CHAP. I.

NAMES fitly imposed are the express images of things, and speak their nature: no better key to open the secret of any subject matter, [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 6. than by being acquainted with what title it is called. Truth is a picture drawn at life, the names and titles are the several colours, repre­senting the same unto a rational understanding. By names the [Page 2]Creatures are not onely made known what nature they are of, but are distinguished also, their several kinds, and specifick formes are diversly discerned. [...] The Hebrews style the nomina­tion of their creatures a separation of their several species, their Analysis, and distinction; there is then a twofold use of names;

• 1. To tell us what a thing is in it self;
• 2. and how differenced from another.

This task was God pleased at the first to impose on Adam, Non nudae sue­runt appellario­nes, fed ex ea­rum naturis sumptae. Mer­cer. and he had then the strength to undergo it, wherein he was not simply graced, the creature to take its being from God, and its appellation from man, by that imployment would God try his skill as well pleased to behold his own wisdome reflecting from that glass. My purpose is (the Lord being my help) to treat of peni [...]ential confession, the originall, instituti­on, progress, and practice thereof, also its efficacy, vertue and scope, together with the uses and abuses by such Congregations and Churches as pretend to Christianity, to endeavour to disa­buse the same, and restore it to its former integrity. To in­quire what authority is delegated unto man in giving audience unto Penitents; likewise what necessity lies upon sinners, and in what cases, to unfold the burthen of their Consciences unto the Lords Stewards. And lastly, what power over sin is com­mitted to that earthen vessel, together with the instructions, latitude, and extent thereof, for procuring the safety of Chri­stian souls. Wherein (as we have said) our first step into this passage and nature of Confession must be to learn the names, and appellations thereof. Exod. 3.13. And as Moses would not stir afoot till God had told him his name, so we must arrest our thought in the first place, upon this inquiry.

And to begin with the first and most sacred Tongue, [...] signifying Repentance, which is the root and parent of con­fession, Generaliter significat mutation [...]m ani­mi seu affectûs, qualis est quando aliquem dicti vel facti sui poeniteat, illudque ipsum mutat, vel quae fit condolentiâ vel commiseratione, vel quae fit consolatione in eo qui priùs perturba­tus erat. Kercher. Lexicon. Hebr-Graec. verbo [...]. which word importeth usually a change in the mind, or affe­ctions, when a man repenteth of what he hath spoken or done, as wishing the same unsaid, or to do a­gain; and this alteration is accommo­dated with grief and pity, if what hath slipped from his tongue, or hand, [Page 3]be prejudicial to himself, or such as are dear unto him, or else with consolation, in case his former purpose proved molestious unto him, [...] conso­lari, poenitere. S. Pagnin. and that he hath found case in the revoking there­of. And hence it is that the word carries with it a double sig­nification to repent, and to comfort; for godly sorrow usually sits down in consolation, true Repentance like Janus with a dou­ble face, looking upon the old year or conversation lamenta­bly; upon the new, or renewed life cheerfully. Gen. 6.6. [...] Job 42.6. God spake as man, when he repented that he made man, there's the word; and Job in the same termes expressed that serious abnegation of himself, wherefore I abhor my self, and repent in dust and ashes. A Penitent for a time dislikes none more than himself, and would have others take notice of his vileness also by covering himself with dust, and crowning his head with ashes. The Sep­tuagint have rendred the same variously, but every way signifi­cantly; as

• 1. [...] to cease, [...], saith God by the Prophet, upon the peoples turning from the evil of sin,
  Jer. 26.3. Mala non pec­catoria sed ul­toria. Tertull. lib. 2. contr. Marcion.
  I will cease from the evils of punishment, which I purposed to do unto them because of the evil of their doings; so it hath, and ever will be, betwixt us and God; hand off from sin, hand off from punishment.
• 2. It is interpreted [...], to ponder and consider, (and that but once) upon that former place in Gene­sis,
  Aug. [pro poe­nitut] legit recogitavit, juxta fidem ve [...]ustissimi co­dicis. lib. 15. de Civit. Dei. cap. 24.
  [...]; and God pondered in his mind that he had made man, considering and bethinking with himself what he had done; so considerate were those In­terpreters in translating thus, lest Repentance with God might have begot some misprision of him with Ptolomy; though other­wise they make bold to render it with words and phrases of Repentance, and that in the person of God too, when it is not of man but of the evils that might befall him.

As 3. [...], to repent again, in Jeremy, If a nation turn from the evil, [...], I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them. If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, Poenitentia Dei neque ex improvidentia, neque ex levitate, neque ex ulla boni aut mali operis damnatione reputetur, sicut humana— ni­hil aliud intelligitur quam simplex conversi [...] scientiae prioris. Tertull. lib. 2. contr. Mar­cion. c. 24. Jerem. 18. vers. 8. & 10. then [...], I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them: Here I cannot refrain from telling my Reader, how we occasion [Page 4]Gods favours, and frownes; when man turns from evil, God turnes to be good in collation of benefits, and when man turns from being good, God turns to be evil in the affliction of his judgments; [...] & [...]. yea so propitious is God upon Repentance, that to repent with him is with these Translators to be patified. In Moses earnest intercession for the people, (for whose sins God was justly displeased) we read according to the Original, [...] Exod. 32.12. Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy peo­ple; they render it [...], be favou­rable to the sins of thy people. And whereas God was intreated and Moses prevailed in his suit, (as what cannot fervent suppli­cations do with God) the Hebrew verity saith, [...] Verse 14. and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto the people, and they say, [...], God was intreated for the evil and pacified. This evidence is from the Old Testament, and oldest language for Repentance.

And what find you for the tongue and dialect thereof, Con­fession? I say as Philip to Nathaneel; Come and see: the He­brew [...] in hiphil to Confess, John 1.46. is a branch of the root [...] pro­jicere, to cast away; because Confession is a kind of casting up of crude sins, indigested in the conscience of a diseased stomach, and disquiet brest. A Father of great antiquity hath instructed me to this observation, Even as those that have meat lying indigested upon the stomach, Sicut ii qui habent intus inclusam escam in­digestam, aut humoris, vel phlegmatis stoma­cho graviter, & molestè imminentia, si vo­muerint relevantur; ità etiam hi qui peccave­runt, siquidem▪ occultant, & retinent inter se peccatum, intrinsecùs urgentur, & prope­modùm suffocantur à phlegmate, & humore peccati, si autem ipse sui accusator fiat, dum accusat semetipsum, & confitetur, simul evomit & delictum atque omnem morbi digerit causam. Origen. homil. 2. in Psal. 37. or are otherwise troubled with the phlegme, are greatly releeved by a vomit; so those that hide their sins committed inwardly, are strangled well-nigh, and choaked with their humour and fl [...]gme, but if that vexed person would accuse himself, and confess, by so doing at once he vo­miteth up his sin, and discovereth his disease. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty of one of these things, [...] and shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing, Levit: 5. Psal. 5.6. So Origen. Thence cometh also [...] which is con­fession, or the sacrifice destin'd to expiate the sin revealed to the Priest, of which there is frequent mention in the old Law; where the guilty person was to confess the sin that he had sin­ned, [Page 5]and to present his offering. And the Priest was to make his [...] atonement, expiation or redemption; the quality of which confession, and the reserved cases therein will come un­der our hands hereafter; So in the inquiry after the iniquity of Achan, which put Israel to flight more than all their enemies could do: the offender attached by a divine lot; Joshuah advi­seth him at no hand to conceal the sin, Josh. 7.19. [...]. Lui fai confession. Gallicè. but to make confession thereof to God, or as the Septuagint according to the letter of the Hebrew, give con­fession unto him. And the same In­terpreters, where sin is the subject thereof, render it confession; but where God and his mercies are the contents, Psal. 27.7. Pour esclater en voice d'a­ction de graces. Fr. B. praise and thanksgiving; as for example, That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works; or as the French Bibles, for to illustrate with the voice of thanksgiving; after the Hebrew, That I may cause to be heard, or sound forth in the voice of confession, which the Septuagint read thus, [...] Ut audire faci­am sonum, in Hiphil. Psal. 26.7. Sec. LXXII. From [...] forum. Ezra 10.1. [...], that I may hear the voice of thy praise. But when sin bears the burthen of confession, then the words used are [...], & [...], which run along all their transla­tion, and are of much use with the Greek Fathers also; some­times they express it by [...], a forinsecal word, as in that former place of Leviticus, [...], and shall confess his sin. After that solemn and heavy denuntiation of the peoples sins unto God by the lips of Ezra, chap. 9. in the beginning of the next, the Septuagint read, [...], after he had confessed weeping and praying. That Priests and peoples confession could not but fly up to hea­ven, winged with prayers and tears: And Davids purpose to accuse and indict himself for his offences, was according to that tenor, [...], Ps. 31. vel 32. sec. Hebraeos. I said I will confess my sin against my self; where he never took his own part more, than by setting himself in such a confession against him­self: wherein those Translators would shew that in confession, there must be a concurrency both in soul and body, and both must arraign us at the Bar, giving in of evidence, or rather finding of the bill of indictment by our selves put in, and signed [Page 6]to be true, if it were onely [...] the evidence of the tongue were enough, but [...] imports that there is an inward sense of the outward evidence; and as evil springeth from the heart, 1. Exhomologe­sis conscientiae. Cyprian. so from that root must orall confession issue forth: and hence is it that one of the Fathers calls it,

• 1. The confession of the conscience:
• 2. Another, the exposing of the burden of the soul,
• 3.
  2. pondus ani­mi proferre. Aug.
  and a third, a sighing forth of sin, rather than speaking, and with grief of heart, more than words of the lips.

Thus far the Old Testament hath led me by the hand along the several deno­minations of Repentance and Confession. 3. Ingemit cul­pae dolore. Ambr.

And now for to come unto that other part of Gods treasure, (for so Clemens Alexand. honours the Scriptures) let us see what a good Scribe may bring forth of the New also: We shall there find for Repentance two words, [...] & [...], the former hath respect unto the mind, and the change thereof, ra­ther than any corporal afflictions; when after a lapse the party peccant shall find his errour, [...] mutatam mentem sonat, non afflictionem corporis. Erasm. annot. in Mat. cap. 3. and so seriously to lament that former errour as to correct and amend the same; De errore admisso ità dolere, ut corrigas, Latinè resipiscere. Beza Annot. ad Matth. 3. vers. 2. consi­dering what he was with grief, and endevouring to be what he was not, (but ought to have been) with grace; Semper [...] convenit [...]. that his Repentance is a departure from evil unto goodness, therefore herein is wisdom in the end; and in Latin is termed resipiscentia, for to commit sin is folly, but to repent thereof, and amend is wisdome; therefore it hath reference to the in­ward man, Nam & in Graeco s [...]no poenitentiae nomen non ex delicti confessione, sed ex animi demutatione composita est. Terrul. lib. 2. contr. Marcion. cap. 4. and importeth not so much the confession of sin, as the commuta­tion of the mind, whereby the sinner is altered, rather than the sin uttered, as Tertullian elegantly expressed the force of the Greek word; [...], Matth. 3.8. [...], Matth. 9.13. [...], Luc. 24. [...], Matth. 11.21. [...], Act. 3.19. and in that name is comprised Repentance, with its properties and virtues; so you have the fruits of repentance, Mat. 3.8. and the calling of sinners to repentance, Mat. 9.13. and forgiveness of sins [Page 7]annexed to repentance, Luke 24.27. so you have the habit and dress thereof, they had repented in sackcloth and in ashes. The virtue and effect, together with the manner and efficacy thereof; Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out; [...]. Hesiod. thus [...] is all in all with repentance.

The other word [...], is not of such vertue, and is used of such as have been remiss, and supine in managing of their affairs, who smarting for their sollies, and negligence, Dicta est cùm socordes in peragendo serò in­cipimus esse attenti. Erasm. at the last shew more diligence; such after-wits are usually anxious, Declarat post rem aliquam factam sollicitum esse & anxium, Latinè poenitere, atque usur­pari potest in vitio. Beza. and disquieted with their doings. This kind of pensiveness doth not alwayes imply a change either in life or purpose for the better, but sometimes for the worse also, betokening rather a [...], and displeasure, whereby we could wish with all our hearts things done undone, hap what will, be they good or evil. The gifts and callings of God are [...] without repentance, that is of that sort as the dona­tion thereof i [...] at no time displeasing to God, who therewith was once pleased. Heb. 7.21. The Lord sware [...] and will not repent, that is, will never desire to change, or dislike his deposition. The son that refused to labour in his fathers vineyard, was better than his word, he said he would not, [...]. Matth. 21.29. afterwards he repented and went, and upon better thoughts altered his resolu­tion, and obeyed: he repented upon what he said, and went up­on what he resolved. Judas after his treason [...] repent­ed likewise, as sore troubled at what he had done, Tristitiam sig­nificans à qua est absorptus. [...]. and could have wished the same to have been to do again, as one swallowed up of sorrow and despair. The Apostle of his sharp letter sent to the Corinthians, I do not repent, though I did repent, as loth to grieve them; so he repented that they should look sad at any lines of his; yet he repented not, because they sorrowed after a godly manner. I have been the more particular in these instances, that the difference betwixt these two, [...], which a learned Interpreter alwayes translates Resipiscence, Beza. and [...] in like manner alwayes by him rendred Poenitude, might shine the clearer, and it stands in two points,

• 1. in their properties and conditions, the one being a sober discerning of what was [Page 8]formerly amiss, wisely correcting and amending the same, or an alteration wrought in the heart upon sounder advise, and a reformation of precedent faults; whereas the other [Metame­leia] ofttimes intimateth no more, than a meer vexation, cau­sing trouble, and anxiety of mind at things past help, or a dis­pleasure, and distrust onely, joyned with little or no amend­ment.
• 2. The other difference lies in the object; Metanoea is only for reformation, altering what was fit to be altered, and grieving for what was worthy to be lamented; whereas Meta­meleia is sometimes a fretting that evil designs succeed not, as Pharaoh repined that he let Israel go, and resolved to cross their passage to his own ruine; Therefore when this Repent­ance is attributed to God and men, and they both good and bad,
  Deus vult mu­tationem, non mutat volun­tatem. Aquin.
  this distinction must be observed;
  • 1. when God is said to repent (as in making of S [...]ul King) the change is in the out­ward act, not in Gods internal will, viz. in the dethroning of that worthless Prince:
  • 2. when good men repent, the change is in the affections, and in the actions also:
  • 3. but the wicked are no changlings, grieving sometimes that their mischievous plots take no place, and at other times swallowed up in grief, that they have been so mischievous.

Other words there are in the New Testament for Confession, coincident with those used by LXXII. Interpreters in the Old, whose Translation is by the Evangelists and Apostles generally imbraced; as [...], 1 John 1.9. and [...], Mat. 3.6. Mark 1.6. Acts 19.18. I chuse to direct to the pla­ces onely, having formerly spoken all I know by the words al­ready; and my care is to ease my self and my Reader all I can, from the tediousness of Tautologies and needless repetitions.

And as little remaineth to be spoken of the Latine names, Poenitentia takes its beginning with Erasmus, à pone tenendo, because it laieth hold on good resolutions in the last; although a great master in Criticisme derives the same from poena, Turnebus. and that from poeniendo, ( poenire with the ancient standing for p [...] ­ [...]ire) because punishment usually answers sin▪ To repent in the vulgar Translation is poenitentiam agere for poenitere, and is as ridiculously translated by our Rhemists to do penance; as if I should interpret vitam agere to do life, which I oppose not with [Page 9]any purpose to cut off godly sorrow from Repentance, or those severe and wholsome exercises thereof, of much use in the Primitive times, as not ignorant that though Repentance be a conversion and turning, yet the way is with weeping, Joel 2. &c. and profess my self no great enemy to them that with a discreet hand shall chastise the body, not to keep even with God, but to keep it under, to sequester the same from sinning, rather than to satisfie for sin; according to that vulgar Epigram of Ausonius,

And thus much for the words, and their significations, where­in I have not onely rested upon the naked Etymologies, but have respected the use, and practice thereof in holy Scripture, and live in hope to be discharged of that censure, Bellarmine (I know not how justly) passeth upon the Divines of the Reformation, Errant isti Grammatici potiùs quàm Theo­logi, qui vocum significationes ex Etymologiis potiùs ducunt, quàm ex communi Scripturae & bonorum Authorum usu. Bellar. l. 1. de Poen. c. 7. as Grammarians rather then Divines, deriving the significations of words from Etymologies, rather than the common use of the holy Scriptures and good Authors,

CHAP. II.

HItherto of the several names and appellations, [...]. Clem. Alex. [...]. l. 1. p. 215. Mat. 9.21. now of the substance and thing it self; for words are as clothes, and rayment to the body, whereas the ma­terial substance is the nerves, and fleshy part thereof; yet as the Haemorrcousaan in the Gospel drew virtue from our Saviour by touching the hem of his garment, so no small light hath been afforded (as in part hath already appear­ed, and will be shewn more fully hereafter) to discover the nature of penitential confession from the habit and outside there­of; the clothes thus spread we may see more clearly into the thing it self. And so much hath been unfolded by the names wherewith Repentance is called in several languages, that the less is left behind to discover the substantial part thereof; and therein I shall make as little stay as I may, for that this conside­ration was not the principal matter intended, but as an appara­tus, and necessary introduction thereunto. Our inquisition into the nature of Repentance shall begin with the holy Scri­ptures, pass along by the Fathers, divert unto the School-men, and conclude with the modern Divines of both Churches.

In Gods book Repentance is described to be a conversion and a change. In Solomons prayer upon the dedication of the Tem­ple, [Page 11]when the people shall be switten down before the enemy, 1 King. 8.33. [...]. Aristot. verse 35. because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again unto thee, and confess thy name, &c. there's a turning to; which implies also a turning from, and that follows in the verse following, if they confess thy name, and turn from their sin. The termes then in this conversion [...] is from sin, and thence there is a departure; [...] is to God, and thither there must be an ad­venture. Upon good advice then the Hebrew [...] to turn, is by Interpreters turned to repent, especially where the same is doubled in the Original, as in Ezekiel, [...] Restournez vouz & voūz destournez. Fr. Bible. Jerem. 13.23. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, Chap. 18.30. and Chap. 14.6. return, and turn ye from, as the French read it. I could be infinite (if occasion were) in such particulars. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil; inimating that Repentance is no natu­ral work, that sins set on by custome adhere as close unto the soul, as blackness to the skin of the Ethiopian, or spots unto the Leopard; that the blackness, and those spots are changed by doing good instead of evil, and that change to be wrought up­on Repentance. Acts 17.30. The same Scripture seats this Conversion in the heart, shewing that it ariseth from a sense of Gods judgments, and a detestation of sin, 2 Cor. 7.10. accompanied with a godly sorrow for the same; grounded upon a just displeasure a sinner takes unto himself for displeasing God, joyned ever with holy vows, stu­dies, and endeavours of amendment of life; Matth. 3. Thus much from the Scriptures.

For the Fathers their descriptions are usually taken from the effect, and operation of Repentance; as that of Ambrose, Repentance is to bewail sins already committed, Praeterita mala plangere, & plangenda ite­rum non committere. Ambr. and not to commit again sins already bewailed, consisting in a contrition for sin, Anteacta peccata flere; & flenda non commit­tere. Greg. and a dereliction thereof, where indeed what a peni­tent turneth from, and leaveth, is expressed, but not to what he is to lean, and turn unto; Est virtus qu [...] commissa mala cum emendati [...] ­nis proposito plangimus & odimus, & plangenda ulteriùs committere nolumus. Lomb. the Master of the sentences some­what supplies this defect, that it is a virtue whereby we lament, Est dolor de peccato commisso cum emendationis proposito. Aquin. [Page 12] and hate the sins that we have done, with a purpose of amendment, as not with our wills to commit what we have lamented; which Aquinas hath contracted thus, it is a grief for sins past, with a purpose of amendment. Est quaedam doleatis vindi­cta, semper pu­niens in se, quod dolet com­misisse. Aug. lib. de vinc. poen. Etiam in bonis factis adhibent. Tert. lib. de poen. c. 1. But that ascribed to Saint Austin, viz. that it is a kind of revenge alwayes punishing in himself, what a sinner grieves to have committed, hath respect unto the exercise, and consequent of Repentance, rather than to the virtue it self. They all concur that Repentance is a grieving for sin, inso­much that the Ethnick is taxed by Tertullian, for calling that Repentance, wherein the doing of a good turn is grieved at; as spilt upon a thankless brest, or otherwise cast away; where he desireth to be understood of Medicinal and saving Repen­tance, otherwise he will fall under the lash of his own pen, himself censuring in Marcion, what he approved against the Ethnick, and approving against Marcion what he censured in the Ethnick; for he allows not that the subject of repentance should be onely evil, nor that every sorrow should be ground­ed upon a reall errour, or alwayes argue something amiss; for many times courtesies, and bene­fits are repented of by the Donours, Poenitentiam pravè interpretatur (Marcion) confessionem scilicet sapere mali operis alicujus, vel erroris; porro non semper, evenit enim in bonis factis poenitentiae confessio ad invidiam, & exprobrationem ejus qui beneficii ingratus exti­terit. Tert. lib. 2. cont. Marcion. c. 24. Poenitentia invidiosa. criminosa. as extended to such as deserve not the same, importing rather ingratitude in the Dones, than any offence in the Benefactor; therefore to reconcile him to himself, interpret him to speak of criminal Repentance onely, which ever respecteth sin the chief motive of godly sorrow.

All which descriptions of the Ancients, Definitio poeni­tentiae data est per causam, non per essenti­am. Compend. Theol. verit, l. 6. c. 20. comprehending rather the consequents and effects of Repentance, than the precise form thereof, occasion the Schoolmen to let go the sub­stance for the shadow; who in their disputes are so fettered to the external practice, and fruit of repentance, that no other collection can be made from their Treatises, and determinati­ons, than that In iis, quae corporis magìs exercitationem, quàm animi emendationem in se continent, collocata. H. Grotius de Relig. Christ. l. 6. sub initio. Repentance is a harsh kind of discipline, and austerity, carrying a rigid hand upon the fleshly part of man his body, thereby to tame the same to subjection, or to chastise it for former insurrections; a discipline not amiss, if [Page 13]the mind, and inward man might be renewed also, which ever implieth a due correction, and amendment of life; but of this inward reformation ne [...] qui­dem, there is a strange silence, In externis exercitiis mordicùs infixi— de interiori mentis reformatione mirum silen­tium. Calv. Instit. l. 3. c. 4. Sect. 1. you shall not lightly meet with a syllable thereof in all their voluminous Tra­ctates. It is not a shirt of hair, a Lenten suit, a dejected coun­tenance, that can please God, without a true humiliation of the heart; nor the outward habit of John the Baptist, without his inward virtues. Be not deceived, God is not mocked with all sackcloth without, and all purple within. The Divines of the Reformation espying this defect of the inward sap, and marrow of Repentance, consisting in the rending, and renew­ing of the heart, have stood much upon, Repentance what, and wherein the truth thereof consisteth. and urged repentance of this kind; as a work of grace arising of a godly sorrow, whereby a man turns from all his sins to God, and brings forth fruit worthy of amendment of life: Or a true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from a true fear of him, Est vera ad Deum vitae nostrae conversio à sincero serio (que) Dei amore profecta, quae carnis nostra, veteris (que) homiuis mortisicatione, & Spiritus vivificatione constat. Calvin. Inst. l. 3. c. 3. quem sequitur Zanch. loc. com. de Poenit. and contained in the mor­tifying of the old man the flesh, and in the quickning of the spirit. Nor have they stayed here, but have called on for the fruits, and exercises thereof, professing the end, and scope of re­pentance to be the restitution of Gods image decayed in us; Officia pietatis erga Deunt, charitatis erga ho­mines— externa testimonia quae sinceram resipiscentiam commendant. Calv. have injoyned the offices of piety to God, and of charity towards man; That penitent sinners are trees of Righte­ousness, of Gods own planting, Es. 6.3. Ezek. 47.12. growing by the waters that flow out of the Sanctuary, and therefore must bear fruit, that may serve for meat, and leaf for med cine. Behold then the subtilty of Satan, and iniquity of these times, perswading ma­ny to have inward Repentance, and grief in the heart, with­out any external exercise or fruit, whereas the tree is known to be good by the fruit it beareth. 'Tis true, bodily exercise upon the flesh, where the spirit, and inward grace of Contrition is wanting, profiteth nothing; yet if true sorrow be planted in [Page 14]the heart, it will break forth in the eye with tears, and tongue with confession. Consider how unsuitable it is to cut off all bo­dily Repentance for sins done in the body, as thou hast given thy members to the one, so give them to the other also. Thus have I opened (so far as is necessary) the doctrine of Repentance, and shall dismiss the same with certain conclusions.

The very nature and essence of Repentance consists in turning. Conclus. 1. The first text that Saint Paul preached on to the Gentiles after his own conversion, Acts 26.20. was, that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for Repentance; the summe and drift of Re­pentance being to pass from our selves to God: which conver­sion is not a substantial change, altering the subject, but an alte­ration in the qualities of the Converts soul, changing them from evil to good; as for example, the same body now in health, [...]. Arist. de gener. & corrup. l. 1. text. 23. now disea­sed, where the substance is the same, but not the state; or as the same me­tal wrought in an angular or cir­cular figure, materially the same, though not formally. [...]. Id. ib. In repentance then the substance is not changed, as in generation and corruption, nor the quantity, as in growth and diminution, but in qualities and conditions onely; a transformation of the inward man, therefore called a new heart; and described by returning unto the Lord, putting away abomina­tions out of his sight; Ezek. 18.31. Jer. 4.1, 3, 4. by breaking up of fallow ground; and circumci­sing the fore-skins of the heart, wherein lies the amendment, and alteration.

A Penitent upon the sense of his sins and Gods judgments, Conclus. 2. Peccati odium poenitentiae ex­ordium — illum arbitror plurimum pro­fecisse, qui sibi plurimum dis­plicere didicit. Calvin. be­comes a person much dejected, as David and Peter, and there­upon grows into a great dislike with himself, wishing he were another man; and as the beginning of Repentance proceedeth from the hatred of sin, so doth the hatred of sin spring from the fear of God, and that penitent hath made a fair progress in Repentance, which hath truly learned with himself to be highly displeased.

Contrition in a true Penitent is a godly sorrow for sin, and for incurring Gods displeasure: Conclus. 3. Grief for sin is, where the sin is more abhorred than the punishment; that if there were no [Page 15]Conscience to accuse, no Devil to terrifie, no Judge to arraign and condemn, no hell to torment, yet to be humbled for all that for sin, and brought upon our knees for offending such a God; and that sin should be the more displeasing to us for that it is unto Him displeasing. There was in the heart of Anselmus such a detestation of sin, as to profess, that if the horror of sin on the one side, and terror of hell on the other, were so proposed, as one of them (chuse which he would) must needs be undergone by him, Si hinc peccati horrorem, hinc inferni dolo­rem corporaliter cerneret, & necessariò uni eorum immergi deberet, priùs infernum quàm peccatum appeteret. Malle se purum à peccato, & innocentem Gehennam habere, quàm pec­cati sorde pollutum coelorum regna tenere. Ead­mer. vita Anselm. lib. 2. that he would prefer the torments to suffer there, before the filthiness of sin to be unclean here; and that in his option and choice, he had rather descend into hell an innocent, and undefiled, than to ascend into heaven with guilt and uncleanness; such hearts, and holy resolves, God send us.

A Penitent indeavoureth by all wayes and means possible to appease the wrath of God, Conclus. 4. to make his atonement for the obtain­ing of mercy, by faith in Christ, and the efficacy of his merits; by humility of heart, by confession and acknowledgment of the offence; by promises of amendment, and by frequenting the best remedies against sin; supporting himself in all his an­guishes, and afflictions, and though he have fallen among theeves, be stripped of his rayment and wounded, yet he is not quite dead, gasping for relief, Luke 10.30. Clem. Alex. paed. lib. 1. pag. 89. and anchoring himself upon the coming of the good Samaritan; his soul is a wounded spirit indeed, but wounded [...], as a father speaketh, not to death, but so as may be healed. Arbitror quòd etiam Judas potuisset & tan­tâ Dci misera­tione non ex­cludi à venia, si poenitentiam non apud Ju­daeos, sed a­pud Christum egisset. l. 2. de poen. c. 5. Hoc auferre vultis [Novatiani] propter quod agitur poenit [...]ntia; tolle Gubernatoris perveniendi spem, & in mediis fluctibus incertus errabit; tolle luctatori coro­nam, lentus jacebit in stadio—. Bonum Dominum habemus qui velit donare omnibus. Ambr. lib. 2. de poenit. cap. 3. This expecta­tion of pardon and reconcilement differenceth the godly sorrow of true Converts, from the gulph of grief, and desperation of forlorn Miscreants, such as were Cain and Judas, men swal­lowed up of sorrow, without the least beam of comfort. Judas went the wrong way in confessing his sins unto the Jewish Priests and not unto God. I suppose (saith Ambrose) that if that Confession had been directed unto Christ, he might have found [Page 16]mercy; hope of mercy is the onely incouragement to Repentance; without this Anchor the Pilot and his ship are t [...]ssed incertainly with winds, and waves; take away this laurel, the Champion will languish upon the theatre. But a good Lord we have that will forgive all, and to all that seek him, saith the glory of Millaine. And in this last Conclusion we have news of Confession, which is a good means to obtain mercy and forgiveness, to which we hasten.

CHAP. III.

