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<DATE>2014-06-04</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A TREATISE OF AVRICVLAR CONFESSION.</P>
<P>WHERIN Is euidently &s;hewen, the authoritie and power of Catholique Prie&s;ts, for the forgiuing and remitting of &s;innes.</P>
<P>AGAINST. <HI>The Prote&s;tants bare and only preaching of Ab&s;olution vnto the people.</HI></P>
<P>AT S. OMERS, By IOHN HEIGHAM, with permi&s;&s;ion of Superiors. Anno 1622.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<P><HI>_NEmo &s;ibi dicat, occulte ago, apud Deum ago &amp;c.</HI> Let no man &s;ay, I deale &s;e|cretly, I deale with God, for there be &s;ome who imagin, that it is &s;ufficient enough to their &s;aluation, if they confes their &s;innes to God only, to whom nothing is hid, and who knowes al&s;o our con&s;ciences. But I would not haue thee to be deceiued with this con|ceit, as to be confounded to confes before the vicar of Chri&s;t, ether fainting for &s;hame, or too too &s;tif-necked for indignation. For we mu&s;t in like maner vndergoe and &s;tand to his iudgment, whom our Lord doth vouch&s;afe to be his vicar. <HI>S. Aug. Hom.</HI> 49. <HI>ex</HI> 50. <HI>&amp; hom.</HI> 41. <HI>ex</HI> 50. <HI>&amp; lib.</HI> 2. <HI>de vi&s;ita|tione infirmorum cap.</HI> 4. <HI>&amp; in Luc.</HI> 17. <HI>&amp; Matt.</HI> 8.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>THE PREFACE TO THE GENTLE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_I Enter now vpon a con|trouer&s;ie (gentle Rea|der) to proue a matter a|gainst a maine streame (as it were) of contra|rie, exorbitant, and &s;elfe conceited humors; which many hauing trauer&s;ed before me, &s;ome perhaps may thinke that I come to late, and offer my &s;elfe to fight, when the fray is ended, and when others before me, haue borne the brunt of &s;o fierce a battaile. It is the controuer&s;ie of Pan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nce (the very eye-&s;oar of this our wanton age) that is to &s;ay, fir&s;t &s;orrow and Contrition for our &s;in|nes, committed: &s;econdly entire Confe&s;|&s;ion of them to our ghostly father: third|lie
<PB N="4" REF="3"> due Satisfaction ioyned with prie&s;tly Ab&s;olution.</P>
<P N="2"><HI>2.</HI> Intending therfore to treate of this &s;o vnplau&s;ible a point, I will not &s;uppo&s;e, that I shall haue euery ones voice to auer, or verdict to approue, what my pen shall put downe; For where there be &s;o many Achabs, who will be &s;ick for their neigh|bour Naboths vineard: &s;o many that will take bribes, with Giezy: &s;o many that will &s;peake for lucre and gaine, with Dame|trius: &s;o many that will fare &s;o daintilie, with Diues: &s;o many that will be but halfe perswaded, with Agrippa: &s;o many that turne with time, like Damas: but mo&s;t of all, &s;o many that will haue their owne wills, like wicked Iezabell, and enlarge their con&s;cie~ces like vnbeleeuing Atheists, to perswade and tell &s;uch as the&s;e of Con+fe&s;sion, and that they mu&s;t kneele them downe at the feete of the Priest for Ab&s;o|lution, I doe not thinke but that euen S. Paul him &s;elfe, (as eloquent, as he was) to auer and perswade the &s;ame in this our age, should finde enough to doe to driue
<PB N="5" REF="3"> this doctrin into their heades. With how much le&s;&s;e rea&s;on then may I hoi&s;e vp my &s;ailes, with hope that a fauorable blast may blow on my cau&s;e, or looke for other beneuolence, then that malignant influen|ce, which &s;uch planets yelde that beare a contrary a&s;pect, but that rather many will &s;uppo&s;e and cen&s;ure of me, as Festus did of ble&s;&s;ed S. Paul, that he &s;pake madlie, and he knew not what.</P>
<P N="3"><HI>3.</HI> Notwithstanding, &s;ith this &s;acred do|ctrine which we &s;ustaine is &s;uch, that it needeth not to shunne any &s;ort of triall, my whole endeuour shall therfore be, to &s;et no fairer glo&s;&s;e vpon this cau&s;e, then the very nakednes of truth it &s;elfe shal re|quire; &s;o that following euen the text of Christ him &s;elfe, the &s;incere &s;ence of his wordes and &s;peeches, and that by the light of most vpright iudgments, by the direct pathe and rule of rea&s;on, by the approba|tion of all times and ages, by the opinions of the most learned and grauest diuines that euer were, who nether affected flat|terie to plea&s;e, nor fawning to deceiue,
<PB N="6" REF="4"> euen the most turbulent in this point of re|ligion (vnles he be too too much ouer|clowded with the thick mi&s;t of his owne opnion) shall haue &s;uch certaintie of per|swa&s;ion to stay vpon, as shall be fully &s;uf|ficient for his &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="4"><HI>4.</HI> But here &s;uch as of long custome haue harboured &s;inne within their &s;oule, with the repining Iewes, will make this de|mand, &s;aying. How can man forgiue &s;in|nes, or claime vnto him a prerogatiue which is due to God? wherto we answer, that all the holy Sacraments of our Chri|&s;tian religion (e&s;peccially tho&s;e which were more requi&s;it and nece&s;&s;ary for mans &s;aluation) were not only plainly manife|sted in the holie &s;cripture, but al&s;o were shadowed in the law of nature, figured and &s;pecified in the law of Moi&s;es, and in|&s;tituted and fulfilled in the law of grace; wherupon the people of the Iewes did con|stantly beleeue, that their &s;acrifices and oblations were litle auaileable, except therunto were adioyned, penance, &s;atis|faction, and confe&s;sion of their &s;innes. If
<PB N="7" REF="4"> then, Confe&s;sion were &s;o nece&s;&s;ary, and &s;o dulie exacted by God him &s;elfe in tho&s;e for|mer ages, euen before the diuulging of the go&s;pell, as that therby transgre&s;&s;ors were attoned and reconciled to God, what shal we thinke thereof in the law of grace, where it was not only confirmed, but with far more ample power, in&s;tituted &amp; commanded?</P>
<P N="5"><HI>5.</HI> Againe, if the&s;e per&s;ons would but con&s;ider the wordes of Christ (Iohn 5.22.) where he telleth the Iewes, that the Fa|ther iudgeth not any man, but that all iudgment is giuen to the Sonne, and with|all, regard the wordes of Chri&s;t (Iohn 20.) where he telleth his Apo&s;tles, that as his Father &s;ent him, &s;o he &s;endeth them, and &s;o &s;urrendring ouer (as it were) his authoritie, he breathed into them the holy Gho&s;t, it may ea&s;ily appeare, that who&s;oe|uer deny the Apostles, and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors the prie&s;tes of Gods church, to haue right or power to remit &s;innes, doe with all deny con&s;equently, that Chri&s;t as man, hath authoritie to doe the &s;ame. To make this
<PB N="8" REF="5"> point the more plaine, was not S. Paul when he was called by Chri&s;t, &s;ent to Ananias a man, to receiue as well in|&s;tructions, as the Sacraments of Gods church, for his incorporatio~ with the faith full, and remi&s;sion of his &s;innes? Was not Cornelius, bid to goe to Peter a man, for the ministry of his reconciliation, though his prayers had bene heard before, and an Angell al&s;o &s;ent vnto him? Where we &s;ee euidently although God might haue cured him extraordinarily, yet he would pu~ctual|ly ob&s;erue his prefixed, determined, and ordinarie cour&s;e, of working, attoning, and reconcyling by man.</P>
<P N="6"><HI>6.</HI> Now therfore, as we vnderstand by diuine reuelation, that God the Father <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">th giuen all iudgment to his Sonne, and that by him we must haue remi&s;sion of all our &s;innes, &s;o that now who&s;oeuer should pre&s;ume to pray to God alone, ommitting his only Sonne our B. Sauiour, shall not obtaine pardon, but breake the holy prcept of his wil, and the order which he hath appointed in his church: euen &s;o, &s;ince
<PB N="9" REF="5"> the time that our Sauiour hath giuen to his Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, full po|wer to forgiue &s;innes, who&s;oeuer now &s;ee|keth remi&s;sion of &s;innes by Chri&s;t only, and not by Christs ordonance and appoint|ment, that is by Christs priests and pa|stors of his church, in whom as S. Paul &s;aith (2. Cor. 5.) he hath put the word of reconliation, shall no more obtaine par|don of his &s;innes, by contemptuou&s;ly reie|cting the prie&s;tly function, and appealing only to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, then with the Tur|kes or Iewes, to &s;eeke only to God, with|out the mediation of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and ac|knowledgment of the incarnation of our Lord and Sauiour</P>
<P N="7"><HI>7.</HI> But we shall yet much better per|ceiue the great nece&s;sitie of this holie Sa|crament, if we reuiew former factes, and the ancient ages of the Catholique church (which in re&s;pect of this new fangled age, &s;ubiect to all &s;ort of di&s;order and bru|tish &s;en&s;uallitie, might well be called, a golden age) where we may clearly be|hould, the v&s;e &amp; practi&s;e of Confe&s;sion,
<PB N="10" REF="6"> yea the ineffable benefit thereof, which in &s;undrie kindes hath &s;o accorded all &s;ortes of di&s;cordes, that in what contrie &s;oeuer it hath bene abandoned, they haue forth|with fallen into most mi&s;erable estate in matter of religion, yea most men amongst them haue become le&s;&s;e virtuous then be|fore, women le&s;se chast, children le&s;&s;e obe|dient, and &s;eruants le&s;se trustie: &s;o that by this meanes, wickednes hath &s;eemed euen to be full ripe, yea and honestie cleane exi|led out of the world.</P>
<P N="8"><HI>8.</HI> Hence it proceeded (and marke it well deare Christian I hartily pray thee) that vnder Charles the fift, the Lutherans hauing shaken off this yoke of holie Con|fe&s;sion, and by this meanes, made earth a hell, and men diuells, the legates of No|remberge, &s;eeing how needfull this bit was to be put into their wanton and vn|ruly iawes, be&s;ought his imperiall Maie|stie. <HI>Vt iterum Confe&s;&s;ionem impera|torio iure re&s;tituret.</HI> To &s;et vp againe a|mongst them Confe&s;sion, by virtu of his imperiall power. A ridiculous iest, that
<PB N="11" REF="6"> what before they could not brooke, being commanded by the word of God, they would now for &s;ooth entertaine being com|manded by man. Yea our owne contrie of England, vntill now of late, euer enter|tained this holie Sacrament. For albeit that in king Henrie the eight his time, the coale of di&s;union from the &s;ea Apostolique was enkindled, and the fire of the kinges choller eagrely flaming, yet neuer &s;uffered he the Sacrament of Pena~ce &amp; Confe&s;sion, to loo&s;e his former reputation, nor yet the contrary faith once to harbour in his breast, but ob&s;erued it inuiolablie euen to his dying day.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>9.</HI> Now then (deare Christian) let not this true, ancient, and Catholique faith concerning Confe&s;sion, be blotted or &s;pot|ted with partiallities, notwith&s;tanding, that our aduer&s;aries haue inue~ted a num|ber of deui&s;es to fill mens eares with di&s;|like thereof, and most maliciou&s;ly &s;pread abroadidle tales, fal&s;e rumors, many taun|tes and merry iestes to plea&s;e the humor of the common people, e&s;pecially the nicer &s;ort,
<PB N="12" REF="7"> who will admit of no go&s;pellll, but where plea&s;ure is mentioned in euery page: for certaine it is, that the&s;e late reformers haue forged a million of &s;landers against this Sacrament, and fashioned the concei|tes of mens mindes in &s;uch &s;ort, as that they haue made euery thinge &s;ound to the vtter di&s;grace therof as far as they could; as, that the papi&s;ts are nothing but clou|des of ignorance, their doctrine nothing but dust and cobwebbes of a corrupted age, their deuotions but gro&s;&s;e idolatrie, men &s;eared with the badge of Antechrist, the horned bea&s;t, Ma&s;&s;e-mongers, the whore of Babilon, the &s;carlet &s;trumpet, and finally, that confe&s;sions, are flat hipo|cri&s;ies and di&s;simulations. But alas they haue &s;pent a great deale of their lamp-oile and labour in vaine, e&s;pecially &s;eeing at this day many of the milder and more iu|dicious &s;ort of Prote&s;tants, (as in many other pointes controuer&s;ed betwixt vs and them, &s;o in this al&s;o of auricular Confe&s;|&s;ion) &s;eeme now to be more fauourable then formerly they haue been; drawen on
<PB N="13" REF="7"> perhaps by the example of his mo&s;t excel|lent Maie&s;tie, who in his royall confe&s;sion of faith, &s;peaketh more indifferently of most points in controuer&s;ie, then euer any Prote&s;tant hath done before him, &s;ince the very first beginning of Protestancie: and concerning this particular point of auri|cular Confe&s;sion, by his deepe &s;ilence, &s;ee|meth tacitlie, to commend, rather then to condemne it, in his meditation made vpon the Pater noster: which as I willingly con|fes, hath not a litle encouraged me in the publishing of this pre&s;ent Treati&s;e</P>
<P N="10"><HI>10.</HI> And &s;o (curteous Reader) turning my &s;peeche againe to thee, I would entreat thee to &s;ift the corners of thine owne hart without partiallity, examining whether it be force of rea&s;on, or vehemencie of af|fection, which feedeth the current of thine opinions. And if as hitherto thou hast bene deceiued thorough ignorance, and that by the reading of this Treati&s;e, truth doth any way manife&s;t it &s;elfe vnto thee, &s;eeke not to &s;mother it with glo&s;&s;es, and &s;ub|till eua&s;ions. And becau&s;e as in the va|riety
<PB N="14" REF="8"> of opinions, perhaps in higher po|wers, there is not lea&s;ure; invulgar &s;ort oftentimes not the wit: and in many not the will to tread out &s;uch endles mazes, as the turbulency of many shittle heades, the affectation of &s;ingularitie, and mali|tious contradiction, hath in this ca&s;e led many into; it shall be mine endeuour as nere as I may, to lay downe &s;uch rea&s;ona|ble enducements, and in &s;o short and briefe a &s;ort, as to make a full remon|mon&s;trance of this truth, a truth which hath not at any time bene buried in &s;i|lence, truth not vpstart and newly er|rected, a truth which hath the witnes of the ancient fathers, a truth maintained by holy councells, a truth still frequented and practi&s;ed in the church, a truth which euer preuailed against the malice of time, or any that gain-&s;aid it, euer &s;ince the Apostles daies. And &s;o I leaue thee (gentle Reader) to the further en|teruiew and triall of this truth, as God shall giue thee grace to conceiue the &s;ame; be&s;eeching with that ble&s;sed S. Ie|rom.
<PB N="15" REF="8"> <HI>Vt memor tribunalis Domini, &amp; de iudicio tuo, te intelligens iudi|candum, nec mihi, nec aduer&s;ario fa|ueas, neque per&s;onas loquentium, &s;ed cau&s;am con&s;ideres.</HI> That mindfull of our Lords tribunall, and of thy iudg|ment, vnder&s;tanding thou art to be iud|ged, that thou nether fauor me, nor yet mine aduer&s;arie, nor con&s;ider the per&s;on of the &s;peaker, but the cau&s;e it &s;elfe which is in question.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="16" REF="9">
<HEAD>BY COMPARING THE STATE of man before Bapti&s;me &amp; his regene|ration, with the &s;tate he &s;tandeth in by his fal after Bapti&s;me; as al&s;o re&s;pecting how much more ma~ hath hereby offen|ded God, and is more indetted for his &s;inne, may be gathered, the true Catho|lique doctrine, of Penance &amp; Confe&s;sio~. <HI>THE I. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_FOr the better proofe of this truth and veritie, I thinke it not ami&s;&s;e, to di&s;tingui&s;h into parts, the di|uers &s;tates of mans being after his creation: to &s;hew hereby by de|grees, that it was the will and plea&s;ure of our Lord, to ordaine an effectuall in&s;trument of reconciliation for vs in his Church, that is to &s;ay, a remedy far &s;harper for man after his ruinous downfall after Bapti&s;me, then be|fore, to wit, by &s;orrow, &s;hame, and &s;acra|mentall Confe&s;&s;ion of &s;uch actuall &s;innes as he &s;hall haue committed, after the clea&s;ing of his originall.</P>
<P N="2">2. To compare therfore &s;tate, with &s;tate, we mu&s;t con&s;ider, that as before man was re|generat by the &s;acrament of Bapti&s;me, and made a member of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, there were
<PB N="17" REF="9"> two &s;euerall e&s;tates, the one different from the other; The fir&s;t, the &s;tate of his Creation, wherin he was both made and placed in a path and high way of perfection, his &s;oule proceeding from God his maker, pure, vn&s;|potted and virgin like, without any blemi&s;h or &s;oile of &s;inne. The &s;econd, a &s;tate of im|perfection, of thraldome and va&s;&s;alage, to which man, by the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of Adam, was wholy &s;ubiect, and lay groning vnder the waight and burthen of &s;inne: &s;o in like maner after Bapti&s;me, man being reconciled to God, by the &s;heding of the blood of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, we may plainly di&s;cerne two different e&s;tates, far vnequall the one to the other. The fir&s;t, after our regeneration and clean|&s;ing from originall &s;inne by the &s;acrament of Bapti&s;me, a &s;tate of perfection, holines and &s;anctitie, yea a &s;tate, an&s;werable to the former &s;tate of our creation. The &s;econd, a &s;tate of relap&s;e or falling againe, thorough our owne wilfullnes, into actuall &s;inne.</P>
<P N="3">3. This premi&s;ed, euery well adui&s;ed Chri|&s;tian may with due regard con&s;ider, that as well the fir&s;t fall of man from the &s;tate of creation, as his &s;econd fall after his Bapti&s;me and regeneration, was an enthraling of him in the bandes of the diuell, and a meanes to &s;ubiect him to the ordinarie cour&s;e and rigo|rous &s;eueritie of the diuine iu&s;tice, yea a bin|ding him to the bond and paine of euer|la&s;ting
<PB N="18" REF="10"> puni&s;hment. Hence is to be gathered, re&s;pecting the dignitie of that &s;tate to which man after his tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion is exalted, and with a far greater ran&s;om purcha&s;ed and re|conciled, if he contemptuou&s;ly neglect the &s;ame, that he is far more culpable, and more to be puni&s;hed, as a mo&s;t rebellious creature and contemner, of the gratious loue and kindnes of his Creator. For if we doe but con&s;ider the difficultie and difference, how much more laboriou&s;ly and painfully, God did reforme the ould, then forme the new, that is, compare our Creation, with our Re|demption, we &s;hall plainly &s;ee, that in crea|ting, God &s;aid but the word, and it was done: but in redeeming words became al&s;o deedes: the one he performed with ea&s;e and plea&s;ure, the other not without intollerable paine.</P>
<P N="4">4. The&s;e thinges well weighed and con&s;i|dered, it may euidently appeare, that the breache of the latter, far exceeded by many degrees the breach of the former. For be&s;ides the &s;inne of ingratitude, the breach of the &s;econd, is done with a full adui&s;ed will and re&s;olution: wheras the fir&s;t, was by an here|ditary &s;ucce&s;&s;ion. Whence it followeth, that euery man falling into &s;inne, after his &s;econd bond by Bapti&s;me, doth not only by &s;ynning offend his Lord and Creator, but moreouer his Lord and Redeemer; He likewi&s;e offends the whole, &s;ocietie of Chri&s;tians, the com|munion
<PB N="19" REF="10"> of Saints, and the vnited members of Chri&s;ts Church, into which brother-hood he was admitted by holy Bapti&s;me: and con|&s;equently as the bond is extended, &s;o the of|fence is likewi&s;e doubled. It may rightly ther|fore be concluded, that the delict and offence after Bapti&s;me, far &s;urpa&s;&s;eth, and therfore is to be puni&s;hed in a far higher degree ouer and aboue the penalties which are due to de|linquents, before they be ingraffed and made members of Chri&s;t: and &s;o the attonment of the one, to be far different from the recon|cilement of the other, by the &s;eueritie, vp|rightnes and rigor of iu&s;tice: yet thorough the application of the merits, death, and pa&s;&s;ion of our Sauiour Chri&s;t, to be fully communi|cated, to &s;uch as truly participat the holie mi&s;teries and Sacraments, ordained as mea+nes of reconciliation in his Church.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY ENTRING INTO FVRTHER con&s;ideration of the order &amp; maner of Gods redeeming man after the fall of Adam, it may be gathered, that God would take &s;ome other cour&s;e to recon|cile man after his &s;econd fal after Bap|ti&s;me, more &s;euere and rigorous: which man should performe in his owne per|&s;on, by application of Christs merits.
<PB N="20" REF="11"> <HI>THE II. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_IF we &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider, the incompa|rable wi&s;dome of almightie God, the rigor of his iu&s;tice, the bowells of his mercie, and withall the iu&s;t proportionating the cure and medecine, to the langui&s;hing di&s;ea&s;e and ruinous fall of our fir&s;t parent, and how, and after what orderly &s;ort he re&s;tored him again after his fall, we may ea&s;ilie gather that it be|&s;eemeth the &s;elfe &s;ame wi&s;dome, iu&s;tice and mercie of almightie God, to ordaine a diffe|rent medecin and &s;alue, for &s;uch as with more adui&s;ed will, doe after Bapti&s;me mo&s;t noto|riou&s;ly tran&s;gres his holie commandements, and vngratefully contemne that fir&s;t grace, which they had receiued of &s;o mercifull a Sauiour.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t therfore, as in our fall cau&s;ed by Adam, we did &s;inne in another: &s;o the good|nes of God would, repaire vs againe by ano|ther: to wit, by Chri&s;t. 2. As the &s;inne of man in our fir&s;t parents, was fir&s;t conceiued in the minde of Eue; without the work of her hus|band: &s;o the redeemer of this &s;inne, was con|ceiued in the wombe of a woman, without the helpe of her husband. 3. As the fir&s;t Adam was made of the earth, a pure virgin: &s;o the &s;econd Adam was borne of Marie, a pure virgin. 4. As by the di&s;obedience of the fir&s;t
<PB N="21" REF="11"> Adam, death proceeded from a tree of life to his damnation: &s;o by the obedience of the &s;econd Adam, life proceeded from a dead tree, to our redemption. 5. As the bad An|gell per&s;wading the fir&s;t Eue, hatched the vn|fortunat birth of &s;inne: &s;o the good Angell &s;aluting the &s;econd Eue, &s;he conceiued the author of grace, who did ran&s;om &s;inne. In all which mi&s;teries of our redemption, we clear|lie &s;ee, how God proportioned the plai&s;tre, iu&s;t according to the nature of the di&s;ea&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The like proceeding hath our Lord ob|&s;erued in the holie Sacraments of his Church. Hence it is, that in the Sacrament of Bap|ti&s;me, is ordayned, an externall dipping or fall into the water, liuelie repre&s;enting our fall in Adam. An outward wa&s;hing, liuely, repre&s;enting our inward clean&s;ing. The &s;piri|tuall father and mothers con&s;ent, with their actuall beleife, is fully auayleable with the holy Sacrament, to the childes &s;aluation that is bapti&s;ed: as our con&s;ent and will in our fir&s;t parents, was forceible to breake the commandment of God, both to his, and our damnation: and the like proportion it hath in many other points, which here for breui|tie &s;ake I doe omit.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hence it is, that we di&s;cerne the cor|re&s;pondence and &s;imilitude of water, and the outward wa&s;hing, with the clea~&s;ing, purify|ing and inward &s;anctifying of the &s;oule.
<PB N="22" REF="12"> Which &s;acramentall water, by virtu of the death and pa&s;&s;ion of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, geueth en|tire te&s;timony of the influence of Gods grace, from whence, as from an ocean of all good|nes, our whole bli&s;&s;e and happines is deri|ued, man being now made Chri&s;ts by bap|ti&s;me, and a true member of the &s;ame Chri&s;t. Hence it is, that in holie Bapti&s;me, there is a full and ample remi&s;&s;ion, and generall par|don of all puni&s;hment, as well of temporall, as of eternall, without any further obliga+tion or bond, to doe &s;atisfactorie or penall workes; For being by Bapti&s;me wholie vni|ted to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, planted and ingraffed in that true vine, and made a member of Chri&s;t, the whole benefit of his pa&s;&s;ion is applied vnto vs, euen as if euery &s;inner had &s;uffered in his owne per&s;on, the head yelding all grace and influence, to the re&s;t of the vnited members.</P>
<P N="4">4. Thus much then being well, adui&s;edlie, and maturely con&s;idered, that the mercie and iu&s;tice of almightie God, would repaire man after his fir&s;t fall by &s;uch waight and mea&s;ure as hath been &s;et downe, and that (by the ap|plication of his merits) &s;male and &s;leight &s;hould the penalties be that man &s;hould &s;uf|fer and &s;u&s;taine, &s;o that with the elementall water of the holie Sacrament, all &s;taine and &s;oile of &s;inne &s;hould be wiped and wa&s;hed cleane away; And &s;ith that now there fol|loweth
<PB N="23" REF="12"> another relap&s;e, and a &s;econd fall, the malice thereof much more grieuous then the fir&s;t, a tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion far more enormous then the former, after a mo&s;t contemptuous and rebellious maner, and again&s;t the maie|&s;tie of almightie God, and &s;acred humanitie of our Sauiour Ie&s;us, I &s;ay, man thus relap&s;ed after Bapti&s;me, voluntarilie abandoning his Redeemer, can not without a new reconci|liation, enioy the benefit of Chri&s;ts death and pa&s;&s;ion, or participat of his gratious fa|uours, thus &s;eparated and di&s;ioyned by the breach of &s;inne; For hauing made as it were, a diuorce and diui&s;ion with Chri&s;t, and cut him&s;elfe off from the true vine, wherof be|fore he was a member, (without the influ|ence of diuine fauors) he re&s;ts as a rotten and dead branche, fit only for fuell for hell fyre: no &s;urely, no &s;uch withered, bla&s;ted and dead member, can draw any life or &s;u&s;tenance fro~ the roote, nor yet enioy the fruits of Chri&s;ts death and pa&s;&s;ion, who&s;e merits are no longer communicated vnto any, then they remayne vnited to him.</P>
<P N="5">5. Let it be granted, that the death and pa&s;&s;ion of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, is a price &s;ufficient to ran&s;om and redeeme a thou&s;and worlds, yet is it be&s;eeming the iu&s;tice of God, that now in delinquents and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, where the crimes are per&s;onall, and the reuoult of euery &s;inner, is not thorough his parents, but his
<PB N="24" REF="13"> owne default, they &s;hould be made partakers againe of the merits of Chri&s;t, by their owne per&s;onall cooperation, reconciling them &s;el|ues before reuolted from him, and taking vp their owne Cro&s;&s;e, haue part in the burthen with Chri&s;t, and groane with Cyreneus vnder the heauie waight thereof, to the cancelling, extingui&s;hing, and full &s;atisfying for their &s;in|nes. For &s;eeing that the waight of &s;inne lies now vpon the &s;inners owne back, and that he can nether father, nor mother his &s;inne v|pon any other, but vpon him &s;elfe, he mu&s;t therfore curb and crucify his rebellious mem|bers, and vndergoe &s;ome penalties and pe|nances, an&s;werable in &s;ome &s;ort, and propor|tionat by iu&s;tice, vnto his offences and delicts</P>
<P N="6">6. Moreouer, it is impo&s;&s;ible now, for &s;uch as haue fallen from Chri&s;t, abandoning his grace and contemptuou&s;ly breaking his com|mandment, to haue againe that fir&s;t great and ample grace applied vnto them, that is, it is impo&s;&s;ible to be Bapti&s;ed againe, &amp; &s;o to be regenerated a new by a new death, buriall and re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t, in &s;o ea&s;ie and gen|tle a maner, and with &s;uch full remi&s;&s;ion of all &s;innes, as that fir&s;t Sacrament of our in|corporation with Chri&s;t by Bapti&s;me, did mo&s;t aboundantly afford and yeld vnto vs. Nether can a bare beleefe, and a &s;light, &s;imple or &s;uperficiall memorie of Bapti&s;me, be auai|leable therunto, for &s;o the cour&s;e and order of
<PB N="25" REF="13"> iu&s;tice &s;hould not be ob&s;erued, but peruerted; and greater &s;innes &s;hould be remitted with more facilitie, then tho&s;e which were com|mitted before bapti&s;me. It followeth ther|fore, that for as much as man hath bene illu|minated and endued by God with heauenly graces, and made partaker of the death, pa&s;|&s;ion, and merits of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and of Gods mo&s;t gratious &s;pirit, now by &s;ining, hauing crucified to him &s;elfe the Sonne of God agai|ne, and made him a mocquerie, it &s;eemeth, I &s;ay, mo&s;t con&s;onant to rea&s;on, that there &s;hould be a more painfull medecin, for the &s;ati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">faction of thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his delict, then a ba&s;e me|morie, and a bare beleefe only of Bapti&s;me, to wa&s;h away &s;uch a number of &s;oiles of damnable &s;innes.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THE MEANES BY THE which man (thorough his &s;inne and contempt of God, thus deuided from the merits of Chri&s;ts pa&s;sion) may a|gaine participat of Gods most gratious fauor, and purcha&s;e forgiuenes of his &s;innes, is by his owne penall workes, being vn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ted to Chri&s;t his head. And, that &s;inne is to be iudged by a court of con&s;cience.
<PB N="26" REF="14"> <HI>THE III. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_ALbeit man by his fall, hath &s;o far &s;epa|rated him &s;elfe from God his &s;oueraig|ne good, and from all fruition of eternall life, with a full purcha&s;e of eternall death, yet may he rai&s;e him &s;elfe againe aloft, and re|vnite him &s;elfe wholy a new to that true vine (our B. Sauiour) to participat of his gratious fauors, to the a new quicking and viuification of his &s;oule. For as after the fall of mankind being created, although he was wholy &s;epa|rated from God his Creator, there yet remai|ned perpetually a &s;imilitude of his creation, a naturall likenes, and an indelible image of his Lord and maker, to wit, his free-will (though much weakened and defaced) by which he might ari&s;e againe (although not by his proper force and only power) to the &s;imilitude and likenes of his former creation, and to the liuelie image of his Creator: &s;o conformably in the &s;econd fall of man after Bapti&s;me, albeit he hath made hauock and ruine of his &s;oule, yet there &s;til remaines ther|in an indelible marke of Chri&s;t his redeemer, a &s;igne or caracter imprinted therin by mea|nes of this Sacrament, &s;eruing as a token, paune, and pledge, of former receiued graces, and for a foundation wherupon man may againe, lay a new ground worke, and &s;o a
<PB N="27" REF="14"> fre&s;h reare vp his building, to the renewing of his &s;oules health, and full &s;anctification and viuification of the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="2">2. But one thinge is here to be vnder&s;tood by the way, that as man being a&s;i&s;ted by grace, may ri&s;e againe, &s;o none can haue re|mi&s;&s;ion and forgiuenes of their &s;innes, out of the &s;tore-hou&s;e and trea&s;urie of Chri&s;ts death, nor yet participat of his loue and af|fection, who doe not ta&s;t of his paines and pa&s;&s;ion: whence it followeth, that to enioy the fruit of his bitter death, wherof we de|priued our &s;elues thorough our &s;eparation from him by meanes of &s;inne, we mu&s;t as li|uely members, be vnited againe vnto our head. For as the naturall life, con&s;i&s;teth in the vnion of the body with the &s;oule: &s;o doth the &s;piritualll life, in the vnion of the &s;oule with almightie God. Now there can be no vnion but by the knot of loue, for as the loue of creatures aboue god, vniteth &amp; incor|porateth him with them: &s;o againe the loue of God aboue all creatures vnites him with God, with an vtter abandoning and forfaking of the creature; For &s;uch is the nature of loue, that it conuerteth, changeth, altereth, and doth a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> it were, metamorphi&s;e the whole will and affection, yea and man him &s;elfe into he thinge beloued: whence it followeth, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hat a &s;inner louing and affecting &s;inne, hath feruent de&s;ire to &s;uffer all for it, thinking
<PB N="28" REF="15"> all &s;u&s;tained paine, a &s;weet felicitie, and all patience, too too litle to endure any affliction for it, and &s;o louing much, vndergoes much; for he who hath once giuen his full will and con&s;ent, e&s;teemes it nothing afterwards to giue his whole wealth and abilitie for what he loueth.</P>
<P N="3">3 Now then, if the loue of creatures aboue God the Creator, hath bene, and is oft times &s;o forcible and violent in the pur&s;uit of them, is it not con&s;onant to all rea&s;on that the loue of God, once entred into the hart, &s;hould cau&s;e therin as great and forcible di&s;like of &s;inne, and loue of him? e&s;pecially, &s;ith it is not po&s;&s;ible, that man &s;hould perfectly vnite him &s;elfe againe by loue to God, but with a true hatred and dete&s;tation of the euill for|merly affected. It is therfore meete, that the &s;inner purge and repaire with like voluntarie paines and trauells, the voluntarie delights and plea&s;ures, with which the &s;oule &s;o blin|ded, hath ouer-gorged and englutted her &s;elfe; and that the loue of God, doe worke as wonderfull effects in the &s;oule in vniting her againe to God, as the di&s;ordinat loue of the creature did, in di&s;uniting her from God; As for example, with all &s;eueritie to pu|ni&s;h and afflict hir owne fle&s;h, for that &s;he was the tempting Dalila, which with her deceitfull appetites enti&s;ed him to &s;inne. As he made lu&s;t, the liuele&s;t image
<PB N="29" REF="15"> of his thoughts, &s;o now to make it the very bittern<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s of his gall. As with &s;ilence and &s;ecrecie he nouri&s;hed it, &s;o now with open mouth to publi&s;h and di&s;clo&s;e it. La+&s;tly, as he made all the powers of his body, powerfull incitements vnto &s;inne, with auer&s;ion and contempt of his Crea|tor, &s;o with a di&s;creet and &s;pirituall re|uenge, to curb the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">encenti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e motiues of his rebellious fle&s;h, &s;o to vnite him &s;elfe againe to his Creator, with vtter dete&s;ta|tion of the creature, and that by how much the actions both of &s;oule and body, haue bene more forcible to fall to &s;inne, they be &s;o much the more inten&s;iue to ari&s;e to grace: for &s;o much the more is a man capable of heauenly &s;anctification, by how much he &s;uffereth in his owne per&s;on, more penaltie and &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="4">4. And for as much as in puni&s;hment, which is naturally and properly due vnto &s;inne (as wherwith the fault is corrected and reduced to order) rea&s;on would (as hath already bene &s;aid) that he &s;hould wil|lingly accept, yea and fully endeuour to &s;uffer paines, who was &s;o bould and im|pudent, for his owne plea&s;ure, to tran|gre&s;&s;e the law of God, and incurre his di&s;plea&s;ure; &s;o that the maner of our re|conciliation by penance, is far different from the order and cour&s;e that Chri&s;t
<PB N="30" REF="16"> in&s;tituted for our regeneration, by the holy in&s;titution of the Sacrament of Bapti&s;me. For as &s;inne <HI>(placendo, volendo, delectando intra uerat in animam meam)</HI> entred into the &s;oule, by complacence, willing, and delectation: euen &s;o by the contrarie way, according as the common rule requireth <HI>(contraria con|tra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ijs curantur)</HI> it is to be expelled and ex|tingui&s;hed, <HI>di&s;placendo, nolendo, odiendo, contri&s;tando,</HI> to wit, with di&s;plicence, nilling, dete&s;ting and &s;orrowing: that as the conuer|&s;ion to the creature, was with delight and complacence, &s;o the auer&s;ion from the &s;ame creature mu&s;t be, with &s;orrow &amp; di&s;plicence.</P>
<P N="5">5. We &s;ee by dailie practi&s;e and experien|ce, that where delinquents and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors &s;eeke to make their attonement, they (be&s;i|des that they be hartily &s;orrie for their of|fence) they &s;pare no kinde of paines nor en|deuours, nor yet to part with the verie be&s;t portion of their welth and &s;ub&s;tance, to be &s;ecurely reconciled vnto &s;ome great per&s;on whom they haue offended: &s;hall we thinke then, that for euery greuous offender and tran&s;gre&s;&s;or, of Gods commandments, &s;o &s;light an amendes &s;hall &s;uffice, as a &s;olifidian and bare beleefe, without any further &s;atis+faction, or without any penaltie or &s;eueritie, &s;uffered in his per&s;on, or in his &s;ub&s;tance? No &s;urely, this can be nothinge el&s;e but a fal&s;e cloke to couer careles, &s;loughtfull, and di&s;|&s;olute
<PB N="31" REF="16"> liues, and to forme vnto our &s;elues, a mo&s;t pernicious &s;ecuritie, of that which &s;o much concerneth our eternall felicitie:</P>
<P N="6">6. That euery penitent &s;inner, ought thus to &s;atisfie almightie God, by his virtuous, and painfull workes, a further rea&s;on may be gi|uen: becau&s;e our Sauiours will and plea&s;ure is, that the merits of his pa&s;&s;ion be &s;o far forth imparted and applied vnto vs, as the or|der of diuine iu&s;tice doth require. For as much therfore, as our Sauiour Chri&s;t hath &s;uffered innocently for our offences, and that we were the cau&s;e of his bitter pa&s;&s;ion, we ought in like maner to re&s;emble our head in this his &s;ufferance, both in te&s;timonie of our gratitude, loue and conformitie vnto him, as obedient members mortified with Chri&s;t our tormented head, as al&s;o of our hatred to &s;in|ne, and of the zeale and feruor which we beare to chri&s;tian iu&s;tice. Againe, if we con|&s;ider his owne wordes in the go&s;pell of Luke 9. Chri&s;t willeth vs not to take vp his Cro&s;&s;e, but that euery one take vp his owne, that is to &s;ay, that we ought to crucifie our &s;elues for our &s;innes, as Chri&s;t did, and &s;o by our owne &s;atisfaction, to apply the merits of his, to ioy|ne our Cro&s;&s;e with his Cro&s;&s;e, that &s;o the members take part with their head, for el&s;e there would be vntouched members, vnder a torne and thornie head, which were pre|po&s;terous.</P>
<P N="7"><PB N="32" REF="17">7. To conclude therfore, &s;ith euery mans actions are his owne, and euery human act of man, of his owne proper nature is remune|rable, or el&s;e directly puni&s;hable, con&s;equen|tly it is &s;ubiect to the law of iu&s;tice and iudg|ment, and is to &s;tand to the triall and verdict, to receiue a iu&s;t and due reward, according to the merit or demerit; For as before Bapti&s;|me, when man fell from his perfection, he forthwith was inthralled vnder the rigor and cen&s;ure of iu&s;tice: euen &s;o no le&s;&s;e by all co~|grue~cie of rea&s;on, ma~ falling after Bapti&s;me, runnes vpon the &s;wordes point of al iu&s;tice, &amp; &s;ubiects him&s;elf, to &s;uffer the paines &amp; penal|ties, that &s;hal therby be awarded: <HI>quia peccata tunc recte ordinantur, quando debite puniantur;</HI> &s;inne is then duly ordered, when it is duly puni&s;hed; In &s;o much that if &s;inne &s;hould not be iudged and duly puni&s;hed, according to the demerit thereof, there &s;hould be a mani|fe&s;t di&s;order in the machin and fabrick of the whole; wheras God hath poyz&s;ed all by waight, and &s;quared all by due mea&s;ure; For the inordinatnes of a fault, is not reduced to order of iu&s;tice, but with recompencing the delict with due paine: and it is meete accor|ding to the order of iu&s;tice, that he who hath followed his owne will more then he ought, &s;hould ether willingly or vnwillingly, &s;uffer contrary to what he would.</P>
<P N="8">8. La&s;tly, euery &s;infull act, includeth the&s;e
<PB N="33" REF="17"> two &s;eueral thinges. <HI>Reatum culpa, &amp; reaetum poena:</HI> a guilt of offence, and a guilt of paine; and vntill both of them be wholy and fully remoued away from the &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ner, the order of diuine iu&s;tice is not fully repaired and &s;atis|fied in him, for penaltie and puni&s;hment, are two handmaides, appointed alwaies to awaite and attend vpon &s;inne. Wherfore &s;ith euery mans actions are his owne, it is aggreeable to rea&s;on that he be an&s;werable for them, and therfore that there mu&s;t a court be ordained, a con&s;i&s;torie, and a tribunall &s;eate of iudg|ment, to &s;itt vpon euery delinquent, that &s;o &s;inne may be truly iudged, and duly puni&s;hed.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>SINNE BEING TO BE IVD|ged, and man being answerable for his owne mi&s;deedes, and bound to stand to the penalties for full &s;atisfactio~ to God in a court of con&s;cience therfore allot|ted, it is examined, who must be by right the iudge thereof. <HI>THE IIII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_SEing there mu&s;t be a penaltie and pu|ni&s;hment, and that proportionat by iu|&s;tice to euery &s;inne, and &s;o of nece&s;&s;itie a iu|diciarie order &amp; proceeding, to examin accor|ding to the courte of iu&s;tice eu ry enormous
<PB N="34" REF="18"> crime and deadly &s;inne in an appointed tri|bunall, to cen&s;ure, correct, cha&s;tice and duly puni&s;h it, it remaineth to &s;eeke out what per|&s;on is mo&s;t fit, to be this iudge and vmpire, in this high tribunall and &s;eate of iudgment. Where fir&s;t is to be con&s;idered, that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, God and man, being the partie offen|ded, and one of them again&s;t whom the &s;in|ne and iniurie is committed, will not now &s;it in iudgment &s;eate again&s;t the guiltie, and as both partie and plantife, &s;ue his plea to con|demne and puni&s;h him, but hath errected a|nother court, to determine this cau&s;e for the pre&s;ent.</P>
<P N="2">2. And although that God the Father, hath imparted in this ca&s;e, all power and iuri&s;di|ction vnto his Sonne: and that God the Sonne hath &s;urrendred ouer the &s;elfe &s;ame right vnto others, refu&s;ing as it were for a time, to be as iudges and executioners ouer &s;uch notorious and rebellious tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, yet haue they not re&s;igned or giuen this commi&s;&s;ion ether to Angells or Archangells, for that as they are mo&s;t pure, vn&s;potted, and virgin-like crea|tures of our Lord, &s;o if they &s;hould heare the confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes and filthie enormi|ties (being perhaps &s;o many rank breathed &s;inners) &s;eeing vs without all &s;weet incen&s;e to ca&s;t vpon their fire, might giue &s;uch a &s;ur|fet vnto their cha&s;t eares, that when they &s;hould come to cut the thrid betwixt iu&s;tice
<PB N="35" REF="18"> and mercie, they would v&s;e rather a &s;harp ra|&s;or, then a gentle rod, and in hatred of the tares, pluck vp by the rootes an expected crop of corne: for which re&s;pect, the&s;e mo&s;t pure and &s;uperior powers, would not haue bene meete iudges, in this tribunall and &s;eate of iu&s;tice.</P>
<P N="3">3. Being therfore that he would not &s;it him &s;elfe in iudgment, nor yet re&s;igne this office to Angells, and yet &s;eeing &s;ome one was nece&s;&s;ary to &s;upply his place for the pre|&s;ent, he appointed man for his vice-gerent, to exact due &s;atisfaction of any crime com|mitted again&s;t him, and &s;o to reconcile eache &s;inner to him. Hence it is, that the&s;e wordes are &s;o v&s;ually found in holie &s;cripture, na|melie, albeit that all iudgment is giuen vnto the Sonne (Iohn 5.) yet as his Father &s;ent him, &s;o he &s;endes his Apo&s;tles (Iohn 20.) to wit, with ample power &amp; iuri&s;diction to par|do~ &s;inne. He~ce it is, that S. Paul dareth bould|ly to auouch, that if he forgaue any thinge, he forgaue it <HI>in the per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI> Hence it is, that he &s;o highly dignifieth the functions of Bi&s;hops and of prie&s;ts, as Chri&s;ts vice-ge|rents, in whom he hath put <HI>the word of re|conciliation.</HI> Hence it is, that he breathed vpon his Apo&s;tles, and bid them to receiue the Holy Gho&s;t, &s;aying. <HI>Who&s;e &s;innes you for|giue, they are forgiuen;</HI> By all which pa&s;&s;ages it is apparant, that Chri&s;t hath giuen autho|ritie
<PB N="36" REF="19"> vnto &s;ome, in earth in whom &s;hould re|&s;ide iudiciar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e power, to iudge, examin, pu|n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;h, forgiue, and to reconcile vnto him euerie offender and delinquent, &amp; &s;o to &s;hut, or open the gates of heauen, by imparting vnto them, the inexhau&s;tible trea&s;ure of his death and pa&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="4">4, For this cau&s;e (I &s;ay) this mercifull iudge and compa&s;&s;ionat Sauior of our &s;oules, out of his meere pittie, hath deligated this power and office vnto man, and that for &s;un|drie iu&s;t rea&s;ons. Fir&s;t, for that they are all &s;wathed in Adams bandes, and all of them ca&s;t in the &s;elfe &s;ame mould, all halting of one di&s;ea&s;e, all as well one as another, &s;tanding in neede of Gods a&s;i&s;ting grace, &s;o that euery one may &s;et his tune to his neighbours key, and read in his fellowes fore-head, his owne fault pittie and compa&s;&s;ion will therfore take be&s;t effect, where one &s;hall perceiue his owne &s;ore to bleed in his neighbours wound. Therfore his will is; <HI>Ite, o&s;tendite vos &s;acer|dotibus.</HI> Goe and &s;hew your &s;elues vnto the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="5">5. Secondly, he giues this prerogatiue vnto man, that as euery &s;inner is po&s;e&s;&s;ed with the &s;pirit of pride (only honoring with incen&s;e at his altar, the idoll of his owne will) &s;elfe loue rebelling, and mu&s;tering it &s;elfe again&s;t his Lord and maker: to curb therfore this can|kred &s;tomack, and &s;ti&s;necked ob&s;tinacie of
<PB N="37" REF="19"> this delinquent, he &s;ends him to man, du&s;t of his owne hou&s;e, to open his &s;inne to man: that as &s;inne was begotten without &s;hame, and continued with impudencie, &s;o againe it &s;hould be confounded with &s;hame, and ouer-faced with blu&s;hing. <HI>Ite, o&s;tendite vos &s;acer|dotibus.</HI> Goe, &s;hew your &s;elues vnto the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="6">6. Thirdly, he &s;ends the &s;inner to man, for as much as it is &s;o hard a matter to bring inward &s;hame, to outward confe&s;&s;ion, that where &s;inne and malice doth cau&s;e mo&s;t &s;ha|me vnto a man of confe&s;&s;ing to man, this might at le&s;t &s;omwhat withdraw him from committing or falling into &s;inne. For many for &s;hame doe cea&s;e from &s;ining, when other|wi&s;e in their will, there is litle purpo&s;e of a|mending. <HI>te, ostendit: vos &s;acer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">otibus.</HI> Goe, &s;hew your &s;elues vnto the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="7">7. Fourthlie, he &s;ends vs to man, that where as &s;inners haue taken delight in &s;ining, they &s;hould be puni&s;hed by a contrary cour&s;e in their amending: that is to &s;ay, as they haue bene contrarie to the will of God, &s;o will he haue them healed and recured againe cleane contrary to their owne will, by opening that fir&s;t, which coueteth to lie hid mo&s;t, and to make another acquainted and witnes of that, wherof he fir&s;t intended to haue no le&s;t eye-&s;ight or witnes in the world. <HI>Ite, o&s;tendite vos &s;acerdotibus.</HI> Goe, &s;hew your &s;elues vnto
<PB N="38" REF="20"> the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="8">8. Fiftly, he &s;end vs to man, that as &s;inne deuides vs farthe&s;t from God (for the farthe&s;t di&s;ioyned place from God appointed for &s;in|ners, is the center of the earth, and mo&s;t re|mote and di&s;tant from heauen) &s;o man, who is in the midle betwixt both, &s;hould haue power, ether to cen&s;ure vs to heauen. or ir|reuocably to &s;end vs to hell. <HI>Ite, o&s;tendite vos &s;acerdotibus.</HI> Goe, &s;hew your &s;elues vnto the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="9">9. La&s;tly, he &s;ends vs to man, that for as much as our offences, are mo&s;t commonly again&s;t our euen Chri&s;tian, it &s;hould be deci|ded in brotherly neighbourhood, and a man to make attonment betwixt brother and bro|ther. <HI>Ite, o&s;tendite vos &s;acerdotibus.</HI> Goe, &s;hew your &s;elues vnto the prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="10">10. And becau&s;e there are few men, but that will &s;omtimes &s;traine curte&s;ie with their owne con&s;cience, and &s;et their &s;hort cloth vpon the large&s;t tainters, if euery man indif|ferently, &s;hould be iudge, ether in his owne, or in anothers cau&s;e, after his runing into mo&s;t violent and exorbitant cour&s;es, he would perhaps be too too partiall and kind-harted, &s;elfe-loue alwaies dwelling with him vnder one roofe) to enter the furnace of refyning his owne fle&s;h, with bitter penance and &s;atisfaction (God, as the &s;cripture &s;aith, exac|cting of eache to the vtmo&s;t farthing.) For
<PB N="39" REF="20"> this re&s;pect, Chri&s;t hath not put the &s;word into euery ones hand indifferently, nor made euery one iudge and executioner of his owne cau&s;e, but in the building and fabrique of his Church, he hath ordained pa&s;tors, prelates, and &s;pirituall fathers, whom he hath &s;ub&s;ti|tuted here on earth, to reconcile vs to him in heauen: yea &s;uch who deale with vs in &s;o milde a maner, that if we &s;hould weigh in a ballance our ould offences, with the new pu|ni&s;hments impo&s;ed for them, we &s;hall finde our enioyned penances by his prie&s;ts, far in|ferrior to the waight of our wicked deedes, and &s;eemeing rather to be touched with a milde iu&s;tice, then to torture vs on the tain|ters of &s;euere correction.</P>
<P N="11">11. To conclude, as in the workes of the perfect regeneration of man, God and Man were combined together to redeeme man: &s;o againe in the act of reconciliation of man, God would, that God and man &s;hould be re|ioyned to reconcile man; And though it were not in that &s;traight and hipo&s;taticall vnion, yet in &s;uch &s;ort hath God imparted his &s;pirit vnto man, and &s;o far forth, that our fore-fa|thers haue dared to deifie them, and to affir|me that they are made partakers of Gods na|ture, to worke and effect Gods work, a dei|fied order, and as it were halfe Gods, and not altogether meere men: yet not re&s;pecting their per&s;on, but their &s;acred order and their holy
<PB N="34" REF="21">
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<PB N="35" REF="21">
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<PB N="36" REF="22">
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<PB N="37" REF="22">
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<PB N="40" REF="24"> function. <HI>Cyril. cap.</HI> 56. <HI>lib.</HI> 12. <HI>in Ioan. &amp; lib. cont &s;ul. &amp; S Ambro&s;. de &s;acerdotio.</HI></P>
<P N="12">12. Thus much then being well con&s;ide|red, it remaineth as a full remon&s;trance, that they are the prie&s;ts and pa&s;tors of Gods Church, who are our iudges here on earth, in our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions and enor|mous crimes, whom Chri&s;t hath deputed as his &s;ub&s;titutes, to bind and lo&s;e by who&s;e arbitreme~t (Gods mo&s;t holy &s;pirit concurring therewith) all &s;atisfaction and forgiuenes of &s;innes, by true attonement and reconciliatio~, is fully plea&s;ing and acceptable vnto him.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THAT THERE MVST BE AN opening, confe&s;sion &amp; manife&s;tation of our &s;innes before this iudge, appointed by Christ in this tribunal and court of co~&s;cie~ce; And that this iudge, is a Prie&s;t. <HI>THE V. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_SIth there is a court, a con&s;i&s;torie, and a &s;eate of iudgment in the Church, or|deined by the high prie&s;t Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, wherin the Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors are appoin|ted as iudges &amp; that &s;inne mu&s;t come before the bar, to &s;tand to triall by order of iu&s;tice, &amp; all delinquents taxed to humble them&s;elues before this tribunall, it clearly followeth,
<PB N="41" REF="24"> that Confe&s;&s;ion is nece&s;&s;arily required; For, in as much as expres power and commi&s;&s;ion, is giuen to Prie&s;ts to remit and retaine &s;in|nes, and that Chri&s;t hath promi&s;ed who&s;e &s;innes they forgiue, they are forgiuen, and who&s;e they retaine, they are retained, it fol|loweth (I &s;ay) nece&s;&s;arilie, that we are bound to &s;ubmit our &s;elues to their iudg|ment, for the relea&s;e of &s;uch &s;innes as we commit; For el&s;e this wonderfull power were imparted to them in vaine, if none were bound to &s;eeke for ab&s;olution at their handes; nether can any rightly &s;eeke for ab|&s;olution of them, vnles they confe&s;&s;e them particularly, at lea&s;t tho&s;e &s;innes which are mortall, whether committed in thought, will and cogitation only, or el&s;e in word al&s;o, and in worke.</P>
<P N="2">2. For we mu&s;t con&s;ider, that Gods anoin|ted prie&s;ts, being in this Sacrament of penan|ce placed and con&s;tituted in Chri&s;ts &s;teed, as iudges in ca&s;es of our con&s;cience<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, can not rightly cen&s;ure our ca&s;e, without full and ex|act knowledge of our offences, with all the nece&s;&s;ary circum&s;tances and differences of the &s;ame: which can not otherwi&s;e be had of the~, being mortall men, then by a &s;imple, &s;incere and di&s;tinct di&s;clo&s;ing and relation of them. For certaine it is, that no priuie or &s;ecret &s;in|nes are remitted in heauen, except the prie&s;t doe fir&s;t forgiue them in earth (according to
<PB N="42" REF="25"> the afore-recited &s;aying of our Sauiour:) but no &s;innes can be duly remitted or retained, vnles they be knowen vnto him who hath authoritie therunto, and knowledge of &s;innes (e&s;pecially &s;uch as are &s;ecret) can not be had of man, who can not &s;ee into the hart of man, but by confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;inner. Wher|fore the Confe&s;&s;ion, yea of our very &s;ecret &s;innes, is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;arie to &s;aluation, by Chri&s;ts ordination and in&s;titution: and con|&s;equently, Prie&s;ts receiued this authoritie to hea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e the confe&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;tian people. For in that Chri&s;t in&s;tituted the end, he al&s;o in&s;ti|ted the meanes which &s;hould be nece&s;&s;ary to the obtaining of the end, or el&s;e we mu&s;t make Chri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t our law-maker, vnperfect in his wordes and workes. In &s;o much that we may boldly &s;ay with S. Ierom, that &s;innes can not ether be remitted or retained, vnles the prie&s;t doe fir&s;t know them: who thus vnder&s;tood the wordes of Chri&s;t, where he promi&s;eth the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto S. Peter. <HI>The prie&s;t</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>when as according to his offi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e, he hath heard the diuer&s;itie of &s;in|nes, knoweth who is to be bound, and who to be lo&s;ed; But how can he heare, except they con|fes.</HI> S. Hier. com. in Mat. 16.</P>
<P N="3">3. Moreouer, for as much as euery peni|nitent, is now in league and frind&s;hip with his Lord and God, it i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> meete that he vtterly abandon what&s;oeuer may any way make a
<PB N="43" REF="25"> breache betwixt their amitie, or which may hinder any entercour&s;e of fauors. But there can not be in man, a more capitall enimie, nor ought, &s;o much odious to God as &s;inne: therfore he ought to hate that which his Lord and &s;oueraigne hateth, as his vtter eni|mie, yea and to abandon it as a mo&s;t dete&s;ta|ble fiend and foe to God. But there is no greater &s;pite to &s;inne, then to confes it, nor act more plea&s;ing to God, then &s;o to di&s;clo&s;e it: the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e &s;in is a &s;ecret &amp; clo&s;e enimie, which as it is begun with &s;ecrecie, &s;o it is &s;upported with &s;ilence. Nor &s;hall wee &s;ee, that inward &s;inne, loues to come to outward &s;hew, to purcha&s;e any &s;ort of &s;hame. And mo&s;t hard it is, to bring inward &s;hame, to open confe&s;&s;ion, the nature of &s;inne being, to be hid, masked, &s;hrowded, and cloked, in &s;o much, that he who nouri&s;heth &s;inne, lod|geth it as a viper, &s;ecretly lurking in his bo&s;o|me. If a &s;inner therfore, will di&s;po&s;e&s;&s;e him|&s;elf of the thraldome of &s;uch a gue&s;t, he mu&s;t take a contratie cour&s;e, which is to publi&s;h it, and to vnmaske and vnfould it, and to open euery wrincle and platye by Confe&s;|&s;ion, for <HI>Qui male agit, odit lucem.</HI> He that doth euilly, hateth the light.</P>
<P N="4">4. To de&s;troy &s;inne therfore, a man mu&s;t open the doore of all confu&s;ion, and &s;o with &s;hame, vtterly confound the author and in&s;ti|gator to it, by confe&s;&s;ing it. But to confes it
<PB N="44" REF="26"> to God alone, there can be no &s;uch &s;hame: for as there was no &s;hame before him to commit it, &s;o le&s;&s;e when it is committed, to confes it. Therfore this &s;hame (the in&s;eperable compa|nion of &s;inne and wickednes) mu&s;t be by confe&s;&s;ing it vnto a man, whence ari&s;eth an vtter loathing and confu&s;ion, a holie hatred and dete&s;tation therof. In &s;o much that &s;in|ne, not hauing in the hart wher-with to &s;hroude it, no inward thoughts to flatter it, no lik<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ning in the will to delight in it, no af|fection to take complacence in it, nor &s;o &s;e|cret corner in the &s;oule to harbour it, hauing withall the mouth to blow vtter defiance a|gain&s;t it, the tongue to &s;pitt his venom at it, being thus oppugned by all the powers both of &s;oule and body, it mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;itie, as a treacherous re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ell hotely pur&s;ued, be put to flight, exile and confu&s;ion, by confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="5">5. Nether yet can a generall Confe&s;&s;ion, be auaileable to this purpo&s;e; for &s;eeing that thy prelat is appointed to be thy &s;pirituall iudge, to &s;earch into the lepro&s;ie of thy &s;oule, a chi|rurgion to launce thy fe&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ered woundes, and a phi&s;ition to cure thine ill aff cted humors, who is there &s;o &s;enceles as to imagin, that any combatant, who hath receiued &s;undry woundes, a patient that hath many &s;ecret di&s;ea&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, a &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er that hath many cau&s;es, all intricat and crabbed, that for the fir&s;t it &s;hall be &s;ufficient to &s;ay, I am wounded, and not
<PB N="45" REF="26"> to tell where? The other to complaine &s;aying; I am infirme and di&s;ea&s;ed, and not to tell how? The third to make his moane, that he is encombred with many &s;uites in law, and tell not what? &s;ith to haue the woundes cu|red, the di&s;ea&s;es healed, and the cau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es ended, they mu&s;t in particular &s;hew their greeuances one by one, wherby the chirurgean may duly con&s;ider, and apply accordingly his &s;euerall plai&s;ters, the phi&s;ition his mo&s;t conuenient medecines, and the iudge for euery doubt, a &s;ound, &s;olid and &s;ure re&s;olution: for the di|&s;ea&s;ed per&s;on is hardly cured, where the pa|tient is cro&s;&s;e or wayward to open his griefe, and the phi&s;ition vtterly ignorant of his di|&s;ea&s;e.</P>
<P N="6">6. To conclude: euen &s;o in this court of &s;acramentall Confe&s;&s;ion, the prie&s;t being con&s;tituted iudge vnder Chri&s;t, and iudgment being an act of prudence, can not be execu+ted, but by knowledge of particularities; For he that iudgeth that he knoweth, is a iudge of iu&s;tice, and therfo e a generall confe&s;&s;ion, without &s;pecification of particulars, is not any way in rea&s;on auaylable. For it is not for gho&s;tly fathers, in matters of con&s;cience, to &s;hoote arrowes idlely or at randome, to iudge cau&s;es by twylight, or to &s;olue que&s;tions in the darke. Be&s;ides, if this generallitie were &s;ufficient for confe&s;&s;ion, there &s;hould be but one maner of binding and lo&s;ing of all &s;in|ners,
<PB N="46" REF="27"> and &s;o bla&s;phemers, murtherers, adul|terers, periurers, theeues and v&s;urers, v&s;ing one and the &s;elfe &s;ame generall confe&s;&s;ion, &s;hould haue like ea&s;ie iudgment with euery &s;male delinquent, and be ab&s;olued: therfore it mu&s;t be more in particular, wherby the &s;pi|rituall iudge, may more particularly di&s;cerne the cau&s;e, enioyne him penance and workes of &s;atisfaction.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THAT PRIESTS AFTER CON|fe&s;sion, ought eo enioyne penance and &s;atisfactorie workes; how man may &s;a|tisfie God by the&s;e acts, and what chie|fly they are. <HI>THE VI. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_FOR as much as euery penitent is ordi|narily bound, by order of diuine iu&s;tice, to doe &s;atisfaction vnto God for the guilt of &s;inne by &s;ome temporall paine, after their deadly &s;inne is pardoned, and &s;ith very few conuertites, or none at all, haue that earne&s;t|nes of &s;pirit, that feruencie of contrition, that abhorring of their &s;innes, that hartie loue and conuer&s;ion vnto God, nor &s;uch &s;incere auer|&s;ion from the creature, as doth proceed from th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ir very harts, and from the inward forces and powers of their &s;oules, therfore in r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;pect
<PB N="47" REF="27"> of this their imperfect contrition for their &s;innes, the iu&s;tice of almightie God requireth, afterwards of them, a temporall puni&s;hment, to be &s;uffered, ether here, or el&s;e where, wherby to reduce them fully to the order of diuine iu&s;tice, which by their &s;innes, they haue broken and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed: for, as hath bene already &s;aid, the inordinatnes of a fault, is not reduced vnto the due order of iu&s;tice, but by due recompence thereof by paine. S. Tho. 1. 2. q. 87. art. 6. &amp; 3. &amp; 3. part. que&s;t, 86. art. 4.</P>
<P N="2">2. Wherfore, the way to repaire and re|duce penitent &s;inners vnto the order of diuine iu&s;tice (where their contrition is &s;o imper|fect) is, to &s;uffer afterwards &s;ome temporall paines, afflictions, cha&s;ticements, and curbin|ges of the fle&s;h, wherby they may as mem|bers of Chri&s;t, and by virtu of his &s;uperaboun|dant &s;atisfaction and painfull pa&s;&s;ion vpon the Cro&s;&s;e, &s;atisfie the wrath of God, after a &s;ort, and in their degree. And becau&s;e that the keyes of heauen, were not only giuen vnto prie&s;ts to loo&s;e, but withall to binde, not to remit &s;innes only, but al&s;o to re aine, being iudiciall actes, and by the wordes of Chri&s;t (what&s;oeuer you &s;hall binde Mat. 16.) all kinde of di&s;cipline and puni&s;hment of of|fenders, ether &s;pirituall (which directly is here ment) or el&s;e corporall (&s;o far as it ten|deth to the execution of the &s;piritua charge)
<PB N="48" REF="28"> is here compri&s;ed, therfore in this court and &s;eate of iudgment, where fir&s;t the Apo&s;tles, and after their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, were appointeed iudges, prie&s;ts may, yea and ought, as they ab&s;olue delinquents from their &s;innes, &s;o li|kewi&s;e to enioyne them &s;atisfactorie workes for their penance: that as by their ab&s;olution, they remit the guilt of &s;inne, and the eternall puni&s;hment therto belonging; &s;o likewi&s;e they retaine &s;innes, in regard of the tempo|rall penaltie, when they enioyne penance vnto the delinquent to be performed: a do|ctrine approued in all ages, euen from the time of the primitiue Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. Nether is there wanting &s;ufficient rea|&s;on to make a full remon&s;trance hereof, that it was, and is mo&s;t agreeable to Gods holy will and plea&s;ure, that in the Sacrament of pennance, a certaine mulct and penaltie &s;hould be enioyned by his prie&s;ts, vpon &s;uch as had notoriou&s;ly offended and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed his lawes, which is not enioyned to tho&s;e who are regenerat by the &s;acrament of Bap|ti&s;me. For Bapti&s;me being but only a meane to regenerat, it was not much behouefull that man &s;hould labour much therin, but &s;o it is not (nor no rea&s;on it &s;hould be) in the Sa|crament of Penance after Bapti&s;me, for here the &s;oule is &s;ick, wounded and langui&s;hing with many di&s;ea&s;es, and penance is the &s;alue and medecine, to heale the parts ill affected.
<PB N="49" REF="28"> It is then mo&s;t aggreable vnto rea&s;on, that the partie patient &s;hould &s;uffer (before he be cured) the &s;marting coro&s;iues, &s;harpe mede|cines, bitter potions, and deepe inci&s;ions; for it is the cour&s;e of iu&s;tice, that &s;elfe doe, mu&s;t &s;elfe haue, and that &s;o far forth as he hath o+uerla&s;hed in the delight of plea&s;ure, he &s;hould a while groone vnder the heauie burthen of paine: and that the prie&s;t to whom is beque|thed this power in earth, &s;hould not ab&s;olue &s;infull delinquents, but by impo&s;ing penance vpon them. Otherwi&s;e mo&s;t Chri&s;tians would become careles and negligent in all good workes, conceiuing a deceitfull &s;ecurity of their owne &s;aluation, thorough the &s;ufficien|cie of Chri&s;ts &s;atisfaction, and &s;o would v&s;e (as too too many doe in this corrupt time of here&s;ie) Chri&s;ts &s;atisfaction and redemption, as a cloake to couer their careles, &s;louthfull, and di&s;&s;olute liues.</P>
<P N="4">4. But here for the comfort of all &s;uch as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re truly penitent, in &s;uch &s;ort as hath bene <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aid, if we note the &s;treight vnion and con|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">unction, betwixt Chri&s;t and his faithfull members, we &s;hall plainly perceiue, that the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">atisfactions of the members of Chri&s;t, be Chri&s;ts &s;atisfactions, becau&s;e as S. Paul &s;aith. 1. Cor. 6.17.) <HI>He that cleaueth to our Lord, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> one &s;pirit:</HI> in &s;o much that our painfull wor|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es and &s;atisfactions, may be &s;atisfactorie and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lea&s;ing vnto God. For being vnited and ioy|ned
<PB N="50" REF="29"> vnto our Sauiour Chri&s;t, as his true and faithfull members, &s;o long ae we per&s;euer in in that vnion with him, all our good though|tes, deedes and workes, are in&s;pired, directed, gouerned, fortified, and &s;anctified with his holy &s;pirit, and &s;o we liue in Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t in vs. In re&s;pect therfore that we are Chri&s;ts members, the Church is the plenitude of his per&s;on, and the pa&s;&s;ions and &s;atisfa|ctions of Chri&s;ts members, being dedicated and &s;anctified in Chri&s;ts blood, makes the ple|nitude of his pa&s;&s;ion and &s;atisfaction, and &s;o the pa&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;t the head, and the affli|ctions and &s;atisfactions of his Church and members thereof, make one compleate ma&s;&s;e of pa&s;&s;ions. And like as when any of the&s;e members are per&s;ecuted, him &s;elfe in like &s;ort is per&s;ecuted: &s;o when any of his members doth any &s;atisfactorie workes, he him &s;elfe doth worke them, and doth &s;atisfie. Wher|vpon is euidentlie to be deduced, that our &s;a|tisfaction is not in vaine, albeit our Sauiour Chri&s;t hath &s;ufficiently &s;atisfied, and paid our ra~&s;ome vpon the Cro&s;&s;e: no more then Chri&s;t now &s;itting at the right hand of his Father, praying &s;ufficiently for vs al, hath &s;o fru&s;trated all our prayers, that wee neede not to pray.</P>
<P N="5">5. Seeing then our &s;atisfaction may be a|uailable before the throane of mercie, con&s;i|&s;ting chiefly of tho&s;e deedes and acts, which are e&s;pecially accompted our owne, we may
<PB N="51" REF="29"> reduce all our painfull and &s;atisfactorie wor|kes vnto the&s;e three, to wit, Fa&s;ting, Prayer, and Almes: which be&s;ides that they are holie and virtuous, they are al&s;o painfull vnto the fle&s;h, by which paine, &s;atisfaction is made vnto God, &s;acrificing euen all our endeuours, actions and employments, and all that we haue, vnto the glorie and maie&s;tie of almigh|tie God; For, all the actes of our minde, we offer vp to God by praier: the acts of our body, by fa&s;ting: and all other outward and externall ble&s;&s;inges, by almes. By almes, we &s;acrifice our &s;ub&s;tance: by fa&s;ting our bodies: by praier, our &s;oules.</P>
<P N="6">6. Hence hath it proceeded, that the good ould father S. Hierom, and with him many other holy Saints and &s;eruants of God, &s;o hewed and tewed their tender fle&s;h, by broi|ling in the preaching heates of &s;ommer, &s;hi|uering and quaking in the bitter &s;tormes of winter, trauelled with afflictions, ouer-worne with fa&s;ting, watching, ab&s;tinence, cruel and exce&s;&s;iue cha&s;ticements, to &s;uppres the rebel|lious &s;welling of their fle&s;h, bearing volun|tarilie the cro&s;&s;e of tribulation here in earth, to make their better pa&s;&s;age into the king|dome of heauen. Hence it is, that hair-cloth and a&s;hes, haue bene &s;o highlie in e&s;teeme a|mong&s;t the cheefe&s;t &s;eruants and friends of God. Hence proceeded watching and prayer, night after night, with voluntarie &s;eque&s;tra|tion
<PB N="52" REF="30"> and exile from the world, liue in vncoth and de&s;ert places, with frequentation of ma|nie godlie, au&s;tere and &s;pirituall exerci&s;es.</P>
<P N="7">7. To conclude therfore, let vs here be|hould, the incomprehen&s;ible goodnes, of al|mightie God, who as he hath prouided hel|pes &amp; remedies for the di&s;ea&s;es of the bodie, &s;o hath he likewi&s;e done for the di&s;ea&s;es of the &s;oule For the &s;oule being no le&s;&s;e &s;ubiect to the malice of &s;inne, to &s;piritual infirmities, langui&s;hing di&s;ea&s;es, often relap&s;es and the like, it had bene il prouided of almightie God, where there is &s;uch procliuitie to &s;undry &s;ick|ne&s;&s;es, if no conuenient remedy or phi&s;ick had bene prepared. And for as much as all euill humors are purged ether by potion or vomit; and aboundance of blood, by phlebo|tomie and inci&s;ion of veines: euen &s;o are all the &s;innes of the &s;oule healed and cured, ether by Bapti&s;me, or &s;acramentall &s;atisfaction, by curbing the rebellious rancor of the fle&s;h. Hence it is, that Bapti&s;me may be rightly re|&s;embled to a potion and purgation: which as it is an externall liquor, and is receiued by the mouth, &s;o the water of Bapti&s;me, being &s;prinkled vpon the bodie, clean&s;eth the &s;oule with great facilitie, and wa&s;heth downward euen from the crowne of the head, to the plant of the foote, the filth and blemi&s;hes of the &s;oule. But penance is another manner of phi&s;ick, a vomit, as it were, much more vio|lent,
<PB N="53" REF="30"> which working fir&s;t in the &s;tomach, draweth euery humor vnto one part, rai&s;ing it vpward, and violently expelling them by the mouth: beginning fir&s;t in the hart and in|ward parts, but yet with torment, griping, and at the la&s;t with loathing and abhorring and vomiting of the &s;oule, rai&s;ing vp all from the bottom of the &s;tomach to the tongue, to ca&s;t it out by the mouth; And as mo&s;t purga|tions and vomits, worke be&s;t by the helpe of heate: &s;o in this purgation, there mu&s;t be a &s;pirituall heate and feruor, with a hart-bur|ning and loath&s;omnes of body and fle&s;h, with a continuall burning and loue of the &s;oule, ioyned with true dete&s;tation of &s;inne, to make full recompence and &s;atisfaction to al|mightie God.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY THE MANIFOVLD BENE|fits which doe proceed from auricular Confe&s;sion, is to be gathered, that the &s;ame is meete to be admitted, both in the Church of God, as al&s;o in euery Christian common-welth: and much more &s;ecure to follow the Catholique opinion in this point, then that of Protestants.
