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

General Convention, for the study of every man
previous TO his ordination to the priesthood;"
and that ''having received theI sanction aud au-
thority of the House of Bishops aud General
Convention, without any proviso or qualifca-
tion, may be said fairly to speak the mind of
the American Church"
The Bishop says: ~ need not point out the
fallacy of the argument of DIR. PATTERSON, that
because an author is mentioned in the list of
books prescribed by the House OF Bishops, to
be read and studied by candidates for
holy orders, that therefore, such author
or work has the sanction and authority
of the House of Bishops, and may be said fairly
to represent the mind of the American Church;
for it is too evident to escape notice."
So, then, the House of Bishops deliberately
sets forth list of books which they, IN union
with the General Convention, by canon require
to be studied by candidates for holy orders; aud
yet ''cannot thereby be said to give TO such
books their sanction and authority"
THE "FALLACY"
of this argument is ''too evident to escape
notice" The Bishop apparently proceeds upon
the supposition that the compulsory confession
of the Church of Rome is that which is spoken
of. He is mistaken. To no man is compulsory
confession moro abhorrent than to myself.
But to the troubled minds contemplated by
the exhortaton to the communion;" those with
an oppressed conscience, bona Jide, seeking re-
lief in that way" the Church has always coua-
selled and encouraged confession as q means to
''quiet the grief, aud for the removal of all
scrupe and doubtfulness."
The Bishop says in effect that the "whole
drift" of Hookers teaching is
AGAINST PRIVATE CONFESSION.
What, then, is Hookers meaning when he
says in Book vi, chap. iv, Tour Lord Jesus
Christ hath left in His Church spiritual
and ghostly physicians, guides and pastors of
redeemed souls, whose Office doth not consist in
general persuasions unto amendment of life, but
also in the private particular cure of diseased
minds"
The quotation from Bishop Jewels "Apology"
is entirely foreign to the subject.
Bishop Jewel is speaking of the subject as
taught and practised in the Church of Rome.
When he speaks of the practice of the Church
of England we get at his teaching on the sub
| ject under discussion.
IN THE HoMILY ON REPENTANCE,
| in arguing against the compulsory confession OF
the Church of Rome, Bishop Jewel says, ''that
| every man should be bound to their g. e. the
Roman) auricular confession, it is no command
| ment or ordinance of God" So say 1.
This same Bishop Jewel, in his defense of
| The Apology, says:-"Touchng the third"
| (private confessions made unto our brother),
| ''if it be discreetly used, to the greater com
fort and better satisfaction of the penitent,
| without superstition or other i'll, it is not in
any wise by us reproved. The abuses and
errors set apart we do no more mislike pri-
vate confession than private sermon"
| The quotation from Bishop Jewel, used by
Bishop Stevens, is foreign to the question under
discussion. Used as he it, he makes
| Bishop Jewel say what he never did say.
In the Homily on Repentance, Bishop Jewel
| discusses both questions.
OF compulsory confession as used in the
| Roman Church, he says:-"It hath not the war
rant of Gods Word" OF voluntary confession,
he says:-"I do not say but that if any do find
themselves troub led in conscience, they may
| repair to their learned curate or pastor or to
some other godly, learned man, and show the
trouble and doubt of their conscience to them,
that they may receive at their hand the COM
Portable salve of Gods Word"
The whole drift and teaching of Bishop
Jewels works on this subject
ARE AT UTTER VARIANCE
with the statement of Bishop Stevens.
Dr. John Donne, Dean of st. Pauls, London,
| in the time of James !, says:-"Men come not
| willingly to this manifestation of themselves,
nor are they to be brought in chains, as they
do inpthe Roman Church, by necessity" etc.
Again he says:-''We enjoin private and par
ticular confession if the conscience be op-
| pressed: and IL any man do think that that
which is necessary for him on his death bed is
necessary every time he comes to the Commu-
Mon, and so come to such a confession, if any
| thing lie upon him, as often as he comes to the
Communion; we blame not, we dissuade not, we
discounse not that tenderness of conscience
and that safe proceeding in the soul"
Wheatiy on the Book of Common Prayer is
very clear on this subject. His book is one of
! the list authorized by
THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS
and the General Convention. He says: s:-"No
argument be drawn, that because a
practice has been abused, it should therefore
|
formed, but not the practice discontinued"
| 'And therefore the Church of England at the
| Reformation freed 1t from all the encroach-
ments with which the Church of Rome had en-
barrassed 1t, and reduced confession to its pri-
mitive plan"
Every one is left to his own discretion; all
that was absolutely enjoined, was only mutual
| forbearance and peace; for the security of
| which, a clause was added in the first book of
! King Edward, requt ring such as shall be satis-
| fed with general confession, not to be offended
! with them that do use, to their farther satisfy
| ing, the auricular and secret confession to the
| priest; and those also which think it needful
and convenient, for the quietness of their own
| conscences, particularly to open their sins to
| the priest, to be offended with them thai are
satisfied with their confessions to God, and the
general confession to the Church. But in all
things to follow and keep the rule of charity,
| and every man to be satisfied with his own con-
science, not judging other mems minds or con-
sciences whereas he hath no warrant OF Gods
word to the same"
'What could have been added more judiciously
than this, to temper, on the one hand, the
rigors of those who we're too apt at that time
to insist upon confession as always absolutely
necessary to salvation; and to prevent on the
other hand, carelessness in those who, being
prejudiced against the abuse, were apt indis
criminately to reject the thing, as at no time
needful or useful to q penitent.
$50 that we may still, presume, wish, very
consistently with the determination of oul
Church, that our people would apply them
selves, oftener than they do to their spiritual
physicians, even in the time of their health
since it it much to be feared, they are wounded
oftener than they complain, and YET, through
aversion to disclosing their sore, suffer it to
gangrene for want of their help who should worl
the cure"
hv tho RI Rev Harold Browne ID. D. tn