I Have touched in the former passages how Repentance be­gan to be placed in the exercises, and practick part thereof, as the subduing of the body with austerity of food, and rayment; by which external means Man rather came to the notice of our sorrow, than God; for the Almighty as he is the searcher of the reins, and heart, hath an eye principally upon those inward parts to see how they stand affected: I say, [Page 17]because God can make a scrutiny into the spirit of man onely, it was thought fit by the Church, (which is a select compa­ny of men, and understand as man) to prescribe unto sin­ners such rules to be observed in Repentance, whereby the same might appear to be real and sincere unto them also: for if the Church have any power (as sure she hath) in the recon­cilement of Penitents, there must needs be some such means supposed as are proportionable to the Churches apprehension, whereby inward contrition for sin may be unto them demon­strated, and forthwith the party to be reconciled. But grief of heart cannot be made known unto man without some sensible sign; therefore as Saint James called upon the professors, James 2.18. shew me thy faith by thy works; so did the ancient Disciplinarians, shew us your Repentance by the fruit thereof. Now this evi­dence, and demonstration consisted in the undergoing of an outward humiliation, according to the Penitential Canons then in force; of which discipline there were several degrees, Nomine Poeni­tentium apud veteres, soli publici poeni­tentes intelligi solebant. Bell. l. 2. de poenit. c. 14. p. 1403. Ministerium ejus. Tertul. ac­cording to the nature of the offence, and this the Anci­ents called Exhomologesis: for as in the Primitive times they onely were named Penitents that underwent the publick pre­script thereof; so publick penance was comprehended under that title as the ministerial part thereof; for what was it else but a publick manifesto, and declaration of sin, joyned with a submission to open Penance and shame? Insomuch that the Jesuits themselves confess that Exho­mologesis is a word of such latitude, Apud veteres nomine Exhomologesis inter­dum non intelligitur sola Confessio, sed etiam contritio & satisfactio. Bel. de poen. l. 2. c. 5. and use with the old Doctors, as to comprehend contrition, and satisfa­ction, as well as vocal Confession onely; and expresly that Cyprian thereby meant not that, Exhomologesis apud Cyprian. sacram [...]nta­lem (ut vocant) confessionem non significat; D. Petavius animadvers. ad Epiphanium. her. 49. p. 233. which they terme Sacramental. Upon good ground then Erasmus first, and after him Chemnitius have ob­served, how divers Divines not advisedly considering what the old Doctors say, are deceived, or else have a purpose to deceive in their allegations; for what the Fathers speak of a general, Pontificii quae propria sunt hujus confes­sionis ea transferunt, & tribuunt auriculari suae enumerationi. Chemnis. exam. part. 2. p. 187. and open Exhomologesis, that they wrest by and by, to a secret, and [Page 18]privy kind of confession, as it is now used in the Church of Rome; To cut off all ambiguities, we shall therefore in a table both for brevity and perspicuity represent the several kinds and uses of Confession, Con­fes­sio laudis. Con­fes­sio fraudis. Aug. hom. 8. sup. verb. hujus. Psal. 30.4. [...]. Ba­sil. in Psal. 29. p. 80. by which draught the Reader may be instructed to what head and place such testimonies produced by such Divines, may be justly referred.

Exhomologesis then is a confession of laud, and thanksgiving, as well as of fraud, and iniquity; and so Basil upon Psal. 29. as the LXXII number it, Give thanks unto the memorial of his holiness. Confess, that is to say, give thanks, for confession there, is taken for giving of thanks. This kind of confession is much to the purpose, but not to the present; that of fraud and sin being most proper to a penitent, as a recognition of his own unworthiness; the draught, and Synopsis thereof behold in this digramma:

• Confession of sin is publick, in the face, and open assembly of the Church, & is
  • 1. Of the whole Church.
    • Ordinary, in eve­ry sacred meet­ing.
    • Extraordinary, for some national sin, or judgment.
  • 2. Of one particular member fallen into notorious and scandalous sins, and smitten with the censure of the Church, who is publickly to confess the same with much sorrow, and affliction; hum­bly deprecating for the same, and desiring his state, and reconciliation, as the Corin­thian.
• Confession of sin is [Page 19]Private
  • To God onely.
  • To man
    • 1. For the good of our souls and healing of our infirmi­ties
      • 1. Unto the Pa­stor ex effec [...] most fit, and proper.
      • 2. To a faith­ful and discreet friend in extra­ordinary cases and times.
    • 2. To our Neighbour for to pacifie and satisfie him for some offences, and to be re­conciled unto him.

This is the [...], and order to be observed in the ensuing discourse.

Publick Penance hath bordered upon the Apostles times, yea, imposed by them. When a Christian Gentile at Corinth had fallen into that foul sin, which a Heathen Gentile would have stuck, and blush'd at, viz. Incest with his Step-mother; the Apostle held it fit to proceed against such an offender, Tradi Satana; i. e. jus civi­tatis amittere. Beza. to deli­ver him to Satan, i. e. to exclude him from the communion of the faithful, and put him out of that corporation. The fact was evident, the sin was scandalous, (for he kept her as his wife) there­fore must the punishment be publick also; Ommes crimen sciebant, publicè enim noverca [...] suam loco uxoris habebat; in qua re ne (que) testibus opus erat, neque tergiversatione aliquae tegi poterat crimen. Ambr. on 1 Cor. 5. [...]. Chrysost. Ut pudore & tristitia sapere discat. and that penance was for the destruction of the flesh, that Satan should afflict his body, as he did Job. Pauls will was, that the flesh being the sink of lust, should thereby be tamed, and humbled; that sorrow and shame might teach him better manners. This cen­sure was put in execution according to his directions in the first Epistle. Now after some time and good experience of his con­trition, and tears, 2 Cor. 2.6. the Apostle writes again in his second Epi­stle, [Page 20]therein approving of his punishment so solemnly imposed, and undertaken for sufficient, and acquaints the Church there, that he was not yielded over for good and all to Satan, but delivered for a season; that he had lyen long enough under that hard Schoolmasters hands, [...]. Chrys. in 1 Cor. 5. and given good proof of his Repentance; that as in the censure he set open the door to repentance, so upon his repentance the door for mercy also: then he re­leaseth him of the interdict, and restores him to the society of the Beleevers. Christi nomine ac vice. Ambr. [...]. Theo­phyl. To whom you forgive, I also, and that in the per­son of Christ, q. d. I with you, and Christ with me; you for­give, and I as the Lientenant of Christ, and his Deputy, approve the same: Where Paul the principal Judge representing our Saviours person in the sentence, and absolution, yet called the Church at Corinth as his assistants in both.

Clemens Romanus in his Epistle to the same Corinthians lately published out of an ancient copy sent from the Levant, admo­nisheth the authors of sedition (which that Apostolical man justly esteemed for a very hainous offence) to come in and subject themselves to their Priests, [...], [...].— [...]. Clem. Ep. ad Corinth. 1. pag. 71, 72. Oxoniae edit. an. 1632. à V. C. Patritio Junio, Regiae Majestati à Biblioth. which the learned publisher interpreteth to be instructed in repentance, somewhat too coldly, for to be disciplin'd unto repentance, understanding thereby publick penance. Also therein seem­eth to be mention of the place, and station wherein such Penitents were ranked: for it is much better (saith he) to be found little in the fold of Christ, and of good estimation, than seeming great in their own-eyes to be cast off from the hope of him; where instead of the latter words, [...], is placed by that famous man [...], or [...], extra cancel­les, without the bars and bounds of Christs congregation, where the penitents abode. That discipline, and bending of the knees [Page 21]thereunto, that mean place in Christs fold, and those cancels are apparent footsteps of solemn penance practised in the Church, upon the reconcilement of publick and notorious offenders. And I believe it the rather, because Tertullian saith expresly it was à Deo instituta, Peccator restituendo sibi à Deo institutam exo­mologesin sc [...]ens. Tert. de poen. c. 12. & Rhe­nanus note. Tradit à Domino institutum istum poeni [...]entiae actum, & poenitentiae mini­sterium a. had no meaner an Author than God himselfe; whereof his learned Refiner hath taken special no­tice. He then must be heard next of this matter; A man of great spirits, and parts, Tertul. sharpned by nature, or the age he lived in, unto much severity; with whom the administration of this publick penance was expressed by the greek Exomologesis, which he calleth the very act, or deed doing thereof, as a probation, and approbation of cordial sorrow: there [...]n open confession was made of the sin to God, Probatio est ut nou solùm conscientia praefe­ratur, sed aliquo etiam actu adimpletur. cap. 9. — Quatenus satisfactio confessione dis­ponitur, confessione poenitentia nascitur, poe­nitentiâ Deus mitigatur. ib. not as to one ignorant thereof, but to prepare the penitent so, as to satisfi [...] the Church, whose profession he had wronged, and by that confession might be brought forth such repentance as God might be appeased. The drift and end of that abject humiliation in the penitent, being to incline God to mercy; the manner of that dejected carriage is punctu­ally described, the habit sack-cloth and ashes, Sacco & cine­ri incubare, Corpus sordibus obscurare, ani­mum maeroribus dejicere. joyned with a neglect, or rather a careless debasing, and slubbering of the body, carrying a stricter hand thereupon as the Organ and vessel of sin, although there is required a heavy soul also. The food and diet thin, bread and water, without any other mixture, Pastum & potum pura nosse, non ventris scili­cet, sed anime causâ,— [...]ejuniis preces ale­re, ingemiscere, lacrimari, mugire, Presbyte­ris advolvi, & charis Dei adgeniculari; om­nibus fratribus legationes deprecationis suae in­jungere. or compo­sitions, to preserve the soul alive in the body onely; adding unto fasting; pray­er; to prayer, tears; to tears, sighes and groaning; to fall down at the Priests seet; to kneel before Gods Dearest, (so the best Criticks read, and maintain the reading) that all the Brethren might joyn with them in prayer to mediate on th [...]ir be­half: all this is done to set forth repentance; to judge our selves that we may not be judged, to be thus severe, that God [Page 22]might be remiss; Cùm provolvit hominem, magìs relevat; cùm Jqualidum facit, magìs mundatum reddit; cùm accusat, excusat; cùm condemnat, absolvit. and the property of this discipline is, by casting down to extoll, by sullying to purge, by accu­sing to excuse, by condemning to absolve, and by not sparing, to procure God to spare us. This publication of our selves con­trary to the ingenit pride of nature, kept back many (even in his dayes when worldly respects were less set by) and the en­suing shame, from the performance of this duty; of whom he complaineth, that they preserved worldly credit before heavenly safe­ty; Pudoris magìs memores quàm salutis, velut illi qui in partibus verecundioribus corporis con­tracta vexatione, conscientiam Medentium vi­tant, & ità cum erubescentia sua pereunt. not unlike to such that being diseased in those members (the very naming whereof modesty hath lockt up in silence) chuse rather bashfully to perish, than to present them to be cured to the Chirurgions hands. Non potest cor­pus de unius membri vexati­one laetum age­re, condoleat universum, & ad remedium conlaboret, ne­cesse est. The Father re­moves this unseasonable shame, which were better placed be­fore sin, than after; adding that the spectators in this act are his fellow members of the same body; and what member will triumph to see another grieved and in misery? especially in such a body where Christ is the head, who feels in heaven, and cries out when his members are kickt at by persecutors be­low. Therefore when hold is laid by doleful sinners of the Bro­threns knees Haec supplices attingunt, ad haec manus tendunt, haec ut aras adorant. Plin. hist. l. 11. c. 45. [...]. Homer. iliad. l. 5. (and knees are the Altars where suppliants offer up their requests for grace, and pity) Christ is taken hold of, Cùm te ad fratrum genua protendas, Christum contrectas, christum exoras, Christus patitur. Christ is intreated, Christ is a patient on the Pe­nitents behalf, bemoaning his sor­rows, putting his tears into his bot­tle, recording all his sighs in his book, binding up his wounds, and pouring the oyl and wine of consolation into them; tread in this case all shame under foot, An melius est damnatum la­tere, quam pa­lam absolvi? In asperitudine sacci & horro­re cineris, & oris de jejunio. and prefer open absolution be­fore secret guilt: And though our bodies are for the time be­smear'd with dust, and wrapp'd with hair-cloth; though our vi­sages be pale, and lurid with fasting; our hair dischiveld, not platted, nor crisped; and no fucus, no frication applied to revive a decayed complexion; the soul Christs spouse never appears in a better dress, nor more lovely chaste to her husband, than when [Page 23]the body is less adorned. Surely the tinkling ornaments, Es. 3.18, 19, 20 Num ergo in coccino & Ty­rio pro delictis supplicare nos convenit? Poeniten iam, & ministe i­um ejus exomo­log [...]sin. Cyprian. and caules, the round tires like the moon, the changeable suits of ap­parel, the wimples, and the crisping pins, the glasses, and hoods, and veiles, are very unmeet furniture for repentance; even Tyre it self (had the means been offered) had laid aside the Tyrian robe, for sack-cloth, and ashes. This was the discipline up in Tertullians days, which is the ministery, and act, or exercise of Repentance, rather than the virtue it self.

After the Master let his Scholar take place, Saint Cy­prian, with whom the conversation of a Penitent is thus expres­sed; He must (saith he) be very in­tent upon prayers, and supplications, Orare oportet impensiùs & rogare, diem luct [...] ­transigere, vigiliis noctes & fletibus ducere, — stratos solo adhaerere cineri, in cilicio vo­lutari & sordibus; post indumentum Christi perditum, nullum jam velle vesttum; post Diaboli cibum malle jejunium; justis operibus incumbere, quibus peccata purgantur; Eleemo­synis frequenter insistere, quibus à morte an [...] ­mae liberantur. Cyprian. passing away the day in heaviness, the night in watching and weeping; lie prostrate he must upon the ground, be­spread with ashes, rolling in sack-cloth and mire; he must away with no gar­ment having lost that of Christs; pre­forring fasting, having fed upon the Devils dish; and be imployed upon good works, by which sins are cleansed; and given to alms-deeds whereby souls are de­livered from death See (Christian Reader) the strictness of those times; how hardly sinners were taxed. True Converts stuck not at such penances to purchase Gods favour, the loss whereof they he'd dearer than their lives, and for whose sake they shed bloud as we [...]l as tears: marvel not at the rigid Peni­tents of that age which was so pregnant of faithful Martyrs, and let not those passages trouble thee, viz. Good works cleanse from sin, that is they sanctifie (not justifie) the doers; and purge out sin [...]. Cl [...]m. Al. Peccata bonis operibus pur­gantur, quia contrario habi­tu expellun­tur. El emosynae nou liberant à morte, sed in ipsis Eleemo­synis D [...]us. Hostieus. as one contrary doth another; and almes deliver from death, that is, God delivereth from death such as are rich in almes, and good works: far be it from this B. Martyr to intitle good works of what kind soever, to the virtue of that bloud which only ran in our Saviours veines. Now the order observed in this discipline may be collected from a passage in the same Father, blaming the preposterous re­concilement of some where the same was omitted, thus; [Page 24] The penance as yet not performed, Non dum poenitenti â factâ, nondum exomolo­gesi fiaitâ, nondum manu eis ab Episcopo & clero impositâ, Eucharistia illis datur. Cypr. lib. 3. Epist. 14. the publick confession not perfected, the hands of the Bishop and Clergie not being imposed upon them, and for all this they are admitted to the Eucha [...]ist. The order then as B. Rhenanus collects was in this manner;

• First, the peni­tents resorted to the Priests, and made their sins known unto them.
  Discimus hunc olim in Ecclesia servatum ordi­nem, ut

  • 1. sieret confessio criminum apud sacerdotes Dei.
  • 2. hanc sequebatur Poenitentia (quae & praecesserat.)
  • 3. Poenitentiam exci­piebat exomologesis.
  • 4. quam subsiqu batur impositio manûs Episcopi ac Cleri: hâc factâ, da­batur Eucharistia, & sic reconciliatio.

  B. Rhen. annotat. ad Tertul. de Poenit.
• 2. Then was their penance prescribed.
• 3. Next the publick denunciation of their offences in the face of the assembly.
• 4. Afterwards their reconcilem [...]nt by imposition of hands from the Bishop, and the Clergie, and their admittance to participate of the blessed Sacrament.

Saint Basil writing upon those words of the Psalme, Basil. M. He loveth mercy and justice, demonstrateth how God is inclined to both of these virtues, that all his acts are mixt and composed of them both, and how he practiseth the one upon Penitent, the other upon obdurate sinners; [...]. Basil. in Ps. 32. sub fins. gr. pag. 84. Basilcae. An. Dom. 1551. and withall describeth the behaviour and carriage of a Penitent to obtain mercy. If God shall find thee humble and bruised for thy sin; there's the in­ward contrition of a wounded heart, the first and principal in­gredient in this Medicinal Penance; lamenting very much, and bewailing thy evil works, there's [...] howling and weep [...]ng, the expressions of inward sorrow; Publishing with­out shame the things that were done in secret; there's Exhomolo­gesis, solemn and open Confession; petitioning the Brethren to further, and labour thy safety and recovery; there's supplication to make the Church thy advocate; and when he shall behold thee thus wholly miserable, and pensive, he will confer upon thee his abundant mercy; there's the Penitents reconciliation, and ab­solution: there go then inward grief, outward sorrow, open confession, humble supplication, all these fore-runners unto mercy, and reconciliation.

In Ambrose you shall meet with frequent mention of Ambrose. this Disciplius, especially where repentance is his theme. If a man have sinned secretly, Si quis occulta crimina habens, propter Chri­stum tamen studiosè poenitentiam egerit, quo­modo istic repetit, si ei communio non refun­ditur; volo veniam reus speret, petat eam la­crimis, petat gemitibus, petat populi totius fletibus, ut ignoscatur obsecret; & cùm se­cundò, & tertiò fuit dilata ejus communio, credat remussiù [...] se supplicasse; fletus augeat, &c.— Cognovi quosdam in poenitentia sulcasse vultum lacrimis, exarasse continuis fl [...]tibus genas, stravisse corpus suum calcandum omnibus, jejuno ore semper & pallido mortis speciem spiranti in corpore praetulisse. Ambr. lib. 1. de poen. c. 10. and shall for Christs sake have [...]ndergone penance, what ben fit reapeth he if not restored to the communion of Sa [...]nts? my desi [...]e is the guilty person hope well, intreat for his state with weeping, with\ sighing, with the tears of the people; that he become a suiter for pardon, and although his request be once and again deferred, let him imagine he hath been to [...] remiss and cold in his prayers, and forthwith enlarge his tears, &c. Then he tells us what penitents his eyes had seen: I have known some in their pe­nance to have furrowed their countenance with tears; to have plowed up their eye-lids with continual weeping; to have prostra­ted their bodies to be trampled on by all; of so pale and fasting a visage, that they seemed to set forth the picture of death in a brea­thing and panting body. The same Father further addeth con­cerning the restrained life of such a Penitent in another place thus; He must renounce the world, cut his sleep shorter than nature would, Reaunciandum seculo est, somno ipsi minùs indulgendum quàm natura postulat, interpel­landus est gemitibus, interrumpendus est suspi­riis, sequestrandus orationibus, vivendum ita ut vitali huic moriamur usui: seipsum sibi homo abneget, ut totus mutetur. Id. ib. lib. 2. cap. 10. break is [...]ff with sighes, interrupt it with groanings, sequestring the time thereof unto prayer, so to live as if he were dead to all worldly affairs, to de­ny himself, and to be wholly changed. So great was the austerity and shame usually attending upon this discipline in his dayes, that he tells us of some frighted with the conscience of their sins, would de­mand penance, and upon the apprehension of the strict way thereof, would start back, and rec [...]il from the performance; and such seem to ask p [...]nance as offenders, but would undertake no otherwise than as if they were just. Plerique peccatorum snorum conscii poeni­tentiam petunt, & cùm acceperint, publicae supplication is revocantur pudore; hi vid [...]n [...]r malorum petisse poenitentiam, agere bon [...] 2. Some crave penance but it must be short, and they [Page 26]of [...]soones taken into the Commu­nion, Nonnulli poseunt poenitentiam, ut statim sibi reddi communionem velint, hi non tam se sol­vere cupiunt, quàm Sacerdotem ligare.— Alii propositâ spe agendae poeniten [...]iae, licenti­am sibi delinquendi propagatam putant, cùm poenitentia remedium peccati sit, non inciti­vum; vulneri enim medicamentum necessari­um est, non vulnus medicamento; quia prop­ter vulnus medicamentum quaeritur, non prop­ter medicamentum vulnus desideratur. Amor. l. 2. de. poen. c. 9. these seek not so much to loose themselves, as to bind the Priest 3. A third upon hope of doing penance, and gaining pardon one day, license themselves in mischief, and to proceed in sinning; but in vain, se [...]ing Repentance is a remedy against sin, not an incourage­ment thereunto: salve is propared for the wound, not the wound for salve; and the Medicine is requi­red for the hurt, not the hurt for the Medicine. This good man endeavoured to arm his people against that which retarded, and took off so many from making use of this balme of Gilead, this healing penance, namely, Publick shame. Art thou loth to do this in the Church, to supplicate unto God, Hoc in Ecclesia facere fastidis, ut Deo sup­plices, ut patrocinium tihi ad Deum obsecran­dum sanctae Plebis rëquiras; ubi nihil est quod pudori esse debeat, nisi non fateri, cùm Om­nes simus peccatores: [...]hi ille laudabilior qui hu­milior, ille justior qui sibi abjectior. Id. ib. c. 10. to request the holy assembly to plead on thy behalf unto him, where there can be no place for shame, except not to confess, seeing we are all sinners; and where he deserves more praise that's more humble, and is the more righteous in Gods sight, the more vile he seemeth to himself?

The order then observed in the undergoing of this duty may be seen in Saint Ambrose also, who exhorting us to the same, while we are in bodily health, and perfect memory, alleaging likewise how uncertain in the event late Repentance is, hath these words; Man knoweth not if he shall take his penance, Nescit si possit ipsam poenitentiam accipere, & confiteri Deo & Sacerdoti peccata sua,— ergo qui egerit veraciter poenitentiam, & so­lutus fuerit à ligamento quo er at constrictus, & à Christi corpore separatus; & bene post poe­nitentiam vixerit, & post re [...]onciliationent cum defunctus fuerit, ad Dominum vadit, ad requiom vadit, a popule Diabotis separabitur. [...]bort. ad poenir. and to the Priest his sins [...] and a little before; He that shall have done his penance, and be absolved from the bond wherewithall he was holden, and sopurated from the body of Christ, and shall have led a good life after Re­pentanes and dyin [...] after reconciliati­on, that man gooth to the Lord, to rest, [Page 27]shall not be deprived of the kingdome of God, and shall be separated from the people of Satan. Wherein I note these things;

• 1. The abstontion of a sinner, and separation from the Church, in those words, ligamento quo erat constrictus, & à corpore Christi sepa­ratus, expresly mentioning the spiritual bond, and censure.
• 2. His admission to his penance, nescit si possit ipsam poenitentiam accipere; for with Ambrose poenitentiam agere points at inter­cal contrition, & poenitentiam accipere at the external Ministery, and declaration thereof by publick Penance.
• 3. This Disci­pline consisted in open confession of sin before God, his Priests, and people; the sinner desiring their prayers on his behalf, to which these words relate, confiteri Deo, & sacerdoti peccata sua, joyned with some passages in the former testimony.
• 4. His Reconciliation and absolution, whereby the censure is removed, the bond loosed, and the separated person again restored, in those words, & solutus fuerit à ligamento & post reconciliatione [...], &c.
• 5. His carriage after his reconciliation, viz. the fruits of repentance, a good life, which the Father thus describeth; Tell us how to de­mean our selves after repentance;
  Quid est bene vivere post poenitentiam dote nos: dico vobis abstinere ab ebrin sitate, a concupiscentia, à furto, à malo eloquio, ab immoderato risu, à verbo otioso undè reddituri homines sunt rationem in die judicii. Ecce quàm levia dixi, ut tacerem gravia & pesti­fera. Ambr. ib.
  I say unto you, abstain [...] from drunken­ness, from concupiscence, from theft, from evil speaking, from immoderate laughter, from idle words, whereof ac­count must be made; I mention these light faults, to say nothing of greater crimes. And thus much from Saint Ambrose.

St. Augustine mentioneth the in junction of this publick Con. Augustine fession for notorious offences, thus: If the Penitents sin do not [...]ne [...] ly redound to his own mischief, but al­so unto much scandal of others; Si peccatum oj us non solùm in gravi ejus malo, sed etiam in tanto scandalo est aliorum, atque hoc expedire utilitati ecclesiae videtur Antisti­ti, in notitiâ multorum vel etiam totius plebis agere poenitentiam non recuset, non resistat, non lethali & mortiferae plagae per pudorem addat tumorem. Aug. homil. 50. ult. tom. 10. and the Bishop shall think it expodient for the profit of the Church, let him not re­fuse to recognize his penance in the pre­sence of many, yea of all the people; let him not resist, let him not by his shamefastness add swelling to his dead­ly and mortal wound: And the same [Page 28] Doctor in another place touching the usual impediments that cross this pra­ctice of piety, Nam & ipsa poenitentia, quando digna est causa secundum morem ecclesiae ut agatur, plerum (que) infirmitate non agitur, quia & ou­dor, & timor est displicendi, dum plùs of le­ctat hominum astimatio, qu [...]m justitia qua quisque se humiliat poeaitendo; undè non so­lùm cùm agitur Poenitentia, sed ut agatur, Dei misericordia necessaria est. Aug. Enehi­rid. Qu. 81. saith, when there is just cause for the under going of penance ac­cording to the custome of the Church, of t [...]imes the same is put off through weakness; because the fear and shame therein are displeasing; credit and estimation amongst men delighting more than justice, whereby a man humbleth himself in repenting; whence it is that the mercy of God is requisite, not onely for the undergoing of penance, but for the undertaking thereof also.

Ecclesiastical story.In the story of the Church the solemn practice hereof is thus recorded: The guilty persons stand afar off much lamenting their offences, and while the sacred service of the Church is celebrating, Stant Rei, & velut in lamentationibus con­stituti, dum enim sacra Celebratio fuerit ad­impleta, illi communionem non percipientes, cum gemitu, & lamentatione seipsos in terram pro­sternunt, ad quos concurrens Episcopus, & ipse cum lacrimis, & gemit [...] spirituali proster­nitur, & omnis Ecclesiae plebs fletibus munda­tur: post hoc autem prior surgit Episcopus, & elevat jacentes à terra, tum competenti pro poenitentibus factâ oratione, dimittit omnes. At illi afflictionibus sponte vacantes, aut jejuniis, aut abstinon iâ lavacri, aut suspensione Cibo­rum, aut rebus ali is quae jubentur, expectant Communionis tempus, quod decrevit Episco­pus; constituto verò tempore, velut quoddam debitum exolventes, afflictione peccatorum curati cum populo communione participantur. Hist. Tripart. cap. 35. they not communicating cast themselves upon the ground with groans, and mourn­ing; to whom the Bishop approcheth, and spreads himself upon the earth also with like lamentations, and the whole Church is over flown with tears: after some space the Bishop first riseth, and then raiseth them from the earth also; then prayer and supplication being made on the penitents behalf, he sonds them away. But they wholly and wil­lingly give up themselves to affliction and fasting; abstaining from Baths, and such meats, and all such things as are injoyned them to forbear; ex­pecting the day of restitution decreed by the Bishop: and, at the t [...]me appointed, having d [...]scharged (as it were) a certain debt; and being made sound from their sins, are restored to the commu­nion of the people of God. Here we may perceive that after the Pe­nitents had published themselves, and their sins in the face of the Church, they were not forthwith admitted to participate, but a time of forbearance not onely from the sacred Communion, [Page 29]but from such meats, apparel, places of solace, and recreati­on (which otherwise might be moderately used,) was injoyned by the Bishop, who prescribed rules of fasting, affliction, and such like subduing of the flesh for a season: that such persons as had been more loose in their former conversation than others, should be restrained above others, according to the measure of their iniquities, that by the practice of such contra­ry virtues the contrary vices might be expelled; the ordering of which limitation, and the relaxation thereof, was wholly in the Bishops power, and discretion; who having heard the na­ture of their disease, prescribed such medicines as might best comply for the healing thereof. I dare not say the sins of those times were greater than ours, but I dare say the conscience they made of sin was greater, and appeal to impartial Readers, that if this discipline were on foot, and sinners could not come by reconciliation any other way, nor the holy Sacraments ad­ministred to any publick offenders without good proof, and demonstration of a solemn repentance: Let I say spiritual men judge, whether beinous offences would not be more rarely committed; if men would not stand more in awe, and sin not; if the keyes of the Church would not be of more soveraign use, and remedy; if Repentance would not be more seriously per­formed, wounded Conscience better pacified, the Church less scandalized, the blessed Sacrament less profaned, God better pleased with us; and consequently the nerves of all religious devotion more entirely confirmed.

Come we now to examples of such Penitents as have submit­ted their necks to the yoke of this discipline, and have found much ease thereby. In old Irenaus there is mention of certain women who being seduced and corrupted by Mark the here­tick, upon their conversion did open penance, In manifesto faciebant exomologesin, plan­gentes, & lamentantes corruptelam. Quae­dam v [...]rù ad exomologesin illam non accede­bant, in silentio desperantes de vita Deì Iren. lib. 1. c. 9. weeping and lamenting their former subversion, and some under­ment not that penance as dospairing of the mercy of God. And Eusebius re­lateth, that when Philip the Empe­rour, son to Gordianus (who injoyed the Laurel, An. Dom. 246) [Page 30]being a Christian resorted to the Church at Easter to communicate; Cum in die Pasche, i. e. in ipsis vigili is interesse voluisset, & communicare Mysteri is, ab Episoopo loci non priùs esse permissum, nisi confiteretur peccata sua; & inter poenitentes staret; nec ullo modo copiam sibi Mysteriorum futuram, nisi priùs per poenitentiam culpas, quae de eo ferebantur plurimae, diluisset; fe­runt igitur libenter eum, quod à sacerdote im­peratum fuerat suscepisse, divinum sibi inesse metum, & fidem Religionis plenissimam rebus atque operibus comprobando. Euseb. Eccl. hist. l. 6. c. 25. ex versione Ruffini, nam Grae­ca non sunt ad manum. he was not permitted by the Bishop of that place [...] unless he would confess his sins, and rank himself among the Penitents; nor could the Bishop be brought by any means to ad­minister the Eucharist unto him, ex­cept he first washed away those many sins (whereof he was infamous) by Repentance: the report goeth, that he obeyed the Bishops injunction, eviden­cing by his actions that the fear of God, and sound faith of Religion was within his breast. There are that doubt what religion this Emperour was of, some affirming him to be a Christian, Quidam Christianum fuisse, quidam cul­tum Christianum simulasse, alii matr [...]m ejus ab origine audisse mysteria religionis nostrae tra­dunt. Aventin. hist. Bowr. l. 2. p. 177. some again that he did dissemble that profession; others that his mother onely was instructed in the mysteries of the Christian faith. This is certain, that Lactantius and Ambrose affirme Constan­tine to be the first that planted the Cross of Christ upon the Imperial Crown: and Eusebius himself tells us that he came by the former story but by report onely. The same Author makes relation of one Natalis, who being seduced by certain Hereticks to be of their faction, to gain a Bishoprick, and an annual pension, was oftentimes admo­nished in his dreams, Frequenter admonebatur in somni is à Domi­no.— ad ultimum à sanctis Angelis per totam noctem verberatus, & poenis gravibus excruciatus, cilicio se induit, & cinere con­spergit, ac multis lacrimis errorem suum de­flens, ante pedes Zepherini Episcopi proster­nit, & vestigiis omnium, non modo Clericorum, sed & Laicorum multa cum lamentatione pro­volutus, &c. Euseb. Eccl hist. lib. 5. c. 28. how Jesus Christ would not the destruction of him, that had made so many and so good confes­sions of him under the Cross; to which he (it seemeth) giving little credit, was not long after for a whole night well scourged, and tortured by Angels; in the morning he gate up, put on sack­cloth, and did ashes on his head, and with many tears bewailed his apostasic; he prostrated himself at the feet of Zepherine the Bishop, and of all the Clergie, and Laity also, in so lamentable wise, as he moved the whole Church to [Page 31]tears, and compassion, that by their prayers he might obtain from Christ forgiveness, shewing forth the sears and wounds he had endured for his name; and at length with much dissienlty he was restored.

