If 
 
 ^ PRINCETON, N. J. "^^ 
 
 Collection of Puritan Literature. 
 
 Divnipn S|»— <'^'— 7 , 
 
 Sec/, on ^Q \y^ 
 
 Number 
 
 f 
 
 Sold by 
 C.J.STEWART, I 
 11 Kino William St 
 I W.Strantl.Londou. 
 
\^ 
 
A ' 
 
 D IS COURSE 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 9lttrttttlatConfefe(ott. 
 
 As it is prefcribed by tiie 
 
 COUNCIL 
 
 T R EN T' 
 
 And praftifed in the 
 
 CHURCH of ROME. 
 
 With a Poft-fcript on occafion of a Book 
 lately printed in France, called 
 
 ^^g^ ^ 
 
 o^efTionis Auricularis, 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed by fl. Hills ][in:' for Benj. Tooke at the Sign 
 of the Ship in St. Paurs Church-yard j and 
 Fiiicham Gardiner at the Sign of the 
 White-Horfe in Ludgate-flreet. 1 648 . 
 
 '^*^4b -nv r 6 b-<»^^<- A.V 
 
( o 
 
 O F 
 
 Auricular Confeflion. 
 
 TH E Zealots of the Church of Romey^vQ 
 wont to Glory of the fingular advanta- 
 ges, in the Communion ot that Church, 
 efpecially in refped: of the greater 
 means and helps of Spiritual comfort, 
 which they pretend are to be had there, above and 
 beyond what are to be found amongft other Societies 
 of Chriltians. Which one thing, if it could be as 
 fubftantially made out , as it is confidently aflerted, 
 could not fail to fway very much with all Wife men, 
 and would undoubtedly prevail with all devout per- 
 fons, (who were made acquainted with the fecretj to 
 go over to them. But if contrariwife it appear upoa 
 learch, that their pretenfions of this kind are falfe 
 and groundlefs, and that the methods of Adminiftring 
 confolation, which are peculiar to that Church, are 
 as well unfafe and de!celtful,as finguJar and unneceflary : 
 Then the fame Prudence and Smcerity, will oblige a 
 man to fufpedl that Communion, infteadof becoming 
 a profelyte to it, and to look upon the aforefaid boaft- 
 ings as the effedt either of defigned impoftore, or at 
 the leaft of Ignorance and Delufion. 
 
 Amongft other things, that Church highly values it 
 felf upon,the Sacrament of Penance(as they call it)and 
 as deeply blames and condemns the Church oiEnglanA^ 
 and ctherReformcdChurches,for their defed in,and neg- 
 
 B k«* 
 
ijOfiat 
 
 Trid. 
 Q.z. 
 
 J'Vi'.Becaii. 
 TraB. de Sa- 
 cramentis in 
 
 fpecie. 
 
 2 Of Auricular Confeffion, 
 
 Jed: of To important and comfortable an OfHce. And 
 under that fpecious pretext, her EmilTaries who are 
 wont accordmg to the phrafc of the Apoftic, to creep 
 into hotifes , ^W tejtfl Captive filly Women^ 6cc. ) infiau- 
 atc tliemfelvcs into fuch of the People as have more 
 Zeal then knowledge, and now and tlien wheadle fome 
 ot them over into their Society. To that purpofe, 
 they will not only harangue them with fine Hones of 
 rhcealeand benefit of it, as of an Ancient and ufefuf 
 Kite, but will alfo Preach to them the necefiiiy of it, 
 as ot Divine Inititution, and that it is as important 
 (^in its kind) as Baprifm or the Lords Supper. For 
 thatConteirion to a Pried, and his Abfolution there- 
 upon obtained, is the only means appointed by God 
 for the procurmg of Pardon of all mortal fins con> 
 mitted after Baptifm. 
 
 As for Original fm , or whatfoever aftual tranf- 
 grelliorjs may have been committed before Baptilm, 
 ail thofe tliey acknowledg to be waflied away in that 
 faered Laver. And for fius of Infirmity or Venial fms^ 
 thefe may be done away Ly (everalcaly methods, by 
 Contrition alone (ay fome, ^ nay, by Attrition aionc 
 (iay others ) by Habitual Grace la) s a third,<^V. But 
 for mortal fins ccmmitted alter a man is admitted into 
 the Church by Baptifm, lor theie there is no other 
 door ol" Mercy , but the Priells Lips, nor hath God 
 appointed, or will admit of any other way of Recon- 
 ciliation then this, of Confeflion to a Pneit, and liis 
 Abfoiution. 
 
 This Sacrament of Penance therefore is called by 
 them, Secmnla Tabula poft nanfragiunt^ the pecuhar re- 
 fiige of a lapfed Clutilhan the only Sandluary of a 
 gudty Confcience, the fole means of reftoring fuch a 
 rper('jnto Peace of Confcience,the Favour ofGcxJ, and 
 tlK: liotKS of Heaven. And withal , this method 15 
 
 held.. 
 
of Auricular Covfe[sion, 5 
 
 held to be fo Soveraign and Effe6lual a remedy, that 
 it cures totiss^ quoties ; and whatever a mans mXcar- 
 riages have been, and how often foever repeated, if 
 he do but as often rcfort to it, he fliall return as pure 
 and clean as when he firll: came from the Font. 
 
 This ready and eafie way(ray they) hath God allow- 
 ed men,of quitting all fcores with himfelf, in the ufe of 
 which they may have per fed peace in theii Confciences, 
 and may think of the day of Judgment without horror, 
 having their Cafe decided beforehand b) Gods Dtpity 
 the Priefl:, and their Pardon ready to produce, and 
 plead at the Tribunal of Chrift. 
 
 What a mighty defed: is it therefore in the Prote- 
 (lant Churches , who wanting this Sacrament, want 
 the principal miniflry ot reconciliation? And who 
 would not joyn himfelf to the Society of that Church 
 where this great Cafe is fo abundantly provided for ? 
 For if all thi^ be true, he mud beextreamly fool-hardy 
 and deferve to periili, who will not be of that Com- 
 munion from whence the way to Heaven is fo very 
 eafie and obvious, no wonder therefore I fay, if not 
 only the loofe and vicious are fond of this Communion 
 where they may fin and confels, and coniels and fin 
 again without any great danger , but it would be 
 flrange if the more Virtuous and Prudent alf), did 
 not out of more caution think it became them to com- 
 ply wqth his expedient. For as much as there is no 
 man who underftands himfelf, but mud be confcious 
 of having committed fins fince his Baptifm, and then 
 for fear fome of them fhould prove to be of a 
 mortal nature, it will be his faieft courfc to bcr;ike 
 himfelfto this refuge, and confequcnrl) he uilltafily 
 be drawn to that Church, where the only remed) of 
 his difeafe is to be had. 
 
 But the belt of it is, thefe things are fo oner faid tfien 
 
 B 2 proved 
 
4 Of Auricular Coiifeffioru 
 
 proved, and more eafily phanfied by filly People ^ 
 tlien believed by thofe of difcretion. And therelore 
 there may be no culpable defeiS in the reformed 
 Churches , that they trufl: not to this remedy in fo 
 great a Cafe. And as for the Church of Enghjid in 
 particular, though flie hath no fondncfs for Mounte- 
 bank Medicines , as obferving them to be fcldom 
 fuccefsful ; yet flie is not wanting in her care, and com- 
 panion to the Souls of thofe under her guidance,but ex- 
 preflcth as much tendernefs of their peace and com- 
 fort, as the Church of Rome c;xn pretend to. Indeed 
 ilie hath not fet up a ConfefTors Chair in every Pari/h, 
 nor much lefs placed the Pried in the Seat of God Al- 
 mighty, as thinking it fafer, at lealt in ordinary Cafes, 
 to remit men to the Text of the written word of God, 
 and to thcpublick Miniftry thereof, for refolution of 
 Confcience, then to tlie fecret Oracle ol: a Priert in a 
 corner, and advifes them rather to obferve what God 
 himfelf declares of the nature and guilt of fin, the agr 
 gravations or abatements of it, and the terms and 
 conditions of Pardon, then what a Priefl pronounces.. 
 But however this courfe doth not pkafe the Church 
 of Rome^ for reafons bell known to themfelves, which 
 if we may guefs at, the main feems to be this, they. 
 do not think it fit to let men be their own carvers, but 
 lead them like Children by the hand ; my meaning is, 
 they keep People as much in Ignorance of the Holy 
 Scripture as they can, locking that up from them in 
 an unknown Tongue ; now if they may not be 
 trufled with thofe Sacred Records, fo as to inform 
 themfelves of the terms of the New Covenant, the 
 conditions of the Pardon of fin , and Salvation, 
 it is then. but reafonable that the Prielt fliould. Judge 
 for them, and that they await their doom from his 
 Mouth. Yet I do not fee why in a Proteflant Cliurch, 
 
 where 
 
Of Auricular Confeffion. 5 
 
 where the whole Religion is in the Mother Tongue, 
 the Old and efpecially the New Teftament conftantly, 
 and confcientioully expounded, and the People allowed 
 to fearch the Scriptures^ and><?y^^ whether things lefo or 
 tio, I fee not, I fay, Why in fuch a cafe the Priefl 
 may not in great meafurc be excufed the trouble of at- 
 tending fecret Confeflions, without danger to theSouls 
 ofmen. 
 
 But befides this, there is a conflant ufe of Gonfefli-. 
 on and Abfolution too, in the Church o{ Englaml^ in* 
 every Days Service ; which though they be both in ge- 
 neral terms, as they ought to be in publick Worfliip,. 
 yet every Penitent can both from his own Confcience 
 fupply the generality of the Confeffion by a remorle- 
 ful refled-ion upon his own particular fins, as well as if 
 he did it at the knees of a Priefl ; and alfo by an A61 of 
 Faithcan apply the general Sentence of Abfolution to 
 his own Soul, with as good and comfortable effe^lSjas 
 if it had been fpecially pronounced by his ConfefTor. 
 
 But this publick ConfefTion doth not pleafe the 7?i7A 
 manifts neither, and they know a Reafbn for their dif- 
 like ; namely, becaufe this doth not conciliate fogreat 
 a Veneration to thePrieft-hood, as when all men are 
 brought to kneel to them for Salvation : Neither doth 
 this way make them to pry into the fecret thoughts of 
 Men, as Auricular ConfelTion doth, wherein the Pried 
 is not only made a Judge of mens eftate, but a Spy up- 
 on their behavior, and is capable of becoming an In^ 
 teiligencer to his Superiors of all the Defigns, Interefts^ 
 and even Conftitutionsof the People. 
 
 Moreover the Church of ^»g/^»^ allows of private 
 Confeirions alfo, as particularly in the Vifitation of the 
 fick, (^which office extends alfo to them that are trou* 
 bled in Mind or Confcience, as well as to the afflidled 
 in Body) where the Miniiter is directed to examine 
 
 par^^ 
 
^ of Auricular Confefsmi. 
 
 particularly the (late ot the Decurrttnts Soul, to fearch 
 and romsge his Confcience , to tty his Faith, his Re- 
 pentance, his Charity, nay, to move liim to make a 
 fpecial Confefiion ot his fiDs, and alterwards to aLfoivc 
 him upon jafi: grounds. 
 
 Nay further yet, if' ^befides the cafe of Sicknefs ) 
 any Man. fliall either out of perplexity oi Mmd, Icrupu- 
 lofity or remorfc of Conlcience, or any other devou-t 
 confideration, think it ncedtul to apply himfelf to a 
 Priefl of the Church ot EniUinrl for advice, eale, or re- 
 lief,lie hath mcouragement and direcfbion fo to do in the 
 firfl Exhortation to the Holy Communion, and may be 
 fure to find thofe \\ho will tenderly, and faith hi liy, as 
 well as fecretly adminiller to his neceflines.So that I fee 
 not what defedf or omifllon can be objeded to this 
 Church in all this Affiiir, or what Temptation any 
 Man can have upon this account to go from us to the 
 Church of Rome. 
 
 But all this will not fatisfy them of the Church of 
 Rome^ they are neither contented with pubUck con- 
 feffion, nor with private, no nor with fecret neither, 
 if it be only occafional or voluntary : It is the univer- 
 faiity and neceliity ot it which they infifl upon, for it is 
 not with them a Matter ot Ecclefiaft.cal Difcipline, 
 to prevent the Scandal of the Society, to conferve tiie 
 Reverence of the Church, or to reft rain men from fin- 
 ning, or much lefs an Office of Expediency and Pru- 
 dence to be reibrted to upon exigencies, or fuch as may 
 accidentally become necefTary upon emergency as fup- 
 pofe upon the atrocity of fome fad: committed the 
 Icandaloulntfs of fome perions former life, which 
 may make him more doubtful of his Pardon, the weak- 
 nefs of his Judgment, the Melancholy of hisTenij-^er, 
 or the Anxiety of his Mind, or any fuch like occafion, 
 but it muft be the (landing indifpenfable duty ot all 
 
 men, 
 
of Auricular Covfeffion, j " 
 
 men, as the condition of the Pardon of their Sins ; 
 in one word it muft be a Sacrament of Divine iallitii- 
 tion, and of Univcrfal ObUgation. 
 
 Forfbihe Council of 7Vf»/determins, SeJJ^.^ Canon 
 I . Si qttis dixer'tt in Ecclefu Catholica po^nitentiiim non 
 effe vere ^ proprie Sacramentum pro firlelihus^ quoties 
 poft Baptijmttm in peccata Uhentur^ipji Deo reconcHiandis 
 a Domino noftro tHftiruttim^ Anathema fit \\.Q. Let him be 
 accurfed, who (hall affirm that Penance is not truly 
 and properl) a Sacrament inflituted and appointed in 
 the Univerfal Church, by our Lord Chrift himfelf, for 
 tiie reconciling thole Chnft.ans to the D.vine Majcfly, , 
 who havefalkn into Sm arter their Baptifm. 
 
 And in the Doctrinal part of that Decree they teach '• 
 andaHTcrr -loreparticuLirly ; Firft, That our Saviour 
 inllitured r his Sacrament exprefly. Job. lo. 22. 
 
 2. Tiiat tiiis Sacrament confiftsof two parts, i^/z. SeflC i4.Cap.2. 
 the Miticr and the Form ; the Matter oft he Sacrament 
 (or quaji materia as they caurioufly fpeak; is the ad: 
 or ads of tht* Penittnt, namely, Contrition, Confeilj- 
 on, and Sat»s.adion ; the Form of it is the ad: of the 
 Priell in thefe words, Ahfolvote. 
 
