¶ A plain subversion or turning up side down of all the arguments, that the Popecatholykes can make for the maintenance of auricular confession, with a most wholesome doctrine touching the due obedience, that we own unto civil magistrates, made dialogue wise between the prentice and the Priest by Gracious Menewe. ¶ Psalm. 31. ¶ I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord: and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my people. To all faithful brethren/ that love jesus christ sincerely, Gracious Menewe wisheth grace and peace of conscience, and Godly strength from God the father through our Lord jesus Chryst. MAny in these most perilous times, which have deservingly chanced unto us for our sins, are in such perplexite and trouble of conscience, that they can not tell, which way to turn themselves, whom to help and succour, according to the little talon that God hath lent me, I have thought to be my bounden duty. And truly I would have long agone discharged my conscience in this part, If I might by any means have conveniently published and set forth abroad those things, that I had prepared for the purpose. But that could not be, which thing was to me no less grievous, than if I myself had felt the same burden and pain, that I saw my poor brethren to feel: howbeit sith, according to the comen proverb, it is better late than never: I have now at this present penned or written out a little treatise, wherein I show briefly out of God's book and such ancient writers, as ground their sayings upon the same, how far forth we ought to be obedient unto civil magistrates. What is contained in this book. And this I did because many are of this opinion, that they are bound to do whatsoever the higher powers command them, though their laws were directly against God and his word, What moved me to write here of the obedience due to magistrates. in so much that they persuade themselves that they shallbe excused by them in the dreadful day of judgement, when we shall appear all before god, if at any time they commit manifest idolatry and plain ungodliness through their commandment. Whom I desire in the bowels of our saviour jesus Christ, who hath shed his blood indifferently for all them, that hear his word obediently, and without any fear what man can do unto them, stick and cleave steadfastly unto it: that they will diligently and without affection, putting aside all vain love of their selves, look upon the places and examples of the holy scripture, and upon the authorities of the old ancient fathers, that I have here alleged in this my small book, truly answering all manner of obiectyons that are made to the contrary, than I trust, they will be better advised, and cease to please themselves in that which is evil, or to justify their manifest disobedience towards God and his word, under the pretence and colour of the obedience that we own unto his magistrates and rulers of the earth: whom in the scriptures we are straightly commanded to obey, Roma. 13. 1. Peter. 2. yea upon pain of damnation. But in the mean season, we must always have before our eyen the golden sentence of our saviour christ, where he sayeth: pay that unto Ceasar, that is due unto Ceasar, Math. 22. and pay that unto God, that is due unto God. If Ceasar, that is to say, the civil magistrates command the nothing that God hath forbidden, or forbid thee nothing that God hath commanded, if thou dost not then obey, yea though it were to the jeopardy of losing both life and goods, thou mayst be sure that the vengeance of god and everlasting damnation of hell hangeth over thy head▪ but if the magistrates forgetting their duty towards GOD, from whom they have received all authority and power, do take upon them, to command thee any thing that GOD hath forbidden, or to forbid thee any thing, that the highest Monarch of all hath commanded: thou oughtest in no wise to obey, not that thou shouldst make any resistance, which thing GOD'S word teacheth thee not, but that thou shouldest rather with Sidrach, Misach and Abednago and with the holy prophet Daniel offer thyself to die a most shameful and cruel death, Dani. 3.6. than in any wise to be obedient to their ungodly laws, & wicked constitutions or statutes. This thou mayest learn, with diligent and affectuouslesse reading in this book, wherein also thou shalt have a most necessary doctrine of confession, teaching thee how auricular confession, Auriculare confession hath no ground nor foundation in god's word. which now a days to the great hindrance of God's truth, and defacing of his glory, is set up again, hath no ground at all nor foundation in God's word, but is a mere tradition of that antichrist of Rome, being now, besides all other enormities, that be contained in it, made a snare to snarl & catch men with all. Here are all the arguments, that the Popecatholykes can make for the maintenance of this Antichristian tradition, clean subverted and turned upside down, with the mighty thunder bolts of God's word, and with the strong battering pieces of the holy fathers of the true catholic church, and spouse of our saviour jesus Christ. And then, immediately after, it is declared, what manner of confession God doth require of us in his most sacred word and holy scripture. This small labour of mine, I desire all true faithful christians, to take in good worth, and to pray with me instantly, that God of his infinite goodness and mercy vouchsafe to strengthen them, that do stand, and to comfort and help the weak hearted, to raise them up that fall, and finally to beat down Satan under our feet. Which thing, doubtless, he will do for his son jesus Christ's sake, to whom with the father, and the holy ghost, be all praise, glory and honour, for ever and ever. So be it. ¶ A most wholesome talk & communication betwixt the prentice and the priest, touching the matter of auricular confession: wherein all the arguments, that the Popecatholykes can make, for the maintenance of this Antichristian tradition, are overthrown and quite turned upside down, made by Gracious Menew. PRiest. I am glad that I have met you now in so good a time, young man: for I have some what to say to you. prentice. What have ye to say to me master person? here I am ready to hear whatsoever ye will say. Priest, How chance that ye are so disobedient at this time, to the queens proceedings? Do ye not know, that the scripture biddeth us to obey the higher powers? And hath not the queens majesty, Of the obedience due to the civil magistrates. with her most honourable counsel, sent a commission and a most straight injunction, that all generally, that are in the years of discretion, should come to shrift or auricular confession? How doth it chance then, that ye are so unwilling to come and to fulfil her grace's commandment? Prentice. I know right well master person, that we are bidden in the scriptures and word of God to be obedient to the magistrates and higher powers. Rom. 13. For S. Paul sayeth: let every soul submit herself to the authority of the higher powers. And in an other place, Titus. 3. warn than, saith he, that they submit themselves to rule and power, to obei the officers. Priest. The better it know your duty towards the higher powers and magistrates, the greater must be your condemnation because ye do it not. For the servant, that knoweth his master's will, Luke. 12. and doth it not, shallbe beaten with many stripes. Here ye this young man? Do ye not also read in the place, that ye have alleged, Roma. 13. that they that resist the magistrates, which are the ordinance of God, shall receive to themselves damnation? prentice. All that ye have said is true. But what doth it make for our purpose? For where the scriptures & word of God doth bid us to obey the higher powers and magistrates, it is not to be understanded of those things, that pertain to the conscience of man, which ought only and soleli to be builded upon the infallible word of god, How far forth we ought to be obedient to civil magistrates. in matters belonging to salvation, but of civil constitutions, laws and ordeynaunces, that temporal rulers, governors, & magistrates make for the preservation of the comen weal, whereunto doubtless we ought to be obedient, as long as they command nothing that is ungodly, or forbid nothing, that God hath commanded us to do. Priest. Why doth not S. Peter say: submit yourselves to all manner ordinance of man, for the lords sake? Peter. 