Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of Penance · Book III: On Confession
Chapter 9: Testimonies of the Fathers from the Year 400 to 500
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramento Poenitentiae, Book III, the fourth general controversy on the sacraments. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
In the fourth century we have Saint John Chrysostom, whom it is sufficiently agreed to have flourished at the beginning of the fourth century after the apostles. He in homily 30 on Genesis mentions the confession which ought to be made in Holy Week before the feast of Easter, which we noted above that Gregory of Nyssa also mentioned: “Because,” he says, “by the grace of God we have come to this great week, now especially the course of fasting is to be intensified, and prayers are to be more continued, and a diligent and pure confession of sins is to be made.” So he, who, although he did not openly say that confession is to be made to a priest, yet in other places did not keep silence about it; to pass over that, since Chrysostom and Nyssen mention the same custom, and the latter has taught in express words that confession is to be made to a priest, it cannot be doubted that the former also thought this. The same Chrysostom, homily 33 on John, exhorts to the confession of hidden crimes; and since it is certain from many other places that Chrysostom did not approve public confession, it follows that he exhorted penitents to private confession: “In confessing,” he says, “the sins which we have committed, let us fear no one; let us dread God only, as is fitting, who both now sees our works, and then will condemn those who do not repent in the present.” And below: “You have committed some crime, or turned it over in your mind; you hide it from men, not from God, and you care nothing; you dread the eyes of men.” And below: “But I exhort you, most beloved, that even if no one sees our works, we each enter into our own conscience, and set up reason as judge for themselves, and bring their errors into the midst, unless they wish them to lie manifestly open to the whole world in that dreadful day; let the wounds now be healed; let the medicine of Penance be taken.” Further, that the confession of sins is to be made before a priest is gathered most openly from books 2 and 3 On the Priesthood; for in book 2 Chrysostom says thus: “Wherefore much art indeed is needed, that Christians who are sick may of their own accord persuade themselves that they ought to submit themselves to the cure of priests.” And a little after: “I indeed could recount very many who, it is agreed, were driven to extreme evils for no other reason than that a punishment worthy and equal to the sins committed was exacted of them. For neither ought one rashly to apply the penalty itself to the measure of the offences; but the mind of the offenders is to be explored, as it were by certain conjectures, lest it happen that, while you wish to sew up what is torn, you make the rent worse.” In which place Chrysostom teaches that in enjoining Penance the priest must take account not only of the gravity and multitude of the sins, but also of the weakness and feebleness of him who has sinned. But it is agreed that these things cannot be known except from the diligent and accurate confession of the offender; wherefore Chrysostom would have the confession of all sins, even the most hidden, which need cure no less than the manifest, to be made before priests. See also book 3 On the Priesthood.
Secondly, we have Saint Jerome, contemporary of Chrysostom. He in the commentary on chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes has these words: “If the serpent the devil has bitten someone secretly, and with no one privy has infected him with the poison of sin; if he who was struck has kept silence, and does not do penance, and does not wish to confess his wound to his brother and master, the master, who has a tongue for curing, will not easily be able to profit him. For if the sick man is ashamed to confess his wound to the physician, medicine does not cure what it does not know.” The same in the commentary on chapter 16 of Matthew: “We read,” he says, “in Leviticus of lepers, where they are commanded to show themselves to the priests, and if they have leprosy, then to be made unclean by the priest; not that the priests make them lepers and unclean, but that they may have knowledge of the leper, and be able to discern who is clean or who unclean. As therefore there the priest makes the leper clean or unclean, so here also the bishop and presbyter binds or looses; not those who are innocent or guilty, but according to his office, when he has heard the varieties of sins, he knows who is to be bound or who to be loosed.” So he. In which place Saint Jerome most openly teaches that the priest ought to hear the varieties of sins, and that according to his office; from which we understand that it is not enough if penitents confess in general, or manifest sins only, but that it is altogether necessary that they disclose all their sins one by one to the priests. Nor ought that comparison with the Levitical priests to move us, who did not truly cure leprosy, but declared it. For the likeness consists only in this, that as the Levitical priests could not cure lepers without their cooperation, by their own power alone, but only judged them to be lepers and segregated them from the company of the rest, so also Christian priests cannot by their own power alone justify sinners, unless they also cooperate through Penance and confession; yet if they cooperate, they plainly can. Wherefore the same Saint Jerome, when he had said, “According to his office, when he has heard the varieties of sins,” did not add, “He knows who is bound or who loosed,” but, “Who is to be bound, or who to be loosed.” For the priest, according to the power granted him by Christ, binds impenitent sinners, looses penitent ones, and does not only declare them bound or loosed. Wherefore Jerome does not fight with Chrysostom, who in book 3 On the Priesthood writes that the Levitical priests did not purge but declared bodily leprosy, whereas Christian priests do not declare but plainly purge spiritual leprosy. See the same Jerome in the commentary on chapter 2 of Jeremiah, and in the letter to Pammachius and Oceanus on the errors of Origen, where he teaches that confession is necessary, since the second plank after shipwreck is simply to confess one’s fault.