The next news to me occurring of the voice of this tur­tle, Fabiola. is the example of a Roman Dame Fabiola, drawn to the life by that excellent Artist Saint Hicrome; Umbram quan­dam miserabi­lis subire con­jugii, quàm sub gloriâ univirae opera exercere meretricum. her sin was (if I dare call it so) the repudiating of her former husband for adul­tery, and (he yet living) the marrying of another, which al­though Hierome stile the shadow of a miserable marriage, yet confessing the fault, he avoideth the same by a necessity of better to marry th [...] to burn, and, I will that y [...]onger widows mar­ry, &c. and prefers it before the credit of being the wife of one husband, and to play the Harlot; shewing that he disliked such marriages as unexpedient, not disapproving them as un­lawful. He limns her penance with this pensil, How she came forth wrapped in sackcloth to make publick confession of her errour before the people of Rome; Saccum induere ut errare [...] publicè fatere­tur, & tatâ urbe spectante Romanâ, ante di­em Paschae in Basilica quondam Laterani staret i [...] ordine poenitentium; Episcopo, Presbyteris, & omni populo collacrimantibus, sparsum cri­nem, ora lurida, squalidas manus, sordi­da colla submitteret. Quae peccata fletus iste non purget? quas inveteratas m [...]culas haec la­menta non abluant? — Aperuit cunctis vul [...]us suum, & decolorem in corpore cicatri­cem flens Rom [...] conspexit; dissuta habuit la­tera, nudum caput, clausum os; non est ingressa Eccl [...]siam Domini, sed extra castra cum Maria sorore Mosi separata, consedit, ut quam sacerdos ejecerat ipse revocaret, descen­dit d [...]solio d [...]liciarum suarum; accepit mo­lam, fecit farinam, & discal [...]i [...]is pedibus transivit fluenta lacrimarum, sedit super car­bones ignis, hi f [...]êre in adjutorium: Fa­ciem per quam secundo viro placuerat verbe­rabat, oderat gemmas, linteamina videre non poterat, ornam [...]nta fugiebat, sic dolebat qu [...] adulterium comm [...]sisset, & multis impendiis medicaminum unum vulnus sanare cupiebat.— Recep â sub occulis omnis Ecclesiae communio­ne. Hierom, ad Ocean. Epitaph. Fab. how a litle before Easter she resorted to the Lateran Church, rank­ing her self among the Penitents; the Bishop, the Priests, and the whole as­simbly bemoaning with her; her hair diffufed, or carelesly spread; her coun­tenance wan and doleful; her sordid neck and hands besmeared with such tears as could wash away any sin, with such mourning as could fetch out any spots: and elsewhere; she laid open h [...] offence to all, Rome beheld, and not with dry eyes, her disfigured and ill coloured wound; her coats rip'd and un­s [...]w [...]d, h [...] head naked, her face veil­ed; she entred not into the Church of God, but like Miriam, Moses sister, separated from the Camp: she abode without, that the Priest, who had cast h [...]r forth, might call her in. She came [Page 32]down from her castle of pleasure, she took the mill-stones, and ground the meale, and making bare the leg passed through the ri­ver of tears, sate upon the coles of fire, which were a help unto her; buffeting that face which was her second husbands felicity: She hated jewels, no linen napry within her eyes; she eschewed all ornaments, and so took on as if guilty of adultery; applying divers plasters for the curation of one wound; and so in the view of the whole Church was received to the Communion. Where to say nothing of this Matrons sin, in her penance we may take notice of these steps;

• 1. Of the exclusion, and barring of bay­nous offenders from the assembly of Christians, in that she was shut out from the Church, as Miriam from the tent.
• 2. That there was a set place, and time, where the penitents ftood, and when they performed their penance, in that she set her self amongst them, and resorted to the Church a little before Easter.
• 3. The manner thereof; her habit mournful, her hair loose, her eyes full of tears, her countenance cast down, and all things about her instruments and tokens of sorrow.
• 4. The Confession of her sin was publick before the Bishop, his Clergy,
  Aparet tempo­re Hieronymi clanculariam confessionem institutam non suisse. Erasm. schol. in Epi­taph. Fabiolae.
  and his people, (for private confession, if you be­leeve Erasmus, was not yet set up.)
• 5. The Clergy, and Peo­ple were all of them indulgent in compassionating the state of such Christian abjects.
• 6. And lastly, the censure was taken away, and the penitent reconciled.

The succeeding times were not so pregnant in examples of this kind, by reason that this discipline was for a while discon­tinued, but set on foot again by the power of Charles the great, and the Fathers assembled in the fourth Council at Arles, Concil. Are-Int. 4. c. 26. an. 800. ac­cording to the direction of the ancient Canous; and not long after chanced that remarkable Penance of Fulco Norra Earl of Anjou, Accompagnè seulement de six valets, au­quelles il fit [...]rer de faire [...] 2 qu'il leur [...]ommanderoit, commanda à l'un de eux de lui mettre la corde à Col, & le tirer par icella à S. Sepulcre, & à deux autres de prendre des verges, & de le fouetter l [...]n rudement, encores qu'il eut les espaules de schiquetées de coups de verges, il print la poigne de l'un de [...]ux, & redoubla bien plus rudiment, que n'avoient se [...] serviteurs. for murdering of his Nephew and Pupill the young Count de Nantes, so rack'd and tortured in his conscience, which to appease he went on pilgrimage to the S. Sepulchre as Jerusa­lem, attended with six servants whom he obliged by oath to execute [Page 33]whatsoever he should command; entred into the Sepulchre, forth­with he strips himself into his skin, and commandeth one of his ser­vants to fasten a rope to his neck, and bind him thereunto, and two others to whip him soundly with cords; exposing himself to the sight & derision of the Infidels, and purchasing of them free ac­cess to the Sepulchre with great sums of money; after the inflict­ing of many stripes, his servants pittying the furrows, & wounds upon his body, and refusing to scourge him any more, he compassed one of their scourges, and redoubled the blows upon himself in far greater measure than they had done, crying out, Lord receive to grace, Seigneur recoy à pardon le mi­serable parjure, & fugitiff Foulques. A. Thenet vies des hommes illu­stres. Livre 4. c. 2. and pardon the miserable perjur'd fugitive Fulk: after he had performed this solemn penance, he return­ed to his Countrey so esteemed and honoured, his sanctity pur­chasing unto him such renown, as he seemed to have received a Crown at Jerusalem of inestimable value.

So went the world in those dayes, and such conscience was made of sin and sorrow; after that came in the Canonists and School-men, the two supporters of the Roman chair, and this discipline escaped not their hands without some violence and wresting, to serve their own inventions; for whereas in the Primitive times it was prescribed as a sign and expression of inward sorrow, and used as a remedy against sin, and a me­dicine for sin; they make it a satisfa­ction in the scale of justice for pub­lick sin, and in that sense, Poen entia hîc non accipitur pro virtuts, quia ista est in sola voluntate, nec pro Sacra­mento, quia & hujus forus secretissimus est, sed pro satisfactione publica pro publicis pec­catis imposita. Biel. l. 4. dist. 14. Q. 3. dub. 6. as they do their private satisfactions injoyned upon secret confession, and close au­dience, as expiatory, both for the appeasing of Gods anger, and remitting of the offence; an office peculiar to our Saviour. What these men have made of penance you shall hear, Gabr. ubi su­pra. Raimund. tr. 4. Poenitens in die cinerum de­bet se repraesen­tare ante fores Ecclesiae in tri­sti habitu, nudis pedibus, &c. which the Canonists say they have from the Council of Agatho; I will not defraud my Reader there­of, and for his plenary knowledg herein, will compare the narration of a School-man and a Canonist, that is Gabriel Biel, and Raymundus, and thus it goes.

About the beginning of Lent, that is upon Ash-wednesday, such sinners that are designed to undergo this solemn penance, must present themselves at the Church door before the Bishop [Page 34]of the place, and his Clergie, in sackcloth, naked on the head and feet, their countenance dejected, and cast down to the earth, professing by their very habit and look their guilt. The Bishop then attending with his Cler­gie, brings them into the Church, Episcopus se prosternens in terram, dicat cum Clericis, 7. poenitentiales Psalmos, cum lacri­mis, pro earum absolutione,—tunc manus im­ponat, aquam benedictam super eos spargat, cinerem pòst mittat. and all prostrated on the ground; he reciteth over them with tears the seven penitential Psalmes for their absoluti­on; after he hath prayed, standing up he laieth his hands upon them, and sprinkleth them with holy wa­ter, and putteth ashes upon their heads, and covereth them with sackcloth, and denounceth unto them, that look how Adam was cast forth of Paradise, Sicut Adam suit de paradiso ejectus, ita isti pro peccatis suis ab Ecclesia abjiciuntur; postea jubet (Episcopus) Ministros, n [...] eos extra januas Ecclesiae expellant, Clerus verò prosequatur eos cùm responsorio, In sudore vul­t [...]s tui vesceris pane tuo. so are they for their sins ex­pelled from the Church; which sen­tence is no sooner given, than some of his Ministers are commanded by him to drive them out, the Clergie prose­cuting, either singing, or saying the Respond, In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread; that beholding the Church so trou­bled for their sins, they may not slight their penance. Ʋpon Maun­dy Thursday they return again, and are brought in by the Deane, In coena Domini à Decano rursus Ecclesiae prasentantur, & licèt-stent in Ecclesia, non tamen communicabant cum aliis in Euchari­stia, vel oscula, & sic erunt usque ad octa­vam Paschae, & tunc iterùm exibunt de Ec­clesia, & erunt extra Ecclesiam usque ad ta­lem diem sequentis anni; & sic fiet annuatim, usque ad finem Poenitentiae. Ex Gabr. & Ray­mundo. or some Priest of good respect, where they neither com­municate in the Eucharist, nor in the Pax, and so they continue till the Ʋtas of Easter, and then they depart away from the Church, and are not admit­ted till the Ash-wednesday following; and this course to hold every year, till the date of their penance be expired, and they perfectly restored.

Ritus ista hodiè in nullis ( so I read for non­nullis in the copy I use) vel paucissimis Ec­clesiis observa­our.This Rite Gabriel confesseth in his dayes seldome to be pra­ctised in any Church, and we see how in tract of time it had gathered some rust and dross of superstition, very incident to exercises of this kind. A Penance (they say) not to be inflict­ed on all sorts of people, as the Clergy are exempted for the honour of their order, and young men for the solemnity of the discipline, and that but once upon any. Indeed Saint Am­brose [Page 35]inclines to this opinion, who reprehending the inordi­nate use of such persons as frequent such heynous offences, Meritò reprehenduntur qui saepiùs agendam poenitentiam putant, qui luxuriantur in Chri­sto; nam si verè agerent poenitentiam, iteran­dum postea non putarent, quia sicut unum ba­ptisma, ita una poenitentia; quae tamen publicè agitur, nam quotidiani nos debet poenitere pec­cati; sed haec delictorum leviorum, illa gravie­rum. Ambr. l. 2. de Poen. c. 10. for which publick penance is injoyned, affirm­eth that if such sinners had sincerely repented, and in their hearts detest­ed sin so much as they made shew to do, this Physick once taken would have wrought so perfect a cure upon them, as there could be no fear of relapse, nor further use of any Medicine of that nature; and the same Father seems also to have no good liking of that disease, or Patient, where this Physick will not work: and in those severe times lapsed sinners already disciplined, were neither restored to publick penance, nor to the publick Communion; after which publick penance (saith Petavius) if again they intangle them­selves with the same sins, Post illam poenitentiam, si iisdem se crimi­nibus obstrinxissent, ab Ecclesiae aditu & à mysteriorum communione penitùs exclusi, re­conciliari ampliùs non poterant. D. Petav. animadvers. in Epiphan. haer. 59. p. 239. they altoge­ther shut out from the Church and par­ticipation of the mysteries, could never after be reconciled; for to Christians there belongeth one Baptisme where­by they are bound unto the Church, [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 2. pag. 282. so one penance publickly to be performed. Surely in Christian policy there are great rea­sons why this Penance should not be reiterated; for the Christian Church may well grow jealous of that party as defective in the inward compunction of the heart, that his affections were not fully taken off from sin, and that he had no perfect hatred thereof, (and by consequent not disposed to this discipline, where the sign and thing signified, namely internal and exter­nal sorrow are both required) that shall make no bones of fal­ling into the same, or like grievous offences, for which he un­derwent so great a shame, and made so solemn a detestation thereof; the Ancients therefore suspend their judgments in that sinners case. God, saith Epiphanius, [...]. Epiphan. lib. 2. hares. 59. tem. 1. p. 498. accepteth the penance of a sinner that falleth after Baptisme, but what shall become of him if [Page 36]he sin after penance, he onely knoweth whose judgments are past finding out. And because the wayes of Gods mercy are past finding out, such a lapsed sinner may not be uncapable of pardon, although of penance, and may find reconciliation at Gods hands, although his servants are fearful to intermeddle therein, not as envying Gods mercy, like Jonas to Nineveh, or denying lapsed sinners to be capable thereof, as Novatian, but careful onely not to exceed their Lords instructions, and commission: although (saith Austin) a place for humble penance be denied in the Church, Quamvis eis in Ecclesia locus humillima poenitentiae non concedatar, Deus tamen super cos suae poenitentiae non obliviscitur. God will not be unmind­ful of his patience towards them; where the Father relating the works of piety, and labour of contrition performed by such relapsed sinners, demandeth, shall they avail them nothing after­wards? Nihil ista proderunt in posterum? avertat Deus tam immanem sacrilega [...] (que) dementiam. Aug. Epist. 54. God defend us from so sa­vage and sacrilegious madness; for God in whose hands are all mens hearts, can soften and harden, and make them malleable, which no man can do; Psal. 51. he can create a new heart, and renew a right spirit; a piece of work which none but he can do; It is he that gives repentance, 2 Tim. 2.25. and he can best discern of the effect and operati­on, that grants the influence. This being certain, where true contrition is, there is remission of sin, and where Repentance is Gods own work, the Contrition is unfeigned, and the par­don sealed; insomuch that two passages in the sixth and tenth Chapters to the Hebrews, that seem less favourable and equal to lapsed sinners, the one taking away Repentance, and the other the Sacrifice for pardon, (which drew many into a hard conceit of the Author, and Epistle it self, although the errour lay onely in the misapprehension) have been often urged by the old Precisians, and as often vindicated by the old Pathers: whereof I will give my Reader a taste, before I come clean off from this subject.

In the Epistle thus, It is impossible that those who were [...]nce inlightned, Heb. 6.4, 5, 6, &c. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucifie to themselves afresh the Son of God, and put him to open shame; where to such persons initiated [Page 37]in the holy mysteries of Christianity, and fallen away, all pos­sibility of renewing by repentance is taken away, as guilty of another crucifying of Christ, and opprobry towards him. A re­pentance is there denied, it cannot be denied, and denied to them that were formerly baptized into the Christian faith is ap­parent also. Such then cannot be renewed, that is, in such a manner as at their first admission into Christianity, which was by Baptisme, and imposition of hands; it comes home then as if the Apostle had said, such as were at the first received into Baptisme, and thereby obtained the remission of sins, if such fall, they are not so to be renewed, that is by a second Baptisme of Repentance, the solemnization whereof is but once to one party; so lapsed sinners may be renewed, but not after that way. As virginity once lost cannot corporally be restored, yet the lost credit may be repaired by a chast conversation after­wards; so the lapsed sinner after Baptisme [...], saith Epiphanius, hath another salve though not another bath. Epiphan. lib. 2. contr. haetes. tom. 1. p. 494. And this to be the Aposties meaning. Saint Chrysostome makes good by a twofold reason; First, because mention is made of a fresh crucifying of the Son of God; for after he had said, [...]. it is impossible to be renewed to repentance, he keeps not there silence, but addeth crucifying afresh, &c. now Baptisme is a figure of the Cross of Christ; and as it was not for Christ to be crucified again, no more is it for a Christian to be again baptized; and as he died but once, so are we but once baptized. [...]. Secondly, the word [...], to be renewed, proveth baptisme to be meant, for that's the Sacrament of Renovation, whereby we put on the new man Christ Jesus; with whom agreeth Ambrose; The words them­selves sh [...]w Baptisme to be meant, De baptismate autem dictum verba ipsa de­clarant, quibus, significavit, impossibile esse lapsos renovari per poenitentiam; per lava­crum enim renovamur, per quod renascimur. Ambr. lib. 1. de Poenit. cap. 2. wherein is expressed that it is impossible the lapsed to be renewed by repen­tance; for by that Laver we are re­newed, by which we were born again. [Page 38]the flower of Greece therefore concludeth, what then? is there no more repentance? there is repentance, but there is not a second Baptisme. The Novatian then is not here justified, [...]. Chrys. [...]. ad Hebr. tom. 4. p. 482. but the Anabaptist condemned. So his Disciples and abridgers Theophylact and Oecume­nius tread his paths. What (saith the former) is Repentance cast forth? [...]. The­oph. in Heb. 6.5. God forbid; but a renewing by a second Baptisme is rejected; for Baptisme representing Christs death and passion, there remaineth then no more a second Baptisme than a second Cross. The same Question and Answer is in Oecumenius, who backeth this interpretation by the authority of Cyrill, and by the former reasons used by Saint Chrysostome: 1. Because there is mention of renovation, which properly belongeth unto Baptisme; [...]. Oecumen. and of a second cruci­fying of Christ, & of that properly Ba­ptisme is a type; the man therefore that is once baptized to repentance, and would repent by being again baptized, crucifieth Christ afresh, who in the second Baptisme suffereth the second time; Renovatio per sacri baptisma­tis lavacrum secundâ vice fieri non potest. Ambr. in Heb. cap. 6. Heb. 10.26. and to the same purpose is the exposition under the name of Ambrose, or rather the translation of Saint Chrysostome (as indeed it is) not denying a second repentance, but a second Baptisme to repentance.

But the words that pinch more than the former are, If we sin willingly after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; wherein the benefit denied is the sacrifice for sin, Si ultrò pecca­verimus. Beza. and the parties excepted against, some kind of sinners:

• 1. That sin against their conscience after the receiving of the knowledge of the truth.
  Hostiam iis re­siduam esse ne­gat, qui à Chri­sti nomine dis­cedunt. Calvin. in loc.
• 2. That sin wil­fully, so that sins of ignorance and infirmity exclude not, but onely wilful apostasie, for how can Christ be a sacrifice for such as disclaim him? his sacrifice then remains not for them, because [Page 39]they remain not his, cutting off themselves from the fruit there­of by a voluntary defection.

Saint Chrysostome expoundeth that Sacrifice as formerly, of a second baptisme: He is not (saith he) such an enemy to our salvation as to take away repentance, [...], &c. Chrys. ad Hebr. [...]. p. 533. or the propi­tiation for sin, or to reject him that hath fallen after illumination; what is it then? he taketh away second ba­ptisme, for he saith not, there remain­eth no more repentance; or no more forgiveness, but no more a sacrifice, no more a second Cross, for that he calleth a sacrifice. Hebr. 10.14. By one sacrifice once upon the cross, &c. meaning by that sacrifice Christs death upon the cross, or rather Baptisme, a representative type thereof. The Greek Scholia fasten upon the parties, and bid us consider, that it is not said, if we have, but if we do sin voluntarily, [...]. Oecumen. thereby signifying that to such impenitent sinners as persevere in their wickedness till death, there is no sacrifice; whereby repentance is not ex­cluded, but requred rather as a neces­sary antecedent, q.d. there remaineth a sacrifice for penitent sinners, but none for the impenitent; and Theophylact to the same tune also, If we sin voluntarily, [...]. Theophyt. that is remain in our sins without Repentance. To the same purpose Hugo Cardinalis wri­teth thus, voluntary sin is not fignifi­ed so much, as the custome of sinning, Significatur non solùm peccatum quod v [...] ­luntarie fit, sed consuctudo ipsius peccati, & finalis impoenitentia; non enim ait volenti­bus peccare, sed voluntariè peccantibus; voluntarius enim est qui in aliquo assiduus est, volens qui ad tempus. Hugo Card. ad Hebr. 10. and final impenitency, for he saith not those that sin willingly, but wilfully; for he is said to be wilful in any matter, that is busie and earnest therein, and willing, that is but for aseason. Now where repentance is not, the sacrifice of Christs death is not appliable, and where there is no ceasing. [Page 40]from sin, there is no true Repentance. Thus we see the foun­tain is clear, however false glosses may molest and trouble the stream, for a time, at length it will settle and return to its native clarity; and thus much by occasion of solemn Penance once imposed, and if it savour of a digression, let us return where we left, and perfect the small remainder to be now said of publick Penance.

Late Authors have observed four several degrees which the penitents took in those austere dayes; 1. [...]. fletus, auditio, substra­tio, & consistentia:

• 1. Weeping before the porch,
• 2. hearing in the porch,
  2. [...].
• 3. lying all along on the Church pavement in expectation of the Bishops prayer and blessing;
  3. [...].
  so called (as witnesseth a great Antiquary à procidendo,
  4. [...].
  because the penitent admitted within the porch of the Tem­ple, sell down before the Bishop,
  [...] est dicta quod [...], h.e. coram Episcopo procid bat poenitens [...], intra Templi portam admis­sus, cum catechumenis facessere jubebatur, ac certis diebus coram Episcopo procidens, imposi­tione manuum, ac solenni precatione imperti­tus, dimitti sol [...]bat. D. Petavius animad­vers. in Epiph. haer. 59.
  and was commanded to depart thence with the Catechumeni, and so prostrating him­self before the Bishop at certain times, was dismissed with imposition of hands, and solemn prayer:

the fourth ap­proch was standing with the assem­bly within the Church; where they communicated with the faithful in the station and consistency, [...]. Thaumaturgus. but not in the Communion, and were not put forth like profane Merchandizers; partaking of the Orizons of the Church, but not of the Sacrament. Thus they made their approches to the Lords Table by degrees; and not like the Gallants of our times that are no sooner up from the Table of Devils, charged with glut­tony and surfeiting, but without any let or check of consci­ence become very confident guests at that Spiritual Banquet; yea, scarce cold from their sin, and their evening surfeit undi­gested, but they present themselves at the Lords Boord. Good God! what terrour must needs possess such profane breasts, when the Master of that feast shall shake them by the sleeve, with a Friend how camest thou hither not having on thy wedding garment?

As the degrees which they observed, so the places where the penitents stood were designed also; Lib. 1. de, P [...]e­nit. cap. 23. Bellarmine hath set them down out of Pacianus thus: The Penitents in habit doleful, and to behold lamentable, stood first at the Church door, howling at the gates, and craving the prayers of the faithful within; this was [...]: next they came within the porch, where they might hear the word preached with the Catechumeni, and this was [...]: and they audientes, auditors onely. 3. In process of time they entred into the Oratory, and abode with the Competentes, praying and contemplating the Sacrament, but not admitted as the celebration; this was called [...] from beholding, (wherein the Cardinal not punctually following his guide, is out both in the derivation and application:) After that they were ad­mitted amongst the fideles at the celebration of the Sacrament, but were not yet come so far as to partake thereof; and this was [...], their station. 5. Their penance fully accomplished and ended, they were reconciled and received the sacred Eucharist, and this was [...], the complement. Thus far the Cardinal, (though not so faithfully as he ought) hath related from Pacianus, Greg. Neocaesar, and Photius, men well acquainted with these rites. Thou seest (Christian Reader) at what a distance sinners were held in the dayes of old, and not fully restored, till time and grief had worn out their sin, the scandal satisfied, and their hearts seasoned with devotion. I will wind up this dis­course with Cassander. In the Pri­mitive Church that sluggish professors might become more zealous, In veteri Ecclesia, ut segniores excitaren­tur, poenitentilus ob graviora scelera, certa tempora & officia definita fuerunt, quibus non solum coram Deo interiorem animi poenitenti­am excitarent, & exercerent, sed etiam Ec­clesiae verè se atque ex animo poenitere decla­rarent, atque it a m [...]nûs impositione Episcopi, & Cleri, reconciliarentur, & jus Communica­tionis acciperent: atque haec praescripta officia canonicae satisfactiones, seu poenae vocarentur, quae jam imperitiâ Episcoporum & Pastorum in abusum; & negligentiâ, & segnitie tàm pastorum, quàm Populi in desuetudinem vene­rant, nisi quòd in privatis confessionibus ali­qua ejus rei vestigia remanserint. Cassand. Consult. Confessio. certain times and offices were appointed unto Penitents guilty of fouler crimes, wherein they might not onely stir up, and exercise the inward repentance of the minde before God, but declare unto the Church their sincere and unfeign­ed sorrow, and so be reconciled by imposition of hands from the Bishop, and the Clergie, and restored to the Communion; the which prescribed du­ties were called canonical satisfactions [Page 42]or punishments, which now adayes by the unskilfulness of Bishops and Pastors have grown to be abused, and through the wegligence, and lukewarmness both of Pastors and people wholly laid aside, save that some foot stops thereof have remained in private Confessi­ons. This modern and moderate Divine hath laid down the use and scope of this discipline, to rouse us up for religious du­ties, and to set forth before the Church our sincere repentance, and to be reconciled by Gods Ministers; the decay whereof he ascribeth to the supine negligence of the later Prelates, and that a shadow thereof remaineth to this day in private confession; the restitution whereof he much sighed after, as appeareth in these his words: Which ancient and Apost [...]lick custome of publick sa­tisfaction for publick and grievous of­fences were very profitable, Quem publicae satisfactionis priscum & A­postolicum morem ob publica & graviora pec­cata restitui, utile ac propemodùm necessarium est, in quo potestas Ecclesiastica Clavium in ligando & solendo, i. e. poenitentiam indicen­do, à Communione separando, & rursum in­dulgendo, absolvendo seu reconciliando, ma­nifestissimè cernitur. Cassand. ib. yea very necessary to be restored; wherein the Ecclestastical power of the keyes in binding and loosing, that is, in impo­sing of penance, in separating from the communion, and again in releasing, absolving and reconciling, is manifestly discerned. And thus have I prosecuted this discipline [...], as accurately as I could, that the same being known, Commu­nion-Book at the Commi­nation. the vote of our Church for the restitution thereof may be the better perceived; which thing were much to be wished, and to which all that love the Lord Jesus must needs say, Amen.

CHAP. IV.

HItherto of Repentance both external and internal, the inward sorrow and the outward demeanour thereof; and that solemn performance was not onely a vocal, and publick confession of the guilt, but a real expres­sion; that as Saint Hiero [...]e said of John the Baptist his food of L [...]sts, and his garment of Came [...]s hair, Omnia poeni­tentiae praepara­ta. Hicron. Matth. 3. and the place of his abode the desart, how they expresly set forth what he preach­ed, the doctrine of Repentance: we are now to arrest our selves upon that branch and part thereof which consisted in the verbal opening and declaration of sin, which is a recogni­tion of a sinners unworthiness, opened by himself in orall con­fession to the principal party wronged, and sometimes to such [Page 44]persons also, that by reason of their office, place, or respect, may be a mean to procure forgiveness, and reconcilement. Now by sin God is ever principally, and very often onely grie­ved, and sometimes Man also: In the first case to God onely and properly belongs confession, as He who is chiefly, and onely offended; in the second this Confession must be made to God, and the Man also that is wronged by us, to whom satis­faction for the trespass also belongeth, and the end brotherly Reconciliation: The Dean of Lovaine hath taken notice of all, thus; There is a Confession which is made unto God alone, Est Confessio quae fit Deo soli, & quae homi­ni, atque haec ru [...]sùs varia, 1. Quaedam fit homini quem laesinius, pro obtinenda reconci­liatione cum ipso, & remissione offensae in il­lum; alia fit homini de peccatis in alium ad­missis, pro consilio aut reconciliatione haben­da; sunt hae confessiones juris naturae, saltem reformatae per gratiam. Ruard. Tapper. art. 5. pag. 73. and another unto man, and this again is divers, 1. ei­ther unto the man whom we have hurt, for the obtaining of reconcilement with him, and forgiveness of the wrong from him; or which is made unto a man of such sins as are done against any other, to ask coursel upon the matter of Recon­ciliation; and all these confessions are of the law of nature, at the least as it is refined by grace. So Confession is made unto God, and in some cases to man also; furthermore the fact is acknow­ledged unto man in many points wherein he is not the Party offended, but considered as a mean and instrument to fur­ther, and obtain a reconcilement unto him who is justly displea­sed. And as by the light of nature we advise how to compass the favour of a great Personage justly forfeited, by making use of such persons that by reason of their place, alliance, or vir­tues claim a special interest in his affections; so is it with the sinner and God. It cannot be denyed, but our Mediator, and Intercessor, and Advocate is Christ Jesus the Lord, and what­soever Others do or prevail with God, it is for his sake: He is the Corner-stone reconciling the building, Minister Poeni­tentiae duplex, 1. cui confes­sio fit ex officio, ut Sacer dos: 2. alius qui au­diendo confes­sionem vicem supplare potest Sacerdotis in necessitates ut est Lai [...]us, Compend. Theol. v [...]it. lib. 6. cap. 27. and upon him is built every Intercession from or for any person besides. Yet other Intercessors there are; Moses stood in the gap, made an atone­ment for the people, and God was deprecated and reconci­led. There are some persons that by their office and place as stewards in the Lords house, may give audience to sin, to [Page 45]whom is committed the Ministery of Reconciliation; and some by their virtues highly favoured by God, though not amongst his Priests, and they may take Confessions as faithful Brethren, and both of these by their prayers may induce God to mercy. My discourse must pass along, and in the way call in upon them all, but must begin with God the principal Party wronged, Confessio quae fit mente Deo est de jure natura­li. Anton. part. 3. tit. 14. c. 19. sect. 2. and the Principal object of Penitential Confession.

