A09461:58
A salve for a sick man. or, A treatiseA salve for a sicke man. or, A treatise
A salve for a sick man. or, A treatise containing the nature, differences, and kinds of death as also the right manner of dying well. And it may serve for spiritual instruction to 1. Mariners when they go to sea. 2. Soldiers when they go to battle. 3. Women when they travel of child.A salve for a sicke man. or, A treatise containing the nature, differences, and kindes of death as also the right manner of dying well. And it may serue for spirituall instruction to 1. Mariners when they goe to sea. 2. Souldiers when they goe to battell. 3. Women when they trauell of child.
London: printed by John Legat, 1611London: printed by Iohn Legat, 1611
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sacramental confession, they term a rehearsal or enumeration of all mans sins to a priest, that he may receive absolution. But against this kind of confession, sundry reasons may be alleged. First of all, it hath no warrant either by commandment or example in the whole word of God. They say yes: and they endeavour to prove it thus: He which lies in any mortal sin, is by Gods law bound to do penance and to seek reconciliation with God: now the necessary means after baptism to obtain reconciliation, is confession of all our sins to a priest, ⟨p. 86⟩Because Christ hath appointed Priests to be judges upon earth, with such measure of authority, that no man falling after baptism can without their sentence and determination be reconciled; and they can not rightly judge, unless they know all a mans sins: therefore all that fall after baptism are bound by Gods word to open all their sins to the priest. Ans. It is false which they say that priests are judges, having power to examine and take knowledge of mens sins, and jurisdiction whereby they can properly absolve & pardon or retain them. For Gods word hath given no more to man, but a ministry of reconciliation, whereby in the name of God, and according to his word, he doth preach, declare, and pronounce, that God ⟨p. 87⟩doth pardon or not pardon his sins. Again, pardon may truly be pronounced, & right judgement of the estate of any man, without a particular rehearsal of all his sins. For he which soundly & truly repents of one or some few sins, repents of all. Secondly, this confession is overturned by the practise of the Prophets & Apostles, who not only absolved particular persons, but also whole Churches without exaction of an auricular confession. When Nathan the Prophet had rebuked David for his two great & horrible crimes, David touched with remorse said, I have sinned, 1& Nathan presently without further examination declared unto him in the name of God that his sins were forgiven him. Thirdly, it can not be proved by any ⟨p. 88⟩good & sufficient proofs, that this confession was used in the Church of God till after five or six hundred years were expired. For the confession which was then in use, was either public before the Church, or the opening of a public fault to some private person in secret.