes for all his benefites geuen vnto vs. And to thintent ye myghte bee more intirelye ioyned to Christe and be more replenished with his giftes and grace I woulde wyshe and exhorte you the oftener to prepare your selues to receyue corporally the blessed sacrament which is euer readye prepared for you to receyue and wheÌ„ as of reuerence you forbeare
Christe our Lord was not content onelye to be made man and to bee whipped and slayne for vs but also hath broughte vs as it were into one heape of Leuin wyth hymselfe and not onelye by fayth but also in verye deede hathe made vs hys bodye what thinge thâ—â— oughte to bee so cleane as he that shoulde receyue that sacryfyce yea the very beames of the sonne bee not so pure as his mouth ought to bee that shoulde receyue thys merueylous bodye and bloude of oure Sauioure Christe Remember manne howe God honoureth thee of what meate arte thou pertaker Thou art fedde with the same thinge that the holye aungels tremble at and be not able to beholde it for the bryghtnesse that commeth from it What shepeheard euer fedde his shepe with his owne bodye manye mothers doe committe their infantes to bee nursed of other women but Chryste dothe not so who feadeth and nourisheth vs his shepe or rather children with his own body so doth ioyne vs to him in one body And as younge infantes with great gladnes do suck the breastes of their mothers or nurses eueÌ„ so with greater gladnes ought we to come to the breast of our Sauioure there to suck the grace of the holy gost to take it most heauily with most sorow if wee be for oure desertes excommunicate and depryued of that spirytuall foode Therefore lette vs pull downe the wall that maketh diuision betwene God and vs lette vs by penaunce remoue oure synnes and washe oure consciences lette vs amende that kynde of beastlye lyuing whyche we bee ashamed shoulde be layde to our charge and lette vs wythdrawe oure myndes from the vnsatiable greedynesse of thys worlde For what shall it profyte a manne to gayne the holle world and loose hys soule The three wyse menne came out of the Easte countrey of Persis to seke Iesus the kynge of the Iewes but lette vs goe forth from our worldly cares and carnall delites to see Iesus It is no great iourney we nede not to passe ouer the sea nor to clyme ouer the mountaynes but sytting at home if we be compunct in hart bent towardes godly deuotioÌ„ we may pul down the wall of our sinnes and make shorte the longe way of our iourney and see Christ. For God is a god nye hand and not a farre of and nye vnto al them that call vppon hym in trueth yet nowe a dayes there be many christen men that be so full of sinne and do so contemne godly religion that they take no care for theyr soule health not considering that the tyme to receiue this most holye sacrament is not this day or that day but when their consciences be pure and purged from sinne For as he that is cleane may come euerye daye so he that is vnclene and is not penitent for hys synne he may not come at those dayes which by the Churche be appointed For to come once a yere dothe not deliuer vs from our synnes yf we come than vnworthily but rather it encreaseth our damnation For whiche cause I shal exhort you al in our lordes name that ye come not to these fearefull and terrible misteries for a custome as compelled by the appoyntmente of the Churche without diligente preparinge of youre selues but that ye purge and washe your soules dyuers dayes before by penaunce by prayer by almesse by spiritual exercise and that ye do not turne afterward to your old sinnes as a dogge turneth back to eate agayne his castinge Is it not agaynste all reason to haue so muche care of worldlye thynges as when the feaste draweth nere to prepare new costly apparell to prepare great and sumptuous fare and by all meanes to trimme vp the body to haue no respecte of the soule but to suffer it to be ragged and torne and to dye for hunger and the body is decked for the sighte of the worlde but the soule is alwayes in the sight of god that moste greuouslye punisheth the neglecting of it If any man haue an enemye by whom he is hurt or offended let him dissolue his enmitie and refrayne his hote affection and swelling of minde that his soule be quiet wythout trouble or tumult For by thys blessed communion thou shalte receiue the kynge into thy soule and when the kynge entreth there ought to be greate quietnes silence and peace And although thyne hurt or iniury shewed by thy enemy be