A supplication exhibited to the most mightie Prince Philip king of Spain &c. VVherin is contained the summe of our Christian religion, for theprofession whereof the Protestants in the lowe Countries of Flaunders, &c. doe suffer persecution, vvyth the meanes to acquiet and appease the troubles in those partes. There is annexed An epistle written to the ministers of Antwerpe, which are called of the confession of Auspurge, concerning the Supper of our sauiour Iesus Christ. VVritten in French and Latine, by Anthonie Corronus of Siuill, professor of Diuinitie.

Of the partes of popish penance, namely of the fyrste parte, called contrition.

PEnaunce they teache vs, hath th•• partes,* 1.1 contrition of hearte, confess•• of mouth, and satisfaction of workes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 who so desireth to vnderstand the reas•••• of this diuision, let him resorte to Thom•• Aquinas, Durandus, and Scotus: in th•••• bookes, whiche they wrote of the ques••••¦ons of diuinitie, but to discende to t•••• particularities, Contrition (say they) is griefe voluntarily conceiued, for syn•• committed wyth a purpose to confe••

them, and make satisfaction for the same. ••his definition is moste like Autentical 〈◊〉〈◊〉. They say moreouer, such may be the ••eatnesse and force of contrition, suche ••at it is able not only to purge the fault ••••d quiet it selfe, but to remoue the pu∣••••shement due for the same, and that twoo ••ayes. First for the charitie sake, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the very true cause that bréedeth sor∣••w and griefe, which charitie spreading ••ir braunches far in compasse, bringeth ••orthe contrition, and meriteth partly re∣••ission of the payne. Secondarilye, for ••he sense of that griefe, prouoked and stir∣••ed vp by the wil in the very Contrition. And forasmuch as this sorrow and griefe ••s very greate and gréeuous, it is effectu∣••ll also and auaileable to take away both ••he offence and the punishment: likewise they mince the sorrowe of contrition in∣to thrée partes, one to be deficient, another sufficient, the thirde preeminent, wherof the firste driueth downe to the pitte of hell, the second raiseth him vp to purgatorie: the thirde hoiseth hym vppe to Paradise. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Moreouer, contrition differeth from at∣trition,

as faith framed from that whic•• is vnframed, and they are al doubtfull 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this point, whether contrition maye ri•••• of attrition, or whether there may bée a∣ny place in Hell, Purgatorie, & Paradise for contrition, whiche question is as y•• vndecided. And this is welnéere the sum of this doctrine, oute of the whiche I bée•• séech your Maiesty to consider (most gra∣tious Prince) what commoditie, comfort or reliefe can come to a troubled consci∣ence? how shal a mā be able to escape ou•• of so many difficulte and intricate questi∣ons? or how shall a man haue any reme∣dies of his sorrowes at his owne hands, or staye hymselfe vppon the strength o•• man? For the will of man (whence they saye contrition doeth spring) is more in¦clining and yéelding to luste and concu∣piscence, than to any sorrowe or pensiue∣nesse. Howe can it then possibly come to passe, that a man shoulde vse the same to the beating down and mortifying of most horrible and detestable vices? Finally in all this péece of doctrine, not one worde of Christe Iesus, and his holy spirite, no∣thyng

ruleth, but onely the will of man, ••e sorrow and griefe of man, the heaui∣••sse of the hearte, pensiuenesse, charitie ••nd laste of all attrition, which is trans∣••urmed into contrition, as it were by in∣bantment and witchcrafte.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vide com∣pend. theo∣log. lib. 6. cap. 4. Ruar∣di Tapart. Pet. Lombar. Sent. 4. Scotus in 4. sentent. Tho. Aquin. in sent. laus.