 5. That therefore it is the dury of every Man who cap. 3, 
 hath fallen atter Bapnf n, as aforefaid^ toconteis his fins 
 
 at leail once a year to a Pntft. 
 
 4.That this conielfi m is to be fecretj for publick Con- Cap. j, 
 feffion they fay is ne.ther commanded nor expedient. 
 
 5'. That this conf ifi jn of Mortal i\■^ he very exadand J^'^- 
 particular, together with all Ciicumftances, efpeciaJly 
 iuch as rp^ciemfatii mutant , alter ttie kind or degree of 
 fwi, and tlut it exten I to the m )n: fecret fins, even of ^^.^ 
 thought, or agax,nft tiie 9th. and 10th. Command- 
 ment. 
 
 6. That the Pen tent thus drying , the AbfobtioTi of Cap.. 6, ■ 
 the Pricll: here'ip>n pronounced ib « >t co.iditional: or 
 deciirati/e j.ii^ , baiaj.oiaieaaJ jaiiCial No\y -• 
 
8 Of Auricular Confefsion, 
 
 Now in oppofition to this Doftrineand Decree of 
 theirs, and the pradtice of that Church purfuant there- 
 of, as well as in defence of the Dodrine and PracStice 
 of the Church of England in that particular, { will 
 here endeavor to make good thcfe Three things. 
 
 I. That our bleHed Lord and Saviour hath neither 
 in his Gofpel inflituted fuchan Auricular Confe/Tion as 
 aforefaid, nor much lefs, fuch a Sacrament of Penance 
 as the Church of i?a»;f fuppofcs in the recited Dc' 
 cree. 
 
 ^. That Auricular ConfefTion hath not been of 
 conftant and univerfal ufe in the Chriftian Church, as 
 the i^<7w^«//?j" pretend, much lefs looked upon as of Sa- 
 cramental and necefTary Obligation. 
 
 .5. That Auricular Confeflion as it is now ufed in the 
 Church of Romcy is not only unneceflary and burden- 
 fome, but in many refpefts very mifchievous to Piety, 
 and the great ends of Chriftian Religion. 
 
 If the firft of thefe appear to be true, then ( at the 
 worft) the want of fuch an Auricular Confeflion in the 
 reformed Churches, can be but an irregularity, and no 
 efTential defed:. 
 
 If the fecond of thefe alTertions be made good, then 
 it can be v\o defeat at ail in thofe Churches that ufe not 
 fuch a Rite, but a novelty and impofition on their 
 parts who foftridly require it. 
 
 But if the third be true, it will be the corruption and 
 great fault of the Church of Rome to perfevere in the 
 injunction and pra6lice of it, and the excellency and 
 commendation of thofe Churches which exclude it. 
 
 J begin with thefirit, that it doth not appear that 
 our Saviour hath inftituted fuch an Auricular Con- 
 fellion, of fuch a Sacrament of Penance as the Church 
 of Rome pretends and pradtifes. 
 
 I confefs it is a Negative which I here undertake to 
 
 make 
 
of Auricular Co?^fe[sic7h 5? 
 
 make good, wliiclris accounted a di/licult Province* 
 but the Council oi Trent Iiath relieved us in that parti- 
 cular by founding the Inllitution cxprefly upon tliat 
 one palfege of the Gofpel, Job. 20. 22. So that we fliall 
 not need to examine tlic whole Body of Scripture to 
 difcover what footfteps of Divine Inllitution may be 
 found ♦ere or there, for rile Council whol'y inPifts 
 and relies upon that Text of St. 7<7/;^, and therefore if 
 that fail them , the whole Hypothefis falls to the 
 ground. 
 
 Now for the clearing of this, let us lay the words 
 before us ,• and they are thefe, He breathed on them^ 
 and faidj Receive ye the Holy Ghofl^ ivhofoever fins ye 
 remit they are remitted unto them^ and ivhofoever Jins ye 
 retain, they are retained. 
 
 Now here I appeal to any Man that hath Eyes in his 
 Head, or Ears to hear, whether ii this Text there be 
 any one word of Auricular ConfefTion, or much lefs of 
 fuch a circumflantiated one as they require ,• And this 
 is fo maniteft and notorious, that their own ancient 
 Canonifts,andfeveral of their learned Divines ar,e alha- 
 med of the pretence of Divine Inftitution founded upon 
 this or any other paflage of Scripture, and therefore 
 are content to defend the practice of the Church of 
 Rome in this particular, upon the account of the 
 Authority, and general ufage of the Church ; which 
 we Ihail come to examine by and by in its due 
 , place. 
 
 In the mean time I cannot choofe but admire the 
 mighty Faith of a Rornanijl, who can believe infpight 
 of his own Eyes, h feemed to us an unfuperable dif- 
 ficulty heretofore, for a Man to perfuade himfelfthat 
 in tlie Sacrament of the Eucharift Bread was trarifub- 
 ftantiated into Flelh, becaufe it was againft the exprel^ 
 TeiUmonyofStnfe, yea, altiiough for that there was 
 
 C • "\ the 
 
t6 Of Atmadar Confefsion. 
 
 the countenance of Five figurative (but mlilaken) 
 words to fupport the credulity ; but this of the Sa- 
 crament of Penance clearly out-does it, for here a Man 
 mud believe a thing to be,u hen as there is not fo much 
 as one word for the ground of his Faitli, or the proof 
 of the thing in queflion. How many Sacraments may 
 not fuch men have if they pleafe ? What voluftiinous 
 Creeds may not they fvvallow and digeft ? What 
 Mountains may not (lich a wonderful Faith remove? 
 
 But let us hear what they have to fay for themfeives ; 
 perhaps in the firfl place they will plead the Authority 
 of the Council o^ Trent ^ which hath peremptorily de- 
 termined the fcnfe of the pafTage of the Gofpel to the 
 purpofe aforefaid. Indeed that Council in the third 
 Canon of their fourteenth SefTion, doth damn all thof& 
 who deny that a Sacrament of Penance and Auricular 
 Confeffion is prefcribed in that Text of St. John , or 
 who apply it to any other purpofe. But in fo doing, 
 they both ufurp a Prerogative which was never pre- 
 tended to or praftifed by any Council before them^ and 
 withal they betray a confcioufnefs that the Text it 
 feU' yielded no fufficicnt evidence of the thing which 
 they defigned to countenance by it; for what Councils 
 (ever till now) brought a Text, and then impofed an 
 interpretation upon it contrary to the words? And then 
 backt that Interpretation with 2Ln AHathemal, If the 
 Text were plain or could be made fo, why was not 
 that done ? And to be fure if that cannot be done by 
 other means, the curfe will not do it ; at lead to any 
 but very obedient Roman Con^ciQncQS. Befides if this 
 courfe be allowed, I fee not but a Council may bring 
 in what Religion they pleafe, having firft made a Nofe 
 of Wax of the Holy Scripture, and then writhed it 
 into what Ihape they belt phanfy ,• for in fuch a cafe, if 
 the words ot the Gofpel do not favour me, I can go- 
 vern 
 
Of Auricular Coftfefsion, 1 1 
 
 vern the fenfe, and if the letter be fdent or hitraifiable, 
 I can help that with an Interpretation ; and if I have 
 authority or confidence enough to impofe that, undtr 
 the i^^n\o^ Anathema^ T am no longer an Interpreter or 
 a Judg, but a Law- giver, and need not trouble my Mt 
 With Scr/ptumefty but may (if I willfpcak plainj hy 
 decretum eft, and the bufinefs is done. 
 
 But if neither the Letter of Scripture, nor the Au- 
 thority of a Council will do in this cafe, then in the 
 fecond place they think they have at leaft fome colour 
 of Reafon to relieve them ; and if they cannot findz-^u- 
 ricular Confeifion in the Text, yet they will by con- 
 fequence infer it thence ; for they fay although indeed 
 it IS true it is not here exprefly mentioned, yet it is cer- 
 tain that our Saviour in the Text before us inllituted a 
 Sacrament of Penance, and therefore Auricular Con- 
 feffion mud necefTarily be implied becaufe abfolution 
 cannot be without Confeflion. 
 
 Here the Reader will obferve that the point in Q^e- 
 ftion between us is very much altered, for we are now 
 fallen from the confideration of the Divine Inftitution 
 of Auricular Gonfeflion in particular to that of a Sacra- 
 ment of Penance in general, /. e. from a diredfc proof 
 to a fuhintelligitar. But we will follow them hither 
 alfo, and for the clearing of this matter we will brief- 
 ly confider thefe three things. 
 
 I. Whether that can properly be faid to be of Di- 
 vine inflitution, and neceuary to Salvation, which de- 
 pends on an inference,and is proved only by an innuendol 
 
 z. Whether it can be reafonable to aflert that our 
 Saviour there inflitutes a Sacrament of Penance, where 
 not only Auricular Conlx^lTion, but the whole matter 
 of fuch a Sacrament is left undefined ? 
 
 5. Whether if our Saviour (had done that which it 
 is plain he hath not, that is,) had here inllituted and 
 
 C 2 ap- 
 
I i of Auric ular Confe/fron. 
 
 appointed all tliofe^ things, which by the Church cf 
 A'owf are required as the material parts ot I'cnance, yet 
 this could liave been efleemed a Sacrament ? 
 
 1. For the firft of thefe, wc have no more to do but 
 to confider the force and fignification of this word /;/- 
 fiitHtion. Now that in the common ufe ot" men (efpe- 
 cially of thofc which fpeak diftindly and underlland- 
 ingly) implies a fctting up ^f »ox't>, or the appointing 
 that to become a duty, which was not knowable, or at 
 ieaftnot known to be'fo before it became fo appointed. 
 For this word Inftitution is that which we ufe to exprefs 
 a pcfitive command by, in oppofitionto that which is 
 Moral in the (Iridefl fenfe, and of natural obligation. 
 Now it is very evident that all things of this Nature 
 
 , ought to be appointed very plainly and exprefly, or 
 elfe they can carry no obligation with them ; for fee- 
 * ing the whole Reafon of their becoming matter of Law 
 or Duty, lies in the will of the Legillaror, if that be 
 not plainly difcovered, they cannot be faid to be infti- 
 tuted, and fo there can be no Obligation to obferve 
 thenijbecaufe where there is noLaiv^there can be noTranf- 
 ^rejfion ; and a Law is no Law in effedi uhich is not 
 fuificiently promulgcd. Is it not therefore a very 
 ilrange thing to tell us of an Inftitution by implication 
 only, and yet at the lame time to tell us that the mat- 
 5cn. 14. C.2. jgj.|-Q (pretended tobe^; inftituted, is no lefs then ab- 
 folutely neceflary to the Salvation of Sinners? 
 
 2. The fecond of thefe will cafily be rcfolved by con- 
 ^cSf:. i^.c- 3- ^idering what we obferved before from the Council of 
 
 Trent^ viz. that this Sacrament of Penance confifls of 
 Matter and Form; the' Form is the Priefts Abfolution^ 
 but the Matter or Materials of thfs Sacrament are Con- 
 trition, Confeilion to a Pricfl,andSatisfadion orPerfor- 
 mance of the Penance enjoyn'd by him^now it is evident 
 that not only Auricular Confcflion ^ of which we have 
 
 fpoken 
 
Of Auricular Confeffion, 1 5 
 
 f^oken hitherto^ but alfo Contrition andSatisra£lion,are 
 u holly omitted and pail over in filence by the Evange- 
 lifl in this pafTage of Scripture, from wiicnce they 
 fetch their Sacrament of Penance ; and is it not a won- 
 derfully (Irange thing, that our Saviour ihould be kip- • 
 pofed to inftitute a Sarrament without any Materials ot 
 It at ail? Surely therefore this mull be either a very 6'/'/- 
 r////^/ Sacrament, or none at ail. 
 
 Let usguefs at the probability of this in proportion-' 
 to cither of the other undoubted Sacraments. Suppofe 
 our Saviour inftead of that accurate form in which he 
 inftituted the Euchn rift had only faid, I would have 
 you my Difciples and all that iliall believe on my 
 Name to keep a Memorial of me when I am gone : . 
 Or fuppofc he faid only as he doth, Job. 6. i^^. My- 
 Flefh IS Meat indeed^ and my Blood is drink indeed^, 
 would any one have concluded here, that our Saviour 
 in fo faying, had appointed Bread and Wine to be coh- 
 fecrated, to be received in fuch a manner, and in a 
 word that he had (without more ado) inftituted fuch 
 a Sacrament as we iifuaily celebrate ? No certainly, 
 and therefore we fee our Saviour is the moft exprels 
 and particular therein that can be, for betakes Bread^ 
 hlejj'es ity hreaks it^ gives it to them^ f^)'^>^gt Take eaty 
 this IS my hody^ &c. and after Supper be takes the Cup^ 
 lleffes it^ gives it to them^faying^Drink ye all of this , for 
 this is the New Tefl amen tin- my Bloody &c. and thert 
 adds, do this in remembrance of iiie. Now who is there, 
 that obferves this accuracy oFour Savioiu* in theEu- 
 charift, can imagine that he iliould intend to inftitute 
 a Sacrament of Penance, and that as ncceflary to Sal- 
 vation (in tlie Opinion of the Romanifis^'^s the other, 
 only with this Form of words, VVhofoever fins ye remit 
 they are remitted, 6(c, and without the lead mention 
 ofConFeftion, Contrition, or any other Material or 
 neceffiry Part or Circumftance of it. ^. But. 
 
14 Of Auricular Co nfefsion. 
 
 I. But in the third aod lad place, kt us fuppofc that 
 our Saviour had in the Text before us inftituted Pe- 
 nance, and had appointed particularly all thofe things , 
 which they call the Material parts of it, ( as it is evi- 
 dent he hath not) yet even then, and upon that Sup- 
 pofition, Penance would not have proved to be a Sa- 
 crament properly lb called. 
 