2. Here the blessed apostle S. Peter doth bid us to be obedient to all manner of ordinance of man, without any exception. Whatsoever than they command and ordain, we are bound to obey it, laying aside all curious questioning. For it is neither meet nor convenient, that subjects should busy themselves about Princes matters, ask, why have they ordained this? Or why have they ordained that? We ought, without any such busy asking or questioning, to be obedient, whatsoever they command us. If their laws and statutes be ungodly, they their selves shall answer for it, and not we. Our blood shall be required at their hands, if they set forth any thing contrary to God's word. In the mean season we, that be subjects, are bound to obey them. prentice. As touching the text, that ye have alleged out of the first epistle of Saint Peter, it ought otherwise to be understanded, than ye do expound it. Else had the blessed apostle himself done contrary to his own saying: for when the rulers and elders of Jerusalem, Acts. 4. with Annas the chief Priest, had commanded him and john, that in no wise they should speak or teach in the name of jesus, they would in no wise obey, but rather answered them stoutly, saying: whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you more than God, judge ye. And in an other place, he with the other Apostles saith plainly thus: better it is to obey God than man. Acts. 5. Wherefore master person, we must necessarily note here, that there be .2. kinds of ordeinaunces of man. The one aperteining to religion: Two kinds of ordeynaunces of man. and those, without god's holy word, are altogether ungodly, and in no wise to be followed. For they bid us to worship God, after man's fancies and wicked inventions of worldly wisdom, and not as he himself willbe worshipped and served. Therefore they, that follow them, shall justly hear this sharp rebuke of the heavenly wisdom of god: this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, Math. 15. and honoureth me with their lips. Howe beit their hearts are far from me, Esaie. 29. teaching doctrines, that are but men's precepts. Yea the lord threateneth his people, because they feared him through men's laws and doctrines, that he would destroy the wisdom of their wise, and that the understanding of their learned men should perish. And not without a good cause doth the Lord threaten, that he will do thus: for sithence they do prefer their own wisdom before the wisdom of God, do they not well deserve (I pray you) to have that wisdom, which God had given them for to bestow to his own glory, to be taken away from them? So that the saying of S. Paul is fulfilled in them, where he saith: Roma. 1. when they counted themselves wise, they became fools. For why? When they knew God, they glorified him not nor yet worshipped him as god. For if they would have worshipped him as God, they would not have sought other manner ways to worship and serve him, than he himself hath appointed. To be short the reward of them, that will not submit themselves to the everlasting word of God, and serve him after the phansyes of men's dreams, The reward of men's phansyes and dreams. is to have their foolish hearts blinded with vain imaginations, and to be given up into their own lusts. Wherefore I would counsel all men to beware of them, Ambrose de virginibus. li. 4. and to say with that holy father S. Ambrose: Nos nova omnia, que Christus non docuit iuredamnamus: quia fidelibus via Christus est. Si igitur Christus non docuit, quod docemus, etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus. We do by a good right condemn all new things, Idem in 1. Corin. 4. that Christ hath not taught▪ therefore if Christ hath not taught that, which we teach, we judge it also to be detestable. And no marvel, for in an other place he sayeth plainly, that what soever hath not been set forth by the apostles, the same is full of wickedness And will ye bind us to be obedient to that, which is detestable and wicked? Priest. I say still, that subjects ought not to busy themselves about Princes matters. For as ye heard already, if their laws be naught and wicked, than they their selves shall answer for it. Prentice. In deed in things, that appertain to civil laws, constitutions and ordeynaunces, which magistrates be wont too make for the preservation of the comen weal, we ought to lay aside all busy and curious questening. For if their laws be not according to justice and equity, or if by their wicked statutes their subjects be oppressed, they shall receive acondygne punishment at the righteous hand of God: yea the blood of them, that shall perish through their unrighteousse laws, shallbe required at their hands. And this is the other kind of ordeinaunces made by man, whereunto, as I have said before, we ought to be obedient, and that without any exception, as far forth as they be nothing repugnant to godliness and Christian charity. And without all peradventure S. Peter speaketh there in the place afore alleged of this kind of ordeynaunces. Howbeit, if both the Greek and latin be well weighed, we shall soon perceive that Peter doth here set forth the same self doctrine, which Paul himself doth teach in the 13. to the Romans: for the Greek words are these: hypotagete pace anthropine ctisei, and Erasmus doth translate them after this manner: Subditi estote cuivis human creature. And in english they may be translated thus: be subject to all human creature, or to all men. For although this word, ctisis, may be taken for ordinance: yet by the text that followeth, it appeapeareth it ought rather to be taken as Erasmus hath translated. Mark well the circumstances of the text yourself, and read that, which followeth immediately after the same sentence, that ye have brought in: and than, I trust, ye will confess my saying to be true. Priest. What followeth I pray you? For I perceive that ye are a doctor. Prentice. I would be glad to be a disciple, master person, if I could find such a doctor, as would teach nothing else but true Godliness. The words that follow are these: or rather that we may understand the whole matter the better, I will repeat the whole sentence: I mean both your text, and that which followeth. Priest. Well, do so. Peter. 2. prentice. Submit youre selves unto all manner ordinance of man, or as Erasmus translateth, to all manner creature, for the Lords sake, whether it be unto the king, as unto the chief head, other unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil doers, but for the laud of them that do well. This text, I trow, is plain enough, so that we need no longer tarrying about it. Priest. say ye what ye will, I will be of this opinion as long as I live, that the subjects shall be excused before God, if they follow and obey the laws of the higher powers, be they never so wicked and ungodly. prentice. And that master person is a devilish and abominable opinion. Subjects shall not be excused, if they follow wicked & ungodly laws. Math. 15. Doth not Christ say: if the blind do lead the blind, they shall fall both into the ditch? He sayeth not that the leader only or guide shall fall, but that they shall both fall. And the like read we in the prophet Hieremy, where he saith, that both the falls prophet and also they, that hearken unto them, shall perish with sword, Hier. 14. with hunger, and with pestilence. priest. Doth not the Prophet Ezechiel say plainly, Ezechi. 3. & 33. that the blood of the sheep shallbe required at the shepherds hands? Ye will not deny that the higher powers in the scriptures and also in profane authors are called pastors populi, that is to say, the shepherds of the people. Prentice. I grant, that they be pastors populi: that is to say, the shepherds of the people, and that their sheeps blood shallbe required at their hands. But what shall this be for the easement of the poor sheep? The Prophet sayeth that they shall perish, and not only the shepherds: whose damnation in deed shall be the greater, because that they shall not only answer for their own sins, but also for the loss of them, that were of God committed into their hands. But, as I have already said, that shall be but a small help and comfort for them, when they their selves, being in the everlasting pains of hell, whereunto they are brought through the negligence & wicked laws of their shepherds, shall see them to suffer greater punishment, than they do their selves. I would fain ask you a question, master person. Priest. Ask what ye will. prentice. Is it lawful for the inferior magistrates, to make laws contrary to the laws of the higher power? priest. No by S. Mary. prentice. What if the inferior magistrates should presume to make any such laws? Priest. I would count them no better than traitors. Prentis. And what will ye say of them, that know the higher powers laws, and yet laying them aside, follow and obey the laws, that the inferior magistrates have made? As for an example: if the depute of Cales should take presumptuously upon him, to set forth statutes contrary to the queens laws: what would ye judge him to be, and all them, that would obey his statutes and commandments? Priest. I would judge him to be a treatoure, and all the other to be as accessories unto him. prentice. Ye know right well master person, that they that be accessories unto any evil and wicked deed, as unto treason, theft, murder and other like, do receive the same punishment, that the wicked doers are condemned to. Priest. No doubt thereof. Prentice. very well, what say ye now, is not the living God, the father of our Lord jesus christ, the highest Monarch of all? And have not all the kings and Princes of the earth their power and authority from him? priest. yes truly. For the Psalmist sayeth not only, that he is a great God, Psalm. 