Richmond planet., 1894-04-28

DER now 0OO Que WOfu ntc cNcI DoSu |
brought to refute the argument taken |
from these texts. The Apostles then ac- |
cording to their own explicit words did |
forgive sins in Baptism and gave the
Holy Ghost.
But could they also pardon those who |
had sinned after being baptised and did
they do so7 Suppose we could find no
clear instance of absolutioD in the Bible,
what would follow? Nothing at all
against our doctrine, for those words of
John 20:22-23. "Whose sins you shall
forgive they are forgiven" cannot be
overturned by the mere silence OF the
scriptures as to the use OF that power.
In their Epistles the Apostles do not
speak of every point of christian belief
and practice, but only of such as were
connected with the purpose they had in
writing. OF this the epistlee, themselves
give abundant proof AS for the
Acts of the Apostles, they were not
I intended to be q complete history OF all
| the Apostles taught and did, but were
restricted to the planting of the church,
especially through the instrumentality
| of Saints Peter and Paul, narratlng the
| conversion of Jews and gcntiIes and
| their becoming Christians By baptism
/, Penai,ce or absolution had nithiDg to
| do here. After converting the people,
| tie Apostles could not be expected to
| exercise towards them the functions Of
| the regular pastors Their work consis-
| ted chiefly In preaching. organizing
churches and ordaining pastors Con-
sidering moreover the fervor of those
first Christians, it was not likely that
| they should fall again SO soon into griev
| Gus sin and stand in need of abs0luuiOn.
| This whole objection is based moreover
| on the false assumption that everythiDg
| is to be found in the Bible. Now will
| give two facts which prove conclusively
| that this is not so.
If the Bible contains all, where let me
| ask is the warrant to be found for chang
ing the Saturday to the Sunday How
did my opponent get over this difficulty.
"This is not the question" said he.
He talked about the Bible, the igno-
rance of Catholics in general and mine in
particular, about the invocation of
saints, infallibility of the Pope, purga-
tory, holy water, etc., etc. Although
he knew perfectly we'll that these things
were not in the question. When, how
ever, / asked him about the Sunday
question after proving more over that
it was to the point, he backed out, see
ing how utterly impossible it was for
him to maintain his ground. l will
send to anyone ON receipt of address a
pamphlet on the above point.
, spired by the Holy Ghost, repeat the
command given by God himself not to
! eat blood. cit has seemed good to the
: Holy Ghost and to us . "a" that you
abstain from blood" Now where in the
, Bible, let me ask, is this prohibition re
voked? These are facts that cannot be
o denied, and knock the bottom complete
]. ly out of that famous'The Bible alone il
: | our guide" From this then it follows
as q necessity, that if there were no clear
I, instance of absolution in the Bible, tn,
| texts OF Matthew and John would still
!, stand in all their force. 1t is stated ex
= pressly that the Apostles forgave sin a
r least in baptism and also gave the Hol,
= Ghost. 1t is not more wonderful to Civ
y pardon for other sins, than to. do thes
3 things expressly mentioned.
. But is it tree that here is no such in
stance in the Bible? We shall presently
"a see. Look at III Cor. 2:10. "To whom
q you shave forgivenany thing, also, 10
~ what forgave, Tor your sakes have
% | done it in the person of Christ" Her
n the Apostle affirms that he has pardon
,f ed the incestu Gus Corinthian upon hi
40 showing sorrow and he asks the Corir
:. thians to receive him and treat hiI
n again as q brother.
~ Again in Acts 1918 we read: "many
: those who believed (that is those wh
n had been baDtized) came confessing an
w declaring their deeds"
m Note here in the same words in whiC
our Saviour gave the power to forgiV
r: sins, he also commanded that it was I
:" be done only upon confession, for 6
Dis Bro. Lewis well said, ito forgive siI
)y one should know the unexpressed secre
I'd of anothers' heart" In this text, ther
ID fore, we have an instance of confessio
oh Int XII
of we read Confess therefore your sil
re one to another" 1t is objected that
st this proves anything, one ought to CO.
at fess his sins to any one and every ol
NV and even priests to lay people. No
ad that lone another" does not mean th,
ore confession is to be made to everybod
he is plain from q number of texts of scri
ID. ture. See Eph. 5:21 being subje
cd one to another This one to anot
ed err is qualified by the following 81
is women be subject to their husbands
req | ceive one another" This is explained
to | ISL. ''Now we that are stronger oug
me to bear the infirmities of the weak
is See also Peter 40. Those words 'scC
me fess therefore your sins one to anothe
in. are also explained in the preceding vel
IN from which it becomes quite clear W
Isl those are TO whom the confession is
no be made verse IA. ''Is any one 81
Tvs among you, let him bring in the priei
of (elders) of the church and let him pr
no over him amounting him with oil
the name of the Lord. And the pra,
to of faith shall save the sick man. .ant
the he be in sins, they shall be forgiven hil
for 1t makes no difference whether the We
ave "priest" is found there or not, whetl
nee called elders or bishops o. priests, tn
aid is evidently question in this passage
nor the ministers of the church who besi
not are expressly said to forgive sins
nceI what we call Extreme UnctiOn."
ray mediately following these words cor
thy the text Confess therefore your sins
see TO another" that is to the elders
4 in priests, or ministers mentioned IN We
an IA. 1t is perfectly clear then. from th
the texts that the apostolic christians
lich lieved and practised confession with
le." solution.
rom That the words OF John 1921 %,
our so Matthew 1918, were thus underst'
by the early christians is evident.
non our learned b. D., had the audacit,
sor- say ~"this practice (confession) was
The nounced by many church Fathers s
for as Basil, Hilay, Augustin and Chry
and thom. LET US see, says st. Basil:
. no must necessarily disclose our sins
ords those who have received authority
that dispense the mysteries of God" st.
His gustine "Let no one say do pent
10 to in secret before God. Is it in vain I
in0s Christ has said, whatsoever thou s
lpOn loose upon earth shall be lOOsed in h
rrow EN- 20 st: Chrysosthom "To the pr
!per- is given a power which God would
of.Il nj a M Cral