 I confefs according to a loofc acceptation of the word 
 Sacramentjfomething may be faid for it; for fo there are 
 many things have had the name of Sacrament applied 
 to them. Tertull'tan fomewhere calls Elifhas Ax the 
 Sacrament of Wood, and in his Book againfl Marcion 
 he (liles the whole Chriftian Religion a Sacrament. 
 St. Aujiin in feveral places calls Bread, Fifh, the Rock, 
 and the Myftery of Number, Sacraments, for he hath 
 ^ given us a general Rule in his Fifth Epiflle, viz. That 
 all figns when they belong to divine things are called 
 Sacraments : And in confideration hereof it is acknow- 
 ledged by Cajfander ^t\\2.i the Number ofSacraments was 
 indefinite in the Church of Rome it felf, until the times 
 of Peter Lomhard, But all this netwithltanding, and 
 properly fpeaking, this Rite of Penance taking it 
 altogether (' and even fuppofing whatfoever the Ro- 
 manifls can fuppofe to belong to it)cannot be reputed a 
 Sacrament,according to the allowed definitions of a Sa- 
 crament delivered by their dwn Divines. Some of them 
 ^ ""SO ^< define aSacrament thus,<j Sacramentum eft corporate ele- 
 ^ucrarn. ' weHtumforis fenfthHiter propofitum^exfiryiilittiidine repra^ 
 jentans Cs? ex inftitutione Jignifcans^ ^ ex San^tficatione 
 i-Migift scni.^^ofitinens invijihilemgratiam. And the i^ Mafter of the 
 Lb. 4. diji. I. Sentences himfelf defcribes it fomewhat more briefly, 
 but to the lame efledl in thefe words : Sacramentum eft 
 hivjfibilh gratice vifthilh jorwa^ ejufdem gratis imagi* 
 TraH^x^de ^^mgerens ^ caufa exiflens ; both which definitions are 
 tir.cramenti:. ackno\\'kdged and applauded by the Jefuite c Becwiu ; 
 
 And 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion. 15 
 
 And the plain truth is a Sacrament cannot be better 
 expreft in fo few words, then it is by St. '^Aitflin when *Aug. c. Fauft. 
 he calls it verhum "v'lfihile a vifible Word or Gofpel : uk. i^. c. 16. 
 For it pleafed the Divine Wilciom and Goodnefs by this 
 inflitution ot Sacraments to condefcend to our weak- 
 nefs, and thereby to give us fenfible Tokens or Pledges 
 of what he had promifed in his Written word, to the 
 intent that our dulnefs might be relieved, and our 
 Faith aflifted ; forafmuch as herein, our Eyes and 
 other Senfes as well as our Ears are made Witnefies of 
 his gracious intentions. Thus by Baptifmal wafliing he 
 gives us a fenfible token and reprefen ration of our re- 
 generation, and the walhing away of our linsbythe 
 Blood of Chrift ; and by the participation of Bread and 
 Wine in the Lords Supper we have a Token and 
 Symbol of our Union with ChriIl,our Friend/hip with ^^' 
 God and Communion with each other. 
 
 But now it is manifeft there is no fuch thing as this 
 in their Sacrament of Penance(as even Bellarmine him- 
 felf confefles. : For they do not fay or mean that theAb- 
 folutionof the Prieli is a Token or Emblem of God's 
 forgivenefs,but that the Prieft acftually pardons inGod's 
 fleadjby Virtue of a Power delegated to him. So that 
 according to them, heremuft be a Sacrament, not only 
 without any material parts inftituted, but alfo without 
 any thingFigurative,Symbolical orSignificative, which 
 feems to be as exprefly contrary to their own Dodrine 
 in the aforefaid definitions.as to the truth it felf. 
 
 Nay, further to evince the difference of this Rite of 
 Penance from all other proper Sacraments ; it deferves 
 obfervation,that whereas in thofe other acknowledged 
 Sacraments, the Prieft in God's Name delivers to us^. 
 the Pledges and Symbols of Divine Grace. Here in 
 this of Penance we mud bring ail the material Parrs 
 and Pledges our felves, and prefcnt them to God, or 
 
 to 
 
r^ Of Auricular Confefsion, 
 
 to the Priefl: in liis (lead : My meaning is, that where* 
 as (tor inflance) in Baptifm the Prieft applies to us 
 -the Symbol of Water, and in tlie Eucharift delivers to 
 us the confecrated Elements in token of the Divine 
 Grace, contrary-wife here in Penance we niuit on our 
 parts bring with us Contrition, Confeflion, and Sa- 
 tisfadtion too, in whicli refped we may be rather faid 
 to give Pledges to God, then he to us ; which is wide- 
 ly diflerent trom the Nature of other Sacraments, and 
 feems no lefs to be contrary to the Reafon and Notion 
 ef a Sacrament in general. 
 
 The Sum of what we have hitherto difcourfed, 
 
 amounts to this ; Firft,That here is no Auricular Con- 
 
 lefiion inflituted by our'Saviour, Job. lo.zz. as was 
 
 pretended. Secondly, Nor,any Sacrament of Penance in 
 
 ^- which it can be included or implied ; no nor indeed 
 
 any Sacrament at all. 
 
 Iconfefs I might have fpared all the words I have 
 ufed in proving the latter, lor fo long as 1 have made 
 appear that private ConfelTion is not mflituted, it was 
 not fo very materialto confider whether Penance could 
 be a Sacrament or no ; but this I added to fliew the im- 
 perious dictates of that Church, and their extrava- 
 ■ , gancy in impofing the moft Sacred Names upon their 
 own inventions, thereby to give them the greater ve- 
 neration with the People. 
 
 And thus I would difmifs the firft part of my under- 
 taking, but yet the Romanifis will not forego theirprc- 
 ten/ions for Auricular Confeflion ; for they will yet 
 urge, that whether or no we will call it a Sacrament 
 .. which our Saviour inftitutcs in the Text before us, it 
 RituitLcer- ^ however certain here is a Power conferred on the 
 dotes fui ipf'is Apoftles, and their SuccelTors, of remitting and retain- 
 7^''pr7fida& ing fms ; for by thefe words, iVhofoever fins ye remit 
 judices ihiA.^- they arc remitted j^c. * Our Saviour hath made the 
 
 Pried 
 
Of Auricular Confeffion, 17 
 
 Priefl a judge of Mens confclences and conditions •,Sacerd»s foiv.t 
 wherefore that he may not proceed blindly and in- ^l"'^^" ^^',^ 
 difcriminately it is neceiTary that he know the merits ^fZ-lTBd- 
 of tho Caufe, and not only underftand the matter of ^^'•^'^- 1-^^ 
 fad, but all the circiimftances which may acrcravate-^r'^'f*^* '°* 
 
 . y , Ob Chrtjlus ro- 
 
 ot extenuate it, all which cannot be attained with- tam h.ibet fen- 
 
 out the Confeffion of the party, therefore Auricular '^«^"^'» ^ ^^^ 
 
 ConfefTion is as neceffarily implied in the Text, as /J^X/jTc^i. 
 
 Abfolution or Retention of (ins is exprell in it. 
 
 So they. 
 
 But I crave leave to demand in the fird: place, Is 
 
 it certain that upon fuch a ConfcfTion as they require, 
 
 the Prieft (as fuch) will be able to make a right 
 
 judgment of a Mans cafe that addrclTes himfelf to 
 
 him , efpecially confidering the intricacy of fome 
 
 Cafes, and the ignorance of fome Priefts ; upon this 
 
 ^account are thofe memorable words of St. Aujl'm 
 
 ■*Cof?fe[f. lib. 10. c. ^. Quid rrtihi ergo eft cum homini' 
 
 hus ut audiant Conjeffiones meas^ quaji ipfi fanaturi fint 
 
 omnes languor es meos^ ^ unde fciunt cum a meipfo de 
 
 meipfo andiunt^ a» verum dicam > Quando quidem tte- 
 
 mofcit homiHum quid apt ur in homine^nifi fpiritus hominis 
 
 qui in ipfo eft. i. e. ' To what purpofe Ihould I Con- 
 
 ' 'it'is^ my fins to Men who cannot heal my wounds ? 
 
 ' For how ihail they (who kijow nothing of my heart 
 
 'but by my own Confefiion) know whether I 'id.y 
 
 * true or no ? For no one knows what Is in Man, but 
 
 * the Spirit of Man that is in him. O yes, they will 
 fay clave non erranie^ that is to fay, if he judge right, 
 lie judges right , and- no more , and this is mighty 
 comfort to a diftrelT^d confcience. 
 
 Secondly, Though we grant our Saviour hath given 
 the Prieft Authority to Remit and Retain fins, yet 
 how doth it appear that this extends to Secret fins ; 
 fins in thought only, or as the Council expreffes it 
 
 D againft 
 
1 8 Of Auricular Confefsion. 
 
 againfl the ninth and tenth Commandments ? Of open 
 Ifins and pubUck fcandals the Church hath cognizance, 
 'and hath a right which ilie may infift upon, or 
 j recede From, it Ihe fee caufe, bccaufe fuch fins are 
 'an injury to the Society as well as an oflence againfk 
 ,God, and therefore here the Officers of the Church 
 'may difpenfe her Authority, and Remit or Retain 
 (as we Ihall fee more by and by ;^) but in fecret fins 
 where only God is injurcd,and to which he is only pri- 
 vy, what hath the Church tcdo, unlefs they be volun- 
 tarily difcovered to her ? Otherwife they are pro- 
 perly referved Cafes to the Tribunal of God. 
 
 Thirdly, I would be bold to enquire further, why 
 may not fms, efpecially fuch as we lad named, be 
 Remitted upon Confefllon to God , without Con- 
 feflion to the Priefl alfo > And I the rather ask this for 
 thefe two reafons , Firft I obferve that this very. 
 ?^. i4.f. I. Council of Trent h\t\\, that until the times ofour*^ 
 Saviour, and his Inflitution of this Sacrament, fins 
 were remitted upon contrition only, and application 
 to the mercies ot God, without Auricular Confeflion. 
 They cannot therefore now fay , remillion implies 
 this Confe/fion, for that cannot -be faid to be implied 
 in the nature of a thing, when the thing it felfcan 
 be had without it. 
 
 They will anfvver that it is fufficienr, that it is 
 
 now made neceflary by our Saviour. But I reply, 
 
 Then that Inftitution which now makes it neceflary, 
 
 muft be better proved then yet it hath been, or 
 
 ^ik Men will be very gpt to -hope they may now 
 
 under the Gofpel obtain Pardon (at leafl) upon as 
 
 eafie terms as it was to be had at before. 
 
 . My Second reafon of asking that Third Quellion 
 
 fJmm.^part. is this ; I obfctvc that their own Schoolmen acknow- 
 
 ^(J8. ledg fins to be remitted under the Gofpel by the 
 
 Prieil 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion. i ^ 
 
 Pried without any ConfefTion to Men, panlcularly 
 in the Adminiftration of Baptifm, by vviiich it plain- 
 Jy appears, that Conteirion is not impiled in the 
 nature of RemiUion, but one may be had without 
 the other , and then why may not a finner after 
 Baptifm, hope for Pardon upon his contrite and de- 
 vout appUcation to the Word and Sacraments, witli- 
 out this new device and pick-lock of Confcience, Au- 
 ricular Confellion. 
 
 But fo much for that. 
 
 Sefi. J. I proceed now to the fecond thing propoun- 
 ded, namely, to inquire hiftorically whether or no 
 Auricular, or fuch a fecret, and Sacramental Con- 
 fe/fiQn,as aforefaid, hath been of conltant and univer- 
 fal ufe in the Chrillian Church, as the Romanifis pre- 
 tend, and as the Council of Trent alTerts, Sejfi. 14. 
 . Chap. 5'. 
 
 This inquiry is not Into ma'tter of Law or Divine 
 Right, as the Ibrmer was, but of Fa£t only, yet never 
 the [tk it is of great moment upon a double account ; 
 
 I. Becaufe this is the ground which the Old Roman 
 Canonifts wholly went upon, (as I noted before^) they 
 exploded all pretence of Divine Inftitution in the cafe,as 
 having more modefty (itfeems) then to pretend fo 
 high upon no better evidence,or at lead they contented 
 themfelvesto prefcribefor it only upon the Authority 
 of condant and univerfai pradlice; now if we ihew the 
 faireneis,of this ground,as well as of the other,then will 
 their Hypothefis of Auricular Confedion have no foot 
 to dand upon. .< 
 
 2. Bscaufe the Credit of what hath been already 
 faid under the former head, doth very much depend 
 upon this, and that Difcourfe will be confirmed or 
 impaired refpedtively to what fhail be evidently made 
 out in this fecond point. Forafmuch as if on the one 
 
 D 2 fide 
 
20 Of Auricular Confefsion, 
 
 fide it be made apparent that fuch a Rite hath been of 
 conftant ufe in the Chriftian Church, it will afford a 
 great prefumption that it took its rife at firft from 
 Divine Inftitution, notwithllanding all we have of- 
 fered to the contrary. So on the other fide, if the 
 Evidence here anfvver not the Pretenfion, and no fu/li- 
 cient footfteps cf conftant and umverfal practice ap- 
 pear: Then will all that which wc have hitiiertodif- 
 courfed, be greatly flrengthened and confirmed ; be- 
 caufc it is by no means probable, that if there had been 
 a Divine Law in the cafe, that fuch a thing would 
 have been generally neglcded by the Chriftian 
 Church. 
 
 Now for the clearing of this, though I am here on- 
 ly upon the defenfive, and fo bound to no more then 
 to examine the proofs which the Romatjijls bring for 
 their pretenfions, yet I will deal ingenuouf]y,as feek- 
 ing not to find Flaws, but to difcover the Truth, and 
 therefore give thefe inftances as fo many rcafons for 
 
 the Negative. 
 
 In the firft place I crave leave to premife this : If 
 Auricular Conl'eflion were fo great a Gofpel myftery, 
 fo wonderfully efficacious a method of faving Souls, as 
 to be typified in the Law ( as the Roman'ifis teach) as 
 well as inftituted in the Gofpel and pradifed by the 
 whole Church, one might feem juftly to wonder how 
 it comes to pafs that there (hould be no mention, nor 
 appearance of it in the whole courfe of our Saviours 
 own Miniftry; he u fed to be an example, as well as a 
 Law-giver to the Church,he wailied his Difciples Feet, 
 before he enjoined them to waih one another ; he ex- 
 emplified the other Sacraments before he prefcribed his 
 Apoftles toadminifter them,&one would havethought 
 fuch an Inftance of his example had been more necefla- 
 ry in this bufmefs of Penance,rather than any other,if it 
 
 had 
 
Of Auricular Canfefsion, 2 1 
 
 lud been but to make way for the Underftanding of fo 
 ©bfcure aninllitution ; fince efpeciaiiy, one would have 
 thought to find fome Traces of this in theMiniftry of 
 our Saviour,becaufe he daily converfcd with finners,he 
 reproved them, inftrudled them, healed them, pardoned 
 them, but never brought any of them to fuch a Con- 
 fcilionas we are treating ol^ v/z. To a particular enu- 
 meration of their fins with the circumftances, nor up- 
 on fo doing formally abfoived them. His very Difciples 
 (fome of which had been great Tinners) were admit- 
 ted without it ; the Woman of Samaria was told by 
 him ali that ever ilie did,but flu was not brought on her 
 knees to make her own Confeilion ; but mofl flrange 
 of all it is, that the Woman taken in Adultery ,when he 
 had made her accufers flink away, was not privately 
 brought to it ; it may be they will fay, there was no 
 need of Confefsion to him who knew all before,but yet 
 it might have been neceffary to bring thefe Sinners to 
 beafliamed of themfelves by that means to work Re- 
 pentance, and fit them for Pardon, at lead if this Me- 
 thod had been of fuch mightyufe and wonderful necefli- 
 ty as is pretended. 
 
