his authority for the same Divided into two Sections ANd thus much for Confession of sin in the lips of the Penitent proceed we now to speak of the Confessary as it relates to his ears who is to receive into his custody and discretion the sad narration of a sinners life and to promote the just designs and purposes the penitent aimeth at Of great and necessary importance this practice must be as much opposing our native pride in turning the best side outward and beautifying our external carriage like the Pharisees clensing the outside of the platter never taking notice or at least careful that others should not of our inward corruption Verily to subdue this inbred tumour and natural Typhon so far as to lay aside shame and to lay open our sins to discover our offences and to diminish our reputation it must needs be the end is heavenly when worldly respects are thus troden under foot to accomplish the same As when David strip'd himself into an Ephod and danced before the Lord in the Ark 2 Sam. 6.21 22. and was for the same derided by Michal as shamefully uncovering himself in the eyes of his handmaids answered It was before the Lord I will yet be more vile than thus and will be base in mine own sight and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So it is with a devout Penitent for how ever he may by discovering himself thus be exposed to the scoffs and jeers of irreligious and profane Michals yet he knoweth before whom he doth it in the presence of the Lord and that in so doing he shall be had in honour of the Lords servants his Priests therefore he resolveth vilior adhuc fiam I will become yet more vile than this for with me to confess my sin is nothing so vile as to commit and blush more entring into the stewes than coming forth abasing my self in mine own sight to become pretious in the Lords eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 When therefore sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compassing and besetting the sinner about beleagring his soul he finds it not in his own power to raise the siege nor to explicate and unfold himself from such ingagements when the Conscience is insnared and perplexed and can find no peace at home In such cases the sinner hath recourses unto the Overseers of his soul for help and ease and freedome as the nature of his disease requireth as to a 1. Ghostly Father indulgent to his Children 2. as to a Physician careful of his Patients 3. as an Advocate and Counsellor able to direct and protect his Clients and lastly but chiefly as unto the Priest whose office is to grant absolution to the truly Penitent So that to the wounded Conscience here is a Medicine to the perplexed counsel to the dejected comfort and to the distressed pardon The sting of sin is lost by the power of absolution the filth of sin is purged by the Laver of tears the wages of sin struck off by the Intercession of the great Advocate the deceitfulness of sin discovered by this Counsellor and the danger of sin prevented by the balme of mercy A Physician is sought unto for health and sometimes for remedy A Lawyer for advice and counsel A friend for consolation A good Priest is virtually all these and something more thy spiritual Physician against spiritual diseases healing them by application of thy Saviours merits and prescribing rules for thy direction and remedy against sin Thy spiritual Advocate to counsel thy soul in such cases to plead thy cause before the supreme Judge and which crowneth all he is the Lords Sâ—eward and Deputy in his name to reach forth unto thee pardon and absolution These and such like to these are the motives inducing a sinner to deposit his mind and heart to the Dispensers of the Mysteries of God viz. 1. upon hope of Physick restaurative and preservative to heal his soul and to continue the same in health 2. of good advice to demean and behave himself for future times 3. and above all upon the hope and comfort of absolution these are his inducements and to be now treated of And therein the last shall be first Nemo potest benè agere poenitentiam nisiqui speraverit indulgentiam Ambros as the chiefest and choicest motive to confession of sin namely the virtue and power of absolution inherent in the Priestly office and Ministery that saying of Ambrose being true None can be truly penitent but upon hope of Pardon SECT I. The Contents The vulgarly disesteem of the power of absolution in the hand of Priests Keys diverse Of 1. Authority 2. Excellency 3. Ministery The office of the Ministerial key in discerning and defining Ecclesiastical and conscientious Consistories The gift of Science in the Priest not properly the key but the Guide Absolution a judicial act Magistrates Spiritual and Temporal distinguished in their jurisdiction and ends Bonds of sin culpable and for sin Penall Satisfaction expiatory vindictive God forgiveth sins properly and effectively The Priest by way of application and notice as also dispositively qualifying by his function sinners for the same in which he proceedeth as a subordinate Cause both declaratively and operatively The Priority of binding and loosing on earth to heaven in respect of the sensible apprehension in the Penitent not of the purpose and operation in God Power of Absolution primitive in God in his Ministers derivative and delegate A Penitent absolving himself by the finger of Gods spirit in what sense The power of binding in the Church rather privative than positive and declarative onely IF the Priests and Ministers of the Gospel were not in Commission to enquire to hear and to take some order about the sins of the people their function were to as little purpose and as little to be esteemed as the Lutins of the times account it for as in the time of Galen they expressed weak-men under the title of Scholasticks Cujacius so are Priests entituled by the Hot-spurs of this age as silly and contemptible meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and John a Nokes Could men live without sin or enter into heaven with sin or having sinned stand in need of no grace to amend of no gift to repent and in fear of no Deity to be reconciled or were the wounds of sin so little as to heal up of themselves without any further plaister or were there no law that there might be no transgression or if a Law with no great penalty to be inflicted upon the transgressors head or if the penalty were great yet the Law-giver of small power to inflict the same there could be no great necessity to erect this Court of Conscience the matter thereof no great consequent and the Censures viz. retention and remission of sins of no great importance and sinners discharged of further suit and service And the Priests might do well with Gallio
the sacrifice destin'd to expiate the sin revealed to the Priest of which there is frequent mention in the old Law where the guilty person was to confess the sin that he had sinned and to present his offering And the Priest was to make his (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 atonement expiation or redemption the quality of which confession and the reserved cases therein will come under our hands hereafter So in the inquiry after the iniquity of Achan which put Israel to flight more than all their enemies could do the offender attached by a divine lot Joshuah adviseth him at no hand to conceal the sin Josh 7.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lui fai confession Gallicè but to make confession thereof to God or as the Septuagint according to the letter of the Hebrew give confession unto him And the same Interpreters where sin is the subject thereof render it confession but where God and his mercies are the contents Psal 27.7 Pour esclater en voice d'action de graces Fr. B. praise and thanksgiving as for example That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works or as the French Bibles for to illustrate with the voice of thanksgiving after the Hebrew That I may cause to be heard or sound forth in the voice of confession which the Septuagint read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ut audire faciam sonum in Hiphil Psal 26.7 Sec. LXXII From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forum Ezra 10.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may hear the voice of thy praise But when sin bears the burthen of confession then the words used are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which run along all their translation and are of much use with the Greek Fathers also sometimes they express it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forinsecal word as in that former place of Leviticus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall confess his sin After that solemn and heavy denuntiation of the peoples sins unto God by the lips of Ezra chap. 9. in the beginning of the next the Septuagint read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after he had confessed weeping and praying That Priests and peoples confession could not but fly up to heaven winged with prayers and tears And Davids purpose to accuse and indict himself for his offences was according to that tenor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 31. vel 32. sec Hebraeos I said I will confess my sin against my self where he never took his own part more than by setting himself in such a confession against himself wherein those Translators would shew that in confession there must be a concurrency both in soul and body and both must arraign us at the Bar giving in of evidence or rather finding of the bill of indictment by our selves put in and signed to be true if it were onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evidence of the tongue were enough but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that there is an inward sense of the outward evidence and as evil springeth from the heart 1. Exhomologesis conscientiae Cyprian so from that root must orall confession issue forth and hence is it that one of the Fathers calls it 1. The confession of the conscience 2. Another the exposing of the burden of the soul 3. 2. pondus animi proferre Aug. and a third a sighing forth of sin rather than speaking and with grief of heart more than words of the lips Thus far the Old Testament hath led me by the hand along the several denominations of Repentance and Confession 3. Ingemit culpae dolore Ambr. And now for to come unto that other part of Gods treasure for so Clemens Alexand. honours the Scriptures let us see what a good Scribe may bring forth of the New also We shall there find for Repentance two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former hath respect unto the mind and the change thereof rather than any corporal afflictions when after a lapse the party peccant shall find his errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutatam mentem sonat non afflictionem corporis Erasm annot in Mat. cap. 3. and so seriously to lament that former errour as to correct and amend the same De errore admisso ità dolere ut corrigas Latinè resipiscere Beza Annot. ad Matth. 3. vers 2. considering what he was with grief and endevouring to be what he was not but ought to have been with grace Semper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his Repentance is a departure from evil unto goodness therefore herein is wisdom in the end and in Latin is termed resipiscentia for to commit sin is folly but to repent thereof and amend is wisdome therefore it hath reference to the inward man Nam in Graeco sâ—no poenitentiae nomen non ex delicti confessione sed ex animi demutatione composita est Terrul lib. 2. contr Marcion cap. 4. and importeth not so much the confession of sin as the commutation of the mind whereby the sinner is altered rather than the sin uttered as Tertullian elegantly expressed the force of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 11.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3.19 and in that name is comprised Repentance with its properties and virtues so you have the fruits of repentance Mat. 3.8 and the calling of sinners to repentance Mat. 9.13 and forgiveness of sins annexed to repentance Luke 24.27 so you have the habit and dress thereof they had repented in sackcloth and in ashes The virtue and effect together with the manner and efficacy thereof Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all in all with repentance The other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not of such vertue and is used of such as have been remiss and supine in managing of their affairs who smarting for their sollies and negligence Dicta est cùm socordes in peragendo serò incipimus esse attenti Erasm at the last shew more diligence such after-wits are usually anxious Declarat post rem aliquam factam sollicitum esse anxium Latinè poenitere atque usurpari potest in vitio Beza and disquieted with their doings This kind of pensiveness doth not alwayes imply a change either in life or purpose for the better but sometimes for the worse also betokening rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and displeasure whereby we could wish with all our hearts things done undone hap what will be they good or evil The gifts and callings of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance that is of that sort as the donation thereof iâ— at no time displeasing to God who therewith was
voice O ye wives of Lamech hearken unto my speech for I have slain a man in my wounding and a young man to my hurt I must confess I held not this worthy of an instance though it be the detection of a secret sin because it was addressed unto women unfit creatures to be acquainted with a mans Cabinet and to look into the privy Chamber of his heart and conceived of this passage to be as much for my purpose as the fabulous conjectures of the Rabbins who the man was he slew and the manner thereof to the mind and meaning of Lamech passed over it had been for me had not Chrysostome grounded upon the same so many and those notable observations of Confession 1. As the power and torture of an indicting Conscience not suffering the sinner to be at quiet till his sin be brought to light 2. The good that comes to some by the examples of justice in others Cains punishment in denying his sin serving as an inducement to Lamech to confess his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysosâ— No man therefore constraining him no man convincing him he sets up a judgment-seat calls upon his wives to be his judges accuseth himself confesseth the fact and allots the punishment wherein no dislike could be taken to the proceedings were it not for his mistake in the Judges The next act of Confession was more solemn and religious made to the Priest before the Altar for besides that general confession of the whole people Nec publica tantùm confessio pro totius populi dâ—lictis fiebat in die expiationis sed pâ—â—vata particularis specialium quorundam peccatorum ab iis agebâ—â—â—r qui poenitentiam agentes sibi Deum propitium reddere volebant Beauxan harm tom 1. pag. 134. col 2. poured out annually upon the day of expiation there was a private and particular confession of some special sins in use amongst them for which by repentance they sued unto God for mercy saith a Sorbonist The sinner that would be particular repaired unto the Altar and there presented the Priest with an offering to make the atonement for sins hid from the eyes of the assembly and afterwards come to light a young bullock with imposition of hands from the elders was destin'd for a Sacrifice the Ceremonies whereof are contained Levit. 4. but for some sort of secret sins which had not yet seen the light of fame the sin-offering was appointed to be a lamb or a kid Levit. 5.6 and the guilty person was to confess the sin and the Priest to make the atonement Josephus mentioneth the secret sin and the sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 3. c. 10. which he saith was a Ram but not the confession of the sin as needless perhaps because the offence was imprinted upon the Sacrifice as an Hieroglyphick thereof of which see Levit. 5. for how could a particular offering appertaining to particular fins be laid upon the Altar by the guilty person Qui potuit quispiam offerre oblationem pro peccato qui se peccasse palâ—m non fateretur cos qui peculiaritèr offerebant pro peccato peculiariter quóâ—â— ejus peccati de quo agebatur sese reos agnoscere necesse suit Beza de Excom contra Erastum without disclosing of his offence did they not by that act pronounce themselves guilty of that sin for which they brought the offering and desired the atonement That very act of the party peccant viz. the presenting of the sacrifice was a real conviction Scotus then fell short of the truth in affirming that under Moses law In lege Mosaica de peccatis occultis tantùm Deo fiebat confessio de quibusdam tamen defectibus publicis de non observantia legalium fiebat confessio generalis confessio Sacerdotis erat quaedam dispositio ad miseri cordiam petendam pro populo sicut erat ista injustè egimus peccavimus c. Scot. l. 4. d. 17. q. unica sins done in secret were confessed to God alone and that the confession to man was but of some publick defects and not observing of legal rites And that the general Confession of the Priest served to dispose God to be merciful unto the people like unto those supplications in the Church-Liturgy We have sinned we have done unjustly c. And Bellarmine hath overshot the truth in stretching this confession to a distinct Illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectè verti possit distinctè expressè confitebuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeceptum hoc intelligendum esse de confessione distincta in specie ejus peccati pro quo expiando sacrificandum erat Bell. l. 3. de poen c. 3. Sect. ad haec and specifique enumeration of each several sin and though it be granted the Hebrew word to signifie an express and distinct confession it concludeth not his purpose for a distinct confession is one thing and a confession of all distinct sins another The truth is all the sins they thus Sacrificed for were distinctly confessed but not all the sins they committed were so sacrificed for and to such kind of sins as were expiated by sacrifices doth the Cardinal himself limit this distinct confession Aquinas alloweth not so much to Confession under the Law as a clear and evident expression of sin but rather a confused intimation thereof reserving that distinct demonstration to the clearer times of the Gospel for thus he saith In lege naturae sufficiebat recognitio peccati interior apud Deum sed in lege Mosaica oportebat aliquo signo exteriori peccatum protestari sicut per oblationem hostiae pro peccato ex quo homini innotescere poterat eum peocasse non autem oportebat ut speciale peccatum à se commissum manifestaret aut peccati circumstantias sicut in nova lege Aq. Supplem Qu. 6. art 2. In the law of Nature an inward recognition of sin unto God was enough but under Moses law there was required a protestation of the sin in some outward signs as by the offering of a Sacrifice for sin whereby it might appear to man that he had sinned but it was not requisite to make a special manifestation of the sin committed or the circumstances thereof as in the new law As if to the Patriarchs before the Law Confession were then but in spicis in the ears of Corn to the Israelites under Moses law in farina in the meal and to Christians under the Gospel in pane as the bread set upon the table this be assured of Levit. 17.21 Quia Sacordos non omaia peccata populi scicbat sed in generali Lyr. in Levit. 17. that in Moses time it was not so narrowly sifted into as in ours for Lyra giving some reasons why the Confession of the peoples sins unto God over the Sacrifice could not be particular hath this amongst others because the Priest was not acquainted with all the sinnes of the people but in
Sin Dismantled SHEWING THE LOATHSOMNESSE THEREOF In laying it open by CONFESSION With the Remedy for it by Repentance Conversion Wherein is set forth the Manner how we ought to confess our Sins to God and Man with the Consiliary decrees from the Authority thereof and for the shewing the necessity of Priestly Absolution the removing the disesteem the vulgar have of Absolution setting forth the power of Ministers With an Historical Relation of the Canons concerning Confession and the secret manner of it also shewing the Confessors affections and inclinations By a late Reverend Learned and Judicious Divine LONDON Printed by J. Best for WILLIAM CROOK at the three Bibles on Fleet-Bridge MDCLXIV The Principal CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE BOOK CHAP. I. THe names of things exemplifie their nature The Authors purpose Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Repentance and Consolation which is variously rendred by the Septuagint Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confession or a casting off by the same Interpreters is translated to give thanks and to praise Exagreusis a forinsecal word an Indictment Exhomologesis Metanoea and Metameleia usuall in the New Testament Resipiscence and Penitude their difference and several uses pag. 1. CHAP. II. Repentance a Conversion and wherein it consisteth The Fathers define it from the sensible effects and figns thereof The Schoâ—lmens errour in placing it in bodily corrections rather than in mental change The Reformed Divines seat it in the humiliation of the heart requiring also outward expressions of sorrow Conversion is the essential form of Repentance Self abnegation godly sorrow a Penitents practice and endeavour p. 10. CHAP. III. Discipline of penance wherefore enjoyned by the Church Exhomologesis divers kindi of Confession publick penance of Apostolical practice The austerity thereof in the Primitive times Order thereof prescrib'd in the dayes of Cyprian and Ambrose Divers examples of publick Penitents The solemn practick thereof in Records of the Church Sinners admitted but once to solemn Penance Actual reconciliation denyed by the Church to lapsed sinners No renewing unto Repentance how understood in the Epistle to the Hebrew Four stations observed by the ancient Penitents The restoring of this Discipline much desired p. 16. CHAP. IV. Confession of sin addressed unto God chiefly and to Man also with considerable relations grounded upon the Law of Nature with God himself a necessary antecedent to pardon Adam and Cain interrogated to extract Confession Sundry precedents of Penitents recoursing to God in Confession There is shame in confessing to God as well as unto Man Penitential Psalmes composed by David for memorials and helps to Confession The Rabbins doctrine of Confession of sin before God practised in the time of the Gospel preached and urged by the Ancient Fathers and so far by Chrysostome as a tribute due to God onely for which the Pontificians are jealous of him Confession before God is not destructive of Confession before man in a qualified sense though preferred before it and especially called for by the old Doctors although that be of singular use also p. 43. CHAP. V. Of Confession to Man The Confession of sin under the Law before the Priest at the Altar and the Sacrifice Special enumeration of all sins not required of the Jews The Law commandeth the acknowledgment of sin and restitution Jobs friends confessed their errours unto him who sacrificed for them Davids confession unto Nathan Rabbins affirming sins to be confessed unto the Fathers and Levites The place in St James chap. 5. Of mutual Confession explained and vindicated Testimonies of the Fathers for Confession unto man The opinion of the Schoolmen that sin in case of necessity and in way of Consultation for a remedy not in way of Absolution for reconcilement may be detected to a Lay-man and of the Reformed Divines That sins may be confessed to a Believing Brother for advice and to a Minister of the Gospel p. 65. CHAP. VI. Divers Offices and administrations in the Church The peoples Confession unto John at Jordan wherein they were particular The Confession of the Believers at Ephesus to St Paul Proofs from the Fathers for Confession to the Priests of the Gospel Such Confession withdraweth not from God but leadeth to him Testimenies of the worthiest Divines of the Church of England for Confession seconded with Divines of the Reformation from the Churches beyond the seas p. 90. CHAP. VII Concerning the Institution necessity and extent of Confession and is divided into three Sections p. 111. SECT I. The Decrees of the Tridentine Council for Divine right and authority of Confession The Anathema's held too severe by some moderate Romanists Publick Exhomologesis vilipended by those Fathers The Schoolmens faintness in reasoning for the divine institution of Auricular Confession The Canonists plant the same upon the universal Tradition of the Church Divines siding with the Canonists Oppugners of Auricular Confession in former ages Pretences of Divine authority from places of Scripture examined Different proceedings in the Court of Conscience from earthly Tribunals Special cognizance of all sins not a necessary antecedent at all times to Priestly Absolution God pardoneth many sins immediately never spoken of to a Priest Differences of Popish Divines concerning the matter and form in Penance prove to be no such thing as Sacramental Confession which reacheth not higher than the Lateran Council Confession of sin of the same institution as Repentance is Divine institution manifold In what sense Confession may be said to be of Divine institution p. 113. SECT II. The abusive necessity of Confession Tyrannical inquisition into mens consciences distasteful Confession left at liberty in Gratians time Schoolmen leaning to the necessity thereof Confession not the onely Necessary means for absolution and remission The Ends aimed at in Popish confession unnecessary No express precept in Scripture for the absolute necessity thereof Confession an heavy burden upon fleshly shoulders Private Confession not practised from the beginning Established in the place of the publick by an Edict from Leo I. The fact of Nâ—â—tarius abrogating confession with the several answers and expositions of Roman writers expended Confession deserted in the Greek Church Divers kinds and forms of Necessity Confession in what cases necessary and the necessity thereof determined p. 144. SECT III. Scrupulous enumeration of all sins decreed in late Councils Circumstances aggravating and altering the property of sin Mill-stones to plain people Anxious inquisition into each sin with every circumstance a perplexed peece Particular reckonings for every sin an heavy load to the Conscience and without express warranty from God implying difficulty and impossibility and tending to desperation No urgent necessity to be so superstitious in casting up of all sins and the circumstantial tails thereof Romish closets of confession Seminaries of sin and uncleanness Venial and reserved sins exempted by Rome from the â—ars of ordinary Priests upon what grounds Strict and specifick enumeration of sins but of late standing in the Church General Interrogatories proposed at the
