Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 15
Of Auricular confession.
AVricular confession also, and the reuealing of all sinnes in the priestes eare (as manie as can be remembred) without the which, the church of Rome teacheth nowe, men cannot be saued, was not the first faith giuen by the Apostles, but came in long after; as appeareth by the Fathers and their owne writers.Lib. 10. conf. cap. 30. Augustin saith: What hauehave I to do with men, that they should heare my confessions, as though they should heale all my diseases? A curious sort of men, to know another mans life, and sluggish to correct their owne. Why seeke they to heare of me what I am, who will not heare of thee, *Meaning God.what themselues are? And how know they, when they heare me tell of my selfe, that I saie truely? sithence no man knoweth what is done in man, but the spirit of man that is in him. And Chrysostome of confession of sinnes thus speaketh to euerie one:Ho. 2. in psal. 50. Confesse thy sinnes, that thou maiest blot them out. But if thou be ashamed to tell any man, because thou hast sinned: say them daily in thy soule. I say not, that thou shouldest confesse them to thy fellow seruant, that he might vpbraide thee: shewe them to god which cureth them. If thou shewest them not, doth not God know them? will he hauehave knowledge of them of thee? When thou diddest them, he was present; when thou committedst them, he knewe? Wast thou not ashamed to sinne? and art thou ashamed to confesse? Confesse them in this life, that thou maiest hauehave rest in that other life: confesse them sighing and weeping. For thy sinnes are written in a booke. And in another place:Ad Heb. ho. 30. I bid thee, not that thou shouldst bewray thy selfe openly, nor that thou shouldst accuse thy selfe to others: but I would hauehave thee obey the Prophet, saying: Reueale thy waies vntounto the Lord. Here we maie see plainlie by Augustine and Chrysostome, that our priuate sinnes, were to be confessed to God alone, and not to anie man: and that there was no such necessitie, vponupon paine of damnation, of confessing them enioyned to Christians, as is nowe taught: which if there had, these two fathers woulde not hauehave béene ignorant of it. And therefore Beatus Rhenamus saith thus much of Tertullian also:In lib. Tert. de poenit. Let no man maruell, that of this secret and auricular confession, he spake nothing: which (saith he) as farre as I coniecture, at that time was not knowne at all. Here are two other testimonies, one of Tertullian, and another of Rhenanus, that it was not that first faith, agréeing with Augustine and Chrysostome. And to these agrees the ordinarie Glosse: It is better said, De poenit. Dist. 5.that this auricular confession, was ordained of the vniuersall tradition of the Church, then of the authority of the olde and new Testament. It was none of the first faith, it came in after by the Church. And howe long after, Antoninus a great searcher of antiquities and histories, plainlie sheweth: That it was imposed as necessary, Part. 3. hist. Tit. 19. cap. 2.first by the councell of Lateran. The same Innocentius (saith he) in the same generall councell decreed thus: That eueryevery faithfull man or woman, after they came to the yeares of discretion, should alone confesse all their sinnes to their owne parish priest, once at the least by the yeare; and should endeuour to doe the pennance, he enioyned them, with their own strength: he that did not, should be kept out of the church, and dying should not be buried in Christian buriall. Where (saieth he) was there euer made, in any other councell, such a wholesome constitution. Their priuate sinnes, before this councell, men confessed to God, as appeareth by those places I hauehave cited: but now to their parish priest. And their notorious and manifest sins, one to another, or to the church: as S. Iames teacheth,Ia. 5.16. Confesse your sinnes one to another. If one had offended his brother, hee should not be ashamed to confesse his sinne to his brother, and now to be reconciled: If he had offended the whole Church, he should not be ashamed to doe open penance, before the whole church, that they might praie for him. This séemeth to be the first vse of confession in the primitiue Church:In lib. de p…en. as maie be gathered also out of Tertullian, Confession (saith he) so much lighteneth thy sinnes, as dissimulation or cloking of them, maketh them grieuous: And confession, is the counsell of satisfaction, and dissimulation of contumacie. And that this confession is, and to whome it is to be made: hee after plainlie sheweth, that is, to God and to the Church. That acte (saith he) which is more expressed by the Greeke worde and commonly practised, is called foreign, wherby we confesse our sins to the Lord, not as though he were ignorant, but as though by this our confession to him, we made as it were a satisfaction. And thus he describeth the common repentance in those daies: Often to …eede as it were praiers with fastings and sighes, to weepe, euen to …re day and night to their God, to cast thy selfe downe to the priest, to kneele to the Altar of God, to e…e to all thy brethren to sende their praiers, as embassadours to God for thee. And after: Insomuch as thou shalt not spare thy selfe: beleeue that God shal spare thee. But many (saith he) eschue this making themselues manifest, or doe deferre it from day to day, being more mindefull of the shame, then of their health: like those, which hauing diseases in their priuie members, while they hide them from the knowledge of the Phisitions, perish in their shamefastnesse. And after, But concerning thy brethren, and fellow seruants; where there is common hope, feare, ioie, sorrowe, and suffering; because also wee hauehave receiued a common spirit, of a common Lord and father: what doest thou account them any other thing, then thy selfe? Why doest thou runne from the partakers of all thy mischances and sorrowes, as from mockers and iesters at them? The body cannot be merrie, at the griefe of anie one member; the whole bodie must needes be sorie for companie, and seeke for remedie. And of this confession and open repentance practised in his daies, S. Ierome writeth thus of Fabiola.