Thirdly, we have Saint Innocent I, pope, who in letter 1 to Decentius, bishop of Gubbio, chapter 7, speaks thus: “But of the weight of offences to be estimated it belongs to the priest to judge, so that he attend to the confession of the penitent, and to the weeping and tears of him who corrects himself, and then order him to be dismissed when he has seen a fitting satisfaction.” Fourthly, we have Saint Augustine, who in the book of fifty homilies, homily 12, teaches that the confession of sins is commanded by God: “Our God,” he says, “because he is loving and merciful, wills that we confess them in this world, lest we be confounded for them afterwards in the next.” The same also in the same work, homily 41, teaches that confession is to be made to a priest: “Not only,” he says, “after penance ought a man to keep himself from those vices, but also before penance, while he is sound; because if he shall have stood at the end of life, he does not know whether he will be able to receive penance itself, and to confess his sins to God and to the priest.” The same, in the tractate on Psalm 66, teaches that all sins are to be confessed: “Be sad,” he says, “before you confess; having confessed, exult; now you will be healed. The conscience of one not confessing had gathered corruption, the abscess had swollen, it tormented you, it did not let you rest; the physician applies the fomentations of words, and sometimes cuts, applies the healing iron in the rebuke of tribulation. Do you acknowledge the hand of the physician; confess; let all the corruption come out in confession and flow away. Now exult, now rejoice; what remains, do, and it will be healed.” Certainly all the corruption signifies all sins; and as from an abscess all the corruption is to be pressed out as diligently as possible, so in Augustine’s judgement all sins are to be opened in confession. The same Augustine also was present at the third Council of Carthage, and subscribed its canons with his fellow bishops; therefore he without doubt approved that canon 31 cited above. There is had also, in volume 4 of the works of Saint Augustine, the book On True and False Penance, which, although it does not seem to be Saint Augustine’s, yet cannot be denied to be of some ancient and approved writer, since Gratian and Peter Lombard have brought many testimonies from it into their books. In that book, then, chapter 10: “Let him who repents,” he says, “repent wholly, and show his grief by tears; let him present his life to God through the priest, let him forestall the judgement of God by confession. For the Lord commanded the cleansed to show their faces to the priests, teaching that sins are to be confessed by bodily presence, not to be made known by a messenger or by writing.” And below: “Wherefore let him who wishes to confess his sins that he may find grace seek a priest who knows how to bind and loose; lest, when he has been negligent about himself, he be neglected by him who mercifully admonishes him.” And chapter 11, of hidden sins: “If the sin,” he says, “is hidden, let it suffice to bring it to the knowledge of the priest.” And chapter 14, of the circumstances of sins: “Let him consider,” he says, “the quality of the crime, in place, in time, in perseverance, in the variety of the person, and by what temptation he did it, and in the manifold execution of the vice itself.” And a little after: “All that variety,” he says, “is to be confessed.”
