The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-08
A PRIEST ON CONFESSION.
Father Bonrman's Sermon mt ST. JO-
seph's Last Night.

st. Joseph's Church was packed to the
doors last evening by those who came to
hear Father Marshall /. Boarman, S. j.,
deliver his address on Confession
Though the lecture was an hour and half
in length the deepest interest was shown
by the large audience. several hundred of
whom were compelled to remain standing
during the evening.
Father Boarman chose for his text Pro-
verbs xviii Is: He that covereth his sins
shall not prosper, but whose confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy" Father
Boarman said in part:
God commanded confession on the COM
mission of the first sin, when he asked
Adam and Eve what they had done. They
both acknowledged, confessed their SIM
whereupon He forgave them and promised
them redeemer. When Cain was asked by
God what became of his brother he did not
confess and for his diSobediance was COM
PEELED to wander an OutcaSt over the face
of the earth. The Old Testament is replete
with admonitons of confession and repent
ance In the fifth chapter of Leviticus and
fifth chapter of Numbers the prescribed Of
ferings are given. One could tell by the
offerings made the nature of the sin COM
mitted, proving that their method of con-
fession was even more rigid, difficult and
humiliating than ours. In the New Tesla
ment We find in st. Mark IL the Pharsees
asking Jesus who but God could forgive SIM
and answering he said: Whether is it easier
to say to the sick, thy sins be forgiven
thee, or TO say, arise and take up tiny BED
and walk know that the Son of Man hath
power on earth to forgive sins
These Pharisees, the people who firs t
in man, showed the example OF thelr
morality. by crueifyihg our Savior, Again
in ST. Mathew xvi, 19, whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. St Mathew xvii,
M
collectively. We ind the promise finally
fulfilled in ST. John Xxx, 70, when he APP
peared to his apostles and gave them thelr
commission, which lives to-day and VIII
live 10 the end of time.
"St. James says, Confess your sins one
to another What object would people nave
in confessing if not forgiveness? In the
first epistle of st. John /, 8, we read: If
you confess your SINS God, who is faithful
| have said that the practice of confession,
as it is known to-day, was Instituted by
the Catholic Church. but history proves
that the practice prevailed from the be-
To prove this assertion Father Boarman
called attention to Martin Luthers opJec-
| tice was then existent. The Greek Church,
| which separated from the Catholic Church
| in The ninth century, practiced then ana sun
retains confession. Likewise the Eustlcn-
| ians and HISTORIANS of the fourth and flth
| centuries. He then cited quotations from
| the works of Augustine, Cyprian, Tertul-
| Ian. Dyonisus and Clement, early fathers Of
| the church, in all of which reference was
made to confession. lie spoke frankly of
| the fact that priests would gladly do away
| with confession, as it is the most onerous
and disagreeable of a priests duties. But
the command is mutually binding lie con-
Guided with citations OF the moral benent
of the confessional and exhorted the faith
full never to neglect this important part or
the sacrament OF penance; Io.nlgniI ser
ton of the Divine Law" and will be dellv-
cred by Rev. Eugene II. Magevney, S. j.