returneth vnto him againe to obtaine his mercy but are becom plain Apostataes vtterlye forsaking yâ— christiaÌ„ faith making but a mocke of Christe perseuering in their obstinate Apostasie vnbeléefe euen till their liues end as did Iudas the 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. traitor Iulianus Apostata Simon Magus Porphirius Hymeneus and Alexander the Coppersmith Secondarily as touching the saying thretning of Christ saying He that de nieth me before men I shall Math. 10. deny him before my father It is to be considered that al the terrible thretnings that are in the holy scripture threatned against great sinners are threatned conditionally A good and general rule to be noted that is to saye if the sinners do not truely repent and return vnto God by Faith amendmente of life this plague and punishment or that shall light vpon them But if they at the Preaching reading or hearing of Gods holy woord doo repent return vnto God by faith godly life then that Plague threatned shall not once touch theÌ„ Example by the Niniuites vppon whome Ionas Gods Minister and preacher Ionas 3. or rather God by him pronounced this terrible iudgement saying There are yet Forty daies and then shall Niniuye bee ouerthrown But there as the Scripture sayth the people of Niniuy beleeued God and earnestly repented them of their greate sinnes and so was the sentence of GOD retracted and the Citye saued and not ouerthrowne So likewise this terrible sentence of Christe He that denyeth mee before men I shall deny him before my Father must néedes haue this condition ioyned A conditioÌ„ with it If he dooth not repent neither return again But Peter did bothe repent and returne againe vnto Christe For albeit his Faithe was weake and faynte as was the faith of all the Apostles yet it was not vtterlye extincte For Christe had saide vnto him before Symon I haue praied for Luke 22 thee that thy faith faile not And in any wise take héede and note this well Christe said not He that denyeth me I shal denye him though hee repente and return But remember wel that Christ said M 〈…〉 9. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce Peter therfore repented and returned vnto Christ again and so was receiued vnto grace and was saued Wherfore good Madam in this hard Texts of S. Paule vnto the Hebrewes way wel this condition if they full away For they only fall away which coÌ„mit that moste horrible crime which is called in the holy Scripture The sinne vnto death blasphemy against the spirit and sinne against the holy ghost which neuer shall be forgiuen neither in this world neither in the world to come Question But héere it might be demaunded what that sinne againste the holye Ghost is and wherein it differeth from all other gréeuous sinnes Answer Wherunto I answere That ther is difference in sins it may cléerlye be gathered of Christes woordes saying I saye vnto you Math. 12. All sinne and blasphemye shall be forgiuen vnto men but the blasphemye againste the spirite shall not be forgiuen vnto men Loe héer is the matter plainelye opened by our Sauiour Christe what kinde of sinnes shall be forgiuen and what neuer forgiuen Blasphemye againste the spirite shall neuer bee forgiuen all other sinne and Blasphemye shall bee forgiuen And Christe in sayinge All sinne shall be forgiuen compriseth both originall sinne and also actuall sin Moreouer Christe speaketh héere of thrée sortes Three sorts of Sinnes Sinne. Blasphemy Blasphemye against the Spirite of sinnes The first he calleth Sinne the secoÌ„d Blasphemy and the third Blasphemye againste the Spirite Which the scripture also calleth The sin vnto death and the sinne against the holy ghost These thrée kinds of sinnes and the difference of euery of them I intend by Gods helpe seuerallye to declare vnto you so breefelye as I can and so for this time commit you vnto God and firste consider well what sinne is Sinne is euery wilfull disobedience Act or déed Sinne. that is doon contrary vnto the Lawe and Commaundementes of God without murmur grudg or euill speaking either against the Lawe commaundementes or God him selfe that is the maker and giuer of the law As is Idolatrye superstition periurye swearing vnaduisedlye breaking of the Holye Daye dishonouring father and Mother Murther malice hatred enuy wrath strife treason sedition slaunder Whoredome theft and such like All these and such other are called and are indéed sinne so long