New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
III.
PENANCE.

In the latter case the mildness Of early penal
ties was well known. Erasmus made the primi-
tive custom an unavaing argument for good
will and peace in his own time. There were
other cases in which the primitive custom was
forgotten Il absolve thee" or its Latin equiva-
lent was q comparatively modern formula ac-
cording to Mr.. Lea. but 1t was treated as II IL
had the sanction Of antiquity and was compared
with the formula Of another sacrament. i pap
tie thee" though this had no primitive
sanction The Greek Church chung to less au-
thoritative phrases in the form OF absolution. ana
Mr. Lea INDUCES in a little irony at the expense
Of on. Pope who permitted the use OF poth La''h
and Greek forms by pointing out now inc priest
talked with divine authority to one class OF MS
rarishionArs while he humbly invoked Goa par
don toward another class Examples IKE TINS only
show how much the prejudices OF the laity had 10
do with the whole growth Of usage in these mat
ters Private confession TO the priest was not OF
the priests seeking. In the first place. In 'he
nature Of things. nobody wants to hear GAIA
logue Of the sins, especially the petty SINS Oh
anybody else. Moreover from the beginnings I"
the confessional down to the present day peni-
tents have always been clever at working the
sins OF other people into their own list There IS
q story that is classic of parish priest wearied
with the persistent recital by woman OF her
husbands failings, who gave her as penance
three Paters and AYES for her own sins and three
days's fasting on bread and water FOR her nus
bands, and on her expostulatng told her that II
was TO teach her to confine herself In future TO
her own"
Downright wrongdoers in the early Churcn u'u
not take kindly In the long run to the pubic con-
fe..,on and penance to which they were sub
o.
the penance OF the Roman lady Fabola as proof
that such incidents must already have been rare
70 awaken so much notice and admiration In
general, persons undergoing penance had learned
by that time to put good face on the matter, ap-
nearing in fine clothes, giving dinners, and con-
senting only to suffer as privately as possible.
Naturally the step from public confession under
such conditions to private confession was not a
,one one II the priesthood yielded In the first
n,ace and for ages to this as one OF the necessary
burdens of their calling, they could not fall to
and ont in the end how It contributed to their in
nuence. Yet the primitive feeling that underlay
the whole fabric OF usage survives to the present
dav IN the fact that confession to layman Is
attn ehicacious In rare circumstances, and public
confession by a group of persons together wholly
ca tisfactory in cases Of imminent peril by ship
wreck As private confession became prevalent,
It also became profitable first by the offerings OF
free-wtll. then by fees, which. though not de-
manded perhaps. were considered obligatory.
Public confession In comparatively early times
had been an affair Of the Bishop. Private con-
fessioN became the business OF the priest. Then
followed a process Of counter-deveopment, by
which the Bishop and later the Pope reserved
cases more or less important to themselves. But
the whole evolution OF the system. as well as the
logic OF the schoomen. combined to put the real
mower In the hands Of the priest as SUCH