very gret yet thou must remit it Because thine enemy hath hurt thee wilt thou therefore hurt thy selfe more whatsoeuer he hath done it can not be so great harme to the as thou doest to thy self if thou be not reconciled vnto him Wilt thou shewe spite and villany to God because thy neyghbour hathe shewed the lyke to thee before For to retein displeasure against him that offended the is not so muche to auenge thy quarell against him as it is a spiteful contempt of god the authour of this law commaundemeÌ„t that we shoulde be reconciled to oure enemyes before we come to his aultare Therefore haue no respecte to thyne enemye nor to the greatnes of thyne iniuries susteined by him but to God almyghtye and printing his feare depely in thy harte consyder this that the greater violence thou doest vse to thine own hart in coÌ„pelling it to forgeue thine enemy and to be in frendship with him the greater reward thou shalte receyue of god that commaunded the so to do and as thou doest after that sort receiue god with much honor so shal he make the reward of thine obedience a thousande folde This is the duetie of a christen man when he commeth to Gods borde to procure hymselfe to be purged from all corruption of the fleshe or spirit and to haue perfit holines in the feare of God and the charitie of Christe and to haue no spot or wrincle or any suche thinge and to haue a perpetuall memory of him that was dead and rose againe for vs and to make cleane hys soule with fayth baptisme vertue and the doctryne of the Gospel that the corrupt maners of suche as be straungers and not gods people the maner of lyuing whiche was vsed in Egipte in the tyme of kinge Pharao that is to saye the holle heape of vice be not nowe vsed but banyshed away and so let him come to this heauenly breade which was not brought forth of the grounde by tilling and sowing and labour of maÌ„ but which came from heauen and is the true breade of lyfe and causeth the worthy receiuer neuer to be hungry againe but to liue alwaies in immortalitye If no man dare lay his bread vpon a foule cloâ—â—e nor put it into a foule vessell howe muche more may it not be receiued in a foule hart whiche filthines aboue al thinges he moste abhorreth as the greatest iniury that can be done to his body For as Ioseph the iuste man wrapped Chrystes body in a cleane cloth and buried it
bodye and bloude to dogges and beastly lyuers And that euery man when he is dysposed to receiue this most holy sacrament maye do it worthely to his saluation he must obserue thre thinges before he come to it he muste proue iudge hym selfe when he commeth to it he must iudge and discerne the body of our lorde after he hathe receiued it he must imitate Christe and communicate with him in his passions Firste he that intendeth to eate the lambe of GOD he muste haue the innocency of a lambe and maye not be a wolfe hauing woluish maners because thys is the bread of the children of God and not of fylthy dogges or rauenous wolfes And no persone maye bee pertaker of it but he that beleueth all thinges to be true that be taught of the Catholike church is baptised in the water of regeneration and frameth his lyfe after that maner which our sauiour Christ did set forth in his lyfe and Gospell For as in the olde testament three sortes of people were not admytted to eate of the paschall lambe as straungers borne such as were not of the stocke of Israel they that wer not circumcised and they that by touchinge any deade or vncleane thing were made them selues vncleane euen so there be three sortes of men in the new testament that maye not bee admytted to eate of Christes body in the sacrament which was fygured by the paschal lambe firste al infydels suche as be not true Israelites and of the house of Chrystes churche by receiuinge his law and faith secondly they that be not baptised and so circumcised in harte not hauynge the vayne thoughtes and woorkes of the flesh cut away by the holy ghost and thirdly they that be not clene and pure in conscience but priuye to theyr owne giltinesse or in will to remayne in sinne styll These thre sortes of persones be not worthye to receiue the lambe of god our sauiour Christe in the blessed sacrament but yf they presume so to doe they doe it to their owne damnation Therfore whosoeuer wyll come worthely to so greate a misterye he must be a christen manne and stedfastly beleue whatsoeuer trueth god hathe reueled to his holy churche and specially concerninge the truth of this