95. but that he is a great king above all Gods. And saint Paul in the .13. to the Romans writeth, Roma. 13. that there is no power but of God, and that all the powers, that be, are ordained of God. prentice. It rejoiceth my heart to hear you speak so well. Is it lawful then for the rulers, kings and Princes of the earth to make any statutes, decrees, and laws contrary to the commandment of their high Monarch and king, from whom they have and receive all the authority and power, that they have? Priest. They ought in no wise so to do: for as christ doth bid us, to pay that unto Ceasar, which is due unto Ceasar: Mat. 22. Mark. 12 Luke. 20 so doth he command us, to pay that unto God, that is due unto God. If God then will have that to be paid unto Cesar, that is to say, to the civil magistrates, rulers and governors, that by his own appointment is due unto them: what an ingratitude and unthankfulness should it be, if they would let men to pay that unto god, which is of all men due unto him? I would verily count them no less than rank traitors? Prentis And what is your judgment of them, that obey their wicked laws and unlawful commandments? Priest. I must needs confess, that they are accessories unto them, & consequently that they shallbe partakers of the same punishment, that such wicked and ungodly rulers shall by the righteous judgement of god receive at length. prentice. This, that ye say, master person, is most true, and therefore that holy man S. bernard, writing to a certain monk called Adam, bernardus in epist. ad Adam monachum epi. ● sayeth these words: we ought in no wise to obey them, that command wicked things: for that were to break the higher obedience, that is to say, the obedience that we own unto God, for to obey inferior and human creatures. What then? That thing, which man commandeth, God doth forbid. And shall I give ears unto man, being deaf to god? The Apostles did not so, but cried out saying: better it is to obey God then men. And by and by he concludeth: Igtur facere malum, Acts. 5. quolibet etiam iubente, constat non esse obedientiam, sed potius inobedientiam. That is to say: therefore to do evil at the commandment of any man it is plain and evident, that it is no obedience but rather disobedience. Hieronymus in epi. ad Titum. cap. 1. Saint Jerome writeth on this manner: if that, which the Emperor or his depute doth command, be good, obey or follow the will of him, that commandeth it: but if it be nought or wicked, and against God, answer them out of the Acts of the Apostles: better it is to obey God than men. Ambro. ad Marcellynam sororem de tradendis Basilicis. S. Ambrose sayeth plainly, that things, which appertain unto God or unto God's service, are not in the emperors power: meaning that kings and Emperors ought to meddle no farther in things, that appertain to God's true service, than he himself hath appointed them in his holy & sacred word. And out of this holy father, is there a most notable saying, Que. 3. Can. julianus. rehearsed in the canon laws on this wise: julianus the Emperor, though he was an Apostata, yet had he under him christian soldiers: who, when he said to them, bring forth weapons for the defence of the comen weal, were most obedient, but when he said unto them: bring forth your armour and weapons against the christians, they then acknowledged the heavenly Emperor. But above all things, the golden sentences of Saint augustine are to be marked, where he writeth thus. Emperors, when they their selves are in error, Augusti. epist. 169. do for the defence of their error make laws against the truth, whereby the righteous are both tried and crowned: but not in doing that, which they command: for god forbiddeth it, as when Nabucho donosor commanded that the golden Image should be worshipped. They, that would not do it, pleased God highly, who forbiddeth such things. But when Emperors are in the way of truth, and make laws for the truth against error: whosoever doth contemn such laws, Augu. Bonifacio comiti de moderate coercendis hereticis. doth purchase unto himself great damnation. And ad bonifacium comitem, de moderate cohercendis hereticis, these be his words: whosoever will not obey the emperors laws, which are made against the truth of God, doth purchase unto himself a great reward. And whosoever will not obey the emperors laws, that are made for the truth, doth purchase unto himself a great punishment. The like in a manner is alleged out of this holy father in the canon laws. Que. 3. ca non semper. priest These autorytes, that ye have brought, are very Godly. And in good faith, I cannot but praise you for your great diligence, that ye have used in reading both the scriptures and ancient writers. But are ye able to bring examples out of the scriptures of any of them, that would not obey unto godly statutes and laws. Prentis. Ye as very many. Dani. 3. Sidrach Misach Abednago Sidrach, Misach, and Abednago were in all things most obedient unto king Nabuchodonosor, as long as he commanded them no ungodliness, in so much that for their true service and obedience, they were in high favour with the king: but after that Nabuchodonosor began to doubt, and did set up a golden idol, willing that honour too be given unto it, that ought only & solely to be given unto God, they would in no wise be obedient, but choose rather to be cast in to the burning furnace. With what stomach and boldness, when they were called before the king, answered they? saying: Hoc notum sit tibi, O Rex, quod Deos tuos non coimus, neque adorabimus aureum simulachrum, quod erexisti. That is to say: Let this be known unto thee, Daniel. 6. O King, that we do not worship thy gods, nor will worship thy golden Image, that thou haste sefte up. Daniel himself, who was in great favour with three kings, that is too say with Nabuchodonosor, Elmerodache and Balthasar, when a Law was made by the procurement of all the Lords of Persie, that if any man should ask any thing by the space of thirty days, either of any GOD or of any man, but of king Darius only, he should be casten in to the den of the Lions, would in no wise obey: but according to his wont custom prayed thrice in the day, his chamber windows being wide open, whereby he was disclosed and accused to the prince, and even then denied it not, though he should too the Lions for it. What need I to rehearse here the most notable example of Eleazarus that Godly old scribe? When that cruel tyrant Antiochus had made a very strait law, 2. Ma. 7 that as many of the jews, as would not eat swine's flesh, should be most cruelly put to death, this godly old scribe would rather die, than to break God's law. And when certain of his friends counseled him to feign himself as he had eaten swines flesh, 2. Ma. 9 promising him, that he should by the mean save his life, he could not find in his heart to dissemble, but offered himself manfully to die. What should we speak here of the ●ii. young men and of their mother? How many and sundry ways were they tempted to break the commandments of god, now with cruel threatenings, now with fair & flattering promises? And yet nothing could make them to serve one jot from the law of the living god, but suffered all a most horrible and cruel death with their mother. As for the example of the Apostles, it hath been alleged already. Priest. If this doctrine should be preached openly, it should breed sedition and tumult, and cause insurrection against the lawful magistrates. The true preachers are always slandered Prentice. I know the many honest men are slandered to have preached sedition and disobedience, because they have taught how far forth men ought to be obedient to the civil magistrates: but all men of upright judgement, that have heard them, can bear witness to the contrary. For always in their sermons they did most diligently exhort the people to true obedience towards their magistrates putting before their eyes the plags and vengeance of god, that hath at all times and in all ages happened to them, that have rebelled against their rulers & governors, were they never so wicked and ungodly. Priest. Is not this a kind of rebellion, when they will not obey their laws and statutes? prentice. I have already proved unto you, that we ought in nowise to be obedient too wicked and ungodly statutes or laws. This, I say, have I already proved by plain texts of the scriptures, by manifest examples of the same, & by many notable authorities of the ancient writers. Howbeit I will be of this opinion, as long as I live, that it were better for a Christian to die a thousand deaths, than once to draw the sword against his lawful magistrate. If God send us at any time such magistrates as be ungodly, let us remove or put away the causes, wherefore god did send them unto us: & then god will either turn their hearts, and make them such, as we would have them, or else if they be given over into their own lusts, take them away & place other in their rooms. Priest. What be the causes, wherefore God doth send ungodly magistrates unto us? prentice. Sine: for the scripture sayeth: Regnare facit hypocritam Deus propter peccata populi, that is to say: God causeth an hypocrite too reign for the sins of the people. And in isaiah it is written on this manner: Esaie. 