 2. But to let i^afsthat ; in the next place it is mat- 
 ter of wonder that nothing of this practice appears in 
 the Miniftry of tlie Apoftles ; they went about preach- 
 ing the Gofpel , calling Men to Repentance, cre- 
 eping and governing Churches^ but never fet them- 
 felves down in a ConfelTors Chair for penitents, fecret- 
 ly to tell them in their Ear, the Story of their vicious 
 Lives ; indeed we read,. A^s 19.18. That fome came 
 jn and Jhewed their deeds ; but firft it was voluntary, 
 and in a fit of Holy Zeal, for we cannot find that they 
 were required to do it,asofSacramentalObligation;& 
 befides, the Confeffion was publick before the Church, 
 not clancuiar, and whifpered in fecret j it is true al- 
 io 
 
2 2 Of Auricular Co nfefsion. 
 
 fo that St.James^ chap. 5:. 16. advifes the Chriflrans 
 to confefs their faults one to another, (which is made 
 a mighty evidence in this Cafe but it is as true, that 
 this was fpoken in an extraordinary Cafe, as appears 
 v. 14. in bodily ficknefs and diftrefs of Conlcience, 
 they arc advifcd to lay open their condition, in order 
 to relief and iuccour, by the more ardent and afFed:i- 
 onate Prayers of tliofe who (liould be made privy to 
 it, but it is not made a (landing and univerfal rule 
 lor all Men to comply with, whether they be fick or 
 well, in profperity or adverfity, perplexed or quiet 
 in their Confciences, much lefs of Sacramental and 
 NecefTary Obligation, as in the Roman Qlmxch. 
 
 5. Let us go on in the next ages after the Apo- 
 (lles, for about two hundred years we find not one 
 word of this kind of Confe/lion, which we en- 
 quire for. Indeed the writings of that time which 
 are extant , are not many, but if this bufinefs had 
 been of fuch confequence as is pretended, it is flrange 
 that thofe Holy Men Ignatius , Clemens and "Juftin 
 Martyr, fliould not have any mention of it. 
 
 Indeed BeUarmine brings us one inftance within 
 this Period, and that is from IrenauSy who fpeaking 
 of Certain Women who had been abufcd by Mar- 
 c'lon the Heretick , faith they afterwards came and 
 ConfefTed all, with fhame and forrow, to the Church. 
 But what is this to the purpofe ? VVe difpute not a- 
 gainfl: publick Confellion , which is acknowledged 
 to be truly Primitive, and we wifli it had been con- 
 llantly maintained in after ages, it is only the necef- 
 fity of Clancular Confeflion that we are unfatisfied 
 in, and this pafTage fpeaks nothing at all to that 
 
 Cafe. 
 
 4. In 
 
Of Aurkidar Co7ijefsion. 23 
 
 4. In 7>r/«/i^/^«j time, which was alfo much about 
 Two hundred Years after our Saviour, we find great 
 things faid of Confelfion , but it is of tliat which 
 was pubhck, and in the face of the Church, not to a 
 Prie(t in a Corner,and this indeed was greatly incoura- 
 ged and required by the Holy Men of thofe times, as 
 that which in the Cafe of open and fcandalous fins,. 
 freed the Church both from the guilt, and from the 
 reproach ot them, and in the Cale of fccret fins, was 
 a means(by open ihime)to bring Men to Repentance, 
 and fo to Pardon. And the Confeffion was princi- 
 pally dired:ed to God, who was the perfon offended 
 by the fin, yet it was made before Men to raife a 
 fervency in their Prayers, as is noted before, and to 
 obtain their efledtuai intGrceflion with God on be- 
 half of the penitent. This that Ancient writer 
 makes manifell to be his Senfe in his Book cle Pxyi't- 
 tentia in thcfe words Plerumque vero jejuniis preces 
 alere^ingemifcere^lachrymari^ (^ mugirs dies no^tffque 
 act Dam'ivum Deum tuum^Vreshyterh advolvi^ ^ ari i(or 
 rather char is) dei adgeniculari^ omnihiis fratrihus lega^ 
 tiones fitce deprecationis injungerejjiec omnia ex homola- 
 gefis ut posnttentiam commendet^ <^c. the penitent often 
 joyns Fafting to his prayers , weeps , wails and 
 moans night and day uefore God, cafts himfelf at 
 the feet of the Priefl;s,kneels to all holy people, and in- 
 treats ail the Brethren to be his IntercefTors with God TertuU.y^^oi 
 Almighty for his Pardon : This is penitential Con- c- 35' 
 fe/Iion, ^c. And yi his Apology more plainly ; Coimus 
 in C^etum^ &c. ihidem exhortationeSy cajligationes <S? 
 eeufura divina nam ^ judicatur magno cum pondere ut 
 apud certos de Dei confpeflu^ fummumq', futHrijudicii 
 prajudicium ejlfi quis it a deliquerit ut a communione^^c, 
 religetur ; we have (faith he ; in our Ecclefiaftical Af- 
 fcmblies, a Spiritual Judicature, and with great gra- 
 
'24 ^/ Auricular Confeffion, 
 
 vity cenfjre offenders, @c. But I need fay no more of 
 
 this; for we have the Teftimony o^BeatujRhe^antu^onQ 
 
 „ , _, of the /i^wt7?;C!iurch and of great in(;iz.ht into Fxclefia- 
 
 in pr.ef. ad uical Attairs, who gives us this account or Tertullian 
 
 Tcrtull. de^x- and \\Vi times, nihil ilium de clancularia ilia pcemtentiH 
 
 loqui^qiiic id temporis penitiis iyiorahatur ; there was no 
 
 fuch thing as fee ret or Clancular Confefsion in ufe in 
 
 Tertulli.msi\m^^ which was a thing not fo much as 
 
 known by the Chriflian Church in thofe days. 
 
 5'. To go a little lower, fuch was the manner of 
 
 St syprian pi'occedings in St. Cyprians time,as he himfelf defcribes 
 
 L'i.j. Eph'.xs. it> the finner by outward geftures and tokens fliew'd 
 
 himfelf to be forrowful and penitent for his fin,, and 
 
 then made humble Confefsion thereof before the whole 
 
 Congregation, and defired all the Brethren to pray 
 
 for hun ; which done,the Biihop and Clergy laid their 
 
 hands upon him, and fo reconciled him : So it was al- 
 
 ^ . . _» fo in Ori^ens time, and once for all, to deliver the Cu- 
 
 Ongen;»Pr37. n r^ ^ ^^ ^ - y r • i • i • 
 
 liom of the Church in thofe times , touching this 
 sozomen L, 7, particular, T will add the words of the Hiftorian, Rei 
 c^p. 16. ad terram fe proHos abjiciu-^t, &c. they that are Con- 
 fcious to themfelves to have offended, fall down flat 
 upo*n the ground with Weeping and Lamentations in 
 the Church, on the other fide the Bifliop runs to them 
 with tears in his Eyes, and falls down to the ground, 
 alfo in token of Sorrow and Compaifion, and the 
 whole Congregation in the mean while Sympathizing 
 with both, is overwhelmed with tears, ^c. * 
 
 6. If we go lower yet to the i\m/tso^ St. Chryfojlom 
 
 %:^Honni't^^^ St. Auflin, we find thofc Hoiy Men fj^eaking very 
 
 jd. wbenn!de flightly of Confcffious to Mctt, io little did they think 
 
 co7ifefj:&p«. of Auricular ConfelFion being a Sacrament. St. Au- 
 
 ft ins Judgment in the cafe we have heard before, in 
 
 the Tenth Book of his ConfefTions, and third Chapter,- 
 
 and for the other, the Tdlimonies out of him arc fo 
 
 many 
 
Of Aiiriailar Confeffion. 
 
 mtajy and fo well known, that I cannot think it ne- 
 cefTary to tranfcribe them ; and as for St. Jerom who 
 lived about the fame time, I think it fuificient to repeat 
 the account of Erajmus^ who was very convcrfant in 
 his Writings, and indeed of all the other Fathers, and 
 who had no other fault I know, but that he did ufe 
 Mordac't radere vero y to be too great a Tell-truth; 
 which fure will not invalidate his Teftimonv : his 
 words are thefe, Apparet tempore Hieronimi noyidum 
 
 inflitutam fu'iffe fecretam aclmijforum Conjefionem. . 
 
 Verhn in hoc labuntur Theologi quidam parum attenti^ 
 qtiod qucB veteresfcrihuttt de puhlica(^ generaliconfejTiO' 
 ne^ea t rah ant ad occult am & longe diver fi generis ^ i,e. It 
 is evident ^^faith he) that in St.Jeroms timc(which was 
 about Four hundred years after our Saviour ) there was 
 no fuch thing asSecretConfefsion in ufcjbut the miftake 
 is that Tome few later and inconfiderate Divines have 
 taken the inftances of general and publick Confefsion 
 then praflifed, for arguments of that Auricular Con- 
 fefsion which IS now ufed, though quite of a different 
 nature from it. 
 
 Thus we have traced the Current of Antiquity for 
 Four or Five hundred years to fearch for the Fiead of 
 this iV//^f, the fource and rife of that kind of Confefli- 
 on which is {o highly magnified by the Church of 
 Rome^ but hitherto we have found nothing of it, and 
 this methinks iliould be fufficient to ftagger an impar- 
 * . tial inquirer,(at leaft it is as much as can be expelled in 
 fo fliort a Treatife as this is intended to be) and may 
 fatisfy the unprejudicate,that there is as little of Anti- 
 quity to favour this Rite, as there is of Divine Inftitu- 
 tion to be pleaded for it. But yet I know on the other 
 fide, that the Ror>7a}iiJls pretend to bring abundance 
 of Teilimonies for it, and Be//ar?nine particularly goes 
 iiroia Century to Century with his Citations to pre- 
 
 E fcribe 
 
 25 
 
2 C Of Auricular Co?ifefsion. 
 
 fcribe for the conftant and uninterrupted ufe of ir, but 
 I do fuicerely think that thefe Four following ihort 
 Obfervations will inable a Man to anfwer them 
 all. 
 
 1. lobferve that whereas this word Exomologejis is 
 commonly ufed by diverfe of the Fathers , as the 
 Phrafc whereby they intend to exprefs the whole na- 
 ture of Repentance in all the parts and branches of ir,as 
 is evident by the paflage I cited out of TertuHian ele 
 Pxnlt. even now, and is acknov\'ledged by Bellarmhc 
 himfelf; nevcrtheJefs, merely bccaufe that word signi- 
 fies Confeflion properly, and nothing elfe, thefe Ro- 
 wi/Z'Sophifters, where they ^ndi\\\sv<'ordExon!oIoge(isy 
 force it into an Argument for that Confeflion, which 
 they contend for ; and fo feveral Difcourfes of the 
 Fathersj concerning Repentance in general, are made 
 to be nothing but Exhortations to, or EHcomiums of 
 Gonfcffion in particular, and that muft be nothing elfe 
 neither but Auricular Confefsion, the thing in Q^efli- 
 on. A cafl: of his skill in this way, Be/Iarm'DiegwQS 
 us in IroKEus^ the very firfl: Author he cites for Auri- 
 cular Confefsion in the laft quoted Book and Chapter 
 of his Writings De Sacramentis. 
 
 2. Whereas the Novatians excluded all hopes of 
 Repentance or Pardon for fins committed after Bap- 
 tifm, but the true Church contrariwife admitted to 
 hopes of Pardon upon their Repentance; upon this oc- 
 casion, when fonie of the Fathers juftly magnify the 
 advantages, and comtbrtablcnefs of the true Church 
 above the Schifmatical, as that it fet open a Door of 
 Hope to tliofe who confciTed their fins, and applied 
 themfelves to her Miniftry : Hence thefe \\'itty men 
 will perfuade the World, that every true Church had a 
 Gonieflbrs Chair, and fuch a formal way of pardoning 
 as they now prad^ife at Home ; as if there was no re- 
 
 mifsion,. 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion. 27 
 
 mifsion of Sin, where there Was no Auricular (^on- 
 fefsion, and as if all that excluded the latter, rejeded 
 the former too, and were no better than Novatiaii 
 Hereticks ; whenas in Truth tlic Power of the Keys 
 is exercifed in all the Miniflries of the Church, and 
 fhe Pardons and retains Sins, otherwife than by the 
 Oracle of a particular Confefibr, as we have fecn al- „ „ 
 ready. This piece 01 fugling the lame Be liar mine is de vcenit. 
 alfo guilty of in his Citation of Latlant'tus. -^^^-J- <^-8. 
 
 ^. Whereas the Ancient Writers are much in the 
 Commendation of Confefsion of Sins, whether it be 
 to God or to the Church , but generally intending 
 that which is Publick, it is common with thofe of 
 the Church o^ Rome, to lay hold of all fuch fayings as 
 were intended to perfuade to, and incourage publick 
 Confe/lions, and to apply them to Auricular or Clan- 
 <:ular Confeflions, thus particularly tlie aforefaid Au- 
 thor does by lertullian in his Citation of him. id. uh.^.c.s, 
 
 4. And Lad ly, Whereas it is alfo true that feveral of 
 thofe Holy Men of Old, do in fome cafes very much 
 recommend Confeflion of fecret fins, and perfuade 
 fome forts of Men to the ufe of it, namely thofe that 
 are in great perplexity of Confcience, and tiiat needed 
 Ghoftly Counfel and Advice, or to the intent that 
 they might obtain the afliftance of the Churches 
 Prayers, and make them the more ardent and effed:u- 
 al on their behalf, whereas I fay, they recommended 
 this as anexpreflion of Zeal, or a prudent expedient, 
 or at mofl as necelTary only in fome cafes pro hU ^ 
 nunc. Thefe great Patrons of Auricular Confelfion do 
 with their ufual artifice apply all thefe palfagcs , to 
 prove it to be a (landing and univerfally neceflary 
 duty, a Law to all Chriflians j this is a very common 
 fault amongft them, and particularly St. Cyprian is 
 thus mifapplied by the fame foremeutjioned Writer, 
 Lib. I .Cap. 7. El Hi- 
 
28 of Auricular Co?ifefsio?L 
 
 Hitherto inquiring into the moft Ancient and Purefl: 
 
 times of the Church,by the Writings of the Fathers of 
 
 thofe times, we have not been able to difcover anyfuffi- 
 
 cicnt ground for fuchan Auricular Confefsion, as the 
 
 Churcli of /i<7w^ pretends to, much lefs for aconftan-t 
 
 Socrat. Hiji. and Uninterrupted fucccfsionof it. But now after all 
 
 ub.s.ctp, ip. I mui^ acknowledge there is a pafTagein Ecclefiailical 
 
 7°cT5! ^' Hiftory which feems to promife us fatisfadlion herein, 
 
 and therefore muft by no means be flightly pafled over 
 
 without due confideration ; it is the famous llory of 
 
 Neflarhis Bilhop of Conftantinopk^ and PredeceiTor to 
 
 St.C/;rK/^7?<>w,whichhappen'd fomething lefs thenFour 
 
 hundred years after our Saviour. 
 
