Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-12

0AAEIN
likely to ensue from its reading, III
publicity is entirely due to the
representative individual who saw
good to give to the many that
which was designed only for the
few.
Sixth-Confession may or may
not DO a desirable thing. But once
being an established usage, it GER
tainly is a greatly to be wished for
contamination that priests should
understand how to deal with souls,
lest from their ignorance confusion
worse COMPOUNDED should ensue.
Disease Of the body, in whatever
shape, is an unpleasant thing; yet
| question whether it would be wise
to do away with all medical treat
Uses, unless we determine to let our
maladies run their course, and our
doctors to undertake some other
profession.
Seventh-If these eminent priests
of the Anglican church who COM
piled, and those many, not any the
less eminent, who use "The Priest
in Absolution," are to be assailed on
account of this book, because it
deals plainly with everyday ques.
tons, let us at least be logical if we
cannot be charitable; let us make
the same objections to the English
Book of Common Prayer as is made
to "The Priest in Absolution."
Nay, let us pitch our voices in a
higher key, since the prayer book is
deliberately and advisedly put into
the hands of the Youngest, and read
openly in the face of the oongre-
cation. What is there in "The
Priest in Absolution to match the
marriage Office of the English
church, which is established by
both civil and ecclesiastical law as
the service of Great Britain and her
dependencies, and according to
which her monarchs and her
queens are married? and to rise
higher, what is there in "The
Priest in Absolution that exceeds
the inspired advice which the
church renders in her epistle for
the second Sunday in Lent? Or,
if plain speaking Il hope hal your
readers will keep in mind that the
prayer book and its offices are
public, while "The Priest in 40
solution was intended to be for
the clergy only be wrongful, how
is it that a certain chapter in holy
scripture is appointed to be read on
March oath Of every year?
l do not say, whatever l may
think, that the church should or
der such epistle, or such lesson, or
that she should have such a mar
riage service, or that she should
rehearse the seventh commandment,
or that she should 1.-THE English at
least) pray i'll the Litany to be de-
livered from fornication and all
other deadly SINS" l say only this:
That the church baying done so.
and making her ~utterances public,
it can hardly be objected that it is
improper in her priests to follow
out her line Of thought, aud to pre-
pare themselves by whatever private
helps they can lay hold of to best
fulfill the duties which, whether
rightly or wrongly, she lays upon
them. And this brings me to fact
Eighth-That the church does
commission her priests to give abso-
luton, and, as in the case of the
Church Of England, O6liges them,
by rubric, to move sick persons to
confession, is merely a question of
which the solution can be found by
reference to any ~prayer-book that
may be had at the nearest book
store.
Ninth-Another thing. AS l
write l have before me the "Theo-
logiea Dogmatica ct Moralis," of
Bailly; the Compendium Theo-
logia Morals Auctore P. jeanne
Petro Curry, S. j., in Collegio Ro-
mano ct in Seminario Valsensi
prope Anicium Professare." and,
what is especially valuable, the
Manuel dis Confesseurs' of Lab
bi, etc., (permit me to quote the
title page) compost, ETC., to whose
authors | owe many obligations.
In these books one may find much,
very much, that one would never
think of speaking about general
ly, but which is none the less
necessary to be said at proper times
ard in proper places. But will the
Cincinnati Commercial kindly In
iorm its readers why it singles out
the Priest in Absolution for its
infallible condemnation, when, ]
venture to say, it has never printed
a word against Roman Catholic
writer's or Casuistry?
For reasons best, perhaps, known
to itself, but which some can con.
lecture, without, ! believe, being
far ont of the way, the press,
with few exceptions, generally sides
against what is called "Ritualism.'
Whv NAV IL not once In a wb;Ia In