Part. 3. ep. 6….Who would hauehave thought (saith he) that after the death of her second husband, she comming to her selfe, at which time carelesse widowes, hauing shaken off the yoke of bondage, are woont to liue more licentiously, as to go to the bathes and walke the streetes, and to beare the shewe of strumpets: that shee would hauehave put on sackcloth, that she would hauehave confessed her fault? and the whole citie of Rome beholding her, in the church of Lateran &c. That she would stand amongst them that did pennance, (the Bishops, Priestes and all the people weeping with her,) and that she would humble (her haire being about her eares) her wanne face, her vnwashed handes, her filthy necke. This repentance and this confession, of her common and notorious sins, committed before shée knewe Christ perfectly, Fabiola this excellent matron whom S. Ierome wonder fullie there commendes, shewed. Of Theodosius also the Emperour Ambrose writes thus:Ambros. orat. de obi…. Theodos. The Emperour was not ashamed to doe that which meane men are ashamed to do: that is, to do open pennance. Bead also of this priuate and publique confession,V… citat. a beate Renan… in praefatione Tert. writes thus: The Lord (saith he) is read to hauehave sent none, on whom he bestowed these corporall benefites, to the priestes, but the leapers; because the priestes of the Iewes were a figure of the kingly priesthood that should be, which now is in the Church, in which all are consecrated, which appertaine to the body of Christ, the high and true prince of priestes. And whosoe… either by the wickednesse of sinne and berefie, or by the superstition of the gentiles, or by the incredulitie of the Iewes, or by anie schisme from his brethren, as it were by a diuers colour, hath lacked the grace of Christ; it is necessarie, that he come vntounto the church, and there shewe the true colour of faith which he hath receiued. But other faults, as diseases of the members of the soule and senses, the Lord heales and correctes, by the man himselfe inwardly in his conscience and vnderstanding. So that then Bead also agreeth with the rest, that God alone heales in vsus, all our priuate and hidde sinnes. But the other notorious and manifest sinnes, as they are knowne to the church: so he will hauehave the church put to her helping hand, by praier to him, for curing of them. This priuate confession to the priest, and declaring all our sinnes to our ghostlie father vponupon paine of damnation, Bead makes no mention of: but that we ought to confesse those secret sinnes vntounto God.
