S. Chrysostom of all others is most copious in this argument: some of whose passages to this purpose, I will here lay down. kIt is not necessary (saith he) that thou shouldest confess in the presence of witnesses: let the inquiry of thy offences be made in thy thought, let this judgement be without a witness; let God only see thee confessing. lTherefore I entreat and beseech and pray you, that you would continually make your confession to God. For I do not bring thee into the theatre of thy fellow servants, neither do I constrain thee to discover thy sins unto men: unclasp thy conscience before God, and show thy wounds unto him, and of him ask a medicine. Show them to him that will not reproach, but heal thee. For although thou hold thy peace, he knoweth all. mLet us not call our selves sinners only, but let us recount our sins, and repeat every one of them in special. I do not say unto thee, Bring thy self upon the stage, nor, Accuse thy self unto others: but I counsel thee to obey the Prophet, saying, ⟨p. 85⟩Reveal thy way unto the Lord. Confess them before God, confess thy sins before the Judge; praying, if not with thy tongue, yet at least with thy memory: and so look to obtain mercy. nBut thou art ashamed to say, that thou hast sinned. Confess thy faults then daily in thy prayer. For do I say; Confess them to thy fellow-servant, who may reproach thee therewith? Confess them to God, who healeth them. For, although thou confess them not at all, God is not ignorant of them. oWherefore then, tell me, art thou ashamed & blushest to confess thy sins? For doest thou discover them to a man, that he may reproach thee? Doest thou confess them to thy fellow servant, that he may bring thee upon the stage? To him who is thy Lord, who hath care of thee, who is kind, who is thy physician, thou showest thy wound. pI constrain thee not, saith he, to go into the middest of the theatre, and to make many witnesses of the matter. Confess thy sin to me alone in private, that I may heal thy sore, and free thee from grief. qAnd this is not only wonderful, that he forgiveth us our sins, but that he neither discovereth them, nor maketh them open and manifest, nor constraineth us to come forth in public and disclose our misdemeanours; but commandeth us to give an account thereof unto him alone, and unto him to make confession of them.
S. Chrysostome of all others is most copious in this argument: some of whose passages to this purpose, I will here lay downe. kIt is not necessary (saith he) that thou shouldest confesse in the presence of witnesses: let the inquiry of thy offences bee made in thy thought, let this judgement be without a witnesse; let God onely see thee confessing. lTherefore I intreat and beseech and pray you, that you would continually make your confession to God. For I doe not bring thee into the theater of thy fellow servants, neyther doe I constraine thee to discover thy sinnes unto men: unclaspe thy conscience before God, and shew thy wounds unto him, and of him aske a medicine. Shew them to him that will not reproach, but heale thee. For although thou hold thy peace, he knoweth all. mLet us not call our selves sinners onely, but let us recount our sinnes, and repeate every one of them in speciall. I doe not say unto thee, Bring thy selfe upon the stage, nor, Accuse thy selfe unto others: but I counsaile thee to obey the Prophet, saying, ⟨p. 85⟩Reveale thy way unto the Lord. Confesse them before God, confesse thy sinnes before the Iudge; praying, if not with thy tongue, yet at least with thy memory: and so looke to obtayne mercy. nBut thou art ashamed to say, that thou hast sinned. Confesse thy faults then daily in thy prayer. For do I say; Confesse them to thy fellow-servant, who may reproach thee therewith? Confesse them to God, who healeth them. For, although thou confesse them not at all, God is not ignorant of them. oWherefore then, tell me, art thou ashamed & blushest to confesse thy sinnes? For doest thou discover them to a man, that he may reproach thee? Doest thou confesse them to thy fellow servant, that he may bring thee upon the stage? To him who is thy Lord, who hath care of thee, who is kinde, who is thy physitian, thou shewest thy wound. pI constraine thee not, saith he, to go into the middest of the theater, and to make many witnesses of the matter. Confesse thy sin to me alone in privat, that I may heale thy sore, and free thee from griefe. q
- kNunc autem neque necessarium praesentibus testibus confiteri: cogitation fiat delictorum exquisitio, absque teste sit hoc judicium. Solus te Deus confitentem videat. Chrysost. homil. de Poenitent. & Confession. tom. 5 edit. Latin. col. 901. edit. Basil. an. 1558.Nunc autem neque necessarium praesentibus testibus confiteri: cogitatione fiat delictorum exquisitio, absque teste sit hoc judicium. Solus te Deus confitentem videat. Chrysost. homil. de Poenitent. & Confession. tom. 5 edit. Latin. col. 901. edit. Basil. an. 1558.
- l[Greek or Hebrew]. Id. circa finem homiliae 5. [Greek or Hebrew], de incomprehensib. Dei natur. tom. 6. edit. Graec. D. Hen. Savil. pag. 424. & tom. 5. pag 262.263.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Id. circa finem homiliae 5. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, de incomprehensib. Dei natur. tom. 6. edit. Graec. D. Hen. Savil. pag. 424. & tom. 5. pag 262.263.
- m[Greek or Hebrew] Id. in epist. ad Hebr. cap 12. homil. 31. tom. 4. Savil. pag. 589.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Id. in epist. ad Hebr. cap 12. homil. 31. tom. 4. Savil. pag. 589.
- n[Greek or Hebrew]. Id. in Psalm. 50. hom. 2. tom. 1. Savil. pag. 708.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Id. in Psalm. 50. hom. 2. tom. 1. Savil. pag. 708.
- o[Greek or Hebrew]. Id. homil. 4. de Lazaro, tom. 5. Savil. pag. 258.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Id. homil. 4. de Lazaro, tom. 5. Savil. pag. 258.
- p[Greek or Hebrew]. Id ibid.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Id ibid.
