The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

It may also be thus taken, that we ought to confess our weakness and infirmities one to another, to the end that knowing each others frailness, we may the more earnestly pray together unto almighty God our heavenly father, that he will vouchsafe to pardon us our infirmities, for his son Jesus Christs sake, and not to impute them unto us, when he shall render to every man according to his works. And where as the adversaries go about to wrest this place for to maintain their auricular confession withal, they are greatly deceived themselves, and do ¹shame fully deceive others. For if this text ought to be understanded of auricular confession: then the Priests are as much bound to confess them selves unto the lay people, as the lay ⟨p. 529⟩people are bound to confess them selves to them. And if to pray, is to absolve: then the laity by this place hath as great authority to absolve the priests, as the priests have to absolve the laity. This did Johannes Scotus, otherwise ²called Duns, well perceive, who upon this place writeth on this manner, Neither doth it seem unto me that James did give this commandment, or that he did set it forth as being received of Christ. For first and foremost whence had he authority to bind the whole Church, sith that he was only Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem? except thou wilt say that the same Church was at the beginning the head Church, and consequently that he was the head Bishop, which thing the sea of Rome will never grant. The understanding of it then, is as in these words: Confess your since one to another. A persuasion to humility, whereby he willeth us to confess our selves generally unto our neighbours that we are sinners, according to this saying: If we say we have no sin, we ³deceive our selves, and the trueth is not in us. And where that they do allege this saying of our saviour Jesus Christ unto the Leper, to prove auricular confession to stand on Gods word, Go thy way and show thy self unto the priest: Do they not see that the Leper was cleansed from his leprosy afore he was by Christ sent unto the priest for to show him self unto him? By the same reason we must be cleansed from our spiritual leprosy, I mean, our since must be forgiven us afore that we come to confession.