sacrament neyther oppugning it by malitious heresye nor beynge ignorante of it by lacke of knowledge but acknowledginge that it is the body and bloud of Christe Goddes sonne verilye and in trueth as Chrystes woorde spoken of it dothe plainely testifye Moreouer he muste proue himselfe as saint Paul teacheth vs that is to saye he muste searche if he be giltye of any deadly sinne and if he fynde hys conscience to reproue hym than he must refrayne from the holye sacrament tyll he haue by true contrytion and the sacrament of penaunce made cleane hys conscience receiuinge remission of al his synnes and than beinge cleane let him eate of this moste holy sacrifice of Christes body and bloude And if he perceiue that his conscience is priuy to anye venial sinne and yet not hauynge a wil to sinne after any more than before he receyue lette hym satisfy for that sinne with weping and prayer putting his hole confidence in the mercye of God that vseth to forgeue synnes to all that deuoutly confesse them he maye boldlye and fruitfullye come to the blessed sacrament The more dylygence he taketh in examining serching and purginge his conscience after that sorte as is declared in the sacrament of penaunce the more boldly and worthely shall he receiue not that any mā shoulde thynke him selfe worthye to receyue the most precious body of Christ god and manne in respect wherof the hyest aungels be vnclene but that if a man doe that lyeth in him to washe awaye the fylthynes and spottes of his soule and body by contrition the sacrament of penaunce and prepareth his harte with humilitie and reuerence to receiue the body of his lord god than doth God esteme and accept him as worthy that is to say further from vnworthinesse than he is that taketh no penaunce for his sinne at all Thys worthynesse maye bee considered and knowen by suche obseruations as were commaunded to bee vsed aboute the eatinge of the paschall lambe For as the lambe was the fygure of Chryste in thys Sacramente so the maner of eatinge that is an instruction how we shoulde worthely eate thys They that shoulde eate one paschall lambe were commaunded to eate it in one house and to carye no parte of the fleshe out of the doores So we be commaunded to eate the fleshe of Christe our lambe no where els but in the house of god the catholike churche and thereby all heretikes and scismatikes which be out of the church are forbidden to presume to eate of Christes fleshe whiche can not bee worthely eaten but of them that be members of the Church They were commaunded to haue their reines girded so are wee commaunded to haue our bodies and soules gyrded that is to saye refrayned and kepte from the woorkes and lustes of the fleshe by abstinency and chastitie and not onelye from the vnlawfull vices of fornicatyon adultry and suche lyke but also a man shoulde abstaine from the act of Matrimonye wyth his lawful wife for a certaine space before how be it he that vseth hys wyfe not for thyntent to fulfyl hys carnall pleasure but onely for desyre of encrease of chyldren he oughte to be leafte to hys owne iudgement concerninge the receyuinge of this mistery with this exhortation that he presume not to come but with a pure conscience a chast body and a clene hart Also they were commaunded to haue theyr showes vpon theyr feete so wee be commaunde to haue the fete of oure soules whiche be our affections mortified by the feare of god preserued from the corruption of worldly thinges by the loue of heauēly thinges to be in loue and perfyt charitie wyth all menne without malyce enuy or double harte towardes any man For when the kinge of heauen entreth into vs there muste be greate peace silence and quietnes without trouble of worldly affectiō all iniuries displeasures enemities and trespaces must be freely and clerely forgeuē as wee woulde Christe should forgeue vs for this is the mystery of peace and the vnitie of Chrystes mystycall bodye and he that receyueth the misterye of vnitie and kepeth not the bonde of peace and vnitie he receyueth not the misterye for hym selfe but a testimony against him selfe Therefore of all thynges let vs be sure of this that wee bee in charitie and that no anger freate vs no pryde inflame vs no lechery defile vs nor no enuy torment our hartes when we come to oure Lordes table They also did eate the lambe with wylde and sowre lettes euen so must we take the fleshe of our lambe with sower contrition wee muste afflicte and punishe our hartes with sorow and bitter teares for