That Confession of sin ought to be made unto God as a con­dition requisite for the pardon thereof, and that it is no mean inducement to incline him to mercy, is an undoubted verity [...], without Controversie imbraced by all that make profession of Christianity; Deus in lege naturae non semel exegit confessionem peccati. Bellar. l. 3. de Poenit. c. 3. the foundation thereof is deeply laid in the law of nature it self, as a practical truth flowing from the Principles and conclusions thereof; and hence it came to pass, that God exacted it from their hands that had no other light than the guide of nature. Now Natural laws are the rules and decrees of reason, and as reason is the common guide to all men, so the dictates and statutes thereof bind all that are capable of that guidance: But this is a granted Maxime, Ratio legis est anima legis. that every guilty person ought to be judged; and this like unto it, Haec est nota conclusio, quòd quilibet Reus debet judicari; & ista, quòd nullus debet esse Judex in propria causa, ergò Reus d [...]bet ju­dicari per allum; sed non potest judicari per alium nisi accusetur illi alii, nec potest accu­sari nisi à scipso, si poccatum suum sit occul­ [...]um; ergò debet seipsum accusare alii à quo ju­dicetur. Scotus. l. 4. d. Qu. 1. sect. 1. in ista Quaestione. that none may be a judge in his own cause; and then this, That no offender can be judged without some accusation; to which add this, non [...] can accuse of secret sins but the delinquent himself; the stone then first moved in this penitential judicature is the Confession of the party, upon which are grounded the indictment, and judge­ment. And saith another Schoolman, The law of nature is for a man to repent of the evil he hath done, De jurs naturali est quòd aliquis poeniteat de malis quae secit, quantum ad haec quòd do­leat se fecisse, & doloris remedia quaerat per aliquem modum; & quòd etiam aliqua siena doloris ostendat, ut N [...]nivitae. Aquin. part. [...]. quaest. 84. [...]. [...]. 7. so far forth as to grieve he hath done it, and that he seek all means to remedy his grief, and that he also utter some sig [...]es of sorrow. Thou wilt say this reason concludeth for secret sins, which come to light no way but by Confession; but publick sins are to be confessed to God also. [Page 46]Besides, secret sins are to him who seath in darkness no secret [...]s all, and need not that mean for discovery, for wherein our Consciences do accuse us, God is greater than our conscir [...]ces, that is, a more strict observer. To strengthen then this reason, I thus assume, The end of penitential confession is the judgment of absolution, not of condemnation, to free, not to punish for sin; and an absolution not to q [...]t from s [...]o, for God in justice cannot pronounce us just (for that were to call darkness light) but such an absolution as dischargeth us from the guilt, and obligation unto punishment, and so God in justice may, and in mercy doth justifie us (and this i [...] to separate betwixt the light and the darkness.) Now remission of sin ever supposeth sin, and the absolution from sin, the detection of sin, for sin maketh man to be miserable, and the Confession thereof God to be merciful. God requireth then no detection of sin in the judgment of condemnation, which is the punishmens of sin, and wherein he proceedeth according to his own wisdome, but in that of absolution, which consisteth in the forgiveness of sin, the confession thereof in the party pe [...]an [...] [...] ever been deemed requisite by way of pacification. Insomuch that all men whatsoever (saith Scot [...]) that have belloved God to be the just Judge of all the world, Justi pro omni statu post lapsum, qui ha­buerunt fidem de Deo, quòd erat Rector univer­si justus, postquam pe [...]caverunt contra legem Dei, confitebantur Deo [...]p [...]ccata sua, petentes ab eo remissionem; scientes eum sine tali remis­sione tanquam justum judicem vindicaturum de illo peccato. Scotus. ib. and have ac­knowledged the law of his providence, seen in the government of the universe, upon every breach thereof have appli [...] themselves to this supreme Gover [...]r, to appease him with humble acknow­ledgment of the off [...]ner, and to deprecate his anger. It was but early dayes in the world when God c [...]ed upon Adam, where art thou? which was a summons to a reckoning, that as he had sinned, Entrée de pro­pos. gall. [...] Ut ulteriùs cum eo loquendi & ampliùs cum eo expostidandi occasionem hinc captaret, item ut ab eo confessionem p [...]ccati ex­torqueret. Rab. Sel. so he should take notice thereof, and prevent and pa­cifie his wrath by confession; it was an entrance into a Parley, or a preface and introduction (as the Rabbins say) into a fur­ther conference, thereby to expostulate with him about his offence, and to extract from him an ingen [...] acknowledgment thereof. [Page 47]And a Father of the Christian saith conceits no less; When God said to Adam, where art thou? our first Parents then guilty persons were inquired after, Cùm Dominus diceret ad Adam, ubi es? peccato transgressionis primi Parentes corrupti à Domine sunt requisiti de culpa, ut peccatum quod transgrediendo commiserant, confitendo delerent. Greg. to wash out that sin by confessing, which they had com­mitted by transgressing. The like in­terrogatory was made to Cain, where is thy Brother Abel? but his impudence was to out-face the murder, and plead not guilty, till God convicted him: The sin smothered brake forth into a greater flame, the sore skin­ned over with a deniall festered; He that said at first, nulla est iniquitas, there is no iniquity in my hands, and refused to unlade his soul by confession, sinks under the burden, and cries out, major est iniquit as, my sin is greater than I am able to bear. Saint Chrysostome collecteth no less. Gods mercy ap­peared in the Question, Where is thy Brother? [...]. Chrys. in Gen. [...]. tom. 1. p. 130. to give him the bint and opportunity to bethink himself, that by confession of the fault, the guilt might be washed away; for this was Gods [...]n [...] even from the beginning, to ex­act from us a Confession of our sins, that upon the same he might shew mer­cy. He coneludes, It is good to con­fess the fact, to disclose the wound to the Physician, and to receive medicines from him.

Gods people in process of time, (his good pleasure being known how propense he is to give a sinner audience) have not failed in this point to confess, nor he them to pardon; and be­cause Confession of fin from the delinquent, and Remission of sin from God commonly go together, my discourse shall not separate them: we are now upon the Sinners Plea, and must instance in those that have had the will to sin, the grace to see it, the humility to confess it, and the happiness to be deliver­ed from it. David is famous for his transgressions, his confes­sions, and his lamentations; I acknowledged my sins unto thee, Psal. 32.5. and my iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my trans­gressions [Page 48]unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sins where we see confession hath not onely the promise, but perfor­mance of forgiveness annexed thereunto, and that from Him who is most bountiful in his promises, and most faithful in his performances, & tu remisisti; whose absolution is ever of force, for he never turns a wrong key. 2. Note also the man­ner thereof; David had not yet made his confession, it was one­ly in vote, in purpose and conception, not in re▪ an actual performance, yet his success is crowned with performance, and that will accepted for the deed, so much is Gods mercy more forward than mans duty, as to grant the pardon before it be asked, The word was not at my mouth, and Gods ear was at my heart, Vox m [...]a in ore nondum erat, sed auris Dei jam in corde crat. Aug. in Psal. 31. saith Aug. in the person of David, and much to the same sense a later Ex­positor. Vide quam velox sit Dei misericordia erga peccatorem, non dum confitetur ut audiat ho­mo, sed confiteri promittit, quod audit Deus. Ludolph. in Psal. 31. Behold with what speed the mercy of God makes toward a sinner, he had not confessed so that man might hear, Dixi deliberavi apud me quod confitebor, & tu remisisti: magna pietas Dei! quae ad solam promissionem peccata dimisit, votum enim pro operatione judicatur. Cassiodor. in Psal. 31. but promised to confess, which God heareth. To the same purpose Cassiodore; I said, that is, I delibe­rated with my self how I will confess, and thou forgavest. O the goodness of God! forgiving sins upon promise onely: for with him the will is of equal acceptation with the deed. And lest we should think that this was some peculiar privilege vouchsafed unto the Man after Gods own heart, the same sweet singer of Israel doth presently inlarge his note, and inferreth this general conclusion thereupon, for this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found, verse 6. The godly in this world are not so godly, but there are times also when they must go to this Confession, and comfort themselves with this hope, for we are not Angels, but men, [...]. Basil. h [...]m. [...] pag. 245. g [...]s. Basilea. we fall and are raised, and that often, and in a little space. Basil. Thus David made a good Confession.

Let us pass from the Father to the Son, Solomon. in whom all ages have and shall admire how so fair a star could fall in so foul an eclipse, yet he recovered his loft light, and of a great finner proved a great Convert, and as Chronicles mention the folly of this King, so Ecclesiastes relates the repentance of this Prea­cher. He delivers a general rule; Prov. 28.13. He that hides his sin shall not prosper, but he that confesseth, and forsaketh them shall find mer­cy. Wherein observe a necessary adjunct to Confession, viz. forsaking of sin. It is not then a naked verbal confession that hath this efficacy, or such a compendious way of healing, and no more; but go shew thy self and thy sins to the Priest, and thy attrition shall become contrition, and thy sins shall be for­given, though not clean forsaken. This Roman device Solomon for all his knowledge (and that extended from the Cedar to the Thistle) was yet to seek of, for with Tiburine Impostors, though a man bring not so much as that drop of sorrow for sin by them termed attrition, but onely a will to confess, and utter the story of his lewd life to a Priest, with an intent to be absolved by him, Non solùm attritus recipit gratiam delen­tem peccatum, tanquam per virtutem meriti de congruo, se [...]on habens talem actum qui suf­ficiat ad meritum de congruo, sed tamen habens voluntatem suscipiendi sacramentum Ecclesiae; & sine obice peccati actualiter in facto, vel in voluntate inhaerentis, suscipit non ex merito, sed ex pacto divino effectum istius sacramenti. Scotus lib. 4. dist. 14. there is required no more to be set free from sin; the Sacrament of Pe­nance will supply all other defects, and confer this benefit mero motu of its own accord, without any good disposition, or desert of the Receiver, insomuch that he need to put his ghostly Father to no farther trouble than this, Speak the word only, and I shall be healed. By this new fetch, the Sacrament of Penance is available without Repentance, Confession without Contrition, and sin forgiven which is not forsaken. An opinion (saith Gabriel) much to be esteemed, if it were laid up­on the foundation of the Scriptures and holy Fathers: Ista opinio esset valde acceptanda, si haberce firmamentum Scriptura & sanctorum Patrum. Biel. lib. 4. dist. 14. qu. 2. not. 2. and no gallant (I think) but would embrace it, to come off from sin at so easie a hand. But see the ill luck of a thing, it wants both Scriptures and Fathers to support it; for in the Scripture it is, He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne, Observa quod addit, Qui confitetur & deserit; ne (que) enim satìs est confiteri. Menoch. in Prov. 28. which [Page 50]will not stand with Scotus learning, without the help of an Index Expurgatorius to expunge the later clause.

The Josuis would fain interpret Solomon of confession made unto Man, and not unto God; and his reasons for it are,

• 1. The words, He that hideth his sin, because sins unconfessed are not hidden from God, but Man; for none can be of so mad a belief,
  Quia nullus est, qui scelera sua à Deo se ab­scondere posse cre lat, nisi fortè insaniat; sed ab hominibus, vel ob pudorem, vel alia de causa, multi peccata sua abscondita esse cupi­unt, — Erubescentia apud homines locum ha­bet, non Deum. Bel. lib. de poen. c. 11. p. 1387.
  as to think God seeth them not.
• 2. Shame, or some other cause may hold them in from dis­closing sin to Man, but none are asha­med to make God privy to their leud­nesse.

But how untrue the former reason is, may appear in the case of the two first sinners, Adam, who hid himself from God, and Cain, who denyed his sin to God. Madmen indeed they were to doe so, but so they did. And on ancient Bishop is of the mind, that many besides them in the world are stricken with that phrenzie, That God doth not re­gard earthly affaires, and seeth not the actions of sinfull men. [...]adè puto quòd haec in illo (Cain) jam tùm opinio fuerit qua nunc in multis est, Deum terrestria non respicere, & actus sceleratorum hominum non videre. Salvian. de guber­nat. Dei. lib. 1. pag. 21. Paris. 1617. [...]. Hesi [...]d. They hide them in their own opinion and sancie, whereas in truth they doe not, no more then when the Fool winks, and thinks no man seeth him: for all things are open to his sight, and with kim there is no darknesse at all. And how frivolous and false the later part of the Cardinalls argu­ment is, viz. That in confession before God there is no place for shame, and sinners shame [...]esse therein, another ancient Bishop shall witnesse: Let us not be ashamed (saith Ambrose) to confesse our sins un­to God; Non erubescamus fateri Domino peccata no­ [...]tra; Pudor est ut unusquis (que) crimina sua pro­dat, sedille pudor agrum suum arat, spinas tol­ [...]t perpetuas, sentes amputat, &c. Ambrof. dc. poenit, l. 2. c. 1. it is a shame indeed for any man to lay open his offences, but such a shame that breaks up the fallow ground of his heart, puls up the tho us and pares away the bryers, &c. A shame then there is in Confession, and that before God; but such a shame, as considering what good comes thereof, we should not be ashamed of. Yea the same Father supposeth to be in many offenders a greater shame to [Page 51]confesse before God than man, for thus he writeth: Can it be well taken, that thou shouldst blush to intreat God, An quisquam ferat ut erubescas Deum ro­gare, qui non erubescis rogare hominem? & pudeat te Deo supplicare quem non lates, cum te non pudeat peccata tua homini quem lateas confiteri? Id. ib. c. 10. that dost not blush to in­treat man; and that thou shouldst be ashamed to make thy supplication to God, from whom thou lyest not hid, whereas thou art not ashamed to con­fesse thy sins unto a man, from whom they are concealed? And the same holy Prelate in another place enervates both the Cardi­nals pretences; his words are remarkable. Why art thou afraid to confesse thy iniquities to so good a Lord? Declare (saith he) thy sins that thou mayst be justified. Quid vereris apud bonum Dominum tuas iniq [...]itates fateri? Dic (inquit) iniquitates tuas ut justificeris; idhuc reo culpae justificati­onis praemia proponuntur: ille enim justificatur qui proprium crimen sponte agnoverit; deni (que) justus in exordio sermonis accusator est sui. Novit omaia Dominus, sed expectat vocem tu­am, non ut puniat, sed ut ignoscat; non vult ut insultet tibi diabolus, & celantem peccata tua arguat; praevenies accusatorem tuum, si te ipse accusaveris; accusatorem nullum timebis, si te detuleris ipse. Amb. li. 2. de poeni [...]c 7. To the person as yet guilty of sin, Justification is pro­mised for a reward; for he is justified, that of his own mind acknowledgeth his offence. And a just man at the en­trance of his speech is his own accu­ser. The Lord knoweth all, but expect­eth thy voice, not with an intent to pu­nish, but to pardon; it is not his will that the Devil should insult over thee concealing thy sins, be therefore thy accuser by thine own accusati­on, and fear not any accuser, if thou shalt arraign thy self. Where­in we may observe, That in Confession unto God there is dread, which this holy man disswadeth from, and concealment of sin, as some fondly imagine, and an expectancy of vocall evidence, though God be ignorant of nothing. To him then doth Solo­mon direct our Confession, for all the Cardinal hath yet said to the contrary.

And he had hereof a living example in his father David, whose Penitential Psalms, what are they but prescript forms of Con­fession, where there are as many sighs as words, mingling his cryes with weeping? all the verses standing chiefly upon two feet, Contrition and Confession; some whereof were composed for his remembrance, by name Psal. 37. which is [...], an Instruction for Confession, as S. Basil [...]. Basil. in Psal. 36. p. 97. intitles it; that having this Psalm alwayes before his eyes, he might [Page 52]pacifie so good a Lord with the words of a transcendent confession: This is his direction to others, Reveal thy way, or roll it up un­to the Lord, and hope in him, he will doe it. Revela Domino peccatatua, i. confiteado, & spera in e [...], & non in alio; & ipse qui potest, faciet quod petis vel desideras. Sp [...]m eni [...]n pro­m [...]t [...]it peccatoribus, & indulgentiam facit poe­nitentiam [...]gentibus. Ludolph. in Psal. 36.5. Reveal, by Confession; thy way, that is, thy sins, and hope in him, and no other, and he that can, will doe what thou desirest; God promi­seth hope to sinners, and pardon to peni­tents. Revela Domino viam tuam; i.e. Sacerdoti qui est loco D [...]i. Jo. Raulins Serm. 10. de Poenit. A better glosse that, than another Fryers, Reveal thy way unto God, that is, unto the Priest, who is in Gods stead; which harps not in Davids tune, except God and the Priest have one and the same consistory, as the Canonists say God and the Pope have. My God will I trust with my sinnes, upon whom I trust, and if sin be my way, to him will I commit it; to the Spring-head will I have recourse for mercy, where the stream flows the fuller and the clearer. He is my Physician, Ille Medicus est, vulnera igitur illi expo­namus; ille laesus est, & offensus, ab illo pacem petamus; ille est cordium cognitor, coram ipso corda nostra effundere properemus; ille denique est qui peccatores vocat, ad ipsum accederenè moremur. Calvin. Instit. l. 13. cap. 4. Sect. 9. and to him will I open my wounds; He is the party wronged, with him will I make my peace; He knoweth the very secrets of my heart, before him then I will pour forth mine; He it is that invites me a sinner unto him, and to him will I hasten, nor be slack at his call.

And this Confession of sin unto God is insisted upon by the Rabbins, in the book called [...] of Dayes; and in the cha­pter [...] of the day of propitiations, Dixit R. Isaac Veni & vide, quia mos saucti Dei & benedi­cti non est sicut mos carnis & sanguinis; mos namque carnis & sanguinis est, quòd si homo offendit proximum suum, quandóque placet eum verbis, quando (que) nequeat ipsum verbis tantùm placare; mos autem Dei sancti & benedicti non est sic, bomo enim transgreditur transgressione, & tamen placat ipsum verbis, sicut dictum est, [...] & non solùm hoc, sed etiam confert et bonitatem, sicut consequentèr dictum est, [...] forsitan dices vituló [...]n culpae? docet, quid ad hoc dicendum sit id quod sequitur. [...] Petrus. Galat. de arcan. [...]ath. verit. lib. 8. cap. 8. is extant this passage, R. Isaac said, Come and see, how the manner and custome of the Lord holy and blessed is not as the manner of flesh and bloud; for the manner of flesh and bloud is, that if a man have offended his neighbour, sometimes he may please him with words, and some­times he cannot please him with words alone. But the manner of [Page 53]the holy and blessed God is not so, for in transgressing man trans­gresseth, and yet pacifieth him with words, as it is said, Hosea 14, 1. O Israel return unto the Lord, for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity, take with you WORDS and turn unto the Lord; and not onely this, but he conferreth mercy upon him, as it is said in the words following, Say unto him, take away all our iniquity and re­ceive us graciously. Not onely this but the Scripture hath it, as if he should offer calves in sacrifice, as it is said afterwards, So will we render the calves of our lips; peradventure thou wilt say the Calves of sin, that which followeth teacheth what is to be said to this; I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. In which testimony we see that the calves of our lips are the confession of our sins: that in confession our wounds are heal­ed, and we in God beloved. So in Misdras Tehillim, that is, exposition of the Psalmes, on the title of the hundred Psalme, [...], a Psalme of Confession; This is that which is written, He that hideth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy. He that h [...]deth his sins, [...] hoc est quod scriptum est. [...] Prov. 28. Qui abscondit pec­cata sua; talis suit Saul, cui dictum est, 1 Reg. 15. Quae est vox harum ovium? ipse autem respondit, de Amalek adduxerunt eas. Qui autem confitetur & relinquit ea, mise­ricordiam confequetur; talis suit David, de quo dictum est, 2 Reg. c. 12. Et dixit David ad Nathan, peccavi Domino; & dixit Na­than ad David, Dominus quo (que) transtulit pec­catum t [...]um, non morieris. Pet. Gal. lib. 10. c. 13. such an one was Saul, to whom it was said, 1 Kings 15. What meaneth the bleating of these sheep? but he answered they brought them away from Amalek: But he that confes­seth, and forsaketh them shall finde mercy: such an one was David, of whom it was said, 2 Kings 12. And David said unto Nathan, I have sin­ned unto the Lord; and Nathan said unto David, the Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not dye. Instancing in two Kings of a diverse humour, the one putting off his sins by collusion, hath them charged upon him; and the other charging himself by confession, hath them put away. Saul hid his sins, it was but reason therefore he should find them; David discovered his, and therefore God so covered them in mercy, as they were past finding out. This then was the custome of the Law and the Prophets.

Under the Gospel the same custome hath continued; the Prodigal son, that express pledge and hostage for mercy, did but resolve upon Confession to his dearest Father, whose speed, embracements and kisses prevented the vocal expression. God who saw him afar off, heard him also what he said Luke 15.18. within himself, and what he said to 21. himself also. The prodigal sinned against God, to whom it is said, against thee onely have I sinned; Prodigus peccavit coram Deo, cui soli dici­tur, Tibi soli peccavi, &c. tam citò veniam m [...]retur, ut venienti adhuc & longè posito oc­currit Pater. Ambr. lib. 2. de Poenit. cap. 4. and ob [...]ained so speedy a pa [...]don, that while he was yet afar off, and but on the way, the Father meets him. The poor Publican upon his confession fared as well putting up his suppli­cation in the Temple, Luke 18.13, 14. the contents whereof were, O God be merci­ful to me a sinner; and went back to his house just [...]fied without making Confession to any other Ghostly Father, but onely the Father of Spirits; of whom Saint John giveth this assurance, that if we confess our sins, [...] 1 John 1.9. he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; why faithful and just rather then kind and merciful, seeing forgiveness of sins pro­ceedeth from his bounty, not our deserving? indeed it was his mercy to annex forgiveness to Confession, and his justice to re­ward that which his mercy promised. God is so gracious to promise pardon, upon this condition that a sinner confess; which condition performed, God is faithful and just to make good his promise with actual forgiveness; fail not thou him of confession, and he will never fail thee of forgiveness.

Upon these grounds the Fathers direct a Penitent unto God, esteeming the confession made unto him of so great value, as they seem to make but small account of that which is made to man, leaving it as a thing indifferent to be undertaken as the sinner finds occasion. But he that praiseth Gold, must not be thought to dispraise silver; and those Ancients that approve of Confession to God in the first place, [...]. Clement. Epist. 1. ad Corinth p. 66, 67. allow the same in its place to man also. Testimonies of both sorts are extant in their wri­tings, and to the former for the present thu [...]. Clemens Ro­manus. It is better (saith he) for a man to confess his sins then to [Page 55]his heart, like those which resisted Moses, &c. then tells us how desirous God is hereof. The Lord (my Brethren) needs nothing else, is desirous of nothing from any man, save to confess unto him; then follow certain proofs from the Scrip [...]ure, shew­ing how acceptable a Sacrifice confession is, as well in praising God▪ as in dispraising of our selves; that is the Sa­crifice of thank [...]giving, [...] [...]. [...] [...]. and the other of a wounded sp [...]rit. Clemens of Rome is seconded with our Chri­stian Athenaeus, Clemens of Alexandria, who wri­teth thus: If a Christian through the suggestions of the Adversary unwilling­ly fall into sin, [...]. Cl [...]m. Alex. Strom. l. 4. p. 378. let him in im [...]tation of David sing, I will confess unto the Lord, and it shall please him better then a young calf that bringeth horns and hoofs; let the poor beh [...]ld, and be glad, for he saith, offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows unto the Lord; and call upon me in the day of thy affl [...]ction, and I will deliver ther, and thou shals glorifie me; for the sacrifice of God is a wounded spirit. A saying so like unto the former, that I guess this Clemens took it (as he did some other passa­ges) from the former. These Primitive Men style confession a Sacrifi [...]e, and we know of what kind of adoration sacrifices are, and to whom they appertain: surely a broken heart pre­sented by confession, and laid upon the Altar of the Cross, is never rejected by God for his sake who suffered thereupon. Origen a disciple to this last Clemens, and his immediate successor in the [...] Ma­gister. Hi [...] ­ron. Ecclesiastical School at Alexandria, Ipse nos ut pecc [...]m [...]s inst [...] ­gat, ipse [...]tiam cum peccave­r mus accus [...]t; si ipsi nostri accusatores simus, nequitiam accusatoris effugimus; dicit al cubi Propheta, dic tu ini­quitates tuas prior ut justificoris; nonne evidentèr mysterium ostend [...]t, cum dicit, Dic tu prior­tu ergò dic prior, ne te [...]lle praeveni at—. sed & David in Psalmo dicit, in [...]quitatem meam notam feci, &c. vide ergò quia pronunciare peccatum remissionem peccati mer [...]tur,—si ipsi nostri sumus accusatores, proficit nobis ad salutem; si verò expectemus ut à Diabolo accusemur, accusatio illa cedit nobis ad poenam. Origen. homil. 3. in Levit. is frequent in exhorting sinners to all kinds of confession, but earnest for that which is made unto God. The D [...]vil (saith he) first allureth to sin, next accuseth for sin; we prevent his malice by being our own accusers, [Page 56]and by taking this office forth of his hands. The Prophet in a place saith, Declare thy iniquities beforehand that thou mayest be justified: there is a mysterie in these words, Dic tu prior, declare thou first, lest he step in before thee—. Even so David in the Psalme; Mine iniqui [...]ies (saith he) have I made known unto thee, and have not hid my sin; I said I will confess, &c. See how the uttering of sin obtains forgiveness, it will further our sal­vation to become our own accusers; but if we delay till the Devil accuseth, it will m [...]ke much for our condemnation. Now to him must this confession be poured out who forgave Davids sins; although I must not conceal how Origen alloweth of confession before some sorts of men also, and that without any gainsay­ing from me, as in due place shall appear. And to this con­fession, [...] Chrys. hom. 31. ad Heb. [...]. orall expression is not so requisite; God knoweth the language of the heart, and heareth the voice of weeping, that heard Annah praying and not speaking, who reads our minds in our thoughts, with whom tears, and sighes, and groans are formal evidences. This manner of unfolding our souls to God, St Basil upon the words of the Psalmist, I have roared for the dis­quietness of my heart, hath fully described in Davids person thus; I do not open my lips in confession, thereby to make a shew to many, but inwardly within my heart closing up mine eye, [...] Basil. in Ps. [...]. p. 100. graec. Basilea 1551. to thee onely beholding things in socret, do I discover the groans that are with­in me, roaring within my self; nor is there need of many words to this confession, for with thee the groans of my heart are sufficient for this acknowledgment, and those lamentations sent forth from the depth of my soul unto thee my God.

And look what Saint Basil ascribeth to the groaning of the heart, the same doth Saint Ambross to the tears of the Peni­tent, and notes that no other Confession of Saint Peter after his denial is upon record, but that which flowed from his eyes, thus, I finde that he wept, I find not what he said, I read of his [Page 57]tears, I read of no satisfaction; Invenio quòd fleverit, non invenio quid d [...]xerit; lacrimas ejus lego, satisfactionem non lego. Rectè planè Petrus flevit & tacuit, quia quod defleri solet, non solet excusari, & quod defendi non potest, ablui potest; lavat enim lacrima delictum quod vote pudor est confiteri; lacrimae ergò verecundiae paritèr consulunt, & saluti; non erubescunt in peten­do, & impetrant in rogando: lacrimae, inquam, tacitae quodammodo preces sunt, veniam non postulant & merentur; causam non dicunt, & misericordiam consequuntur; nisi quòd utili­ores lacrimarum preces sunt, quàm sermonum, quia sermo imprecando fortè fallit, lacrima omnino non fallit; sermo enim non totum pro­fert negotium, lacrima semper totum prodit affectum. Ambr. de poenit. Petri, ser. 46. Peter took a good course to weep, and to be silent, for that which is bewayled is not wont to be excused, and that which cannot be defended, may be cleansed; tears wash away the sin which the tongue is ashamed to confess, tears there­fore provide for shame, and safety; blush not to intreat, and obtain by in­treating. Tears (I say) are a kind of tacite prayers, asking not forgive­ness, yet obtaining: they set not forth vocally the cause, yet gain the mercy; yea, the supplication of tears is of grea­ter profit then any words can be; words happily may fail us in prayers, Subjiciamus nos Deo, ut non subditi simus peccato, & delictorum nostrorum memoriam recensentes, tanquam opprobrium erubescamus, non velut quidam, gloriam praedicemus—. Bonum Dominum habemus qui velit donare omnibus,— si vis justificari, fatere delictum tuum, solvit enim criminum nexus verecunda confessio peccatorum. Vides quid à te exigat Deus tuus, vides quà remissi­onis pollicitatione te provocat ad confitendum. Ambr. l. 2. de poen. c. 6. which tears never do, for the tongue doth not alway open our case fully, but tears ever disclose our affections to the full. To God then doth the same Doctor exhort us to disclose our sins. Let us be subject unto God, that we may not be subject unto sin: Let us call our offences unto remembrance, and be ashamed of them, as a disgrace, and not boast thereof as the manner of some is—. We have a good Lord that would pardon all— If therefore thou wouldst be ju­stified, confess thy sin; for a modest, and shameful confession of sin loseth the bands thereof. Thou seest what thy God exacteth of thee, and with what a promise of forgiveness he provoketh thee un­to Confession.