And here because this is a wayghtie matter, concerning the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, let vsus marke diligently what the scripture teacheth vsus concerning the same, and to whom we must confesse them. Dauid teaching vsus the blessednesse of euerie faithfull man, saieth, Blessed is the man, whose wickednesse is forgiuen, Psal. 32.1.and whose sinne is couered. Our blessednesse consisteth not in our innocencie, but in the merciemercy of God, not in the puritie of our works, but in the pardon of our sinnes. No man can say: My hearte is cleane. Here is the first proposition, the first part of blessednesse: to acknowledge our sinnes. Secondlie followeth howe wee shall obtaine this pardon: By confessing of them. For while I helde my tongue, and confessed not my sinnes, my bones consumed awaie: though I roared out, for griefe and payne all the daie long. For thy hande was heauie vponupon mee day and night: And I was turned in my miserie, as the heate of summer: Without anie droppe of the water of comforte. But to whom now, in this miserable case, did he confesse his sinnes? To God. For so it followeth, I will make my sinnes knowne vntounto thee, and mine iniquitie hauehave I not hidde. I said, I will confesse against my selfe, my sins vntounto the Lord, & so thou forgauest the wickednes of my sin. Dauid being in this great misery, by reason of his sins, when as the Lords hand was heauy vponupon him, he confessed his sins vntounto ye Lord, & so obtained pardon, & so was partaker of ye blessednes, he spake of, in the beginning. And he repeates this twise, to whom he made this cōfessiō, yt is to God; & how vntil he had made his confessiō, his grief increased. Neither wrote he this onelie for himselfe, but for vsus: For this cause (saith he) shall euerie one that is godlie make his praier to thee, in the time thou maiest be found. Surelie, in the flood of great waters, they shall not come nigh him. EueryEvery saint must here followe Dauids steps, and without all doubt, he shall obtaine blessednes with him: The great water flouds of punishments for his sinnes, shall not come nigh him. And this Psalme is called a Psalme of instruction, or instructing, in the Hebrue, as Arias Montanus translates it. I would to God all catholiques would learne this lesson of Dauid. To this agréeth S. Iohn: 1 Iohn. 1. vers. 8.If we say we hauehave no sinne with the proud pharisie, we deceiue our selues, and there is no truth in vsus: But if we confesse our sinnes with the Publican, he is faithful and iust, or righteous rather, (as I thinke it may fitlie be translated,) to forgiue vsus our sins, and to purge vsus from all our vnrighteousnesse. And here some will aske againe, to whome must we confesse? Surely Dauid hath to… thee before, to God. Or if thou beléeue not him, S. Iohn here telleth thee, Euen to him, that must forgiue, that is, to Iesus Christ. He is faithfull, he will keepe his promise, hee is righteous though thou be neuer so sinfull, he is righteous, he is rich enough, to paie all thy debts: and to purge thee from all thy iniquitie. And here let vsus marke diligentlie the most assured, manifest, and greate promise of our sauiour: which no doubte S. Iohn here aime…h at. Whatsoeuer you aske in my name (saieth our sauiour) you shall obtaine. Ioh. 16. Vers. 23.The remission of our sinnes, is a thing of request. And therefore Dauid saieth. For this cause, shall eueryevery one that is godly, make his praier vntounto thee. Let vsus confesse our sins to Iesus Christ, and by praier aske pardon, and no doubt he is faithfull, he wil performe his promise, we shall hauehave remission, he is righteous, he is able to couer them, be they neuer so manie. And to assure vsus now hereof,Mat. 7.7. also our sauiour saieth, Aske and ye shall hauehave, seeke and ye shall find, knocke and it shall be opened vntounto you. Here is the force of faithful praier. Here is the key of Gods treasury, or store-house. There is nothing we desire more, then giftes and good thinges, then thinges lost, then secret thinges, to hauehave them reueiled. Aske (saieth our sauiour) and you shall hauehave giftes; seeke, and you shall finde thinges lost whatsoeuer, euen the fauoure of God, which is the greatest losse in the worlde, you shall finde merciemercy for your sinnes, which is the greatest thing that can bee founde; knocke, and all secrets and mysteries shall be opened vntounto you.1 King 3.9. By praier, Salomon obtained wisdome, the greatest gift: Iosuah staied the sunne, the forciblest creature:Ios. 10.12. Iam. 5.17. Psal. 32.50. Ioh. 4. v. 46. Elias opened heauen: And what is more secret? By praier Dauid found mercy for his sinnes: And what iewell is more excellent? We reade in the Gospell that the ruler beléeued the worde that Iesus spake: and his sonne being nowe at the pointe of death, recouered. This saith we must imitate. If our dearling, our soule, were through …e, at the pointe of death: yet if we aske pardon in the name of Iesus Christ, and beléeue according to his worde; it shall be done to vsus, and our soule shall no doubt liue. This is the faith of the Gospell: he that beléeueth not this, shall assuredlie dye. Faith is the hand of Christians, wherewith they receiue all things of God: For lacke of this hand, we are poore, we lacke spirituall graces. We are like that Idoll of the Philistines Dagon, 1 Sam. 5.whose palmes of his hands were broken off: wee are like that man in the Gospell, who had a withered hand. Let vsus the refore praie with the Apostles,Mat. 12.10. Luke. 17.5. Iohn. 14.1 Lord increase our faith, that wee maie hauehave handes to receiue all thinges, by faithfull praier from God. Let not your hearts be troubled, (saieth our sauiour) beleeue in God, and beleeue in mee. This …sh is a sure bulwarke against all the assaultes of sathans flouds, of troubles and stormes of our sinnes. The cures of those bodilie diseases, by our sauiour, being here vponupon earth, were but lessons for vsus, to hauehave the same faith for the curing of our soules, he being now in heauen. If we come vntounto him, with fayth and confession, as they did, we shall most assuredlie obtaine the same saluation according to his promise. This is that which Dauid saieth.Psal. 4. v. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not, that is as much as in you lyeth, eschew sin: but if you fall into sinne by infirmitie, saie them in your hearts vponupon your beddes and be still: that is, confesse them to God, and bee still, that is quieting your conscience, rest vponupon the mercifull promisse of God. This is that which our sauiour teacheth,Mat. 6.5. when thou praiest enter into thy chamber, and pray in secret: no doubt for thy secret sinnes; And thy father that seeth in secret, shall rewarde thee openlie. This is taught vsus, by the example of that Stewarde, that was indebted to his master ten thousand tallents: Let vsus euerie one thinke our selues to bee that stewarde. And in that great debte what shall we doe? Let vsus fall downe at our masters féete, and craue merciemercy, and he will graunt more then we desire. For ye Steward there desired but longer time;Mat. 18.2…. but ye Lord forgaue him the whole debte: so will God no doubt deale with vsus; but set vsus be mercifull to our fellowe seruantes, let vsus not followe his vnmercifulnesse, let vsus not stumble at strawes, let vsus not sée meates in our brethrens eies, and not our owne great beames. So Ezechias turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. Esay 38.3This is the writing of the king of Iudah, when he was sicke. In the cutting off of my life: Verse 12.I say, I shall go by the gates of the graue, I am depriued of the residue of my yeares, &c. And why? I hauehave cut off, as a weauer cuts his webbe, my life; that was no doubt by his sinnes which he here confessed.Possid. in vita eius. So Augustine when hee was sicke, caused these foure Psalmes of Dauid which concerne repentance, to be written on the wall: and those being in foure partes, he lying in his bed, they being set vponupon the wall, in the daie of his sicknesse, he behelde, and read, and wept continually and aboundantly, neither would suffer anie one to trouble him. Augustine, as we maie here sée, followe… Dauids counsell: he confessed not his sins to anie ghostlie father, that we reade of; but to God alone, as Dauid did. And shall not we follow their examples? Confesse thy sinnes to Iesus Christ, confesse to God: and no doubt thou shalt hauehave pardon, as Dauid and Augustine had. This auricular confession which is nowe vses, was not then knowne: It sprang vp in the church after his daies. So manie hundreth yeares, so manie thousand Christians were saued without it: It was not that first faith once giuen to the saintes.
And that this auricular confession, was not vsed in the pri…itiue Church, is euident by the historie of the actes of the Apostles, who in the space of fortie yeares, that euer we reade of, neuer … ther required, or heard of anie man such a particular recitall of their sinnes. And S. Paul comming to Corinth, where he feared were contentions, wrath, backbitings, vncleannesse, wantonnesse,2. Cor. 13.1. and such like sinnes, saith: That now the third time, hee will come to Corinth, and in the mouth of two or three witnesses, euerie word shall stand, and he will spare none of them. What néede anie witnesses,Cap. 4.1. if this confession had béen then necessarie or vsed? And in his first Epistle to the Corinthians he writes thus: Let a man so esteeme of vsus, as the ministers of Christ, and disposers of the secrets of God. And as for the rest, it is required of the disposers, that eueryevery man be found faithfull. As touching me, I passe verie little, that I am iudged of you, or of mans iudgement. S. Paul is so far … from taking vponupon him, the authority of knowing ye secrets of the harts of the Corinthians, that he willed them not to iudge him. He addeth his good lesson: Iudge nothing before the time, (speaking of secret and doubtfull matters,) vntill the Lord come, who will lighten thinges that are hid in darkenesse, and make the counsels of the harts manifest, and then shall euerie man hauehave praise of God. S. Paul reserues this knowledge of secret matters, to the daie of Iesus Christ, he doth not challenge it to himselfe, nor to anie other. And his preheminence is giuen to the Lord in manie places of scripture; that he is the searcher of the hearts, and to none other. As in the Actes and they praied, saying:Act. 1.24. Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two, thou hast chosen. Why should the Pope then or his cleargie challenge it to themselues? This is to intrude themselues into the Lords place. S. Paul askes the question, What man knoweth the thinges that are in man? And he answereth, none but the spirit that is in man. It might hauehave béene answered, his ghostlie father, if this confession had then béene vsed. And he makes this an argument to prooue, that so likewise none knowes the secrets of God, but the spirit of God.