as the dooers of them doo neyther murmur repine grudge nor speake euill againste God or his holye Lawe neither allowe in their conscience the thing and euil that they doo but rather doo vtterlye disalow accuse and condemn in their owne conscience those their owne damnable actes as euill and detestable The seconde kinde of Sinne is Blasphemye marke it well and consider howe it differeth first from sinne and then from the sinne againste the holy ghost Blasphemy Blasphemye is more haynouse then is sinne alone for all blasphemye is sinne but all sinne is not blasphemye For trueth it is that blasphemye compriseth in it selfe bothe sinne and also a murmure grudge reuiling euill speaking slander and reproche of God and Godlynes but it is alwaye coupled with ignoraunce and vnbeleefe and proceedeth not of such obstmate malice as continueth to the ende of the life as doth the sinne against the holy Ghost In this sinne of Blasphemy S. Paule offended before his conuersion vnto the faith of Christ Iesu For thus he speaketh of him selfe Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and a Tyrant but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorauntlye in vnbeleefe Loe heere it is plain and euident that this blasphemye though it be a greate offence yet it is remissible and forgiueable and is not excluded from Grace and mercy because it procéedeth of Ignoraunce and not â—f knowledge nor of obstinate malice that dooth endure to the liues end Neither is it the sin vnto death and therfore we maye lawfullye praie for such blasphemers As S Iohn saith If any man 1. Iohn 5. see his Brother sin a sin that is not vnto death let him ask and he shall giue him life In this simple blasphemy for so we may cal it many of the Iewes offended taking Christe to be nothing lesse then the Sonne of Dauid or Messias because his parents were very poore and him selfe supposed to be but a poore Carpenters Sonne which bare but a simple port in the worlde Yea and some of them that crucified Christe were ouerwhelmed in this simple blasphemy And therfore Christe prayed for them saying Father forgiue Luke 23. them for they know not what they doo So Peter in his Sermon excused the crucifiers of Christe saying Now deare brethren I knowe that you haue doon it thorough ignoraunce c. Repent you therfore and returne Acts. 3. that your sinnes may be doon away So did S. Steuen also praye
into the Congregation as a Christian Brother and so to esteeme him and take him What shall I saye of Peter Christes Apostle Peter Had not he a sure knowledge of Christe confessing him openlye before all the Apostles To be very Christe the sonne the liuing God Was not he eueÌ„ then indued with the holy Ghost and grace from aboue vnto whom Iesus Christe saide Blessed art Math. 16. thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And yet after all this he had such a fall that contrary to his own conscience willinglye wtout anye compulsion threates or imprysonmeÌ„t he did most cowardlye and shamefullye forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy swering that he neuer knew him cursing and committing him selfe to the Diuell if euer he had to doo with him What woulde the Nâ—â—atian and Annabaptiste saye vnto this Was it not a fall Could there be anye greater sinne then this Was it not doone of knowledge Was it not doone willinglye Was it not against his own conscience Yes doubtlesse it was no lesse but againste his owne conscience But yet thankes be vnto almightye God it was not the sinne of blasphemye against the holy ghost neither the sin vnto death the which Saint Iohn speaketh of for hee 1. Ioh. 5. continued not therin vnto his ende but immediatly he went foorth of the Bishops house and wept bitterly very muche lamenting his hainous offence and by faith he returned again vnto christ Mat. 26. knoweing his mercye to be infinite and without measure and so he was accepted vnto grace againe Christ appeared vnto him to his greate comforte after he rose againe from deathe to life and afterwards sending downe his holye Spirite indued him with wonderfull giftes of grace from aboue And then Peter became a strong Champion setting foorth Christe to be the only sauiour of the whole world Preaching and openlye confessing him before all men without any feare either of yâ— Scribes Pharises or Maiestrates Now good Madam lay this example of S. Peter to this text of S. Paule to the Hebrewes It can not