of our sauioure Iesu Chryste but ye shall neuer be able to proue y t they are bonde to tell oute theyr synnes vnto them or to receaue suche beggerly absolutyō at their handes as is nowe vsed in Antychristes churche Priest What can ye say to this place of S. Mathewe I wil geue the sayth Chryst to Peter y e keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth shall be bounde in heauen what soeuer thou loosest on earth shal be loosed in heauen And in the. 18 chap. of the same gospel these be our sauiours wordes to all his Apostles Verely I saye vnto you whatsoeuer ye bide on earth shal be boūde in heauē And whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shalbe loosed in heauen And also in the .19 chap of Iohns gospel he sayeth receaue y e holy gost Whose soeuer synnes ye doe forgeue they are forgeuen vnto thē And whose soeuers synnes ye retayne they are retayned The places doe sufficiently declare that Pryestes haue receued of Chryst the autorite and power to forgeue synnes Prentise I wil cirst master person vnder youre correction and leaue shewe what the scripture vnderstandeth by y e keyes and than shal any man easely perceaue and see how shamfully these places haue hertofore beē wrasted and wrighed The keyes sayeth that worthy Chrysostome are the worde of God and y e knowledge of the scriptures whereby y e gate of trueth is opened vnto mē And the kepers of them are the Priestes to whom the offyce of preachyng the worde and expoūdyng the scriptures is commytted Thys is to be called the keye wryteth saynte Augustyne wher wyth the harde hartes are resolued to receaue fayth the secretes of the myndes opened and what soeuer lurketh wythin is by a reasonable way broughte to lyghte That I say is the true keye that openeth the conscyence to true cōfessyon of synne and includeth or shutteth in grace to the eternite of an wholsome mysterie To this a greeth that holy father Ambrose saying verbum dei The woorde of God remytteth synnes the Priest is the iudge in deede the Priest doth his duety and office but he exerciseth no maner power nor iurisdiction And in an other place these be hys wordes Peccata per verbū dimittuntur Sinnes are forgeuen by the worde y e interpreter wherof is the Leuite Now is it playne and euydent enoughe what we oughte to vnderstāde by the keyes euen the true worde of God and the righte vnderstandynge of the scryptures wherby the conscyences of true repentaunte synners are loosed and set at liberte from synne and euerlastyng damnacion and y e cōsciences of them that be hardened in their wicked maliciousnes and wyll in no wyse repente boūd w t the dolefull chaynes of sinne and of helly destructyon And y t thys is the true meanynge and vnderstandyng of the keies Chryst him selfe doeth sufficientlye declare when he sendeth his apostles abrode into the worlde to preach y e gospell o penyng the misterye of byndynge and loosynge on thys wyse goe ye throughoute all the whole worlde and preache y e gospel to all lyuyng creatures here bee the keyes delyuered vnto thē he that beleueth and is baptysed shalbe saued but he that beleueth not shalbe condemned And in the 24 chap. of Luke Christ sayth on thys maner thus it is wrytten thus it behoued Chryst to suffer and to ryse agayne from death y e thirde daye and that repentaūce and remission of synnes shoulde be preached in hys name amonge all nacions The woorde of God then and the preachyng of the gospell are the keyes y t Chryste doeth speake of And when the faythfull ministers of Gods worde doe by due mynistryng and preachyng of y e gospel certifie the repentaunt sinners of the remission and forgeuenesse of their synnes in y e bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ they louse them so that they are also loused in heauen but when on y e contrarie they do a certayne them because of their vnrepentaunte hartes of the wrath and indignation of God and of euerlastinge damnation excepte they forsake their wicked wayes and turne vnfeynedly vnto the Lorde theyr God they binde them so y t doubt lesse they ar also bound in heauē And by thys byndyng and loosing Christ our sauiour vnderstādeth none other thyng but remitting and retaining of synnes And it is saied that the minister doth forgeue sinnes because that he as a man myght saye sitting in commission vnder hys mayster Chryst doth out of hys mouthe certifie y e cōsciences of true repentaūt sinners of the free remissiō forgeuenes of their sinnes in th blood of y e sōe of god apprehēded takē hold vpō by faith For to sai y t mē cā forgeue sines it is a mere blasphemy agaīst god which thīg the very Pharises Scribs their sels do testifie saying whi doth he speake these blasphemies who cā forgeue synnes but god onely These Pharises Scribes