T. p. 251. ation, and to proclaim the dreadful Doom of Impenitency aforefaid. And therefore all that a Prieft can do with a Sinner, whether he comes to him for Counfel and Information, or for Comfort and Confolation, confeffing and bewailing his vile inclinations, Infirmities and Failings under Temptations, I fay that in thefe and all other Cafes of private Conference, the Prieft's Office and Power is only to Preach and to Pray for him. To affure him of all Chrift's Promifes and Threatnings, and more fully and plainly to teach him the fame Doctrine in private, as he hath done and daily ought to do in the Pulpit. If you Repent and Believe, according to your Faith and Repentance; (If you do neither, according to your Neglect and Unbelief,) fo be it unto you. This from the Mouth of a Prieft, who is lawfully fent, hath Authority with it, and must needs adminifter true Comfort on one fide, and Terror on the other, and must have it, and ought to have more weight then if it came from any Laic or common Chriftian; but as for his Abfolution, at moft it can be but thus Limited and Conditional, as fhall be more fully Difcourfed when I come to it; for they make it the Form, as they call it, of this pretended Sacrament. Chrift, as is above obfèrved, xagdioyvans, knew the Hearts of true Penitent believers, and therefore could pofitively and affuredly fay, thy Sins are forgiven thee; but what Pricft durft arrogate to himself that knowledge; therefore he must only Preach God's certain Promile upon the Conditions of the Gofpel to the Penitent, and leave the Effect to God and his Performance. The P. Lomb. 1. 4. Maiter of the Sentences is clear in this Point; Solus Deus demittit peccata, ond. 18. ad fin. Ly God remits Sins, faith he, and retains them, but he hath not granted this to Priests, to whom notwithstanding he hath given Power of Loofing and Ibid. §. non au- Binding, that is, of fhewing those Men who are Bound, and who are Loofed. What is this but laying before Men the Law of Chrift, fhewing who are Loofed and Bound, (Saved and Forgiven, and who are damn'd,) by the Terms of the Gofpel? This was found Doctrine in thofe days, but the next Generation thought that the Quaint Device of Auricular Confeffion, and the Pricfts neceffary Abfolution, would turn to much better account, and therefore in the many Editions of P. Lombard, which I have met withall, there is set in the Margin this Scarecrow, Gravis Magiftri lapfis, a grievous flip of the Mafter, and in a very fair, and, as I think, an Original MS. of him, (which I have by me) in a much later hand, is in the Margin likewife by fome knavifh Expurgator written, Agit tamen Ministerialiter, yet he acts Minifterially, endeavouring thereby to hook in their prefent Doctrine, it is, fay they, God indeed who Pardons and Abfolves, but it also neceffarily requires the outward abfolution of the Priest, as it is no Sacrament without it, and by confequence there is no perfect Remiffion or Forgiveness. §. nec ideo ta men. tem hoc in mitio. T. p. 252. Joh. 10. 9. c. 14. 6. The Catholick Church of Chrift, Militant here on Earth, and Triumphant in Heaven, makes up but one Sheepfold under one Shepherd; Chrift, that is, his Gospel, is the only Door (and the way) by which all his true Sheep must enter. The Revelation which was to be made by him, was that only Door, and all others who pretended to it befides himfelf, (who was the true Meffiah, the true Shiloh, the ò igxóμer, God's Ambajador, who was to come with this peculiar Commiffion,) and all that fhall yet attempt to enter any other way then by it, are Thieves and Robbers, are Cheats, Impoftors, and Seducers. This Door was and ftill is to be open'd, Ti Ts vs, upon Earth; what then can be more clearly fignified by the Key which opens it, then PreachMat. 4. 23. ing? Thus Chrift himself firft open'd it, Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom; and then left the very fame Key to his Apoftles and their Succeffors. The fame figurative Expreffion is often ufed and apply'd to Preaching in the Scripture; God thus open'd the Door of Faith unto the Gentiles by the Preaching of Paul and Barnabas; So a great Door and effectual was open'd to Paul Act. 14. 27. at Ephefus to let in Converts by his Preaching; So when at Troas he Preach2 Cor. 2. 12. ed Chrift's Gospel, a Door was open'd unto him in the Lord; and so all Preaching in general is called by him a Door of utterance, or of the word, 1 Cor. 16. 