 The Story as it is related by the joint Teftimony 
 o^ Socrates and Sozomen runs thus : In the time of this 
 Ne^ar/us there was ( it feems ) a Cuftom in that 
 Church (^as alfo in moft others^ that one of the Presby- 
 ters of greateft Piety, Wifdom, and Gravity fhould be 
 chofen Penitentiary, that is, be appointed to the pe- 
 culiar Office of receiving ConfefTions, and to aflift, 
 and dired the Penitents in the management of their 
 Repentance : Now it happens that a certain Woman of 
 Quahty, flrickenwith remorfe of Confcience, comes 
 to the Penitentiary (that then was"^) and according to 
 Cuftom, makes a particular Confe/Tion of all fuch fins, 
 as flie was confcious to her felf to have committed 
 fince her Baptifm, for which he according to his 
 Office appointed her the Penance of Fafling, and con- 
 tinual Prayers to expiate her Guilt, and give proof of 
 the Truth of her Repentance. But (lie proceeding on 
 very particularly in her ConfefTions, at lafl: amongfl: 
 other things comes to declare that a certain Deacon 
 of that Church had lien with her ; upon notice of 
 which horrid Fad:, the Deacon is forthwith cafhier'd 
 and call out of the Church : By which means the mif- 
 
 car- 
 
of Auricular Confefsion. 2^ 
 
 carriage takes Air, and coming to the knowledge of 
 the People, they prefently fall into a mighty commo- 
 tion and rage about it, partly in detellation of fo foul 
 an Adion of the Deacon, but principally in contempla- 
 tion of the Di(honour,and Scandal thereby reflected on 
 the whole Church. The Bifliop finding the Honour 
 of the whole Body of his Clergy cxtreamly concern'd 
 in this accident, and being very anxious what to do in 
 this cale, at lafl by the Counfel of one Eudiemon a 
 Presbyter of that Church, he refolves thenceforth to 
 abolifli theOiEce of Penitentiary ,both to extinguifli the 
 prefent flame, and to prevent the like occafion for the 
 future J and now by this means every Man is left to the 
 Condud: of his own Confcience, and permitted to par- 
 take of the Holy Myfteriesat his own peril. This is the 
 matter of fad: faithfully rendered from the words ot' 
 the Hiflorian ; but this, if we take it in the grofs^ 
 and look no further then fo, will not do much towards 
 the deciding of the prefent Controverfy,we will there- 
 fore examine things a. little more narrowly by the 
 help of fuch hints as thofe Writers afford us, perhaps 
 we may make good ufe of. it at lafl j and to this pur- 
 pofe, 
 
 I. I obferve. in the firft place,, that though at the 
 firft blufli here feems to be an early and great example 
 of that Auricular Con feflion which we oppofe, foraf- 
 much as here is not only the Order of the Church of 
 ConftantiMople, for Confeffion to a Priefl, but that to 
 be of all fins committed after Baptifm,. and this to be 
 made to him in fecret; notwithflanding upon a more 
 thorough view it will appear quite another thing from 
 that pleaded for, and pradlifed by the Church oi Rome^ 
 and that efpecialiy in the refpeds following : Firff, 
 In the Auricular ConfefTion in the Story, there is fome 
 remainder of the ancient Difcipline of the Church 
 
 ( whofe 
 
JO of Auricular Confefsion. 
 
 ( whofe ConfefTions ufed to be open and publiclr, as'f' 
 have fliewed'in that here a publick Officer is appointed 
 by the Church to receive them, fuch an one as whofe 
 Prudence, and Learning, and Piety il'^e could confide 
 in for a bufincfs of fo great nicety and difficulty, and 
 k is neither left to the Penitent to choofe his Confident 
 for his Confeflbr, nor at large for every Priefl: to rc- 
 prefent the Authority of the Church in fo tickliffi an 
 Affair as that of Difcipline, but to a publick Officer 
 appointed by the Church for this purpofe; fo that 
 Confeffion to him cannot be faid to be private, feeing 
 it is done to the whole Church by him. To confirm 
 which , Secondly , This Penitentiary it feems was 
 bound (as there was occafion) to difcover the matters 
 (opened to him in fecret) to the Church, as appears in 
 theCrime of the Deacon in the Story jthere was no pre- 
 tence of a Seal of Confeffion in this Cafe, as in the 
 Church oi^Rome, by Virtue of which a Man may c6n- 
 fefs and go on to fin again fecretly, without danger of 
 being brought upon the Stage, whatfoever the atroci- 
 ry of his Crime be, and indeed without any effedual 
 courfe in Order to his Repentance and Reformation. 
 Again, Thirdly, This Confedion in the Story doth 
 not pretend to be of abfolute neceffity as if a Mans 
 {\ns might not be pardoned without it; but only a 
 prudent Provifion of the Church toiielp Men forward 
 in their Repentance, to dired: the h(^s and Expref- 
 fions of it , and efpecially to relieve perplexed and 
 weak Consciences, and to affift them in their prepara- 
 tions for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ; and this 
 appears, amongft other things, by the account which 
 the Hiliorian gives us of the confcquence ofaboliffiing 
 itj-y/c. That now everyMan is left to his ownConfcience 
 about his partaking of the holy Myilcries ; but it ii 
 not faid or mtimated that he was left under the guilt of 
 
 his 
 
of Auricular Confefsioft. 51 
 
 his Sins, for want of ConfefFion. To which add in the 
 kft place, that this Office whatever it was, was not 
 reputed a Sacrament, but rather, as I noted before, 
 an expedient to prepare men for it, for doubtlefs nei- 
 ther that Bifliopj.nor that Ciiurch would have ever 
 confented to the abolition of a Sacramentjfor the fake 
 of fuch a Scandal as happened in the mifmanagement 
 of it, or if they had done (o, much kfs can it be ima- 
 gined that the greateft piirt of the Chriftian Church 
 would have concurred with them in it, as we fhall by 
 and by fee they did. 
 
 2. I obferve concerning the beginning of this Peni» • 
 tentiary Office, the time and occafion of this ufage; 
 namely, that the Hiflorians do not pretend it to have 
 been Apoftolical, much lefs of flridly Divine Inllitu- 
 tbn,but they lay the Heat of its firfl rife about the tim,c 
 of thC' DeciaH Perfecution, which was about Two hun- 
 dred years after our SdMiOwx.l conk^sM ice phor us would ^'^'^^v^or.ub. 
 perfuadeusof its greater Antiquity, and that it was ^^' '^^"^ * 
 rather revived then inftituted at that time, for he 
 fpeaking of the bringing it into ufe at the Decian Per- 
 fecution faith , \\i\^'Kw.{x.!p.v.& y^vQvi £7n)/X€y(^, i. e. the 
 Church purfuant of the Ancient Ecclefiaftical Canons - 
 conftituted a Penitentiary, (^c. And Petauius is fo ad- 
 did:ed to the 7?d?w^« Hypothecs, as very unreafonably 
 to favour this Conceit j but the Truth feems to be (as - 
 /^/fyf«i very ingenuoudy acknowledges) only this^ . 
 that here was a miftake of the import of the words of 
 theHillorian, who faith only that when the Church 
 had chofen their Penitentiary ^jy^vovi-sr^oc-t^cTOtv ',*they 
 added him to the Canon, that is to the number of 
 thofe in the MatricuLi or Roll of fuch as were to be - 
 maintained in and by the Cliurch, or as we would fay 
 they made him Canon of the Churcli ; not that lie 
 was Conftituted in fuch an Office, purfi:ant of an An- ^ 
 
 cienter ■ 
 
5-2 Of Atiriadar Confeffi on. 
 
 cientcr Law or Canon, as Nicephorm carelefly or will- 
 fully miftakes. Befides afcerwards when the Hiftorian 
 oblerves that the Novatians iiniverfally withftood this 
 Order from the beginning oF it, he calls it -sTpao-^'Knv 
 TztiT^v; q. d. this new Inftitution, or Addition, or 
 Supplement of the Ancient Rites of the Church; fo 
 that there is no reafon we Ihould date this Inftitution 
 higher then the Hiftorian doth , namely, alter the 
 Decian Perfccution. 
 
 But what fliould be the ground and reafons of 
 ere£ling this new Office , and Officer in the 
 Church then, if it was not before ? Of this [give two 
 accounts. 
 
 Firft , The Church being now very nume- 
 rous, and the Zeal and Devotion very great ; and 
 what by the companionate reception which the 
 Church gave to Penitents, and her ardent Prayers for 
 them, what by the earncft 'harangues of Holy Men 
 to move People to repentance, abundance were incli- 
 ned to confels their fins, and this Confeflion being till 
 that time accuftomed to be open, and publick in the 
 face of the Congregation, it muft needs happen (all 
 thofe circumftances confidered together) that a great 
 many things would be brought npon the Stage, the 
 Publication of which would be attended with great in- 
 conveniences ; for feme fins are of that Nature, that 
 they fcarce can take Air without fpreading a Con- 
 tagion , fome Confcfsions would make fport for 
 light and vain Perfons , and befides abundance 
 of other inconveniences ( eafy to be imagined by any 
 one) the publication of fome fins miglitexpolc the 
 Penitents to the Severity of the Pagan Criminal Judge ; 
 upon thefe and fuch like confiderations, the Church 
 thought fit therefore I ^as have intimated before^ to 
 appoint one wife and very grave Perion in her ftead to 
 
 receive 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion. 3j 
 
 receive the Confefsions ;_ who by his difcretlon might 
 fo difcriminate matters, that what things were fit 
 for filence, might have private Methods apphed to 
 them, but what were fit to be brought upon the Stage, 
 might be made Publick examples ot, or receive a Pub- 
 hck remedy. 
 
 Secondly, But the Hlftorian leads us to a more fpccial 
 Reafon of this Inftitution at that time; namely, that 
 the rage of the Decian Perfecution cruelly Ihook the 
 Church , and abundance of her weaker members 
 fell off in the Storm, and, which was word of all, the ' 
 Church was diftradted about the reftitution or fi- 
 nal rejection oF thofe that had fo mifcarried ; for 
 though the bed and wifefl: of the Church were fo mer- 
 ciful and confiderate of humane infirmity, as to be 
 willing to receive thofe in again, upon Repentance, 
 over whom the Temptation of fear had too much 
 prevailed, yet the Novatians a great and Zealous part 
 ot Chriftianity, looked upon fuch asdefperate, who 
 had once broken their baptifmal Vow, and would ra- 
 ther feparate from the Church themfelves, than fuffer 
 fuch to be reflored to it. Here the Church was in a 
 great ftrait, either fhe mult be very fevere to fome, 
 or Ihe fliall feem very unkind to others, fhe mud either 
 let the weak perifli, or (lie muil offend them that 
 counted themfelves ilrong. Now in this cafe flie be- 
 ing both tenderly compalfionate towards thofe that 
 had fallen, and withal willing to fatisfie thofe Nova- 
 tian Difienters, or at lead to deliver her felF from 
 Scandal, takes this courfe, flie requires that thofe who 
 had fallen, and defired to be restored again to her 
 Societ} , ihould acknowledge their faults, and make all 
 the Penitent fatisfa6lion that was poffible for them to 
 perform,that fo neither they may be too eafily tempted 
 to do fo again by the gentlenefs of the remedy, nor the 
 
 F No- 
 
54 Of Auricular Co/ifefsion. 
 
 Novatians reproach her Lenity, or take pet, as if no 
 diflcrence was made between the found and the lapfed ; 
 for thefe caufes, though the molt publick Penance was 
 thought Htrle enough to be undergone by the lapfed ; 
 hut 3 ct on the other fide, confidering wifely the incon- 
 veniences of pubhck Penance in fome cafes (as I fpeci- 
 tled before"^, Ihe therefore took this middle courfe; 
 namely, Ihe appointed a pubhck ConfeHbr, who ha- 
 ving firtl heard privately tiie leveral cafes of the Peni- 
 tents, fliould bring into pubhck, only fuch of them as 
 (without incurring any of the aforefaid dangers) 
 might be made exemplary, z^nd this appears to be 
 the true rcafon of this Inftitution, and the bottom of 
 this a(Iair,by this remarkable paffage in the Hiftorian ; 
 Tliat whereas the generality of the Orthodox clofed 
 prefently with this wife temperament, the Novatians 
 only, thofe fclf conceited Non-conformifts, rejefled 
 zt^^^/khv TauTW', this expedient as a new invention ; 
 they were too humourfome to comply with fuch a 
 temperament. 
 
 But here another Queflion arifes , viz. How far 
 this new expedient was imbraced by the Orthodox 
 Churches, for if it was only received by that oi Con- 
 flanttnople^ the Authority would not be fo great; for 
 jt is porfible to imagine, that other Churches might al- 
 low every private Priell: to confefs, and fo admit of no 
 publick Penitentiary. 
 
 To which I anfwer, that by the Hiflory it feems 
 plain enough, that this was not the peculiar manner of 
 the Church of Conflantinople only, but the iifual Me- 
 thod in that time of mod: other Churches alfojbut I 
 mufl needs fay, I do not find that the Church of 7? <7wf 
 complied with them herein, though it was not much 
 to her Honour to be fingular, where there was fo 
 much Prudence and Piety to have inclined her to Uni- 
 formity. 
 
Of Auricular CoJifeffioii. 55 
 
 formlty. However this is gained, which is m v point, 
 that the Church of Rome is not countenanced in her 
 pradlice of private and clancular Coniefiions, by the 
 general ufage of the Church, as they pretend. 
 