<PB N="54" REF="31"> <HI>THE VII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_IN regard of the manifould benefits that doe redound by this holy Sacrament vnto the hou&s;hold and familie of Chri&s;t our Lord, may ea&s;ilie be gathered the nece&s;&s;itie thereof, and that the &s;ame neuer proceeded from the inuention of man, nor from no other, then from the in&s;titution of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t and his holy Spirit: &s;ith long experience doth now &s;hew the &s;ame to be, &s;o holie and whol|&s;ome a thinge in the Church of God, and &s;o conuenient for euery Chri&s;tian common welth. For if ether we con&s;ider, the maie&s;tie of almightie God, or his pa&s;tors and prelates pre&s;iding in his Church, or the Church it &s;elfe militant here on earth, or the faithfull who are the flock, and familie of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, we &s;hall plainly perceiue the wonderfull benefit, of ab&s;olution and confe&s;&s;ion to a prie&s;t.</P>
<P N="1">1. Fir&s;t therfore, if we con&s;ider the won|derfull goodnes of almightie God, we may &s;ee in this worke of the prie&s;ts ab&s;olution, the vn&s;peakable clemencie and mercie of Chri&s;t, who doth not wre&s;t and wrinch out our con|fe&s;&s;ions, like vnto earthly princes and iud|ges, to confound and condemne vs, but as a mo&s;t milde and carefull phi&s;itian, doth &s;uffer his deputies to reuewe our woundes, and gentlely to touche and handle them, and
<PB N="55" REF="31"> then to heale vs. Nether yeth doth he &s;o &s;hew his mercie, as that he vtterly ommitteth his iu&s;tice, but doth in this Sacrament make v&s;e of both, ballancing our pride with humilitie, and abating euery &s;inners courage by humble confe&s;&s;ion, enioyning tho&s;e that haue bene notorious delinquents, to vndergoe for pe|nance, the &s;hame and confu&s;ion of Con|fe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="2">2. That vtilitie cometh hereby to pa&s;tors and curates of &s;oules appeareth, &s;ith by con|fe&s;&s;ion, they vnder&s;tand the griefes, hart-bur|ninges, di&s;ea&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s, and euery particular &s;oare of their flock and charge, wherby in due &s;ea&s;on, they may prepare to eache a redres and &s;uf|ficient remedy, to worke vpon their weaknes with their great wi&s;dome, their ignorance with their great knowledg, their vncon&s;tan|cie with their grauitie, their di&s;orders with their zeale and care, and &s;o &s;afely conduct them by the path of goodnes and pietie.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of the whole Church, how behouefull it is to the weale publique, it is not &s;o hard to &s;ee, but that euen the &s;horte&s;t-&s;ighted man may behould: &s;ith that in exte|rior courts, the iudges oftentimes di&s;gui&s;e matters, &s;tudie for long delaies, heape &s;uites one vpon another, and when the parties deale mo&s;t &s;incerely, yet hardly can they bring the controuer&s;ie to an end. Where contrarie-wi&s;e we &s;ee with how &s;male labour &amp; how &s;oone,
<PB N="56" REF="32"> prie&s;ts in the court of con&s;cience, haue brought many from the heates of anger to a mylde &s;pirit, and tractable to yeld to any or|der of reformation; Yea it is auerred in eue|rie Chri&s;tian nation, that many difficulties which time could neuer moderat, or by pro|bable coniecture be accorded, (as hath bene experienced in thou&s;ands of quarrels of great per&s;onages, whom nether friendes could en|treat, nor enimies feare, nor gould allure, nor other pre&s;ents reclayme) yet being afterwards brought vnder Benedicite, when time hath had his full cour&s;e, there hath bene found great facilitie, to end that which before &s;ee|med difficil, yea rather plainly de&s;perat to determine. For it being the nature and pro|pertie of confe&s;&s;ion, to change the mindes of men, and their pa&s;&s;ions, &amp; to impart to new men, new affections, pre&s;ently re&s;titution is made of former wronges offered, heates of furie &s;odainlie quenched, vnlawfull contracts annulled, and guilfull bargaines di&s;&s;olued whence en&s;ueth a well &s;etled co~mon-welth, in all good order and gouernment. And al|beit &s;ome few goe as bruit catle to the water and drinke not, yet as the common pro|uerb &s;aith, one Swallow or two, makes no &s;ommer.</P>
<P N="4">4. An other &s;peciall benefit that tho&s;e re|ceiue who goe to confe&s;&s;ion as they ought, be&s;ides their reconciliation to God, and for|giuenes
<PB N="57" REF="32"> of their &s;innes is, that ordinarilie they haue giuen them adui&s;ed councell, godly in|&s;tructions, great confort and con&s;olation, quiet and tranquillitie of con&s;cience for &s;in|nes pa&s;t, remedie and redres for falling into mi&s;chiefes to come; God hauing &s;o linked confe&s;&s;ion, with &s;hame and confu&s;ion (&s;ha~|fa&s;tnes being the mother of virtu) that for &s;hame oftentimes man leaues to &s;inne, when the &s;weetnes therof doth greatly entice him to the contrarie.</P>
<P N="5">5. Now then, take away and aboli&s;h auri|cular confe&s;&s;ion (as wicked heretiques haue done at this day) and tell me whither com|mon-wealths are better gouerned, &s;uites &amp; quarrels &s;ooner ended, controuer&s;ies &s;pede|lier decided, the feare of God better enter|tained, whither wemen be more cha&s;t, men more virtuous, children more obedient, &s;er|uants more tru&s;tie, ma&s;ters better pay-ma&s;ters friendes more faithfull, lay-people more iu&s;t in their dealinges, cleargie men more deuout in praying, or whither there is more religio~, feare of God, faith, fidelitie and con&s;cience among all e&s;tates, or rather continuall fre|quentation of euill, vanting of wickednes, yea rather impudent publi&s;hing of thinges abhominable, following the cur&s;ed crew of Sodom and Gomorrah, to whom it was no more &s;hame to &s;inne, then to eate, as though there were no woord of God to prohibit, nor
<PB N="58" REF="33"> any God at all to puni&s;h &s;uch execrable crymes.</P>
<P N="6">6. Hence then we may well conclude, &s;ith the mo&s;t earne&s;t de&s;ire of our fore-fathers, the &s;cope and drift of all philo&s;ophers, the la|bors and indeauors of all law-makers, the care and vigilancie of all &s;oueraignes, was to in&s;truct in their common-wealths, how to liue well, and how to die well, the only meanes then in our Chri&s;tian co~mon-welth, and the chiefe&s;t &s;innew from whence virtu and godlines doth ari&s;e, being the holie Sa|crament of Confe&s;&s;ion, and prie&s;ts ab&s;olu|tion, that Chri&s;t who is our eternall Father, the be&s;t philo&s;opher, the wi&s;e&s;t law-maker, the greate&s;t polititian, &amp; our &s;acred and mo&s;t dread &s;oueraigne, &s;hall we thinke him, I &s;ay, to be &s;o careles to redres or to appoint a reme|die, or &s;o far to let loo&s;e the reynes of all li|bertie (him &s;elfe treading &s;o painfull and nar|row a path) as to &s;uffer vs to runne headlong without care of con&s;cience, to liue like di&s;&s;o|lutes, to die without regard of &s;oule or body, and not wi&s;elie to haue pre&s;cribed vs the &s;ounde&s;t way?</P>
<P N="7">7. To conclude, many Prote&s;tants them|&s;elues doe auouch, that Catholiques doe wel in going to confe&s;&s;ion, being the doctrine of their owne booke of common prayer, the plaine wordes and exhortation of S. Iames, to confes one to another, and the manife&s;t
<PB N="59" REF="33"> truth of Chri&s;t vnto his Apo&s;tles, &amp; in them, to their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, to forgiue &s;innes. Is it not then (good Chri&s;tian) in ca&s;es &s;o de&s;perat as this, yea &s;o doubtfull and ambiguous as euen Prote&s;tants make it, that &s;eeing all Chri&s;ten|dome ouer (&s;ome few parts excepted) deny al &s;aluatio~, to &s;uch as vtterly reiect prie&s;ts ab&s;o|lution, yea and that the far le&s;&s;er part (which is the Prote&s;tant) can not gayne &s;ay, but that it is a mo&s;t ancient practi&s;e, a right godly v&s;e, nothing derogatiue to Gods honor and glo|rie, or le&s;&s;e hindrance to the atchieuing of heauen, and fruition of all eternall happines, may not we then truly conclude, that it is far more &s;ecure to follow the Catholique o|pinion and that &s;ecure pa&s;&s;age (though &s;om|what about as they &s;ay) then to follow the Prote&s;tants &s;horter cut, truly too too vncer|certaine, and too too dainty away, for &s;uch as truly &s;hould follow Chri&s;t: and this but an opinion al&s;o of a few? Ergo, there is more rea&s;on to beleeue that Chri&s;t, when he &s;aid. <HI>Who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue are for<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iuen,</HI> there is more rea&s;on, I &s;ay, to beleeue, that he ment his Apo&s;tles &s;hould ab&s;olue from &s;inne, and that penitents &s;hould goe to confe&s;&s;ion for their &s;innes, then to thinke that he gaue &s;o great a power, together with the holie Gho&s;t, only for a preaching ab&s;olution.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="60" REF="34">
<HEAD>BY THIS THAT CONFESSION to a Priest, can not be, nether was first in&s;tituted by any human law, hauing bene in continuall practi&s;e from the Apo&s;tles times, it is proued, that it had his originall, from the institu|tion and appointment of Christ him|&s;elfe. <HI>THE VIII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_IOhn Caluin, albeit he could not abide papi&s;trie by day-light, and thorough the gro&s;&s;e &s;ighted &s;pectacles of his &s;oaring conceit, giue any good look vpon this do|ctrine of auricular Confe&s;&s;ion, yet he ranging into the practi&s;e of former times (as though he would haue &s;wept away the du&s;t and cob-webbes of tho&s;e vnciuill and vnlearned ages) out of his vnwonted kindnes, giues auricular confe&s;&s;ion this hone&s;t pa&s;port, to wit, that it hath been practi&s;ed for many hundred yeares. And though perhaps I might well borrow &s;o fauorable a bla&s;t of this mans mouth, for proofe of antiquitie in our behalfe, yet this is not the vp&s;hot of our game, to &s;tand only vpon this point of ancient cu&s;tome, and &s;o to make it but an eccle&s;ia&s;ticall law, decree, or
<PB N="61" REF="34"> po&s;itiue con&s;titution: but my meaning is, to get a further &s;tart, and to proue with rea&s;on, that as confe&s;&s;ion hath the prerogatiue of an|cient v&s;e and cu&s;tome, &s;o withall to carry the countenance of Apo&s;tolicall tradition, and certaintie of Chri&s;ts owne ordination and in|&s;titution.</P>
<P N="1">1. And fir&s;t, &s;ith that confe&s;&s;ion vnto prie&s;ts, and by them the ab&s;olution and re|mi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, hath been in the Church of God, before all decrees of Popes or Coun|cels (as &s;hall hereafter manife&s;tly appeare) and not only long before the fir&s;t generall councell of Nice, but before all other ether nationall or prouinciall what&s;oeuer, it can not therfore be, that confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould be confi|ned within the compas of any humane de|cree, &s;ith all human decrees are circumferen|ced, within the knowledge of time and place, when and where, in what age, vnder what Councell and Pope they had their fir&s;t begi|ning, which this hath not, and therfore came directly from Chri&s;t. Thus much may be veri|fied, concerning the very &s;ub&s;tance of the commandement of &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion, to wit, that it is nece&s;&s;arie to &s;aluation, euen by Chri&s;ts owne in&s;titution. For in that Chri&s;t in&s;tituted the end, he in&s;tituted likewi&s;e the meanes to obtaine the end: and &s;o giuing his Apo&s;tles power to remit or retaine &s;innes, he withall ordained confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame &s;in|nes;
<PB N="62" REF="35"> For &s;innes (as hath been &s;aid) can not be duly remitted, vnles they be knowen: and knowledg of &s;innes, e&s;pecially of &s;ecret, can not be had of man (who &s;eeth not the hart) but by confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes. It therfore fol|loweth con&s;equentlie, that they receiued au|thoritie to heare confe&s;&s;ions, and that the &s;ame was in&s;tituted by Chri&s;t him &s;elfe; for this forme of argument v&s;ed S. Aug. (epi&s;t. ad Ian. 118.) that where we found a doctrin to be receiued into the vniuer&s;all Church. and that no begining can be &s;hewed thereof. it is to be held, that it proceeded imediatly from Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P N="2">2. Againe, for as much as the generall pra|cti&s;e of auricular confe&s;&s;ion in all Chri&s;tian contries, could not otherwi&s;e proceed at fir&s;t, but by a commandment, (it not being ea&s;ie by rigor of law, to command the mightie&s;t monarch to confes and manife&s;t his &s;ecret &s;in|nes) no human power could enforce or com|mand &s;inners, to make their confe&s;&s;ion of their &s;ecret &s;innes; which is mo&s;t euident. For man can not make a law, but only for that whereof he can iudge, but he can nether iudge nor pierce the thoughts of the hart, no more then the breath of his mouth, can pierce the &s;tronge&s;t gla&s;&s;e of &s;teele, therfore no hu|man power can command or make a law to enforce &s;uch &s;ecret co~fe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes vnto a prie&s;t. And be it that there were a law, truth
<PB N="63" REF="35"> enforcing &s;inners to confes, yet would it be &s;till in the freedome of man, what he would confes: and &s;o it would rather be a burden|&s;ome knee-labor, then any way ether hole|&s;ome or beneficiall vnto the &s;oule. Therfore, &s;ith man doth confes (and maketh therof a matter of con&s;cience) it &s;hould be ab&s;urd to imagin, that it was an human law comman|ding, and not the expres command and di|uine law of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t enforcing.</P>
<P N="3">3. Moreouer, if we con&s;ider the heauie burthen of Confe&s;&s;ion, and compare the &s;ame with the manifold heauie burdens that were laid vpon the backs of the people of God from the fir&s;t begining, we &s;hall &s;ee that this burthen which is now laid vpon the backs of Chri&s;tians, will be a yoke and burthen far more painfull, then any of all tho&s;e that euer was impo&s;ed or &s;upported by our predece&s;|&s;ors. For it is apparant, that of all tho&s;e thin|ges which Catholike Chri&s;tians doe perfor|me, the precepts they ob&s;erue, the com|mandments they accompli&s;h, the ceremo|nies they practi&s;e, and the &s;acrifices they offer, that to make confe&s;&s;ion of their &s;ecret mortall &s;innes vnto another man, is the &s;har|pe&s;t and mo&s;t rigorous of all the re&s;t. For what can be more contrarie to our corrupt and proud nature, then to accu&s;e our &s;elues of our mo&s;t horrible &s;ecret &s;innes? which euery man by all meanes po&s;&s;ible will &s;eeke
<PB N="64" REF="36"> to hide, and is mo&s;t ready to excu&s;e The rea|&s;on wherof is, as Plato ob&s;erueth, becau&s;e to whom we di&s;clo&s;e a &s;ecret, to him we &s;ell our freedom and libertie. And what I pray you can be more yrk&s;om or more burden|&s;ome (e&s;pecially to &s;uch as liue at &s;uch liber|tie, as the mightie&s;t monarches and mo&s;t po|tent princes) then to pro&s;trate them &s;elues at the feete of a Prie&s;t, and to open and confes vnto him, the horrible plots, horrid murders, and filthie adultries which they haue com|mitted, and as it were impairing the reputa|tion of their owne tribunall, to be bound and &s;ubiect to obey to that of the Prie&s;t?</P>
<P N="4">4. Now then, &s;ith plaine experience doth teache vs, that thinges which are difficult to be done, we can hardly be induced to doe them, euen then when they are commanded to be done, who is of &s;o &s;hort or &s;hallow iudgment, as once to imagine, that &s;o many Popes, Cardinalls, Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops Pa|&s;tors and religious per&s;ons, with the whole re&s;idue of the learned cleargie, and withall &s;o many Chri&s;tian Emperors, Kinges, Dukes, Earles, and Barons, with all the magi&s;trats and common people thoroughout all Chri|&s;tendome, would, or could haue entertained a law &s;o longe, and that &s;o exceeding bur|den&s;ome to fle&s;h and blood, if it had not pro|ceeded from the expre&s;&s;e commandment of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t? Moy&s;es gaue a law vnto the He|brues,
<PB N="65" REF="36"> Solon to the Greekes, Pheroneus to the Egiptians, Numa Pompilius to the Romans, but as men made them, and as men died, &s;o were they ended and aboli&s;hed after their deathes. But this law of confe&s;&s;ion hath con|tinued &s;o many hundred yeares, nor could it euer hitherto be put downe, though &s;ome carnall Capharintes, and late illuminated apo|&s;tata Friars and prie&s;tes, as Friar Luther, Friar Bucer, Calum, Beza and &s;uch like other run|negate prie&s;ts, haue oppo&s;ed and gain-&s;aid it.</P>
<P N="5">5. Therfore, &s;ith Confe&s;&s;ion is a yoke and heauie burden, and euery yoke naturally is &s;harp, hard and painfull to beare, and that the bea&s;t that draweth the &s;ame goeth bound and trauelled, and &s;ith that &s;o many thou|&s;ands haue notwith&s;ta~ding all this, obedient|ly put this yoake of confe&s;&s;ion vpon their neckes, and yet doe lightly and confortably beare and carry away this burden, it mu&s;t nee|des follow by good rea&s;on, that it is the yoke of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, who&s;e yoke is &s;weet and bur|den light. They are the burdens of the di|uell, that doe loade vs, and ouerthrow vs: they are the burdens of the world, that are greuous and intollerable vnto vs: they are the burdens of the fle&s;h, which into &s;undry &s;in|nes enthrall and ingulfe vs: but the burthens of Chri&s;t are comfortable vnto vs: for he doth lighten vs when he doth load vs, giue vs li|bertie when he yokes vs, and iointly draweth
<PB N="66" REF="37"> with vs by his loue &amp; grace in the &s;ame yoke.</P>
<P N="6">6. Sith then the &s;ub&s;tance of the com|mandment of &s;acramentall Confe&s;&s;ion, hath not, nor cannot be proued to haue proceeded from any human decree or in&s;titution, vpon the premi&s;&s;es, I frame this argument. Ether this ab&s;olution and forgiuenes of &s;innes by Prie&s;ts, which hath beene practi&s;ed in the Church of God &s;o many hundred yeares, and which all Chri&s;tians haue held in &s;o great re|uerence and e&s;timation, together with the Prie&s;ts chalenging &s;uch an vniuer&s;all obe|dience to their tribunalls, aboue all earthly princes and potentates, hath his authoritie, warrant and certaintie from Chri&s;t, or not. If it hath, then the matter is ended, and the que&s;tion fully decided: for it followeth ne|ce&s;&s;arily, that the Catholique faith concer|ning confe&s;&s;ion and Prie&s;ts ab&s;olution is both true and vpright doctrine, yea commanded by Chri&s;t him &s;elfe, without any derogation at all vnto his glorie. If it hath not, that is to &s;ay, if it be not true, nor haue not the countenance of Chri&s;ts owne command, then doe but tell me, how credible it is, that &s;uch a gro&s;&s;e error, and of &s;o long time and con|tinuance, could be brought into the Church of God, ether by prince or by prelat, yea who he was that dur&s;t fir&s;t preache or per&s;wade to the people, &s;o gro&s;&s;e, notorious and palpable a lie? Or what wi&s;e men of the magi&s;tracie
<PB N="67" REF="37"> and common-welth, would &s;uffer them&s;elues to be thus hampered with &s;o har&s;h a law, and &s;o &s;ubiect them&s;elues to earthly men, to Gods di&s;honor? Ot why were there not councells called to confound it, and doctors of the Church to preach again&s;t it: who yet haue euer been &s;o vigilant, that they haue quickly e&s;pied and di&s;couered euen the lea&s;t error?</P>
<P N="7">7. Seeing then this doctrin of prie&s;ts ab&s;o|lution, hath been entertained &s;o longe, and that by the wi&s;e&s;t and mightie&s;t men; and &s;eeing againe that it is mo&s;t improbable, that men would &s;o ea&s;ilie &s;uffer them &s;elues to be angled with words, to confes to a poore prie&s;t, the mo&s;t &s;ecret and the greate&s;t &s;innes that euer they committed; or be brought to the &s;ame by the force &amp; con&s;traint of a tem|porall command, when the thing it &s;elfe had no warrant from Gods word, nor obligation in con&s;cience; it clearly followeth for the rea+&s;ons afore-&s;aid, that this doctrin of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, is the very doctrine of Chri&s;t him &s;elfe, by his owne authoritie fir&s;t in&s;tituted, by the Apo&s;tles practi&s;ed, by the Church en|certained, by the fathers preached, and by all good and godly people to haue been fre|quented, and &s;o from time to time vntill this pre&s;ent, as a mo&s;t diuine and holie Sacra|ment of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, euermore e&s;teemed and approued</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="68" REF="38">
<HEAD>BY THAT THAT IT IS MA|nife&s;t, that Christ (Math. 9.) as man did forgiue &s;innes, may al&s;o be proued, that his prei&s;ts as men may remitt &s;ins, Chri&s;t him&s;elfe &s;aying to them (Iohn. 20.) who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue, are for|giuen. <HI>THE VIIII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_OVr ble&s;&s;ed Sauiour (Math. 9.) vpon a cure donne to the &s;icke of the pal&s;ie, takethe an occa&s;ion to confute the mai&s;ters of the Iewes, as then mo&s;t eager in the tur|bulency of their witts, to gain&s;ay his prei&s;tly power of remittinge &s;innes here in earth, as he was the &s;onne of man. The which (con|&s;idering their bla&s;phemous &s;peeches again&s;t him, their pretence being, that almighty God onely forgeue the &s;innes) he confutethe very euidently, bothe with &s;ound and grounded rea&s;ons, and with mo&s;t apparant miracles. And although our &s;auiour might haue an&s;we|red the Iewes, that albeit it were admitted, that the power of remittinge &s;innes were &s;o peculiar to God, that it could not be commu|nicated nor done by any any humaine mini|&s;tery, yet notwith&s;tanding he was not to be accu&s;ed of bla&s;phemy, becau&s;e he was the
<PB N="69" REF="38"> true and euer liuinge God, and therfore might and could forgiue and remit &s;innes, where it be&s;t be&s;eemed his diuine and holy plea&s;ure. Howebeit our Sauiour &s;toode not with the Iewes vpon that pointe, but mani|fe&s;tly proued and declared, that that power to remitt &s;innes (which he then exerci&s;ed) was giuen to him as he was the &s;onne of man (marc. 2. luc. 5.) A truthe mo&s;t apparant euen by the other three Euangeli&s;ts; for where they record this fact and di&s;cour&s;e of our Sauiour with the Iewes, they v&s;e preci|&s;ely one forme of woords, namely, that the &s;onne of man hath this power, beinge as it were a parcell of the more generall commi&s;|&s;ion &s;ignified and conteyned in the&s;e woords Iohn. 5. <HI>Omne iudicium dedit filio,</HI> he hath gi|uen all iudgment to the &s;onne.</P>
<P N="2">2. And it is more adui&s;edly to be con&s;ide|red, how that in mo&s;t vniforme and expre&s;&s;e manner it is &s;ett downe in all the holy Euan|geli&s;ts, that that power which was giuen to the &s;onne of man to forgiue &s;innes, was &s;pe|cified here more particularly to be done <HI>(in terra)</HI> in the earthe, that is to be exerci&s;ed here in earthe in vi&s;ible &s;orte by woords, ex|ternall act, outward ceremony, and &s;acra|mentall order, and not onely by Gods inui&s;i|ble grace, &s;upereminent power, &s;ole and ime|diate working. An vndeniable apparance he|reof may be, &s;ith that the holy &s;cripture and
<PB N="70" REF="39"> our Sauiour him&s;elfe in the ca&s;e of bindinge and loo&s;inge &s;pecifieth a double kind of ope|ration: one appertaininge to God, which is called bindinge and loo&s;inge of &s;innes in hea|uen; the other exerci&s;ed by man, which is tearmed binding and loo&s;ing of &s;innes in ear|the. So that our Sauiour keepinge in this place (in controuer&s;y with the Iewes) the &s;ame di&s;tinction and oppo&s;ition (of heauen and earthe) of remittinge in heauen, and re|mitting in earthe, which is done by vi&s;ible and externall woord or action here in this world; chokethe the &s;tiffenecked Iewes, who charged him to v&s;urpe Gods onely office and prerogatiue in remitting &s;innes, and &s;o an|&s;wereth them, that he as man remitteth &s;in|nes in earth, God him&s;elfe remittinge them in heauen,</P>
<P N="3">3. And to knitt vp but the force of our &s;auiours argument and an&s;were here vnto the Iewes, in few woords as may be plainely and truly gathered out of his owne &s;peeches, it may ea&s;ily appeare, that they are able to centeruaile &s;uch exceptions as might be ta|ken again&s;t him, and that &s;uch autority is not lightly to be &s;haken of by euery turbu|lent heade: Fir&s;t then he an&s;wereth, wheras yee, o Iewes, obiect bla&s;phemy vnto my chardge, becau&s;e I forgiue &s;innes, which you &s;ay is proper onely to God, yee mu&s;t vnder|&s;tand thus much, that it is noe le&s;&s;e proper to
<PB N="71" REF="39"> man to woork miracles, then to forgiue &s;in|nes: But I haue made it cleere and manife&s;t vnto your owne eyes, that God hath com|municated power vnto me as man, to work miracles, why then may not he giue me like power al&s;o (as man) to remit &s;innes?</P>
<P N="4">4. Againe, it is noe more bla&s;phemy to &s;ay vnto the &s;inner, thy &s;innes be forgiuen, then to the impotent take vp thy couche and walke. But your &s;elues accompt it noe bla&s;phemy, in &s;ayinge the one, why &s;hould yee then accompt it bla&s;phemy in &s;aying the other? In truth therfore the &s;cope of our Sa|uiours argument again&s;t the Iewes being &s;uch, &amp; his rea&s;o~s &s;o inuincible, did &s;o po&s;e&s;&s;e the minds of the more godlie &s;orte, of the hearers and &s;tanders by, that euen by them it &s;eemed to be an vndeniable apparance, &s;ith they by &s;equel of Chri&s;tes di&s;putation, glori|fied God that gaue &s;uch power to men to re|mitt &s;innes. Which albeit they knewe ap|pertayned to God onely by nataue, yet they well perceiued that it might be donne by mans mini&s;tery in earth to the glory of God. The&s;e true beleeuers referringe that to the in|crea&s;e of Gods honour, which the turbulent Iewes and heretikes did accompt as bla&s;phe|my and mo&s;t iniurious to his &s;acred maie&s;tie.</P>
<P N="5">5. Nowe then (courteou&s;e reader) not to beate again&s;t the harte of all Chri&s;tian do|ctrine, our &s;auiours former di&s;cour&s;e well and
<PB N="72" REF="40"> adui&s;edly con&s;idered, forasmuch as his mini|&s;teriall power and regiment ouer our &s;oules, which he receiued from aboue (as man &amp; as he is prei&s;t &amp; the head of the Church) is the very ground &amp; foundation of all the power of prei&s;thoode exerci&s;ed now in the Catholik Church: &amp; by the force of our Sauiour Chri&s;ts argument and an&s;wer here to the Iewes, may be both plainely and truly gathered, that his prei&s;ts and pa&s;tors of his Church as men, by his mo&s;t holy and &s;acred commi&s;&s;ion, haue noe le&s;&s;e authority to forgiue and remitt &s;in|nes, hauinge committed vnto them the mi|ni&s;tery of reconciliation, beinge noe dero|gation to his glory, Chri&s;te him&s;elfe beinge &s;till the principall woorker, men beinge onely his mini&s;ters and &s;ub&s;titutes, woor|kinge vnder him, and by his commi&s;&s;ion and auctority.</P>
<P N="6">6. For, but to entertaine the &s;ame force of argument with the Prote&s;tants, as our Sa|uiour did with the Iewes, concerninge his Apo&s;tles and prei&s;ts forgiuinge of &s;innes, if it be mo&s;t cleere and manife&s;t, that Chri&s;t hath communicated this power to his Apo|&s;tles to woorke miracles, to rai&s;e the dead, to cure all di&s;ea&s;es, and with their very &s;ha|dowes to woork &s;traunge effects (beinge a like facile and ea&s;y, as to remitt &s;innes) why then &s;hall it be thought as a matter imply|inge impo&s;&s;ibilitie, for his prie&s;ts &amp; pa&s;tors
<PB N="73" REF="40"> (as men) to worke the forgiuen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e of &s;in+nes? Was it impo&s;&s;ible for Nehemias the prei&s;t by thick muddy water (which he drew vpp from a dry pitt, where the fiar of the holie aultar had bene hidd, and &s;prinklinge it vpon the wood, by the &s;unne &s;hininge to kindle a great fiar? And then &s;hall we think &s;uch incongruency of rea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">on, that prei&s;ts &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ors of the holy Apo&s;tles by water of the penitents eyes, their true confe&s;&s;ion and con|trition of harte, to &s;ett fier on the woodd of their &s;innes, and &s;o con&s;ume away the guilt of their &s;innes? Chri&s;t him&s;elfe giuing them the holy Gho&s;t, which is both a fier to pu|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ify, and a breath able to di&s;per&s;e all &s;inne?</P>
<P N="7">7. When the Apo&s;tles (act. 2.) were re|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">leni&s;hed with the holy gho&s;t in fiery toun|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es, pre&s;ently therupon, they began to &s;peak with diuer&s;e languages, as the holy gho&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">en gaue them power to &s;peake. And &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ot we think then, when he gaue them a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ine the holy gho&s;t, &amp; breathed vpon them <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">yinge, who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue are forgi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">en, that by the &s;ame breath, they might as well di&s;&s;olue and remitt &s;innes, as by the &s;ame holy gho&s;t &s;peak with diuer&s;e tounges? What more impo&s;&s;ibility is it for Paules woo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d, who had the woord of reconcilia|tion to forgiue and remitt &s;innes, then for Paules had ketchefe or his napkin laid vpon the &s;ick to cure di&s;ea&s;es. If that Elias, <HI>homo
<PB N="74" REF="41"> pa&s;sibilis &s;imilis nobis,</HI> as S. Iames &s;aith, by the power and virtu of God, could make that it &s;hould not raine vpon the grownd for three years and &s;ix mouthes, for the &s;innes of the people, and if that the &s;ame prophet after the peoples lowely &amp; humbly &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, could effect in like &s;orte by the &s;ame power of God, that the heauen &s;hould &s;end out raine, and the earth his fruite, and &s;oe bind and open heauen for the &s;innes of the people, why may not the prie&s;ts of God to whom is giuen the keyes of heauen, as it were with a &s;pirituall key by the &s;ame power of the holy gho&s;t open heauen, and lett downe the drop|pes of gods ble&s;&s;inges, that euery &s;inner be|dewed therwith, may haue full pardon and remi&s;&s;ion of his &s;innes by the prei&s;ts and mi|ni&s;ters of God? doth not God giue virtu and force to the dead element of water to purge &s;innes in the holy Sacrament of bapti&s;me, and v&s;eth that element as his peculiar in&s;tru|ment, imparting to man remi&s;&s;ion of his &s;in|nes: And why may not Chri&s;t much more v&s;e in the Sacrament of penance to like ef|fect, the office of a man, be beinge a rea&s;ona|ble creature and called to the high office of prei&s;thood, a legate for Chri&s;t, di&s;pen&s;ator of his mi&s;teries and graces? but by the lauer of water in the woord, he clen&s;eth and wa|&s;heth his Church, 1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. Why then may not he al&s;o wa&s;he and clen&s;e our &s;oule from
<PB N="75" REF="41"> the &s;ame filth of &s;inne by prei&s;ts ab&s;olution and his woord, hauinge the woord of recon|ciliation, and to performe the like office in the per&s;on of Chri&s;t as S. Paul &s;aith?</P>
<P N="8">8 But Chri&s;t, hath communicated this power of forgiuing &s;innes to man: for how plaine are the woords of the commi&s;&s;ion gi|uen vnto them. <HI>As my Father &s;ent me, &s;o al&s;o I &s;end you;</HI> therupon geuinge them the holy gho&s;t. In &s;oe much that S. Chri&s;o&s;tome &s;aith. <HI>Pater omnifariam filio pote&s;tatem dedit &amp;c lib.</HI> 3. <HI>de &s;acerdotio.</HI> that is. The father hath giuen al manner of power vnto his &s;onne; but the &s;elfe &s;ame power, I &s;ee giuen of the &s;on|ne to his Apo&s;tles, that as it were tran&s;lated vnto heauen, and placed aboue humaine na|ture, they haue bene exalted vnto this place. Beinge then that his father &s;ent him as man to forgiue &s;innes, he him&s;elfe &s;aying math. 9. that the &s;onne of man hath power to for|giue &s;innes, &s;o al&s;o it followeth, that in their commi&s;&s;ion he giues them the like power. For it is by congruency of all rea&s;on, if that Chri&s;t hath power as man to forgiue &s;inne, and that his father &s;ent him to forgiue &s;innes, &s;endinge therfore his Apo&s;tles as he was &s;ent him&s;elfe, mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be for the gouern|ment of his flock and remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes.</P>
<P N="9">9. Did not Chri&s;t math. 10. giue power vnto his di&s;ciples ouer vncleane &s;pirits, and that they &s;hould ca&s;t them out, curinge all
<PB N="76" REF="42"> manner of di&s;ea&s;es and infirmities, but howe could the Apo&s;tles haue had &s;uch power ouer the diuels, if they could not haue loo&s;ed, that which the&s;e malignant &s;pirits had bownd. Which is the va&s;&s;alage of &s;inne, by which euery &s;inner remaines enthralled vnder the poy&s;e and burden of &s;inne. For it is mo&s;t pro|bable, they had not had power ouer diuells, except they had withall auctority to de&s;troy &s;inne. How con&s;onant is this to that which Chri&s;t &s;aieth Ion. 14. <HI>Amen Amen, I &s;ay to you, he that beleeueth in me, the woorkes that I doe, he al&s;o shall doe and greater then the&s;e;</HI> much more then the beleeuinge Apo&s;tles to whom he gaue &s;o ample and large auctority Ioan. 20. &s;aying. <HI>Take yee the holy gho&s;t who&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nes yee forgiue they are forgiue.</HI> But one woorke that Chri&s;t did, was to forgiue &s;innes as man, therfore why could not the Apo&s;tles doe this, &s;ith he &s;aieth the faithfull &s;hall doe greater things, Chri&s;t and him&s;elfe math. 9. little differencinge, woorking miracles and remitting &s;innes.</P>
<P N="10">10. For the full continuance of this prei&s;tly function of remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes in the church of God, thus much may &s;uffice, that our Sa|uiour &s;aieth math. 28. vnto his Apo&s;tles. Be|hould I am with you all daies euen to the con&s;ummation of the world; not to mi&s;tru&s;t that euer this autority hath cea&s;ed, &s;ith wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h the ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e of the &s;elfe &s;ame hand, he
<PB N="77" REF="42"> hath continually guided and directed his church, en&s;pired his prei&s;ts and pa&s;tors with his holy breath, and iointely concurring with their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, as well in preaching, mini|&s;tringe of the holy Sacraments, and in that high and holy auctority of forgiuinge &s;innes, noe le&s;&s;e then with the Apo&s;tles them&s;elues. By all which it is mo&s;t plaine and euident all auctority power and iudgement is giuen to him as man, and that in like &s;orte he re|&s;igneth ouer his title and right vnto the Apo|&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors as men, whom S. Paule calleth <HI>mini&s;ters of reconciliation,</HI> 2, <HI>cor.</HI> 5. 2. <HI>cor.</HI> 5. legates of Chri&s;t, &amp; doe for|giue in the per&s;on of Chri&s;ts as Ioan 20. ta|kinge the &s;elfe &s;ame commi&s;&s;ion from Chri&s;t receiuing the holy gho&s;t and power to for|giue &s;innes, that who&s;oeuer deny the Apo|&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors the prei&s;ts and pa|&s;tors of gods church, to haue right and law|full power to forgiue &s;innes, deny con&s;eque~t|ly that Chri&s;t man, hath auctority to doe the &s;ame.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THAT THE COMMISSION giuen to the Apostles Ioan 20. to for|giue &s;innes, cannot be meant as the Summe of Confere~ce would haue it, to be an importing of ab&s;olutio~ by prayers and preaching (pag. 8.) but reably an
<PB N="78" REF="43"> ab&s;oluinge and remi&s;sion of &s;innes by power committed to prei&s;ts in the Sa|crament of penance. <HI>THE X. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_AS alwaies &s;uch hath bene the frawde of that euel &s;pirit, which in his illu&s;ions is euer head&s;tronge, to oppo&s;e him&s;elfe a|gain&s;t the expre&s;&s;e woord of God, as in the fir&s;t creation to breed highe tearmes of &s;epa|ration betwixt God and his &s;eruant Eue the weaker ve&s;&s;ell, he &s;o glo&s;ed vpon the woords of God, that he drewe them to a contrary meaninge, leadinge the poore beguiled &s;oule into his conceited humor, that after hir fancy (which euer huntes after &s;elfe content) had once throwely apprehended, that God had but tran&s;lated his &s;peech into the languadge of &s;u&s;picion, grewe more hungry of hir owne delight, &s;tept deeply into a lake of mi&s;ery euen as he would haue it, who was author of that per&s;wa&s;ion. So nowe no le&s;&s;e is he bu&s;ied to &s;owe his tares (as the &s;tate of times nowe &s;tand) to quenche and choke vpp the true &s;pirite of God, to v&s;e all means that wordlings, time-&s;eruers, plea&s;ers of men, may haue with the father of lies <HI>(vt &s;criptum e&s;t)</HI> to &s;trengthen the~&s;elues with either glo&s;&s;e or note again&s;t euery text that is not toothe &s;ome to them, to alter and tran&s;po&s;e it. And
<PB N="79" REF="43"> though the woord of God be plaine and ma|nife&s;t, yet will they con&s;ter it accordinge to conceited meaninge, as the diuell hath in&s;til|led into their harts.</P>
<P N="2">2. In truth the woords of Chri&s;t Iohn. 20. vnto his Apo&s;tles <HI>(who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue they are forgiuen)</HI> if we re&s;pect not that which nature woorketh in vs to haue a loue to our coun&s;els, if we would not be inflamed by others contradiction, if we would not be ready to hack vpon, where there is nothinge to hewe, if we would not vnadui&s;edly take vpon vs to defend by &s;elfe will, where there is a maine carrant of a contrary publick re&s;o|lution, if we would not glo&s;e vpon a text too too plaine and plau&s;ible, and &s;mother the truth with glo&s;ing delu&s;ions, and &s;o feed our opinions, I &s;ay, the woords of Chri&s;t are &s;o cleare and the text &s;o plaine, that it mu&s;t nee|des &s;eeme to be rather veheme~cy of affection, and not the grownd of rea&s;on, which doth &s;till feed the mi&s;conceit of their opinions.</P>
<P N="3">3. Now to follow the feruent earne&s;tne&s;&s;e of our prote&s;tants per&s;wa&s;ion (the &s;ownd|ne&s;&s;e of their rea&s;ons grownded but vpon an auctority of an interpreter) what &s;hould moue me to think, when Chri&s;t gaue his au|ctority Ioan. 20. breathinge the holy gho&s;t vnto his Apo&s;tles, &s;hewinge his commi&s;&s;ion of the &s;endinge of them as he was &s;ent, gi|uinge them in plaine tearmes power to for|giue
<PB N="80" REF="44"> &s;innes, that who&s;e &s;innes they did for|giue are forgiuen, that this auctority is rather exhibited to preach the gho&s;pell, to euange|lize, to denounce ab&s;olution by Chri&s;t then to forgiue &s;inne, &s;ith to preach the gho&s;pell was giuen in an other manner, by other plaine and expre&s;&s;e words as math. 28. <HI>Goinge ther|fore teache all nations,</HI> and Mar. 16 <HI>goinge <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nto the world preache the gho&s;pell to all creatures.</HI> It is therfore, mo&s;t likely that Chri&s;t meant not of preachinge, but of plaine remi&s;&s;ion and forgiuinge of &s;innes, and ther+fore greater rea&s;on to beleeue the catholike prei&s;ts ab&s;olution, then the prote&s;tant mini|&s;ters declaration.</P>
<P N="4">4. S Iohn bapti&s;t did preach pennance to multitude of people, our Sauiour him&s;elfe did preach to the Iewes, the Apo&s;tles S. Pe|ter and S. Paule, preached pennance act. 2. &amp; 26. and yet neither our Sauiour, nor S. Iohn, nor the Apo&s;tles did remitt the peoples &s;in|nes by pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">achings, yea many of the Iewes were more enthralled in the va&s;&s;aledg of &s;in|ne, in that they heard the gho&s;pell and prea|chings of the Apo&s;tles, and did not obei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> it. But this remittinge of &s;innes, wherof our Sauiour &s;peaketh Ioh. 20 was &s;uch, that ther|vpon remi&s;&s;ion in heauen imediatly en&s;ued, therfore the auctority to forgiue &s;innes, wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> more then to preach by Chri&s;t forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes: For is it probable that euer Chri&s;t
<PB N="81" REF="44"> would haue &s;aid vnto his Apo&s;tles to whom &s;o euer you preach penance or forgiue|ne&s;&s;e of &s;inne, that they pre&s;ently &s;hall haue remi&s;&s;ion in heauen. We &s;ee oftentimes, that repentance followes vpon good preachings, and &s;o likewi&s;e vpon many mens and wo|mens good adui&s;e and coun&s;ell, yet were it a paradox and &s;trange manner of &s;peach to &s;ay, that euery man or woman that giueth good adui&s;e vnto his neighbour, or preacheth the gho&s;pell of Chri&s;t, pre&s;ently forgiueth or re|mitteth &s;innes. The forme and phra&s;e of &s;peach of forgiuing &s;innes is v&s;uall in the holy &s;cripture, and there it doeth not &s;ignify preachinge of forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes, but an actuall and reall remi&s;&s;ion, as when Chri&s;t &s;aid to the &s;ick man of the pal&s;ey, to Mary Magdalen Luc. 5. <HI>thy &s;innes are forgiuen thee,</HI> and not &s;oe that I onely preach forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes. And &s;o when Chri&s;t &s;aieth, <HI>Take the holy ghost who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue &amp;c.</HI> all circum&s;tance con&s;idered, as giuinge them the holy gho&s;t, the declaringe of his large and ample commi&s;&s;ion howe he &s;ent them, make a full remon&s;trance, that he imparted vnto them a full power and commi&s;&s;ion to for|giue and remitt, euen as the woords &s;tand, and not to preach onely &amp; declare the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="5">5. When the prophets al&s;o preached to &s;inners to repent them of their &s;innes and to beleeue, and that by the Me&s;&s;ias they &s;hould
<PB N="82" REF="45"> haue remi&s;&s;ion of their &s;innes, who dares &s;ay that euen the&s;e (though they were the be&s;t prophets of God) did by their preachinges pardon, forgiue or remitt &s;innes, yet if wee beleeue our Prote&s;tants, there is noe diffe|rence in the commi&s;&s;ion giuen to the Apo|&s;tles by Chri&s;t, though all the holy doctors of the church of God beleeued, taught and prea|ched, that Chri&s;t gaue to his Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, a farre higher power of for|giuinge &s;innes and reteininge them, then the holy &s;aincts and prophets of God euer had. For in what &s;orte? With what admiration? With what e&s;teeme do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h S. Iohn Chri&s;o|&s;tome rate that high office and dignity of prei&s;thood, that in this re&s;pect he dur&s;t auou|che, that the prei&s;t hath a prerogatiue aboue all earthely princes, which if the keies of the kingdome of heauen committed vnto them, were noe more but a key to preach vnto &s;in|ners forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes by Chri&s;t, and to d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nounce ab&s;olution by him, what ould wife or woman is there not, that hath not this key, which &s;he may and can v&s;e to &s;hut and and open as well as the be&s;t preacher in the loftie&s;t pulpite? Therfore &s;urely this was not &s;o excellent a priuiledg of Chri&s;t giuen by him to S. Peter of a preachinge ab&s;olution, and &s;o prai&s;ed for his notable confe&s;&s;ion, &s;ith euery one ought and mu&s;t do this in the be|halfe of Chri&s;t, which is rather a dutie be|longinge
<PB N="83" REF="45"> to euery Chri&s;tian, then a rewarde for Peter, when euery one hath as good a rewarde that neuer &s;tept &s;oe deeply in Chri&s;ts profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="6">6. Moreouer, If prei&s;ts were not iudge, and &s;ate in con&s;i&s;tory and courte of con&s;cience truly to remitt &s;innes, but onely to preach ab&s;olution and forgiuene&s;&s;e by Chri&s;t, then none &s;hould be condemned onely for this, that he hath not a prei&s;t to reconcile him to God and &s;o ab&s;olue him from his &s;innes. For he that beleeueth (as the opinio~ of the aduer|&s;aries hath) pardon and remi&s;&s;ion, although there be not pre&s;ent that doth declare this ab&s;olution by woord: But S. Augu&s;tin <HI>epi&s;t.</HI> 180. <HI>ad Honoratum</HI> mo&s;t plainely affirmeth, that albeit there be &s;ome that were de&s;ierou&s;e to be reconciled, and therfore beleeuers in Chri&s;t, yet they &s;hall peri&s;he eternally if they perhaps die without the ab&s;olution of a prei&s;t. When Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue they are forgiuen,</HI> he &s;poke not in|diffinitely or generally of all, that all &s;inners &s;hould be forgiuen, but &s;pecially and particu|larly of &s;ome <HI>(who&s;e &s;innes)</HI> that is theirs, whom the prei&s;ts at their tribunales &s;hall ad|iudge to be ab&s;olued and forgiuen. But the gho&s;pell and ab&s;olution by Chri&s;t without exception is to be preached to all, and not to be limited or tied to any. For Marc. vlt. he &s;poake in generall tearmes, preach without
<PB N="84" REF="46"> exception to all, denounce forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes to al, therfore Iohn. 20. Chri&s;t did &s;peak and meant of a particular ab&s;olution and for|giuinge of &s;innes by his appointed prei&s;ts and not of a preachinge ab&s;olution, or de|nunciation by the gho&s;pell to all.</P>
<P N="7">7. For if it be onely a bare declaration, that our &s;innes are forgiuen, this declaration mu&s;t either be ra&s;he, or &s;uperfluou&s;e: for when the mini&s;ter doeth pronounce the&s;e words <HI>(thy &s;innes are forgiuen)</HI> that is, I declare thy &s;in|nes are forgiuen, either he pronounceth this ab&s;olutelie, or onely by &s;uppo&s;ition, that is, if thou beleeue&s;t, or doe&s;t penance as thou oughte&s;t. If he declareth this ab&s;olutely, then doeth he it ra&s;hely, when he is altogether ignorant, whether he that comes for recon|ciliation hath either true faith, or is a &s;inner truly repentant or noe, &s;o far forthe as &s;hal|be &s;ufficient for iu&s;tification. And albeit the mini&s;ter might haue &s;ome notice of it, yet the penitent knowes better then he, in what ca&s;e he &s;tandeth and therfore needs not the mini&s;ters declaration or preachinge ab&s;olu|tion, which can a certaine him noe more of forgiuene&s;&s;e, then he was a&s;&s;ured of be|fore. If it be a conditionall preachinge ab&s;o|lution (as Caluine &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">emeth to admitt) this can not then a&s;&s;ure the penitent, for what needs he grownd him &s;elfe of &s;uppo&s;als, when he is thoroughly a&s;&s;ured better then
<PB N="85" REF="46"> any can tell him, his owne &s;pirite te&s;tifyinge to him, that he is the &s;onne and child of God. Therfore when Chri&s;t &s;aide, <HI>take yee the holy gho&s;t, who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue are forgiuen,</HI> he gaue not auctority for a preachinge ab&s;o|lution, but a prei&s;tly power to forgiue &s;inne, with a prei&s;tly remi&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY CERTAINE CONSIDE|ations and circumstances that Chri&s;t v&s;ed Ioan. 20. as al&s;o by &s;oundry other &s;peeches and actions el&s;e where v&s;ed in the gho&s;pell, is proued the auctority of preists ab&s;olution, hearinge of confe&s;|&s;ions and forgiuing of &s;innes. <HI>THE XI. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_FOr further and manife&s;t demo~&s;tration that this &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t of all deadly &s;innes donne and commit|ted after bapti&s;me, was in&s;tituted and com|manded by our Sauiour Chri&s;t, it &s;hall ap|peare mo&s;t plainely by the circum&s;tances wel con&s;idered, when Chri&s;t after his re&s;urre|ction gaue this auctority and power vnto his di&s;ciples. For our Sauiour entringe into the holy action of in&s;titutinge the wonderfull power of prie&s;thood heere in earth, con&s;i|&s;tinge in remittinge &s;innes (a &s;econd and
<PB N="86" REF="47"> next &s;peciall faculty to that of offeringe the holy &s;acrifice, the cheefe and principall fun|ction of prei&s;thood giuen at his la&s;t &s;upper) addre&s;&s;ed all his woords, &s;peeches, ge&s;turs and actions with regard of time and place, in &s;uch &s;orte as euery circum&s;tance hereof may be as a maine &s;inewe, from whence a &s;upera|bondance of proofe in per&s;wa&s;ion of this ca|tholik doctrine may arri&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. Fir&s;t therfore euen &s;ome littell &s;pace be|fore he gaue them the holy gho&s;t, he v&s;ed this preamble, <HI>Peace be to you.</HI> Which woords albeit he had &s;poken before and v&s;ed them diuer&s;e times, yet nowe entringe into a newe deuine action, to prepare their harts to grace, he giues a newe peace, in regarde he was to ordaine and in&s;titute a courte, a con&s;i&s;tory &amp; &s;eat of iudgment in his church, and to appointe his Apo&s;tles and their &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ors iudges, to &s;ettle and determine all cau&s;es of con&s;cience, to make peace betwixt God and man: therfore he giues them peace, that they &s;hould be peace makers to make and &s;hutt vp peace in earth. <HI>In terra pax ho|minibus bonae voluntatis:</HI> to conclude peace but with &s;uch as are of a good and perfect will. Our Sauiour therfore in due con&s;idera|tion, re&s;pectinge the great lo&s;&s;e and damage that euery &s;inner purcha&s;eth by committinge a deadly &s;inne, as fir&s;t a depriuinge of gods mo&s;t graciou&s;e ble&s;&s;inges and endowements
<PB N="87" REF="47"> of grace, as al&s;o a lo&s;&s;e of charity and loue of God, a lo&s;&s;e of title and intere&s;t to the king|dome of heauen, a lo&s;&s;e of tranquillity and quietne&s;&s;e of mind, with all the graciou&s;e ble&s;&s;ings comforts and con&s;olations of the holy gho&s;t, in &s;o much that vntill that ble&s;&s;ed hower he repents, and becommeth reconci|led with almighty God, he remaines for euer condemned and cancelled out of the booke of life, therfore with his Apo&s;tles he begin|neth with peace, in&s;titutinge them peacema|kers, to make attonement and peace. Peace betwixt God and man, peace betwixt man and angels, peace betwixt man and man, peace betwixt heauen and earth, peace of body and &s;oule, peace of mind and con&s;|cience, and an eternall peace with re&s;toringe againe euery abandoned &s;inner to former gra|ces, and fruition of gods mo&s;t graciou&s;e fa|uours, that thus in peace with the author of all peace, they may re&s;t in peace in expecta|tion of all eternall bli&s;&s;e and happine&s;&s;e. Wherfore this twi&s;e giuinge of peace, ar|gueth &s;ome great and deuine action that he was then peculiarly to effect.</P>
<P N="2">2. By the commi&s;&s;ion then giuen vnto the Apo&s;tles for comparinge commi&s;&s;ion with commi&s;&s;ion, &s;endinge with &s;endinge, and that in as ample and large manner he &s;ends his Apo&s;tles as his father &s;ent him, and fol|lowinge no late vp&s;tart expo&s;ition, but euen
<PB N="88" REF="48"> S. Chri&s;o&s;tomes owne interpretation, that is, as the father gaue to his &s;onne, <HI>Omnifariam pote&s;tatem. l.</HI> 3. <HI>de &s;acerd.</HI> all manner of po|wer, &s;o Chri&s;t the &s;onne gaue in as ample manner, <HI>Omnifariam pote&s;tatem,</HI> all manner of power to his Apo&s;tles, wherfore Chri&s;t hauing this auctority as man, and he &s;ending them as his father &s;ent him, and as S. Chri&s;o|&s;tome &s;aieth, made diuine and cele&s;tiall, and as it were tran&s;lated to heauen, and rai&s;ed aboue all humane power and nature. <HI>Ad principatum i&s;tum producti &s;unt,</HI> are brought vnto this preminence, this high and &s;upreme power, to forgiue and remitt &s;innes. Ther|fore &s;ithence this power the &s;onne of man hath of his father to forgiue &s;innes in earth, was neuer abridged or taken away; it dureth &s;till in the &s;acraments, &s;ith Chri&s;t &s;aieth he &s;ends them as his father &s;ent him: Which ar|gueth a full likelyhood in the mi&s;&s;ion, and to the woorking of like effects.</P>
<P N="3">3. The ceremony which our Sauiour v&s;ed in breathing vpon them, can not be but a rea&s;on auayleable inough to drawe on a far|ther per&s;wa&s;ion. For as at the creation by breathinge he made man a liuinge creature: &s;o by breathinge at our regeneration he would make man a &s;anctified &s;oule. In &s;oe much that after Chri&s;t had giuen them peace, and &s;hewed his commi&s;&s;ion, and withall committed vnto them auctority, noe le&s;&s;e
<PB N="89" REF="48"> powerfull then was to him allotted in his holy mi&s;&s;ion, he breathed vpon his Apo&s;tles wherby he &s;ignified rather that he would giue power to forgiue &s;innes, then either au|ctority to preach or force or courage to teach. For as Chri&s;t act. 2. gaue the holy gho&s;t in forme of tonges, becau&s;e he gaue them then the guift of preachinge, &s;oe heere Ion. 20. he gaue them the holy gho&s;t by breathinge, that as the fiery tounges &s;ignified feruour and burninge zeale to preach &s;o breathinge vpo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> them no le&s;&s;e pre&s;uppo&s;eth and &s;pecifieth &s;ome other di&s;tinct office and peculiar fun|ction, which nothing can better demon|&s;trate, then the full forgiuene&s;&s;e and remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;inns: that is, that by the breath of his prei&s;ts, &s;inne &s;hould be extingui&s;hed and di&s;|&s;olued, alludinge to that of the prophet E&s;ay 44. &s;peaking thus in the per&s;on of God. <HI>De|leui vt nubem peccata tua.</HI> And truly Chri&s;t by his incomprehen&s;ible wi&s;dome, in this woork of mans iu&s;tification, thought no le&s;&s;e this ceremony of breathinge to be regarded, then when he fir&s;t created man: for as there God breathed into his no&s;thirles the breath of life, and made man a liuinge &s;oule, &s;o Chri&s;t breathinge, would againe &s;anctify man, by breathinge into him by his prei&s;ts, the &s;pirite of grace, that is, he that was by breathing created, by breathinge after fallen &s;hould in like manner be againe re&s;tored.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="90" REF="49">4. The geuinge of the holy Gho&s;t vnto his Apo&s;tles, in &s;uch manner and &s;orte, can not but leade any indifferent mynd vnto this opi|nion: for as Saint Augu&s;tine, <HI>q. noui te&s;ta|menti q. cont. Par. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 11. noteth no man may now doubt of prie&s;ts remittinge of &s;yn|nes, &s;einge the holy Gho&s;t is giuen them to doe the &s;ame, and beinge alwayes gods mo&s;t graciou&s;e &s;pirit, which worketh, effecteth and forgeueth by the prei&s;ts, as by his effec|tuall in&s;truments. And as Chri&s;t oftymes co~|municated the holy gho&s;t by diuer&s;e and &s;oundry waies, &s;o he did it to peculiar and &s;e|uerall e&s;tats: &s;o that geuinge the holy gho&s;t in vi&s;ible tounges to preach and teach, by like euidence giuinge the holy gho&s;t by vi&s;i|ble breathinge (Chri&s;t him &s;elfe &s;ayinge to forgiue &s;innes) cannot but yeld a full exhibi|tion of auctority and power to remitt and for|giue &s;innes. For if we do but well con&s;ider without any further circum&s;tance or &s;equele in Chri&s;tes woords, the contribution of the holy gho&s;t, beinge alway intended to mo&s;t high and wonderfull effects, he mu&s;t giue it as no doubt he did, to as &s;traunge and mira|culou&s;e act namely the pardoninge and for|geeuinge of &s;innes. For con&s;ideringe what it is to be reconciled with God and his &s;innes cancelled and razed out with a full a&s;&s;urance of pardon and remi&s;&s;ion, can not be but the ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e of that holy &s;pirit, which woor|kes
<PB N="91" REF="49"> by his prei&s;ts &s;o great and wonderfull effects.</P>
<P N="5">5. A fift, and that a mo&s;t euident con&s;ide|ration may be vpon the plaine woords of Chri&s;t, &s;ayinge directly. <HI>Who&s;e &s;innes yee shall forgiue they are forgiuen.</HI> Nowe the text beinge &s;o euident and manife&s;t, what iu&s;t rea&s;on haue we then to entertaine any deui&s;ed glo&s;&s;es, in &s;o well ioyned and certaine &s;peeches? For a&s;much as the&s;e are the woords of Chri&s;t the &s;onne of God, and euery woord of God proceedeth from the harte of God, importinge the full intention and ab&s;olute will of God; It had greatlie bene vnbe&s;ee|minge the wi&s;dome of God, that from &s;o &s;in|ceer and plaine a harte, &s;hould haue procee|ded &s;o double an intention and ob&s;curity by plaine woords, as though by his meaninge he had intended one thinge, and by woords deliuered another. Againe our &s;oule alwaies &s;eeketh certainty and truth in all things, nei|ther can it willingly brooke any deceaueable &s;tile, becau&s;e the vnder&s;tandinge (which is in the &s;oule) coueteth not to be po&s;&s;e&s;t with vncertainties, but &s;hunninge all re&s;tle&s;&s;e le|uity, loueth to diue mo&s;t deeply into the plaine and &s;ownd truth. It is then mo&s;t re|qui&s;ite, that the woords of Chri&s;t be certaine without doublene&s;&s;e, plaine without ob&s;cu|rity, which he in ca&s;es of &s;aluation vtters vnto man: for els the vnder&s;tandinge &s;hould
<PB N="92" REF="50"> be deceiued, or at lea&s;t doubting and waue|ring of the true and &s;incere meaning. Chri&s;t is a light, therfore his &s;peeches mu&s;t enligh|ten vs, not confound vs; he is a waie, ther|fore to teach vs the true pathes, and not to drawe vs into vncoth trodds; he is truth it &s;elfe, and therfore not to deceiue vs with any doublene&s;&s;e or guile. He therfore &s;peakinge vnto his Apo&s;tles in &s;o plaine tearmes, the &s;peech manife&s;tinge the intention and will, it is mo&s;t probable, that he intended that which he &s;poke, and &s;poke not that which he neuer intended.</P>
<P N="6">6. Moreouer Chri&s;t by his eternall wi&s;do|me and foreknowledge, knewe that many would mi&s;con&s;ter his woords, &amp; in the &s;hade of woords, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e euery mans braine with their &s;peciall deui&s;ed mi&s;teries. If then Chri&s;t had not &s;poken here as he mea~t or intended, he him&s;elfe &s;hould haue ben author of great &s;candall and offence, that might ari&s;e in the church, giuinge &s;uch occa&s;ion by his &s;peech of the maintenance of &s;o great bla&s;phemy, as prei&s;ts to forgiue and remitt &s;innes, &s;ith it is mo&s;t likely and carries greate&s;t rea&s;on, that mo&s;t men would beleeue that &s;oone&s;t, which they &s;ee and heare plainely &s;poken, &s;ooner I &s;ay then that which is darkely, &s;ecretly, and couertly meant. For though the harte be the mouthes &s;olliciter, yet is the mouth the harts interpreter.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="93" REF="50">6. A &s;ixt circum&s;tance may be, con&s;ide|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">inge the very actions and ge&s;tures (be&s;ides <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he woords of Chri&s;t-as al&s;o at what time he gaue this commi&s;&s;ion vnto his Apo&s;tles. And to con&s;ider the woords alone (albeit they be powerfull enough) yet becau&s;e woords, are common, and doe not &s;o &s;trongely moue the fancy of man alone, but for the mo&s;t part are &s;leightly hard, therfore here we &s;ee the &s;in|guler wi&s;dome of our Sauiour Chri&s;t, who as in all other deeds of men, which are made in pre&s;ence of wittne&s;&s;es, doe pa&s;&s;e not onely with woords, but al&s;o with certaine &s;en&s;ible actions, the memory wherof is far more ea&s;y and durable, then the memory of &s;peeches alone, &s;oe in this deed of &s;urrendring ouer his commi&s;&s;ion, he did not onely plainelie vtter by expre&s;&s;e woords, but liuely &s;ignify by &s;en&s;ible actions and deeds of breathing which to a minde di&s;po&s;ed to cauill, might haue &s;eemed but a folly and toy, had not his in&s;earching wi&s;dome intended a mo&s;t holy action, and &s;ome great and &s;ecret mi|&s;tery. Againe re&s;pectinge the time when he &s;pake the&s;e woords, and gaue this commi&s;|&s;ion (as mo&s;t plainly by the euang<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">li&s;t is &s;ett downe) can not but remoue all contrary opi|nion, and lead vs as it were by the hand into the way of truth: for Chri&s;t &s;poke not this, nor gaue this commi&s;&s;ion, when he was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hrewded vnder mortalities mantell, but
<PB N="94" REF="51"> after his gloriou&s;e re&s;urrection, when the tyme was pa&s;t to &s;peak in parables and darke &s;entences, when it was not time to fraught the heads of his Apo&s;tles with doubtful que|&s;tions, when it was time to leaue of learning, &s;ith God had left of teaching.</P>
<P N="7">7. A &s;euenth rea&s;on may be, fora&s;much as math. 16. the keyes of heauen were com|municated to Peter, accordinge to that of S. Cyprian epi&s;t. 73. To Peter fir&s;t of all, vpon whom our Lord built the church, and from whom he in&s;tituted and &s;hewed the begin|ninge of vnitie, did he giue the keies. But keies are not made or giuen, to &s;ignifie that the doore is open, or the gate not &s;hutt, but as meanes to open and &s;hutt, to lock and loo|&s;e. This &s;ignification of penitence and aucto|rity by the woord (keies) the &s;cripture ma|nife&s;teth in many places, namely &s;peakinge of Chri&s;t to this effect; <HI>I haue the keies of death and hell</HI> that is, the rule &amp; full power, and againe, <HI>I will giue the keie of the hou&s;e of Dauid vpon his shoulder;</HI> as al&s;o apoc. 3. <HI>who &s;o hath the keie of Dauid, he shutteth and noe man openeth.</HI> Wherfore it is mo&s;t euident that by the iudgment of all, is vnder&s;tood by keies, a true and ab&s;olut power to open and &s;hut, proper and not &s;ignificatiue. Sithence then Chri&s;t hath communicated his keies to his Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, in &s;o much as to rea&s;on but by way of compari&s;on, as
<PB N="95" REF="51"> noe man can enter into a hou&s;e the doores <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eing &s;hut, except he hath the keies to vn|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ck, and &s;uch like in&s;truments to open the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ores: &s;o when heauen gates are bard and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ckt to euery &s;inner, the~ can he not enter but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y the prei&s;ts keies, to whom they are com|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">itted to open, and to make an ingre&s;&s;e and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e entrance for euery &s;inner. Nowe then if <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ere &s;hould be any other by-pa&s;&s;adge, then <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ad the&s;e keies bene giuen in vaine, for what <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uaileth it to haue the keies of doores, which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ither &s;tand wide open, or els are &s;eldome or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">euer &s;hutt; wherfore as S. Augu&s;tine &s;aith <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">om. 48. Lett noe man &s;ay to him&s;elfe, I deale <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ecret<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y, I deale with God (as much to &s;ay I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aue a keie be&s;ids the prei&s;ts keie) for to them was it &s;aid without cau&s;e, what you &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oo&s;e in earth, &s;halbe loo&s;ed in heauen, why <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hen without cau&s;e were the keies giuen to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he church of God: <HI>Fru&s;tramus euangelium, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ru&s;tramus verba Chri&s;ti.</HI> we make void the gho&s;pell and words of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="8">8. Another rea&s;on may be, fora&s;much as S. Paule &s;aith 2. Corinth. 5. that Chri&s;t hath giuen his pa&s;tors the mi&s;tery of reconcilia|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion: for God indeed was in Chri&s;t reconci|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ing the world to him&s;elfe, not imputing to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hem their times, and hath putt in vs the woord of reconciliation, for Chri&s;t therfore we are legates. Nowe if God by his &s;onne did reconcile man from his &s;innes, and forgiue
<PB N="96" REF="52"> &s;innes, and Chri&s;t hauinge put the woord of reconciliation into his Apo&s;tles, it mu&s;t fol|lowe needes, that this reconcilinge is the &s;elfe &s;ame power giuen (Iohn. 20.) to remit and forgiue &s;innes, God approuinge their cen&s;eure, and loo&s;inge in heauen, what they loo&s;ed in earth, Againe being legates for Chri&s;t, it is according to rea&s;on, that &s;uch as are &s;ent as the kinges legates, with power to reconcile his enimies, as here the Apo&s;tles commi&s;&s;ion is, they can not well di&s;charge their duety except they haue full notice, and vnder&s;tand thoroughlie euery particuler of|fence, what the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and fault was, and how often committed. Wherfore this legacy and power of reconcilinge, importeth a power withall to knowe di&s;tinctly euery offence, and &s;o to heare their confe&s;&s;ions, &amp; con&s;equently to reconcile the delinquents.</P>
<P N="9">9. But becau&s;e &s;ome may &s;urmi&s;e &amp; graunt perhaps, that the Apo&s;tles onely might haue, and had &s;uch like auctority onely for that time, yet limited in &s;uch &s;orte that as with them it had his beginninge, &s;oe wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h them in like manner it had his endinge; To &s;uch &s;uppo&s;als, it may be plainely an&s;wered out of S. Math. 28. where Chri&s;t &s;aieth, <HI>that he wilbe with them all daies, euen vnto the con|ummation of the world,</HI> which is mo&s;t truly verified, as he gaue the Apo&s;tles this preemi|nence and prerogatiue, &s;oe in like &s;orte he
<PB N="97" REF="52"> hath di&s;tributed the&s;e his graces, priuiledges, and preeminences vnto the Apo&s;tles &s;ucce&s;|&s;ors, and by them vnto the right and true prelates of his church &s;ucce&s;&s;iuely, to teach, to preach, bapti&s;e, ab&s;olue from &s;innes, and admini&s;ter the holy rites and mi&s;teries of his church. Wherfore if Chri&s;t (a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Ion 20.) gaue power to his Apo&s;tles to forgiue &s;innes, and math 28. promi&s;ed a co~tinence of being, a&s;&s;i&s;|ting, guiding, and directing vnto the wolrds end, it mu&s;t con&s;eque~tly followe (they being circumferenced within the co~pa&s;&s;e of &s;ome fewe years) that he meant by the &s;ame ble&s;|&s;edne&s;&s;e of his hand to guid the pa&s;tors and rulers their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, euen till the con&s;um|ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion and end of all. And to an&s;wer tho&s;e that thinke after the Apo&s;tles, all power be|came fru&s;trate, becau&s;e it was giuen in pre|&s;ence, and not to their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors in ab&s;ence, con&s;ider but how S. Thomas got this power <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd prerogatiue beinge then ab&s;ent, at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ommi&s;&s;ion giuen vnto the Apo&s;tles; If, I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ay, S. Thomas beinge not pre&s;ent &s; as the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uangeli&s;t writeth, and therfore the woords <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ot vttered vnto him in per&s;on, had as full <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">reeminence and power, to doe all thinges <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hat then Chri&s;t chardged his ten Apo&s;tles, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ea in as ample and large manner, as al&s;o S. Mathew, Barnabas, Timothy, and Tytus, who were ordered by S. Paule, and Paule <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m &s;elfe, of whom S. Ambro&s;e noteth, l. 1.