be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away c. that they should be renued again by repentance If a man would apply the aforesaide example of S. Peter vnto this text of S. Paule he would thinke that Peter should vtterly haue béen cast away from Gods fauour mercy and grace For first it can not be denied but that hee was once lightned that is indued with the true knowledge of Christe to be the onely Messias and sauiour of the world Secondlye he had also tasted of the heauenly gift which was a true faith in christ Iesus openlye confessing the same before al the Apostles béeing fully perswaded in his owne conscience what Christ was Thirdlye that Peter was become pertaker of the holy Ghoast and had tasted of the good woorde of God it appéereth euideÌ„tly by Christes sentence saying Blessed art thou Symon for flesh and bloud that is man shewed thee â—â—ot that but my father â—hich is in heauen Which â—as by the inspiration of â—is holy spirit Finally Peter had a taste of the world to come For hee did see in the mountaine the transfiguration of Christ so did Iames Mat. 17. the more and Iohn the Euangelist also Where in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and shewed him selfe vnto them in the forme of a glorified body So that his face did shine as the Sun and his clothes appeared as white as the light There appeared also among theÌ„ Moyses and Elias And euen there the cleare voice of God the father of heauen was plainlye hearde among theÌ„ out of yâ— cloud saying vpon Christe This is my dearlye beloued sonne in whom I delite heare him Loe all this and much more Peter bothe hearde and sawe béeing almoste continuallye in Christes companye eating and drinking with him hearing daylye his heauenly doctrine preaching and teaching seeing euerye where as occasioÌ„ serued his great and wonderfull miracles And yet for all this what a great fall Peter had it appeared plainely by his deniall of Christ his louing maister and Sauiour and by the circumstaunces thereof whiche I touched before But yet to make Peters fall more horrible Christ saide vnto him and vnto al the other his Apostles when he sent them â—â—â—rth to preache the Gospell of saluation He that denieth Math. 10. me before men I shall denie him also before my Father Alas good Peter what case standâ—â— thou in nowâ— How dooth this saying of Christ touch thée remembringe this sayinge of Christe art thou not vtterly at thy wits end Is it not most certaine and true yâ— thou hast too horriblye fallen after that thou haddest tasted of all these gratious giftes before rehearsed Hast thou not contrarye to thine owne conscience moste shamefullye denyed thy maister sauiour Christ before men Ah good soule what shal becom of thée How wilt thou answere for thy self for it séemeth héer plainly that both S. Paule in the afore alleaged place to yâ— Hebrewes and also Christ him selfe in the scripture afore rehearsed haue giuen sentence of condemnation against thée Wherefore bothe the Nouacian the Annabaptist grounding them selues vppon these two places of holy scripture will plainelye pronounce thée to be a reprobate and that thou art dispatched and vtterlye cast awaye from all hope of saluation But héere let vs not too lightlye passe ouer but earnestlye weigh and deepely consider what may be said in this matter on Peters behalfe And firste it may be rightlye answered that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrewes maketh Heb. 6. nothing againste S. Peter neither yet againste any Christian man how gréeuouslye or how often soeuer hée hath sinned so that he hath not vtterlye forsaken Christe and fallen cleane awaye from him For S. Paule saith It cannot be that they which were once lightned c. If they fall away they should be renued by repentance Marke héer diligentlye that S. Paule saithe If they fall away He saithe not If they fall But if It is not all one thing to fall and to fall away they fall away For it is not all one thing to fall and to fall away For Peter did fall but hee did not fall away froÌ„ Christe but returned vnto him againe An olde prouerb it is A man runneth A Prouerbâ— very far that neuer returneth againe All we christians do daily fal for we daily break Gods coÌ„mandements but yet we do not fal away froÌ„ christ neither refuse we him to be our Sauiour but acknowledging our manifold sinnes and offences wée daylye returne vnto him againe by true repentaunce faithe and amendmeÌ„t of life nothing doubting of his great vnmeasurable mercy towards vs. They fal away froÌ„ christ Who falleth away froÌ„ Christe yâ— vtterly forsake him refuse him to be their sauiour neuer