and in what cases to unfold the burthen of their Consciences unto the Lords Stewards And lastly what power over sin is committed to that earthen vessel together with the instructions latitude and extent thereof for procuring the safety of Christian souls Wherein as we have said our first step into this passage and nature of Confession must be to learn the names and appellations thereof Exod. 3.13 And as Moses would not stir afoot till God had told him his name so we must arrest our thought in the first place upon this inquiry And to begin with the first and most sacred Tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Repentance which is the root and parent of confession (a) Generaliter significat mutationâ—m animi seu affectûs qualis est quando aliquem dicti vel facti sui poeniteat illudque ipsum mutat vel quae fit condolentiâ vel commiseratione vel quae fit consolatione in eo qui priùs perturbatus erat Kercher Lexicon Hebr-Graec verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word importeth usually a change in the mind or affections when a man repenteth of what he hath spoken or done as wishing the same unsaid or to do again and this alteration is accommodated with grief and pity if what hath slipped from his tongue or hand be prejudicial to himself or such as are dear unto him or else with consolation in case his former purpose proved molestious unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consolari poenitere S. Pagnin and that he hath found case in the revoking thereof And hence it is that the word carries with it a double signification to repent and to comfort for godly sorrow usually sits down in consolation true Repentance like Janus with a double face looking upon the old year or conversation lamentably upon the new or renewed life cheerfully Gen. 6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 42.6 God spake as man when he repented that he made man there 's the word and Job in the same termes expressed that serious abnegation of himself wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes A Penitent for a time dislikes none more than himself and would have others take notice of his vileness also by covering himself with dust and crowning his head with ashes The Septuagint have rendred the same variously but every way significantly as 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith God by the Prophet upon the peoples turning from the evil of sin Jer. 26.3 Mala non peccatoria sed ultoria Tertull. lib. 2. contr Marcion I will cease from the evils of punishment which I purposed to do unto them because of the evil of their doings so it hath and ever will be betwixt us and God hand off from sin hand off from punishment 2. It is interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ponder and consider and that but once upon that former place in Genesis Aug. pro poenitut legit recogitavit juxta fidem veâ—ustissimi codicis lib. 15. de Civit. Dei cap. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God pondered in his mind that he had made man considering and bethinking with himself what he had done so considerate were those Interpreters in translating thus lest Repentance with God might have begot some misprision of him with Ptolomy though otherwise they make bold to render it with words and phrases of Repentance and that in the person of God too when it is not of man but of the evils that might befall him As 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repent again in Jeremy If a nation turn from the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them If it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice Poenitentia Dei neque ex improvidentia neque ex levitate neque ex ulla boni aut mali operis damnatione reputetur sicut humana nihil aliud intelligitur quam simplex conversiâ— scientiae prioris Tertull. lib. 2. contr Marcion c. 24. Jerem. 18. vers 8. 10. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Here I cannot refrain from telling my Reader how we occasion Gods favours and frownes when man turns from evil God turnes to be good in collation of benefits and when man turns from being good God turns to be evil in the affliction of his judgments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea so propitious is God upon Repentance that to repent with him is with these Translators to be patified In Moses earnest intercession for the people for whose sins God was justly displeased we read according to the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 32.12 Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be favourable to the sins of thy people And whereas God was intreated and Moses prevailed in his suit as what cannot fervent supplications do with God the Hebrew verity saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 14. and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto the people and they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was intreated for the evil and pacified This evidence is from the Old Testament and oldest language for Repentance And what find you for the tongue and dialect thereof Confession I say as Philip to Nathaneel Come and see the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hiphil to Confess John 1.46 is a branch of the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 projicere to cast away because Confession is a kind of casting up of crude sins indigested in the conscience of a diseased stomach and disquiet brest A Father of great antiquity hath instructed me to this observation Even as those that have meat lying indigested upon the stomach Sicut ii qui habent intus inclusam escam indigestam aut humoris vel phlegmatis stomacho graviter molestè imminentia si vomuerint relevantur ità etiam hi qui peccaverunt siquidem occultant retinent inter se peccatum intrinsecùs urgentur propemodùm suffocantur à phlegmate humore peccati si autem ipse sui accusator fiat dum accusat semetipsum confitetur simul evomit delictum atque omnem morbi digerit causam Origen homil 2. in Psal 37. or are otherwise troubled with the phlegme are greatly releeved by a vomit so those that hide their sins committed inwardly are strangled well-nigh and choaked with their humour and flâ—gme but if that vexed person would accuse himself and confess by so doing at once he vomiteth up his sin and discovereth his disease And it shall be when he shall be guilty of one of these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing Levit 5. Psal 5.6 So Origen Thence cometh also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is confession or
and application After that they were admitted amongst the fideles at the celebration of the Sacrament but were not yet come so far as to partake thereof and this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their station 5. Their penance fully accomplished and ended they were reconciled and received the sacred Eucharist and this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the complement Thus far the Cardinal though not so faithfully as he ought hath related from Pacianus Greg. Neocaesar and Photius men well acquainted with these rites Thou seest Christian Reader at what a distance sinners were held in the dayes of old and not fully restored till time and grief had worn out their sin the scandal satisfied and their hearts seasoned with devotion I will wind up this discourse with Cassander In the Primitive Church that sluggish professors might become more zealous In veteri Ecclesia ut segniores excitarentur poenitentilus ob graviora scelera certa tempora officia definita fuerunt quibus non solum coram Deo interiorem animi poenitentiam excitarent exercerent sed etiam Ecclesiae verè se atque ex animo poenitere declararent atque it a mâ—nûs impositione Episcopi Cleri reconciliarentur jus Communicationis acciperent atque haec praescripta officia canonicae satisfactiones seu poenae vocarentur quae jam imperitiâ Episcoporum Pastorum in abusum negligentiâ segnitie tà m pastorum quà m Populi in desuetudinem venerant nisi quòd in privatis confessionibus aliqua ejus rei vestigia remanserint Cassand Consult Confessio certain times and offices were appointed unto Penitents guilty of fouler crimes wherein they might not onely stir up and exercise the inward repentance of the minde before God but declare unto the Church their sincere and unfeigned sorrow and so be reconciled by imposition of hands from the Bishop and the Clergie and restored to the Communion the which prescribed duties were called canonical satisfactions or punishments which now adayes by the unskilfulness of Bishops and Pastors have grown to be abused and through the wegligence and lukewarmness both of Pastors and people wholly laid aside save that some foot stops thereof have remained in private Confessions This modern and moderate Divine hath laid down the use and scope of this discipline to rouse us up for religious duties and to set forth before the Church our sincere repentance and to be reconciled by Gods Ministers the decay whereof he ascribeth to the supine negligence of the later Prelates and that a shadow thereof remaineth to this day in private confession the restitution whereof he much sighed after as appeareth in these his words Which ancient and Apostâ—lick custome of publick satisfaction for publick and grievous offences were very profitable Quem publicae satisfactionis priscum Apostolicum morem ob publica graviora peccata restitui utile ac propemodùm necessarium est in quo potestas Ecclesiastica Clavium in ligando solendo i. e. poenitentiam indicendo à Communione separando rursum indulgendo absolvendo seu reconciliando manifestissimè cernitur Cassand ib. yea very necessary to be restored wherein the Ecclestastical power of the keyes in binding and loosing that is in imposing of penance in separating from the communion and again in releasing absolving and reconciling is manifestly discerned And thus have I prosecuted this discipline 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as accurately as I could that the same being known (a) Communion-Book at the Commination the vote of our Church for the restitution thereof may be the better perceived which thing were much to be wished and to which all that love the Lord Jesus must needs say Amen CHAP. IV. The Contents Confession of sin addressed unto God chiefly and to man also with considerable relations grounded upon the law of nature with God himself a necessary antecedent to pardon Adam and Cain interrogated to extract Confession Sundry Precedents of Penitents recoursing to God in Confession There is shame in confessing to God as well as unto man Penitential Psalmes composed by David for memorials and helps to Confession The Rabbins doctrine of Confession of sin before God practised in the time of the Gospel preached and urged by the Ancient Fathers and so far by Chrysostome as a tribute due to God onely for which the Pontificians are jealous of him Confession before God is not destructive of Confession before man in a qualified sense though preferred before it and especially called for by the old Doctors although that be of singular use also HItherto of Repentance both external and internal the inward sorrow and the outward demeanour thereof and that solemn performance was not onely a vocal and publick confession of the guilt but a real expression that as Saint Hieroâ—â—e said of John the Baptist his food of Lâ—â—â—sts and his garment of Cameâ—s hair Omnia poenitentiae praeparata Hicron Matth. 3. and the place of his abode the desart how they expresly set forth what he preached the doctrine of Repentance we are now to arrest our selves upon that branch and part thereof which consisted in the verbal opening and declaration of sin which is a recognition of a sinners unworthiness opened by himself in orall confession to the principal party wronged and sometimes to such persons also that by reason of their office place or respect may be a mean to procure forgiveness and reconcilement Now by sin God is ever principally and very often onely grieved and sometimes Man also In the first case to God onely and properly belongs confession as He who is chiefly and onely offended in the second this Confession must be made to God and the Man also that is wronged by us to whom satisfaction for the trespass also belongeth and the end brotherly Reconciliation The Dean of Lovaine hath taken notice of all thus There is a Confession which is made unto God alone Est Confessio quae fit Deo soli quae homini atque haec ruâ—sùs varia 1. Quaedam fit homini quem laesinius pro obtinenda reconciliatione cum ipso remissione offensae in illum alia fit homini de peccatis in alium admissis pro consilio aut reconciliatione habenda sunt hae confessiones juris naturae saltem reformatae per gratiam Ruard Tapper art 5. pag. 73. and another unto man and this again is divers 1. either unto the man whom we have hurt for the obtaining of reconcilement with him and forgiveness of the wrong from him or which is made unto a man of such sins as are done against any other to ask coursel upon the matter of Reconciliation and all these confessions are of the law of nature at the least as it is refined by grace So Confession is made unto God and in some cases to man also furthermore the fact is acknowledged unto man in many points wherein he is not the Party offended but considered as a mean and instrument to
further and obtain a reconcilement unto him who is justly displeased And as by the light of nature we advise how to compass the favour of a great Personage justly forfeited by making use of such persons that by reason of their place alliance or virtues claim a special interest in his affections so is it with the sinner and God It cannot be denyed but our Mediator and Intercessor and Advocate is Christ Jesus the Lord and whatsoever Others do or prevail with God it is for his sake He is the Corner-stone reconciling the building Minister Poenitentiae duplex 1. cui confessio fit ex officio ut Sacer dos 2. alius qui audiendo confessionem vicem supplare potest Sacerdotis in necessitates ut est Laiâ—us Compend Theol. vâ—â—it lib. 6. cap. 27. and upon him is built every Intercession from or for any person besides Yet other Intercessors there are Moses stood in the gap made an atonement for the people and God was deprecated and reconciled There are some persons that by their office and place as stewards in the Lords house may give audience to sin to whom is committed the Ministery of Reconciliation and some by their virtues highly favoured by God though not amongst his Priests and they may take Confessions as faithful Brethren and both of these by their prayers may induce God to mercy My discourse must pass along and in the way call in upon them all but must begin with God the principal Party wronged Confessio quae fit mente Deo est de jure naturali Anton. part 3. tit 14. c. 19. sect 2. and the Principal object of Penitential Confession That Confession of sin ought to be made unto God as a condition requisite for the pardon thereof and that it is no mean inducement to incline him to mercy is an undoubted verity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Controversie imbraced by all that make profession of Christianity Deus in lege naturae non semel exegit confessionem peccati Bellar. l. 3. de Poenit. c. 3. the foundation thereof is deeply laid in the law of nature it self as a practical truth flowing from the Principles and conclusions thereof and hence it came to pass that God exacted it from their hands that had no other light than the guide of nature Now Natural laws are the rules and decrees of reason and as reason is the common guide to all men so the dictates and statutes thereof bind all that are capable of that guidance But this is a granted Maxime Ratio legis est anima legis that every guilty person ought to be judged and this like unto it Haec est nota conclusio quòd quilibet Reus debet judicari ista quòd nullus debet esse Judex in propria causa ergò Reus dâ—bet judicari per allum sed non potest judicari per alium nisi accusetur illi alii nec potest accusari nisi à scipso si poccatum suum sit occulâ—um ergò debet seipsum accusare alii à quo judicetur Scotus l. 4. d. Qu. 1. sect 1. in ista Quaestione that none may be a judge in his own cause and then this That no offender can be judged without some accusation to which add this nonâ— can accuse of secret sins but the delinquent himself the stone then first moved in this penitential judicature is the Confession of the party upon which are grounded the indictment and judgement And saith another Schoolman The law of nature is for a man to repent of the evil he hath done De jurs naturali est quòd aliquis poeniteat de malis quae secit quantum ad haec quòd doleat se fecisse doloris remedia quaerat per aliquem modum quòd etiam aliqua siena doloris ostendat ut Nâ—nivitae Aquin. part â— quaest 84. â— â— 7. so far forth as to grieve he hath done it and that he seek all means to remedy his grief and that he also utter some sigâ—es of sorrow Thou wilt say this reason concludeth for secret sins which come to light no way but by Confession but publick sins are to be confessed to God also Besides secret sins are to him who seath in darkness no secret â—s all and need not that mean for discovery for wherein our Consciences do accuse us God is greater than our conscirâ—ces that is a more strict observer To strengthen then this reason I thus assume The end of penitential confession is the judgment of absolution not of condemnation to free not to punish for sin and an absolution not to qâ—â—t from sâ—o for God in justice cannot pronounce us just for that were to call darkness light but such an absolution as dischargeth us from the guilt and obligation unto punishment and so God in justice may and in mercy doth justifie us and this iâ— to separate betwixt the light and the darkness Now remission of sin ever supposeth sin and the absolution from sin the detection of sin for sin maketh man to be miserable and the Confession thereof God to be merciful God requireth then no detection of sin in the judgment of condemnation which is the punishmens of sin and wherein he proceedeth according to his own wisdome but in that of absolution which consisteth in the forgiveness of sin the confession thereof in the party peâ—â—an◠〈◊〉 ever been deemed requisite by way of pacification Insomuch that all men whatsoever saith Scotâ—â— that have belloved God to be the just Judge of all the world Justi pro omni statu post lapsum qui habuerunt fidem de Deo quòd erat Rector universi justus postquam peâ—caverunt contra legem Dei confitebantur Deoâ—pâ—ccata sua petentes ab eo remissionem scientes eum sine tali remissione tanquam justum judicem vindicaturum de illo peccato Scotus ib. and have acknowledged the law of his providence seen in the government of the universe upon every breach thereof have appliâ—â— themselves to this supreme Goverâ—â—â—r to appease him with humble acknowledgment of the offâ—ner and to deprecate his anger It was but early dayes in the world when God câ—â—â—ed upon Adam where art thou which was a summons to a reckoning that as he had sinned Entrée de propos gall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ut ulteriùs cum eo loquendi ampliùs cum eo expostidandi occasionem hinc captaret item ut ab eo confessionem pâ—ccati extorqueret Rab. Sel. so he should take notice thereof and prevent and pacifie his wrath by confession it was an entrance into a Parley or a preface and introduction as the Rabbins say into a further conference thereby to expostulate with him about his offence and to extract from him an ingenâ—â—â— acknowledgment thereof And a Father of the Christian saith conceits no less When God said to Adam where art thou our first Parents then guilty persons were inquired after Cùm Dominus diceret ad