<PB N="98" REF="53"> de Penit. c. 16. that he did remit &s;inns without all derogation to Chri&s;ts royal per&s;on, why &s;hall not we iu&s;tly thinke, that all power and the &s;elfe &s;ame, is giuen &s;ucce&s;&s;iuely, and con|tinued in pa&s;tors and true prelates, euen for euer?</P>
<P N="10">10. To conclude then, in the Apo&s;tles there can be no lack towching this prie&s;tly office, for the execution wherof, thy receiued both Chri&s;tes commi&s;&s;ion, and the holy &s;pi|rit of God afterwardes. In Chri&s;t there can be no default, who was well able to giue, and indeed did giue the holy gho&s;t. In the holy gho&s;t there can be noe lett or lack, who&s;e power is infinite, and is very properly to re|mitt &s;innes. All things &s;tandinge on &s;o &s;afe and &s;ecure grownds, the geuer, the gift, and the receiuers competent; the time, the place, and manner an&s;werable; the woords, the commi&s;&s;ion, the power, plaine and ab&s;olute, can not but demon&s;trate vnto vs, the full au|ctority of prei&s;ts ab&s;olution and forgeuinge of &s;innes. Wherfore all circum&s;tances con&s;i|dered, if a man &s;hould aske a prei&s;t, how he dare to be &s;o bould, as to exerci&s;e any of the&s;e high functions vpon Chri&s;tes woords, he may make this an&s;wer; I bapti&s;e, becau&s;e all power is giuen to Chri&s;t. I remitt &s;innes, and I ab&s;olue becau&s;e in my mini&s;tery Chri&s;t practi&s;eth daily all the&s;e functions; In his power I am become a lawefull woorker of
<PB N="99" REF="53"> all the&s;e actions, that are &s;o proper to Chri&s;t him &s;elfe. Wherfore, &s;aieth S. Augu&s;tin (tract. 4. 56,) it was Chri&s;t that bapti&s;ed, &amp; that had moe di&s;ciples then S. Iohn, &amp; yet Chri&s;t bapti&s;ed not, but his di&s;ciples onely.</P>
<P N="11">11. Well then, thus I inferr; That power and commi&s;&s;ion which was giuen to Chri&s;t by his heauenly father, concerninge remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;innes, was giuen to his Apo&s;tles at his departure: but Chri&s;t him &s;elfe did truly, effectually, and in proper forme by his fa|thers &s;endinge and commi&s;&s;ion, as man re|mitt &s;innes: Ergo the mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t doe and may, truly remitt &s;innes. Or thus; As Chri&s;t was &s;ent of his father, &s;o are the Apo|&s;tles &s;ent by Chri&s;t: but Chri&s;t was &s;ent to forgiue &s;innes: Ergo the Apo&s;tles were &s;ent to forgiue &s;innes. Againe what&s;oeuer the holy gho&s;t may doe in this ca&s;e, and by the power of his God head, that may the Apo|&s;tles and prei&s;ts doe by &s;eruice and mini&s;tery, through the power of the holy gho&s;t which they receiued: but the holy gho&s;t rightly re|mits &s;inns: therfore the Apo&s;tles in like &s;orte, truly and rightly remitt &s;innes. Soe hereby it followeth that Chri&s;t is the cheefe mini&s;ter, according to his manhoode of all our recon|cilement to God, and for him as mini&s;ters, the Apo&s;tles their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, the bi&s;hops and prei&s;ts of his church (in whom the woord of reconcilement, as well by mini&s;tringe of
<PB N="100" REF="54"> &s;acrifice and &s;acraments for remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in|nes, as by preachinge and gouernement of the church to &s;aluation) ar placed; who&s;e ab|&s;olution and remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, is to vs, as if Chri&s;t him &s;elfe did remitt and forgiue; their ab&s;olution and remi&s;&s;ion, beinge Chri|&s;tes owne pardon, their whole office, beinge nothing els, but the vicar&s;hip of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY COMPARING THIS SA|cramentall confe&s;sion, with the figures in the ould lawe, by which it was pre|figured, is &s;eene manifestly, that there is more accorde with catholikes auri|cular confe&s;sion, then with the prote|stants preaching ab&s;olution. <HI>THE XII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_ALL the holy rits and Sacraments of the Chri&s;tian catholique church, and &s;pecially &s;uch as were of greate&s;t nece&s;&s;ity, haue not onely bene &s;pecified in the woord of God, but fir&s;t of all &s;hadowed in the lawe of nature and written lawe of Moy&s;es, and &s;o prefigured and foretould, then promi&s;ed by Chri&s;t, after in&s;tituted, then frequented, and generally receiued in the church of God. So was bapti&s;me in the lawe of na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ure in a &s;orte prefigured by the arke of Noe: and cir|cumci&s;ion,
<PB N="101" REF="54"> in the written lawe, by the pa&s;|&s;adge ouer the water of the redd &s;ea, and by the poole probatica. But the lawe of grace approching, it was more &s;ignificantly expre&s;|&s;ed by the bapti&s;me of Iohn, <HI>Ioan.</HI> 3. <HI>math. vlt</HI> after promi&s;ed of Chri&s;t, then comman|ded, and la&s;tly in the acts of the Apo&s;tles per|formed and practi&s;ed, and in continuall v&s;e to purify and &s;anctify our &s;oules, by the &s;acred water and lauer of our regeneration.</P>
<P N="2">2 In the &s;elfe forme and manner hath con|fe&s;&s;ion beine &s;hadowed by tipes and figures, expre&s;&s;ed as well in the lawe of nature, as in the holy ordinances and commands in Moy|&s;es lawe; Which after, Chri&s;te (knowinge the vility of our humaine nature, the thral|dome and bondage of &s;inne) expre&s;ly gaue in a more ample manner vnto his Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, ouer and aboue the au|ctority and preeminence, the legale prei&s;ts euer had, ab&s;olutely to ab&s;olue from &s;innes here in earth, which &s;hould fully be e&s;tabli|&s;hed and ratified aboue in heauen, before the tribunall &s;eate of God. If now confe&s;&s;ion fi|gured, and in figure was in&s;tituted of God to be exactely and diligently ob&s;erued in the old lawe, and &s;o continually practi&s;ed from time to time, that in the daies of S. Iohn Bap|ti&s;t (&s;uch a religiou&s;e e&s;teeme the Iewes had therof) they went to confe&s;&s;ion, and decla|red their &s;innes, as it had beine practi&s;ed Le|uit.
<PB N="102" REF="55"> 5. and Numb. 5. (all which confe&s;&s;ions were but as tipes and figures of tho&s;e confe&s;|&s;ions, which were to be ordained in the church, to be made vnder the hands of the prei&s;ts and pa&s;tors, to whome all auctority &s;hould be giuen) much more then ought confe&s;&s;ion apointed to be in the law of Chri&s;t (&s;ith there can be no rea&s;on alleadged, why it &s;hould be abrogated) be in as high e&s;tee|me, in as great valor and force, as euer the prefigured confe&s;&s;ion was, by the expre&s;&s;e command and lawe of God. For if confe&s;&s;ion was &s;o nece&s;&s;ary before the legale prei&s;ts, and that God would that they &s;hould confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes vnto a man albeit power was not then giuen to forgiue &s;innes, is it not then more likely and greater rea&s;on, that confe&s;|&s;ion &s;hould be continued in the new lawe, beinge nowe more requi&s;ite that &s;inners &s;hould be attoned with God, and by this &s;a|cramentall manner, to offer vp the &s;innes tre&s;|pa&s;&s;e, to make re&s;titution for the tre&s;pa&s;&s;e committed, and this to be donne by the prei&s;ts, to whom Chri&s;t had delegated this preeminence before the legale prei&s;thoode to haue the holy gho&s;t, and &s;oe to ab&s;olue re|mittt and forgiue &s;innes. It followeth then to &s;ett downe the figures, and in what &s;orte the catholik auricular confe&s;&s;ion, and prote|&s;tant mini&s;ters preachinge ab&s;olution, hath mo&s;t true re&s;emblance and corre&s;pondence.</P>
<PB N="103" REF="55">
<P><HI>The figeure of confe&s;sion in the ould lawe. How this figeure is fulfilled in the catholique church in the new law. How it is verified in the prote&s;tants congregation.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In Moy&s;es law, they went to confe&s;&s;ion man and woman, who&s;oeuer had tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed Leuit. 5.</P>
<P N="1">1. In the catholick church all go to confe&s;|&s;ion to the prei&s;ts that haue &s;inned, man or woman.</P>
<P N="1">1. Emonge prote&s;tants, none goe to con|fe&s;&s;ion, how great &s;oeuer the &s;inne be.</P>
<P N="2">2. In Moy&s;es law, they confe&s;&s;ed if they had committed any &s;inne, what&s;oeuer a man doeth.</P>
<P N="2">2. The catholicks confe&s;&s;e euery &s;ecret &s;in|ne how enormiou&s;e and greate &s;oeuer it be.</P>
<P N="2">2. The prote&s;tants, will open noe &s;ecrett &s;innes.</P>
<P N="3">3. In Moy&s;es law, if the prei&s;t annointed, did &s;inne, he was attoned againe by the prei&s;ts. Leuit. 4.</P>
<P N="3">3. One catholick prei&s;t goeth to confe&s;&s;ion to another, and is ab&s;olued by a prei&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. No mini&s;ter goeth to confe&s;&s;ion to a|nother for reconciliation.</P>
<P N="4">4. In Moy&s;es law he that &s;inned in any of the&s;e things, confe&s;&s;ed that he had &s;inned in that thinge particularly, and not by a maner of a generall confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the catholick church all &s;innes in par|ticuler
<PB N="104" REF="56"> are confe&s;&s;ed di&s;tinctly with their cir|cum&s;tances aggrauatinge the &s;inne. <HI>Audita varietate peccatorum,</HI> &s;aith S. Hierom.</P>
<P N="4">4, Emonge the prote&s;tants, the numbring of &s;innes is needle&s;&s;e, and &s;oe they accomp it.</P>
<P N="5">5. In Moy&s;es law, for this and this &s;inne, they brought the tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offering, according as the &s;inne required.</P>
<P N="5">5. In the catholick church, they giue their tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offeringe by praier, fa&s;tinge, almes deeds more or le&s;&s;e, as they be enioyned.</P>
<P N="5">5. The prote&s;tantes, haue noe tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offeringes.</P>
<P N="6">6. In Moy&s;es law, they were bounde to goe to confe&s;&s;ion by gods expre&s;&s;e com|mandment.</P>
<P N="6">6. In the catholick church, confe&s;&s;ion is by commandment of Chri&s;t, and therfore euery one bound there to.</P>
<P N="6">6. The prote&s;tants, will not haue confe&s;|&s;ion to be <HI>iure diuino</HI> though Caluine graun|teth i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> an auncient cu&s;tome, yet they, will haue it free to doe as they li&s;t.</P>
<P N="7">7. In Moy&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> law, the oblation or &s;acrifice was, as it were a certaine &s;atisfaction for &s;innes.</P>
<P N="7">7. In the Catholick Church, after confe&s;|&s;ion there is penance enioyned &amp; &s;atisfactio~.</P>
<P N="7">7. The prote&s;tants admitt noe penance, noe &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="8">8. In Moy&s;es law after confe&s;&s;ion they
<PB N="105" REF="56"> mu&s;t re&s;tore againe the hurte they had done, and giue the fift parte more vnto him whom they haue tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed, and if there be none &s;uch to re&s;tore vnto, nor any of his, lett the tre&s;pa&s;&s;e be made good vnto our Lord.</P>
<P N="8">8. In the catholick churche after confe&s;|&s;ion, they are bound to re&s;titution. <HI>Non di|mittitur peccatum ni&s;i re&s;tituitur ablatum,</HI> and &s;o to be re&s;tored to the owner to whom the iniury was donne. If it can not conue|nientlie be donne, then is the tre&s;pa&s;&s;e made good to our Lord, as the rulers of the church &s;hall appoint.</P>
<P N="8">8. The prote&s;tants, regard not re&s;titution, nor how ill &s;oeuer the goods be gotten, doe they make them tre&s;pa&s;&s;e good, nether to god nor man.</P>
<P N="9">9. In Moy&s;es law, the &s;inner laid his hands vpon the head of the ho&s;te, and that betwixt his hornes, confe&s;&s;inge his &s;innes.</P>
<P N="9">9. In the catholick church, the penitent laies his hands vpon the ho&s;te that is his &s;in|nes and &s;infull, deeds vpon Chri&s;t, and that betwixt the hornes of iu&s;tice and mercy: and al&s;o the prei&s;t laieth his hands vpon the pe|nitents heade.</P>
<P N="9">9. The prote&s;tants, laie too much vpon Chri&s;tes backe, and nothing vpon their owne.</P>
<P N="10">10. In Moy&s;es law, the penitent confe&s;&s;eth his &s;innes in mo&s;t humble manner, and &s;oe wihall acknowledgeth, that the ho&s;te being
<PB N="106" REF="57"> before him to be &s;acrificed, that it was him|&s;elfe a &s;inner that ought to haue bene killed and &s;acrificed for his &s;inne which he commit|ted, thus and thus, and that he hath de&s;erued to be &s;laine, &s;toned and burnt.</P>
<P N="10">10. In the catholick church, the penitent kneeleth and &s;o humbleth him&s;elfe before God and his gho&s;tly father, holdeth downe his head for &s;hame, not daring to looke vpp to heauen, knockes his bre&s;t as taking reueng of the harte by which it was wrought, knits his hands as if he &s;hould &s;ay, o Lord &s;uffer not my hands to be bound, and &s;o to be &s;ent into outwarde darkene&s;&s;e, behould Lord I haue bound them my &s;elfe, I am ready for blowes &s;tripes, woords, reuenge do with me what thou wilt.</P>
<P N="10">10 The prote&s;tants, regard noe &s;uch cere|monies, for knocking, kneeling, praying, fa|&s;ting, or &s;uch like humilitie.</P>
<P N="11">11. La&s;tly in Moy&s;es law, the prei&s;t makes an attonement with God for the &s;inner, and for his &s;innes committed, as appeareth in the places cited.</P>
<P N="11">11. In the catholike church, the prei&s;t ma|kes an attonement reconciling the &s;inner to God by forgeuing his &s;innes, by the auctority committed to him. Ioan. 20.</P>
<P N="11">11. The prote&s;tant, hath no power to make attonement, nether doth he. If it be onely to declare ab&s;olution by Chri&s;t, this all
<PB N="107" REF="57"> the people can doe, but attonement is a thing belonging to the prei&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>The figure of confe&s;sion in Moy&s;es lawe. The verifyinge of this figure in the lawe of Chri&s;t. The lack of corre&s;pondence emonge the prote&s;tants.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In Moy&s;es law, the leper in the day of his clen&s;inge is brought vnto the prei&s;te. and the prei&s;t goeth out of the ho&s;te and lookes vpon him.</P>
<P N="1">1. The penitent or &s;inner commeth before the prei&s;t (who goeth out with him) that is &s;eque&s;tred from company, lookes vpon his &s;ores and heares his confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="1">1. There is no &s;uch &s;earching, or goinge out with the prote&s;tants, for their penitents.</P>
<P N="2">2, In Moy&s;es law, the remnant of oyle that is in the prei&s;ts hands, he powers vpon the head of him that is to be clen&s;ed.</P>
<P N="2">2. The prei&s;t after confe&s;&s;ion, laies his hands (annointed with holy oile) vpon the penitentes head.</P>
<P N="2">2. The mini&s;ters, haue no con&s;ecrated hands to laie vpon their penitents heads.</P>
<P N="3">3. In Moy&s;es law, the prei&s;t &s;hall iudge the &s;ore cleane, and it &s;halbe cleane.</P>
<P N="3">3. In the law of Chri&s;t, what the prei&s;t iudgeth fitt to be forgiuen, is forgiuen.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Mini&s;tery hath noe practi&s;e of any &s;uch iudgement.</P>
<P N="4">4. In Moy&s;es law, the prei&s;t &s;hall &s;hutt
<PB N="108" REF="58"> him vpp for &s;eauen daies.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the catholick church, the prei&s;ts bindes the penitent to a prefixed time to performe penanec.</P>
<P N="4">4. They haue noe binding of penitents.</P>
<P N="5">5. In Moi&s;es law, the prei&s;t &s;hall kill the lambe for the tre&s;pa&s;&s;e, and the prei&s;t &s;hall take of the blood.</P>
<P N="5">5. In the catholike church, the prei&s;t &s;a|crificeth the lamb of God, offers it vpp, &amp; ta|keth of the blood for the remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes.</P>
<P N="5">5. The prote&s;tants, haue no &s;acrifice or or killing of the lambe.</P>
<P N="6">6. In Moy&s;es law, he that is clen&s;ed &s;hall wa&s;he his clothes, &s;haue off all his haire, and wa&s;he him &s;elfe in water, that he maie be cleane.</P>
<P N="6">6. In the catholike church, the penitent mu&s;t tend to all purity of body and &s;oule, &s;hedd teares, do penance, weare heirecloth, and put away all &s;uperfluities, that his &s;innes may be forgiuen.</P>
<P N="6">6. The prote&s;tants, doe noe penance, or any other action &s;atisfactory to God.</P>
<P N="7">7. In Moy&s;es law, the prei&s;t that maketh the leper cleane, &s;hall bring him before our Lord, euen before the doore of the taberna|cle of wittne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="7">7. In the catholike church, the penitent dares not pre&s;ent him&s;elfe before the ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament, til he be proued before the prei&s;t,
<PB N="109" REF="58"> who bringes him vnto it.</P>
<P N="7">7. The prote&s;tants, bouldly without any approbation, come to their communion.</P>
<P N="8">8. In Moy&s;es law, the prei&s;t &s;hall offer the &s;inne offeringe, and make an attonement for him that is vncleane, and to be clen&s;ed for his vncleane&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="8">8. In the catholick church, the prei&s;t ma|kes an attonement for &s;inne, ab&s;oluinge the penitent from it.</P>
<P N="8">8. The prote&s;tant Mini&s;tery makes noe at|tonement.</P>
<P N="9">9. In Moy&s;es law, they brought their offe|ringe which was as part of their &s;atisfaction, and if the party were poore, and could not gett &s;o much, he &s;hould take a lambe for a tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offeringe.</P>
<P N="9">9. In the catholick church, they make a tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offering for part of &s;atisfaction: offer vpp the lambe Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, and in his blood wa&s;he away our &s;innes by his prei&s;ts ab&s;olu|tion.</P>
<P N="9">9. Prote&s;tants haue noe tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offering, or part of &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="10">10. In Moy&s;es law, they did &s;earch, into euery thinge of the leper euery &s;carre euery blemi&s;he, view the couler, the bounches, bi|les, and other tokens of that di&s;ea&s;e, before he was pronounced that he was cleane of the lepro&s;y, and who not.</P>
<P N="10">10. In the catholick church, they &s;earch
<PB N="110" REF="59"> and knowe euery particular &s;inne, euery cir|cum&s;tance what&s;oeuer, before he ab&s;olueth the penitent.</P>
<P N="10">10. They &s;ee not, nor &s;earch not, into the &s;innes of the people.</P>
<P N="11">11. In Moy&s;es law, if the lepro&s;ie wax rawe againe, they repaire againe vnto the prie&s;t.</P>
<P N="11">11. In the catholick church, if any &s;inner fall againe, they goe againe to the prei&s;ts to confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="11">11. In the prote&s;tants religion there is noe &s;uch repaire to the prei&s;ts.</P>
<P N="12">12. La&s;tly, the leper in the ould law, &s;hall haue his head bare, and &s;hall cry, I am vnclea|ne, in &s;igne of &s;orrowe and lamentation.</P>
<P N="12">12. In the catholick church, the penitent kneels barehead, and cries. <HI>Peccaui,</HI> at his gho&s;tly fathers thrice &s;aying feet. <HI>Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.</HI></P>
<P N="12">12. Noe &s;uch &s;ignes of penance emonge&s;t the prote&s;tants.</P>
<P>That this was a figure of confe&s;&s;ion to be fulfilled in the lawe of Chri&s;t, both S. Chri&s;o|&s;tome in his 3. booke of prie&s;thood, as al&s;o S Ierome in the 15. chapter of S. Mathew af|firme, wherupon S. Herome doeth infert con&s;equently, that prei&s;ts in the law of Chri&s;t may, and ought, to know the variety of &s;in|nes. S. Chri&s;o&s;tome lib. 3. de &s;acerd. declareth that the office of Chri&s;t in prei&s;ts, is of farre
<PB N="111" REF="59"> greater excellency, then the prei&s;thood of the Iewes, &s;ith the prei&s;ts of the ould law, did not cure the lepro&s;y, but declare that it was cu|red; But catholick prei&s;ts, doe not onely de|clare that the &s;innes are cured, but by their auctority, doe cure them indeed.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY THE PRACTISE OF confe&s;sion in the law of Moy&s;es, before exacted of God in the law of nature, as al&s;o the practi&s;e thereof in the law of grace, beinge approued by the do|ctrine of the holy fathers, with the vni|uer&s;al practi&s;e of gods church in all ages, is proued the verity of Auricular confe&s;sion. <HI>THE XIII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THe greate&s;t a&s;&s;urance generally with all men, is that, which we haue by plaine &s;ight and intuitiue behouldinge; Now where this faileth them, which way greate&s;t pro|bability leadeth, or euidency of demon&s;tra|tion doth carry, thither the mind geueth hir full a&s;&s;ent. In &s;o much as it is not required, nor can be exacted at our handes, that we &s;hould yeld our a&s;&s;ent vnto any thinges, but vnto &s;uch, as do an&s;were the euidency ther|of. I do not wi&s;he thee (gentle reader) to
<PB N="112" REF="60"> lend thy beleefe farther, then thou &s;halt &s;ee proofe out of &s;cripture to giue a&s;&s;urance vnto thee. And becau&s;e &s;cripture may be allead|ged plentifully, yet hath &s;male &s;tre~gth vnle&s;&s;e it auoutch the &s;elfe &s;ame thinge for which it is brought. And albeit we may cite for one thinge fiue hundred &s;entences out of holy writt, what warrant is there, that any one of them doeth meane truly the thinge for which it is alleadged? Being therfore that each controuerti&s;t, is not to make his cau&s;e by his owne expo&s;ition, I will not &s;o wholy rely at this time vpon &s;cripture ab&s;olutely, as I &s;hall quote and expound it my &s;elfe, but vpon &s;cripture as it hath bene taken, expoun|ded, and taught in all ages, by the graue&s;t, learned&s;t, and holie&s;t men. Therfore though it &s;hall &s;eeme &s;omewhat teadiou&s;e vnto thee to read what I &s;hall &s;et downe, yet I hope I &s;hall giue thee &s;ufficient light for the truth of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, by &s;ettinge downe, euen from the fir&s;t begininge of the world, the be|gininge of confe&s;&s;ion, and execution of it in the lawe of nature, the expre&s;&s;e command therof in the lawe of Moy&s;es, the exhorta|tion thereunto by the wi&s;e&s;t in that age, by the practi&s;e of it in that Interim betwixt the ould and new lawe, and after the in&s;titution of Chri&s;t to his Apo&s;tles to forgiue &s;innes, with the practi&s;e therof euen fro~ their times vntill nowe, which is aboue 1600. yeares.
<PB N="113" REF="60"> And for the better methode, I will fir&s;t al|ledge the places of &s;cripture, and then &s;how how it was expounded by all, And after whe~ I &s;hall come to the in&s;titution of Chri&s;t, I will in like &s;orte &s;ett downe the doctrine of the Apo&s;tles, the doctrine of the church, practi&s;e therof continually from time to time accor|dingly. Which when thou &s;halt reade &amp; &s;ee; iudge I pray thee, accordingelie.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Confe&s;&s;ion and the practi&s;e thereof in the law of nature, exacted of Adam and Eue. <HI>Gen. 3.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Ha&s;t thou not eaten of the tree wherof I comanded thee that thou &s;houlde&s;t not eate?</P>
<P>Adam &s;aith, the woman gaue me of the tree, and I did eate. The woman &s;ayd, the &s;er|pent deceiued me and I did eate.</P>
<P>Vnto the woman he &s;aid in multiplying I will multiply the &s;orrowe. Vnto Adam he &s;ayd. Cur&s;ed is thy grownd for thy &s;ake, in &s;orrowe &s;halt thou eate of it, all the dayes of thy life.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Confe&s;&s;ion al&s;o exalted of Cain. <HI>Gen. 4.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Where is thy brother Abel? What ha&s;t thou donne? Caine &s;aid, mine iniquity is greater, then that I may de&s;erue pardon</P>
<P>Now therfore cur&s;ed &s;halt thou be vpon the earth, which hath opened hir mouth and receiued thy brothers blood at thy hand. When thou &s;halt till it, it &s;hall not yeld to thee hir fruite. A rogue and vagabond &s;halt
<PB N="114" REF="61"> thou be vpon the earth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The opinion of the Fathers, what they thought of Confe&s;sion in the law of nature.</HEAD>
<P>Here after a manner confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes is figured, in &s;o much as God, fir&s;t of Adam and Eue, then of Caine exacts a maner of confe&s;&s;ion of their &s;innes, which confe&s;|&s;ion thus made, is not a confe&s;&s;ion only from the har<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e, but in mouth al&s;o; neither was it a generall acknowledgement, but a particu|ler confe&s;&s;ion; neither was it to God alone, but before his deputy and mini&s;ter, for this demaund was made by an angell, who ap|pea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed in the &s;hape and figure of a man, as is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uident by that he walked in paradi&s;e, <HI>ad auram post meridiem.</HI> Wherby we may vn|der&s;tand, that there is great &s;imilitude be|twixt this confe&s;&s;ion, and that which is now v&s;ed to a prei&s;t, who is al&s;oe <HI>Angelus Do|mini</HI> Malach. 2. in a &s;orte deified, and made partaker of gods nature, to woorke gods owne office, as a deified order (as S. Ambro. lib. de Sacerdo. learmes it) the office of the prei&s;t, being the office of the holy gho&s;t.</P>
<P>In &s;o much as Tertullian. li. 2. contra Mar|cionem. writeth. (wheyghinge &s;eriou&s;ly this figure of confe&s;&s;ion) that god doth here ex|act of them their deeds, makinge tryall of mans free will in a cau&s;e of denyall, or open confe&s;&s;ion, wherby he might either freelie confe&s;&s;e his fault, and &s;o be helpt and relee|ued,
<PB N="115" REF="61"> or freely deny it, and &s;o aggrauate it &amp; be puni&s;hed. All thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> beinge donne to giue vs example to confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, rather the~ to deny them, that euen here, in the begin|ninge of the world, the euangelical doctrine might begin. The like teacheth S. Ambro&s;e lib. de paradi. c. 14. &amp; li. 1. de Cain &amp; Abel. S. Gregory, Greg. c. 22. in his morals. S. Chri|&s;o&s;tome vpon Gene&s;is Hom. 18. Who lik|wi&s;e vnder&s;tands this place of confe&s;&s;ion, &s;ig|nifyinge thus much, that god would wre&s;t as it were a confe&s;&s;ion out of them; <HI>Vt con|fe&s;&s;ione delerent, quod transgrediendo commi|&s;erant;</HI> that they might blot out that by con|fe&s;&s;ion, which they by tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion had co~|mitted. Wherupon S. Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 37. &s;peakinge of the pennance of Adam, decla|reth how that by the coueringe of his body with figgie leaues (&s;ith among other leaues he might haue had his choi&s;e of more &s;oft &amp; &s;mooth, which might haue le&s;&s;e mole&s;ted his bodye) he made this rough &amp; &s;martinge ha|bite to teare and tawe his skinne. <HI>Condignum inobedientiae amictum,</HI> a condigne habite for his di&s;obedience, hereby beatinge downe the wanto<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne&s;&s;e of his fle&s;he. And perhaps here|vpon this example grew in cu&s;tome, that the penitents did afflict their bodyes, keep vnder and &s;ubdewe their fle&s;h <GAP DESC="foreign"> as (as S. Paule &s;ayeth. <HI>I cha&s;tice my body</HI> with
<PB N="116" REF="62"> hayre-clothe and a&s;hes. Wherupon Adam confe&s;&s;inge and humblinge him&s;elfe, god in the multitude of his mercyes chaunged his &s;harpe habitt of rugged figge leaues, vnto dead be&s;ts skinnes, by indulgence and pardo~.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Confe&s;&s;ion in the lawe of Moy&s;es: and fir&s;t the pre&s;cript or command of confe&s;&s;ion in the ould lawe <HI>Num. 5. ver&s; 5.6.7.8.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And our Lord &s;pake to Moy&s;es &s;aying. Speake to the children of I&s;rael. Man or wo|man when they &s;hal do any of all the &s;innes, that are wount to chance to men, and by ne|gligence haue tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the commande|ment of the Lord and haue offended. They &s;hall confe&s;&s;e their &s;inne and re&s;tore the prin|cipale it &s;elfe, and the fift parte ouer to him, again&s;t whom they &s;inned. But if there be none to receiue it, they &s;hall giue it to the Lord, and it &s;halbe the prei&s;ts, the ramme of atonement excepted, wherby he &s;hall make an atonement for him.</P>
<P>By this is euident 1. that God commanded the children of I&s;rael, to confe&s;&s;e their &s;in|nes. 2. not to God alone, but to his deputy the prei&s;t 3. in particuler that the prei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t may knowe his tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, any &s;inne what&s;oe|uer man v&s;eth to committ. 4 by their con|fe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, the prei&s;t knoweth their &s;innes, wherby he enioynes them to make re&s;titution of the principale, and moreouer of the fift parte. 5. for lacke of the partie in|iured,
<PB N="117" REF="62"> or any his kinne, the prei&s;t in our Lords <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ame (who&s;e mini&s;ter he is) hath the dam|madge. 6. the prei&s;t (after confe&s;&s;ion and &s;a|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">isfaction) doeth make an atonement with God for his &s;innes committed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The like manner of confe&s;singe &s;atisfyinge and and offeringe vpp of &s;acrifice for &s;inne. <HI>Leuit. 5. ver&s;. 5.6.13.</HI></HEAD>
<P>When he hath &s;inned in any of the&s;e thin|ges, he &s;hall conf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e that he hath &s;inned in that thinge, therfore &s;hall he bringe his tre&s;|pa&s;&s;e offeringe vnto the Lord for his &s;inne committed: And the prei&s;t &s;hall make an at|tonement for him concerninge his &s;inne in one of the&s;e points, and it &s;halbe forgiuen him: and ver&s;. 13. the remnant &s;halbe the prei&s;tes. Here it is plaine 1. that the &s;inner &s;hall confe&s;&s;e tho&s;e &s;innes he hath commit|ted, that is wherin he hath tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed 2. he &s;hall bringe his tre&s;pa&s;&s;e offeringe for &s;atis|faction, euery one more or le&s;&s;e as he is able. 3 the prei&s;t after confe&s;&s;ion reconcileth him. 4. by the prei&s;ts meanes the &s;inne is forgiuen, 5. the prei&s;t for his labour hath his rewarde.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The opinion of the Rabbimes and &s;ome prote|&s;tants concerning confe&s;sion in Moy&s;es law.</HEAD>
<P>God here in Moy&s;es law in&s;tituteth and ap|pointeth confe&s;&s;ion, that &s;uch as had tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ed and offended in any &s;inne, greuou&s;e enormity, or &s;uch offences which are mo&s;t commonly incident to man, that then fourth
<PB N="118" REF="63"> with, they &s;hould confe&s;&s;e them to the prei&s;t, and bringe their &s;inne offeringe, beinge as it were a manner of &s;atisfaction. And truly this may be a mo&s;t &s;ownd and grownded euidence for the nece&s;&s;ity of confe&s;&s;ion in the lawe of grace; For if this confe&s;&s;ion which was but a tipe and figure of another to co|me, could not be omitted, but by tran&s;gre&s;|&s;inge gods expre&s;&s;e commandment; how much more think wee that confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould be nece&s;&s;ary in the lawe of Chri&s;t, and that in a farre more eminent and pow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ull &s;orte? For if God thought it good then for his chil|dren, for their humiliation, and ob<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eyninge remi&s;&s;ion for their &s;innes to confe&s;&s;e them to the prei&s;t, and &s;o to &s;ati fie for them, and make re&s;titution for better gouernement of his people, how much more then is it now nece&s;&s;ary, the like rea&s;ons &s;tandinge for it, e&s;pecially Chri&s;t hauing enlardged the prei&s;ts au<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hority? Albeit Kemnitius 2. p. exa. pag 984. will noe way admit that the Iewes made any particuler con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;&s;ion, but all in general when they brought their &s;acrifice to to the prei&s;t for any &s;inne, delict, ignorance or contu|macy. <HI>Non exigebatur,</HI> &s;aith he. <HI>vs pecca tum illud in sp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">cie &amp; &s;igillatim cum omnibus circum&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tij<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;acerdoti exponerentur.</HI> It was not exacted at their hands to tell euery &s;un|dry &s;inne, with their circum&s;tance, yet Pau|lus Phagius an other prote&s;tant in his com|mentaries
<PB N="119" REF="63"> vpon the Thargum or Caldy para|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hra&s;is vpon the&s;e woords Leuit: 5. <HI>(and he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hall confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne)</HI> affirmeth that the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">onfe&s;&s;ion of the Iewes, was in mo&s;t particu|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er &s;orte, and thus he &s;etteth downe the ma|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er. 1. The &s;inner laid his hands vpon the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ead of the ho&s;te which was to be &s;acrificed; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd that betwixt his two hornes. This donne <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hen he vttereth the&s;e woords. I be&s;eech thee O Lord, I aske mercy O Lord, I haue &s;inned and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed thy lawes, I haue donne vniu&s;tly and haue offended before thy de|uine Maie&s;tie <HI>(&s;ic &amp; &s;ic fe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i)</HI> here he tells how and in what &s;orte and what &s;innes, &s;o and &s;o haue I &s;inned, behould o Lorde it re|pents me, that euer I committed &s;uch like. I am a&s;hamed of my woorkes, I will neuer committ the like againe, or retourne to the like &s;innes to offend: hee any more. This was the maner of the Iewes confe&s;&s;ion, which they in their languadge calle <HI>Confe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">si<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ver+borum</HI> Confe&s;&s;ion of woords, which was donne after a &s;olemne manner, and confe&s;|&s;ion by certaine woords. The Hebrewes ge|nerally held this opinion, and did acknow|ledge, that their &s;acrifices and oblations were littell auayleable, except therunto were ad|ioyned penance, &s;ati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">faction, &amp; confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;inne: for hereby their &s;innes were expia|ted and forgiuen, and they clen&s;ed according as is &s;aid Numb. 5. They &s;hall confe&s;&s;e their
<PB N="120" REF="64"> &s;innes which they haue committed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>Confe&s;&s;ion comanded.</HI> Leuit. 16 ver&s;. 29.30.</HEAD>
<P>So this &s;halbe an ordinance for euer vnto you. The tenth day of the &s;eauenth month you &s;hall humble your &s;oules. For that day &s;hall the prei&s;t make an a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tonement for you to clean&s;e you: yee &s;halbe cleane f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">on al your &s;innes before our Lord. Where note fir&s;t, the Iewes mu&s;t humble their &s;oules by fa|&s;tinge and &s;uch like affl ction, which was in a manner, penance for their &s;innes. 2. the prei&s;t makes an attonement for them. clen|&s;inge them from their &s;innes before God.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The forme of the high preists confe&s;sion. <HI>Le|uit. 16. ver&s;. 21.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And Aaron &s;hall put both his hands vpon the heade of the liue goate, and confe&s;&s;e ouer him all the iniquities of the children of I&s;rael, and all their tre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pa&s;&s;es in all their &s;innes. Here note, if this was but a generall confe&s;&s;ion made by the high prei&s;t of all &s;innes of the people, yet &s;till forgiuene&s;&s;e came by confe&s;|&s;ion and by the prei&s;t 2 if it were not a parti|cular relation of their &s;innes, how could the high prei&s;t declare them, excepte they had confe&s;&s;ed them vnto him, telling their ini|quities all in particular?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The auctority of prei&s;t, in the ould lawe tou|chinge lepers beinge a figure of prei&s;ts in the new law, to purge the lepro&s;y of the &s;oule which is &s;inne. <HI>Leuit. 14. ver&s;. 19.</HI></HEAD>
<PB N="121" REF="64">
<P>This is the law of the leper in the day of his clen&s;inge, he &s;halbe brought vnto the prei&s;t. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">vid: to iudge of him, and the prei&s;t &s;hall offer the &s;inne offeringe, and make an attonement For him that is to be clen&s;ed. Note 1. this is a figeure of our &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion. 2. the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">udgement therof is onely referred vnto the prei&s;ts. 3. the prei&s;t makes an atonement for him with God 4. this was approued by our Sauiour, when he &s;aid to the leeper (Math. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.) <HI>goe shew thy &s;elfe to the preist</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The iudgement of the Rabbines and prote&s;tants touchinge confe&s;sion and &s;atisfaction in the ould law.</HEAD>
<P>Aben Er&s;a noteth vpon this place. <HI>Et alle abitis animas ve&s;tras,</HI> that wher&s;oeuer wee <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd in the &s;cripture humblinge of the &s;oule <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a the&s;e expre&s;&s;e tearmes, that there is ment <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">reat fa&s;tinge and cha&s;ti&s;ement. In &s;o much <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">at Paulus Phagius, in paraphrag. Calde. in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">p. 16. Leuit prope finem. aduerti&s;eth, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is affliction or humility that the Iewes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ould v&s;e, was to ab&s;teine from all &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ings, which might delight the body, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eat, drinke, annointinge, wa&s;hinges, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">turall copulation, &s;pecially vpon that day <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hen the high prei&s;t &s;hould confe&s;&s;e their &s;in|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s and offences, which was in parte of &s;a|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">faction for their &s;innes.</P>
<P>And as touchinge that of Num. 5. <HI>Lett <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes,</HI> concerninge &s;atis|faction
<PB N="122" REF="65"> and re&s;titution thus this Phagius wri|teth, &s;ettinge downe a double manner of re|&s;titution. The fir&s;t a &s;imple re&s;titution, that is when a man hath taken any thinge away by force or violence, and of his owne accorde will giue it back againe, then he is to re|&s;tore, but by &s;imple re&s;titution. The &s;econd, is, if that he &s;ware fal&s;ely, and being con|uicted that he tooke the goods away, he &s;hall re&s;tore the capitall, and moreouer the fift parte of that good, becau&s;e he hath &s;worne, and &s;o he ought to bringe it with his &s;acrifice and then make his confe&s;&s;ion, which the Ie|wes call. <HI>Confe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">sio <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters">r peccato &s;ingulari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> a Confe&s;&s;ion vpon a &s;ingle &s;inne, becau&s;e is other &s;acrifices they made but onely a gene|rall confe&s;&s;ion of their &s;inne. Now in that the Iewes did offer vpp a &s;acrifice, a bea&s;t which was to be &s;laine, by this bea&s;t they vnde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">+&s;tood the &s;inner, for when it was brought t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be &s;laine, then &s;ay they euery &s;inner ough<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to thinke with him&s;elfe, as though he him+&s;elfe had beine brought to be &s;acrificed an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;laine for his &s;innes, and thus to make hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> confe&s;&s;ion. O Lord I am guiltie of death fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> my greeuou&s;e offen&s;es and &s;innes. It is I tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> haue de&s;erued to be &s;toned for this &s;inne. I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> I that am worthy to be &s;laine for my tran<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">+gre&s;&s;ion. It is I that haue de&s;erued death, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to be burnt for this my greeuou&s;e enom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> now hes vpon the back of this po<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="123" REF="65"> bea&s;t. Wherby may be &s;eene the harty con|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rition and confe&s;&s;ion of the Iewes for their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">innes.</P>
<P>Nowe what the Rabines mo&s;t commonly <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aught of this confe&s;&s;ion, and what the man|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er and cu&s;tome was, is plaine enough by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">heir owne te&s;timonies, to be &s;eene in Bere|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eth Ketana vpon the&s;e woords Genes. 49. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uda te confite<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">untur.</HI> And that is that con|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;&s;ion of which is written by the holy gho&s;t. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b. 15. Tho&s;e that are wi&s;e will confe&s;&s;e and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eclare and will not hide their &s;innes, <HI>a patri <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us &s;uis,</HI> from their fathers, that is their &s;pi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tuall fathers.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Practi&s;e of confe&s;sion in the ould lawe. The confe&s;sion of Achan to God and to Io&s;ue c. <HI>7.19.20.25.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Then Io&s;ue &s;aid vnro Achan. My &s;onne <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ue glory to the Lord God of I&s;rael and con|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e, and tell me what thou ha&s;t donne, hide <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">not. And Achan &s;aid. Indeed I haue &s;in|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d again&s;t the Lord God of I&s;rael, and thus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d thus haue I donne. And Io&s;ue &s;aid, be|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e thou ha&s;te troubled vs, the Lord &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uble thee this day. Here is fir&s;t a co~fe&s;&s;ion <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> God and Io&s;ue. 2. a particular confe&s;&s;ion, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us and thus. 3. &s;atisfaction and puni&s;hement for the &s;inne.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Confe &s;&s;ion of Dauid to Nathan <HI>2.</HI> Reg. <HI>12.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Then &s;aid Dauid vnto Nathan, I haue &s;in|ned again&s;t the Lord God. And Nathan &s;aid
<PB N="124" REF="66"> vnto Dauid. The Lord al&s;o hath put away thy &s;inne thou &s;halt nor die How beit for this deed, the child that is borne vnto thee &s;hall &s;urelie die. Here God v&s;eth Nathan, as his mini&s;ter, to bringe Dauid to the acknowled|ginge of his &s;inne. 2. Dauid confe&s;&s;eth his &s;inne, not onely to God but al&s;o to Nathan, albeit he had not power to ab&s;olue him. 3. puni&s;hement is laid vpon Dauid, for penance and &s;atisfaction,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>An exhortation to ob&s;erue the pre&s;cript manner of confe&s;sion in the ould law. Eccle&s;ia&s;t. <HI>4.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>26.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Be not a&s;hamed to confe&s;&s;e thy &s;innes, and &s;ubmitt not thy &s;elfe to euerie man becau&s;e of &s;inne.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The opinion of the Rabbines and others concer|ninge the confe&s;sion of Achan and cu&s;tome of the <HI>Iewes</HI> to confe&s;&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much then as Io&s;ue exacteth a con|fe&s;&s;ion at Achans hands, by the interpretation of the Rabbines, it appeareth that by this his confe&s;&s;ion, his &s;inne was forgiuen and remit|ted him. For &s;ay they, con&s;ideringe that which was &s;poken in the &s;ame place Ios. 7. As thou ha&s;t troubled vs, &s;o our Lord trouble thee in this day. In this day thou art trou|bled, but thou &s;halt not be troubled in the day to come; they acknowledge &s;atisfaction in this life by that trouble which he &s;u&s;teined here on earth; Which God did accept as &s;a|tisfactory
<PB N="125" REF="66"> in heauen. Read the Sanedrim of Ieru&s;alem, and that chapter which beginneth. Nigmar Haddyn, vpon the&s;e woords. <HI>Omnis confitens habet p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tem in futuro &s;aeculo.</HI> Euery one that confe&s;&s;eth hath a parte in the world to come. Wherfore Io&s;ue exacted this confe&s;&s;ion to confe&s;&s;e to God and to him, for remi&s;&s;ion and pardon of his &s;inne.</P>
<P>Moreouer to enter further into the&s;e Rab|bines who then be&s;t could interpret the law, and knewe then the cu&s;tome, how it was practi&s;ed touchinge confe&s;&s;ion, read but the booke called Yoma, that is the booke of daies in the chapter Yoma Hakipparim, their plainlie Rabby Hama declareth, after what manner the Iewes &s;hould make their confe&s;|&s;ions. For &s;aieth he, euery one that hath tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ed, in tran&s;gre&s;&s;inge. <HI>Nece&s;&s;e e&s;t vt &s;in|gullatim exprimat pecca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a &s;ua:</HI> that it is fitt and nece&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ry, that euery &s;inner, declare his &s;innes in particular one by one.</P>
<P>To this agreeth well that which Thomas Walden&s;is recordeth, of the cu&s;tome then emonge the Iewes, which he knewe, by them that then liued in Au&s;tria As al&s;o S Ambro|&s;ius witne&s;&s;eth in his &s;umme 3. tit. 14. c. 6. &sect;. 1. that it was accu&s;tomed emonge the lear|neder Iewes, to confe&s;&s;e all their &s;innes to &s;ome one leuite or other, if they could po&s;|&s;ibly gett him before their death. Read Gala|tinus, who proueth by many te&s;timonies,
<PB N="126" REF="67"> that the Iewes ought to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes in particular. <HI>De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">egere peccatum in specie &amp; cum &s;uis circum&s;tantijs.</HI> Euery particular &s;inne, with euerie circum&s;tance. Now touchinge the confe&s;&s;ion of Dauid to Nathan Kemnitius exam. concil. Trid. p. 908. goes very farr, and yett a prote&s;tant, who graunteth, that in the penance of the ould te&s;tament, there was both contrition, confe&s;&s;ion, and in a &s;orte &s;a|tisfaction, with power to forgiue &s;innes, as to Mary the &s;i&s;tar of Moy&s;es, and &s;o to Dauid, for God after reconciliation, impo&s;ed vpon them certaine cha&s;ti&s;ement for &s;atisfaction: and moreouer, Nathan did ab&s;olue Dauid contrite and confe&s;&s;inge.</P>
<P>But mo&s;t agreable with rea&s;on it is, &s;ith Ie&s;us the &s;onne of Sirack, bids vs not be a&s;ha|med to confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, that this &s;hame is in re&s;pect of confe&s;&s;inge to man, and as it is in the auncient and true tran&s;lations, and in many of the prote&s;tants, that we &s;hould not &s;ubmitt our &s;elues in confe&s;&s;inge of &s;inne to euery man: wherby may be noted, that we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e them to &s;uch as haue power and auctority, and by whome &s;hame may come: for to confe&s;&s;e to God, what &s;hame cau&s;eth it? for where there is noe &s;hame to comit them, as littel &s;hame there is to con|fe&s;&s;e them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Practi&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">f confe&s;sion in that interim, betwixt the ould lawe and the geuinge of the new. Math. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> Mark <HI>1.</HI></HEAD>
<PB N="127" REF="67">
<P>And they were bapti&s;ed of him (vid. of Iohn) in the riuer of Iordane, confe&s;&s;ing their &s;innes. Where note 1. confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes. 2. in particular and not in generall. 3. vnto S. Iohn Bapti&s;t, and not to God alone. 4. bap|ti&s;me and confe&s;&s;ion di&s;tingui&s;hed. Mo&s;t trew it is, that a certaine confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes was here v&s;ed vnto S. Iohn in that penance which he preached, and to be performed before they were bapti&s;ed, wherby it is euident, that S. Iohn as well taught that doctrine, which was commanded in the ould lawe Leuit. 5. of confe&s;&s;inge &s;innes, wherupon the people re&s;orted vnto him confe&s;&s;inge and declaringe their &s;innes, as al&s;o makinge away and prepa|ratiue to the entrance of the Sacrament of penance, to confe&s;&s;e, &s;atisfy, afflict the body, humble the &s;oule by fa&s;tinge and prayer, which afterward was to be in&s;tituted by Chri&s;t, in &s;uch &s;orte as Iohn did bapti&s;e to prepare the way in the like manner to that holy Sacrament of bapti&s;me. And for as much as it is &s;aid confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes, it is not vnder&s;toode that they confe&s;&s;ed in general tearmes, that they were &s;inners, tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, highely offendinge the maie&s;tie of God, but that they confe&s;&s;ed in particular their &s;innes and not to be &s;inners onely, as noe doubt the Iewes as yet were ob&s;eruant of their lawes, though they were defectiue in many things, and therfore comminge to confe&s;&s;ion and de|claring
<PB N="128" REF="68"> their &s;innes, what may be gathered el&s;e, but that they did as the ordinance was Nuber. 5. or as Achan did, confe&s;&s;ing thus and thus, or that if they had &s;inned in any thinge, they confe&s;&s;ed that thinge, that is their &s;innes, deeds, and acts, as Leuit. 5.</P>
<P>Now that S. Iohn doeth exhorte them to penance, or to doe penance, for &s;oe readeth al antiquitie namely S. Ciprian often, Epi&s;t. 52.13 and S. Augu&s;tin confe&s;&s;. c: 12. and &s;o it is v&s;uall in the new te&s;tament, to &s;ignifie per|fect repentance, which hath not onely con|fe&s;&s;ion and amendment, but harty contrition and &s;orrow for the offence, and moreouer pai|nefull &s;atisfaction for the &s;inne, and thus S. Ba&s;il q. 288. (Ba&s;il &s;erm. in hom. a greek do|ctor calleth the Niniuites repe~tance with hai|recloth and a&s;hes: and what this fruite woor|thy of penance is, that the phari&s;ies &s;hould yeld, S. Ierome vpon the &s;econd of Ioel de|clareth to be, fa&s;tinge, prayer, almes, and &s;uch like; which kind of interpretation to doe penance, Beza vpon this place mi&s;liketh vt|terly, becau&s;e it fauoureth &s;atisfaction for &s;in|ne, for &s;uch penalties are to much again&s;t the the haire.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Chri&s;t as man forgeueth &s;innes in this Interim Math <HI>9</HI> ver&s;. <HI>2.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Haue a good harte &s;onne thy &s;innes are for|giuen thee. Where Chri&s;t not as God, but as man forgeueth &s;innes. 2. he forgeueth &s;innes
<PB N="129" REF="68"> as head of the Church, and our cheef Bi&s;hop and prei&s;t accordinge to his manhoode. 3. he doeth it in re&s;pect of that power which was giuen him in heauen and in earth, all which power he gaue to his Apo&s;tels and their &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ors.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The mi&s;like that the &s;cribes had at Christ, as he was man, to forgiue &s;innes ver&s;. <HI>3.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And behoulde certaine of the &s;cribes &s;aid within them &s;elues, he bla&s;phemeth, becau&s;e he &s;aid, thy &s;innes are forgiuen.</P>
<P>Where note that they find fault with Chri&s;t for forgeeuing &s;innes, as he was man; as pro|te&s;tants do nowe with the prei&s;ts of gods church.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The an&s;were of Christ to the &s;cribes ver&s;e <HI>4.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And Ie&s;us &s;eeinge their thoughts &s;aid. Wherfore thinke yee euill in your hartes: whether is it ea&s;ier to &s;ay, thy &s;inns ar forgiue~ thee, or to &s;ay, Ari&s;e and walk, but that you may knowe the &s;onne of man hath power in earth to forgiue &s;innes? Here Chri&s;t &s;howeth fir&s;t, that as to woorke miracles is otherwi&s;e proper to God onely, yet this power is com|municated to men: &s;o al&s;o to forgiue &s;innes. 2. that he doth it not as God onely, but as man, as the &s;onne of man, and that he as man hath power here in earth to forgiue &s;innes.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The answere of al the faithfull touchinge mans forgeuinge &s;innes ver&s;. <HI>8</HI></HEAD>
<P>And the multitudes &s;eeinge it, were afraide
<PB N="130" REF="69"> and glorified God, that gaue &s;uch power to men. 1. the people thinke that man by gods auctority may forgiue &s;innes. 2. they glorified God for it. 3. they thought it nothinge dero|gatory to his honor, for man to forgiue &s;inne, him&s;elfe being principale woorker, and men onely his mini&s;ters and &s;ub&s;titutes.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The doctrine concerninge this forgeeuinge of &s;innes by Chri&s;t as he was man</HEAD>
<P>It is to be noted, that vniformely and ex|pre&s;&s;ely, all the Euangeli&s;ts &s;ett downe, that power was giuen to the &s;onne of man to for|giue &s;innes. <HI>In terra,</HI> here in earth; for it is not be doubted but that he had alwayes po|wer in heauen, as he was the &s;onne of God, to remitt &s;innes. Whereby we may al&s;o note a double kind of operation, one appertayning to god, which is bindinge and loo&s;inge in heauen: and another exerci&s;ed by man, which is bindinge and lo&s;inge of &s;innes in earthe, the forgiuinge of &s;innes here in earthe was to be donne after a vi&s;ible &s;orte by woords, exter|nall acte, ceremony or &s;acrament, and not onely by gods inui&s;ible grace or by gods &s;ole and imediate operation or woorkinge. So that our &s;auiour ob&s;eruinge this di&s;tinction, to dif|ference the pardonning there in heauen, from pardonninge here in earth, tearmeth this, re|mittinge of &s;innes in earth, which man doth by externall and vi&s;ible action here in this world. Wherupon when the Iewes chard|ged
<PB N="131" REF="69"> our Sauiour with bla&s;phemy for remit|tinge &s;innes, and to take and v&s;urpe gods of|fice and prerogatiue therin, he an&s;wereth them, that this power which he now exerci|&s;eth, was giuen to him as the &s;onne of man, &amp; when he might haue &s;aid, he did it as God yet he &s;toode not vpon this, but tould them he did it as man, becau&s;e he is the &s;onne of man, <HI>quia filius hominis e&s;t;</HI> So that remittinge and retaininge &s;innes, was a parcell of a more ge|nerale commi&s;&s;io~ conteined in the&s;e woords. <HI>Omne iudicium dedit filio:</HI> Ioannis 5. he gaue all iudgement to his &s;onne. Wherby we may perceiue that Chri&s;t when he remitts &s;innes as God, the meanninge therof is not, that he according to this phra&s;e of &s;cripture is &s;aid to remitt &s;innes in earth but in heauen, as con|trariwi&s;e he forgeuinge &s;innes as man, forgi|ueth them here in earth by vi&s;ible and exter|nall fact. Wherfore as Chri&s;t proueth vnto the Iewes that him&s;elfe as man, and not as God onely, hath power to remitt &s;innes, by that in all their &s;ights he was able to doe miracles, and make the &s;ick man &s;odenly to arri&s;e: &s;o Chri&s;t Ie&s;us our Lord hauinge graunted to his Apo&s;tles to doe miracles, he may in like &s;orte communicate aucto|rity from God (though they be not God) to remitt &s;innes as gods, mini&s;ters. And here it is, that as the Iewes chardged Chri&s;t for forgiuinge &s;innes with bla&s;phemy, &s;o do the
<PB N="132" REF="70"> prote&s;tants charge the prei&s;ts of gods church for doing the &s;ame: Wheras by Chri&s;ts owne woords, it may be euidently &s;hewed, that as to woork miracles is onely proper to God, and yet may be communicated to man: &s;oe may the power to forgiue &s;innes, wherupon the multitude glorified God, that gaue &s;uch power to men, Chri&s;t him&s;elfe beinge heade, and our cheefe pa&s;tor. No marueile then &s;aieth S. Ierome, ad Heliod. epi&s;t. 1. that prei&s;ts hauing the keies of the kingdom hea|uen iudge after a &s;orte before the day of iud|gement. And it is noe marueil, for Chri&s;t wrought the &s;elfe &s;ame things in earth by &s;eruice, &s;uite, and commi&s;&s;ion, which before onely he did by might and maie&s;ty, and by his owne ab&s;olute power; And therfore now become the &s;onne of man, ordeineth a new manner of reconciliation, offereth &s;acrifice as a prei&s;t for &s;inne, v&s;eth ceremonies, externall actions, vi&s;ible figures &amp; Sacraments, praieth to God his Father, and all this accordinge to his humaine nature.</P>
<P>Fora&s;much then, as confe&s;&s;ion (as hitherto hath bene manife&s;ted) both in the lawe of nature, as al&s;o in the law of Moy&s;es, hath not couertly bene expre&s;&s;ed, and &s;hadowed, but exacted at the hands of the &s;eruants of god, yea and expre&s;&s;ely commanded, in &s;oe much that &s;ome of the prote&s;tants as Kemni&s;ius. p. 908. bouldly affirmeth (yet to a wronge pur|po&s;e)
<PB N="133" REF="70"> that in the ould te&s;tame~t there are ma|nife&s;t examples of contrition, confe&s;&s;ion, and after reconciliation certaine cha&s;ti&s;ements, which &s;ayeth he, the papi&s;ts call &s;atisfaction as al&s;o of ab&s;olution, in that he graunteth that Nathan ab&s;olued Dauid contrite &amp; con|fe&s;&s;inge his &s;inne, it mu&s;t needs yeld more then a bare per&s;ua&s;ion, yea euen an ouerplus of &s;trengthe vnto the mai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;inewes of our cau&s;e. For if confe&s;&s;ion was in practi&s;e &s;o many hundred years before Chri&s;t, euen vntil his comminge, and from tyme to tyme &s;ince the comaundement therof (Leuit. 5 Nu~b. 5.) continued without impeachement, though perhaps many through &s;hothe and neglige~ce (which are the mothes of deuotion in euery age) carele&s;ly omitted it: Whereupo~ the wi&s;|man inculcateth. <HI>Be not ashamed to confe&s;&s;e thy &s;innes</HI> Neyther did euer God reuoke it, this humiliation of confe&s;&s;ion being &s;o ne|ce&s;&s;arie before his mini&s;ters, as thereby through the lowelyne&s;&s;e of their harts, their humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;ions, the full agni&s;inge and acknowledginge of their faults, their pro&s;tra|tion and offeringe vpp their &s;acrifice by the Leuiticall prei&s;ts, there was a full attoneme~t, and reconciliation made with God. And moreouer &s;ince confe&s;sion was a type &amp; fi|gure of that which &s;hould be commaunded in the newe lawe (for all thinges chanced to them in figure 1. Cor. 10.) it is mo&s;t requi|&s;ite,
<PB N="134" REF="71"> that euen &s;till there &s;hould be a conti|nuance therof (exceptinge the legale cere|monie) for fulfillinge of the figure in more perfect manner, &s;irhence Chri&s;t hath digni|fied his prei&s;ts aboue the other, giuen them larger commi&s;sion, and endowed them with the holy gho&s;t, emparted vnto them the Keyes of heauen, &s;urrendred all power and auctority vnto their hands, to bynd &amp; loo&s;e, to forgiue and retaine &s;innes, him&s;elfe rati|fyinge their ab&s;olution and remi&s;sion before his father in the kingdome of heauen.</P>
<P>Nowe then, &s;ince that the Phary&s;es and Scribes of our time, ar noe le&s;&s;e violent and turbulent, then the corruption of an euill af|fected mynd can afford, in bandinge their witts to fynd rea&s;on to teache that which to their wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s &s;eemes plea&s;inge and them&s;elues re&s;olue to maintayne, as denying that power, which Chri&s;t gaue his di&s;ciples to forgiue &s;in|nes, and hath bene &s;ucce&s;&s;iuelye taught and practi&s;ed, I thinke it verie expedient, &amp; it can hardly do ami&s;&s;e vnto the&s;e (where vehemen|cy of will doth not feed too much their opi|nion of wirt) to examine, &s;ift, &amp; &s;ett downe, all proofes and te&s;timonies that can iu&s;tlye be alleadged for this high commi&s;&s;ion of prei&s;t|hood, of retayninge and remittinge &s;innes, that euen fro~ the very roote (which is Chri&s;t from whe~ce this doctrin had his beginning) to de&s;cend to euery particuler braunch as is
<PB N="135" REF="71"> the doctrine of the Apo&s;tles, the continuance therof to their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, the beleife of the holy doctors, the generall practi&s;e of the ca|tholick Church from tyme to tyme, the ana|thematizinge of all &s;uch as in any age with pertinacy dur&s;t gaine &s;ay it. In &s;o doinge &s;hall cleerly, appeare vnto any man of iudge|ment, the ineffable goodne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t (a|gain&s;t the&s;e Scribes) who hath giuen &s;uch power to men, that the world may &s;ee, that the cloake &s;itteth noe le&s;&s;e fitt on the backe of the prote&s;tants cau&s;e, then of the former condemned heretickes; And be&s;ides, that it is not the &s;leeue of vulgare, triuial, newe borne and re&s;tle&s;&s;e opinions, that the catholickes doe pinne them &s;elues vnto, but the maine force of rea&s;on, the honorable cry of all na|tions, the re&s;olute diffinition of all councells, the irrefragable &s;entence of all doctors, the vniuer&s;all doctrine of all fathers, and the mo&s;t approued &s;entence of all &s;choolemen, &amp; lear|ned&s;t writters.</P>
<P>Wherfore I be&s;eech thee, gentill reader, as myndful of the tribunall &s;eate of God, where the &s;ecrets of all harts &s;halbe di&s;clo&s;ed, that thou woulde&s;t not tye thye &s;elfe to any ones &s;male, vndige&s;ted and &s;hallowe learninge, but maturelye con&s;ider with S. Augu&s;tin, li. 1 cont. Cre&s;c. c. 33. that if thou doe&s;t feare to be deceiued through the crabbedne&s;&s;e of this que&s;tion, then aske con&s;ell of the church.
<PB N="136" REF="72"> For albeit &s;ayeth Origen. tract. 29. in Math. heretickes may produce &s;cripture, vrge the text, and tell thee that his hou&s;e is the hou&s;e of truth. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">cce in domibus e&s;t v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rbum verita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is.</HI> yet we mu&s;t not beleeue them, nor tread one foote awry from the fir&s;t eccle&s;ia&s;ticall traditions, neyther frame our beleefe to the la&s;te of euerie &s;taggeringe foote, but as our aunce&s;ters haue by &s;ucce&s;&s;ion in the church of God del<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uered vnto vs. I will here therefore, &s;howe and &s;ett downe the way, doe but thou followe the adu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ce of the holy prophete Hie|remie. <HI>Sta &s;uper vias, &amp; v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">de &amp; interrogade <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">emitis antiquis, quae &s;it via bona, &amp; ambula in ea</HI> Stand in the way and &s;ee and aske of the mo&s;t auncient pathes, which is the right trodd and the be&s;t and walke thou in it.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>DOCTRINE AND PRACTISE of confe&s;&s;ion in the new law.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Chri&s;tes promi&s;e fir&s;t to Peter, then to the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles, of a iudiciary power to forgiue &s;innes.</HEAD>
<P>ANd I will giue to thee the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen, and what&s;oeuer thou &s;halt bynde vpon earth, it &s;halbe bounde al&s;o in heauen, and what&s;oeuer thou &s;halt loo&s;e in earth, it &s;halbe loo&s;ed al&s;o in the hea|uens. Math. 16. Amen I &s;ay to you, what&s;oe|uer you &s;hall bynd vpon earth, &s;halbe bound
<PB N="137" REF="72"> al&s;o in heauen, and what&s;oeuer you &s;hall loo&s;e vpon earthe, &s;halbe loo&s;ed al&s;o in hea|uen. Math. 18.</P>
<P>Here is the promi&s;e of the prei&s;ts high au|thority, as well in particular to S. Peter as al|&s;o to all the apo&s;tles to bynd and to loo&s;e, to ab&s;olue and retayne, which be excommuni|cations, anathemati&s;mes, and other &s;uch cen|&s;eurs, penalties or penances, enioyned eyther in the &s;acrament of confe&s;&s;ion, or els in the exteriour courts of the church, for puni&s;he|ments of all crymes what&s;oeuer. In that it is &s;aid (what&s;oeuer) is excepted nothinge that is puni&s;heable or pardonable by Chri&s;t in earth, &s;o that the validitie of S. Peter, the Apo&s;tles in their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, byndinge &amp; loo|&s;inge what&s;oeuer, &s;halbe by Chri&s;ts promi&s;e ratifyed in heaue~. What moreouer this aucto|rity was, S. Cyprian de lap&s;is. nu. 11. &s;ayeth it was, to make &s;atisfaction and to haue re|mi&s;&s;ion, when &s;inners confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes. Origen. li. 2 in Leuit. &s;ayeth, to haue the o|peninge of mans &s;innes before them. S. Hie|rom. in 16. Math. thinketh it is, to heare the variety and difference of mens &s;innes, then to loo&s;e or bynd them. S. Chri&s;o&s;tom li. 3. de Sacerd. affirmeth it to be a power aboue an|gels or archangels, a byndinge or loo&s;inge of the &s;oule, a power reachinge and pearcinge the heauens, that what&s;oeuer the prei&s;ts doe belowe, God ratifyeth aboue, that the &s;ame
<PB N="138" REF="73"> power was deliuered to prei&s;ts, which God gaue to his &s;onne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The performance of the former promi&s;es and graunte of Chri&s;t towching the power of byndinge and loofinge, forgiuinge and re|tayninge &s;innes.</HEAD>
<P>As my Father hathe &s;ent me, I al&s;o do &s;end you. When he had &s;ayd this, he breathed vpon them, and he &s;ayeth to them, Receyue yee the holy gho&s;t, who&s;e &s;innes you &s;hall forgiue, they are forgiuen them, and who&s;e you &s;hall retayne, they ar retayned. Ioan. 20.1. Where note fir&s;t that Chri&s;t here &s;heweth his commi&s;&s;ion <HI>(as his Father &s;ent him)</HI> and &s;oe giueth the Apo&s;tles power to forgiue &s;in|nes. 2. he giueth them the holy gho&s;t pur|po&s;ely to forgiue &s;innes. 3. he putts it to their arbitrement (who&s;e &s;innes.) 4. a power e|qually to forgiue &s;inne as to retayne, again&s;t Nouatus: &s;ee S. Ambro&s;. lib. 1. de poenitentia cap. 2.5. that if once they forgiue them, they ar forgiuen, what they do in earth being ratifyed in heauen: where is playnelye &s;een, the in&s;titution of the &s;acrament of penance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the holy fathers towching the&s;e ke<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and iudiciary auctority.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much as in the fir&s;t of Iohn 42. Chri&s;t foretould and appointed that the man then named Simon, &s;hould afterward be called a Rock, that is Cephas or Petrus, not then vt|teringe the cau&s;e, but now Math. 16. expre&s;|&s;inge
<PB N="139" REF="73"> it, as S. Cyrill l. 2. c. 12. com. in Ioan|nem noteth, that vpon Peter, as vpon a firme rock his church &s;hould be builded. Wherupo~ S. Hilary agreeinge in the &s;ame truth, faleth into this exclamation. O happy foundation of the church in the impo&s;inge of the new name, yet moreouer S. Leo Epi&s;t. 89 addeth, that our Lord would that the Sacrament or mi&s;tery of this gift, &s;oe to pertaine to the of|fice of all the Apo&s;tles, that from him as from a certaine head, he might power out his guiftes as it were through the whole bo|dy. Wherfore S. Ciprian Epi&s;t. 13. &s;aieth, that to Peter fir&s;t of all, vpon whom our Lord built his church, he gaue this power, from whom he in&s;tituted the beginninge of vnitie, that that &s;hould be loo&s;ed in heauen, which S. Peter had loo&s;ed in earth.</P>
<P>Now that Chri&s;t here ordained a courte, a con&s;i&s;tory, a &s;eate of iudgement in his church, appointinge the Apo&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors to be iudges, is mo&s;t apparant by S. Augu&s;tin, 20. ciuitat. c. 9 who expounding the woords of S. Iohns reuelation. <HI>Et vidi &s;edes.</HI> I &s;awe &s;eates and &s;ome &s;ittinge in them, and iudge|ment was giuen, wee mu&s;t not thinke, &s;aieth he, thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to be &s;poken of the la&s;t iudgement, but wee mu&s;t vnder&s;tand the &s;eates of the ru|lers, and the rulers them&s;elues by whom now the church is gouerned: and as for the iudge|ment giuen, it &s;eemeth not to be taken from
<PB N="140" REF="74"> any other then from that wherof it was &s;aid, what things yee bynd in earth, they &s;halbe bound al&s;o in heauen. Here it is that S. Chri|&s;o&s;tome &s;ayeth, lib. de dignit. Sacerd. lib. 3. in hom. 5. de verbis E&s;ai. vidi Dominu~, that Chri&s;t tran&s;lated all iudgement which he re|ceyued of his father vnto the Apo&s;tles and prei&s;ts, and that the &s;entence of Peter remit|tinge &s;innes, goeth before the &s;entence of heauen. As noe le&s;&s;e auerrethe. S. Hilarie in Math. 16. &s;ayinge; Ble&s;&s;ed is the porter of heauen, who&s;e earthely iudgement (that is which is giuen here in earth) is afore iud|ged auctority in heauen. Whereupon Gre|gor Naz in his &s;ermon to the pre&s;ident of|fended &amp; cytizens ama&s;ed with feare, boldly vttereth the&s;e woords. O you rulers, the law of Chri&s;t hath a&s;&s;ubiected you to my rule, &s;ea, and auctority, for we are with a power farre more ample and perfecter, in &s;o much that S. Gregory hom 26. in Euang. writeth that the Apo&s;tles obteined a principality and prero|gatiue of &s;upernaturall iudgement, that in &s;teed of God, to &s;ome thy &s;hould forgiue, to other&s;ome retaine &s;innes. And as fir&s;t he pro|mi&s; d to Peter and the re&s;t, and &s;o to their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors this high and eminent power, &s;o nowe Io. 20. he &s;aieth, <HI>Accipite</HI> take this power, wherupon he geueth them the holy gho&s;t, and &s;oe in&s;tituteth the holy Sacrament of penance, Cirill li. 12. c. 56. in Ioannem.