true contrition and maye bee sure of mercye and bee saued yf they dye in that minde And althoughe a manne is not truelye contryte whan he is sorye onelye for the feare of payne be it corporall paine or euerlastinge paine yet the feare of paine is an introduction prepairinge the waye for true contrition For charitie withoute the whiche no man lyueth in soule by grace is builded vpon feare of Goddes iudgement when a man is glad to be loued of GOD whom he feareth and dare be bolde to loue hym agayne and is afrayde to displease hym whome he loueth althoughe he mighte dooe it withoute punishement For no man commeth to GOD that is not smytten with some feare For whiche cause Saint Iohn Baptiste preparing the way for Chryste and remission of sinne bette into the peoples heades the horrour of their sinnes and the feare of Goddes iudgement And S. Peter in his firste Sermon after that he had broughte the Iewes in feare of Gods anger by declaringe vnto theim howe they had crucifyed and kylled Iesus whom god had made Christ their Lorde and so had smitten their hartes with feare than he taught theim to do penaunce and to take true contricion for their sinnes Thus when a sinner loking vppon gods lawe eyther wrytten in the booke or written in his owne harte whereby he seeth as in a glasse what pleaseth or dyspleaseth almighty God and seeth also by faith that God threatneth damnation and euerlastinge deathe to all synners and than is accused secretlye by his owne conscience that he hath broken that eternal lawe of god not onely in thought but also in dede and perceiueth the vylenesse and greatenesse of his owne synne how often he hath offended and into what misery he hath brought himself and of what great graces and ioyes he hath depriued him selfe thereby beyng than separate from the spiritual communion of Christes churche and giltie of eternall dampnation than yf there be any sparkle of grace left in that man if he be not obdurate and cleane forsaken of God he will begin to feare and tremble which feare wyll breake the hardnesse of his harte and prepare the waye for wisedome and grace to enter in Without the which feare no man can receyue remission of synnes and bee made ryghtewyse Which feare of hell is not in charitie but prepareth a place for charitie and as charitie encreaseth in a mans harte so it decreaseth tyl perfyte charitie possesse the holle After this feare a synner begynneth to hate and abhorre hys synne whereby he was brought into so great daunger and miserye and so procedeth to lament and be sory for his offences And as in the doyng of hys sinnes there were twoo thinges the noughtye dede and the carnall pleasure that was ioyned with the same so in the forsaking of his sinnes there must be two thinges ceasing froÌ„ the dede and sorow for the sinne past For so the Prophet cryeth Quiescite peruerse agere Cease to do euil He that continueth styll in his noughtye doyng is farre from al kinde of true penaunce For how can he turne to God that is not turned from his synne nor he can not be sorye that stil is doing the thing for the which he is sorye And it is to be vnderstand that this sorow of Contrition is inwarde in the harte and not fained onelye pretended in the outward behauiour Which the verye woorde Contrition dothe signifye For that is called contrite that is brused and beaten into small peeces or powder euen so when the hardnesse of a mans harte is mollified wyth sorowe and teares for that he hath by sinne displeased God than is his hart contrite An hard harte is that whiche is not cutte with compunction nor made softe with pitie nor moued with prayers nor yeldeth to threatninges but is vnkynde after benefites wythoute shame of dishonestie without feare of perill geuyng no place to any good motion but withstandyng by continuaunce in will to sinne Euen so on the other syde a mans harte is contrite when it is cutte with compunction mollified with pitie and deuotion moued with prayers and exhortation is affraide by threatninges allured by kindnes ashamed of dishonesty geuing place to Gods inspiration puttinge awaye the wyll and loue to sinne abhorring his former filthye liuing dyspleasing hymselfe and lamentyng for the same and with sure trust of Gods mercy submytting himselfe hollye in all poyntes to obeye hys wyll and commaundement An harte after thys sorte contrite and humbled GOD wyll neuer dispise nor reiecte but accepte it as a sweete Sacrifice of the whyche the Prophet sayde