consistory as the Canonists say God and the Pope have My God will I trust with my sinnes upon whom I trust and if sin be my way to him will I commit it to the Spring-head will I have recourse for mercy where the stream flows the fuller and the clearer He is my Physician Ille Medicus est vulnera igitur illi exponamus ille laesus est offensus ab illo pacem petamus ille est cordium cognitor coram ipso corda nostra effundere properemus ille denique est qui peccatores vocat ad ipsum accederenè moremur Calvin Instit l. 13. cap. 4. Sect. 9. and to him will I open my wounds He is the party wronged with him will I make my peace He knoweth the very secrets of my heart before him then I will pour forth mine He it is that invites me a sinner unto him and to him will I hasten nor be slack at his call And this Confession of sin unto God is insisted upon by the Rabbins in the book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Dayes and in the chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the day of propitiations Dixit R. Isaac Veni vide quia mos saucti Dei benedicti non est sicut mos carnis sanguinis mos namque carnis sanguinis est quòd si homo offendit proximum suum quandóque placet eum verbis quandoque nequeat ipsum verbis tantùm placare mos autem Dei sancti benedicti non est sic bomo enim transgreditur transgressione tamen placat ipsum verbis sicut dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non solùm hoc sed etiam confert et bonitatem sicut consequentèr dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forsitan dices vitulóâ—n culpae docet quid ad hoc dicendum sit id quod sequitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petrus Galat. de arcan â—ath verit lib. 8. cap. 8. is extant this passage R. Isaac said Come and see how the manner and custome of the Lord holy and blessed is not as the manner of flesh and bloud for the manner of flesh and bloud is that if a man have offended his neighbour sometimes he may please him with words and sometimes he cannot please him with words alone But the manner of the holy and blessed God is not so for in transgressing man transgresseth and yet pacifieth him with words as it is said Hosea 14 1. O Israel return unto the Lord for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity take with you WORDS and turn unto the Lord and not onely this but he conferreth mercy upon him as it is said in the words following Say unto him take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously Not onely this but the Scripture hath it as if he should offer calves in sacrifice as it is said afterwards So will we render the calves of our lips peradventure thou wilt say the Calves of sin that which followeth teacheth what is to be said to this I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely In which testimony we see that the calves of our lips are the confession of our sins that in confession our wounds are healed and we in God beloved So in Misdras Tehillim that is exposition of the Psalmes on the title of the hundred Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Psalme of Confession This is that which is written He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy He that hâ—deth his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est quod scriptum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 28. Qui abscondit peccata sua talis suit Saul cui dictum est 1 Reg. 15. Quae est vox harum ovium ipse autem respondit de Amalek adduxerunt eas Qui autem confitetur relinquit ea misericordiam confequetur talis suit David de quo dictum est 2 Reg. c. 12. Et dixit David ad Nathan peccavi Domino dixit Nathan ad David Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tâ—um non morieris Pet. Gal. lib. 10. c. 13. such an one was Saul to whom it was said 1 Kings 15. What meaneth the bleating of these sheep but he answered they brought them away from Amalek But he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy such an one was David of whom it was said 2 Kings 12. And David said unto Nathan I have sinned unto the Lord and Nathan said unto David the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Instancing in two Kings of a diverse humour the one putting off his sins by collusion hath them charged upon him and the other charging himself by confession hath them put away Saul hid his sins it was but reason therefore he should find them David discovered his and therefore God so covered them in mercy as they were past finding out This then was the custome of the Law and the Prophets Under the Gospel the same custome hath continued the Prodigal son that express pledge and hostage for mercy did but resolve upon Confession to his dearest Father whose speed embracements and kisses prevented the vocal expression God who saw him afar off heard him also what he said (a) Luke 15.18 within himself and what he said to (b) 21. himself also The prodigal sinned against God to whom it is said against thee onely have I sinned Prodigus peccavit coram Deo cui soli dicitur Tibi soli peccavi c. tam citò veniam mâ—retur ut venienti adhuc longè posito occurrit Pater Ambr. lib. 2. de Poenit. cap. 4. and obâ—ained so speedy a paâ—don that while he was yet afar off and but on the way the Father meets him The poor Publican upon his confession fared as well putting up his supplication in the Temple Luke 18.13 14. the contents whereof were O God be merciful to me a sinner and went back to his house justâ—fied without making Confession to any other Ghostly Father but onely the Father of Spirits of whom Saint John giveth this assurance that if we confess our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 1.9 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness why faithful and just rather then kind and merciful seeing forgiveness of sins proceedeth from his bounty not our deserving indeed it was his mercy to annex forgiveness to Confession and his justice to reward that which his mercy promised God is so gracious to promise pardon upon this condition that a sinner confess which condition performed God is faithful and just to make good his promise with actual forgiveness fail not thou him of confession and he will never fail thee of forgiveness Upon these grounds the Fathers direct a Penitent unto God esteeming the confession made unto him of so great value as they seem to make but small account of that which is made
to be given to any other Truly such a Confession that is made to man without any subordination unto God is derogatory both to Gods glory and our own safety So to confess unto any besides as to rely upon him is not expiatory but piaculous and not a confession but a malediction But to use confession before man 1. as an help the better to enable us to confess unto God 2. or to man as an instrument in the place and hand of God is not repugnant thereunto 3. to confess to man wholly and to leave out God 4. or to imagine that unfeigned confession made before God is insufficient without respect had unto the confession made to man either in purpose or performance as the accomplishment thereof is the Hagar that must not abide with the Free woman Gal. 4.30 but be cast out and her son that is such consequents as the Roman Polemicks draw from thence It was a Calumniation fastned upon our Church that it should teach Baptisme without Confirmation to be imperfect Conference at Hampton Court pag. 10. ed. 1625. or that at least Confirmation added no small matter to the strength and virtue thereof Which Scandal the God-like wisdome of his late Majesty was upon (a) Of LI. Arch-Bishop of Cant. and Bishop of London sound information the spunge to wipe away that it was neither a sacrament nor a corroboration to a former Sacrament but an examination with a Confirmation The Confession had to man must not be thought to perfect that which is had to God or to be a Sacrament or a Confirmation of any Sacrament by way of corroboration but by way of examination onely where the sin confessed unto God is examined and if upon due examination the confession made to God shall appear to be good the same is ratified if not the party dismissed with better instructions to perfect the same And like as the Parliament assembled in the first year of King James made an Act for the confirmation of his Royal title wheras in truth his title was as firm as God nature could make it thereby expressing rather their duty to imbrace the same than adding strength and vigour thereunto of this kind is confession to man onely And as children baptized without Confirmation or an eye thereunto have their full Christendome so hath a Penitent upon his Confession to God a full absolution Yet as the Church received Confirmation from the Apostolick hands and so still continues the same as a duty of singular use and benefit the like must be thought of confession to man also the expediency whereof shall in fit place be discussed I shall conclude with that answer of Pinuphius an Egyptian Abbot in John Cassian Who is it that cannot humbly say I made my sin known unto thee Qui est qui non poslit suppl citèr dicere peccatum meum cognitum tibi feci injustitiam meam non operui ut per hanc confessionem ctiam illud adjungere mereatur tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei Quòd si verecundiâ retrahente revelare ea coram hominibus erubescis illi quem latere non possunt confiteri ea jugi supplicatione non desinas ac dicere Iniquitatem meam ego agnosco peccatum meum contra me est semper tibi soli pectav◠malum contra te feci Qui absque ullius verecundiae publicatione curare sine improperio peccata donare consucvit Jo. Cassian Collat. 20. cap. 8. and mine iniquities have I not hid that by this confession he may confidently adjoyn and thou forgavest me the iniquity of my heart But if shamefulness do so draw thee back that thou blushest to reveal them before men cease not by continual supplication to confess them unto him from whom they cannot be hid and to say I know my iniquity and my sin is against me alwayes to thee onely have I sinned and done evil before thee whose custome is both to cure without the publishing of any shame and to forgive sins without upbraiding In this Abbots opinion Confession to man was left free and adiaphorous provided alwayes that confession to God be sincerely performed to which I commend the case of all Penitents and pass unto the next kind of confession made before man as following CHAP. V. The Contents Of Confession to Man The Confession of sin under the Law before the Priest at the Altar and the Sacrifice Special enumeration of all sins not required of the Jews The Law commandeth the acknowledgment of sin and restitution Jobs friends confessed their errours unto him who sacrificed for them Davids confession unto Nathan Rabbins affirming sins to be confessed unto the Fathers and Levites The place in Saint James chap. 5. of mutual Confession explained and vindicated Testimonies of the Fathers for Confession unto man The opinion of the Schoolmen that sin in case of necessity and in way of consultation for a remedy not in way of absolution for reconcilement may be detected to a Lay-man and of the Reformed Divines That sins may be confessed to a believing Brother for advice and to the Minister of the Gospel I Have formerly treated of Exhomologesis as a wholesome discipline imposed for notorious sins by which the Penitent did not so much make known his offences for they were too apparent and scandalous as acknowledge the injury and wrong he had done to God and his people and there by the judgment and punishment belonging in justice unto sin and by such doleful postures to pacifie God and satisfie the Church scandalized by his fall We are now to treat of such a Confession which bringeth to light the works of darkness whereby a sinner becomes his own accuser having no other witnesses then God and his own Conscience of his folly opening the same not onely unto God but to Man also Our first disquisition must be to inquire whether sins were and may be confessed unto a Man without entring into the manner of the Confession whether it ought to be of all particular sins together with the circumstances changing or aggravating the property of each several offence or without considering so much the nature of the man his profession calling or sanctity for these respects will follow in their order But whether a sinner may confess his sins in general or specified unto any man without respect of persons provided onely that he be within the pale of the Church and observe in his carriage the common rules of civility and we shall find the practice hath been and that practice never controlled in all times for man to have recourse to man also in confession The first and most ancient example in this kind is Lamech for Adam and Cain were called to an account and convinced before they would come to any acknowledgment but this man questioned by none called upon by none accused by none but by the bird in his breast Gen. 4.23 his Conscience cries out Hear my
a general manner The next instance is a law grounded upon the VIII Commandment against usurpers of that which is not theirs injoyning confession of the wrong and restitution Numb 5.7 They shall confess their sin which they have done and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof and add unto it the fifth part thereof and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed Materia restâ—tutionis latissima quidem sed valdè necessaria Biell l. 4. d. 15. Q. 2. The point of restitution is indeed of great latitude and great necessity a doctrine too sowre for the palat of our times and we can no more away with it then with Confession Oh preposterous shame we blush not to commit sin but to confess we blush not to do violence but to restore that speech of Augustâ—ne is grounded upon infallible truth The sin is not remiâ—ted Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum except what was deteined be restored If thou haft not a mind to augment the principal four-fold as Zacheus did yet add â…•th thereunto as the Law enjoyned or at least the Principal as reason willeth Lexista loquitur in casu in quo aliquis poenitentià ducius vulâ— sacâ—re satisfactionem proximo Lyra. in loc This case of Confession is unto man as damnified together with God and therefore he likewise this way is to be satisfied the offender voluntarily detesting and detecting the fact tendring satisfaction and desiring reconciliation Here the Rhemists exceed the bounds of the Tridentine faith in affirming that a general Coâ—fession under the law sufficed not for purging sins and that sinners were bound by a divine positive law Rhâ—mists Aâ—â—oâ— upon Num. 5. Tom. 1. pag. 333. to confess expresly and distinctly their sin which they had committed whom I send to Cardinal Tolet a man of more judgment then all their College to be corrected who ingeniously confesseth that not so much as a purpose to confess was necessary in the old law Propasitum consitâ—ndi non sait necessarium in vâ—teri lege Toler tract de confes for my part I verily believe the same divine law for confession that is in force under the Gospel to have been a law for Gods people at all times and of like necessity to all penitents and that the Priests after the order of Aaron had power to make the atonemant as well as those after the order of Melchisedec to grant the absolution both in their several kinds being Ministers of Reconciliation Christ the supreme head of either hierarchy giving in proper person a period to the Levitical Priesthood and investing his Ministers with their authority which seems to be the greater because it shines the clearer and the more substantial because the lesse ceremonious The next but precedent in time unto the former is the submission of Jobs friends and that by special command of God unto him with a direction from God likewise that Job by sacrificing for them should pacifie his incensed anger for God held himself wronged through his servants side and all this should they perform upon pain of his high displeasure the words in the story are these Job 42.7 8 9 10. And it was so that after the Lord has spoken these words unto Job The Lord said unto Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you and him will I accept lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them and the Lord also accepted Job and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends Where note 1. As God was offended and his servant Job so the offence must be acknowledged to both that both may be pacified 2. God retains his anger till the party wronged together with him be satisfied 3. Gods wrath incensed against any for wronging his servants will not be quenched but by his servants means and procurement for his fury provoked by offending Job must be appeased by Job reconciling ' Ite ad servum meum Job offeret holocaustum pro vobis ita legit Greg. vulg lat assavoir par le moin de Job tellement qu'il vous serve comme de Sacrificateur Genev not in Bibl. Gallic They were to offer their sacrifices to Job and Job to God for them so the ancient Latine copies followed by Gregory read Go unto my servant Job and he shall offer an Holocaust for you and those words him will I accept and the Lord accepted Job import no less Pro semetipso Poenitens tantò cititùs ex audiri meruit quantò devotè pro aliâ—s intâ—rcessit Greg. Mor. l. 35. c. 20. 4. God heareth a man sooner in his own cause that is sollicitous on the behalf of others as Job turned away his own captivity in praying for his friends Thou wilt say but where did Jobs friends confess their sins unto him Canst not thou spell their Confessions in their Sacrifices for what meant those Sacrifices and Jobs intercessions on their behalf but for their sins and how could he offer and pray for he knew not what they then confessed the trespass presented unto him the trespass offering and desired his intercessions that God would be reconciled for their offences The next President is David confessing his sin to Nathan for albeit the Prophet gave him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and draught thereof in a Parable and made David pass the sentence against himself in thesi and brought it home to his Conscience by a special application uncasing the Parable and shewing that He was the man yet Davids heart thus roused awoke and he cried out I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. and Nathan said unto David the Lord hath also put away thy sin thou shalt not dye There was no tergiversation no apology no accusing of the instruments but the King wholly took the sin upon himself Thus did not Saul in the case of Agag and Amalek the charge he had from God was the utter subversion of that Prince and State contrariwise the victory gained he spareth the King and maketh a prey of the richest and fattest spoyls and being reprehended by Samuel spread a religious cloak over his transgression as if that prey had been reserved for a sacrifice and being further charged by Samuel for disobedience he conveyes the fact away from himself to the people I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and gone the way the Lord sent me but the people c.
If any deviation it was in them they were out of the way and would needs spare the best of the cattle to pleasure God with a Sacrifice Proud heart that all this while would take no notice of his sin till he heard his doom deprivation from his Crown and dignity Then Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned 1 Sam. 15. but Samuel said not unto Saul as Nathan unto David The Lord hath also put away thy sin Sauls was a confession upon the rack but David had no sooner a sense of sin but he opens it in humble confession The wound no sooner perceived then he hastned for a Medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 243. then he fled to the Physician saying I have sinned and forthwith is healed The Lord also hath put away thy sin Grave is the wise mans advice Be not ashamed to confess thy sins and force not the course of the river Ecclesiasticus 4.26 That is turn not the stream or course thereof backward by denial or on the one side by excusing but be thine own accuser to obtain a pardon Confession then of sin and that unto man amongst the people of the Jews is extant upon Sacred records practised before the law commanded by the law portraited in their Sacrifices and performed by the Man after Gods own heart and hath continued among that dispersed Nation even till our times if Thomas Walden and Antoninus may be credited the one learn'd so much from the relation of the Jews themselves at his being in Austria and the other affirmeth that the learneder sort are wont to confess all their sins to a Levite Solent doctiores Judaei ante mortem confiteri omnia peccata Levitae alicui si quem fortè nacti fuerint Ant. part 3. tit 14. c. 6. Sect. 1. Habent Sacerdotes Cuthaei ex posteritate Aharon Sacerdotis in pace quiescentis qui cum nullis alits connubia jungunt nisi aut familiae suae foeminis aut viris ut genus impermixtum conservent Benjam Itiner pag. 39 40. a little before their death if he may be had and I think so too when they chance upon a Levite of the full bloud which to preserve without mixture the Jews after the destruction of the Temple were not so careful as the Samaritans who boast their Priests to be not onely of the tribe of Levi but family of Aaron and therefore call them Aharonitae Some testimonies of the Rabbins which I find in Petrus Galatinus may not be neglected In a Treatise called Bâ—rashith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a lesser exposition upon the book of Genesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 49.8 and upon those words Judah thy Brethren shall praise or confesse thee being an elegant allusion of old Jacob to his name derived from confession it is thus written This is that Confession which is spoken of by the holy Ghost in the hands of Job Illa est confessio de qua dictum est à Spiritu Sancto per manus Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 15. hoc est quia Sapientes sunt confitentur indicant non abscondunt à Patribus suis peccata sâ— sua De quibus dictum est hoc de justis qui vincunt subjugant fomitem seu sensualitatem suam confitentur actus suos Patribus suis omnis enim qui confitetur actus suos dignus est seculo futuro sicut dictum est Psal 50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ità invenies in Juda in hora qua pervenit ad eum factum Tamar confessus est quemaâ—medum dictum est Gen. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moxigitur vicit sensualitatem vel affectum suum confessus est Such as are wise confess or shew forth hide not from their fathers that is their sins Of whom is this spoken of the just who subdue their lust and sensuality and confess their doings to their Fathers for he that confesseth his acts is worthy of the world to come at it is said in Psal 50.23 He that offereth confession honoureth me and he that ordereth his way to him will I shew the salvation of God Accordingly you find in Juda that at what time his dealing was perceived by him with Thamar he confessed it Gen. 38. Acknowledge thy Creator and be not ashamed of flesh and bloud that is of man presently he overcame his sensuality and affections and confessed And again in the same place God holy and blessed curseth every one that doth not confess his deeds Omais qui non confitetur opâ—â—a sua Deus sanctus benedictus maledicit sic enim invenimus in Cain qui negavit dixit Gen. c. 4. Nunquid Custos fratris mei Ego sum maledictus ergo sit sicut dictum est ibidem Et nunc maledictus es tu for so we find in Cain who denied and said Am I my Brothers keeper therefore he was accursed as it is there said Now then cursed art thou Such another testimony is extant in the Hierosolymitan Sanbedrim in the chapter that beginneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The judgment is defined Omnis confitens habet partem in seculo futuro sic enim in Achan reperimus quod dixit ei Ichoshuah Fili mi Da obsecro honorem Domino Deo Israel da confessionem indica mihi quaeso quid feceris ne celes à me ait Verè ego peccavi Domino Deo Israel ita hoc sicut hoc feci Et undè habetur quòd remissum fuit ei peccatum ex co quod dictum â—st ibidem Jehosuae sc cap. 7. ait Jehosuas Sicut turbasti nos turbat te Dominus in die isto in die isto inquit tu turbatus eris sed non â—ris turbatus in fuâ—uâ—o where it is thus written All such as confesse have their share in the world to come for so we find in Achan how Jehosuas said unto him My son give glory unto the Lord God of Israel and make thy Confession and shew unto me what thou hast done And conceal it not from me and Achan answered and said unto Jehosuas Of a truth I have sinned before the Lotd God of Israel and have done thus and thus But from whence doth it appear that his sin was forgiven from that it is said in the same place viz Josh 7. And Jehosua said As thou hast troubled us the Lord trouble thee in that day In that day saith he thou are troubled but thou shalt not be troubled in the dayes to come And that this confession was made distinctly is evident by what is recorded in the book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of Dayes and in the Chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc the day of propitiation Rabbi Hunna said Dixit Rabbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hunna Omnis qui transgressione transgressius est necesse est ut singulatim exprimat peccatum Pet.
