1Secondarily, this private confession is very needful for counsel, specially for such persons, whose consciences are encumbered with scrupulous superstition of meats, vows, or with perplexed doubts in causes of matrimony, of restitution of wrong gotten or withholden goods, of reconciliation, and such other: Or else, if they before assaulted with divers temptations of their ghostly enemy the devil, & know no remedies how to avoid them. In all these and such like doubtful cases, whom ought they rather to go unto and ask counsel, then of the herdsman of their souls? In worldly affairs & businesses which way a man may defend his right title of inheritance, & how he may overthrow his adversary that would do him wrong, men will spare for no ⟨p. 77⟩labour nor cost, but will retain of their counsel the best learned men of law that they can get: Much more in spiritual matters for the souls health ought every true christian to seek for the best learned & discretest ministers of God's word, to satisfy their consciences in doubtful causes, & to show them apt remedies for the avoiding of their sundry temptations of their ghostly enemy the devil. For if he be a good spiritual physician, he will minister unto the patient a convenient medicine for the healing of his spiritual sickness & disease. And the patients duty (if he will recover his health) is no less than thankfully & obediently to embrace and receive the wholesome counsel of his spiritual physician. For the wise man sayeth:2 He that is wise will be counselled. Wham John the Baptist preached in the desert, the people came unto him from Jerusalem, & all the regions round about Jordan, & were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their since. And the publicans cam also to be baptised,3 & said unto him: Master, what shall we do? Lo here the publicans, which were very extortioners & bribers, ere the preaching ⟨p. 78⟩of John the baptist came unto repentance, & calling him master asked him counsel how they should order their lives. Than he like a discrete ghostly father said unto them thus: Require no more than is appointed you As though he should say: for as much as heretofore you have ben extortioners & very caterpillars & bribers, & have taken more of the poor people for task, tribute & custom then you ought to have done:
1Secondarely, thys priuate confessiū is very nedfull for counsel, specially for suche persones, whose consciences are accumbred wyth scrupulouse supersticiō of meates, vowes, or with perpleexd doutes in causes of matrimonye, of restitutiō of wronge gottē or wytholden goodes, of reconciliacion, and suche other: Or els, yf they before assaulted wyth dyuers temptacions of theyr gostly enemye the deuel, & know no remedies how to auoyde them. In al these and suche lyke doutful cases, whome oughte they rather to go vnto and aske counsell, then of the heardman of theyr soules? In worldly affayres & busynesses which waye a man maye defende his ryght tytle of enheritaūce, & how he may ouerthrowe his aduersarye that wolde do hym wronge, mē wyl spare for no ⟨p. 77⟩laboure nor cost, but wyll retayne of theyr coūsel ye best learned mē of lawe that they can get: Muche more in spiritual matters for the soules healthe ought euery true christian to seke for the best learned & discretest ministers of goddes worde, to satisfye their consciences in doutful causes, & to shewe them apt remedies for the auoidinge of their sundrie temptacions of their gostly enemie the deuel. For yf he be a good spiritual phisicion, he wyl minister vnto the patient a conuenient medicine for the healyng of his spiritual sycknesse & disease. And the patientes dutie (yf he wyll recouer hys health) is no lesse than thākfully & obediently to embrace and receyue the wholsome coūsel of his spiritual phisicion. For the wyse mā sayeth:2 He that is wyse wyl be coūselled. Whā Iohn the Baptist preached in the disert, the people came vnto hym frō Ierusalē, & al the regions roūd about Iordan, & were baptised of hym in Iordan, confessing their synnes. And the puplicanes cam also to be baptised,3 & sayd vnto him: Master, what shal we do? Loo here the publicanes, which were very extorcioners & brybers, ar ye preachīg ⟨p. 78⟩of Iohn the baptist came vnto repentaunce, & callyng hym maister asked him counsel howe they shulde order their lyues. Than he lyke a discrete gostly father said vnto them thus: Require no more than is appointed you As though he shulde say: for as much as heretofore you haue ben extorcioners & very caterpillers & brybers, & haue taken more of the poore people for taske, tribute & custome then you ought to haue done:
- 1For counselFor coūsel
- 2Pro. 12. Mat. 3.
- 3Luc. 3.
