Remains of John Boyse, Lecture
LECTVRE. 2.
COncerning the first kind of confession, it is a duty to be performed, in sicknesse especially, to which obseruation I am led with cIn loc.Aretius, by the coherence; for S. Iames in the words a little before, sayd, If any man be sicke among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray for him, and then in our text, Confesse your faults one to another, insinuating, that it is at such a time chiefly fit, yea necessary, that we should vnfainedly forgiue others, and earnestly desire that others forgiue vsus, and so God of his infinite mercy forgiue all; When dEsay. 38. 1.Hezechias was sicke vntounto death, Esay the Prophet came unto him, and sayd, Put thy house in order, for thou shalt die; Dispose first of thy soule, which is ill disposed, if it bee not in louelove, which is the eRom. 13. 10.complement of the law; Secondly, dispose of thy body, which is ill disposed; If thou command not thy tongue, to confesse thy faults, and to doe right, to those it hath abused, and slandered; …irdly, dispose of thy temporall estate, which is ill disposed, if thou make not restitution, vntounto such as thou hast oppressed, and iniured.
This confession is to be performed, in our health also, that if fRom. 12 18.it be possible, so much as in vsi…, we may hauehave peace with all men, especially when as we go to the Lords Table, so Christ instructeth vsus. Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue there thy offering before the Altar, and goe thy way, first be reconciled vntounto thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift; By which it is apparant, that wee must offer in gHeb. 13. ….louelove, being reconciled vntounto our brother, and much more vntounto the Church, which is the whole brotherhood of all Christian people; for God expects, and respects mercy more then sacrifice, Hosea. 6 6.
It is a fashion among meane men, and (for ought I know, commendable) to prouide some new clothes, against the receiuing of the communion at Easter, now S. hColos 3. 12.Paul exhorteth vsus, to put on under mercy, kindnesse, humblenesse of mind, m…ekenesse, long suffering, for bearing one another, and forgiuing one another, which Christ himselfe termeth a n…w sut…. Iohn 13. 34. A new commandement I giuegive vntounto you, that you louelove one another; This vndoubtedly, was an old precept from the beginning, but he calleth it new, iCaluin in loc.For that he would hauehave this alway fresh in our memory, fresh in our practise, le… k1. Cor. 16. 14.all our things be done in louelove, that one chiefly, which is called a Communion, in respect of the common Vnion among our selues, and as being a signe, and a seale of our communion with Christ, our lEphes. 2. 14.…eace.
The second kind of confession, is for the satisfaction of our owne selues, if at any time wee feele our consciences heauily burdened with any grieuous temptation; I know Christ is the mMatt 8 4.Priest, vntounto whom eueryevery sinner infected with a spirituall leprosie, must open, and shew himselfe, being a Priest for nPsal. 110. 4.euer after the order of Melc…isedec, an high Priest, that is touched with a feeling of our infirmities, Heb. 4. 15. So oHom. 41. ad populum …ntiochen▪ et. In Heb hom. 31.Chrysostome saith, I will thee not to bewray thy selfe, before others openly, but I counsell thee, to obey the pPsal 37 5.Prophet saying; Open thy way to the Lord, And qHom. 2 in Psal. …0.againe, Confesse thy sinnes vntounto the Lord, who is able to cure thee, and not vntounto thy fellow-seruant; that may vpbrayd thee with them: And S. rConfess lib. 10. cap. 3.Augustine, what hauehave I to doe with men, that they should heare my confession, as if they could heale my griefes?
Yea, but what if after all my contrition, and confession vntounto God, I feele not an absolution, or any comfort, to my poore distressed soule?
What if after I hauehave cryed vntounto the s1. Cor. 1. 3.Father of mercies, O t…uke 18. 3God be mercifull vntounto me a sinner; He do not answere my spirit, uPsal 35. 3.I am thy saluation?
What if for one scandall which I hauehave giuen, I hauehave such an insupportable burden in my conscience, as if a milstone were hanged about my necke; S. Iames in such a case, doeth aduise here, Confesse your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that yee may be healed; For the prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much, if it be feruent. For as a vehement burning feuer, is no way to bee cured, but with opening a veine, whereat the infected blood hauing vent, may carry away with it, the putrified matter, that did molest the body; So against strong temptations, and afflictions of the mind, there is no remedy more secure, then to open the heart, vntounto a wise friend: and to let out those raging passions, that did disquiet our soule.
