Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-03
CONFESSION II THE CHURCH OF

a very interesting ueOdse tOOA place III
the House of Lords few days since on
the rather exciting subject of confession in
the Church OF England, which, it is said,
many young priests are labering to intro
duce. The London Times prints a. full re-
port of the discussion. Appointment tron-
bic seemed to be to decide properly whether
1t is better for the Established Church g
lose all its members who are disposed to
adopt and follow the forms Of the Catholic
Church, or to receive those forms into the
Protestant organization. While many
Episcopal lsymen and bishops have
been either asleep or waxing fat on Off
eial pap, the wide awake Catholics
have made proselytes of large numbers of
their unreliable subjects. It appears from
the Catholic Register for Februsry, 1873,
that in "London alone 1000 perverts had
recently joined the church." The Register
stated that "a regular stream came fromthe
different si:terhood and Ritualistic corgre-
Cations" The Allgeneine Zeitstng speaks
of England as the El Dorado of Popery-
that while It was opposed in every other
country in Europe, it met with every en-
couragement in England, where to become
Catholic has, among The upper ten thou
thousand, especially among the
ladies', come to be mark
of distiRgue fashion," 1t is difficult to be-
lieve that the industrious Catholics wi l be
able to capture and hold both the upper
and lower strata CT English society; yet
the learned and plous prelates in the Hoase
of Lords, confess their inability to check
the progress of these unpleasant events
Lord Oranmore, who introduced the dis
cussion, concluded his remarks as follows:
cit was on these principles that the
Church of England had, till of late, re-
tanned the sympathy and support she had
secured during the three centuries of her
existence; she had been regarded as the
center round which all Protestants revolved
and l. she were false to her Protestant
character her knell was already sounded.
1t was his Intention TO take the opinion CT
the House on the motion of which he had
given no<ce, perhaps not with view to
appoint committee at this late period of
the session, but as declaration that some
action was necessary to stay the advance of
those dangers which threatened our Church
THear, hear The noble Lord concluded
by moving, That it is the opinion of this
House that the evils complained of by the
Archbishops having made such serious adj
vances during the last twenty years 'as to
imperil our natiocal institutions for the
maintenance of religion, committee of
this House be appointed to consider by what
legislative or other means this danger may
be aYerted." -
The Archbishop Of Canterbury next ad-
dressed the House, and appeared to think
there was little danger Of food, and tried
to pour oil on the troubled waters. He
said: sE
81 think it is worth your Lorlships'
while to consider whether you ought not in
every way strengthen the hands of those
who desire to see that the law of the land
and CT the Church is obeyed in these mat
tiers. [Cheers. 1t is most unfortunate
thing, as have said, that any
Professors of Theology in our great
university should have expressed them
Sc YES against that which is pronounced the
law OF the Church. l cons der 1t also
great misfortune that certain persons in
this metropolis should show dispositi n 10
violate the law OF the Church and of the
land; and cannot but Thick that the great
est responsibility rests upon those who ap-
point to rosts Of prefe-ment 10 the Church
TO see that they appoint persons who are
perfectly loyal, not only to the general priu-
ciples of the Church of England, but also
to the law Of the land and of the Church,
as interpreted by the highest Courts Of the
land"
The Earl of Harrowby doubtless ex-
pressed the common sense of Old England
when he said:
ale was glad to hear the noble Marquis
say that tie adoption Of the practice of Hsb-
itual Confession would be ruinous TO our
social and family life; but when the noble
Marquis said he relied on the hostility of the
fathers and husbands in the country to shat
practice as a safeguard against its adoption,
he (the Earl of Harrowby) thought his no.
BILE friend undsrratel the danger. The most
Rev. prelstes had not dealt Adequately with
this matter. [Hesr]. Instead of saying
there are variou, opinions in the Church on
the subject of Habitual Confession, they
ought TO have denounced the introduction
of that system. Although the midle-aged
men Of this country were opposed to the
practice, there were clergymen in every part
Of the country endeavoring, as a part of an
organized system, to introduce the pr 2ctice
of Habitual Confession, and our daughters,
our sisters, our mothers, and our sons ought
not to be exposed to that debasement of
National character which his noble friend ad- |
mitted belonged to Habitual Confession.
That system ought to be hunted down. 1t |
was the duty of those who governed, both
in Church and Safe, TO show distinctly
what their views were of that system.
Those clergymen who favored the practices |
of absolute, full and exhaustive confess'o on |
before granting absolution or administering
the Sacrament had it in their power to |
grope and grope into the dirtiest corners of |
the minds OF weak minded women"
No sensible man ed be surprised that
there Is much feeling oa this subject, which |
is not in favor Of priests or priescraft. |
The Lon ION Times yields to this feeling in
a lcuSLGCucO 6OlOIlal III WHICH, IL T0LudTkS |
''The public will hardly accept Lord |
conteuted view of the state of |
the Church. He thinks that because it is
quite certain habitusl co1kession can never /
become National practice, it is needless
and undignifed to be alarmed at its devel-
opment. The percentage of folly among
the clergy is not, he thinks, greater than
among the Peers, and he pleads with a
kindly sympathy for its federation. But
the difference is tnat whereas the language
of foolish Peer is occasionally trouble
some to his brother Peers, the practices
and the teaching of foolish
clergyman are standing injury to
his parish. The law imposes him upon
his people; he has the control of the spirit
ual ministrations on which they depend,
and it is very great hardship that every
parish in the country should be liable 10
the sudden invasion of hot-heated priest,
who Romantics the services and proceeds
to inculcate the duty of habitual confession.
The man whose wife or daughter has been
misled by this kind of fanat. cism will hard
ly be cousoled by the assurance that only
two and half per cent, of the clergy incul-
Gated similar supers itions. He has q right
70 be protected against them in |