 ^. I obferve concerning this Oflice of Penitentiary, 
 that as it was cred:ed upon prudential confederations, 
 io it was upon the fame grounds aboliihed, by the 
 fame Authority of the Church which iirft inditutecj it", 
 and tliat after about Two hundred years continuance in 
 the time OiN e^arlus^'xs we have feen ; & therein he was 
 followed, faitli Sozomen by almolt all the Bilhops and 
 Churches in the World ; this therefore was far from 
 being thought either a Divine or Apoftolical Conlli- 
 tution: P^tavtmwovA^ here perfuade us, that it was 
 only publick Confeflion, and not private, which was 
 upon this occafion fo generally laid afide, as we have 
 feen, but this is done by him more out of tendernefs of 
 Auricular ConfcfTion, than upon good reafon,- and 
 yalefiiis goes beyond him, and will needs perfuade us, 
 that neither publick nor private Con feflion were put 
 dowrj in this juncture, but only that the lately eredred 
 Officer of Penitentiary was calhier'd ; but I m.uft crave 
 leave to lay, there is nofuflicient reafon for either of 
 thcfe conjed:ures, but on the conf.ary plain Evidence 
 againfh them, for Socrates^ who is the firR and princi- 
 pal relater of this whole flory fiith he was perfo- 
 nally acquainted with this Presbyter Euckmon^ who 
 gave the advice to Nf^.im/j to make this change in the 
 Difciplme of the Church, and that he had the alore- 
 faid relation of it from his own Mouth, and expoflu- 
 lated witii him about it, givmg his realons to the 
 contrary, and fuggelled his fufpic^ans that thellateof 
 Piety would be much endamaged by this change, and 
 in plain words tells him, that he had now bereft men 
 ofaiTiumcc in thccondudof their Confciences, and 
 ^ . F 2 hind red 
 
^ ^ of Auricular Covfefsion. 
 
 hlndred the great benefit men have,or miglu have one 
 of another by private advice and correption. Now this 
 tear of his had been the abfurdefl thing in the World, 
 liupon thiscounftl and advice of his, only one certain 
 M-in in ihc O/Iice of publick Confeilioner had been laid 
 afidc, but botli the ufe of publick and private Con* 
 jl'ilions had been kept up and retained. 
 
 But after all (for ought appears) the Church of 
 Rowe kept hor old Mampfimus, ilie tenacious of her 
 own culloms efpecially ot fuch as may advance her 
 Interefl and Authority, complies not with this Inno» 
 vation or Reformation ^be it for better or worfe) but 
 her Prieds go on with their Confefllons, and turn all 
 Religion almoft into Clancular Tranfadions, in de-« 
 fpight of the example of other Churches. It may be 
 ihe met with oppolition fometimes, but Ihe was for- 
 ced to difemble it till the Heroick Age of the School- 
 men, and then thofe lufty Champions with their Fu- 
 {^\9in'^\Ji^ oividetur quod fie y^ prohatur quod noH^mok.Q 
 good all her pretenfions. After them in the year 121 j 
 comes the Fourth Later an Council, and that decrees 
 Auricular Confeflion to be made by every body once a 
 • year at the leaft \ and laft of all comes the Council of 
 Trent ^ and declares it to be of Divine Inftitution, ne* 
 cefTary to Salvation, and the conftant and univerfal 
 cuftom of the Chriftian Church : And io we have the 
 Pedigree ot the Romifh Auricular Confe/fion. 
 
 Sefi^X come now to the third and laft Stage of my. 
 undertakingjwhich is, to iliew that Secret or Auricular 
 Confe/Hon, as it is now prefcribed and pradifed in and 
 by the Church of /?ow^, is not only unnecefTary, and 
 burdenfom in it k\\ , but alfo very mifchievous- to 
 Piety,and the great ends ofChrilliaii Religion. 
 
 For the former part of this charge, if it be not evi- 
 dent enough already, it will eafily be made out from 
 
 the 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion, 37 
 
 the Premifcs, for they cannot deny that they make 
 this kind of Conteflion necefTary to Salvation, atleafl 
 as neceH'ary as Bapti/m it fcif is, ( fuppofing a Man 
 hath finned alter Baptifni) now if it be neither made 
 fo by Divine Inflitiition, nor acknowledged to be frj 
 by the conflant Opinion of the Church, what an hor- 
 rible impofition is here upon the Confciences of Men, 
 when in the highed and worll fenfe that can be they 
 teach/^?/- Dollririei the Commandments of Men ^^^XiA make 
 Salvation harder than God hath made ir, and fufpend 
 mens hopes upon other terms then he hath done ? If 
 it was prefcribed by the prefent Church as a matrer of 
 Order and Diliciphneonly, or of convenience and ex- 
 pediency, wc/liould never boggle at it upon this ac- 
 count, or difpute the point with them; or if it, was 
 only declared neceflary pro hU ^ nunc, upon extraor- 
 dinary emergency, by the peculiar condition of the 
 Penitent, his weaknefs otjudgment, the perplexity of 
 his Confcience, his horrible guilt or extream Agonies, 
 we would not differ with them upon that neither ; but 
 when it is made neceflary univerfally, and declared 
 the indifpenfable duty of ail men whatfoever who have 
 finned after Baptifm (when God hath required no fuch 
 thingjbut declares himfelffatisfied with true contrition 
 and hearty remorfe for what is paft, and fincere Refor- 
 mation for the time to come; this I fay is an intolerable 
 Tyranny and ulurpation upon the Conlciences of 
 Men. And that is not all neither, for befides its bur? 
 denfomnefs in the general, it particularly, aggravates 
 and increafesa Mans other burdens, for inrtead of re- 
 lieving perplexed Confciences^ which is the true and 
 p/incipal uie of Confeflions to Men, this prieftly Con^ 
 feflion as it is prefcribed by the Council, intangles and 
 aiflidls them more ; for that injoyns that the Penitent 
 lay. open ail his fins, even the. molt fecrec, although 
 
 but 
 
^"5 Of Auricular Confeffion, 
 
 bur in thought or dcfirc only, fuch as againd the Ninth 
 or Tenth Commandment, (according to their Divi- 
 fion of the Decalogue,^ now this is many times diffi- 
 cult enough ; but that'i not all, he miifl: alfo recount 
 all the circumftances of thefe fins, which may increafe 
 or diminiih the guilt, efpecially fuch as alter the fpe- 
 cies cinrl kind oi fin : Now what lad work is here for a 
 Melancholy Man ? All the circumltances are innume- 
 rable, and how can he tell which are they that change 
 the Species of the ad:, unlefs he be as great a School- 
 man as his ConfefTor. Befides all this, it may be he 
 is not very skil^il in the diftin^ftion between venial 
 and mortal fins, and if he omit one mortal fin, he is 
 undone; therefore it isnecelTary for him (^by confe- 
 quence) to confcfs all venial fms too, and then where 
 ihall the poor Man begin,or when (hall he make an end? 
 Such a Carn'tficina fuch a rack and torture,in aword,fiich 
 an Holy Inquifition is this bufmefs of Auricular Confef- 
 fion become. And that Eminent Divine of 6'r/-^j/';/r^/; 
 (^of whom Beatus Khen.\nm fpeaks .feems very well to 
 have underflood both himfelf,iind this matter who pro- 
 nounces that ^c^yfrAf and Thomas had with their tricks, 
 and fubtilties, fo perplexed this plain Bufinefs of Con- 
 teflon, that now it was become phunly impo/liblc. 
 And fo much for that. 
 
 But as for the fecond part of this impeachment, -viz. 
 That the Auricular Conreifion now ufeJ in the Church 
 o^ Rome J is mifchievous to Piety; This remains yet 
 to be demonftrated, and we will do it the r.^rher in this 
 place, becaufe it will be an abundant Confirmation of 
 all that which hath been difcourfed under the two 
 former Heads ; and might indeed have fdved the la-~ 
 bour of them', but that we were unwilling to leave 
 any pretence of theirs und'ifcuffed ; for if this pra^ftice 
 of theirs appear to be mifchievous to Piety, it will 
 
 never 
 
of Auricular Co7ife[sion. 3;^ 
 
 never by any fober man be tho«ght either to have 
 been inllituted by our Saviour, or to have been the 
 fenfe and ufage of the Catholick Church, whatever 
 they pretend on its behalf. 
 
 Now therefore this lad: and important part of my 
 charge I make good by thefe Three Articles following. 
 
 Firft, This Method of theirs is dangerous to Piety, 
 as it is very apt to cheat People into an Opinion that 
 they are in a better Condition then truly tliey are, 
 or may be in towards God, as that their fins are par- 
 doned, and difcharged by him, when there is no iucli 
 matter. The Church-m.cn of Rome complain of the 
 Do(Slrine of fome reformed Divines touching afllirance 
 of Salvation, that it fills men with too great confi- 
 dence, and renders them carelefs and prefumptuous ; • 
 butwhatfoever there is in that, it is not my bufinefs 
 now to difpute it, however methinks it will not very 
 well become a Romatj'ifl to aggravate it, till he have 
 acquitted himfell in the point before us j for by this 
 AfTu ranee Office of theirs they comply too much with 
 the felf flattery of Mens own Hearts, they render Men 
 fecure, before they are fafe, and furnifli them with a 
 confidence like that of the Whore Solomon fpeaks of, 
 who wipes her Mouthy and faith I have done no evil. 
 For Men return from the Confeflbrs Chair ^as they are 
 made to believe) as Pure as from the Font, and as In- 
 nocent as from their Mothers Womb j as if God was 
 concluded by the ad of the Priefl:, and as if he being 
 fatisfied with an humble pofture , a dejeded look, 
 and a lamentable murmur, God Almighty would be 
 put off fo too. 
 
 Ah nimium faciles qui trifiia crimifta, S[C. 
 
 Ah cheating Priejls who made fond Men helieve, 
 That God Almighty pardons all j oh /brieve. Per- 
 
40 Of Auricular Co ?ifefiicn. 
 
 Perhaps they will fay this is the fault and folly of 
 the Men, not of the Inftitution of the Church : Dut 
 u hy do tliey not teach them better then ? Nay, why 
 do they countenance and incourage them in fo dange- 
 rous miftakes? For whither elfe tend thofe words in 
 
 sef. I4.C/TK.1. ^he Decree of the Council of Trext, ipfi Deo reconcili- 
 
 andis ? q. d. that by this way of ConfciTion , (^c. 
 
 men are reconciled to the Divine Majefty himfelf- or 
 
 W thofe other forecited, where the Priell is laid to be the 
 
 Ibid. cap.s. VicarofChr'ifi^andln hisfteadyi Judge or Prefident ; or 
 cfpecially what other meaning can thofe words have 
 where it is faid, that this Rite is as necejfary as Bap- 
 
 Ibid, Cap. z. tifm^ for as in that a/I fins are remitted which were corn' 
 YKittedin former tims^fo in this all fins committed after 
 Baptifm are like wife remitted^. 
 
 Now 1 fay, what is the natural tendency of all this, 
 but to make People believe that their Salvation or 
 Damnation is in the Power of the Pried, that he is a 
 little God Almighty, and his difcharge would cer- 
 tainly pafs current in the Court of Heaven. But 
 there is fophiftry and juggle in all this, as I thus make 
 appear; for, 
 
 1. The Priefl: cannot pardon whom he will, let 
 him be called Judex and Prafes never fo ; for if his 
 Sentence be not according to Law it will be declared 
 Null at the Great Day ; only it may be good and va- 
 lid in the mean time i^foro £cc/f'/^,- and here lies the 
 cheat. 
 
 2. Nor are all fins retained or unforgiven with God, 
 that are not pardoned by the Prielt ; it is true in 
 
 -, publick Scandals, till the Sinner fubmit to the Church, 
 God will not forgive him ; For what that hinds on 
 Earth is in this fenfe hound in Heaven ; but what hath 
 the Church to do to retain,or to buid the Sinner in the 
 cafe of fecret rms,wherc it can charge no guilt on him ? 
 
 3. Nor 
 
Of Auricular Confefsion, 4 1 
 
 5. Nor is it properly the ad: of the Prieft which 
 pardons, but the Tenor of the Law, andthedilpofttioq 
 of Mind in the Penitent agreeable thereunto,quahfying 
 him for Pardon.to which the Pardon is to be imputed : 
 As it is not the Herald which pardons, but the Prince 
 who by his Proclamation bellows that Grace upoq 
 thofe who are fo and fo qualified. 
 
 4. Nor, Laflly, Can the Pried be faid to pardon 
 fo properly by thofe Majeftick words, ahfolvo te^ as 
 by his whole Miniftry, in inftrudling People in the 
 Terms of the New Covenant, and making Application 
 of that to them by the Sacraments ; this he hath Corn- 
 million to do, but thofe big words I cannot find that he 
 hath any where Authority to pronounce,and therefore 
 ( as I think I obferved before ) the Ancient Church 
 had no form of Abfolution, but only receiving Peni- 
 tents to the Communion : And the Greek Church had 
 fo much modelly as to Abfolve in the third Perfon, 
 not in the jfirft, to Ihew that their Pardon was Miqi- 
 flerial and Declarative only. 
 
 All thefe things notwithflanding the Peopleape let to 
 go away with fuch an Opinion as aforefaid (becaufe it 
 is for the Grandeur and Intereft of the Priefthood, 
 that they fliould be cheatedjbut thefe mifapprehenfions 
 would vanifli, if their teachers would be fojufl: as to 
 diftinguifh between God's Abfolution, and the Abfo- 
 lution of the Church j the firfl of which extends to 
 the mofl fecret fins, the latter to open Scandals only ; 
 the one delivers from all real guilt, the other from 
 external Cenfure only ; of the latter the Prieft may 
 (by the leave of the Church) have the full difpenfation, ^ 
 {o that he is really pardoned with her that hath fatisfied 
 the Prieft ; but of the former he difpenfes but conditio- 
 nally. To confirm all v/hich I will here add only two 
 Teftimonies of the judgment of the AncientChurch. 
 