vnderstandinge of the holye Scriptures For how should they teach others béeing vnlearned themselues Doubtelesse it hath beene hearde of in not a fewe places of England that the Parishioner hath beene better learned in holye Scripture then the Parson or Vicar which thinge is muche to bée lamented Is it not a greate shame It is very strange that the sheepe should haue more wit learning then the sheepheard yes it is vtterlye against nature that the Sheepe should be wiser and better learned theÌ„ the sheephearde But no men are so muche in this behalfe to be blamed as the Byshoppes partelye for admitting such doltishe dodipoles to the office of the ministrye and partelye for the instituting to fat beneficies and to the cure and charge of Christian soules so many vnlearned Idyotes which neither can nor will féede them with the Spirituall foode of Gods woord Our Lord redresse this matter Amen Secondarily this priuate Confession is verye For counsel needefull for Counsell speciallye for suche persons whose consciences are encombred with scrupulouse Superstition of meates vowes or with perplexed doubts in causes of matrimonye of restitution of wronge gotten or withholden goods of reconciliation and such other Or else if they bee sore assaulted with diuers temptatioÌ„s of their ghostly enemy the deuill and knowe no remedyes how to auoyde them In all these and suche like doubtfull cases whome ought they rather to goe vnto and aske counsell then of the heardman of their Soules In worldelye affaires and businesse which waye a man maye defend his righte tytle of enheritaunce and howe he maye ouerthrowe his aduersarye that woulde doo him wrong men will spare for no laboure nor cost but will retaine of their counsel the best lear nedmen of law that they can get muche more in spirituall matters for the soules health oughte euery true Christian to seeke for the beste learned and discret este Ministers of Gods woorde to satisfie their conscieÌ„ces in doubtfull causes and to shewe theÌ„ apte remedies for the auoiding of their sundrye temptationes of their ghostlye enemye the Deuill For if hee bee a good Spirituall Phisition he will minister vnto the patient a conuenient medicine for the healing of his spirituall sicknes disease And the patients duety if he wil recouer his health is no lesse then thankfully and obedientlye to imbrace receiue the wholsome counsel of his spirituall Physition For the wise man Pro. 22. saith He that is wise will be counselled When Iohn the Baptist preached in the desart the people came vnto Math. 3. him from Ierusalem and all the regions round about Iordan confessing their sinnes And the Publicanes came also to be baptised and saide vnto him Maister what shall we doo Loe Luke 3â— heere the Publicanes which were verye extorcioners and bribers at the Preaching of Iohn the baptist came vnto repentaunce and calling him Maister asked him counsell how they should order their liues Then he like a discrete ghostly Father saide vnto them thus Require no more then is appointed you As though he shoulde saye For as muche as héeretofore you haue beene extortioners and verye Caterpillers and bribers and haue taken more of the poore people for taske tribute and custome then you ought to haue doon Now séeing you are conuerted and become the disciples of the heauenlye doctrine you muste with all diligence change your euill life vnto a better and oppresse the people no longer but take your appoynted duetyes and no more So likewise the souldiers also asked him and saide What shal we do then And hée sayde vnto them Do no man violence nor wrong and be content with your wages c. If the same trade were likewise had in vse amonge vs that are now liuing so that when soeuer wee were encombred with any gréeuous temptation or entangled or ouerthrowne in the same if wee euen then as soone as wée coulde possible would consulte with our souls phisition to knowe which waye wée mighte beste auoyde the temptation héereafter were it not a godlye fashion and woorthy praise and commendation Example If a young An Example man béeing sore tempted vnto Whordome and manye times ouercome of his temptation hath yeelded and giuen him selfe ouer vnto the Deuill for that time committing