The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-11-30 00:00:00

AURICULAR CONFESSION.

AMONG the many valuable services which the Rev. Dr.
APNEILE has rendered to the Church and the cause of
Christian truth, not the least valuable, perhaps, is that
occasional enunciation of some great fact, of which, until
so lucidly stated, there was hardly a sufficiently clear per-
ception. This was more particularly the case on Tuesday
last, when he claimed credit to the greatparty in the Church,
specially distinguished as Evangelical, for the calm for-
bearance and Christian charity with which they had held
aloof from party warfare, while their more active and un-

scrupulous opponents were systematically organised to
urichurch them. There was, however, a limit to forbear-
ance—a boundary beyond which Christian charity became
culpable indifference—and that this bound had been
passed was evident in the enormous gathering which filled
every part of the spacious Amphitheatre on Tuesday. It
was no light matter—no mere anxiety to listen to some
favourite orator—which brought together so large an as-
sembly at a time of day usually devoted to active business.
It was a jealous regard for the integrity of the Reformed
Faith, and a stern resolve that it should not be tampered
with, which constituted the attraction ; and most nobly
did the public of Liverpool vindicate their character for
attachment to the Church of their fathers. The all-ab-
sorbing question was, whether, in the nineteenth century,
the Churchmen of England would countenance the adop-
tion of Auricular Confession upon the mere perverted
construction of some of the formularies in the Book
of Common Prayer. It would be, perhaps, needless
to show that this system has been, and is still,
one of the grossest errors of the Church of Rome ;
that its exercise has proved one of the most effi-
cient instruments of priestly tyranny and slavish
superstition, and that its effects are of the most demo-
ralising and debasing kind,—destructive of social happi-
ness and ruinous to body and soul. All who are out of
the pale of its influence must be convinced of this truth ;
and, therefore, the great point for consideration in the
present agitation is—how far there is anything in the
Articles or Ritual of our Church which may be supposed
to give an implied sanction even to the modified form in
which, it is alleged, its introduction has been attempted.
Should it be shown that the Rubrics of the Church admit
of such a latitude of construction, it will then be a question
in what way a remedy should be applied,—a question
which may go far to create the necessity for the exercise
of a power analogous to that which is supposed to be-
long to the Convocation of the Church. This is, how-
ever, fraught with evils which few would choose to hazard,
not the least among which would be the opening a door to
controversies on doctrinal paints, and the disuniting of the
several Reformed Churches now in communion with our
own. A due consideration, however, of the points at
issue will show that such an alternative does not arise,
and that those who took part in the meeting on Tuesday
are correct in their views, not only according to true
literal construction, but also to common sense. These
who are anxious to Romanise the Church, and claim for
the priesthood that power of Absolution so impiously as-
sumed by the minions of Roman heresy, have no shadow
of a foundation for their claim except the language of the
Book of Common Prayer. 'We shall not weary our
readers with allusions to, or quotations from, the multi-
farious works of theological writers, but simply refer them
to the authority which must be in everyone's possession,
and it will then be seen that the Church vindicates herself
from the calumny of her unworthy sons. In the notice
for the celebration of the Holy C„rnmunion, to be given
on the Sunday or holyday immediately preceding, the

minister has to say ;

" Therefore, if there be any of you, who by this means
cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth
further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to
some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word,
and open his grief ; that by the ministry of God's holy
Word he may receive the benefit of absolution, together
with ghostly counsel and advice, to the quieting of his
conscience, and avoiding all scruple and doubtfulness."
Here is plainly a simple permission to the minister to
give spiritual counsel to those who seek his aid in cases of
doubt, and not, as Rome teaches, an injunction to declare
such a confession imperative. Again, if we turn to the
form of absolution as given after the general confession,
we shall find it a form of prayer, by no means implying
any authority to judge of the repentance of those before
whom it is uttered, nor can it in any way be held to be
won by private confession, when it is openly declared
before all the congregation who have joined in the general
confession. It is a wilful perversion of language to
argue from it any authority for the practice of Auricular
Confession, and a reference to it is only rendered
necessary by the use which has been attempted to be
made of it. It is a misfortune, too often attending
the discussionof such questions, that individuals in hatred
of one extreme are prone to rush into the opposite one.

In this respect the meeting of Tuesday last cannot fail to
have a beneficial effect. The Primate of all England had
declared in his published letter that the question should
be submitted to the force of public opinion, and, as far as
Liverpool is concerned, he has not misjudged the force of
the weapon, nor the prudence with which it was wielded.
It was not deficient in numbers or influence, for the largest
available building was filled to overflowing with the clergy
and the laity of all classes. There was no unseemly de-
monstration arising from feelings excited by passionate
declamation, but an expression of calm determination to
hold fast by the blessings secured at the Reformation, and
not to permit the small end of the wedge to be inserted
for a return to Romish error and superstition in one of its
worst and most debasing features. The Rev. Dr.
111`NEILE, with, perhaps, more than his usual eloquence,
threatenedplaced
before
them, his immense
deformity ; while the Rev. W. POLLOCK clearly demon-
strated that the Prayer-book was free from the charge of
and exposed
dangers
evil
h its
c
affording sanction to such an enormity; and the united
voices of the vast assembly testified to the earnestness
and zeal with which they stood by the faith of their
fathers, and once more PROTESTED against the foul blot
with which apostate Rome had overlaid the pure and
simple truths of Christianity. In every respect, therefore,
the meeting was triumphantly successful, and the thanks
of every sincere Protestant are due to those who were in-
strumental in calling it together, and who, by the manner
in which they took part in the proceedings, were the
means of bringing it to such a successful issue.

" Vernon," Birkenhead firry
COLLISION.—On Friday night, a vessel coming up the
river ran against a flat, which immediately sunk. The
and a woman, the only parties who were on board.
.hoat, picked up two men
MELANcutoLY Accionisr.—On Friday afternoon, as
Mr. William Hunter, of Exchange-street East, was re-
turning to his residence, at Wavertree, by the half-past
five omnibus, at a little way beyond the railway bridge he
was seized with a fit, and died in five minutes after ar-
riving at his own house.

THE ASSIZES.—The special and supplementary assizes
for the southern division of this county will be opened in
this town on Monday, the presiding judges being Mr.
Justice Cresswell and Mr. Justice Crompton. The calender
-stains about the average number of prisoners. Of these
er 2 • manslaughter,
; robbery from the
; arson la tpusev
1; embritr,49.6le.

there are eba.s
7; stabbing or wounding, ; rape
person, 40) bigamy, 1.; burglary, 10

tent to train

stealing

1; perju

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