Co[m]mon places of Scripture ordrely and after a co[m]pendious forme of teachyng set forth with no litle labour, to the gret profit and help of all such studentes in Gods worde as haue not had longe exercyse in the same, by the ryghte excellent clerke Eras. Sarcerius ; translated in to Englysh by Rychard Tauerner.

Of open confessyon. CA. XLI.

OPEN confession is by which in times past the cōmitters of open crymes did cōfesse theyr sines be¦fore the hole cōgregaciō, ernestly {pro}mi∣sing y^t they wold hēsforth amend theyr lyuing, which done, they were pardo∣ned, and admitted agayne in to the con¦gregacion.

VVE be certeyn of this diffinitiō by thexēples of scripture, which do aswel testify y^t this cōfession was in vre in y^e church as also {pro}ue the residue of y^• diffi¦nitiō ••cerning the forme of this ••fessiō Thexēples hereof be. 1. Cor. 5. &. 2. Cor. 2. In the first place thapostle wryteth thus. It is reapported cōstātly y^t there is fornicaciō among{is} you, & such forni¦caciō as is not ones named amōg{is} y^• gē¦tiles, y^t one shold haue his fathers wife And ye swel, & haue not rather sorow∣ed, y^t he which hath done this dede might be excluded your cōpany. For I veryly as absēt in body, yet {per}sent ī spirit haue determined alredy, as though I were p̄¦sēt, of him y^• hath done this dede. In the name of our lord Iesu Christ, when ye are gathered togither, & my spirite, w^t

the power of the lord Iesu Christ deli∣uer him vnto Satan for the destructiō of the flesh, y^t the spirit may be saued in the day of the lord Iesus. &c. In the se∣conde place he writeth thus. It is suffi∣ciēt for y^• same mā y^t he was rebuked of many, so y^t now cōtrary wise ye ought to forgiue him & cōfort him, lest y^• same {per}son shold be swalowed vp with ouer∣moche heuynesse. &c.

TO this confession was not added sa∣tisfaction, as openly teacheth Paule by these wordes: It is sufficiēt for the mā that he was rebuked of many.

IN asmoch as this confession semeth to apperteyn to the forme of repreuing the brother y^t sinneth taught by Christ, it hath the commaundement of god for the cause. For albeit Chryste speaketh there of the synnes of priuate persons, yet bycause we be commaunded there to disclose the synnes of our stubborne brother vnto the churche, therfore it se¦meth that this publique or open confes¦sion toke her occasion & beginnyng of the said commaundemēt. Furthermore this confession in the respect of absolu¦cion hath gods word for the cause. The circumstaunces and ceremonies of the thyng was instituted by the authoritie

of man.

THIS confessiō is not diuided in to {per}tes, but is one symple thing, euen a pu¦blique & open disclosyng of notorious crimes accordīg to the maner & forme aboue specified.

THEFFECTES of open confessi∣on be these. To wyn the brother y^t fal∣leth, as Chryste sheweth Math. 18. To reconcile him that is fallen in to synne vnto the churche agayne. Of this effect monissheth vs thapostle where he saith Wherfore I pray you do so that chari∣tie may be wrought vpō him, meanyng the person that was fallen in to sinne. To warne others by this open confes∣sion, and to fraye them from commyt∣tynge the lyke enormytyes. To be a token of earnest repentaunce, or a tri∣all whereby theyr stomackes be exa∣mined whether they haue earnestly re∣pented.

Contraries to this confession be. To deny open confession to be of gods law as hauing regarde to the .xviii. chapi∣ter of Mathewe. To holde that open confession hathe satisfaction annexed vnto it. To saye that this open and pu¦blique confession, which in tymes past hath ben vsed of the fathers, is not to

be brought agayn in to vre, specialy as farforth as it is of gods law.

Notes

• Definicy••••••
• Probacion.
• i. Corin. v. a.
• ii. Cor. ii. b
• Causes. Mat. xviii. c.
• No partes.
• Effectes.
• ii. Cor. ii.
• Contraries.
• ☞
• ☞