3. I shall give you children to be your princes, saith the Lord, & babes shall have the rule of you. And why? because, saith the prophet, your words & counsel are against the Lord, provoking the presence of his majesty unto anger. The surest weapons then, that we can have, to fight withal▪ against wicked and ungodly rulers, is true repentance and amendment of life, faithful and unfeigned prayer, proceeding from a troubled and contrite heart. And they, that use any other armure or weapons, are not of God, but are the children of Belial by such unlawful means, as they do use, pourchassing unto themselves everlasting damnation. Now master person, I trust ye have sufficiently heard my mind, touching the obedience that we own unto magistrates, and how far forth we are bound to obey their laws. Priest. But what meaneth Saint Paul, Rom. 13. when he saith: wherefore ye must needs obey, not for fear of vengeance only, but also because of conscience. Here are men bound in conscience to obey. What will ye have more? prentice. The meaning of saint Paul is this, that we must obey our temporal rulers, not only for fear of the punishment and vengeance, that ensueth and followeth of disobedience, but also because our conscience doth bear us record, that it is gods will and pleasure, that we should obey them. That is too say: Although it were possible that we might escape all worldly punishment and shame, that cometh of disobedience and rebellion, yet because in our conscience we are by God's word persuaded, that all the high powers are of God, we can not (unless we would condemn our own selves) but be obedient unto them, as long as they keep themselves within the bounds and limits of gods book: for if they command any thing, that God hath forbidden, or forbid any thing, that God hath commanded: we ought to say with the apostles: Better it is to obey God than men. Acts. 5. Priest. And hath not God commanded confession? prentice. No such kind of confession doth God command, as is used now at this present. And truly I do marvel, that ye be not ashamed among you, to affirm that auricular confession is of god, Auricular confession is not of God. or that it is grounded in god's word. For though it hath been used in times passed, yet was it then free for all men, whether they would come to it or not. The histories do plainly declare, yea and many ancient writers besides, that there was no law at all made concerning this auricular confession, which ye do with to the & nail defend now, afore Innocentius the third: and that it was a politic order instituted by the bishops, but not a law ordained either of Christ or of his Apostles. De penit●tia distinc. 1. Therefore Gratianus, after a long disputation, concludeth at length the whole matter with these words: I have briefli set fourth and declared, what authors, or what reasons and arguments both sentences are grounded upon: but we leave to the judgement of the reader, which of them he will follow and stick to. And he, Distinc. ●. that hath written the gloze of the first book, doth plainly affirm, that we are only bound by man's law to this confession, and that therefore the Greckes were never bound to it, because this law was never received of them. Which thing any man would have judged devilish and abominable, if this confession had been commanded by Christ. Sozomenus writeth, that this institution and ordinance was diligently observed and kept in the west churches, Trip li. 9 and specially at Rome: wherbi he signifieth that it was not a general law of all churches, and that one priest among all other was appointed to this office: wherein also he doth confute the lying opinion of them, which affirm that the keys are delivered universally to all priests for this purpose: for it was not the office of all priests too confess, but one only was appointed to it by the Bishop. Priest. And was this confession used only in the Occidentalle or west churches? This is a strange thing, that ye do tell. prentice. The same Sozomenus doth also testify, that it was used at Constantinople, until abominable whoredom and adultery was shamefully committed between a Deacon & a noble woman, under the pretence of it. For this enorm and detestable crime did Nectarius, being a holy and godly man, abolish auricular confession: which Nectarius was then bishop of Constantinople. Now mark this thing, master person: if this had ben the law of God, Nectarius durst not have put it down. Will ye accuse this holy man (who of all men is so 〈◊〉, commended) of heresy? Or will ye condemn the church of Constantinople, which never after that time would admit & receive auricular confession▪ Yea, not only the church of Constantinople, but also all the East churches have been always at defiance with this Antichristian tradition. Would they have been against it, if it had ben the institution of Christ? Chrisostome, who was also bishop of that church (I mean, of the church of Constantinople) doth so plainly testify the same in all his writings, that I marvel, they be not ashamed once too open their mouths to defend it. Tell forth thy sins (sayeth he) that thou mayest put them away. If thou be ashamed to tell to any man what thou hast done amiss, Rome. 2. in Psal. 51. tell thy sins every day in thy mind. I bid not the to tell them to thy fellow servant, who may bewray thee: but tell them to God, which healeth them. Tell forth thine offences upon thy bed, that there thy conscience may acknowledge and recognize her own wickedness. And in an other place: Ser. de confession et penitentia. Now is it nothing necessary, sayeth this holy father, to confess ourselves before witnesses, let a diligent inquisition of thy sins be made in thy thought, this trial be done without witness: let God alone see thee, wherein thou dost confess thyself. Ro. 5. de incompre. Dei natura contra Anameos. And in his 5. homely de incomprehensibli Dei natura contra Anameos, these be his words: I do not bring thee in to the scafold of thy fellow servants. I do not compelle the to confess, detect or open thy sins unto men: repeat thy conscience before God, open thy mind, show thy wounds unto the Lord, that most excellent Physician, and call for help at his hands: show them to him, that upbraideth nothing, but will heal them most gently. Besides all these, he sayeth in an other place: Beware thou tell not thy fault unto man, Ro. 4. de Lazaro. lest he do upbrayede thee, for we are not bound to confess ourselves to our fellow seuraunt, that may upbrayede & utter abroad our confession. But show thy wounds to God, who is careful over thee, who is gentle, & a sure Physician. Afterwards he doth induce or bring in God, speaking on this manner: I do not compelle thee to come forth in to the common scaffold, & to call for many witnesses? Tell thy sins to me alone privily, that I may heal the sores. Will ye sai that Chrisostome was so far out of the wai, that he would have set me▪ is consciences at liberty, from coming to such kind of confession, if they had been bound to it by God's laws? No no, master person, but he durst not require that as a thing necessary, which he knew was not prescribed & commanded in God's word. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 will I prove, that 〈…〉 comm●●ded of god. Prentys I would be glad to hear, 〈…〉 do it. Pryest. Math. 8. Doth not christ say unto the 〈…〉 thyself unto the priest? prentice. Why master person, Luk. 7.10. Mar. 1. did he send him to shrift? Who ever knew that the priests of the levitical law were appointed to shrive men? But now good master person, weigh with yourself, how well this place serveth for your purpose. When did ever Christ send lepers to the priests? afore or after they were made clean? Priest. What question is that? No doubt, he healed them afore he sent them to the priests. prentice. Very well, if ye will then have this place to serve for your purpose: it should follow that we must be healed of our leprosy, that is to say, Mark how well the place alleged by the priest serveth for him. that we must have clen remission of our sins afore we should come to you. Wherefore then will ye have us too tell you our sins, with all the circumstances thai may be, persuading the simple and ignorant people, that unless they tell you all their sins one by one, & receive absolution at your hand, they shall never be forgiven? This is altogether against your own laws. For in the book de penitentia distinc. 1 Canon. Cum ergo. De peni. Distin. 