shall rise at y e day of iudgement condēne our Pharisaical hipocrites y t so arragaūtly take vpō thē to forgeue mē their sinnes Priest And haue we not power to forgeue other mē their sinnes but by y e way of cōmissiō Prētyse No forsoth And yet this cōmissiō must be duly executed accordyng to y e wyll pleasure of him y t hath geuē it els it wil be worth 〈…〉 thogh it hath neuer so gloriouse a face in y e site of y e world pri I wil beleue touchynge thys matter as the holy fathers haue beleued taught afore vs. But they haue both beeleued and taught that y e Pryestes haue power and authorite to forgeue synnes Therfore ye maye prate what ye lyst as a sorte of newe fangled heades that ye bee I wyll stycke to the olde catholyke churche as long as I haue any breath in my bodye Prentyse I wyll not haue you to take the matter so hotte master person but let vs rather wyth all lenite and gentylnes reason the matter together that there maye come some edifying of it I doubt not but that ye remember the saying of Ciprian full well where he sayeth and that Chryst oughte only to be heard the father also dyd testifie from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whō I am pleased heare him Wherefore if Christ oughte to be hearde onely we must not regarde what any man hath afore vs thoughte good to be done but what Christ who is afore all dyd fyrst For we ought in nowise to folow mās custome but the trueth of God And doeth not the Lord our god crye out in the prophete Ezechiell saying Walke not in the statutes of your forfathers kepe not their ordenaunces and defyle not your selfes with their Idols for I am the Lord your God But walke in my statutes kepe my lawes do them Verely maister Person the religion of oure forefathers shall not excuse vs. But what will
¶ A plaine subuersyon or turnyng vp syde down of all the argumentes that the Popecatholykes can make for the maintenaunce of auricular confession with a moste wholsome doctryne touchyng the due obedience that we owe vnto ciuill magistrates made dialogue wyse betwene the Prentyse and the Priest by Gracyous Menewe ¶ Psalme 31. ¶ I sayd I will confesse my sines vnto the Lorde and so thou forgaueste the wickednesse of my people To all faythfull brethren that loue Iesu Chryste sincerelye Gracious Menewe wysheth grace and peace of conscience and Godly strength from God the father throughe oure Lord Iesu Chryst. MAny in these moste perylous tymes whych haue deseruingly chaunced vnto vs for our synnes are in such perplexite and troble of conscience that they can not tel which waye to turne thēselfes whom to helpe and succoure accordyng to the lyttell talent that God hath lent me I haue thought to be my bounden duty And truelye I would haue long agone discharged my conscience in thys parte If I myght by any meanes haue conueniently published and sette forth abroade those thynges that I had prepared for the purpose But that could not bee whyche thynge was to me no lesse gryeuous than if I my selfe had felte the same burdē and payne that I sawe my poore brethren to fele howbeit sith accordyng to the commen prouerbe it is better late then neuer I haue now at thys present penned or written out a litle treatyse wherin I show briefly out of Gods boke and such auncyent wryters as ground their sayinges vpon the same how farre forth we oughte to bee obedyente vnto ciuill magistrates And thys I dyd because many are of this opinion that they are bounde to do whatsoeuer the higher powers cōmaunde them though their lawes were directlye agaynste God and his word in so much that they persuade them selues that they shalbe excused by them in the dreadful dai of iudgemente when we shall appeare all before god if at anye tyme they commit manifest Idolatrye and playne vngodlynesse throughe theyr commaundement Whom I desyer in the bowels of our sauiour Iesu Christ who hath shedde his blood indifferently for all them that heare his worde obedyently and wythout any feare what man can doe vnto them stike and cleaue stedfastly vnto it that they wyll dyligently and wythout affectyon puttyng asyde all vayne loue of their selues looke vpon the places and examples of the holye scripture and vpon the autorites of the olde auncyente fathers that I haue here alleaged in thys my small boke truly aunswerynge all maner of obiectyons that ar made to the contrary then I truste they wil be better aduised and ceasse to please themselues in that which is euil or to iustifie their manifest disobedyence towardes God and hys woorde vnder the pretence and colour of the obedyence that we owe vnto hys magistrates and rulers of the earth whom in the scriptures we are streightlye commaunded to obeye yea vpō paine of damnacyon But in the meane season we muste alwayes