Led with this promise, and invited with this call, the Golden-mouthed Dr John Chrysostome exhorteth the people to resort to God onely in confession, little regarding that which is made to man, and leaving it as a thing indifferent, as a thing to be used or not, at the Penitents discretion, which the most rigid of the Reformed side stick not at, yea he seems at least in words to disavow it, which is more than the Moderate sort of them [Page 58]expected, or can well away with. And a great Scholar, but of the other side, freely acknowledgeth, that Chrysostome in divers places, and by name in his 5. Quae à Chrysostomo tum aliis in locis, tum Hom. 5. De Incomprehens. Dei nat. parùm com­mode dicta vid [...]antur, ubi peccatores câ se lege negat obstringere, ut hominibus, sed ut uni Deo peccata fateantur. D. Petavius animadv. in Epiph. haer. 59. p. 224. Homily of the incomprehensible na­ture of God, hath some unsound passages, denying sinners to be tyed by any law to confesse their sins unto Man, but unto God onely. Well, let us see what it might be that is so great an eye-sore to him, and men of his rank: The first mention that occurreth unto me is in Lamech his case, confessing the murder he com­mitted unto his wives, Hear O ye wives of Lamech, &c. where expressing elegantly the torture of a rag [...]ng conscience, the Fa­ther sheweth, there is no way but one to quiet the same. He that is guilty of crying sins, and would make good use and be aided by his conscience, [...]. Chrys. [...]. tom. 1. p. 139. and be drawa to confess what he hath committed, and open his wound to such a Physic [...]an, that would heal, and not upbraid him, and receive salving plai­sters from him, and would o [...] for with him, no one beholding, and declare all things diligently unto him, shall easily rectifie what was amiss; for the con­fession of a sinner is the abolishing and doing away of his transgression. Now who is meant by this Physician, these words following, he that distinctly knoweth all th [...]ngs, and again, He re­quireth our Confession not as igno­rant, but knowing all things before a they were, sufficiently shew; and from an Homily which bears his name, and title of Repentance, ex­tant in the Latin▪ Edition of his works, it is thus cited by Chemnit. exam. Concil. Trid. part. 2. de confes. pag. 189. Chemnitius; It is not necessary to confess in the presence of witnesses, let there be an inquisition made after off [...]nces in the thought, let this judgment be without a witness, let God onely se [...] thee confessing. But let us view the Father in his own colours, [Page 59]who taking his theme from the Confession of the Publican, saith thus: I beseech you alwaies to make Confession, [...]. tom. 5. pag. 262, 263. for I do not bring thee upon the theatre of thy fellow-servants, nor do I compell thee to uncover thy sins un­to men; unclasp thy co [...]science before God, shew forth unto him thine actions, and thy wounds, and intreat a medicine from him, set them forth to him, who will not set at naught but cure thee; for albeit thou dost say nothing, be knoweth all things. The same words are repea­ted again for failing, tom. 6. pag. 444. which we rather point at, than produce; for where the Father is copious, repetitions are tedious; who further saith, But thou are ashamed to say thou hast sinned; [...]. tom. 2. p. 708. utter thy sins in thy daily devo­tions: What then? I do not say confesse them to thy fellow-servant, for to cast them into thy teeth; confesse them to God that healeth them; for God is not ignorant of them, though thou keep them secret. So upon mention of those words in the Prophecy of Esay, which in the LXXII. Esay 43.26. Interpre­ters are thus read, Declare thy sins first that thou mayst be ju­stified, he writeth thus; Tell me, of what art thou ashamed, [...]. Dom. 5. p. 258. and blushest at? to confesse thy sins? dost thou relate them unto man to reproch thee? or dost thou confesse them to thy fellow-servant to publish them upon the stage? To thy Lord, to him that careth for thee, to him that is kind to man-kind and to thy Physician thou dost unfold thy grief. And not many lines after, [...]. Id. ib. pag. 258. lin. 15. I compel thee not (saith God) to come forth upon the open stage, and to make many witnesses, tell me thy [Page 60]sins alone in private, so I will heal thy wound, and free thee from pain. Also the same Father upon the same subject in another place adviseth, not to call our selves sinners onely, but to call to mind our sins, and rehearsing every one in particular: [...]. tom. 4. pag. 589. I say not proclaim thy self upon the Theatre, nor accuse thy self in the audience of others, but I counsel thee to be perswaded by the Pro­phet, saying, Reveal thy way unto the Lord. Confess thy sins unto God, con­fess them before the Judge, praying, if not in thy tongue yet in thy memory. And (to say no more) this was his Pulpit-discourse to the people of An­tioch. And this not onely to be mar­velled at (saith he) that he forgiveth us our sins; [...]. tom. 6. pag. 608. lin. 10. but that he neither disclo­seth them, nor laieth them open, or maketh them manifest, nor forceth us to come forth in open view to speak out our offences, but commandeth us to be answerable for them to him alone, and to him to make our confession. These [...], several flowers, (and far more than these) are gathered from this spiritual garden of Saint Chrysostome. The Church of Rome cannot well endure the breath and smell thereof. The Cardinal would limit his testimonies to publick confession, which is the Theatre and stage so often mentioned, Loquitur de confessione pub­lica, ex qua ex­probratio sequi solebat. Bel. l. 2. de Poen. c. 15. and so subject to obloquy, but not of clancular confession subject to no such inconvenience; sure­ly Chrysostome spake of the confession then in use, which was performed after one way, and whether private or publick, there's the doubt. Besides, if the Patriarch had excluded the publick Theatre and not the private Closet of Confession, why did he repeat to God alone, to him onely confess, and not to thy fellow servant? They aver under those words, To God alone, to be comprised the Ghostly Father also, who for the time is not [Page 61]so much Man as Gods Deputy. Upon which ground they resolve, That if a Confessor be interrogated upon his Oath of a matter revealed in Confession, he may with a safe conscience deny it, Qui dam dicunt quòd potest dicere, se nihil scire ut homo, sed ut D [...]us. Sum. Angel. v. Con­fess. Potest dicere sine laesione conscientiae se ne­scire quod scit tantùm ut Deus. Aquin. sup­plem. 3 ae part. Qu. 11. Art. 1. because he did not heare the same as Man, but as God. A resolution very prejudiciall to the Fundamentall Lawes of State, as in due place shall be shewed. Others confesse more ingeniously, That it was the doctrine of the Times, Sui temporis sententia fuit, in quo Nectarius confessionem sacram [...]ntalem abjecerat. Canus Relect. de poen. p. 964. and of that Church wherein he lived, and that he was swayed and carryed a­way with the same. The Frier might have inlarged himself, Gratian. de Poen. dist. 1. cap. ult. Quid. for it was the opinion not of those times, but of all times in the Greek Church, and so continued till the times of Gratian. The Dean of Lovain makes him onely to connive and wink at the misse and dis­continuance of auricular confession, Fortè dici possit Chrysost. aliquantulùm con­nivere propter consuetudinem appositam quam per Nectarium praedecessorem suum int [...]odu­ctam invenerat. R. Tapper. art. 5. p. 98. by reason of a contrary custome introduced by his Predecessor within his Diocesse. Whatsoever it was, this great Father and glory of Greece is sca [...]ce heard with patience amongst the Pontificians, yet it may be wondred, with what confidence himself and his fellows are produced by them, alleaging them with like sincerity as they paint them at Rome, viz. with head and beard shaven, Mitred, Coped, Les ont fait pourtraire, & imprimere à Rome; avant la barbe raze, estant Mitreé, & revestu des habits Pontisicaux, à la fashion de noz Pre­latz Latines—Les Mitres & Crosses n'estoyent lors encores en usage. A. Theuet. vies des Hom­mes illustr. livre 1. c. 9. and ar­med with Crosier-staffe, after the Ro­man cut and fashion; whereas the long beard, and long robe were the usuall ornaments of those Easterne Prelates, the former accoutrements of Mitre and Crosse not invented nor fre­quented in their times.

But what say the Fathers of the Western Church, since the same Sun that riseth in the East, setteth in the West, and casteth the same beams upon both the Climates. The solemn discipline of open Penance continued longer in the Latine Church than in the other, Ex exhomolo­gesi sive poeni­tentiae. actu (nisi multùm fallimur) confessio secreta sumpsit originem. B. Rhenan. and at length sate down also in private confession. [Page 62]I have acquainted you what Erasmus his opinion was, That the Confession of speciall sins before God was private onely, and that onely made to men was publick, à vieu & sceu le tous, as the French-man speaks, exposed to the sight and light of all, and that the Church was acquainted with no other in Saint Hieroms dayes; sure no other was on foot in Tertullians time, as a great Antiquary of his time Beatus Rhenanus affirm­eth, That Tertullians silence in spea­king nothing of clancular confession is no wonder, Ne quis admiretur Tertullianum de clancu­laria ista admissorum confessione nihil loquu­tum, quae (quantùm con [...]icimus) nata est ex ista exhomologesi per ultroneam hominum pieta­tem, ut occultorum peccatorum esset & exo­mologesis occulta. Praef. ad lib. de Poen. which (as he conjectureth) was the daughter of publick confession, conceived by the voluntary piety of some men, that thought to secret sins there belonged private Confession, and a concealed Penance, as notorious sins were punished with open re­pentance, and confession. Yet the duty may be of good use, though not of so great standing in Gods Church; Quid mihi cum hominibus ut audiant con­fessiones meas; quasi ipsi sana­turi sunt omnes languores me­os? Aug. Con. l. 10. c. 3. as Paul was born out of due time, yet called to be an Apostle, whose fer­vent labour in the Ministery supplied that defect. As that Cri­tick wondred not at Tertullians silence, so may none wonder at St Augustines words. What have I to do with men that they should hear my confessions, as though they could heal all my diseases? A place that Bellarmine hath said something to, though not much to his purpose. The Confession Saint Augustine speaketh of is not Sacra­mental confession (he may swear it) but a rehearsal of sins formerly committed, Confessio de qua loquitur Aug. non est con­fessio Sacramentalis, sed confessio peccatorum praeteritorum, & per baptismum dimissorum, ad eum sinem instituta, ut indè cognoscatur & laudetur Dei miscricordia. Lib. 2. de poen. c. 20. and washed away by Baptisme, ackn [...]w­ledged to this end, that the mercy of God towards him might be manifested. This is the scope of his whole discourse (I grant,) namely, a detection of his great sins, and of Gods great mercy; yet he might relate how his sins met with mercy, Confessionis au­tem causam ad­didit, dicens, quia fecisti, Authorem sci­licet universi­tatis Dominum esse confessus, nulli alii docens confitondum, quàm qui fecit Olivam fructiferam spei misericordi [...]t in seculum seculi. Hilar. in Psal. 51. and so speak of Confession to God, as a mean for the obtaining thereof, and affirm that man had no more right to know his diseases than he had power to heal them. Such a conclusion hath Hilary upon Psalm L I. That David there teacheth us to confesse our sins [Page 63]to no other than to the Author of this universe, the Lord who made him, and maketh the Olive fruitful with the mercy of hope for ever and ever.

Such testimonies as these seem to import that confessions be­fore God and before man are incompatible, as if thereby two Masters were served, and the one forsaken by adhering to the other; that confession peculiarly belongeth unto God, and is not to be given to any other. Truly such a Confession that is made to man without any subordination unto God, is deroga­tory both to Gods glory, and our own safety: So to confess unto any besides, as to rely upon him, is not expiatory, but piaculous, and not a confession but a malediction. But to use confession before man, 1. as an help the better to enable us to confess unto God; 2. or to man as an instrument in the place, and hand of God, is not repugnant thereunto; 3. to confess to man wholly, and to leave out God; 4. or to imagine that unfeigned confession made before God is insufficient, without respect had unto the confession made to man, either in purpose, or performance, as the accomplishment thereof, is the Hagar that must not abide with the Free woman, Gal. 4.30. but be cast out and her son, that is, such consequents as the Roman Polemicks draw from thence. It was a Calumniation fastned upon our Church, that it should teach Baptisme without Confirmation to be imper­fect, Conference at Hampton Court. pag. 10. ed. 1625. or that at least Confirmation added no small matter to the strength and virtue thereof. Which Scandal the God-like wis­dome of his late Majesty was upon Of LI. Arch-Bishop of Cant. and Bishop of London. sound information the spunge to wipe away; that it was neither a sacrament, nor a corroboration to a former Sacrament, but an examination with a Confirmation. The Confession had to man must not be thought to perfect that which is had to God; or to be a Sacrament, or a Confirmation of any Sacrament, by way of corroboration, but by way of examination onely, where the sin confessed unto God is examined, and if upon due examination the confession made to God shall appear to be good, the same is ratified; if not, the party dismissed with better instructions to perfect the same. And like as the Parliament assembled in the first year of King James, made an Act for the confirmation of his Royal title, wheras in truth his title was as firm as God & nature could [Page 64]make it, thereby expressing rather their duty to imbrace the same, than adding strength and vigour thereunto; of this kind is confession to man onely. And as children baptized without Confirmation, or an eye thereunto, have their full Christendome, so hath a Penitent upon his Confession to God a full absolution. Yet as the Church received Confirmation from the Apostolick hands, and so still continues the same as a duty of singular use and benefit; the like must be thought of confession to man also, the expediency whereof shall in fit place be discussed. I shall conclude with that answer of Pinu­phius an Egyptian Abbot in John Cassian; Who is it that cannot humbly say, I made my sin known unto thee, Qui est qui non poslit suppl citèr dicere, peccatum meum cognitum tibi feci, & inju­stitiam meam non operui, ut per hanc con­fessionem ctiam illud adjungere mereatur, & tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei? Quòd si verecundiâ retrahente revelare ea coram homi­nibus erubescis, illi quem latere non possunt, confiteri ea jugi supplicatione non desinas, ac dicere, Iniquitatem meam ego agnosco, & peccatum meum contra me est semper; tibi soli pectav [...], & malum contra te feci. Qui & abs (que) ullius verecundiae publicatione curare, & sine improperio peccata donare consucvit. Jo. Cassian. Collat. 20. cap. 8. and mine iniquities have I not hid; that by this confession he may confidently adjoyn, and thou forgavest me the iniquity of my heart? But if shamefulness do so draw thee back, that thou blushest to reveal them before men, cease not by continual supplication to confess them unto him from whom they cannot be hid, and to say, I know my iniquity, and my sin is against me al­wayes; to thee onely have I sinned, and done evil before thee; whose cu­stome is both to cure without the publishing of any shame, and to forgive sins without upbraiding. In this Abbots opinion Con­fession to man was left free and adiaphorous, provided alwayes, that confession to God be sincerely performed, to which I com­mend the case of all Penitents, and pass unto the next kind of confession made before man as following.

CHAP. V.

I Have formerly treated of Exhomologesis as a wholesome discipline imposed for notorious sins, by which the Penitent did not so much make known his offences, (for they were too apparent and scandalous) as acknowledge the injury and wrong he had done to God, and his people, and there by the judgment, and punishment belonging in justice unto sin; and by such doleful postures to pacifie God, and satisfie the Church scandalized by his fall. We are now to treat of such a Confession, which bringeth to light the works of darkness, whereby a sinner becomes his own accuser, having no other witnesses then God, and his own Conscience of his folly; open­ing the same not onely unto God but to Man also: Our first [Page 66]disquisition must be to inquire whether sins were and may be confessed unto a Man, without entring into the manner of the Confession; whether it ought to be of all particular sins, to­gether with the circumstances changing, or aggravating the property of each several offence, or without considering so much the nature of the man, his profession, calling, or sancti­ty, (for these respects will follow in their order.) But whe­ther a sinner may confess his sins in general or specified unto any man without respect of persons; provided onely that he be within the pale of the Church, and observe in his carriage the common rules of civility, and we shall find the practice hath been, (and that practice never controlled) in all times for man to have recourse to man also in confession.

The first and most ancient example in this kind is Lamech; for Adam and Cain were called to an account, and convinced before they would come to any acknowledgment: but this man questioned by none, called upon by none, accused by none, but by the bird in his breast, Gen. 4.23. his Conscience, cries out, Hear my voice, O ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech, for I have slain a man in my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. I must confess I held not this worthy of an instance, though it be the detection of a secret sin, because it was addressed unto women, unfit creatures to be acquainted with a mans Cabinet, and to look into the privy Chamber of his heart; and conceived of this passage to be as much for my purpose, as the fabulous con­jectures of the Rabbins who the man was he slew, and the manner thereof, to the mind and meaning of Lamech; passed over it had been for me, had not Chrysostome grounded upon the same so many, and those notable observations of Confes­sion.

• 1. As the power and torture of an indicting Conscience, not suffering the sinner to be at quiet, till his sin be brought to light.
• 2. The good that comes to some by the examples of ju­stice in others;

Cains punishment in denying his sin, serving as an inducement to Lamech to confess his: [...]. Chrysos [...]. No man therefore constraining him, no man convincing him, he sets up a judgment­seat, calls upon his wives to be his judges, accuseth himself, con­fesseth [Page 67]the fact, and allots the punishment; wherein no dislike could be taken to the proceedings, were it not for his mistake in the Judges.

The next act of Confession was more solemn, and religious, made to the Priest before the Altar; for besides that general confession of the whole people, Nec publica tantùm confessio pro totius po­puli d [...]lictis fiebat in die expiationis — sed & p [...]vata & particularis specialium quo­rundam peccatorum ab iis ageb [...]r, qui poe­nitentiam agentes, sibi Deum propitium red­dere volebant. Beauxan. harm. tom. 1. pag. 134. col. 2. poured out annually upon the day of expiation, there was a pri­vate and particular confession of some special sins in use amongst them, for which by repentance they sued unto God for mercy, saith a Sorbonist. The sinner that would be particular, repaired unto the Altar, and there presented the Priest with an offering, to make the atone­ment; for sins hid from the eyes of the assembly, and after­wards come to light, a young bullock, with imposition of hands from the elders was destin'd for a Sacrifice; the Ceremo­nies whereof are contained, Levit. 4. but for some sort of se­cret sins, which had not yet seen the light of fame, the sin­offering was appointed to be a lamb, or a kid, Levit. 5.6. and the guilty person was to confess the sin, and the Priest to make the atone­ment. Josephus mentioneth the se­cret sin, and the sacrifice, [...]. l. 3. c. 10. which he saith was a Ram, but not the confes­sion of the sin, as needless perhaps, because the offence was imprinted upon the Sacrifice as an Hieroglyphick thereof; of which see Levit. 5. for how could a particular offering appertaining to particular fins be laid upon the Altar by the guilty person, Qui potuit quispiam offerre oblationem pro peccato, qui se peccasse pal [...]m non fateretur?— cos qui peculiaritèr offerebant pro peccato, peculiariter quó [...] ▪ ejus peccati de quo agebatur, sese reos agnoscere necesse suit. Beza de Ex­com. contra Erastum. without disclosing of his offence? did they not by that act pronounce themselves guilty of that sin, for which they brought the of­fering, and desired the atonement? That very act of the party peccant, viz. the presenting of the sacrifice was a real conviction. Scotus then fell short of the [Page 68]truth in affirming that under Moses law, In lege Mosaica de peccatis occultis tantùm Deo fiebat confessio, de quibusdam tamen defe­ctibus publicis & de non observantia legalium fiebat confessio—generalis confessio Sacerdo­tis erat quaedam dispositio ad miseri cordiam pe­tendam pro populo, sicut erat ista, injustè egi­mus, peccavimus, &c. Scot. l. 4. d. 17. q. unica. sins done in secret were confessed to God alone, and that the confession to man was but of some publick defects, and not observing of legal rites. And that the general Confession of the Priest served to dispose God to be merciful unto the people, like unto those supplications in the Church-Liturgy, We have sinned, we have done unjustly, &c. And Bellarmine hath overshot the truth in stretching this confession to a distinct, Illud [...] rectè verti possit distinctè, & expressè confitebuntur, [...], praeceptum hoc intelligendum esse de confessione distincta, & in specie, ejus peccati, pro quo expiando sacrificandum erat. Bell. l. 3. de poen. c. 3. Sect. ad haec. and spe­cifique enumeration of each several sin; and though it be granted the Hebrew word to signifie an express and distinct confession, it concludeth not his purpose; for a distinct con­fession is one thing, and a confession of all distinct sins another. The truth is, all the sins they thus Sacrificed for, were distinctly confes­sed, but not all the sins they committed were so sacrificed for, and to such kind of sins as were expiated by sacrifices doth the Cardinal himself limit this distinct confession. Aquinas allow­eth not so much to Confession under the Law as a clear and evident expression of sin, but rather a confused intimation thereof,, reserving that distinct demonstration to the clearer times of the Gospel; for thus he saith, In lege naturae sufficiebat recognitio peccati interior apud Deum, sed in lege Mosaica opor­tebat aliquo signo exteriori peccatum protestari; sicut per oblationem hostiae pro peccato, ex quo & homini innotescere poterat eum peocasse; non autem oportebat ut speciale peccatum à se commissum manifestaret, aut peccati circum­stantias, sicut in nova lege. Aq. Supplem. Qu. 6. art. 2. In the law of Nature an inward recognition of sin unto God was enough, but under Moses law there was requi­red a protestation of the sin in some out­ward signs, as by the offering of a Sa­crifice for sin, whereby it might appear to man that he had sinned; but it was not requisite to make a special manife­station of the sin committed, or the circumstances thereof, as in the new law: As if to the Patriarchs before the Law, Confession were then but in spicis, in the ears of Corn; to the Israelites under Moses law in farina, in the meal; and to Christians [Page 69]under the Gospel in pane, as the bread set upon the table; this be assured of, Levit. 17.21. Quia Sacordos non omaia pec­cata populi sci­cbat, sed in ge­nerali. Lyr. in Levit. 17. that in Moses time it was not so narrowly sifted into as in ours; for Lyra giving some reasons, why the Con­fession of the peoples sins unto God over the Sacrifice could not be particular, hath this amongst others; because the Priest was not acquainted with all the sinnes of the people but in a general manner.

The next instance is a law grounded upon the VIII Com­mandment, against usurpers of that which is not theirs, injoy­ning confession of the wrong, and restitution. Numb. 5.7. They shall con­fess their sin which they have done, and he shall recompense his tres­pass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. Materia rest [...] ­tutionis latis­sima quidem, sed valdè ne­cessaria. Biell, l. 4. d. 15. Q. 2. The point of restitution is indeed of great latitude, and great necessity, a doctrine too sowre for the palat of our times, and we can no more away with it then with Confession. Oh preposterous shame! we blush not to commit sin, but to confess; we blush not to do violence, but to restore; that speech of August [...]ne is grounded upon infallible truth, The sin is not remi [...]ted, Non dimittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ab­latum. except what was deteined be restored. If thou haft not a mind to aug­ment the principal four-fold as Zacheus did, yet add ⅕th there­unto as the Law enjoyned, or at least the Principal, as reason willeth. Lexista loqui­tur in casu in quo aliquis poe­nitentià du­cius, vul [...] sac [...]re satisfactionem proximo. Lyra. in loc. This case of Confession is unto man as damnified toge­ther with God, and therefore he likewise this way is to be satis­fied; the offender voluntarily detesting, and detecting the fact, tendring satisfaction, and desiring reconciliation. Here the Rhemists exceed the bounds of the Tridentine faith, in affirm­ing, that a general Co [...]fession under the law sufficed not for pur­ging sins, and that sinners were bound by a divine positive law, Rh [...]mists A [...] ­ [...]o [...] upon Num. 5. Tom. 1. pag. 333. to confess expresly, and distinctly their sin which they had committed, whom I send to Cardinal Tolet, a man of more judgment then all their College, to be corrected, who ingeniously confesseth, that not so much as a purpose to confess was necessary in the old law: Propasitum consit [...]ndi non sait necessari­um in v [...]teri lege. Toler. tract. de con­fes. for my part I verily believe, the same divine law for con­fession that is in force under the Gospel, to have been a law for Gods people at all times, and of like necessity to all penitents; and that the Priests after the order of Aaron, had power to make the atonemant, as well as those after the order of Mel­chisedec [Page 70]to grant the absolution; both in their several kinds be­ing Ministers of Reconciliation, Christ the supreme head of either hierarchy, giving in proper person a period to the Levi­tical Priesthood, and investing his Ministers with their autho­rity, which seems to be the greater, because it shines the clea­rer, and the more substantial, because the lesse ceremo­nious.

The next, but precedent in time unto the former, is the submission of Jobs friends (and that by special command of God) unto him, with a direction from God likewise, that Job by sacrificing for them should pacifie his incensed anger; for God held himself wronged through his servants side, and all this should they perform upon pain of his high displeasure: the words in the story are these, Job 42.7, 8, 9, 10. And it was so, that after the Lord has spoken these words unto Job, The Lord said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bul­locks, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for your selves a burnt offering, and my servant Job shall pray for you, and him will I accept, lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord com­manded them; and the Lord also accepted Job, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Where note,

• 1. As God was offended and his servant Job, so the offence must be acknowledged to both, that both may be pacified.
• 2. God retains his anger till the party wronged together with him be satisfied.
• 3. Gods wrath incensed against any for wronging his servants, will not be quenched but by his servants means and procurement; for his fury provoked by offending Job, must be appeased by Job re­conciling.
  'Ite ad servum meum Job, & offeret holo­caustum pro vobis; ita legit Greg. & vulg. lat. assavoir par le moin de Job,—tellement qu'il vous serve comme de Sacrificateur. Ge­nev, not, in Bibl. Gallic.
  They were to offer their sacrifices to Job, and Job to God for them; so the ancient Latine copies followed by Gregory read, Go unto my servant Job, and he shall offer an [Page 71]Holocaust for you, and those words him will I accept, and, the Lord accepted Job, import no less.
  Pro semetipso Poenitens tan­tò cititùs ex audiri me­ruit, quantò de­votè pro ali [...]s int [...]rcessit. Greg. Mor. l. 35. c. 20.
• 4. God heareth a man sooner in his own cause, that is sollicitous on the behalf of others; as Job turned away his own captivity in praying for his friends. Thou wilt say, but where did Jobs friends confess their sins unto him? Canst not thou spell their Confessions in their Sacrifices? for what meant those Sacrifices and Jobs in­tercessions on their behalf, but for their sins? and how could he offer, and pray for he knew not what? they then confes­sed the trespass, presented unto him the trespass offering, and desired his intercessions that God would be reconciled for their offences.

The next President is David confessing his sin to Nathan, for albeit the Prophet gave him a [...], and draught thereof in a Parable, and made David pass the sentence against himself in thesi, and brought it home to his Conscience by a special application, uncasing the Parable, and shewing that He was the man; yet Davids heart thus roused awoke, and he cried out, I have sinned against the Lord; 2 Sam. 12. and Nathan said unto David, the Lord hath also put away thy sin, thou shalt not dye. There was no tergiversation, no apology, no accusing of the instruments, but the King wholly took the sin upon him­self. Thus did not Saul in the case of Agag and Amalek; the charge he had from God was the utter subversion of that Prince, and State; contrariwise the victory gained, he spareth the King, and maketh a prey of the richest and fattest spoyls; and being reprehended by Samuel, spread a religious cloak over his transgression, as if that prey had been reserved for a sacrifice; and being further charged by Samuel for disobedi­ence, he conveyes the fact away from himself to the people, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone the way the Lord sent me, but the people, &c. If any deviation it was in them, they were out of the way, and would needs spare the best of the cattle to pleasure God with a Sacrifice. Proud heart, that all this while would take no notice of his sin, till he heard his doom, deprivation from his Crown and dignity. Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; 1 Sam. 15. but Samuel said not unto [Page 72] Saul, as Nathan unto David, The Lord hath also put away thy sin. Sauls was a confession upon the rack, but David had no sooner a sense of sin, but he opens it in humble confession; The wound no sooner perceived then he hastned for a Medicine, [...]. Basil. [...]. pag. 243. then he fled to the Physician, saying, I have sinned, and forthwith is healed. The Lord also hath put away thy sin. Grave is the wise mans advice, Be not asha­med to confess thy sins, and force not the course of the river; Ecclesiasticus 4.26. That is, turn not the stream or course thereof backward by denial, or on the one side by excusing; but be thine own accuser to obtain a pardon.

Confession then of sin, and that unto man, amongst the peo­ple of the Jews, is extant upon Sacred records, practised before the law, commanded by the law, portraited in their Sacrifices, and performed by the Man after Gods own heart, and hath conti­nued among that dispersed Nation even till our times, if Tho­mas Walden and Antoninus may be credited; the one learn'd so much from the relation of the Jews themselves at his being in Austria, and the other affirmeth, that the learneder sort are wont to con­fess all their sins to a Levite, Solent doctiores Judaei ante mortem con­fiteri omnia peccata Levitae alicui, si quem fortè nacti fuerint. Ant. part. 3. tit. 14. c. 6. Sect. 1. Habent Sacerdotes (Cuthaei) ex posteri­tate Aharon Sacerdotis in pace quiescentis, qui cum nullis alits connubia jungunt, nisi aut familiae suae foeminis aut viris, ut genus imper­mixtum conservent. Benjam. Itiner. pag. 39, 40. a little before their death, if he may be had; and I think so too when they chance upon a Levite of the full bloud, which to preserve without mixture, the Jews after the destruction of the Temple were not so careful as the Samaritans, who boast their Priests to be not onely of the tribe of Levi, but family of Aaron, and therefore call them Aharonitae. Some testimonies of the Rabbins which I find in Petrus Galatinus may not be neglected. In a Treatise called B [...]rashith. [...] that is a lesser exposition upon the book of Genesis, [...] Gen. 49.8. and upon those words, Judah thy Brethren shall praise, or confesse thee; being an elegant allusion of old Jacob to his name derived from confession; it is thus written, This is that [Page 73]Confession which is spoken of by the ho­ly Ghost in the hands of Job, Illa est confessio de qua dictum est à Spiritu Sancto per manus Job, [...] Cap. 15. hoc est, quia Sapientes sunt, confitentur, & indi­cant, & non abscondunt à Patribus suis, peccata s [...]. sua. De quibus dictum est hoc? de justis, qui vincunt, & subjugant fomitem, seu sensualitatem suam, & confitentur actus suos Patribus suis; omnis enim qui confitetur actus suos, dignus est seculo futuro, sicut di­ctum est, Psal. 50. [...] Et ità invenies in Juda in hora qua pervenit ad eum factum Tamar, confessus est, quema [...]medum dictum est, Gen. 38. [...] Moxigitur vicit sensualitatem vel affectum suum, & con­fessus est. Such as are wise confess or shew forth, & hide not from their fathers; that is, their sins. Of whom is this spoken? of the just, who subdue their lust and sensu­ality, and confess their doings to their Fathers, for he that confesseth his acts is worthy of the world to come, at it is said in Psal. 50.23. He that offereth confession honoureth me, and he that ordereth his way, to him will I shew the salvation of God. Accord­ingly you find in Juda, that at what time his dealing was perceived by him with Thamar, he confessed it, Gen. 38. Acknowledge thy Creator, and be not ashamed of flesh and bloud; that is, of man; presently he overcame his sensuality and affections, and confessed. And again in the same place. God holy and bles­sed curseth every one that doth not confess his deeds; Omais qui non confitetur op [...]a sua, Deus sanctus & benedictus maledicit; sic enim in­venimus in Cain, qui negavit & dixit, Gen. c. 4. Nunquid Custos fratris mei Ego sum? maledictus ergo sit, sicut dictum est ibidem, Et nunc maledictus es tu. for so we find in Cain, who denied, and said, Am I my Brothers keeper? therefore he was ac­cursed, as it is there said; Now then cursed art thou. Such another te­stimony is extant in the Hierosolymitan Sanbedrim, in the chap­ter that beginneth [...] that is, The judgment is defined; Omnis confitens habet partem in seculo futu­ro; sic enim in Achan reperimus, quod dixit ei Ichoshuah, Fili mi, Da obsecro, hono­rem Domino Deo Israel, & da confessionem, & indica mihi quaeso quid feceris; ne celes à me: & ait, Verè ego peccavi Domino Deo Israel, & ita hoc sicut hoc feci. Et undè habe­tur quòd remissum fuit ei peccatum? ex co quod dictum [...]st ibidem Jehosuae sc. cap. 7. & ait Jehosuas, Sicut turbasti nos, turbat te Do­minus in die isto: in die isto (inquit) tu tur­batus eris, sed non [...]ris turbatus in fu [...]u [...]o. where it is thus written; All such as confesse have their share in the world to come; for so we find in Achan, how Je­hosuas said unto him, My son, give glory unto the Lord God of Israel, and make thy Confession, and shew unto me what thou hast done. And conceal it not from me; and Achan answered, and said unto Jehosuas, Of [Page 72]a truth I have sinned before the Lotd God of Israel, and have done thus and thus. But from whence doth it appear that his sin was forgiven? from that it is said in the same place, viz Josh. 7. And Jehosua said, As thou hast troubled us, the Lord trouble thee in that day: In that day (saith he) thou are troubled, but thou shalt not be troubled in the dayes to come. And that this confession was made distinctly, is evident by what is recorded in the book intituled [...], that is, of Dayes, and in the Chap. [...] sc. the day of propiti­ation; Rabbi Hunna said, Dixit Rabbi [...] Hunna, Omnis qui transgressione transgressius est, necesse est ut sin­gulatim exprimat peccatum. Pet. Galatin. de arcan. Cath. verit. l. 10. c. 3. Every one that in offending hath offended, ne­cessarily he must express the offence in a special manner. By these Ma­sters of the Synagogue, it may easily be guessed how confession was ordered, and practised by their Disciples and Proselytes.