Fifthly, we have Saint Leo, in letter 80 to the bishops of Campania, where, when he had forbidden secret sins to be recited publicly, he gave the reason, saying: “Since it suffices that the guilt of consciences be made known to priests alone by secret confession.” And a little below: “That confession suffices which is first offered to God, then also to the priest.” To this place Chemnitz answers, page 1007, and says that Saint Leo does not speak of the confession of all hidden sins, but only of the confession of those which, if they were published, could be struck by the constitutions of the laws, that is, of those which of old were subjected to public confession and penance. And Chemnitz proves this because Saint Leo, among other causes why he forbade the public confession of hidden sins, gave this also, that there was danger lest many be kept away from the remedies of Penance, while they either blush or fear to disclose their deeds to their enemies, by which they can be struck by the constitutions of the laws. But the refutation is ready. For Saint Leo gave not one but three causes why the public confession of hidden crimes was to be forbidden. One was, which Chemnitz alone noted, lest crimes be published which could be punished by the sanction of the laws, as murders, thefts, treasons and the like. The second, that since many blush to disclose their shameful deeds publicly, on account of that shame they would be kept away from the remedies of Penance if it were necessary for hidden shameful deeds to be published. And from this second cause it is manifest that Saint Leo did not speak of those crimes only which are punished by the severity of the laws. The third cause was, that it suffices that the guilt of consciences be made known to priests alone by secret confession; therefore penitents are not to be driven to public confession; which cause is surely general, and comprehends all sins. Then, no reason at all can be feigned why Saint Leo should wish those sins to be confessed which, if they were published, would be punished by the sanctions of the laws, and not others. For what Chemnitz says, that among the ancients those sins only had to be confessed of necessity which, if they had been public, would have pertained to public confession, has both been refuted above, and in this place helps Chemnitz nothing. For to public confession pertained public sins, not only those which were restrained by the constitutions of the laws, as adulteries, but also those which were committed with impunity, as fornications. Chemnitz, therefore, does not rightly prove that blessed Leo spoke only of those crimes which were forbidden by the public laws, on the ground that crimes of that kind were of old subjected to public confession; for, as we have already said, not those only, but many others besides, were subjected to public confession. We have besides another testimony of Saint Leo in letter 91 to Theodore, bishop of Forum Julii, where we read thus: “The manifold mercy of God so comes to the help of human lapses that not only through the grace of Baptism, but also through the medicine of Penance, the hope of eternal life is repaired; so that those who had violated the gift of regeneration, condemning themselves by their own judgement, may come to the remission of crimes; the safeguards of the divine goodness being so ordained that the indulgence of God cannot be obtained without the supplications of priests. For the Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, delivered this power to those set over the Church, that they should both give the doing of Penance to those confessing, and admit the same, purged by a saving satisfaction, to the communion of the sacraments through the door of reconciliation.” In this place Saint Leo most openly teaches that confession is necessary by divine law. For he writes that it has been ordained by God himself that the indulgence of God cannot be obtained without the ministry of priests; and then he adds that the ministry of priests by Christ’s institution consists in this, that they enjoin penance on those confessing, and admit the same to the communion of the sacraments through the door of reconciliation. And that Saint Leo speaks of secret confession, and of all sins, even hidden ones, is clear both from the preceding place, and also because priests could not enjoin a fitting doing of penance unless they accurately knew all the sins. Further, to this place Chemnitz could find no solution. Sixthly, we have Sozomen, who in book 7 of the History, chapter 16, speaks thus: “Since not to sin at all is of a nature more divine than the human, God commanded pardon to be given to penitents, although they had offended frequently; and for obtaining pardon it is necessary to confess sins.” Here you hear from a Greek both the divine law and the necessity of confession.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAIMTT IX.