haue before our eyen the golden sētence of our sauiour Chryste where he sayeth pay that vnto Ceasar that is due vnto Ceasar and paye that vnto God that is due vnto God If Ceasar that is to say the ciuill magistrates commaunde the nothyng that God hath forbyddē or forbydde thee nothynge that God hath commaunded if thou doeste not then obeye yea thoghe it were to the ieopardye of losinge both lyfe and goodes thou mayst be sure that the vengeaunce of god and euerlastynge damnacyon of hell hangeth ouer thy head ▪ but if the magistrates forgettyng theyr duetye towardes GOD from whom they haue receaued all autoryte and power dooe take vpon them to commaund thee ani thing that GOD hath forbydden or to forbydde thee any thynge that the hygheste Monarche of all hath commaunded thou oughtest in no wyse to obeye not that thou shouldeste make any resystaunce whyche thynge GODDES worde teacheth thee not but that thou shouldest rather w t Sidrach Misach and Abednago and wyth the holy prophete Daniel offer thy selfe to dye a most shamefull and cruel death than in any wyse to be obedyent to theyr vngodly lawes wycked constitutiōs or statutes This thou mayest learne with diligent and affectuouslesse readynge in this boke wherin also thou shalt haue a moste necessary doctryne of confession teachyng thee how auricular confession whiche nowe a dayes to the great hynderaunce of Goddes trueth and defacynge of hys glory is set vp agayne hath no grounde at al nor foundacyon in Goddes woorde but is a mere tradition of that Antichryste of Rome beeyng now besydes al other enormites that bee conteined in it made a snare to snarle catche men wyth all Here are all the argumentes y t the Popecatholykes can make for the maintenaunce of thys Antichristian tradycyon cleane subuerted and turned vpside down with the mightye thunder boltes of Goddes word and with y e strong batteryng peces of the holye fathers of the true catholike church and spouse of oure sauyoure Iesu Christ. And then immediatlye after it is declared what maner of confessyon God doeth requyre of vs in his most sacred worde and holy scripture Thys small laboure of myne I desyre all true faythfull Chrystyans to take in good worth and to praye wyth me instauntlye that God of hys infinite goodnesse and mercye vouchesafe to strengthen them that doe stande and to coumforte and helpe the weake hearted to rayse them vp that fal and finally to beate down Sathan vnder oure fete Whiche thing doubtelesse he wyll doe for hys sonne Iesu Chrystes sake to whom wyth the father and the holy goste bee al praise glorye and honoure for euer and euer So be it ¶ A moste wholsome talke communication betwixt the prentyse and the Pryest touchyng the matter of auricular confessyon wherein all the argumentes that y e Popecatholykes can make for y e mayntenaūce of this Antichristiā tradiciō ar ouerthrowē and quite turned vpside down made by Gracyous Menew PRiest I am glad that I haue met you nowe in so good a tyme yonge man for I haue some what to saye to you Prentyse What haue ye to saye to me master persō here I am ready to heare whatsoeuer ye wyl say Priest How chaunce that ye are so disobedient at thys time to y e Quenes proceadynges Dooe ye not knowe that the scripture biddeth vs to obey y e higher powers And hath not the Quenes maiestye wyth her moste honorable counsayl sent a commission and a most streight iniunction that al generally that are in the yeares of discretion shoulde come to shrifte or auricular confession Howe doeth it chaunce then that ye are so vnwyllyng to come and to fulfyl her graces commaundment Prentise I knowe right wel master person that we are bidden in the scripturs and worde of God to be obedyent to the magistrates and hygher powers For S. Paull sayeth let euery soule submitte her selfe to the autorite of
ye saye if I can proue by the sayinges and authorities of the most auncient fathers that no man can forgeue synne but God onely Prieste Let me heare what ye cā saye Prentyse Cyrillus writing vpon Ihon speaketh these woordes Truely it lyeth onely in the power of God to louse men from their synnes For who can deliuer the transgressors of the law from synne but onely the autour of the lawe And by and by it foloweth in the same place For when they meaninge the Apostles other ministers forgeue and retayne synnes it is not they that do it but the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them he it is that forgeueth retayneth by them Whereunto agreeth sainct Augustin writing contra epistolam Petiliani For hauing touched this place of S. Ihons gospell Receyue the holy Ghoste whose synnes soeuer ye forgeue thei shalbe forgeuen and whose synnes soeuer ye retayne thei shalbe retayned he doth ende the matter with these wordes It is sufficientlye shewed that they do it not but that the holy Ghost doeth it by them As it is sayed in an other place for it is not you y t speake but the holye Ghoste that is in you In lyke maner Ambrose vpon the .2 Corin. 