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OF repentance,* 1.1 which is nothing els then the cōuersion or turning of the whole man frō sin, that is, not onely frō wicked words & déeds, but also from fil∣thy lusts & concupiscences, frō false & er∣roneous opinions of God & his worship, and from all wicked superstition, vnto the earnest study of perfect innocencie, & sincere seruice of the true & liuing God:
and therfore saith the Lord, returne as far as vnto me.* 1.2 This ye Lateran church of Rome doeth not teach aright, nor ac∣cording to the tenor of Gods word, and ancient Church of Rome. For first they haue made thereof a Sacrament,* 1.3 con∣trarie not onely to the right course of S. Paul his writing, who in his Epi∣stles maketh relation but of two Sa∣craments, to wit, Baptisme, and the Lords Supper: but also to the defini∣tion of a Sacrament, wherein accor∣ding to the definition as well of their owne schoolemen as others, there must be an externall and visible signe, or ele∣ment, as Augustin saith, Let the word be put vnto the element, and then it is a Sacrament: But in penance or re∣pentance there is no element, externall signe, or visible symbole instituted of God, and therfore it is no Sacrament. Secondly, they teach that repentance consisteth of these thre parts, that is, cō∣trition, confession, and satisfaction Ca∣nonicall, for so sayth the master of the Sentences, in perfectione poenitentiae tria obseruanda sunt, cōpunctio cor∣dis,
confessio oris, satisfactio operis, that is, contrition of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction of worke. Con∣trition (as they teach) may bee had by the strēgth of frée wil, without the law, and the holy Ghost, through mans own action and indeuour: which contrition must be sufficient, and so it meriteth remission of sinne, cōtrarie to the word of God and common experience. For if there were in man either such fréedome and libertie of wil, or power & strength of nature to performe, that when hée would he could detest or not detest sin, be contrite or not contrite at his plea∣sure, what néeded then a law to be gi∣uen, which (as Ieremie sayth) is the hammer of God, breaking and tearing in péeces the stonie hearts of men, if without the same by our owne fréewill and strength of nature, we could be cō∣trite. And if there were in mans nature any such fréedome and strength, howe chanceth it then that neither the repro∣bate can put from them that cōtrition, which their consciences (will they nill they) suffer, whiles the law of God tou∣cheth
and vrgeth them, as Caine, Iu∣das, and such like. Neither the elect in their conuersions could beginne to bee truely contrite, before that by the prea∣ching of Gods law they were humbled. As Dauid before he was smitten with the hammer of Gods lawe by Nathan the Prophet, began not to thinke of his transgression: And Peter till hee heard the cocke crowe, ceased not to de∣nie Christ: neither did Paul leaue off from persecuting, till from heauen hée heard a voyce, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? &c. Besides this, the Lord himselfe by the Prophet Eze∣chiel speaketh,* 1.4 saying, I wil take away the stonie heart out of your bodie, and I will giue you an heart of flesh. And a little after: then shall yee remember your owne wickednesse, and your déeds that were not good, &c. Where note (gentle reader) howe the Lorde by his prophet in this place saith, that he wold giue them a soft or contrite hart, & then they should beginne to turne: as who shoulde say, you haue it not of your selues: neither by your owne strength,
without my grace, are yee able to pre∣pare your selues. And therfore haue the holy men of God bin wont to pray say∣ing, Conuert vs, O Lord, & we shall be cōuerted. Now wheras they ceach that this contrition must be sufficient, & then it meriteth. Considering howe odious and lothsome a thing sin is in the sight of God, and that nothing in the vniuer∣sall worlde can bee founde (besides the blood of Christ, as of a lambe immacu∣late and vndefiled) of sufficient value to redéeme it with God: what mans life can be long inough, or teares in his bo∣die plentie inough, to mourne so suffici∣ently for his sinnes, that he might me∣rit remission or forgiuenesse with God, especially séeing our Sauiour sayeth, when ye haue done all, yet say ye are vnprofitable. In confession they re∣quire a full rehearsall of al sins, where∣by the Priest knowing the crymes, may minister satisfaction accordingly. And this rehearsing or reckoning of sinnes in the eare of a Priest (as they say) meriteth remission of sins ex ope∣re operato, that is, the very act doing,