Testimonia Palrum ab anno 400. ad 500,
Quarlo sacculo habomus s. .Toanncm chrysoslo-
nuim. quom salis consial ad iniliiim qoarii socculi
Ac de cnnfossiopo sinjiulnrum peccalorum, non posl apusiolos Iloruissc. Is in homil. 30. in Gonc-
;iulom ^enorali, Gro;,'(>rium Idqui, lcslaniur vorha
sequenlia. in quihus ducla simililudine a morbis,
i'l ineilicaiueniis, docol varias coralinnes adhibcn-
«las osse peccalonbus pro ipsurum poccaiuium va-
rielale. ?ion aulom possunt sacerdolcs varielalcm
pcccatorum coKnoscere. nisi pocniionles ipsi pec-
i-ala sua siniiillalim aperiani: Quemadmodum. in-
qnit. in corporali mcdcla ununi cst quidcminsli
sin, mcminil confessionis,quae in hebdomada san-
cla anle fcslum paschac ficri dcbel, cujus eliam
Grcgorium nyssenum meminisse stipra notavimus:
Quia, iiiquil.i/i magnain lianc hebdomadam pcr-
venimus. Dci gratia,nunc maximc eljejunii cur-
sus inlcndendus. et ma(jis continuandae sunt
j^rcccs. faciendaque diligens, et pura confessio
pcccatorum. Ilacc iHc, qui lameisi non aperle di-
tulum vicdicinae, sanare eum qui laborat, va- xcril, coiifessionem sacerdoli facicndam esse; la-
rium aulcm csl curalionis gcnus (pro morborum men in aliis locis id non tacuil: ul omillam, quod
outm varictatc. convcnicnlcr quoque wcdiciiia cum ejusdem consucludinis meminerinlClirysosto-
nc disciplina unicuique morbo applicatur).ita mus el Nyssenus; cl hic diserlis verbis docueril
cum muUa sit in mnrbo quoque aniinae af}ectio- sacerdoli confessionem esse faciendam, dubilari
num variclas.muUiformis quoque neccssario fu- non polesl, quin eliani ilii hoc senserit.
crii medica curalio. ad affeclionis ralionem mc- Idem Chrysoslomus homil. 33. in Joannem.hor
dicinam exercens. llaec ille
Exslnl olinm oralio ejusdem Greporii in mulie-
rem pcccalricom.ubi hacc haboniur verba de con-
fessione: Audaclcr ostende sacerdoii, quae sunl
taiur ad confessionem criminum occuUorum: ol
cum cerlum sil ex mullis aliis locis,Chrysoslomum
non probasse confessionem publicam, sequilur nl
ad confessioncm privatam horlalus sil poenilenles:
rcco7uiita. nnimi arcana, tamquam occuUavul- In peccatis, inquii. quac commisimus , confiten-
ncra mcdico rclegc: ipse et honoris ct valcludi
7i/s hiac rationcm hahebit. qiio iii loco eiiam oc-
oullornm ((inrossioncm fiiciendam esse docel.
Seplimo l)abcnius s. Pacianiim, qui in paraenesi
.Td Puonilcnliam. sic loquiiur: Vos primum appcl-
dis. neminem vereamur; Deum dumlaxat,ut de-
cet, formidemus qui cl nunc opera noslra videt,
et tunc quos in praescntia non poenitet, damna-
bit. El infra: Commisisli aliquod scelus, aut ani-
mo agitasli. homines caelas, non Dcum cl nihil
lo fralres, qui criminibus adnmsis Poenitentiam curas, oculos hominum formidas. El infra: Vos
rocusn(i.s. ro.s inquam. post impndentiam timi- aulem hortor dileciissimi, ul etsinemo operano-
dos. post pcccata vcrecundos. quipeccarc non c- stra videat, ut singuli suam conscicntiam. ingre-
rultcscilis conHleri. El infra: Kcce itcrxim Aposto- dianiur, et judicem sibi ralionem conslituant.er-
lus ad snccrdotem: Manus cilo nulli imponas, rata sua in medium adducant, nisi velint in dic
7Jec coj7)munices pcccalis alienis. Qiiid facics tu, illa horrenda universo orbi ea manifesle patere:
qui f/eci/ji.s saccrdotcm? qui aut ignorantem fal- sanentur jam vulnera:sumatur Poenitentiae me-
Us, ant non nd plcnum scienlem. probandi difji- dicina.
