"I never confess," said Hugh quietly. The impression made upon Bertram's feelings by this statement was very much that which would be left on ours, if we heard a man with a high reputation for piety calmly remark that he never prayed. "Never confess!" he repeated in astonished tones. "Not to men. I confess unto God only." "But how canst, other than by the priest?" "What hardship, trow? Can I not speak save by the priest?" "But thou canst receive no absolving!" "No can I? Ay verily, friend, I can!" "But--" Bertram stopped, with a puzzled look. "Come, out with all thy _buts_," said Hugh, smilingly. "Why, methinks--and holy Church saith it--that this is God's means whereby men shall approach unto Him: nor hath He given unto us other." "Holy Church saith it? Ay so. But where saith God such a thing?" Bertram was by no means ignorant of Wycliffe's Bible, and he searched his memory for authority or precedent. "Well, thou wist that the man which had leprosy was bidden to show him unto the priest, the which was to declare if his malady were true leprosy or no." "The priest being therein an emblem or mystery of Christ, which is true Healer of the malady of sin." "Ah!" said Bertram triumphantly, "but lo' thou, when our Lord Himself did heal one that had leprosy, what quoth He? `Show thyself to the priest,' saith He: not, `I am the true Priest, and therefore thou mayest slack to show thee to yon other priest, which is but the emblem of Me.'" "Because," replied Hugh, "He did fulfil the law, and made it honourable. Therefore saith He, `Show thyself to the priest.' The law held good until He should have fulfilled the same." "But mind thou," urged Bertram eagerly, "it was but the lither [wicked, abandoned] Pharisees which did speak like unto thee. What said they save the very thing thou wouldst fain utter--to wit, `Who may forgyve synnes but God aloone?' And alway our Lord did snyb and rebuke these ill fawtors." "Friend, countest thou that the Jew which had leprosy, and betook him unto the high priest, did meet with contakes because he went not likewise unto one of the lesser? Either this confession unto the priest is to be used with, or without, the confession unto God. If to be used without, what is this but saying the priest to be God? And if to be used with, what but saying that God is not sufficient, and the High Priest may not act without the lesser priest do aid Him?" "But what sayest touching the Pharisees?" repeated Bertram, who was not able to answer Hugh's argument, and considered his own unanswerable.