A LETTER CONCERNING CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Written to a Friend some yeers since And now proposed to the Consideration of the gathered Churches in LONDON Imprimatur JOHN DOWNAME LONDON Printed by Francis Neile 1650. A Letter written to a Friend touching CONFESSION SIR THe conference that I had with you about Confession and Absolution hath occasioned my further thoughts meditations thereon which being fresh in memory I have committed to Paper with intent you should see them that so you may consider And if upon serious thought you finde them disagreeing with holy Scriptures then I pray you shew me how and impart for my help what you undoubtedly understand in this point And if you meet with any phrases that you like not passe them over as not materially appertaining to the matter in hand So I would deal with you and so I desire you to do with me And in the next place I desire that you may not be minded like those that slightly and easily let passe every thing that pleaseth not their palate and fleshly minde as this of Confession may not For it may be truly said the flesh is at enmity with Confession for that it layeth it open and shameth it Yea Confession maketh the soul stand trembling in a confused condition before men and Angels And it may truly be said of reall and penitentiall Confession that by it some mens sins go to judgement before-hand 1 Tim 5.24 And being this is a truth that all must come to judgement and every secret must be made manifest let the Christians account it the unspeakable kindnesse and love of our good God that hath ordained so easie a judgement for his elect 1 Cor. 6.2 as to send his Embassadors who shall judge the world his Ministers afore-hand to take their Confessions and in case they have committed some heinous fins to lay upon them a penance of watching fasting prayer alms or hard labour c. so punishing their bodies in this life that they might not perish with the world in the life to come This is a great mercy and not common to all 1 Cor. 11.32 and besides our loving Lord is loath to lay his own hand upon us as he saith he doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men If we would chastise our selves we should not be chastised of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.31 Now what should let that we accept not of this great mercy and be willing to be judged by Gods Embassadours And let not any one think this needlesse for such persons as are eminent for knowledge Deut. 17. Mal. 1.7 Some are ignorant say they and that may occasion them to go to the Priests for Law and Judgment The Priests lips are to keep knowledge and the people to seek Law at their mouth but some have more understanding than their Teachers what need such go I answer he is a proud man that will not submit to Gods way Psal 119.99 Our Saviour Lord of heaven and earth hath shewed us an example of another fashion Matth. 3.14,15 John said to our Lord I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me Observe our Lords answer Suffer it to be saith he for it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousnes So likewise under the Law it is not to be doubted but there was many a Jew without the help of a Priest discern his own leprosie and also pronounce himself unclean yea and separate himself according to Law Yet this was not approveable without the Priests had done it and when that Leper was cured he was not so esteemed till he was so pronounced by the Priest and a sacrifice offered as when our Lord himself had cleansed the Leper Matth. 8.4 yet to fulfill all righteousnesse he commanded the said leper to go to the Priest and offer a gift which Moses had commanded for a testimony So that if there be men of such knowledge that understand all mysteries if they have lived loose lives committed heinous and great sins and yet think to be pardoned and justified without the help of Gods Ministers their way is not Gods way neither can they produce any holy man in former ages that hath troden such a path But let us consider further what reasons may induce us to submit to this Ordinance 1. First for the Antiquity of it we finde some footsteps thereof under the Law yea before the Law though more darkly for God himself required a confession of Adam Eve and Cain and accordingly proceeds against them And for the punishment of Adam and Eve whereunto they were sentenced namely that in the sweat of his brows he should eat his bread and she bring forth in sorrow it may well be called a penance imposed upon them for saving their souls 1 Tim. 2.15 For as he by labour so she by sorrow in child-bearing should be saved if they continue in the faith The like example in another place we have of God himself Aaron and his sister Miriam having murmured against Moses about taking an Aethiopian to wife God was so displeased with their murmuring that he smote Miriam with leprosie which did occasion Aaron as for himself so for his sister to confesse their fault to Moses and Moses having prayed to God for her the Lord healed her but what though she were healed yet for her penance or punishment let her be separated seven dayes saith God that so she might be ashamed For if her father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed this was done by Gods own appointment But under the Law we may see the footsteps thereof more manifest though not so perspicuous as under the Gospel where truths appear as it were with open face In the time of the Law we finde it manifest Levit. 5.5 Numb 5.6 that God commanded all such men and women as having sinned should come to the Priests and make confession thereof before attonement could be made and it is explained by Ainsworth in his Annotations upon them verses that no attonement was ever made without confession Yea though a man or woman did all other things that the Law did require yet without confession there was no attonement made And he that in confession did most aggravate his sin was accounted the best man Hence we may see that as the Ministers under the Gospel are so the Priests under the Law were after penitentiall confessions Ministers of reconciliation but yet in a darker manner and not so glorious For it is written of them under the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.10 3.6.8,9 4 7. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth Their Ministery was of the letter ours of the Spirit As it is written He hath made us able ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit And again hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation Such treasure have we in earthen