The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

Answ. 1. To the last, I say, to the railing Devil of this age, no more but, The Lord Rebuke thee. If any Minister have wicked ends, let the God of heaven convert▪ him, or root him out of his Church, and cast him among the weeds and briers. But is it not the known voice of Sensuality and Hell, to cast reproaches upon the way and ordinances of God? who knoweth not that it is the very Office of the Ministry, to be Teachers and Guides to men in matters of salvation? and ⟨p. 515⟩Overseers of them? and that they watch for their souls, as those that must give an account? and the people therefore bound to obey them? Heb. 13.7, 17. should not the shepherd know his sheep, and their strayings and diseases? How else shall he cure them? should not the Physician hear the Patient open all his disease, yea study to discover to the utmost every thing he knows; and all little enough to the cure? A disease unknown is unlike to be cured: and a disease well known is half cured. Mr. Tho. Hooker saith truly, It is with many people as with some overmodest Patients, who having a disease in some secret place, they will not for shame reveal it to the Physician, till it be past cure, and then they must lose their lives by their modesty: So do many by their secret and more disgraceful sins. Not that every man is bound to open all his sins to his Pastor: but those that cannot well be otherwise cured, he must: either if the sense of the guilt cannot be removed, and true Assurance of pardon obtained: or else, if power against the sin be not otherwise obtained, but that it still prevaileth: In both these cases we must go to those that God hath made our Directors and Guides: I am confident many a thousand souls do long strive against Anger, Lust, Flesh-pleasing. Worldliness▪ and Trouble ⟨p. 516⟩of Conscience to little purpose, who if they would but have taken Gods way, and sought out for help, and opened all their case to their Minister, they might have been delivered in a good measure long ago. 2. And for Popish confession, I detest it: We would not persuade men that there is a necessity of confessing every sin to a Minister before it can be pardoned. Nor do we do it in a perplexed formality only at one time of the year: nor in order to Popish pardons, or Satisfactions: But we would have men go for Physic to their souls, as they do for their bodies; when they feel they have need;