The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-09-21
Confession in the Anglican Church.

olnce the peClClOn OF the -FOUR hunuEet
and odd gentlemen asking for the appoint
ment of staff of confessors in the Protest
ant Church in England, we have beef
treated to q rather continuous remon
STRANGE, which often rose to the height and
strength of insinuation, against tendencJ
SO manifestly Roman. English husband
were called upon to look to their wives, fa,
theirs to their daughters, society to itl
foundations, and the bench of Bishops &c
the whole Of them. Indeed there seemed
at first to prevail an exaggerated idea Of
the power Of these latter to exclude the
confessional or any other abuse from the
Church, and, consequently, there were re-.
peated and vociferous calls for them to ex-
ercise their spiritual jurisdiction without
mercy on the innevators. No tolerance
was to be extended to such enemies. Now
that they had revealed themselves and
placed their four hundred and odd heads
on the neck of their fatuous petition, the
Bishops were to WELD the sword witha q
vengeance, and at one stroke decapitate
the monster. But as the expectations were
exaggerated and unfounded, so was the dis
appointment at their inactivity intense; and
when one by one they timorously suggested
various methods, more elaborate than eff
fectuaI, of abating the evil which their peo-
pie would abolish, reaction set in, and
the public settled down in the conviction
that, after all, their Lordships were far less
formidable than had been generally sup
posed. Indeed they became the object
rather of pity, as being held in some degree
responsible for the conduct of gu bordinates
whose wilfulness despised authority, and
seemed to have preference for svagaries
that were most hurtful and provoking. An
elderly gentleman oo an uDmanageable
horse, q respectable schoolmaster barred-o out
by his pupils, or any other such victim of
mischievous insuboi dinaton does not COM
mo Y11 fr1n u,
many people were willing to extend to the
bishops. Their position was seen to be q
false one, and therefore trying. They have
the PASTORS voice, but the flock does not
need them; the pastors crozier, but they
dare not touch sheep. An, indeed, were
ready to allow that the bench was no bed
OF roses at this time, and was not likely to
become easier for those who were honored
with seat thereon. We condoled with
them, we pitied them, and the whole dream
OF episcopal authority, as the last refuge
OF Protestant orthodoxy, when with many
other illusions that had invested helpless
men with prerogatives and powers more
than human.
But just as 1" the Church " was reconcii-
ing itself to the discovery, and seeking
help from more reliable sources, ont comes
Denison with his alarming let
ter, in which he puts himself into an atti-
tude of defence, and with the courage of
soldier will fight. and the constaucy of n
martyr will die, for "tie manifold privi.
lege, use, and blessing" of private confes-
sion. "1 do not conceal from myself. - he
says" that the conflict will be severe.n
What conflict we ask. Who are his Cd
oonents And we cannot help smiling to
ind that the terrible adversariee against
vhom he takes up his ground and planting
himself on the rock declares
Come one; come all. this rock shall 1y,
From its firm base Ne soon rs l.
ire 10 others than the once formidable. and
ateiy much pitied Bishops of the estab.
1t is not joke, bat it reads like
me when he says defantly, well, if the
Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, or anv
'theT Bishop or Bishops will have war, let
come" If they propose to repeat the |
policy which drove out Wesley a century |
go, let them try its effects upon u.s." II |
eminds one of the story of the Cockney |
Who went with sporting friend to o cours- |
ng match. Not being used to the couRtry |
no It's 1nvigorating exercises, he preferred |
lot to walk with the dogs in search of o |
are and gos into good position on the |
Ill towards which his friend told him the |
are would probably run. A crowd soon
athered from some neighboring houses to
ee the sport, and while waitin0. the
nxlety of all of them became rather de-
AT last a hare got up in the
alley, the dogs were slipped, aud on thew
anne all of them in q straight run I'm the
III. The cockney had rather vague notions
the personnel of a hare, and SO when the
o9ntry fellow grew excited at the chase,
no shouted there she comes" " she's
lst below the hedge now," "shell run
gut up here" be began, not suspectino