The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-05
EpiscopalIan Confession.

fession" has in = AIDED this country. We 90
not complain of this, for did not America
send Euglaud the potato bug come time
agof Bot "wiil We, Mill We" it is here.
The New York Sun in a recent pumoe has
over two cclumus of close, fine print re-
porting certain researches which it had just
made into the status OF the question among
New York Episcopalans The rev. gen.
tlemeu interviewed were highly 10 favor OF
the practice, but the Sun in its editorial
comments shows al inclination to take
issue with them.
1t seems that the principal clergy man
interviewed, Rev. Father" Morrill,, takes
his views o. authority from the English
Book Of Com mon Prayer, conveniently
ignoring certain chsuges made in the
American Prayer Book, which are of vital
import on this very question of confession
nd absolution. Rev. Mr. Morrill,, who
claims the power of absoiution in eonfes-
sion and, as a genuine Father Confessor,
has himself addressed as Rev. Father,
quotes the English Prayer Book to the
effect that the faithful are encouraged to
ter of Gods woId ":hsttbey may receive the
De eft Of atsolutioD." Tie Sun thinks it
was Dot very candid in Mr.. Morrill, TO ig-
more the fact that these wcr6s are omitted
in the American Book, and that in their
place are substituted the following: THAT
be may receive such goodly counsel and
advice as may tend to the quieting Of his
conscience"
Again, as the eun Gays, Father Morrill,
quotes from the English Office for the Wis
ilation of the sick as follows:
Here shall the sick person be moved to
make special confession of his aims, IL he feels
his cor science troubled with any mighty mat
teri After his confession the priest gives him
this Absolution Oor Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath left power to His Church to abeolve all
of His great mercy forgive thee thine offences;
and by His authority committed to me, ab-
solve thee from all thy sins in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost
Then follows the statement on the au
thority of the Snn that the ''form of abso-
lution" was left out by the "American re-
vieers' and that they were determined not
to permit "any other than the general
public confession AID absolation of their
Prayer Book to be practsed."
This branch ,f the case betraye great
m mbecility. The Sun and its Protestant
coterie laugh scornfully at the iLfalible
power claimed by the Catholic Church to
pronounce on doctrinal truth, yet they set
up far greater power in-in what The
Anglican Church at large No. The
American branch of it 7 No. Bat in the
American reviseIs." These mythical gem
tlemen left out a whole Sacrament-that
of suIicular confession with absolution-
sod were determined not to per nit it to be
practieed. For be it observed, the Sun
does not cast shadow of doubt on the
authority of a clergyman to give absolution
in England, but denies it to him i'll Ameri
ca, though duly indicted into his parish.
That is, in one country Christianity bai
one Sacrament more than in another couu'
try. Certainly neither Pope nor Counci
ever went so far as to proclaim a doctrine
ir one place and deny it in another.
! The Immediate occasion, however, of tb'
| great interest just now taken in the matte
is the public attention that was recently
in the English House of Lords, calleC
to q work entitled "The Priest in Absolu
| ton" This work has been brought out IL
the interest of the High School or Ritual
istic branch of the English Church, an
purports to suggest TO clergymen wha
questions they may fud useful in the con
fessiona! by way of prompting penitentt
The noble lord (Ridesda!e) who bIough
the matter to the attention of the Lous
read q number of passages which wer
characterised as drsgracetul. The newspa
pers. always in search of game, took III
matter up and declared many passages t
oe vile and obsceue. ThereuPon the boo
| found itself famous.
We have net seen the work nor any e1
tract from it but suppose it ia q revamp Q
some standard Catholic treatise. If ma
has to exercise the right of forgiving or re
tainiug sins he must first know what the
are. If he is to address others on doubtful
points of morality be must be informed O