In the New Testament the onely pertinent place to prove Confession unto man not circumstantiated with any office, qua­lity, &c. is in the Epistle of Saint James, Confesse your faults one to another, James 5.17. and pray one for another that ye may be healed: where the disease is sin, the remedy confession and prayer; the Physicians and Patients subalternal, one another; the end cura­tion, that ye may be healed; wherein mutual prayer is injoyn­ed, and mutual confession; and as the precept is one to pray for another, so is it also one to confesse to another; and as not onely the order of Priests may pray for others, but other orders of the faithful for them, and others also; so sin may be detected to men of another rank than Priests onely: to Priests I grant principally, but not solely: and little advantageth Romes clancular confession, where the Laity and Cler­gie hold no correspondency, Il ne fait rien pour ceste confession à l'oreille d'un Prestre, car icy l' Apostre recommande une confession mutuelle, qui ne se fait in cette pra­ctique. D. Buchan. l'histoire de la Consci­ence. p. 173. they confessing to Priests onely, and not Priests to People; whereas the Apo­stle by saying, Confess one to another, prescribeth confession no more to be made to the Priest than to another man, Dicendo Confitemini alterutrum non ma­gìs dicit, confessionem faciendam esse Sacerdo­ti, quàm alii; subdit enim, Orate prose in­vicem. Scot. l. 4. d. 17. Q.unic. (saith Scotus.) So that without for­cing or racking of the words, the sense will fall out to be this; Confess your [Page 73]sins one to another, that being conscious of one anothers di­seases, you may the better frame your request on one anothers behalf for your recovery. Confession of faults serving here for an instruction unto prayer, which one Alteru­trum, i. aequa­libus. Gloss. interlin, Member of the Church maketh for another. Then if none can receive Con­fession of sins but a Priest, none but a Priest can pray for another. Mutuam confessionem & mutuam orationem simul injungit; si solis sacrificulis confitendum, ergo & pro illis solis orandum. Calvin. Instit. lib. 3. c. 4. Sect. 6. But if a Lay-Christian may pray for another, yea, for a Priest also; then may con­fession be made to a Lay-Christian, Reciprocâ relatione isti pro scinvicem tenen­tur orare. Hug. Card. in loc. ergo, ad se in­vicem reciproce tenentur confiteri. yea from a Priest also. Again, if Priests be the onely men to whom confession in this place is addressed, then Priests onely pray one for another; for if none can confess one another but Priest and Priest, they are the Men then that can only pray one for another: furthermore, the Confession Saint James speaketh of, passeth to and fro, from one to ano­ther; now if none may hear confes­sion but a Priest, Hic exigitur reciproca Confessio-atqui hoc soli sacrifici sibi vendicant, ergò ad eos solos ableganda est confessio. Calvin. in Jac. cap. 5. none may make confession but a Priest, for with the Apostle, those onely must make con­fession that may receive confession, and they onely confess that may be confessed unto. This discourse is grounded upon the mutual and reciprocal injunction of Confession, and in­tercession, on the behalf of others, as duties of equal latitude and extent; The Reason standeth thus;

• Bar. All such as may make supplications for others, may re­ceive the confessions of others.
• Ba. But all Christians may make their supplications for others.
• Ra. Therefore all Christians may receive the confessions of others.
  Sentit de quo­tidianis offensis Christianorum inter ipsos, quot continuò vult reconciliari; alioqui, si de confessione sensisset, quam dicimus partem Sacramenti poenitentiae, non addi disset [...], i. vobis invicem, sed saccrdotibus. Erasm. annot. in Jac. 5. pag. 744.

There are that limit the Apostle to speak onely of that Con­fession which tendeth to Brotherly reconciliation, whereby the offender humbly submits, ingeniously acknowledgeth, and thereby deprecateth the offence, and pacifieth the party offend­ed; [Page 76]as if he should have said, the faults you commit one to another confess one to another, and be reconciled; for had he meant Sacra­mental confession, he would rather have said, confess to the Priests than one to another. This note of Erasmus had been worth the no­ting, if the words following, and pray one for another, did not fol­low, which argue the fellow-servant not to be the party grieved, but the Lord, to whom he is to intercede on his fellows behalf, q.d. Confess one to another the sins committed against God, and pray one for another to God for them. Others understand by sins, the sins against God, by the Con­fessors, not Priests alone, Haec omnia intelliguntur de Confessione, se­cundùm quod ipsa est praeceptum, & sicut praecepta quoad confessionem mortalium, consi­lium verò quoad confessionem venialium. Hug. Card. Expos. in. Jac. cap. 5. but others also in some cases, and the confession as a duty to be performed by way of

• 1. Precept, and of
• 2. Counsel.

If mortal sins be the subject, then the Confessor is to be a Priest, and the confession necessary, and under command; but if the sins be venial, the Confessor may be a Lay-man, and the Confession free, and under counsel one­ly. This later confession then being an Evangelical counsel, belongeth onely to such perfect men as Monks and Friers, and then a Lay brother may serve at a turne to receive the Con­fessions of a Cloyster, which rather than those religious Cloyste­rers will admit, this cardinal exposition shall be turned off the hinges. But it will be said, a Priest may take notice of such Atomes, and Peccadillo's too, if his leisure serve him, or if not, may make them over to one of the Laity, as not worthy of his ears. I see now a mysterie and method observed in reserved cases; moats and lesser sins are reserved for a Lay-audience, sins of a middle magnitude, for Priests ears, but beams, foul and heynous offences, for the Penitentiaries themselves at Rome. And truly I think Saint James was as, well acquainted with venial sins as with Evangelical counsels, and with reserved cases as much-as with reserved confessions. So as touching this inter­pretation, all that I have to say is, to put my Reader in mind, that this Scripture is from an Apostle, and this glosse from a Cardinal: But he and I both must take notice of what Bede saith, because he was our worshipful Countrey-man, who [Page 77]willeth, that daily and trivial fanlts, like should confesse to like, one to another, of the same rank; In hac senten­tia debet esse illa discretio, ut quotidiana l [...]via (que) peccata invicem coae­qualibus confi­teamur, eorúmque quotidianâ credamus oratione salvari. Porrò, gravioris leprae immundi [...]i [...]m juxta l [...]gem Sac [...]rdoti pandamus, atque ad ejus arbitrium, qualiter, & quanto tempore jusscrit, purificari curemus. Bed. Com. in Jac. 5. and believe to be holpen by their d [...]ily prayers, whereas the uncleannesse of a fouler leprosie, we should according to the law, unfold unto the Priest; and as he shall deter­mine, to endeavour our purification after such manner and time as he shall appoint.

But the Cardinal fixeth upon these words [...], & [...], one for another, and one to another; and contendeth, that they are to be understood as the consequence of the words of the Scripture (or rather of his impertinent glosses) shall require; Voces ill [...]e ALTERUTRUM, & IN­VICEM accipiendae sunt, prout exigit con­saqu [...]ntia verborum Scripturae divinae—. Confitemini homines hominibus, qui absoluti­on [...] indigetis, illis qui potestatem habent ab­solvendi. Bellar. lib. 3. de Poen. c. 4. Sect. Sed haec. insomuch that confesse one to another is nothing else; but you men that need absolution, to such men that have the power of absolving. A very discreet Comment, and which will settle the practice of his Church throughout, in the point of Penance, thus: Confess you that have committed lesser sins, and have less money to pay fees, to your Sir Johns at home; but you whose sins are riper, and purses fuller to commute, unto the Bishop, and purchase absolution from his Consistory. But you whose sins are of a deeper grain, and your selves of vaster possessions, gang ye on pilgrimage to Rome, as a dainty reserved for his Holinesse; and remember to carry something with you besides your Pilgrims-staff and habit, [...]. 1 Pet. 4.9. for fear you prove unworthy of Papal absolution. All these glosses are war­ranted by that liberty of interpretation the Cardinal hath here taken to himself; which to maintain he would faine para­phrase with a place in P [...]ter, viz. Ʋse hospitality one to another without grudging, that is, Eos qui tecto indigeat, hospi­tio recipiendos esse ab his qui domum habent, imperitos à Doctis instruendos, agrotos à Medicis cucandos.— sia qui peccatorum vinculis constricti tenentur, ad cos acced [...]re deb [...]nt quibus dictum est. Quaecunque solve it is, &c. id. ib. not all to use hospitality promiscu­ously, but those that are able to those that are in want; so instruct [Page 76]one another, that is, the Doctor the unlearned; so heal one another, that is, the Physician the sick; so confesse you that are held with the bonds of sin, to such to whom it was said, Whose sins soever you shall loose; &c. Thus the Jesuit, but sophistically, for the former instances are distributiones accommodae, wherein every one is to do good according to his power, & the gift that he hath received; viz. those to be given to hospitality, that are enabled with means; those to instruct, that are [...], taught of God; and those to heal, that have the skill. Now where God gives the gift, he requires the duty annexed; and of such as receive the grace, the good-work: for example, the hope of the Re­surrection is common to every believer, and upon a dead friend, a sure comfort for a sad loss; wherefore comfort ye one another with these words, [...]. 1 Thes. 4. ult. [...]. Joan. 13.34. a duty belonging to all Christians, because all of them had the like means, and assurance of Consolation; so, This is my commandment, that ye love one another; all Christians then are tied to reciprocal love, because the precept bindeth all; and so in this present place, To pray one for another is an univer­sal duty of all Christians; and that one Christian may the bet­ter pray for another, the Apostles advice is to confess the sins which lie heavy upon the Conscience to another Christian, to enable, and instruct him the better to procure of God by pray­er that which thou seekest, ease, and refreshment; as every Christian therefore hath (or should have) the gift to pray for another, so hath he the capacity to receive the confession of another. This I say truly understood pro distributione accom­moda will bring to light the Jesuites sophistry, and shew how vain his instance was to uphold his fancy. Bishop Fisher, a Cardinal as well as he (although his head went off before his hat went on) but of greater conscience in handling of Scri­ptures, contradicteth not the former sense of confession to a Lay-brother, Quòd si quispiam contendat sensisse Ja­cobum, quod frater fratri cuivis debeat con­fiteri, nihil moror; si tamen hoc mihi dona­verit, quod alteri cuiquam omninò quàm Deo sit confitendum. Roffens. contr. Luther. art. 8. pag. 139. and is contented to approve thereof; so it may be granted him from thence, (and he hath a hard heart that will not) that confession may be made to another besides God onely. And this all the Conclusion according to Lyra, that [Page 77]from hence may be deducted, how, Ex quo pater, quod confessio deb [...]t fieri non solùm Deo sed homini. Lyra. in Jac. 5. it is manifest that confes­sion ought to be make not to God onely, but to man also; and to that end I produced it.

In the next place such testimonies of the Fathers shall be alleaged, which speak confession to be made unto others, over and above that which the Penitent maketh unto God. Origen expounding those words, A sword shall passe through thy heart, that the thoughts of many may be revealed; writeth thus; There were in men evil thoughts, which to this end are revealed, Cogitationes erant malae in hominibus, quae propterea revelatae sunt, ut pro [...]atae in medium perderentur, & interfectae, atque emortuae, esse desinerent, & occideret eas ille, qui pro no­bis mortuus est; quamdiu enim absconditae erant cogitationes, nec prolatae in medium, im­possibile erat eas penitùs interfici. Undè & nos, si peccaverimus, debemus dicere, Pec­catum meum notum fecitibi, & iniquita­tem meam non abscondi. Dixi, annuntia­bo iniquit [...]tem contra me Domino; si enim haec fecerimus, & revelaverimus peccata no­stra non solùm Deo, sed & his qui possunt mederi vulneribus nostris atquae peccatis, dele­buntur peccata nostra ab eo qui ait, Ecce de­lebo ut nubem iniquitates tuas, & sicut cali­ginem peccata tua. Origen. tom. 6. hom. 17. in Luc. pag. 145. that being published they may be lost, and be as if they had not been; and being dead cease to have been; and that He might kill them, who for us was killed; for so long as our thoughts are hid, and not brought forth, it was impossible they should utterly be cut off; therefore we also that have sinned, ought to say, My sin have I made known unto thee, and my iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my sins against my self unto the Lord. Now if we would do so, and reveal our sins not onely unto God, but unto those also that are able to heal our wounds, and our effences, our sins shall be blotted out by him who saith, Behold I blot out as a cloud thy sins, and thy iniquity as darkness. Where is express-mention of Confession unto others besides God, which may heal us as his instruments, and servants; and it must not be denied, that his Priests are professed Physicians of this Cure; yet as we see bodily diseases oftentimes healed by such as make no profession thereof, so it may fare with the soul-Physician al­so, the medicine especially coming from heaven. Nor can a Lay-Physician be void of power to heal, although he hath none to absolve; for God [...] Many times conferreth safety im­mediately from himself, and so much those words, Our sins shall be blotted out by him who saith, &c. seem to intimate, [Page 80] Cyprian in his Epistles writeth thus; Cùm in minoribus peccatis agant peccatores paenitentiam justo tempore, & secundum disci­plinae ordinem, ad exomologesin veniant, & per­manûs impositionem Episcopi, aut Cleri, jus communicationis accipiant. Cypr. l. 3. Epist. 14. For lesser offences let sinners take their penance in a just season, and according to the order of the Discipline, let them be admitted to publick confession, and by the imp [...]sition of the Bishops hands, Nam cùm in minoribus delictis quae non in D [...]um committuntur, poenitentia agatur justo tempore, & exhomologesis fiat, inspectâ cjus vitâ qui poenitentiam; nec ad communi­cationem quis venire possit, nisi priùs illi ab Episcopo, & Clero manus fuit imposita. id. and of the Clergie, restored to the com­munion. Again, and much to the same purpose; for sleighty offences, and those not [directly] committed against God, publick confession may be performed; his life being look'd into which is to undergo the pe­nance; neither may he be admitted to communicate without imposi­tion of hands from the Bishop, and the Clergie. From these pas­sages B. Rhenanus collecteth, that secret confession (besides the discipline thereof in publick) for se­cret sins, Liquet ex citatis Cypriani locis, occultorum scelerum exhomologesin fuisse secrelam, & sa­cerdotem pro modo delicti jejunium, & elecmo­synas confitenti injungere. B. Rhen. annot. ad Terr. lib. de poenit. together with a prescript in­junction from the Priest, of fasting, or giving almes in the penitent, (as the nature of his sin required) to have been on foot in Cyprians time. In the zea­lous age of that blessed Martyr, wherein it was hard to say, whether desire of doing well, or shame for doing evil was greater, many sinners and lapsed Christians put to publick pe­nance, received such peace of Conscience upon the performance thereof, Salutarem me­delam parvis licèt, & modi­cis vulneribus requirunt. Cypr. and their reconciliation from the Bishop, that others also voluntarily came in, and for offences of lesser nature sub­mitted themselves to the same discipline. In process of time the resort became so frequent, and the offence so small, it was thought fit left by often penance, the discipline of open penance might melt, and grow into contempt, to appoint a fit person, (a Clergy-man I believe) who was to be [...], one that could keep counsel and [...], of much expe­rience, to distinguish betwixt lepry and lepry, and to give counsel also, to receive confessions, & inspectâ ejus vitâ qui agit poenitentiam, and sift into his life that would do penance; and meeting with such sins as he thought merited publick pe­nance, [Page 81]to present the sinner to the Bishop and Clergy, to be admitted to Exomologesis; so private Confession was used in Saint Cyprians dayes, as a preparative, and manuduction to the publick; and occasioned upon the tender consciences of those, whose faith was stronger, and fear better, whose hearts stood in much awe of God, Audis non fu­isse vel praece­ptum, necessari­um, vel consue­tudinem uni­versalem; dicit enim (Cypri­an.) fuisse exempla quorundam, qui fide majore, & timore meliore erant; non igitur omnes hoc secerunt, nec damnati fuerunt illi, qui soli Deo talia confessi sunt. Chemnit. exam. part. 2. pag. 191. and whose Consciences awaked upon the least shock of sin; much different both in the manner, and end, from that rack of Conscience, rather than relief, popish shrift, as in due place shall appear.

Saint Basil in answer to that demand, whether it were be­hoofeful (laying shame aside) to confess our evil actions to all men, or to some, and what conditions those some should be of; answereth thus; The Confession of sins keeps the same course as the laying open of bodily diseases. [...], Basil. [...]. pag. 528. Now men do not lay open corporal diseases to every one they meet with, but to persons skilful in the art of healing; so confession of sins ought to be made unto such as are able to cure them; according as it is written, You that are strong bear the infirmities of the weak; that is, take them away by your careful endeavour. Where care and diligence is equally requi­red in choosing the Physician, and in curing of the Patient. I dare not peremptorily say the Physician is ever to be a Priest, and con­fine this election to that order; yet it is a duty more expresly required at the bands of that Hierarchy, whose profession is the art of binding up of wounded Consciences, and their School a sanctuary for a troubled soul: but of this I am sure, Saint Ba­sils pleasure was, that the wounds and diseases of the soul should be shewed forth to sub-celestial Physitians: and as B. [Page 82] Rhenanus further alleageth him; Confession is a noble kind of Medicine, Medicina una nobilis confes­sio fuerit, ac proximis eam pal [...]m facere, ut per communem corum orationem vitia faciliùs curentur. Basil. apud B. Rhen. prefat. ad Tert. de Poen. opening to our nearest, and dearest acquaintance, that our sins by their common prayers may be more easily healed.

Saint Hierom upon Ecclesiastes writeth thus; If that serpent the Devil shall have bit any one secret­ly, Si quem Serpens Diabolus occultè momor­derit, & nullo conscio peccati veneno insece­rit, si tacu [...]rit qui percussus est, & non egerit poenitentiam, nec vulnus suum fratri, & Ma­gistro voluit consiteri, Magister qui habet linguam ad curandum, facilè ei prodesse non poterit; si enim erubescat aegrotus vulnus Me­dico confiteri, quod ignorant medicina non cu­rat. Hieron. in cap. 10. Eccles. tom. 7. pag. 43. and shall have infected him with the poyson of sin, no man besides him­self acquainted therewith: If he that is so stricken shall keep silence, and shew no repentance, nor have a will to confess his sin to his Brother, and Master, the Master that hath a tongue to cure him cannot easily avail him any thing; for if the sick man be ashamed to lay open his would to the Physician, the Physick cannot cure what it knoweth not. Hitherto Hierom. This Physician of all likely­hood should be a Priest, because he is called Magister; for by that title, and of Father, ancient times reverenced their Pa­stors; however the adjunct Frater, sheweth the Physician was not God but man, to whom the wounded Spirit must be opened.

Saint Augustine upon the Psalm 66. saith thus: Be sad before thou doest confess, after confession re­joyce, Tristis esto antequam consitearis, confessus exulta, jam sanaberis. Non confitentis con­scientia saniem collegerat, apostema tumuerat, cruciabat te, requiescere non sinebat; adhibet Medicus fomenta verborum, & aliquando se­cat, adhibet medicinale serrum in correptione tribulationis; tu agnosce Medici manum, con­fitere, exeat in confessione, & defluat omnis sanies; jam exulta, jam laetare, quod reli­quum est facilè sanabitur. Aug. sup. Psal. 66. for withall thou shalt be healed. Such a mans Conscience that doth not confess gathereth corruption, the apostem is swollen, it torments thee, it suffereth thee not to be at quiet; the Physician applieth fomentations of words, and sometimes lanceth it with the knife of tribulation; do thou acknowledge the Physicians hand, confesse, let out the corruption in confession that it may flow from thee; rejoyce now and be glad, What remaineth Will easily be cured. Whether the Lord or the servant be the Physician I resolve not, let the place be consulted withall.

Saint Chrysostome writing upon the conference betwixt Christ and the woman of Samaria, related John 4. hath these words: Let us imitate this woman, & in confes­sing of our sins let us not be ashamed of man; [...]. Chrys. in Joan. hom. [...]. pag. 694. Tom. 2. let us rather (as becomes us) fear God, who seeth whatsoever is done for the present, & for the time to come; will pu­nish whatsoever is not for the present re­pented of. Our actions are to the contrary; we fear not him that shall come to judge; but such as can hurt us little or no­thing, we quake and tremble at, as ashamed of them, but in the very thing we so much feared, therewithall shall we be punished; for the man that is moved onely to be ashamed before men, and is no whit ashamed to do evil in the sight of the all-seeing God, neither will re­pent here, nor be converted; in that day shall be openly disgraced, and made known not onely before two or three, but before the whole world. It is evi­dent▪ that this, Patriarch treateth of that confession made before them, of whom carnal men are ashamed, that is, of men not of God; for such the Father bla­meth that blush not to do evil before God, but to confess it before man; and affirmeth how they shall be punished even in that they so much dreaded, discredit, and disrepute with men; for the day will come when they, and their actions shall be spread abroad before the face of the whole world, & thereupon he groundeth this exhortation: Now I beseech you, [...]. ib. lin. 18. that although no man seeth what we do, every man to enter in­to his own conscience, and to make rea­son the judge thereof, and to open the [Page 84]sins he hath committed, and if he would not they should come to publication at that d [...]eadful day, let him procure his wounds forthwith to be heal [...]d, and the medicine of repentance to be ap­plied. It is apparent that confession before man (which with sensual men implieth shame and dishonour, as drawing their works out of darkness into light) is there meant, and not se­cret confession unto God, whereof they little pass; it being their disposition to be more in awe of being ashamed before Israel and this Sun, than before the God of Israel.

Pacianus hath left behind him thus; I beseech you, Ergo vos fratres etiam pro periculo meo per illum Dominum, quem occulta non fallunt, desinite vulneratam tegere conscientiam: Pru­dentes aegri medicum non verentur, ne in oc­cultis quidem partibus, etiam secaturos, etiam perusturos. Pacian. in peraen. ad Poen. Brethren, upon my peril, by that God whom no secrets deceive, that you desist from covering a woun­ded conscience; sick men that have un­derstanding fear not the Physicians, though they be wounded in their secret parts; Nunc ad eos sermo sit, qui benè, ac sapien­tèr vulnera sua poenitentiae nomine confitentes, nec quid sit poenitentia, nec quae vulnerum me­dicina noverunt; similes (que) sunt illis, qui pla­gas quidem aperiunt, ac tumores, medicis (que) etiam assidentibus confitentur; sed admoniti, quae imponenda sunt negligunt, & quae biben­ [...]a fastidiunt. ib. and they lance and sear there: and rebuking those that confess their sins, and take no course to forsake them, he saith, Let us now speak of such who well and wisely under the ti­tle of being penitent, confess their wounds, but little know what repen­tance meaneth, or any medicine for their wounds; and are like to such which open their grief, and swelling, and confess them be­fore Physicians met together, but being admonished what things to apply, and what to drink, neglect the use of such prescribed re­ceipts.

Saint Bernard, a Father also, though born out of due time, saith thus; What shall I speak of Beth­phage, a village of Priests, Quid de Bethphage dicam viculo Sacer­dotum, ubi & confessionis Sacramentum, & Sacerdotalis Ministerii mysterium continetur? —Scriptum est, Propè est verbum in ore tuo, & in corde tuo, non in altero tautùm, sed simul in utroque verbum habere memineris; & quidem verbum in corde peccatoris ope­ratur salutiferam contritionem, verbum verò in ore tuo noxiam tollit confusionem, nè impe­diat necessariam confessionem. Bern. Serm. ad Milites Templi. cap. 12. where the Sacrament of Confession, and the my­stery of Priestly Ministery is contained, —as it is written, The word is near thee, in thy mouth, and in thy [Page 85]heart, Deut. 32. and remember thou to have the word not in one of those places, but in both; for the word in the heart of a sinner worketh saving contrition, and the word in the mouth takes away all prejudicial confusion, that it may be no hindrance to necessary confession. At which Testimony startle not, that Confession is called a Sacrament; that is, not in a proper signification, but as he calls the Ministery a Mysterie, and considering the age this good man lived, marvel not to find in him a little touch of the times; great is his praise to have been so little defiled.

Concerning the School-Divines, they are absolute for confes­sion to be made unto man, that make it a matter necessary to salvation to confess our sins either actually or promissorily unto a Priest; All that may be doubted is, whether they grant that sins are of a Lay-cognizance or no, that is, whether they may be confessed to any man except a Priest. Their Master shall be the Mouth to speak for all, who proposeth this Question; Whether it may be sufficient to confesse unto a Lay-man? and answereth, An sufficiat cons [...]teri L [...]ico?— Sacerdotis examen requirendum est sludiosè,— si ta­men defuerit Sacerdos, proximo vel socio est facienda confessio; si ille cui consit [...]bitur, po­testatem non halen solvendi, fit tamen dignus veniae Sacerdotis desiderto. Lomb. lib. 4. d. 17. that all dil gent enquiry must be made for a Priest,—but in case a Priest can­not be had, let confession be made to a neighbour, or companion; and tels us, that it will not be labour lost, for al­beit such a Confessor be not indowed with power to absolve, yet the penitent becomes worthy of pardon for the desire he had to confesse unto a Priest.

Bonaventure allows of confession to a Lay man, but with this distinction: If (saith he) Confes­sion be considered as a virtuous act, De Confessione possumus loqui dupliciter; u [...]o modo prout est opus v [...]tutis direclè repugnans hypocrisi, in quo quis seipsum accusat, ne ali­us sit quam appareat, v [...]l mala su [...] aper [...] ad investig and am curationem; & hoc modo con­fessio potest fieri cuilibet [...]am L [...]ico, qui po­test ad [...]uvare etitam instruendo, vel orando, & de quo homo potest erubescere, & humlia [...], & ille exemplo hu [...]il [...]tatis m [...]li [...] tri, non pecca­torum cog [...]itione deprava [...]: alto modo prout con [...]essio est opus Sacramentale, & p [...]out o [...]d [...] ­tur ad reconciliationem, &c. Bon. l. 4. l. 17. op­posite to hypocrisie, wherein the party accuseth himself, that he may appear no otherwise than he is indeed; or else laying open his sins to find the means to heal them; in this sense confession may be made to any Lay-man, who may give help by his instructions, and pray­ers; and of which may arise shame, and humiliation, and he that takes the [Page 86]confession may himself thereby be amended, but as it is a Sacramen­tal act, and relateth to reconciliation, so to the Priest onely, &c. Wherein we see that confession to a Lay-brother is approved; and the good that comes thereby expressed: 1 As first, the avoi­ding of hypocrisie, whereby a man blazoneth himself, and his infirmities, that he may not be better esteemed than he may de­serve; by holding out unto the world good parts, and by keep­ing in the bad: Pride lieth at the door, and worldly estimation knocks to open it, and let in that Devils-darling; but it must be thought to proceed from humility, when any shall be like­minded with the Apostle, 2 to glory in his infirmities. The se­cond Reason is for advice and Spiritual counsel, which oft-times may be as sound from the lips of a Lay-brother as one of the Clergy. [...]. Naaman received the first direction for the curing of his Leprosie from a Captive maid; even a little chance may cast in light, and from men that make no profession thereof may issue words of wisdome. 3 And the third is to be the better relieved by other mens prayers, and intercessions; for when others are acquainted with our need, they can the better frame their peti­tions for our relief: and the last reason may be a good exam­ple of humility; 4 that thy Brother into whose bosome thou hast poured out thy weakness, seeing that low estimation thou bearest of thy self, far from the opinion and practice of most men (who pass their dayes with full sailes, and little ballast in their ship) prising more the shew, than the reality of vir­tue; they (I say) may be moved also by thy example to the like humble carriage, and demeanour; such flowers as these are gathered oft-times in a Lay-confession.