the very act of filthie Whordome and adulterye If he I saye vpon the consideration of his own damnable state that he standeth in would goe vnto a discrete godlye and well learned Preacher of Gods woorde and plainelye vtter vnto him his abhominable deedes in generall woordes and aske his best counsell and aduise therin Truly this Preacher would firste declare vnto him by Gods woord what great daunger of eternall damnation that he then stoode in and plainely tel him that God saithe in the Holye Scripture That neyther Whoremongers nor adulterers shall inherite the Kingdome of God And that God thretneth to Iudge and condemne both Adulterers and fornicatours And so grounding him selfe vppon the Scripture and suche like thereby beating into his Conscience the feare of God he woulde 〈◊〉 him in any wise earnestlye repeâ—te him selfe of his greate sinne and commit him self by earnest faithfull continuall Praier to the mercye of God in Christe Iesu And in any wise without any delaâ—e refuse that filthis and detestable fashion of liuing or else though he séemed neuer so much outwardli in this miserable worlde to flourishe yet should he continually liue without the fauor of God and vnder his great wrath and vengeance not béeing in that state the seruante of God but the diuels slaue bondman out of Gods Kingdom and subiect to eternall death and damnation This thing earnestly How a great sinner should vse him self to recouer the fauour of God heard diligently waied and déepelye from the verye he art considered If this sinner were one of Gods flocke at the hearing of this terrible sentence of the Lawe hée would tremble quake for feare wéepe wail and lament his horrible and detestable state crye and cal incessantly for the vnspeakable mercye of God in Christe Iesu trusting by his onelye meanes to obtain and get again the fauoure of God which thorowe his carelesse disobedience he had lost And feather he woulde humblye desire Counsell which way he might best héerafter auoid that horrible crime of filthy whordome and adultery Then his discreete Preseruatiues agaiÌ„st whordome ghostlye father would exhorte him in anye wise with al his due diligence daily and continuallye to practise these whole some preseruations and moste present remedies against whordoÌ„ That is to say Firste to eschue idlenesse and alwaies be occupied in some honest labour and busines Then to auoid al occasions of euill all suspect houses and wanton company Againe to beware of filthye communication wanton songs histories of baudry neither speak nor heare suche filthynesse Further to vse sobrietye and temperaunce in the vse of meate drinke sleepe and apparell Moreouer to be daily conuersante with
suche Persons as are hothe chaste honest vertuous and godly Beside that to remeÌ„ber dayly what painefull passion and death Christ suffered for our sinnes and filthy affections To consider also the certaintie and suddainnesse of death and what a straite account and reckoning must be giuen of euery idle woorde much more of filthye actes and vncleannesse But speciallye to vse daylye faithfull and feruent suite Praier and supplication vnto God for the grations gifte of chastity and cleannesse of heart And finally if these â—e practised and will not serue nor suffise for the auoiding of Whordome then in any wise to take a wife for when all other remedies faile that with the practising of the other will serue For that is the moste present medicine and natural remedy that God hath properly ordeined to cure the disease of filthye concupiscence whordome and adultrye after the doctrine of S. Paule which fayth To auoyde Whâ—â—do me let euerye man take his own wife and 1. Corin. 7. euerye woman her own husband Thirdly this priuate â—â—â—â—lession is chéefelye néedefull for them that are tormented in their Consciences and are not fullye perswaded yâ— their sinnes are forgiuen them by reason whereof they are halfe in desperation These I say haue muche néede of a discrete spiritual Phisition to comfort them For vnlesse their weak faith â—e staied and lifted vp by some comfortable restoratiues of the swéete promises of grace and mercy in Christs Iesu it is to be feared that their ghostly enemy Sathan will shortlye bring them to desperation and finallye to euerlastinge damnation Therefore héere the discreece â—oule Phisition will laboure with too the and nayle to beate into this spirituall pacients minde remembraunce the most swéet plain and euident promises of Gods aide and assistance to be alway ready to them that aske it in faithfull praier Wherfore it is verye néedefull to such weaklings in the Faithe that are so sore brused in Conscience to make all the haste that they can possible to the Heardman of their souls and plainely to open and acknowledge their gréefe vnto him desiring to here of his mouth the comfortable promises of grace in Christe Iesu to staye and lifte vp their weake and féeble Consciences Sainte Iames saythe Pray one for another that ye may bee healed For saith Iames. 