9. Col. 4. 3. to to speak the Mystery of Chrift. So Chrift, that is, his Gospel, is the way T. p. 252. that leadeth unto Life, as the way of the Lord is the Law of God. And thus the Priest is fent and authorized, nay, neceffitated to fhew it unto Men, 1 Cor. 9. 16. but cannot warrant them safe unless he knows that they are really in it and keep it. The Gospel is a Covenant between God and Man, and as we enter into it by Baptifm, fo we revive it, or (if I may with Reverence fo fay) we renew it as our Heavenly leafe or Spiritual tenure by the Eucharift; we must at that Holy time diligently fearch our Hearts, and fee if we have forfeited it by failing in any Condition required on our part; if fo, we must recover our felves by this one most gracious Claufe, by an humble and ferious acknowledging of it to God, and a hearty Repentance and amendment of Life; for which God hath folemnly there promifed Forgiveness on his part. June 29. August 15. Dec. 25. T. p. 253. In the Greek Church, befides their daily Administrations, there are four most folemn times fet a part for the Celebration of the Eucharist. 1. Eafter. 2. The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. 3. The Death of the Virgin Mary, which they call, xíμnos, her Sleeping; which the Latins have improved and call it her Affumption. 4. Chriftmals. All these four Feafts are usher'd in with a Fast of many Days. The longest and ftricteft is, as our Lent, before Eafter; at the beginning of which there are particularly appointed, by the Patriarchs, and Metropolites and Bifhops in their feveral Provinces and Diocefes, fome Grave and Reverend Perfons, (Men that have been bred up in their Monafteries to a strict and mortified Life) to go to their refpective Cities and Towns as they are order'd, to Advise, Direct and Affift all good People, who will go to them, for the encouraging and encreafing of their Devotion, and for the better management of their Lives and Converfations, that they may be worthy Communicants at the approaching Festival. A very Pious and laudable Institution! Such a Confeffion, or rather ferious Conference or Difcourfe as this with a Ghostly Father, or difcreet Minifter, is juftly obferved and commended by our own Church, as is abovefaid. But to think that the Greek Itinerary, (or thus Commiffion'd) Confeffors, do exact a particular Confeffion of every fingle mortal Sin, and of all its circumftances from their Devoto's, is a meer Jeft, it is a thing Impoffible. For the number of thefe Confeffors is nothing in comparifon to the Multitudes of thofe who muft needs prefs upon them; Their task would be infupportable if every one was obliged minutly to Confefs, much more if the Father were obliged to hear fuch a Confeffion. I remember once at Smyrna in the time of Lent, there were not above two or three for that City, and all the Villages and little Towns there for many Miles round about. There never were fo many at once in Galata, as I ever could learn, and yet what a number of Greek Villages are difperft in that corner upon the Bofphorus and the Black Sea; If all thefe numerous People, Men and Women of Age, (who never yet could take fuch a Journey or bear the Charge of it) came to them and made fuch particular confeffions of every one of their Sins, and each minute Circumstance of every particular one, forty Confeffors would have more work then they could difpatch in twice fourty days. I pofitively affirm that I (who lived at our Country Houle amongst thefe Villages, about twelve Miles from Conftantinople, many Months together for feveral Years) never heard that any of the Natives ever went to any of thefe Commiffion'd Confeffors upon this account. Thele very Latinized Greeks themfelves tell us, if Optódot.óμga. the, aλga, Simple, plain, Mean, Perfons, confefs and Communicate once p. 199. año. a year, efpecially in Lent, it is enough; whereas devout People may do it once a Month, or oftner. Thus I have known feveral devout Perfons at Galata, that had conftantly recourfe to them when they came; and many of the Rich and beft fort of Men, who for their credit and reputation fake did the fame; and therefore these always for their Honour, leave with the Confeffor fome proportionable Prefent; for which (let it be Silver, Gold, Plate or Jewels or the like) the Confeffor anfwers an account to the Monaftery when he returns. This makes T. p. 253. makes a Confeffor's Office not only