SECTION VII.

Of Picturing God the Father, and the Holy Trinity

PAGE

168

LETTERS.

LETTER I.

To a Gentlewoman seduced to the Church of Rome

183

LETTER II.

To a Person newly converted to the Church of England

Three Letters written to a Gentleman that was tempted to the Com-

munion of the Romish Church

ΧΡΙΣΙΣ ΤΕΛΕΙΩΤΙΚΗ.

A DISCOURSE OF CONFIRMATION.

The Epistle Dedicatory

The Introduction

SECTION I.

Of the Divine Original, Warranty, and Institution, of the holy Ritc

of Confirmation

SECTION II.

233

The Rite of Confirmation is a perpetual and never-ceasing Ministry 252

SECTION III.

The holy Rite of Imposition of Hands for the giving the Holy Spirit,

or Confirmation, was actually continued and practised by all the

succeeding Ages of the purest and primitive Church

SECTION IV.

258

The Bishops were always and the only Ministers of Confirmation . 265

SECTION V.

The whole Procedure or Ritual of Confirmation is by Prayer and

Imposition of Hands

274

SECTION VI.

Many great Graces and Blessings are consequent to the worthy

Reception and due Ministry of Confirmation

278

SECTION VII.

PAGE

Of Preparation to Confirmation, and the Circumstances of receiving it 287

A DISCOURSE OF THE NATURE, OFFICES, AND

MEASURES OF FRIENDSHIP, &c.

299

DUCTOR DUBITANTIUM; OR, THE RULE OF

CONSCIENCE.

Preface

345

BOOK I.

OF CONSCIENCE, THE KINDS OF IT, AND THE GENERAL

RULES OF CONDUCTING THEM.

CHAP I.

THE RULE of conSCIENCE IN GENERAL.

RULE I.

Conscience is the Mind of a man, governed by a Rule, and measured

by the Proportions of Good and Evil, in order to Practice ; viz. to

Conduct all our Relations, and all our Intercourse, between God,

our Neighbours, and ourselves: that is, in all moral Actions

RULE II.

The Duty and Offices of Conscience are to dictate, and to testify or

bear witness; to accuse or excuse; to loose or bind

RULE III.

Be careful that Prejudice or Passion, Fancy and Affection, Error or

Illusion, be not mistaken for Conscience

369

385

410

RULE IV.

The Conscience of a vicious Man is an evil Judge, and an imperfect

Rule

416

RULE V.

All Consciences are to walk by the same Rule; and that which is

just to one, is so to all, in the like circumstances

RULE VI.

PAGE

In Conscience, that which is first, is truest, easiest, and most useful. 421

RULE VII.

Conscience by its several Habitudes and Relations or Tendencies

towards its proper Object, is divided into several Kinds

423

CHAP II.

OF THE RIGHT OF SURE CONSCIENCE.

RULE I.

A right Conscience is that which guides our Actions by right and

proportioned Means, to a right End

RULE II.

In a right Conscience, the practical Judgment, that is, the last

Determination to an Action, ought to be sure and evident.

RULE III.

427

428

The practical Judgment of a right Conscience is always agreeable to

the speculative Determination of the Understanding

430

RULE IV.

A Judgment of Nature, or Inclination, is not sufficient to make a

sure Conscience

465

RULE V.

When two Motives concur to the determination of an Action, whereof

one is virtuous, and the other secular, a right Conscience is not

prejudiced by that Mixture

RULE VI.

An Argument not sufficient nor competent, though it do persuade us

to a Thing in itself good, is not the Ground of a Right, nor a

sufficient Warrant for a sure Conscience

468

481

RULE VII.

A Conscience determined by the Counsel of wise Men, even against

its own Inclinations, may be sure or right

493

RULE VIII.

He that sins against a right and sure Conscience, whatever the

Instance be, commits a great Sin, but not a double one

493

RULE IX.

The Goodness of an Object is not made by Conscience, but is

accepted, declared, and published, by it, and made personally

obligatory

515

DISSUASIVE FROM POPERY,

&c.

PART II.

SECTION X.-Of the Seal of Confession.

1. I FIRST instance in their seal of confession; and the question is not, whether a priest is to take care of his penitent's fame, or whether he be not, in all prudent and pious ways, to be careful, lest he make that intercourse odious; for certainly he is but whether the seal of confession be so sacred and impregnable, that it is not to be opened in the imminent danger of a king, or kingdom; or for the doing the greatest good, or avoiding the greatest evil, in the world: that is now the question, and such a broad seal as this, is no part of the Christian religion,—was never spoken of by the prophets or apostles, in the Old or the New Testament,-never was so much as mentioned in the books of the ancient fathers and doctors, not so much as named in the ancient councils of the church; and was not heard of, until after the time of Pope Gregory the Seventh. Now how this is determined and practised in the church of Rome, we may quickly see. The first direct rule in the western church we find in this affair, is the canon of the Lateran council; "cap. Omnis Utriusque*;" in which to confess at Easter was made an ecclesiastical law; and, as an appendix to it, this caution; "Caveat autem omninò, ne verbo, aut signo, aut alio quovis modo, aliquatenus prodat peccatorem: sed, si prudentiore consilio indiguerit, illud, absque ullâ expressione personæ, requirat." This law

VOL. XI.

a Decretal. de Pœnitentiis et Remissionibus.

B

concerning them that do confess their secret sins to a priest,
in order to counsel, comfort, and pardon from God by his
ministry, is very prudent and pious; and it relates only to
the person, not to the crimes: these may, upon the account
of any doubt, or the advantage of better counsel and in-
struction, be revealed; the person, upon such accounts, may
not, "nisi veritas aut obedientia aliud exigat," as St. Bona-
ventureb said well; "unless truth or obedience require the
contrary:" for indeed the person is not often so material as
to the inquiry of future counsel or present judgment, as the
greatness, and other circumstances of the sin. But this was
an ancient ecclesiastical rule, as we find it related by Sozo-
men: "Presbyterum aliquem vitæ integritate quam max-
imè spectabilem, secretorum etiam tenacem, ac sapientem,
huic officio præfecerunt;" "A penitentiary priest was ap-
pointed for the penitents, a man that was of good life, wise,
and secret." So far was well, and agreeable to common
prudence, and natural reason, and the words of Solomon":
"Qui ambulat fraudulenter, revelat arcanum; qui autem
fidelis est, celat amici commissum." There is, in this case,
some more reason than in ordinary secrets; but still the ob-
ligation is the same, and to be governed by prudence, and is
subject to contradiction, by greater causes. The same also
is the law in the Greek church, mentioned by St. Basil:
"Our fathers permitted not, that women, that had committed
adultery, and were penitent, should be delated in public."
This is the whole ground and foundation, on which the seal
of confession does, or can rely; save only, that, in several
churches, there were several laws in after-ages to the same
purpose, and particularly, in the eleventh canon of the
church of England; adding also the penalty of irregularity,
to every priest that shall reveal any thing committed to him
in private confession, but with this proviso; that it be not
binding, in such cases where the concealment is made ca-
pital, by the laws of the kingdom: which because it is very
strict, and yet very prudent, I shall make it appear, that
the church of England walks wisely in it, and according to
the precedents of the ancient catholic church, in command-
c Lib. 7. cap. 16. Hist. Eccles.
e Epist. ad Amphilochium.

b In 3. dist. 21.

d Prov. xi. 13.

1 Τὰς μοιχευθείσας γυναῖκας καὶ ἐξαγορευσάσας δι ̓ εὐλάβειαν δημοσιεύειν οὐκ ἐκέλευσαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμων· Α. D. 1603.