1. Cano. cum ergo. these words are found: it doth plainly appear, that sin is forgiven through the contrition of the heart, without the confession of the mouth. And then a little after it followeth: sin is not forgiven in confession: for it is manifestly proved that it is already forgiven. Therefore confession is made for a declaration of repentance, not for obtaining of forgiveness. And against the telling out of sins after your sort, one by one with the circumstances and all, Augu. li. 10 confess. ca 3 we have these words of S. Augustine: what have I to do therefore with men, that they should hear my confessions, although they were able to heal all my diseases & infirmities? A curious & busy kind of people to know an other man's life, but slothful to correct their own. And why seek they to hear of me what I am, that will not have thee to hear, what they be? And when they hear me speak of myself, how can they tell, whether I say truth or not? For no man knoweth what is in man, but the spirit of man that is in him. It is also alleged in the decres out of S. Chrisostome, the such enumeration or telling out of sins is nothing necessary. Priest. Ye bring many things, to draw me away from my purpose. But I will not suffer you to escape. This was Moses law, that the Priests should judge of leprosy: Levi. 13.14.15. sin is spiritual leprosy: ergo Priests ought to give sentence or judgement of it. prentice. If this place doth make you judges of the spiritual leprosy, why do ye not also take upon you the handling of the natural and carnal leprosy? Is not this to play with the scriptures? The law hath put the trial of leprosy in to the priests hands, let us take the same upon us. Sin is spiritual leprosy, therefore let us also be the judges and triers of sins: But ye shall understand, that the priesthood, being translated, the law also must necessarily be translated. Hebru. 7. All the whole priesthood is translated unto Christ, fulfilled and finished in him: therefore to him only appertaineth the whole right & honour of the priesthood. If ye have such a delight too follow Allegories, appoint Christ too be the only priest, giving him the whole authority, and then can we abide your allegories. But we can not away with those allegories, that make of a mere politic law a ceremony. Priest. But why did God command in the old law, that the priests should have the handling & trial of the leprosy? Or why did Christ sand the lepers, after they were cured and healed, unto the priests, biding them to offer that, which Moses commanded for a witness unto them? prentice. The holy Ghost willed the priests of the old testament to have the trial of leprosy, Why God would have the priest of the old law to have the handling of the leprosy. that when men should see the priests of God to have the handling of leprosy, they might by that sight, be admonished, that God looketh upon our infirmities, and is careful for them. secondly, because the levitical priesthood was a shadow & figure, not of these Popish sacrificers, that most untruly take upon them the names of priests, but of the most pure and holy priest, our saviour jesus christ: the holy ghost by this institution doth certify us, that as the levitical priests had not only the handling and trial of leprosy, but also offered expiatory sacrifices for it, so our saviour christ alone knoweth truly our filthiness, and seeing it worthy of everlasting damnation, hath taken upon him to make satisfaction for it, that we being through him reconciled to God, may obtain true clenelynes. Priest. But this that christ did when he sent the lepers unto the Priests, why christ did send the lepers to the pryestes. is in the new testament. Therefore it can be no figure. Prentice. It was for two causes, that christ did send the lepers to the Priests. First ye shall understand, that the Priests being utter enemies of christ, & of his most holy doctrine, did always slander his doings, going about to persuade the people, that he did not work true miracles, but through legerdemain deceived them. If then the priests should receive again those lepers into the congregation of the clean, those lepers I say, that Christ sent unto them, taking at their hand the gift, which Moses commanded to be offered unto them for their cleansing, that must have been an other day a plain witness against them, if they should go about to calunniate Christ's miracles. Secondly Christ, because he would not seem to be a breaker of Moses law, which was inful strength until his death & passion, did always send those lepers, that he did heal, to the same levitical Priests, commanding them straightly, to offer the gift, which Moses willed them to offer, that so he might on every side stoup their mouths. Read Chrysostom in the .12. Homili de muliere Can. Chri. Ho. 12. de muli Cana. Am. ser. 3. in. 119. psa. What need we too tarry any longer about this matter: Doth not the blessed Saint Ambrose in his. 3. sermon upon the 119. Psalm writ on this manner? go show thyself unto the priest. What is this true priest (sayeth he) but he, who is priest for ever? Priest. Yet can ye not deny that sin is signified by the leprosy. And that the lepers did represent sinners. prentice. Put the case I grant the same unto you: what have ye won by it? Even that sinners ought to repair to the ministers of gods word, there to learn by their wholesome preaching instruction and teaching out of god's book, how to repent truly and how to take hold through faith upon the mercy of God, being offered unto all true repentant sinners in the gospel of our saviour jesus christ: but ye shall never be able to prove, that they are bond to tell out their sins unto them, or to receive such beggarly absolution at their hands, as is now used in antichrist's church. Priest. What can ye say to this place of S. matthew: Math. 16. I will give thee, saith christ to Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou bindest in earth shall be bound in heaven, & what soever thou losest on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And in the. 18 chap. of the same gospel, these be our saviours words to all his Apostles. Math. 18. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye bide on earth, shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever ye lose on earth, shallbe loosed in heaven. And also in the .19. chap of john's gospel, he sayeth: receive the holy ghost. Whose soever sins ye do forgive, joh. 19 they are forgiven unto them. And whosesoever's sins ye retain, they are retained. The places do sufficiently declare, that priests have received of christ the authority and power to forgive sins. Prentice. I will cirst, master person, under your correction and leave, show what the scripture understandeth by the keys, and than shall any man easily perceive and see, how shamefully these places have heretofore been wrested and wrighed. The keys, sayeth that worthy Chrysostom, Chriso. in math. 23. Hom. 44. are the word of God and the knowledge of the scriptures, whereby the gate of truth is opened unto men. And the keepers of them are the Priests, to whom the office of preaching the word and expounding the scriptures is committed. This is to be called the key, writeth saint augustine, where with the hard hearts are resolved to receive faith, Aug. Ser. 27, de sanctis. the secrets of the minds opened, and what soever lurketh within, is by a reasonable way brought to light, That, I say, is the true key, that openeth the conscience to true confession of sin, and includeth or shutteth in grace to the eternity of an wholesome mystery. To this a greeth that holy father Ambrose, saying: De peni. di 1. Can. Verbum. verbum dei. The word of God remitteth sins, the Priest is the judge in deed, the Priest doth his duty and office, but he exerciseth no manner power nor jurisdiction. And in an other place these be his words: Liber. de cain et Abel. Peccata per verbum dimittuntur. Sins are forgiven by the word, the interpreter whereof is the Levite. Now is it plain and evident enough, what we ought to understand by the keys: even the true word of God and the right understanding of the scriptures: whereby the consciences of true repentant sinners are loosed and set at liberty from sin and everlasting damnation, and the consciences of them, that be hardened in their wicked maliciousness, and will in no wise repent, bound with the doleful chains of sin, and of helly destruction. And that this is the true meaning and understanding of the keys christ himself doth sufficiently declare, when he sendeth his apostles abroad into the world, to preach the gospel, o pening the mystery of binding and losing on this wise: go ye throughout all the whole world, Mark. 16. and preach the gospel to all living creatures: here be the keys delivered unto them: he, that believeth and is baptized, shallbe saved: but he that believeth not shallbe condemned. And in the 24 chap. of Luke, Christ saith on this manner: Luke. 24. thus it is written, & thus it behoved christ to suffer and to rise again from death the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. The word of God then, and the preaching of the gospel, are the keys that christ doth speak of. And when the faithful ministers of God's word do, Whst is to bind and louse. by due mynistring and preaching of the gospel, certify the repentant sinners of the remission and forgiveness of their sins in the blood of our saviour jesus Christ, they louse them, so that they are