Be ye turned vnto me in all your harte in fasting in weeping and lamentynge cutte your hartes and not your garmentes And our Sauiour saith Blessed be they that mourne for they shall receyue comforte Whyche mourning is not from the lyppes outwarde to say or pretende them selues to be sorye but to declare it outwardlye in deede as muche as they can by weeping and lamenting And thys Contrition is the Crosse of Christ which euerie Christen man and woman that foloweth Christe in this worlde beareth voluntarilye vpon his owne backe and so sheweth the vertue of Christes crosse in his owne flesh euer carying about the mortification of Iesus Christ in his body that the life of Iesus may be shewed in his body And because we must turne to God with oure holle harte the quantitie and greatnes of this sorow is to be measured by the quantitie of our crimes so that he which hath synned muche doo lament muche that his penaunce be found no lesse than his crime And the more that he dothe humble hymselfe by sorowe the more shall he be exalted to grace the more abiecte he is in hys owne syghte the more accepte in the sight of God Therefore oure Sauiour Christe forgaue Sainte Peter his sinne by and by because he wept bitterly and dyd not increase hys fault by driuing of his amendement For a true penitent looseth not tyme. For the tyme paste he redeemeth agayne whyles that he calleth to remembraunce all his yeares past in the bitternesse of his soule The present tyme he dothe fullye possesse by sorowe and exercise of that vertue whyche is contrarye â—o that he offended in The tyme to come he looseth not by constantlye endeuouring himself to performe that good purpose of sinning no more which he hath godly begonne Remembring the sayinges of the Apostle while we haue time let vs do good And he that continueth to the laste ende shall be saued For except a sinner determine surely wyth hymselfe in his minde to leaue and forsake all synne and intende neuer to do any agayne but to kepe Gods commaundementes iustly from that time forwarde he shall not obtayne forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hande nor his contrition is not perfite and profitable vnto him Wherefore it is to be feared that manye yea and all those
that ye haue learned good people the necessitie of Confession howe euerye sinner is bounden to confesse his sinnes to a Prieste by goddes lawe for the atteininge of absolution and remission of sinne nowe it followeth to be declared what a sinner oughte to do in makinge his confession Firste a sinner ought before he come to coÌ„fession to make an accompte wyth himselfe of his lyfe and to call to his remembraunce how many deadly sinnes he hath committed since the time of his laste confession wherin suche diligence muste be vsed as the necessytye and dygnitie of the woorke of GOD whiche is absolution doth require beinge willinge and readye to doe all thinges that be necessary for the recouery of grace and health of his soule whiche a sicke man woulde dooe for auoydinge the death of his bodye And this the sinner ought to doe for two causes the one that he mighte thereby take speciall repentaunce for euerye offence that he dydde for as muche as he did disobeye and offend almightye God and had some specyall pleasure in euery one and therfore he ought to call his sinnes to hys minde and for remedye of the same to take some dyspleasure and repentaunce for euerye one of theym The other cause is that he mighte haue hys sinnes readye and the better in his mynde for to shewe them vnto his ghostly father when he commeth to confession The whiche kinge Dauid did well perceiue that sinners bee bounden to dooe and therfore whan he had sinned he saied thus I wyl studye to remember my sinne because I wyll confesse it And the example of the prodigal sonne in the Gospell teacheth vs also so to doe who returninge to his father considered howe euyll hee had lyued and he called than to his mynde what he woulde confesse and saye to hys father when he shoulde come to hym Thus whan a sinnes hath diligentlye examined his owne conscyence and called to his remembraunce howe often and wherein he hathe offended hys Lorde God takinge speciall repentaunce and contrition for euery offence than he ought to come to hys ghostlye father with great desire and humilitie not as to a manne to heare some worldlye and profitable counsell but as to the messenger or vycare of oure Sauiour Christe representinge his persone whose embassage hee