The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-30

who believed, and also note, dear friends, the frutfulness of their confession, for the apostle says further that many of them who had followed curious arts brought togther their books and burned them before all, so mighty grew the word of God"
 It was this that the primitive Christians understood the doctrine of Christ, and the same practice is observed throughout the ages St. Franeus mentions some women who accused themselves of secret crimes. Some, says he, touched in conscience, pub licly confessed their sins while others in despair renounced their faith. On this pas sage Cardinal Wiseman remarks Look at the alternative. some confessed, and others renounced their faith. If there had been any other means of forgiveness why should they have abandoned their faith?"
 Tertullian, who lived in the second cen tury writes of the confession of sin made to a priest, and adds: Some there are who shun this and defer it from day to day, being more afraid of the shame than desrous of cure.'
 St. Cyprian also observes: q entreat you. beloved brethren, to confess your sins whilst satisfaction may be made and absolution obtained, and St. Augustine proach the tribunal of penace, saying Let no one say to himself, q do it be- fore God" To what purpose, then the following words whatsoever ye shall lose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven?" Have the keys been delivered to the church in vain?"
 The strongest enemies of the church. even .candidly acknowledged the necessity and utility of confession. The Protestant Chillingsworth. commenting on the text of St. John beseeches the members of the Church of England to confess their sins, and to go to their cergymen, not as they would go to learned man, but as to one that hath authority, delegated to him from God himself, to absolve and acquit them of their sins Luther. alse in his little catchism requires his own to believe that the forgiveness of the priest sthe forgiveness of God, and the Luther ans. in their confession of faith, expressly teach that particular absolution Is to be retained in confession; that to reject it is the error of the Novation heretcs, and that by the power of the keys, sins are remitted, not only in the sight of the church.. but also in the sight of God In the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England we find an ordinance that if any man be sick he shall confess his sins to the priest, who shall absolve him after this manner: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to His church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe on Him, of his great mercy  forgive thee thine offenses, and by His authority committed to me- I absolve thee from all thy sins. in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"
 Leibnitz, who was one of the most pro- found of Protestant thinkers, says that if there is anything divine in the Catholic church 1t is confession, and the poet Longfellow also recognized the divine power of confession when he wrote. Fair was she to behold that maiden of 1T summers. But celestial brightness, a more ethereal beauty shone on her face and encircled her form when after con- fession homeward sereneiy she walked with Gods benedicton upon her, When sheshe had passed it seemed like the ceasng of exquisite music''
 The pagans. too, had some idea of con fession. as we learn from Seneca. who ad- vises people to unbosom themselves to judcious and virtuous friend; to lay open