Now because preachers of the word, ought to be more skilfull and expert then others, in applying the good tidings of the Gospell, vntounto the poore: to binde vp the broken hearted; and to comfort such as mourne in Sion; xSee Caluin. institut. lib. 3. cap 4. sect: 12.It is fit, that wee should hauehave recourse to some learned, Pious and discreete Pastour: who can and will Minister a word of consolation in due season; For Almighty God hath giuen power, and commandement to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins; Vn…o them he sayd, yMat. 18. 18 Iohn 20. 23.Whatsoeuer yee bind in earth, shalbe bound in heauen, and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth, shall bee loosed in heauen. And vponupon this ground, there is in the Church of England, a general zCollect after the confession at Mor…ing prayer, and at the communionabsolution, after a generall confession of sins, and a particular absolution, after a aIn the visitation of the sicke.particular confession; and bDr Field. lib. …. of the Church cap. 25.wee teach also, that this acte of absoluing, belongs vntounto the Minister, ordinarily; Tanquam ex officto: But when none of that order is, or can bee present, another may doe it with good effect, according to that old saying; cMagdeburg: E…st; dedicat cent 1. et Luther loc: com… … absolut. … Rom 1. 1.In casu necessario, quilibet Christianus est sacerdos. In one wor… …ee may confesse our faults, vntounto good people, which are power-full in the Scriptures; apt to teach, admonish and aduise, for our comforts; But especially to Godly Pas…ours, as being d…, 1. 1.put apart, to preach the Gospell of God, and to e1 Cor …. 1.be disposers of his holy secrets.
This I know to be the Tenet of our fHom of re pent▪ pa…t 2. com. … tit: visitation of the sic…e.Church, agreeable to the confessions of other reformed Churches, as to the confession of Heluetia, Cap. 14. of Bohemia, Cap. 5. of Aspurge, art 11. of Saxone art. 16. As you may reade, Harmon: confessionum, Sect 8.
This acknowledgement of our faults, is farre different from auricular Popish confession. First, in that it is not vponupon constraint, but voluntary.
Secondly, because wee are not enioyned to confesse vntounto the Parish Priest, or to any one confessour, appoynted by the Diocesa…, and Ordinary; But wholly left at our owne choise. Thirdly, Because wee are not tyed to any certaine time, but only when wee find our selues in our conscience rightly disposed, and to bee in the state of true repentance; Yet because men are negligent, and carelesse in performing of this duty, the Church exhorteth vsus to confesse at two times aboue the rest: To wit, In sicknesse, and in Lent; In sicknes, eueryevery Christian ought to make a speciall confession, if hee feele his conscience troubled, with any weighty matter, earnestly desiring the standers by, to pray for him, and the discreete Pastour if need be, to absolue him: As for Lent, Although gBernard ser. 3 de …nio quadragesi.our whole life should be nothing … but a Lent, to prepare our selues against the Sab… our death; and Easter of our resurrection; Yet seeing the corruption of our dayes, and wickednesse of our natures, is so much exorbitant, as that it is an hard matter to hold the common sort of people within the lists of Piety, Iustice, and Sobriety: It is fit there should bee one time, at the least, in the yeare, and that of a reasonable continuance for the recalling of them vntounto some more stayed courses, and seuere cogitations, and hRelation of religion in the W…st sect. 7.happily these things might hauehave beene more fitly restored in the reformed Churches vntounto their Primitiue sincerity, rather then abolished, as in some places vtterly.
The fourth …hing required in confession is, that it be not defensiue, bu… accusatiue, noted in the word, Peccata Now there be diuers partitions of sinnes, as, First, In respect of their beginning, so some sinnes are called Originall, as being deriued from our first parent Adam; other actuall as issuing from our owne corrupt will.
Secondly, In respect o… their obiect, and so some sinnes are called carnall, aud other spirituall, according to that of S. i1. Cor. 7. …4.Paul, The Virgin careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body & soule, For al things in which al offend, are either felt by the senses, as meate, drinke, lust, & so … be carnall sinnes, or apprehended by the vnderstanding, as honour, knowledge, power, and …o called spirituall wickednesses; the first makes vsus l…ke beastes, the second like deuils.
Thirdly, In respect of the parties iniuried in …, and so some be called sinnes against God, other sinnes against our neighbours, other sins against our selues: against all which, S. k…. Tit 12.Paul exhorteth vsus to liue soberly, righteously, and religiously, in this present world, that is, (as lSer. 2. de re sur…ectione domine.Bernard and other doctours vsually construe it;) Soberly toward our selues, righteously toward our neighbors, religiously toward God…; And Dauid against these three kinds of sinnes, prayeth in the 51. Psalme; For a cleane, right and holy spirit: A cleane spirit, to liue so▪ berly; a right spirit, to liue honestly; a Holy spirit, to liue Godly.
Fourthly, In respect of the law; for as mBellarmi… de amissione … statu … …. lib 1. cap 2.some commandements are Negatiue, other …, so some sinnes are faults of commission, and other are faults of omission; Idolatrie, Murther, Adultery, Th…ft, are sinnes of commission, as being repugnant to the Negatiue law, Thou shalt hauehave no other Gods but me, Thou shalt not k…ll, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steale▪ Neglect of due reuerence to father, and mother, are sinnes of omission, as violating the Affirmative precept, Honour thy father, and thy mother; sinnes of commission are called by the Latines▪ Pecca…a; sinnes of omission, Delicta, the which di inction, nQuast. 20. … Leuiticum.Augustine collecteth out of the 7. Chap. of Leu…ticus at the 7. verse, As the sinne offering is, so is the trespasse offering.
