William Roye's Dialogue between a Christian Father and bis stubborn Son. 405 



wother to hang-e on mens invencions and tradicions, Howe canne 

 they vnto wother open the kyngdom of godde, vvlien they theym 

 selves are not able to entre therin? Yf they were Christen 

 men, they wolde confesse the werde, and frute of Christis 

 Crosse only. Wherl)y (godde worckynge inwardly with belefe) 

 the povre soiiles which are bownde [fol. 40'']. with tlic bondes 

 of death, and hell, niyght be losed, and made fre vnto the 

 kyngdom of heven. For as longe as god cleuseth theym not 

 with the belefe of the lambes bloudde shod for theym, synne 

 rcmayneth, and they co[n]tinewe in bondage. As many ther- 

 fore as preache foryevenes of synnes thorowe the vertue of 

 the wordes, are but deceavers. for it commoth by the power of 

 the holy goost, which powreth belefe into oure hertes. Joan. x. 

 8on. I se well then, thoii sottest nothynge by confcssion? 

 Fa. Not by the confession nowe a dayes vsed. For simple 

 people therby are so blynded that-they suppose a feawe babb- 

 lynge wordes to have vertue forte pourge their synnes. and that 

 by confession and workes there vnto pertaynynge, they ob- 

 tayne, mercy, grace and foryevenes. Which thinges consist in no 

 transitory worke, but in the tender mercy of god graunted thorowe 

 Christis bloudde only. »Son. I durst not affirme this sayinge, 

 seynge that wholy scripture so offen maketh mencion of it. 

 Fath. It maketh no mencion of eny eare tale, which men call 

 confession. but of wother maner confessions both necessary and 

 also proftitable. 8on. What are they? Fa. Fyrst we confesse 

 oure selves with god almyghty, knowledgynge [fol. 41".] oure 

 offence, misdede, and synne, sayinge from the bottom of oure 

 hert with the prophet Dauid, I will confesse ray trans- iv. xxxij. 

 gressions to the lorde. Ye and thou hast forgeven me the ini- 

 quite of my synne. Secondaryly we confesse vs, when we re- 

 concile oure selves vnto oure brethren "when they have eny 

 thynge agaynst vs. as apereth by our saveours sayinge in the. 

 V. chap. of.S. Mathewe. When thou ofFerest thy gyft at the 

 aulter etc. He thridlv maketh a proftitable confession, which 

 mekely heareth hym that charitably reprehendeth his de- 

 fault, and therafter enforseth hym silfe to amend- ma, xvüj. 

 ment. for yf he did not perceave hym silfe to iiave erred, 

 he wolde in no wyse abyde the reprehencion of his brother. 

 Fourthly, every Christen manne ought to knowledge hym silfe 