Christo Apostolis sed Ecclesiae promulgato per Apostolos absque omni Scriptura sicut multa alia tenet Ecclesia ore tenus per Apostolos sibi promulgata sine Scriptura Scot. lib. 4. d. 17. Qu. Unica Sect. in ista Either it must be held confession to be of divine right promulgated by the Gospel or if that suffice not that it is of divine positive law promulgated by Christ unto the Apostles and by the Apostles unto the Church without any written Scripture as there are many points which the Church imbraceth too many delivered by word of mouth from the Apostles without any Scripture at all Thus is the gentle Reader left unto his own choise which opinion to trust unto whether confession belong unto the Scriptures or Tradition and were I a Romanist considering what Confession is now come to in that Church my thoughts would pitch upon the latter as the best cover But here is the inconvenience if a Sacrament be verbum visibile and this they will needs have to be a Sacrament it were but a sandy foundation to lay the fâ—brick there of upon verbum invisibile unwritten tradition Thus goeth the case with Scotus not altogether after the Boman cut and hereof the Cardinal gives a reason Because he and other Writers lived before the celebration of those Councils Scotus caeteri Doctores ante concilia illa vixerunt in quibus accuratiùs haec omnia explicata sunt Bell. l. 1. de Poen c. 11. wherein these points were accurately handled and unfolded Gabriel agreeth with his Master Scolus and for a final determination resolveth That the Apostles received it from Christ Videtur finaliter dicendum quòd praeceptum de Confessione Sacramentali promulgatum est à Christo Apostolis per ipsos Apostolos promulgatam est Ecclesiâ—e verbo facto sine omni Scriptura Biel l. 4. dist 17. Q. 1. and the Church from the Apostles in so secret a manner as the Scripture maketh no words thereof at all A private conveyance perhaps sorted best with a private business This Schoolman makes up an answer to that objection of Scotus sc It cannot be a Church ordinance except the time and place be shewed where the same was ordained roundly denying that express mention of time and place is requisite to shew the Original of every Ecclesiastical constitution and assureth us that many traditions and customes are received by the Catholicks as Church-Ordinances wherein they are to seek for the ubi and quando of their beginning A Church-law then Confession might be in Gabriels opinion though it be not extant where and when it was introduced The Seraphical Doctor saith The Lord hath not instituted confession immedately and expresly Confessionem Dominus immediate expresse non instituit Bonav l. 4. d. 17. n. 72. Christus instituit confessionem tacitè Apostoli autem pro nulgaverunt expresse Antonin part 3. tâ—t 14. c. 19. Sâ—ct 2. And the Arch-Bishop of Florince Christ hath instituted confession tacitely but the Apostles have published the same expresly Scarcely can these two sentences be pieced together Christ-hath not instituted immediately saith one that is not in his own person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by his substitutes the Apostles it was not instituted from them but promulgated saith the other from whom then He insinuated Confession saith a third and that secretly too leaving the publication thereof for the Apostles and if he have done so Ia hoc quòd Ministris Sacramentorum Christus dedit potèstatem ligandi solvendi insianaviâ— confessionem cis tanquam judicibus fieri debere sic ergo Christus confessionâ—m instituit tacite sed Apostoli promulgaverunt cam expressè Comp. Theol. verit l. 6. c. 25. The Apostles it seemeth were unmindful of Christs charge no where to publish a point and Sacrament of such importance One Apostle indeed saith of one Sacrament indeed 1 Cor. 11.23 That which I received of the Lord have I delivered unto you But of this matter no news no syllable a deep silence yet the same Apostle averreth that he had declared unto them all the counsel of God Acts 20.27 surely he was not of our Saviours counsel in this behalf It is then true alike The Apostles published this doctrine and Christ instituted it Thus he Schoolmen stumble at the institution but the Canenists go down right to work for the glory of that order Panormitan repeateth what others and relateth what himself holdeth thus Some say that confession was instituted in Paradise in a figure Quidam dicunt quòd fuit instituta in Paradiso figurativè dum Deus indirectè compulit Adam ad confitendum peccatum Alii quòd sub lege alii quòd in novo Testamento figuratim dum Christus dixit Leprosis quos sanaverit Ita ostendite vos Sacerdotibus Alii quòd ex authoritate Jacobi Apostoli dicentis Confitemini alterutrum peccata vestra sed Glossa ibi tenet quòd potiùs sit instituta ex quadam generali traditione Ecclesiae undè Graeci non peccant non utendo confessione confitentur enim soli Deo in Secreto quia apud eos non emanavit haec constitutio sicut in simili dicimus in incontinentia nam non peccant eorum Sacerdotes utendo Matrimonio quia Continentia est de jure positivo ipsi non admiserunt illam institutionem Multùm mihi placet illa opinio quia non est aliqua authoritas aperta quae innuat Deum sive Christum apertè instituisse confessionem fiendam Sacerdoti tamen cum sit generalis apud nos illa traditio peccaret mortaliter Latinus non utendo hac confessione Panorm super Decretal 5. cap. Quod autem c. Omnis utriusque Sect. 18. extra Glo. when God upon the by urged Adam to confess his sin Others under the Law and others figuratively in the New Testament when Christ said unto the Lerers whom he healed Go and shew your selves unto the Priests Others from the authority of Saint James the Apostle saying Confess your sins one to another But the gloss upon that place holdeth that it was rather instituted from a general tradition of the Church hence it comes to pass that the Greeks sin not in not using Confession for they confess to God onely in secret and because this institution hath not yet attained unto them at we say in the like case of incontinency that their Priests offend not in marrying for single life is but a positive law and they never admitted of that institution This Opinion pleaseth me much because there is not any clear authority which intimateth that either God or Christ did evidently ordain that Confession should be made unto a Priest But at this present time since with us it is a tradition generally received A member of the Latin Church should offend mortally in forbearing the use of this Confession From which testimony we gather these gleanings 1. That the ground of Confession is a
superfluous and unprofitable And in a declaration of Walter Bruit containing divere positions by him asserted Anno Dom. 1393. this is one Arch-B Abbot of visibility of the Church p. 72. edit Lond. 1624. that auricular confession is not prescribed in the Scripture Add unto these how in the Province of Tholouse a certain People called Boni homines a branch of the Waldenses An. Dom. 1175 if not the tree it self being questioned by the Bishop of Lyons Interrogavit Episcopus si deberet unusquisque consiteri peccata sua Sacerdotibus Ministris ecclesiae vel cuilibet laico vel illis de quibus dixit Iac. Confitemini alterutrum c. Qui respondentes dixerunt infirmis sufficere si confitentur cui vellent de Militibus vero dicere noluerunt quia non dixt Jacobus nisi de infirmantibus Quaesit it â—tiam ab eis si sufficiebat sola cordis contritio on s confessio vel si erat necesse ut facer nt satisfactionem post datam poenitentiam icjuniis eleemosynis afflictionibus peccata sua lugentes si suppeteret cis facultas Responderunt dicentes quia Iacobus dicehat Confitemini alterutrum peccata vestra ut salvemini per hoc sciebant quòd Apostolus aliud non praecipiebat nisi ut consiterentur sic salvarentur â—ec volebant meliores esse Apostolo ut aliquid de suo adjungerent sicut Episcopi faciunt Rog. Hovedon Annal. pars post Henrici secundl R. p. 319. edit London If every man ought to confess his sins unto the Priests and Ministers of the Church or else to a Lay-man or to those of whom Saint James saith confess your sins one to another They answering said for them that are sick they may confess to whom they please Of others they had nothing to say because Saint James spake onely of infirm persons The Bishop further demanded of them if contrition of the heart and confession of the mouth were sufficient or if satisfaction after penance injoyned was necessary in bewailing their sins in fasting afflictions and almes-deeds if they were able They answered saying Saint James saith Confess your sins one to another that you may be saved and by this they perceived that the Apostle commanded nothing else but that they should confess and be saved neither would they be better than the Apostle as to add any thing of their own heads as Bishops do So hath Roger Hovedon related their tenet in the process of their condemnation Afterwards Anno Dom. 1479. there issued a commission from Rome to Alphonsus Carillus Arch-Bishop of Toledo authorizing him to assemble a Synod at Salamanca and convent the Professor there Petrus Oxoniensis for teaching these conclusions 1. That mortal sins in respect of the offence Conclus 1. Peccata mortalia quantum ad culpam poenam alterius seculi delentur per solam cordis contritionem sine ordine ad claves Conclus 2. Quòd confessio de peccatis in specie fuerit ex statuto aliquo universalis Ecclesiae non de jure divino Conclus 3. Quòd pravae cogitationes confiteri non debent Prelates latin sed solâ displicentiâ delentur sine ordine ad claves Conclus 4. Quòd confessio non debet esse secreta Canus part 6. Relect. de poenit p. 899. and blotted out onely by the contrition of heart without relation to the keyes 2. That confession of each particular sin was grounded upon some stature of the universal Church and not upon divine right 3. That evil thoughts ought not to be confessed and are blotted out by a dislike and displeasure thereof without reference unto the keys 4. That confession ought not to be held in secret All of which were condemned at the meeting and that condemnation ratified at Rome and that Ratification inserted for the worth thereof into the Extravagants by Sixtus IV. This opinion then could no sooner peep out but it was cut off by such as in those ages struck the stroke It remaineth now that we examine the grounds of such Censures and condemnations Some of the Theologues that stand for divine institution alleage Christs direction to the Lepers Luke 17.14 Go shew your selves unto the Priests I say some not all for the more judicious have laid aside this leaden weapon But that some which gape more after the froth of allegories that the clearer streames of the literal and genuinous sense have somewhat esteemed thereof as Haymo for that not onely sins must be confessed to the Priest Quia non solùm Sacerdotibus peccata sua confiteri debent sed etiam secundum corum consilium poenitentiam satisfactionem veniae suscipere recte dicitur Ire ostendite vice enim Dei peccata Sacerdotibus pandenda sunt inxta illâ—um consilium poententia ageada Qui ergo babet lepram pâ—ccati in anima debet â—enirâ—â—ad Sacerdotem ci humilâ—ter peccata consiteri Haym Domin 14. post pertecost p. 401. but moreover that by their advice penance and satisfaction of pardon must be obtained it was well said Go shew your selves unto the Priests for unto the Priests instead of God are sins to be opened and penance at their discretion to be imposed And a little after The man that hath the leprosie of sin in his soul ought to resort unto the Priest and humbly make confession of his sins Thus Haymo hath laid a weak load upon a weak back yet such is the weakness of our Rhemist Rhemists Annot in Luke 17.14 judgments that they think it worthy to furnish an Annotation and in good sadness tell us that by leprosie is meant sin to be healed by the Ministery of the Priests and by shewing Confession and to that purpose quote a book of Saint Austins as truly his as their note is unto the text Such allusions may serve to stuff a Postill but not to back an argument as a French-man cries out upon his Auditory Shew your consciences good people unto your Priests Moastrez vos Consciences aux Prestres leur declarez vos Pechez si en voulez estre guarcatis Serm. pour le 14. Dimanche apres la Pentecost A Roven chez D. Landet 1634. and declare your sins unto them if you will be healed However the Pulpit may flourish with such Clerk-like collations the Polemical writers are squemish therein The Cardinal likes the allegory but not the pillar that suftaines it for we do not affirm saith he that the Lepers were dispactched by Christ unto the Priests Neque nos dicimus missos leprososâ—à Christo ad Sacer lotes ut illis peccata sua confitereâ—tur sed ut in lege veteri cogaitio lepâ—ae corporalis ità in nova cogaitio lepâ—e spâ—ritualis ad Sacerdotes pertinet Bellar. lib. 3. de poen c. 3. to confess their sins unto them but as in the old Law the leprosie of the body was of Priestly cognizance so in the new Spiritual-leprosie is to be taken notice of
by our Priests likewise Mittit Christus nè calumninrentur Sacerdotes Calv. Nec repudiavit penitùs christus Judaeorum presbyterium cùm de leprae dijudicatione ageretur Ostende te inquiens Sacerdoti Beza de Presb. excom p. 17. Why then did Christ send them thou wilt say To shew the respect he bare unto Levi's order and to remove that scandal as if he went about to break the Law And why the Lepers above all others of the diseased were sent to Christ Lyra gives two reasons 1. That the Priests might testifie if they were thorough by healed 1. Quia Sacerdotes debebant judicare num talip eâ—â—et verè curatus 2. Quia pro sua emendatione tenebatur offerre sacrificium determinatum in lege Lyr. in Luc. 17. and so against their wills be witnesses of the Lepers coration and Christs miracle 2. To offer for their healing the sacrifice appointed under the Law upon other errands than they were sent and not to confess their sins Remitted then they were unto the Priests for trial and examination not for any acknowledgment not to confess they were Lepers but to make it apparent to the Priests first and by the Priests to the people that they were healed from their Lepry and freed from the danger of infecting It being the Priests office to try such men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact in Luc. 17. and they to undergo the censure How impertinent then is it to infer a Divine institution from a politick ordinance Importuna est illorum allegoria qui legem merè politicam inter ceremonias reponunt Calvin and to make a Law of State to become a typical ceremony especially where the manner and end are so different Siste te summo Sacerdoti de publico coetu intelligendus est ut praeteream fieri id solitum magis ad publicam gratiarum actionem vel ad partae sanitatis aut alterius cujuspiam beneficii judicium Iac. Rex Med. in Orat. Dom. p. 63. lat edit for in Auricular Confession the sin is acknowledged here the binefit the act there is private here publick there the spiritual lepry is revealed that it may be cured here after the cure that it may be censured there that the Confessed sinner might be restored to the saithful society here that the convicted leper might be exiled there exposed as an example of devotion here expelled upon danger of infection there penitents make their resort to receive the benefit and here the lepers to be thankful for the benefit received This shewing therefore unto the Priests shews no such matter as Auricular Confession to be of Divine right and institution We must then see better cards Their best plea is from the words of Christ Receive the holy Ghost Ioh. 20.22 23 whose sins soever ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sins soever ye retain they are retained Words of a pregnant sense in the Church of Rome as to bring forth at one venter twins two Sacraments of Penance and of Oeder That Christ therein conferred a power to the Apostles and their successors over sins is a clearer truth than may well be denied but whether such a power over consciences as is exercised in that Church must now be questioned The power it self in remitting and retaining fins we must adjourn to its proper place and must for the present examine whether the words of Christ in themselves considered or by necessary consequent prove auricular confession to be of divine right and institution The Roman Divines insist upon the latter and endeavour by necessary consequent to infer the same thus Such as have fallen into sin after Baptisme are bound by Gods law to repent thereof and seek to be reconciled unto him but none can be truly penitnet or reconciled unto God without confession of sin unto the Priest which assumption they further confirm thus Christ hath instituted the Priests judges upon earth with such power Christus instituit Sacerdotes Judices super terram cum ea potestate ut sine ipsorum sententia nemo post Baptismum lapsus reconciliari potest sed nequent Sacerdotes judicare nisi peccata cognoscant Bellar. lib. 3. de poenit c. 2. as without their sentence No sinner after his Baptisme can be reconciled but no Judge can pass a sentence upon unknown sins and secret sins cannot be known but by Confession of the party therefore they conclude c. from which discourse thus framed arise in their opinion these two Consectaries 1. That Priests are instituted by divine right to hear and determine of sins brought before them by Confession 2. Comme l'institution des Prestres est de droit divine pour confesser les Pecheurs ausi est bien la confession des Pechez pour estre sait devant ses Juges comme Diâ—u les a ordonaé commandé aux Prestres d'ouir les confessions pardonner les pechez ausi par la mesme ordonnance commandment à il obligâ— les fideles Penitens a lieur dâ—coâ—urir declarerleurs sautes D. Bâ—ss Carefme Tom. 2 p. 724. That sinners are injoyned by the same authority to appear at this Tribunal and there to accuse themselves that they may be absolved And as God hath ordained and commanded Priests to hear Confessions and to pardon sins so by the same ordinance and command hith he obliged the believing Penitents to discover and declare their offences No argument more cried up than this and as common with Romes proselytes as water in Tiber and thou hast it good Reader as it is pressed by a Jesuite and a Soâ—bonist who would be thought to be the onely Scribes and Pharisees of Papal Divinity and mayst observe how all the force hangs but upon the by one wheel moving another that if the least flaw happen in any one the motion that is the conclusion ceaseth Many consequences but how put together by what pins and contignations that 's a secret depinge ubi sistam Persius Satyr ult Inventus Crysippe tui finitor acervi For according to this induction without Confession to a Priest no absolution and without Priestly absolution no remission and without remission from the Priest no reconciliation with God Or thus No reconcilement betwixt God and a sinner except his repentance be sincere no Repentance is sincere till the Priest approve and judge it to be so no Priest can judge of the Sincerity of Repentance without notice of the offence and notice he cannot have without a sinners confession Christus certè nihil horum dicit in sententia illa Joan. 20 de tali judiciario processu nulla syllaba ibi extat Chemnit ex part 2. p. 178. Thus have you this argument up-staires and down-staires And if all these inferences flow so naturally and necessarily from the text how dull-sighted were the Ancient Doctors that could espy none of them Let us tread this Climax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
in there clanculùm malis artibus at some back doore and under hand Shuffled in there belike it was but not openly Private confession was there privately carried and ordained thus Every faithfull one of either sex being come to yeares of discretion Omnis utriusque sexus fidelis postquam ad annos discretionis pervenerit omnia sua solus peccata confiteatur fideliter saltem sâ—mel in anno proprio Sacerdoti injunctam sibi poenitentiam studeat pro viribus adimplere suscipiens reverenter ad minus in Pascha eucharistiae Sacramentum c. alioquin vivens ab ingressu ecclesiae arceatur moriens Christiana careat sepultura Concil Lateran cap. 21. should by himself alone once a year at the least faithfully confesse all his sinnes unto his own Priest and endeavour according to his strength to fulfill the Penaxce injoyned unto him receiving reverently at least at Easter the Sacrament of the Eucharist otherwise in his life time let him be barred from entring into the Church and being dead want Christian buriall In which decree are these innovations 1. Solus that it must be private 2. omnia peccata sinnes and all sinnes must be confessed 3. Proprio Sacerdoti to their own Priest where the liberty of choosing the Ghostly Father is taken away And for the time which the Jesuit tells us was the onely thing there concluded on I say there was none decreed onely limited leaving Christians to confesse at other times convenient within the year but not to exceed and be without the compasse of a year Come as often within as the Confessor and his Penitent can agree and meet upon it but not to go over the year and to this head must popish shrift be referred But if Repentance be considered as a work of Grace arising from Godly sorrow whereby a man turnes from all his sinnes to God and obtaineth pardon and so including confession as an evidence of inward sorrow and a mean of reconciliation such a Confession poured out before God or unto God before his Priests is of the same right and institution as Repentance is The grace of God hath ordained in this world repentance to be the approved Physician for sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Resp ad Orthod Q 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Dialog cont Tryphon Judaum saith Justin Martyr And again God according to-the riches of his mercy accepteth of him that is penitent for his sinnes as just and without sin That thing then is of Divine Institution which Gods grace hath ordained and of divine power and efficacy which makes a sinner accepted of God as a Righteous person But all this thou wilt say may be done by contrition and confession to God onely without respect unto the Priest I deny not but that it may be and often is effected that way but not alwaies such may be the Condition of the sinner and quality of the sin that pardon which is the fruit of Repentance is not gathered and new obedience which is the fruit of the Penitent is not brought forth without confession to the Priest and direction from him and so to be comprised in this duty also for if the doore of Heaven would ever open upon the former knocking the Priest had keyes committed to no purpose To make this to appeare distinctly we are to consider that to institute may be taken in a twofold sense Jurisconsultis instituere est vel arbores vel vineas in aliquo loco ponere ut in conducto fundo si conductor suâ operâ aliquid necessariò vel utiliter auxerit vel aedificaverit vel instituerit l. Dominus Sec. in conduct ff loc conduct vide Turneb Advers l. 2. c. 13. first to be the cause producer and author of an effect so taken with the ancient Civilians with whom to institute trees or vineyards is to set and plant them In a ground let out if the Farmer by his industry shall have improved it have builded or have set or planted in the Digests And in this acceptation Christ is the Author of the Sacrament of the Eucharist that Vine is of his planting and institution he is the Author and his Ministers to do it by his authority Now Repentance is indeed a work of God but not in God Confession is when God openeth a sinners mouth not his own in that sense Confession is not of divine institution 2. Secondly that is said to be instituted that is commanded and enjoyned so of institution divine that is of divine law and ordinance and that of divine law which is prescribed in the Divine word the holy Scriptures as a law to be observed or as an example to be imitated And Divine ordinances are there delivered by God immediately or by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the men of God inspired by him In which sense Saint Chrysostom interpreteth those passages of Saint Paul not I but the Lord and I not the the Lord 1 Cor. 7.10 12. not as if Christ spake of himself and Paul from himself for in Paul Christ spake what is it then that he saith I and not I Jesus Christ hath delivered some lawes and ordinances in his own person unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To. 6.250 and some by his Apostles Furthermore a thing may be of Divine right as expresly and formally injoyned in the Scriptures or else as virtually implyed by a necessary deduction and consequence Aliquid dicitur esse jure divino duobus modis vel quòd institutum habet in sacris literis idque vel expresse vel certa deductione erutum vel exâ—mplum continuata ecclesiae praxi omni sâ—culo commendatum Junius in Bellar. controv 7. cap. 10. or els as exemplary and ratified by the constant practice of the Church So divine right and institution is accepted in a threefold sense 1. in express precept and command 2. in necessary consequence depending upon some other thing commanded Or. 3ly by approved examples in Gods word commended by the practice of the Church Confession of divine institution 1. Vâ—rtute praecepti We will lay confession unto all of these and see what authority it hath And first for divine command we read in the law that the sinner by divine edict brought his Sacrifice and confessed his sin unto the Priest Thou wilt reply Numb 5. that law was Ceremonial Levâ—t 5. so say I in respect of the Sacrifice but dare not say so in respect of the confession the one being a typical and the other a morall act And think it not strange that one precept may be mixt and composed of Ceremony and morality For is not the law of the Sabbath so the day Ceremonial Dies ceremonialis quies moraâ—lis and the rest morall Cultus à natura modus à lege virtus à gratia and it may not unfitly be applyed to Confession what is verifyed of the
