Skip to main content

'The Right Way to Safety after Shipwreck': Bramhall on private confession

Bramhall, then Archbishop of Armagh, in a sermon - 'The Right Way to Safety after Shipwreck' - before the Irish House of Commons, June 1661, recommending private confession and absolution:

Confession, with its requisites, contrition and amendment of life ... do make a complete repentance: which some Fathers style a "second table after shipwreck", others a "Baptism of pains and tears" ... Thrice happy are they, which use this plank aright, to bring them through the raging billows of this sinful world to the haven of eternal bliss.

Confession is as ancient as our first parents, whom God Himself did call to the performance of this duty. It was practised among the Israelites, by Divine precept; by those Jews that repaired to the Baptism of John; by those Ephesian converts; prescribed by St. James, "Confess one to another, and pray one for another" ...

There is no better physic for a full stomach, than a vomit; nor for a soul replete with sin, than confession. Bodily sores do oftentimes compel a man to put off natural shamefacedness, and to expose his less honourable parts to the view of the surgeon. Ought not every one to be as solicitous for his soul? We offend God three ways; by the imaginations of our hearts, by the words of our mouths, by the actions of our lives. If we intend to please God, we must take a clean contrary course; for evil thoughts of the heart, bring contrition of the heart; for corrupt speeches of the mouth, bring confession of the mouth; for wicked actions of our life, "bring fruits worthy amendment of life". By this means we bring glory to God, and shame to ourselves; and prevent that great confusion of face, which otherwise must fall upon us at the Day of Judgment, before God and Angels and men. A contrite sinner stands not upon terms of reputation with God, or with His Church. Why should we be more afraid to confess, than we were to offend? to make those the witnesses of our tears, who have been the witnesses of our faults? to take away the scandal that we ourselves have given? Let the world take notice of our sin, so it may likewise take notice of our repentance. A great sickness often ushers in health, and a better habitude of the body. A broken bone, when it is well knit, grows the stronger ...

No man can doubt, but the Romanists have grossly abused confession; by tricking it up in the robes of a Sacrament; by obtruding a particular and plenary enumeration of all sins to man, as absolutely necessary to salvation by Divine institution ... So, on the other side, it cannot be denied, that our Protestant confessions are for the most part too general; we confess we are sinners, and that's all; which signifies nothing: and a little too presumptuous; they that dare not trust their own judgment about their estates without the opinion of a lawyer, nor about their bodies without the advice of a physician, are wise enough for their souls without any other direction.

From The Works of the Most Reverend Father in God, John Bramhall, Volume 5.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

A number of commenters on this blog have asked about my occasional expressions of support for the ordination of women to all three orders.  With some hesitation, I have decided to post a summary of my own views on this matter.  The hesitation is because I have sought on this blog to focus on issues and themes which can unify those who identify with or have respect (grudging or otherwise!) for what we might term 'classical' Anglicanism (the Anglicanism of the Formularies and - yes - of the Old High Church tradition).  Some oppose the ordination of women (and I have friends and colleagues who do so, Anglo-Catholic, High Church, and Reformed Evangelical).  Some of us support it (again, friends and colleagues covering a wide range of theological traditions). Below, I have organised my thinking around 5 points (needless to say, no reference to Dort is implied). 1. The Declaration for Subscription required of clergy in the Church of Ireland states: (6) I promise to submit ...
25 comments
Read more

How the Old High tradition continued

Charles Gore's 1914 letter to the clergy of his diocese, ' The Basis of Anglican Fellowship ', can be regarded as a classical expression of the Prayer Book Catholic tradition.  A key part of the letter - entitled 'Romanizing in the Church of England' - addressed the "Catholic movement", questioning beliefs and practices within it which tended to "a position which makes it very difficult for its extremer representatives to give an intelligible reason why they are not Roman Catholics".  Gore provides the outlines of an alternative account and experience of catholicity within Anglicanism, defined by three characteristics.  What is particularly interesting about these characteristics is their continuity with the older High Church tradition.  Indeed, the central characteristic as set out by Gore was integral to High Church claims over centuries: To accept the Anglican position as valid, in any sense, is to appeal behind the Pope and the authority of t...
19 comments
Read more

1928 practices and the 1979 book: unthinking conservatism or popular piety?

Those responsible for Earth & Altar - a new blog emanating from a group within TEC - are to be congratulated for an excellent contribution to wider Anglican discussion and debate. The commitment to "an expansively conceived credal orthodoxy as fully compatible with LGBTQ inclusion, gender equality, and racial justice" is an important part of a wider retrieval of creedal orthodoxy within what we might call the post-liberal generation. It is in this spirit that I want to respond to a recent post on the site by Andrew McGowan , Dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School.  Against the background of another round of "ill-defined" liturgical revision in TEC, he understandably urges that a fuller reception of the 1979 BCP should occur before further reforms. In doing so, however, he takes aim at what he describes as "clinging to the ritual structures of 1928" while using the text of 1979.  We ...
2 comments
Read more