<PB N="141" REF="74"> &s;aith further, this auctority of forgeuing &s;in|nes beinge giuen to the prei&s;ts, it followeth that the laity mu&s;t likewi&s;e confe&s;&s;e their &s;in|nes. Sinnes can not be duly remitted or retai|ned vnle&s;&s;e they be knowne to him that hath auctority to remitt: and knowledg of &s;innes (&s;uch as are priuy) can not be had but by confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;inner, therfore it followeth that they receiued this auctority, to here the confe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tian people, that were de|&s;irou&s;e to be a&s;&s;oiled and reconciled: for he that in&s;tituteth the end, in&s;tituteth al&s;o the means, which &s;hould be nece&s;&s;ary to the ob|teyninge of that end. Wherfore S. Hierom. com. in Math. 16. who I thinke vnder&s;tood the woords of Chri&s;t &s;ayeth, that the prei&s;t, when as accordinge to his office, he hath heard the diuer&s;ity of &s;innes, he pre&s;ently knoweth who is to be bound, who is to be loo&s;ed. And to an&s;were him that perhaps wil aske, why Chri&s;t in expre&s;&s;e tearmes &s;ayd not, Hugoli 2. de Sacr. tra. 14. cap. 1. (as he &s;ayd who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue) goe your wayes &amp; confe&s;&s;e your &s;innes, it may be becau&s;e he thought that the &s;ick would willingly come and &s;eek helpe; therfore he &s;ayd to the phi|&s;ition of the &s;oule. <HI>Yoke power to cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e,</HI> but he &s;ayd not to the infirme. Ioan. 20. (though S. Iames explayne it) Goe and confe&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the Apo&s;tles and di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, towching prei&s;ts forgiuing, of &s;innes.</HEAD>
<PB N="142" REF="75">
<P>God who hathe reconcyled vs to him&s;elfe by Chri&s;t, he hath giuen vs the mini&s;tery of reconcilia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, and hath putt in vs the woord of reconciliation: to. Chri&s;t therfore we are Legates, God as it were exhortinge by vs. S. Paule 2. Cor 5. ver&s; 19.</P>
<P>Note pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> shaue the mini&s;terie of recon|ciliation, to reconcyle, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Chri&s;t reconcyled to God, but he reconcyled by ab&s;oluinge from &s;innes, 2. the woord of reconciliation is putt into them, &s;o that the power and mi|ni&s;terie to reconcyle, importeth al&s;o a power to knowe the cau&s;e. 3. they be as legates for Chri&s;t to reconcile his enimies: but legates that haue power to reco~cile a kinges enimies and make attonement, can not well di&s;chard|ge that duety, except they knowe by tho&s;e per&s;ons what the fault was, how greeuou&s;ly they haue offended, and withall what &s;atis|faction they are willinge to doe.</P>
<P>For which cau&s;e I be&s;eech you, that you confirme charity toward him, for therfore haue I written that I may knowe the experi|ment of you, whether in all thinges you be obedient. And whome you haue pardoned any thinge I al&s;o: for my &s;elfe al&s;o that which pardoned, if I pardoned any thinge, for you in the per&s;on of Chri&s;te. 2. Corin. 2. ver&s;. 8.9.1. as the ince&s;tuous per&s;on 1. Cor. was there puni&s;hed and bounde, &s;oe here is he loo&s;ed and pardoned. 2. wee &s;ee here that their hath
<PB N="143" REF="75"> beine a cha&s;ti&s;ement of him, a mulct enioyned and &s;u&s;teined by the delinquent, a rebuke, <HI>ad i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">er<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI> and therfore not onely cea|&s;inge from &s;inne and amendement is &s;uffi|ci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nt 3. the Apo&s;tle chalengeth their obedien|ce to his eccle&s;ia&s;ticall auctority, as their pa&s;|tor and &s;uperiour. 4. we &s;ee mea&s;ured the tyme of his penance and di&s;cipline, as well accordinge to the weyght of the offence, as al&s;o to the weakene&s;&s;e of the per&s;on puni&s;|hed 5 we &s;ee here penance enioyned, &amp; ther|fore more then the &s;atisfactio~ of Chri&s;t is re|qui&s;ite; for els why would not S. Paule comit all to Chri&s;ts &s;atisfaction. 6. he doeth it in the per&s;on of Chri&s;t his vicar, and bearinge his per&s;on in this ca&s;e.</P>
<P>But let a man proue him&s;elfe and &s;o lett him eate of that bread. But if we iudge our &s;elues we &s;hould not be iudged. 1. Cor. 11. ver&s;. 28.31. 1. S. Paule wi&s;heth that we proue and examine our&s;elues wether we be in &s;inne or not, before we come to receyue. 2. to proue our&s;elues, that is to be clen&s;ed by them, whom he hath made our iudges, &amp; to be iudged by them. 3. this iudgement here taketh away an other iudgement, whereby wee &s;hall be iudged, eternally. 4. it is not enough to &s;inne noe more, or repent lightly, but al&s;o accordinge as wee haue iudged our|&s;elues, to puni&s;he, doe penance and &s;atis|faction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="144" REF="76">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the Chri&s;tians in the Apo&s;tles time, accordinge to the Apo&s;tles doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>Now after that Ioan 20. Chri&s;t had brea|thed on his Apo&s;tles and giuen them the holy gho&s;t to forgiue &s;inne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, a power as S. Chri&s;o|&s;tome noteth li. 3 de Sacer. farre aboue the power of angels, or any worldly princes then did many that beleeued act. 19.18. come confe&s;&s;inge and declaringe their &s;innes to S. Paule, in &s;oe much as he had acknowledged, that he had the mini&s;tery of reconciliation, that he was Chri&s;tes legate, and that he did forgiue in the per&s;on of Chri&s;t 2. Cor 5. I &s;ay the&s;e that beleeued came confe&s;&s;inge and de|claringe their acts and deeds. <HI>Confi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">mes actus &s;uo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, numera<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> actus &s;uos,</HI> that is, by num|bers tellinge their deeds, which could not be a confe&s;&s;ion generall, as to &s;ay they were &s;in|ners, and had &s;inned but tould how and euery act to man, for they came to S, Paule. Neither did they this by any compul&s;ion, but volun|tarily. And now mo&s;t likely confe&s;&s;ion was in vre emonge the faithfull, otherwi&s;e how could S. Paule haue knowne that they fol|lowed curiou&s;e matters, in &s;oe much as he bad them burne their bookes, except they had confe&s;&s;ed their particular &s;innes? And al|beit noe mention is made emonge the other actes of the Apo&s;tles of their &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion, and the v&s;inge therof after Chri&s;ts a&s;cen&s;ion, perhaps becau&s;e it was omitted to
<PB N="145" REF="76"> be &s;ett downe, as many things els were, as al&s;oe the Apo&s;tles beinge confirmed in grace by the comming of the holy gho&s;t vpo~ them, committed noe &s;uch greuou&s;e and mortall &s;innes, which their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors might do, and &s;o v&s;e the benefite of reconciliation by con|fe&s;&s;inge. For &s;ithence in the prime of gods church, Chri&s;ts blood beinge yet hotte, &amp; the name of a Chri&s;tian &s;oe deearly &s;ould, euerie one burninge with zele and deuotion, cau&s;ed that &s;inne was not &s;o &s;leyghtly comitted but after, that deuotion became luke warme and frei&s;inge cold, many fell into diuer&s;e enormi|ties, and &s;o offended God, and needed con&s;e|quently reconciliation, which wee &s;ee euery daye to be more needfull then others.</P>
<P>Now how this &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion came to be in vre in other countryes, we may &s;ee by diuer&s;e of S. Paules &s;cholers, whom he in&s;tructed and &s;ent to teach the &s;ame doctrine, which he had taught and informed them, as by S. Cre&s;cens bi&s;hop of Vienna, S. Trophi|nius bi&s;hop of Arles, S. Deni&s;e Areopagite &amp; martyr at Paris, who&s;e doctrine is mo&s;t plaine for confe&s;&s;ion as after al&s;o S. Cre&s;cens and Cre&s;centius beinge S. Paules &s;cholers, conuer|ted Moguntium to Chri&s;tianity. In all which places thus conuerted &amp; gouerned euen from the fir&s;t Apo&s;tles till the&s;e dayes, confe&s;&s;ion of &s;inne to a prei&s;t hath bene taught and practi|&s;ed, that euen euery church hath &s;poken his
<PB N="124" REF="77"> owne mothers dialect, and not &s;tept an inche from their conuerters doctrine.</P>
<P>And wheras S. Paule willeth to proue our|&s;elues before we come to the holy &s;acrament, and after &s;ayeth if we iudg our&s;elues, we &s;hal not be iudged, his meaninge is, (as we may gather by the rytes of S. Ba&s;iles, and S. Chri|&s;o&s;tomes ma&s;&s;e) to examine by confe&s;&s;ion them&s;elues, for &s;o did the prei&s;ts, &s;ayeth S. Ba|&s;il in this tyme, to prooue and confe&s;&s;e befor they went to the deuine my&s;teries. Further|more in iudginge our&s;elues, becau&s;e man is partial in his owne cau&s;e, therfore S. Iames telleth, that we &s;hould confe&s;&s;e one to an o|ther, and that not to euery one, but to &s;uch as ar iudges, and haue auctority to reconcyle, &amp; to whom it was &s;ayd, who&s;e &s;innes ye for|giue ar forgiuen, who ar the prei&s;ts, whom he willeth the &s;icke to call in.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Iohn and S. Iames Apo&s;tles, conformable to S. Paules doctrines.</HEAD>
<P>If we confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, he is faithfull &amp; iu&s;t for to forgiue vs our &s;innes, and to clea~&s;e vs from all iniquitie. 1. Ioan. 1. ver&s;. 9.1. here is confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes particular. <HI>Si confi|teamur peccata,</HI> not, <HI>confiteamur peccatores</HI> 2. to man, and not onely to God, becau&s;e what need wee confe&s;&s;e all in particular to God, who knowes all, &amp; the very &s;ecrets of our hart, and therfore the publicane &s;ayd. <HI>Deus propitius e&s;to mihi peccatori.</HI> 3. a relya~ce
<PB N="121" REF="77"> on gods promi&s;e after the confe&s;&s;ing of them for the forgiuinge, his promi&s;e was Ion. 20. When he &s;ayd to his Apo&s;tles and prei&s;ts, <HI>who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiuen,</HI> therfore confe&s;&s;inge to a prei&s;t, God is faithfull and iu&s;t accordinge to his in&s;titution to forgiue. 4. if this confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould be to God, and &s;o by God onely we &s;hould haue forgiunes, the~ Chri&s;t &s;hould haue &s;ayd in vaine to his Apo|&s;tles, <HI>who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiuen,</HI> for beinge more ea&s;y to confe&s;&s;e to God then to man, none would go to man, and &s;eeke par|don that way. 5. If the confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould be onely to God, if the prei&s;t &s;hould bynd any and retayne his &s;innes, iudgeinge him not woorthy to be loo&s;ed, he &s;hould dot it in vayne. For he might be ab&s;olued by confe&s;|&s;inge to God alone, whether the prei&s;t would or not; &s;o God &s;hould not be faithfull &amp; iu&s;t hauinge promi&s;ed this autority to his prei&s;ts. 6. to make one place of &s;cripture to agree with another and not to be contrary, but to explicate one by the other, it is mo&s;t proba|ble that S. Iohn ment of &s;acramentall con|fe&s;sion.</P>
<P>Is any &s;icke emonge&s;t you, let him bringe in the prei&s;ts of the church, and lett them pray ouer him, annoyling him with oyle in the name of our Lorde, and the prayer of faith &s;hall &s;aue the &s;ick, and our Lorde &s;hall lift him vpp. And if he be in &s;inns, they &s;hal be
<PB N="148" REF="78"> they &s;halbe remitted him: Confe&s;&s;e therfore your &s;innes one to another, and pray one for an other that you may be &s;aued. 1. Here is confe&s;sion required of &s;uch as ar &s;ick and in &s;inne. 2. to another be&s;ides God, for he bids confe&s;&s;e one to another. 3. this confe&s;sion is one to another, not in publick to all, but to &s;ome one or other. 4. he bids vs confe&s;&s;e that we may be &s;aued, as well as to pray one for another that we may be &s;aued.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the Chri&s;tians and doctrine of fathers, touching confe&s;&s;ion in the&s;e times.</HEAD>
<P>Wee can haue noe greater, nor more pro|bable declaration hereof, that confe&s;&s;ion was v&s;ed euen in the Apo&s;tles time, then of S. Ambro&s;e li. 1. de poenit c. 10. who liued &s;ome 380. years after Chri&s;t, and who plai|nely affirmeth in his fir&s;t booke of penance, that in S. Paules time, it was the cu&s;tome of the church of God for prei&s;ts to forgiue &s;in|nes (which they could not do except the pe|nitents confe&s;&s;ed them) and that without all derogation to Chri&s;t. And hence it cometh that euen then S. Iames willeth to confe&s;&s;e, which exhortation to confe&s;&s;ion &s;heweth that now the faithfull were acquainted with confe&s;&s;ion, and that it was accu&s;tomed, not onely to confe&s;&s;e to God, but moreouer to man, that is, to &s;ome other be&s;ids God, and that either priuately or publickly, but nature teacheth vs, that &s;ilence and &s;ecrecy is be&s;t for
<PB N="149" REF="78"> &s;ecret &s;innes; then mo&s;t likely he ment of au|ricular confe&s;&s;ion, and &s;ince he bids them confe&s;&s;e to &s;ome other be&s;id. God, it is mo&s;t probable, that he would bid them rather goe to the prei&s;t, and confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes to him, rather then to any other, hauing bidden them calle in the prei&s;ts before, as al&s;o Chri&s;t ha|uinge giuen the Apo&s;tles auctority to forgiue &s;innes: for els why &s;hould they confe&s;&s;e ex|cept &s;ome ab&s;olution or forgiuene&s;&s;e therby might be had? if for comefort, yet more to prei&s;ts, who haue the holy gho&s;t giuen them the comeforter. For els man, as man (houlds &s;o much of fle&s;h and &s;o littell of &s;pirit) that knowinge his neighbours faults, would ra|ther when time &s;erues, lay it in his di&s;he, then to releeue him with &s;pirituall comeforte.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides as S Iames here bids them calle in the prei&s;ts, it is mo&s;t likely, talkinge of con|fe&s;&s;ion, remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, and to be &s;aued, that as he would haue the prei&s;ts to annoile the &s;ick, &s;oe the prei&s;ts &s;hould be tho&s;e to whom we &s;hould confe&s;&s;e to haue our &s;innes forgiuen, which prei&s;ts Ioan. 20. can forgiue &s;innes. Confe&s;&s;e therfore one to an other, that is, man to man, that is, thou that doe&s;t want ab&s;olution, vnto them that haue power to giue ab&s;olution, therfore confe&s;&s;e your &s;in|nes. Why? becau&s;e it was &s;aid before, if he be in &s;inne, the &s;inne &s;halbe remitted him: who &s;hall remitt them, if it not the prei&s;ts
<PB N="128" REF="79"> that are called in? And why more the prei&s;ts then any other? becau&s;e to them it is &s;aid Ion. 2. <HI>Who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue are forgiuen.</HI> This place Origen, Hom. 2. in Leuit. Chri&s;o&s;t. li 3. de Sacerd. S. Augu&s;t. Hom. 12. ex lib. 50. Hom. S. Bernard in his booke of medita|tions c. 9. expound of that confe&s;&s;ion which is made vnto a prei&s;t. And therfore &s;ay the&s;e doctors, when S. Iames &s;aieth one to ano|ther, it is ment (as the &s;equele of the woords of the &s;cripture require, pray one for an other, confe&s;&s;e one to an other) of prei&s;ts who mu&s;t pray for the &s;ick, not the &s;ick for the prei&s;ts, confe&s;&s;e yee &s;ick to the prei&s;t, and not the prei&s;ts to the &s;ick, and therfore the prei&s;ts ar called in to annoyle, to pray, and af|ter confe&s;&s;ion to ab&s;olue: for if they be in &s;in|ne, their &s;innes &s;halbe remitted. Wherefore no doubt the&s;e doctors thought that confe&s;|&s;ion was v&s;ed euen in the primitiue churche, and with &s;uch as were &s;ick, &amp; &s;o they vnder|&s;tood S. Iames. Neyther is it probable that S. Iames ment as our prote&s;tants doe, that one|ly preachinge of forgiuinge of &s;innes by Chri&s;te, is auayleable enough, and that by onely faith, to &s;aluation: for what needed he then bid them confe&s;&s;e one to an other that they may be &s;aued, when onely beleefe of forgiuene&s;&s;e without confe&s;&s;ion, had beene &s;ufficient? S. Ba&s;il moouinge a que&s;tio~ about confe&s;&s;ion asketh, whether it mu&s;t be to all
<PB N="125" REF="79"> men, or to &s;ome in particuler, or to the prei&s;ts onely: he an&s;wereth, &s;ith confe&s;&s;ion is ordai|ned to &s;hewe fruits woorthy of penance, it is thought requi&s;ite, <HI>Confitenda e&s;&s;e peccata quibus di&s;pe~&s;atio mi&s;teriorum Dei committitur,</HI> to confe&s;&s;e to them, to whom the di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the mi&s;teries of God is committed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the fathers next vnto the Apo&s;tles.</HEAD>
<P>If perhapes any anger, infidelity, or any of the afore&s;aid offences haue &s;ecretly crept into any mans hart, let him not be a&s;hamed to confe&s;&s;e this to him, that hath the care of his &s;oule, that by him by the woords of God, and whol&s;ome coun&s;ell, he may be cured, wherby he may by the integrity of his faith and good woorkes, e&s;cape the paines of eternall fier, and come to the rewarde of eternall life. S. Clement Epi&s;t. 1. ad fratrem Domini Anno Chri&s;ti 68. Fir&s;t here are the &s;innes that are to be confe&s;&s;ed &s;ett downe, namely inward and &s;ecret anger, infidelity &amp;c. 2. to be confe&s;&s;ed to &s;uch an one as hath care of our &s;oules, therfore not to the laity but prei&s;ts. 3. by confe&s;&s;inge to him, and by the woord of God, and good coun&s;ell he is cured. 4. by his &s;ownd faith and good woor|kes, obteine heauen and e&s;cape hell, that is by &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>How much more ought wee to honor our &s;pirituall fathers, who are legates to God for
<PB N="152" REF="80"> vs, who haue forgiuen vs our &s;innes, <HI>nobis peccata remi&s;erum.</HI> Clem. l. 2. con&s;t. 33. and made vs partakers of the holy Euchari&s;t, who haue receiued power of God, of life and death in iudginge vs offenders in condemninge and ab&s;oluinge. 1. here is the name of &s;piri|tuall or gho&s;tly fathers, and legates (as S. Paule taught) for vs and therfore to be ho|nor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d. 2 a cau&s;e why they &s;hould be hono|red, fir&s;t becau&s;e thy forgiue &s;innes, then re|&s;tore vs againe to the holy Euchari&s;t, la&s;t be|cau&s;e they haue power of life and death from God, to iudge and condemne and ab&s;olue, therfore more then power to preach forgiue|ne&s;&s;e of &s;inne by Chri&s;t. Thou truly (as thou &s;aie&s;t) I can not tell by what means again&s;t the order of all di&s;cipline dide&s;t kicke away with thy heeles and repul&s;e the delinquent falinge donne before the prei&s;t, when as the &s;inner ba&s;hfully (as he ought to doe) con|fe&s;&s;ed him&s;elfe to haue come to &s;eek remedy for his &s;innes. Neither wert thou haue a&s;ha|med to raile and reuile the good prei&s;t, caling him a wretched man, who hath iu&s;tified the punitent &s;inner. Dioni&s;. Areop. Epi&s;t. 8. ad Demophilium: anno Chri&s;ti 78. Wher note 1. a di&s;order of an vnrulie companion commit|ted again&s;t a poore penitent. 2. a declara|tion of the penitents behauiour at that time, to kneele downe before the prei&s;t, to come to the prei&s;t ba&s;hefully &amp;c. to &s;eeke remedy of
<PB N="153" REF="80"> the prei&s;t for his &s;innes. 3. that as this peni|tent did, &s;o he ought to doe. 4. a reuilinge of the prei&s;t, for that he iu&s;tified the &s;inner, wherby we &s;ee iu&s;tification came by the prei&s;t and confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The vniuer&s;all practi&s;e of the church agreable to the fathers doctrine at this time.</HEAD>
<P>It is mo&s;t apparant that nowe confe&s;&s;ion was in practi&s;e emonge the faithfull Chri|&s;tians; and accu&s;tomed emonge the gouerners of the church to in&s;truct the inferior &s;orte to frequent it often. For as S. Clement noteth in his epi&s;tle to the brother of our Lord, that it was the manner and cu&s;tome of S. Peter, to teach and exhorte euery one, to haue a &s;pe|ciall regard ouer euery action he did in his life time. euery hower, in euery place not to be vnmindfull of God, but <HI>firmiter&s;cire cogita+tiones malas cordi &s;uo aduenientes, mox ad Chri&s;tum allidere &amp; Sacerdotibus Domini ma|nife&s;tare</HI> To knowe firmely all ill cogitations that comes into his hart, and pre&s;ently to ma|nife&s;t them vnto the prei&s;ts. This then being the adui&s;e and &s;ownd coun&s;ell of S. Peter, noe le&s;&s;e followed and approued by S. Cle|ment; what may we thinke then of tho&s;e &s;cholers that were by S. Peter endoctrined and &s;ent to conuert others, and to erect vpp the fabrick of gods church, as S. Aduen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">inus fir&s;t bi&s;hop of Charters con&s;ecrated by S Pe|ter in the yeare of Chri&s;t 36. S. Eucha ius fir&s;t
<PB N="132" REF="81"> archbi&s;hop of Treuers and by S. Peter taught and &s;ent in that holy mi&s;&s;ion, S. Clement noe le&s;&s;e beinge S. Peters &s;choler by whom S. Ni|ca&s;ius fir&s;t archbi&s;hope of Roane, S. Exupe|rius bi&s;hop of Baione, Tanrinus bi&s;hop of Eu|reux, S. Eutropius bi&s;hop of Xantes were con|&s;ecrated and &s;ent to preach and teach. And beinge then that confe&s;&s;ion hath bene in v&s;e, and practi&s;ed, as is mo&s;t manife&s;t in the&s;e dioce&s;es without any improuement from time to time; may it not &s;eeme con&s;onant to all rea&s;on, that it proceeded by apo&s;tolicall tradition euen from the head of gods church, who be&s;t knewe to interpret their mai&s;ters meaninge, and &s;o continually taught by their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors? Nowe what the manner and cu|&s;tome was of penance, it can not be better known, then by the very direction of S. Cle|ment, who te&s;tifieth what the doctrine of the church was for penance, lib. 2. con&s;t. apo&s;t. to wit. <HI>Quid carni molestum,</HI> and to be either voluntary donne, or enioyned by the &s;piri|tuall iudge of the con&s;cience, for &s;ayeth he vnto the prei&s;ts, <HI>Debetis a&s;&s;cribere tempus &s;e|cundum rationem peccati,</HI> they mu&s;t allot the time accordingely as the &s;inne is. Moreouer S. Denis, who was S. Paules &s;choler, as his doctrine is mo&s;t plaine for auricular confe&s;|&s;ion, &s;oe noe doubt in Paris by him it had his beginninge, and by his &s;ucce&s;&s;ors the conti|nuance, and by his &s;cholers a further enlarge|ment
<PB N="129" REF="81"> in many parts of Fraunce, as by his San|ctinus (whom he in&s;titu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed) by who&s;e indu|&s;try and labour the Melden&s;es were conuer|ted to chr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tianity.</P>
<P>Howe and after what &s;orte Chri&s;tians v&s;ed to make their confe&s;&s;ions in S. Deni&s;e time, e&s;pecially emonge &s;uch as he had chardge of; by his owne declaration appeareth, de&s;cribin|ge the properties of a good and lawefull con|fe&s;&s;ion c. de pie defunctis. 1. to acknoweledg him &s;elfe a &s;inner before his &s;pirituall iudge. 2. to be a&s;hamed in his &s;ight, and &s;o 3. to de|&s;ier ab&s;olution. And if it be true that Simeon Metapha&s;tes a grecian relateth apud Surium 23. Iunij, that S. Peter him &s;elfe preached, fownded churches, and ordained prei&s;ts in England or Britany, and confirmed by Inno|cent the fir&s;t, bi&s;hop of Rome. Or that Ari|&s;tobolus his &s;choler was in England (as diuer&s;e affirme) and there made bi&s;hop: noe doubt that doctrine of S. Peter for confe&s;&s;ion, was taught in England.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the fathers of the &s;econd age for confe&s;&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution</HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e whom Chri&s;t would haue con&s;ecia|ted vnto him, and appointed in the order of the Apo&s;tles, the&s;e doe eate the &s;innes of the people, and do make interce&s;&s;ion for &s;inne, becau&s;e by their praiers and oblations, they blott them out, and con&s;ume them. Alexan. cau&s;is &amp; Granat. Sacerdotu~ an Chri&s;ti 109. 1.
<PB N="156" REF="82"> prei&s;ts are con&s;ecrated in order of the Apo|&s;tles. 2. they eate the &s;innes of the people by ab&s;oluinge them by woord of mouthe. 3. they offer vpp oblations and prayers for &s;inne 4. they blott out and con&s;ume &s;inne.</P>
<P>The&s;e wemen which were fallen into he|re&s;y and conuerted againe vnto the church of God, were co~fe&s;&s;ed. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">onfe&s;sae &s;unt</HI> an. Chri&s;ti 175. Fren<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;. de Rodanen&s;ibus Faeminis l. 1. c. 9. l. 3. c. 4. 1. a conuer&s;ion (after the &s;inners fale) to the church 2. confe&s;&s;ion of their fault and &s;inne therby to be reconciled.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>To knowe what the maner of the church was generally in this age, from Pope Alexan|der and Ireneus his time, till the time of Mi|nutius Felix which was &s;ome 30. years after (for he l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ued in the yeare 230) can not be bet|ter knowne, then by the record of Minutius Felix, for thus he writeth in Octauius, that the gentils vppbraided the chri&s;tians that they wor&s;hipped the prei&s;ts priuities, <HI>ip&s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ado|rare &s;olitos v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rilia &s;acerdotum.</HI> Which ado|ration could be nothinge els, but that humi|liation, which euery penitent v&s;ed in con|fe&s;&s;ion, kneelinge at the prei&s;ts knees, hol|dinge vpp their hands in humble maner con|fe&s;&s;inge their faults and de&s;ieringe ab&s;olu|tion. In &s;o much that by their lowe and &s;e|cret &s;peech and holding vpp their hands with
<PB N="157" REF="82"> this reuerence at the prei&s;ts feete, the gentils tooke an occa&s;ion to mock all Chri&s;tians for this wor&s;hip before their priuities. And from S Ireneus who was in the yeare of Chri&s;t 175 till the yeare of Chri&s;t 1160 almo&s;t a thow&s;and yea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s, that one Waldo of Lyons, with his beggerly companions, broa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hed their here&s;ies, and taught that auricular con|fe&s;&s;ion was not nece&s;&s;ary; we read not but it was continually practi&s;ed, as by him &s;elfe, &s;oe by his &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, mo&s;t of them hol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">men and &s;aincts, as S. Iu&s;tus, Alpinus, S. Martin, Antherus, Antiochus, Elpidius, Eucherius. Vexamius, Lupicius, Au&s;tricus, Stephanus, Sacerdos, whom the church of Rome would neuer haue had in &s;uch e&s;teeme, had not they beleeued towching confe&s;&s;ion, as the church of Rome alwaies beleeued.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;y of the Montani&s;ts contrary to the fathers &eacute;octrine.</HEAD>
<P>About the yeare of Chri&s;t 181&punc; beganne the here&s;y of the Montani&s;ts, who denied all power of reconcilinge &s;inners, aboli&s;hinge altogether the eccle&s;ia&s;ticall rites of ab&s;olu|tion, mainteininge, that none could be loo|&s;ed and reconciled by the church, that had fa|len after bapti&s;me into any gre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uou&s;e &s;inne; In &s;oe much that S. Hierome Epi&s;t. ad Mar|cellam noteth thus much of them, that for euery &s;inne they &s;hutt vpp the church doores from reconcilinge, <HI>ad omme pen&egrave; delictum,
<PB N="136" REF="83"> eccle&s;iae ob&s;erant fores,</HI> whereas we read dai|ly. <HI>Malo poenitentiam peccatorum quam mor|cem.</HI> But here you are to note, 1. that the Montani&s;ts are different from our prote&s;tants &amp; held many a&s;&s;ertions, which they will ne|uer yeld vnto: for the&s;e condemne vtterly &s;e|cond marriages, thy &s;ay that man and wife may parte when they li&s;t, they rebaptize. 2. Montanus made him&s;elfe a fal&s;e prophete, and made Pri&s;ca and Maximilla for&s;ake their husbands and followe him, and call the tow|ne where they were borne Hieru&s;alem, and affirmed that wemen may take holy orders 3. Montanus and Maximilla beinge both po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed with an euell &s;pirite, did hange them|&s;elues, as wicked Iudas did. 4. fora&s;much as they &s;ay that &s;uch as are once falen, can neuer obteine pardon and remi&s;&s;ion of their &s;innes, (albeit thy repent neuer &s;oe hartily) is a do|ctrine contrary to our prote&s;tants, who at le&s;t wi&s;e think they may haue pardon at gods hands.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church contrary to the Montani&s;ts here&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>This here&s;y of the Montani&s;ts was con|demned by the church, as al&s;o it was confu|ted by Apollinaris, with &s;ondry rea&s;on, in a booke written to Albercius. It was al&s;o con|futed by Apollonius an ecele&s;ia&s;ticall writer, who at large &s;ett down their hipocri&s;es, de|ceites, and gro&s;&s;e errors. Be&s;ids there were
<PB N="133" REF="83"> many others that oppo&s;ed them&s;elues again&s;t the&s;e heretikes in defence of the true catho|licke faith, as Melciades Pope, Rhodon A&s;ia|nus as noteth Eu&s;ebius Cae&s;arien&s;is lib. 7. cap. 19. Read Nicephorus in his 4. booke of his eccle&s;ia&s;ticall &s;tory c. 22. where yee may &s;ee the beginninge, the progre&s;&s;e, the ab&s;urdi|ties, and withall the excommunication of &s;uch as were abettors and mainteiners of this here&s;ie.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of Tertullian and others of the &s;ame age.</HEAD>
<P>Ha&s;t thou offended? as yet thou mai&s;t be reconciled, thou ha&s;t to whom thou mai&s;t make &s;atisfaction. Satisfaction is di&s;po&s;ed by confe&s;&s;ion. Confe&s;&s;ion is the di&s;cipline of mans pro&s;trating and humblinge him&s;elfe to ca&s;t thy &s;elfe at the feete of the prei&s;t. Tertul. lib. de penit. anno Chri&s;ti 200.</P>
<P>Surely the hiding of thy offence doth yeld thee great gaine, for this &s;hamefa&s;tene&s;&s;e, as if thou &s;houlde&s;t keep from the knowledge of man therfore thou hide&s;t it from God: what? is it better to keep it &s;ecret and be dam|ned, then publikly to be ab&s;olued? It is mi|&s;erable &s;o to come to confe&s;&s;ion. 1. here is af|ter offendinge , reconciling and makinge &s;a|tisfaction, 2. how &s;atisfaction is made by con|fe&s;&s;ion. 3. confe&s;&s;ion is at the prei&s;tes feete. 4 a rebuke for &s;uch as for &s;hamefa&s;tene&s;&s;e hide their &s;innes from man. 5. in keepinge
<PB N="160" REF="84"> them &s;ecret, en&s;ueth damnation. 6. a publick ab&s;olution.</P>
<P>Vrbane Pope, <HI>de communi vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a &amp; oblatio|nibus fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">elium.</HI> Why are the &s;eates in the epi&s;copall churches made &s;o high, and &s;o pre|pared? that their throne might teach a behol|d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nge or ouer&s;ight and power to iudge to binde and loo&s;e. Wherupon &s;aieth our Sa|uiour to the&s;e: Take ye the holy gho&s;t, who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue, they are forgiuen them. Vrban anno Chri&s;ti 222. 1. here is a diffe|rence in cathedral churches in the &s;eates of the clergie from the laitie. 2. a diffe|rence in height and preparation. 3. a rea|&s;on becau&s;e they are behoulders, ouer&s;eers and haue iudiciarie power to bind and loo&s;e. 4. what this bindinge and loo&s;ing is, that is by the holy gho&s;t to forgiue or re|taine &s;innes.</P>
<P>Pontian Pope in decretis anno Chri&s;ti 230. Touchinge the prei&s;te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of our Lorde; Knowe you that God is much plea&s;ed with them, whom he hath allotted to &s;erue him, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d would haue &s;uch familiarity wih them, that he would by them accept others &s;acrifices. and by them <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">orgiue and pardon their &s;innes, and by them reconcile &s;inners vnto him, as al&s;o that by their mouth, they make the body of Chri&s;t, and giue it to the people. 1. heere is the great dignity and priu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ledge of prei&s;t|hoode in v&s;inge their &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ruice. 2. how God
<PB N="161" REF="84"> v&s;eth prei&s;ts as meanes for the behalfe of o|thers, by them to pardon and forgiue &s;innes, by them to attone vnto him &s;inners, and by the~ to haue his body made, wherby is &s;eene a great differe~ce fro~ the prote&s;tants mini&s;tery.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church in this age.</HEAD>
<P>As Tertullian (whom S. Ciprian calleth ma&s;ter, &s;ayinge to his Notary when he called for Tertullian. <HI>Da magi&s;trum m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">um</HI>) de&s;cri|binge confe&s;&s;ion what it is, howe and in that &s;orte it ought to be donne, by pro&s;tration and humiliation of a mans &s;elfe, framminge his conuer&s;ation as &s;uppliant for mercy, to putt on &s;ackloth and a&s;hes, to lament and be &s;ory, to fa&s;t and pray <HI>(presbiteri adu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lui, aris adgeniculari )</HI> to kneele at the feete of the prei&s;t, and before the aulter of God, and in &s;oe doinge, <HI>contrectare Chri&s;tum,</HI> to handell and touch Chri&s;t; So againe out of Tertullian it appeareth (as noteth Pamelius l. de poenit. a not. 53.) that this was the accu|&s;tomed maner and v&s;e in the church of Chri&s;t with all poenitents 1. to make a confe&s;&s;ion of all their &s;innes to the prei&s;t, then to haue pe|nance, after penance to haue impo&s;ition of hands, either by a bi&s;hop or by &s;ome other of the clergy, this once donne, then had they the holy euchari&s;t giuen them. For confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes was &s;oe in v&s;e, that euen in the&s;e, times all &s;uch as were to be admitted to the Sacr. of Bap. be&s;ids their ordinary praying, their much
<PB N="140" REF="85"> fa&s;tinge, their longe kneelinge, and late wat|chinge, they moreouer made confe&s;&s;ion of al their &s;innes, accordinge to the bapti&s;me of Iohn. <HI>Tin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ebantur confitente, pec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters">,</HI> &s;ayeth Tertulian lib. de bapti&s;mo c. 20. Before pope Zepherin, Nouatus the heretick made his co~|fe&s;&s;ion at Rome, as recordeth Eu&s;ebius, li 5. hi&s;t. c. 4. and noe le&s;&s;e would Marcion haue donne &s;ayeth Tertullian, had not death pre|uented him lib. de prae&s;criptionibus.</P>
<P>About the yeare of Chri&s;t 237. Philipp the Emperor a Chri&s;tian, hauing falen into &s;ome particuler &s;innes and notoriou&s;ly offended, touched with remor&s;e of con&s;cience and de|&s;irou&s;e with the re&s;t, to participate of the holy mi&s;teries at Ea&s;ter, was brought by pope Fa|bian (as &s;aith, Eu&s;ebius li. 6. hi&s;t. cap. 27.) to &s;uch meekene&s;&s;e and humblene&s;&s;e of &s;pirite, that beinge not &s;uffered for his offence com|mitted to enter the church doore before he was confe&s;&s;ed; he gaue &s;uch remon&s;trance of hartye &s;orrowe, that humbly pro&s;trating him &s;elfe, he went to confe&s;&s;ion, and &s;toode in the &s;ame ranke wher other penitents were, and &s;oe had his ab&s;olution, and was admitted to the holy Sacraments. The which example, as al&s;o that which Dioni&s;ius Alexander writeth to Fabius of Antioch, may be a &s;ufficient te|&s;timony for confe&s;&s;ion and v&s;e therof in this age, fora&s;much as he telleth, how that Se|rapion hauinge falen and lyinge on his death
<PB N="137" REF="85"> bed, de&s;iered then mo&s;t earne&s;tly to haue a prei&s;t, and therfore called a Nephewe of his and &s;aid vnto him. <HI>Aliquem ex presbiteris ad uoca ad me,</HI> call to me &s;ome one prei&s;t or o|ther; as then mindful of the tribunall &s;eate of God, would make an atonement by the means of a prei&s;t by confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olu|tion. Eu&s;ebius lib. 6. hi&s;toriae c. 29.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGEN and others of his time.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Origines him <HI>2.</HI> in Leuit; &amp; <HI>3.</HI> &amp; hom. <HI>2.</HI> in p&s;al. <HI>37.</HI> &amp; <HI>17.</HI> in Lucam. anno Chri&s;ti <HI>230.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THere is yet a &s;eauenth although a hard and laborious remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes by pe|nance, when the &s;inner wa&s;heth his coutch with teares, and his teares are vnto him bread night and day: and when he is not a&s;hamed to declare vnto the prei&s;t of our Lord his &s;in|nes, and &s;oe &s;eek a medecine according to that which is &s;aid; I will pronounce again&s;t my &s;elfe vnto my Lord my iniu&s;tice and thou ha&s;t forgiuen the impiety of my hart: In which al&s;o is fulfilled that the apo&s;tel S. Ia+mes &s;aieth. Is any man &s;ick emonge you? lett him bringe in the prei&s;ts, and let them pray ouer him, and if he be in &s;innes, they &s;halbe remitted, confe&s;&s;e therfore your &s;innes one to an other. Here note 1. a remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes by penance hard and laboriou&s;e. 2. that the
<PB N="164" REF="86"> penance is to weepe, to &s;hed teares day and night and not to be a&s;hamed to declare his &s;innes vnto a prei&s;t. 3 that by the prei&s;t he hath a remedy or medecine for his &s;innes. 4. in that he declareth his &s;innes to the prei&s;t of our Lorde, he confe&s;&s;eth as it were vnto our Lorde, and the forgeuinge of the prei&s;t, to be gods forgeuinge, for els why &s;hould he bid him declare it to the prei&s;t, and then vnto his Lorde, if the prei&s;t had nothinge to doe with it. 5. he vnder&s;tande<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h S. Iames, when he biddeth confe&s;&s;e one to another, that it is ment of confe&s;&s;inge to a prei&s;t, and not to the laitie.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Antherus pope epist. decret. litterae Maximini Imperat anno Chri&s;ti <HI>239.</HI></HEAD>
<P>God forbid that I &s;hould &s;peake any thin|ge ami&s;&s;e of them, who &s;uccedinge in the degree of the Apo&s;tles, doe make with their holy mouthes the body of Chri&s;t, and by whom al&s;o wee are made Chri&s;tia~s, who ha|uinge the keies of the kingdome of heauen doe iudge vs before the day of iudgement. Here note. 1. prei&s;tes are not to be euel &s;po|ken of. 2 their mouthes are holy, becau&s;e they make the body of Chri&s;t. 3. they haue the keies of the kingdome of heauen. 4. they iudge men, before the la&s;t iudgement.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>Noe le&s;&s;e doeth Origen for his time, then
<PB N="165" REF="86"> the former fathers for theirs, and all after one and the &s;elfe &s;ame manner, &s;ett downe the vniforme practi&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion in the church of God, for he in the third homely vpon Le|uit. declareth plainly, what the penitents ordinarily v&s;ed to confe&s;&s;e and declare vnto the prei&s;t, as &s;innes that haue bene commit|ted in &s;ecret, &s;innes by &s;peach and woords, yea &s;uch &s;innes as are the mo&s;t inward &s;e|crets of our thoughts. <HI>Cuncta nece&s;&s;e e&s;t pu|blicari, cuncta preferri, preferri autem ab illo, qui &amp; accu&s;ator peccati e&s;t &amp; incentor.</HI> And beinge moreouer great regard to be had for choi&s;e of a good gho&s;tly and &s;piritual father, he thus adui&s;eth (which adui&s;e had bene needle&s;&s;e, had not the cu&s;tome bene to goe to confe&s;&s;ion) <HI>Cir<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">um&s;picere debeas diligentius cui debeas coufi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eri peccata tua,</HI> &s;peaking to &s;uch as went to confe&s;&s;ion to be very carefull and circum&s;pect, to whome they confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes; yea withall to fulfill his precepts and commands, &s;oe that if the gho&s;tly father (hauinge &s;howed him&s;elfe a wi&s;e and mer|cifull phi&s;itian) hath giuen thee any coun&s;el, or &s;aid any thinge to thee doe it, and follow it. In &s;oe much that if he &s;hall &s;ee and vnder|&s;tand &s;uch and &s;uch to be thy greifes, that then they ought in publick to be declared to the whole congregation, and &s;o to be healed, the re&s;t edified, and thou thy &s;elfe cured. Su|rely &s;aieth Origen there ought to be hadd
<PB N="144" REF="87"> great deliberation and mature adui&s;e of &s;uch a phi&s;itian. Hereby it is manife&s;t that albeit the practi&s;e was in the church to confe&s;&s;e, yea the mo&s;t &s;ecrete&s;t &s;innes of all, and that &s;ecretly, yet &s;ome &s;innes were to be confe&s;&s;ed publickly, which were either publickly com|mitted, or for &s;ome other peculiar rea&s;on by the good and gho&s;tly adui&s;e of the prei&s;t, coun&s;elled &s;o to bee declared. For as a littell before in Tertullians time, thy were bapti&s;ed confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes, yet he reioy&s;eth much that they did not publickly confe&s;&s;e their iniquities and filthy &s;innes. <HI>Nobis gra|tulandum &s;i non public&egrave; confitemur, iniquitates aut turpitudines no&s;tras.</HI> Tertul. l. de baptis. c. 20. And for the v&s;e of doinge this publick penance and &s;ecret, how when, and for what crimes, he after els where declareth; for &s;aieth he, in greater crimes the cu&s;tome is to doe but once penance: for common &s;innes which we daily incurr, we mu&s;t receiue pena~ce alwaies, &amp; redeeme them without intermi&s;&s;io~. What he meaneth by penance for greater, and that to be donne but once, appeareth after by S. Augu&s;tin Epi&s;t. 54. that it is publick penance, where he geueth the rea&s;on why it &s;hould not often be reiterated. And that in this time it was the cu&s;tome to goe to confe&s;&s;ion be|fore the receiuinge of the holy Euchari&s;t (wherby it is plaine that they vnder&s;tood S. Paule when he &s;aid. <HI>Probet &s;eip&s;um homo, &amp;
<PB N="141" REF="87"> &s;ic de pane illo eda</HI> to be me~r of purging their &s;oules by confe&s;&s;ion) is euident by this that vpon their ra&s;hene&s;&s;e and negligence in this re&s;pect, he tooke an occa&s;ion to chide &s;ome to be carefull and mind full in this behalfe. Orig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n in p&s;al. 38. homil. 2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of <HI>S</HI> Ciprian bishop and martir epi&s;t. <HI>16.</HI> l. <HI>3.</HI> ad plebem. anno Chri&s;ti <HI>248.</HI></HEAD>
<P>How much more with greater faith and feare doe the&s;e di&s;chardge their con&s;cience, who albeit they haue not falen into any great offence, either to &s;acrifice or to &s;ub&s;cribe to idolatry, yet perhapes becau&s;e they might haue had &s;uch thoughts in mind, thy will confe&s;&s;e the &s;ame plainely, &s;imply and &s;oro|fully vnto the prei&s;ts of God. And therfore lett euery one confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne while&s;t the offender is yet liuinge, &amp; his confe&s;&s;ion may be admitted, and his &s;atisfaction and forgiue|ne&s;&s;e by the prei&s;ts is acceptable with God. Here note. 1. by faith and feare, is the di&s;|chardge of con&s;cience again&s;t the Magdebur|gians that &s;ay the doctors make no mention of faith. 2, confe&s;&s;ion not onely of outward, but inward and verie &s;infull thoughts of min|de again&s;t Luther. 3 a manner of confe&s;&s;ing, vid: plainely, &s;imply, &s;orowfully. 4. to whom we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e, to the prei&s;ts of God. 5. when we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e: in our life time, for &s;oe confe&s;&s;ion and &s;atisfaction is auaileable. 6. that prei&s;ts doe forgiue &s;innes, and that by
<PB N="168" REF="88"> them we obteine forgiuene&s;&s;e, of almigh|ty God. To knowe nowe the v&s;e and cu&s;to|me of this age, for the admi&s;&s;ion of penitents vnto the holy rites, it &s;halbe a &s;ufficient pro|fe, to read but that which the whole church of Rome (then euen by our aduer&s;aries graunte the true and mother church) hath written to S. Ciprian (Ciprian Epi&s;t. 31.) con|cerninge the di&s;cipline and &s;euerity therof for confe&s;&s;io~ &amp; ab&s;olution, which they caled. <HI>Neruos &s;eu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ritatis,</HI> the &s;inewes of &s;euerity; which they would haue fully practi&s;ed in all &s;euerity, beinge noe neweborne cu&s;tome, but longe before ob&s;erued of their auncients &s;ayinge, that it was, <HI>Antiqua &s;eueritas, an+tiqua fides, di&s;ciplina legitur antiqua,</HI> an aun|cient &s;euerity, an auncient beleefe, an aun|cient di&s;cipline<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, and he that &s;hall do thus &s;a|tisfaction to God, &s;hall not onely de&s;erue par|don, but haue a roome in heauen &s;aith S. Ciprian Epi&s;t. 55. And by S. Ciprian him|&s;elfe (as in his epi&s;tel which he writt vnto the people) it appeareth al&s;o, that confe&s;&s;ion was then practi&s;ed, and &s;o ought to be, <HI>&s;e|cundum di&s;ciplinam Domini,</HI> and further that in ab&s;oluinge the delinquent, the bi&s;hop and clergy did lay hands vpon him, and more|ouer, that the penitents &s;hould confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, and make &s;atisfaction in this world by the prei&s;t vnto God, obteininge r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mi&s;&s;ion &amp; forgiuene&s;&s;e by the prei&s;t. In &s;o much that
<PB N="169" REF="88"> S. Ciprian in his &s;ermon <HI>de lap&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> declareth, that the egerne&s;&s;e to confe&s;&s;e in his time (af|ter the &s;torme of per&s;ecution a littell cea&s;ed) was &s;uch, that the penitents confe&s;&s;ed not onely their externall acts and deeds, but euen their very thoughts and cogitations vnto the prei&s;ts of God. Mow fora&s;much as deacons in S. Ciprians time, did impo&s;e ha~ds vpon delin|quents heads, it was permitted for publick penance, and by the auctority of the bi&s;hop, and in his &s;teed, and in time of nece&s;&s;ity; which impo&s;inge and ab&s;olution, was not from &s;inne, for that belongeth onely to the prei&s;ts. See S. Ciprian who further noteth Epi&s;t. 55. <HI>&amp; &s;ermo. de lap&s;is,</HI> that they did doe &s;atisfaction to purge them, from &s;innes, and that this was the faith in the Apo&s;tles time, and all faithfull Chri&s;tians did &s;oe.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;y of the Nouatians contrary to the fa+thers doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>About this time, the Nouatians procee|dinge from one Nouatus, renewed the he|re&s;y of the Montani&s;ts &s;ome 50. years after. In &s;o much that Socrates in his fourth book of his hi&s;tory, te&s;tifieth that Nouatus their captaine &s;hould write vnto all churches (for he had gotten auctority in beinge made a mocke bi&s;hop by &s;telth and not by canonical order) that no &s;inner &s;hould be admitted vnto the holy mi&s;teries, that had &s;acrificed to Ido|les, &s;oe that his doctrine was to exhort them
<PB N="170" REF="89"> onely to penance, and for the re&s;t, to remitt wholy the forgiuene&s;&s;e of their &s;innes to God onely, who could and had onely auctority to forgiue &s;innes. Here note 1. if our aduer&s;a|ries grownd their negatiue doctrine of de|nyinge confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t vpon Nouatus, then it proceedeth and hath its beginninge from one that in his youth was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with an euel &s;pirite, a coniurer, a man putt into orders again&s;t all order and lawe, a bi|&s;hop made by &s;telth and by intru&s;ion 2. if his doctrine &s;hould be true, why would then Chri&s;t &s;uffer his church to be in error in con|fe&s;&s;inge, and prei&s;ts ab&s;oluinge, either till the Montani&s;ts beganne, or till now &s;ome 255. years, when Chri&s;t &s;aid he would be with his Apo&s;tles till the worlds end, to teach go|uerne and direct the~ with his holy &s;pirit in all truth, and now in the beginninge &s;hould fall into here&s;y and vtter blindne&s;&s;e? 3. the practi&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution from all &s;inne, was then the practi&s;e of the church, or els why did Nouatus now deny it, and forbid all penitents to &s;eek ab&s;olution, and forgi|uene&s;&s;e in the church but of God onely, being contradicted for his doctrine of all? 4. if No|uatus doctrine be true, then is the other do|ctrine of confe&s;&s;ion fal&s;e, why then did not Nouatus call a councell, and condemne his predece&s;&s;ors and former bi&s;hops of here&s;y? but this we neuer reade, but rather the con|trary,
<PB N="171" REF="89"> that the Nouatians were cen&s;ured for heretickes for denyinge ab&s;olution, as &s;hall pre&s;ently appeare. 5. the Montani&s;ts and No|uatians did not denie but that prei&s;ts might preach and teach forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes by Chri&s;t, but denyed that power to ab&s;olue was giuen them Ion. 20. who&s;e &s;innes ye forgiue are forgiuen, therfore in contradictinge the church, it is plaine that the meanninge of the woords of Chri&s;t Ihon 20. was vnder&s;tood of the whole church then for prei&s;ts to forgiue &s;innes and ab&s;olue, and not to preach onely forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;inne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church for condemnation of the Nouatian here&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>Again&s;t this here&s;y of Nouatus, was held a councell at Rome by Pope Cornelius of 50. bi&s;hops, as many prei&s;ts, and many more deacons, where it was examined and con|demned. And albeit the decrees of this coun|cell are not extant, yet Eu&s;ebius Coe&s;arien&s;is in his &s;ixt book of his eccle&s;ia&s;ticall hi&s;tory and 34. chapter, geueth &s;ufficient te&s;timony of it. Moreouer the councell of Nice held this here&s;y of Nouatus &s;o damnable, that it prohibited, that none of this &s;ort &s;hould be receiued againe into the lapp of gods church and participation of the holy mi&s;teries, except by publicke abiuration of that here&s;y, they promi&s;ed to folowe the pre&s;cript order, all precepts and commandements of the holy
<PB N="172" REF="90"> mother church: concil. Nicen. ca 8. What learned men and holy doctors haue oppo&s;ed them &s;elues by writinge again&s;t it, is mo&s;t apparant. For both S. Ciprian de lap&s;is. in his time S. Ambro&s;e in his booke of penance. S. Chri&s;o&s;tome in a treati&s;e intituled of repai|ringe one that is fallen, as al&s;o Lactantius l. 4. diui in&s;t. c. 17. writt mo&s;t learnedly again&s;t the Nouatians; in &s;oe much that Lactantius makes confe&s;&s;ion a note of the true church. After that Nouatus had begun his here&s;y, it was thought conuenient to certaine bi&s;hops, to appointe a penitentiary prei&s;t for euery publick and notoriou&s;e delinquent to con|fe&s;&s;e vnto, and to do publick penance, be|fore they could be admitted to come to the holy Euchari&s;t: for before the here&s;y of No|uatus began, not any were compelled to goe to any certain prei&s;t, neither to confe&s;&s;e pu|blickly their &s;inne, albeit &s;ome accu&s;tomed by coun&s;ell of the prei&s;t to confe&s;&s;e &s;ome no|toriou&s;e crime publickly, for their more confu&s;ion and repentance, hauinge tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ed publickly, yet they were not bound vnto it, but it was &s;ufficient priuately to con|fe&s;&s;e all their &s;innes, and to do penance ether priuately or publickely, as the prei&s;t &s;hould thinke mo&s;t conuenient and for his good, this is manife&s;t by Origen Hom. 2. in p&s;al. 37.</P>
<P>S. Ciprian Epi&s;t. 13. l. 3. writing to Stephen
<PB N="173" REF="90"> Pope of Rome, declareth how that one Mar|tianus the fift bi&s;hop of Arles in order after S. Trophinus S. Paules &s;choler, was become a Nouatia~, wherby it appeareth that he did de|generate from the doctrine of his forefathers, and that becau&s;e he was an inuouator, and again&s;t the cu&s;tome of the whole church his name was giuen vpp to the Pope and cen&s;u|red as an hereticke.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The dostrine of <HI>S.</HI> Ciprian or &s;ome other aun|cient aucthor of his time. Ser. de ablutione pedum.</HEAD>
<P>After Bapti&s;me which can not be iterated we haue <HI>aliud lauacrum,</HI> an other regene|ration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Ancyranum</HEAD>
<P>As many as haue fulfilled their penance of their years &s;pace, let them be receiued to the holy Eucari&s;t without offering. an. Chri&s;ti 316.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Lactantius in the end of his fourth book of de|uine in&s;titutions cap. <HI>17</HI></HEAD>
<P>Becau&s;e all heretickes thinke them&s;elues Chri&s;tians, and that theirs is the catholick church, it is to be aduerti&s;ed, that that is the church, in which is confe&s;&s;ion and penance, which mo&s;t profitably doeth cure and heale the &s;innes and wounds, vnto which the im|becility of mans fle&s;he is &s;ubiect. Againe he &s;aieth he; If we confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes wee &s;atisfy God and obtein pardon. Here note. 1. fir&s;t it is the catholick church, in which is
<PB N="174" REF="91"> the v&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion and penance. 2. that it is a confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, for all heretickes will confe&s;&s;e vnto God, therfore confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, is a di&s;tinctiue note of the catho|lickes from hereticks who v&s;e noe confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t. 3. that confe&s;&s;ion doeth heale and cure the &s;innes, and hereby wee doe &s;atis|faction and obteine pardon.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>In this age there was practi&s;e in the church of God, both of a penitentiarie prei&s;t, as al&s;o priuate and publick penances enioyned by the prei&s;t vnto &s;inners and notoriou&s;e delin|quents. A publick penance was then enioy|ned, when the &s;inne committed was publick, and &s;o &s;atisfaction to be donne publickely for it, in, and before the face of the church. Priuate penance was then ordained, when for the &s;inne declared &s;ecretly to the prei&s;t by confe&s;&s;ion, he had penance enioyned to be donne &s;ecretelie.</P>
<P>And albeit by rea&s;on of the&s;e publick pe|nances, a cu&s;tome might (in the heare of Chri&s;tians deuotions as in Campania after their did) growe, that there the bi&s;hops did allowe, that the penitents for euery &s;ecret &s;inne confe&s;&s;ed, &s;hould doe publick penance, and haue their &s;innes recited publickly, <HI>per modum libelli,</HI> for their greater confu&s;ion and &s;atisfactio~, yet this maner was reprehen|ded
<PB N="175" REF="91"> by S. Leo as after &s;halbe declared, and order &s;ett downe, that &s;ecrett &s;innes &s;hould onely (accordinge to the nature of &s;ecrecy) be confe&s;&s;ed &s;ec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">etly, and &s;ecrett pennance done for them: Whereby is euident, the two former &s;ortes of penances.</P>
<P>The accu&s;tomed maner to do &s;olemne pe|penance was this, which was enioyned for &s;ome great and heynou&s;e &s;inne. Fir&s;t in the beginninge of Lent, the bi&s;hop and prei&s;t with the penitent, meets at the doore of the cathedral church barefooted, his head &s;horne, with demi&s;&s;e looke, and &s;o &s;ayinge the &s;eauen penitentiall p&s;almes, the bi&s;hope layes his hand vpon the penitent, &s;prinkels him with holy water, layes a&s;hes vpon his head, and puts on a hayrcloth, &amp; &s;o declares vnto him, that as Adam was ca&s;t out of paradi&s;e, &s;o he is ca&s;t out of the church, and thus the bi&s;hop bids the clergye to driue the penite~ts foorth, recyting this ver&s;e: <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;udere vultus tui.</HI> In this maner all lent thy continewe till &s;heer|thur&s;day, and then are they brought by the clergy to the church, and continewe till the octaues of Ea&s;ter without eyther receyuinge the holy Euchari&s;t or the Pax: and this done, they depart againe &amp; doe as they did before, till the beginninge of lent againe, euery yeare vntill &s;uch tyme, their penance be expired, &amp; &s;o to be reconciled to the church. Soe we read, that in the councell of Ancyrane, there
<PB N="176" REF="92"> were &s;ome times three years penance enioy|ned. Now for the&s;e publick penitents, there was appointed a di&s;tinct habite, a &s;eperate place, an appointed time, and &s;oundry pu|ni&s;hments. Their habite was of a duski&s;h couler with heircloth, their head pouled and &s;horne (wemen excepted who went veiled) and this cu&s;tome was in Tertullians time li. de poenit. anno 200. In the age of Pacian anno 393. as appeareth in his pareni&s;y to penance. In the time of Optatus 370. In the time of S. Ambro&s;e ad virg. lap. c. 8. 380. and when the councel of Agatha was held in the yeare 439. where is both mention made of habite and &s;hearinge of haire. The place to do this penance in was diuer&s;e, for S. Gre|gory Neocae&s;arien&s;is in his canonicall epi&s;tle mentioneth fiue. The fir&s;t in the lower part of the church furthe&s;t from the alter without the church doore, and had his name by their weepinge lamenting and prayer. The &s;econd within the church, a place of hearing praier, but not admitted to praier. The third within both to heare and communicate &amp; in praier, yet not to come to ma&s;&s;e, a place onely to pray and contemplate. The fourth to come neere the alter and to the &s;acrifice, yet not to communicate at the alter where they &s;toode. The fift a place of expectation to be reconci|led when they had fulfilled their penance. The time for enioyninge &s;olemne penance
<PB N="177" REF="92"> was on a&s;he weden&s;day. <HI>In capice ieiunij,</HI> as noteth Gratian di&s;t. 50. can. <HI>In capite ieiunij.</HI> The time of reconcilinge was on &s;heerthur&s;|day. <HI>in coena Domini,</HI> as noteth Innocentius Epi&s;t. ad Decentium c. 7. The diuer&s;ity of pu|ni&s;hements were. 1. ab&s;tinence from holy mi&s;teries as S. Ciprian ob&s;erueth lib. 5. Epi&s;t. 8, &amp; &s;er. de lap&s;is. 2. inhability to be promo|ted to the clergy. Syrius Epi&s;t. 1. c 14. 3. not not to marry (except younge men) Leo Epi&s;t. 92 ca. 12. 4. neuer to be &s;ouldiours. Leo ibi|dem. 5. not to be godfathers in bap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;me or confirmation. Concil. Parien&s;i. 6. if thy be &s;ick to want extreme vnction. Innocentius ad Decentium 7. euery fa&s;tinge day to come to church, and to bowe their heads to the prei&s;t, who &s;hould lay his hands vpon them and praie for them. Concilium Carthagi|nen&s;e can. 80.8. to bury the dead by the &s;ame councell of Cartha. ca. 91.6. not to go to any bathes or banquetts, but to refufe if they be inuited. Pacianus in parene&s;i.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of <HI>S.</HI> Antony ex Athana&s;io &amp; Euagrio in eius vita. Anno Chri&s;ti <HI>330.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is a &s;peedy way to vertue, if euery one would marke that which thy doe, or would declare all their thoughtes of their minds to their brethren. Here note fir&s;t a markinge of our actions, and declaringe of our very thoughts. 2. to declare them to our brethren. what the&s;e brethren bee S. Iames &s;aieth, it
<PB N="178" REF="93"> is to confe&s;&s;e to an other; What this other is, hath bene declared before out of the holy doctors, that they are prei&s;ts, whom S. Iames bids call in, and to whom Chri&s;te (Ioan. 20.) hath giuen power to forgiue &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Leodicenum in Siria orientalis ec|cle&s;iae in can. <HI>2.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e which fall into diuer&s;e &s;innes, and makes a full remon&s;trance of their perfect conuer&s;ion by their praier, confe&s;&s;ion, and penance, the time of their penance is to be allotted according to the quality of their &s;in|nes. Here note. 1. a perfect conuer&s;ion can not be but by praier, confe&s;&s;ion and penance, therfore it is not enough to repent onely, and change the minde from &s;inne. 2. that this pe|nance is a &s;atisfactory penalty enioyned by the prei&s;ts, for the time is allotted by them, according as their &s;innes are. And how can they know their &s;innes to allott penance, and the quality therof, but by confe&s;&s;ion?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Athana&s;ius bishope of Alexandria &s;ermone in illa verba, profecti in pagum.</HEAD>
<P>Let vs examine our &s;elues whether our bonds are loo&s;ed, that we may profite vnto better: If that they be not loo&s;ed, offer thy &s;elfe to the di&s;ciples of Ie&s;us, they are heere which can loo&s;e thee by that power which thy haue receiued of our Sauiour what&s;oeuer you &s;hall bind in earth, &s;halbe bound in hea|uen, and what&s;oeuer yee &s;hall loo&s;e in earth
<PB N="179" REF="93"> &s;halbe loo&s;ed in heauen, and if yee remitt anies &s;innes they are forgiuen them. Here note. 1. we mu&s;t examine our con&s;ciences whether we be bound or loo&s;ed. 2. if we be bounde, we mu&s;t offer our &s;elues to the di&s;ci|ples of Chri&s;te to be loo&s;ed. 3. what the&s;e di&s;|ciples are: he &s;aieth they are <HI>here,</HI> meaning the prei&s;ts of God, whom S. Paule calleth Chri&s;ts legates, and are indeed the di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t; for he can not meane of the Apo&s;tles or di&s;|ciples which are in heauen, but &s;uch as are heere, that is, now extant and then in S. Athana&s;ius his time. 4. that the&s;e by Chri&s;tes in&s;titution, haue power to bind and loo&s;e, to forgiue &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church accordinge to the&s;e fathers doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>In this age 366. the Emperors Gratian, Va|lentinian and and Theodo&s;ius decreed, that all people (whom the Empire of their cle|mency did gouerne) liue in that religion which deuine Peter deliuered to the Romans as the religion by him taught, and enduringe to this day, namely to their times. Which re|ligion left by S. Peter is euident and he him|&s;elfe taught concerninge the ordringe of a mans con&s;cience, to enter into it, to thinke vpon his deeds, and &s;o to manife&s;t them vnto a prei&s;t. Thus S. Clement writeth of him, who be&s;t knewe the cu&s;tome of tho&s;e times, and S. Peters intent. Epi&s;t. ad fratrem Do|mini.