where first they require more then any man is able to performe, for as it is written, who knoweth howe oft hee of∣fendeth? and therefore sayth the Pro∣phet,* 1.5 Cleanse me, O Lord, from my se∣cret faults. Secondly the Priests vsurp and take more vpon them then any where by the law of God is giuen thē. For albeit in Scripture wee finde two sorts of confessions of sinnes,* 1.6 whereof one is to God, as Dauid witnesseth, saying, I will confesse vnto the Lorde, and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne:* 1.7 and the Publicane, who con∣fessed himselfe vnto God, saying, God be mercifull to me a sinner: and this kinde of confession to God is also of two sorts,* 1.8 that is, either priuate, when one priuate person priuatly, as this Publi∣cane, confesseth his sinnes to God, or els publike and common, when a mul∣titude and whole congregation make their humble confession together,* 1.9 as 1. Sam. 7.1. Reg. 8. or when some open offender, or offenders, doe openly con∣fesse their faultes in the face of the con∣gregation, which was much vsed in the
primitiue time. Another sort of confes∣sion is vnto man, as when he that hath offended his neighbour, being touched with remorse of conscience, confesseth his offence vnto him, and craueth for∣giuenesse. Of this kind of confession our Sauiour speaketh, saying, If thy bro∣ther haue offended thée, reproue him,* 1.10 and if he repent forgiue him.* 1.11 And S. Iames, saying, Confesse your sinnes one to another, & pray one for another, that ye may be saued. As for the popish auricular confession, or secrete recko∣ning vp of sins in the eares of a priest, neither hath Christ cōmāded it, nor yet his Apostles, & the godly fathers which next succéeded them vsed it. And this some of their owne doctors do affirme, as may appeare by the gloser vpon the decrées, who sayth, It is better to say,* 1.12 that confession was instituted by a cer∣taine tradition of the vniuersall church, rather then by the authoritie of the olde or new testament. We reade in deede that our Sauiour sent forth his his dis∣ciples to preach the Gospel, but no where doe we reade that he sent either
them or any other to heare secret con∣fessions.* 1.13 Yea, Saint Augustine saieth, what haue I to doe with men, that they should heare my confessions, as though they could heale mine infirmities? ah curious sort to know the life of another, but slouthful to amend their owne! And Chrysost. saith,* 1.14 I bid thee not cōfesse thy sinnes vnto thy fellow seruant, that hee might vpbraid thée, but to God that hee might heale thée. And in another place, I doe not bid thée openly to bewray thy selfe, nor yt thou shouldest accuse thy self to others: but I woulde haue thée obey the prophet, saying, open thy life vnto ye Lord.* 1.15 Cōfesse thy sinnes therfore before God. And by the testimonie of Scotus & Antoninus, it had his original by pope Innocent 3. in the councell of Lateran. Concerning that which Socrates in his ecclesiasticall hystorie witeth of a peni∣tentiarie minister,* 1.16 & of confesson of sins instituted because of the Nouatians, & after vnder Nectorius Constantino∣politanus, for ye wicked fact of a deacon, abrogated, euē by the testimony of Ec∣chius, it aperteineth not vnto auricular
confessiō, but to that which is required in solemne repentance, wherof ye may read in the Tripartite history li. 11. ca. 35 Lastly, where they say that this auricu∣lar cōfesson meriteth remission of sins, that is against ye manifest word of God, which saith, a man is iustified by faith without works, fréely by grace not of our selues.* 1.17 Satisfaction which they call works not indebted, or of duty, inioined by ye holy father, & by the which works, not only eternal punishmēts are chāged into tēporal, but also ye tēporall punish∣mēts mitigated: & which satisfactions ye pope may take away at his plesure, be∣cause it proclaimeth opē warre against christ & his merits, I think it néedles to deale any further therin. This vnsauery & heathenish doctrine of repētance diffe∣reth far frō ye true teching of holy scrip∣ture. By yt which, repentance cōteineth these 3 parts, cōtrition, faith & new life. Cōtritiō is called in scripture ye sorow of hart, rising vpō the consideration of sin cōmitted, & of the anger of God prouo∣ked: which sorow driueth a mā to christ for succor, whereupon riseth faith, faith
bringeth afterward amendmēt or new∣nes of life, which we call new obediēce, working fruits worthie of repentance.
Repentance what it is.
Ioel. 2.
Repentance no sacra∣ment.
Ezech. 36. Iere. 24.
Psal. 19
Twofold confession.
Psal. 32. Luke 18.
Two fold confession to God.
1. Sam. 7 1. Reg. 8
Luke 17.
Iames 5.
De poeni∣tent. dist. 5. cap. in poe∣nitent.
August. cō∣fes. lib. 10.
Chrysost. super Psal. Miserere. hom. 2.
Io. Scotus. li. 4. sent. dist. 7. art. 3.
Socrat. lib. 5 cap. 19.
Gal. 2. Ephe, 2.