able practice, enjoining it at set times, and using it as an artifice to gain money for absolutions of course, and for commuting penance, as also for a picklock to open all men's breasts, and a means to set up their empire over the consciences of their proselytes; so that this excellent means of repentance is become the support and encouragement of persevering sinners; yet we protestants ought not to reject this holy rite, but to reduce it to its primitive institution: we wish, therefore, that our people even in time of health, when their conscience is troubled for some great sin, or their souls are assaulted with a violent temptation, would come and make their case known to their spiritual physician, to whom the fathers elegantly compare the priest in this case. For if we blush to shew our wounds to them, we cannot expect they should cure that which they are not suffered to see: and if this were constantly practised in our health, we should not only be rarely assisted in order to the continual regulation of our lives; but when sickness and death comes, the holy man would be better able to assist us, as being no stranger to the state of our souls, and we ourselves should have less work to do when our last conflict comes. But if we have omitted this before, 125 we have more need to send speedily for God's minister in our sickness, which is the special time in which St. James here enjoins us to confess to the elders of the church; and of the benefit of this last confession the thief upon the cross was a great example, who confessing his offence was accepted immediately, not only into Christ's favour, but his kingdom, Luke xxiii. 41. And therefore this confession of the sick was enjoined, not only by foreign councils, but by the

• Gregor. Nyssen. Orat. de Pœnit. in Append. Origen. in Psal. xxxvii. Hom. 2.

and the con

Yea, Dionys.

ancient canons of our own patriarchs P, stitutions of our own nation of old 9. Carthusianus affirms, "It is the custom of all Christians to confess their sins when they suppose themselves in danger of death "." So that this is so far from being a peculiar practice of the Roman church, that it was always and is now an universal rite, observed not only by the English protestants, but by the reformed foreign churches, as is often noted by their historians. And particularly he remarks, that the famous Brentius before his death, "making a private confession of his sins, requested and received absolution, and was partaker of the holy sacrament." But, besides these examples, we have special reason for the confessing of our sins to the priest now. First, because our sins usually appear most terrible in the approaches of death, and those offences that we made light of in time of health do now lie heavy upon us; and since no confession is so acceptable as that which flows from true contrition, doubtless we are in best temper to confess when the rod and the grace of God together have made us most sensible of our guilt and danger; and besides, if we smother this grief, it may turn to a dangerous despair, whereas an ingenuous confession will ease our minds, and invite our compassionate spiritual physician to administer proper comforts to us. Secondly, we must confess our sins now, because we have most need of the prayers and directions of the holy man at this time; we have but little time to sue

P Concil. Cabilon. cap. 32. an. 813. Pœnitentia. Theodori Cantuar. an. 690. ap. Gratian. de Pœn. Dist. 1. cap. ult.

q Infirmi confiteri non tardent, sed pro sacerdote confestim mittant. Syn. Exon. cap.

5. an. 1287.

r Dionys. Carthus. de 4. Noviss. Art. 8.

s Melch. Adam. Vit. Brentii, P. 453. Jacob. Andreæ, p. 567. Heerbrandi, p. 678.

out our pardon, and therefore ought to engage all the assistance we can to join with us, especially he that is the servant of God, and the friend of Heaven, to whom God hath committed the care of our souls, and the power of absolving in his name and by his rules. St. Ambrose thinks that St. John allows none but a priest to intercede in so great a case as this, and the priest cannot pray so properly, nor so earnestly, unless he understand the particular grief. Wherefore to

engage his prayers, and obtain his counsel, let us deal impartially with him now; it may be we think our guilt less than it is, and by this mistake become secure, and lose the only moment allowed for our repentance. Surely, therefore, it concerns us to know our state now, while we may rectify that which is amiss, and prevent God's dreadful judgment, of which we should stand in so much dread, as not dare to trust our own too favourable opinion of ourselves, but unbosom ourselves to him whom God hath appointed to aid us in this weighty matter. Lastly, men ought to confess their sins in sickness, to give sufficient evidence of their repentance. A sick man cannot attest his sincerity by so many proofs as one in health may do. He cannot fast, nor submit to rigorous mortifications, he cannot resist a temptation in its full strength, nor declare he resisted the evil out of direct choice, since he hath now scarce left either any inclinations or power to sin. Wherefore the best, and almost the only means he hath to testify his unfeigned repentance, is to be willing to offer himself to the shame of discovery, which is an excellent sign he will amend if

t Populo satis est si pro levioribus delictis Deum precetur, graviorum veniam justorum oraCOMBER, VOL. IV.

tionibus reservandam putet. Ambros. de Poen. lib. 1. cap. 9.

X

ever he regain his health", because he shuns not reproof, neither seeks concealment; this manifests he is convinced of his fault, and sorry for it, that he extremely detests it, and resolves never to commit it more, since he hath unveiled that accursed privacy wherein it seemed to be securely acted before. Nor will a true penitent be hindered from this free confession by that little shame that attends it, since he knows he hath deserved shame, and desires by his ingenuous blushes before a pious and compassionate friend, to prevent being shamed before men and angels at the last day.

κ Τὸ δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντα παρέχειν τοῖς ἐλέγχουσι, καὶ τὸ πάθος λέγειν —καὶ μὴ χαίρειν λανθάνοντα—οὐ

φαῦλον ἂν εἴη προκοπῆς σημεῖον. Plutar. de Profect.

§. I. THE last part of the office is consolatory, and this is as necessary as any of the former, for them who have the terrors of death before them, a sick body about them, and a sorrowful spirit within them. To the afflicted pity should be shewn, Job vi. 15; and mercy is seasonable in time of affliction, as clouds and rain in the time of drought, Ecclus. xxxv. 20. Man must not deny this charity, since God will have mercy on his afflicted, Isai. xlix. 13; He will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, Isai. xlii. 2; which St. Hierom applies to dejected penitents". We must imitate the divine compassion, and beware that our severity discourage not those whom he would save. We have hitherto applied caustics by shewing them the strict rules of repentance, and now it is time to administer such sacred cordials as may enable them to go through the whole method of restoration; we only wounded them in order to a cure, and now we must pour in our

a Hieron. Com. in Matth. xii. molestus est, sed nisi esset utilis, b Medicus-dolorem ingerit, non esset. Aug. de Temp. Ser. sed ut perducat ad sanitatem; 74.