A guide to go to GodA guide to goe to God

§. 127. Of confession of sin to God and Man.

§. 127. Of confession of sinne to God and Man.

The forenamed Prerogative of God doth plainly show that Auricular confession, ¹as Papists enjoin it, is not absolutely necessary. For they hold that a particular confession of all a mans sins which he can call to mind is necessarily to be made in the ear of a Priest,² and that upon pain of damnation. We deny not a necessity of Confession. For without ⟨p. 154⟩confession of sin, no remission,^e no absolution can be expected. But this absolute necessity must be applied to confession unto God, whose Prerogative it is to forgive sin. Yea further we acknowledge a necessity of confession to man: and that both publicly and privately: and both these either upon injunction by authority, or upon a mans own voluntary motion. Public confession is to be made of sins publicly committed, whereby public offence is given, or public detriment and damage made. In this case^f Joshua enjoined Achan to confess his sin, and he confessed it. Because^g Sapphira refused to make confession, being required of Peter to do it, she was suddenly struck with death?^h