First of all, every Christian man who wants to confess should place and have his utmost and greatest trust in the most merciful promise and promise of God and firmly believe that the Almighty God will mercifully forgive his sin. For the holy prophet says in the 25th Psalm, v. 7: "O Lord, you would mercifully forgive my sin because of your name." As then only a further reminder of this may be taken from the prayer of King Manasseh of Judah; which prayer, because it serves very well for confession, may be said by every Christian man before his confession. For this reason, such a prayer is to be recorded hereafter.
Secondly, before confessing his sin to the priest, every Christian man must do his confession to God the Lord with great diligence, and clearly and unconcealedly tell and declare to His Divine Majesty all his infirmities and sins, and how he finds himself skilful, done, and well-mannered, and not otherwise than as if he were speaking to his most secret friend. He must also confess his sinful evil thoughts to God as much as he can remember them.
Third, every Christian man who wants to confess his sin must have a true intention and will to amend his life henceforth and to refrain from sins that are public mortal sins, such as adultery, murder, thievery, slander, usury, unchastity, robbery and the like. Yes, a man must have this resolution as soon as he has committed one of the sins mentioned. For where a man confesses without this resolution, it would be dangerous and unfortunate. But if a man finds that he has no right resolution to amend his life, he should fall on his knees and ask God for a good resolution, saying: "O my God and Lord, I have not ever done what I am guilty of, nor am I able to do it.
not, therefore I pray thee, that thou wouldest graciously give me that which thou givest, and command me what thou wilt.
Fourthly, if one is to confess the sins of the heart, which are secret and known only to God, one must confess the secret sins that man has decided to commit against the commandments of God. For it is impossible to have a resolution to avoid the sins that are called daily sins; for the inclination of the male and female sex together do not abate. Nor does the devil rest, so our nature is all sinful.
(5) Fifthly, a man must consider that it is not possible for him to remember and confess all his mortal sins; but he must consider that after all his diligence he has confessed the least part of his sins. For the prophet says in one psalm, "O Lord, make me clean from my secret sins," Psalm 51:4, and in another psalm, "Who understands sin? Ps. 19:13: Therefore a man should confess the mortal sins that are openly mortal sins and that weigh down his conscience at the time of his confession, and let the others go; for it is so impossible for a man to confess all his mortal sins that even our good works, if God judges and condemns them with His earnestness and not with His kind mercy, are mortal and condemnable. But if one is ever to confess all mortal sins, it may be done in the following short words: Yes, my whole life and everything I do, act, speak and think is done in such a way that it is deadly and damnable. For if a man thought that he was without mortal sin, that would be the most deadly mortal sin.
(6) Sixth, a person who wants to confess should understand the wide and varied difference between sins and their circumstances.
For if you look at the commandments of God properly, you will find in them how God has been betrayed, despised and angered by us through all kinds of sin.
(7) The seventh is to make a great distinction between sins committed against the commandments of God and against the commandments and laws of men. For without the commandments of God no man can be saved, but without the commandments of men he can be saved.
8. eighth, when one wants to confess, he should immediately take before him the ten commandments of God alone and say how he has sinned against them, namely:
Against the first commandment of God: "You shall believe in one God."
9. That one has never really loved, honored, nor feared God; that one has sought counsel in repugnance from sorcerers and sorceresses; that one has tempted God without necessity, and given oneself into danger of body and soul; that one has believed the signs and the seers' counsel in matters and dealings; that one has cast spells; that one has paid attention to the chosen days; that one has associated oneself with the devil; that one has attributed the evilness to the devil or to evil men; that one has believed that figures, blessings and herbs help against danger and evilness; that one has not believed that all good things and happiness come from God alone; that one has not believed that God alone can help in adversity; that one, forgetting the soul's salvation, honors and calls upon the dear saints only for temporal goods and happiness; that one has loved and feared the creature and created things more than God; that one has had pleasure in Himself, and has exalted oneself to His righteousness, wisdom, or other virtue; how one has sinned with hope, and how one has sinned with sins against the Holy Spirit.
Against the other commandment of God, "You shall not take the name of God in vain."
10. That one has blasphemed God and His dear saints; that one has never sought the honor of God, but only one's own honor, praise, and glory; that one swears evil out of evil habit and without cause; that one swears unjustly; that one makes unjust vows or breaks just vows; to speak evil of God or of His saints and divine Scriptures; not to call on the name of God in repugnance and not to give thanks in happiness; to boast of divine gifts and seek praise from men; as one has sinned with hope may also be drawn into this commandment.
Against the third commandment of God, "You shall celebrate the holy day."
11. That one has not given God the Lord's place and space through prayer, mass and listening to sermons, even humble repentance for sin; that one has danced, gambled and done unvirtuous works with superfluous eating and drinking and idleness on holidays; that one has waited for frivolous actions on holidays and has engaged in useless chatter, wandering, walking and traveling; that one has worked and acted on feast days against the commandment of the church without need; that one has kept only imaginary feasts without improvement of souls, only with eating, drinking and clothing; and how one has sinned with indolence in the service of God, which sin is also against all other commandments of God.