 G The 
 
42 Of Auricular Confefsion, 
 
 The firft is of Firm'dianiis Bifliop of Cafarea in his 
 Epiftle to Si. Cyprian, reckoned the Seventy Fifth of 
 St. Cypr'uHSy where fpeaking of holding Ecclefiaftical 
 Councils every Year, he gives thefe reafons for it ; Vt 
 ft qua grav/ora fnnt communi confil'io d'trigantur^ lapjjs 
 quoque fratrihus^^ poft lavacrum falutare aDiaholo vuL 
 neratis^ per posnitentiam medela queer atur', nonquafia 
 ftolis remijfionem peccatorum confequantur^ Jed ut per 
 ftos ad intell'igentiam del'iHor urn fuorum convert ant ur^^ 
 Domino plenius fat'tsfacere cogantur ', partly (^ faith he) 
 that by joint advice, and common confent, we may 
 agree upon an uniform Order in fuch weighty Affairs 
 as concern our refpedive Churches, partly that we 
 may give relief, and apply a remedy to thofe who by 
 the temptation of the Devil have fallen into frn after 
 Baptifm ; not that we can give them Pardon of their 
 fin^ but that hy our Miniflry they may he brought to a 
 knowledge of their fins y and directed into a right cmrfe 
 to obtain Tar don at the Hands of God, The other is 
 Tbcod C/»«- ^^ Theodorus Arch-Bifhop of Canterbury whofe words 
 tuar.apudS!>tzt. ^^e thefc I Confeffio qufZfoli Dco fit purgat peccata : Ea 
 Rhcn. in pr^f. r^gf-g qii(E Sacerdotifit^ docet qualiter purgenttrr. Confef 
 \(K7iit!^ ' ' fi^^ ^^ ^^^ properly obtains the Far don of Sin ; but by 
 Confeffion to Men^ we are only put hto the right way tor 
 obtain pardon. Thus they : 
 
 But now in the Church of /?ty»7f, the cafe is other- 
 wife ; there the Prieft fuftains the Perfon of our Lord 
 Jedas Chrift himfelf,and is not fo much his Delegate as 
 his Plenipotentiary, and his Pardon is as full and good 
 as if the Judge of the World had pronounced it pro 
 Tribunali; fo that if the mofl lewd and habitual Sinner 
 have but the good fortune to go out of the World un- 
 der the BlefTing of his Ghoftly Father , that is to fay, 
 cither death camefo foon after his laft Abfolution, or 
 the Prieft came fo opportunely after his kft fin, that he 
 
 hath 
 
Of Auricular Confeffion. 45 
 
 hath not begun a new fcorc, he is fure to go Heaven 
 without more ado. This I reprefent as the firft mif- 
 chief attending their Dodtrine, andPracStice of Auri- 
 cular Confeffion. But this is not all, for 
 
 Secondly, It corrupts and debauches the very Do- 
 dlrine and Nature of Repentance which the whole 
 Gofpel lays fo much flrefs upon ; Making Attrition 
 (which is but a flight forrow for fin, or adiflikc of it 
 in Contemplation of the Wrath of God impendent over 
 it) pafs for Contrition, which implies an hatred and 
 detellation of it for its own moral evil and deformity, 
 with a firm refolution of amendment. This they 
 many of them are not afliamed to teach, and their 
 pradice of Abfolution fuppofes and requires it. The 
 Jefuites in particular, who have almoft ingroft to them- 
 felves the whole Monopoly of Confeffions, avow this 
 as their Principle, father Bauny^ Efcohar^ and Sua- 
 rez declare their Judgment, that the Prieft ought to 
 abfolve a Man upon his faying, that he detefts his fin, 
 although at the fam.e time the Confeflbr doth not be- 
 lieve that he does fo. And Caujfm faith, if this be not 
 true, there can be noufe of Confeflions amongfl; the 
 greateft part of Men. Thefe things (it's true) arc 
 difliked by fome others of the Roman'ifis^ and the 
 Curees of France are fo honed as to cry fliame of it be- 
 fore all the World ; for, fay they, Attrition is but the 
 work of Nature, and if that alone will fervefor Par- 
 don, then a Man may be pardoned without Grace. 
 But therefore, fay the others, the Sacrament of Pe- 
 nance doth it alone, and this is for the Honour of the 
 Sacrament ; greatly for the Honour of it (fay V that 
 it is of greater power then our Lord Jefus Chrift, and 
 Uis Golpel, which cannot help a wicked Man to Hea- 
 ven, whileft he continues fo, but this Sacrament it 
 feems can. Nor can they excufe this matter by fiy- 
 
 G z in^ 
 
A A of Auricular Cofifefsidn. 
 
 ing thefe odious aflertions arc but the priviitfc Opi- 
 nions of fomc Divines. For they are plainly tavoured 
 by the- determinations of the Council oi Trent ; I con- 
 Cane. Trident, fefs that Council dclivers it fclf warily and cunningly 
 5«/ 14 Cap 4. .^ ^1^-^ point '^as it ufes to do in fjch cafes ; yet thele 
 are their words, I/la vero contr'tt'io mperfe^a guis at- 
 tritio dkitHKy quamvh fine Sacramento PacttitentKS per 
 Je ad juflificationsm perducere pcccatorem ne^ueat^ ta" 
 men eurrt ad Dei Gratiam in Sacramento Tcenttentioi //»- 
 petrandam difponity &c. Which is as much as to fay, 
 though Attrition or afuperficial Sorrow for Sin, bare-. 
 ly, alone, and without Confeflion to a Pried, will not 
 Juftify a Man before God, yet Attrition and Confeffion 
 together will do it, for then they are as good as true 
 Repentance. And in this fenfe Melchier Cantis long 
 fince thought he underftood the Council well enough. 
 Thirdly, This bufinefs of Auricular ConfeiTion,as it 
 is pradifed in the Church o^Rome, is fo far from being 
 a means to prevent and rertrain fm, as it highly pre- 
 tends to be ( and I am fure as it ought to be, if it be 
 good for any thing) that contrariwile it is either 
 loft labour, and a meer Ceremony, or it greatly in- 
 courages and imboldens, and hardens Men m it, both 
 by the Secrecy, the Multitudes, and the Frequency of 
 thefe Conferfions, by the curfory, hyj5ocritical and 
 evafive ways of confefling, by the flight Penances im- 
 pofed, and the cheapnefs, eafinefs, and even proftitu- 
 lion of Abfolutions. 
 
 It were eafy to be copious in inftances of all thefe 
 kinds, but it is an uncomfortable fubjedl, and I haften 
 to a conclufion j therefore I will only touch upon them 
 briefly. 
 
 I. For the privacy of thefe Confefllons. In the An- 
 cient Church ^as I have noted before) the Scandalous 
 Sinner was brought upon the Stage before a great 
 
 Afl^cmbly 
 
of Auricular Confefsion. a^ 
 
 Aflembly of Grave and Holy Men, he Jay proftrate on 
 the ground, which he watered with his Tears, he 
 crept on his Knees, and implored the Pitty and Prayers 
 of all prefent, in whofe countenances ( if for fhame he 
 could look up^ he faw abhorrence of his fa(3:, indig- 
 nation at God's dilhonour, conjoined with compaflion 
 to his Soul, and;oy for his Repentance; his Confef- 
 fion was full of remorfe and confufion ; the remedy 
 was as fharp and difguftful to Fleili and Blood as the 
 Difeafe had been pleafant, and the pain of this ex- : 
 piation was able to imbitter the fwect of Sin to him ? 
 ever after. Or if the Confeflion was not made be- 
 fore the whole Church, but to the Penitentiary only, 
 yet he was a Grave and Holy Perfon, chofen by the 
 Church, and reprefenting it, a Perfon refident in that 
 Church, and fo able to take notice of, and mind the 
 future Converfation of thofe that addrefled themfelves 
 to him. ; a Perfon of that Sanctity and Reverence that 
 he could not choofe but deteft and abhor all bafe and 
 vile a(5lions that fhould come to his knowledge : Now it 
 muft needs be a terrible cut to a Sinner to have all . 
 hia lewdnefs laid open before fuch an one, and then to • 
 be judly, and fliarply rebuked by him, to have his fins 
 aggravated,and to be made to fee his own ugly fliape in 
 a true glafs held by him, befides to be enjoined the per- 
 formance of a ftrid Penance of Falling and Prayer,and 
 after ail (if this do not do) to have the Church made 
 acquainted with the whole matter ( as in the cafe Ot 
 the Deacon aforefaid.) This courfe was likely to work 
 fomcthing of remorfe in the Sinner for what was pail, • 
 and to make him watchful and careful for the time to . 
 come. 
 
 But what is the way of the Church of Rome like to 
 this ? Where a Man may confefs to any Prieft, to him 
 that knows him not, and focannQtobferve his future 
 
 life - 
 
4^ Of Auricnlar Co7ifeffi0n. 
 
 Jrfeand carriage; nay, perhaps that knows not how 
 to value the guilt of lin, or to judge which be Venial, 
 and which Mortal Sins, or cfpecially what circum- 
 flances do alter the fpecies of it, and it may be too, 
 he may be fuch an one that makes noConfcience him- 
 felf ofthc fins I confcfs to him. Now,when all is tranP 
 aded between me and fuch a Prieft in a corner, and 
 that under the inviolable Seal of Confeflion, what 
 :great fhame can this put me to ? What remorfe is it 
 likely to work in me ? What fliall difcourage me from 
 £cing on to fin agah, if no worfe thing happen to 
 
 2. And then for the multitude of ConfeiTions in the 
 Church of RowCy that alfo takes off the lliame, and 
 weakens the efficacy of it, fo that if it do no harm, 
 it is not likely to do any good j for who is con- 
 cern'd much in the doing that which he Ccgs 
 all the World do as well as himfelf ; if only notori- 
 ous Sinners were brought to Confeffion ( as it 
 W'as in the Primitive Church) then it might pro- 
 bably and reafonably provoke a blufli, and caufe a re- 
 morfe in him to whom fuch a remedy was prefcribed; 
 but when he fees the whole Pariih, and the Prieft too 
 brought to it, and Men as generally complying with 
 it, as they approach to the Lord's Table; What 
 great wonders can this work? What i]iame can it 
 inflid upon any Man! What efle£l can be ex- 
 pected from it , but that it ordinarily makes 
 Men fecure and carelels, and grow as tamiliar with 
 fin as with the remedy, or at leaft think as well of 
 themfelves as of other Men, fince it feems they have as 
 much need of Confeffion and abfolution as him- 
 -felf ? 
 
 ^. To which the frequency and often repetitions of 
 thcfe kind of Confeflions adds very much,* it b very 
 
 likely - 
 
of Auricular Confefsion, 47 
 
 likely tliat modefty may work much upon a Man the 
 firfl or fccond time he goes to ConfelTion, and it may 
 fomething difcompofe his Countenance when he lays 
 open all his fecret mifcarriages, to a Perfon efpecially 
 for whom he hath a Reverence ( for we fee every 
 thing, even fin it felf is modeft in its beginnings ; ^ and 
 no doubt it is fome reftraint of fin whilft: a Man is 
 fenfible that he mud: undergo a great deal of pain and 
 iliame in vomiting up again his fweet Morfels 
 which he eats in fecret : But by that time he hatli 
 been ufed to this awhile, it grows eafie and habitual 
 to him , and cuflom hath made the very pu- 
 oiihment pleafant as well as thefla; efpecially, if we 
 add, 
 
 4. The formal, curfory, hypocritical, andillufive 
 waysof Confeflion in frequent ufeamongft them ; as 
 that a Man may choofehisownPriell, and then to be 
 fure the greatell Sinner will have a Confefibur righc 
 for his turn, that Ihall not be too fevere and fcrupu- 
 lous with him ; that a Man may confefs/« tranfitu^ in 
 a hurry or huddle, and then there can be no remark 
 made upon his Perfon nor his fms ; that a Man may 
 make one part of his Confeflion to one Pried, and re- 
 ferve the other part for another, fo that neither of 
 them fliall be able to make any thing of it ; that he 
 may have one ConfefTour for his Mortal fms, and 
 another for his Venial ; fo that one iliall fave him, if 
 the other damn him; nay, for failirjg, the forgetful 
 firmer may have another Man to confefs for him, or 
 at leaft he may confefs, that he hath not confefTed; 
 thefe and abundance more fuch illufive Methods are 
 in daily ufe amongft them, and not only taken up by 
 the licentious and unconfcionable People, but allowed 
 by fome or other of their great Cafuifls ,• now let any 
 Man judge whether this baa likelier way torellrain fin^ 
 
 0£ 
 
48 Of Auricular Co nfefsion, 
 
 or to encourage it ; whether the eafinefs of the reme- 
 dy (if this be one) muft not of necelTity make the 
 Difeafe feem not very formidable ; in a word,whether 
 this be not a ridicuUng their own Rehgion, and,which 
 is worfe, a teaching Men to be fo fool hardy as to wake 
 a mock of fin. 
 
 5, This fad reckoning will be inflamed yet higher 
 if we confider the flight Penances ufually impofed by 
 thefe Spiritual Judges upon the greatefl Crimes. The 
 Council determines that the Confeflbur muft be exa£lly 
 made acquainted with all the circumltances of the fin, 
 .. that fo he may be able to adjuft a Penance to it ; now 
 when fome great fin is confefled and that in very foul 
 circumftances, if the Penance proportioned to it, by 
 the Prieft be to fay two or three Pater Nojlers^ or 
 Ave-Marids extraordinary, to give a little Money in 
 Alms to the Poor or fome Pious ufe, to kneel on his 
 bare knees before fuch a Shrine, to kils fuch an Image, 
 to go on Pilgrimage a few Miles to fuch a Saint, or 
 at moft to wear an Hair Shirt, or it may be to faft 
 with Filli,and Wine,and Sweetmeats,^c. doth not this 
 make that fin which is thus mawled and ftigmatized, 
 look ;Very dreadfully, can any Man find in his Heart 
 to fm again , when it hath coft him fo dear alrea- 
 dy? 
 
 Oh, but they will tell us thefe Penances are not in- 
 tended to correlpond with the guilt of the fin, but on- 
 ly to fatisfy the debt of Temporal punifhment. But 
 we had thought that the end of Penance had been, to 
 work in the Penitent a difpofition for Pardon, by gi- 
 ving him both opportunities and direction to exprefs 
 the fincerity of his Repentance ; and this was the ule 
 of Penance in the Primitive Church, together with 
 the taking off the Scandal from the Society ; and for 
 •■ that other end how doth the Church of Rome know 
 
 fo 
 
of Auricular Co?ifeffion. ^a 
 
 fo certainly tliat there is a debt of Temporal punifli- 
 ment remaining due, after the fin is pardoned before 
 God ; it is true, God may pardon ^o far only as he 
 pleafes , he may refolve to punilh temporally thofe 
 whom he hath forgiven eternally, as we fee he did in 
 the cafe of Davi^-, but that tins is not his conftant 
 Method appears by this that our Saviour releafes 
 the Temporal puniihment to many in the Gofpel, 
 whofe difeafes he cured , faying to them, Tour fins 
 arejor^ivenyou^ when as yet it did not appear that all 
 Scores were quitted with God fo, but that they 
 might have penllied eternally, if they did not prevent 
 it by Faith and Repentance. 
 