12. wryteth on this manner It is only in the power of God too remitte synnes to geue the holye Ghoste And agayne He alone doeth forgeue synne that alone dyed for oure synnes Lykewise Chrisostome vpon Matthewe The seruitude and boundage of synne sayeth he is very greuous and heauye frome the whiche no manne can deliuer but God onely For no man besydes God hathe power to remitte or forgeue synne Cyprian in hys sermones De lapsis saieth plainly thus The Lord alone can shew mercy and geue pardon of those synnes that are committed againste hym he alone can graunt forgeuenesse of our synnes that did beare our synnes y t sorowed for vs whome God did deliuer vp to deathe for our synnes Is it not than a blasphemy intollerable and in nowise to be suffered in y e church of Christ that suche vyle persons that haue neither godlinesse nor learninge shoulde take vpon thē that thing that apperteineth only to god If it were onely for this your confession is to be abhorred of all true Christian men Prieste Doeth not Christe saye these wordes when ye stande to praye forgeue if ye haue aughte againste any man Agayne ▪ if ye will not forgeue men their offences my father that is in heauen shall not forgeue you It appereth by these textes that men haue power to forgeue synnes Prentyse Here doeth oure sauioure Iesu Christ speake of that mutual forgeuenesse of synnes and offences that ought to be emōg Christiās without the whiche we oughte to loke for no forgeuenesse at all of our own synnes at the handes of God For as the wyse mā sayeth He that seketh vengeaunce shall fynde vengeaunce of the Lorde whiche shall surely kepe hym hys synnes Hereto maye be applyed all that whole parable y t Christe doeth set fourth at large in the .18 chapiter of Mathew But it foloweth not because wee maye forgeue oure Christian brethren the offences and trespasses that they haue done against vs that we can therfore forgeue those offences synnes that are cōmitted against God Prieste Is not this to geue power vnto the laye peopell too binde and to louse Who can abyde this doctrine Prentyse Sainct Augustyn De verbis Domini geueth power vntoo the laye peopel to bynde and to louse and also Theophilactus whose woordes be these Verely I saye vntoo you Whatsoeuer ye shall bynde vpon the earthe If thou sayeth he being offended doest counte him that hath wronged thee as a Publican and Heathen he shalbe suche a one in heauen But if thou lousest him that is to saye if thou forgeuest hym it shall also be forgeuen hym in heauen For not onely those thinges that y e priests do louse are loused but whatsoeuer also wee beinge wronged do eyther louse or bynde is boūd or loused What saye ye to thys maister personne Prieste Well I will bringe an other texte of the scripture whiche I truste will stoppe your mouth When Christe did rayse Lazarus frome deathe did not he commaunde his disciples to louse and vnbynde hym So when Christe hathe raised any synner frome the deathe of synne who shal louse and vnbynd hym but the priestes Prentyse Fyrste I aunswere that allegories are nothing worth for the confirmatiō and establishment of any doctrine Secondely where ye saye that Christe commaunded his Apostles too louse and vnbynde Lazarus ye cā not proue it by the scriptures For it is rather to be thoughte that he willed the Iewes that stode by to doe it lest they shoulde thinke that there was anye feininge in the myracle and that his power myghte the better bee knowen in this that he did without touchinge with his worde and voice onely rayse the dead It is rather too be expounded after this manner Christe to take awaye all euell suspition from the Iewes commaunded that they should fyrst take awaie the stone that they should smel the stynche haue sure tokens of hys death see hym beinge raysed agayne by the onelye power and vertue of hys worde and touche or handle hym first after he was reliued But what if we should graūt that this was spoken vntoo the Apostles What shoulde ye get by it Prieste That the Lorde hath geuen power to his Apostles too louse Prentyse No no mayster person not so for if ye wil groūd your selfs vpon allegoryes as yt can do none other here this doctrine is rather to be gathered vpō thys historie that Christ by thys facte wolde admonish vs that we shoulde louse theym whome he had raysed that is to say that we should not beare in remembraūce those synnes that he hym self had forgotten or that we shoulde not condēne them as synners whom he had quyted assoyled agayn that wee