5. hâ— the feruente Prayer of a righteous Man anayleth much If the praier of one godly person be of muche value then is the prayers of two good Christians agréeing togither in prayer for any Godly purpose of more value For Christe sayth If two of you shall agree vppon Math. 18. earth for what thing soeuer it bee that they desire they shall haue it of my Father which is in Heauen For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest among them Marke that Christe sayth If two of you shall agree vppon earth c. And where two or three are gathéred togeather in my name there am I present among them And I pray you is not this weake faythed person and his curate consulting of these matters gathered togeather in Christes name If they be as vndoutedly they are then is Christ in companye with them by the assistaunce of his grace and presence of his God head Againe if they two thus assembled doo agree to pray together to God for the increace and establlshmeÌ„t of the fayth of this Spirituall patient then sayth Christe vnto them thus If two of you shall agree vpon earth for what thing so euer it be that they would desire they shall haue it of my Father which is in Heauen Good Lord what a comfortable place of scripture is this For we may learn by it that if there be but two persoÌ„s gathered togither in Christes name for any good and godlye purpose then is Christe presente with them And if they agrée to aske any godly requeste of God they shall haue it graunted what thing soeuer it bee saith Christ so it be a godly requeste contained within the lymits of faith charity and agréeing vnto 1. Iohn 5. the will of God For â—â— Iohn saithe If we shall aske any thinge according to his will he heareth vs. But heere one will say Obiection Sir me thinke you take the scriptures too straightly if you would binde vs to coÌ„fesse our faults only to a préest or onely to our owne Curate For albeit S. Iames saith Iam. 5. Knoweledge your faultes one to another Yet he saith not one lay man vnto a Préeste nor one Parishioneâ— vnto his own Curate and to no other but he saith generally one to an other Therefore I thinke that I may aswell make my confession to anye other man as vnto a Préeste or vnto mine own curate Answere Trueth it is that thou mayest freelye chuse anye discreete Christian man that is well learned in the holye Scripture and resorte to him for learning counsell and comfort but yet for all that there is none so meete for thy purpose in that behalfe as thine owne Curate if he be no Papist neither or corrupt iudgement in yâ— scriptures but be honest discreete well exercised in Gods holye woord For he is appointed of God to be heardman of thy soul at whose mouth thou maiste lawfullye require learning counsel and comfort yea hee is called and appointed of God to preach vnto thee and to all other his Parishioners both priuately and apertly secretlye and openlye the Gospell of Christ to comforte thy soule when néed is Which preaching of What is the true absolution Gods mercy freely giuen to the faithful for Christs sake what other thing is it then the true absolution of their sinnes For what other thing is the priuate absolution of the préest but a priuate or secret preaching of Christs Gospell What can the Préeste more promise the sinner by his absolution but therby to declare vnto him that if hee repent him of his sinfull life and vnfainedlye purpose to amend reposing his whole faith trust and confidence in the promises of grace and mercy in Christe Iesu that then Gods trueth shall saue him for Christs sake Can he promise the sinner anye other thinge then to bee saued if hée from the hart doo repent beleeue and purpose to walke in a newe life I think not Resorte therefore to thine own Curate if he be honest discréete and well learned as I saide before and thinke him to bee that person that is appointed of God to minister Christs Gospell and his Sacraments vnto thee at suche conuenient times as shall be needefull to the comforte of thy troubled conscience There is also another kinde of priuate Confession Confession of reconciliation which may aptly be called the confession of reconciliation As when I haue offended my christian Brother and haue prouoked him to anger It is my bounden duetye to reconcile my selfe vnto him and to acknowledge my faulte and desire of him forgiuenesse thereof This Confession