<PB N="108" REF="94"> Moreouer that auricular confe&s;&s;ion was practi&s;ed in Rome, appeareth by S. Clement, Alexander, Antherus, Vrbanus, Pontian, euen vntill Dama&s;us his time, when al&s;o was the practi&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion, which S. Hierome &s;aieth, was then a publick v&s;e and cu&s;tome in all the church; Now then if auricular con|fe&s;&s;ion had bene again&s;t the pre&s;cript and woord of God, it is mo&s;t certaine, that the&s;e Emperors would haue had a more carefull re&s;pect, then to haue remitted them &s;elues to the Romaine religion, Dama&s;us beinge then cheef head, and Peter Patriarch of Alexan|dria for the ea&s;t church. Yea rather if this had bene fal&s;e doctrine, they &s;hould haue enter|tained the Montani&s;ts and Nouatians con|demned by the &s;ea of Rome, whom not|with&s;tandinge it is manife&s;t that they held, as heretickes and anathematized per&s;ons. In the &s;econd canon of the auncient councel of Laodicia it is manife&s;t, that the maner of tho&s;e times was, to enioyne penitent &s;inners in confe&s;&s;ion to &s;ay praiers, and to giue almes, for penance and &s;atisfaction for their &s;innes. By the Apollogy of S. Athana&s;ius, as al&s;o S. S. Hilary it is euident, that certaine bi&s;hops of Britany, were pre&s;ent at the councell of Sardica, as al&s;o at Ariminum, S. Hilary prai|&s;inge and extollinge tho&s;e bi&s;hops, which truly he would neuer haue donne, had not they concurred with the Romaine church, &amp;
<PB N="181" REF="94"> iumpt with him in his opinion for religion in all points, confe&s;&s;ion beinge one: Wherupon wee may gather that confe&s;&s;ion then was v&s;ed in Britanie.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Hilarie ca. <HI>18.</HI> in Mat. S. Ephrem and S. Ba&s;il. <HI>Hil. an. Chri&s;ti 370.</HI></HEAD>
<P>For terror and feare of that by which all in pre&s;ente &s;hould be contained: he &s;ett before the immouable iudgement of the apo&s;tolical &s;euerity (that is) who&s;oeuer they &s;hould haue bound here in earth (that is) left tied in the knotts of &s;in, and whom they &s;hould haue loo&s;ed (that is) by confe&s;&s;ion pardoned, the&s;e &s;ame (&s;uch beinge the condition of the apo|&s;tolicall &s;entence) &s;hould al&s;o be loo&s;ed or bound in heauen. Here note fir&s;t, the apo&s;to|licall iudgement is immoueable, that is, what|&s;oeuer they iudge, God doeth ratify it. 2. it is a &s;euerity, which &s;euerity is in inflictinge puni&s;hments vpon penitents, and this he ca|leth apo&s;tolical. 3. thy bind &s;inners in &s;in, and loo&s;e &s;inners from &s;inne, by their apo&s;tolical &s;entence, therfore they do more then preach forgiuene&s;&s;e or bindinge and loo&s;inge by Chri&s;t. 4. by confe&s;&s;ion pardon is obteined.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Saint Ephrem in illud, Attende tibi. anno Chri&s;ti <HI>380.</HI></HEAD>
<P>To open and declare his &s;innes to &s;piritual men, is a great &s;igne of amendement of life: but to hide them, a token of an ill affected mind: therfore it behoueth that &s;uch an one,
<PB N="182" REF="95"> who confe&s;&s;eth with all humilitie, be greatly comeforted. Here note fir&s;t, an opeining and declaringe of &s;innes. 2. to &s;pirituall men, not to laie men. 3. a difference betwixt him that openeth his &s;innes, &amp; him that hideth them, the openinge a &s;igne of amendement of life, the hidinge a token of an ill affected minde 4. wee mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e and declare our &s;innes with all humility. 5. the behauiour of the &s;pirituall man or gho&s;tly father, towards the penitent (vid) to comefort him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Ba&s;il in que&s;tionibus breuioribus regula <HI>229</HI></HEAD>
<P>The &s;elfe &s;ame rea&s;on altogether is in con|fe&s;&s;ion as is in the openinge or di&s;clo&s;inge the defectes of a mans body. For neither ra&s;hely do we di&s;clo&s;e the&s;e to euery one, but to &s;uch as are expert to cure them: Soe ought not the confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;inne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be made, but to &s;uch as can heale them. Wherfore as he &s;aieth, regula 228. Our &s;innes nece&s;&s;arily ought to be opened to tho&s;e to whom the di&s;pen&s;ation of the mi&s;teries of God is committed 1. a compari&s;on betwixt openinge our &s;innes by by confe&s;&s;ion, and tellinge our defects, that as ra&s;hely we do not di&s;clo&s;e our infirmity, &s;o ra&s;hely we &s;hould not confe&s;&s;e. 2. our &s;innes mu&s;t be opened to &s;uch as can heale them. 3. they that can heale them are &s;uch, as haue the di&s;pen&s;ation of the mi&s;teries of God comit|ted to them, ergo not to all, but to prei&s;ts, who are the di&s;pen&s;ators. 4. thy ought nece&s;|&s;arily
<PB N="183" REF="95"> to be opened.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church agreeable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>It was accu&s;tomed amonge the monkes of this age (as S. Ba&s;il noteth of the in&s;titution of monkes) to make a publick confe&s;&s;ion <HI>collecta finaxi,</HI> and that by noe means any offender &s;hould keep &s;ecret his &s;inne commit|ted, but declare it albeit euery one heard it, <HI>vt per communem orationem &s;anetur morbus,</HI> that by the common praier of all, his di&s;ea&s;e might be cured. More, in an an&s;wer to one that was m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ndfull to confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne, and demandinge whether he ought to confe&s;&s;e them to all men, or but to &s;ome, or to the prei&s;ts alone, he &s;aieth that confe&s;&s;ion is in&s;ti|tuted to this end, that when any is conuerted from his former &s;innes, he mu&s;t &s;hewe fruicts woorthy of penance, and therfore nece&s;&s;ary to confe&s;&s;e his &s;innes to &s;uch, as the di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the mi&s;teries of God are committed vnto; wherby euidently appeareth, both a confe&s;&s;ion in generall to a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l, and a confe&s;&s;ion more particuler to the prei&s;t of God, and that nece&s;&s;arily to be opened. Moreouer both by the rites of S. Chri&s;o&s;tomes and S. Ba&s;ils ma&s;&s;e is euident, how that prei&s;ts ordinarily went to confe&s;&s;ion before they celebrated ma&s;&s;e: for &s;aieth S. Ba&s;il of that age; It is be|houfull for the prei&s;t that goeth to celebrate the deuine mi&s;terie, before all thinges to be
<PB N="184" REF="96"> confe&s;&s;ed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the Audeans, contrary to the practi&s;e and doctrine of the church</HEAD>
<P>About this time &s;pronge the here&s;y of the Audeans &s;oe named of one Audeus, as is ma|nife&s;t by Theodoret l. 4. of his heroicall fa|bles, who albeit thy allowed confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes yea and commanded it, and withall gaue ab&s;olutio~, yet neuerthele&s;&s;e they enioy|ned noe penance. Wherupon the penitents &s;einge that confe&s;&s;ion was exacted at their hands, they in &s;porte and meriment would conceale their great &s;innes, and onely con|fe&s;&s;e the le&s;&s;er. Concerninge which here&s;y we may note fir&s;t, that albeit this here&s;y held confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution, yet in denyinge penance, and for not enioyninge it, it was condemned as contrary to the cu&s;tome and practi&s;e of that time in the church of God; wherby is plaine that the v&s;e then, was to confe&s;&s;e, and prei&s;ts to ab&s;olue and enioyne penance. 2. that the&s;e were not &s;o farre gone as our prote&s;tants, for they commanded ab&s;o|lution, onely made no matter of penance 3. the Ma&s;&s;alians an other crew (though diffe|rent in &s;ome things) iumpt with the Audeans in this, that they would forgiue &s;innes with|out regard had to anie penance, or to any v&s;e of church cannons.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Ambro&s;e lib. <HI>2.</HI> de poeniten+tia cap. <HI>7.</HI> contra Nouatianos and others of
<PB N="185" REF="96"> his time for confe&s;&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution. an. <HI>380</HI></HEAD>
<P>Why doe yee impo&s;e hands, beleeue the woorkes of benediction, if perhaps any &s;ick man recouer? why doe ye pre&s;ume that &s;ome by you are clen&s;ed from the filthe and &s;inke of the diuel? why doe ye bapti&s;e, if that by man &s;innes are not forgiue~? In bapti&s;me there is a remi&s;&s;ion of all &s;innes: and what diffe|rence is there, whether by pena~ce or by bap|ti&s;me prei&s;ts chalenge this auctority vnto them, there is one mini&s;tery in them both. &amp; li. 2. de poenit. ca. 2. Naaman Syrus (&s;aieth he) beleeued not that his lepro&s;ie could be cured by water, but that which was impo&s;|&s;ible, God hath made po&s;&s;ible who hath gi|uen vs &s;uch grace. Againe, it &s;eemes impo&s;|&s;ible that by penance &s;innes &s;hould be forgi|giuen, but Chri&s;t hath graunted this vnto his apo&s;tles, which from the apo&s;tles is tran&s;la|ted to the office of prei&s;thood, therfore it is made po&s;&s;ible, which before &s;eemed impo&s;|&s;ible (Et lib 2. de poenit. ca. 9. he &s;aieth) wilt thou be iu&s;tified? confe&s;&s;e thy &s;innes, a &s;hamefa&s;t confe&s;&s;ion of thy &s;inne, loo&s;eth the knots of thine offences. Here 1. note, that penance remitteth &s;innes, a&s;well as bapti&s;|me. 2. remitting &s;innes in both, is donne by prei&s;ts, as Chri&s;ts mini&s;ters. 3. it is po&s;&s;ible for man to forgiue &s;innes by Chri&s;ts auctoritie 4. this auctoritie is tran&s;lated from the apo&s;tles,
<PB N="186" REF="97"> to the prei&s;ts. 5. by confe&s;&s;ion we are iu&s;ti|fied, for confe&s;&s;ion loo&s;eth &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Diadochus Epi&s;copus Photinen&s;is cap <HI>100</HI> de perfectione.</HEAD>
<P>We mu&s;t examine diligently and exactly our confe&s;&s;ion, le&s;t perhapes our con&s;cience may lie vnto it &s;elfe, while&s;t it &s;u&s;pecteth, that it hath made a good confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Gregorius Ni&s;senus epi&s;tola canonica ad epi&s;co|pum Mite&s;enex, vide bibliothecam &s;ancto|rum patrum to <HI>1.</HI> anno <HI>380.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It &s;halbe very well if that this day we brin|ge not onely tho&s;e, who by regeneration by grace of bapti&s;me are transformed: but al&s;o tho&s;e who by penance and confe&s;&s;ion a&s;cend to life euerla&s;tinge. Boldly &s;hew thy &s;elfe vnto a prei&s;t, ope~ tho&s;e thinges that are hidd. Vncouer the &s;ecrets of thy mind, as &s;ecret wounds vnto the Phi&s;itian, and he &s;hall haue regard both of thy honor, and of thy health. Wher note 1. by penance and confe&s;&s;ion, we may a&s;cend to life eternall. 2. wee mu&s;t &s;hewe the very &s;ecrettes of our thoughtes to a prei&s;t, not to the laitie. 3. the prei&s;te is the phi&s;itian to cure. 4. confe&s;&s;ion is noe impea|chement of credit, becau&s;e the prei&s;t mu&s;t haue care of the penitents honor, as well as of his &s;oules health.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to this doctrine of the fath<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rs.</HEAD>
<P>There hath not euer any here&s;ie bene rai&s;ed
<PB N="187" REF="97"> in the church of God, but it had bene impug|ned, vtterly condemned, and put to &s;ilence: for the here&s;y of the Nouatians, albeit it was mainteined by &s;ome fewe, yet &s;till it was re|futed from time to time of the be&s;t learned, and holie&s;t men. Hereupon S. Ambro&s;e ben|dinge the maine &s;inewes of his force again&s;t them, &s;etteth downe mo&s;t plainlie, what then was the cu&s;tome of the church, for confe&s;|&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution; Ambro&s;e li. 2. de poenit. c. 9. And by him we may knowe, that there were many, which did willingly confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes priuatelie to prei&s;ts (which is that we Catholickes nowe call, <HI>Auricular confe&s;&s;ion</HI>) but altogether refu&s;ed to doe any publick penance in the church. For &s;aieth he, <HI>publicoe &s;upplicationis reuocan|tur pudore;</HI> It is the &s;hame of publick confe&s;|&s;ion which doeth make them &s;hunne it. And for further proofe Paulus (who was S. Am|bro&s;e his cleerk) thus much wittne&s;&s;eth of tho&s;e times in S. Ambro&s;e his life, that he was accu&s;tomed to heare &s;ecret confe&s;&s;ion, and that as oft as any by remorce of con&s;|cience, fell to bewaile their &s;innes with tears, he noe le&s;&s;e &s;hedd tears in great aboundance, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t ita flebat vt &amp; illum flere compelleret, ita commi&s;eratione efficiebatur.</HI></P>
<P>What maner S. Ambro&s;e did v&s;e in ab|&s;oluinge, as al&s;oe other prei&s;ts he relateth that they v&s;ed to pray, <HI>preces premittit,</HI> and
<PB N="186" REF="98">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="187" REF="98">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="188" REF="99"> after to &s;ay as we now &s;ay, <HI>Mi&s;ereatur tui,</HI> and after when he gaue ab&s;olution, then his maner was to &s;ay, <HI>in nomine patris &amp; filij &amp; &s;piritus &s;ancti,</HI> euen the very &s;elfe order, as now is v&s;ed in the church of God, that the whole world may &s;ee, that there is one lan|guage, and one &s;ett order from time to time ob&s;erued, contrary to the cour&s;e of here&s;y, which commonly is mo&s;t con&s;tant in incon|&s;tancie.</P>
<P>Moreouer as Thomas Walden&s;is noteth, and it is recorded in the tripartite hi&s;tory li. 6. c. 1. that Iulian the Apo&s;tata, framminge fitt occa&s;ion to the vtter ouerthrowe of all reli|gion, vtterly abandoned confe&s;&s;ion, <HI>&s;tudebat abrenunciare confe&s;&s;ioni:</HI> Which argueth the practi&s;e in like &s;orte of the time, and malice which the wickeder &s;orte of Chri&s;tians haue alwaies had again&s;t confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>By S. Gregory Ni&s;&s;ene appeareth that it was v&s;uall about Ea&s;ter euery yeare to make their confe&s;sions, and &s;o continually in practi&s;e euen till this age, and which after by negligence was omitted, by po&s;itiue lawe was commanded. Neither was the practi&s;e of the church in the&s;e daies for prei&s;ts onely to preach forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes, and that the mini&s;tery of prei&s;ts con&s;i&s;ted onely in this, to denounce pardon of &s;inne by Chri&s;t, but that by them &s;innes were pardoned: For the Nouatian heretickes denied not,
<PB N="189" REF="99"> but prei&s;ts might preach forgiuene&s;&s;e by Chri&s;t, but gaine &s;aied the whole church, that prei&s;ts had auctority to forgiue &s;innes. for this cau&s;e and for noe other, S. Am|bro&s;e writeth again&s;t them, to prooue the manife&s;t truth of prei&s;ts ab&s;olution.</P>
<P>And wheras the 4. councell of Cartha|ge c. 78. anno Domini 398. mentioneth in the act of penance (Impo&s;ition of hands) albeit this ceremony was practi&s;ed in mo&s;t auncient churches, and now is v&s;uall to lay hands on the penitents head, yet this ceremony apperteineth not to the &s;ub&s;tan|ce of ab&s;olution: for it is &s;aid Iohn. 20. who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue are forgiuen, and not vpon whom yee &s;hall impo&s;e your handes. Therfore Saint Thomas opu&s;cul. 22. de Sacra. ab&s;olut. accounteth it not an e&s;&s;entiall poynt. And further when the 4. councell of Carthage cap. 80. biddeth that euery fa&s;tinge day the penitents &s;hall come to the church to the prei&s;ts, and that he &s;hall impo&s;e handes vpon them, and cap. 78. that after a daungerou&s;e &s;ickne&s;&s;e (though by confe&s;&s;ion their &s;innes be forgiuen) they mu&s;t haue handes layed vpon them, this is onely vnder&s;tood, of a ceremony of ab&s;oluinge from excommunication or &s;uch penalties, which ordinarily was donne by impo&s;ition of hands.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="190" REF="100">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the fathers. Pacianus Epi&s;co|pus Barcilonen&s;is paraene&s;i ad poenicentiam. anno <HI>393.</HI></HEAD>
<P>I &s;peake vnto you breethren, who refu&s;e penance after your &s;innes committed, to you I &s;peake that are &s;o fearfull after &s;o great bouldne&s;&s;e, &s;o &s;hamefa&s;t after your &s;inne, who are not a&s;hamed to &s;in, yet a&s;hamed to confe&s;&s;e. Behould &s;aieth the apo&s;tel vnto the prei&s;t, laie not hands &s;leightly vpon any, ne|ther do you comunicate with others &s;innes. What wilt thou do, that doe&s;t deceiue the prei&s;t, that doe&s;t deceiue him ignorantlie, or els doe&s;t confound him, with hardne&s;&s;e of proouinge, not knowinge all to the full? Wher note. 1 he teacheth that penance mu&s;t be donne after &s;inne. 2. of the &s;hamefa&s;tne&s;&s;e of &s;inners to confe&s;&s;e, which can not be but to man, from whence &s;hame ri&s;eth by con|fe&s;&s;ing. 3. it is the prei&s;t that doeth lay hands vpon the penitent, which he mu&s;t not doe &s;leightlie. 4. that they deceiue the prei&s;t. when they do not confe&s;&s;e all to the full.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Epiphanius li <HI>4.</HI> here&s;. <HI>38.</HI> li. <HI>2.</HI> here&s;. <HI>36.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The church hath two penances one after another, that is bapti&s;me, and the other the Sacrament of penance. <HI>Dat enim reuer&s;ionem &amp; poenitentiam post poenitentiam.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Gregorius Nazianzenus oratione ad ciues ti|more percul&s;os. anno. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">90.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Yea you rulers and pre&s;idents the lawe of
<PB N="191" REF="100"> Chri&s;t doeth a&s;&s;ubiect you to my rule and throne, for we are with power yea more am|ple and perfect power. Here note 1. the prei|&s;tes haue power ouer rulers and pre&s;idents. 2. prei&s;tes haue a tribunall and are iudges . 3. and that by the law of Chri&s;te.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Carthaginen&s;e <HI>3.</HI> can <HI>32</HI> anno <HI>397.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Lett the times of penance be appointed by the arbitrement of the bi&s;hope vnto euery penitent, accordinge as the difference of &s;in|nes &s;hall require.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable</HEAD>
<P>A mo&s;t euident proofe both again&s;t the Nouatians, as al&s;o again&s;t the Lutherans, may be gathered out of the woords of S. Gregory Nazianzen oratione in &s;ancta Lou|nina (who no doubt as he taught, &s;o to his power would &s;ee it practti&s;ed) to haue after confe&s;&s;ion both &s;atisfaction and the prei&s;ts ab&s;olution. For &s;aieth he, it is a like mi&s;cheefe, to haue remi&s;&s;ion or ab&s;olu|tion without cha&s;ti&s;ement, and to cha&s;ti|ce the body without remi&s;&s;ion or pardon. For as by the fir&s;t, they lett loo&s;e the reyne to all liberty, &s;oe by the other, thy runne into a cour&s;e more then is conuenient, &s;euere and rigorou&s;e. And this did the Nouatians as S. Ciprian writeth of them, li. 4. c. 2.<HI>illos &s;ub|tra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;&s;e de &s;atisfactione medicinam</HI> (that is) content to do &s;atisfaction yet withall would a low noe ab&s;olution; As now iu&s;tly we may
<PB N="192" REF="101"> &s;ay of our aduer&s;aries, <HI>illos de medicina &s;ub|trahere &s;atisfa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ionem,</HI> thy are content with Luther to haue an ab&s;olution, but it goeth again&s;t the haire to do any penanc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> or &s;atis|faction, contrary to the practi&s;e and doctrine of this holy Gregory, who would haue both: putting a great parte of &s;atisfaction in penan|ce and confe&s;&s;ion, where &s;hame and the pe|nalties therby enioyned is a great parte of fu|ture puni&s;hements, that &s;hould be otherwi&s;e &s;u&s;teined. As al&s;o by Pacian appeareth by his per&s;wa&s;ions and exhortations to penance, to contri&s;tate their minds, to putt on &s;ackcloth and a&s;hes, to tewe and tawe their bodies with fa&s;ting and praier; In &s;oe much that the more puni&s;hements thy endure for their &s;in|nes by voluntary affliction, the more mercy &amp; fauour they obteine at gods hands; Which exhortations had bene in vaine, if it had not bene accu&s;tomed emonge Chri&s;tians to v&s;e the like di&s;cipline and rigor of &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>The holy councels held in the&s;e daies, noe le&s;&s;e giue full remon&s;trance of the&s;e religiou|&s;e rites and cu&s;tomes of confe&s;&s;ion and &s;atis|faction. For reade but the auncient councell of valentinne in Fraunce, vnder pope Dama|&s;us, and it may be plainely &s;eene; for it was ordained, that &s;uch as had vowed them&s;elues to God, and marryed after their vowe, mu&s;t do &s;atisfaction to God (becau&s;e they had of|fended God) by doinge rea&s;onable penance
<PB N="193" REF="101"> for that &s;inne, before they could be admitted to the holy communion, which vowes then (as they might be &s;ecreet betwixt God and them&s;elues, and therfore not knowne) mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be reuealed by confe&s;&s;ion, and to him, who hath auctority to ab&s;olue, and by him in &s;ecret penance enioyned, for the full appea&s;ing of god for this offence committed.</P>
<P>Albeit the impo&s;ition of hands (as before was declared) apperteineth not to the e&s;&s;en|ce of the Sacrament and forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;in|nes; yet if wee read the con&s;titutions of S. Clement 2. con&s;tit c. 41. we &s;hall find, that the impo&s;ition or layinge of the prei&s;ts hands vpon the penitents head, was, <HI>loco lauacri,</HI> in&s;teed of bapti&s;me, for, &s;aieth he, by the im|po&s;ition of the prei&s;ts hands, <HI>dabatur Spiritus &s;anctus credentibus,</HI> the holy gho&s;t was giuen to beleuers. By the woord, <HI>loco lauacri</HI> (which S. Clement tearmeth the impo&s;ition of hands in the ab&s;olution of the prei&s;t, the tradition of the auncient fathers hath come, that the Sacrament of penance is called, <HI>&s;ecundus bapti&s;mus,</HI> a &s;econd Bapti&s;me, a &s;econd ta|ble, <HI>post naufragium,</HI> with &s;ome more paine and labor, then is in the fir&s;t bapti&s;me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>A &s;urmi&s;e of prote&s;tants that auricular confe&s;|&s;ion, about this time was taken away.</HEAD>
<P>In this age a littell before S. Chri&s;o&s;tome time, the prote&s;tants imagine, that as con|fe&s;&s;ion was but a politicall di&s;cipline by cer|taine
<PB N="194" REF="102"> bi&s;hops in&s;tituted, and not ordained by Chri&s;t, or approued or practi&s;ed by the Apo|&s;tles: &s;o, as a po&s;itiue lawe againe after &s;ome longe continuance and practi&s;e therof was abrogated, and vtterly aboli&s;hed in the church of God. 2. thy conceiue out of Sozomenus, that in Rome onely and in the we&s;t churches, this ob&s;eruation of confe&s;&s;ion was, and &s;o noe vniuer&s;al practi&s;e, throughout the face of the whole church of god. 3. that the cu&s;tome was emonge the prei&s;ts to haue but one one|ly prei&s;t cho&s;en to haue this facultie, wherby they think, that it was not the function of all prei&s;ts, and that all prei&s;ts hadd not auctority to heare confe&s;&s;ions, but he onely, who emonge the prei&s;ts was &s;elected and caled to this office. 4. that this was the manner of Con&s;tantinople, till that hereby a matrone of the city vnder pretence of confe&s;&s;ion, com|mitted an e&s;cape with a deacon, wherupon grewe great offence and &s;candale. La&s;tly, that vpon this occa&s;ion and &s;candale committed, Nectarius a holy man and bi&s;hop of that city, put downe altogether confe&s;&s;ion. Which be|fore had by his predece&s;&s;ors bene in&s;tituted.</P>
<P>To giue then a full and true relation of the&s;e times (le&s;t perhaps any might think that the prote&s;tants haue hitt iump the nee|dels eye in this deui&s;e) there &s;halbe for the information of any well affected mind, thus much extant here concerninge the pre&s;ent
<PB N="195" REF="102"> &s;tate of gods church, for confe&s;&s;ion and ab|&s;olution, e&s;tabli&s;hed before Nectarius time, and after by him abrogated and putt downe.</P>
<P>Mo&s;t true it is, that 244. years after Chri&s;t as is &s;eene in Socrat. l. 5. ca 19. when the here&s;y of Nouatus began, it was thought mo&s;t expedient vnto the eccle&s;ia&s;ticall gouer|ners of tho&s;e times, to annex vnto the church canons thus much be&s;ide and aboue the order then practi&s;ed; That all &s;uch as were noto|riou&s;e publick and &s;candalou&s;e delinquents after bapti&s;me, &s;hould not &s;o &s;peedi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y be ad|mitted againe, except for their publick cri|mes, they made publick confe&s;&s;ion, and did publick penance. And to this end there was appointed a gho&s;tly father caled, <HI>presbiter poenitentiarius,</HI> a penitentiary prei&s;t, who &s;hould haue care of the publick penitents, &s;uch as hadd falen in the time of per&s;ecution of Decius, and had &s;candalou&s;ly made denial of their faith, and &s;o before they were re|conciled againe, thy &s;hould goe to this pe|nitentiary prei&s;t, and confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes priuately, and according to his direction, they &s;hould publickly manife&s;t their &s;inne and &s;candale before the face of the whole congre|gation, and &s;o do publick penance before they &s;hould be admitted to the receiuinge of the holy Euchari&s;t. And this is mo&s;t certaine, for before the here&s;y of Nouatus beganne, none were compelled to goe to any certaine
<PB N="196" REF="103"> prei&s;t, neither to confe&s;&s;e publick &s;innes pu|blickely. Albeit &s;ome were accu&s;tomed by good adui&s;e and coun&s;ell of their gho&s;tly fa|ther (to whom they confe&s;&s;ed all their &s;in|nes) to confe&s;&s;e publickely &s;ome one more greiuou&s;e and notorious &s;inne, as is apparant by Origen Hom. 2. in p&s;al. 37. Yet were they not bound to this, but as their zeale and de|uotion &s;hould further them in it, for their greater &s;orrowe and confu&s;ion, by the mature adui&s;e of their gho&s;tly father. But after No|uatus had once broached his here&s;y, it was thought expedient vnto the bi&s;hops, to add &s;ome what moreouer to the former canons, le&s;t that the Nouatians might any way accu|&s;e the Catholickes, with touch of too much gentlene&s;&s;e of reconcilinge and admittinge the lap&s;ed to the holy Euchari&s;t; And beinge that this penitentiary, &s;hould be elected emonge the re&s;t, &s;uch a one as &s;hould be, <HI>&s;ecretorum tenax &amp; taciturnus,</HI> clo&s;e and &s;e|cret, this was not much expedient for their publick &s;innes: yet bicau&s;e in comminge to this prei&s;t, they not onely declared their pu|blick crimes, but withall their mo&s;t inward &s;innes, therfore in this re&s;pect &s;ecrecy was required. Neither was this penitentiary prei&s;t &s;ole and onely allotted to heare euery ones confe&s;&s;ion, but for publick delinquents. For &s;o relateth Zo&s;omenus who (after he had declared the in&s;titution of this penitentiary
<PB N="197" REF="103"> prei&s;t by the bi&s;hops in Nouatus time, and after at Con&s;tantinople by Nectarius abroga+ted, and the v&s;e therof diligently ob&s;erued at Rome, and &s;oe continued as in other chur|ches of the we&s;t, though putt downe at Con&s;tantinople) he &s;aieth notwith&s;tanding in his owne time (which was about the yeare 430.) this con&s;titution appertained onely to publick penitents&punc; for if it had bene for all delinquents, how could one haue &s;uffi&s;ed for &s;o many thou&s;ands. Now that the bi&s;hops that adioyned this appendix to the canons, ment not in any wi&s;e, that &s;ecret &s;innes &s;hould bee a&s;&s;ubiected to publick confe&s;&s;ion, bicau&s;e both Zozomenus and Nicephorus re|cord, that that cu&s;tome of confe&s;&s;inge to the penitentiarie prei&s;t (abrogated by Nectarius) was v&s;uall in Rome and other we&s;t churches. And as for S. Leo he auerreth (who was in Zozomenus time) that it was neuer accu&s;to|med in Rome to confe&s;&s;e &s;ecret &s;innes public|kly. For he him&s;elfe epi&s;t. 80 chideth the bi&s;|hops of Campania, for an indi&s;creet zeale in &s;ufferinge the penitents to confe&s;&s;e all their &s;innes publickly, which order he &s;aieth, is improbable and again&s;t the apo&s;teles rule; And moreouer if in the time of the peniten|tiary prei&s;t, all &s;ecret &s;innes &s;hould haue pu|blickly bene declared and confe&s;&s;ed, to what end &s;hould taciturnity, &s;ecrecy and hidinge of the penitents &s;inne in the penitentiary prei&s;t
<PB N="198" REF="104"> prei&s;t bene required? &s;oe that to reueale &s;e|cret &s;innes heard in confe&s;&s;ion, beinge again&s;t the lawe of nature (as all deuines affirme) again&s;t the apo&s;tolicall order (as S Leo no|teth) if the in&s;titution of tho&s;e bi&s;hops had commaunded this, then had it bene donne very well of Nectarius to haue aboli&s;hed it. But then it is more ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ueile, how that Gre|gory Nazian&s;en, S. Ba&s;il, Athana&s;ius and all the greek doctors, which were before Necta|rius, would or could haue tollerated this im|piety which they in their times &s;uffered? ther|fore mo&s;t likely it is, that the cu&s;tome was not to confe&s;&s;e publickely, &s;ecret &s;innes. Fur|thermore after the abrogatinge of this con|fe&s;&s;ion by Nectarius, we &s;ee no hi&s;tory re|late, that it was putt vpp againe after he had putt it downe, but the manner of &s;ecret con|fe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t &s;ecretly, remained &s;till, as it appeareth by S. Chri&s;o&s;tom, who was his &s;ucce&s;&s;or, by Nicephorus Cartophilax, and the councell of Trul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o Againe it is great rea|&s;on to thinke, that Nectarius onely tooke away that which was an occa&s;ion of that tu|mult emonge the people, and that was pu|blick confe&s;&s;ion to the penitentiary prei&s;t, by which this &s;candall and tumult did ari&s;e; Is it not then plaine what was take~ away vid. the penitentiarie prei&s;t &amp; publick confe&s;&s;ion, by which meanes the &s;candall grewe, for a ma|trone of accompte in the church, falinge with
<PB N="199" REF="104"> a deacon, by hir indi&s;creet zeale goinge too farre in confe&s;&s;inge publickely all hir &s;ecret &s;innes, or perhaps by the indi&s;cretion of the penetentiarius, brought an infamie to the cleargy, tumult and &s;turres emonge the peo|ple, and &s;oe for feare of the like euent, it was perhaps prouidently put downe by Nectarius then bi&s;hope of that &s;ea.</P>
<P>But put ca&s;e Nectarius had put downe Au|ricular confe&s;&s;ion, what doe our aduer&s;aries aduantage them&s;elues therby? fir&s;t it was but the fact of one man in one citie. 2. it was that which was practi&s;ed from Nouatus time (who was 244 yeares after Chri&s;t) till Necta|rius time. 3. it was neuerthele&s;&s;e practi&s;ed in Rome, and other the we&s;te churches, and &s;o from time to time continued. 4. it was that which God had commaunded: for if we will beleeue Sozomenus (who writt this &s;tory at large, and whom our aduer&s;aries be&s;t credit) he affirmeth that God him&s;elfe commaun|ded, that penitents &s;hould be pardoned, and that confe&s;&s;ion was nece&s;&s;ary: now if Necta|rius &s;hould put downe that; he was mo&s;t in|iuriou&s;e to gods ordinance, and &s;oe did of|fend in doinge of it. 5. it was that which our owne aduer&s;aries would haue put vpp; that is, a certaine confe&s;&s;ion before receiuinge, for both Melancthon (confe&s;&s;. augu&s;tan. art. de confe&s;&s;.) would haue confe&s;&s;ion, a &s;ear|ching of &s;innes and ab&s;olution, <HI>antequam
<PB N="200" REF="105"> porrigitur corpus Domini,</HI> And Caluine would haue, <HI>oues &s;e &s;i&s;tere pa&s;tori.</HI> l. 3. in&s;ti|tu. c. 4. 8. 13. the &s;heep to come before the pa&s;tor before receiuinge; yet Nectarius by them would haue noe &s;uch thinge, but euery one might come to participate of the holy mi&s;teries as he would, &s;o that by them he was woor&s;e then any prote&s;tant. 6. It was that which is again&s;t the doctrine of the fathers and practi&s;e of the church, as followeth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Carthaginen&s;e. <HI>4.</HI> can. <HI>74.</HI> of <HI>214.</HI> bishops. anno <HI>398.</HI></HEAD>
<P>When&s;oeuer any de&s;ireth penance, let the prei&s;t enioyne penance without acception of per&s;on, <HI>ab&s;que acceptione per&s;onae penitentis leges iniungat.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Ioannes Chri&s;o&s;tomus Hom. <HI>30.</HI> in Gene&s;im anno <HI>400.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Becau&s;e now we are come vnto this great week <HI>(to witt the holy weeke)</HI> by gods mercy and fauoure, now mo&s;t cheefly the cour&s;e of our fa&s;t is to be enlarged, and our praiers lengthened, and a diligent and pure confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes to be made, (that this confe&s;&s;ion is to be made vnto a prei&s;t appea|reth lib. 2. de &s;acerdotio) wherfore great skill is to be v&s;ed, that Chri&s;tians of their owne ac|corde be per&s;waded, that they ought to &s;ub|mit them&s;elues to the cure of prei&s;tes (Agai|ne) I can recorde many which ar brought into extreeme euiles, for no other thinge but
<PB N="201" REF="105"> bicau&s;e a condigne puni&s;hement equall to their &s;innes donne, &s;hould be exacted at their handes, nether is it fitt ra&s;hely to the model and quantity of the &s;inne to exhibite a mulct and puni&s;hement; but the mind of &s;inners is to be &s;earched into by &s;undry coniectures, le&s;t it come to pa&s;&s;e while&s;t thou &s;topp on hole, thou make&s;t a greater rupture (Againe) It was laweful only to the prei&s;ts of the Iewes, to examine them that were cured of the le|pro&s;y, but the prei&s;ts of the new law, haue a graunt, not to examine their filthe <HI>(animoe &s;ordes)</HI> but to clen&s;e and purge it. Here note fir&s;t, a difference of weekes, one holier, one greater then an other, <HI>hebdomaita magna.</HI> 2. that in this weeke, e&s;pecially, more prayer, more fa&s;tinge, and confe&s;&s;ion is to be v&s;ed. 3. that this confe&s;&s;ion is to be made vnto a prei&s;t, and the people therunto exhorted to doe it. 4. a condigne puni&s;hement is to be donne for their &s;innes. 5. by the arbitrement of the prei&s;t, accordinge to the quality of the &s;innes, puni&s;hement is to be exacted. 6. that the prei&s;t doeth clen&s;e and purge the &s;oule from &s;inne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much as now at Con&s;tantinople pu|blick confe&s;&s;ion, which was <HI>(qua&s;i in theatro peccata pandere)</HI> to manife&s;t his &s;innes pu|blickly before the whole congregation, was aboli&s;hed; S. Ihon Chri&s;o&s;tome (who was
<PB N="202" REF="106"> Nectarius his &s;ucce&s;&s;or in that &s;ea) &s;oe farr foorth as it might not &s;eeme preiudiciall to his predece&s;&s;ors act and decree, approued his coun&s;ell, and therupon in diuer&s;e places of his writings, taketh occa&s;ion to &s;peak again&s;t publick confe&s;&s;ion to withdraw the peoples mindes from it, &s;uch &s;candale and offence in that church hau nge therby pro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eeded. And as by his owne woords appeareth, auricular confe&s;&s;ion was &s;till practi&s;ed, and therunto he exhorteth his flock, declaringe as it were, how euery confe&s;&s;or or gho&s;tly father ought to deale with his penitents, and that &s;innes are to be purged, <HI>confe&s;&s;ione &amp; deform<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tate cul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us.</HI> In &s;o much that as in the time of Gre|gory Nicen anno 380. &s;o in Chri&s;o&s;tomes ti|me the people v&s;ed to make their confe&s;&s;ions before Ea&s;ter, <HI>in hebdomada magna,</HI> which proueth that it was not a confe&s;&s;ion to God onely (for that ought to be donne at all ti|mes, without appointinge of time or place) but vnto man and that in &s;ecret, and not in publick maner. Now what chardge S. Chri|&s;o&s;tome had, it is apparant out of Theodo|rete, not onely of Con&s;tantinople, but of the churches in Thracia, in A&s;ia, in Pontus, and out of Sozomenus it is noted, that he depo|&s;ed 13. bi&s;hops for Simony, and therfore mo&s;t likelie &s;eing that he taught the doctrine of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, he would be mo&s;t vi|gilant for the practi&s;e therof, in the behoofe
<PB N="203" REF="106"> of his flock thoroughout all his dioce&s;es.</P>
<P>And as Socrates (writinge the hi&s;tory of this time) plainely declareth, there was two &s;ortes of confe&s;&s;ion, the one publick, the other &s;ecrett, the fir&s;t vnto the alloted peni|tentiary prei&s;t, &amp; by this came the &s;candal or tumult recorded in the citie of Con&s;tantino|ple, and &s;o was putt downe; the other vnto what prei&s;t they be&s;t affected, and this was &s;till continued heere, as in all other places. Not two years before Chri&s;o&s;tome died, the fir&s;t councell of Tolledo ordained can. 6 that noe religiou&s;e woman, <HI>puella Dei,</HI> or hand|maide of God, &s;hould haue anie familiarity with hir gho&s;tly father, whom that auncient councel caleth hir confe&s;&s;or; or to re&s;orte to anie banquett, except in companie of hir el|ders, <HI>aut hone&s;torum,</HI> or hone&s;t men or wi|dowes, where hone&s;tly any confe&s;&s;or may bee him&s;elfe in conuer&s;ation with te&s;timonie of many witne&s;&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Innocent epi&s;t. <HI>1.</HI> ad Decen|tium Epi&s;copum Fugubinium anno <HI>402.</HI></HEAD>
<P>But as concerninge the e&s;teeminge of the waight of &s;inne, it is the parte of the prei&s;t to iudge, to attend and li&s;ten vnto the confe&s;|s;ion of the penitent, and moreouer to his weepinge and teares correcting him, and then to commaund him to be di&s;mi&s;&s;ed. when he &s;hall &s;ee a corre&s;pondency of &s;atisfaction. Here note. 1. there mu&s;t be an e&s;timate of
<PB N="204" REF="107"> the grauity of the &s;innes. 2. that it belongeth to the prei&s;t, who is his iudge. 3. that it mu&s;t be donne by confe&s;&s;ion of the penitente. 4. to &s;ee that there be a corre&s;pondency of &s;atis|faction. 5. he mu&s;t li&s;ten to his confe&s;&s;ion: Which is plaine auricular confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Maximus in <HI>2.</HI> re a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ontade anno <HI>420.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Euery &s;in is committed for &s;ome plea&s;ure, the which is forgiuen either by &s;ome hard puni&s;hinge of the body, or by &s;ome volun|tary &s;orrowe by penance, or by &s;ome cala|mity laied vpon him: for if we would iudge our &s;elues, we &s;hould not be iudged of our Lord Here note 1. that as the &s;innes are com|mitted with plea&s;ure, &s;o mu&s;t they be forgi|uen with a &s;atisfactorie paine. 2. that we mu&s;t iudge our &s;elues, that is by him who is made our iudge here in earth, to wit, the prei&s;t, to whom it is &s;aied; <HI>Take ye the holy gho&s;t &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Hierome com. ad cap. <HI>10.</HI> eccle&s;ia&s;t, &amp; in <HI>2.</HI> cap. Hieremiae Epist. ad Pamachium &amp; Oceanum Anno <HI>422.</HI></HEAD>
<P>If the &s;erpent the diuell &s;hall priuily haue bitten any, and &s;o infected him with the poi|&s;on of &s;inne, he that is thus wounded, if he &s;hall conceale it, and not doe penance, nei|ther careth to confe&s;&s;e this wounde to his brother and ma&s;ter, his ma&s;ter who hath a tonge to heale, can not any way be auailea|ble vnto him; for if the &s;ick man be a&s;hamed to confe&s;&s;e his greife to his phi&s;ition, the me|decine
<PB N="205" REF="107"> can not cure that he knowes not, Againe in cap. 16. Mathei. The bi&s;hop or prei&s;t doeth bind or loo&s;e, not tho&s;e which ar guiltle&s;&s;e, but by his office whe~ he &s;hal heare the variety of &s;innes, he knowes who is to be loo&s;ed, who to be bound 1. the &s;inner mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne committed, and not concea|le it. 2, to whom he ought to confe&s;&s;e it, vid. to his brother and ma&s;ter. 3. not to euery bro|ther, but to &s;uch a brother, who is al&s;o a ma|&s;ter, and hath a tounge to heale, that is &s;uch an one, who hath power to forgiue &s;innes. 4. this brother is a phi&s;itian to cure him, and he a &s;ick man, &s;oe longe as he is in &s;inne. 5. a bi&s;|hope or prei&s;t, who hath power to bind or loo&s;e, hath this office. 6. they by that office mu&s;t heare the variety of his &s;innes: then is it not enough to make a generall confe&s;&s;ion, and if the prei&s;t mu&s;t heare the variety, then they mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e particularly.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Affricanum can. <HI>10.</HI> anno <HI>422.</HI> That the times of penance are to be enioyned by the iugement of the bi&s;hope vnto penitents as the diuer&s;itie of their &s;innes required. Ca&s;&s;ianus collat. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">0.</HI> cap. <HI>7.</HI> anno <HI>424.</HI></HEAD>
<P>While we doe penance and are bitten with remembrance of our vicious actes, it is nece&s;&s;ary that the &s;hower of teares, which ri&s;eth by confe&s;&s;ion of our fault, extingui&s;he the fier of our con&s;cience.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="206" REF="108">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church agreable to this doc|trine in this age.</HEAD>
<P>Theodorete who liued about this time an. 430 thus much recordeth lib. 4. of his here|ticall fables, how that confe&s;&s;ion was v&s;uall longe before his age, and that the prei&s;ts did heare confe&s;&s;ions, and ab&s;olue the penitents, as an ordinary and publick practi&s;e in the church of God; for reciting the here&s;ies of tho&s;e times before him, he declareth how that the Audeans (a &s;ect then &s;pronge vpp) bo&s;teth that they did in like maner remit and forgiue &s;innes, a&s;well as the church, yet after a mo&s;t fooli&s;he and ab&s;urd manner; For &s;aieth Theodorete, their manner was, after they had parted the holy bookes from the adulterate and corrupted bookes (bipartito) placinge them here and there by ver&s;es (for they e&s;te|med them to be mo&s;t holy deuine and mi&s;ti|call) then they commaunded euery one to pa&s;&s;e through them, and confe&s;&s;e &s;uch &s;innes as they had committed, geuinge pardon and remi&s;&s;ion to &s;uch as confe&s;&s;ed; pardonninge them by their own auctority, yet pre&s;cribing noe time of penance after confe&s;&s;ion, con|trary to the order of the church, &s;aieth Theo|dorete, <HI>&amp; vt iu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ent leges eccle&s;iae.</HI> Wherby it is euident that before, in, and after Theo|dorets time, the order of the church was (not as the&s;e hereticks v&s;ed to make a moc|kery of confe&s;&s;ion) truly and &s;incerely to con|fe&s;&s;e,
<PB N="207" REF="108"> and of the prei&s;t after confe&s;&s;ion, to re|ceiue ab&s;olution, hauing withall a pre&s;cript time of penance enioyned, as the variety of their &s;innes required to do full &s;atisfaction for the enormity therof. And beinge that S. Innocent was &s;o plaine for confe&s;&s;ion, &s;aying that the prei&s;t &s;hould li&s;ten to the penitent (now v&s;ed in our auricular confe&s;&s;ion) it is not to be doubted, but that S. Victricius the 8. archebi&s;hop of Rhoan (beinge of &s;o great acquaintance with S. Innocent, as his owne letters do te&s;tify) &s;hould in like &s;orte &s;ee this order practi&s;ed in his dioce&s;e, and &s;pecially endoctrine tho&s;e people (the Morgues and others which he conuerted) in the holy di&s;ci|pline and humiliation of &s;pirite, for &s;oe Pau|linus bi&s;hop of Nola writeth and te&s;tifieth of him <HI>(Vide catalogum archiepi&s;copum Rheto|mage~ &s;ium apud Monciacenu~.)</HI> In this age they were wont to come to the bi&s;hops to confe&s;|&s;ion, for both S. Hierome vpon the 16. of S. Mathew affirmeth, and Saint Augu&s;tine noe le&s;&s;e approueth it Hom 49 for &s;aieth he, <HI>veniant ad anxi&s;ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es,</HI> lett them come to their prelates, pa&s;tors and bi&s;hops, who haue the power to di&s;po&s;e of the keies of heauen to &s;uch as come. In &s;oe much that S. Augu&s;tin thought it expedient Hom. 50. if after con|fe&s;&s;ion the &s;innes had bene great and &s;canda|lou&s;e, that then the pa&s;tor &s;hould enioyne a publick penance, to be done in the open face
<PB N="208" REF="109"> of the church.</P>
<P>Cele&s;tine that ble&s;&s;ed pope (who liued in the yeare of Chri&s;t 423. and in the time of S. Augu&s;tine) made a mo&s;t &s;euere decree again&s;t concubinary bi&s;hops and prei&s;ts, that if ether had &s;inned with that woman, who&s;e confe&s;|&s;ion they had heard (that is with their gho|&s;tly child,) that then the bi&s;hop &s;hould doe penance 15 yeares, the prei&s;t 12. and if it were a publick fact, thy &s;hould both be depo&s;ed, which is a mo&s;t manife&s;t proofe of confe&s;|&s;ion (and that auriculer) v&s;ed in tho&s;e times.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Augu&s;tinus lib. <HI>50.</HI> Hom. ctom. <HI>41.</HI> &amp; lib. <HI>1.</HI> de vi&s;itatione infirmorum cap. <HI>4.</HI> an. <HI>430.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Man ought not onely after penance to keep him&s;elfe from the&s;e vices, but al&s;o before pe|nance, while he is well. bicau&s;e if he &s;tand to the la&s;t hower, he can not tell whether he &s;hall do penance and confe&s;&s;e his &s;innes to God and the prei&s;t. There be &s;ome (&s;aieth he againe) that thinke it &s;ufficient for their &s;al|uation, if they confe&s;&s;e onely to God. Againe therfore thou &s;halt de&s;ier the prei&s;t to come vnto thee and make him partaker of thy con&s;|cience, bicau&s;e he is in gods roome, made iudge of thy &s;carres, reueale then to him thy waies, and he &s;hall giue thee the Antidote of reconciliation, open to him the very &s;e|cret corners of thy harte, be not a&s;hamed to tell before one, that which thou wert not a&s;hamed to doe before many. It is the nature
<PB N="209" REF="109"> of man to &s;inne, a chri&s;tian part to leaue off &s;inne, but it is diueli&s;he to per&s;euer in &s;inne. 1. man with penance mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e, and ther|fore bare repenting is not enough. 2. he mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e to God and the prei&s;t, nor is it &s;uffi|cient to confe&s;&s;e onelie to God. 3. confe&s;&s;ion is for our &s;aluation. 4. the prei&s;t is in gods rome as iudge, and therfore to him we mu&s;t reueale our mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;innes. 5. the prei&s;t doeth reconcile againe the &s;inner to god, and &s;o heales him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Sozomenus ex Nicephorus lib. <HI>12.</HI> cap. <HI>28.</HI> anno <HI>4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">0.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much as not to &s;inne at all, is more peculiar to Angels then to men, and &s;ith wee by tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion once haue entred an inheri|tance of &s;inne; God hath commanded that pardon &s;hould be grau~ted to tho&s;e, that v&s;ing lawfull and conuenient penance, do after|wards abandon and confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes. And &s;eeminge harde to the bi&s;hopes, which were imediatly after Chri&s;te, it is thought good, <HI>in media plebe velut in theatro noxam conficeri.</HI> Wherfore they did choo&s;e one a|monge the prei&s;ts, that &s;hould be both wi&s;e and &s;ecret, to whom the&s;e penitents &s;hould declare that which they had committed. 1. god commands that penitents &s;hould be par|doned, therfore by prei&s;ts and men, whom he commands, and not him&s;elfe. 2. we mu&s;t v&s;e lawfull penance and confe&s;&s;e our &s;inne. 3,
<PB N="210" REF="110"> it was a cu&s;tome immediatly after Chri&s;t by bi&s;hoppes. 4. the prei&s;t that did heare their confe&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be wi&s;e and &s;ecret.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Cirullus lib <HI>12.</HI> cap <HI>56.</HI> in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oannem an. <HI>4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">2.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is not ab&s;urd that they forgiue &s;innes, which haue the holy gho&s;t, for when they remitt or retaine, the holy gho&s;t remitteth or retaineth in them; and that they doe two waies, fir&s;t in bapti&s;me, then in penance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Euthimius Abbas vt ex Cirillo monacho. anno <HI>450.</HI></HEAD>
<P>If any man hath bene intangled with any &s;in, let him come to the holy communion, when by penance he is clen&s;ed from his &s;in|ne. 1. noe receiuing but after penance. 2. pe|nance clen&s;eth from &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church agreable to this doc|trine of the fathers&punc;</HEAD>
<P>S. Augu&s;tine confutinge the here&s;y of the Nouatians, which had his beginninge before his time, noteth it as a cu&s;tome v&s;uall then in the church, to goe and make confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, for thus he exhorteth tho&s;e of his chardge to doe penance, &amp; to do noe other|wai&s;e then continually hath bene donne in the church, that is vnto the prei&s;ts Hom. 49. 50. homel. And for men to carry them&s;elues away thus conceited, that they do &s;ecret pe|nance before God, and that God knoweth that he is &s;orrie and repenteth in his harte ,is litle auaileable; For &s;oe it &s;hould haue bene
<PB N="211" REF="110"> &s;aid in vaine vnto the prei&s;ts, <HI>who&s;e &s;innes yee shall forgiue are forgiven.</HI> Yet he goeth thus much further; for he &s;etteth downe a certaine manner of confe&s;&s;ion, &s;peakinge to the peni|tent that goeth to confe&s;&s;ion li. 2. de vi&s;it. in|firm. c. 5. Pre&s;uppo&s;e that thou art before the angels of God, for the prei&s;t is his angell, and &s;o &s;peak vnto him with that reuerence as be|cometh God and his angels, reueale vnto him the &s;ecrets of thy con&s;cience, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ei angelo manife&s;ta,</HI> thou mu&s;t remember the time, place, per&s;on, in which and with whom thou ha&s;t &s;inned, how often, nameinge no per|&s;on. Which cu&s;tome is farr different from the manner of a late ordered ab&s;olution in the &s;omme of conference pag. 12. where it is ap|pointed to be donne with pronouncinge in generall, and with a generall kind of con|fe&s;&s;ion, as Caluin approoued, and not in &s;o particular &s;orte as S. Augu&s;tine willed. And for further proofe hereof, if we well reuiew this age, we &s;hall &s;ee that deafe men, and &s;uch as were be&s;ids them&s;elues, were recon|ciled and ab&s;olued. This might well be al|lowed of in deafe men, for the&s;e could con|fe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, &amp; &s;oe con&s;equently be ab|&s;olued from them, &s;oe al&s;o di&s;tracted per&s;ons, when as before in their, <HI>lucida interualla,</HI> they had made remon&s;trance of their repen|tance and &s;orrowe for their &s;innes. All which argueth an other manner of confe&s;&s;ion then
<PB N="212" REF="111"> the prote&s;tants allowe of: for it were very ri|diculou&s;e, to declare vnto deafe men, that their &s;innes were forgiuen, which they could neither heare nor vnder&s;tand, when as by ca|tholick confe&s;&s;ion they might well conceiue an enioyned penance and ab&s;olution. Thus much S. Augu&s;tine noteth lib. 1. de adulterin. coniugijs cap. vlt. as al&s;oe S. Leo ad Theo|dorum, the 4. councel of Carthage c. 76. conci|lium Auran&s;inanum c. 12. and &s;o in &s;euerall churches hath bene practi&s;ed. How S. Ciprian accordeth with S. Augu&s;tine for the cu&s;tome of confe&s;&s;ion emong Chri&s;tians appeareth, both out of his booke de lap&s;is num. 7. and of his eccle&s;ia&s;ticall dogmata c. 53. for they both iumpt in this, that the faithfull accor|dinge to S. Paules order, did examine their liues diligently, wether thy were in mortall &s;inne or noe, and confe&s;&s;ed euery offence be|fore thy did pre&s;ume to receiue the holy Eu|chari&s;t: for &s;o the apo&s;tels doctrine, the vni|uer&s;all cu&s;tome of the church, and example of fathers bindes them to doe.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Leo epi&s;t. <HI>8.</HI> ad Epi&s;copos Campaniae.</HEAD>
<P>That pre&s;umption again&s;t the apo&s;tolicall rule which I haue knowne of &s;ome by vnlaw|full v&s;urpation to haue bene committed, I vtterly aboli&s;he, neither do I approue this confe&s;&s;ion <HI>per libellum,</HI> &s;ithence it is &s;uffi|cient that the guilt of the con&s;ciences be de|clared
<PB N="213" REF="111"> vnto the prei&s;t by &s;ecret confe&s;&s;ion. That confe&s;&s;ion is &s;ufficient which is fir&s;t of|fered to God then to the prei&s;t. Againe epi&s;t. 91. ad Theodorum. The pardon of God can not be obteined without the &s;upplications of prei&s;ts, becau&s;e the mediator of God and man Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, hath giuen this power to the ru+lers of his church, that to &s;uch as ar co~fe&s;&s;ed, they &s;hould giue penance, and that when they were clen&s;ed by &s;atisfaction, they &s;hould be admitted to the participation of the Sacra|ments by the doore of reconciliation: againe. Lett vs not examine their acts that haue thus died, &s;ith our Lord (who&s;e &s;ecret iudgement we are not able to comprehend) hath re&s;er|ued that to his iudgement, which the prei&s;tly function could not performe, for it is nece&s;|&s;ary that the guilt of our &s;innes before the lat|ter day, be loo&s;ed by the prei&s;ts interce&s;&s;ion. Note 1. here is an aboli&s;hing of a publick con|fe&s;&s;ion, vnlawfully v&s;urped by indi&s;creet zea|le. 2. an in&s;inuation of two &s;ortes of confe&s;|&s;ion v&s;ed, publick, and &s;ecret. 3. that it is &s;uf|ficient to confe&s;&s;e &s;ecretly to the prei&s;t. 4. that it is not enough to confe&s;&s;e onely to god. 5. that it is the prei&s;t that obteineth our par|don, who hath this power. 6. after confe&s;|&s;ion they giue penance and &s;o admitte to the Sacraments. 7. it is nece&s;&s;ary to be loo&s;ed by the prei&s;t, and &s;o not a thing voluntarie as Caluine &s;aith.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="214" REF="112">
<HEAD>Pro&s;per notarius Leonis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e vita contemplatina anno <HI>470</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e men who&s;e &s;innes are &s;ecret, or not confe&s;&s;ed of them&s;elues, if they will not con|fe&s;&s;ed them, they &s;hall haue God their iu&s;t re|uenger, whom they haue now a recorder of their wickedne&s;&s;e; And what are they the better to e&s;cape mans cen&s;ure, when if they continewe in wickedne&s;&s;e, by gods iudge|ment, they &s;hall goe into euerla&s;tinge pu|ni&s;hement?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Victor Vticen&s;is de per&s;ecutione vandalica l. <HI>2</HI> anno <HI>436.</HI></HEAD>
<P>O yee prei&s;ts to whom will you leaue vs, when you goe to your crowne? who &s;hall baptize our infants with the fountaine of the euerla&s;tinge water? who &s;hall enioyne vs pe|nance, and loo&s;e &s;uch as are bound with chai|nes of &s;in by the indulgence of reconciliation? bicau&s;e it is &s;aid vnto you prei&s;ts, what&s;o|euer you vnbind vpon earth, &s;halbe loo&s;ed in heauen.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Gennadius &s;iue Augu&s;tinus lib. de dogmata ec|cle&s;iae cap. <HI>53.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Who&s;oeuer is oppre&s;&s;ed with mortall &s;in|nes committed after bapti&s;me, I doe exhort him to &s;atisfie for them with publick penan|ce, and &s;o to be reconciled by the iudgement of the prei&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church agreable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<PB N="215" REF="112">
<P>Albeit in this time in &s;ome parte of Cam|pagnia, it was accu&s;tomed emonge the peo|ple and approued by the bi&s;hops, to recite and confe&s;&s;e all their &s;innes as it were <HI>per li|bellum,</HI> yet S. Leo out of that pa&s;torall care he had as head of the church improueth this or|der and cu&s;tome, and chideth the bi&s;hops, who would permitt &s;uch publication of &s;in|nes mo&s;t &s;ecret, aduerti&s;inge them, that it is &s;ufficient to di&s;chardge the con&s;cience by &s;e|cret confe&s;&s;ion vnto a prei&s;t, and not be&s;ides by publick openinge them, to confe&s;&s;e them in the open face of the whole congregation. Wherupon it is manife&s;t, that at Rome and in all the we&s;t churches be&s;ides, &s;ecret confe&s;|&s;ion was v&s;ed, and onely vpon an indi&s;creet zeale, this abu&s;e was ri&s;en in one corner of Campagnia, to publi&s;he their &s;ecret &s;innes by publick confe&s;&s;ion. This abu&s;e S. Leo aboli&s;hed and geueth a rea&s;on why, for &s;aieth he, this may be a meane, that none may be al|lured to penance, who otherwi&s;e would be waiward to di&s;clo&s;e the burden of their con&s;|cience in &s;uch open manner. <HI>Si populi auri|bus non publicetur con&s;cientia.</HI> Moreouer it appeareth, how that S. Leo agreeth with S. Chri&s;o&s;tome and Nectarius touching publick confe&s;&s;ion, who would not permitt it, but thought it &s;ufficient. <HI>Si confe&s;&s;io primum Deo offeratur, tunc <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">acerdoti,</HI> fir&s;t to make his confe&s;&s;ion to God, then &s;econdly to a prei&s;t
<PB N="216" REF="113"> priuatelie.</P>
<P>S. Cyril beinge bi&s;hope of the &s;ea of Ale|xandria, which was con&s;ecrated by S. Marke the Euangeli&s;t and &s;choler of S. Peter (who plainely as before approued auricular confe&s;|&s;ion) can not be thought for confe&s;&s;ion, to haue any way &s;warued from the &s;ea of Rome, albeit in &s;ome other points, difficulties might ari&s;e and &s;oe make &s;ome diuorce &amp; diui&s;ion. For S. Cirill (who&s;e doctrine is plaine for auricular confe&s;&s;ion) and Cele&s;tine (mo&s;t &s;e|uere in penance for concubinary prei&s;ts which had comitted any act with their gho&s;tly chil|dren that came to confe&s;&s;ion to them) giue &s;ufficient proofe for it in the whole church, and noe doubt, if any difficultie or contro|uer&s;y had bene herein, S. Ciril who was al|&s;oe at the councell of Ephe&s;us, for the con|demnation of Ne&s;torius by con&s;ent of pope Cele&s;tine, would haue in that publick a&s;&s;em|blie decided it, who for his doctrine and auc|tority was &s;o reuerenced, as the legates in their emba&s;&s;age to the &s;ea apo&s;tolick appro|ue, &s;ayinge we receiue tho&s;e 12. chapters which Cirill &s;ometime arch bi&s;hop of Alexan|dria writt a man of venerable memory. Baron de legatione eccle. Alexand. ad &s;edem apo&s;to|licam. And by like rea&s;on we may thinke, that the &s;ame doctrine was brought into En|gland, Irland, and Scotland: for that good pope Cele&s;tine, ordained Palladius and made
<PB N="217" REF="113"> him bi&s;hope and &s;ent him into the&s;e coun|tries, namely Scotland, a Grecian borne, and &s;o conuerted them by his &s;weet conuer&s;ation and holy doctrine to the folde of Chri&s;t. Af|ter whom in like manner the &s;ame Cele&s;tine &s;ent S. Patrick, into Ireland, and con&s;ecrated him archebi&s;hop, who after fortie years, being famous for his holine&s;&s;e and miracles, con|uerted that contrrye to Chri&s;tianity: Iohn Capgra. catalogo Sa~ctor. Polidor. lib 1. hi&s;tor. and noe doubt as he &s;tudied diuinitie at Ro|me, he learned al&s;o the doctrine of confe&s;|&s;ion there practi&s;ed, which al&s;o he taught his conuertits. And as pope Leo allowed of auri|cular confe&s;&s;ion, &s;oe Baccliariam S. Patricks &s;choler, and a britti&s;he bi&s;hope, noe doubt practi&s;ed it in Britany, and in all probability allowed it as an apo&s;tolicall rule, as Leo did, he beinge in &s;o good credit with Leo, would not any way degenerate from that doctrine he taught and would haue practi&s;ed. La&s;tly the complainte of Victor concerning the per|&s;ecution of the Vandales and killinge prei&s;ts, as al&s;o Euthimius, who heard confe&s;&s;ions gi|uinge to euery one a conuenient remedy for his &s;inne, as a good pa&s;tor of &s;oules; giue al&s;o &s;ufficient te&s;timony of the&s;e times, as full op|po&s;ite vnto the prote&s;tant profe&s;&s;ion. But <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o proceed to the doctrine of the en&s;uinge fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Socrates in hi&s;toria de Nectario. anno <HI>444.</HI></HEAD>
<PB N="218" REF="114">
<P>A noble woman came vnto this peniten|tiary prei&s;t, and confe&s;&s;eth particularly tho&s;e &s;innes which &s;he had committed &s;ince bap|ti&s;me; The prei&s;t enioynes the woman to continuall fa&s;t and praier, that together with this confe&s;&s;ion of hir &s;innes, &s;he may &s;hew woorkes woorthy of penance. Where note. 1. Goinge to confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, and con|fe&s;&s;inge of &s;innes. 2. Enioyninge of penance, of fa&s;tfing, &amp; praier for the &s;innes committed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Nilus monachus ad Cariclem: who&s;e writings the &s;ixt general councell doeth allow and reuerence. anno <HI>445.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is for couragiou&s;e &s;toute &s;oules to make their confe&s;&s;ion as Caricles would haue, that is with fa&s;tinge, praier, lyinge on the ground, hairecloth and a&s;hes, with large almes, and that cheerfuly donne; yet if vpon nece&s;&s;ity, or other occa&s;ion, one can not make &s;uch a confe&s;sion, god will accept that confe&s;sion which is made by mouth. Note. 1. Here is confe&s;sion and doinge of penaunce. 2. The manner of penance, fa&s;tinge, praier, heire|cloth. 3. A mitigation in penance, if nece&s;|&s;ity require 4. This doctrine is contrary to the penance of prote&s;tants.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Victor Cartennen&s;is lib. de poenitentia c. <HI>20.</HI> anno <HI>450.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Finally heare our Lord in the gho&s;pel with what dartes he doeth &s;trike a &s;inner, that thou maie&s;t know, how much he doth regarde the
<PB N="219" REF="114"> Sacrament of penance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Eu&s;ebius epi&s;tola ad Mariam anno 530.</HEAD>
<P>God hath giuen his &s;pirite to free vs from the bonds of &s;inn, and therfore it is &s;aid, if ye &s;hall forgiue anies &s;innes, they ar forgiuen, not of euery one, but of &s;ome, that is of &s;uch as are penitent and confe&s;&s;e. 1. God geueth a &s;pirit to di&s;&s;olue and loo&s;e &s;inne. 2. It is to his prei&s;ts, to whom it is &s;aid, who&s;e &s;innes ye forgiue they ar forgiuen. 3. This &s;pirite doeth not loo&s;e euery &s;inner, but &s;uch as ar penitent and confe&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Ana&s;ta&s;ius Sinaita Epi&s;copus Antiochenus ora|tione de &s;acra &s;inaxi. anno <HI>570.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e thy &s;innes vnto Chri&s;te by the prei&s;tes. <HI>Chri&s;to Domino per &s;acerdotes confi|fitere peccata tua.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>I&s;ichius Hiero&s;olimitanus in Leuiticum. an. <HI>590.</HI></HEAD>
<P>To knowe the inwarde pa&s;sions, and to iudge them, there ought to be great care, and diligence in the prei&s;t; thou therfore do not hide thy &s;in from the trew prei&s;t, although it be doubtfull, and couered from others, but do thou &s;hiew it, and open it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church in this age agreeable.</HEAD>
<P>As the opinions of men ar diuer&s;e, &s;oe they will not &s;tick now and then euery man to countenance be&s;t his owne conceite, as it ap|peareth here in this age by Nilus a monke and one Caricles, at &s;ome littel variance about the &s;euerity of confe&s;sion and penance,
<PB N="220" REF="115"> all which ro&s;e aboute one Fau&s;tinus, who had made his confe&s;sion: and though per|haps the maner thereof plea&s;ed the one, yet it vtterly di&s;plea&s;ed the other; Nilus the monke more mild, con&s;iderate and gentil, Caricles more au&s;tere &s;harpe and rigorou&s;e, for &s;aieth he; It is not enough in penance to confe&s;&s;e onely the &s;innes &amp; that by woord of mouth, but there mu&s;t al&s;o moreouer be adioyned vnto this confe&s;&s;ion, &s;atisfactory woorkes, as fa&s;tinge, praier, au&s;terity of diet, haircloth and a&s;hes, to &s;ubdue the rebelliou&s;e motions of the fle&s;h. But Nilus in another humor &s;om|what reprehends this au&s;tere manner of pro|ceedinge with penitents, tellinge Caricles of his error, and withall differenceth two &s;ortes of men, and con&s;equently two &s;ortes of pen|nances, a &s;tronger &amp; a weaker. Nowe for the one, &amp; &s;uch as haue courage enough he doth not much mi&s;lyke this &s;euerytie of di&s;cipline, but for the more weak &amp; te~derer &s;ort, which ar not able to performe &s;uch great penance, is &s;ufficient to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes by woord of mouth, for God doth accept all according to the abylitie of mans power. Sythe God by Moy&s;es in the ould lawe appoynted not onely oxen, goats, and rammes for &s;acrifice which the riche might well performe, but moreouer &s;o conde&s;cended, that he came to the acceptance of the turtle and the pigion, yea of meale to make a &s;acrifice, &s;oe
<PB N="221" REF="115"> re&s;pectiue he was to the poore and weaker &s;orte. So that whether we regard more the opinion of Caricles, or of Nilus, we &s;ee by both, that then the cu&s;tome was to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, and accordinge to the abylitie of their body to haue an enioyned penance.</P>
<P>As before we pre&s;umed that by Cele&s;tine (who &s;ent Palladius and Patricius) confe&s;&s;ion and the di&s;cipline of penance was brought in to the&s;e northren Ilands: &s;o againe now by Gregory the great, who &s;ent Saint Augu&s;tine into England, may bee &s;uppo&s;ed, that our Engli&s;hemen receyuinge the rites and cere|monies of the Romaine church, that confe&s;|&s;ion which was generally v&s;ed in al Chri&s;ten|dome, &s;hould not here be omitted and ne|glected but truly and throughly taught, wher|of there is noe doubt to be made. For after Saint Augu&s;tine came into England, and was con&s;ecrated by Etherius bi&s;hop of Arles, Co~|fe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes vnto a prei&s;t was euer after practi&s;ed. For the Saxons neuer made any knight of the feild, but thy went to &s;ome re|ligiou&s;e hou&s;e or other, where with a whole nyghts watchinge and prayinge after confe&s;|&s;ion of their &s;innes to a prei&s;t, and receiuinge of the holy Sacrament, they were doubbed knights. And fora&s;much as now the here&s;ie of the Iacobites was a broatchinge, of con|fe&s;&s;ion onely to be made to God and to noe man, if eyther Augu&s;tine or Etherius had
<PB N="222" REF="116"> bene thus prote&s;tantlyke affected, Saint Gre|gory beinge &s;oe &s;euere for confe&s;&s;ion, would neyther haue had Etherius con&s;ecrated Saint Augu&s;tine, nor Saint Augu&s;tine to haue bene the Apo&s;tle of our countrye. In the councell of Antioche vnder Iulius the fir&s;t, thus much is apparant for confe&s;&s;ion can 2. That &s;uch as had made a diui&s;ion from the church of God, for &s;ome proper or peculiar doctrine of their owne, were to be abandoned and auoided, vntill by confe&s;&s;ion they &s;hewed and gaue te&s;timonie of fruicts worthye of penance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of S. Gregory Hom. <HI>26.</HI> explicans haec verba, quorum remi&s;eritis peccata anno <HI>590.</HI></HEAD>
<P>We mu&s;t &s;ee what the fault is, or what penance hath followed the fault, that tho&s;e whom almighty God vi&s;iteth by grace of compunction, tho&s;e the &s;entence of the pa+&s;tor may ab&s;olue; for then there is a true ab|&s;olution (vid. of the prei&s;t) when he fol|loweth the arbitrement of the eternal iudge. againe. Why didde&s;t thou hide thy guilt with in thy con&s;cience? come out now by confe&s;|&s;inge it, let the dead man come out now by confe&s;&s;inge it, let the dead man come out, that is, let the &s;inner confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne, and when he comes foorth , the di&s;ciples will loo&s;e him, that the pa&s;tors of the church may remoue that puni&s;hment from him which he hath de&s;erued, who is not a&s;hamed to con|fe&s;&s;e,
<PB N="223" REF="116"> that which he hath donne. Note 1. The prei&s;t here or pa&s;tor, doeth ab&s;olue from &s;in|ne. 2. He mu&s;t follow in ab&s;olution the arbi|trement of God. 3. We mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, for the pa&s;tor to loo&s;e them. 4. The prei&s;t remoueth away the puni&s;hement for &s;inne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Ioannes Climachus gradus <HI>4.</HI> li. qui dicitur Clima<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hus. anno <HI>590</HI></HEAD>
<P>Before all thinges let vs confe&s;&s;e our faul|tes onely to our good iudge, and if he &s;hall commande, be ready to confe&s;&s;e vnto all: without confe&s;&s;ion vnto man, there can be noe pardon. Note. 1. We mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes to our iudge, which is a prei&s;t. 2. To be readie to obey his commaundement. 3. Man pardoneth, when he hath heard the con|fe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;ion beinge now throughout all Chri&s;tendome v&s;ed, (albeit in &s;ecret &s;ome gaine &s;aid it, as the Iacobites as &s;halbe decla|red hereafter) as many inconuenences might ri&s;e by indi&s;cretion of prei&s;ts to make the burden of confe&s;&s;ion, more yrke&s;ome, and the yoke of Chri&s;t more heauy, &s;o to preuent all mi&s;cheife that might happen, it &s;eemed mo&s;t conuenient to the cheefe pa&s;tor of gods church Pope Gregory, to make a publicke decree, hereby to admoni&s;he all pa&s;tors and penitentiary prei&s;ts (as euery prei&s;ts mouth
