Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-29
CLERICAL.

Rev. w. S. Pettigrew. Rector
Holy InnOcents, Henderson.
Rev. G. B. Wetmore, Rector
Christ's Church, Rowan county.
Rev. S. S. Barber, Rector of S
Georges, Hyde county.
Rev. A. NJ. Flythe, Rector of S
Mary's, Kinston.
Rev. M. M. Marshall, Rector
Emmanuel Church, Warren ton.
LAITY.
W. B. Shepard, Daniel Buxton. ia.
r. McNeill, j. B. Bachelor, Arthu
Collins, E. b. Haughton, W. C. Ashe
L. II. Hardin, w. II. Bernard.
Rev. George Patterson read lette
from Mr.. F. W. Clark, accompanie
by telegram from Mr.. s. E. Aller
ticket agent, stating that those dele
gates from points via n c. Division c
the Richmond & Danville Railroad
who were unable to obtain retur
tickets, will be passed free upon pre-
sentation of certificates from the Sec
retary of the Convention.
The minutes of yesterday were read
corrected and approved.
| The Bishop, in accordance with nc
tice given the previous day, proceede
to deliver his charge to the clergy G
| the Diocese.
The Bishop said that by Canon i
was made his duty once year to pro
nounce charge to the clergy concern
ing such questions as might seem ap
propriate, and one topic he deeme,
eminently important-the considera
ton Of the subject of Auricular Con
fession. Sacramental Confession, as
preparation for Absolution, he thongh
was practice fraughtiwith grave con
sequences. To form correct judg
ment of the subject, it was necessar,
to inquire into the nature of confes
sions.
Confession to God was necessary, I
John 1-9. IF we confess our sins He is
faithful and just to forgive us our
sins," &c.
AS help to true repentance, confes-
sion should be more full and frequent,
and we should bring before us the
very faults wherein we have offended.
Confession to a Minister of Christ
was also profitable under certain cir
cumstances, as after an offence which
had disquieted the conscience.
In this connection the Bishop re-
ferred to the teaching of Job, the con-
fession of David and the confessions
urged by John the Baptist, beside
that of the Jews at Ephesus to st.
Paul.
This sort of confession is allowed
and urged in the exhortation to the
Holy Communion to purge the heart
and life.
But Sacramento Confession was
very different. It was not scriptural,
not edifying, and it's fatal tendency
vas to the decentralization of every
community.
Confess your faults the priest to the
people, as we'll as people to priest. In
Confess your faults" naturally dis
allows private confession.
The Roman Catholics rely on st.
the lesson "Go show thyself to the
priest" but the refutation admits no
reply, that the man was healed before
he went. So our sins would be for
given, by analogy, before we came to
confession.
st. Ambrose says: "God is the true
Saviour"
Du1 tIlC hufOCdteS Ci odCFdUleuCal
Confession rest their case mainly upon
st. john, xx-23, "Whosesoever sins We
remit, they are remitted." Say they, to
be remitted, sins must be known, and
to be known they shoull be confessed.
They affirm, that without their alb
solution, no man SHINING after baptism
can see God. The Council of Trent
mathematics any person denying that
penance is Sacrament, or who denies
that Confession is part OF the same,
and renders Sacramental Confession,
even OF secret sins, necessary to saliva
ton,
This Is system, well-built castle,
with dungeons for the refractory, and
chambers of rest for the asserting.
Surely no one could find these things
Of himself in the Scripture.
'Be ye not called masters, for One
is your Master"
Sin is an offence against God. Who
;an give absolution but Code
st. Ambrose says: "Men pray, but
God gives. He bids not one examine
but nan to search himself
st. Basil says: Il do not make con-
fession to appear to the man, but in
wardly to God"
st. Augustine says, his confession
was not yet come to his mouth, from
his heart, when God heard it.
This was the doctrine of the fathers,
penitential, but truly Catholic, for
1900 years. Grievous sins were con-
fessed before the whole Church. The
Oriental Church had priests called
penitentials to receive the confessions
Of the especially guilty. This was
But private confession
increased, until in the 18th century,
he 4th Lateran Council took the mo-
step.
The Church of England stigmatizes
his prcctice as wrong. except in alb
horn a cases. The hishon Of souls. like
he pkysi1, an OF the body, discharges
lis Office best, when most quiet.
In the American Service, there is |
wen Withdrawn the guarded absolu-
ion in the Confession of tha Sax and |
n the EEGlis,. nerviee.
These things show clearly that pri-
ate confession is lawiess. The priest |
axes the place of conscience, which |
Don becomes enfeebled, and only now |;
lelivers the penitent to tie ,.r.sst. No
,etter metho., .ouii he devised for |
oiA'AIES SAitNt oe"t t1t CoiiE-iSi\S. toiiioy
90, are more readily committed if fol-
owed by an absolution conveying par
Ion and not simply declaring it:
Not the least evil is tbs suggestion |
If woke, thoughts and acts.
Manuals are in use in the Romish
Church, containing matter too oiious |
ven to repeat in the Church.
There are copies in this Diocese of
book written for those who use the !!
Confession il th7 church /
# Englsaa, esen more faulty in form,
9hiah would 'deprave the morals of
my people.
The Bishop read statistics of crime ]
u the various countries ii the world |
lh.o2wisg that murders and illegitimate I
iii this were largely in excess in countries |
lnder Romish influence. Thus from ]
fe registers of 185O-'5l, in LONDON, |
he proportion OF illegitimate
sirtha was 4 per cent, in Paris 33 |
,er cent, and ih Vienna it reached the |
enormous amount of 81 per cent, or |
more than half. Confession end easy
bsolution led to this result.
The moral atmosphere Of England, |
D