And herein our gratious God is also so mercifull, that although he knowe all secret sinnes; yet the sinnes of his elect, he will hide and couer: he will not hauehave them known to others, to their shame and confusion. And therfore Dauid saith,Psal. 32.1. Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiuen, and whose sin is couered. And this is the blessednesse of all Gods saintes. They are all sinners: he is the best that sinneth the least (as S. Augustine saith:) but their sinnes are …ered. And therefore Iesus Christ is called of S. Iohn, 1. Ioh. 2. v. 2.the prop…tiation or couering of all our sinnes: alluding to the propitiatorie in the lawe, which was a golden couering, which couered all the a…e. Nowe the arke signifieth the Church, and this golden couering is no doubt Iesus Christ, who protectes, couers, and adornes the whole arke of God, his whole Church. There is no part thereof, but néedes this his couering: And therefore he saith in the gospell, He that is ashamed of me and my wordes; of him the sonne of …n shall be ashamed, when hee shall come in his glory, Luk. 9.26.and in the glory of the holy angels. And this couering of the sinnes of Gods saintes, is also figured by the father in the gospell: who, when as the prodigall sonne had confessed his sinnes, his father,Luk. 15.22. first of all …er his confession, bad bring forth the best robe, and put it on him. It is the first thing God doeth to his, after their comming to his seruice; to couer all their sinnes: he will not hauehave them confounded or ashamed.Mat. 26 25. Io. 13.28. Our sauiour would not manifest Iudas his sinne that betraied him, no not to his Apostles being priestes (as the Church of Rome teacheth) but couertlie warned him thereof: and then howe much more will he hauehave the secret sinnes of his elect couered?
But it is commonlie obiected, that our Sauiour Iesus after his resurrection, gaue his Apostles power to forgiue sins: Whose sinnes soeuer (saith he) ye forgiue, Io. 20.23.they are forgiuen, and whose sinnes you reteine, they are retained. And how can they forgiue sinnes, vnlesse they knowe them? And this authoritie was giuen them the verie daie of his resurrection, as a most gratious testimonie of his victorie. But I answere. First, that to the forgiuenesse of sinnes is not necessarily required, the particular repetition of all our sinnes. Our sauiour forgaue manie their sinnes in the gospell: and yet they did not particularlie make a repetition to him of all their sinnes: as they brought vntounto him one sicke of the palsey, and Iesus seeing their faith, said to the sicke of the palsey: Sonne be of good comfort, Mark. 2.5. Luk. 7 47. Mark. 10.52.thy sinnes be forgiuen thee. And to Mary Magdelin, many sinnes are forgiuen her, for she hath loued much. And when blinde Bartimeus tried after him, O thou sonne of Dauid hauehave merciemercy vponupon me, he answered: Go thy waie, thy faith hath saued thee. Here is remission of sinnes pronounced to all these, by our sauiour: and yet, not anie particular reckoning vp of their sinnes; but a generall, sorrowfull, and faithfull confession. So that, to the forgiuenesse of sinnes, that particular recitall, which the catholiques at this daie doe practise, is not necessarie, vnlesse it bee of some notorious sinnes, as was Achans theft, or Dauids murther and adulterie:Luk. 18.13. but onelyonly a generall confession and knowledge is sufficient. So the Publican confessed his sinne to God in generall: O Lord be mercifull vntounto me a sinner, and stroke his brest: arguing thereby the sorrowfulnesse of his hart, and he went home more iustified then the proud Pharisie, who séemed to make this particular recitall of his good déedes which nowe they speake of.Luk. 15.18. So the prodigall sonne (a type and figure of sinners) made his confession, from his sorrowfull heart, but in generall to his father saying: O father, I hauehave sinned against heauen and against thee: I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne. And through this his confession, he was receiued into fauour.Ro. 15.4. These no doubt are written for our learning, that wee confessing our sinnes generally, but sorrowfullie, as they did, should no doubt hauehave hope, and not despaire of pardon: So Esay, so Daniell, so Dauid, so all the Prophets, euer confessed their sinnes to God generallie, and not particularlie, and they obtained pardon.Psal. 119 176.19.12. Esay 64.6, 6.5. I hauehave gone astray like a sheep that is lost, saith Dauid: and O clense me from my secret faults. And Esay, O Lord, all our righteousnesses are like to a stained cloth. Ier. 14.20.And I, am one of polluted lippes. And Ieremie, we acknowledge O lord our wickednesse, and the iniquity of our fathers, Nehe. 1.6.for wee hauehave sinned against thee. And Nehemiah, we hauehave grieuously sinned against thee, and hauehave not kept thy commandements, statutes, and iudgments, which thou hast commanded by thy seruant Moses. So that this confession in generall was practised in the primitiue Church, in these daies: and to such penitent sinners, the pastors were to pronounce pardon. And no doubt their worde is of force, whose authoritie was giuen them the daie of Christes resurrection, by the conqueror of death, hell and the diuell.