<PB N="224" REF="117"> hath not the barre of &s;ecrecy, were not the peculiar grace of God more a&s;&s;i&s;tinge in this holy Sacrament) to be mo&s;t mindefull and carefull of reuealinge any &s;inne confe&s;&s;ed, which if perchance (as god forbidd) any &s;hould offend this way, that foorth-with he &s;hould be depo&s;ed, and &s;o for penance liue all daies of his life in perpetuall &s;hame and con|tinuall pilgrimage.</P>
<P>For further proofe of practi&s;e of prei&s;ts ab|&s;olution in this age, Iohn Climachus an Ab|bot of monte Sinay, a mo&s;t auncient and lear|ned father, relateth how that a certaine theife after that he was become a monke, and there (as the cu&s;tome was) confe&s;&s;inge all his &s;in|nes, a holy man did &s;ee (as the theife was pro&s;trate at his gho&s;tly fathers feete) a man of a mo&s;t &s;traunge &s;ight, as fa&s;t as he confe&s;|&s;ed, blottinge out all his &s;innes. The which &s;tory for the certaintie therof (the auctor beinge &s;o holy and godlye a man, that would hardly &s;ett forth &s;uch lee&s;inges to the veiwe of the whole world, if they were not true) may well be credited; yet how certaine &s;oe|uer it be, it is manife&s;t enoughe, that the maner then was, to goe to the prei&s;t to con|fe&s;&s;ion, and to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes and be ab|&s;olued. <HI>Ioannes Clymachus lib. qui dicitur Cly|mach. gradu</HI> 4.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;ie of the Iacobites co~trary to the doctrine of the fathers.</HEAD>
<PB N="225" REF="117">
<P>About the yeare of Chri&s;t 584. the Iaco|bits &s;o named of one Iacobus in the raigne of Mauricius the Emperor, and Pope Pelagius the &s;econd, renewed the former here&s;ie of the denyall of confe&s;&s;ion, and &s;o bouldly af|firmed, that it was not nece&s;&s;arie to confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes to a prei&s;t, but onely to God, who alone did, and could forgiue &s;innes, without any &s;econdarie meane.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the churche oppo&s;ite to this here&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much as this Iacobus hauinge enter|tayned the here&s;ie of Cetiches, Dio&s;corus, Gnapheus and the re&s;t (that were depo&s;ed in the fourth generall councell of Calcedon by 630. bi&s;hops) had noe doubt the like cen&s;ure, being &s;o full oppo&s;ite again&s;t the mayne &s;tre|me of the&s;e tymes; For bothe the Pope, the Emperor, and the whole generall councell mainteined, the true doctrine generally re|ceiued in the church, It followeth that he was then houlden of the whole church as an heretick, and one &s;triuinge again&s;t the &s;treame and current of the trueth.</P>
<P>How ab&s;urd their opinions were, may plai|nely be &s;eene. For they confounded the two natures in Chri&s;t, they beleeued not the trini|tie, thy affirmed that the diuinitie of Chri&s;t &s;uffered, in &s;uch &s;orte, that beinge deuided emonge&s;t them&s;elues, there aro&s;e 12. &s;oun|drie &s;ects, &s;ome of the Eutichians, others
<PB N="226" REF="118"> Acephali, others Monophi&s;itae, &s;ome Theo|pa&s;chitae, &s;ome Armenians, Seuerites, Tri|theites, Agnoites, euery one framinge to him&s;elfe a new deui&s;ed opinion: for further intelligence hereof, read but Nicephorus in his 18. booke and 45. chapter of his eccle&s;ia|&s;ticall hi&s;torie, wher this matter is handled at lardge Again&s;t our prote&s;tants 1. Wee may note, that this here&s;ie wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> longe condemned before, and &s;o quite extingui&s;hed in the chur|che till the&s;e vp&s;tarts renewed it againe, main|teyninge many moe ab&s;urd here&s;ies, which noe prote&s;tant will auerr, therfore this was noe generall practi&s;e of the Church. 2. The church had &s;till the vpper hand in conuincing and puttinge &s;uch to &s;ilence, for we neuer reade, that euer the contrary opinion appro|ued by the doctors, was euer condemned or cen&s;ured for here&s;ie. 3. We may &s;ee the fol|lie of them that would gro&s;lly vnder&s;tand the&s;e woords of Math. 3. (he &s;hall bapti&s;e you in the holy Gho&s;t and fiar) &amp; therupon they bapti&s;ed with fyer, that is did cauteri&s;e their children with a hote yron in the fore|heads or in their cheekes; and yet could not vnder&s;tand as playne woords to be ment of prei&s;ts forgiuinge of &s;innes Ioan 20. Where Chri&s;t &s;aid to his apo&s;tles. Who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiuen 4. Thy were co~trary to the Armenians, for they denyed not all, but that &s;ome &s;innes were &s;oe irremi&s;&s;ible, that they
<PB N="227" REF="118"> could not be forgiuen by a prei&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the fathers for confe&s;&s;ion, and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution. Cae&s;arius Epi&s;copus Arelaten&s;is hom. <HI>6. 7. 8. 9. 10.</HI> de Poenitentia.</HEAD>
<P>I haue admoni&s;hed you deare brethren, &amp; againe &amp; againe I admoni&s;he you, that who|&s;oeuer doeth knowe him&s;elfe to haue bene to&s;&s;ed from the &s;hore of continencie with the tempe&s;t of lu&s;t, in the &s;ea of ryot and licen|tiou&s;nes, and &s;o &s;uffred &s;hippwrake of his cha&s;tity, lett him take hold &s;peedely of the confe&s;&s;ion of his &s;innes, as a boord of a bro|ken &s;hipp: that therby he may e&s;cape from the bottom and depth of all ryot and luxurie, and come to the porte of penance, wher lay|ing the anchore of hope in a mo&s;t &s;afe place, he may recouer his lo&s;t healthe. Here note. 1. After &s;inne he exhorteth to confe&s;&s;ion. 2. Confe&s;&s;ion is as Saint Hierom &s;ayeth, a &s;e|cound table after &s;hippwrak. 3. By confe&s;|&s;ion and penance, he may recouer his health and penaltye, for &s;inne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Cabilonen&s;e <HI>1.</HI> can. <HI>8.</HI> anno <HI>658.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is to be aduerti&s;ed, that the whole a&s;|&s;embly of prei&s;ts agreed, that vnto the peni|tentes after confe&s;&s;ion is made, a penance be enioyned.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Sexta finodus generalis can. <HI>102.</HI> anno <HI>682.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It behoueth them that haue receiued po|wer of God to loo&s;e and bind, to con&s;ider
<PB N="228" REF="119"> well the qualitie of &s;inne, as al&s;o the party that hath &s;inned, and &s;o hereby giue a con|uenient medecine for the di&s;ea&s;e. Note. 1. The prei&s;ts haue power from God to loo&s;e and bind. 2. He mu&s;t con&s;ider the &s;inne and the &s;inner, before he enioyne penance to cure them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Ana&s;ta&s;ius patriarcha Antiochiae &s;ub Iu&s;tinia|no auo; vide Turrianum. anno <HI>706.</HI></HEAD>
<P>They &s;ay we mu&s;t not confe&s;&s;e vnto man, like vnto our &s;elues. Lett them heare our Lord &s;ayinge, what&s;oeuer you &s;hall binde vpon earth, &s;halbe bound in heauen, as al&s;o lett them heare our Lord; brother S. Iames. Confe&s;&s;e your &s;innes one to an other. God doeth woorke our &s;aluation, not onely by angels, but by his prophets, and in the&s;e latter daies by his apo&s;tles and di&s;ciples and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors. And therfore albeit he be a man that &s;hall heare thy confe&s;&s;ion, yet it is God that by him conuerteth, in&s;tructeth, and forgeueth thee, for the Sainctes of God are his coadiutors and di&s;pen&s;ators to &s;aluation. <HI>Homo homini e&s;t adiutor ad poenitentiam.</HI> Note. 1. An oppo&s;ition of Chri&s;tes woords, to tho&s;e that &s;ay we mu&s;t not confe&s;&s;e to man. 2. The apo&s;tles &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, doe woorke our &s;aluation 3. Though man heare the con|fe&s;&s;ion, yet God by him ab&s;olueth. 4. This doctrine is flatt again&s;t our prote&s;tants doc|trine.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="229" REF="119">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to the fathers doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>The third councell of Tolledo, or as &s;ome thinke the fourth an. 596. or 631. greatly complained of mutation and change of pe|nances, at that time people beinge growne to &s;uch a &s;lackne&s;&s;e in deuotion, and all &s;piri|tuall exerci&s;es, in &s;o much as it de&s;ired to haue in vre the former cu&s;tomes allowed by the church canons. For &s;aieth this holy councell, fora&s;much as we find in many churches of Spaine, that tho&s;e that doe penance for their &s;innes, they doe it <HI>(faedi&s;&s;ime)</HI> as the coun|cell termeth it, &s;o filthylie and not as they ought to doe it, for as oft as they fall into &s;inne, and haue a lu&s;t to committ any &s;infull act, foorthwith they pre&s;ume lightly to be ab&s;olued and reconcyled by the prei&s;ts; ther|fore for re&s;traint of &s;uch damnable pre&s;ump|tion, the holy councell commandeth, that penance be enionyned by prei&s;ts accordinge to the pre&s;cript of former auncient tymes &amp; rigour of the cannons: this beinge then, the cu&s;tome of the&s;e tymes, &s;eekinge &s;till a refor|mation. But as mans nature is ready eft&s;ons to fale into relap&s;e, and not &s;oe willinge to vndergoe the burden&s;ome toyle of penance, libertye &s;till &s;eekinge to lurke in euery &s;in|ners bo&s;ome, the holy fathers of the councel of Laterane, e&s;pyinge it many yeares after, &amp; conde&s;cendinge more to humayne frailtie,
<PB N="230" REF="120"> then did the fathers in Spayne at Tolledo, ordayned an other order, that prei&s;ts &s;hould omitt the enioyninge of penance accordinge as the &s;trictne&s;&s;e of the canons required, and enioyne their &s;atisfactorie penaltyes, as they mo&s;t conueniently thought agreable to the delinquents nature, condicion and abylitie. Soe that we may &s;ee as before the councell of Toledo, &s;o after vntill the councell of La|terane, more then 600. yeares, a continuall practi&s;e of penance confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olutio~. As for Pope Boniface who dyed anno 614. our owne prote&s;tants (as fryar Bale the apo|&s;tata) confe&s;&s;eth <HI>centuria</HI> 1. how good a man he was, that of his owne Fathers hou&s;e he buylt a mona&s;terie, giuinge them lands and grownds, as al&s;o impartinge vnto them &s;oun|dry faculties to bapti&s;e, to preache and to ab|&s;olue from &s;innes; Wherby this gracele&s;&s;e fryer&punc; myght make &s;hame &s;hyne in his owne face, to &s;ee antiquitie of confe&s;&s;ion &amp; prei&s;ts ab&s;olution, which he as all renegats lightly regarded. No le&s;&s;e recordeth Leontius bi&s;hop of Cyprus, writinge the life of Ioannes Elee|mo&s;inarius, and relatinge the practi&s;e then of the churche for confe&s;&s;ion, as al&s;o of former ages; He declareth how that a woman (alto|gether entangled in &s;inne) came vnto this holy bi&s;hop, then bi&s;hop of Alexandria, to haue a full ab&s;olution, and remi&s;&s;ion of hir &s;innes, thus addre&s;&s;inge hir &s;peech vnto him;
<PB N="231" REF="120"> I knowe (o holye bi&s;hop and prei&s;t of God) that if thou wilt, thou maye&s;t pardon me, for it is vnto you (o prei&s;ts) that our Lorde hath &s;ayed. Who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue in earth, they &s;halbe forgiuen in heauen. How per|fectly this woman knewe the auctoritie of prei&s;ts, acknowledginge the &s;elfe &s;ame power that Chri&s;t gaue them, farr different from our prote&s;tants beleefe, and yet it was then in tho&s;e dayes a publicke beleife, and not doub|ted of any, noe not of the vulgare &s;orte, &s;uch as this woman was one. But to returne to the doctrine of the fathers for confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Olimpiodorus Diaconus in verba Iob. Si ab&s;co~|dit qua&s;i homo peccatum &s;uum</HEAD>
<P>Iob voluntarily committed nothing, his life was &s;o perfect, but bicau&s;e it is &s;o that a man falls into &s;in, therfore by penance and confe&s;&s;ion he did expre&s;&s;e his &s;in, nothinge fearinge to confe&s;&s;e them to men. He tooke none to witne&s;&s;e, when he did his good deeds, yet he made all acquainted with his &s;innes and wicked acts. Note 1. by penance his &s;innes to men.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Beda venerabilis com. ad cap. <HI>5.</HI> ep. Sancti Iacobi, exponens. Confe&s;&s;e one to another. anno <HI>730.</HI></HEAD>
<P>In this &s;entence this ought to be the diffe|rence, that we confe&s;&s;e our daily and lighter &s;innes one to an other, and to our coaequales,
<PB N="232" REF="121"> and &s;o beleeue by their praiers to be &s;aued. But the filthe of our greater lepro&s;y, we mu&s;t open vnto the prei&s;t accordinge to the lawe, and &s;o haue regarde to be clen&s;ed accordinge to his iudgement, as how and how longe he &s;hall thinke expedient. Where note. 1. A difference of &s;innes and different confe&s;&s;ions. 2. Our mortall &s;innes wee mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e to a prei&s;t. 3. It is accordinge to the lawe. 4. The prei&s;t clen&s;eth vs. 5. He enioynes penance, as he &s;hall thinke fitt.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable to this doctrine.</HEAD>
<P>S. Bede for better confirmation of the prac|ti&s;e of this age, writeth how that a knight, who through &s;loth and negligence carele&s;&s;e to goe to confe&s;&s;ion, albeit he was often therunto admoni&s;hed by his kinge after a Chri&s;tian manner to make his confe&s;&s;ion be|fore he died, but he littell regardinge the good admoni&s;hement and coun&s;ell of his kinge, was by a horrible &s;traunge vi&s;ion ca|ried away, and thus noe man knoweth how he ended his life. Wherby it is euident that in England it was then in v&s;e approued by the prince, to be a Chri&s;tian and mo&s;t pious manner to goe to confe&s;&s;ion, and haue ab&s;o|lution of a prei&s;t. See S Bede l. 5. hi&s;tor. c. 14.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The Here&s;y of the Albanen&s;es contrary to the doctrine of the fathers.</HEAD>
<P>Aboute the yeare 796. in the raigne of
<PB N="233" REF="121"> Con&s;tantine the &s;ixt Emperor, and pope Leo the thirde, &s;prounge vpp the&s;e heretickes, wonderfull corrupters of gods woord, a com|panie or crewe mo&s;t wicked and impiou&s;e as reporteth Antoninus. 4. parte &s;um. tit. 11. c. 7. Amonge other here&s;ies, this al&s;o they pub|li&s;hed, that &s;in did not proceede of freewill, for man hath noe freewill, and therfore noe man after he hath &s;inned, can goe to confe&s;|&s;ion, nether ought he to goe to co~fe&s;&s;ion. For Confutation of which here&s;y, it &s;hall &s;uffice onely to relate their ab&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">dities. 1. If fir&s;t wee ob&s;erue, that our aduer&s;aries cannot grownd here any antiquity for their deniall of con|fe&s;&s;ion, not agreeinge with them, euen in reiectinge confe&s;&s;ion. For the&s;e &s;ay, a man can not goe to confe&s;&s;ion, our aduer&s;aries &s;ay they may and can after their fa&s;hion. 2. In like maner they might denie all confe&s;&s;ion to God, that neither we can nor ought confe&s;&s;e to him. 3. They were mo&s;t wicked, and de|prauers of gods woord, therfore mo&s;t likely they would aboli&s;he confe&s;&s;ion, as noteth Prateolus <HI>verbo Albanen&s;es.</HI></P>
<P>Now as touchinge their here&s;ies, they mainteined ob&s;tinately. 1. They made two gods, a good, and an euill, the good God to be the aucthor of all goodne&s;&s;e, the other of all noughtine&s;&s;e: the good God, to be the ma|ker of the new te&s;tament, the bad God of the ould: and &s;o they vtterly reiected it. 2. They
<PB N="234" REF="122"> held a tran&s;migration of &s;oules to go from one bodye to an other. 3. That Chri&s;t was not God, neyther that he tooke fle&s;h of the ble&s;&s;ed virgine Marie. 4. That there was noe other infernall paine, but in this world. 5. That hell &amp; purgatorie were nothing. 6. That the world &s;hould allwayes continew in this &s;tate. 7. That all v&s;urie is lawefull. 8. That matrimonie is &s;tarke noughte. 9 That man can giue the holy gho&s;t of him&s;elfe, and yet that a man after he hath &s;inned neyther can, nor ought to confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne committed. In which their la&s;t a&s;&s;ertion, may ea&s;ilie be found a contradiction: For if man haue power to giue the holie gho&s;t, why may not man in like &s;orte forgiue &s;innes, hauing the holy gho&s;t, who can forgiue &s;innes? but to pro|ceed to the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Theophilactus in cap. <HI>20.</HI> Sancti Ioannis, anno <HI>842.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Chri&s;te gaue to his apo&s;tles a certaine pow|er and &s;pirituall guy&s;t, wherby they might re|mitt &s;innes, for he &s;hewed what power of the prei&s;t it was that he breathed on them &s;ayinge, who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiue~.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Theodorus Studites in vita Sancti Platonis, anno <HI>732.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Plato was wont from his youth to con|fe&s;&s;e to the pa&s;tor of his &s;oule his offences diligently; yea all his &s;innes, yea euen to the inmo&s;t thoughts.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="235" REF="122">
<HEAD>Concilium Turonicum <HI>3.</HI> cap. <HI>22.</HI> anno <HI>813.</HI></HEAD>
<P>With great circum&s;pection it is to be ha~d|led by the prei&s;ts and bi&s;hops, how they en|ioyne the times of pena~ce to &s;uch as confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes vnto them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Cabilonen&s;e <HI>2.</HI> can. <HI>32.</HI> anno <HI>819.</HI></HEAD>
<P>But we haue &s;eene this ought to be amen|ded, that certaine confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes to a prei&s;t, do not confe&s;&s;e fully, wherfore &s;i|thence man con&s;i&s;teth of bodie and &s;oule, &amp; &s;oe by motion of mynd, as al&s;o by frayletie of the fle&s;he &s;inneth, we mu&s;t exactly en|quire of the &s;innes, that of bothe we may make confe&s;&s;ion, confe&s;&s;inge that we haue offended by bodie, &amp; tra~&s;gre&s;&s;ed by thought. Note 1. There mu&s;t be a confe&s;&s;ion to the prei&s;t, and that a full confe&s;&s;ion. 2. A rea&s;on why we ought confe&s;&s;e all externall and in|warde &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Anasta&s;ius Nicenus Epi&s;copus quae&s;t. in &s;cript. q. <HI>6.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho&s;e that fooli&s;hely or, rather vngodly &s;ay, that confe&s;&s;ion made vnto man is not a|uayleable, bicau&s;e they ar &s;ubiect to fraylties and vices, and that it is God that can take away &s;inne. Lett them know that they &s;ay this onely as a pretext of their owne follie. 2. They vnder&s;tand not the woords of our Sa|uiour, who&s;e &s;innes ye remitt ar remitted, for though it is man that heareth confe&s;&s;ion, yet it is God that pardoneth by him. 1. Note
<PB N="236" REF="123"> that it is an vngodlie &s;peeche to &s;ay, that con|fe&s;&s;ion made vnto a man, is not auayleable. 2. It is God that by man pardoneth &s;inne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>In this age both Charles the great, as al&s;o Lewes the fir&s;t, were mo&s;t vigilant and care|full to haue the church di&s;cipline truly and &s;incerely ob&s;erued. In &s;o much that Lewes (for his &s;anctitie and holine&s;&s;e of life called, <HI>pius,</HI> as affirmeth Amonius an auncient hi|&s;triographer) was &s;o watchefull and carefull of his life and conuer&s;ation, for the better amendement of his life, and edification of his neighbour; when he was &s;ick, in all the time of his &s;ickne&s;&s;e he v&s;ed to confe&s;&s;e him|&s;elfe with due and diligent examine of his con&s;cience, which godly Emperor was longe before the councell of Latterane. Wherby it is euident, that confe&s;&s;ion was v&s;ed before, and not then as a nouelty brought in by tho|&s;e good fathers; And moreouer it appeareth, that auricular confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, was not abrogated by Nectarius, &s;ith it was accu&s;to|med in the Empire, and practi&s;ed as an ex|pre&s;&s;e commaunde of Chri&s;te.</P>
<P>Furthermore in a councel holden at Aqui&s;|graine anno 816. wherat Charles the Empe|ror was pre&s;ent, it was mo&s;t piou&s;ly decreed, that euery captaine in warre might haue a prei&s;t with him to heare confe&s;&s;ions, and to be iudge of their &s;innes, and con&s;equently
<PB N="237" REF="123"> to enioyne them penance. Which decree hath bene &s;ince continually kept, and is at this day verie religiou&s;lie ob&s;erued by the Catholick Kinge of Spayne, who alloweth for euerie band of &s;ouldiours, one prei&s;t to heare confe&s;&s;ions. In &s;oe much, that in a councel at Cabilon, about the &s;ame tyme of Charles the great, there is a plaine confirma|tion of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, and, that confe&s;|&s;ion was v&s;ed in tho&s;e dayes both to God and man, that is to his gho&s;tlie father a prei&s;t. And bicau&s;e diuer&s;e Chri&s;tians, partly for ignorance or negligence or &s;male regard they had of their &s;oules, went not ordinarylie to confe&s;&s;ion, with a full examine and diligent &s;crutiny of their con&s;ciences vnto the prei&s;t, declaring all their &s;innes committed out|wardlie and inwardly, this holie councell or|dayned a canon for due reformation therof: Where wee may note not onely in this coun|cell, but in the councell of Turinge in lyke &s;ort, that the cu&s;tome of enioyninge fa&s;ts and ab&s;tinence to penitents, was duely ob&s;erued after a pre&s;cript order after confe&s;&s;ion. And bicau&s;e diuer&s;e prei&s;ts behaued them&s;elues oftentimes indi&s;creetlie in this their iudiciary power and auctority committed to iudge, ab|&s;olue, and enioyne penances; therfore by the a&s;&s;embly of bi&s;hops it was determined, what penitentiall booke for this end was mo&s;t cheefly to be followed by the prei&s;t. And
<PB N="238" REF="124"> &s;uch was the &s;trictne&s;&s;e that in the councell of Cabilon 35. canon both ab&s;tinence from fle&s;he &amp; wine was enioyned to delinquents after confe&s;&s;ion. All which conuince our de|licat &s;ectaries, who thinke the&s;e penances &s;mallie auayleable, and allow not that &s;e|crett &s;infull thoughts are to be opened to a prei&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Nicephorus Cartophilax epi&s;t. ad Theo|do&s;ium ex to. <HI>1.</HI> bibliothecae &s;ancto|rum patrum anno <HI>820.</HI></HEAD>
<P>In times pa&s;t all men repaired to the bi|&s;hops, and to them opened their &s;ecrets, and &s;o to haue reconciliation; I knowe not now why this is &s;o littell ob&s;erued. Albeit I maie &s;uppo&s;e that bi&s;hopes oppre&s;&s;ed with bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e, and wearied with the troble&s;ome re|&s;ort of company, haue pa&s;&s;ed ouer this bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e vnto the monkes, to &s;uch as are ap|proued, and may be profitable vnto others. Where note. 1. That it is an auncient cu&s;to|me to open their &s;ecrets to the bi&s;hops by confe&s;&s;ion. 2. By them they were reconciled. 3. By bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in bi&s;hops and re&s;ort, this was neclected. 4. Hereupon this auctority was putt ouer vnto monkes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Rabanus Maurus Epi&s;copus Moguntinus li. <HI>7.</HI> in eccl. c. <HI>7.</HI> anno <HI>855.</HI></HEAD>
<P>He that trans&s;gre&s;&s;eth the mea&s;ure in the concupi&s;cence of the fle&s;h, and is burdened with his &s;innes, it is nece&s;&s;ary that by con|fe&s;&s;ion
<PB N="239" REF="124"> therof he vomite out his filth, and &s;o by fa&s;tinge and cha&s;ti&s;ement of his body, re|tourne to his former health. Where note. 1. Euery &s;inner mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity confe&s;&s;e his &s;innes. 2. Confe&s;&s;ion compared to a vomite, to ca&s;t out the filthe of the &s;oule by the mouth, by means of confe&s;&s;ion. 3. By &s;atis|factory penance, come to his former &s;tate.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Moguntinum &s;ub Rabano ar|chiepi&s;copo. anno <HI>834.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A mo&s;t true and &s;incere confe&s;&s;ion, is to be exacted of &s;uch as are &s;ick and in daunger of death, yet is not the quantity of penance to be enioyned vnto them, but onelie noti|fied and made knowne.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Theodulphus epi&s;tola ad clerum &s;uae dio|ce&s;eos. anno <HI>835.</HI></HEAD>
<P>We ar to make our confe&s;&s;ion of all our &s;innes, what&s;oeuer we haue committed in thought woord or deed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Wormatien&s;e can. <HI>7.</HI> &s;eu <HI>25.</HI> anno <HI>868.</HI> vt alijs placet.</HEAD>
<P>Penances ar to be enioyned vnto the peni|tents by the arbitrement of the prei&s;t, accor|dinge as the difference of &s;innes be: the prei&s;t therfore in giuinge penance, mu&s;t con&s;ider euery one cau&s;e, and &s;ingle the ground and manner of the faultes, the &s;atisfaction and &s;orrowe of the penitents, as al&s;o tyme, per|&s;on, qualitie, yeares, and &s;o haue regarde that they declyne not a iott from the holie
<PB N="240" REF="125"> rules of the canons.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church corre&s;pondent.</HEAD>
<P>As Chri&s;t commaunded all his &s;heep to obey and heare the voice of him, whom in Peter and &s;uch as &s;ucceed him, he made &s;he|pards ouer his whole flock, to liue more pea|ceably <HI>(vnanimes in domo)</HI> as members vn|der one head in one body, and &s;heep vnder one &s;heparde in one fould: &s;o here we may &s;ee a full proofe of it in this age, vnder Ni|colaus primus pope of Rome, to whome the Bulgarians as vnto the diuine oracle, &s;ent to haue &s;olution of all their doubts and difficul|ties that haue ri&s;en vnto them in &s;oundry points of Chri&s;tian religion. Amonge the re&s;t (mo&s;t to our purpo&s;e) this holy father an|&s;weringe a demaunde, how and in what &s;ort they ought to prepare them &s;elues to fight, or in any &s;uch daungerou&s;e expedition of warrfaire; he plainely and godly aduerti&s;eth them, that before &s;uch de&s;perate ca&s;es, where men ar to run vpon the dinte of the &s;woord, they are to arme them&s;elues by great praier, by goinge to the holy churches, by pardo|ninge their offenders, by hearing ma&s;&s;e, by offeringe vpp &s;acrifice, and by confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes vnto a prei&s;t, and therby recon|ciled to God, receiue the holy communion; that what&s;oeuer they doe in woord or deed to doe it in the name of Ie&s;us. Wherby it is euident that not onely in Rome, but in other
<PB N="241" REF="125"> places, as in Bulgary by his fathers coun&s;ell; as al&s;o in Fraunce (by who&s;e permi&s;&s;ion one Notgenus Abbot of S. Gallus, procured the v&s;e of &s;equences at deuine &s;eruice in tho&s;e churches; as al&s;o at Mogunce where Raba|nus S. Bedes &s;choler was Archbi&s;hop. In &s;oe much (as by Nicephorus Cartophilax) that many yeares before him, confe&s;&s;ion was ac|co&s;tomed, and bi&s;hops heard confe&s;&s;ions, and afterward in his time through bu&s;ine&s;&s;e (wherwith the cheefe pa&s;tors were encom|bred) this chardge was committed to Mon|kes, hauinge their approbation for &s;ufficiency of learninge and hone&s;ty of life. And more|ouer in Fraunce as Theodulphus archbi&s;hope of O<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">leance, about the yeare of Chri&s;t 835. approued, it was accu&s;tomed vniuer&s;ally in all places for prei&s;ts to heare confe&s;&s;ions and ab|&s;olue; &s;oe mo&s;t fatherly he aduerti&s;eth euery pa&s;tor, what his duetie is herein, warninge his cleargy, that when any comes to confe&s;|&s;ion, throughly to &s;ift and examine him of the principale vices, the manner of his &s;inne, vpon what occa&s;ion he committed the &s;inne, and hereby thus in&s;tructed of their life and manners <HI>(nominatim)</HI> to adui&s;e them and gho&s;tly admoni&s;he them of this and this &s;in|ne, that after this he may adui&s;edly and not ra&s;hely enioyne them penance.</P>
<P>And as for Rhemes (to &s;ee howe euery mother church doeth accorde and agree) this
<PB N="242" REF="126"> verity is cleerly confirmed in a councell there holden about this time, as appeareth can. 12. &amp; 19. concilij Rhemen&s;is. Hinkmarus al&s;o their archebi&s;hope, gaue conformably this holy coun&s;ell, that when any were be-wit|ched, <HI>in concubitus maleficio,</HI> that foorth with in all humility and loweline&s;&s;e of hart, &amp; contrition of &s;pirit, they &s;hould make their confe&s;&s;ions puerly and intirely of all their &s;innes, to God and to the prei&s;t. Gratian col|lector of the decretals, who liued in the time of Lotharius anno 1120. before the councell of Latheran vnder Innocent the third, as al&s;o Peter Lombard, Hugo de Sancto victore, make &s;ufficient relation, how that it was the generall practi&s;e allowed by all bi&s;hops pa|&s;tors and gouerners of Chri&s;ts church, to make a confe&s;&s;ion to the prei&s;ts of all mortall &s;innes. How carefull alwaies the church hath bene, as before by a proui&s;o vnder Gregory the great, &s;o it is manife&s;t that the pa&s;tors and cheefe prelates haue had an eye that way, for thus Petrus Damianus Cardinall of Rome and bi&s;hope of O&s;tia, aduerti&s;eth all prei&s;ts, of great &s;ecrecy of &s;uch things as vnder the &s;eale of confe&s;&s;ion are committed to them. <HI>Signa|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">lum confe&s;&s;ionis.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrins of the fathers for confe&s;&s;ion. anno <HI>920.</HI> Rodulphus Flauiacen&s;is lib. <HI>2.</HI> in Leuit. c. <HI>7.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is fitt that who&s;oeuer maketh confe&s;&s;ion
<PB N="243" REF="126"> of his &s;innes, con&s;umeth all tho&s;e things which he can not call to mind, opening them to our Lorde, not hidinge one thinge and manife&s;tinge an other. Et lib. 12.12. in Leuit. c. 1. The&s;e are they that &s;ell the eternall in|heritance, to whom is comitted power to loo&s;e and bind &s;inners, to &s;hutt out and bring in to heauen. The&s;e therfore mu&s;t be careful accordinge to the precept of our Lord in this their marchandi&s;e, that they ouerburden not their citizens with too much penance, but enioyne as the quality of the &s;inne requireth. And it is nece&s;&s;ary that the buier take heed le&s;t he contri&s;tate Gods di&s;pen&s;ator, that as|king pardo~ of his &s;innes but weakely, he per|forme not the iu&s;t mea&s;ure of his &s;atisfaction. Where note fir&s;t, a confe&s;&s;ion to God of &s;in|nes, entire and ab&s;olute without hiding any thinge. 2. A power committed to man as a marchant to &s;ell heauen, and others to buy it of them, to bringe in and to &s;hutt out of heauen. 3. A proui&s;o for ouerburdeninge pe|nitents with penance, but penance can not be giuen, but they mu&s;t knowe for what, and that is when they confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes. 4. Penitents mu&s;t aske pardon for their &s;innes of gods mini&s;ters; therfore they can pardon. 5. we mu&s;t performe the penance enioyned for &s;atisfaction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Petrus Damianus &s;er. de Sancto Andrea. anno <HI>1050.</HI></HEAD>
<PB N="244" REF="127">
<P>The fourth degree is confe&s;&s;ion of mouth, and this is to be made &s;incerely, bicau&s;e one part of the &s;innes is not to be tould, and the other kept &s;ecret, nether ar the lighter to be confe&s;&s;ed, and the greater to be concealed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Hugo de Sancto Victore li. <HI>2.</HI> de Sacra|mentis p. <HI>14.</HI> c. <HI>1.</HI> anno <HI>11<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">0</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e your &s;innes one to an other, and pray for one an other, that you may be &s;aued, bicau&s;e wee are not &s;aued except we be con|fe&s;&s;ed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Bernardus &s;er. ad milites cap. <HI>12.</HI> &amp; &s;er. <HI>16.</HI> in cantica. anno <HI>1140.</HI></HEAD>
<P>What &s;hall I &s;ay of Betphage, where both the Sacrament of confe&s;&s;ion, and the mi&s;tery of prei&s;tly mini&s;tery is contained, the woord in the harte of a &s;inner woorketh whol&s;om contrition, but the woord in the mouth ta|kes away hurtefull confu&s;ion, le&s;t it might hinder nece&s;&s;ary confe&s;&s;ion; let not the prei&s;ts ab&s;olue him that is contrite, except they &s;hall &s;ee &s;inne confe&s;&s;ed. All that which thy con&s;cience knowes, confe&s;&s;e humbly, pure|ly, &s;incerely, faithfully.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Hugo venerabilis de eccle&s;ia&s;tica pote&s;tate ligandi &amp; &s;oluendi.</HEAD>
<P>I &s;ay boldly, if any come to the commu|nion of Chri&s;tes body, before he hath bene ab&s;olued from his &s;inne by a prei&s;t, for cer|taine he eateth and drinketh his owne dam|nation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="245" REF="127">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church corre&s;pondent.</HEAD>
<P>As the cheefe pa&s;tor of gods church Nico|las the fir&s;t aduerti&s;ed euery Chri&s;tian &s;oul|diour (an&s;weringe the demands of the Bulga|rians) to go to confe&s;&s;ion before they went to any expedition of warr: &s;o noe doubt the Sa|xons had the like practi&s;e euen from the &s;ame &s;ea. For both before the conque&s;t, as hath bene related, and in William the Conquerors time and after) as writeth Ingulphus) euery &s;ouldiour that was to be con&s;ecrated to law|full warfaire, &s;hould the eueninge before his con&s;ecration, goe to &s;ome Bi&s;hope, Abbot, Monke or Prei&s;t, and &s;o contrite and com|puncte, make a generall confe&s;&s;ion of his &s;in|nes, and &s;o ab&s;olued continew the &s;pace of a whole night in all prayer, deuotion and affliction of the body, and in the morninge heare ma&s;&s;e, which donne hauinge a &s;worde putt about his neck, communicatinge the holy mi&s;teries, he remaines a lawfull knight for euer. And it is recorded by one Brauonius a monke of Wince&s;ter, that S. Wul&s;tan hearde confe&s;&s;ions, and that one Ieuolfus comminge to confe&s;&s;ion and often repea|tinge one thinge, and the &s;elfe &s;ame &s;innes, the holy bi&s;hope &s;aid vnto him. <HI>Oportunitas vt video latronem te fecit, ideo con&s;ulo vt mo|nachus fias.</HI> Oportunitie as I &s;ee, doeth make thee a theife, therfore I adui&s;e thee that thou become a monke.</P>
<PB N="246" REF="128">
<P>In this age there was a notoriou&s;e miracle wrought concerninge the integrity of con|fe&s;&s;ion, and the ful reuealinge of a mans &s;in|nes to a prei&s;t. For as Petrus Damianus recor|deth of the miraclcs of his tyme, in an e|pi&s;tle to De&s;id<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rius, that a certaine ould bro|ther lyinge &s;ick in the mona&s;terie, the abbot oft tymes went to him, wherby receyuinge great comeforte, he in&s;tantly de&s;ired the a&s;|&s;i&s;tance of gods mo&s;t holy graciou&s;e &s;pirite, that breakinge abruptly into the&s;e &s;peeches, he began to vtter his greife and &s;ay. O Lorde to whom noe &s;ecrett is hyd, I humbly be&s;eech thee, that if there be any &s;inne in me, which as yet I haue not confe&s;&s;ed, I may cale it to mynd and truly, and throughly confe&s;&s;e it vnto my Abbot while&s;t he is heer yet pre&s;ent, that &s;o I may be ab&s;olued of him, who hath full auctority and power ouer me. Hauinge this &s;ayd, a voyce was heard: Truly truly there is yet &s;omethinge behynd, which thou ha&s;te not confe&s;&s;ed. The ould &s;ick man hearinge the voyce, and not knowinge from whence it came, prayed further and &s;ayd. O Lord tell me what it is, that I may confe&s;&s;e it: at which reque&s;t the voyce tould what it was, and &s;oe he humbly confe&s;&s;inge it to the Abbot, was ab&s;olued. How true the &s;tory is, I leaue it to the con&s;cience of the writer, but thus much is certaine, that confe&s;&s;ion was then in vre to Abbots, prei&s;ts, &amp; mo~ks S. Bernard telleth noe
<PB N="247" REF="128"> le&s;&s;e what was the manner of Irland for mat|ters of confe&s;&s;ion, writinge the lyfe of that ble&s;&s;ed bi&s;hop Malachias, declaring how that he renewed againe the whole&s;ome v&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion in tho&s;e parts, the &s;acrament of confirmation, the rytes of contractinge ma|trymonie, which eyther partly they were ig|norant of, or els carele&s;ly had neglected.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the fathers for confe&s;sion Richardus de Sancto Victore de pote&s;tate ligandi &amp; &s;oluendi c. <HI>4.</HI> an. <HI>1140.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Penance is a &s;incere abomination of &s;inne, with a vowe of takinge heed, confe&s;&s;inge and &s;atisfyinge.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Petrus Cluniacen&s;is Abbas lib <HI>1.</HI> de mira|culis. anno <HI>1142.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;ion is altogether nece&s;&s;ary to tho&s;e, that haue &s;inned after bapti&s;me, of all their mortal and deadly &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;ie of the Walden&s;es contrary to the doctrine of the fathers.</HEAD>
<P>Aboute the yeare of Chri&s;t 1170. (though others differ) began the here&s;ie of the Wal|den&s;es, that beginninge by littel and fallinge fir&s;t into one error, then into an other, hath made that diuer&s;itie of the beginninge and the preci&s;e tyme which we perceiue in many writers. Aeneas Siluius de orig. Bohem c. 53. They were called Walden&s;es, of one Waldo a marchant of Lyons, who beinge rytch but vtterly vnlearned, &s;o as he could neyther
<PB N="248" REF="129"> write nor read, yet in&s;tituted this order vnder profe&s;&s;ion to liue in greater pouerty then o|thers did. To reuenge them&s;elues of the pope (who would not allowe their &s;ect) they de|ui&s;ed certaine articles, wherof one was, that they reiected the auctority decrees, canons, iuri&s;diction and indulgences of the bi&s;hope of Rome: they denyed all &s;acramentall confe&s;|&s;ion, purgatory, inuocatio~ of Sainctes, prayer for the deade, holy dayes &amp; ordinary fa&s;tinges appoynted by the church. They called in que&s;tion three &s;acraments, to witt Auricular confe&s;&s;ion, confirmation, and extreme vnc|tion. Concerninge which here&s;ie wee may note. 1. That the practi&s;e of the whole church of Fraunce, was to haue &s;ecret confe&s;&s;ion, a|gain&s;t which the&s;e out of their malice did &s;purne at, to liue more freely without any redre&s;&s;e or amendment of their &s;innes. 2. They agreed with the Catholickes again&s;t the prote&s;tants in many articles, and therfore our prote&s;tants can not hould them for &s;ound deuines of their &s;ide, for they held the ma&s;&s;e and con&s;ecration of Chri&s;ts, mo&s;t &s;acred body. 3 They di&s;agreed both from prote&s;tants and papi&s;ts in many other articles, as that the au|ctoritie of con&s;ecratinge and makinge the body of Chri&s;t in the ma&s;&s;e, was gyuen al&s;o vnto Laymen, if they were iu&s;t and in gods fauour. They affirmed that all prei&s;ts ought to be poore, the~ belyke prei&s;ts were not mar|ryed,
<PB N="249" REF="129"> for how could they mainteyne their wife and children, but liue in beggary and vpon alme&s;&s;e? 4. They renewed that, con|cerninge puttinge downe of auricular con|fe&s;&s;ion, which was condemned before in the whole face of the churche.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church again&s;t the here&s;y of the Walden&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>After that this was broached, and this &s;o|ciety in&s;tituted, the&s;e men reque&s;ted to haue their order confirmed, and priuiledged by the &s;ea apo&s;tolick, as recordeth Abbas Vr&s;|pergen&s;is in chronicon anno 1212. who al&s;o did &s;ee &s;ome of that nomber at Rome. But the pope &s;einge certaine &s;u&s;piciou&s;e things in their conuer&s;ation, as to goe in longe haire, like lay men, to carry wemen about with them in their company, who kept with them at bedd and at woorde; they were di&s;coue|red and reiected by pope Innocent the third. Wherupon pre&s;ently they began to deui&s;e means to reuenge them &s;elues, by calling the popes auctority into que&s;tion. In &s;oe much that if the &s;ea apo&s;tolick &s;hould haue admit|ted their &s;ect and abu&s;es, they would not haue &s;purned &s;oe eargely again&s;t that church, but would haue admitted their doctrine: for as their &s;tomackes did ri&s;e, &s;oe their malice en|crea&s;ed, and euery yeare denied &s;ome one ar|ticle or other that the church of Rome did hould. Neither had they their approbation in
<PB N="250" REF="130"> Fraunce, for the Archebi&s;hop, and cheefe pri|mate of all Fraunce, Ioannes de bellis mani|bus, and the 87. in &s;ucce&s;&s;ion after S. Photinus and S. Ireneus in the year of our Lord 1170, excommunicated the&s;e newe reformed reli|giou&s;e per&s;ons, and e&s;pecially for their dete|&s;tation which they had again&s;t &s;acramentall confe&s;&s;ion, &s;ithence it had bene practi&s;ed in the church of Chri&s;t, and approued by all his predece&s;&s;ors as the doctrine of Chri&s;t, eue~ &s;ince S. Photinus and S. Ireneus times. An|toninus archebi&s;hope of Florence, writinge the begininge of the&s;e poore men, bouldly pronounceth, that it was from certaine mai|&s;ters of darkene&s;&s;e. Trithemius in his chro|nicle vpon the yeare 1160. writeth of it as a mo&s;t perniciou&s;e here&s;y. And Paulus Aeme+lius in his &s;tory of Fraunce, relateth that at this time two religiou&s;e orders were abroga|ted by the pope, the one caled them&s;elues Humiliates, the other the poore men of Lio~s vagrant per&s;ons, leadinge wemen of their owne &s;ect with them: as for Innocent the third (vnder whom was the coun&s;el of Late|rane) he vtterly condemned their opinion, ordaininge with the councel, that euery per|&s;on of lawfull age, &s;hould confe&s;&s;e vnto their peri&s;he prei&s;t at Ea&s;ter. And to &s;howe fur|ther that the practi&s;e of the church was then generally contrary to their &s;ect, fir&s;t for En|gland we read, that Hubert Archbi&s;hop of
<PB N="251" REF="130"> Canterbury, about this time, decreed that euery prei&s;t &s;hould (when he heard confe&s;|&s;ions) con&s;ider euery circum&s;tance, the qua|lity of the per&s;ons, the quantity of the fault, and &s;o accordingly enioyne penance. Al&s;o the &s;econd councell of Latherane vnder Alexan|der the third, aduerti&s;eth concerninge mat|ters of penance, that the quality and quan|tity of the &s;inne, the age of the offender, his witt, rea&s;on, and condicion, are greatly to be re&s;pected in penance. For &s;aieth he, a mans endeuour noe le&s;&s;e is to be puni&s;hed, then the effect: and moreouer to a &s;ecret fault a &s;ecret penance is to be enioyned, and that noe pa|ri&s;he prei&s;t which is not the penitents iudge, can either bind or loo&s;e. And la&s;tly in the yeare 1035. confe&s;&s;ion was v&s;uall at Treuers, for as it appeareth by S. Simeon the monk, a boy was cured by makinge his confe&s;&s;ion of his &s;innes to a prei&s;t <HI>vide Surium.</HI> But to proceed to the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Lucius <HI>3.</HI> papa. cap. ad abolendum de he|reticis. anno <HI>1181.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Bapti&s;me, confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes to a prei&s;t, and matrimonye are all three Sacramentes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Gallelmus Archiepi&s;copus Bi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uricen&s;is ad Hisberta~ Vide Surium an. <HI>1199.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e thy &s;innes o woman vnto a prei&s;t, and then quiet thy &s;elfe, and be of good comfort.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="252" REF="131">
<HEAD>S. Antony of Lisbone vt in eius vita an. <HI>1201.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Ari&s;e Martin, ari&s;e Agnes, goe to confe&s;|&s;ion, and confe&s;&s;e this and that &s;inne to &s;uch an one, which thou committede&s;t in &s;uch and &s;uch a place, which none knoweth but God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Oxonien&s;e &s;ub Stephano Archie|pi&s;copo Cantuar. anno <HI>1212.</HI></HEAD>
<P>For defect of confe&s;&s;ors and other rea&s;ons, we ordaine, that there &s;halbe certaine wi&s;e and di&s;creet gho&s;tly fathers appointed by the bi&s;hop of the dioce&s;&s;e to heare confe&s;&s;ions of country deanes prei&s;tes and par&s;ons.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Euthimius &amp; Rupertus in Ioanne~ <HI>20.</HI> an. <HI>1180.</HI></HEAD>
<P>As prei&s;tes haue power to pardon &s;innes and to forgiue them, &s;o in like &s;ort, to deny forgiuene&s;&s;e, and after confe&s;&s;ion to enioyne penance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Lateranen&s;e tertium generale &s;ub Innocent. <HI>3.</HI> anno <HI>121<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></HEAD>
<P>All &s;ort of poeple after they come to yeares of di&s;cretion, lett them confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes faithfully, at lea&s;t once a yeare to their pari&s;h prei&s;t, and lett them endeuoure with al their might, to fulfill their enioyned penance, and &s;oe receaue reuerently at Ea&s;ter the holy Sa|crament.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church for confe&s;&s;ion, and preistes ab&s;olution conformable.</HEAD>
<P>As the councell at Oxforde vnder Stephen Archbi&s;hop tooke order (vpon &s;ome negli|gence
<PB N="253" REF="131"> and &s;lackene&s;&s;e of deuotion to confe&s;|&s;ion, crept in emonge the clergy) and ordai|ned confe&s;&s;ors for country prei&s;ts, as al&s;o ap|pointed that in euery cathedrale church, where there were &s;eculer cannons, the bi&s;|hope &s;hould be their gho&s;tly father, to whom they &s;hould make their confe&s;&s;ions, or els the deane, or &s;ome other allowed and appoin|ted, either by the bi&s;hope or by the deane or chapter, &s;o no le&s;&s;e were the laitie careful for their &s;oules health to auoid the filth therof by confe&s;&s;ion; For in the yeare of Chri&s;t 1216. Kinge Iohn lyinge daungerou&s;ly &s;ick at the ca&s;tel of newark in England (Iohn &s;tow) as in &s;uch ca&s;es is mo&s;t expedient, he &s;ent for his gho&s;tly Father that is his confe&s;&s;or, and di&s;|burdeinge his con&s;cience receyued the holy &s;actaments at the handes of the Abbot of Croxton. And noe le&s;&s;e performed Lewis Kinge of Fraunce (who died in the yeare 1270.) lyinge on his death bedd, who did not onlie him&s;elfe performe fully the duetie of a Chri&s;tian, but al&s;o callinge his &s;onne Philipp before him, emonge diuer&s;e other godly in|&s;tructions, he gaue him this for a principall le&s;&s;on, that aboue all things he &s;hould haue e&s;peciall care and regard of his con&s;cience, to di&s;chardge it dayly by confe&s;&s;ing his &s;innes to his confe&s;&s;or.</P>
<P>The famou&s;e councell of Laterane of 70. Archebi&s;hops and 400. bi&s;hopes vnder Inno|cent
<PB N="254" REF="132"> the third carefully prouided for confe&s;|&s;ion once a yeare &amp; that vnto the pari&s;h prei&s;t, to whom (without peculiar licence obtey|ned) euerie one &s;hould repaire for the di&s;|chardge of his con&s;cience. Where the holie councell aduerti&s;eth, how euerie confe&s;&s;or ought diligentlie enquire after euerie circum|&s;tance, to heale throughly the woundes of his &s;oule by powringe in the wine and oyle of mercy; and to be verie circum&s;pect for re|uealinge anie thinge comitted to &s;ecrecie by confe&s;&s;ion, eyther by &s;igne, woord, or any other externall ge&s;ture, which if he doeth, he is not onely to be depo&s;ed, but perpetually to doe penance included into &s;ome mona&s;terie. And in time of &s;ickne&s;&s;e where phi&s;itions haue to intermedle, they are to admoni&s;he the patie~t before he take any corporal mede|cyne, to prouide fir&s;t for his &s;piritual health. <HI>Ante omnia monere &amp; inducere quod medicos aduocent animarum, vt po&s;t quam infirmus fue|rit de &s;pirituali &s;alute proui&s;um, ad corporalis medicinae remedium &s;alubrius procedatur.</HI></P>
<P>Alexander the third, vnder whom was held a councell at S. Iohn Latheranes of 280. bi&s;hops, thus much aduerti&s;eth the Archebi&s;|hope of Milan, that wheras a deliquent, who had bene cau&s;e of much &s;laughter by de|&s;troyinge many ca&s;tles with effu&s;ion of much blood, de&s;ierou&s;e to be reconciled, he &s;hould mercifully enioyne him penance, with &s;uch
<PB N="255" REF="132"> di&s;cretion, that it &s;hould be noe dammage or hurt to anie without preiudice anie way. Noe le&s;&s;e he in&s;inuateth concerninge confe&s;&s;ion to the Archbi&s;hop of Cante<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">bury, where he approueth that remi&s;&s;ions or pardons, graun|ted in dedication of churches, are onely auai|leable to &s;uch; <HI>quibus proprij iudice<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;pec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ali|ter indul&s;erunt,</HI> as are ab&s;olued of their owne iudge or pari&s;he prei&s;t. And writinge to the bi&s;hope of Beluacum, how a prei&s;t &s;hould deale with &s;uch as come to confe&s;&s;ion, and yet &s;ay they can not ab&s;taine, adui&s;eth to re|ceiue their confe&s;&s;ions (though not further to be admitted) yet with &s;ounde coun&s;ell and gho&s;tlie adui&s;e penance to be enioyned. And to the bi&s;hope of Triburien&s;is he adui|&s;eth, that when a man hath a penance enioy|ned to fa&s;t bread &amp; water, &amp; after hath not meanes to obteine bread, he may with di&s;|cretion v&s;e other refections, <HI>non ad delicias, ed ad &s;u&s;tentationem,</HI> onely for &s;u&s;tentation and nouri&s;hement, and not to plea&s;e his ta&s;te.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>A fal&s;e &s;urmi&s;e of the prote&s;tants who conceiue that Auricular confe&s;&s;ion is but a po&s;itiue law, and that before the <HI>3.</HI> councell of Latheran there was noe lawe or obligation therof.</HEAD>
<P>VPon this con&s;titution of the councell of Laterane, the prote&s;ta~ts with Caluine &amp; others, grownd here a fal&s;e &s;urmi&s;e, wherby they gloriou&s;ly vaunte, that they haue man|fully
<PB N="256" REF="133"> gotten the ma&s;tery of the feild, fora&s;|much as they &s;uppo&s;e (but out of the &s;ubur|bes of their owne witt) that by this councel vnder Innoce~t. 3. That Auricular co~fe&s;&s;io~ was fir&s;t in&s;tituted, and as it were by a po&s;itiue lawe brought in by pontificall auctority and mans ordinance, without any further appro|bation of gods woord. And albeit &s;ay they (as witne&s;&s;eth Caluine lib. 3. in&s;tit, c. 4.8.7.) that confe&s;&s;ion may well claime pre&s;crip|tion of time out of mind, beinge a mo&s;t aun|cient cu&s;tome, yet without any &s;eruility, bon|dage or enforcement of lawe therunto, left to the full currant of mans liberty and free|will. For this (&s;ay they) it is not their bare woord, but euen the papi&s;ts records them&s;el|ues, that giue &s;ufficient remon&s;trance hereof, that from the fir&s;t promulgation hereof, 300. yeares are &s;carce pa&s;t, &s;ince that this newe brought in lawe had a&s;&s;ubiected the con&s;cien|ces of al Chri&s;tians to the va&s;&s;alage and thral|dome of confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>But by that which wee haue related out of former times, this &s;urmi&s;e is ea&s;ily refuted: for it is mo&s;t apparant again&s;t Caluine and his companions, that this pre&s;cript time of con|fe&s;&s;ion at Ea&s;ter, albeit it was here by Inno|cent in&s;tituted, and then as a lawe made and promulged; yet was it not the fir&s;t, as though neuer before any lawe ordinance or proui&s;o had therfore bene ether con&s;titute|ted
<PB N="257" REF="133"> or ordained. For it is manife&s;t, both in the time of Gregory Ni&s;&s;en anno 380. many yeares before this councell of Latherane, as al&s;o in Chri&s;o&s;tomes dioce&s;&s;es anno 405. that chri&s;tians v&s;ed, yea and ought to come to confe&s;&s;ion at the holy fea&s;t of Ea&s;ter. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n heb|domada magna,</HI> as he religiou&s;ly caled it. 2&punc; It is mo&s;t certaine and receiued as a generall cu&s;tome in the church, for any that come to the holy Euchari&s;t, which were clogged with any guilt of mortall &s;inne, to ab&s;teine, except fir&s;t they were atoned and reconciled by con|fe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t. For it is cleere by the prac|ti&s;e of the church in S Ciprians time anno. 248. and by S. Leo in his epi&s;tles to Theo|dore bi&s;hope and his 91. epi&s;tle, where he &s;aieth, that our Sauiour Ie&s;us gaue this po|wer to the rectors and rulers of his church, to enioyne penance to &s;uch as confe&s;&s;ed, and after &s;atisfaction made and clen&s;ed, to admitt them to the holy communion of the Eucha|ri&s;t by the doore of reconciliation. Where wee may &s;ee both lawes, ordinances, in&s;titu|tions, power, and auctority both by Chri&s;t gi|uen, and his mini&s;ters ordained, for the fur|therance of the great benefit of reconciliation by confe&s;&s;ion. The rea&s;on then why the holy councell of Latherane ordained &s;uch a lawe that once a yeare euery pari&s;hioner at lea&s;t &s;hould repaire vnto his pari&s;he prei&s;t and goe to confe&s;&s;ion was, fora&s;much as where &s;inne
<PB N="258" REF="134"> is mother, &s;hame is the daughter, and here|vpon the frequentinge of the Sacrament may &s;eeme to very many burden&s;ome and te|diou&s;e, that once the reines of liberty lett loo&s;e, the vulgare, yea the nicer &s;orte in this remedy for their &s;oules health, takes &s;uch a de&s;perate deafene&s;&s;e, that with all delaies they care not whether euer or neuer they heare of it. Wherfore as that good pope Ze|pherine anno 198. &s;ett downe this ordinance, and commaunded that all &s;hould receiue at Ea&s;ter, not &s;o as though they had not bene tied and bounde before therunto, for euen by the lawe of Chri&s;t it was promulged, that except they did eate his fle&s;he and drink his blood, they could not haue life euerla&s;tinge, but bicau&s;e his fatherly care and prouidence was &s;uch to remedy the lukewarmne&s;&s;e and couldene&s;&s;e of deuotion hereunto of many, prefixed a time of receauinge, beyonde which it &s;hould not be lawefull to deffer the com|municatinge of the holy Sacrament. Soe in like &s;orte it was appointed, not as an ab&s;olute commaund of confe&s;&s;ion, for to this euery one ar commanded by Chri&s;t, but onely a determination of time when it &s;hould be donne, by limitation wherof the carele&s;&s;e|ne&s;&s;e of many might be redre&s;&s;ed, who other|wai&s;e would be neglige~t enough of &s;o whol|&s;ome a remedy, were not the eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ure a bitt vnto their liberty, that with an
<PB N="259" REF="134"> awfull lookinge back now and then (where otherwai&s;e perhaps they could be content to lett the prei&s;t and benedicite alone) they are content to kneele downe at his knees and take an ab&s;olution. Nowe to the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Clemens <HI>6.</HI> cap vnigenitus de peccatorum remi&s;&s;ione. anno <HI>1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">42.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The trea&s;eure of the church is to be ap|plied to proper and rea&s;onable cau&s;es, &s;ome|times for a whole and totalle remi&s;&s;ion, another time for parte of the temporall pu|ni&s;hement due for &s;in, to &s;uch as are truly pe|nitent and confe&s;&s;ed to their gho&s;tly father.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>S. Franci&s;cus vt refert Bonauentura in eius vita. cap. <HI>1.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Behould my good brother confe&s;&s;e thy &s;in|nes beinge contrite with the &s;orrowe of true penance, nether lett there remaine any thin|ge in thee that thou wilt not open with true confe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Bonifacius vt in Linwood. anno <HI>1250.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The Sacrament of penance of which con|fe&s;&s;ion is parte, is not to be denied to any, no not &s;oe much to any impri&s;oned, vnder paine of excommunication.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Edmundus Cantuarien&s;is Archiepi&s;copus in con&s;titutionibus.</HEAD>
<P>The confe&s;&s;or mu&s;t keepe decently in hea|ringe confe&s;&s;ions, all conuenient forme and decency in &s;earchinge out the wounds of the
<PB N="260" REF="135"> greeued penitents, as al&s;o in exhortinge and per&s;wadinge them to further encrea&s;e of good life.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Gualterus Epi&s;copus. anno <HI>1327.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Euery gho&s;tly father &s;hall enioyne penan|ce, accordinge as he hath exactly noted and con&s;idered the penitents &s;innes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e pf the church corre&s;pondent.</HEAD>
<P>Now drawinge neere to our times, wee find the whole church of God through out all chri&s;tendome practi&s;ing the holy Sacrame~t of confe&s;&s;ion not onely in Rome (as appeareth by Clement the &s;ixt) but in other parts of Italy (as witne&s;&s;eth S Frauncis of A&s;si&s;um and in Fraunce in euery towne and village. For albeit in the yeare 1323. one Iohn de Po|liaco a deuine of Paris, diuulged certaine er|rors concerninge the hearinge of confe&s;sion in the time of Lewis of Bauaria a german Emperor and Iohn 22. yet this doeth nothing preiudice the cu&s;tome and v&s;e then, but giue a full remon&s;trance of tho&s;e times. Foras his opinions were ab&s;urd, as that none ought to confe&s;&s;e to the begginge friars, which if he did, he was bounde to confe&s;&s;e againe to his owne pari&s;he prei&s;t: as al&s;o the decree of, <HI>Omnis vtriu&s;que &s;exus</HI> &s;o &s;tandinge, the pope of Rome cannot make but all pari&s;hioners ar bound euery yeare to confe&s;&s;e to their pari&s;he prei&s;t.</P>
<P>Moreouer the pope cannot giue any gene|rall
<PB N="261" REF="135"> facultie to heare confe&s;sions, but vnder limitation of the pari&s;he prei&s;t; &s;oe giue they te&s;timony of a g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nerall practi&s;e then, to goe to confe&s;sion to the friers, to haue licence of cho&s;inge their gho&s;tly fathers, and to re|paire vnto their owne pari&s;he prei&s;ts for ab|&s;olution&punc; which opinions as they were exhor|bitant and different from the true doctrine of penance, &s;oe were they examined and condemned vnder the &s;ame pope Iohn 22. and the partie made to recant his errors. As for En|gland their needes &s;male proofe hereof, for both by the councell helde by Stephen at Oxford, by Richard Archbi&s;hop, and by others are extant diuer&s;e canons to this pur|po&s;e, as that euery phi&s;ition who hath to deale with any &s;ick partie, is to &s;eriou&s;ly ad|ui&s;e his patient, before he begin his cure, to be mindfull of confe&s;&s;ion, and to haue the adui&s;e of his gho&s;tly father.</P>
<P>As for reuealinge of confe&s;&s;ions, it was carefully looked vnto and e&s;peciall regard hadd therof; for there were great penalties enioyned, as in the age of Gregory the great and after, that &s;uch &s;hould be degraded, as by bi&s;hope Gualter appeareth. Simon Sudbury anno 1371. (as appeareth by his con&s;titutio~s) was mo&s;t prouident and watcheful for prei&s;ts behauiour, and how they &s;hould heare the confe&s;&s;ions of weemen, appointinge that euery woman &s;hould be heard of the prei&s;t
<PB N="262" REF="136"> decently, <HI>extra velum,</HI> and that in open &s;ight: as al&s;oe he ordained that all the laiti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in mo&s;t godlie &s;orte &s;hould goe to confe&s;&s;ion in the beginninge of lent, as al&s;o to repaire to their gho&s;tly fathers thri&s;e at lea&s;t euery yeare.</P>
<P>Kinge Edward the fir&s;t in the 13. yeare of his raigne in a &s;tatute made of; <HI>Circum&s;pecte agatis,</HI> &s;endeth greetinge to all his iudges, that they v&s;e them&s;elues circum&s;pectly in all mattters concerninge the bi&s;hope of Noridge and his clergy, not puni&s;hinge them if they held plea in a Chri&s;tian court of &s;uch things as be meerly &s;pirituall, to witt, of penances en|ioyned for deadly &s;innes, as fornication, adoultry &amp;c. for which kind of &s;innes, cor|porall penance is often enioyned. But to proceed to the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Ioannes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eccham Archiepi&s;copus ex Linwood.</HEAD>
<P>Lett there in euery deanery be appointed one Rector, who &s;hall heare the confe&s;&s;ions of the rectors and other prei&s;ts. anno 1293.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Winchel&s;e Archiepi&s;copus.</HEAD>
<P>Euery &s;tipendiary prei&s;t, &s;hall not heare confe&s;&s;ions of pari&s;hioners, but in certaine ca&s;es allowed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>To gaine&s;ay the practi&s;e of the whole church of Chri&s;t, is too much blindne&s;&s;e and ab&s;urdity; Againe to make &s;male accompt of our predece&s;&s;ors and their con&s;titutions for
<PB N="263" REF="136"> confe&s;&s;ion here in England, as it argueth but a certaine turbulencie of &s;pirite, &s;oe it &s;heweth but &s;male proofe of witt: for men as wi&s;e as wee, and not &s;oe &s;ence-feelinge as wee, but of a more religiou&s;e and piou&s;e minde then wee, would not &s;oe ea&s;ily haue bene drawne vnto &s;uch humility of confe&s;|&s;ion, hadd not they &s;een as farr as wee, a full demon&s;tration and euident proofe out of gods woord for it. From whence it ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h pro|ceeded, that &s;oe many con&s;titutions ordinan|ces and proui&s;oes haue bene made onely for the better pre&s;eruance and continuance hereof. As by Stephen, Edmond, Richard, Gualter Sudbury, Peccham, Winchel&s;ey and diuer&s;e others, all learned bi&s;hopes and reue|rend fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;y of Wicliffe contrary to the practi&s;e of the church, and doctrine of the fathers.</HEAD>
<P>About the yeare of Chri&s;t 1352. one Wic|be&s;&s;e an Engli&s;heman borne, ma&s;ter of art and prei&s;t in Canterbury colledge of Oxford, per&s;on of Lutherwoorth in Leice&s;ter &s;hier, a man altogether turbulent and trouble&s;ome in all actions again&s;t the clergie, broached againe &s;ome errors, which were before di&s;|&s;allowed, as namely 45. condemned in the councell of Con&s;tance, his 7. article was, that if a man bee truly contrite for his &s;innes com|mitted, externall confe&s;&s;ion is &s;uperfluou&s;e and vnprofitable; As al&s;oe defendinge that
<PB N="264" REF="137"> confe&s;&s;ion can not be proued out of &s;crip|ture, neither hath it any grownd in &s;cripture for the approbation therof.</P>
<P>For confutation of which here&s;y, wee may note 1. That this his errors proceeded more of &s;tomake and pride, then of any zeale or con&s;cience he had in religion, con&s;ider|inge he con&s;orted him&s;elfe with the Duke of Lanca&s;ter, who was glad then to catch hould of any occa&s;ion again&s;t the clergie, as Stow noteth. 2. That it is noe marueil that euer confe&s;&s;ion (which is a true humiliation of the &s;pirite) could haue anie entertaine|ment or be approued in &s;o proude a &s;tomack, &s;einge it is the nature of all &s;uch that maintei|ne &s;uch de&s;perate re&s;olutions, to fly from all true catholick deuotion. 3. That this was an opinion newly brought in againe to trouble the church, again&s;t the doctrine of the fa|thers and practi&s;e of all Chri&s;tendome, and an opinion before condemned and neuer be|fore countenanced as truth in England. 4. That it hath the note of here&s;y (to denie) for it denieth that, which for many hundred years was before mainteined as the doctrine of Chri&s;t in all Chri&s;tendome, and therfore catholick confe&s;&s;ion hath the prerogatiue of time and place, and the other preeminence which is gotten by &s;ayinge it is not &s;oe. 5. Our prore&s;ta~ts ar &s;mally benefited hereby, for they mainteine but the nouelties of one in
<PB N="265" REF="137"> whom &s;tomake did &s;triue with witt for will to gett the ma&s;tery. 6. If it had bene &s;ound doctrin which Wickliffe taught of not going to confe&s;&s;ion; beinge &s;o troble&s;ome to fle&s;he and blood, the church would ea&s;ily haue conde&s;cended, and not approued that which is &s;o much again&s;t our nature, as the lawe of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Moreouer as the&s;e po&s;itions of Wickliffe were preiudiciall to the whole church of En+gland, &s;o were they condemned by acts of parlament, as in the fift yeare of Richard the &s;econd 1280. as al&s;o anno 2. Henrici 3. 1402. by Cicheley vtterly &s;uppre&s;&s;ed as mo&s;t impiou&s;e doctrine, &amp; co~trary to the woord of God. And albeit the prote&s;tants and &s;ome other of Zwitzerland agreed with him in &s;ome points, yet they held him (as Ioachimus Vadianus a Zinglian) for a pratler and &s;cof|fing deuine, yea Pantaleon for an impudent heretick in his chronologie. His opinions were condemned by the generall councell of Con&s;tance, he was excommunicated by the Archbi&s;hop of Canterbury, and by Fle|minge bi&s;hop of Lincolne: his bones were taken vpp and burned by command of Pope Martin the fift.</P>
<P>How many learned men of all &s;orts oppo|&s;ed them &s;elues again&s;t him in that age, is apparant; for not onely Thomas Walden&s;is who co~futed his here&s;ies, but diuer&s;e others,
<PB N="266" REF="138"> as William Barton Chancelor of Oxford con|demned Wickliffes, &amp; &s;ett an enque&s;t of 12. men vpon him, &s;ix of the begginge fryers and of other deuines and ciuill and cannon lawyers other &s;ix, who all vtterly condem|ned his opinions anno 1382. And albeit Phi|lip Repington a frend of Wickliffes and de|uine of Oxford, writ in defence of Wickliffe and e&s;pecially again&s;t auricular confe&s;&s;ion, yet he vpon more mature adui&s;e, recanted his opinions at Paules cro&s;&s;e. Thomas Bombe an other deuine &amp; Carmelite writ mo&s;t lear|nedly again&s;t him, and as &s;ayeth friar Bale again&s;t Wickliffes &s;cholers, <HI>&s;corpionis venena intulit.</HI> Nicolas Hardford &s;choler of Wickliffe recanted his opinions as mo&s;t ab&s;urd 1382. One Raukin, Iohn Sharp, Roger Walbey an Augu&s;tin friar, Richard Maide&s;tone vnder Ri|chard the &s;econd, Symon Sowthray, Peter Stokes, Thomas Winterton all learned and not inferior to Wickliffe for iudgement and &s;ufficiency of learninge, writt mo&s;t &s;owndly and iudicially again&s;t his opinions, but to proceed to the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Florentinum in doctrina de Sacra|mentis anno <HI>1438.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It appertaineth to confe&s;&s;e by mouth, that the &s;inner wholly and throughly <HI>(integrali|ter)</HI> confe&s;&s;e to his prei&s;t all his &s;innes, all &s;uch as he can call to memorie.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<PB N="267" REF="138">
<HEAD>Theodorus Cantuarien&s;is Epi&s;copus cap. quidam de poenitentia di&s;t <HI>1.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Internall confe&s;&s;ion which is onely made vnto God, belongeth to the perfect and iu&s;t. But of &s;uch as we are, that be &s;inners, the &s;en|tence of the apo&s;tle is to be folowed, that we confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes to one another.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>What the cu&s;tome and v&s;e of the greek church was in this age for confe&s;&s;ion, is mo&s;t apparant, and nothinge differinge from the maine point with the former greek fathers.</P>
<P>For albeit Eugenius 4. at the councell of Florence, priuately demaunded of &s;ome of the cheefe&s;t greeke doctors, why they did not confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes before they came to celebrate and &s;ay ma&s;&s;e, as the auncient cu&s;to|me was, both in the time of S. Ba&s;ill and S. Chri&s;o&s;tome: Yet at other times their prei&s;ts went ordinarily to confe&s;&s;ion for ab&s;olution of their &s;innes. Hereby we &s;ee that confe&s;|&s;ion was, not onely practi&s;ed emonge the Grecians in the greek church, but al&s;oe in Rome, Spaine, Italy, England and other par|ticuler churches.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The here&s;y of Petrus O&s;men&s;is against the doctrine and practi&s;e of the church in Spaine..</HEAD>
<P>Aboute the yeare of Chri&s;t 1464. one Pe|trus Osmen&s;is or Oximen&s;is a Spaniard and
<PB N="268" REF="139"> doctor of deuinity of <HI>Salamanca,</HI> publi&s;hed certaine conclu&s;ions again&s;t auriculer confe&s;|&s;ion vid. 1. That mortall &s;innes concerninge the guilt and penaltie of the other world, ar forgiuen by onely contrition without any confe&s;&s;ion. 2. That confe&s;&s;ion <HI>(in &s;pecie)</HI> is not found in &s;cripture: as for wicked thoughts they are onely aboli&s;hed by di&s;plicence and di&s;like therof. 3. Secret confe&s;&s;ion is not of nece&s;&s;ity to be required. 4. That penitents ought not to be ab&s;olued, if they haue not performed their penance. For confutation of which doctrine we may ob&s;erue.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the here&s;y of this man, is different from the opinion of the former concerninge confe&s;&s;ion, and albeit in &s;ome things he ac|cordeth with them, yet he hath a &s;match of his owne leauen, his &s;elfe plea&s;inge and ouerweeninge humor.</P>