cuUate confundis? Quo loco Pacianus dooel opur- Porro confessionem peccalorum apnd sacerdo-
li-re sarerdnii ninnia poc(;ala in confessione delejii, tem faciendam esse, coUigitur aperiissime ex lib.
iil his Uiin manus iinpnnere pnssil: addil eliam de 2. el 3. de sacerdolio:nam in 2. libro sic ait Chry-
occnliis:/?o(70 ros fra/rcs ptiampj'opericu/o meo, sostomus: Quamobrem muUa quidem arle opus
per iUum Dominnm. qucm occuUa non fallunt, est, ut qui laborant Christiani, uUro sihipersua-
desinilcvulnpratamtcgercconscientiam:prudcn- deant. sacerdolum curationi scse submUtcrc o-
Ip.s acgri mcdicos non verenlur. nc in occuUis porlere. Ei pau\o pos\:Equidem comphires reccn-
qnidcm pnrlibus, eliam secaturos.etiam perustu- sere possim, quos conslat in cxlrcma mala ada-
TQS. Porro infra alloquilur eos.qui peccata quidcm clos, non ob ahud.nisi quod digna ab cis poena.
siriniilaiim. et oninia ad plenum confilebarUur.sed et quae peccatis perpclratis pa.r esset,exigeretur.
graviorem Poenilentiae mulciam refugiebanUiVunc, Ncquc enim temere ad deUclorum modum opor-
in(]\n\. ad cos scrmr) sit. qui bcne ac sapientcr tel ct mulctam ipsam adhibere: fed tamquam
rulnira sua. Pocniteniiae nomine confUenles, conjecluris quibusd im cxplorandus est deUn-
uec quid sU Poenilcnlia,nec quae vubierum mc- qucnlium aninius, nc qua fiat. ul dum consuere
LIBKi; TKRTIIIS
«9:5
vis quod inUnTupliiin /'s/, Rmsuram drloriorcin
facias. Qoo loco tlocel Clirysosloiiuis, iii irijuiiiJien-
ilii pociiileiUui, non soluin ralionpin luibendam es-
se sacerdoU gravilalis el iniilliludinis peccalonim,
sed otiam inlirmilalis el debililalis ejiis.qni |)ecca-
vil. Conslal anlcin non possc isla cognosci. nisi ex
conressionediligeiilicl accurala delinquenlis:qnarc
voiuil Clirysoslomus. confessionem peccalorum o-
ninium, eliam occnllissimorum. quae non ininiis
curalione egenl. quain manifesla fieri debcre apud
sacerdoles. Vide eliam lib. 3. de sacerdolio.
Secundo. habemus s. Ilieronymum, Chrysoslo-
mi aeciualem. Is in commenl. ad cap. lO.Ecclesia-
slae. luibel hacc verbn: Si qu(im serpens diabolus
occulle momorderil, cl niillo conscio, pcccaiive-
neno infeceril: si lacucril qui percussus esl, el
non cfieril poenilenliam, nec vulnus suumfralri
et maijistro voluerit confiteri: mariisler, qui lia-
het lirjiuam ad curandum,facile ei prodesse non
polerit. Si enim erubescat aegrotus vulnus medi-
co conjilcri, quodignorat, medicina non curot.
Idem in commenl. ad cap. 1G. Mallh. Legimus,
inquil, in LevUico de lcprosis, uhi fubenlur ut o-
slendant se sacerdotibus, et si lepramJiabucrint,
tunc a sacerdote immundi fianl: non quo saccr-
dotes lenrosos faciant, et immundos, sed quo ha-
beant noliliam leprosi, et possint discernere qui
mundus .quive immundus sit. Quomodo ergu ihi
leprosuni sacerdos mundum. vel immundum fa-
cit: sic el hic alligat vel solvit episcopiis et pre-
sbyter: non eos, qui insonles sunt, vel noxii. sed
pro ojficio suo cumpeccalorum audierit variela-
tcs. scit qui ligandus sil, quive solvendus. Haec
illc. Quo loco s. Hieronymus aperlissimc docel.o-
porlere sacerdolem audire peccalorum varielales,
alquc id pro oflicio suo; cx quo intelligimus. non
salis esse si poenilenlcs generalim. ant maniresla
peccala lanlum confileanlur, scd omnino necessa-
rium csse, ul singillaliin peccala omnia sacerdoli-
Lus delcganl.