And here is the true vse of the keies: that to notorious and trulie repenting sinners, be their sinnes neuer so great; that the sentence of his ministers and Church here on earth, God will make god in heauen. And that the Apostles thus vsed the keies, appeareth by S. Paul to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 5.1.when as there was one among them that had married his mother in lawe, and they as it should seeme, laughed or reioyced at it: Why rather (saieth hee) hauehave you not beene sorie, that he might be taken from among you, that hath done this euill? For I being absent in body, but present in spirit, euen now hauehave iudged, (hauehave giuen sentence concerning him that did that deed) that you being gathered together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you should deliuer such a one to sathan, to the punishing or tormenting of his flesh, that his spirit might be saued at the daie of Christ. Here is the power giuen to the Apostles 20 of Iohn, and to the church, Mat. 18. That whatsoeuer they binde on earth, should be bound in heauen: and whatsoeuer they loose on earth, should be loosed in heauen, put in execution. Here are both their authorities ioyned together: here are the sins of this notorious sinner bound and reteined, till his repentance. And here is that distinction of sinnes made manifest, which the Apostle mentions 1. Tim. 5.1. Ti. 5.24. Some mens sinnes (saith hee) are manifest and go before to iudgement, but to others they follow after, and are not manifest. And with these former sins, the Church hath to deale, and not with the latter. They are to be reserued to the lords knowledge,1 Cor. 5.1. sentence and iudgement. And therefore he saith in the beginning of the Chapter, that it is generally reported, that there is fornication among them, and such as is not named among the heathen. With such notorious & famous sins the church is to deale, by forgiuing and deteining them: and not enter into the knowledge of eueryevery mans secret sinnes. To such, vponupon their publike repentance and generall confession, the church pronounceth generall pardon.
And this is the rodde that shoulde kéepe Gods church in awe, this is the sword, that shoulde make all christians feare, this is … wéede hooke, that should purge the Lordes corne-fielde. Here … doubt, Iesus Christ will make good his owne promise, and … sentence of his church. He yt is cut off by excommunication here on earth;Ioh. 15.6. is also excluded from heauen, as the gospell teachethe Hee that is not as a branch, in the vine Iesus Christ, is as a withered branch cast out: Mat. 12.30.And he that is not with him, is a against him: And he that is not a souldier vnderunder his banner in the church, is Sathans souldier, and vnderunder his power and iurisdiction. And with suche one no Christian should so much as eate meate,1 Cor. 5.11. or hauehave anie fellowship. For so it followeth, If any that is called a brother bee … adulterer or a couetous person, or an Idolater, or a ra…ler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, (that by force or authority, will take other m…ns goods from them wrongfullie) with such a one eate not. If this plaine and manifest lawe of the Apostle were executed, sin would not be so common as it is. If all these adulterers, and couetous persons, and railers, and blasphemers, and likewise other sinners, as soon as they begin to appeare, were cut off from Christs body, were excommunicated; if no man would once talke wish them, deale with them, or so much as eat wish them: it would make men afraide to commit these sinnes. And this is the destruction of the flesh, Pro. 17.22.which S. Paul meanes: what more hurtes she fleshe of man, then sorrowe and griefe? as Salomon saieth in the Prouerbes: A sorrowfull hearte dryeth vp the bones. And what is more sorrowfull, then to be hated, loathed, and forsaken of all men? And that this sorrowe is the destruction of the flesh, which he meaneth, appeareth in his second Epistle,2 Cor. 2. v. 7. where he willeth him to be receiueth againe, and to be strengthned, least he be swallowed vp of ouermuch sorrowe. For (saieth hee) wee are not ignorant of Sathans sleightes. Where also is declared, what is mente by the power of forgiuenesse of sinnes, which our sauiour gaue to his Apostles: …t is in receiuing such excommunicate and penitent persons againe into the church. For to whom (saith he) ye forgiue any thing, I forgiue also. And againe, if I forgiue any thing, for your sakes I forgiue it in the sight or person of Christ. So that then here is the authoritie executed, which Christ gaue both to the Apostles in the 20 of Iohn. and to the church, Mat. 18: Here is the verie word and phrase of forgiuenesse of sinnes twise repeated, which is nothing else, but to receiue penitente sinners into the church: And to assure them of the forgiuenes of their sinnes. And this power of forgiuing sinnes is common to the people, with the pastor; To whom you forgiue, I forgiue: saieth S. Paul. Therefore if it bee a good argument, that they which do forgiue sinnes, must of necessitie knowe all secret sinnes (, as the papists would faine grounde vponupon those wordes of our sauiour, Iohn the 20, spoken to his Apostles, Whose sinnes you forgiue, they are forgiuen:) then it followes also, that the people must knowe secret sinnes and heare …icular confession, with the pastor: for here plainelie in the … of forgiuenes by S. Paul, both their authorities are ioined together.