also loused in heaven: but when on the contrary they do a certain them (because of their unrepentant hearts) of the wrath and indignation of God, and of everlasting damnation, except they forsake their wicked ways, and turn unfeignedly unto the Lord their God, they bind them so, that doubt less they are also bound in heaven. And by this binding and losing Christ our saviour understandeth none other thing, but remitting and retaining of sins. And it is said, that the minister doth forgive sins, because that he, as a man might say, sitting in commission under his master christ, doth out of his mouth certify the consciences of true repentant sinners of the free remission & forgiveness of their sins in th' blood of the s\oon of god, apprehended & taken hold upon by faith. For to sai that men can forgive sins, it is a mere blasphemy against god, which thing the very Pharisees & Scribs their sells do testify, saying: why doth he speak these blasphemies? Mark. 2. who can forgive sins but god only? These Pharisees & Scribes shall rise at the day of judgement, & condemn our Pharisaical hypocrites, that so arragauntly take upon them to forgive men their sins. Priest. And have we not power to forgive other men their sins, but by the way of commission? prentice. No forsooth. And yet this commission must be duly executed according to the will & pleasure of him that hath given it: else it will be worth 〈…〉, though it hath never so glorious a face in the site of the world. pri. I will believe touching this matter, as the holy fathers have believed & taught afore us. But they have both believed and taught, that the priests have power and authority to forgive sins. Therefore ye may prate what ye list, as a sort of new fangled heads that ye be, I will stick to the old catholic church, as long as I have any breath in my body. prentice. I will not have you to take the matter so hot, master person, but let us rather with all lenite and gentleness reason the matter together, that there may come some edifying of it. I doubt not but that ye remember the saying of Cyprian full well, where he sayeth: and that christ ought only to be heard, the father also did testify from heaven, saying. This is my well-beloved son, in whom I am pleased, hear him. Wherefore, if Christ ought to be heard only, we must not regard, what any man hath afore us thought good to be done, but what Christ, who is afore all, did first. For we ought in nowise to follow man's custom, but the truth of God. And doth not the Lord our god cry out in the prophet ezechiel saying: Eze. 20. Walk not in the statutes of your forefathers, keep not their ordinances, and defile not yourselves with their Idols: for I am the Lord your God. But walk in my statutes, keep my laws, & do them? Verily master Person, the religion of our forefathers shall not excuse us. God only forgiveth sins. But what will ye say, if I can prove by the sayings and authorities of the most ancient fathers, that no man can forgive sin but God only? Priest. Let me hear what ye can say. Cyrillus in Io. 12. cap. 56. prentice. Cyrillus writing upon John, speaketh these words: Truly it lieth only in the power of God to louse men from their sins. For who can deliver the transgressors of the law from sin, but only the author of the law? And by and by it followeth in the same place: For when they (meaning the Apostles & other ministers) forgive and retain sins, it is not they that do it, but the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them, he it is that forgiveth & retaineth by them. Whereunto agreeth saint Augustin, writing contra epistolam Petiliani. Aug. contra epi. Peti. lib. 2. ca 11. For, having touched this place of S. Ihons' gospel: receive the holy Ghost, whose sins soever ye forgive, they shallbe forgiven, and whose sins soever ye retain, they shallbe retained, he doth end the matter with these words: It is sufficiently showed, that they do it not, but that the holy Ghost doth it by them. As it is said in an other place: for it is not you that speak, but the holy Ghost that is in you. In like manner Ambrose upon the .2. Corin. 12. Ambro. in 2. Cor. 12. writeth on this manner: It is only in the power of God too remit sins & to give the holy Ghost. And again: He alone doth forgive sin, that alone died for our sins. Likewise Chrisostome upon Matthew: Chryso. in Mattheun ho. 5. The servitude and bondage of sin, sayeth he, is very grievous and heavy, from the which no man can deliver but God only. For no man besides God hath power to remit or forgive sin. Cyprian in his sermons De lapsis saith plainly thus: The Lord alone can show mercy, and give pardon of those sins: that are committed against him, he alone can grant forgiveness of our sins, that did bear our sins, that sorrowed for us, whom God did deliver up to death for our sins. Is it not than a blasphemy intolerable, and in nowise to be suffered in the church of Christ that such vile persons, that have neither godliness nor learning, should take upon them that thing, that appertaineth only to god? If it were only for this, your confession is to be abhorred of all true Christian men. Priest. Doth not Christ say these words: Mar. 11. when ye stand to pray, forgive, if ye have aught against any man? Math. 6. Again▪ if ye will not forgive men their offences, my father that is in heaven shall not forgive you. It appeareth by these texts, that men have power to forgive sins. prentice. Here doth our saviour jesus Christ speak of that mutual forgiveness of sins and offences, that aught to be among Christians, without the which we ought to look for no forgiveness at all of our own sins at the hands of God. Eccle. 28. For as the wise man sayeth: He that seeketh vengeance, shall find vengeance of the Lord, which shall surely keep him his sins. Hereto may be applied all that whole parable, that Christ doth set fourth at large in the .18. chapter of Matthew. Math. 1●. But it followeth not, because we may forgive our Christian brethren the offences and trespasses, that they have done against us, that we can therefore forgive those offences & sins, that are committed against God. Priest. Is not this to give power unto the lay peopell too bind and to louse? Who can abide this doctrine. prentice. Saint Augustyn De verbis Domini giveth power unto the lay peopel to bind and to louse, August. de verb. domini, serm. 16 Theophilactus in Matth. 18. and also Theophilactus, whose words be these. Verily I say unto you: Whatsoever ye shall bind upon the earth. If thou (sayeth he) being offended, dost count him, that hath wronged thee, as a Publican and Heathen, he shallbe such a one in heaven: But if thou lousest him, that is to say, if thou forgivest him, it shall also be forgiven him in heaven. For not only those things, that the priests do louse, are loused, but whatsoever also we, being wronged, do either louse or bind, is bound or loused. What say ye to this, master person? Priest. Well. I will bring an other text of the scripture, which I trust will stop your mouth. joan. 11. When Christ did raise Lazarus from death, did not he command his disciples to louse and unbind him? So when Christ hath raised any sinner from the death of sin, who shall louse and unbind him, but the priests? prentice. first I answer, that allegories are nothing worth for the confirmation and establishment of any doctrine. secondly, where ye say, that Christ commanded his Apostles, too louse and unbind Lazarus, ye can not prove it by the scriptures. For it is rather to be thought, that he willed the jews, that stood by, to do it, lest they should think, that there was any feininge in the miracle, and that his power might the better be known, in this, that he did without touching, with his word and voice only, raise the dead. It is rather too be expounded after this manner: Christ, to take away all evil suspicion from the jews, commanded that they should first take away the stone, that they should smell the stench, have sure tokens of his death, see him being raised again, by the only power and virtue of his word, and touch or handle him first, after he was relieved. But what if we should grant that this was spoken unto the Apostles? What should ye get by it? Priest. That the Lord hath given power to his Apostles, too louse. prentice. No, no master person, not so: for, if ye will ground yourselves upon allegories (as it can do none other here) this doctrine is rather to be gathered upon this history: that Christ by this fact would admonish us, that we should louse them, whom he had raised, that is to say, that we should not bear in remembrance those sins, that he himself had forgotten, or that we should not condemn them as sinners, whom he had quited & assoiled: again, that we should not upbraye the sins, which he himself had forgiven: or where he is merciful himself, and ready too forgive, we should not be cruel, and bend to vengeance. Go now master person, & make boast of your allegories. Priest. It was never merry with us, sithence such young boys presumed to read the scriptures. What say ye to this, seeing, ye are