venerable, but defirable too both to the Monaftery and to themfelves. God forbid I fhould fay that the Prelate who T. p. 254. Conftitutes him is concern'd in the prize, but I must fay, that it fometimes may look a little fufpicioufly. The Canon indeed forbids any Money to be given or taken as a Fee, (upon this account or for the Eucharift) but as a free Gift, or Offering, or act of Charity, it may be done unblameably on both fides. The number of thefe able and approved, commissioned Confeffors, as I have faid, is but fmall, which makes each Man's revenue (though precarious) the Greater. It would be well if there were ten thousand times more of fuch fitting Perfons found, who could and would afford to do this Duty Gratis. But where was there, or can be, ever fuch a publick Revenue fettled as might recompence their care and pains? Certainly they who thus Preach the Gospel, fhould live of the Gospel. I Cor. 9. 14. MS. part 2. p. 26, 27. Theoph. Alex. Balf. in Can. 2. 431. G. As for the common People, efpecially the poorer fort, you fhall now fee that not many of them ever come to trouble them. I have largely declared above, that in the Greek Church the Eucharift is dwindled, and in a manner quite changed, into a meer empty fhadow of the old primitive Inftitution. This 'Avridagov, Andithero, (as they pronounce it) which are the overplus pieces of the Bread or Loaves which are offer'd for the Sacrament, (cut into more or fewer, bigger or leffer parts, according to the number of those who they guess will receive it) is diftributed by the hand of the Patriach, or Bishop or Pricft (who that day attends or celebrate the Synaxis) to all of the Laity who come to receive it. This is not unlike the old, 'Eurovía, Holy Bread, which was fo diftributed to thofe who were prefcnt; and often carried to those that were abfent; When the Greeks first began that Practice, of taking out of the Loaf or Loaves the Saints Portions, the overplus of the Bread and Wine, that had been carried away and Eaten and Drank by the Priests, with Milk or Flesh or otherwife, as common Food. But this was thought too Prophane; and therefore afterwards it was distributed in the Church amongst the Clergy and other faithfull Chriftians that were prefent. I believe the overplus of the Wine is now the Prieft's Fee, who then adimnifters, for I do not remember that I ever faw that diftributed amongst them in the Church. Balfamon tells conc. Antioch. us how this overplus of the Bread at last came to be made the Andithero, and Beverig. T. 1. he there calls it the Eulogie or Benediction of the fanctified Fragment. I beAía - lieve in the uncertain Canons, annext to Bafil's Rules, where it is faid of any γιασμένος κλά- offender, γενέσθω ἀπευλογίας, as it properly fignifies, let him be deprived of this Baf. .T. 2. p. Eulogie, or Andithero or blessed Fragment, not of the general Benediction; and it is manifeftly taken in the last Canon there for this Eulogie, or holy Morfel, which may be fent about as the old Eulogia was. I remember 1 have feen one of thefe Fragments (which were divided for the Andit hero,) at the request of fome devout Woman or pious Perfon, brought in behalf of themselves or fome other Friend, and the Priest (who then Celebrates) taking it makes with it a cross over the Chalice at the Altar, after the Magarite are mixt in it with the Wine, and faith, παναγία θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δέλῳ σε Ν. Ν. Ο Allholy Mo ther of God help thy Servant, fuch a one. And this is called a and ↓„. Hypfoma an Hypfon; and is carried about them and ufed as an Amulet; as the folemn, avayla, Panagia, or Holy Bread is, which Travellers by Sea and Land have folemnly confecrated, to be carried with them as their fafeguard; That office is in Goar, where he also takes Notice of this very Hypfoma which is thus made at the Eucharist. I find it is often fet down in their prefent Canon, as Penence, to be fufpended from the Communion, but not from the Andithero, or from the Holy Fragment, or this Hypfoma; and fometimes to be fufpended from all thefe; and fometimes, instead of all, it is permitted to them only to drink the Holy Water which is made at the Epiphany; receiving it in a Spoon from the Deacon. Truly to me this Andithero feems all that is now left which looks like the old Eucharift amongst them. The, Megides, Saints Portion or Memorial, (which are taken out of the Bread before it is cut in σματα. 