shoulde not vpbraye the synnes which he him selfe hadde forgeuen or where he is merciful hym self and reddy too forgeue we shoulde not be cruell and bent to vengeaunce Go now maister Personne make boaste of your allegoryes Priest It was neuer mery with vs sythens such ionge boyes presumed to reade the scriptures What say ye to this seing ye are suche a doctour Did not thei that came to the baptisme of Ihon cōfesse their synnes Why should not thei likewise y t come to receyue their housel be shryuen Prentyse Ye muste marke mayster Personne that Ihon preached the baptisme of repentaūce and did baptise with water vnto repentaunce And therfore it is no merueylle that they whiche came to be baptised acknowledged or confessed themselfs too be synners For baptisme is a Sacramēt or mysticall signe of forgeuenesse of synnes whome then shoulde they receyue too it but them that acknowledge them selfs to be sinners They therefore confessed theyr synnes that they mighte be baptised But how or after
vnto anger The surest weapons then that we can haue to fyghte withall ▪ agaynst wicked and vngodly rulers is true repentaunce and amendement of lyfe faythful and vnfeined prayer proceadyng from a troubled and contrite heart And they that vse any other armure or weapons are not of God but are the children of Belial by suche vnlawfull meanes as they doe vse pourchassyng vnto themselues euerlastyng damnatyon Now master person I trust ye haue sufficiently heard my mynde touchynge the obedience that we owe vnto magistrates and how farre forth we ar bound to obeie their lawes Priest But what meaneth Sainct Paul when he saieth wherfore ye must nedes obeye not for feare of vengeaunce only but also because of conscience Here are men bounde in conscience to obeye What wyll ye haue more Prentyse The meanyng of Sayncte Paule is thys that we must obeye our temporall rulers not onely for feare of the punishment and vengeaunce that ensueth and foloweth of disobediēce but also because oure conscience doeth beare vs recorde that it is gods will and pleasure that wee shoulde obeye them That is too saye Althoughe it were possible y t we might escape all worldely punishment and shame that cometh of disobedience and rebellion yet because in oure conscience we are by Gods worde perswaded that all the hygh powers are of God we can not onelesse we wolde cōdemne our own selfs but be obedient vnto them as longe as thei kepe them selfes within the boūdes and limites of gods boke for if they commaūde any thing that God hath forbidden or forbidde any thinge that God hath cōmaūded we ought to say with y e Apostelles Better it is to obeye God than men Prieste And hath not God cōmaunded confession Prentyse No suche kinde of confession doeth God cōmaunde as is vsed now at this present And truely I doe merueyll that ye bee not ashamed emōg you to affirme that auricular confessiō is of god or that it is grounded in goddes worde For though it hath ben vsed in times passed yet was it then free for all men whether thei wolde come to it or not The histories do playnlye declare yea and many auncient writers besydes that ther was no law at all made concerninge this auriculare confession which ye do with to the nayle defend now afore Innocētius the thyrde and that it was a polityke order instituted by the bishoppes but not a lawe ordeyned either of Christe or of hys Apostles Therfore Gratianus after a long disputation concludeth at lengthe the whole matter with these wordes I haue briefli set fourth and declared what autours or what reasons and arguments bothe sentences are grounded vpō but we leaue to the iudgement of the reader which of thē he will folowe and stycke to And he that hath writtē the glose of the fyrst boke doeth playnelye affirme that we are onely bounde by mans lawe to this confession and that therefore the Greckes were neuer bounde to it because thys lawe was neuer receyued of them Whiche thing any man wolde haue iudged Diuelyshe and abominable if thys confession hadde ben commaunded by Christe Sozomenus writeth that this institution and ordeynaunce was diligently obserued and kepte in the weaste churches and speciallye at Rome wherbi he signifieth that it was not a generall law of all churches and that one priest amōg al other was appointed to this office wherin also he dooeth confute the lying opiniō of thē which affirme that the keyes are deliuered vniuersally to al priestes for this purpose for it was not the office of all priestes too confesse but one onely was appointed to it by the Bishop Priest And was this cōfession vsed onelye in the Occidentalle or Weaste churches This is a straunge thinge that ye do tell Prentyse The same Sozomenus doeth also testifie that it was vsed at Constantinople