Keque moverc nos debel comparalio illa cum sa-
ccrdolibus levilicis,qui lepram non vere curabani,
sed declarabant. Nam similitudo in eo solum con-
sistit, quod quemadmodum saccrdoles levilici non
poteranl leprosos curare sine ipsorum cooporatio-
nc, sola sua poleslate, sed lantum jndicabant cos
esse leprosos, el a consortio caeterorum segrega-
bant: sic eliam socerdotes christiani, non possunl
sola sua poleslale peccatores justificarc, nisi ipsi
etiam per Poenilenliam el confessionem oooperen-
tur, tameii si coopercnlur, planc possnnl. Onarc
idem s. llieronymus ciim dixissel: Pro officio suo
cum pcccatorum audierit varielates, non adrlidil,
Scil qni ligtitus sil. qnive solulus, scd: Qui ligaU-
dus sit, quive solvendus. Sacerdos enim. pro po-
leslate sibi a Ciirisii) concessa, peccatores im()oe-
nilentes ligal, poenilenles solvil, «t non solum li-
gatos aut solulos declarat. Qnocirc;i non pngtiat
llieronymus cum Chrysostomo. qui in lib. .T.de sa-
cerdotio, scribit, sacerdoles lcviticos non purgas-
se, sed declarassc lepram corporalem. saccrdotcs
autem chrisiiaiios non declararc, sed plane purga-
re lepram spiritualem.
Vidc eundem Ilieronymum in commcnt. nd 2_
liEti.Aniini Vcl. III.
cap. Ilierem. el in opisl. ed PamnKicliinm, etOre»
anum, de erroribus Origenis, ubi docel, necessa-
riam esse confessioncm, cum secunda labula posl
naufraginm sit, culpani simplicitcr conliteri.
Terlio: llabemus s. Innocenlium I. pontificem,
(jui in cpisl. 1. ad Decenlium cpiscopum Eugubi-
num, cap. 7. ita loquitur: Caeteruni de pondere
aeslimando delictorum. sacerdolis est judicare,
ut allendal ad confessiunem puenilenlis, el ad
jletus otque lachry^nas corrigentis.ac him jubere
dimitti, cum videril congruani salisfacliunem.
Ouarlo: Habemus s. .4ugnslinum. (|ui in lib. 50.
Iiomiliarum. homil. 12. docet, confossionem ppc-
calorum a Doo esse praecepiam: Deus noster, in-
quit, quiapius est et niisericors. vult ul ea confi-
teamur in hoc saeculo,ne pro illis confundamur
postmodum in fuluro.
Idem eliam in eodem opere homil. 41. docet
confessionem sacerdoli esse faciendam: l\on so-
ium, inquit. pos( poenilenliam ah istis vitiis sc
homo servare debel, sed et anlc poenilenliam,
duni sanus cst: quia si adullimumvitae steterit,
nci-cit si ipsam jjocnilentiam accipcre, ac Deo el
sacerdoli peccala sua confileri polerit.
Idem tractatu super psal. 66. docet. peccata o-
mnia esse confitonda: Trislis eslo. inquit, anle-
quam confUearis. confessus exulla: jam sanabe-
ris. Non con(ilenlis conscienlia sa.nicm college-
ral, aposlema lumucrat. crucinbat te.requiescere
non sinchaV.adhibet medicus fomenla verborum,
et aliquando secat. adhibet medicinale ferrum.
in correplione Iribulaliunis. Tu agnosce medici
manuni. confUere. exeal in confessione, et dopu-
at omnis sanios. ;iam exulla, jam laclare: quod
reliquum est, facite sanabitur. Certe omnis sani-
es, omnia peocala significal.el sicnl ex apostemale
omnis sanies quam diligenlissime cxprinienda est,
ita judice Auguslino.omnia peccata in confessione
aperienda sunt.