And of what power and virtue Confession to a Lay-man is, give ear unto the insuing story. A Priest there was somewhat too familiar with a Gentlemans wife of his parish, Cujus uxorem Sacerdos per adulterium ma­culavit. (and as re­port then went, such kind of dealings were familiar with them) whereof the husband had some jealousie; it fortuned that at the next village there was a Demoniack that used to upbraid such as came unto him, by ripping up all such sins as lay behind un­confessed; marry, over confessed sins he had no power of dis­covery. The Gentleman to make a triall, intreated the Priest to accompany him thither. The Priest could not refuse him, [Page 87]but smelling his intent, pretended some natural necessity of bending in the stable, where chancing upon a servant of the Gentlemans, he cast himself down at his feet, Rogo ut propter Dominum con­fessionem audi­as. and desires him to hear his confession; which made, he desired his penance forth­with. The servant (this being none of his trade) bad him take such penance as himself was wont to prescribe unto his fellow Priest in the like case, Quantum alte­ri Sacerdoti pro tali crimine in­jungeretis, hoc sit satisfactio vestra. and so dismissed him to his Ma­ster; along they went to him that was troubled with the un­clean spirit, where the Gentleman began to enquire, Know you any thing by me, or by this Sir Domine here? poynting to the Priest; who answered in the vulgar tongue, I know nothing by him; but in I atin gave the Priest an Item, which none there but himself understood, in stabulo justificatus est, N [...]c tamen ta­cere licuit, ut virtutem con­fessionis Sacer­doti ostende [...]t. Spec. exampl. dist. 4. sect. 4. he was assoyled in the stable; as not permitted to reveal unto the Gentleman the sin committed, nor yet suffered to conceal from the Priest the virtue of confession. Here is confession to a Lay-man, and that from a Priest, as much as was looked for, and absolution from a Lay-hand likewise, more than could be ex­pected; and how availeable confession to a Lay-man in a Jakes from a Priest is in such Priestly cases: But leaving such Spectra, & [...] to be believed by such as are given over to be­lieve illusions, Let us remove unto the other side, and see the opinion of men (as we imagine) of a more refined judge­ment.

Calvin saith thus; There followeth that secret confession which is made un­to God, Arcanam illam confessionem quae D'o sit se­quitur voluntaria apud homine [...] confessio, quo­ties id vel di [...]nae gloriae, v [...]l humiliationis nostrae interest. Calv. Inst. lib 3. c. 4. Sec. 10. a voluntary confession also un­to men, so often as it shall be held ex­pedient for Gods glory and our humilia­tion. And in another place the same man telling us of two forms of Confession seen in the Scripture, of which one is for recon­cilement to an offended Brother; Sentit Jacob [...]s ut nostras infir­ [...]tates alter alteri d [...]tegen­tes, coasilio, & consolatione [...]tud [...]s ju­vem [...]s. ib. sect. 12. another to a Brother also for reconcilement, but with God; of this writeth thus; St James in those words would have us to understand, that detecting our infirmities one to another, we should aid our selves with mutual counsel, and consolation; where Counsel and Consolation is the scope of this confession, and that end, one who is not of the Clergy may afford.

Calvin is thought of some to be too precise, and rigid in his Tenets; let a moderate man speak, Cassander who delivers it as a conclusion agreed upon by the Protestants of Germany; for that many sinners in doubtful cases have need of counsel, Multi propter ambiguos casus opus habent consilio, ideò hortandi sunt homines, ut ad­dant enumerationem, ut juvari consilio, atque excitari magis ad poenitentiam, & de multis rebus admoneri possint. Cassand. consult. art. 11. de Confes. therefore men are to be exhorted, to number out their sins in confession, that they may be relieved by counsel, be the more excited to re­pentance, and admonished of many mat­ters. Equidem credo hac de re controversiam nul­lam fuisse futuram, si non salutaris haec consi­tendi medicina, ab imperitis, & importunis Medicis multis inutilibus traditiunculis infe­cta, & contaminata fuisset, quibus, consci­entiis (quas extricare, & levare debebant) laqueos injecerunt, & tanquam tormentis qui­busdam excarnificarunt,— huic rei occur­retur, si pii tantùm ac prudentes viri huic [...]ilissimo & sanctissimo audiendae confessionis & absolutionis impartiendae Ministerio praefi­ciantur. Id. ib. The same prudent Divine was of opinion, that there had been no con­trover sit about this point, if this heal­ing medicine of Confession had not been by many unskilful and unseasonable Physicians infected, and defiled with many, and those unprofitable, tradi­tions, whereby they have cast snares upon the Consciences, and much tortu­red the same, which they ought to have eased and freed from such intanglings; and tells us, that the onely help, and redress of this abuse is, if Godly and wise men were substituted, to this most holy and pro­fitable ministery of hearing Confessions, and granting absolutions.

I shall make up this point with the testimony of a domestick Divine Dr Willet; Willet. Sy­nops. controv. 14. Qu. 6. Sect. 2. of auric. Confession. p. 645. who hath these words, Confession of sins such as the Scripture alloweth, we acknowledge. There are pri­vate Confessions either to God alone, as Daniel confesseth, 9.4. or for the easing of our Consciences, to man also, as to him whom we have offended, Matth. 5.24. or to any other faithful man, the Minister, or some other that we may be holpen, and comforted by our mutual prayers; thus he. And surely this detection of sins is so evident an introduction for a remedy and ease against them, that even natural men with half an eye have discerned it, Plu­tarch by name; Thou sayest unto a vitious man, Tu dicis vitioso homini, cum vitiis tuis te abde, morbun (que) insanabilem & p [...]stilentem perfer, cela (que) invidiam, vel superstitionem veluti palpitationes quasdam, & tradere te eis qui docere, vel sanare possunt, cave; At vero Prisci aegrotos suos in publico propon bant, ut praetereuntium quivis, si quid vel ipse in codem morbo conflictatus, vel similiter laboranti opi­tulatus, medelae nosceret, id aegrotanti signi fica­ret; aiunt (que) artem hoc modo experientia adju­vante crevisse; hoc modo etiam vitae vitia animique prav is affectiones expediebat detege­re, ut cuivis liceret, (iis inspectis, & consi­deratis) dicere, iratus et? hoc cave; rivali­tate vexaris? istud facito; amas? ipse quoque aliquando amavi, sed resipui. Nam dum vitia suanegant, occultant, velant, pe­nitùs ea in sese desigunt. Plut. de occultè vi­vend. Xyland. Interp. p. 116. hide thy self with thy vi­ces, indure thy pestilent and dange­rous disease, conceal the envy, and superstition, as certain pantings, and [Page 89]beware thou give not thy self to such as can instruct and heal thee: But the Ancients exposed their sick men to open view, that such as passed by, and had been sick of the same disease, or had given ease, and help thereunto, might signifie so much unto the sick man; and they affirm, that the art it self impro­ved by such experience, to have been much better'd thereby, and increased. In like manner it may seem expedient to lay open the sins of our life, and the evil affections of the mind, that it may be lawful for any man, beholding and considering the same, to say, Art thou angry? take heed of this; Art thou vexed with jealousie? do this; Art thou in love? I my self was so; but have repented. Now whiles some men hide their vices, deny, and conceal them, what do they but fasten them more thoroughly, and surely to themselves?

CHAP. VI.

GODS Church is a body consisting of divers members, 1 Cor. 12.4, 5. so necessary as none can be missed; so distinct, as none can be confounded; so decent, as none can be vi­lified; so useful, as none can be spared; and so sub­ordinate, as none can be translated: all of them distinguished in their places, functions and offices, and enabled with gifts for administrations, and with administrations for operations. In this holy calling there is,

• 1. [...], God inabling, whom he calleth; and [...],
• 2. the administration he calleth to Minister unto, for every vocation is an office, and imploy­ment;
• 3. and [...], works and uses; for this office is not idle but laborious.

Now all of these are diverse in them­selves, but not in their Author. The gifts are not alike, yet from the same Spirit; the ministrations are different, yet from the same Lord; the operations are distinct, yet from the same God that worketh all in all. In. S. ordine discrimen gra­du & potestate. Amongst which the Lords Officers are divers; He hath set in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, fourthly, helps and governments, fiftly, diversities of Tongues. The Ministery is a function distinct [Page 91]from other offices in kind, and in it self in degree also; and the end whereof the common good of the Church; Quorsum depluere de coelo jussit varia haec donorum genera benignissimum Numen, nisi humani generis utilitati, communique faluti consuleret? quorsùm caeco pedes, claudo ocu­li, nisi ut commodet ille oculos, commodet ille Pedes. Canalicul [...]m te fecit ille, qui fe­cit no [...] cisternam. Columb. Noae. pag. 13. Jos. Hall. Rever. Epis. Exon. for to what purpose did our bountiful God command these gifts to come down from heaven in a full showre, but for the common profit, and salva­tion of mankind? why hath the blind his f [...]et, and the lame his eyes, but by mutual help, and lending, to supply their own wants? in good sooth thy Creator hath made thee a con [...]uit for conveyance, not a cistern for inclosure; as our English not Seneca now, but Chrysostome preached. Recourse then must be had to each several Officer pro re nata, as the subject matter shall require. No man asketh of the hand to see, or of the foot to hear, or of the ear to handle; if thou need Spiritual gifts, repair unto the Lords Stew­ards; if healing of spiritual diseases, apply thy self to the Lords Physicians; if to be restored to the lost savour of God, ad­dress thy self to those that have the word of R [...]co [...]ciliation: thou seest (good Reader) whither this discourse tendeth, to send a Penitent with his sins in his mouth unto a Priest, who by rea­son of his place is to take notice thereof, as in its place shall more fully appear. Now onely for the lawfulness, and pra­ctice thereof we are to see what countenance the Scripture, Di­vines, Ancient and Modern, lend thereunto.

When John appeared in the wilderness preaching, and bapti­zing, there the people flock'd in such abundance, Mat. 3. that the Cities and Villages seemed to be desolate, & the wilderness replenished: from Jerusalem the head City, and Juda the head tribe they resort unto him, and were baptized, confessing their sins to him no question, that baptized them. The Prea [...]hers text was Repentance, and his ministring of Baptism conduced thereunto; so near is the resemblance and affinity between Baptism and Re­pentance, that by the one is somtimes meant the other, and both have the promise remission of sins. The people submitting then­selves to be baptized, confessed their uncleanness; when John saw that Christ would be baptized, he admired, as knowing of no cause he had so to do; there was no spot in him that needed to [...]e­purged [Page 92]with this Laver, which occasioned him first to forbid him, as if he should say, The whole need not this Physick, this Bath is for the diseased, and this Hospital for the weak and sickly; and then to propose this Question; I have need to be ba­ptized of thee, and comest thou to me? q. d. I have need, thou hast none; I have need of thee, thou hast none of me; but for this people, they have need. Therefore as under the Law the offender brought his trespass offering unto the Priest, there­by implying his sin, Testimonium peenitent [...]e fuit haec confessio. Calvin. so did the people confess their sins by be­ing baptized into the remission of them; no less than a man should confess his felony in suing to his Prince for a pardon. Besides this act of theirs, [...]. they made a vocal expression of their sins, for no less do the words import, not intimating, but expressing, as the sinner did over the Sacrifice the sin that he had done; and so did they upon their baptism the sins that they had committed, and that not in a general way, how they had sinned, Quod cujus (que) est, etiam pro­prium alicui esse dicitur. and were sinners, for that upon the matter is nothing now; because non posse non peccare, not to be able to refrain from sin, is a heavy yoke upon the necks of all the children of Adam; that we may safely give the lye to him that shall say he is without sin; this infirmity being as proper to our corrupt nature, Aliud est agno­scere se peccato­rem, aliud pec­cata sua alicui consiteri. Bel­lar. l. 3. de Poen. c. 3. p. 1360. as to laugh, and be reasonable to our pure; then for a man to confess, I am a sinner, is no more as the world now goes with him, than to say I am a reasonable, or a smiling creature. But 'tis one thing for a man to acknowledge himself to be a sinner, and another, to confess his sins unto another; Sins were then rehearsed unto John, not after a general fashion, but with specialty, [...]. and so much the article imports, their sins; that is, such as every man had committed in particular, and which for the present stuck upon his Conscience; As we say of Merchants coming to a Faire, [...]. Act. 2.45. they opened their wares; mean­ing such special traffique as each particular Merchant traded in. And as the Believers are said to sell their possessions and goods, that is, such as every one was peculiarly seised of: And those that used curious arts, to burn their books before all men; that is, such wherein each singular man was studied: [...], Act. 19.19. So they confes­sed their sins, that is, such as they had done; not that they [Page 93]were sinners onely, Non simpliciter fatebantur peccata, sed sua ipsorum peccata, prout alii ebrietati, alii luxu­riae, alii avaritiae, alii irae, alii hypocrisi de­diti magìs erant, — & haec ipsa in quae la­bebantur, alii aliter, illâ etiam proprià confes­sione exprimebant. Beaux-amis Harmon. Tom. 1. pag. 394. but their sins, and that not in general termes but distinct­ly; this man his drunkennesse, and that his whoredome, and a third his co­vetousnesse, and a fourth his hypo­crisie, and so in order such offences, whereof they were especially guilty, and in their Consciences stood convicted. Acts 19.18. The Syriack Paraphrast tendreth the same expresly thus: [...] & multi de illis qui crediderunt venichant, & annunciabant delicta sua, & id quod fecerant con­fitebantur. N. T. Syr. Viennae impress. Wid­manstadii operâ. A. D. 1555.

The first Christians that came to Confession were the believing Jews, and Greeks that dwelt at Ephesus; that came and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Paul having been at great pains in his Mini­stery at Ephesus, in baptizing, perswading, and disputing both in the Synagogue, and in the School of Tyrannus, it pleased God to countenance, and confirme his labours with miracles; performed not only by the immediate hands of Paul, but by such utensils that were taken from his bo­dy, and applied unto them that were vexed with diseases, and unclean Spirits, and they were cured; insomuch that certain Con­jurers observing in whose name and power the Apostle had wrought all this, presumed to take that sacred name into their profane mouthes, & to call over those that were possessed, there­by easing them, but pulling the misery upon their own heads: foolish Charmers, freeing others from the Devil, and them­selves becoming his prey. [...]. Chrysost. [...]. Tom. 4. p. 838. Ʋpon this event the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, such as were guilty of such spels were terrified, and to prevent the like danger, came and confessed, &c. They Confessed then, that's evident, and something it was they confessed, and somebody to whom: The party then to whom; the matter, what; and the manner how must be explained:

• 1. He to whom without all doubt was Saint Paul, for had the party been God, [Page 94]they need not to have come for audience, who heareth when we cry from the utmost parts of the earth; to whom the East and West-Indies are but as the right and left ear; their coming then to confess, argues that it was to such an one, that could not hear much further than he saw. They came then to the School of Tyrannus, where Saint Paul exercised, and there were heard. 2
• 2. And the contents of their confession were their deeds; that is, their evil deeds, for we heard it was a fright that drive them to this confession;
  Metu divini judicii territi errata sua pro­fessi, ac detesta­ti sunt. Bez. annot. in Act. 19.
  and good actions are matter of hope, and not of dread: a sense of the punishment of sin in others drive them to a Conscience and confession of their own; thereupon Chrysostom expounds it in the testimony last alleged, they accused themselves; now if their deeds had been any other than sinful, the relating thereof had rather ju­stified than condemned them;
  Syriaca editio disertis verhis reddidit offen­sas. Bell. l. 3. de Poen. c. 4. vide supra.
  add hereunto the Syriack Edition, which expresly reads offences.
• 3. And for the manner, it skils not much whether it were privately performed, or in publick, the circumstances are more probable that it was publick; and very clear that it was in specie distinct; of some select, and special sins, 3 though not of all; and very likely of such which they saw and heard were punished in others: and to which those Levantine Countreys were too much addicted, viz.

Magicall charmes, and Conjuration; and in detestation of this sin, they brought their books which taught them such curious arts, and committed them to the open flames; & the using of two words, to confesse and prodentes. [...]. shew forth give no less, and the latter word [...], intimating to set forth as in a Pageant the story of their lives; the Syriac word [...] Being of the same significa­tion with the Hebrew [...] to number, q [...]d. numbring out their offences one after another: thus we have a confession of sins, and that distinct, and that un­to a Church-man, [...]. Oecu­men. in Act. Ap. Tom. 1. pag. 147. Paris 1631. Saint Paul, where­upon the Greek Schools ground this exhortation; it behoveth every faith­ful man to utter his sins, and to sub­mit himself to be censured for the same, so as he may commit them no more, that he may be justified, according as it is [Page 95]written. Declare thou thy sins first that thou mayest be justified. And Erasmus this collection; That anciently there was some confession made of an evil life, Vel hinc colligi potest fuisse & antiquitùs nonnullam confessionem malè actae vitae, sed apertam (ut opinor) & in genere, quam nec ipsam legimus exactam abs quoquam; Caeterùm quae nunc recepta est clancularia, & in aurem sit, videtur ex consultationibus privatis esse nata, quae solent apud Episcopos fieri, si quis scrupulus urgeret anim [...]m. Erasm. annot. in Act. Apost. c. 19. p. 315. but that publick (as he imagined) and general, and that not exact [...]d from any; howbe­it Auricular confession now in use seemeth to have taken its beginning from certain consultations made with the Bishops in private, when any scru­ple lay upon the soul. The former part of his words making good what we purposed; that in the Primitive Church there was confession of sins unto the Pastor, we examine not whether private or publick, general or special, of some or of all offences. And the passage concerning the original of Clancular Confession will be considered of, in its proper place.

Thus far from the word of God, now from the words of holy men; & in the first place we will set Dionysius Areopagita, leaving out that controversie whether the works under his name be his or no, seeing all Divines confess the Author to be of great Antiquity: he therefore in an Epistle to Demophylus, reprehending his insolent carriage towards a Priest, and a Pe­nitent, relateth the abuse thus: Thou (as thy letters mention) whilest a sinner falling down humbled h [...]mself unto the Priest, Tu (ut tuae literae indicant) procidentem Sacerdoli impium, ut ais, atque peccatorem nescio quo pacto contra disciplinae ordinem astans, calce abjecisti, & repulisti, cùm ille quidem verecundè (ut oportuit) sateretur se ad peccatorum rem [...]dia quaerenda venisse. Dio­nys. Epist. 8. Interprete Ambr. Camaldu­lense. (I know not by what means standing by, against the disci­pline of the Church) didst spurn him back with thy foot, whereas he in a lowly manner (as behoved him) con­fessed that he came to seek the remedies for his sins. By which it is apparent, how the sinner humbled himself unto the Priest, sought the best remedies against sin, such as were repentance, pardon, and Ghostly counsel, which could not be well pre­scribed without making his case known unto the Priest, to whom he resorted for a remedy; where the contemptuous car­riage of an insolent Deacon towards the poor Penitent that con­fessed, [Page 96]and the Priest that received him, is rebuked in that Epistle.

Origen succeedeth, who describing seven sorts or means to obtain forgiveness of sins, whereof the last is repentance, wri­teth thus; The seventh, though pain­ful, and laborious, Est adhuc & septima licet dura, & labori­osa, per poenitentiam remissio peccatorum cùm lavat Peccator in laerimis stratum suum, & siunt ei lacrimae panes die ac nocte; & non crubescit Sacerdoti Dei indicare peccatum suum, & quaerere medicinam, secundum eum qui ait, Dixi pronunciabo adversùm me, &c. Origen. homil. 2. in Levit. tom. 1. p. 68. is remission of sins upon repentance, when a sinner wa­treth his couch with tears, and tears become his bread day and night; and when he blusheth not to shew his sins unto the Lords Priest, and to seek for Medicine, according to him who said, I said, I will confess &c. Against this testimony there stands like a hand in the Margin, Sacra­mental confession, set there by Genebrard the publisher of that Edition, to fetch his Reader over; as if Auricular Confession (as it now goes for current at Rome) had been alive in the days of Origen; doing herein, as sorry Painters when the Picture cannot shew it self, subscribe at the foot his name, whom they meant it for. Now how remote Origens meaning is from the present Roman practice, will better appear hereafter.

Saint Cyprian thus; I beseech every one of you Brethren to confess his sin while life remaineth, Consiteamur singuli quaeso vos, (fratres) de­lictum suum, dum adhuc qui deliquit in se­culo est, dum admitti ejus confessio potest, dum satisfactio, & remissio facta per Sacerdotes apud Dominum grata est; convertamu [...] ad Do­minum mente totâ, & poenitentiam criminis veris doloribus exprimentes, Dei misericordi­am deprecemur. Cypr. de laps. and your con­fession may be admitted; whilest satis­faction and remission made by the Priest may be accepted with the Lord. Let us be converted unto the Lord with all our mind, and expressing the repen­tance of our sin with unfained sorrow, pray unto God for mercy. It is evident that this exhortation is to make confession unto the Priest, for he was to make the a­tonement, and procure a pardon, and for that a little before the Father commended their zeal, Hoc ipsum a­pud Sacerdotes Dei dolenter & simpliciter con­fitentes, &c. Cypr. ib. that laid open their Cabi­net sins, the very thoughts of their heart full sadly, and sin­cerely unto Gods Priests; and my Reader will remember what B. Rhenanus, a man much versed in antiquity, and of a discern­ing spirit collected from these and such like passages from Saint Cyprian.

Gregory Nyssen addresseth himself unto a sinner in these words: Be sensible of thy present di­sease, afflict thy self all thou canst, [...]. Greg. Ness. append. operum de poenit. Paris. p. 175, 176. seek also the mourning of such Brethren as are after thine own heart to help thee to liberty, shew forth thy bitter and excessive tears, that I may mingle mine; Take also the Priest unto thee to associate as a Father, and participate of thy affl [...]ctions. For what man can so falsly wear the title of a Father, and be indowed with so hard and adamantine a breast, as not to condole with his sor­rowing children? Then after some pas­sages, how a good Priest bewaileth their sin, as Jacob did at the sight of Josephs coat, and David upon the news of Absalons death, Eli his grace­less sons, and Moses the rebellious people; and that spiritual children are nearer to them that have begotten them in the Lord, then the fruit of the body can be to fleshly Parents: The way thus made, he exhorteth, Shew unto him [the Priest] boldly without blushing such things as have been hidden, display the secrets of thy soul, open they concealed grief as to a Physician, he will have a care and be tender of thy re­putation and safety.

Paulinus writing the Life of Saint Ambrose, makes relation of his behaviour in receiving Penitents, after this manner: whensoever any came unto him, confes­sing their faults, Quotiescunqueilli aliquis ad percipiendam poenitentiam lapsus suos confessus est, ita flebat, ut & illum slere compelleret; videbatur [...]tiam sibi cum jacente jacere; causas autem crim­num quas illi confitchantur, nulli nisi Damino soli, apud quem intercedebat, loqu. batur. Paulin. in vita Ambrosii. to undergo their pe­nance, be would shed tears in such abun­dance as to force the sinner to weeping; seeming as if he had fall [...]n with him in­to the same offence. The causes of their sins which they confessed unto him he never opened his lips of, save unto the Lord onely, unto whom he interceded on their behalf. Blessed Father, were our Ghostly Fathers thus compassionate, and [Page 98]reserved, they could not want Penitents. Thy discreet and zealous managing of the keys in the case of Theodosius, hath, and shall make thee famous to all posterity.

Saint Basil setting down the pious intention, and good plea­sure of God for a sinners conversion, and the manner of that conversion to consist in repentance, and the fruits thereof, con­cludeth thus: It is necessary to confess our sins to them who are trusted, [...]. Basil [...] Pag. 542. and credited with the dispensation of the mysteries of God. So the Penitents of old are found to have done before holy men, for it is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist; and in the Acts, all of them to the Apostles, of whom they were baptized.

Pacianus in his Paraenesis or Exhortation to Repentance, thus. I appeal unto you, Brethren, who having committed sins refuse repen­tance; Vos appello sratres, qui criminibus admissis poenitentiam recusatis, vos (inquam) post im­pudentiam timidos, post peccata verecundos, qui peccare non erubescitis, & erubescitis con­fiteri. — Ecce iterùm Apostolus ad Sacer­dotem, manus citò nulli imponas, nec com­munices peccaris alienis. Quid facies tu qui decipis Sacerdotem? qui aut ignorantem fallis, aut non ad plenum scientem probandi difficultate confundis. Parian. in paraen. sive libel. de Poenit. to you (I say) that after impudence are afraid, and after sin­ning shamefac'd, which blush not to sin, but blush to confess; and a little after; Behold what the Apostle saith to the Priest, Lay hands suddenly on none, left thou participate of their sins; what wilt thou do deceiving the Priest? who either deceivest him as ig­norant, or confoundest him as not fully instructed, with difficulty of proving.

Legimus in Le­vitico de lepro­sis, ubi jubentur ut ostendant se▪ Sacerdotibus, & si lepram habuerint tunc à Sacerdote immundi siant— sic & hîc solvit & ligat Episcopus & Presbyter non eos qui insontes sunt vel nox [...]i, sed pro officio suo cum peccatorum audicrit varietates, s [...]it qui ligandus sit, quive solvendus. H [...]eron. Comment. in Matth. 16Saint Hierom commenteth thus; We read in Levitious of the Lepers, where they are commanded to shew themselves unto the Priests, and if they be found to be lepers, the Priest is to denounce [Page 99]them unclean— So doth the Bishop and Priest bind and loose not such as are infected, and guilty; but when by virtue of their of­fice having heard the diversity of sins, they may know who is fit to be bound and who to be loosed. These words will come under our bands again in the point of Absolution; here they stand to tell us that the Priest was made acquainted with the variety of sin, the thing intended.

Saint Ambrose, mentioning divers sins which amongst others are to be repented of, and abstained from after Repentance, hath these words. Non solùm post poenitentiam abistis intùs ho­mo se observare debet, sed & ante poenitenti­am, dum sanus est, quia nescit si possit ipsam poenitentiam accipere, & confiteri Deo & Sacerdoti peccata sua. Ambr. exhort. ad poenit. A man not onely after Repentance ought to pre­serve himself inwardly from these sins, but before Repentance, while he is yet whole; for he knoweth not certainly if he shall be able to take his penance, and to confesse his sins to God and the Priest.

Saint Augustine incountring that opinion, that because God knoweth all, heareth all, and pardoneth all, therefore inward repentance, and confession unto him is sufficient, with­out any external declaration thereof before man, reasoneth thus; Let no man say to himself, I do it secretly, I do it before God, Nemo sibi dicat occultè, ago apud Deum, ago, novit Deus qui mihi ignoscit, quia in corde ago: Ergò sine causa dictum est, quae solveritis in terra erunt soluta in coelo; ergò si­ne causa sunt claves datae Ecclesiae Dei? fru­stramus Evangelium Dei? frustramus verba Christi? promittimus vobis quod ille negat? nonne vos decipimus? Aug. hom. 49. ex. 50. cap. 3. God who pardoneth me knows that I do it with my heart; was it therefore spoken without cause, whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven; are the keys therefore without cause given unto the Church of God? do we frustrate the Gospel of God? do we frustrate the words of Christ? do we promise that to you which he denieth you? do we deceive you? There is not (I think) any Christian living that dares to gainsay confession unto God, or the promise of forgiveness annexed thereunto. Let not then (good people) such Divines be mistaken, as to withdraw you from confession unto God, when they send you unto men. They put you not out of the way, but instruct you in the same; [Page 100]think not then that by so doing you go from God to man, but by man to God; for your way you may misse of, for all your preten­ded skill, and need a guide; and being in your journey may be to seek, and doubtfull of your way, may ask of man where it lyeth. And if you stand so much of your immediate accesse unto God, and mercy, either deny the means which God hath appointed, or censure him of weakness, for instituting such means of so small use, that the end may usually be attained without them. Indeed the poor esteem of Reconciliation in the hand of Priest­hood is such, that Priests may hang their harps upon the willowes, and wear their keys under their girdle, and there keep them till they rust, before any man crave the use. So low and flat seem the power of the keys, and the promise upon the same, which Christ bestowed upon the Church, in most peoples eyes; as if by this supine neglect of theirs they would frustrate, as much as in them lies, the Lords own ordinance; But more hereof hereafter.

In the dayes of Leo the first, who sate in the Chair at Rome, Anno Dom. 440. us (que) ad an. 461. the discipline of publick Ex­omologesis was become too austere in those dainty times, and began to be confined to private walls, and ears; and for that change sundry reasons are rendred by Leo, which shall be al­leaged when the institution of Auricular confession is debated: therefore after he had given order for the removal of publick confession, which he calls improbabilis consuetudo, a custome not to be allowed, of, he resolveth, That it is sufficient if the guilt of mens Consciences be declared in secret confession to the Priests alone; Ne de singulo­rum peccato­rum genere li­bellis scripta confessio publicè recit [...]tur, cùm reatus conscientiarum sufficiat solis Sacerdotibus indicari confessione secreta—sufficit illa Con­fessio quae primùm Deo offertur, tum etiam Sacerdoti, qui pro delictis Poenitentium etiam preca­tor accedit. Leo Epist. 80. ad Episc. Campan. And concludeth, that Confession to be sufficient, which is tendred first unto God, and then unto the Priest, who comes in as an intercessor for the sins of the Penitent.

Next to Leo the first of that name, I place Gregory the first of that name, and Prelate of the same Sea also; who alluding to the raising and rising of Lazarus from the Grave, saith thus; To [Page 101]Lazarus it is sa [...]d come forth, Lazaro dicitur, veni foràs, acsi apertè cui­libet mortuo in culpa diceretur, Cur reatum tuum infra conscientiam tuam abscondis? fo­ràs jam per confessionem egredere, qui apud te interiùs per abn [...]gationem lates: v [...]niat ita (que) foras mortuus, i. e. culpam confiteatur pecca­tor, venientem verò foras solvant discipuli, ut Pastores Ecclesiae ei poenam debeant amovere quam meruit, qui non crubuit confiteri quod fecit. Greg. hom. super Evang. cùm esset: Serò. as if it were distinctly said to every one dead in sin, why hidest thou thy guilt within thy Conscience? go forth now by Con­fession, who liest hid inwardly in thy self by dissembling. Let then the dead come forth; that is, let the sinner con­fesse his sin, and when he is come forth, let the disciples loose him, that the Pa­stors of the Church may remove the pu­nishment he had deserved, that was not ashamed to confesse what he had committed.