such a doctor? Did not they, that came to the baptism of John, Math. 3. confess their sins? Why should not they likewise, that come to receive their housel, be shriven? prentice. Ye must mark, master person, that John preached the baptism of repentance, and did baptize with water unto repentance. And therefore it is no marvel, that they, which came to be baptized, acknowledged or confessed themselves too be sinners. For baptism is a Sacrament or mystical sign of forgiveness of sins: whom then should they receive too it, but them, that acknowledge themselves to be sinners? They therefore confessed their sins, that they might be baptized. But how or after what fashion they confessed their sins, where shall we learn better than in the third Chapter of the Gospel of Luke▪ Luc. 3. For after John had made his dreadful sermon: the people, being stricken with a fear of God's righteous judgement, asked him, saying: What shall we do than? Likewise the Publicans and the Soldiers, that came to be baptized. Let any indifferent man read the whole place throughout. And as for your shriving afore the receiving of the Sacrament, would god, that godly order, which was set forth in king Edward's days, whom we may rightwell call the flower of all Christendom, might had been kept and observed. For in many churches, that were godly reformed, the Communicantes should the night before be called together before the minister, there to receive most godly instructions. And if any contention, strife or hatred had been between any persons, there should had ben honest agreement made, or ever they had come to the lords board, all notorious and open sinners being excluded from it. And what godly confession were they wont to make together in the face of the whole church, afore the holy communion was ministered unto them? No such things are now used, but rather all is done contrary to the order of the holy Ghost, without any edifying. And this one only thing ought to fray all godly men & women, to be present at it. For who, being godly minded, would seem with his presence to consent & agree too the breaking of that order, which the holy Ghost hath appointed and ordained to be in the church of God. But of this we will common more at large, when ye shall be at better leisure. Priest. Well, I perceive, that I must talk with you, concerning this receiving of the Sacrament. But I have business now: therefore differing that communication till an other time, I will make an end of this present matter, that we have in hand. Are not these saint james words? James. 5. knowledge your faults one to an other. Can ye deny, that the holy Ghost doth here bid, ordain and command confession? What are all the heretics, in all the whole world, able too say against this manifest and plain saying of this most holy apostle? prentice. Ye should have rehearsed the whole text. For he did not only say: Confess or knowledge your faults one too an other, but also, pray one for an other. Whereby it must needs follow, (seeing he commandeth as well mutual prayer, as mutual confession) if we must confess and knowledge our faults only too the priests, that we must also pray for them only. What an absurdity should this be? Moreover it should follow of james words, that priests only ought to confess and knowledge their faults one to an other. For, when james willeth us too confess or knowledge our faults one too an other, he speaketh of such, as must hear one an others confession. For so soundeth this Greek word allelois, which is as much too say, as mutually or reciprocally. But none, after the bishope of Rome's law, can or may hear one an others confession, unless they be priests after his holy order: and this can be understanded but of such, as ought too knowledge their faults one to an other, or hear the confession one of an other. Therefore this place serveth nothing for your purpose. Let us rather seek the true meaning of it, master person, that we may have profit thereby. The true meaning therefore of this text of saint james is, that we ought to knowledge our infirmities, weaknesses and faults one too an other, too the end we may give good, wholesome and comfortable counsel one too an other: and knowing in what case or state we stand all, pray one for an other most earnestly unto God for the help and assistance of his holy spirit, but most specially for the forgiveness of our sins. Priest. I perceive well enough, what mark ye shout at. Ye will have no confession at all, that so I may live still after a carnal liberty. prentice. As though that kind of confession, that ye use, could refrain or keep men from carnal liberty. Priest. Men never lived so dissolutely, A false praise of auricular confession. nor so wantonelye, as they have done sense this holy confession have been put down. There is now no shamefastness in the world, honesty is clean gone, youth standeth in no awe. And why is this? Because forsooth they are free from the yoke of holy shrift. All the year long, when they remembered, that they must come under BENEDICITE, they were afraid to do any thing amiss; but when it was gone once, so that they were delivered from all fear of confession, they did set all at six & seven, not passing how they did live. What mischief auricular confession doth For they knew, that they should be called to no reckonings. Wherefore any man may easily see, why ye be so great an enemy to the wholesome ordinance & constitution of the church. Prentice. Where as ye lay to my charge, that I will have no confession, ye shamefully slander me. For I have always allowed that kind of confession, that god hath commanded us in his holy scripture: but that beggarly confession, that ye have invented of your own brains, without gods holy word, to bring all men's consciences under your girdles, I do utterly detest & abhor. And it is so far of, that men should by it learn to fear god, that rather by it the fear of God is driven and clean chased away out of their hearts. For when the rude & simple are once persuaded, that if they be once in the year shriven of the Priest, they shall have clean remission of their sins and receive (if at lest they willbe still the children of your whorish mother antichrists church) full absolution both a pena et culpa: what care they how they live all the year long? It is enough, think they, if a little before Easter they come to sir john lack latin, and tell him a tale in the ear of an hour long: and that they may escape the better cheap, look whom they know to be most foolish & most unlearned among the rabblement of priests, him will they chose for their ghostly father. For why? they have been made to believe, that all the sins, that they confess themselves of unto that priest, are quite & clean forgiven, & put out of remembrance before god, even as soon as they have told them to their ghostly father. As for repentance & the due fruits thereof, it is not unknown, how well and how substantially ye handle the matter among you. For whereas ye should send them to Christ, who is the only physician of the souls, & exhort them to such works, as God hath prepared for us to walk in: ye most ungodly send them to dead creatures, prescribing unto them not the works commanded of God, but superstitious works of your own invention, making them an hundreth fold more the children of hell, than they were afore they came to you. I do here let pass how that ye make it a matter of such necessity, that by your own doctrine no man can without it obtain salvation: yea soon now a days are not ashamed to make it equal with baptism & the supper, which are sactamentes instituted and ordained of christ himself. Besides all this is it not made a snare, Auricular confession is made a snare to snarl men with all. to snarl men withal? For the first question almost that the priest useth to ask them, that now at this present come to shrift, is: whether they believe not, that the body of christ is in the sacrament of the aultare, flesh, blood, and bones, as he was borne of the virgin Mary: if they once say nay, not only they shall not have absolution, but also they shall straight ways be complained of & accused to the bishop, & so put in jeopardy to lose both body & goods. What honesty & goodness ye be wont to teach fair maidens, & men's wives when ye have them behind a cloth under benedicite, I will not here now at this present rehearse: lest I should offend honest and shamefast ears. But although I am ashamed to tell it (the thing is so villainous & so filthy) yet are ye not ashamed to do it. As for that ye allege, that your confession keepeth youth under awe, and that servants were never in awe, sens it was taken away: the same is plain false: for it is rather a mean and away to make than to stand in no awe at all of their parents nor of their masters and mistress, seeing they be persuaded, that whatsoever they do, if they be once shriven of it unto the Priest, it shallbe clean forgiven unto them: so that if they stand in any awe, it shall be of sir john, & not of them that they should stand in awe of. But if, putting aside such beggarly