Idem eliam Augustino interfuit ooncilio 111. car-
lliaginiensi,et canonibus ejus cum caeteris cocpi-
scopis suis subscripsil:proinde canoncm illum 31.
supra cilatum sine dubio approbavil.
Ilabetur item in i. tomo oporum s. Auguslini,
liber de vera ct falsa pocnitonlia, qui licel non vi^
dealur s. Auguslini csse, lamen negari non po-
tosl.quin sil Hlioujus antiqui.probatique scriploris.
cum inde Gralianus el Pelrus Lombardus , inulta
toslimonia in libros suos retulorint. In eo igitur
lib. c. 10. Quem, inquil. pocnUet, omnino poeni-
teal, et dulorem lachrgmis ostendal . repraesen-
lelvitam suam Deo per saccrdolem , praevcniat
iudicium Dei per confessionem. h-aecepU cnim
Dominus nmndatis, ut oslendcrent orasacerdoti-
bus: dueens.corporali praesentia cunlUondapec-
oata, 710/1 per mincium.non per scriplum mani-
feslanda. Kl infra: Quare qui confUeri vuU poc-
cala ul inveniat grolinm . quaeral saoordolem
sdontem ligare oi solrere: ne cum negligens cir-
ea se oxstUorU, negligalur abillo, qui eum mi-
sericordUermunot. Kl cap. 11. de poccaiis occul-
tis. Si peccalum, in(|uil, occiUtum csl , svfjiciat
refeire innolUiam saccrdalis. Va cap. 14. de cifr
cumslanliis poccalorum: Cunsidoret. imiuil, qua-
•M
KK hiKMir.MU
litalnn iiiminh, tn lon,, inlfmpoir. in porsevc-
rantia, in vavirlate perMmat', et (/U(/f» Iwc /«■(•('-
ril tentatione. el in ipsiuN vttii miiltiplici iwoni-
tionf. Kl piiilo posl: Omrjis. iiKiiiil. i^la rarictas
louiitenda e.s/.
Quiiilo: llahemiis s. Lcoiiom iii <^pisl. SO. lul c-
piscopos Campuiiiae.ubi ciim pn)liil)uisscl. no p(M'-
caU serrola publioi» reoilaroiiluiModiluiil raliouom
dicens: Cum reatus conscientiarum sulJicint solis
sacerdotihus imlicari confcssione secrela.VA paii-
lo iufra: Si///ioi7 i//(i confcssio, quae primuni Deo
olfertur, tum eliam saccrdoli.
.\ii hunclocum respondol KfMiinilius, pnp.1007.
ac liicil, s. Loonom uou li>qui dc oonfossione o-
mnium peocalorinu ocoullorum. sed laiilum (lo
confossionc eorum. quae si puhlioarcnlur, possenl
legum conslilulionibus poroolli, lioc cst, corum ,
quae olim publioaecoufossioni olpoenilenliaesub-
jeola fuoruul. Id vcro probal Kcmnilius , quia
s. Leo inler alias caussas cur prolilbucril conles-
sionem publioam poocalorum occullorum , cliam
illam roddidil, quia pcrioulum crat, nc mulli a
Foenilonliae remediis arcerenlur, dum aul erube-
scunl.aul meluunl inimicis suis facla sua rcserarc,
(juibus possunl legum conslilulionibus pcrcelli.
Sed iii promplu esl rofulalio. l>am s. Leo non u-
nam. sed Ires caussas rcddidil, cur proliibenda cs-
^et confessio publica scelerum oooullorum. Una
luit. quam Kemnitius solain nolavil. nc publica-
renlur crimina. quae posscnt Icgum sanclionepu-
niri; nt hcmicidia. furla , prodilioncs ct similia.
