The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-24

confession.
The present Bishop of London-tBishop Jack
SOM who cannot be said by anybody to be
favorable to what is called the Advanced |
Scbool"-says, "As ministers should be, by their |
profession, usually the best advisers ia cases of
conscience, and are or ought to be every peni
tents ready and sympathizng friend: so to
them the stricken or perplexed soul will often
have recourse. Thus, there Is q sense in which
those dreaded words "Confesson to the Priest"
may express au edifying prac-
tce, and even at times duty"
may add that in all the recent trials and
troubles in the Church of England, in no iu
stance has the subject of confession been
touched, while It is well known that Pusey,
Keble, Bennett, Carter Sadler. and hundreds of
others of the English priesthood have been or
are, in the constant habit of hearing these voluu-
tary confessions. The same statement is true
in the case of many priests in the American
Church.
The Bishop proceeds
"Wbere the English Prayer Book in the first
of the exhortations to the holy communion has
the words, that by the ministry of Gods Holy
Word, he mey receive
THE BENEFIT OF ABsoLUTIoN,
together with ghostly counsel and advice, in
the American Prayer Book the reference to
absolution is left out, and the passage reads,
that he may receive such godly counsel and
advice"
Does the Bishop mean by this paragraph
to say that the American Church repudiates ab
solution II So l call your attention to the
preface in her Prayer Book, where che says
This Church Is far from intending to depart
IRON the Church of England, in any essential
point of doctrine discipline, or worship; or
other than local circumstances require"
CALL ATTENTION
to the declaration which she puts in the mouth
of every priest on all occasions of mathis or
even-soDg viz. that 'God hath given power?
and commandment to His ministers, to declare
and pronounce TO His people, being penitent
the absolution and remission of their SINS"
The Bishop goes on to say:-"Where the Eng
lish rubric before the confession in the holy
communion reads:-"Then shall the general
confession be made in the name of all those that
are minded to receive" the American rubric
lays Then shall this general confession be
made by the priest and all those that are minded
to receive, t.se., that the priest is to confess
well as the people," l am at loss to under
stand
THE BISHOPS MEANING
for it is obvious that in either the priest is
to confess. For is not the priest to receive as
well as the people? SO then, in both cases, the
confession" is by priest and people. The
Bishops allusion to this rubrc is to my mind
UTTERLY MEANINGLESS
in this discussion.
Again the Bishop says:-''Where the English
| rubric directs after this general confession,
Then shall the priest Cor the bishop being pre-,
sent) stand up, and turning himself to the
| people, pronounce this absolution:' the Amari-
| can rubric leaves out the words, pronounce this
| absolution,' and substitutes the single word
| say"
| Is there, then, no absolution? Are not the
| words which the priest is to ''say" 6the very
| same as those in the English Prayer Book?
DOES THE BISHOP INTEND
| here to say that the American Church CONVEYS
| to her priesthood no power to pronounce alb
saution' in the communion office
| What means she then, when she uses the
| words which were used by the Bishop at my
| own ordination, viz.:-"Receive the Holy Ghost
| for the Office and work of q priest in the
Church of God, now committed unto thee by
| The imposition of our hands Whose sins thou
dost forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins
thou dost retain, they are retained. Aud be thou
faithful dispenser of the Word of God, and of
His Holy Sacraments: In the name of the Father,
and of the Son. and of the Holy Ghost. Amen"
ARE THESE WORDS A MoCKERY?
Do they convey no power? No authority?
Org are they merely high sounding phrase re-
peated over the kneelng man, at the most solemn
hour of his life?
The Bishop alludes to the omission in the
American Office for the visitation of the sick of
the particular and special confession, and abso-
luton.
Why this was done, when we remember the
| Preface to the Prayer Book, heretofore men,
toned, it is hard to explain, unless it be for the
reason that the English office compels confes-
sion, and commands the priest to give absolution,
if the penitent desires it, STILL in the visitation
of the sick, when the holy communion is cele-
brated, the very words of confession and abso-
luton, contained in the Office for the public
celebration, are directed to be used. Again
THE AMERICAN PRAYER BOOK
| has a rubric which reads as follows:-''Here the
minister may use any part of the service of this
book which, in his discretion, he shall think
convenient to the occasion" etc. By this rubric,
the priest Is no longer machine, but map,
and supposed to have some discretion" In the
performance of his duty in visiting the sick, he
may (by this rubric) move the sick person to
confessions and by the same rubric, he may, Sin
his discretion" use the form of absoluton con-
tanned in the communion Office.
The Bishop proceeds to the Office for the Visi-
| tation of prisoners, and admits that
THE FORM OF ABsoLUTIoN
| in the communion Office may be used "when
| prisoner is confined for some great and capital
| crime"
| fesson which the minister is to exhort the prls-
oner to make, is particular confession of the
| sin for which he is condemned" The Bishop
must have overlooked a previous rubric in the
same office, which says:-"Then shall the
minister examine whether he repent him
truly of his sins and be in charity with all
the world; and further admonish him, particu-
larly concerning the crimes wherewlth he
| is charged" etc. Again. in the eXhortation
to the prisoner, the minister is directed to say
II require you to strictly examine yourself and
your estate, both towards God and towards man;
and let no worldly consideration hinder you
from making full confession of your SINS etc.
After this is done, then the minister Is to eX-
hort him to that particular confession OF the
sin for which he is condemned"
THE BISHOPS INTERPRETATION
of this Office may fairly be paraphrased thus:-
"The man who outTages law, who commits MUIR
der, robbery or, in the pursuit of hissust, out
RACES the purity OF woman-this man. upon con-
fessior, may receive the dissolution given to all
penitents in the communion Offices" but the
humble peDitent SOUL who is battling with his
sins, and who comes in his sorrow for guidance