ChrysostoÌ„ vpon the fifth chap. of Mathew fifteen Homely filthinesse of sinnes but that they fall not againe a freshe into them it perteineth to the cure and laboure of the Apostles And Chrisostome vppon the .viij. Chapter in the liij Homilye sayth The bondage of sinne is moste greeuous from it onlye God can deliuer vs. For no man hath power to forgiue sinne saue onlye God We are reconciled and Austen in his booke called Enchiridion the 32. chap. brought in fauour againe with God thorow Christe which is the mediatour that of Enemyes wee might be made Sonnes And in the xix Chapter Neither shoulde wee bee deliuered thorowe him as 〈…〉 lye the mediatoure of God and man Christ Iesus if hee were not also God But when Adam was made that is to wit a righte man hee needed no mediatour But when as sinne did seperate and sunder mankinde far from God we must be brought in fauoure againe with God by a mediatour and a meane which was onelye borne without sinne liued and was slame vnto the rising agayne of the fleshe and to euerlasting life Beware thou shew any Chrisostom of Lazarus in the 4. Sermon man thy sinnes leaste hee cast them in thy teeth and reuile thee for them Neither doo thou confesse thee vnto thy fellowe-seruaunt that hee mighte tell thy faultes abroade but to him which is the Lord and Maister which also suffered for thee to him that is kinde and gentle and then shewe thy woundes vnto him which is a Physition And a little after he saith God will that thou shouldst tel not that thou shouldst be punished but be released and iustified Seeing that wee knowe Chrisostom of repentance in the fourth Homely these thinges let vs alwaies flee for succour vnto God which bothe will and maye take awaye all our greefes and sinnes If at any time wee must get anye thing of men by praier we must first meete with the Porter and entise the flatterers the iesters and the Plaiers and Skoffers and oftentimes goe a greate waye There is no suchâ— thing in God ye may easily get by praier of him hee will graunt you your petitions and Prayers without any money or cost Saint Ambrose saith Peter mourned and wept because hee erred as a Ambrose vpon Luke man I finde not what hee sayde I knowe that hee wept I reade of his teares but I reade not of his satisfaction Thou needest no helpers nor Aduocates with God neither anye greate Chrisostom in the Homely of the going forward of the Gospell running about to flatter other men but thoughe thou bee alone and haste no Patrone or Aduocate and makest thy Prayer thy owne selfe vnto God doubtlesse thou shalt obtaine thy purpose For God dooth not so easilye heare when other praieth for vs as when wee praye our selues although wee be full of muche euill and vnrighteousnesse Thus haue I declared vnto you after my slender gifte of knoweledge bothe the Iudgement of the Aunciente Fathers of the Primitiue church and what I haue read learned in holye Scripture touching the confes 〈…〉 of sinnes Besides al these former fortes of confession there was also vsed in the primatiâ—e Church an open Confession which they that had béene excommunicated Another Confession for greate and haâ—nous sinnes made before the whole congregation at such time as they were restored againe to the same But because this is now out of vse it is the more to be lamented I will héere speake no more of it But wheras in the latter ende of your letters you instantlye desired me to write vnto you what I thinke of the eare Confession that is so straitlye commaunded among the papistes Truelye to vtter my Conscience plainelye vnto you in few woordes Abuses of eare Confession I thinke it bringeth manye a simple soule to the hazarde of damnation For doubtlesse there are manye shamefull abuses therein of which I wil by the grace of God rehearse two or thrée which are intollerable First it is commaunded of necessity Through which abhominable commaundement the simple common people for