<P N="2">2. that his opinions were as new nouel|ties, again&s;t the vniuer&s;all practi&s;e and doc|trine of the holy fathers.</P>
<P N="3">3. Our aduer&s;aries cannot heerby gather that their doctrine was then in practi&s;e and approued: for this was but the opinion of one man, in one countrie, and in one vniuer|&s;ity, the defence of which conclu&s;ions pro|ceeded rather of emmulation (an humor mo&s;t incident to &s;cholers) then of anye &s;ownd iudgement in deuinitie, and know|ledge of the doctrine of the fathers.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="269" REF="139">4. He alloweth that which our aduer&s;aries doe di&s;allowe vid. an ab&s;olution from &s;innes after the performance of their penance.</P>
<P>Further after this Peter had publi&s;hed his errors &s;eeminge a great nouelty emonge the learned in the vniuer&s;ities of Spaine, as al&s;oe erroneus impiou&s;e and mo&s;t &s;candalou&s;e vnto the vulgar &s;orte; Alphon&s;us Carillo then Archbi&s;hop of Toledo and chiefe pri|mate of Spaine, with mature iudgement, examined the&s;e conclu&s;ions, and cited this Peter de O&s;ma to an&s;were vnto them at Al|cala; but as here&s;y loues lea&s;t to be in &s;ight, and will begett that oftentimes, which it is loth to father; &s;oe this Peter was backward for the mo&s;t parte to come to triall. Wher|fore Carillo the Archbi&s;hop, with diuers other learned men and docters of Spaine, condemned him and his opinions, which condemnation was after &s;ent to Rome, and there againe examined by pope Sixtus 4. anno 1471; and &s;oe approued as appeareth by the extrauagant of Sixtus. 4.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The doctrine of the &s;choole deuines conforma|ble to that of the fathers.</HEAD>
<P>Concerninge the doctrine of the &s;choole-deuines for auricular confe&s;&s;ion, being mo&s;t famou&s;e and learned men (as appeareth by their workes) I need not receite their opi|nions, bicau&s;e they ar comon in all &s;chooles, and for their excellency of witt, &s;ee but
<PB N="270" REF="140"> Couel who approueth them, him&s;elfe beinge a prote&s;tant.</P>
<P>Petrus Lombardus bi&s;hope of Paris, whom all the &s;choole diuines for that reuerence and honor they bare him, and for his &s;inguler learninge, call him their ma&s;ter <HI>magister &s;en tentiarum&punc;</HI> anno 1140, Alexander de Hales who made his &s;umme, that excellent woork by commandement of Innocent the fourth, was caled <HI>f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ns vitoe,</HI> the fountaine of life, bicau&s;e of the liuely knowledge, that flowed from him, he was ma&s;ter to S. Bonauenture anno 1246. S. Bonauenture bi&s;hop of Al|bane, made Cardinale by Gregory the tenth anno 1275. for his &s;inguler wi&s;dome, knoweledge, learninge and &s;anctity of life. His ma&s;ter Alexander de Hales was wount to &s;ay of him, <HI>that in S. Bonauenture he thought Adam &s;inned not,</HI> meaninge for that illumination which was in him, as though he had not bene darkened by the fall of Adame.</P>
<P>S. Thomas de Aquino, who came &s;oe neere vnto S. Augu&s;tin that &s;ome thought he had all his woorkes by harte, and by a common prouerbe it was &s;poken, that the &s;oule of S. Augu&s;tine dwelt in Aquinas: In whome aboue all the re&s;t fouer contrarieties were &s;aid to excell, <HI>Abondance, Breuity, Facility, Security.</HI> In re&s;pect wherof he gained the title to be caled Angelicall. anno 1274. Al|bertus
<PB N="271" REF="140"> Magnus ma&s;ter to S. Thomas of Aquine bi&s;hope of Ratisbone of mo&s;t admi|rable learninge and knowledge, who for his excellency therin was called Magnus. anno 1280.</P>
<P>Iohanes Duns Scotus &s;choler to Alexander Hales anno 1299. a man of a &s;inguler &s;ubtili|tie of witt and iudgement in learninge, for his profundity he was called tenebrico&s;us. Richardus de media villa. Iohanes Ger&s;on. Thomas Caietanus. Iohannes Roffen&s;is. Thomas Walden&s;is. Thomas Morus. Iohannes Echius. Iohannes Cocleus. Io|hannes He&s;&s;els. Alphon&s;us a Ca&s;tro. Al|bertus Pighius. Dominicus a Soto. Iohan|nes Gropper. Lindanus. Cardinalis Bel|larminus. Franci&s;cus Turrianus. Grego|rius de Valentia. Azore. Va&s;quez. Ioha|nes Dreido. Iohanes Hofmei&s;terus. Ruar|eus Tapper. Petrus a Soto. Stani&s;&s;aus Ho|&s;ius. Petrus Cani&s;ius. Sanderus. Alanus Nauarrus. Suarez.</P>
<P>All which beinge the cheefe&s;t deuines in Chri&s;tendome agree in the doctrine of auri|cular confe&s;&s;ion, conformable to that of the auncient fathers, and perpetuall practi&s;e of the church, now la&s;t of all renued and confir|med in the coun&s;ell of Trent as followeth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>Concilium Tridentinum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;. <HI>14.</HI> c. <HI>5</HI> anno <HI>1563.</HI></HEAD>
<P>By the in&s;titution of the Sacrament of pe|nance now explicated, the whole church of
<PB N="272" REF="141"> God hath alwaies vnder&s;tood, that an intire confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes, and an exact, is in+&s;tituted by our Lorde. And that confe&s;&s;ion is nece&s;&s;ary by gods lawe, to all &s;uch as fall after bapti&s;me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="subsection">
<HEAD>The practi&s;e of the church conformable.</HEAD>
<P>As euery &s;choole was now fraught with this doctrine, and who&s;oeuer gain&s;aied it, were cen&s;ured, and had the iu&s;t reward of hereticks; &s;oe was there noe country Chri|&s;tian, but had it in continuall v&s;e and practi&s;e. And for the greek church it is euident, fir&s;t by Nicolaus Cabi&s;ilas in the application of the Liturgy cap. 29. by Ana&s;ta&s;ius Nicenus his que&s;tions vpon the &s;criptures, q. 6. who as they were grecians, &s;oe mo&s;t plainely teach, that there was allowed and in v&s;e the holy Sacrament of confe&s;&s;ion. And in the&s;e our daies Hieremias the Patriarch of Con|&s;tantinople in cen&s;uringe the Augu&s;tine con|fe&s;&s;ion in the 1. chapter, much reprehendeth the gro&s;&s;e opinion of the Lutherans, who bouldly affirmed, that all &s;innes were not of nece&s;&s;ity to be confe&s;&s;ed, or the number particularly in confe&s;&s;ion to be regarded and euery &s;inne to be &s;pecified in his kind. <HI>Per &s;ingu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">as &s;pecies in confe&s;&s;ione enumerando</HI> Where it is manife&s;t, that the grecians in Con&s;tantinople, agreed with the Latine church in this article of confe&s;&s;ion, and &s;o had practi&s;e therof to declare euery parti|culer,
<PB N="273" REF="141"> with re&s;pect hadd to euery particuler circum&s;tance.</P>
<P>To come neerer to our owne times in the yeare 1475. both the kinges of England and Fraunce went to confe&s;&s;ion, for as it appea|reth on the 29. Augu&s;t. in the &s;ame yeare they both being mett together to conclude a peace, which concluded they were both &s;worne on a mi&s;&s;ale &s;aieth Comines (for then there was noe communion booke heard of) to the performance of &s;ome certaine articles then concluded on: Which donne the kinge of Fraunce offered the kinge of Engla~d (if he would goe to Paris) the Cardinall of Borbone to be his gho&s;tly father for the ab&s;olution of his &s;innes. Further by an hi&s;toricall relation of two famou&s;e amba&s;&s;adges, the one of Gab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iell Patrriarch of Alexandria the 97. pa|triarch after S. Mark, the other out of Ru&s;&s;ia of &s;ome 1000. churches vnto the&s;e a of Rome appeareth, albeit they had falen into diuer&s;e errors, yet they acknowledged the Sacra|ment of penance and confe&s;&s;ion: as al&s;o Io|hannes Comus Corepi&s;copus thus writinge to Clement the 8. affirmeth in the&s;e latter daies vnder the name of all his country that, <HI>in eius manus e&s;t ab&s;olutio &amp; ligatio:</HI> the full auctority to bind &amp; loo&s;e. La&s;tly the duke of Northumberland in the yeare 1553. although he had bene a great &s;tickler and ringe-leader in the daunce of innouation for Zinglia|ni&s;me,
<PB N="274" REF="142"> yet cominge in the end to calamitie and to be beheaded, acknowledged the ca|tholick faith: not for flattery or for hope of life, wherupon he brought as wittne&s;&s;e, the Lord of Worce&s;ter his ould frend, and his father; wherby it is apparant, he v&s;ed then confe&s;&s;ion in the tower, albeit in the tide of better fortune he folowed the maine &s;treame of plea&s;ure, littell caringe for religion or confe&s;&s;ion, but then, <HI>cum tribularetur tunc clamauit.</HI> See Stow.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>THE CONCLVSION TO THE precedent doctrine of the fathers and practi&s;e of the church. <HI>THE XIV. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THus ha&s;t thou &s;eene (courteou&s;e reader) euen from Chri&s;ts time, one and the &s;elfe &s;ame doctrine of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, taught of the learned&s;t doctors, beleeued as the true and holy woord of Chri&s;t, practi&s;ed in the vniuer&s;all church, in full currant and continuance the&s;e 1600. yeares both in the greek and latine church.</P>
<P N="2">2. Now then &s;ince that confe&s;&s;ion carries with it the countenance euen from our Sa|uiours owne auctority, the approbation of the holy Apo&s;tles, the doctrine of the mo&s;t auncient fathers, the iu&s;tifiablene&s;&s;e of the
<PB N="275" REF="142"> great and generall councells, the practi&s;e of all nations, the applau&s;e of the grauer, lear|neder, and deuoute&s;t &s;orte, and the very triumphe ouer all time, and hath bene as it were an vnexpugnable tower battered and &s;hott at with the vaine bla&s;ts of turbulent witts, malignant &s;pirits, &s;elfe plea&s;inge hu|mori&s;ts, the giddy headie&s;t braines; and yet &s;tands as an inuincible tower of bra&s;&s;e, re|boundinge the blowes back euen to the bat|terers vtter confu&s;ion.</P>
<P N="3">3. Since that it hath bene euer prai&s;e woorthy, full of pietie and vertue, the mo|ther of all true lowline&s;&s;e and humility of harte, the acquietinge of a troubled con&s;|cience, and the onely phi&s;ition for the inue|terate di&s;ea&s;es and lepro&s;ie of the infected &s;oule.</P>
<P N="4">4. Since that the blames that are laid again&s;t it are either fal&s;e or feeble, procee|dinge of weakne&s;&s;e which is commonly bould; or obiected by bouldne&s;&s;e (a ra&s;he and pre&s;umptuou&s;e obtruder) or deui&s;ed by the vnskilfulle&s;t, the grownds of who&s;e opi|nions ar but the vncertainties of their owne ignorance, and as it were the triflinge blots and blurrs of their inke wa&s;tinge toyes.</P>
<P N="5">5. Since that the aduer&s;arie him &s;elfe gi|ues it the prerogatiue of time, and can not denie it the pre&s;cription of great antiquitie, though he troubles him &s;elfe in the du&s;t of
<PB N="276" REF="143"> his owne labours to giue it the preeminence of birthright but from the &s;taines of humaine inuention. I be&s;eeche thee then mo&s;t gentle reader, as thou doe&s;t tender the truth of gods cau&s;e, and good of thine owne &s;oule, that as mindfull of the tribunall and maie&s;tie of al|mighty God, before which one day thou &s;halt appeare as a du&s;t-creepinge woorme as thou art, where all harts &s;halbe opened &amp; &s;e|crets di&s;clo&s;ed: not to gaine&s;ay that truth which God &s;hall manife&s;t vnto thee, or for feare of prince or potentate to temporize &s;ome fewe yeares, thereby to di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e thy &s;elfe of the fruition of all eternall bli&s;&s;e and happine&s;&s;e. Lett not &s;tomack &s;oe mai&s;ter thee as to haue all tounge &amp; noe eares; to &s;peak all and hearken to nothinge, to crowe to much with the cocks, on this worlds dounghill.</P>
<P N="6">6. If affectatio~ of &s;ingularity hath ambu&s;hed it &s;elfe within thy bo&s;ome, if thou ha&s;t pin|ned they &s;elfe to their &s;leeues, whom igno|rant zeale hath made violent in religion, as to tearme this &s;eekinge into fathers writings to looke for truth, a rakinge into kennels and ditches, and to di&s;charge mo&s;t of them for rogues and men branded in their fore|heads (as Carttwright l. 1. pag. 114. that, good wheel-wright was wount in his owne &s;hopp to hewe &s;uch gro&s;&s;e chipps) if thou wilt not beleeue &s;o many learned men, as haue bene alledged, but think, that to be
<PB N="277" REF="143"> tied and led by auctority, is a certaine &s;laue|uery and captiuity of iudgement. If thou wilt not beleeue with S. Augu&s;tine, l. 2. con. Pe|lag. c. 4. What e&s;teeme is to be had (before his time) of the auncient fathers. If thou wilt not beleeue as did the Samaritans in a matter of farr greater moment, vpon the re|porte of one &s;illy wooman, yet (courteou&s;e reader) thus much beleeue, that antiquity &amp; the fathers auctority, hath euer bene euen emonge the heretickes them&s;elues, the be&s;t &s;take in their hedge.</P>
<P N="7">7. Did not Arius in the pedlarie of all his ware, grownd his truth vpon the auncient father Origen, and alleadged him tooth and naile for him &s;elfe? And did not the Dona|ti&s;ts build vpon S. Ciprian; The Ne&s;torians vpon the councell of Nice; The Pelagians vaunte of S Ambro&s;e, S. Hierome. S. Augu|&s;tine? Did not Dio&s;corus alleadge Gregory, Cirill, Athana&s;ius? and complained openly in the fir&s;t councell of Calcedon, <HI>Ego</HI> (&s;aieth he) <HI>defendo dogmata &s;anctorum patrum, ego illorum habeo te&s;timonium, non obiter nec in tran&s;cur&s;u, &s;ed in ip&s;orum libris, &amp; ideo cum patribus eij cior.</HI> I defend the opinion of the holy fathers, I haue their te&s;timony, not by any by, or &s;ini&s;ter way, but in their owne bookes, and therfore I with the holy fathers am reiected. What an aufull re&s;pect (a bird of their owne father) Beza &s;eemed to haue
<PB N="278" REF="144"> of the auncient fathers (albeit the Geneua &s;hoe is altogether vnfit for their foote) in &s;oe much that he thus writeth to &s;ome that be|gan their nouelties in tran&s;latinge, and heer|vpon cales them to remembrance of former times and (euen in the &s;hadow of this name) chardgeth them with the mo&s;t worthy a&s;|&s;embly of Nice, of Ephe&s;us of Calcedon <HI>quo nihil vnquam Sanctius, nihil Augu&s;tius ab apo&s;tolorum dece&s;&s;u &s;ol vnquam a&s;pexit,</HI> then which &s;ince the apo&s;tles time, the &s;onne ne|uer beheld any thinge more holy more royall or famou&s;e.</P>
<P N="8">8. Soe then (Chri&s;tian reader) this can not but &s;eeme rea&s;on, and &s;inke euen into the &s;halowe&s;t witts; that if in matters of le&s;&s;er moment, it was neuer thought &s;afe and &s;ecure to neglect the iudgement of many (euen with the heretickes them &s;elues) how much more in matters of greater waight &s;hal it be accompted folly, ra&s;hely to followe the opinion of fewe, and de&s;peratly beat again&s;t the harte of all true catholick doctrine, euen as it were &s;triue again&s;t the maine &s;treame of all?</P>
<P N="9">9. And how can any vertuou&s;ly di&s;po&s;ed mind, better re&s;olue with it &s;elfe then thus (if he will but range within the Zodiacke of a Chri&s;tian mans witt) to think what the holy auncient fathers haue written (I know there is nothinge but that an itchinge tounge
<PB N="279" REF="144"> may rubb it &s;elfe vpon) and that which they haue written they haue not diuulged it, as particular in opinion or wedded to partiali|ties, or hungry of their owne prai&s;e, either to grieue prote&s;tant, or gratifie papi&s;t, but euen as trueth in tho&s;e ages ledd them by the handes, <HI>Quod inuenerunt in eccle&s;ia tenue|runt, quod didicerunt, docuerunt; quod a pa|tribus acceperunt, hoc filijs tradiderunt.</HI> What they found in the church, that they kept, what they had learned that they taught, what they heard and receiued from their Fa|thers, that they deliuered to their po&s;teritie.</P>
<P N="10">10. And now for au<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">icular confe&s;&s;ion, as for the abbetters, aucthors mainetainers and defenders therof euen out of Chri&s;tes owne mouth: What, haue they bene, the of-&s;cow|ringe and &s;comme of the people? or rather many of them mo&s;t gloriou&s;e martirs, which haue liued in greate&s;t feare of the highe&s;t, and died with greate&s;t innocencie with the ho|lie&s;t, &s;ealinge the truth of this cau&s;e euen with their owne blood. And &s;hall wee &s;up|po&s;e that darkene&s;&s;e hath &s;oe ouergrown the land (as S. Augu&s;tine obiected to Iulian. Au|gu&s;t. cont. Iul. the heretick) that Pelagius, Iulian and &s;uch their adherents can onely &s;ee with the high flyinge libertie of their con|cept, and that Hilarie, Ciprian, Ambro&s;e ar muddie headed, their witts ouerclowded, and &s;uch deepe doctors waxen &s;oe darke &s;ighted?</P>
<P N="11"><PB N="280" REF="145">11. What were there noe learned men before the&s;e young&s;ters taught their A, B, C, the principles of the Geneua doctrine? Was wi&s;dome euer &s;o in ebbe, that it could neuer haue its flowe till the &s;pringe-tide of the&s;e our wanton yea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es? Did ignorance and blin|dene&s;&s;e keepe faire at euery mans gate, and was there &s;uch publick &s;ale therof, that there could be noe true knowledge in the&s;e times bought for monie? Was Tertullian, Origen, Ciprian, Cirill, Athana&s;ius, Ambro&s;e, Hie|rome and Augu&s;tine, able to diue into the depthe of other mi&s;teries of our &s;aluation, that euen in the cheefe&s;t matters of faith their woords were accompted as oracles of truth, and in this point of confe&s;&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab&s;olution from &s;innes, &s;hall their opinion be accompted as arrowes idlie &s;hott at randome? And now &s;oe &s;hallowe witted and their witts &s;oe light, as to want both waight and mea&s;ure?</P>
<P N="12">12. Or &s;hall wee beleeue the&s;e rather, whome &s;ome of the prote&s;tants and namely Couell call (as fittinge mo&s;t to &s;uch hu|mors) turbulent heads, whom affectation of &s;ingularity hath rai&s;ed vpp their plumes; whom &s;uper&s;titiou&s;e feare, ignorant zeale (not directed with di&s;cretion) hath made violent in matters of religion, that ouerrun|ninge euery text of &s;cripture (as much as in them lieth) haue di&s;me~bred the very limmes
<PB N="281" REF="145"> of truth? Shall &s;oe &s;male vndige&s;ted and &s;hal|lowe learninge, be in ballance able to ouer|pea&s;e the world and the very touch&s;tones of all witts? Was the bible neuer &s;ought into, neuer vnder&s;tood, Chri&s;tes meanninge for prei&s;ts ab&s;olution neuer conceiued till now? And that the&s;e had onely hitt the needell iu&s;t in the eye? What was it euer dawninge of the day, and for &s;oe many hundred years, &s;oe many gloumi&s;h morninges, till this their faire &s;un-&s;hime had crept to the high prick of their noone, &s;oe that we mu&s;t be enforced to &s;ett all our dialls by their clockes?</P>
<P N="13">13. Then (Chri&s;tian reader) iudge as the very truth is, that the antiquity of the fathers is mo&s;t &s;ound and of great waight, and that &s;uch as maliciou&s;ly &s;hould neglect and con|temne them, do mo&s;t greeuou&s;ly offend the holy gho&s;t, <HI>in illis prae&s;identem &amp; loquentem,</HI> and in who&s;e writinges, <HI>viuit &amp; loquitur continenter,</HI> and hereby enlighteneth the whole church of God, both for the interpre|tation of darke&s;t mi&s;teries, as al&s;o for the confirmation and propagation of the true auncient and catholick faith. For; for what other rea&s;on may wee &s;uppo&s;e, that after the apo&s;tles, prophets, and euangeli&s;ts, by deuine in&s;titution, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e of gods hande, haue bene appointed in all ages and places pa&s;tors and doctors, but that as S. Paule &s;aieth (Ephe&s;. 4.11.) to this end, that is, to
<PB N="282" REF="146"> the con&s;umation of the &s;aints vnto the woork of the mini&s;tery, vnto the edifyinge of the body of Chri&s;t, that wee may not be as chil|dren waueringe and carried aboute with euery winde of doctrine in the wickedne&s;&s;e of men, in craftine&s;&s;e to the circumuention of error.</P>
<P N="14">14. Wherfore where all the holy doctors con&s;pire and agree in any one point of our religion, it can not be but the &s;owndne&s;&s;e of truth; In &s;o much that if thus con&s;entinge they &s;hould haue erred, it mu&s;t con&s;equently followe, the whole church of God (which is the ba&s;is and foundation of religion) to haue bene notoriou&s;ly deceiued. <HI>Aberrante &s;equidem pastore nece&s;&s;arium e&s;t &amp; oues aber|rare &amp; quo oculi dirigunt corpus eo pariter re+liqua membra deferri mouerique nece&s;&s;e e&s;t.</HI> Whe~ the &s;hepheard goeth a &s;tray, the &s;heepe mu&s;t needs roue and wander, and where the eyes lead, the body foloweth,</P>
<P N="15">15. If then in this one pointe of Auricular confe&s;&s;ion, the agreement of &s;oe many holy fathers, the practi&s;e of &s;oe many ages, the accord of &s;o many pa&s;tors in euery nation &s;hould haue bene palpable gro&s;&s;e ignorance and error; How &s;hould God haue bene agreeinge to his owne woord? What be|leife &s;hall we giue to gods owne promi&s;es of the perpetuall a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the holy gho&s;t, for the full e&s;tabli&s;hement of all trueth and
<PB N="283" REF="146"> doctrine? How can wee but accompt the wi&s;dome of God meere folly, who hath built his hou&s;e vpon &s;and, and not vpon &s;ure grownd, to wagg with euery wind, and be ouerthrown with euery bla&s;t? <HI>Sed Deus nec fallit, nec fallitur.</HI> (lib 1. co. pelag. cap. 1.) Therfore again&s;t all bu&s;y inuouators tis be&s;t to conclude with S. Augu&s;tine, that it is meet that all Chri&s;tian people, &s;hould rather pre|ferr the auncient fathers before any nouel|ties, and &s;tick fa&s;t rather to their iudgement, then to runne after euerie fancie, humorou&s;e and giddy headed leader.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="15" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY THE DISAGREEMENT and warr of hereticks one with an other, protestant against prote&s;tant touchinge confe&s;sion, may be proued the catholick verity concerninge the practi&s;e of Auricular Confe&s;sion. <HI>THE XV. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AS hitherto hath bene manife&s;ted the the vniforme con&s;ent of the learnede&s;t deuines, generall councels, and continuall practi&s;e of gods church for auricular confe&s;|&s;ion, that herein hath bene euidently &s;een, that the daughter churches euery where did &s;peake their mothers dialect: So it will not
<PB N="284" REF="147"> be ami&s;&s;e to lay downe before euerie rea&s;ona|ble mans &s;ight, the re&s;tle&s;&s;e leuitie of the prote&s;tants in this controuer&s;y, how different they are one from an other; And fora&s;much as nature woorketh in them al a loue to their owne fancies, pa&s;&s;ion beinge the hand, by which the &s;pirite leads them, it faleth out, that euery one &s;inges his owne &s;onge, by rea&s;on wherof it is not the &s;pirite of God, that it is the guider of their quier.</P>
<P N="2">2. As in common wealthes mo&s;t true it is, the ouerplus of rulers argueth &s;uperabon|dance of di&s;orders, the multitude of phi&s;i|tians pe&s;teringe of di&s;ea&s;es, many lawyers great &s;uites and cau&s;es, many iudges contrary opinions, which makes &s;uites immortal, as where there is great re&s;orte of eagles, there is great mortality and many carca&s;es. So like|wi&s;e it fareth in cau&s;es and controuer&s;ies of religion; Where there be many opinions, there are mo&s;t vn&s;ettled minds, deuided minds makes vnioyned &s;peeches, in &s;o much that where controuer&s;ies in highe&s;t points doe mo&s;t ri&s;e, religion is mo&s;t vn&s;ettled, and where there is banding too and fro, trueth now and then is driuen out of dores. For men &s;tanding in tho&s;e moodes, &s;tretching religion to euery mans tentor, as men oftimes for|gett all mind of reconciliation, haue all their thoughts &s;tained with the ouerflowe of bit|ter gale and choler, they re&s;olue more (loo|king
<PB N="285" REF="147"> through the &s;pectacles of their owne co~|cept) to followe that which is mo&s;t cro&s;&s;inge to their neighbours humor, then corre&s;pon|dent to the &s;tright plumb-line of trueth. For it is an oulde plague in mans nature, that many of the mo&s;t parte of men, care not to po&s;t ouer trueth and leaue it farr behind, &s;o they may &s;ett on the &s;purrs of their fame and honor far before.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hence hath proceeded the harte-bur|nings of many the <HI>tot quot</HI> and pluralities of opinions, the whettinge of witts to the &s;harpe of their owne will, the bandinge and takinge parts one again&s;t another, that euery day they are brought to bedd of newe borne &s;ects, through their violency of &s;pirits, the turbulency of witts, the &s;tiffneckedne&s;&s;e of opinions, the &s;elfe plea&s;inge of will, the eagerne&s;&s;e of defence, the glidingne&s;&s;e of their tounge, and the rancor of their harts; Which &s;o inuenometh their penne, to &s;pred abroad their poi&s;en in all their writings.</P>
<P N="4">4. Wherupon noe marueile it is, that our prote&s;tants religion is all ouerunne with no|uelties of &s;ects, the variety wherof, albeit Themi&s;tius the philo&s;opher (as recordeth Socrates) per&s;waded Valens to entertaine as a &s;eruice mo&s;t plea&s;ing to Go&s;t, &s;einge by this meanes, he was wor&s;hipped after diuer&s;e waies and &s;oundry manners: Yet in all rea|&s;on it mu&s;t followe, that the&s;e our nouellants
<PB N="286" REF="148"> mu&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e a church, as quarrellinge &s;onnes doe the inheritance of contentious parents, the be&s;t part wherof is con&s;umed in vnnece&s;|&s;ary &s;uites; that make the faire&s;t &s;howe that they can, God is defrawded of his right, their church in vproare, and their greate&s;t cer|tainty, the vncertainty of opinions: It was demanded of that great Con&s;ull Iabius, why he neuer went from his owne village of Rhe|gio in &s;eauentie yeares that he liued, to Me&s;|&s;ana which was but two miles off by water: Who &s;haped them this an&s;were. The barke (quoth he) which I mu&s;t goe in is fooli&s;he, for it alwaies &s;tirreth vpp and downe, the mariner with whom I mu&s;t goe is fooli&s;he, for he neuer abideth in one opinion: the wa|ter is fooli&s;he, for it neuer re&s;teth or &s;tan|deth &s;till: the winde which mu&s;t waft me is fooli&s;he, for hardly will it keep longe in one corner: Now if wee v&s;e to goe from a foole when wee meete him vpon the lande, what rea&s;on were it for me to hazarde my life with fower fooles vpon the &s;ea.</P>
<P N="5">5. Now Chri&s;tian reader, thou that hope&s;t to arriue vnto the hauen of all happine&s;&s;e, to committ thy &s;elfe to the &s;afe conduict of a &s;hiue<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed and wind&s;haken barke, &s;uch vn|&s;teddy mariners, &s;uch waftinge on the water to and fro, &s;uch winds as wil blowe out of any corner, where preferment may ari&s;e in this the prote&s;tants congregation, who&s;e
<PB N="287" REF="148"> &s;inagogue lies like a &s;hipp without a pilot, tomblinge and to&s;&s;inge vpp and downe in the vncertaine waues, &s;haken with boi&s;te|rou&s;e windes and &s;tormes, vnder wreake and rage of euery maliciou&s;e cloude and tempe&s;t; What can&s;t thou expect, but either to run thy &s;elfe headlonge vpon the rockes of &s;elfe deui&s;ion, or be vtterly ouerthrowne by the &s;tormy bla&s;ts of others malignant and turbu|lent &s;pirits: For it mu&s;t needs be, that where there ar &s;oe many importunate winds and vn&s;table waters, and giddy headed pilots, there is great nece&s;&s;ity of good oares and &s;teddy ancors, or imminent death. Dauid the holy prophet, would aske of God but one &s;pirite, and that a right, con&s;ideringe that it is the diuell which powereth many &s;pirits into one body, many minds into one head, many opinions into one braine, and fraughts them euery day with newborne nouelties; Where God hath but for one body, one &s;pi|rite to guid it, and in his church but one &s;pirit to gouerne it, &s;ith deuided &s;pirits ar the nur|&s;es of confu&s;ion, where the &s;inglene&s;&s;e of &s;pirit, is the mother of true religion.</P>
<P N="6">6. Then (deare &s;oule) touchinge the cer|tainty of auricular confe&s;&s;ion and prei&s;ts ab|&s;olution, can&s;t thou acertaine thy &s;elfe, and by their re&s;tle&s;&s;e opinions (as I will &s;et thee downe the viewe hereafter) find any re&s;ting place for trueth? Mai&s;t not thou as well tie
<PB N="288" REF="149"> thy beleife, to the la&s;te of Luthers foote, as to any word of Caluines mourh. Yea I &s;ee noe rea&s;on, &s;ith thou doe&s;t mo&s;t grownd vpon that notable foundation <HI>(hear&s;ay)</HI> and will haue noe more beleife then thou &s;ee&s;t through the thick &s;pectacles of &s;elfe lykinge, why thou maie&s;t not as well lend thy beleefe to Illiricus, Selnecerus &s;worne Lutherans to penance and confe&s;&s;ion, as to the &s;ame Illi|ricus and Selnecerus abiuringe and becoming in few years new reformed Sacramentaries? Or to Caluine, to day thus di&s;po&s;ed, or to morrowe otherwi&s;e adui&s;ed? Can&s;t thou looke for of vn&s;ettled minds a &s;ettled re&s;olu|tio~, or of &s;taggeringe or euer-&s;tartinge heads any &s;ure footinge, or &s;teaddy pace, or of vngrownded principles any &s;ure or &s;ownd religion? Then thou mai&s;t well &s;uppo&s;e that it is not the prote&s;tants doctrine, towching the trueth of prei&s;ts forgeeuinge &s;innes, that can a&s;&s;ure thy beleefe, noe more then with a di&s;ordered haile-&s;hott, to hitt the marke. For as all bodies, where there is mo&s;t di&s;turbance of humors, are &s;oone&s;t &s;ubiect to di&s;&s;olution; Soe in all matters of religion, where there is &s;uch bandinge in opinions, and where they neither goe with the feet, not re&s;olue with the head, the&s;e mu&s;t needes be farthe&s;t off from all true re&s;olution: for labouringe onely with the witt, to peirce farther and farther, they runne vpon endle&s;&s;e rockes, and winde
<PB N="289" REF="149"> them into Laberinthes of newe deui&s;es.</P>
<P N="7">7. Plato ordained a lawe, that if any ci|tizen did inuent any newe thinge, which neuer before was heard of, that then the in|uentor therof &s;hould practi&s;e fir&s;t the &s;ame for the &s;pace of ten yeares in his owne hou&s;e, before it &s;hould be brought into the weale publick, and publi&s;hed to the comon people. If that the&s;e innouators in the fond cour&s;e of their owne inuention, when they fir&s;t hatched their neweborne opinions, had bene tied to the &s;trait cour&s;e of Platoes ten yeares triall, before they had put them abroad to nur&s;e, I dare a&s;&s;ure you, that many would haue bene loath to haue fathered their owne children, and forborne to haue fo&s;tered their ba&s;tardlike inuentions, with in two or three years after. For looke but into the mi&s;teries of the prote&s;tants religion, and viewe but the effects of their &s;hallowe &s;earchinge wi&s;|dome, and you &s;hall &s;ee as many deui&s;es in the vnfoldinge of their religion, as are in any tailors head and &s;heeres, for &s;hapinge &s;uits to euery youthfull humor.</P>
<P N="8">8. Is not bapti&s;me with them, with cro&s;&s;e and no cro&s;&s;e, &amp; with in the &s;pace of ten years cro&s;&s;ed in and out, and the cro&s;&s;e now in re|que&s;t with the highe&s;t? Was not confirma|tion euen of late years (Conference pag. 10 11.) of &s;ome churches vnadui&s;edly reiected and nowe receiued, as an in&s;titution apo&s;to|licall,
<PB N="290" REF="150"> and one of the points of the Apo&s;tles catechi&s;me, and wi&s;hed earne&s;tly to be a|gaine re&s;tored? (Conference p. 46.)</P>
<P N="9">9. Were not the Geneua bibles accompted as the onely toutch&s;tone of trueth, and ar not they now accompted by his royall Maie&s;tie, the very woor&s;t of all, yea as yet, &s;male cer|tainty being emonge&s;t them of any true tran|&s;lation, to vnfold the trew meaninge of the holy gho&s;t?</P>
<P>And is not the holy Euchari&s;t &s;oe enwrap|ped in vncertainties, that through &s;uch a plu|ralitie of opinions, noe man can tell wel how to receiue it, or what to make of it?</P>
<P>Is not confe&s;&s;ion allowed and di&s;allowed, ab&s;olution by a prei&s;t admitted, and caries with it the priuiledge of time, and expre&s;&s;e command of a communion booke?</P>
<P N="10">10. Is not the matter of ab&s;olution yet in co~&s;ultation (Confere~ce 5. p. 13.) &amp; to be pon|dered vpon, whether the&s;e word, <HI>(remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes)</HI> ar to be annexed or noe, &s;o that in 1601. years, if they haue had the trueth, yet in this pointe they haue had no certainty, &s;uch is the itchinge humor of here&s;y. that once in ten yeare<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, it mu&s;t haue an innouation and &s;oe it continewes euer &s;taggeringe and &s;tartinge, till it entombe it &s;elfe within the graue of hir owne confu&s;ion. I &s;ay noe more (deare Chri&s;tian) if thou ha&s;t &s;uch a &s;ence-feelinge mind, that thou wilt onely followe
<PB N="291" REF="150"> that mo&s;t, which to thine owne fancy &s;ee|meth to be be&s;t: If thou wilt hazard thy &s;elfe in vncoth pathes, and followe his &s;tepps who knowes not whether he goes aright or noe. If thou wilt abiure confe&s;&s;ion, and make the abbettors therof next inheri|tors to fol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y, bicau&s;e Kemnitius a prote&s;tant mi&s;liked it, when before he well approued it. If thou wilt &s;eeke trueth noe where, but at euery wrang<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ers gate. I would not wi&s;he thee &s;oe much hurte, as to be &s;oe in&s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ate, as the neere borne inhabitants of the dull making noi&s;e of Nilus, as for to heare no|thinge; neither would I wi&s;he thee to feele the &s;tinge of the&s;e ianglers venemou&s;e toung. But this is all I wi&s;he thee, that where thou ha&s;te &s;traied in the wildes, trodd the mazes, &amp; followed the pipe of the&s;e tinkars mu&s;ick, that thou mai&s;t knowe their error, and find out the right way &amp; &s;oe followe the trueth.</P>
<P N="11">11. I will here in open view &s;ett downe vnto thee, their di&s;cords, and variety of opi|nions one from an other, that thou maie&s;t &s;ee all their vnder&s;tandinges not tasked to one f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eewill, but to their owne &s;elfe liking. I thinke thou maie&s;t as &s;oone goe out with Sa~p&s;on and catche 300. foxes, &amp; ioyne them taile to taile, as take 20. heretickes to winde hand in hand, and to accorde in their opini|ons. <HI>Habes quid &s;entiam.</HI> Thou knowe&s;t my meaninge. <HI>Sententias eorum prodidi&s;&s;e, &s;upe|ra&s;&s;e
<PB N="292" REF="151"> e&s;t,</HI> to acquaint thee with their opinions is to ouerthrowe them. And thus I end with Luthers p&s;alme. <HI>(Beatus vir)</HI> to Iames his fellowe prei&s;t and pa&s;tor of Breeme. Ble&s;&s;ed is that man, that hath not gone in the coun|&s;ell of Sacramentaries, nor &s;toode in the way of Zuinglians, nor &s;itt in the chaire of Tigu|rines; And thri&s;e ble&s;&s;ed had poore England bene, if it had not followed the branded &s;ect of Calueni&s;ts.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>MINISTROMAXIA, THAT IS the warr or di&s;agreement of Mini&s;ters one with an other, towchinge the Sacrament of penance and Confe&s;&s;ion handled in the former chapter.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Wicliffe again&s;t Kemnitius.</HEAD>
<P>IOhn Wicliffe as witne&s;&s;eth Thomas Wal|den&s;is tom. 2. de Sacramentis c. 135. af|firmeth, that confe&s;&s;ion is not any way pro|ued or grownded in the &s;criptures, and that in the &s;cripture there is noe &s;howe therof.</P>
<P>Kemnitius contrariwi&s;e acknowledgeth that in the owld lawe, there was both con|trition, conf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ion and &s;atisfaction, For &s;aieth he, Nathan ab&s;olued Dauid contrite and con|fe&s;&s;inge his &s;inne: Wherby Kemnitius it &s;ee|meth (contrary to Wicliffe) grawnteth that there is &s;ome grownd euen in the owld lawe for confe&s;&s;inge; much more then in the new
<PB N="293" REF="151"> law, albeit he will not haue it a Sacrament. Vide pag. 908. exam.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Caluine again&s;t Era&s;mus.</HEAD>
<P>Caluine auerreth, though confe&s;&s;ion be not <HI>de Iure diuino,</HI> yet <HI>vetu&s;ti&s;&s;imus e&s;t eius v&s;us,</HI> a mo&s;t auncient cu&s;tome in the church, and that then men had free libertie to goe to confe&s;&s;ion as they li&s;t them &s;elues lib, 3. In|&s;titut. cap. 4. 5, 7.</P>
<P>Era&s;mus in his annotations to the epi&s;tle of S. Hierome ad Oceanum, and in the anno|tion of the 19. chapter of the acts, and in his methode of diuinity; as al&s;o Beatus Rhenaus in the booke of Tertullian concerninge pe|nance, both the&s;e affirme that confe&s;&s;ion and the v&s;e therof, is not of any antiquity, <HI>Ne|que in v&s;u eccle&s;iae antiquae.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Wiclef again&s;t Oecolampadius.</HEAD>
<P>Wiclef proueth that confe&s;&s;ion is onely by church precept, and by papale appoint|ment, and &s;o hereby introduced, accu&s;tomed and commaunded. Walden&s;is de Sacramen|tis p. 135.</P>
<P>Oecolampadius in his book intituled (that confe&s;&s;ion be not burden&s;ome) teacheth that Confe&s;&s;ion is neither by gods lawe, nor by any command of the church, <HI>Imo ne ab ec|cle&s;ia qui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">em,</HI> except &s;ayeth he it be of mo&s;t manife&s;t and publick &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Luther again&s;t Kemnitius.</HEAD>
<P>Luther lib. de captiuit. affirmeth that &s;ecret
<PB N="294" REF="152"> confe&s;&s;ion (as now it is v&s;ed) is plea&s;inge to him, yea profitable and nece&s;&s;ary though euery circum&s;tance is not to be confe&s;&s;ed, neither would he coun&s;ell any to confe&s;&s;e af|ter that &s;orte. Againe Melancthon in the Au|gu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion <HI>(arti. de confe&s;&s;ione)</HI> would haue a numbringe of &s;innes in con|fe&s;&s;ion, though not, <HI>&s;crupulo&s;a enumeratio,</HI> a &s;crupulou&s;e accompt: <HI>Apolog. art. de confe&s;.</HI> Moreouer Luther in his booke of the man|ner of Confe&s;&s;ion c. 6. very much doubteth, whether the &s;innes of the harte are to be con|fe&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Kemnitius contrariwi&s;e will haue noe par|ticuler confe&s;&s;ion, or recitale of any parti|culer &s;innes, but onely alloweth a generall confe&s;&s;ion <HI>vt generali profe&s;&s;ione,</HI> that is, profe&s;&s;inge him&s;elfe a &s;inner, and by &s;igni|fication of pena~ce lett ab&s;olutio~ be required.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Illiricus again&s;t the Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>Illiricus <HI>apol. confe&s;&s;. Antuerp. cap.</HI> 18. <HI>Kemnitius</HI> 3. <HI>parte exam. p.</HI> 96. affirme that the Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion doeth take the Sa|crament of ab&s;olutio~ improperly, <HI>non proprie</HI></P>
<P>But the Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion is cleane contrary: For it alloweth that ab&s;olution is <HI>vere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">acramentum.</HI> Is mo&s;t truely a Sacra|ment, as much as is bapti&s;me and the &s;upper of our Lord. Except they will haue that bap|ti&s;me is not, <HI>&s;impliciter <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">acramentum.</HI> Now what &s;hall we e&s;teeme of Illiricus and Kem|nitius
<PB N="295" REF="152"> who had &s;worne to the Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion, and yet could not tell what they did &s;weare vnto?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Augustane confe&s;&s;ion again&s;t Melancthon.</HEAD>
<P>The Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion <HI>(cap. de numero, &amp; v&s;u Sacramentarum)</HI> the prote&s;tants ha|uinge then confe&s;&s;ed their faith) &s;ett downe in their &s;en&s;e, which ar the true Sacraments vid. Bapti&s;me the Lords &s;upper, and Ab&s;olu|tion, which is the Sacrament of penance: For the&s;e three haue the commaundement of God, and the promi&s;e of grace.</P>
<P>Philipp Melancthon in his comon places printed anno 1522. openly denieth this Sa|crament of ab&s;olution, or that it is <HI>vere Sa|cramentum;</HI> Which is mo&s;t cleere again&s;t the Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion, and onely approueth bapti&s;me, which he affirmeth to be the onely Sacrament of penance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Caluine again&s;t the Legates of Norinberge Lutherans.</HEAD>
<P>Caluine albeit he alloweth confe&s;&s;ion and that priuate before the pa&s;tor for &s;uch as are afflicted in mind and can not ea&s;e them&s;elues but by an others helpe (li. 3. in&s;tit. c. 4. 5. 12.) yet he would haue it free, not by com|pul&s;ion or by any enforcement of lawe, and the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">fore he &s;aieth, noe marueile but that auricular confe&s;&s;ion is a very pe&s;ti|lent thinge, <HI>&amp; ideo tot nominibus noxiam ec|cle&s;ioe damnamus, ac &s;ublatam &egrave; medio cupimus.</HI></P>
<PB N="296" REF="153">
<P>The german legates &s;ent from Norinberge after experiment hadd of the catholick v&s;e of confe&s;&s;ion, and contempt therof, beinge left to euery ones plea&s;ure, iu&s;t as Caluine would haue it: They &s;einge daily inconueniences growe therby, hauinge knowen the benefite thereof before, putt vpp a petition to Charles the Emperor, <HI>vt iterum confe&s;|&s;ionem imperatorio iure re&s;titueret,</HI> that he woud re&s;tore againe by emperiall lawe, the v&s;e of con&s;e&s;&s;ion, and by lawe bind them vnto it. So as the&s;e prote&s;tants had an other e&s;teeme of confe&s;&s;ion then had Caluine; Neither would they haue it free to doe as euery man li&s;ted, which Caluine thought to be verie pe&s;tilent. <HI>Vide Dom a Soto in</HI> 4. <HI>&s;ent. di&s;t.</HI> 18. <HI>q.</HI> 1. <HI>art.</HI> 1. Who was gho&s;tly Fa|ther to Charles the fift.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion against Luther.</HEAD>
<P>The Augu&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion <HI>cap. de numero Sacramentorum,</HI> alloweth penance to be a Sa|crament, and to haue the commaundement of God and the promi&s;e of grace.</P>
<P>Luther will not allowe it to be trulie a Sa|crament, and &s;ayeth that it doeth want both the in&s;titution and deuine promi&s;e for remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;innes. lib. de capti. in fine.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Luther again&s;t Luther.</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t &s;aieth Luther I deny 7. Sacraments, yet for the time I allowe three, bapti&s;me, pe|nance and bread.</P>
<PB N="297" REF="153">
<P>Luther after in the &s;ame book of captiuity (beinge as he thought better adui&s;ed) to talk more &s;trictlie, would not admitt penance to be a Sacrament.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Melancthon again&s;t him&s;elfe.</HEAD>
<P>Melancthon in his common places &s;ett foorth 1522. grawnteth that penance is noe other Sacrament, then the Sacrament of bap|ti&s;me.</P>
<P>Melancthon in his after bookes, e&s;pecially in the apology of the Augu&s;tane Confe&s;|&s;ion houldeth, that penance is truely a Sa|crament.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Selnecerus, Wigand, Illiricus, Kemnitius, Lu|thera~s again&s;t them&s;elues become Calueni&s;ts.</HEAD>
<P>Selnecerus, Wigand, Illiricus and Kemni|tius &s;ub&s;cribed fir&s;t to the Augu&s;tane confe&s;|&s;ion, and &s;wore to that apology touchinge the Sacrament of penance, and &s;o with con|fe&s;&s;ion iu&s;tified it as then Lutherans.</P>
<P>Selnecerus in the &s;econd part of his peda|gogy, Wigand in his methode of the doc|trine of the church, the Magdeburgeans cap. 14. Illiricus in the preface of his booke inti|tuled of the &s;ects of the popes, Kemnitius in the &s;econd parte of the councell of Trent, deny vtterly that which they had &s;worne vnto before, touchinge the Sacrament of penance and confe&s;&s;ion, being nowe become Sacramentaries.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="298" REF="154">
<HEAD>Luther again&s;t the poore of Lions.</HEAD>
<P>Luther affirmeth &s;ecret confe&s;sion which nowe is v&s;ed, to be profitable and nece&s;&s;ary: <HI>&amp; &s;ibi valde placere, lib. de captiuitate, cap. de poenitentiae.</HI></P>
<P>The heretickes of Lions <HI>pauperes de Lug|duno anno</HI> 1160. altogether abandoned auri|cular confe&s;sion, denyinge it ab&s;olutely to be nece&s;&s;arie, <HI>&amp; ip&s;is di&s;plicere.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Caluine against the Iacobites.</HEAD>
<P>Caluine alloweth priuate confe&s;&s;ion, as nece&s;&s;arie before his pa&s;tor. when the partie is in angui&s;he of mind and perplexed and can|not vnme&s;he him&s;elfe but by an others helpe li. 4. 4. 5. 12.</P>
<P>The Iacobites defended that it was not ne|ce&s;&s;ary to confe&s;&s;e any &s;inne to man how|&s;oeuer, but to God alone: <HI>Vide Prateolum verbo Iacobitae.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Me&s;&s;alians again&s;t our prote&s;tants.</HEAD>
<P>The Me&s;&s;alians anno 380. did forgiue &s;in|nes, without regard had of penance and the church canons, as wittne&s;&s;eth Dama&s;cenus lib. de 100 here&s;ibus.</P>
<P>The latter prote&s;tants can not abide to heare that man &s;hould forgiue &s;innes, with either regarde of penance or church canons.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Albanen&s;es again&s;t the Andeans.</HEAD>
<P>The Albanen&s;es thought that a man, after he had committed &s;in, neither could confe&s;&s;e nor ought to confe&s;&s;e.</P>
<PB N="299" REF="154">
<P>The Andean hereti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">kes anno 380. did both command confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes and gaue ab|&s;olution, though they enioyned noe pena~ce.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The prote&s;tants communion booke again&s;t their practi&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>The communion booke biddeth in vi&s;i|tinge the &s;ick, to haue a &s;peciall regarde to make confe&s;&s;ion, &amp; that the mini&s;ter &s;hould v&s;e a formale ab&s;olution.</P>
<P>The practi&s;e of the prote&s;tants is contra|rie, neyther to make confe&s;&s;ion, nor to take ab&s;olu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Paulus Phag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us agai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t Martin Kemnitius.</HEAD>
<P>Paulus Phagius in his commentarie vpon the Cha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">die paraphra&s;is in 5 num. graunteth that that confe&s;&s;ion which the Iewes were accu&s;tomed to make num. 5 was a particu|ler confe&s;&s;ion of euery &s;peciale fault, for &s;oe the Hebrewes did tearme it: <HI>Confe&s;sio &s;uper peccato &s;ingula<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i,</HI> a Confe&s;&s;ion of euery and &s;inguler &s;inne, &s;ithence in other &s;acrifices there was made a generale confe&s;&s;ion. Mar|tin Kemnitius &s;toutely contends, that there was noe &s;uch &s;pecification of &s;innes, but onely in generale: doubting if there &s;hould be &s;uch &s;pecification of &s;innes in the ould lawe by confe&s;&s;ion, (beinge as it were a fi|gure of future confe&s;&s;ion) then &s;hould there be as particular confe&s;&s;ion requi&s;ite in the newe lawe, euery &s;inne to be declared, <HI>in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pecie &amp; eum omnibus circum&s;tantijs,</HI> in par|ticular
<PB N="300" REF="155"> and with all circum&s;tances.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Caluine again&s;t Caluine.</HEAD>
<P>Caluine li. 3. in&s;tit. c. 4. 5. 7. &s;aieth, that before Innocent the thirde anno 1215. there was noe lawe or con&s;titution of Con|fe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>Caluine in the &s;ame &s;ection lib. 3. graunteth that confe&s;sion was, <HI>poli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ica di&s;ciplina ab epi&s;copis in&s;tituta,</HI> and as Zo&s;omenus noteth by the bi&s;hops con&s;titutions diligently ob&s;er|ued, which con&s;titution &s;ayeth he, Nectarius aboli&s;hed in his time a littell before S. Chri|&s;o&s;tome, who died anno 405. Which was many yeares before Innocent the thirds time. Then howe hanges this together, there was noe lawe of confe&s;&s;ion before the yeare 1215. and yet Nectarius aboli&s;hed a lawe or con&s;titution made by bi&s;hopes many yeares before? Which lawe (as &s;ome write) was in practi&s;e in Decius his time.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Luther again&s;t Illiricus and Caluine.</HEAD>
<P>Luther in a&s;&s;ert. art. 5. graunteth that ar|bitrarie &s;atisfaction, is neither founde in the &s;criptures, nor in any of the auncient Fa|thers. So Phillip Melancthon <HI>in apologia Augu&s;tanae confe&s;&s;. art. de &s;atisfactione</HI> in like maner &s;aieth, that the matter of &s;atis|faction is a newe thinge, and not known of the auncient fathers.</P>
<P>Illiricus graunteth that all the fathers did acknowledge &s;atisfaction, citinge all the fa|thers
<PB N="301" REF="155"> for it. Caluine 3. in&s;tit. c. 4. 5. 38. &s;aieth that all the&s;e things concerninge &s;atis|faction, ar founde in the bookes of owld writers, though they moue him littell, for &s;aieth he, it is their error.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE CLEARGY IN THE PAR|lament of K. Henry the 8. again&s;t the cleargy in the parlaments of Queene Eli|zabeth and K. Edward. Head and body of their church, again&s;t head and body of the &s;ame church.</HEAD>
<P>THe cleargy in K. Henry the 8. time, de|creed with the kinge, as &s;upreame head in open parlament, that who&s;oeuer &s;hould deny the reale pre&s;ence &amp;c. or &s;ay that auri|culer confe&s;&s;ion was not nece&s;&s;arie, &s;hould be apprehended, arrained, condemned and burned as an heretick, &s;ee &s;tatut. 31. Henrici. 8. c. 14.</P>
<P>The Cleargy in K. Edwards daies, as then head of that church, and &s;oe in Q&punc; El&s;abeths, takinge the &s;ame head&s;hipp vpon hir, tooke away auricular confe&s;&s;ion as a point not ne|ce&s;&s;ary. See &s;tatut.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Couell again&s;t friar Baal and whitaker.</HEAD>
<P>I doubt not &s;aieth Couell (art. 7. pag. 46.) of the vertue of woorkes, that for hu|milia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion in penitencie of harte, many of the church of Rome farr exceedeth ours.</P>
<PB N="302" REF="156">
<P>Friar being an Apo&s;tata and takinge him+&s;elfe to his wife Doroty, raileth again&s;t the church of Rome as the whoore of Babilon, in which there is noe humiliation of &s;pirite, but confu&s;ion, error and antichri&s;tianity. <HI>Vide <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">it. Baleus de &s;cript. Angli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></P>
<P>Whitaker in his an&s;wer to Reynolds refu|tation for &s;atisfaction, penance, &amp; merite of woorkes, &s;aieth that the papi&s;te religion is a verie &s;comme, and as a bodie con&s;i&s;tinge of rottenne&s;&s;e and corruption.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Armenians again&s;t the Iacobites.</HEAD>
<P>The Armenians hould that there ar &s;ome &s;innes &s;oe irremi&s;&s;ible, that they can not be forgiue~ of any prei&s;t, ergo &s;ome ar remi&s;sible and may be forgiuen.</P>
<P>The Iacobits hould that it is onely nece&s;|&s;ary to confe&s;&s;e to God, and &s;oe con&s;equently not to prei&s;ts to haue remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Caluine again&s;t Melancthon.</HEAD>
<P>Caluine 3 in&s;tit. c. 4. 5. 39 39. thus much auoutcheth; As for a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l tho&s;e things that are commonlie founde in bookes of ould wri|ters concerninge &s;atisfaction, they littell moue me. I &s;ee indeed, &s;aieth he, that many of the&s;e in a manner who&s;e bookes remaine, haue either erred in this pointe, or &s;poken too crabbedly or hardlie.</P>
<P>Melancthon in the apology of the Augu|&s;tane confe&s;&s;ion art. de confe&s;&s;. affirmeth as much for the contrary part, that all this mat|ter
<PB N="303" REF="156"> of &s;atisfaction and penance is forged, la|telie begunne, without either auctoritie of the auncient fathers or holie &s;cripture.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Whitaker again&s;t Brentius.</HEAD>
<P>Whitaker in a booke again&s;t the Rhemes te&s;tament pa. 7. graunteth, that the fathers when they &s;uppo&s;ed that by penalties their &s;innes &s;hould be aquited, and God plea&s;ed; erred greeuou&s;ly, and &s;omewhat dimini&s;hed the force of Chri&s;ts death and pa&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>Brentius contrariwi&s;e in apolog. confe&s;&s;. Wittenberg 51 cap. de contritione, &s;aieth that wee giue too much to Chri&s;t and his death and pa&s;&s;ion by our woorkes, for wee mag|nifie him more then wee ought,</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Andreas Fricius a Zuinglian again&s;t all the prote&s;tants.</HEAD>
<P>The prote&s;tants hould, that by &s;atisfactory woorks, either is giuen to littell or too much to Chri&s;ts cro&s;&s;e, as appeareth by Whitaker and Brentius vt &s;upra.</P>
<P>Andreas Fricius a Zuinglian &s;aieth li. 4. de eccle&s;ia cap. 12. that by &s;atisfactory woorkes, is giuen, nether too littell nor too much to Chri&s;tes his cro&s;&s;e, but that Chri&s;ts glory is magnified, not ob&s;cured, his blood &s;hedd for vs not dimini&s;hed, but encrea&s;ed. And &s;oe there is neither too much, nor too littell, but his dewe.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Prote&s;tants again&s;t Prote&s;tants</HEAD>
<P>Some prote&s;tants in Cambridge taught,
<PB N="304" REF="157"> that &s;uch per&s;ons as were once iu&s;tified, though after they fell into neuer &s;oe gree|uou&s;e &s;innes, yet they were iu&s;t &s;till, yea al|beit they did not actuallie repent them of tho&s;e &s;innes; yea though they neuer repen|ted through negligence or &s;udden death, yet the&s;e might be &s;aued without repentance. Somme of conference before the kinge pag. 42. linea 7.</P>
<P>The deane of Paules (whom this contro|uer&s;ie &s;omewhat concerned) affirmed that a man once iu&s;tified, if that by &s;inne aduultrie, murther, trea&s;on, or any &s;uch greeuou&s;e &s;inne he &s;hould fale, became <HI>ip&s;o facto</HI> &s;ub|iect to gods wrath and guilty of damnation, and was in &s;tate of damnation till he did re|pent. See the ninth orthodoxall a&s;&s;ertion of Lambeth, and the &s;omme of conference be|fore the kinge pag. 41. 42.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The communion booke not agreable to the &s;omme of conference.</HEAD>
<P>The Communion booke in the order of vi&s;itinge the &s;ick, pre&s;cribeth a certaine forme of ab&s;oluinge the &s;icke, that when he hath made a &s;peciall (not a generale confe&s;&s;ion) the mini&s;ter &s;hould ab&s;olue him from all his &s;innes, by the auctority of Chri&s;te committed to him. Soe as it appeareth, that as the confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ick was &s;peciall, &s;oe the ab&s;olution from the &s;innes by the mini&s;ter &s;houid be &s;pe|ciall,
<PB N="305" REF="157"> not generall.</P>
<P>The conclu&s;ion of the &s;omme of confe|rence for this pointe was, that it &s;hould be con&s;ulted of by the bi&s;hops, whether vnto the Rubrickes of generall ab&s;olution, the&s;e wordes <HI>(remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes)</HI> might not bee added. Wherby it is euident, that they can not tell as yet, what to make of their ab&s;olution.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="16" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY THE ANTITHESIS OF the holy fathers of the church with the Protestant doctors, by the oppo|&s;ition of their doctrine one from the other, and the goodne&s;&s;e of their doc|trine one before the other, may ap|peare more rea&s;on to beleue the aun|cient fathers and their doctrine, then the prote&s;tants for their preachinge ab|&s;olution. <HI>THE XVI. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THey that ground vpo~ this notable foun|dation (Hear&s;ay) and &s;tands to the ven|ture and reuolution of tymes, and hone&s;ty of relators to make tryall of trueth, though they may li&s;ten with their eares to al tales, &amp; open their eies to all &s;ights, yet mu&s;t they
<PB N="306" REF="158"> not lend their beleefe to all reports. For af|fections beinge the feet of mynds, and will the toungs promotor, tho&s;e that make not vertue their marke, con&s;cience their guyde, hone&s;tie their &s;tande, the feare of God the centre of their religion, oftymes make the &s;peed of their will as feet of their aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ction, that &s;eldome a &s;elfe plea&s;inge humor will longe &s;uffer t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ueth to hange at their tounges In &s;oe much, as &s;uch as &s;hall come to &s;eek truth in euery high way, and perchance &s;hall meet with &s;uch ill affected mynds to vn|fould their doubtes (- &s;auoringe more of fle&s;h then of &s;pirite and grace) I thinke rather a &s;u&s;picion of fal&s;hood may harboure in their bo&s;omes, then a full re&s;olution of truth euer (by &s;uch gho&s;pellers) po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e their mind.</P>
<P>And mo&s;t certaine it is, <HI>in maleuolam ani+mam non introibi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;apientia.</HI> To come therfore vnto the Epicures doore, to knowe where trueth dwels, It is not for his tooth to haue and to agree with a hongry religion. To the ryotou&s;e and di&s;&s;olute, it goes again&s;t his hayre to doe penance with hayrecloth and a&s;hes. To the wanton and la&s;ciuiou&s;e, it is not for their humor to fa&s;t and pray. Prote&s;|tancy is to too much for wyuinge to &s;peake for vowes and nunneries To come to the mini&s;tery, they ar too open mouthed for mar|riage, to &s;peake for prei&s;ts continencie. And to come to the nyce&s;t dames for confe&s;&s;ion,
<PB N="307" REF="158"> they ar too coye, and tiptoe wi&s;e to kneele downe at a prei&s;ts feet, and tell their &s;innes for ab&s;olution. In &s;oe much that all hereticks and Athei&s;ts, ar &s;oe high &s;toomackt &amp; &s;trayt laced, that there is not amonge a thow&s;and one, but thinkes his witt be&s;t, and noe coyne good, but that which is &s;tampt with his owne marke.</P>
<P>Beinge therfore that &s;cripture is the booke of lyfe, and yet enclo&s;ed within the &s;hell of crabbed difficulties, and that the anuyle wherupon it is to be hammered, is not within the forge of euery brain&s;icke head. And moreouer &s;ithence therein there is but one way contayned, wherin wee ar to tread, one light which is to enlyghten vs, and one onely &s;pirite, which is cheef rector of the quyre to direct vs, controuer&s;ies beinge as ryfe as common &s;utes in lawe, and euerye pettifogger bringes the auncienter deuines (as it were) to &s;choole againe: Wee mu&s;t therfore &s;eeke there, where by all probable rea&s;on God hath mo&s;t infu&s;ed his graciou&s;e &s;pirite, to leade euery well affected mynd by the hand (as it were) into the high way and right path of trueth.</P>
<P>And to follow the rule which Ari&s;totle (the very toutch&s;tone of witt) hath expre&s;ly &s;ett downe to knowe vnto whome mo&s;t cheefly wee ar to lend our beleefe&punc; he redu|ceth it principally to this, that for three cau|&s;es
<PB N="308" REF="159"> we beleeue a man mo&s;t, and that he will deceaue vs lea&s;t. 1. Fir&s;t if he bee a wi&s;e ma~, 2. if he be a godlie and a vertuous man, 3. If he be our frend and a frendlie man. For it carryes with it great probability of rea&s;on, that a wi&s;e man &s;hould hardly erre, a good and godly man &s;hould &s;eldome lye, and a frendly man not often deale doubly with his frends.</P>
<P>Of all the&s;e three two e&s;pecially haue bene mo&s;t apparant in all the ecle&s;ia&s;ticall doctors, which haue wittne&s;&s;ed the trueth of our ca|tholick faith, and haue with&s;tood the ma|ligninge &s;pirite of all gaine&s;ayinge and vp&s;tart heretickes. For in the deepe&s;t and &s;ounde&s;t points of all philo&s;ophy, both morall, natu|rale and &s;upernaturall haue not mo&s;t of them had &s;uch a prerogatiue of excellency, that tho&s;e were counted the perfecte&s;t deuines, which were skillfulle&s;t in their writinges? Of this accompt and high e&s;teeme was S. Tho|mas, that hadd the very &s;oule of S. Augu&s;tin, S. Bonauenture the eye of who&s;e vnder&s;tan|dinge was not dazelled for &s;peciall illumina|tions. Scotus that could hitt the very needels eye in euery deui&s;e. Albertus for his excel|lency caIed Magnus. Alexander Hales for his liuelie knowledge caled, <HI>fons vitae,</HI> the foun|taine of life. Petrus Lombardus for his &s;ingu|ler learninge intituled ma&s;ter of &s;entences. All whom it &s;hall be &s;ufficient to honor and
<PB N="309" REF="159"> admire with due reuerence and to beleeue them &s;tedfa&s;tlye, knowinge that the mini&s;te|rie of this age, at who&s;e elboes their wiues doe &s;oe iogg and iubble for how&s;e-hould af|faires, that they can hardly attayne to &s;uch exqui&s;ite knowledge of &s;oe high and &s;ecrett my&s;teries.</P>
<P>Now amonge the Grecians as al&s;o the La|tines, haue there not bene as many, that for true diuinitie haue purcha&s;ed, the glorie of perfecte&s;t deuines; and the flower of tho&s;e their times? The great Ba&s;ill and his brother Gregory Nicen, and his e&s;peciall fre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d and &s;choolefelowe Gregory Nazianzen, and that famou&s;e orator that was equal, &amp; of the age with the&s;e, who for his eloquence of &s;peech was caled Chri&s;o&s;tome, as much to &s;ay a goul|den mouth, and Theodorete which thought him to bee the mirror of the world, and the auncient vnto all the&s;e Origen, that when he writt well, noe man was there that could goe beyond him, Amonge the latines what was S. Ciprian, S. Ambro&s;e. S. Augu&s;tine, S. Hierome, who in the hebrew, greek and Caldie tounge was mo&s;t conuer&s;ant. Lactan|tius Firmianus the very Tully for eloquence in his age, Arnobius, and in all humaine knowledge mo&s;t, exqui&s;ite; Boetius Seueri|nus with many others.</P>
<P>All the&s;e mo&s;t learned men, exqui&s;ite in all knoweledge both deuine and humaine,
<PB N="310" REF="160"> with many hundreds of others mentioned in all eccle&s;ia&s;ticall writers, who&s;e honor is &s;oe de&s;eruedly famous through out the whole world, that their indu&s;trious traueiles in compo&s;inge writinge, handlinge, &s;ear|chinge, expoundinge and deliueringe the mi&s;teries of gods church, haue gained the van<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">age of preiudice again&s;t them. that gaine+&s;aie them, and the preeminence of glory aboue all that follow them.</P>
<P>And concerning the &s;econd thinge, which is true holine&s;&s;e and &s;anctity of life (which giues life and a&s;&s;urance to all beleefe) they beinge altogether &s;eperated and di&s;ioyned from all worldly corruption, freed their &s;ou|les from all inordinate and carnall affections, tha hauinge nothinge to withdrawe them from the cleere &s;peculation of trueth to grate vpon one, or gratify another, that if they had hunted vpon the hote &s;ent of humane re&s;pects, well might our &s;auiours words haue bene truly verified. <HI>Quomodo credetis cum hominum gloriam tanti &amp; Dei gloriam nihili faciatis</HI> And the wi&s;edome &s;peakinge of the wicked. <HI>Quod illorum malitia eos excoe|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uit, &amp; veritatis cognitione priuauit.</HI> But it was not &s;oe with the&s;e holy fathers, for their liue beinge grownded on all vertue, and the foundation of all verue beinge the deuine rea&s;on, hence hath flowed into their &s;oules the free goodne&s;&s;e of almighty God, which
<PB N="311" REF="160"> hath taken &s;uch liuelie roote by care, &s;tuddy and diligence, that hereby the &s;elfe &s;ame grace hath ble&s;&s;ed all their labours.</P>
<P>Now to come to the libertines of this age, and to knock for trueth at their doores: in what hazard and narrowe &s;treits is truth, when it pa&s;&s;eth the file of the&s;e mens tounges, how maimed and deformed be|cometh it? How violently &s;hall &s;cripture be wre&s;ted, when it &s;halbe &s;tretched vpon their tentors? How deepe can they diue into the fountaines of life, whe~ the mudd of worldly affaires, doth &s;topp vpp their eyes?</P>
<P>What then &s;hall wee thinke of Montanus in who&s;e braine was fir&s;t forged the deniall of all ab&s;olution, penance, and prei&s;ts recon|cilinge of &s;inners? A man in that time (as wee breath nothinge nowe a daie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> but honor and preferment) lifting vpp the balance of his fame aboute the yeare 181. after Chri&s;t and violent in that humor of ambition, pul|led him euen from his owne iudgement, that daringe to doe that which he knewe not wel how to doe, made him &s;elfe the holy gho&s;t, and by illu&s;ion of a wicked &s;pirite, with his a&s;&s;ociate Maximilla, impiou&s;ely both hanged them&s;elues.</P>
<P>And as for Nouatus, an other impugner of prei&s;ts ab&s;olution in the yeare 255. and Captaine of the Cathary a puritane &s;ect, that vnder the &s;hade of that name, wrought all
<PB N="312" REF="161"> their mi&s;cheef; he that will knowe what this man was&punc; lett him but read the 8. epi&s;tle of S. Ciprian and &s;econd booke, and he &s;hall &s;ee him painted in his coulers, a man de|lighted in much nouelties, of in&s;atiable aua|rice, a furiou&s;e Rab in, intollerable prowde, knowne and taken of all the bi&s;hops for a naughty pack, condemned by good prei&s;ts for a faithle&s;&s;e heretick, a match to kindell all &s;edition, an enymye to all peace, In &s;oe much that Cornelius writing to Fabia~ auou|cheth, that he was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with a diuell in his youth, and &s;oe had to doe with coniu|rers: and finallie, after many wicked trickes, God &s;topped his breath, euen at &s;uch time as he breathed nothinge but pride and &s;o|uerantie.</P>
<P>To omitt the Andeans who begann in the raigne of Valentinian the elder anno 380. yet for difference from the former heretickes, did thinke onely that they did harbour truth in their hou&s;e. For they would haue a con|fe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, and withall would giue ab|&s;olution, but would not in any way enioyne penance, &s;oe that confe&s;&s;ion became a moc|kadge, wherby many rann more headlonge into a ruinous downefall of all &s;inne and ini|quitie.</P>
<P>And were not the Iacobites anno 584. a company fraught with vanities as it were, beyond all ridiculous, baptizinge their chil|dren
<PB N="313" REF="161"> in their forheads, as we burne rogues with a hote iron in their eare, not beleeuing a trinity, but an vnity, &s;uch cro&s;&s;inge them|&s;elues with one fingar, and lothe to &s;pend any allowance of their labor for confe&s;&s;ion?</P>
<P>Now the Walden&s;es anno 1160. euen the very of-&s;coweringe of the people, &s;quaringe again&s;t the clergie in their apo&s;tle&s;hips, ma|kinge all carnall copulation of man or wo|man what&s;oeuer to be iu&s;t and lawefull; had &s;uch a touth again&s;t auricular confe&s;&s;ion, and all praiers (&s;auinge the <HI>Pater noster</HI> to whom it was much behoulding) that they vtterly aboli&s;hed it, and &s;oe continued in the cra&s;edne&s;&s;e of their minds, beinge men po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed with all di&s;likes and di&s;contents.</P>
<P>Iohn Wiclif anno 1380. emonge the foo|leries of his opinions, &s;toode at the &s;taffe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> end in defiance of auricular confe&s;&s;ion, like a bemyred dogge that defiles with fawinge, followinge the di&s;contented humor of the duke of Lanca&s;ter again&s;t the clergie. And as nature loues to exerci&s;e that part mo&s;t, which is lea&s;t decaied (the tounge) he cared not what to &s;ay &s;oe he &s;aid &s;omething. In &s;o much that Vadianus of Zurick a prote&s;tant, affir|meth of him, that in points of religion he was fowly ouer&s;eene, and more giuen to pra|tinge and &s;coffinge, then well became a &s;o|ber deuine.</P>
<P>And what &s;hall wee thinke in compara&s;on
<PB N="314" REF="162"> of auncient deuines of Martin Luther, a pott prophete, and hott &s;purd deuine, one of the reformers of our engli&s;he religion, and put|ter downe of confe&s;sion; of Carolo&s;tadius Oecolampadius, Vldricus Zuinglius, of Iohn Caluine that branded prei&s;t, of Beza that li|bertine, who made religion but the very oute&s;ide of all his mi&s;cheefe, &s;hall not iu&s;tly the church of God be thought to be in pi|tiou&s;e cafe and mi&s;erable e&s;tate, when it &s;hall hange vpon &s;oe &s;lender and rotten thrids, that if we &s;hould haue wanted the holy and &s;acred docters, and their through &s;earchinge wi&s;dome (the holy gho&s;t as it were guidinge their pennes and mouthes) &amp; haue throughly relied vpon the hone&s;ty and credit of the&s;e vp&s;tarts, and followed the free liberty and cour&s;e of their inuentions; hadd not the ma|ie&s;tie and honor of gods book bene well vp|held? By the holy fathers many deep and pro|found points of doctrine concerninge Chri|&s;tian religion haue bene truly taught and vp|houlden, the prophets expounded, many hi&s;tories &s;et downe and explained, many dif|ficile and dark places, throughly decided; Wheras by the&s;e tracers vpon the pinacles of their owne conceits, ledd by the &s;pirite of diui&s;ion, nothinge &s;oe hard, but it is more ob&s;cured, nothinge &s;oe certaine, but it is made more vncertaine.</P>
