The New York herald., 1878-01-14
WAINWRIGHT MEMORIAL CHURCH.
TRUE AND FALSE CoNFEssIoNAL-sERMoN BY
DR.. KRAMER.

TRUE AND FALSE CoNFEssIoNAL-sERMoN BY
DIR. KRAMER.
very eloquent and Interesting sermon was
nreachcd by DR.. John W. Kramer last evening tho
tcxt st. James ", 16:-"Confess your faults one TO
another and pray one Tor another that ye may DO
healed. The efccsual fervent prayer OF q righteous
man avaleth much" In the beginning, the preacher
said, that he did not intend TO combat Romanism
here, or In the Episcopal Church, but TO make some
open statements the subject OF the confessional
the true aad the false-which must appeal to the
common sense OF his hearers Tho day had departed
whom could be mere advocate and Keep con-
troll over the minds OF men; ana he who would be
listened to must talk freely and frankly. person
goes 10 confession that he may obtain absoiution.
john the Baptist preached that men should repent
II was stern and awful cry, and they who repenlei
were baptized. 'contessod their sins" The Jews had
previous teachings which enjoined confession In
presence Of him who, as priest, stood between the
congregation OF Israel and God. They mad the teach
inss oil rabUes Tor ages but with all the raobn'cai de-
veloument OF Mosaic customs never had Judaism
SUCH un ecclesiastical appcndage as the Roman CATH
oc Confessional Had John the Baptist set UP IN the
wilderness, the banks OF the swift 1owing Jordan,
such practice IL would have been more startling 10
Judea than was his baptism
THE ANCIENT SACRIFICES.
Tho old Hebrew plan was Tor man TO take his sac
rnce the temple turn his lace TO the west SO
present II before the Lord then he LAID his hands
ON head OF the sacrifice saying, II entreat, y
Jehovah. have snncd. have done perversey.
have committed manning here his sin or trespass), but
bcnold return repentance, and let this ue Tor my
alonement." Another confession the Jews knew
something about when prophet not priest charged
the people with stu against God ana denounced them
the peopio kcued him and confessed their SINS
10 Cod and know Of ut least one man wDo sad 10
the prophet when rebuged, IL have sinnca against tho
LORD, /" and Nathan said unto David, "rhe Lord hath
put away Thy SINS. THIS kind OF confession to
prophet would DO familiar 70 those Hebrews who
listened to ST. James, but other KIND OF confession
l.e
tmacy OF the Master with the disciples Hc talked TO
them OF their SINS We read that 81. Peter, when hc
saw the holy character o jesus, said, depart from
me, Lord, Tor am an uncican man, Here was u
priost earth who did forgive sins, and we have no
trace oil any Confessional set up by Him. Where do
lind apostle dong any like thing; where IN the
cpise to The Church do wo read OF such an establish
meut?
History tells us that In tho primitive Church trans
gressors we're excommunicated and placed apart 10
| SIT by themselves, ana wnep they repented we lind
conicssion--open confcssioB-to the whole church
was required OF them before they were restored. II
is oniy very late century OF the mcdseval period
that md the Church making tho practice OF auric-
penttent under the care OF spiritual director Un-
der this development the snaer was to probe mind d
ana heart and tell TO the priest ali sinful thoughts or
acls. IL Is new doctrine not known 70 Inc Church
oil Christ, an excrescnce The Reformed Churcn OF
England turned its back on IT, abolished II from its
canon and pronounced against u.
| Tho preacher then reviewed the antagonism be-
tween the Roman Catholic and the Protestant
churches IN the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
ana said that there must be Romanists now and Tor
long time TO como, and as long people need the
Roman Catholic Church TO help them their road
to heaven let US be thankful tnere Is such Church
and there are Catholics to-day OF wn0m say would
not rise from my seat TO convert them to Protest
antism, lest they might not continue be such good
Chrstlan But this matter Of the fcssio nal has
not renamed IN tho Cnuroh oil Rome, but has IN
truded itself into "a communion from winch IL was
cast out truly contrite spirit will mako confession
| oi SIN to him who has been Affected by tho wrong.
The false confession has come TO DO popular because
| IL rs easier than true.