lacke of good instruction thinke for so are they deceiued by false teaching that without eare confession they cannot bee saued So this opinion of necessitye of the one partie and the compulsarye lawes made of stincking Papists for the maintenance of the same on the other partye I knowe this certainlye bringeth very manye to perplexed and doubtfull straites of conscience which if it be not in time remoued by yâ— swâ—te promises of grace iâ—â—hrist will doubtlesse dâ—ine theÌ„ to desperation Secondarilye it is no 〈…〉 le bondage of Christâ—n â—eus consciences to â—empell theâ— to number â—ll their sinnes particularly with al due circumstances of time person and place and how many times euerye sin was committed Which opinion perswaded to the vnlearned People is not vnlike to bring many of their soules vnto the diuells daunger For they thinke themselues bounden in Conscience for so are they coruptly taught to confesse euerye sin perticularlye by it selfe and â—â— open and declare to their ghostlye father euerye circumstaunce of the same And yet sometime for feare and sometime for shame they confesse not all but concealeth and hideth some offence Which not confessed oppresseth their weake and féeble Consciences sometime thrée or foure yeeres or more and so all that space they thinke themselues because of that concealemente to bee in the state of damnation and quite out of Gods fauor And manye times if the thinge were thorowelye knowne it is scantlye so waighty a matter as the eating of an egge vpon a Fridaye so deepelye are the Popishe traditions printed in their tender Consciences estéeming the breache of them to be a greater offence theÌ„ idolatrye blasphemye periurie theft slaunder or any transgression of Gods holy commaundements Whiche thinge oughte to make all the Babilonicall Bishoppes ashamed but yâ— they are past all shame already because they suffer Gods people to be so drowned in ignoraunce that they can not discern the commaundements of God froÌ„ the dirtye dregs of Papisticall traditions And albeit the holy scripture alloweth these sorts of Confession that I haue spoken of before in this Epistle yet for all that the prowdest Papiste of them all cannot finde in holye Scripture these woordes or sentences To his owne Curate whatsoeuer he is all Sinnes perticularlye all circumstances such like trash For all these are nothing else but Pedlarye patches of Papistrye Which I pray God maye bee purged againe and banished out of Christendome and that shortlye Finally beside the aforesaide abuses of eare Confession the common sorte of people are therewith two manner of wayes deceiued Firste because they thinke that their Confession is the cause of forgiuenesse of their sinnes by reason whereof they blotte out the blessed benefite of the passion and death of Christe our onely Sauiour which is the onlye obtayner of Grace and Merâ—ys for the Sinnes of all mankinde Secondarilye because they are fullye perswaded that the Penaunce that is that Fasting Praier or alme 〈…〉 enioyned them of their ghostlye Father is the due satisfaction and full recompensation to God equiuolente for their sinnes past which they haue confessed to the Préeste And so for lacke of knowledge and instruction they are therin vtterlye deceiued For sure it is that to God no man is able to satisfie for Sinne for that satisfaction hath onlye our Sauiour Christ wrought in hys paynefull 〈◊〉 â—â— but â—â— will at this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them ouer 〈◊〉 Thus 〈◊〉 haue I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you of the Confession of sinnes to declare vnto you my conscience and simple Iudgmente therein according to your requeste in you 〈◊〉 Letters written vnto mée by NICHOLAS NERIN from Roane in Fraunce the eight day of IANVARIE And â—â— you accepte of my rude writing and collection in this matter I shall by the grace of God doo mine endeuour likewise in other matters of holye Scripture to shewe you heereafter my small and slender knowledge and iudgement Thus the liuing God increace in you dayly more more faith charitie meekenesse godlinesse and pacience Amen From Copyn Hauen in Denmarke the 3. of Februarye ¶ If you write againe to me write to Geneua for thitherwards by Gods grace I intend to goe shortly Yours in the Lord. T. C. 〈◊〉 by Eaward Allde for Edward White and are to be solde at the little North doore of S. Paules Church at the signe of the Gun