Sent. 1. d. 14. Repentance only to be understood; the Sacrament, where dist. he adviseth Simon Magus to repent, because the sin of art.1 Simon Magus was after Baptism. Now although they have only external Repentance for a Sacrament, internal for a Virtue, yet make they Sacramental Repentance nevertheless to be composed of three parts, Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction: which is absurd; because Contrition, being an inward thing, belongeth to the Virtue and not to the Sacrament of Repentance, which must consist of external parts, if the nature thereof be external. Besides, which Scot. is more absurd, they leave out Absolution, whereas some liv. of their School-divines, handling Penance in the nature of q.4. a Sacrament, and being not able to espy the least resemblance of a Sacrament save only in Absolution (for a Sacrament by their doctrine must both signify and also confer or bestow some special or divine grace), resolved themselves, that the duties of the Penitent could be but mere preparations to the Sacrament, and that the Sacrament itself was wholly in Absolution. And albeit Thomas with his followers have thought it safer to maintain, as well the services of the Penitent, as the words of the Minister, necessary unto the essence of their Sacrament: the services of the Penitent, as a cause 'material; the words of Absolution, as a formal, for that by them all things else are perfected to the taking away of sin; which opinion now reigneth in all their schools, since the time that the Council of Trent gave it solemn approbation, seeing they all make Absolution, if not the whole essence, yet the very form whereunto they ascribe chiefly the whole force and operation of their Sacrament; surely to admit the matter as a part, and not to admit the form, hath small congruity with reason.* Again, forasmuch as a Sacrament is complete, having the matter and form which it ought, what should lead them to set down any other parts of Sacramental Repentance, than Confession and Absolution, as Durandus hath done? For, touching Satisfaction, the end thereof, as they understand it, is a further matter which resteth after the Sacrament administered, and therefore can be no part of the Sacrament. Will they draw in Contrition with Satisfaction, "Docet Sancta Synodus Sacramenti Pœnitentiæ formam, in qua præcipue ipsius vis sita est, in illis Ministri verbis positam esse, Ego te absolvo. Sunt autem quasi materia hujus Sacramenti ipsius pœnitentis actus, nempe Contritio, Confessio, et Satisfactio." Sess. xiv. c. 3. Luke vii. 47. which are no parts, and exclude Absolution (a principal part), yea, the very complement, form, and perfection of the rest, as themselves account it? But, for their breach of precepts in art it skilleth not, if their doctrine otherwise concerning Penitency, and in Penitency touching Confession, might be found true. We say, Let no man look for pardon, which doth smother and conceal sin where in duty. it should be revealed. The cause why God requireth Confession to be made to him is, that thereby testifying a deep hatred of our own iniquity, the only cause of his hatred and wrath towards us, we might, because we are humble, be so much the more capable of that compassion and tender mercy which knoweth not how to condemn sinners that condemn themselves. If it be our Saviour's own principle, that the conceit we have of our debt forgiven, proportioneth our thankfulness and love to him at whose hands we receive pardon; doth not God foresee that they which with ill-advised modesty seek to hide their sin like Adam, that they which rake it up under ashes, and confess it not, are very unlikely to requite with offices of love afterwards the grace which they shew themselves unwilling to prize at the very time when they sue for it; inasmuch as their not confessing what crimes they have committed is a plain signification how loth they are that the benefit of God's most gracious pardon should seem great? Nothing more true than that of Tertullian, "Confession doth as much abate the weight of men's offences, as concealment doth make them heavier. For he which confesseth hath a purpose to appease God; he, a determination to persist and continue obstinate which keeps them secret to himself."* St. Chrysostom, almost in the same words, "Wickedness is by being acknowledged lessened, and doth but grow by being hid." If men having done amiss let it ad Heb. slip, as though they knew no such matter, what is there to stay them from falling into one and the same evil? To call ourselves sinners availeth nothing, except we lay our faults in the balance, and take the weight of them one by one. Confess thy crimes to God, disclose thy transgressions before thy Judge, by way of humble supplication and suit, if not with tongue, at the least with heart, and in this sort Hom. xxx. in Epist. "Tantum relevat confessio delictorum, quantum dissimulatio exaggerat. Confessio autem satisfactionis consilium est, dissimulatio contumacia." Tertull. de Pœnit. seek mercy. A general persuasion that thou art a sinner will neither so humble nor bridle thy soul, as if the catalogue of thy sins examined severally be continually kept in mind. This shall make thee lowly in thine own eyes; this shall preserve thy feet from falling, and sharpen thy desires towards all good things. The mind, I know, doth hardly admit such unpleasant remembrances; but we must force it, we must constrain it thereunto. It is safer now to be bitten with the memory, than hereafter with the torment of sin. xvi. 21. The Jews, with whom no repentance for sin is available without Confession either conceived in mind or uttered, (which latter kind they call usually " Confession delivered Lev. by word of mouth), had first that general Confession which once every year was made both severally by each of the people for himself upon the Day of Expiation, and by the Priest for them all. On the Day of Expiation the Highpriest maketh three express Confessions, acknowledging unto God the manifold transgressions of the whole nation, his own personal offences likewise, together with the sins, as well of his family as of the rest of his rank and order. They had again their voluntary