Against the fourth commandment of God, "You shall honor your parents."
12. that one has not shown obedience, honor, and love to parents; that one has not helped parents in their weakness, need, and poverty, and has been ashamed of them; that one has angered, beaten, or spoken ill of parents; that one has disobeyed the commandments of the church; that one has not honored the priesthood; that one has not called the princes, lords, councillors, and all who are in authority, pious or wicked.
has not been held in honor; that one has engaged in heresy and other disobedient acts against the Christian Church.
Against the fifth commandment of God, "Thou shalt not strike dead."
13. That one has committed murder with the work, with counsel or with command; that one has been deliberately angry with one's neighbor and has shown signs of deadly wrath against him; that one has blasphemed, reviled, spoken evil of, scorned or suspected one's neighbor; that one has borne an unkind ill will against one's neighbor; that one has been envious and spiteful; to have been angry, to have quarreled, to have waged war, to have committed robbery, not to have practiced works of mercy, not to have loved one's enemies, not to have forgiven one's enemies, not to have prayed for one's enemies, not to have done good to one's enemies.
Against the sixth commandment of God, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." 14. That one has practiced and practiced adultery and other unchastity, as it may happen; that one has lusted and willed for shameful, lewd and unchaste words, songs, histories and paintings; that one has aroused or caused unchastity with lewd gestures, appearances, signs or writings; that one has caused himself or other people to be unchaste with superfluous adornment of clothing; that one has with thoughts finally consented to practice unchastity; that one has not avoided overeating, overdrinking, idleness and other causes of unchastity; that one has not saved and preserved other people's virginity and chastity; how one has been unchaste with all five senses and with all limbs; how one has sinned with the silent sins.
Against the seventh commandment of God, "Thou shalt not steal."
5. that one has stolen; that one has robbed; that one has deprived of the common good
stealing; stealing from the churches; kidnapping one's servant; driving away one's cattle; usury; fraud; using false weights or measures; possessing or accepting unrighteous inheritances; stinginess; not lending to one's neighbor in vain; not practicing the works of mercy.
Against the eighth commandment of God, "Thou shalt not bear false witness."
16. that one has concealed the truth from the court; that one has told dangerous lies; that one has talked sweetly and flattered; that one has caused dissension, discord, and strife among people; that one has misinterpreted and misinterpreted one's neighbor's words, life, and deeds; that one has given and given support to evil tongues; that one has not answered for one's neighbor; that one has not met evil tongues with earnestness.
17) The ninth: The two last commandments of God, namely the ninth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's housewife"; and the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods", interpret the other commandments of God when they command to overcome original sin, which may not happen in this life. That is why St. Paul says to the Romans on the seventh, v. 15: "The evil I do I do not desire"; and to the Galatians on the fifth, v. 17: "The flesh desires against the Spirit." For no man in this transitory life is perfectly pure from impure covetousness and avarice.
(18) Tenthly, the whole sum is that men are blessed who put their trust in God, and not in their works or in any creatures. For this reason, man should learn to have more confidence in God's mercy than in his confession or diligence; for one cannot do too much, undertake too much, and put too much forward against the vain confidence in our works. Therefore, we should accustom our conscience to trust in God, if all this is done in the opinion that one believes and trusts in God.
This is very pleasing to God, and this is God's glory, that we trust in God's mercy in the strongest possible way.
King Manasseh's prayer, very useful for confession.
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of their righteous seed and lineage! who created the heavens and the earth with all their adornment; who marked out the sea with the word of thy commandment; who determined the depths and pools of the sea, and marked out thy praiseworthy name, before which all men are terrified, and at whose face, strength, and power they tremble: For the wrath of thy threatening against sin is grievous, but the mercy of thy promise and pledge is measureless and unsearchable: for thou art the most high Lord above all the face of the earth: thou art patient, and gracious, and most merciful, and pitiful above the wickedness of men. O my Lord, because of your goodness you have promised us forgiveness.
of sins, and you, God of the righteous, have not put repentance on the righteous, but on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have not sinned. I have sinned, my iniquities have been multiplied above the number of the sand of the sea. I have been bent and twisted with many iron bands, and I have no pleasure or rest, for I have given thee cause to be angry, and have done evil in thy sight. I have done abominable things and multiplied offense. Therefore I now bow the knee of my heart and beseech thy mercy, O Lord, O Lord! I have sinned, I have sinned, and I know my iniquity: I beseech thee, O Lord, forgive me my sin, destroy me not with mine iniquities, and keep me not iniquities for ever: for thou wilt save me unworthy by reason of thy great mercy, and I will praise thee all the days of my life: for all the heavenly things praise thee, and thou hast glory, praise, and honor for ever and ever, amen.