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I say not so. But do I say also, he shall be freed? No. What doest thou then say unto me? I know not: I presume not, I promise not, I know not. Wilt thou free thy self of the doubt? wilt thou escape that which is uncertain? Do thy penance while thou art in health. ⁱThe penance which is asked for by the infirm man, is infirm. The penance which is asked for only by him that is a dying, I fear lest it also dye.

I say not so. But doe I say also, he shall be freed? No. What doest thou then say unto mee? I know not: I presume not, I promise not, I know not. Wilt thou free thy selfe of the doubt? wilt thou escape that which is uncertaine? Doe thy penance while thou art in health. ⁱThe penance which is asked for by the infirme man, is infirme. The penance which is asked for onely by him that is a dying, I feare lest it also dye.

1. iPoenitentia quae ab infirmo petitur, infirma est. Poenitentia quae á moriente tantùm petitur, timeo ne ipsa moriatur. Augustin. serm. 57. de Tempore.

But with the matter of penance we have not here to deal: those formal absolutions and pardons of course, immediately granted upon the hearing of mens confessions, ⟨p. 159⟩is that which we charge the Romish Priests to have learned from the Audian heretics. ^kSome require penance to this end, that they might presently have the communion restored unto them: these men desire, not so much to loose themselves, as to bind the Priest; saith S. Ambrose. If this be true, that the Priest doth bind himself, by his hasty and unadvised loosing of others: the case is like to go hard with our Popish Priests, who ordinarily in bestowing their absolutions, use to make more hast then good speed. Wherein, with how little judgement they proceed, who thus take upon them the place of Judges in mens consciences, may sufficiently appear by this: that whereas the main ground, whereupon they would build the necessity of Auricular confession, and the particular enumeration of all known sins, is pretended to be this, that the ghostly Father having taken notice of the cause may judge righteous judgement, and discern who should be bound and who should be loosed, the matter yet is so carried in this court of theirs, that every man commonly goeth away with his absolution, and all sorts of people usually receive one and the self same judgement.