Cyrill vponupon the 20 of Iohn writeth thus: The Apostles forgiue sinnes two waies, either by baptisme, or repentance: for either they drawe good men to be baptised, and do diligentlie repell the vnworthie from thence; or they rebuke the sonnes of the church sinning, and do pardon them repenting, As S. Paul did the fornicators among the Corinthians. Cyprian also, as he is cyted of Augustine in an Epistle to Antonianus, of the vse of the keyes writes thus:Epist. 48. Some Bishoppes here, our prodecessors (saieth he) in our prouince thought not, that repentance should be graunted to adulterers, and altogether shut vp the place of repentance against adultery: but yet these departed not from the society of their fellow Bishoppes, &c. But Augustine addeth there a little after. But if that which is trueth, the church by good right holdeth, peace is to be graunted rightlie to adulterers repenting: they which shut vp all place of repentance against adulterers, did indeed wickedlie, which denyed health to the members of Christ, and withdrew the keyes of the church from them, which knocked to hauehave gone in; and withstood the most mercifull patience of God, with ouermuch crueltie: who suffered those therefore to liue, that repenting, they might be healed, the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a contrite heart being offered. Hereby appeareth the vse of the keies, that notorious sinners were excommunicate, were cut off from Christ; till by their open repentance, they had made satisfaction. And of this repentance the same Augustine writes thus after: Neither thinke thou, that any can come from errour to truth, or from any great or small sinne to correction, without repentance. But it is a very impudent errour, hereof to slander the church, which by so many diuine testimonies, is euident to bee the church of Christ, that she deales with them otherwise, that doe forsake her, if they correct their fault after by repentance: and otherwise with those, that were neuer in her, and then first of all embrace her peace, by humbling those former more: by receiuing these more gently; and louing both of them, in doing her diligence, to heale them both, with a motherly affection. And of extortioners, Epist. 54. he writes thus: We reproue them, we detest them, we depriue them, of the communion of the holie altar, &c. Here is excommunication of such notorious extortioners and couetous persons, as being able to make restitution, would not. So that to all sinners notoriouslie knowne, the Church as it should séeme, according to the greatnesse of their sinnes, laide this rod of open repentance, that they might be cured. And with this rod like a mother, she kept all her children in awe. And this open repentance, that it might make sinners more afraide, was vsuallie but once granted to anie in the church.Epist. 54. If open sinners were thus sauerely punished amongst vsus, it would make no doubt fewer secret sinners. For of it, Augustine writes thus: Although therefore it be very discreetly and wholesomely prouided, that the place of that lowest repentance, should bee granted but once in the Church, least the medicine being too common, should be lesse profitable to the sicke, which is so much more wholesome, as it is lesse contemptible: Yet who dare say to God, why doest thou spare him, who after the lowest repentance bindes himselfe againe with ye snares of his iniquitie? &c. It maie séeme for want of this discipline, the great and painfull teaching which nowe is in the church, taketh so small effect. If neuer so good seede be sowen, if weedes be suffered to growe: what fruit will be repeated? And therefore S. Paul saith,Eccl. 13.1.21.2. Psal. 26.4. Psal. 119.63. Doe you not know, that a little leauen corrupts a great deale of dough? And Ecclesiasticus saieth, he that toucheth pitch, shalbe defiled of it. And, flie from sinne as from a serpent. And Dauid, I will not fit in the companie of the vngoly: and I am a companion of all them that keepe thy lawe. For certainlie no leauen so soone pearceth through a lump of dough, no pitch so fast eleueth to any thing, no plague so soone infecteth, no serpent so deadlie and secretlie stingeth; as sinne doth. And therefore we knowing this, should beware of it especiallie, should not suffer it amongst vsus.Exod. 13.7. And therefore to the Iewes it was saide, that they should make leauen to cease, when they eate their passeouer: so we should doe dailie, eating our passeouer Iesus Christ. And therfore S. Paul likewise saith to vsus: Clense away the olde leauen, that ye may be new dough. 1. Cor. 5.7.And he expounds what leauen meanes: Let vsus not keepe our feasts (saith he) in the old leauen, nor the leauen of maliciousnes, or wickednesse: but in the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth. And after: take away quite the euill from among you.