731. p. 868. §. in fin. MS. 69. b. 2. pieces for the Andithero) and the Crumbs which are likewife fcraped off from T. p. 254. it,) are altogether crumbled very fmall into the Chalice, and two or three of thefe Mites, (which they call, Magyagiray, Jewels) as I have faid, with a little Spoonful of the Wine and Water mixt with them in the Chalice, are given to the devout Receivers, Rich or Poor Laics, as the choiceft, (or rather as their fole) Communion. The Andithero is (as is faid) given to all Laics who will come and receive it, except to those who are Excommunicated or known to be most notorious wretches, and these dare not attempt or come near to take it. The Priests take the Eucharift diftinctly in both kinds, the Bread in a little part of Christ's, or the Saints Portions by it self; and in three little Sips of the Wine out of the Chalice before the reft of the Portions and Crumbs are mixt with it; But these precious Mites, thus mixt with fome drops of Wine in a Spoon, is all the Communion which the Laymen take; and these are but few, they being only fuch as devoutly or decently feek it and crave it. For there are Thousands who never receive it at all, thinking the Andithero alone fufficient without it; and as many others never receive it but, in extremis, upon their Death-Beds, when the Priest (who T. p. 255. generally, especially in the Country, is the Parfon of the Parish) carries fome old, pegides, Saints Portions, and Crumbs confecrated before, (which have been kept, as is very ufual, in a Bag a long time for that ufe,) and moistening them with a little fresh Wine (for they were dipt in confecrated Wine when they were first reserved) he Communicates the fick Perfon therewith. But as for Confeffion, it is not to be made to every ordinary Prieft, but only to fuch Confeffors (as is abovefaid,) who are chofen out of Monasteries, and are folemnly appointed and authorized to this Office by the Prelates, γράμματα ἐνταλτόgia, Letters Mandatory; whereof I have feen feveral Forms, and you have one in Goar; fo that a regular or fecular Priest, not thus qualified, durft p. 300. not attempt to take it. This is established by the old Canons, and from them Conc. Carth. c. I find it thus fer down in one of my Canonaria, εἰδέτις χωρὶς ἐνταλτηρία τῷ κατά 46. TOTOY ETIONÓTE, if any one without the Mandate of the Bishop of the place MS. part 1. p. fball dare to receive, noviour's Couonoyous, Spiritual Accounts and Confef fions, fuch a one fhall be Canonically punished, as ragabaτns, as a Tranfgreffor of the Divine Canons; because he hath not only deftroy'd himself, but all they alfo who have been Confeffed by him, are still unconfeffed, and whatever things he hath Bound are Loofed, are yet, adioglara, uncorrected. And again. Let all the, igas moraxoi, Priest-Monks, who take Confeffions, or part. 2. p. 30. Bind and Loofe know, that our Holy Fathers will not fuffer any Priefts to reconcile Penitents without the Archbishops Order. Balfamon indeed Refp. 19. faith, that a Bishop may, xaτa ngiow, according to his Judgment, give, tus Earogeas To dixa, this Right or Power, of receiving Confeffions to a Jecular Prieft, but this is to be done difcreetly, to fome choice or well approved Perfons only, and upon fome extraordinary occafions. 6, 7. & Can. 20. Give me leave here to make this Reflection. I have feveral MSS. by me concerning the qualifications and duty of such a Confeffor as the Prelate is to chuse out of the Monasteries; He must be Sober, Temperate, Humble, Virtuous, Canon. p. 19. in fhort, Tú àɣatis Tây tártar, one that is a good, or the best Exemplar amongst them, for Piety and Difcretion. The plain meaning of all this is, that a Confeffor's bufinefs is, εἰς τὸ διορθώσαθαι τις προσερχομένες εἰς ἀυτόν ἑτέροις ἀρετ Tv didáž, to direct, Advife, reprove, Inftruct and Inform, Reclaim, Comfort their Penitents, to pray for them, to pray with them, to teach them Prayers, Ejaculations, and (if they can read) to direct them to proper Leffons and Treatifes fuitable to their Conditions; and what is all this but Preaching ftill? Whereas if his chief business was only at laft to abfolve; every ordinary Pricft (according to the Latins) could do it as well as this grand Exemplar. But every Greek Priest hath not this Key of Difcretion to enable him to be a Confeffor; and not one of even these stated or commiffion'd Confeffors (as fhall be fhewn) pretend to the Popish Key of Abfolution, much less T. p. 255. dare any private Pricft do it; They pray to God indeed to loose or abfolve a Sinner, but never fay nor think that they do it themselves. And it is very Catech. Rom. remarkable what the Latins fay themfelves in this Point, fuch a Confeffor is to 5.57 alias. 