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Our Saviour therefore must still have the privilege reserved unto him, of being the absolute Lord over his own house: it is sufficient for his officers, that they be esteemed as Moses was, ^ofaithful in all his house as servants. The place wherein they serve, is a Stewards place: and the Apostle telleth them, ^pthat it is required in Stewards, that the man be found faithful. They may not therefore carry themselves in their office, as the ^qunjust steward did, and presume to strike out their Masters debt without his direction, and contrary to his liking. Now we know that our Lord hath given no authority unto his stewards, to grant an acquittance unto any of his debtors, that bring not unfeigned faith and repentance with them. ^rNeither Angel nor Archangel can, neither yet the Lord himself, (who alone can say; I am with you) when we have sinned, doth release us, unless we bring repentance with us: saith S. Ambrose. and Eligius Bishop of Noyon, in his Sermon unto the Penitents: ^sBefore all things it is necessary you should know, that howsoever you desire to receive the imposition of our hands; yet you cannot obtain the absolution of your sins, before the divine piety shall vouchsafe to absolve you by the grace of compunction. To think therefore that it lieth in the power of any Priest truly to ⟨p. 144⟩absolve a man from his sins, without implying the condition of his believing and repenting as he ought to do; is both presumption and madness in the highest degree. Neither dareth Cardinal Bellarmine, who censureth this conditional absolution in us for idle and superfluous, when he hath considered better of the matter, assume unto himself, or communicate unto his brethren, the power of giving an absolute one. For he is driven to confess with other of his fellows, that when the Priest ^tsaith, I absolve thee, he doth not affirm that he doth absolve absolutely; as not being ignorant, that it may many ways come to pass that he doth not absolve, although he pronounce those words: namely if he who seemeth to receive this Sacrament (for so they call it) peradventure hath no intention to receive it, or is not rightly disposed, or putteth some block in the way.