offers anew the Eucharist in the mysteries to God the Father Almighty.
Therefore the princes and cities are not censured for retaining one
common mass in the Church, provided they do this according to the sacred
canon, as observed by all Catholics. But in abrogating all other masses
they have done what the Christian profession does not allow. Nor
does any one censure the declaration that of old all who were present
communed. Would that all were so disposed as to be prepared to
partake of this bread worthily every day! But if they regard one mass
advantageous, how much more advantageous would be a number of masses, of
which they nevertheless have unjustly disapproved. When all these
things are properly considered we must ask them to altogether annul and
repudiate this new form of celebrating the mass that has been devised,
and has been already so frequently changed, and to resume the primitive
form for celebrating it according to the ancient rite and custom of the
churches of Germany and all Christendom, and to restore the abrogated
masses according to the ultimate will of their founders; whereby they
would gain advantage and honor for themselves and peace and tranquility
for all Germany.
IV. Of Confession.
As to confession, we must adhere to the reply and judgement given above
in Article XI. For the support which they claim from Chrysostom is
false, since they pervert to sacramental and sacerdotal confession what
he says concerning public confession, as his words clearly indicate when
in the beginning he says: "I do not tell thee to disclose thyself to the
public or to accuse thyself before others." Thus Gratian and thus Peter
Lombard replied three hundred years ago; and the explanation becomes
still more manifest from other passages of Chrysostom. For in his
twenty-ninth sermon he says of the penitent: "In his heart is
contrition, in his mouth confession, in his entire work humility. This
is perfect and fruitful repentance." Does not this most exactly display
the three parts of repentance? So in his tenth homily on Matthew,
Chrysostom teaches of a fixed time for confession, and that after
the wounds of crimes have been opened they should be healed, penance
intervening. But how will crimes lie open if they are not disclosed to
the priest by confession? Thus in several passages Chrysostom himself
refutes this opinion, which Jerome also overthrows, saying: "If
the serpent the devil have secretly bitten any one, and without the
knowledge f another have infected him with the poison of sin, if he who
has been struck be silent and do not repent, and be unwilling to confess
his wound to his brother and instructor, the instructor, who has a
tongue wherewith to cure him, will not readily be able to profit him.
For if the sick man be ashamed to confess to the physician, the medicine
is not adapted to that of which he is ignorant." Let the princes and
cities, therefore, believe these authors rather than a single gloss upon
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account