Sabbath 1. Confessio Deo facta est a natura Nature it self teacheth us that a sinner must confesse unto God whom he hath wronged and this is morale positivum the morall positive part of the law 2. Modus à lege Confessio mentalis quae fit Deo est de dictaminel gis naturae adjutae quodammodo per fidem Raymund sum tract 4. To confesse unto the Priest This manner of confession was injoyned by God and this is Positivum divinum the divine positive part of the law 3. But Virtus à gratia true confession whether to God Jam donum Sâ—piritus Sancti habet qui confitetur poenitet quia non potest esse confessio peccati compunctio in homine ex seipso Aug. in Ps 1. or to his Priest is from the working of the holy spirit it being fulfilled in this as in other graces what hast thou O man that thou hast not received The Ceremonial part which consisted in the Sacrifice ceaseth for a Christian hath another Altar and another Sacrifice 2. ex necessitate Consequentiae Christ Jesus slain upon the Crosse by vertue whereof his Priests assure the Penitent of pardon absolution For the second Confession is of divine right by way of deduction For if the use of the keys in the Mini stery of the Priests be divine as it cannot be denied but that they are so and if that use consisteth in absolution and if that absolution ever presupposeth and cannot be denounced without precedaneous confession the consequent will tye them together for the world cannot break the relation that is betwixt Confession and absolution 3. ratione exempli And for the last a president we have in the Acts of the Apostles seconded with the practice of the Church as hath been declared Thou seest Good Reader how confession pretendeth to divine right in a strickt sense Jus divinum laxè vel strictè sumptum hoc in S. literis invenitur illud ex earum sive instituto sive exemplis analogia recta ratione deducitur Azorius Instit Mor. part 2. l. 1. c. 2. as injoyned in the Scripture and in a large as a necessary consequent deducted by rational proportion from divine premisses how the same is corroborated by examples set forth in the Scripture and by ecclesiastical practice set forth in the discipline of the Church likewise This I must be interpreted to speak of Confession unto Gods Ministers in generall without respect to the manner thereof privately or publickly performed Which I think is left to the power of the Church to determine There was a time when the publick performance thereof was all in all that was left off and the private doing thereof succeeded in the room to supply that defect and which at the first alteration was esteemed to be no more Sacramentall or of no more necessity for obtaining remission of sinnes then the former So that the course taken herein may well be thought to have the nature of a temporall law which as Saint Austin saith although it be just Appellemus istam legem si placet temporalem quae quamvis justa sit commutari tamen per tempora justè potest Aug. de lib. aâ—b lib. 1. cap. 6. yet in time may be justly changed Canus acknowledgeth confession in its own nature for a divine ordinance but for the Condition thereof secret or open he referreth to be ordered by natural prudence his words are these Confession of sinnes ought to be made unto the Priest Confessio peccatorum Sacerdoti fieri debet non solùm ex traditione majorum verùm etiam ex Evangelico testimonio quod quidem est de necessitate Sacramenti Secretam verò aut publicam confessionem fiâ—ri prudentiâ—e est naturali relictum quae dictat ut occulta occultè publica publicè judâ—centur Canus Relect. de poen p. 6. not onely by tradition from our Ancestors but also by testimony from the Gospel and this is of the necessity of the Sacrament But whether Confession should be secret or publick that 's left to natural prudence which willeth that secret sinnes should be judged in secret and those which are publick publickly Michael Vehe frameth to himself this objection Let it be granted that these words whose sinnes soever ye remit c. infer a confession to be made of all sinnes whatsoever which seeing it may be performed two waies privately or publickly and neither way by Christ commanded both would seeme of equall necessity But no man can say that publick confession is necessary and why may not so much be said of private answereth thus We say and affirm neither way of Confession to be necessary by any precept from Christ Respondâ—mus dicimus neutrum consitendi modum essâ— ex praecepto Christi necessarium utrumque autem necessarium sub distinctione liberum est ergo ecclesiae eligere illum vel illum cum autem etiam secretam volucrit esse confessionâ—m ad publicam non tenemur Vehe tract 6. de Sacr. Poen c. 4. and yet both necessary with a distinction The Church then was left to her choise to take which she pleased and seeing she hath embraced to confess in secret we are not tyed to the publick Which two assertions how far they cut the throat of Clancular confession Rome may doe well to consider Confession then in it self may be of Divine right and the manner thereof whether private or publick a Churches constitution and which way the Church should conceive to be most profitable and command the use what am I that should contradict the same to whose benigne censure I submit what I have here resolved concerning the institution SECT II. The Contents The abusive necessity of Confession Tyrannicall inquisition into mens consciences distastfull Confession left at liberty in Gratian's times Schoolmen leaning to the necessity thereof Confession not the onely necessary means for absolution and remission The ends aimed at in Popish confession unnecessary No expresse precept in Scripture for the absolute necessity thereof Confession an heavy burden upon fleshly shoulders Private confession not practised from the beginning Established in the place of the Publick by an edict from Leo 1. The fact of Nectarius abrogating confession with the severall answers and expositions of Roman Writers expended Confession deserted in the Greek Church Divers kinds and formes of Necessity Confession in what cases necessary and the Necessity thereof determined WE are now come to the necessity of confessing a point necessarily to be opened the over-pressing of the same upon mens Consciences hath been thought a kind of Tyranny and hath caused the busie obtruders thereof to be suspected as if they aimed at their own ends and sought not those things that are of Christ Jesus Lording it over the Consciences of the people making their keyes become pick-locks and themselves not Seers but Spies not Judges but Accusers not Physicians but Betrayers not good Samaritans to
bind up the wounds but cruel Tyrants to rent them wider More than time it is to consider of these things and to discharge the duty it self of such abuses And from our endeavours herein hath sprung the controversie between Rome and us viz. our dislike of such a commanding necessity as shall lay violent hands upon a sinner and urge him to this Physick against his will where ofttimes the Purge becomes more violent than the disease and the potion more bitter than the grief it self The profit and great good reaped by Confession we willingly subscribe unto but confession upon the rack is that we distaste It is not called into question saith a Roman Doctor Non versatur in quaestione num utilis salutaris sit confessio nam Adversarii hoc ultrò donant sed hoc in contentionem rapitur An enumeratio delictorum in confessione sit de jure divino necessaria M. Vehe tract de secreto Confess c. 1. Lypsiae 1535. but no Tridentine whether confession be beneficial and wholesome for our adversaries grant this of their own accord but the controverted point is whether the numbring up of sins in confession be necessary by Gods law or not The Trent Fathers decree the same to be a matter of necessity laid upon the necks of all sinners and plant their sixt Canon Si quis negaverit confessionem Sacramentalem vel institutam vel ad salutem esse necessariam jure divino c. Anathema sit Con. Trid. cap. 5. can 6. to discharge Anathema's against all such as shall deny the institution of confession and the necessity thereof from divine right for the obtaining of salvation Many moderate Divines of Germany as Chemnitius witnesseth endeavoured pacification herein as desirous to lenifie and mitigate the severity of this Papal practice with gentle Medicines Conati fuerunt multi Pontificii scriptores in Germania praesertim acerbitatem legis Pontificiae de confessione variis pharmacis mitigare sed concilium sine misericordia durissimas conditiones Pontificiae confessionis renovat confirmat stabilit Chem. Exam. part 2. p. 195. but that merciless council ratified and injoyned bitter pills and sharp receipts very corrosive upon the Consciences of men as apprimely necessary for the health of their soules And observes the progresse and proceeding how Confession came by those necessary tyes In the Primitive Church it was used as a profitable and wholsome discipline and did much good in restraining from sin and in pacifying the conscience after sin full and frequent are the passages in the volumes of the Fathers looking this way and commending the same to our Christian care Apud Patres extant exhortationes ad confessionem disciplinae gratiâ Gratiani Lombardi tâ—mpore coeptum fuit disputari An necessaria suit confessio Gratianus Lectori liberum permiâ—tit Judicium Longobardus inclinat ad necessitatâ—m Chemnit ib. p. 198. but in their dayes it was but exhortative not compulsatory After their dayes in Gratians time the necessity thereof came to be disputed yet so as nothing peremptorily was then resolved The Master of the sentences seemed to incline and draw to that opinion which held the same to be necessary and that which in his time was but probable and which might piously be embraced began at length to be entertained as certain and firmly to be believed And so now a necessity is laid upon us with a woe and an Anathema if we come not to confession It is very true what he spake of those two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lombard Gratian the Castor and Pollux of Canonical and School-Divinity for Gratian reciteth at large the several sentences of the Doctors and at length leaves the matter wholly in suspense after this manner Vpon what authorities Quibus authoritatibus vel quibus rationum firmamentâ—s utraque sententia innitatur in medium breviter exposuimus Cui autem potiùs adhaerendum sit Lectoris judicio reservatur utraque enim sautores habet sapientes religiosos viros De Poen dist 1. c. 89. Quamvis or upon what strength of reasons both these opinions are grounded I have briefly laid open but to whether of them we should adhere is reserved to the judgment of the Reader for both of them have for their Favourers wise and religious men The Scales it seems hung so even that he durst not turn them to either side and so the business rested in suspense and undecided in his time which was M C L. years after Christ and all that while Christianity stood without this decision Peter Lombard hangs something upon one scale who proposing these questions 1. Whether sin is remitted upon contrition of the heart onely 2. Whether confession unto God sufficeth without any unto the Priest 3. And whether confession may be made to a faithful Lay man Of which In his docti diversa sentire inveniuntur quia super his varia ac penè diversa tradidisse videntur Doctores l. 4. d. 17. Sect. 1. learned men saith he are found to hold diversly and concerning them the Doctors seem to have delivered diverse yea and almost adverse resolutions But his resolution is thus framed It may be said that sins are remitted upon contrition Dici potest quòd sine confessione oris solutione poenae exterioris peccata delentur per contritionem humilitatem cordis Quae dicta sunt de confessione Poenitentia vel ad confessionem cordis vel ad interiorem poenam referenda sunt ad contemnentes vel negligentes referenda and humility of the heart without oral confession and performance of external punishment And that such testimonies of the Doctors as import confession are to be understood of the inward Confession of the heart or else touch those as neglect and contemn confession which is made unto the Priest But he addeth withall that a Penitent ought to confess if he have time Oportet poenitentem si tempus habeat confiteri tamen antequam sit confessio in ore si votum sit in corde praestatur ei remissie yet before confession be in the mouth if there be a resolution thereof in the heart that a man is forgiven But afterwards he grows more peremptory From these and more proofs then these it appeareth without all doubt Oportet Deo primùm deinde Sacerdoti offerri confessionem nec aliter posse pervenire ad ingressum Paradisi Id. ib. that confession ought to be tendred unto God first thence to the Priest if he may be had otherwise there can be no possibility of coming into Paradise This Magisterial determination hath these parcels 1. sin is remitted upon inward confession 2. a purpose of Confession is required for the remission of sin 3. the neglect or contempt of Confession either to God or the Priest is damnable 4. Confession of sin if opportunity serve is actually to be made unto God and the Priest upon peril of exclusion from Gods
them performed convincing them of hainous sin openly though not evidencing the same unto all Thus the Church became contented with publick penance and remitted the confession of the sin unto private ears howbeit the publick detection of sin was left off earlier in the Greek Church than in the Latin for in the East the persecution under Decius was no sooner blown over but that the Church appointed a discreet Presbyter to receive Confessions that Penitents might resort unto him and interest his bosome with their offences out of which he was to select such and prepare as he thought meet for the publick and conceal the reft and herein his office consisted The substituting of this Officer is witnessed by Socrates and Sozomen both whereby the penitent was not as formerly left to his choice of what Physician he pleased but confined to that Penitentiary the Church had ordained and this is that addition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. hist l. 5. c. 19. viz. the election of one certain Penitentiary which those Historians note to have been made unto the penitential Canon Episcopi hanc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canoni adjecerunt ut Presbyter bonae conversationis prudens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad hoc ordinaretur ut lapsi ad illum accederent ipsi confiterentur peccata Chemnit ex Sozomen Exam. p. 192. But whether this Penitentiary was taken to receive Confession of all sins and conceal them all onely imposing publick Penance or to discern what sins should publickly be rehearsed and what not can hardly by the light of story be discerned for the former opinion namely that none of the sins confessed were to be revealed serveth that requisite quality that he should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that could lay his hand upon his mouth and say nothing And for the later scilicet that some sins were revealed appeared by the confession of the vitiated Matron so foul that it caused the Church to stop the mouth of all publick Confession ever after My thoughts lead me to this issue that the Primitive Penitents were too forward to confess publickly more than needed therefore it was ordained that they should confess in private first and then if any of their sins were deemed fit by the Confessor to come abroad in publick they were admitted to that publick Medicine whereas the succeeding Penitents were too remiss in publick Confession and needed the spur insomuch that offences of that nature as needed publick expiation and discovered upon a private hearing were reserved for the Theatre and they obliged to publick recital and penance And when this also was taken away upon the Matrons stupration and the Church would hear no more of such matters without doubt the Confession and Penitentiary too were then abrogated In the Latin Church the discipline was on foot till Leo I. who was the first that exiled the same and set up Auricular Confession in its stead In whose dayes a writing the contents whereof were particular sins was exhibited by the Delinquents to be publickly read in Churches the same was attempted for private confession not long since and as that course was broken off by Leo Declarat non licere per literas seu internuncium Confessario absenti peccata Sacramentaliter confiteri ab eodem absolutionem obtinere Caracalla vit Clem. 8. in Platinae supplem so this attempt by Clement VIII who condemned the same as false temerarious and scandalous to confess by deputation or writing and receive absolution from a Priest not present The injunction of Leo followeth Let not a confession of several sins conceived in writing be publickly rehearsed Ne de singulorum peccatorum genere libellis scripto professio recitetur cúmque reatus sufficiat conscientiarum solis sacerdot bus indicari confessione secretâ Quamvis enim plenitudo fidei videatur esse laudabilis quae propter Dei timorem apud homines crubescere non veretur tamen quia non omnium hujusmodi sunt peccata ut ea quae poenitentiam poscunt non timeant publicare removeatur tam improbabilis consuetudo ne multi à poenitentiae arceantur remediis dum aut erubescunt aut metuunt inimicis suis facta sua reserare quibus possint legum constitutionibus percelli sufficit enim illa Confessio quae primùm Deo offertur tunc etiam Sacerdoti qui pro delictis Poenitentium precator accedit quòd tum demùm plures ad poenitentiam poterunt provocari si populi auribus non publicetur Conscientia confitentis Leo Epist 80. ad Episcopos Campaniae c. seeing it may suffice that the guilt of mens consciences be declared in secret Confession to the Priests alone for although the fulness of faith may seem to be laudable which for the fear of God doth not fear to blush before men yet because all sins are not of that nature that Penitents may not be afraid to publish such of them as require repentance Let so inconvenient a custome be removed lest many be driven back from the remedies of repentance whilest either they are ashamed or afraid to disclose their deeds before their enemies whereby they may be drawen within the peril of the laws For that confession is sufficient which is offered first unto God and then unto the Priest who cometh as an Intercessor for the sins of thè Penitent for then at length we may be provoked to Repentance if that the Conscience of him that confesseth be not published to the ears of the people From this testimony of Leo we may observe 1. That to open confession of secret sins secret confession succeeded in the room thereof 2. We may observe also the reasons of this alteration viz. fear and danger of the law which accompanied the former practice and retarded many from the same to remove which impediments it self also was removed or rather changed 3. And lastly that the manner of Confession be it private or publick is but a Church-constitution and the law thereof but temporal and may be changed at the discretion of the Church as that ancient discipline so highly extolled by the Fathers yet by Leo is removed as an unprofitable custome and subject to divers inconveniences and notwithstanding his edict the times may come when the same may be fancied again and private Confession give way thereunto Private Confession then is not an ordinance of absolute necessity the thing to be demonstrated And therefore that conjecture of Beatus Rhenanus for which his mouth is stopt by the Index expurg is more than probable Ne quis admiretur Tertullianum de clancularia ista admissorum confessione nihil loquutum quae quantùm conjicimus nata est ex ista exomologesi per ultroneam hominum pietatem ut occultorum peccatorum esset exomologesis occulta nec enim usquam praeceptam legimus B. Rhenan Arg. lib. de Poenit. pag. 11. edit Franekerae 1597. that clancular confession now in use took its beginning from the
publick by the voluntary devotion of men that of secret sins there might be held a secret confession for we do not read that of old it was any where commanded And this is our first ground that Private Confession is not of supreme necessity The second is founded upon a decree of Nectarius sometimes Patriarch of Constantinople Nectarius and his act for abolishing of Confession and immediate Predecessor to Saint Chrysostome by which act upon an occasion of infamy drawn upon the Clergy by the confession of a Gentlewomen defiled by a Deacon in the principal Church of the Imperial City it was thought fit the same should be abolished and every one left to the liberty and examination of his own conscience in resorting to the blessed Sacrament the Narrative is thus in Socrates Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 19. vide Sozom. lib. 7. c. 16. It seemed good unto the Church to take away the office of such Priests as were appointed throughout every Church to receive Penitents after the Confession of their sins into the company of the faithful The occasion of the removal by Nectarius was A Noble woman came unto the Priest whose office it was to hear penitents and confessed orderly the sins she had committed after Baptisme the Priest injoyning her to bring forth the fruits of Repentance As she continued longer in shriving she accused herself of another crime and declareth that a certain Deacon of that Church had abused her body at which the people being much incensed and the Church defamed the Bishop upon the advice of Eudaemon a Minister of that Church took away the function of the shriving Priest and granted free liberty to every one as his conscience served him to become partaker of the holy mysteries Thus far Socrates professing withall that he could not well tell what to think of Eudaemons advise in this behalf whether it would ought avail the Church or no or be a means that sins escape without just reprehension his thoughts he should have kept to himself for an historian must ever conceal his affections and never the truth adhering to the verity of the fact and leaving the censure unto others It cannot be imagined into how many shapes the Divines of Rome turn themselves to turn off or to turn away this decree some condemn this Patriarch for condemning the same Quamvis legatur abrogasse hanc consuetudinem hoc tamen non probat eam non esse juris divini non enim omne quod fit justè fit M. Vehe tract 6. de Confess c. 7. although we read saith Vehe that Nectarius abrogated this custome yet this disproveth not but that it might be of divine right for not every thing that is done is justly done Our Cope inclineth to this opinion that the words of the story favour the taking away of confession but then tels us withall that Nectarius did as much hurt to the Church by unbridling this discipline Si Nectarius privatam confessionem abrogarit illoâ—â—s quod dicitur non tam manibus quà m animis ad corpus Christi accipiendum ingerendi se quibuslibet aditum patefecerit quod ipsa fortè verba si generaliter accipias prae se ferunt is non minùs Ecclesiae nimiâ illâ licentiâ quà m immodicâ illâ suâ severitate incommodasset Cop. dialog 2. p. 294. as Novatus did by locking up the mercy of God with his severer key If Nectarius saith he had abrogated private confession and opened the gap to every man with unwashen hands and souls to have free access to receive the body of Christ which peradventure the words if you take them generally may seem to import he had prejudiced the Church no less by that excessive licentiousness than Novatus had done by his immoderate severity Against these men we oppose the credit and authority that Nectarius had with the Churches of God for they were so far from imagining any detriment to arise unto the Church by this decree of his that they became all of his minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 7. c. 16. The Catholick Bishops of those times approving and ratifying the same so Sozomen with the heretical conventicles it the use of Confession was retained but in the Churches of the Homousians or Orthodox believers saith Socrates it was antiquated Of whose side then are they which so sharply rebuke Nectarius (a) Harpsfield suprà Another rank of them seem to embrace the act but with a limitation that it was the publick confession and penance which he abrogated and not private confession but the addition to the Penitential which the Patriarch repealed and that was the erection of a Penitentiary to receive Confessions and unfold some sins unto the Bishop if needful that such might be ripped up in publick confession and this discipline as an appendix to the former was in opposition to the rigorous hand of Novatus suppressed But Bellarmine shall cope with Harpsfield Ista revelatio est contra jus naturae Apostolicam regulam l. 3. de poen c. 14. and tell him that cannot be because a Penitentiary having heard confession in private his mouth is so locked up that he cannot under any pretence reveal any sin so revealed unto the Bishop or to his Holiness himself though he should command it it being against the law of nature and Apostolical rule the (b) Ibid. Cardinal then hath restrained the story to these three positions and bounds 1. The first that notorious Penitents and publick offenders were subject to this penitentiary onely and that sinners for sins committed secretly might address themselves in confession to other Priests 2. The second that if any private sins and conscious to the sinner onely were confessed to this Penitentiary he was not bound to detect them but had his lips sealed up to secrecy 3. And lastly That publick sins onely and such as were known aforehand were by his command rehearsed by the Penitents before the congregation and publick penance undergone for them Against these fancies of the Cardinal I demand If publick sins and such as are come abroad into the world are here onely meant what need open sins to be opened in secret to a Penitentiary and why could not the Church proceed to censure notorious sins without that under-hand detection And what will this Jesuit say to another a greater Antiquary than himself Petavius who comes roundly off and tells us there was never any such thing as publick confession that neither publick nor private sins were openly confessed either by the Penitents in their own persons or recited out of a scroll by the Priests as generally hath been supposed from which common tenet he professeth his earnest dissent A quibus omnibus ego vehementer dissentio nec adduci possim ut existimem legem ullam in Ecclesia suisse unquam ejusmodi quae peccata proferri publicè decreverit D. Petav animadvers in Epiphan haer 49. pag. 246. nor can he be brought to
