St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-31

Of these latter years are discovering !.
that the fathers whose names they bear
were not crucified for them, nor were
they baptized in their names. l have
brought forward the above-cited author
tiles simply TO show
That Professionalism Was Born
in the undisputed reign Of confession,
yielded it up regretfully, yet desired to
retain it. But 1t could not, for it had
broken the apostolical succession; it had
denied the priesthood, holy orders as a
sacrament. The people knew the power
to forgive was no longer in its ministry.
There was nothing left but to decry and
reVile as corruption, as q human in
ventiOn. that divine institution it could
not preserve. Sin is the source of all
the evils that afflict the family and So
ciety. "Sin maketh nations miserable"
Some evil the state does oppose and
reach by its legislation and unwritten
code of social prOpriety and honor. But
these deal only with the surface of sin
open crime. There are things
infamous that one may do and
yet be, reputed among men
as an honorable man. Moreover,
the states preventives or punishments
of sin strike and degrade; they do not
raise up and rehabilitate; they leave
the stricken man in ignominy and de-
Spair. Now, on the contrary, confession
reaches unto the hidden deed, nay, unto
the very source and root of deeds, the
inner thought and desire; and confess
sion, While it humbles because it forces
the sinner to standardization, yet be-
slows OH him greater nobility, crowns
him with brighter aureOla. Magdalen
is hohored wherever tho gospel is
preached. Peter is greater and tirmer
saint; AuguStIne's genius emits more
vivid flame; he becomes the immortal
bishop of Hippo. There is nothing on
earth can do the miracle of rehabilita-
ton like the sacrament of penance.
There is no peace for soul in sin until
it has expelled the disease. To acknowl-
edge sin is to eXpel 1t. l mean acknOwl-
edge it in a spirit of sorrow. Jesus
Christ seiZes this natural need and this
natural mode of relief and makes them
part OF the scheme of reconciliation
committed to his chosen ministers. Sin
has in it an element of pride and of SELL
suality. Confession drives out pride
by standardization and heals sensuality
by an ayowal that is painful to nature
in proportion as it reveals natures
weaknesses and ills. But the pain is
the Salutary pain that is in the bitter
medicine, in the sharp but saving knife
of the surgeon. Confession cuts out the
cancer, washes the wound, puts in the
antiseptic. JOY is in every sacrifice,
rest follows on every healing. however
painful. ooh, what would not give"
said Madame de Stael, ''to kneel in
Catholic confessional" This book"
L Am Quoting MIR. Gladstone
in a review of Lady Fullerton's works,
"makes us learn, and learn with pun
gency, how unconfessed and unre-
pented sin, borne about within the
bosom. stiles its seeds of life, thickenS
its inward atmosphere, changes into
darkness that which was its light. 10
whom of us all is not this lesson? Where
is the happy being into the all cham
bers of whose soul the light OF day con-
tinuaIly anu freely flows who has no
blank misgivingS of deceit towards
others, of fraud upon himself? Who
does not feel he has spread a film over
the eye planted in him for Self-knOwl- |
edge? What strange Irregularities, |
what latent corruption of motive; even
when acts are laudable, what fearful
conflicts of antagOuiStic principles in
those wrought from better clay, and |
what alternatives in the prospect of |
final issuesw But when asked to whom |
confession should be made. MIR. Gladstone
could only answer to father, mother or |
friend. His old friend. Cardinal New |
man, makes quite different answer. |
s'HOw many are the souls in distress, |
anxiety or loneliness, whose one need |
it is to find being to whom they can
pour out their feelings, unheard by the |
world! Tell them out they must; they |
cannot tell them out to those whom |
they see every hour. They want to tell |
them and not to tell them; they want to |
tell them out, yet Oe as il they had not |
told; they wish to tell them to one who /
is strong enough to bear them, yet not /
too strong to despise them; they wish to |
tell them to one who can at once advise |
and can sympathiZe with them. They
wish to relieve themselves of load, to
gain Il solace, to receive the assurance
that there Is one who thinks of them and /
one to whom in thought they can recur,
to whom they cam betake themselves,
il necessary. from time to time, while
they are in the world. How many |
Professionals heart would leap at the
news OF such benefit. 1t there is |
heavenly idea III the Catholic church.
looking at it simply as an idea, such is
confession. And such it is ever found
i'm fact. The very act of kneeling, the
low and c0ntrite voice, the sign of the
cross hanging, so to say, over the head |
bowed low, ahd the words of peace and |
blessing: oh. what q soothing charm is |
there, which the world can neither give |
nor take away; oh, what piercing, heart
subduing tranquility, provoking tears
of Joy, is. poured out almost substan-
TALLY and physically upon the soul. the |
oil of gladness as scripture calls II, |
when the penitent at length arises, his |
God recOnciled to him, his Sins rolled !
away forever"