vseth for makynge peace and reconciliation betwene the synner and GOD to the intente he myghte heare of hym the woorde of GOD whiche is the woorde of absolution for hys synnes by paste and also bee instructed by the woorde of GOD howe to lyue wel hereafter and auoide sinne And where as the effect of Gods Sacramentes doo not depend vpon the vertue or worthines of the priest the minister but vpon the commaundement and ordinaunce of GOD who by hys spirite dothe assiste the due ministration of the same therfore a penitent synner oughte rather to regarde the vertue and power of GOD that woorketh by hys mynyster than the state of the persone be he hye or lowe a iuste or an vniuste man so longe as he is a member of Gods vniuersall Churche and by toleration suffred to minister in the same and he oughte to geue full credyte to the woordes of absolution that than his sinnes be clerelye remytted yf hys harte be than disposed and mete to receyue the same remissyon and yf hee put no stoppe to Goddes grace as they doe that lacke fayth and true contrityon And so the penitent sinner comming to a Pryeste and humbly submytting him selfe to him as representing the persone of Chryste ought to reherse hollye symplye and faythfully al the deadly synnes which than after diligent serchinge of his lyfe doe burden and vexe hys conscience For althoughe the holye Churche dothe not burden a sinner to confesse euery veniall synne whiche is vnpossyble or very harde to doe for who dothe knowe all hys faultes and also seinge that veniall synnes doe not take away charity nor do not exclude a man from the kyngedome of heauen wythoute the whyche thys frayle and mortall lyfe can not be passed ouer yet yf a man fall oftentymes into suche smal sinnes they ought not to be neglected but auoyded betymes because contempt in all thynges aggrauateth the cryme and speciallye in procurynge the remedye and also a manne shall geue an accompte in the daye of iudgement of euery idle woorde which he shal speake But all mortall sinnes such as be transgressions of gods commaundements and bringe a man in state of damnation so many as come to his remembraunce after diligent serche and inquisition the synner ought to confesse And not onely suche as he knoweth certeinly to be mortall sinnes but also suche as he doubteth of knoweth not certeinely whether they be mortall sinnes or no because what so euer thing is not of fayth is sinne and he that dothe or alloweth to be doone any thinge whereof his conscience reprehendeth or condemneth him doth therin against his conscience and sinneth deadly and ought to confesse it and learne of his ghostly father to whom iudgement is geuen to discerne betwene lepre and not lepre sinne not sinne how to know and auoide the same afterward Furthermore it is to be coÌ„sidered that god doth not forgeue one mortall sinne reteineth an other vnforgeuen but alwayes whan he forgeueth he forgeueth all together the which he shewed in expellinge al and the holle legion of deuils out of the man of Geâ—rasen And he shewed the same agayne whan he pardoned Marye Magdalene for he forgaue her all her synnes and the scrypture calleth that man happye whose sinne God hath not imputed but couered if there were any sinne remaining imputed vnto hym and not forgeuen he should not be compted as happye but as an eâ—emye to god Now seing the father â—ath geuen al power to the sonne and the sonne hathe geuen the same power to the Priestes of his churche whose iudgement both in byndinge and losinge in earth is confirmed and ratifyed by God in heauen therfore the remission whiche the priestes geue to penitent sinners oughte to be lyke and agreable to the remission whiche is geuen by God that is to say a full remission not forgeuinge one mortall sinne without an other but eyther forgeuing al at once or none at all And because as ye were taught before the priest can not worthelye exercyse this authoritie of forgeuinge or reteyninge sinne excepte the sinner open hys conscience and confesse his sinnes hym selfe both because he can not otherwyse knowe what is to bee remytted what is not and also because he may not rashely remit that he knoweth not and is not confessed vnto him therfore the sinner is bounden plainelye and fullye to confesse all his sinnes and euery pertyculare sinne whiche by diligente serchynge of hys conscyence commeth than to hys remembraunce For the conceyling or hyding of any one mortall sinne which he remembreth is the cause why all the