to be laid at the Priests feet and whether such an institution of such a Confession comprising all sins together with their remarkeable circumstances to be spread before the Priest upon necessity of salvation be not certa Crux a torture and snare unto the conscience and the practice hereof render the Conscience more perplexed than the sin it self We shall do well herein to see what the Church of Rome holdeth and what load she laieth upon her proselytes and under what pretences The Lateran Council where their Confession first came abroad Omnâ—a sua solus peccata confiteatur fideliter saltem semel in anno proprio Sacerdoti Conc. Lat. sub Innocent 3. can 21. decreed all sins to be confessed faithfully at least once a year unto their own Priest The Florentine Council prescribes a sinner to confess wholly all such sins as he remembreth to his Priest Ad oris confessionem pertinet ut peccator omaia peccata quorum memoriam habeat suo Sacerdoti consitâ—atur integraliter c. Concil Florent in doctrin de Sacram. as loth to charge him with more than he bears in mind and if such time be given as once a year and of such sins as occur to the memory it may well be doubted that with many sinners but few remain upon the memory at the years end to be rehearsed before the Priest And if all sins are so much to be stood upon in Confession it is much to be marvelled that these Councils should trust so fraile a memory as a finners is especially with such records as he takes no pleasure to preserve and that for so long a space and be so strict for the account and so loose for the time where many a particular may be obliterated and defaced The Fathers at Trent decree no less viz. That all and every sin must be repeated in Confession Oportere à Poenitentibus omnia peccata mortalia quorum pâ—st diligentem sui discussionem conscientiam habent in confessione recenseri etiamsi occultissima illa sint tantùm adversus duo ultima Docalogi praeoepta commissa Quae nonnunquam animum gravius sauciant periculosiora sunt iis quae in manifesto admittuntur omnia quae memoriae occurrunt peccata confiteri student Qui secùs faciunt scienter aliqua retinent nihil divinae boâ—itati per Sacerdotem remittendum proponunt that diligent and naâ—row search must be made into the Conscience especially after those secret sins that are against the two last commandments they mean the last it self of the Decalogue as wounding the soul oftâ—imes more dangerously than such that are openly committed that all persons be studious in making confession of those sins which occurre unto their memory assuring all those that do otherwise and sciently keep in any sin to look for no remission from Gods goodness at the Priests hand Here the memory must be help'd with diligent disquisition and study to sift after not actual sins alone but the most retired offences of the heart as many times implying greatest danger or else no pardon may be expected either from God or from the Priest what breast will not be disquieted with this scrupulous command and not terrified at this fearful penalty I have searched but fear me not narrowly enough have been studious to remember but not so careful as I ought have look'd into my heart but perceive that 's a depth not to be fathomed would gladly know what secret sins lurke there but find it so deceitful above all things that who can know it Thus the Conscientious Penitent distrusts his confession not to be completely made and can never thereby assure himself of Priestly absolution That Council yet proceeds and commands all circumstances altering the nature of the sin to be unfolded also Colligitur praetereà etiam circumstantias eaâ— in confessione explicandas esse quae speciem peccati mutant Conc. Trid. Sess 14. c. 5. Nor doth their Catechisme set out by Papall authority differ from their Council which teacheth Mortifera peccata singula enumeranda sunt quamvis etiam occultissimè lâ—teant ut ejus generis sint quae duobus tantùm extremis dâ—calogi capitibus interdicuntur Saepè enim evenit ut ea graviùs animum vulnerent quà m illa quae apertè palà m peccare homines solent Catech. Rom. pag. 157. All and singular deadly sins to be numbred up although they lie hid never so closely of which kind are those that are forbidden in the two last commandments of the law for it often happeneth that such as they wound the soul more then those which men are wont to commit in the open view and not sins alone but the circumstances thereof must be brought within Confession Not onely sins of weight themselves Neque solùm peccata gravia narrando explicare oportet verùm etiam illa quae unumquodque peccatum circumstanâ— prav tatom valdè augent vel minuunt Quaedam enim circumstantiae adeò graves sunt ut peccati mortiferi ratio ex illis totum constâ—t p. 157. â— but such things also which severally besâ—t them and greatly increase or diminish the iniquity thereof for some circumstances are so material that from them alone is collected the deadliness of the offence And the sharp and severe penalty for the omitting thereof is laid down in that Chatechisme thus Si quis deditâ operâ alia quidem es iis qua explicari debeant praetermittat alia verò tantummodò confiteatur non solùm ex ea confessione is commodum nullum consequatur sed etâ—am scelere novo se obstringat Catech. ad Paroch Pii V. jussu edit Paris 1567. If any willingly pretermiâ— and pass over to confess any of the sins or circumstances thereunto belonging as he ought so confess but a part and parcel thereof he shall be so far from reaping any benefit under colour of such confession as to ingage himself to a further sin Here comes in that intolerable burden and hard yoke the remembrance whereof makes tender and bleeding consciences to tremble that upon the omission of any sin or circumstantial rag thereof and tender consciences will ever suspect they have done it wittingly after all their pains in remembring grief in reciting and shame in discovering their other faults are so far from landing in the quiet haven of absolution after many tempests sustained as they are imbarqu'd to a further danger and depart worse sinners than they came besides the discomfort in drawing a particular catalogue of all sins when we have work enough to be eased of those which lie heavy at the heart I said how the Masters at Trent decreed such circumstances of sin to be unfolded which changed the kind and their meaning is further to be unfolded that their cut-throat doctrine may be more manifest There are two sorts of circumstances Circumstantiae sunt in duplici differentia aliae minuentes aliae verò aggravantes rursum vel
covenant of Grace more precise then the first of works it being possible alike to perform all the precepts of the Law and circumstances thereof as distinctly to confess all our sins and the circumstances Moreover who can well endure such hard load to be laid upon the Conscience and so sorely pressed without special warranty from Gods word Luther charged the Pope with this tyrannical imposition without any shadow of authority from holy writ Si res haec fuisset ab hoc Pontifice nuper inventa potuisses illam multò quidem inculpatiùs ejus imputasse tyrannidi verùm cùm à vetustissimis eisdem eruditissimis atque sanctissim's authoribus nec sine Scripturarum testimoniis apertissimè traditum sit frustrà tyrannidem ejus accusas pag. 146. Bishop Fisher confesseth the charge in part to be true if Leo X. then Pope had been the first bringer in thereof but he dischargeth him and laieth it upon the most ancient learned and holiest Authors and that not without testimonies from the Scripture That Prelate saith it but he or some for him must shew it else his assertion will prove a scandall to those ancient and learned worthies Tam apertissime tradita a thing so evident and we so blind that cannot see it sure too much transparency of light hath dazled us We would gladly know for our reverence to ancient learning where not onely any but any one of those Ancients have delivered that all sins with their circumstances are upon pain of salvation to be distinctly confessed to a Priest and that by express order from the Word of God This doctrine of the Church of Rome is sans parallel to any passage of Scripture or testimony of any Father Bellarmine its a chance else would have lighted upon those ancient Records if any such had been extant who of the old Councils saith thus The testimories of the Councils which we all age Testimonia Conciliorum quae adferemus etiamsi non apertè contineant confessionem esse juris divini continent tamen antiquam consuetudinem saepè etiam indicant necessitatem confitendi Sacerdoti Bell. l. 3. de Poen cap. 5. although they do not clearly contain confession to be of divine right nevertheless they contain an ancient custome and ofttimes shew the necessity of confessing unto a Priest The contents of this testimony can afford but small comfort and for the Fathers the same man saith thus Although the Fathers say not in express words Confession of all sins to be necessary by divine right Tametsi Patres quos citat Chemnitius non dicant disertis verbis confessionem omnium peccatorum necessariam esse jure divino tamen neque disertis verbis dicunt confessionem omnium peccatorum non esse necessariam jure divino Id. ib. cap. 11. so neither do they say in express words that confession of all sins is not necessary by divine right 'T is true he saith these words of such Fathers as are produced by Chemnitius which are in effect all that are alleaged by himself as by collation may appear And a negative proof from authority will be thought too slack to prove a positive doctrine and in Schools too weak an argument Confession is necessary by divine Law because the Fathers say not to the contrary Affirmative conclusions urged de fide and upon the extremest penalty must be deduced from positive and clear testimonies else their credit may be worthily suspected and how defective this particular is in proofs I appeal to all Pontificious Writers and indifferent Readers yea Canus confesseth that this conclusion Contlusionem Mathematicâ demonstratione planè exploratam haberi non posse afferuntur argumenta quae probant consentanum esse ità fieri oportere Canus Relect. de poen part 6. pag. 902. viz. for the confessing of every particular sin cannot be found out by any Mathematical demonstration but faith being supposed such argumentâ— must be trusted unto which prove it convenient so to be How comes it then to pass that this point is concluded to be necessary where the arguments it stands upon prove it onely convenient and why should that be exposed to be performed upon utmost peril which is at the most but probably confirmed Precise Conclusions de fide must rest upon sure foundations and where salvation and damnation is set upon the head of any precept the same must be evidenced with a constat quod erat demonstrandum as certainly as any Mathematical demonstration 2. Enumeration of every sin a matter of impossibility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil hom 19.3 Our second exception is the impossibility in rendring so exact an account of every sin with the appendix of several circumstances That Law is rejected as Tyrannical or foolish that injoyneth impossibilities It is impiety to affirme the precepts of the holy Spirit to be impossible saith great Basil To confess alwayes before we come to the Communion Bishop Montagu appeal pag. 301. is ofttimes saith the learned Bishop now of Norwich a matter of impossibility to do even impossible to do with particular enumeration of each sin and special circumstance in each sin Aquinas and Scotus saith Beatus Rhenanus two Aquinas Scotus homines nimiùm aâ—guti confessionem hodiè talem reddiderunt ut Joan Geillerius gravis Sanctus Theologus apud suâ—s saepe testatus sit ut secundum illorum dâ—uteroseis impossibile est confiteri Argin Tert. de Poenit. and too subtile disputants have brought confession to such a pass at this day that John Geiller a grave and holy Divine often testified unto his friends that according to their rigid observances it is impossible to make Confession So by these mens inventions and curious injunctions to say no more that which was at first an ease to relieve is now become a snare to intrap the conscience Ignorant and importunate Physicians saith Cassander casting snares upon the peoples consciences Ignari importuni Medici conscientiis hominum quas extricare levare debeant laqueos injiciunt Cassand Con. art 11. which they ought to unwrap and set at liberty And so it must needs be for our sins are as numberless as the sands and though we should be as exact computists as Clavius was who hath cast up into one summe how many graines of sands will fill up the vast concave betwixt earth and heaven we may be out in our account of sin We must not saith Canus put them that sin often to their Arithmetick Non oportere eos qui saepe peccant ad Mathematicos numeros peccatorum multitudinem exactè redigere difficilis sanè propositio sed vera quia vix possibile est iis qui semel in anno confitentur certum numerum peccatorum recensere Canus suprà to bring in an exact number of their offences It is an harsh but true proposition that it is scarce possible for those which confess but once a year to recount the true number of their
offences To this end David prayed as well to number his sins as his dayes and was I suppose as scrupulous to confess and lament them as any of our Roman Penitents yet he cries out Psal 19.12 Psal 38.5 Nimirum intelligebat quanta esset peceatorii nostrorum abyssus quâ—m multâ—e seelerum sacies quot capita serret quà m longam caadamtrah ret haec Hydra Calvin Institut l. 3. c. 4. Sect. 16. Who can understand his errors cleanse me from my secret sins and again My iniquities are gone over my head as a burden they are too heavy for me Now truly he well understood how great a depth of sins there is how many strange countenances and shapes they resemble how many heads they lift up and how great a traine and long tail of circumstances this Hydra draweth after it Therefore he busieth not himself in drawing an Inventory of each several sin but cries out of the depth unto the Lord that the waters have entred into his soul that his sins are too heavy that there is no health in his bones nor rest in his conscience and in such termes spreads his sins before the Lord by better expressions than in any Method or formes of Confession and thereof are diverse set forth by our New Masters I must not forget that Popish writers streitned with the pressure of this reason remit something of the rigour Ea solùm quae post diligentem excussionem memoriae occurrunt Bellar. de Poen l. 3. cap. 16. and exact no further account than of such sins occurring unto the memory and seriously called to mind at the time of Confession and how poor a remnant this is to the sands of the Sea and how small a gleaning after so great a harvest that handful reserved for that time maketh manifest Confess all and every sin is the precept that is such onely as you can remember is the exception a gentle glosse for a severe law and as the injunction it self is too rigorous so the limitation is too ridiculous The Graecian Dame defiled by the Deacon in Sozomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. 1. p. 217. lin 11. confessed her sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I read rather distinctly than partially and so used by Clemens Alexandrinus viz. the doctrine of Christ deduceth providence unto things in singular yet a distinct confession of sin differeth from a distinct confession of all sins and a sinner may be particular in some though not singular in all offences a matter as we said of impossibility 3. Obligation of confessing sins all and singular a point of desperation Our third exception that to oblige the conscience to confess every sin with the pertinent circumstance is a doctrine of desperation for confess I must all my sins else look for no comfort from Gods hands and the Priests Now what soul can tell he hath told all his sins Thou wilt say tell all thou art able do they best endeavour to lay open all and then though some are left out thou art discharged I do my best and part my sins into branches Usque ad circumstanliarum minutias fractions atomes I weight the nature and extent thereof I put thereunto every material circumstance I lanch forth into the depth of my lewd life and having nothing before but the open air and vast sea no haven no station and the further I enter into this Labyrinth the more I lose my self and the more diligent I am to number sins the more numberless I find them and after all my travel in this disquisition Haerebam inter Saxum sacrum nec alius tandem exitus reperiebatur quà m desperatio Calv. instit l. 3. c. 4. Sect. 17. my conscience is not quieted my Audit is not perfect therefore much suspect I shall not have my quietus est at the Priests hands such thoughts as these must needs present themselves to that soul whose conscience is kept awake Furthermore it is required of all penitents to use such diligence Diligentem excussionem vocant quam in rebus gravioribus ordinariè homines adhibere solent B lar l. 3. de Poenit. c. 16. to keep their sins in memory against the times of Confession as usually they do about such important affaires as otherwise much concern them and here arise new doubts and discontents in the mind whereby a Penitent is jealous he hath not done his devoire especially when he calls to mind what diligence he hath shewed in accomplishing secular ends how careful he is in the things of this life studious of his preferment watchful to prevent dangers painful to augment his store provident in laying up for his posterity all which matched with the diligence he hath used on this behalf what restless perturbations ensue herein I took not time enough I used not industry enough I let slip many sins through negligence and forgat more through my carelesness and shall such negligent forgetfulness be excused I said above what Beatus Rhenanus related from a Divine of much experience concerning the impossibility of confession let us hear him further about the perplexity and corture thereof Many religious Carthusians and Franciscans were very conversant with him Vâ—rille magno rerum usu praeditus à Carthasianis Franciscanis intervisebatur ab his dâ—scebat quibus tormentis quoruadam piae maâ—tes affligerentur ob confessionem cui satissacere ut â—psisvidebatur nequirent similes querelas adeum deserâ—baut sanctimoniales proindè motus suerat ut libellum ederet in lingua Germanica cui titulamfecit VON DEM BEICHTUNAH hoc est de morbo Confessionis quo negabant esse tristiorem qui eo tenebantur Erat Carrhusianus quidam qui propter confessionum quae ei semper ob inexplicabilem circumstantiarum vim imperfecta videbatur sed â—pse persectâ—ssimam esse frustrà conteadebat huc miseriarum venerat ut omaem salutem desponderet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cogitaret hujusmodi homines illi libuit eo libello consolari B. Rhenan praef ad Tert. l. de Poenit. from them he perceived with what torments well-disposed people were afflicted about confession which scrup'es as it seemed unto them they could not satisfie the like complaixt did the (a) We call them Nuns being for the most part Nonariae of whom the Poet Multùm gaudere paratus St Cynico barbam petulans Nonaria vellat Pers Sat. Vestal Virgins and Votaries make unto him Whereupon he was moved to publish a Treatise in the German tongue which he entituled VON BEICHTUNAH that is the disease of Confession than which those that were visited with the same confessed none to be more grievous There was a certain Carthusian all long of confession which by reason of the unexplicable violence of circumstances appeared to him as imperfect although he did his best endeavour to perfect the same all he could who was driven to that wretched exigence as to despair of salvation and contrive his own death by
after unnatural lusts and become not Confessores but contaminatores Sir Rob. Heath at Earl of Castlehavens attainder April 25. 1631. as one of their own Order speaketh proposing such Questions which to do is contra naturam and to relate contra reverentiam naturae as a learned Lawyer spake in a late unfortunate Earls case These Ghostly Fathers ofâ—times grievously offending in pleasing themselves with such obscene Questions Qui saepissimè peccant mortaliter delectando se de â—ujusmodi interrogationibus propter delectationem saciendo eas Sum. Angel tit Interrog in Confess contriving them up on set purpose for their delight and pastime Such formes of confession you may swear altogether different from the ancient Penitential Canons by whose directions the spiritual Fathers of the last society looking a-squint upon the desires of the flesh inquire after the difference of sins obscene and beastly matters Formulas confessionum quibus sancti illi Pneumattâ—â— circa peccatorum differentias obsâ—oena quaedam impudica exquirunt quae sinâ— Interrogati cujus auribus inauditae turpitudines lasciviae instillantur rubore Interrogantis inhonesti appetitus titillatione vix ullis vâ—â—bis aut ne vix quidem enunciari poslint Pâ—nt Tyard Episc Cabilon de fratribus Jesu pag. 35. which cannot be mentioned without blushing in the Examinat whose ears tingle at the hearing of unknown lusts and uncleanness and not without the titillation of a dishonest appetite in the Examiner himself that moveth them Oh times that such filthy communication not once named amongst the Heathen should be thus plaied withall these Ghostly Fathers to be so carnal this penitential practice so obscene this pretended Laver of the soul to become the sink of iniquity this Confession of sin a profession of sinning where men learn rather than leave sin displeasing rather than appeasing God and at the end of this exercise become far worse than at the beginning Pardon good Reader the exuberancy of my speech justly occasioned when the most holy pretences are the most fowly profaned Good reason had Canus to tax such Confessors who by their foolish interrogatories became scandalous to their Penitents Nec eos quidem probo qui imprudenter interrogando Poenitentibus scandalii inâ—iciunt atque adeò eo peccare docent Qua in re confidenter etiam reprobo summ is istas Confessionum interrogitionibus plenas quae idiomate vulgari non solùm eduntur sed passimâ—etiam mulâ—erculis Idiotis conferuntur ut indè discant non Confitendi sed ut ego sentio peccandi ratioâ—m normam Can. Relect. de Poen part 6. pag. 908. so far as to teach them to sin and withall confidently to reprove these summes of Confessions stuffed with Questions of that nature and are not onely put forth in the vulgar tongue but are bestowed abroad upon women and simple people thereby to learn not the manner and form of confessing but as I suppose of sinning Our last exception against this Specifique enumeration of every sin in Confession 6. Of Venial sins Of Reserved cases is derived from a practice of theirs in exempting of Venial sins and reserved cases from the ordinary and parochial Ghostly Father Venialia quamvis râ—ctè utiliter in Confessione dicantur taceâ—i tamen citra culpam multisque aliis remediâ—s expiaâ—â— possint Concil Trid. c. 5. Those as superfluous and scarce worthy of a Priests skill and notice these as too haâ—nous and desperate diseases exceeding his skill Patribus nostris visumâ—st utâ—atrociora quaedam graviora crimina non à quibusvis sel à summis duntaxat Sacer lotibus absolveretur Conc. Trid. de casuum reservatione cap. 7. therefore reserved for Physicians of higher place and power and in such cases every simple Priest is inhibited to proceed but to send corpus cum causa to such Penitentiaries to whose jurisdiction they are immediately subject Now if all sins that come into a sinners mind must upon pain of the second death and that by Gods law be opened to a Priest by what law are some exempted and more reserved from his audience than others Again if Papal reservations and dispensations be in these sins and cases of validity it will follow that the precise enumeration of all sins is but a Church ordinance or if Divine then no dispensation lieth in such cases it being a ruled case that Papal power cannot dispense with the Divine law but with Ecclesiastical constitutions onely Let the Jesuites try the hornes of this Dilemma Now by the same reason that they take off such sins from Confession may we make bold to leave out such as many such there are that stand not in need of Priestly advise and absolution It will be said venial sins are not here to be reckoned for Venialia exnatura ratione peccati quae non sunt contraria charitati Dei proximi Bellar l. 1. de amiss gratiae cap. 3. because being of their own nature pardonable nor so averse to God as to lose his favour they need not to be remitted this way neither ingage so deeply to hell nor make so great a breach betwixt God and man as to require the Priest to stand in the gap and to make the atonement To the contrary although we acknowledge great distinctions betwixt sin and sin and punishments proport onable yet we affirm no sin so little but it is in its own nature mortal and no sin so great but from the event may be venial The least sin makes a breach upon Gods law and makes the delinquent accessary to the breach of the whole law is an offence against an infinite Deity therefore may be punished in the strictness of his righteous judgement Doctor Field of the Church Book 3. c. 32. yea with utter annihilation for that saith a profound Divine there is no punishment so evil and so much to be avoided as the least sin that may be imagined so that a man should rather chuse eternal death yea utter annihilation than commit the least effence in the world Again if all Spiritual wounds must pass thorough the Priests hands of necessity for curation then venial sins also for though they are not vulnera lethifera with the Cardinal Bellar. l. 1.1 de Amiss grat c. 2. yet they are plagae leves which slighted by neglect thereof may prove deadly a ship leaking at a little flaw may indanger drowning The want of one naile as the French Proverb is may cause the loss of shooe horse and horseman Pour un clou on perd un fer pour un fer un cheval pour un cheval un Chevaliâ—r for great weights many times hang upon small wires and however some Roman controversie-men put off venial sin from Confession as in it self not mortal but venial Bishop Fisher dares not like of that avoidance Quòd peccatum veniale solùm ex Dei misericordia veniale sit in hoc tecum
