CLX.

And this is the first publick law that was made SERM. in the chriftian church concerning this matter, notwithstanding all the boasts of the council of Trent, about the antiquity of this inftitution and practice; for Gratian, who lived about fifty years before this council, tells us, that in his time feveral wife and religious men were of the contrary opinion, and did not hold confeffion neceffary by virtue of any divine law. Afterwards in the council of Florence, and especially in that of Trent, this decree of the council of Lateran was confirmed and enlarged in many particulars, of which I have already given fome ac-

count.

And whereas they pretend for themselves the univerfal practice not only of the past, but prefent church, we are able to fhew from clear teftimony of their own writers, that confeffion, as taught and practifed in the church of Rome, is no where elfe in ufe at this day, neither among the Abyffines, nor Indians of St. Thomas, nor the Neftorians, nor the Armenians, nor the Jacobites, churches of great antiquity and vaft extent. And as for the Greek church, if we may believe Gratian, and the author of the glofs upon the canon law, the Greeks had anciently no tradition concerning the neceffity of confeffion, our do they at this day agree with the Roman church in all points concerning it.

So that, in fhort, there is no nation nor church throughout the whole world, that bears the name of christian, the Roman church only excepted, that doth fully embrace and maintain the whole doctrine of the council of Trent, concerning confeffion; and yet, according to their principles, the whole is of equal neceffity to be believed, as any part of it. With what face then do they declare, that this manner of conVOL. IX.

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feffion

SERM. feffion always was, and still is observed in the cathoCLX. lick, that is, in the whole chriftian church?

I have not time to fhew the great and manifold inconveniences and mifchiefs of this practice: how infinite a torture it is to the confciences of men, by entangling them in endless doubts and fcruples; and how great fcandal it is to the chriftian profeffion, in the lewd management of it by the priests, is evident from the two bulls of pope Pius IV. and Gregory XV. which mention things too fhameful to be declared; not to infift upon other horrible abuses of it to the vileft and wickedeft purposes; not fo much to direct the confciences of men, as to dive into their secrets, of which there are fo many plain and notorious inftances, that they are paft denial.

The other thing pretended for it is, that it is a great reftraint upon men from fin. And very probably it is fo, to modeft and well disposed persons : but experience fhews how quite contrary an effect it hath upon others, who are the far greatest part of mankind. Does not all the world fee in the popish countries, in the time of their carnival, juft before Lent, the anniversary season of confeffion, how scandalous a liberty men take of doing lewd and wicked things; and that for this very reafon, because their confciences are presently to be eafed and fcoured (as they call it) by confeffion and abfolution? And they therefore take the opportunity to gratify their lufts, and fill up the measure of their iniquity at that time; becaufe with one labour they can fet their confciences right, and clear them of all guilt. And they look upon this as a special piece of fpiritual good husbandry, to quit their fcores with GoD at once, that fo they may have no occafion to trouble him, nor the prieft, nor themselves again for a good while after.

So

So that confeffion, inftead of being a reftraint from SERM. fin, gives great encouragement to it, by deluding CLX. men into a vain hope of obtaining the pardon of their fins from time to time, though they ftill continue in the practice of them; by which device, mens fins are at once remitted and retained; the priest remits them by abfolution, and the penitent retains them, by going on ftill in the commiffion of them, in hope of obtaining a new abfolution as often as occafion fhall require. I proceed to the

IId Enquiry, namely, how far the disclosing and revealing our fins to the minifters of GOD, may be convenient upon other accounts, and to other purpofes of religion? To which the answer is very plain and short; fo far as is neceffary either to the direction, or the ease of mens confciences.

There are many cafes wherein men, under the guilt and trouble of their fins, can neither appease their own minds, nor fufficiently direct themfelves, without recourse to fome pious and prudent guide; in these cases, men certainly do very well, and many times prevent a great deal of trouble and perplexity to themfelves, by a timely discovery of their condition to fome faithful minifter, in order to their direction and fatisfaction, without which they shall never perhaps be able to clear themselves of the obfcurity and entanglement of their own minds, but by fmothering their trouble in their own breafts, fhall proceed from one degree of melancholy to another, till at laft they be plunged either into diftraction or defpair; whereas the discovery of their condition in time, would prove a present and effectual remedy. And to this purpose, a general confeffon is for the most part fufficient; and where there is occafion for a more particular difcovery, there is no need

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SERM. need of raking into the particular and foul circumCLX. ftances of mens fins, to give that advice which is ne

cessary for the cure and ease of the penitent; a thing fo far from being defirable, that it must needs be very grievous to every modest and good man.

And thus far confeffion is not only allowed, but encouraged among proteftants. In the Lutheran churches, Chemnitius tells us, that private general confeffion is in ufe and practice. And Calvin freely declares, that he is fo far from being against peoples repairing to their paftors to this purpose, that he earnestly wifheth it were every where obferved before the receiving of the facrament. And the fame is the fenfe of our own church, laying no neceffity upon men in this matter, but advising, especially before the facrament, those who have any trouble upon their confciences, to repair to fome difcreet and faithful minifter of God's word, for advice and fatiffaction. And thus all the good ufe, which can be made of confeffion, may be had in our church, without the ill effects and confequences of the Romish confeffion, and without laying a yoke upon the confciencies of men, which our SAVIOUR never laid.

And now I have, as briefly and as plainly as I could, ftated this controverfy between us and the church of Rome, concerning the neceffity and ufe of fecret confeffion to the minifters of God, as the proper guides and directors of our confciences. But it is granted on all hands, that confeffion of our fins to GOD is neceffary; and there is no doubt but it is here intended in the text, viz. a penitent acknowledgment of our fins; the nature whereof I fhall briefly explain

to you.

And it must not only be a general confeffion that we are finners; but there must be a particular acknow

ledgment

ledgment of our fins to Gop, fo far as upon a par- SERM. ticular difcuffion and examination of our confciences, CLX. we can call them to remembrance; efpecially our moft heinous fins, which our confciences will not fuffer us to forget, must be particularly acknowledged, with the several aggravations of them.

And this confeffion must be accompanied with fuch a fhame, and forrow for our fins, as produceth in us a fincere refolution to leave them, and to betake ourfelves to a better course. These are the principal ingredients of a penitent confeffion.

1. There must be a fhame, without which there is no hope of amendment. Confeffion always fuppofeth conviction of a fault; and he that is truly convinced that he hath done amifs, cannot but be ashamed of what he hath done. And thus the penitents in fcripture were wont to make confeffion of their fins to GOD; Ezra ix. 6. "O my GoD, fays he, I am "afhamed, and blufh to lift up my face to thee my "GOD." So Jeremiah, ch. iii. 25. "We lie down "in our fhame, and our confufion covereth us; "for we have finned against the LORD." And fo likewife Daniel, chap. ix. 5. "We have finned, "and have committed iniquity, and done wicked

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ly; unto us belongeth confufion of face." And thus our SAVIOUR defcribes the penitent behaviour of the publican, as afhamed to look up to that GoD whom he had offended, Luke xiii. 13. "He "would not lift up fo much as his eyes to heaven; "but fmote upon his breast, saying, God be mer"ciful to me a finner."

2. Confeffion must be always accompanied with great forrow for our fins, confidering the great difhonour we have brought to GoD, and the danger into which we have brought ourfelves; "I will "declare

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