The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-06
THE CONFESSIONAL IN ENGLAND
A Protestant CIersvnsn Writing Letters 70
Young tstrls.

Young t,ris.
In the British House OF Lords, on July
81, Lord Oranmore moved for COPY OF the re-
port OF the Committee Of the Upper House u
Convection OF the Province OF Canterbury with
regard to confession. As TO the Public Wor.
ship act, he said 1t did not give any greater
facility In dealing with the practice than ex
isted before the passing Of that act, and there
fore he was sorry to say tho practice OF habit
ual sacramental confession was spreading. They
had all recently read In the public press a very
unfor,unate Sc. ana they all sympathized
Ing 60 a lady who said no doubt they all sympa-
thzsd with the noble Earl, out that there was
not one family among the upoer classes In HE
which had not to regret some similar case
There was not diocese In which this practice
Of confession did not prevail in one or more
churches. In recent sermon the Bishop OF
Msncnester said that although no one had a
greater dread Of the INTRODUCTION Of CON
nnsns Il, than iar. h,"ss ye, he hsd been
earnest and most gifted ciergvmen repre-
sented that he could use It to keen young
existence % the con fessiOnai kept the youth Of
France and Italy pure, an he coutended that
h bItual confession. had acted ,ltri pEcs. and
done grievous wrong TO the national Cnuron.
AS 10 the literature of confession, which mient!
be ranked with that Of Holywol street, he would
merely remark that there was point
which u constantly insisted, namely, that n a
person felt inclined TO confess. he ought not To
allow himself to be Influenced Ia contrary d.
tection oy even his nearest and dearest friends.
With REGARD TO this evil, he might mention two
typical Cases. One was furnished by q letter
which was written by clergyman TO a young
lady. and which was To the following effect;
to s use e 70
vns,ner you should communicate witaoat previous
Dut Il .eenis 70 that II you sIouli leave on coing
u sous after s @ are rannns
akfeh risk ! snow NO other way oy wnieh mortal
rsmons.i saS sSsoisSs Il yea srs u yss
and dying without again being absovod Is ooly rsnt
you should see clearly the risk you are running.
The same clergyman, be understood. had since
fotwsrded 70 young lady = small book en-
utlsd "Absolution, and How It 10 to oe 90.
tanned containine questions for self examnz-
tion on The seventh conm indmeut. The sec
ond case was described Ia a letter which mad
bean addressed to hun by faLhsr:
About two month"; ago. bis correspondent
wrote, discovered that my daughter had fog
coIfessing to n clergynan- Sns tells me thzt
when she nrst went there she told him she wAs
kuo to either of her parent tn, aud that II they
knew Of II thes would be very angry"
-, Ins letter vent on TO state tn.. TINS Clergy
b; that be s4t IN his surpice in small room
screened nom the cnurcn. ani thai one went In
AZ time, kneit down beside hin. and received
aoso,utioa oy bis puttiog nis hand ON the he. ID.
such WAS .as result VI Ihis miserable stem
that a graduate of tho university. a clergyman
OF the Bnahsh Cnuruh, an EnslIsn genLisIn IN,
being c .rfiod away D, sacerdoLAl Zeal acted
CONTRARY 10 all rules Of honor Or good feeling.
aud sysIenatio deceit. loat case was we'll
known Ia the neilhoJrIooj whore Il occurred.
asked y nstnor their calidesn were w 90 thus de-
cOvod from tDeni. None OF thoD were free from
attacks 50 trsacoero AZ. bus tasy could change
tnclr cuurcb. tIslr 81 nous. their residence. Buk
IN cOuatfy parishes Inc Door hal no defence.
Had tney not risht TO expect That Parnauent
would prots them oy seeing tnaL tho pArisn
CT srgylnan Of tue nallonL CLurcn conformed
u the pr .ctice and teaching OF that church2
Ihat haUituai confession was gininx uslly a
stronger hotd ON the EusiIsa eau. Gu he mad
shown; ue believed that confession was tue
nor stone 81 saceriotalisD, ANA taat no greater
vkT lItsla al
men Of ssi-reii.ncs; ~ England 10 woul1 divide
GAS frotu class. Socially IL ~ouid destroy our
husband and wlfs, between fatlor and enid.
he iLxiously IL wOuiJ rop us OF pure CnristianiIy
bv crvaiing many IN oiAtors insts III VI one. IL
CONTAGIOUS disease tnrSateDvd IN Al vi beast,
Parliament tnterfered 10 protect them. lie
prayed, now, tuoss VINO mad tue power 10 ca
osayor W stay the advance vi tnas deadly moral
nlal .dy.
rhe Archbishop Of Canterbury said that he
onsFou no posItion ~ the motion, aud that
tue only point On which be und srstO0d Ia no
Ole l"ru ~ com p.ain against ANY member VI tue
ksat Rev. Bencn was tnat No d,d not think
tney had been aOle IN nraetice % carry into
enec their deliberately recOrued opinion and
Judgment On has subject, a. gwen IN tue year
lo,J. Hs was glad tnat tao nVOIs lord nsu al
lu Ied 10 the cOrrespondehos wnich had passed
hotNeon himself aud gent eman hving ~
stating That ~ tn case, when was Drought
under his notice. that zsn,lsman mVlAined IN
his letter that us daus ntrr mad Osen nduc ii To
20 10 ,DitudI confession agAlnst her f,thvrs
VIII, and without us knowledge, and also, he
mIsht ADD, agslnst the opinion expressed IN
IN II decision oi Tue Upper hud-s VI Convoca-
tlOn. A soon as he Received luat letter ne Itn-
meiiate!y communica ed with the clergy.
man IN question 10 hear wnaI he h 4
IL say ia MS defence. lie was not sass
He'd with wnat tue clerIN man sIld, AMI he
ex ressed his dissatisflctton IN what ne THOUGHT
were very strong terms. He hoped that the
noble lord had ex12Serate tue extent ~ wnion
the eyll OF whicn ne Complained wAa carried
lie could not believe thIt tnere was no IA lilly
In the up"er RANKS OF society watch Mas not
suffering under tIat evil. No DOUBT IN tuis
country great numUer OF X l.nin Cath Jllc
wnIks when uld not Dear upoa tue face ui them
any distinctive chhrac ter.sllcs Of thAt IatD were
circulated from no,,se to house and We're con
tlhualv IN Tue nanis VI foung people, upOn
whom they fsequsutIy nAd nischieyods eject
lie Mas CERTAIN tnAt II tue nuols lord coLld 80
lhnjence puoilc onlnipn Ia tuis IN alter a. 10 pre-
wont booksellers from selling sucu works and
young persons from puSiug tue.n, no would DO
doinI IN 4eh good by preventing literald ara Of
TN, KIND, walsh had dceturIOus effect not
OnlY upon the fItn UIt upon tne manly cnarAc-
ter OF those VINO out themselves under its guid-
ance, from Oelns circ Ll4tsd
lno motion was tnon agreed TO without a di-
vision.