conciliorum decretis mentio D. Petav animadvers ad Epiphan haer 49. pag. 238. who make capital and mortal of equal latitude and both which despoyls the sinner of the ornament of Charity but some more heynous than ordinary and which by name are expressed in the Canons and decrees of Councils and to which several and distinct penances were allotted and belonged Other sins also there were of an inferi ur alloy and burthen and of them the Penitential Canons took no notice saith their great Antiquary Petavius So then as of old not all sins but selected ones were assigned for publick exomologesis the like may be said that there is no necessity of revealing all but some offences which press deepest upon the Conscience to the Ministers of Reconciliation Moreover we may learn by the Church-Censures what sins properly appertain to Confession Absit ut quoties peccatum fuit toties excommunicationis sententiam exhibendam esse aut publicum resipi scentiae testimonâ—nm à singulis personis efflagitari Quà m enim multa nobis solis consciis in dies horas admittimus quae privata coram Deo confâ—ssione adjunctis precibus condonantur Quorsùm etiam erant quotidianae preces cum Sacrificiis matutinis vespertinis instâ—tutae sub lege Quorsùm nunc quoque sacros conventus à reatus nostri consessione auspicamur nisi ut quotidianâ— peccata absque ulla alia cognitione nobis condonâ—ntur de solis igitur gravioribus peccatis cum offendiculo Ecclesiae conjunctis publicae satisfactiones intelligendae sunt Beza de Presbyr excom pag. 42. edit Genev. 1590. God forbid saith Beza that the Church should fulminate her excommunication for every sin or that publick testimony or repentance should from all persons be exacted though in extremity every sin incur Gods displeasure the sinner is exiled his presence and needeth to be reconciled by repentance for how many sins do we daily and hourly commit which are pardoned upon private confession before God with prayers annexed To what end served the daily prayers the morning and evening Sacrifices under the law To what purpose do we in our sacred assemblies begin and enter into our solemn prayers with confession of our guiltiness but that our daily sins might be forgiven without any further acknowledgment Publick satisfactions therefore must be understood of such sins as are hainous and scandalous to the Congregation Hitherto Beza The objection of Erastus was All sins deserve excommunication therefore the censure was to be served either upon all or none Beza denies the consequent and sheweth good reasons why all sins are not subject to the Censure and which serve also to shew why all sins are not to be stood upon in Confession because sins of a lesser magnitude may be otherwise blotted out by private Confession and tears or by the general and publick acknowledgment of the Church and as notorious and scandalous were onely liable to the Churches censure and penance So not all sins but such as afflict the conscience and suffer the sinner to take no rest are necessary to be confessed And this doctrine our Church maintaineth and wisheth all her children to take it to heart carefully distinguishing the same from the so much abused Popish Auricular Confession which they thrust upon the souls of Christians as an expiatory sacrifice and meritorious satisfaction for sin racking their Consciences to confess when they â—eel no distress and to enumerate all their sins which is impossible that by this means they might dive into the secrets of all hearts which ofttimes hath proved pernicious not onely to private persons but also to publick States To conclude then Gravioris leprae immunditia with Bede the unclean and more grievous leprosie Bed in Jac. 5. Bernard hom 16. in Cantic Calvin Instit p. 339. Omne quod remordet consciâ—ntiam with Saint Bernard every sin that biteth the Conscience Quando quis ità angitur afflictatur peccatorum sensu ut se explicare nisi alieno adjutorio nequeat with Calvin The sins that gore or prick the conscience and out of which without and from without the sinner cannot wind himself when a man cannot quiet his own Conscience as the Church prescribeth Rubrick at the Communion Bishop Morton Appeal lib. 2. cap. 14. Bishop Montagu Appeal pag. 299. or is burdened with sin so the Bishop of Duresme Or in the case of perplexity for the quieting of men disturbed in their Consciences as the Bishop of Norwich In all of which we are injoyned to shew our selves unto the Priest and to seek at his hands both the counsel of instruction and hope of Gods pardon as Bishop Morton To receive Ghostly comfort advice and counsel and the benefit of absolution to the quieting of his conscience as our sacred Liturgie admonisheth Remember good People this Medicine is for your diseases this Balme for your griefs advancing your safety more than shewing forth the Ministers power the treasure of absolution is yours he keepeth but the key to open the same for you upon a Penitential knock A pious Priest delighteth not in the sad story of your infirmities Condolere norimus peccantes affâ—ctu intimo Quotiesâ—unque alicujus lapsi peccatum exponitur compatiaâ— nec supeâ—bè increpem sed lugeam desteam Ambr. l. 2. de poen cap. 11. nor blames you with reprochful words but embalmes you with many tears weeping with such as weep and sighing with those that are in distress his crown and rejoycing is like the good Samaritan to pour oyl and wine into your gaping wounds Despise not Gods ordinance it is powerful and to those that use it right efficaciouâ— Neglect not the benefit of the keys for the Priest beareth them not in vain slight not his Ministery it is the word of Reconciâ—iation Keep thy conscience waking and the eyes thereof open the case is fearful where the Conscience slumbreth and the soul is dark where that light is extinguished Oh preserve the voice of this Turtle Vox Turturis vox gementis Bern. stop not thine ears at this Charmer it is Gods Deputy and Watchman Thou hast just reason to fear he hath yielded up thy fort unto the enemy when it no longer keeps Centinel Keep this jewel alive Preserve it with a meditation of Gods Judgments and thy deserts feed it with the promises of the Gospel and yet it will inform thee when this Physick must be used It will send thee to the Minister as the voice in the vision did Paul to Ananias Act. 9. It will open thy cause without flattery spur thee on to seek comfort without delay and comfort thee more in the remission and pardon than the terrour of the sin could afflict thee Make the Conscience thy Examiner and thou shalt the better discern in what cases the Priest must be thy Judge and his Ministery thy relief and comfort CHAP. VIII The Contents Of the Confessary or Priest that receiveth Confessions and
to care for none of these things and do drive the attenders from these judgment seats But if no disease be more deadly than sin and no law hath so powerful an avenger as God it will follow no ordinance to be more acceptable and necessary than that which reconciles the loft favour of God unto the transgressors of his laws Thou then whosoever thou art that disesteemest the power of God in the Ministery of his Priests be first without sin before thou cast the first stone against it and except thou beest exempted from common infirmities vilifie not these Physicians It is not the least of Satans subtilties to weaken this ordinance in many mens estimations as no useful institution of God but an usurpation of the Prelates serving more to establish their tyrannie over the peoples consciences than to quiet and pacifie them and as the Priests are too supercilious to prescribe so the people may be too superstitious to observe thus the Serpent by degrees hath brought this laudable practice first out of credit and next out of use for the most part and so highly that by many transported with impudence the Priest is questioned as Moses was by the Hebrew Quis te constituit Judicem Exod. 2.14 Who hath made thee a Prince and Judge over us though his intents be onely to part the fray betwixt God and the sinner and set them at peace as Moses betwixt his countrey-men And as Korah and his complices said to Moses and Aaron Ye rake too much upon you Numb 16.3 seeing all the congregation is holy and the Lord amongst them So is the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy traduced by our modern Schismaticks for Vsurpation Matth. 12.14 for Tyrannie for Lording it over Gods inheritance Are not all the Brethren Saints why do you Prelates then lift up your selves above them Saints let them be is there not principality amongst Saints as well as amongst Divils But are not all Gods people a royal Priesthood why do you Priests arrogate unto you any prerogative above your fellows to such tender ears the very name of absolution is odious and the keys themselves disliked because born cross-wise at Rome lest therefore such Monsieurs les Greffiers question us as the Scribes did our Saviour By what authority doest thou these things We will clear the coasts and evidence these disquisitions 1. what power is given unto the Priest in the matter of sin and therein whence this commission issueth and to whom it is directed 2. what are the acts and exercises thereof and wherewithall the same is executed 3. then of the properties thereof whether the Priests sentence be absoluâ—e and infallible and whether Ministerial and judicial 4. and lastly the abuses shall be parallel'd with the positive truth and thereby measured and discerned The first grant of this power unto man Of the Power of the keys Matth. 16.19 is the promise of Christ made unto Peter under the metaphor of the keys saying I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou stalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven a power of great latitude and extent equivalent in the opinion of Saint Chrysostome as to give the places on his right and lest hand in his kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Matth. 16. Tom. 2. pag. 344. whereupon that Father questioneth but answereth himself how shall Christ give the power of the keys that hath not in his hands the placing of the seats thereby also demonstrating himself to be God in conferring that property power of remitting sins which appertaineth to God onely These termes are to be opened 1. what the keys mean 2. next how they are to be used under these words of binding and loosing 3. in the third place about what they arâ—â—â—oployed the object quicquid whatsoever 4. and lastly by whom Keys Tibi Dabo I will give unto thee For the first The holy Ghost compareth a sinners case to the estate of a person imprisoned the very termes of keys of opening and shutting seem to have relation as it were to the prison gate and the termes of binding and loosing as it were to the fetters and bonds as if sin were a prison and the case of sinners like theirs that are shut up whereupon the power given unto Christ as man Luke 4.18 was to preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remission or deliverance to captives And keys imply a faculty to that person to whose custody they are committed as when Eliakim was invested into Shebnabs place Esay 22.22 it is said I will lay the key of David upon his shoulder which words seem to be lent unto the Apostle and by him applied unto our Saviour These things saith he that is holy Revel 3.7 that is true he that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth with this difference the word house omitted in the latter Discrimen est quod illud videtur inferioris Ministri puta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idque tantùm in familia Davidis hoc supremi Gubernatoris atque quidem totius regni Brightman Apocalyps cap. 3.7 and that advisedly to distinguish betwixt the Type and the Truth Eliakim and Christ in Hem resideth regal power and despotical in Eliakim Ministerial and Oeconomical onely as steward of Davids house for that room he sustained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aben Ezra Thesaurarius super domum regalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4 1. 1. Clavis authoritatis solius Dei 2. Clavis excellentiae solius Christi as appeareth 2 King 18. By the delivering then of this key Peter was made not a Lord over Gods inheritance but a steward of the mysteries of God for our case was thus As Adam was exâ—led and shut out of Paradise so are sinners from heaven and as Paradise was shut against him so was heaven against them also sin being the embargo betwixt us and heaven Now what key shall siâ—ners find to open heaven gate God hath a commanding key who onely hath authority to forgive sin against whom it is committed and so often as a sinner is pardoned so often is heaven opened this key God keeps to himself 2. Christ hath an excellent key which openeth where no man shutteth for by his merits hath this Angel of the Covenant like Peters Angel loosed our bands Acts 12.7 and set open the Prison doors enlarging the Captives and not them onely but the Palace doors Heb. 10.19 Sanguis Christi clavis Paradisi Tert. for by the bloud of Jesus we have boldness to enter into the holiest and elegantly it was said by Tertullian his bloud is the key of Paradise 3. The Apostles had an Oeconomical key as stewards in the Lords house 3. Clavis Ministerii for in Princes Courts the key is the ensign of that Office because unto
Judicial in regard of the exercise thereof A Judge he is though not supreme and in his own right So God is the Soveraign and absolute Judge and in all cases the Priest subordinate and substituted by his auâ—hority yet a Judge though the Lords Officer and giveth judgment albeit he declareth his Masters divine will and pleasure In the case of the Incestuous Corinthian Paul takes upon him the Authority of a Judge and denounceth the Spiritual censure 1 Cor. 5.3 For I verily as absent in body but present in Spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed where the sentence immediately followeth Now what judgment is here required and herein to be used will appear JudiciuÌ„ quandoque sumâ—tur pro discretione undè dicitur quod insans furiosus carent judicio quandaque pro examinatione seu deliberatione quandoque pro authoritate Abbas Clavis discretionis if we consider the several kinds of judgments which in Panormitan are threefold 1. of discretion 2. of examination or inquisition 3. of authority or definition Of which the first is held so requisite that one of the keys hath been called after that name the key of discretion and where this is wanting the blind Priest may call light darkness and darkness light Discretion serving like the two lights in the firmament to distinguish virtue and vice asunder and the more to be required in a Priest who is not onely to put a difference betwixt light and darkness but betwixt darkness and darkness betwixt Leprosie and Leprosie betwixt sin and sin and how shall a Priest know sin that is ignorant of the law and how shall the law be understood without discretion In that great variety of sins and sinners which may come before the Priest he had need to have his eyes in his head that shall take the true distance of Criminal cases for then is the sentence of the Priest approved and confirmed of God and the Court of Heaven Tunc sententia Sacerdotis judicio Dei caelestis curiae approbatur consiâ—m â—tur cùm ita ex discretione prodit ut Reorum merita non contradicant Quoscunque ergo solvunt vel ligant adhibentes Clavem discretionis Reorum meritis solvuntur vel ligantur in coelis Magistr lib. 4. dist 18. when it proceeds from that discretion as the merits of the guilty person contradict not the same whomsoever therefore they loose and bind by the key of discretion and according as the person may deservs such are bound and loose in heaven saith the Perpetual Dictator in the Schools Peter Lombard Of such necessity is discretion And when sins are discerned great judgment is required as well in the curation of sin as in the punishment of sin for in some sinners it hapneth that the punishment of sin is the best help and means for the curing thereof of whom that may be verified Perieram nisi periissem I had perishâ—d utterly if I had not perished Of this sanative and purgative humour are afflictions like Northern winds blowing cold but sweeping and cleansing the air Thus the incestuous person was delivered unto Satan 1 Cor. 5.5 for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus which censure was a curative Medicine from a Spiritual Physician and careful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 1 Cor. 5.5 not from an enemy or destroyer chastising the flesh for the benefit of the soul And is there not need of judgment in administring such receipts where the ingredients may be poysonable and desperate if not allaied with much skill and discretion Again the Priest had need to be judicious in discerning unfeigned sorrow and contrition for sin Poenitentia est quae dam dolentis vindicta semper puniens in se quod dolet commisisse Aug. apud Aquin. part 3. Qu. 85. art 1. for as much as Repentance is an act of vindictiâ—e or corrective Justice whereby a sinner taking vengeance on himself for offending God in a sort preventeth his justice And to repent is (a) Ezek. 33.14 to do judgment in the Prophet or to (b) 1 Cor. 11.3 judge our selves as the Apostle calls it to which there belongeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a revenge or punishment Now there ought to be a correspondence betwixt sin and sorrow and an Analogy betwixt the iniquity of sin and the fruit worthy of Repentance And if the Priest find some sinners to take on but little for hainous offences he is to aggravate the offence and to proportion the sorrow not with any intent thereby to satisfie God but to please him And in the case the Penitent be swallowed up of grief he is to alleviate the burthen and great judgment is requâ—red in making this allotment what sorrow sorteth for each sin and to pronounce when the same is defective and excessive And lastly great judgment belongeth in the right application of this power that it may work and produce good effect To whom and to whom not and which way the key is to be turned to loose or to lock the offender since it is not but with advice to be applied nor hands hastily to be laid on any man 1 Tim. 5.22 A place referred by the ancient writers to repentance and the circumstance of the place giveth no less Pacian in paraenesi 16. Aug. de Bapt. â—5 20 23. I said before that the best Physick works not upon indisposed Patients nor doth one receipt cure all diseases Judge then the Priest must of the nature of the disease of the state of the sinners soul as well as the efficacy of his Medicine And it fareth with those that are diseased in mind as with some such that are visited with corporal diseases as not to question the virtue of the physick but to suspect their own weakness in the use and operation thereof It being usual with many especially at the last gasp not to doubt of the power of remitting sins but of their own indisposition to receive it whether the physick will stay with them or no and work upon their souls and a judicious Priest must see to that These circumstances considered and many more that may fall in tell me if the handling of the keys and discreet managing thereof be not a judicial act In such ballances as these causes are to be weighed and then the power of binding and loosing to be practised Causae ergo pensandae sunt cù ligandi atque solvendi potestas exercenda videndum est quae culpa aut quae sit Poenitentia secula post culpam ut quos omnipotens Dâ—us per compunctionis gratiam visitat illos Pastorâ—s sententia absolvat Greg hom 26. in Evang. Priests must consider what the fault is and what repentance hath followed thereupon that such as Almighty God doth visit with the grace of compunction those the sentence of the Pastor may absolve
Greg. And hence it comes to pass that the Fathers erect thrones for these Presbyters making them Judges and honouring their resolves as solemn judgments Saint Austin expounds the thrones Rev. 20.4 and those that sate thereon and the judgment given unto them in the Revelation Non hoc putandum est de ultimo judicio dici sed sedes Praepositorum ipsi praepositi intelligendi sunt per quos ecclesiae nunc gubernatur Judicium autem datum nullum melaâ—is accipiendum quà m id quod dictum est Quaecunque ligaveritis c. undè Apostolus Quid enim inquit mihi est de his qui foris sunt judicare nonne de his qui intus sunt vos judicatis Aug. lib. 20. de Civit. Dei cap. 9. not of the last judgment But the seats of the Rulers and the Rulers themselves are understood to be those by whom the Church is now goveâ—ned And the judgment given unto them cannot be taken better than of that which is spoken whose sins soever ye remit c. and the Apostle what have I to do to judge those that are without and do not you judge of those that are within And Saint Chrysostome extols the same far above the glittering pomp of earthly Tribunals Although the Kings Throne seem unto us majestical for the precious stones dazling therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 5. p. 152. and the gold wherewith it is beset But withall the administration of earthly things alone comes under the jurisdiction thereof and further authority it hath not whereas the Priests throne is seated in heaven and matters thence are turned over to their decision And Saint Hierome having the keys of the kingdome of heaven they judge after a sort before the day of judgment Qui claves Regni coelorum habentes quodammodo ante diem judicii judicant Hierom. ad Heliod And Saint Gregory Behold they are not onely secured on their own behalf Ecce non solum de semetipsis securi sunt sed etiam alienae oblâ—gatâ—onis potestatem relaxationis accipiunt principatumque superni judicii sortiuntur ut vice Dei quibusdam peccata retineant quibusdam râ—laxent Greg. supâ—à but receive the power of loosing the bonds from others and obtain a principality of judgment from above that they may in Gods stead retain the sins of some and release the sins of others Either then we must ascribe judgment to the Priests in the Ministery of the keys or else afford but little in this behalf to these Doctors Judges sure they are if these Ancient worthies have any judgment 3. The exercise of the keys We are now come to the exercise of this power which is indeed the very life thereof and this practice is spiritual as the weapons of our warfare are containing the means in the discreet use and application whereof God forgiveth sin and his Minister giveth notice of that forgiveness Dr Field of the Church Book 5. chap. 22. pag. 104. London 1610. Now there are four things in the hand of the Minister as a great Divine of our Church noteth the Word Prayer Sacraments and Discipline by the word of Doctrine he frameth winneth and perswadeth the sinner to repentance and conversion seeking and procuring remission from God By Prayer he seeketh and obtaineth it for the sinner By the Sacraments he instrumentally maketh him partaker as well of the grace of remission as of conversion and by the power of the discipline he doth by way of authority punish evil doers and remit or diminish the punishments he inflicteth according as the Condition of the party may seem to require Thus that judicious man hath reduced the practick of the keys unto four heads and we receiving this method from him shall open them more particularly The first is the word of Reconciliation 1. By the Word and consisteth in the preaching and due applying thereof and the Ministery thereof doth the Apostle specially place as a powerful ordinance 2 Cor. 5.18 whereby a sinner is cleansed from his iniquity Now are ye clean through the word I have spoken unto you whereupon Aquinas observeth God to have given us the virtue Dedisse virtutem inspirasse in cordibus nostris ut annuntiemus mundo hanc reconciliationem esse sactam per Christum Aquin. in 2 Cor. 5. and to have inspired into our hearts that we should declare unto the world this reconciliation to have been made by Christ Therefore it is called 1. the word of salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.15 Acts 13.26 2. and the word of his grace Acts 14.3 and the word of promise Rom 9.9 and the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 and the word of faith which we preach Rom. 10.8 Insomuch that when Timothy shall rightly divide the word of truth that is promises to whom promises belong and judgment to whom judgment appertaineth and that by preaching of the word instantly 2 Tim. 4.2 and applying the same by way of reproof and exhortation or by private admonition therein he doth the work of an Evangelist and maketh good proof of his Ministery Solvunt eos Apostoli sermone Dei testimoniis Scripturarum exhortanone virtutum Hieron Lib. 6. Comment in Es 14. After this manner did the Apostles loose the cords of sin by the word of God saith Hierome by the testimony of the Scriptures Remittuntur peccata per Dei verbum cujus Levites interpres quidam executor est Ambr. and by exhortations unto virtue And Saint Ambrose sins are remitted by the word of God whereof the Levite was an Interpreter and a kind of Executor And in this sense the Apology of the Church of England acknowledgeth the power of binding and loosing Ministris à Christo datam esse ligandi solvendi aperiendi claudendi potestatem solvendi quidem munus in eo situm esse ut Minister dejectis animis verè resipiscentibus per Evangelii praedicationem merita Christi absolutionem offerat certam peccatorum condonationem ac spem salutis aeternae denunciet c. Apol. Eccles Anglic. of opening and shutting to have been given by Christ unto the Ministers and the power of loosing to consist herein when the Minister by the preaching of the Gospel shall tender the merits of Christ and absolution to dejected spirits and truly penitent and shall denounce unto them an assured pardon of their sins and hope of eternal salvation Luke 11.52 This is that key of knowledge mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 23.13 And as the Jewish Scribes were by him justly reprehended for shutting up the kingdome of heaven against men by their wicked and adulterine expositions of the Law folding up the prophesies lest the people should read Christ therein and believe maliciously detaining the key of knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Luc. 11. and not opening the Gates of the Law that