Confessions, at the times and seasons when men, bethinking themselves of their wicked conversation past, were resolved to change their course, the beginning of which alteration was still Confession of sins. Thirdly, over and besides these, the Law imposed upon them also that special Confession, which they in their book call Confession of that particular fault for ודוי על עוד כויהחד v. 6, 7. which we namely seek pardon at God's hands. The words of the Law concerning Confession in this kind are as followeth: "When a man or woman shall commit any sin Num. that men commit and transgress against the Lord, their sin which they have done (that is to say, the very deed itself in particular) they shall acknowledge." In Leviticus, after certain transgressions there mentioned, we read the like: "When a man hath sinned in any one of these things, he Lev. shall then confess, how in that thing he hath offended." For such kind of special sins they had also special sacrifices: wherein the manner was, that the Offender should lay his hands on the head of the sacrifice which he brought, and should there make Confession to God, saying, "Now, v. 5. "All Israel is bound on the Day of Expiation to repent and confess." R. Mos. in lib. Mitsworth haggadol. par. 2. præ. 16. Josh. vii. 19. O Lord, that I have offended, committed sin, and done wickedly in thy sight, this or this being my fault; behold I repent me, and am utterly ashamed of my doings; my purpose is, never to return more to the same crime."* None of them, whom either the House of Judgment hath condemned to die, or of them which are to be punished with stripes, can be clear by being executed or scourged, till they repent and confess their faults. Finally, there was no man amongst them at any time, either condemned to suffer death, or corrected, or chastised with stripes, none ever sick and near his end, but they called upon him to repent and confess his sins. Of malefactors convict by witnesses, and thereupon either adjudged to die, or otherwise chastised, their custom was to exact, as Joshua did of Achan, open Confession; "My son, now give glory to the Lord God of Israel; confess unto him, and declare unto me what thou hast committed; conceal it not from me." Concerning injuries and trespasses, which happen between men, they highly commend such as will acknowledge before many. It is in him which repenteth accepted as an high Sacrifice, if he will confess before many, make them acquainted with his oversights, and reveal the transgressions which have passed between him and any of his brethren; saying, I have verily offended this man, thus and thus I have done unto him; but behold I do now repent and am sorry. Contrariwise, whosoever is proud, and will not be known of his faults, but cloaketh them, is not yet come to perfect repentance; [Prov. for so it is written, "He that hides his sins shall not prosper:" which words of Solomon they do not further extend than only to sins committed against men, which are in that respect meet before men to be acknowledged particularly. But in sins between man and God, there is no necessity that man should himself make any such open and particular recital of them; to God they are known, and of us it is required, that we cast not the memory of them carelessly and loosely behind our backs, but keep in mind, as near as we can, both our own debt, and his grace which remitteth the same. Wherefore, to let pass Jewish Confession, and to come unto them which hold Confession in the xxviii. 13.] Misne Tora Tractatu Teshuba cap. 1, et R. Mos. in lib. Misnoth, par 2. сар. 10. + Mos. in Misnoth, par 2. præ. 16. "To him which is sick and draweth towards death, they say, Confess." Idem. ear of the Priest commanded, yea, commanded in the nature of a Sacrament, and thereby so necessary that sin without it cannot be pardoned; let them find such a commandment in Holy Scripture, and we ask no more. 5,6. xix. 18. John the Baptist was an extraordinary person; his birth, his actions of life, his office extraordinary. It is therefore recorded for the strangeness of the act, but not set down as an everlasting Law for the world, "That to him Jerusalem Matt. iii. and all Judea made Confession of their sins;" besides, at the time of this Confession, their pretended Sacrament of Repentance, as they grant, was not yet instituted; neither was it sin after Baptism which Penitents did there confess. When that which befell the seven sons of Sceva, for using the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in their conjurations, was notified to Jews and Grecians in Ephesus, it brought an universal fear upon them, insomuch that divers of them, which had believed before, but not obeyed the Laws of Christ, as they should have done, being terrified by this example, came to the Apostle, and confessed their wicked Acts deeds. Which good and virtuous act no wise man, as I suppose, will disallow, but commend highly in them, whom God's good Spirit shall move to do the like when need requireth. Yet neither hath this example the force of any general Commandment or Law, to make it necessary for every man to pour into the ears of the Priest whatsoever hath been done amiss, or else to remain everlastingly culpable and guilty of sin; in a word, it proveth Confession practised as a virtuous act, but not commanded as a Sacrament. Now concerning St. James, his exhortation, whether the former branch be considered, which saith, "Is any sick Jam. among you? let him call for the Ancients of the Church, and let them make their prayers for him;" or the latter, which stirreth up all Christian men unto mutual acknowledgment of faults amongst themselves, "Lay open your minds, make [v. 16.] your Confessions one to another; is it not plain, that the one hath relation to that gift of healing, which our Saviour promised his Church, saying, "They shall lay their hands Mark on the sick, and the sick shall recover health;" relation to that gift of healing, whereby the Apostle imposed his hands on the father of Publius, and made him miraculously a sound Acts man; relation, finally, to that gift of healing, which so long 8. continued in practice after the Apostles' times; that whereas v. 14. xvi. 18. xxviii. |