12 Of Con( effing and For-faking Sin, Vol. to bebelieved, as any part ofit. With what face then do they declare, that this manner of Confeffion always was, and (till is obferved in the Catholick, that is, in the whole Chriftian Church ? I have not time to thew the great and manifold inconveniences and mifchiefs of this pra&ice : How infinitea torture it is to the Confciences of Men, by entang- ling them in endlefs doubts and fcraples ; and how great a fcandal it is to the Chriftian Profefíion, in the lewdmanagement of it by the Priefts, is evident from the two Bulls of Pope Pius the IV. and Gregory XV. which mention things too fhamefull tobe declared; not to infiit upon other horrible abufes of it to the vileft andwickedeftpurpofes; not fo much to direst theConfciences of Men, as to dive into their Secrets, of which there are fo many plain and notorious Inftances, that they are pat} denial. The otherthing pretended for it is, that it is a great reftraint upon Men from fin. And very 'probably it is fo, to modelt and well difpofed Perfons : but expe- rience thews how quite contrary an effe& it bath upon others, who are the far greateft part ofMankind. Does not all theWorld fee in the Popifh Countries, in the timeof their Carnival, juflbefore Lent, the Anniverfary feafon ofConfeffion, how fcandalous a libertyMen takeof doing lewd and wicked things; and that for thisvery Keaton, becaufe their Confciences are prefently tobe eafed and fcour'd (asthey call it) by Confeffion andAbfolution ? And they therefore take the oppor- tunity togratify theirLofts, and fill up the meafuréof 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 fpecial piece of fpiritual good husban- dry, toquit their fcores with God at once, that fo they may have no occafion to trouble him, nor the Prieft, northemfelvesagain for a good while after. So that Confeffion, inftead ofbeing a reftraint from fin, gives great encouragement to it, by deluding Men intoa vain hope of obtaining the pardonof their fins from time to time, tho' they 1H11c.mtinuein thepra&ice ofthem; by which device, Mens fins are at once remittedand retained ; the Prieft remits them by Abfolution, and the Penitent retains them, by going on dill in theCommiffion ofthem, inhope ofob- taining a new Abfolution asoften as occafion (hall require. I proceed to the II. Enquiry, namely, How far the difclofing and revealing our fins to the Mi- niflersof God, may be convenient upon other accounts, and toother purpofesof Religion ? Towhich the Anfwer is very plain and Ilion ; fo far as is neceffary either to thedireaion, or the eafe of Mens Confciences. There are many Cafes wherein Men, under the guilt and trouble of their fins, can neither appeafe their own Minds, nor fufficiently direíl; themfelves, without recourfe to forne pious and prudent Guides in thefe Cafes, Men certainly do ve- rywell, and many times prevent a great deal of trouble and perplexity to them- felves, by a timely difcovery of their condition to fome faithful Minifter, is or- der to their dire&ion and fatisfa&ion, without whichthey (hall never perhaps be able to clear themfelves of the obfcurity and entanglement of their own minds, but by fmotheriag their trouble in their own breath, (hall proceed from onede- gree of melancholy to another, till at lati they be plungedeither in diflra&ionor defpair; whereas the difcovery of their condition in time, would prove a pre- fent and effe&ual remedy. And to this purpofe, a general Confeffion is for the moti part fufficient ; and where there is occafion for a more particular difcovery, there is noneed of raking into the particular and foul Circumítances ofMens fins, togive that advice which is neceffary for the cure and eafeof thePenitent; a thing fo far from being detirable, that it mutt needs be very grievous to every modal and good Man. And thus far Confeffion is not onlyallowed, butencouraged among Proteftants. In the Lutheran Churches, Cbemnitius tells us, that private general Confeffion is in ufe and pra&ice. And Calvin freely declares, that he is fo far from being a- gaintt Peoplesrepairing to their Paflorsto this purpofe, that he earne(ily wifheth it were every where obferved beforethe receiving of the Sacrament. And the fame is tbefenfe of our ownChurch, laying noneceflityupon Men in this matter, but advifing, efpeeially before the Sacrament, thofe who have any trouble upon their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=