vntill abominable whoredome and adultry was shamfully cōmitted betwene a Deacon a noble woeman vnder the pretence of it For this enorme and detestable cryme dyd Nectarius being a holy and godly man abolishe auricular cōfession whiche Nectarius was then bishop of Constantinople Now marke this thinge mayster Personne if this had ben y e lawe of God Nectarius durste not haue put it doune Will ye accuse this holy man who of all men is so 〈◊〉 commended of heresye Or will ye condemne the churche of Constantinople whiche neuer after that tyme woulde admitte receaue auricular confessiō ▪ Yea not onely the church of Constantinople but also all the East churches haue ben always at defiaūce with this Antichristian traditiō Wold they haue ben against it if it had ben y e institutiō of Christe Chrisostome who was also bisshop of that churche I meane of the church of Constātinople doth so plainly testifye the same in all his writings y t I merueyl they be not ashamed once too opene theyr mouths to defende it Tell furthe thy syns sayeth he y t thou maiest put them awaye If thou be ashamed to tell to any man what thou hast done amysse tell thy synnes euery daye in thy mynde I bidde not the to telle them to thy felow seruaunt who may bewraye the but telle them to God which healeth them Telle furth thine offences vpon thy bedde that there thy conscience may acknowledge and recognyse hir owne wickednesse And in an other place Now is it nothinge necessarie sayeth thys holy father to confesse oure selfs before witnesses lette a diligent inquisition of thy sinnes be made in thy thought this triall be done without witnesse let God alone see thee wherein thou doest confesse thy self And in hys 5. homelye de incomprehensibli Dei natura contra Anameos these be hys wordes I do not bringe thee in to the scafold of thy felow seruaūtes I do not compelle the to confesse detecte or open thy synnes vnto men repete thy conscience before God opē thy mynde shew thy wondes vnto the Lorde that most excellent Phisition and call for helpe at his handes shewe thē to hym that vpbraydeth nothing but wil heale them most gentilly Besydes all these he sayeth in an other place Beware thou tell not thy faute vnto man lest he do vpbrayede the for we are not bound to cōfesse our selfs to our fellowe seuraunt y t may vpbrayede vtter abrode our cōfession But shewe thy woūdes to God who is carefull ouer thee who is gentill a sure Phisicion Afterwardes he doth induce or bring in God speaking on this māner I do not compelle thee to come furth in to y e cōmune scaffold to call for manye witnesses Tell thy sinnes to me alone priuely y t I may heale y e sores Wil ye sai y t Chrisostome was so far out of y e wai y t he wold haue set me ▪ is cōsciences at libertie frō comming to such kynd of cōfessiō if they hadde ben bounde to it by Goddes lawes No no mayster person but he durst
not require y t as a thynge necessary whiche he knewe was not prescrybed commaunded in Gods woorde 〈◊〉 〈…〉 wyl I proue y t 〈…〉 commâ—â—ded of god Prentys I woulde be glad to heare 〈…〉 dooe it Pryest Dooth not Chryst say vnto y e 〈…〉 thy self vnto the pryest Prentyse Why master person did he sende hym to shrifte Who euer knewe that the priestes of the Leuiticall lawe wer appointed to shriue men But nowe good master person waigh wyth youre selfe how well thys place serueth for your purpose When dyd euer Christ send lepers to the priestes afore or after they weere made clene Priest What question is that No doubte he healed them afore he sent them to the priestes Prentyse Very wel if ye wil then haue this place to serue for your purpose it shoulde folow that we must be healed of our leprosye y t is to saye that we must haue clen remission of our sinnes afore we shoulde come to you Wherefore then will ye haue vs too tell you our sinnes with all the circuÌ„strauÌ„ces thai may be perswadinge the simple and ignoraunt people that onles they tel you all theyr sinnes one by one receaue absolution at your hande they shall neuer be forgeuen Thys is altogether agaynst your own lawes For in y e booke de penitentia distinc 1 Canon Cum ergo these wordes are founde it doeth plainly appeare that synne is forgeuen throughe the contrition of the heart wythout y e coÌ„fessioÌ„ of y e mouth And theÌ„ a litel after it foloweth synne is not forgeuen in confession for it is manifestly proued that it is already forgeuen Therfore confessyon is made for a declaracion of repentaunce not for obtayninge of forgeuenes And agaynste the tellyng out of synnes after youre sorte one by one wyth the circumstaunces and all we haue these wordes of S. Augustine what haue I to doe therfore w t men y t they should heare my confessyoÌ„s althogh thei wer able to heale al my diseases