Alcuinus born in this Isle of Great Britaine, Joan. Major. de Gest. Sco­torum, lib. 2. c. 13. and deputed Professor at Paris by Clarlemaine, who laid the foundation of that Ʋniversity; who writing to the Scots his Countrey-men, and commending much their chast conversation amongst their secular affairs, nevertheless blameth them for not resorting to Confession, in this sort; It is said that no man of the Laity will make his confession unto the Priests, Dicitur neminem ex Laicis saam velle con­fessionem Sacerdotibus dare, quos à D [...]o Christo cum sanctis Apostolis ligandi solvendique pote­statem accep [...]sse credimus. Alcuin. Epist. 28. edit. Henr. Canisii. whom we bel [...]eve to have received from Christ, who is God, the power of binding and loosing, together with the holy Apostles. As in Scotland the inhabitants are censured for their remisness; So in England, some about the same time are commended for the practique of Confession; and namely, one Adamantus in Bede, that being much terrified for grievous sins committed in his youth; He resorted unto a Priest, by whom he hoped the way of salvation might be shewed unto him, Accedens ad Sacerdotem, à quo sibi sperabac iter salutis posse demonstrari, conf [...]ssus est rea­tum suum, petiit (que) ut consilium sibi daret, quo p [...]ssit fugere à ventura Dei [...]ra. Bed. hist. Angl. l. 4. cap. 24. he confessed his guilt, and intreated that he would give him counsel whereby he might flye from the wrath of God which was to come. And in Ireland, for the glory of his Majesties Domini­ons, Saint Bernard witnesseth; That Malachias did of new institute the most wholesome use of confession, Usum saluber [...]imum confessionis de novo in­stit it. Bern. in vita Malac. which be­fore his time the Irish were ignorant of, [Page 102]or did neglect Add hereunto what Joannes Major saith of a Mo­nastery up in Bedes times, where he professed; That before the death of any Religious person in that Covent the [...]e was a strange sound heard, In Monaslerio Mekosensi ant [...] mortem so­num mirab [...]lem in templo, vel claustro se audi­re dicunt, qui alicuius Religiosi mortis est nun­ [...]ius; propterea ad confessionem omnes (sono au­dito) se preparant. which tolled all the Religious, (each man suspecting himself) to pre­pare themselves unto confession. Whe­ther this sound were a false noise or not, is not the question; (for mine Author avoucheth it ra­ther for a populous rumor, then a credible report) but that whereof I take notice is, how upon any summons, or peril of death, Communem ple­bis opinion [...]m, & non fidei materiam recito. Joan. Major. de Gest. Scotor. lib. 2. cap. 12. confession was accounted a good preparation for a good end, and a quiet setling of the soul and Conscience.

Inprimis confitendum Deo est, posteà etiam Sacerdoti, proptereà quòd confessio quae fit Sa­cerdoti, in hoc nobis adminiculum praebet, ut accepto salutari ab eis consilio, saluberrimis poe­nitentiae observationibus, seu mutuis orationi­bus peccatorum maculas diluamus. Theodulp. lib. de Ecclesiast. observ. apud. B. Rhenan. praef. ad Tert. de poenit. Theodulphus Bishop of Orleance writeth thus; In the first place con­fession must be made unto God, next unto the Priest, because the confes­sion that is made unto a Priest, so far aideth us, that receiving whole­some counsel from them, we may by the wholesome observations of penance, and by mutual prayers wash away the filth of sin. Thou seest here Confession to a Priest, and another reason thereof besides ab­solution, that by his sacred advice, [...]. Clem. Alex. strom. 2. pag. 281. the Penitent might be directed to bring forth such fruits of Repentance as may blot out the spots of his former sins. And such rules of direction were called Canons penitential, whereby a certain time was set down for each particular sin, for the lustration, and expiation thereof: and Beda mentioneth, that Theodorus sometimes Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, composed Canons to this purpose, which he calleth Peccantium judicia, viz. how many years of penance be­long to several sins. Theodorus Archiepiscopus, Peccantium judi­dicia, quantis sc. annis pro unoquoque pecca­to quis poenitere debeat, mirabili & discreta ratione describit. Beda in Chron. The Penitential it self, being reserved as I am inform­ed, amongst the Archiva of that great ingrosser of Antiquity, Sir Rebert Cotton; that Arch-Bishop [Page 103]in the Decrees is cited thus; Confessio quae soli Deo fi [...], purgat peccata; ea verò quae Sacerdoti, docet qualiter purgen­tur ipsa peccata. De poen. dist. 1. sect. quam inquit. Confession made to God alone purgeth sins, but that which is made unto the Priest teacheth the means how they may be purged. Hitherto we have trod the steps of Antiquity, and shall now second their authority with the judgment of later Divines of best account and estimation.

Church of England.And first of all, the established doctrine of that Church whereof I am a member, and from which with Gods grace shall never deviate, is prescribed in the Liturgie before the ad­ministration of the holy Communion; where the Mi [...]ste [...] is to exhort the people, That if there be any of them which cannot quiet his own Conscience, Communion Book exhorta­tion before the receiving of the Lords supper. but requireth further comfort, or coun­sel, he should come to him, or some other discreet and learned Minister of God; word, and open his grief, that he may receive such ghostly counsel, advice, and comfort, as his Conscience may be relieved; and that by the ministery of Gods word he may receive comfort, and the benefit of absolution, to the quieting of his con­science, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulnesse. Here is an Exhortation to Confession, and that to the Minister, and that of sins disquieting the conscience; and that to receive ab­solution, counsel, and consolation, to this end, that the Consci­ence may be setled, and the Scruple removed.

In the next place is the Defe [...]der of that Church, who was as the Angel of the Lord to discern, King James. and whose memory is a sweet perfume, King James, whose royal words are; Fateor neminem inveniri amicum aptiorem cu [...]us au [...]ibus peccata deponas, quàm hominem Ecclesiasticum, pium, & probum, unde & solatium percipias, & ex pot [...]state Clavium peccatorum r [...]missionem. Medit. in Orat. Dom. p. 62. Edit. Lat. I acknowledge that there cannot be found a more fitting friend, to whose ears thou mayest com­mit thy sins, then a Godly and an ho­nest Church-man, from whom thou mayest receive comfort, and forgive­nesse of sins by the power of the keys. In the same place, the same gracious Author hath thus written; Ego cum Cal­vino confessio­nem privatam viro Ecclesia­stico factam probo, (qu [...]madmodum anteà professus sum) optaremque ex animo fr [...]qu [...]tio [...]is esse eam [...]pud nos; rem citra controversiam praestantissimi usus, praesertim parandis hominum ani­mus ad sacram Synaxin. [...]ib. p. 65. I allow with Calvin of pri­vate Confession m [...]de unto a Church-man, (as I professed before) [Page 104]and wish with all my heart it were more frequented by us; a thing without controversie of most excellent use, but most especially to prepare mens minds for the holy Communion. Aurei Pectoris verba bracteata words like apples of Gold in pictures of Silver, and deserve of all the subjects to him, and his flourishing proge­ny, ever to be remembred.

Bishop Ridley a great and principal Agent in the reformation of the Liturgy, B. Ridley. Act. and Mon. edit. 2. p. 17. 8. and who dipping his Rochet in his own bloud, sealed the verity thereof with Martyrdome, in a Letter unto West sometimes his Chaplain, hath written thus; Confession to the Minister, which is able to instruct, correct, comfort, and in­form the weak, wounded, and ignorant Consciences, indeed I ever thought might do much good in Christs congregation, and so I as­sure you I think even at this day.

Reverend and ever to be reverenced Bishop Andrews, B. Andrews, Serm. 4. before K. James upon Whitsunday. [...], the Sun, and Apollo of Divines, preached thus; He that shall minister comfort, and advice soundly unto us, had need to be familiarly acquainted with the state of our souls: To go to a Lawyers reading, and to hear it, serves us not for our worldly doubts; nor to hear the Physick Lecture, for the com­plaints of our Bodies; No, we call them to us, we question with them in particular; we have private conference about our estates; onely sor our soul affairs it is enough to take our directions in open Churches, and there delivered in gross; private conference we en­dure not, we need not; One we must have to know throughly the state of our lands, and goods; one we must have entirely acquaint­ed with the state of our body; in our souls it holdeth not; I say no more, it were good it did. Good indeed, if it seemed good to Authority.

The Godly-learned Bishop Lakes [...], B. Lakes Serm. at Greenwich, upon Psal. 32. vers. 5. p. 139. who hath left a name behind him as a precious ointment, and a light, whose lustre is still with us; taught the same Doctrine before the same Royal Audience, in these words; Our Church doth not con­demn Confession as simply evil, and therefore in its Liturgie hath restored it to its native purity; onely it were to be wished that so far as the Church allows it, we would practise it; for I am per­swaded that many live and dye in enormous sins, that never made any use of it, nor received any comfort from the power of the keys; [Page 105]the confessing unto the Lord doth not exclude confessing unto man, so the due limitation be observed.

The next is he who is now clothed in white rayment, Bishop White, Praefat. ad R. Archiep. Cant. prefixed to the book of the Sabbath. [...], who hath challenged from Nazianzen not to be the onely Divine, as he from him not to be the first, who before his last, and useful Treatise of the Sabbath, in his Preface inscri­bed to the most eminent Star in our Churches Horizon, and the highest Watchman in her Tower, amongst others hath this dire­ction; There might also be a profitable use of some private form of Pastoral collation with their flock, for their direction, and re­formation in particular spiritual duties, such as was private Con­fession in the ancient Church.

These Fathers are gathered to their Fathers; Our Church hath these lamps yet burning (and long may they last) that follow: First, our Christian Antiquary, Bishop Usher, L. Primate of Ireland, Ans. to the Jesuites challenge. pag. 81, 82. the L. Primate of Ar­mach, who upon that exhortation made in the Service-book of the Church, saith thus; It appeareth that the exhorting of the people to confess their sins unto their ghostly fathers, maketh no such wall of separation between the ancient Doctors and us; but we may well for all this be of the same Religion they were of. Again, Id. [...]bid. pag. 88. No kind of Confession either publick, or private, is disallowed by us, that is any way requisite for the due execution of that ancient power of the keys, which Christ bestowed upon the Church. And again, Neither the Ancient Fathers, nor we, do debar men from opening their grievances unto the Physicians of their souls, either for their better information in the true state of their disease, or for the quiet­ing of their troubled Consciences, and for receiving further dire­ction from them out of Gods word, both for the recovery of their present sicknesse, and for the prevention of the like danger for the time to come: which doctrine he learnedly asserteth, and vin­dicateth from the fringes, and dregs of Popish mixture, and su­perstition.

The grave and godly Prelate, My Lord Bishop of Duresme, Bish. Morton Appeal. l. 2. c. 14. who well knoweth in Polemical differences between the Refor­med and Roman Churches, to separate the Chaff from the Corn; stateth the question concerning confession thus; It is not que­stioned between us whether it be convenient for a man burthened with sin, to lay open his Conscience in private to the Minister of [Page 106]God, and to seek at his hands both counsel, and instruction, and the comforts of Gods pardon. But whether there be as from Christs institution such an absolute necessity of this private confession, both for all sorts of men, and for every particular sin known, and ordina­ry transgression, so as without it there can be no remission, or pardon hoped for from God; and so reduceth the difference be­twixt Protestants and Papists unto two heads,

• 1. of necessity,
• 2. of possibility, thus; The Papists impose a necessity of confes­sion absolute de jure Divino, of all sins, with all circumstances, which is a tyrannie, and impossible, and a torture to the Consci­ence. The Protestants do acknowledge (saith he) the use of pri­vate confession, but with a double limitation, and restraint;

• 1. the first is the foresaid freedom of Conscience,
• 2. the second is the pos­sibility of performance:

by all which passages that great Scient Man, doth not remove confession, but certain errors crept in of late from the same, as namely in that it is averred.

• 1. to be of divine institution,
• 2. of absolute necessity,
• 3. extending to all men, all known sins, and all circumstances,
• 4. and that it must be taken as a necessary mean either in deed, or desire, for the remission of sins; which tares sown in the field his Lord­ship would have discerned, if not separated, from the duty it self; the continuance whereof he alloweth, and prescribeth.

Bishop Mountagu, B. Montagu Appeal. pag. 299. [...], hath asserted this doctrine us (que) ad invidiam, of whom we may reckon not as a witnesse, but Confessor also, because he hath written thus; It is confessed that private Confession unto a Priest is of very ancient practice in the Church, of excellent use and benefit, being discreetly hand­led; we refuse it to none if men require it; if need be to have it; we urge and perswade it in extremis; we require it in case of per­plexity, for the quieting of men disturbed in their Consciences. I know not of what latitude in some mens conceits Popery is, for censuring these words as a smack thereof; for he approves of it, if discreetly handled; imposeth no more need thereof, than to such as need it; urging it not by constraint, but by in­ducement, and perswasion; and that not upon all men, but up­on such as are disturbed and perplexed in Conscience, and not of all sins, but such as lie disquietly in the bosome. Great parts are as often envied and traduced, as admired; especially [Page 107]when men of small parts usurp the censure. [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 1. p. 215. A wise and learned man contents himself with one onely meet Auditor, and appro­ver, and if he meet not with so much, quiets himself in his own worth, and Conscience; in the testimony whereof there is more solid comfort, than in the vain applauses, or reproches of a sandy multitude.

In the book well known by the Practice of Piety, we read such directions in this present behalf, Practice of Piety. which sincerely perform­ed were the practice of piety indeed, and they are as followeth; In a doubtful title thou wilt ask counsel of thy skilful Lawyer; in peril of sickness thou wilt know the advice of thy skilful Physician; pag. 762. and is there no danger in dread of damnation for a sinner to be his own Judge? and a little after, Luther saith, Pag. 763. That he had ra­ther lose a thousand worlds than suffer private confession to be thrust forth of the Church; Occulta confessio quae modò celebratur, etsi probari ex Scripturis non potest, miro tamen modo placet, & utilis, immò necessaria est, nec vellem eam non esse, immò gaudeo eam esse in ecclesia Christi, cùm sit ipsa afflictis con­scientiis unicum remedium. Luther. cap. Ba­byl. tom. 6. fol. 109. our Church hath ever most soundly maintained the truth of this doctrine. And again, Verily there is not any means more excellent to hum­ble a proud heart, nor to raise up an humble spirit, then this spiritual con­ference betwixt the Pastor and his people committed to his charge; Pag. 766. if any sin trouble thy conscience, confesse it unto Gods Minister, ask his counsel, and if thou doest truly repent, receive his absolu­tion, and than doubt not but in foro Conscientiae, thy sins be as really forgiven on earth, as if thou didst hear Christ himself in foro judicii, pronouncing them to be forgiven in heaven. Luke 10.16. Qui vos audit, me audit; try this, and tell me, whether thou shalt not find more ease in thy conscience, than can be expressed in words; Reformed Churches of Germany. did profane men consider the dignity of this divine calling, they would the more honour the calling, and reverence the persons.

Nos confessio­nem retinemus praecipuè pro­pter absolutio­nem quae est verbum Dei, quòd de singulis authoritate divina pronunciat potestas Clavium; quare impium esset ex Eccle­sia privatam absolutionem tollere; neque quid sit remissio peccatorum, aut potest is Clavium in­telligunt, si qui privatam absolutionem aspernantur. Augustan. Confess.Thus is the doctrine of the Mother justified by her children, and lest any should think our Church and Divines stand here alone, I will adjoyn some forraign testimonies. The Doctrine of the Protestants in Germany is related in the Augustan Con­fession thus; We retain confession chiefly for absolution, which is [Page 108]Gods word, that the power of the keys denounceth by authority di­vine, of each person in particular; wherefore it were wickedly done to take private absolution out of the Church: nor do they under­stand what remission of sins, or the power of the keys meaneth, if so be they contemn private absolution. And the manner ob­served in the German Churches is set forth by Chemnitius thus; The use of private Confession is with us preserved, Privatae Confessionis usus apud nos servatur, ut generali professione peccati, ex significatio­ne poenitentiae petatur absolutio; cumque non sine judicio usurpanda sit clavis, vel solvens, vel ligans, in privato illo colloquio Pastores explorant Auditorum judicia, an rectè intelli­gant de peccatis exterioribus & interioribus, de gradibus peccatorum, de stipendio peccati, de fide in Christum; deducuntur ad conside­rationem peccatorum; explorantur an seriò doleant de peccatis, an iram Dei ti meant, & cupiant illam effugere; an habeant propositum emendationis; interrogantur etiam si in certis quibusdam peccatis haerere existimantur, tra­ditur ibi doctrina, & exhortatio de emendati­one, quaeritur vel consilium, vel consolatio in gravaminibus conscientiae, & tali confessioni impartitur absolutio. Exam. Conc. Trid. part. 2. pag. 195. that upon a general confession of sin, and intimation of Re­pentance, absolution may be desired; and since that the keys, whether bind­ing, or loosing, may not be used with­out judgment, in that private con­ference the Pastors sift into the discre­tion and judgment of their Auditors, whether they rightly understand be­twixt internal sins and external; as also the degrees in sin, and the wages thereof, and of faith in Christ; they are brought into a consideration of their offences, they are tried if they truly re­pent them of their sins, and stand in awe of Gods wrath, and desire to flie from the same. If they have any pur­pose of amendment, they are further interrogated, if any particu­lar sins stick upon them; the doctrine and exhortation to amend­ment is there delivered, counsel and consolation is there sought for overburt boned consciences, and upon such a Confession there is gran­ted an absolution.

Beatus Rhenanus, B. Rhenanus. a great Secretary to ancient learning, treating of private confession, and from whence it derived its original, Quàm salu­berrimam esse nemo potest in­ficiari, si mo­rositatem, & scrupulositatem nimiam amputes. Quid enim, per Deum immortalem, utilius ha­bere possit Ecclesia ad continendam disciplinam? Quid commodius, quàm privatam istam con­fessionem ad populum in necessariis crudiendum? ubi horulae spatio plüs proficit Laicus, quàm triduanâ concione.— Mihi libet disciplinae encomium apud Cyprian. accommodare confessioni, ut dicam eam retinaculum fidei, ducem itineris salutaris, fomitem, & nutrimentum bonae indo­lis, magistram virtutis. B. Rhen. praefat. ad Tertull. de poenit. falls into these words; Which no man can deny to be very wholesome, if too much austorenesse, and scrupulosity therein [Page 109]were cut off; for, in the name of God, what can be more profitable to uphold Ecclesiastical discipline? what more fit than private confession to instruct the people in points necessary to be known? where a Lay-man shall be more edified in an hours space, than at a three-dayes Sermon — May it be lawful for me to bestow the praise Cyprian hath of Discipline, upon confession; and to call it the retentive of faith, the guide of a saving journey, the seed, and nursery of good behaviour, and the mistress of virtue. I am not ignorant that the Treatise it self containing this passage is by express order from Index Expurgatorius taken off the file, Argumentum libri de poeni­tentia totum expungatur, nam commodè repurgari non potest. Ind. expurg. Ma­driti, 1584. as a discourse not capable of a Roman salve, but needing the spunge throughout, with a deleatur. Their handling of Authors old and new, is much like the Turkish policy, in depriving Christi­an Parents of their Children, and those infants of their virili­ties, by castrating them, and training them up to be Janiza­ries, and persecutors of their own unknown bloud, and Reli­gion. Such are their dealings with the Doctors of the Church, cutting off their masculine expressions, and setting them against themselves in their own tenets also.

Calvin hath left his mind behind him thus; Although Saint James hath not named any man into whose bosome we may empty our selves, Tamet si Jacobus neminem nominatim assig­nando in cujus sinum nos exponeremus, libe­rum permittit delectum, ut ei confiteamur qui ex Ecclesiae grege maximè idoneus suerit visus; quia tamen Pastores prae aliis ut plurimùm ju­dicandi sunt idonei, potissimùm etiam nobis eligendi erunt; dico autem ideò prae aliis ap­positos, quia Ministerii vocatione nobis à Deo designantur, quorum ex ore erudiamur ad sub­igenda & corrigenda peccata, tum consola­tionem ex vemae fiducia percipiamus.— Id officii sui unusquisque fidelium meminerit, si ita privatim angitur & afflictatur peccatorum sensu, ut se explicare nisi alieno adjutorio ne­queat, non n [...]gligere quod illi à Domino of­ferturremedium, nempe, ut ad se sublevandun privatâ confessione apud suum pastorem utatur, ac ad solatia sibi adbibenda privatam ejus operam imploret, cujus officium est, & publicè & privatim populum Dei Evangelicâ do­ctrinâ consolari. Calvin. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 4. Sect. 12. leaving the choise free, of any we shall think meetest within the fold of the Church; yet because the Pastors usu­ally are deemed more fit than others, therefore are they to be chosen above others. I say to be preferred before others, because they are designed by the Lord to the calling of the Ministery, from whose lips we receive instructions to subdue, and correct our faults; and consolation upon assurance of pardon.— Let every believer then remember that it is his duty, that if he stand so in­wardly [Page 110]prick'd, and afflicted with the sense of his sins that he can­not deliver himself without help from without, not to neglect that remedy which is offered by God unto him, namely for to ease himself, that he make use of private Confession to his Pastor, and implore his assistance, that he may take some comfort, whose office it is both privately and publickly to comfort the people of God with the do­ctrine of the Gospel.

Zanchy beats the same path with Calvin; for after he had shewed what confession of sins is, and to what end it is made unto the Minister, reflecting upon those words of Saint James, writeth thus; Although in a proper sense it seemeth our infirmities may be detected to any person whatsoever (be he Priest or not) thereby to relieve our selves with mutual help and comfort; Licèt propriè sentire videatur, ul nostras infirmitates alter alteri communicantes, qui­cunque ille sit Sacerdos vel non, consilio & consolatione mutua nos juvemus; tamen quia Pastores Ecclesiae prae aliis idonei sunt ut plu­rimùm, & praeter hoc habent etiam ministerium absolvendi, ideò hos potissimùm nobis deligen­dos jubet Apostolus; immò ad hoc nobis à Pa­tre nostro Deo ordinati, & instituti sunt Mi­nistri verbi & Sacramentorum, ut quoties­cunque conscientia nostra peccatis afflictatur, permitur, consolationéque & peccatorum re­missione indiget, ad ipsos tanquam praesentes Christi legatos mandato reconciliationis praedi­tos, recurramus; cis tanquam Christo ipsi corda nostra aperiamus, peccata confiteamur, infirmitates nostras detegamus, petamusque tanquam à Christo ipso consolationem, con­silium, absolutionem in nomine Christi, illis enim dixit Christus, potestatem absol­vendi tradens, Ioan. 20. Accipite S. Spiri­tum, &c. & Matth. 18. Quaecunque liga­veritis, &c. Zanch. compend. loc. Theo­log. Neustadii 1598. pag. 459, 460. yet because the Pastors of the Church are for the most part the fittest men, and moreover have the Ministery of absolution; therefore the Apostle com­mandeth us to make choise of them espe­cially: Yea to this end are they ordain­ed, and instituted by God our Father, Ministers of the word and Sacra­ments, that so often as our Conscience shall be troubled, over-pressed with sin, or need comfort and forgiveness, we might have recourse unto them as Am­bassadors of Christ, and having the mandat of reconciliation: To them let us open our hearts as unto Christ him­self, let us confess our sins, let us de­tect our infirmities, and let us crave from them as from Christ himself consolation, and counsel, and in the name of Christ absolution; for to them hath Christ said John 20. Receive the holy Ghost, &c. And Matth. 18. whatso­ever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, &c. And so thou seest (good Reader) this assertion compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses. Heb. 12.1.

CHAP. VII.

HItherto have we cleared certain positive truths con­cerning confession of sins, approved by the suffra­ges and general vote of all, or the most principal of all Divines, viz.

• 1. That sins ought to be con­fessed, and ever acknowledged unto God, because he ever is offended, and alwayes able and ready to pardon.
• 2. Next, unto Man also by way of Reconciliation, when he is wronged; and by way of recognition, when he is able and willing with discreet words like apples of gold, to counsel and comfort woun­ded spirits.
• 3. And amongst men, to the Priests and Mini­sters, who by their place and function, are Instruments of Re­conciliation, God having so appointed, that by them a penitent should receive news of pardon, and restored favour.

And here my labour might have ceased, there being enough in these po­sitions for a Christians practice, and a Penitents relief. And here the Period should have been, had not the Envious, and superstitious Man mingled these truths with tares. I say not whiles the husband-men, the Ancient Fathers of the Church slept, but rather, after such time as they fell asleep in the Lord, abuses privily crept in, (Confession being carried privately and closely) of such consequence, as have welnigh brought the duty it self out of Credit, at least altogether out of practice, and have caused the same to be laid by for many years; that it is hard to say, whether the neglect thereof, for the adjacent Superstition, hath not been more prejudicial to the growth of grace in the Church of God, than the usage thereof could have been together with the superstition. Matth. 13.30. And whether the Labou­rers had not done better, to have suffered both to grow together, and to have reprieved the Felonious Mother for the Infants sake in the womb, than by signifying their dislike so highly [Page 112]of the abuses, to permit the discipline it self to be abolished. But now if that rust may be filed off, and if the pure juyce of the grape may be defecated from the dregs of corruption, there can be no reason given why the duty should not again take place, and be restored to its wonted practice. The wisdome of the Correctors appearing in the dis­creet parting of the matter it self from the abuse, Il fault distinguer entre la chose & la cor­ruption qui la suit, laquelle il saudra retran­cher, laissant la chose mesme, & non la pro­hiber. Da. Buchanan. L'histoire de la Con­science, p. 123. and in restoring the same to its former place, and lustre; my poor thoughts have ever esteem­ed of them for poor Reformers, that shall weed up both tares and wheat together; like such indis­creet Zelots that pull down Churches, because formerly abused, against Christs example, who chased forth the Buyers and Sellers, without any speech of the destruction of the Temple: an even, and just hand must be carried by such, as take that office upon them, lest pious ordinances be swept away in the mass, and rubbage of pretended superstition. And I think I may say or Confession now in use in the Church of Rome, as Aristobulus Cassandraeus did of a fountaine at Miletum, which the inhabitants called Achilleium, whereof the water which streamed above was very sweet, [...]. Athenaus Deipn [...]s. lib. 2. pag. 43. but that which remained at the bottome very salt and brinish; some things flow good there­in, but the Roman dregs are bitter. And for the better discovery thereof we must look over the same again, and handle three things [...], openly, and distinctly; Punctìm agen­dum non pre­cariò.

• 1. The institution thereof, by whom, and of what authority it is;
• 2. Next, the necessity thereof, how far forth it is required, and what danger may arise upon the abuse, and discontinuance thereof;
• 3. And lastly the extent;

whether all sins, and the circumstances of each sin fall under the verge and charge of confession. The consideration of these points will give great light to descry the misdemeanours in the practick thereof.

CHAP. VIII.

ANd thus much for Confession of sin in the lips of the Penitent; proceed we now to speak of the Confessary, as it relates to his ears, who is to receive into his cu­stody and discretion, the sad narration of a sinners life, and to promote the just designs and purposes the penitent aimeth at. Of great and necessary importance this practice must be, as much opposing our native pride, in turning the best side outward, and beautifying our external carriage, like the Pharisees clensing the outside of the platter; never taking notice, or at least careful that others should not, of our inward corruption. Verily to subdue this inbred tumour, and natural [Page 209] Typhon so far, as to lay aside shame, and to lay open our sins, to discover our offences, and to diminish our reputation, it must needs be the end is heavenly when worldly respects are thus troden under foot to accomplish the same. As when David strip'd himself into an Ephod, and danced before the Lord in the Ark, 2 Sam. 6.21, 22. and was for the same derided by Michal, as shame­fully uncovering himself in the eyes of his handmaids, answered, It was before the Lord, I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. So it is with a devout Penitent, for how ever he may by discovering himself thus, be exposed to the scoffs, and jeers of irreligious and profane Michals, yet he knoweth before whom he doth it, in the presence of the Lord, and that in so doing he shall be had in honour of the Lords servants, his Priests, therefore he resolveth vilior adhuc fiam, I will become yet more vile than this; for with me to confess my sin is nothing so vile as to commit, and blush more entring into the stewes, than coming forth, abasing my self in mine own sight to be­come pretious in the Lords eyes. [...]. Heb. 12.1. When therefore sin is [...], compassing, and besetting the sinner about, beleagring his soul, & he finds it not in his own power to raise the siege, nor to explicate, and unfold himself from such ingagements, when the Conscience is insnared, and perplexed, and can find no peace at home. In such cases the sinner hath recourses unto the Over­seers of his soul, for help, and ease, and freedome, as the na­ture of his disease requireth; as to a

• 1. Ghostly Father indul­gent to his Children,
• 2. as to a Physician careful of his Patients,
• 3. as an Advocate and Counsellor able to direct, and protect his Clients; and lastly, but chiefly, as unto the Priest, whose of­fice is to grant absolution to the truly Penitent.

So that to the wounded Conscience here is a Medicine, to the perplexed coun­sel to the dejected comfort, and to the distressed pardon. The sting of sin is lost by the power of absolution; the filth of sin is purged by the Laver of tears; the wages of sin struck off, by the Intercession of the great Advocate; the deceitfulness of sin discovered by this Counsellor, and the danger of sin prevented by the balme of mercy. A Physician is sought unto for health, [Page 210]and sometimes for remedy; A Lawyer for advice, and counsel; A friend for consolation; A good Priest is virtually all these, and something more; thy spiritual Physician against spiritual diseases, healing them by application of thy Saviours merits; and prescri­bing rules for thy direction, and remedy against sin. Thy spiritual Advocate to counsel thy soul in such cases, & to plead thy cause before the supreme Judge; and which crowneth all, he is the Lords S [...]eward, and Deputy in his name to reach forth unto thee pardon, and absolution. These, and such like to these are the motives, inducing a sinner to deposit his mind and heart to the Dispensers of the Mysteries of God, viz.

• 1. upon hope of Phy­sick restaurative, and preservative, to heal his soul, and to continue the same in health;
• 2. of good advice, to demean and behave himself for future times;
• 3. and above all, upon the hope and comfort of absolution; these are his in­ducements, and to be now treated of.

And therein the last shall be first, Nemo potest be­nè agere poeni­tentiam, nisiqui speraverit indulgentiam. Ambros. as the chiefest, and choicest motive to confes­sion of sin; namely the virtue and power of absolution inhe­rent in the Priestly office, and Ministery: that saying of Ambrose being true, None can be truly penitent but upon hope of Pardon.