<P>Weigh but in equall ballance (good rea|der)
<PB N="315" REF="162"> as I &s;hall mo&s;t plainely &s;ett downe vnto thee the holy auncient fathers, with the grea|te&s;t and cheefe&s;t docters of their church, the hone&s;ty of the one, and di&s;hone&s;ty of the other, doctrine with doctrine both together, and thou &s;halt find that twelue of their doc|tors with all their doctrine, will &s;carce afford a quartren of a pounde of true and lawefull weight, and that one father &s;hall ouerweigh a dozen dozen botcherly fal&s;ifiers, who&s;e woordes of their mouthes ar &s;carce as good as the length of their foote, that if any &s;hould pownd and wringe out of their writinges the very &s;uck and iu&s;e, I think there would hard|ly be founde a dramme of true and hone&s;t diuinitie.</P>
<P>Thus gentill reader thou &s;ee&s;t in breife by way of oppo&s;ition in a &s;orte differenced, the auncient catholicke doctors, from our newe prote&s;tant deuines, the doctrine of the one &s;ett a parte from the other, and by the good|ne&s;&s;e and fruicte therof di&s;tingui&s;hed. Now choo&s;e whether thou wilt followe Paule or Apollo, Augu&s;tine, Hierome, Cirill Ambro&s;e &amp;c. To the &s;ownde of who&s;e prai&s;e all the world ioynes mouthes; Or Luther Caluin Melancthon, Wiclif, Beza as enuyinge vi|&s;ors and gnawinge orators. I tould thee be|fore: <HI>In maleuolam animam non introit &s;a|pientia,</HI> followe not euery &s;treame for vice hath his flowe.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="17" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="316" REF="163">
<HEAD>BY COMPARINGE SCRIP|ture with &s;cripture, and aunsweringe one place by an other, with the cen&s;ure of &s;ome holy fathers, is proued, the Ca|tholickes Auricular Confe&s;sion. <HI>THE XVII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>SIthence that all &s;cripture is of God, and therfore hath &s;uch force and efficacy, that all proofe which is taken from thence, mu&s;t needs be of all other mo&s;t inuincible, beinge the &s;tarr which leads vs to Chri&s;t, the ladder which mounts vs vpp to heauen, the verie toutch&s;tone to try all trueth by; Hence it hath proceeded, that mens affections haue more growndedly framed their opinions; and in defence of any conceited truth hereby, haue bene more earne&s;t a great deale in mainte|nance therof, according as the nature of that euidence which &s;cripture yealdeth, hath wrought corre&s;ponde~tly in their beleife. And albeit in citinge &s;cripture, &s;uch may be, from text to text the vndeniable verity alleadged and rea&s;ons &s;oe apparantly propounded, that the &s;cripture proofe noe doubt in vallieu and &s;trength exceedeth al: Yet how many ar there now a daies that, for the mo&s;t parte, euen &s;uch as are readie&s;t to cite for one thinge fiue
<PB N="317" REF="163"> hundred &s;entences of holy &s;cripture, will cutt the thrid and quote the text &s;oe right, that it &s;hall iu&s;tly auoutch the &s;elfe &s;ame thinge, for which it is brought and therunto alleadged. Did not Ireneus writinge again&s;t the heretick Valentinus then vpbraide the Nouellants of that age, with this itching humor, of mang|linge and mi&s;con&s;truinge the holie &s;crip|ture? Iren. li. 1. de here. cont. Valent. <HI>Ordinem</HI> (&s;aieth he) <HI>&amp; tex cum &s;cripturarum &s;upergre|dientet, &amp; quantum in ip&s;is est &s;oluentes, mem|bra veritatis transferunt &amp; transfigunt, &amp;, alter ex altero facientes, &s;educunt multos ex his quae extant ex dominicis eloquijs male com po&s;ito phanta&s;mate.</HI> That is, the&s;e heretickes ouerrunning the order and text of the &s;crip|ture, and in as much as in them lieth di&s;-membringe the limmes of the trueth, they alter and tran&s;po&s;e matters, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> one thinge of an other, they deceaue many by that they gather out of our Lords woords and ioyne them to their ill fauored phan&s;ie.</P>
<P>I will not defraude thee (gentill reader) of &s;uch maine &s;inewes from which more powerfull incitements in per&s;wa&s;ion may ar|ri&s;e both Pro and Con, in the quotation of &s;cripture texts, neither would I haue thee to thinke euery cited place of anie one, a &s;ure inducement to make &s;aleable any cau&s;e in gro&s;&s;e, nature woorkinge in vs all, a loue to like our owne conceits. Howbeit that &s;crip|tures
<PB N="318" REF="164"> being alleadged plentifully on both &s;ides (with an ouerchardge &s;ometimes) le&s;t the holy verity of the cau&s;e &s;hould any way be vnwittne&s;&s;ed, yet I earne&s;tly de&s;ire thee to reexamine euery text, parcell by parcell, to to &s;ift and re&s;olue all alleadged proofes of &s;cripture, and &s;o &s;halt thou come to the very roote from whence trueth doeth &s;pringe, and to the triall of that toutch&s;tone, wherin all re&s;olution of mans mind relieth. It &s;halbe neither (thine) nor (mine) (my yea) nor (thy nay) &s;ith euerie breath may well blow to it &s;elfe &s;ome probable coniecture of their owne. For in that &s;trife which was between the catholicke fathers and the Arians, Dona|ti&s;ts and others of &s;uch like peruer&s;e and fro|ward di&s;po&s;ition, as longe as one alleadged &s;cripture on the one &s;ide, &s;cripture on the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;ide was as freely op<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;ed; In &s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> much that impo&s;&s;ible it was (&s;uch kinds of proofes nouri&s;hinge contention) that the matter then in controuer&s;ie could grow to any i&s;&s;ue or end, when &s;cripture was the Champion for them both in open feild.</P>
<P>I haue here therfore mo&s;t plainely &s;ett downe what by &s;cripture can apparantly be obiected, and &s;oe with all as euidently op|po&s;ed how with &s;cripture it may be &s;olued, &s;oe that the verity of the &s;cripture (which ar wittne&s;&s;es proper to neither but common to vs both) I haue left as indifferent to be
<PB N="319" REF="164"> waighed and cen&s;ured by a third; In &s;oe much as weighinge matter with matter, cau&s;e with cau&s;e, rea&s;on, with rea&s;on, thou may&s;t as wel lend thy beleife (for the verity of the text) to the doctors cen&s;ure, as vnto any new vp|&s;tarts vnadui&s;ed re&s;olution, and conceyted opinion.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>QVID PRO QVO, An an&s;were by &s;cripture to the prote&s;tants obiections out of &s;cripture, again&s;t confe&s;|&s;ion, prei&s;ts ab&s;olution, and &s;acramentall &s;atisfaction.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection P&s;alm. <HI>32.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>5.</HI></HEAD>
<P>I will confe&s;&s;e my &s;elfe vnto thee o Lorde and thou forgiue&s;t the puni&s;hment of my &s;inne. Ergo Dauid confe&s;&s;ed vnto God and not to man: Ergo confe&s;&s;ion ought to be to God alone.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>An&s;were Leuitic. <HI>4.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>23.26.</HI></HEAD>
<P>If one &s;hewe to him his &s;inne he hathe committed ver&s;. 23. that is confe&s;&s;e it to the prei&s;t, then &s;hall the prei&s;t make an attone|ment for him concerninge his &s;inne, and it &s;halbe forgyuen him. Ergo Confe&s;&s;ion was made vnto the prei&s;ts in the ould lawe, and the prei&s;ts attoned the delinquent and by their means &s;inne was forgiuen ver&s;. 26. And why might not Dauid co~fe&s;&s;e him&s;elfe to the prei&s;ts accordinge to the lawe of Moy&s;es.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="320" REF="165">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of bothe places by the opi|nion of others.</HEAD>
<P>Rabby Hama an interpreter of the Iewes lawe, thus declareth the cu&s;tome and maner the Iewes had, in makinge their confe&s;&s;io~s. <HI>Nece&s;&s;e est</HI> (&s;ayth he) <HI>vt &s;igillatim exprimat <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eccata &s;ua.</HI> It is nece&s;&s;arie that euerie &s;inner declare his &s;innes one by one in particular to the prei&s;t, and this was the cu&s;tome of his forefathers See Adrianus Linus, Galatinus.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection P&s;alm. <HI>105.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e your &s;elues to our Lord, for he is good. Ergo to God alone wee mu&s;t con|fe&s;&s;e our &s;innes, and not vnto man who is naught.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>An&s;were Iames <HI>5.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>16.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e therfore your &s;innes one to an o|ther, and pray one for an other that you may be &s;aued. Ergo confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes may be made vnto a man, and if to anye, much more to the prei&s;t, who hath the woord of reconciliatio~ as S. Paule &s;aith to the Corinth.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of Origen hom. <HI>2.</HI> in Leuit. and S. Beede.</HEAD>
<P>In this &s;ilence there mu&s;t be this di&s;cretion, that our dayly and littell &s;innes we confe&s;&s;e one to another or vnto our equales, and to beleeue to be &s;aued by their dayly prayer, but the vnclene&s;&s;e of greater lepro&s;ie, let vs accordinge to the lawe open to the prei&s;t, and at his plea&s;ure in what manner and how
<PB N="321" REF="165"> longe tyme he &s;hall commaund, lett vs be carefull to be purified.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Numbers</HI> 14.18.</HEAD>
<P>God is forgiuinge iniquitie and &s;inne: a|gaine O Lambe of God that take&s;t away the &s;innes of the world. Ergo God onely forgi|ueth and taketh away our &s;innes, and what then auaileth the prei&s;ts ab&s;olution.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Answere Math. <HI>9.</HI> ver&s;us <HI>8.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And the multitudes &s;eeinge it, glorified God that gaue &s;uch power to men: that is to remitt &s;innes and to woorke miracles. Ergo why may not prei&s;ts by Chri&s;tes communi|catinge this power to them remitt &s;innes?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of Saint Ambeo&s;e li. <HI>2.</HI> de poenit. cap. <HI>2.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Naaman Syrus beleeued not that his le|pro&s;y could be cured by water, but that which was impo&s;&s;ible, God hath made po&s;|&s;ible: it did &s;eeme impo&s;&s;ible that by penance &s;innes &s;hould be forgiuen; but Chri&s;te hath graunted this vnto his Apo&s;tles; Which from the Apo&s;tles is tran&s;lated to the office of prie&s;thood.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection p&s;al. <HI>32.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>5.</HI></HEAD>
<P>For I thought I will confe&s;&s;e again&s;t my &s;elfe my wickedne&s;&s;e vnto thee o Lord, and thou forgaue&s;t the puni&s;hement of my &s;inne. Ergo what need wee goe and runne to man for ab&s;olution and pardon of our &s;innes, when it is God alone that forgeueth?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="322" REF="166">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Math</HI> 3.6.</HEAD>
<P>Then went foorth (to Iohn) Hieru&s;alem and all Iury, and all the country about Ior|dane and were bapti&s;ed of him in Iordan confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes. Ergo why did the&s;e people goe to confe&s;&s;ion to Iohn and con|fe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, and had not recour&s;e onely to God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Ciprian Epi&s;t. <HI>16.</HI> li. <HI>3.</HI> ad plebem.</HEAD>
<P>Bicau&s;e euery one &s;hould confe&s;&s;e his &s;inne while&s;t the offender is yet liuinge, and his confe&s;&s;ion be admitted and his &s;atisfaction and forgiuene&s;&s;e by the prei&s;ts may be ac|ceptable with God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection E&s;ay. <HI>43.</HI> ver&s;e <HI>11.</HI> &amp; <HI>25.</HI></HEAD>
<P>I euen I am the Lord and be&s;ide me their is no other Sauiour. I euen I am he that put|teth away thine iniquities for my owne &s;ake, and will not remember thy &s;innes, put me in remembrance: Ergo there can be noe other Sauiour but God. He onely can forgiue and putt awaye &s;innes, what need wee then re|curre to man.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>An&s;were Iames <HI>5.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>20.</HI> &amp; Iohn. <HI>20.22.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Let him knowe that he which hath co~uer|ted the &s;inner from goinge a&s;tray out of his way, &s;hall &s;aue a &s;oule from death, and &s;hall hyde a multitude of &s;innes. Ergo it is not de|rogatorie from gods honor, to attribute our &s;aluation to any man, as to a woorker vnder
<PB N="323" REF="166"> gods, and who in his roome &s;hall forgiue our &s;innes, and &s;o in this re&s;pect may &s;aue vs, ac|cordinge to that Ion. 20. Receyue yee the ho|ly gho&s;t, who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiuen them. Ergo it is not onely God, but al&s;oe his prei&s;ts that haue power by his commi&s;&s;ion to forgiue &s;innes. Ergo why may not wee then putt them in remembrance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Cyrill. l. <HI>12.</HI> c. <HI>56.</HI> in Ioan.</HEAD>
<P>It is not ab&s;urd that they forgiue &s;innes which haue the holy gho&s;t, for when they remitt or retayne, the holy gho&s;t remitteth or retayneth in them, which they may doe two wayes, fir&s;t in bapti&s;me, then by penance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 6.</HEAD>
<P>Come to me (&s;aieth Chri&s;te) all you that ar heauy loaden, and I will refre&s;he you. What greater burden then &s;inne, Ergo what need wee goe to any man but Chri&s;te.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Answere Matt. <HI>8.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Goe &s;hewe thy &s;elfe to the prei&s;t (&s;aieth Chri&s;te) and offer the gift which Moy&s;es commanded for a te&s;timony to them. Ergo prei&s;tes haue to doe with vs although wee haue bene with Chri&s;te, euen by commaun|dement of Chri&s;te.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Chri&s;o&s;tome li. <HI>3.</HI> de Sacerdotio.</HEAD>
<P>The prei&s;ts of the ould lawe (&s;aieth he) had auctoritie and priuiledge onely to di&s;|cerne who were healed of leprou&s;ie, and to
<PB N="324" REF="167"> denounce the &s;ame vnto the people, but the prei&s;ts of the newe lawe, haue power to pur|ge in verie deed the filthe of the &s;oule, ther|fore who&s;oeuer di&s;pi&s;eth them, is more woorthie to be puni&s;hed then the rebell Da|than and his complices.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Collo&s;&s;.</HI> 2.21.22.23.</HEAD>
<P>Ar yee bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">dened with traditions? as touch not, ta&s;t not, handell not &amp;c? Which thin|ges indeed haue a &s;hewe of wi&s;dome in vo|luntary religion and humblene&s;&s;e of mind, and in not &s;paringe the body, which ar thin|ges of noe valew, &s;ith they pertaine to the fillinge of the fle&s;he. Ergo it is true wi&s;dome and good religion to &s;pare and cheri&s;he the bodie and not to cha&s;tice it with fa&s;tinge, praier &s;atisfactory woorkes, which are mon|kes merits and monkerie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Luc.</HI> 2.37.</HEAD>
<P>And there was a propheti&s;&s;e one Anna, which was a widowe aboue fouer&s;core and fouer yeares, and went not out of the tem|ple, but &s;erued God with fa&s;tinges and pray|ers night and day. Ergo &s;hee was a foole that could liue a widowe &s;oe longe and co~|mitted monkerie in not &s;paringe hir bodie, h uinge regard not to fill hir fle&s;he, ab&s;tey|ninge from touchinge, ta&s;tinge, yea from marriage.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by <HI>S.</HI> Ierome in <HI>1.</HI> cap. Ioelis, &s;uper accingite vos &amp; plangite.</HEAD>
<PB N="325" REF="167">
<P>He that is a &s;inner and who&s;e con&s;cience doeth bite him; Lett him girde him&s;elfe with haircloth, and lett him goe into the church or temple, out of which for his &s;innes he went, <HI>&amp; cubet vel dormiat in &s;acco,</HI> lett him lie and &s;leep in &s;accloth, to make &s;atisfaction to God for his former delights, and plea&s;ures, by which he hath offended God; <HI>vitae au&s;te|ritate,</HI> by rigor of life.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Iohn</HI> 8 11.</HEAD>
<P>And Ie&s;us &s;aid, neither doe I condemne thee; Goe and &s;inne no more. Ergo what nee|deth anie puni&s;hment for &s;inne or &s;atifaction for the &s;ame, when Chri&s;te is plea&s;ed and hath forgiuen the guilt therof.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 1. <HI>Corinth</HI> 5.</HEAD>
<P>S. Paule put the ince&s;tuou&s;e Corinthian to his penance and rebuke for the de&s;truction of the fle&s;he, that the &s;oule might be &s;aued. Ergo S. Paule made more a doe, then onely to haue a bare faith in Chri&s;t: yea for his &s;inne he enioyned penance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Augu&s;tine Hom. <HI>60.</HI> cap. <HI>15.</HI> ex lib. <HI>50.</HI></HEAD>
<P>It is not &s;ufficient to change thy maners into better, and to depart from thy wicked deeds except thou doe&s;t &s;atisfy God for tho&s;e thinges which thou ha&s;t donne.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection act.</HI> 19 18.</HEAD>
<P>Thoughe manie came to Saint Paule
<PB N="326" REF="168"> confe&s;&s;inge and declaringe their deeds, yett wee heare not of any enioyned penance, and why then &s;hould prei&s;ts enioyne penance, or &s;atisfactorie woorkes?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Ioan.</HI> 20. <HI>Math.</HI> 16.18.</HEAD>
<P>Chri&s;te gaue noe le&s;&s;e power to his Apo|&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors to bynde then to loo&s;e, to forgiue then to retayne; <HI>Quorum remi&s;eritis, quorum retinueritis,</HI> Ergo why may not the apo&s;tles &s;ucce&s;&s;ors bynde them to doe &s;uch woorkes as may pacifie gods wrathe and anger, by fa&s;tinge prayer and &s;uch &s;atisfactorie deeds, fa&s;tinge and prayer beinge &s;uch woorkes whereby wee &s;erue God&punc; Luc. 2.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Augu&s;tine hom. <HI>50.</HI> cap. <HI>11.</HI> ex lib. <HI>50.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Let the &s;inner come vnto the prelates by whom in the church the keyes ar mini&s;tred, and now beco~minge as it were a good &s;onne, <HI>maternorum membrorum ordine cu&s;todito,</HI> lett him receyue of his rulers and gouernours prepo&s;itors of the &s;acraments the meane and mea&s;ure of his &s;atisfaction, that in offeringe the &s;acrifice of a troubled harte deuote and &s;uppliant he maye doe that notwith&s;ta~dinge, which may not onely be auayleable to him to receyue his health, but al&s;oe be an exam|ple to others. <HI>Et in P&s;al.</HI> 50. <HI>Non Domine non erit impunitum peccatum meum, non impuni|tum erit, &s;ed ideo nolo vt tu punias, quia ego
<PB N="327" REF="168"> peccatum meum punior.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection E&s;ay</HI> 53.5.</HEAD>
<P>The cha&s;ti&s;ments of our peace was vpon him, and with his &s;tripes wee are healed. Ergo what needeth any more &s;tripes, &s;atis|faction, puni&s;hement, or penance for &s;inne?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 1. <HI>Corinth.</HI> 9, 27.</HEAD>
<P>But I cha&s;tice my body and bringe it into &s;ubiection or &s;eruitude, le&s;t perhapes when I haue preached to others, my &s;elfe become reprobate. Ergo why did S. Paule v&s;e &s;uch ri|gor, and voluntary puni&s;hement, if Chri&s;tes hadd bene enough.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by Theodorete in his epitome of deuine decrees cap. de poenitentia</HEAD>
<P>The&s;e wounds ar curable which are made after bapti&s;me not to be cured as heretofore by onely faith and &s;oe remitted, but by many teares, weepinges, lame~tings, &s;ighes, fa&s;tinges and praier, <HI>&amp; per laborem facti peccati quan|titati contemperatum,</HI> by labour of the woork proportionable to the quantity of the &s;inne.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 1. <HI>Petrus.</HI> 2.24.</HEAD>
<P>He bare our &s;innes in his body by who&s;e &s;tripes the were healed. Ergo what needs any more burden in our bodies, &s;atisfaction, or puni&s;hement, is not Chri&s;tes pa&s;&s;ion enough?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 1. <HI>Colos.</HI> 24.</HEAD>
<P>Nowe reioyce I in my &s;ufferinges for you and do accompli&s;he tho&s;e thinges that want of the pa&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;te in my fle&s;he. Ergo
<PB N="328" REF="169"> why doeth S. Paule &s;aie that there is &s;ome|thinge wantinge to Chri&s;tes pa&s;&s;ion, that he mu&s;t fulfill in his owne fle&s;he, if Chri&s;tes &s;tri|pes had bene enough?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Bernard &s;ermo. <HI>5.</HI> de omnibus Sanctis.</HEAD>
<P>Bicau&s;e delicate members mu&s;t be ioyned and vnited vnto a head pricked and tormen|ted with thornes, and other greiuou&s;e and painefull pa&s;&s;ions, for wee mu&s;t beare al|waies aboute in our bodies the mortification of Ie&s;us, that the life al&s;oe of Ie&s;us may be manife&s;ted in our mortall fle&s;he 2. Corinth. 4. ver&s;u. 10.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21.</HEAD>
<P>For al&s;oe Chri&s;t &s;uffered for you. Ergo what needs man to &s;uffer.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;us</HI> 21.</HEAD>
<P>Chri&s;t left vs an example that wee &s;hould follow his &s;teppes. Ergo why not to &s;uffer as he did?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Iohn <HI>1.</HI> Iohn Ioan. <HI>2.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>6</HI></HEAD>
<P>He that &s;aieth he abideth in him, ought him&s;elfe to walke euen as he walked.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection Marck. <HI>16.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Who &s;o &s;hall beleiue and be baptized, &s;halbe &s;aued. Ergo what needs any other con|fe&s;&s;ion and &s;atisfaction?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answer act.</HI> 19 18.</HEAD>
<P>And many of them that beleeued came confe&s;&s;inge and declaringe their deeds to
<PB N="329" REF="169"> Paule. Ergo they beleeued and mo&s;t proba|ble they were bapti&s;ed, why did they then confe&s;&s;e to Paule, or what needed they to haue confe&s;&s;ed?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Athana&s;ius &s;er. in illud, profecti in pagum.</HEAD>
<P>If thy bonds ar not yet loo&s;ed thou maie&s;t deliuer thy &s;elfe vpp to the di&s;ciples of Ie&s;us, &amp; they ar pre&s;ent that can loo&s;e thee by that power which they receiued of our &s;auiour.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Obiection Ioan <HI>1,</HI></HEAD>
<P>Behould the lambe of God that taketh away the &s;innes of the world. Againe I am he that blotteth out thy &s;innes. Thy faith hath made thee whole.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Eccle&s;ia&s;t.</HI> 3.33. <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24. <HI>Tob.</HI> 4.10 <HI>Luc.</HI> 11.41.</HEAD>
<P>Water quencheth burninge fier, and almes takes away &s;inne: breake off thy &s;innes by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and thy iniquity by mercy. Almes deliuereth from death and darkene&s;&s;e, Giue almes and all &s;halbe cleane vnto you. Ergo if faith be enough why is extingui&s;hing of &s;inne, redeeminge of &s;inne, deliueringe from death, to clean&s;e &s;inne and &s;atisfy for &s;inne, attributed to almes and to good woorkes?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by Saint Ambro&s;e lib. <HI>2.</HI> de poenit. cap. <HI>5.</HI></HEAD>
<P>He &s;aid both are ble&s;&s;ed, he who&s;e &s;inne is remitted by bapti&s;me, and he who&s;e
<PB N="330" REF="170"> &s;inne is couered by good woorkes, for he that doeth penance, ought not onely to wa&s;h away his &s;inne by teares, but hide them with better woorkes. <HI>Peccatis tuis venundatus, redime te operibus tuis.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiectio Math.</HI> 28.18.</HEAD>
<P>All power is giuen to Chri&s;te in heauen and in earth. Ergo what power haue prei&s;ts in earth or in heauen?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 2 <HI>Corinth.</HI> 5. <HI>Iohn.</HI> 20.</HEAD>
<P>God hath giuen vs the mini&s;tery of recon|ciliation. As my father &s;ent me &s;oe I &s;end you, who&s;e &s;inne yee forgiue are forgiuen. Ergo prei&s;ts the &s;ucce&s;&s;ors of tho&s;e to whom Chri&s;te &s;ayd this, haue &s;ome power in earth and in heauen vid. to forgiue &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of Gregory Nazian. oratione ad imperatorem, and S. Augu&s;tine lib. de ciuit. <HI>20.</HI> &amp; Hilarij in <HI>16.</HI> Math.</HEAD>
<P>Ble&s;&s;ed is the porter of heauen, who&s;e earthlie iudgement is afore iudged auctority in heauen. The &s;eats of iudgement in the Apocalips ar to bee vnder&s;tood of the &s;eats of the rulers, and the rulers them&s;elues by whome nowe the church is gouerned: <HI>ouis mea es, &amp; nos tribunalia habemus.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Ihon</HI> 5.22.</HEAD>
<P>The father iudgeth noe man, but hath committed all iudgement to the &s;onne. Ergo Chri&s;te hath all power to iudge, and not his prei&s;ts.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="331" REF="170">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 1. <HI>Corinth.</HI> 5.22.</HEAD>
<P>For what haue I to doe to iudge them which ar without (that is &s;uch as were not Chri&s;tians.) Ergo S. Paule had auctority to iudge them which ar within, &s;uch as were of the flock of Chri&s;te. And if S. Paule had noe power to iudge, why did he iudge the ince|&s;tuou&s;e per&s;on?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Chri&s;o&s;tome lib. de dignitate &s;acerdotis.</HEAD>
<P>Chri&s;t hath tran&s;lated al iudgement which he receyued of the father, vnto the apo&s;tles and prei&s;ts.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 2. <HI>Corint.</HI> 5.18.</HEAD>
<P>God hath reconcyled vs to him &s;elfe by Chri&s;te. Ergo what needs any other reconci|liation of man, &amp; God indeed was in Chri&s;te reconcylinge the world to him &s;elfe, but Chri&s;te did reconcyle from &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.18.</HEAD>
<P>God hath giuen vs the mini&s;terie of recon|ciliation, and hath putt in vs the worde of re|conciliation And Ion. 20. Who&s;e &s;innes yee forgiue ar forgiuen. Ergo man doth reconcile and remitt our &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Gregory, oratione ad mulierem peccatricem.</HEAD>
<P>Bouldly &s;hewe thye &s;elfe vnto the prei&s;te, &amp; &s;uch thinges as ar &s;ecrett open to him as to thy phi&s;ition thy &s;ecret wounds, <HI>ip&s;e honoris &amp; valetudinis tuae rationem habebit.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB N="332" REF="171">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Numbers</HI> 14.20.</HEAD>
<P>And our Lord &s;aid I haue forgiuen and par|doned it, that is the peoples iniquitie. Ergo why &s;hould wee &s;ue vnto man for pardon?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Answer.</HEAD>
<P>For my &s;elfe (&s;aieth S. Paule) that which I haue pardoned for you, I haue pardoned in the per&s;o~ of Chri&s;t. Ergo S. Paule did &amp; could pardon as he was in the per&s;on of Chri&s;te.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Epi&s;t. <HI>91.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Chr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t Ie&s;us hath deliuered this power to the rulers of the church, that they &s;hould giue vnto &s;uch as confe&s;&s;ed, the deed of pe|nance, and &s;o clen&s;ed by &s;atisfaction, admitt them by the doore of reconciliation to the communion of the Sacraments.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Rom.</HI> 6.23.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Donum Dei vita aeterna.</HI> Eternall life is the gift of God. Ergo it is not gotten and cau&s;ed by our traueles, what need then our &s;atis|factory woorkes?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere</HI> 2. <HI>Corinth.</HI> 4.17,</HEAD>
<P>This our tribulation which pre&s;ently is momentary and light, cau&s;eth or woorketh aboue mea&s;ure exceedingly an eternale waight of glory in vs. Ergo by our woorkes our glory is cau&s;ed. Ergo why may not our woorkes then be &s;atisfactory for &s;inne, that can remounte vs to glorie?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by Origen Hom. <HI>15.</HI> in Leuit.</HEAD>
<P>Thou maie&s;t redeeme thy &s;innes in this
<PB N="333" REF="171"> life, if that thy hand may finde a price which it may re&s;tore. But what is this price? It is of penance heaped vpp with teares. And by thy handes it is found out by la|boure of thy woorke, <HI>labore boni operis inuentum.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection actor</HI> 8.22.</HEAD>
<P>Repent therfore of this wickedne&s;&s;e, and pray God that if it be po&s;&s;ible, the thought of thy harte may be forgiuen thee. Ergo it is enough to pray to God for forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;inne, yea for mo&s;t wicked and &s;ecrete&s;t &s;in|nes, without either puni&s;hment or cha&s;ti&s;e|ment of our per&s;ons.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Math.</HI> 21.20.</HEAD>
<P>Woe be to thee Corozaim, woe be to thee Beth&s;aida, for if the great woorkes which were donne in you had bene donne in Tyre and Sydon, they had repented longe a gone in hairecloth and a&s;hes. Ergo affliction of body, au&s;terity, puni&s;hme~t of skin with hair|cloth belongeth to repentance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Augu&s;tin epi. <HI>108.</HI></HEAD>
<P>To doe penance and repent for our &s;innes &s;poken of by S. Paule 2. Corin. 12. ver&s;us 21. is to doe great penance as penitents did in the primitiue church.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 1. <HI>Iohn cap.</HI> 1.7.</HEAD>
<P>And the blood of Ie&s;us Chri&s;te his &s;onne clean&s;eth vs from all &s;inne. Againe 1. ad Heb. ver&s;us. 3. he (vid. Chri&s;t) bearing vp all
<PB N="334" REF="172"> thinges by his mighty woord hath by him &s;elfe purged our &s;innes. Ergo it is Chri&s;tes blood, and Chri&s;te that purgeth our &s;innes and nothinge els.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Actes.</HI> 8.22.</HEAD>
<P>Doe penance therfore for this thy wicked|nes and pray to God if perhaps this cogita|tion of thy hart may be remitted thee. Againe Luc 11. ver&s;. 41. But yet that remayneth giue almes. and behould all thinges are cleane vn|to you. Ergo it is not onely the blood of Chri&s;te without any other thinge that remit|teth &s;innes. For there be many means and in|&s;truments of remittinge &s;inne, but all by the force and merite of Chri&s;tes blood applyed by them, as by prayers fa&s;tinge, penance, al|me&s;&s;e deeds, fayth, &s;acrifice, &s;acraments and by prei&s;ts Ihon 20. Who&s;e &s;innes they remitt ar remitted. Yet none of all the&s;e otherwi&s;e remitt &s;inne, but in the force, by the merite and vertue of Chri&s;tes blood.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure of S. Augu&s;tin &amp; venerable Bede vpon this place, as al&s;o by S. Hierome lib. <HI>2.</HI> contra Pelagium cap. <HI>3.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Chri&s;ts pa&s;&s;ion doeth not onely remitt in bapti&s;me the &s;innes before committed, but all other afterward al&s;oe donne by frailty, yet &s;oe, if wee v&s;e for remi&s;&s;ion of them &s;uch meanes as be requi&s;ite, and as Chri&s;te ap|pointed, wherof he reckeneth &s;ome, and this may be one by prei&s;ts, Chri&s;te &s;ayinge,
<PB N="335" REF="172"> who&s;e &s;innes yee remitt are remitted.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiestion Luc.</HI> 18.13.</HEAD>
<P>But the publicane &s;tanding a far off would not lift vpp &s;oe much as his eyes to heauen, but &s;mote his bre&s;t &s;ayinge, O God be mer|cifull to me a &s;inner. Ergo it is enough to &s;trike his brea&s;t and acknowledge in generale tearmes to bee a &s;inner, and not to tell the &s;innes in particuler.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answere Act.</HI> 19.18.</HEAD>
<P>And many of them that beleeued, came confe&s;&s;inge and declaringe their deedes. Againe Iames 5. ver&s;e. 16. Confe&s;&s;e your &s;in|nes one to an other. Ergo we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e our particuler &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Hierome in <HI>16.</HI> Math.</HEAD>
<P>Then the bi&s;hope or prei&s;t knoweth who is bound and who is to be loo&s;ed, when he heareth the variety of &s;innes. Againe S. Ba&s;il que&s;t. 288. &s;aieth, it is nece&s;&s;ary to confe&s;&s;e &s;innes vnto them, to whome the di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the mi&s;teries of God is committed.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection Iohn</HI> 20.23.</HEAD>
<P>Who&s;e &s;innes yee &s;hall forgiue, they are forgiuen, and who&s;e &s;innes yee retaine they ar retained. Ergo albeit Chri&s;te gaue to his Apo&s;tles power to forgiue &s;innes, yet he wills not any to come to confe&s;&s;ion to them. Ergo to confe&s;&s;e is needle&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answer Math.</HI> 28.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">9.</HEAD>
<P>Goinge therfore teach yee all nations Bap|ti&s;inge
<PB N="336" REF="173"> them in the name of the father, and &amp; of the &s;onne, &amp; of the holy gho&s;t. Ergo as the Apo&s;tles hauinge power to preach and bapti&s;e, thoug hnone commaunded to come to be bapti&s;ed and heare, yet all are bound both to heare and to be bapti&s;ed: &s;oe Chri&s;te geuinge power to his Apo&s;tles to forgiue &s;in|nes, all that ar in &s;inne ar bound to &s;eeke for|giuene&s;&s;e at the hands of the prei&s;ts. Againe many of them that beleeued came confe&s;&s;ing and declaringe their acts act. 19.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by <HI>S.</HI> Augu&s;tin Hom. <HI>49.50.</HI> tom <HI>10.</HI> and S. Iames. <HI>5.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Confe&s;&s;e your &s;innes one to another. Ergo mo&s;t likely to prei&s;ts to whom power (Ion. 20.) is giuen to forgiue &s;innes. For &s;aieth S. Augu&s;tine lett noe man &s;ay I doe penance &s;e|cretly, I doe it before God alone, God which hath to pardon me, knoweth well that I re|pent in my harte. If this be all, then in vaine was it &s;aid vnto prei&s;ts, who&s;e &s;innes ye &s;hall loo&s;e in earth, they &s;halbe loo&s;ed in heauen, then in vaine were the keies giuen to the church. Againe &s;aieth S. Bernard, it was &s;uf|ficient to &s;hewe the phi&s;ition to the &s;icke man, who (if he wilbe cured) lett him &s;eeke for him.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Obiection</HI> 1. <HI>Corinth.</HI> 8</HEAD>
<P>But meat maketh vs not acceptable to God, for nether if wee eate, haue wee the more; nether if wee eate not, haue wee the
<PB N="337" REF="173"> le&s;&s;e. Ergo the papi&s;ts fa&s;tings ar not &s;atis|factory or acceptable to God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Answer</HI> 3. <HI>reg.</HI> 21.</HEAD>
<P>Now when Achab hearde the&s;e woords (the threatinges of God) he rent his clothes, put on &s;ackloth vpon his fle&s;he, and fa&s;ted and lay in &s;ackloth, and went <HI>demi&s;&s;o capite</HI> holdinge downe his head, or (as &s;ome engli&s;h tran&s;lations haue) went barefoote. And the woorde of our Lord came to Elias the This bite &s;ayinge: &s;ee&s;t thou how Achab is hum|bled before me? Bicau&s;e he is humbled for my cau&s;e I wil, not bringe euell in his daies. Ergo to plea&s;e and pacifie, fa&s;tinge, praier wearing of heircloth and puni&s;hing of the body, is &s;atisfactorie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The cen&s;ure by S. Ciprian li. <HI>4.</HI> epi&s;t. ad clerum.</HEAD>
<P>I admoni&s;he your religiou&s;e care, that to plea&s;e and to be&s;eeche God, yee lament not onely with voice, but with fa&s;tinges and teares, and all manner of praier. For wee feele the whipp, when neither wee plea&s;e God by our good deeds, or doe noe &s;atisfaction for our &s;innes.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="18" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="338" REF="174">
<HEAD>BY THE PROTESTANTS not fully &s;atisfyinge the&s;e demands, which shalbe propo&s;ed concerninge their preachinge ab&s;olution, touchinge conformity to the apo&s;tolicall v&s;e, and ordinance therof, shalbe &s;eene, that the catholick prei&s;ts ab&s;olution, is more a|greable to the doctrine of Chri&s;t, then is the protestants. <HI>THE XVIII. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>SVch was the loue and fauoure of the peo|ple towards Pericles in Athens, and vnto Cirus in Per&s;ia, that the midwiues and nur&s;es in both the&s;e countries, had chardge giuen them by parents, to &s;hewe their be&s;t skill to frame and mould their younge infants like vnto Cirus in Per&s;ia, and Pericles, in Athens. Yet fewe or none (though the nur&s;es did their be&s;t endeuours (were found in Athens like Pericles, vnle&s;&s;e it were with a longe head, and fewe or none were heard of in Per&s;ia like Cirus, vnle&s;&s;e it were with a croo|ked no&s;e. Peru&s;inge ouer (ge~til reader) the late &s;omme of conference before the kings Ma|ie&s;tie concerninge the pointe of prei&s;ts ab&s;o|lution, with the a&s;&s;embly of Mini&s;ters, the
<PB N="339" REF="174"> midwiues and nur&s;es of that religion, appoin|ted to frame and mould it accordinge to the in&s;titution of Chri&s;te, I find littell or none accorde at all with the doctrine of the fa|thers, or practi&s;e of the church, euen from the Apo&s;tles time, with this their newe in|uented manner of ab&s;olution, or like in any point to that v&s;ed in tho&s;e former ages, vn|le&s;&s;e a certaine &s;hewe of retaininge the name of confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution, which wee may ether tourne to a &s;hipmans ho&s;e, or a crooked per&s;ian no&s;e of wax.</P>
<P>For if we con&s;ider the confe&s;&s;ion and ab|&s;olution &s;pecified in the conference pag. 8. there are two kinds onely expre&s;&s;ed as from God; the one generale, the other particular, the fir&s;t littell differenced from praier or preachinge (which doe importe noe ab&s;olu|tion) the &s;econd more &s;peciall, and to be ap|plied to &s;peciall parties, who hauinge com|mitted a &s;candale and repentinge, are ab&s;ol|ued: for otherwi&s;e where neither excommu|nication nor penance precedeth, there needes noe ab&s;olution. As al&s;oe pag. 12. the con|fe&s;&s;ion there expre&s;&s;ed to be in the begin|ninge of the communion book, and the ab|&s;olution followinge it, wherin the Mini&s;ter doeth nothinge els but pronounce an ab&s;olu|tion in generale. And moreouer, view but in the communion booke the other, more particuler and per&s;onale forme of ab&s;olution
<PB N="340" REF="175"> pre&s;cribed to be v&s;ed in the order of the vi&s;i|tation of the &s;ick, which the prote&s;tants con|fe&s;&s;e, &amp; not onely Augu&s;ta, Bohemia, Saxony, retaine and allowe, but ma&s;ter Caluine doeth al&s;oe approue, and is in England al|lowed as apo&s;tolicale and a godly ordinance, in that this ab&s;olution is giuen in the name of Chri&s;te to one that de&s;ireth it, and vpon the cleeringe of his con&s;cience.</P>
<P>The order is in the vi&s;itation of the &s;ick, that the &s;ick per&s;on &s;hal make a &s;pecial confe&s;&s;ion. After which confe&s;&s;ion the Mini&s;ter &s;hall ab&s;olue him in this &s;orte. Our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;te who hath left power to his church to ab&s;olue all &s;inners &amp;c. and by his auctority committed to me, I ab&s;olue thee from all thy &s;innes, in the name of the father and of the &s;onne and of the holy gho&s;t. This maner of ab&s;olution and confe&s;&s;ion is &s;een &amp; allowed as apo&s;tolicall by the prote&s;tants, and wee are to examine how farr foorth it accordeth with the practi&s;e of the former ages, euer &s;ince the Apo&s;tles and Chri&s;tes time.</P>
<P>And to omitt the contradiction which may be gathe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed out of the 8. page, where there is acknowledged but two &s;orts of ab&s;olution, the one generale by praier and preachinge, the other ab&s;olution from &s;can|dals, and as wee tearme them, &s;u&s;pen&s;ions and cen&s;ures of the church, And yet neuer|thele&s;&s;e in the 13. page, there is an acknow+ledgement
<PB N="341" REF="175"> of an other maner of ab&s;olution from &s;innes after a particuler and &s;peciall con|fe&s;&s;ion, with an ab&s;olution from tho&s;e &s;peci|fied &s;innes, which made the bi&s;hope of Lon|don to &s;tepp a littell more forward, and to deale more plainely, that be&s;ides the former ab&s;olutions, there was yet a more particuler and per&s;onale forme pre&s;cribed in the com|munion booke, to be v&s;ed in the order of the vi&s;itation of the &s;ick, which his Maie&s;tie re|membred not.</P>
<P>Nowe then to &s;ee but howe the&s;e our ad|uer&s;aries do tread the &s;ame foote&s;tepps of their forefathers, &amp; in the &s;hade of this name (Apo&s;tolicale) buyld vpp the fabrick of the reformed ab&s;olution: Lett vs demuande whe|ther they yeald thus much vnto vs, that this confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution of theirs (which they accompte as apo&s;tolicall) bee in &s;uch &s;orte &amp; maner as the catholicks tearme auri|cular confe&s;&s;ion, with the ful enumeration of &s;innes by the delinquent in confe&s;&s;ion, with all pro&s;tration and humilitie to his gho&s;tly fa|ther, with an acceptance to doe freely any en|ioyned penance, to curbe and cha&s;tice his bodye, and with a cleer forgiuene&s;&s;e and re|mi&s;&s;ion of the &s;innes by the power and aucto|rity of the prei&s;t: which if they graunte, then is our mu&s;ick &s;ett to one keye, deuided minds well accorded, and the controuer&s;y quickly ended,</P>
<PB N="342" REF="176">
<P>But (as mo&s;t likely it is) they will haue confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution left indifferent to euerie ones likinge with Caluine: without a|nie humiliation or lowlyne&s;&s;e of &s;pirite, with|out any bond therunto annexed by God or man, with Oecolampadius: or they will con|fe&s;&s;e and ab&s;olue, but will nor allowe of &s;a|tisfactorie penance, with the Andeans: or they will haue confe&s;&s;ion without any prei&s;ts remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes with Kemnitius: Then lett vs but propounde vnto them &s;uche de|maunds as hereafter &s;halbe asked, by which it may ea&s;ily be di&s;cyphered, how neere they accord with all antiquity, and the very godly and apo&s;tolicall ordonnance, in &s;o much that, if in their deuided myndes, there can not be founde &s;oe well ioyned aun&s;wers, thou maye&s;t well then thinke (gentill reader) that though with Alcamenes, they goe aboute to make the haltinge image of Vulcane to &s;tand vppright by di&s;guy&s;ed garments, yet &s;hall they haue but a lame God, as crooked a re|ligion, and as counterfett a confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olution.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Demaunds vnto &s;uch as thincke that the pro|te&s;tants pre&s;cribed manner of confe&s;&s;ion, is the very ordonance of God and apo&s;tolicall, by the opinion of all the fathers and all an|tiquitie.</HEAD>
<P N="1">I. <HI>demand.</HI></P>
<P>If it be apo&s;tolicall to confe&s;&s;e and not
<PB N="343" REF="176"> needfull to open all his &s;innes but onely &s;ome greeuances for more quietne&s;&s;e of mynd, and that the mini&s;ter doeth onely heare and in|&s;truct, and not cure and forgiue: howe ac|cordes this with the doctrine of Saint Peter, who willeth the penitent that he &s;hould manife&s;t all his &s;innes vnto the prei&s;t? Or with the doctrine of S. Clement, who tells vs that the prei&s;ts haue care of our &s;oules, and by the woord of God doe cure? Cleme~s epi&s;t. 1. ad fratrem Domini.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>demand.</HI> If it be apo&s;tolicall not to v&s;e any reuerence, kneelinge or pro&s;tratinge at the prei&s;ts feet to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, or to doe noe penance for the &s;innes, eyther by fa&s;tinge, prayer, or any enioyned pennance, why did the gentills &s;coffe at the Chri&s;tians for kneelinge and humblinge them&s;elues at the prei&s;ts knees? Or why doeth Tertullian de&s;cribe penance by rough habite, hard dyet, to howle and lament, and pro&s;trate him&s;elfe before the prei&s;ts? Minutius in Octauio. Ter|tullian de poenit. cap. 8.9.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>demand.</HI> If it be apo&s;tolicall when one will de&s;ire it, and not el&s;e, to confe&s;&s;e and that onely to cleer his con&s;cience: how agrees this with the apo&s;tolicall con&s;titutions, that accompts the &s;pirituall fathers, legats to God for &s;inners, who forgiues them their &s;innes and haue power of life &amp; death to condemne and to ab&s;olue? In Co~&s;titutionibus Cleme~tis</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="344" REF="177">4. <HI>demand.</HI> If there be noe pardon or for|giuinge of &s;inne by the prei&s;t, why would S. Ciprian then affirme the co~trary as truly apo|&s;tolicall, and an ordinance of God, that that euery one &s;hould confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes while&s;t they are in this world, and while&s;t their confe&s;&s;ion may be admitted, and &s;atis|faction, forgiuene&s;&s;e and remi&s;&s;ion of the &s;innes, or pardon by the prei&s;t, is acceptable to God? Ciprian de lap&s;is li. 5.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>demand.</HI> If the prote&s;tants confe&s;&s;ion and manner of ab&s;olution be apo&s;tolicall howe is it then con&s;onant to the opinion of Lactantius, who thought that was onely the catholick church, in which there is confe&s;|&s;ion and penance, which can cure and heale our wounds? Lactantius contra Nouatianum.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>demand.</HI> If the prote&s;tants confe&s;&s;ion be apo&s;tolicall, and yet of noe nece&s;&s;ity to doe: Why would then S. Ba&s;il write, that after Chri&s;te 380. yeares, It was a matter of nece&s;&s;ity to open our &s;innes to &s;uch, to whom God had committed the di&s;pen&s;ation of his mi&s;teries? Ba&s;il. regula 218.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>demand.</HI> If it be true doctrine, that prei&s;ts can not forgiue &s;innes, and agreable to that of former ages: how dur&s;t Ana&s;ta&s;ius a Nicene bi&s;hopp, condemne &s;uch as would gain-&s;ay, that confe&s;&s;ion made vnto a prei&s;t was nothinge woorth, bicau&s;e they were men and fraile as others were? or why did
<PB N="345" REF="177"> he contradict tho&s;e that affirmed, that it is onely God, that can forgiue and remitt &s;in|nes, as our aduer&s;aries affirme? Ana&s;ta&s;ius Ni|cenus que&s;t. 6 in Sacrament.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>demand.</HI> If there be noe enioyned pu|ni&s;hement after the prote&s;tants confe&s;&s;ion, &amp; that this confe&s;&s;ion is not by enforcement of any lawe: Why doeth then venerable Bede &s;peakinge of the order of confe&s;&s;ion in his time, declare how that wee mu&s;t open our &s;innes vnto a prei&s;t; yea and that accor|dinge to lawe, and &s;o &s;tand to his arbitre|ment howe longe, and in what &s;orte we ought to be puni&s;hed? Beda in cap. 5. Iacobi.</P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>demand</HI> If that confe&s;&s;ion and ab&s;olu|tion mu&s;t be &s;oe, as it is not requi&s;ite for all, but to &s;ome one that &s;hall de&s;ire it, vpon the cleeringe of his con&s;cience: Why then doeth Nicephorus Cartophilax relate, that in times pa&s;t longe before his daies, that is aboute a thou&s;and yeares &s;ince, the cu&s;tome was for all to goe to confe&s;&s;ion; And that the bi&s;hops did heare confe&s;&s;ions, and recon|cile penitents? Yet the&s;e (ouercloied with bu&s;ine&s;&s;e) comitted this office of hearinge confe&s;&s;ions to di&s;creete monkes. Epi&s;t. ad Theodo&s;ium tom. 1. bibliothecae &s;anctae.</P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>demand.</HI> If in this ab&s;olution it is not requi&s;ite to regarde the quantity or quality of the penitents &s;inne, but onely adui&s;ement and comefort: Why did the councell o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="346" REF="178"> Leodicea adui&s;e that to euery penitent con|fe&s;&s;inge his &s;innes, penance &s;hould be en|ioyned acccordinge as the quantity or qua|liry of the delicte was.</P>
<P N="11">11. <HI>demand.</HI> If that confe&s;&s;ion be not ac|cordinge to the commaundement of Chri&s;te: Why would S. Ciprian write vnto the peo|ple, that to confe&s;&s;e was nece&s;&s;ary to all, <HI>&s;e|cundum di&s;ciplinam Domini,</HI> and that they mu&s;t doe &s;atisfaction for their &s;innes in this world, and that ab&s;olution and forgiuene&s;&s;e of the &s;inne; to be by the prei&s;t, and that the prei&s;t forgiuinge the &s;inne, it is plea&s;inge to God? Ciprian, Epi&s;t. 16 ad plebem.</P>
<P N="12">12. <HI>demand.</HI> If it be arbitrary to confe&s;&s;e what they li&s;t &s;ome one trouble&s;ome thinge and not the re&s;t, how is this agreeable to the practi&s;e of the church in S. Ciprians time, who relatinge the feruencie of Chri&s;tians in his time for confe&s;&s;ion to a prei&s;t, declareth, how that the cu&s;tome was not onely to con|fe&s;&s;e their acts and doinges, but euen their very thoughts and cogitations (wherin they had offended) contritely and lowliely to the prei&s;ts of God? Ciprian &s;er. de lap&s;is.</P>
<P N="13">13. <HI>demand.</HI> If the mini&s;ters ab&s;olution be noe iudgement or any iudiciall act, but rather after a manner of comefort and con&s;olation to in&s;truct the penitent, and the iudgement of all harts are left to Chri&s;te: Why then in the time of Antherus but 200. yeares and
<PB N="347" REF="178"> littell more after Chri&s;t, prei&s;ts were thought with their holy mouth to make the body of Chri&s;te, and hauinge committed vnto them the keies of the kingedome of heauen, did iudge &s;inners before the day of iudgement, and their iudgement by the opinion of all doctors, was ratified in heauen, as they had &s;entenced &s;inners here in earth? Chri&s;o&s;t. 3. l. de dignitate Sacerdotij.</P>
<P N="14">14. <HI>demand.</HI> If that the mini&s;ter by his ab|&s;olution doeth not forgiue the &s;inne, bicau&s;e it is impo&s;&s;ible for man to forgiue &s;innes, how con&s;onant is this to the doctrine of S. Ambro&s;e who &s;aith, that it may &s;eeme im|po&s;&s;ible, that by penance &s;innes &s;hould be forgiuen, but Chri&s;te hath graunted this vnto his Apo&s;tles, which from the Apo&s;tles is tran&s;lated to the office of prei&s;thood, therfore it is made po&s;&s;ible which before &s;eemed im|po&s;&s;ible? Ambro&s;. li. 1. de poenit. cap. 2.</P>
<P N="15">15. <HI>demand.</HI> If that the prote&s;tants ab&s;o|&s;olution and confe&s;sion be onely to declare the deuine promi&s;es and ordinance of Chri&s;t, to in&s;truct, admoni&s;he, adui&s;e and not to for|giue &s;innnes (for &s;oe it is likened to the po+pes pardons, &s;omme of conference pag. 7.) what order is there then by Chri&s;tes ordo|nance in the prote&s;tants congregations for all deafe men, and for all &s;uch as confe&s;&s;e and yet are bereft of there &s;en&s;es before ab|&s;olution, who would as willingly al&s;oe haue
<PB N="348" REF="179"> the cleeringe of their con&s;ciences?</P>
<P N="16">16. <HI>demand.</HI> If this ab&s;olution be noe iudi|ciall act, but onely a &s;imple and plaine ma|nife&s;tation and declaringe of the deuine pro|mi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e, which is extant and written in the gho&s;pell, what need any man then goe vnto the mini&s;ter for this annunciation, why may not one for his greeuances, goe to his tru&s;ty neighbour, or the mini&s;ter to his wife, who &s;oe can ab&s;olue, as well as he? How then doeth this accord with the primitiue church as by S. Peter, S. Clement, S. Deni&s;e, and the apo&s;tolicall con&s;titutions, euery one went vnto the prei&s;t for ab&s;olution?</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="19" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>BY THE CORRVPTIONS of the englishe tran&s;lations of the bible concerninge the holy Sacrament of pe|nance, confe&s;sion, ab&s;olution, &s;atisfac|tion, and penale woorkes, may be &s;een the malice that protesta~ts haue again&s;t Auricular Confe&s;sion, vtterly to abolish it against Chri&s;ts institution. <HI>THE XIX. CHAPTER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>S. Paule in the &s;econd to the Corinthians and fourth chapter, &s;peakinge of &s;uch as handell and teach gods woord, willeth that
<PB N="349" REF="179"> accordinge a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;oe gloriou&s;e a Mini&s;tery requi|reth, they &s;hould liue and preach, &s;inc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rly, not adulleratinge the woorde of God; euen the very &s;peciall trade and &s;tudy of fal&s;e tea|chers, &s;o fal&s;ify it by deceitful con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tructions, interpre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ations, and guilefull applications, as Ireneus &s;aith li. 1. cap. 1. hau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nge noe o|ther end but to make their aduantage of the &s;criptures, to gaine glory and e&s;timation amonge the &s;imple and &s;infull, by newe de|ui&s;ed expo&s;itions.</P>
<P>Hence is it that Origen in 2. ad Roman. caleth &s;uch, <HI>&s;cripturarum fures &amp; adulteros,</HI> theues and adulterers of the &s;cripture: and S. Ciprian caleth &s;uch interpreters, corrupters of the gho&s;pell, artificers and craftes ma&s;ters in corruptinge the trueth: Cip. de vnitate Ec|cle&s;iae nu. 7. As on the other &s;ide for &s;peciall reuerence and &s;incerity of dealinge in the&s;e matters, the holy fathers catholick preachers and learned expo&s;itors were of ould caled ac|cordinge to S. Paules woords 2. ad Timoth. c. 2. <HI>Recte tractantes verbum Dei,</HI> right hand|lers of the woord of God, and as it were &s;quaringe it by a right liue and leuell. But if wee well con&s;ider our Engli&s;he prote&s;tants dealing concerninge their reformations of religion, and &s;quaringe the woord of God therunto, wee &s;hall &s;ee them excell farr the auncient hereticks, none euer more impu|rely handlinge the woord of God then they
<PB N="350" REF="180"> doe, e&s;pecially in their engli&s;he tran&s;lations, euery one more and more &s;eekinge for no|uelties and innouations.</P>
<P>It plea&s;ed the kings mo&s;t excellent Ma|ie&s;tie, in that conference, which he had with the Lords bi&s;hops, and other of the clergy, wherat the mo&s;t of the Lords of the coun&s;ell were pre&s;ent anno 1603. Ian. 14. &s;oe to giue his cen&s;ure of our engli&s;he tran&s;lations, as he openly profe&s;&s;ed, that he could neuer yet &s;ee a bible well tran&s;lated in engli&s;he, but the woor&s;t of all his Maie&s;tie, thought the Geneua to bee, hauinge in them &s;ome notes very partiall, vntrue, &s;editiou&s;e, and &s;auou|ringe too much of daungerou&s;e and traite|rou&s;e conceites. Mo&s;t true, it is for &s;ithence the gho&s;pell (as they call it) began in our country, wee haue hadd three kinds of di|uer&s;e bibles, vnder kinge Henry, kinge Edward, and Queen Eli&s;abeth. Kinge Hen|ries bibles as corrupt, were corrected by king Edward &amp; the duke of Somer&s;etts ap|pointment, as noteth doctor Humfrey de ra|tione interpretandi l. 3. p. 323.</P>
<P>Nowe that tho&s;e tran&s;lations v&s;ed in the late Queens raigne were corrupt, be&s;ids his Maie&s;ties cen&s;ure, euen the mini&s;ters them|&s;elues confe&s;&s;e, and are att variance for the truthe thereof D. Reynolds affirmeth that both Henry the eyghts, and Edward the &s;ixts were corrupt and not an&s;werable to the truth
<PB N="351" REF="180"> of the originale. The puritans doe demaund, whether with &s;afe coo&s;cience a man may &s;ub&s;cribe to the communion booke, that it conteyneth nothinge contrarie to &s;criptures; &s;einge the tran&s;lation of the p&s;almes differ from the trueth of the Hebrewe in 200. pla|ces or moe. Sutclif in his an&s;wer to the con|&s;i&s;torie faction: findeth as great fault with the Geneua bible, which the puritants v&s;e and al|together embrace, and haue noe other diui|nitie then it, which bible he &s;ayeth, hathe many more gro&s;&s;e errors, then the tran&s;lated p&s;almes. And thus wee &s;ee both communion booke and bible, are in que&s;tion for their ho|ne&s;tie and truthe. Hill pag. 54. of Chri&s;tes de&s;cent into hell noe le&s;&s;e mi&s;proueth one tran&s;lation for fal&s;e, that if a boy &s;hould but turne the greek &s;oe into Engli&s;h, as the pu|ritans haue donne; he thinkes he &s;hould de|&s;erue whippinge. And as for bi&s;hop Bil&s;on he reproueth (in his preface to perpetuail go|uernement) the &s;trayning of the text concer|ning the greeke woord <GAP DESC="foreign"> again&s;t all greeke deuines &amp; &s;torye touchinge the election of the people.</P>
<P>Fora&s;muche then as the woord of God which ought to be a &s;tarr to lead vs to Chri&s;t, the ladder, that &s;hould mounte vs to heauen, the water that &s;hould clen&s;e our lepro&s;ie, the manna that &s;hould refre&s;h our honger,
<PB N="352" REF="181"> and the booke which &s;hould be the toutch-&s;tone of a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l trueth; Who&s;e &s;ayinges we ought &s;tedfa&s;tly to beleeue, fulfill that which it commandeth, e&s;chewe that it forbiddeth, feare that it threatneth, reuerence that it ho|noreth, and hope for that it promi&s;eth, is nowe become a booke of fal&s;hoode and lies, what &s;hal wee then thinke of the prote&s;tants religion, that is grownded vpon &s;uch &s;crip|ture, as is alwaies chopped and changed, altered and mangeled, faced and defaced, that from a bright &s;tarr, is become a darke night, of a cleere fountaine, puddel water, from a booke of life, a Babell of confu|&s;ion? In &s;o much that as Diogenes retour|ninge from Sparta to Athens, beinge asked whither he went, an&s;wered that he came from men, and was goinge to weemen: &s;o the bible is come from the church, and doctors and expo&s;itors therof, to euerye pert mi&s;tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e and kitchinne maide, to be euen p wfelowe with the dice, tables, and cards, and to be pluct and &s;tript out of his owne attire, tourned by the vnfaithfull, quartered by Infidells, rent in peeces by he|retickes, de&s;amed by hipocrits, &s;male e&s;tee|med by wordlinges, defiled by libertines, di&s;allowed by Athei&s;ts, defaced and trodd vnderfoote by the&s;e newe fanglinges, almo&s;t of all our prote&s;tants.</P>
<P>To &s;hew the fal&s;ity and maliciou&s;e wicked|ne&s;&s;e
<PB N="353" REF="181"> of our prote&s;tants in tran&s;lating the bi|ble were to make a large volume, to &s;et down euery corruption in his place, co~cerning the controuer&s;ies of religion, for which e&s;pecially this woord is &s;oe abu&s;ed. And therfore I leaue that to ma&s;ter Martins di&s;couery; Onely this will I manife&s;t here, howe notoriou&s;ly they haue corrupted and abu&s;ed the &s;cripture con|ce<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ning penance, confe&s;&s;ion, &s;atisfaction and &s;uch penal &amp; meritoriou&s;e woorkes; And yet not euery place, but in &s;ome fewe, that thou maie&s;t plainely &s;ee (gentill reader) that it is their malice, loue of plea&s;ure, and likinge o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;inne, that hath blinded them, &amp; not &s;ub&s;ta~c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of learning, &s;owndne&s;&s;e of iudgement, ho|ne&s;ty in dealinge, that doeth wholly guid and direct them. And now to &s;peake of the cor|ruptions them&s;elues.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>1. <HI>Corruption.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And then went out to him Hieru&s;alem and al Iudea &amp;c. and they were bapti&s;ed of him in Iordan confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes. Math. <HI>3.6.</HI></P>
<P>And many that beleeued came and confe&s;sed and shewed their woorkes. Acts <HI>19.18.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Corruption.</HEAD>
<P>The text in the Engli&s;he tran&s;lation is not corrupt, but to be &s;ure, that none &s;hould thinke here is mention made of catholick confe&s;&s;ion, they corrupt the text by their fal&s;e and wicked marginale notes, and by vaine glo&s;&s;es and interpretations. For to the
<PB N="354" REF="182"> fir&s;t Math. 3. they note in the margent (letter h) Confe&s;&s;inge, that is acknowledginge that they were &s;aued, onely by free remi&s;&s;ion and forgiuene&s;&s;e of their &s;innes. To the 2. they note al&s;oe, that they confe&s;&s;ed their errors (leter h) and dete&s;ted them openly, beinge terrified with the feare of the iudge|ments of God. And what is this to eare-&s;trift, &s;ay they?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>That the marginall notes are fal&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t howe agrees this. Confe&s;&s;inge their &s;innes, &s;ayeth the text, that is as the note &s;ayeth, they acknowledge that they were &s;a|ued. As if Io&s;ue &s;aying to Achan, make con|fe&s;&s;ion and &s;hewe me what thou ha&s;t donne, is as much as he &s;hould acknowledge that he was &s;aued. Which neyther he, nor Io&s;ue could tell.</P>
<P N="2">2. How could they acknowledge that they were &s;aued by free remi&s;&s;ion of their &s;innes, when as yet they knewe not the Me&s;&s;ias, and Chri&s;te had not &s;hedd his blood for the redemption of mankind?</P>
<P N="3">3. S. Iohn Luc. 3. playes the good gho&s;tly father: for when the multitudes came, as al&s;o the publicans and Soldiours to S. Ihon to be bapti&s;ed, they al&s;oe noe doubt (as Math. 3. Marc. 1.) confe&s;&s;ed their &s;innes. And S. Ihon after confe&s;&s;ion, gaue them gho&s;tlie coun&s;el: as to the multitudes he &s;ayd, he that hathe two coates, lett him giue to him that hathe
<PB N="355" REF="182"> not. To the publicanes he &s;ayd, doe nothinge more then is appointed you; to the &s;ouldiours he &s;ayd, vex not neyther calumniate any ma~, and be content with your &s;tipends. Here S. Ihon counceleth them to giue alme&s;&s;e for their &s;innes, to be obedie~t to their &s;uperiors, to take heed of iniuringe anie. Nowe if Saint Ihon hadd beene a prote&s;tant, when the&s;e companies asked him what they &s;hould doe, he &s;hould haue &s;ayd, beleue only &amp; acknow|ledge your &s;innes ar freely forgiuen, and that is enough: for to amend your liues, and to doe workes worthy of penance, is playne papi&s;trye.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>2. <HI>Corruption. The text</HI> S. <HI>Iames</HI> 5.16.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Confitemini alterutrum peccata ve&s;tra.</HI> Con|fe&s;&s;e your &s;innes one to an other.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The corruption.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;muche as S. Iames &s;peaketh of prei&s;ts, and of &s;innes that &s;halbe remitted, of con|fe&s;&s;inge one to another. The prote&s;tants not well lykinge to haue in one &s;entence, prei&s;ts, prayinge ouer the &s;ick, annoylinge them, forgiuing them their &s;innes, confe&s;&s;ion and &s;uch lyke: therfore for prei&s;tes, they haue putt in Elders, and for confe&s;&s;e, they haue tran&s;la|ted acknowledge, and for &s;innes, faults, ac|knowleginge your faults.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="356" REF="183">
<HEAD>3. <HI>Corruption The text</HI> 2. <HI>Corinth. c.</HI> 2. 10.</HEAD>
<P>And whom you haue pardoned anie thinge. I al&s;oe, for my &s;elfe al&s;o that which I pardo|ned, If I pardoned any thinge, for you in the per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Corruption of the text.</HEAD>
<P>Fora&s;much as S. Paule &s;aieth that he doeth pardon, and hath &s;uch power ouer the &s;oule, and that which he doeth, he doeth in the per&s;on of Chri&s;te: To mitigate and aboli&s;he this auctority, the prote&s;tants of late haue guilfully tran&s;lated the greek <GAP DESC="foreign"> (which &s;ignifieth the per&s;on of Chri&s;te, who&s;e per&s;on S. Paule did repre&s;ent, and in vertue of whome he did exerci&s;e his auctority) in the &s;ight of Chri&s;te, and not in the per&s;on of Chri&s;te, and &s;oe would haue it vnder&s;tood, as if S. Paule had &s;aid. That which I haue donne I haue donne it, <HI>in mi&s;ericordia Chri&s;ti</HI> (as &s;aieth Calu ne) in the mercy: or (as Beza) before Chri&s;te, or in the &s;ight of Chri&s;te, vety loth that S. Paule &s;hould pardon or forgiue any, as though he &s;hould doe it, by &s;u&s;teining the per&s;on of Chri&s;te, as the &s;cripture plainly &s;aith he did.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The variety of the protestants tran&s;latinge this text.</HEAD>
<P>Couerdale Beck in their tran&s;lations 1549. tran&s;late <GAP DESC="foreign"> in the roume
<PB N="357" REF="183"> of Chri&s;te.</P>
<P N="1">1. The bibles 1577. 1594. Great bible of Cranmer 1555. tran&s;late, in the &s;ight of Chri&s;te.</P>
<P N="2">2. Beza <HI>In con&s;pectu Chri&s;ti, vel propter Chri&s;tum, vel, vt Chri&s;tus hanc condonationem ratam habeat,</HI> in the &s;ight, or for Chri&s;te, or that Chri&s;te dooth ratifie it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Caluine <HI>In con&s;pectu Chri&s;ti, or propter vos idem in mi&s;ericordia Chri&s;ti,</HI> in the &s;ight of Chri&s;te, or in the mercie of Chri&s;te.</P>
<P N="5">5. Beza againe truly and from the harte, <HI>vere &amp; ex animo, qua&s;i in&s;pectore Chri&s;to.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. Caluine againe, <HI>&s;incer&egrave; &amp; ab&s;que &s;imu|latione, &s;o let enim hac loqutione exprimere pu|ram &amp; minime fucatam rectitudinem.</HI> All the&s;e expo&s;itions and tran&s;lations &s;auinge the fir&s;t, are but enforcyinges, to writh the text: &s;ithence it is plaine for prei&s;ts power and auctority to forgiue and retaine, and that in the per&s;on of Chri&s;te.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>4.</HI> Corruption. The text Daniell <HI>10.</HI> ver&s;u <HI>12.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Feare not Daniel for &s;ince the fir&s;t day that thou didde&s;t &s;ett thy hart to vnder&s;tand, that thou woulde&s;t afflict thy &s;elfe in the &s;ight of thy God, thy woordes were hearde.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Corruption.</HEAD>
<P>They corrupt the text, fora&s;much as the text is (thou afflicte&s;t thy &s;elfe, or &s;etts
<PB N="358" REF="184"> thine harte to afflict thy &s;elfe) the prote&s;tants tran&s;late, and make the Angell &s;ay thus to Daniel. From the fir&s;t day that thou dide&s;t &s;ett thine harte to humble thy &s;elfe: Where for affliction and puni&s;hement of bodie, which Daniel v&s;ed by fa&s;ting and mourning, they onely putt (humbled him &s;elfe) &s;oe as they make noe difference, for a man to hum|ble him &s;elfe, and to afflict his body, bee|tween an humble man, and one that doeth penance.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>5.</HI> Corruption. The text <HI>2.</HI> Corinth. <HI>12.</HI> ver&s;. <HI>21.</HI></HEAD>
<P>And I mourne many of them that &s;inned before, and haue not donne penance for the vncleane&s;&s;e and fornication, and incontinen|cie that they haue committed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Corruption.</HEAD>
<P>The corruption is in tran&s;latinge the greek woord <GAP DESC="foreign"> (haue not re|r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pented) <HI>non re&s;ipuerunt &s;uper inpuritatem</HI> &s;aieth Beza, as if, to doe penance, and to re|pent were all one, auoidinge the Catholicke phra&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>6.</HI> Corruption. The text Eccle&s;ia&s;tici <HI>4.</HI> ver&s;us <HI>31.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>Non confundaris confiteri peccata tua, &amp; ne &s;ubij cias te omni homini pro peccato.</HI> Be not conconfounded or a&s;hamed to confe&s;&s;e
<PB N="359" REF="184"> thy &s;innes, and doe not &s;ubmitt thy &s;elfe to euerie man for &s;inne.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Corruption.</HEAD>
<P>In &s;ome bibles they tran&s;late, as the great <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ible of Crammer, &s;hame not to confe&s;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hine error (and not &s;innes) and withall they alter the text which &s;aieth, &s;ubmitt not thy <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">elfe to euery man, they tourne, re&s;i&s;t not the cour&s;e of the riuer. Soe they make the &s;cripture confu&s;ed and vnperfect, tran&s;latinge &s;hame not to confe&s;&s;e thine error, and re&s;i&s;t not the cour&s;e of the riuer.</P>
<P>Many other corruptions partly by fal&s;e glo&s;&s;es and marginale notes, as al&s;oe cor|ruptions of the plaine texts again&s;t confe&s;|&s;ion, I omitt as too tediou&s;e to &s;ett downe at his time.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