infirmites A curiouse busye kynde of people to know an other mannes lyfe but slouthful to correct their owne And why seke they to heare of me what I am that will not haue thee to heare what they be And when they heare me speak of my selfe howe can they tell whether I say truth or not For no maÌ„ knoweth what is in maÌ„ but y e spirite of maÌ„ that is in him It is also alleaged in y e decres out of S. Chrisostome y e such enumeratioÌ„ or tellyng out of synnes is nothyng necessary Priest Ye brynge many thynges to draw me awaye from my purpose But I wil not suffer you to escape Thys was Moses lawe that the Priestes shoulde iudge of Leprosye synne is spyrytuall Leprosye ergo Priestes ought to geue sentence or iudgement of it PreÌ„tyse If this place doeth make you iudges of y e spirituall leprosye why do ye not also take vpon you the handelinge of the naturall and carnall leprosye Is not this to play with the scriptures The law hath put the tryal of leprosye in to the priestes handes let vs take the same vpon vs. Synne is spirituall leprosy therfore let vs also be the iudges and tryers of synnes But ye shall vnderstande that the priesthode beinge traÌ„slated the lawe also must necessarely be translated All the whole priestehode is translated vnto Christ fulfilled and fynished in hym therfore to hym onely apperteyneth the whole right honoure of the priesthoode If ye haue suche a delighte too folowe Allegoryes appoynte Christ too be the onely priest geuynge hym the whole authoritie and then caÌ„ we abyde your allegoryes But we can not awaye with those allegories that make of a mere politike lawe a ceremonie Prieste But why did God coÌ„maunde in the olde lawe y t the priestes shuld haue the handeling trial of the leprosye Or why did Christ seÌ„d the leapers after they were cured and healed vnto the priests biddinge them to offer that whiche Moyses commaunded for a witnesse vnto them Prentyse The holy Ghost willed the priestes of the olde testament to haue y e trial of leprosye that when men shulde see the priestes of God to haue y e handeling of leprosye they might by that sight be admonished that God looketh vpon oure infirmyties and is carefull for them Secondely because the leuiticall priesthod was a shadow figure not of these Popishe sacrificers that most vntruly take vpon theÌ„ the names of Pryestes but of y e most pure and holy Pryest oure sauyoure Iesu Chryst the holye gost by thys institution doeth certifie vs that as the Leuiticall priestes had not onelye the handlyng and tryall of Leprosye but also offered expiatorye sacrifices for it so our sauiour Chryst alone knoweth truely our filthines and seeyng it worthy of euerlastynge damnacion hath taken vpon him to make satisfaction for it that we beeyng through hym reconcyled to God may obteine true clenelynes Priest But this y t Chryst dyd when he sent the lepers vnto the Priestes is in the newe testameÌ„t Therfore it can be no figure PreÌ„tise It was for two causes that Chryst dyd sende the lepers to y e Priestes First ye shal vnderstaÌ„d that the Priestes beeyng vtter enemyes of Chryst of his most holy doctryne dyd alwayes slaÌ„der hys doynges goyng about to perswade the people that he did not woorke true miracles but throughe legerdemayne deceaued them If then the priestes sholde receaue agayne those lepers into the congregacyon of the cleane those lepers I say that Christ seÌ„te vnto them takyng at theyr hande the gyfte whyche Moses commaunded to be offered vnto them for their clensyng that must haue been an other day a plain witnes agaynst them if they shoulde goe aboute to caluÌ„niate Christes miracles SecoÌ„dly Christ because he woulde not seme to be a breaker of Moses lawe whych was inful strength vntil his death passioÌ„ dyd alwayes sende those lepers that he dyd heale to the same Leuiticall Priestes commaundyng them strayghtly to offer y e gyfte whyche Moses willed theÌ„ to offer that so he myght on euery syde stope their mouthes Reade Chrysostome in the .12 Homili de muliere Can. What nede we too tary any longer about this mater Doeth not the blessed Sainct Ambrose in hys 3. sermon vpon the 119. Psalme write on this maner goe shew thy self vnto the pryest What is thys true Pryest sayeth he but he who is priest for euer Priest Yet can ye not denye that synne is signified by the leprosie And that the lepers dyd represeÌ„t synners Prentyse Putte the case I graunte the same vnto you what haue ye wonne by it Euen that synners oughte to repayre to the ministers of gods worde there to learne by their wholsome prechiÌ„g instruction and teachynge out of gods boke how to repente truely and how to take holde throughe fayth vpon the mercye of God beeynge offered vnto all true repentaunt synners in the gospell