them from their Scepters and subjects from their obedience Christ saith I came not to destroy but to fulfill and his pretended vicar comes not to fulfil but to destroy not to dispense but to dissipate So the keys at Rome give him all power over all persons and in all cases to do what he please And such was the carriage and deportment of Gregory the VII who no sooner occupied the chair at Rome but began to glory that both persons of King and Priest were imposed upon him by Christ Utramque personam sibi impositam esse à Christo se quodcunque ut libâ—ret ligare solvere posse jactitare utramque personam agitare Aventin hâ—st Boiorum l. 4. p. 564. Ingolstadii 1554. that he acted the part of both boâ—sting that he had power to bind and loose any thing and as he pleased Insomuch that he could not erre Utpote qui errare non possit à Christo Doâ—â—â—o servatore nostro Pet oque acceperit pâ—â— statem ut solvat ligetque utcunque libeat ld ib. that he had received power from Christ our Lord and Saviour and from Peter to loose and bind as to him seemed good Plerique Antichristum esse praedicabant titulo Christi nâ—gotium Antichristi agitat in Babylonia Templo Dei sedet supra omne id quod colitur extollitur quasi Deus sit se errare non posse gloriatur Homines non peccetis sed lâ—gi Christi at que Sacramentis solvit Nimium siâ—i de Pharisaeorum supercilio sumit ut quosque damnare vel solvere arbitretur Cùm apud Deum non sententia Sacerdotis sed vita hominis quaeratur Aventin hist Boior p. 573. whereupon many preacked openly against him calling him Antichrist that he pretended for Christ but promoted the affairs of Antichrist That at Babylon he sate in the Temple of God and was extolled above all that which is worshipped glorying that he cannot erre as if he were a very God loosing men not from their sins but from the Law of Christ and from their fealty and oaths taking upon him too much of Pharisaical loftiness and in imagining he can condemn any man or set him free whereas God enquireth after the mans life not after the Priests sentence The stories of these times are full of the licencious proceedings of these Prelates serving their ambitious designs under a pretext of Christ's keys In the next age they lay still humbled by the sword-men by the exploits of the French under Lewis the XII on that side the Alpes against Julius II. that war-like Pope and of the Imperialists under the conduct of Charles Bourbon sacking Rome and shutting up Clement VII a man taken from being a Knight of Malta to the holy Papacy But of late revived in the insolent attempts of Paul V. interdicting the Venetian Republick wherein his Flatterers and Proctors bore him up as a God upon earth Quarrels of Paul V. with the State of Venice lib. 4. pag. 208. a Sun of Justice and light of Religion How the Judgment of God and sentence of the Pope were one and the same thing as also the Tribunal and court of the Pope and God that to doubt of the power of the Pope is as much as to doubt of the power of God But the best of it was that prudent Senate made small reckoning of these Rodomontado's and through their resolute carriage all his pretensions and censures came to nought and those formidable names of Peters keys and his sword of the See Apostolick and infallible judgment and his unlimited jurisdiction by all which Christendome was formerly inchanted and held in awe proved but Panick fears and vain titles of Papal usurpation And what humility can be expected from the Scholars whose Master is thus swollen and puffed up where the meanest Priest in this army that followeth this king of Pride Negatur remissio cis quibus noluerint Sacerdotes remittere Bellar. l. 3. de Poen c. 12. arrogateth such fulness of power in opening and shutting of Heaven Gates that forgiveness is denied unto them to whom the Priest will not forgive As if Gods mercy were pinned upon his sleeve and Priestly absolution were to be preferred and more to be ascribed thereunto than unto God Note saith Richardus that God looseth the band of damnation conditionally but the Minister of the Lord simply and as I may say wholly Notandum est quòd vinculum damnationis Dominus solvit conditionaliter Minister verò simpliciter ut sic dicam integraliter Poenitentem namque à debito damnationis Deus absolvit sub tali conditione ut eum oporteat prout potest Sacerdotis absolutionem quaerere ad ejus arbitrium debito modo satisfacere nam si facere neglexerit periculum aeternum non evadit Rich. de Clavib cap. 9. for God absolveth a Penitent from the debt of Damnation under such a condition that it behooveth him if he can to seek the absolution of a Priest and to make satisfaction in a fitting manner at his pleasure which if he neglect to do he escapeth not eternal danger As if Gods absolution were incomplete till it be pronounced by the Priest and he should say I absolve you as much as in me lieth but go unto the Priests and tell them the story of your lives that you may be throughly cleansed so licensing them as it were for Priestly power from whose ultima manus and lips must be their Quietus est and full discharge yet not so full as you imagine for saith Sir Richard As the absolution of God from eternal death implies this condition Rich. tract de Clav. cap. 9. to confess saltem in voto and to be absolved by a Priest so the absolution of the Priest from the debt of future purgation or of Purgatory is conditional likewise viz. if that satisfaction be performed as the Priest in foro poenitentiali shall injoyn According to this Doctor God absolveth a penitent from hell but conditionally if forsooth he submit himself unto the Sacrament of Penance And the Priest so too from Purgatory if the Penitent observe and fulfill the satisfaction of Penance and with this last condition sc doing of Penance a Papal indulgence or pardon will dispense Upon the matter then the doctrine of indulgences may take away the fear of Purgatory and the doctrine of Purgatory the fear of Hell Thus for all their great cry in their power of absolving it sits down in a point of no moment not in loosing from sin or eternal punishment but from temporary pains onely and that by way of commutation the fire of Purgatory being extinguished in undergoing such Penance as the Priest imposeth The disorder of Romish penance and pardon And herein is justly reprehended that preposterous course observed in the Church of Rome for whereas in the Primitive Church open sinners were put to penance and after due performance thereof they were reconciled and no
onus qui vult levari sentiat vincula qui vult solvi let him feel the weight of his burden that would be eased as David did when he cried out Psal 38. my sins are too heavy for me to bear and the straitness of his bonds that would be freed as Paul did when he saw the law in his members bringing him into captivity unto the law of sin and thereupon exclaimed who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.23 And no otherwise doth Christ proclaime it that none should come unto him but such as are weary and heavy laden Grow sensible then of thy oppression under sin how the Irons enter into thy soul Matth. 11. be sorrowful for captivating thy self with those bonds Resort unto the Priest shew him thy fetters and crave his assistance to strike them off and then whom the Son of man shall set free or the Priest in his name he shall be free indeed And this is the first and most remarkable consideration why unto the Priest sins must be confessed CHAP. IX The Contents Paternal affection in the Confessary Good for sheep if the sheepherd know their diseases Medicinal Confession The grief better healed when clearer opened Ghostly counsell of great importance to a Penitent Great care in the choice of a discreet Confessor Romes rigid Tenet Absolution denounced by any Priest besides the Ordinary to be invalid The inconveniencies thereof The Parochial Priest not to be deserted without just cause and the same to be approved by the Diocesan II. Priest a spiritual Father THere are other inducements besides that which hath been spoken inclining to the practick of Confession which are now distinctly but succinctly to follow in their order as first the Relation of a Spiritual Father for that Paternal affection is or should be betwixt the Pastor and his people Love being the chaine that tieth the one to his charge and the other to his due respect Now what secrets will a dutiful child conceal from an affectionate father especially secrets of that nature that may be redressed by the fathers help and may prove obnoxious by the sons concealment A good Father tenders the infirmities of his child and upon notice thereof will either cure or cover them Thus stood Saint Paul affectionate unto the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.14 I write not these things to shame you but as my beloved sons I warn you q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in 1 Cor. 5. I speak not from a malicious mind to calumniate or disparage you but unto children and that beloved pardon me if I have spoken something harshly it proceeded from love I reprove you not but warn you and who will not with patience endure a fathers warnings he proceedeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ibid. many instructors you may meet withall but not many fathers and their care may be much but not like my affection and however they may instruct you yet it is I that in Christ Jesus have begotten you through my Gospel in that natural way expressing how great his love was as Theophy lact observed Now if love thus descend why should it not ascend why art thou ashamed to make known thy state to such a father who will neither write nor speak to shame thee and whatsoever he doth therein is by way of monition onely and no way prejudicial Greg Nyssen de Poen in appendice operum Paris 1618. p. 176. Take then as Gregory Nissen advised the Priest for a partner of thine affliction and as thy father shew unto him without blushing the things that are kept close he will have care both of thy credit and of thy cure See this testimony more amply before The next denomination is of a Sheepherd and flock III. Priest a Pastor Heb. 13.20 Iohn 21.16 a name which the Apostle hath given unto Christ the great Sheepherd of the sheep and Christ to his Apostle in feed my sheep Now it cannot be amiss for the sheep if the sheepherd know their (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thâ—oph in cap. 5. ad Eph. p. 552. diseases Christ the Arch sheepherd differs herein from all others for whereas some sheepherds are clothed with the fleece feed upon their milk and kill their sheep for meat contrariwise Christ clotheth them feedeth them and was slain for them likewise and His sheepherds herein differ from our sheepherds for how ever they are clothed with the fleece fed with the milk and reap temporal things yet have they not power over their lives to kill them but to feed and preserve them yea if by negligence any of their flock suffer damage it will be set upon their head and reckoning It was wittily observed by that learned and ancient Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clom Alex. Strom. l. 1. pag. 203. Clomons Alexandrinus that the Sheepherd and the Cook view not the sheep alike The Butcher handles him if fat and fit for the slaughter the sheepherd contented with the fleece and milk and increase hath care and watcheth over his flock Let the sheep then distinguish the sheepherds voice from a stranger and to him let their griefs be unfolded And let the same mind be in the sheepherds that was in Christ Jesus He that is studious to heal the vices of humane infirmity Qui studet humanae infirmitatis emendare vitia ipsam infirmitatem suis debet sustinere quodammodo pensare humâ—ris non abâ—â—câ—re Nam pastor ille Evangelicus lassam ovem vexisse legitur non abjecisse Ambr. l. 1. de Poen c. 1. saith Ambrose must take upon him the infirmity it self and bear it as it were upon his own shoulders not cast it off for that Evangelical sheepherd is said to have born the wearied sheep and not to have cast it off And can thy infirmities be better known to any than unto him that will take them to himself and bear the burden upon his own shoulders IV. Priest a spiritual physician Tacentibus non facilè potest medela opportuni necessarii sermonis adhiberi Ex lib. Clement MS. The fourth Correspondence is as unto a Physician wherein that adage of our Saviour holdeth the whole need not the Physician but the sick And as a sick patient possesseth his Physician with each remarkable passage in his sickness that the grief being fully apprehended the remedy may be the better applied So should it be in the case of spiritual diseases also The Fathers are very plentiful in their inlargements upon this Medicinal Confession God saith Origen as he hath prepared medicines for the body Sicut corpori medicamenta praeparavit ità etiam animae medicamenta praeparavit in his sermonibus quos per divinas Scripturas seminavit atque dâ—spersit Archiatros est salvator qui possit curare omnem languorem infirmitatem Discipuli verò ejus Petrus vel Paulus sed Prophetae Medici sunt bi omnes qui post Apostolos
fables where we have a more sure word of prophesie The Priests may rather justly complaine how little they are frequented and of the scarcity of their Patients and that must needs arise from the obnoxious conceits of many preferring shame before danger and had rather keep the disease by them close than to have it cured by publishing the same Yea if some proceed so far as to discover their disease to the Physician they either slâ—ght his prescriptions and imagine like Naaman-Syrus their own Rivers as powerful to heal their Lepryes as the Priests Jordan or else dislike them as too corrosive and bitter and thereupon grow angry and discontented with the Physician Curae impatiens populus medelae in perniciem Medentis exarsit Orig. hom 1. in Psal 37. Jer. 8.22 A people impatient of the cure and hâ—aling as Origen once complained are incensed against him that would heal them whatsoever may be the cause this way of healing is so little thought on as if there were no balme in Gilead and no Physician there that the health of the daughter of my people may be recovered V. The Priest a counsellor and comforter Book of Common-Prayer at the Communion Prov. 19.20 The fifth and last motive to confess unto the Priest is for advise and comfort insomuch as the weightiest affaires stand most in need of counsell and comfort is not more welcome than to a wounded spirit this our Church willeth Let him open his grief to me or some other learned and discreet Minister that he may receive such Ghostly counsel advice and comfort as his conscience may be relieved Hear counsel saith the wise man and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end as if he should say wisdome is augmented in the nursery of counsell and instruction Now in the case of sin there cannot be greater danger nor greater happiness than to decline the stroke discreet counsel therefore that tends to that end is much to be prised Thine own heart is deceitful and ofttimes conceals the sin or else diminisheth the guilt or excuseth the offence And if thou gain a sight of thy sin very seldom shall thy contrition be truly poised either thy sorrow swallowing up thy self or else thy sin swallowing up thy sorrow sure it is not the least art so to order contrition aright that it may arise upon just cause be moderated with fitting discretion and directed to such ends that it may prove a godly sorrow and such which accompanieth salvation Again it is not the least of a sinners unhappiness the loss of God and his favour now to recover the same what counsel can be thought superfluous if the favour of a great man be lost how much means how many friends and how great advise should be used to gain him back And when his favour is obtained what study and diligence shall be practised in the continuance thereof when a Penitent hath hit upon a right contrition hath hopes and comfort of the return of Gods favour he cannot be ignorant of his own frailty and therefore needeth directions as much in way of remedy against relapse as in way of Physick for recovery Lay all these together the deceitfulness of thine own heart and of sin the danger of contrition lest it prove not sincere the great peril in the loss of Gods favour and the difficulty in the recovery thereof the procliveness of mans nature to plunge into former sins and tell me if there be not need of more heads than a sinners own in this case of contrition and reconciliation We read in the bastard-epistles of Clemens this constitution which is there fathered upon Peter that if envy or infidelity Quòd siâ—fortè alicujus cor vel livâ—r vel infidelitas vel aliquod malum latenter irrepserit non erubescat qui animae suae curam gerit confiteri haec huic qui praeest ut ab ipso per verbum Dei salubre consilium curetui Clem. Ep. 1. ad Jacob. fr. Domini or any other evil did secretly creep into any mans heart he who had care of his own soul should not be ashamed to confess those things unto him who had the oversight of him that by Gods word and wholesome counsel he might be cured by him This constitution sure is Apostolical though the Epistles be not for better advise cannot be prescribed in the case of sin than how to repent thereof and prevent it In ancient times the Priests advice was held so necessary that penitential laws were enacted and Canons ordained Certas Poenitentiae leges condere quibus tempus modus sâ—ngulis peccatis expiandis praestitueretur Canones Poenitentiales vocant quibus ut fieret satis opus crat sacerdotem in consilium adhibert praesertim à laicis the better to enable him for direction wherein the time and manner of Repentance is set down for sins in particular for the observing of which the Laicks were to be advised by the Priests Severè jubent in legibus suis ut Sacerdotes Poenitentialem Librum benè calleant ut accepto ab eis salutari consilio saluberrimis poenitentiae observationibus seu mutuis orationibus pâ—ocatorum maculas diluamus hence the Imperial laws commanded Priests to be well versed and seen in the Penitential Book Theodulphus Bishop of Orleance stated confession to be therefore necessary that wholesome counsel being received from Priests we may through the saving observations of penance and mutual prayers wash out the spots of sins Such laws with us in England were ordained by Theodore sometimes Arch-Bishop of Canturbury to inform the Priests to become able Penitentiaries From whence Beatus Rhenanus concludeth in this sort Vides igitur necessarium fuisse Sacerdotis uti consilio quatenus institutis Poenitentiae legibus fieret satis quae laicis non perinde cognitae erant B. Rhen. praef ad Teâ—â—l de Poenit. Thou seest therefore how necessary it is to use the counsel of the Priest in as much as the laws instituted for penance might be fulfilled which were not so well known unto the Laity For Consolation wherein not the least part of the Priests counsel consisteth A Priest must fit his words upon the wheel Prov. 25.11 that they may be as apples of gold in pictures of silver Cordial Physick being necessary for some patients His care must be not to quench the sâ—â—oking flax nor to break the bruised reed often imitating his Masters words which were to languishing souls Confide fili son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee that High Priest was sent to heal the broken hearted Luke 4.18 19. to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised Deus crimen nullum excepit qui peccata donavit omnia Ambr. and to proclaim the year of Jubilte or acceptable year of the Lord. And the Priests of his order have the same
slain King Francis the first but that he repented thereof the Frier absolved him but kept not his counsel revealing the matter to the King who commended it to the Parliament at Paris where the cause was heard and the Traytor adjudged to suffer pains of death and the Frier not so much as questioned for the breach of the seal For the like offence and by the Arrest of the same Court was the Lord of Haulte-ville executed who in the time of sickness being like to die Hist de Paris pag. 305. onfessed the like purpose of murdering his Prince he recovering of his sickness and being accused of his Confessor had judgment to die for Treason And not many years since one Peter Barriers was tormented upon the wheel by the Hist de Paris pag. 144. judgment of the Lord Steward of the Kings houshold for that at Lyons he had confessed unto a certain Jacobine a resolution to destroy his Soveraign the Confessor being not able to take him off from his hellish design revealed the same to the Storetary of State whereupon the Traytor was apprehended and deservedly executed And at home a Noble Historian mentioneth Lord Bacans hist of King Henry 7. pag. 125. that when Perkin Warbeck had personated Richard Duke of York smothered in his infancy so at life as he could hardly be discerned from the Duke himself and found many and great adherents Henry the VII that prudent Prince being lost in a wood of suspicions and not knowing whom to trust had intelligence with the Confessors and Chaplaines of great men Imagining that through those peeping holes he might discern mens thoughts and take the depth of their hearts and sound their affections and as Confessors are too oft the bars to keep in so they may sometimes be the keys to unlock treacherous attempts And such was the fate and fall of a great Peer of this Land Edward Bowhen Duke of Buckingham Hall Chron. An. RR. Henrici 8.13 He was executed May 17. 1522. where a Monk instilled and induced the Duke to the treason and John Delacourt Priest his Confessor was one that accused him who by his Peers was found guilty and had judgment by the Duke of Norfolk then Lord high Steward and for that offence lost his head And lastly James Hamilton Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews in Scotland was executed as accessary to the Parricide of the King of Scots Ex judicio sacrifici qui hoc quondam ex Regicidis inter confitendum fe audivisse affirmarat Cambd. Eliz. ad An. Dom. 1571. pag. 192. Grandfather to our late Soveraign upon the accusatioÌ„ of a Priest who gave in evidence that some of the traytorous Parricides had in confession detected so much unto him For mine own part I confidently aver there is no honest Priest in offences of this nature that concern the safety of the sacred Person of his Soveraign or the State that will give sleep to his eyes or slumber to his eye lids till he shall have unfolded the same to the Magistrate next at hand Yea Garnet himself arraigned for his treachery in this point Action against F. Garnet pag. 99. openly said I willingly acknowledge such laws as forbid treasons to be concealed to be just and wholesome for it is not fit that the safety of the Prince depend upon another mans conscience and accordingly doth a Frier of their side conclude in certain Articles maintained in the Vniversity of Paris Potest quis id quod novit sub sigillo Secreti manifestare si id quod novit vergit in detrimentum Reipublicae vel in perniciem totius communitatis Jacob. Lup. tract de Confes Propos 36. A Priest may discover that which he had notice of under the seal of secrecy if that which he knoweth tend to the detriment of the Common-wealth or to the destruction of the whole Commonalty Sins then or treacherous attempts against the dignity of the Crown or State or the fundamental laws thereof as dangerous or destructive of the publick good must be held in under no seal and folded up in no secrecy but brought into the light that the danger may be averted and the offender punished and all others warned to be faithful and obedient For in just fears even divine positive laws lose their hold and obligation Religion commanding such things which make ad lucrum custodiam charitatis saith Saint Bernard for the gain and preservation of charity But whatsoever and whensoever they prove contrary unto charity and destructive thereof Si contraria fortè charitati visa fuerint nonne justissimum esse liquet ut quae pro charitate inventa fuerunt pro charitate verò uâ—i expedire videtur vel omittantur vel intermittantur vel in aliud fortè commodius demutentur Bern. tract de dispens praecepto It is very just that such ordinances as were made for the good of charity if they appear prejudicial to the same should be omitted or intermitted or for charities sake altered into better as the Father prudently adviseth And what greater breach can there be of charity than to rake up such offences under silence by the concealment whereof the King and State may be so highly impaired and the just laws thereof not executed upon the Malefactors Thou wilt say what must be done in these cases where the finners conscience is perplexed and cannot be quieted without confession and absolution from a Priest and confess he dare not for fear of detection Indeed many are the reasons that fight for the seal but more that fight against it And in cases of this nature I say what have I to do to judge these things that are without the law of charity and secrecy and further say how I could heartily wish them known that the offenders may be made manifest and punished and the peace of the Realm secured Although the Casuists are generally concurrent in this That such sins may be omitted in Confession as would either scandalize the Confessor indanger the Penitent or defame a third person Setting aside then sins of this nature I could very well approve of a fitting privacy in the carriage and exercise of this Ministerial function Poena revelantis Confessionâ—m quod ultra peccatum mortale debet detrudi in Monasterium deponi Sum. Angel verb. Confes ult nu 19. Marriage in the Clergie no obstacle to the seal and wish those Canons revived that punished the betrayers and publishers thereof with deprivation and loss of all spiritual preferments and with incapability for attaining any future advancements It will be here said How can any penitent secure himself of such secrecy at the hands of the Married Clergie As if the relation of a husband were not distinct from the office of a Minister By the like reason exclude all married men from being Privy Counsellors to his Majesty or from being acquainted with any designes which require privacy Yea a Priest by the same reason must be