The Institution of Christian Religion

Of the other sort of confession Christ speaketh in Matthew. If thou offer thy gift at the altar,¹ & there rememberest that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leave thy gift there, & go, & first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come & offer thy gift. For so charity that hath been impaired by our fault, is to be repaired by acknowledging & craving pardon of the offence that we have committed. Under this kind is contained their confession that have sinned even to the offending of the whole church. For if Christ maketh so great a matter of the private offence of one man, to forbid from holy mysteries all them that have sinned against their brother, till they be with just amends reconciled: how much greater reason is it, that he that hath offended the church with any evil exam ple, should recover the favour of the church with acknowledging his fault?² So was the Corinthian received again to the communion, when he had yielded him self obedient to correction. Also this form of confession was used in the old church, as Cyprian maketh mention. They do penance (saith he) in due time, & then they come to confession, and by laying on of the hands of the bishop & the Clergy, they receive leave to come to the communion. Any other order or form of confessing, the scripture utterly knoweth not, & it is not our duty to bind consciences with new bonds, whom Christ most sharply forbiddeth us to bring in bondage. In the mean time I do so much not speak against it that the sheep should present them selves to their shepherd, when they mean to be partakers of the holy supper, that I would most gladly have it every where observed. For both they that have an encumbered conscience, may from thence receive singular profit, & they that are to be admonished do by that mean prepare place for admonishment, but so alway that tyranny and superstition be away.

Of the other sorte of confession Christ speaketh in Mathew. If thou offer thy gift at the altar,¹ & there remēbrest that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leaue thy gift there, & go, & first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come & offer thy gift. For so charitie that hath bene appeired by our fault, is to be repaired by acknowleging & crauing pardō of the offence that we haue cōmitted. Under this kinde is cōteined their confession that haue sinned euen to the offending of the whole church. For if Christ maketh so great a matter of the priuate offence of one mā, to forbid from holy misteries all them that haue sinned against their brother, till they be with iust amendes reconciled: howe muche greater reason is it, that he that hath offended the churche with any euill exā ple, should recouer the fauour of the churche with acknowledging his fault?