inventions of men, ye would diligently out of God's book teach youth their duty towards their elders, towards their parents, towards their masters and mystres, not once or twice in the year but every fourthnighte, putting before their eyes the fierce vengeance of god, The way to drive the fear of God into the youth. that hangeth over the heads of all disobedient children and of all untrue dealig servants, and that there is no way to purchase the favour & blessing of God, except they will repent, & taking hold through faith upon our saviour jesus christ, walk up rightly in their vocation, being sure that god seeth both their doings and also the very secret thoughts of their hearts: then would they in deed stand in that true awe, that God will have them to stand in, fearing him, not with men's doctrines & precepts, Math. 15. Esay. 29 but with the true fear, that he commandeth in his word. priest. By S. Mary, I will speak to my lord bishop, that ye may come into the pulpit and make a sermon to the people. I pray you master doctor of the new learning, tell me, what the same confession is, that God hath commanded. prentice. I can well enough abide your mocks master person, say on me what ye will. In the mean whiles I will not let to tell the truth. First and formest there is a confession, The confession that we are bound to make to God. that God will have too be done unto him, wherein we do daily and hourly confess our sins unto him, accusing and condemning ourselves before high as unrighteous and miserable sinners, that our sins may through his mercy, which we faithfully crave for, be forgiven unto us. And of this confession doth David speak, when he saith: I will knowledge my sin unto thee, Psal. 32. & mine unrighteousness have I not hid. I said, I will confess my sins unto the lord, and so that forgavest me the wickedness of my sin. And in the .51. psalm these be his words: Psal. 51. have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences. I knowledge my fault and my sin is always before me. Daniel in the 9 chap. of his prophecy maketh this confession unto god: Dani. 9 O Lord, thou great and fearful God, we have sinned, we have offended, we have been disobedient & gone back, yea we have departed from all thy precepts & judgements. And john the evangelist writeth thus: 1. joh. 1. if we knowledge our sins, God is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This confession saith Saint Augustine, writing ad julianum comitem, which is done unto God, Augu. ad julianum comitem. is required by God's law: whereof saith he Saint john speaketh saying: if we knowledge our sins etc. for without it sin cannot be forgiven. And of this doth spring the confession and acknowledging of the great and unspeakable mercy of God. For except we do truly from the bottom of our hearts recognize and acknowledge our misery & wickedness, we shall never truly confess & set forth, praise and extol, enhance & magnify the great mercy of god, and unspeakable goodness of our saviour jesus christ our Lord, declared to us ward. And hereof it doth come, that they that have a true feeling of their own misery, & of their sinful & corrupted nature, having on the other side before their eyes the exceeding great bounteousness of their heavenly father: are always ready to confess openly their sins in the great congregation. As when David was rebuked of Nathan, he then, being pricked in his conscience, did say: 2. Regu. 2. Peccavi domino, I have sinned unto thee lord. As if he should say: I do not excuse myself, nor I refuse not to be counted of all men a sinner, or to have that to be published abroad among men, which I would had to been hidden affore. And for this cause god did in times passed ordain among the Israelites, Levi. 16. that the people should openly in the temple confess their sins. For god did foresee this to be a very necessary mean, whereby they should be brought into the true knowledge of themselves. And it is also most convenient, that by acknowledging our misery we should set forth the goodness and mercy of God among us, and publish it openly before all the world. O how Godly was this done in king Edward's time? whensoever the people of god gathered themselves together, to offer their spiritual sacrifices, Augusti. de vera & falsa penitentia. ca 11 and to make their common prayers unto him. S. augustine de vera et falsa penitentia cap. 11. maketh mention of an open or public confession, which he defineth after this manner. Open or public confession is, whereby in times passed they, that were dead in open sins, declared themselves to be dead, publishing openly their death, & showing openly the fruits of repentance, the the people might bewail him that was lost. This was in deed the wont and custom of the old ancient church, when any man had committed any notorious crime or fault, that he should be excommunicated and put out of the congregation, till he had earnestly repent & in took thereof confessed his sin openly in the face of the whole church. But this wholesome kind of confession is clean abolished, & in stead there of an apyshe momerye crept into the church. S. Paul seemeth to speak of it, in the 1. Cor. 5. & in the 2. Cor. 2. Priest. Is this all that ye can say? Have ye no more stuff in your bogette? Prentice. I have yet somewhat more to say. Two kinds of private confession allowed in the word of god. For ye shall understand, that the scripture doth beside all this allow. 2. kinds of private confession. The one we use for our own sake, when we being troubled in conscience, do open our grief unto our neighbour, to the end he may help & comfort us, with some godly & wholesome counsel. And as touching this kind of confession, though by god's word we have liberty to open our conscience & to show our grief to any of our Christian brethren, whom we think to be able to counsel & comfort us: so if the pastors or shepherds be men of godliness & learning, and of a pure & sound judgement, we ought most specially in the trouble & angours of the conscience to resort or fly unto them, that according to their office, they may in time minister the comfortable self of god's word unto our wounded consciences. For they are ordained & instituted of God for the same purpose: therefore ought we most chiefly to come unto them, that so we may enjoy those spiritual benefits, that God of his mere mercy and goodness doth daily offer unto us by them. But what manner of pastors are they, The Pastors and shepherds of antichrists church. that ye will have us now a days to come to? men with out all godliness, without learning & judgement, men given to all kind of superstition and Idolatry, men, of whom ye can learn nothing else, but to blaspheme God and his word, yea men that are ready, in stead of giving good and wholesome counsel, to cut all men's throats, that will not consent and agree to their abomination & stinking blasphemies. Gregory, as we have in the decrees, Gregory. De peni. disti. 6. Canon Sacerdos. did ordain that a Priest should in no wise, neither by sign nor token, utter the confession of any man: but these your blood suckers have a good sport, by uttering men's confession, to put them in jeopardy to lose both body and goods. How largely, when they sit bibbing upon their ale benches, they talk of those things, that they have heard under benedicite, it is to shameful to tell. The fathers of the west church would never confess their sins unto them, of whom they could not be taught nor instructed to godliness; but ye will have us to confess ourselves to them, that have no more learning than dull headed asses. Oh that those holy Canons mought take place, which will us to shun those ghostly fathers ' that are blyndonly and ignorant of god's way: in so much that they appoint, that we should rather confess ourselves to our neighbour, being a lay man, than unto that Priest, that wanteth both learning and judgement. The other kind of confession is, that we make for our neighbour's sake, to reconcile him unto us, if we have offended him in any manner of thing. Of this kind of confession doth our saviour jesus christ speak when he saith: if, when thou offerest thy gift at the altar, thou dost remember, that thy brother hath aught against thee: Math. 5. leave there thy gift, & go thy way, be first reconciled to thy brother, & then come, & offer thy gift. This reneweth love & nourisheth charity, if we do humbly acknowledge our faults to whom we have offended for pardon: of this confession sayeth Cyrpian: They do penance till a due time, and afterwards come to confession, & then the bishop & the clergy do restore unto them the right of the communion. But of this enough. Priest. Ye & to much to, to see so much divinity in a prentice. prentice. Ye have heard my conscience of the obedience to magistrates, Auricular confession, & of the confession that god requireth. Priest. Sith it willbe none other wise, tell me, will ye receive the sacrament? prentice. Master person I have now other business to do. Priest. Well, well, I shall handle you well enough. ¶ Answer ye Pope catholics.