Allera. quia cum mulli erubescanl flagilia sua pu-
blice reserare. ob cain verccundiam a poeniten-
tiae remcdiis arccrentur, si necesse csset occulta
flagiiia publicari. Ev hac autem secunda caussa
uianifcslum est. s. Leoncm non esse loquutmn dc
illis solis oriminibiis . quac legurn scvcrilate pu-
niunlur. Tertia caussa fuit , quia suiricil realus
conscienliarum solis sacordolibus indicari confes-
sione secreta : proindc non suiil poenitentes ad
confcssionem publicam adigendi:quae sane caussa
jfencralis est. et peccata omiiia comprehendit.
Deiiide: .\olla prorsiis ralio fingi polcsl,cur pec-
cala illa confilenda esse velil s. Leo. quae si puhli-
carentur, lcgum sanoiionibus punircnlur ; et non
alia. \am quod Remnilius dicit. illa sola pcccala
apud veteres necessario coiifitenda fuisse. quae si
publica fuissenl, ad confessioncm publicam perti-
nuissenl: et supra refutatum est, el hoc loco nihil
Kemnilium juvat. Nam ad confessionem publicam
perlinebant peccala publica. non ea solum, quac
lecuin constilulionibus coercebanlur, ul adulleria:
sed eliam ea . quae impune commillebnnlur. ul
fornicationes. Non igilur recte Kemnilius probal ,
b. Leonem de illis lanlum criniinibus esse loquu-
tum. quac per leges puhlicas prohibebanlur.ea ra-
iione. quia ejusmodi crimina oonfessioni publicae
olim subjecla fuerunt: nam ul jam diximus. nou
«ii solum, sed alia mulla praeterea confessioni pu-
blicne subjecla fuerunt.
H.iberaus praetcrea aliud s. Leonis lestimoniura
in episl. 91. ad Thpodorum Forojulii episcopum ,
ubi sio legimus : Mulliplex misericordia Dci ila
lapsibus subvenit hvmanis.ut non solumper Ua-
plismi (iralimn.sed cliam pcr Poenilentiaemedi.'
cinam spes vitac reparelur aelernae: e.l (/la rcgc.'
neralionis donum. violassent. proprio se jndicin
condemminlrs. ad. rcmi>sioncin rrim.in.'uni perve-
nire.nt, sic divinac honilalis praesidiis ordinatis,
ut induliienlia Dei sine supplLcalionihus sacer-
dohnn wqueal ohlineri. Mcdi<ilor enim. Dd el
hominum. Iiomo Clirislus Jesus . Iianc Kcclesiae
praepositi^ Iradidil polcslatem.ut el conlilentihus
aclionem PoenUenliae darenl , el eosdeni sa-
luhri salisfaclione pur[iatos . ad communionem
sacramenlorum per januani Teconcilialionis
admillerenl. IIoc loco s. Leo apcrtissimc do-
col , oonlessionoin esse ncccssariam jurc divi-
110. i\am ab ipso Deu ordinalum ossc soribil ,
ul indulgcntia I)ei sinc saccrdoluin minislerio nc-
(pieat oblineri: cl deindo, addit , ininisleriiim sa-
oordoliim e.v Chrisli inslilnlo in eo consislerc, ut
conlitimlibiis poenilcnliam injungant,el eosdcin ad
communionein sacramcnlorum pcr januam rccon-
cilialionis admillanl. (,oqui aulem s. Leonem do
confcssione sccrela, et peccalis omnibus eliam oc-
cultis, pcrspicuum cst tuin ex loco superiore, tum
cliam, quia non posscnt saccrdolcs congruam poe-
nilenliae aclionem injiingcrc, nisi pcccata omnia
acourale cognoscerenl.Porro ad hunc locuin Kein-
nilius nullam solulionem reperirc poluil.
Scxio: Hahemus Sozomenum, qui lib. 7. liist.
0. 10. ita loquitur: Cum prorsus nonpeccare^na-
lura sil liumana Oivinioris; poenilenlihus.quam,'
vis frequenter deliquissent, veniam dare Deus
jussit, el ad impetrandam veniam. conlileri pec-
cala necessarium esl. Hic audis ab homine grac-
co, el jus divinum el confessionis necessitalem.