But here some will saie, who should iudge this? who knoweth, who is a couetous man, or a drunkard or a railer? Surelie I may answere here as S. Paul saith to Timothy: 1. Ti 5.25.Good workes are manifest, and they which are not such, cannot be hid. Sinne will shew it selfe. And in this place: what hauehave we to doe with those that bee without, doe not you your selues iudge them that are within? 1. Cor. 5.12.So that then, euerie mans conscience should iudge, who are couetous, who are drunkards, who are extortioners, especiallie, theirs, that hauehave the care committed to them of ecclesiasticall affaires, as amongst vsus are our church-wardens: They, by othe are bound to present all such riotous offenders, that they might be punished: that their flesh here might be afflicted by sorrowe and griefe, that their souls might be saued: that such wicked persons, might not by their euill examples infect others. The winking of these church wardens in all places almost, at all manner of sinne, and their (omnia bene) it is to be feared, will damne a great manie soules, and endanger their owne soules also. Hee that beareth false witnesse in a temporll court, what punishment sustaineth he? Howe farre greater shall he sustaine, that beareth false witnesse in the court of God? But they are loath perchance to deale hardlie with their friendes and neighbours, they are mercifull. But Gregory saith,Greg. in Ezech. What merciemercy is that to spare here the temporall rodde, and to reserue the eternall? Not to punish with a rod of willowe, and to procure the yron rodde. And surelie such is their pittie, who suffers sinners to wallowe in sinne vnpunished, giuing them the raine as much as in them lyeth, to runne euen to hell: reseruing their punishments to the dreadfull daie of Gods iudgment, when the daies of merciemercy shall bee expired; endangering thorough periurie also their owne soules. And that this was … sworde that kept men in feare in the primitiue Church, and that then there were such church wardens, appeareth also by Chrysostome, who against swearing writes thus: How is it not a very absurd thing, that in the Iewish Synagogues they hauehave such forcible lawes, so that if the master command, all thinges are straightwaies done, and that wee here are so contemned and despised, I care not for my glorie; for my glory, is your goodnesse; but for your saluation, we crie alowd euerie daie, we teach you, ringing in your eares, and there is none that heareth. And we suffer nothing more then swering. I feare, least we shalbe compelled one daie to giuegive an account of this great, Ad Pop. Ant. ho. 26.but vnprofitable curtesie. And therfore manifestly and plainly I denounce and protest to all, which commit that sinne, euen speaking from the deuill, (for swearing is such a sinne) that they come not within the Church. And I appoint you a monethmonth, to correct your selues in. Neither saie to me: thy businesse makes thee sweare: For I beleeue thee not. And in the meane time, cut off all thy swearing companions, &c. And after, If anie man shall denie to fulfill this commandement, as with a trumpet, with my voice, I forbid him to come to the church, although it be the prince, although he weare the crowne. And after, Among the Iewes the name of God was so terrible and reuerend, that it was written in plates of golde. And it was lawfull for none to beare those plates, but the high priestes: but nowe euerie one carrieth the name of God about in his mouth, as a most common thing: Behold I charge and protest to you, that you correct your common and superfluous oathes, and bring all to me. Behold, Ad aedium sacrarum custodiā deputatis, Impero, monce, iubeo, &c.I command, admonish, and bid you, that are here present, appointed to the looking to, and guarde of the church, that it is lawfull for no man to sweare idlely, no nor otherwise: but that you should bring it to mee, whatsoeuer it is, &c. Here is the authoritie of the ministers, in deteining sinne, and in punishing sins, in excommunicating notorious and obstinate sinners. Here is the office of the church wardens, to present such sinners to the Bishop, that they maie be punished. Here is the grieuousnesse of the sinne of swearing manifestlie put downe, we estéeme the name of God lesse then the Iewes did.Hom. 70. And in another homily, speaking against those that mourned excessiuelie for the dead, and euen hired mourners to lament them, he writes thus: Whosoeuer (saith he) shall hire these mourners (I speake no otherwise then I thinke, let him be angry that will) I will banish them the church a great while. This sworde of excommunication they vsed against euerie sinne: this kept Gods house cleane: this made Christians to stand in awe.