49. be Chofen, Scientia, Eruditione, Prudentia præditus, quem vitæ Integritas, Do&rina & Judicium commendet, as is Wife, Learned, Difcreet, Unblamable, whereas according to them every common Prieft can abfolve; but we know very well that very very few, of these amongst them, are thus qualified to take Confeffions, and yet due Confeffion as well as Abfolution, are, with them, aT. p. 256. like necessary to this pretended Sacrament; as that without this, fo this without that is ineffectual. Where then will the Latins find a Confeffor amongst them fitting to confefs another Lombard, another Aquinas, or a Bellarmine, or a Baronius? Or what private Greck Prieft will attempt to confefs a Chryfoftom, or a Damafcene? And yet the Latins tell us that any ordinary Priest can abfolve any of thefe, or the very Patriarch or Pope himielf. How then, according to them, can the Greeks be faid to own this pretended Sacrament, without the Latin abfolution which is made the Form of it; or how can the Ignorant Latin Priests compleat it by their Abfolution, without Confession made before a duly qualified Confeffor? For my part I fhould rather think that these and the like learned Men, who most intimately know their own condition, are as better qualified, fo be fure more able, to confefs and abfolve themselves, then any Ignorant Pricft who knows nothing of the matter more then what they tell him; It is hard if the Pope, who, out of the Treasury of the Church, Sands Survey. Can forgive all Sinners, cannot without Auricular Confeffion be Abfolved himself, but as we are told, muft daily fall down on his knees to an ordinary Prieft. Moreover by Remitting and Retaining of Sins, in the Latin Ordination of a Pricft, must be meant only, this Preaching of the Gospel, that is, Faith and Repentance, as the only and infallible means of receiving Remission of Sins; and impenitency as the inevitable Retention of them; I fay, this only is there meant, or elfe no Latin Prieft hath any Orders or Authority given him Joh. 20. 23. to preach at all, when he is Ordain'd. And if by Retaining and Remitting Sins was meant Confeffion and Abfolution, Thomas, who then was abfent, had not this Authority given him at all; but he had it, to preach Remission and Retention, given him together with the reft. And Cajetan's opinion, that the Scholaftick Confeffion and Abfolution are no ways to be proved by this Text of St. John, was good and found Doctrine before the Counfel of Trent. And how can the Pricft retain the Sinner. He is retain'd, if obftinate, by God himself without the Pricft, his Preaching or Admonition only makes the Sin, unrepented of, the greater. So a Greek Priest, at his Ordination, hath neither authority to Preach nor to take Confeffions, much less to Abfolve; and therefore, when he is made a Confeffor, he hath plainly a new Order confer'd uphim, a Spiritual Power, Authority, and Degree, above what he had before; and by confequence this must be, (according to the Latins,) a Sacrament as well as that of Deacon or Priest; and if he had not Authority before (when he was made Pricft) to take Confeffions, he had none to Abfolve, which is a Confequence of it. But more of that by and by. m. p. 39. Mat. 28. 19. T. p. 257. I will now a little recount my Thoughts concerning the Greek Canons, and what I have found of the Manner or Office ufed by the Confeffors in managing their Penitents; Thefe may ferve as Preliminaries and bring us to a clearer understanding of the Greek Confeffions, and the Comparison of them with those of the prefent Latins. And first I obferve that there are two forts of Canons or Rules prefcribed in the Greek Church. Some purely relate to the Doctrines and Difcipline or Government of the Church. Others are defigned wholly to the promoting of a holy Life, and to the discountenancing and fuppreffing of all manner of Immorality, Wickednefs and Sin, and the Recovery and Amendment of fuch who have any ways offended either God or Man. Those are generally the Products of Synods and Councils; These for the most part were at first the Dictates and prefcriptions of pious and holy Prelates and Governors in |