Confession left open in the English Church. 13

abolished. It is said, that fession and absolution not the form of administering essential generally to the the Eucharist, drawn up by pardon of sin1; but this eighteen Bishops and other does not militate against its clergy in 1547, left private desirableness and benefit, confession entirely to the which the Church never option of individuals 7; but denied 2. We only disused strictly speaking, this license the canon, 'omnis utriusque related not so much to the sexûs,' made by the Synod practice of confession in of Lateran in 1215, and for general, as to the particular good reasons restored the custom of confessing before practice of confession to the receiving the Eucharist. state it was in previously, That the Church did not when it was not enjoined at mean to abolish confession a particular time every year. and absolution (which she The alteration was merely even regards as a sort of in a matter of changeable sacrament") in general, ap- discipline.” pears from the Office of the Eucharist, and for the Visitation of the Sick, then drawn up, and from the powers conferred on priests 1. I fully believe that any in the Ordination Services. sin will be forgiven by God The Homilies, drawn up in upon a deep and entire re1562, only declared this con-pentance, for the Merits of

7 Burnet, Vol. ii. p. 120, 123.

8 lbid. P. 119.

To sum up, then, what I believe and have taught on this head :

9 "Absolution is no such sacrament as Baptism and the Communion are, but in a general acceptation, the name of a sacrament may be attributed to anything, whereby an holy thing is signified," &c.-Sermon on Common Prayer and Sacraments, Part I.

1 Sermon of Repentance, Part II.

2 Ibid. See Exhortation in the Communion Office, and the Visitation of the Sick. The national Synod of Ireland, A.D. 1634, in their 64th Canon, charged all Ministers not to reveal offences entrusted to them in private confession, under pain of irregularity. Private confession was also approved by the Lutherans. See the Confession of Augsburgh, P. I. Art. xi. De Confessione, P. II. Art. iv. Apol. Confess. vi. Articuli Smalcald. P. III. Art. viii. ; and Luther's Catechismus Minor, where the form of confession and absolution is prescribed.

14

Confession voluntary; Absolution ministerial;

our Lord and Saviour Jesus their ordination, in the soChrist Alone, and that those lemn words, "Receive the Merits are the only source of all forgiveness.

Holy Ghost for the office and work of a Priest in the Surely, one cannot see the Church of God, now comblessed lives and deathbeds mitted unto thee by the Imof persons, who, without position of our hands: whose confession to man, live in the sins thou dost forgive, they true faith and fear and love are forgiven; and whose of God and of our Lord sins thou dost retain, they Jesus Christ, without believ- are retained: and that which ing that they are in the full is done in His Name, and grace and favour of God. I according to His Will, He have never taught that con- confirms in Heaven, as He fession to man was necessary says, 'Whatsoever ye shall to forgiveness, and have said bind on earth shall be bound that in 1548 the Church of in heaven: and whatsoever England had gone back to ye shall loose on earth shall her earlier condition, as ex- be loosed in heaven."" pressed in the "Pœnitentiale3 of Theodore, when some confessed their sins to God alone, some to the Priests; and both with great fruit within the Holy Church."

4

I lately, in order to express my meaning, quoted some words which I had cited from St. Cyprian; and may again repeat them to your Lordship, as I embodied them in preaching before the University 6.

not

2. I also believe that "Our Lord Jesus Christ hath left power with His Church to "God, indeed, when He absolve all sinners who truly entrusteth man with his Direpent and believe in Him." vine Authority, doth This power I believe to be part with it so as to confirm Ministerial, as in Baptism, that which through the sin, since it pleases God to em- either of him who useth it, ploy visible instruments in or him for whom it is used, conveying His Mercies to is done contrary to His Will. Pardon,' says St. Pacian, is in such wise not refused to true penitence, as that no

the soul.

3. This power, I believe, to be conferred on Priests in

3 Letter to Mr. Richards, p. 104. 4 Visitation for the Sick.

6 Sermon I. on Absolution, p. 46, 47.

5 St. Matt. xviii. 18.

6

prejudges not Christ's judgment; means of grace. 15 one thereby prejudgeth the preserved by Bishop Taylor: future judgment of Christ.' The "Priest is the minister We do not,' says St. Cy- of holy things. He does prian, anticipate the judg- that by his ministry which ment of the Lord, Who will God effects by real dispensacome to judge, but that, if tion; and as he gives the He shall find a sinner's pe- Spirit not by authority and nitence full and entire, He proper efflux, but by assistwill then ratify what has been ing and dispensing those determined by us. But if rites, and promoting those any have deluded us by a graces, which are certain disfeigned penitence, God, positions to the receiving of "Who is not mocked,' and him, just so he gives parWho 'looketh on the heart' don: not as a king does it, of man, will judge of those nor yet as a messenger, that whom we have not seen is, not by way of authority through, and the Lord will and real donation; nor yet correct the sentence of His only by declaration, but as a servants.' Yet God doth physician gives health; that not less, through His ser- is, he gives the remedy vants, what is done aright which God appoints; and if in His Name, because others he does so, and God blesses speak in that Name per- the medicine, the person reversely." covers, and God gives the health."

