We read that a certain blind 1man cried unto Christ, saying: Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me, Christ did know full well wherefore he called on him, yet not with standing he said, what wilt thou that I do unto thee? LORD said he, that I may receive my sight. Christ demanded this thing of him, by cause he would have him confess his infirmity & blindness. So is it convenient for us, if we will receive our sight, to confess our blindness.
S. John say the, If we confess our 2since, God is faithful & righteous to forgive us our since, & to make us clean from all our unrighteousness. If we say, we have not sinned, ⟨image 32⟩we make him a liar, & his word is not in us. David also saith, I have 3made my trespass known unto the, & mine unrighteousness have I not hidden. I said, I will confess my unrighteousness to the LORD, and thou hast forgiven the ungodliness of my sin. This confession follow eth a true repentant & contrite heart. The Prophet Daniel confesseth his 4sin on this manner, we have sinned, we have done unrighteousness, we have wrought wickedly, we have gone away & declined from thy commandments & judgements. Also Esdras, I and the house of my father 5have sinned, we were seduced with vanity, & have not kept thy commandments. Likewise David, 6when the Prophet Nathan at that come manndement of God, rebuked him for his adultery & manslaughter, confessed his sin, & said, I have sinned unto the LORD. Again, O God. ⟨image 33⟩I have sinned to the alone, & evil be fore the have I done. The Publican 7also made his confession on this man ner, O God be thou merciful to me a sinner. This kind of Confession ought every christen man daily and hourly to make unto God, so oft as he is brought unto the knowledge of his sin.
Another kind of Confession is to 8knowledge & confess our since to them, whom we have offended. Of this speaketh S. James, saying, confess your since one to another. Al so Christ, if thou shalt offer thy gift 9at the Altar, & there dost remember, that thy brother have any thing against thee, leave thy gift there before the Altar, & go thy way, and be first reconciled to thy brother, & than come on thy way, & offer thy gift. This Confession, whereby we are reconciled one to another, & con joined in mutual amity, is so necessary, ⟨image 33⟩that without it, the other pro fit & avail little before God.
We read that a certayne blynde 1man cryed vnto Christ, sayenge: Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercye vpon me, Christ dyd knowe full well wherfore he called on hym, yet not wt standynge he sayde, what wylte yu that I do vnto the? LORDE sayde he, that I may receyue my sight. Christ demaunded thys thynge of hym, by cause he would haue hym cōfesse hys infirmite & blyndnes. So is it conueniēt for vs, yf we wyl receyue our syght, to confesse our blyndenes.
S. Iohn say the, Yf we confesse oure 2synnes, God is faythful & righteous to forgyue vs our synnes, & to make vs cleane from all our vnryghteousnes. If we saye, we haue not synned, ⟨image 32⟩we make hym a lyer, & his worde is not in vs. Dauid also saythe, I haue 3made my trespasse knowē vnto the, & myne vnrighteousnes haue I not hydden. I sayde, I wyll confesse my vnryghteousnes to the LORDE, and thou hast forgyuen the vngodlynes of my synne. This confession follow eth a true repētant & cōtryte herte. The Prophet Daniel confesseth his 4synne on thys manner, we haue synned, we haue done vnryghteousnes, we haue wrought wickedly, we haue gone awaye & declined from thy cō maundementes & iudgementes. Also Eldras, I and the house of my father 5haue synned, we were seduced wt vanite, & haue not kepte thy commaundementes. Lykewyse Dauid, 6whan the Prophet Nathan at yt com manndement of God, rebuked hym for his adultery & manslaughter, cō fessed his synne, & sayde, I haue synned vnto ye LORDE. Agayne, O God. ⟨image 33⟩I haue synned to the alone, & euel be fore the haue I done. The Publican 7also made his confession on this mā ner, O God be thou mercyfull to me a synner. This kynde of Confession ought euery christen man dayly and hourly to make vnto God, so ofte as he is broughte vnto the knoweledge of his synne.
Another kynde of Cōfession is to 8
- 1Luke. xviii
- 2[…]. Joan. i.〈…〉. Ioan. i.
- 3Psal. xxx•
- 4Daniel. ix,
- 5ii. Esd. i.
- 6ii. Reg. xii.
- 7Luke. xviii
- 8The confession of since to our neigh bour. Jacob. v.The confession of synnes to our neygh bour. Iacob. v.
- 9Math. v.