Fiftly, in respect of our intention and mind in offending, and so there be sinnes of infirmitie, sinnes of ignorance, sins of malice; sins of infirmitie, are sayd to be committed against God the Father, whose speciall attribute, is power; sins o… … norance, against God the Son, whose specia… attribute is wisedome▪ sinne of malice against God the Holy Ghost, whose speciall attribute is louelove.
Well then, among all these partitions of sin, let vsus examine, what faults are to be confessed one to another, In the first kind of confe…sion. which is for the satisfaction of others, our Apostle d…th vnderstand only oErasmu…, Aretius.such offences, as daily f…ll out betweene neighbour and neighbour, in our common conuersation and commerce; we neede not in this case confesse other sins, committed either against God, or against our selues, but onelyonly those which are committed against them.
But in the second kind of confessiō, which is for the satisfaction of our owne selues, eueryevery sin is to bee confessed, that heauily burdeneth our conscience; whether it be a carnall sinne, or a spirituall: a sinne of omission, or a sin of commission: a sinne of presumption, or a sinne of ignorance: a sin of weakenesse, or a sinne of wickednesse: a sin against other, or a sin against our selues: pExod. 8. 24.Aegypt was tormented with small flies, as with great plagues, a little fault that seemeth vntounto thee great, and troubleth thee much, ought not to bee neglected, but healed by thy confession, and others consolation.
Obserue moreouer out of this place, that we must acknowledge faults, as faults, & not as vertues; to be sory for them, & not to boast in them; otherwise, qSerm. de S Andra…. …po …olo.Bernard saith, it is not confessio sed defen… the courses of vngodlinesse, as Dauid sheweth in the first Psalme; There is first a consultation of ill, then a working of ill; and last of all, an impudent maintaining of ill; First, a walking in ill; Secondly, a standing in ill; Thirdly, a sitting in ill: First, men are vngodly; Secondly, Sinners. Thirdly, Scornefull; disputing and defending their sinne, as it were in a Schoole chaire; Sin seemeth to the Christian rPsal. 38. 4.at first, Importabile, too heauy a burden for him to beare.
2. Graue, So bur…en some, as a tallent of l…ad, quoth sZach. 5. 7.Zacharie. or as a great loade, quoth our Sauiour. Matth. 11. 28.
Thirdly, Leue, So light, that he sins without any resisting before the fall, or repenting after the fall.
Fourthly, Insensibile, for custome in sin taketh away the Sentiment of sin.
Fiftly, Delectabile, For as Abner called fighting a sport, saying, t Let the yong m…n arise and play before vsus; So some make but a pastime of sinne, Prouerbs 14. 9. The foole makes a mocke of sinne.
Sixtly, Desiderabile, When a man (as the u…. Kings 21. 25.Scriptures speakes of Ahab)▪ selleth himselfe to worke wickednesse, and to commit vncleannesse, (as S. Paul sayth) euen with a greedinesse. Eph. 4. 19.
7 Defensibile, Which is the serpents head, and height of iniquity, when a sinner is set downe in the seate of the scornefull, and brag of his faults, so S. xSee con…es. lib: 2. cap. 3.Augustine reports of himselfe, before his conuersion, how hee did boast of much villany done, yea more then was done. Th…ore let men acknowledge their faults, one to another not to prate of them, but to pray for them, humbly confessing them, as vices, and not idly glorying of them, as if they were vertues.
The last obseruable condition of confession, is, tha it be not an acknowledgement of other m…ns sinnes, but of our owne: yMatth …. 3.Christ would not hauehave vsus to gaze vponupon the mote in our brothers eye, but rath…r to pull out the beame in our owne sight: Wee may nor bee busie Bishops in another mans Dioces, quoth z1 Pet 4▪ …5.S. Peter; but meddle with our owne businesse, quoth S. Paul, 1. Thessa. 4. 11▪ S. aConfes lib. 10 cap. 3.Augustine complained of men in his time, that they were curious in examining the liues of other, but exceeding slout…full in amending their owne; And so there bee men in our time, bHooker. lib. … … …: pag 2▪ …whose ve…tue is nothing else, but to heare gladly the reproofe of others vice, cPra…ace … ….despising th…se for whom Christ despised himselfe, and den…ing them for brothers, whom God takes for sonnes; But the Scripture teacheth otherwise, take away the euill of your workes. Esay 1. 16. Rend your hearts▪ … 2▪ 13. Not another mans spirits, but your owne, let eueryevery man examine himselfe, saith d1 Cor. …. 28Paul▪ amend your liues, sai…h eActs. 2. 38Peter, acknowledge your faults saith S. Iames. In a word, wee may not breake our neighbours head, with the Pharisee, but sin…te our own breast with the Publican…. Luke. 18. 13.
Swee…e … which art b…h our euerlasting P… …d al-sufficient sacrifice for sinne, grant vsus grace to confesse our faults humbly; first vntounto thee, secondly to our selues, lastly, one to another, that thy Holy Name may be glorified, our neighbours iniuries repayred, our consciences quieted, our liues amended, and our soules finally saued in the day of thy comming so come sweet Iesu, come quickly▪ Amen.
…NIS
End of the text · John Boys, Remains of John Boyse (1631)