 6. But laftly, to come to an end of this fad flory, 
 the ealinefs and proftitution of their abfolutions in the 
 Church of Rome contributes, gs much to the encoura- 
 ging of Vice and carelefnefs in Religion as any of the 
 iormer ,• for what elfe can be the natural effed: and . 
 ^ confequence of that ruled cafe among their Cafuifts 
 (as I Ihew'd before) that the Prieft is bound to ab- 
 folve him that confeiles, and faith, he is forry for his 
 fin, though he doth in his Heart believe that he is not 
 contrite, but that either the Priefts Pardon is a very 
 cheat, or elk that Pardon is due of courfe to the moft 
 impenirent Sinner, and there is no more to do but Con- 
 fefsand be Saved'i or what is the meaning of their 
 common pradice to abfolve men upon their Death- 
 >beds, whetherthey be contrite, or attrite, or neither, 
 at lead when they can give no Evidence of either ? If 
 they intended this only for abfolution from the Cen- 
 fures of the Church it might be called Charity, and 
 Jook fomething like the practice of the Primitive 
 Church, which releafed thofe upon their Death-beds, 
 whom it would not difcharge all their lives beforC; tho 
 not then neither without figns of Attrition andcon- 
 
 H tritlon 
 
5a Of Auricular Co?ifefsion. 
 
 trltion too ; but thefc pretend toqiiiteanother thing; 
 namely to releafc men /;/ fcrr Conjcient/a: ^ and to 
 give them a Pafs-port to Heaven vvithout Repentance, 
 which is a very flrange thing, to fay no worfe of it. 
 Or toinflancc one thing more, what is the meaning 
 of their prad:ice of giv ng Abfolution before the Pe- 
 nance is perlormcd (^as is ufuai with them) unlefsth.'s 
 be it, that whether the Man make any Conference at 
 all how he lives hereafter, \ct he is pardoned as much 
 as the Priefl can do it for him, and is not this a likely 
 way of reformation ? 
 
 I conclude therefore now upon the whole matter 
 that Auricular Ccnfeflicn, as it is ulcd in the Church 
 of Rane^ is cnly an Artifice of greatening the Pried, 
 and pleafing the People ; a trick of gratifying the un- 
 devout and impious as well as the Devout and Reli- 
 gious; the latter it impofcsuponby its outward ap- 
 pearance of Humility and Piety ;to the former it ferves 
 lor a palliative Cure of the Gripes of Confcience, ^ 
 which they are now and then troubled with ; in reality 
 it tends to make fin eafie and tolerable by the cheap- 
 nefs of its Pardon, and in a word , it is nothing but 
 the Old Difcipline of the Church in Duft and Afhes. 
 And therefore though the Church of England in her 
 Liturgy, pioufly wiilies for the Reftauration of the An- 
 cient Difcipline of the Church, it can be no defedt in 
 her that fhe troubles not her felf with this Rub- 
 bifh. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
51- 
 
 A POST-SCRIPT. 
 
 AFter I had fiaiflied the foregoing Papers, and moll 
 part of them had alfo pill the Prefs, T happened 
 to have notice that there was a Book jufi then corns 
 over from France^ written by a Divine of the SorLons^ 
 which with great appearance of Learning maintained 
 the jull contrary to what I had alTerted ( efpecially in 
 the Hiilorical part of this Q^eftion) and pretended to 
 prove from the moll Ancient Monuments of the Holy 
 Scriptures, Fathers, Popes and Council, that Auri- 
 cular ConfelTion had been the conftantDoflrine, and 
 Univerfal and Unmterrupted ufage of the C'lridian 
 Church for near i ^oo years from the Times of our Sa- 
 viour to the Laterane Council. 
 
 So foon as I heard this, I heartily wilhed, that ei- 
 ther the laid Bo3k had come out a little fooner, or at 
 Jeall that my Papers had been yet in my hands ,♦ to 
 the intent that it might have been in my Power, to 
 have corrected what might be amifs, or fupplied what 
 was defe6live in that fliort DXcourfe, or indeed ii oc- 
 cafionwerc, to have wholly fupprell it. 
 
 For as foon as I entered upon the faid Book, and 
 found from no lefs a Man than the Author himfelf, 
 that he had diligently read over all that had been 
 written on both fides of this controverfy, and that this 
 work of his was theprodudlof Eighteen years ftudy, 
 and that in the prime of his years, and m'jll llouri- 
 
 H 2, Ihing 
 
^ 2 Of Auricular Cojife[sion. 
 
 filing time of his parts, that it was pubhflied upon the 
 matureft dehberation on his part, and with the greateft 
 applaufe and approbation of the Facuhy, I thought I 
 had reafon to fufpedt, whether a fmall Tra^l, written 
 in hafte by a Man of no Name,and full enough of other 
 Bufmefs, could be fit to be fecn on the fame Day with 
 fo elaborate a work. 
 
 But by that time I had read a little further, I took. 
 Heart, and permitted the Prefs to goon ; and now, 
 that I have gone over the whole, 1 do here profcfs 
 fmcerely, that m all that learned Difcourfe I kzrccly 
 found any thing which I had not forefeen, and as I 
 think in fome meafure prevented. But certain I am, 
 nothing occurred that daggered my Judgment, or 
 which did not rather confirm me in what I had writ- 
 ten; for though I met with abundance of Citations, 
 and a great deal of Wit, and Dexterity in the manage- 
 ment of them, yet I found none of them come home 
 to the point; for whereas they fometimes recommend 
 and prefs Confefiionof Sin in general fometimes to the 
 Church, fometimes to the Pricft or Bi (hop as well as 
 to God Almighty ; Again fometimes they fpeak great- 
 things of the Dignity of the Prieft-hood, and the 
 great Honour that Order hath in being wonderfully, 
 ufefulto the reliefof Guilty or Afilid:edConfciences, 
 other while they treat of the Power of the Keys, and 
 the Authority of the Church, the danger of her Cen- 
 fures, the Comfort of her Ablolution, and the fe veri- 
 ly of her Difcipline, ^c. but all thefe things are ac- 
 knowledged by us without laborious proof, as well as 
 by our Adverfaries : That which we demand, and ex- 
 pe6l therefore , is , where fhall we find in arty of the 
 Ancient Fathers, Auricular Confe/fion faid to be a 
 Sacrament, or any part of one ? Or where is the Uni- 
 verfal neceHity of it afTerted ? Or that fecret fins com- 
 mitted 
 
of Auricular Confefsion. 53 
 
 mitted after Baptifm, are by no other means, or upon 
 no other terms pardoned with God, then upon their 
 being confefTed to men ? In thefe things Jies the hinge 
 of our difpute, andoftliefe particulars one ought m 
 Reafon to exped the moft diredland plain proof ima- 
 ginable, if tlie matter was of fuch Confequence, of 
 iuch Univerfal pradiceand notoriety as they pretend; 
 but nothing of all this appears in this Writer more 
 t!ian in thole that have gone before him. In contem- 
 plation of which I now adventure this little Trace in- 
 to the World, with fomewhat more of Confidence 
 then I fliould have done, had it not been for this oc- 
 cafion. 
 
 But left I fliould feem to be too partial in the 
 Cafe, or to give too flight an account of this Learned 
 Man's performance, the Reader who pleafes fhali be 
 judge by a Specimen or two which I will here briefly 
 reprefent to him. 
 •^ The former of them fliall be the very firft argumcne 
 or Teftimony he produces for his Aflertion, which I 
 the rather make my choice to give inftance in. becaufe 
 no Man can be faid ingenuoufly to feek for faults, 
 to pick and choofe for matter of exception, that 
 takes the firft thing that comes to hand. 
 
 The bufinefs is this, Chap. 2. Page 1 1. of his Book 
 he cites the Council of llliheris (with a great deal of 
 circumftance) as the firft Witnefs for his Caufe, and 
 .the Teftimony is taken from the Seventy Sixth Canon, 
 the words are thefe, SI quu Diaconum^ 6cc. i.e. If any 
 Man fliall fufler himfelf to be ordained Deacon, and 
 Hiall afterwards be convi(9:ed to have formerly com- 
 mitted fome Mortal ( or Capital Crime ; ) if the faid 
 Crime come to light by his own voluntary Confe/fi- 
 on, he fhall for the fpace of Three years be debarred 
 the Holy Communion, but in cafe his fin be difcover- 
 
 ed 
 
54 Of Auricular Vo 7ife[smi. 
 
 ed and made known to the Church by fome other 
 hand, then he ihall fulfcr Five years fu [pen fion, and 
 after that be admitted only to Lay Communion. 
 
 Now who would have ever thought this paffage fit 
 to be made choice of as the firft proof of Auricular 
 Confcilion, or who can imagine it ihouid be any proof 
 at all, much lefsa clear or diredt one ? 
 
 Oh, but here is ConfciTion ! It may happen (b if the 
 party pleafe, but it is not enjoyned, but voluntary, ' 
 and that not Auricular neither,but unto the Church,at 
 Icaft for ought appears. 
 
 And it is confeiiion of a fecret Sin too ! True it was 
 iOj till it was either confefred or betrayed. 
 
 And here is Penr.nce impofed for a iecret fin ; True 
 when it was become pubiick. 
 
 And here is a diaerent degree of Penance impofed 
 upon him that ingenuoufly ccnfelTes, from him that 
 Hays till he is accufed, and hath his fin proved upon 
 him : And good Reafon, for the one gave tokens of*^ 
 Repentance, and the other none. But then here is 
 
 What? no Sacrament of Penance, no declared 
 
 abfolute neceffity ot Confeiiion to Men in order to par- 
 don with God, but only a neceHity that when the Fadb 
 is become nororious, whether by theConfcHion of the 
 Party, orotherwife, that the Church ufs her endea- 
 vours to bring the Sinner to Repentance and free her 
 feif from Scandal by making a diflcrence betwixt the 
 pood and the Bad, the more hopeful, and the lefs. 
 
 If this be a clear and proper Argument for the ne- 
 ceifity of Auricular Confelhon : God help poor Pro- 
 tejlants that cannot difcern it ; but oh the Wit of 
 Man, and the Power of Learning and Logickl What 
 may not fuch Men prove if they iiave a mind to it ? 
 
 The other palTage I inltance in,is in hisTenthChap- 
 ter, Pig. 15:6. viz. the Critical an J Famous Bufmefs 
 
 ot 
 
*> 
 
 Of Auricular Confe[sio7L 55; 
 
 of the NeHarian Reformation at Ccnfiantinopky of 
 which I havefpoken fomevvhat largely in thelorcgo- 
 ing Papers. Now for this : This Learned Gentleman 
 after he hatli acknowledged very frankly that pub- 
 lick Coniefiion of iins v\ as the Ancient ufe *of the 
 Church in tii: times oi^tArenmis^ TertuIIiaK^ Cy- 
 prian, and 6 . /rr// ; that is, for the fpace of about 
 Three hundred yeans, and that infltadof that ancient 
 ufage(upon pccaficn ol ihtDecicin Pcrftcuticn^ a public 
 Penitentiary was appointed at Conftant'niGple , and 
 mort other Orthodox Churches, and in Ihort, after he. 
 had with more ingenuity then fonieotliers of his part\v 
 owned the undoubted Truth ot ihe Relations of ^\'7- 
 crates and Sozomen touching tliis Affair, and miade: 
 fomeOblervations thereupon not much to the advan- 
 tage of his caufe, he at length delivers that which 
 would be very much to his purpole, if it could be ere-, 
 dible ; namely, that upon the whole matter Ncftarhis 
 in abolifiiing the Penitentiary, neither abolifned pub- 
 Jick nor private Confeffions, but inilead of obliging 
 Men to go to the Penitentiary left every Man bound 
 ro refort to his refpedlive Diocejan ^ and confefs 
 his fins to him -, and fo Auricular Ccnfe/Ticn is after 
 this change every whit as necelFary as it was before 5 
 very true (fay I) it is ss necelTary now as it was be- 
 fore, for it was only voluntary before, and fo it may: 
 be after. But if the intention of Nefuiriiis, and the: 
 effeft of that alteration was only the change of the 
 Perfon, and every Man {lili obliged to confefs to fome 
 body, how comes it to be faid in the ftory that every 
 Man was left to his own Confcience, doth that word 
 fignify—the Bilhop.? then we have found out a right 
 Fanatic Diocefan,\ox they will all readily confefs to this 
 Bifhop, and believe his Abfolution as fuiiicient as any 
 Romanift of them all doth : And yet it feems to be un- 
 deniably 
 
^^ of Auricular Cojifeffmu 
 
 denlably plain that Socrates after this Reformation' 
 thought of no other ConfefFor but this, nor imagined 
 Men now bound to make any other Confe/Tion, but 
 » this (which if it was not Auricular was very fecret) 
 
 for otherwife how comes ijt to pafs that he ^cxpoRu- 
 lates the jnatter with Eudamon who advifcd this 
 change, and bewail'd the danger of this liberty which 
 was iiereby given men, if they were as (Iridly bound 
 (till to confefs to their Bifliop as they were before to 
 the Penitentiary ; therefore the Truth of the Bufinefs 
 feems evidently to be this, that men were now at li- 
 berty to make their Con feilions of fecret Sins volunta- 
 rily, as they were no doubt before the Inllitution of a 
 Pemteritiary. And now what hath this Learned Gen- 
 tleman gotten by mullering up this (lory ; well how- 
 ever the Conclufion mufl be held, let the PremiHcs 
 'look to themfelves. 
 
 I could find in my Heart (now my hand is in^ to 
 proceed further and to obferve ; what pittiful fliifts 
 he is put to, in his Thirteenth Chapter, to evade the 
 Teftimonies, brought by Monfieur Daille out of St. 
 Chryfojiom againft his 'Hypothefis. And the rather 
 becaufe (out of mere tedioufnefs of writing^ I in the 
 foregoing Papers omitted to fpecify the molt remarka- 
 ble difcourfes which that excellent Author hath upon 
 this Subjed. But the Authorities are fo plain and un- 
 anfvverable, and the Evafions of this Gentleman io 
 forced and palpable, that I think it necdlefs to go 
 about to vindicate the one, or confute the other ^ for 
 in fpighc of Art this lame Thirteenth Chapter i^we 
 fpecik of) will afford no lefs than Thirteen Arguments 
 againll thenece/fity of x'^uricuiar Confeflioa 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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