Again, I quoted St. Ambrose's words, "Sins are 4. I believe that Absoluforgiven by the Holy Ghost, tion is not only a comfort, but men supply their minis- but is a means of grace to try, yet do not exercise the the soul; or rather is a comright of any power; for they fort, because it is a means do not forgive sins in their of grace to the soul; and own name, but in the Name that God, through man, of the Father, and of the pronounces forgiveness of Son, and of the Holy Ghost. sins upon all who truly reThey pray, God giveth; the pent and turn to Him. service is through man, the richness of the gift is from the Power on High."

5. I believe that, being a means of grace with an outward visible sign, it does,

The same distinction is according to the teaching of 7 Sermon II. on Absolution, p. 36, note.

8 "Doctrine and Practice of Repentance," ch. x. sect. 4, § 51.

16 Plain words of the Church taken in plain sense

our Church, in a secondary the liberty of the Reformasense, come under the title tion, this the breaking of of "sacrament," and that chains? or is it the forging "our homilies in that secon- of new chains, and the ridary sense do so call it, as veting of the chains of Sahaving "the promise of for- tan? Is it contrary to the giveness of sins" (although liberty of the Reformation not exclusively), and an out- to bind up the brokenward sign, imposition of hearted in the way in which hands, although the grace of they desire to be bound up? forgiveness is not tied or re

stricted to that act.

Do those who confess lay a burthen upon the consciThis cannot be said to be ences of others, when they at variance with the doctrine seek to relieve their own? of the Church of England. If " they who are sick," or For I have used only the feel themselves sick, "need words of the Church herself, a physician," and apply to in their plain grammatical those whom the Great, the meaning. If others satisfy only Physician has appointthemselves with putting ed, does this harm" the strained meanings on the whole?" Is it with moral words, and say, that when sickness, as with the cholera, the Bishop says, "Whose that people fear to allow sins ye remit, they are re- that any are sick, that any mitted unto them," this need to be healed, lest they means, "to whomsoever ye should be thought sick preach the Gospel, and they themselves? How is it, that believe it, they are remit- when we have heard so ted";" if they are satisfied much of the "latitude1 of for themselves that the words interpretation intended by used mean no more than the framers of the Articles this, at least they need not themselves," now all at once exhibit those who receive the Articles are to be strinthem in their plain natural gent, when they cannot be sense, as traitors to the distorted to slight "absoluEnglish Church, or oppres- tion," unless they condemn sors of the consciences of Confirmation also? Whence the English people. Is this this panic, because an in

9 Zwingli and the Calvinist and Socinian School. See Sermon I. on Absolution, p. 42, and note B.

1 Judgment of the Privy Council.

English Church suggests Confession if needed. 17

creasing number of persons | nion, but with a full trust have longed to " open the in God's mercy, and with griefs" which oppressed a quiet conscience; therethem? Is "liberty of con- fore, if there be any of you science" a liberty only to who by this means cannot do what the multitude wills? quiet his own conscience Is none at liberty to use herein, but requireth further what others refuse? May none dare to minister a medicine to those who seek it, because others mislike it?

comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or some other discreet and learned minister of God's Word, and open The Church of England his grief; that by the minisvery solemnly appeals to all try of God's Holy Word he "to consider the dignity of may receive the benefit of that holy Mystery, and the absolution, together with great peril of the unworthy ghostly counsel and advice, receiving thereof; and so to the quieting of his conto search and examine their science and avoiding of all own consciences, (and that scruple and doubtfulness." not lightly, and after the And now there has scarcely manner of dissemblers with been a platform in the counGod; but so) that they may try, in which the very special come holy and clean to such offence alleged against those a heavenly Feast, in the mar- who have been denounced riage-garment required by as traitors to the Church, God in Holy Scripture, and has not been the obedience be received as worthy par- to this very direction of the takers of that holy Table." Church, that ministers of It warns persons, 66 Repent the Church have received ye of your sins, or else come those who came to open not to that holy Table; lest, their griefs to them. In a after the taking of that holy lecture given to nearly 6000 Sacrament, the devil enter persons at Birmingham, it into you as he entered into was set forth by a ClergyJudas, and fill you full of man as a deed which would all iniquities, and bring you justify him in inflicting perto destruction both of body sonal violence. The coarseand soul." And then it ness of the language forbids says, "And because it is further allusion either to the requisite that no man should speech or the speaker. come to the Holy Commu- You, my Lord, will feel