Yea, in the days of Thomas Aquinas there arose a learned man among the Papists themselves, who found fault with that indicative form of absolution then used by the Priest, I absolve thee from all thy sins, and would have it delivered by way of deprecation. alleging, that this was not only the opinion of Gulielmus Altisiodorensis, Gulielmus Parisiensis, and Hugo Cardinalis; but also that lthirty years were scarce passed, since all did use this form only, Absolutionem & remissionem tribuat tibi omnipotens Deus, Almightie God give unto thee absolution and forgiveness. What Thomas doth answer hereunto, may be seen in his little treatise of the form of absolution, which upon this occasion he wrote unto the General of his order. This only will I add, that aswell in the ancient Rituals and in the new mPontifical of the Church of Rome, as in the present practise of the Greek Church, I find the absolution expressed in the third person, as attributed wholly to God, and not in the first, as if it came from the Priest himself. One ancient form of nAbsolution used among the Latins, was this. Almighty God be merciful unto thee, and forgive thee all thy sins, past, present, and to come, visible and invisible, which thou hast ⟨p. 124⟩committed before him and his Saints, which thou hast confessed or by some negligence or forgetfulness or evil vvill hast concealed: God deliver thee from all evil, here and hereafter, preserve and confirm thee always in every good work; and Christ the son of the living God bring thee unto the life which remaineth without end: And so among the Grecians: owhatsoever sins the penitent for forgetfulness or shamefastness doth leave unconfessed, we pray the merciful and most pitiful God that those also may be pardoned unto him, and we are persuaded that he shall receive pardon of them from God; saith Jeremiah the late Patriarch of Constantinople. Where by the way you may observe, no such necessity to be here held of confessing every known sin unto a Priest, that if either for shame or for some other respect the penitent do not make an entire confession, but conceal somewhat from the notice of his ghostly father; his confession should thereby be made void, and he excluded from all hope of forgiveness.
Yea, in the dayes of Thomas Aquinas there arose a learned man among the Papists themselves, who found fault with that indicative forme of absolution then used by the Priest, I absolve thee from all thy sinnes, and would have it delivered by way of deprecation. alledging, that this was not onely the opinion of Gulielmus Altisiodorensis, Gulielmus Parisiensis, and Hugo Cardinalis; but also that lthirtie yeares were scarce passed, since all did use this forme onely, Absolutionem & remissionem tribuat tibi omnipotens Deus, Almightie God give unto thee absolution and forgivenesse. What Thomas doth answer hereunto, may be seene in his little treatise of the forme of absolution, which upon this occasion he wrote unto the Generall of his order. This onely will I adde, that aswell in the ancient Ritualls and in the new mPontificall of the Church of Rome, as in the present practise of the Greek Church, I finde the absolution expressed in the third person, as attributed wholly to God, and not in the first, as if it came from the Priest himselfe. One ancient forme of nAbsolution used among the Latins, was this. Almighty God be mercifull unto thee, and forgive thee all thy sinnes, past, present, and to come, visible and invisible, which thou hast ⟨p. 124⟩committed before him and his Saints, which thou hast confessed or by some negligence or forgetfulnesse or evill vvill hast concealed: God deliver thee from all evill, here and hereafter, preserve and confirme thee alwayes in everie good worke; and Christ the sonne of the living God bring thee unto the life which remayneth without end: And so among the Grecians: owhatsoever sinnes the penitent for forgetfulnes or shamefastnesse doth leave unconfessed, we pray the mercifull and most pitifull God that those also may be pardoned unto him, and we are perswaded that hee shall receive pardon of them from God; saith Ieremy the late Patriarch of Constantinople. Where by the way you may observe, no such necessitie to be here held of confessing everie knowne sinne unto a Priest, that if either for shame or for some other respect the penitent doe not make an intire confession, but conceale somewhat from the notice of his ghostly father; his confession should thereby be made voyde, and hee excluded from all hope of forgivenesse.
- lAddit etiam objiciendo, quòd vix 30. anni sunt, quòd omnes hâc solâ formâ utebantur; Absolutionem & remissionem &c. Thom. Opusc. 22. cap. 5.
- mPontifical Roman. edit. Rom an. 1615. pag. 567.568.Pontificale Roman. edit. Rom an. 1615. pag. 567.568.
- nAbsolutio Criminum. Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, & dimittat tibi omnia peccata tua, praeterita, praesentia & futura, quae commisisti coram eo & sanctis ejus, quae confessus es, vel per aliquam negligentiam seu oblivionem vel malevolentiam abscondisti: liberet te Deus ab omni malo, hîc & in futuro, conservet & confirmet te semper in omni opere bono: & perducat te Christus filius Dei vivi ad vitam sine fine manentem. Confitentium Ceremoniae antiqu. edit. Colon. an. 1530.
- o[Greek or Hebrew]. Jerem. Patriarch. C. P. respons. 1. ad Tubingenses, cap. 11.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Ierem. Patriarch. C. P. respons. 1. ad Tubingenses, cap. 11.
