The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1865-05-20 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE SEAL OF CONFESSION.  The Rev. George Hervey, 111. A Incumbent of St. Augustine's, Haggerston, writes: —I extract the following from a book of "The Homilies and Canons," published by the Society for Promoting Christian knowledge : Provided always, that if any man confess his secret and hidden sins to the minister for the unburdening of his conscience and to receive spiritual consolation and ease of mind from him, we do not any way hind the minister by this our constitution, but do straitly charge and admonish him that be do not at any time reveal and make known to any person whatsoever any crime or offence so committed to his trust and secrecy (except they be such ci Imes as by the laws of this realm his own life may be c died into question for concealing the same) under pain of irregularity.—Canon, 113.  - The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is composed ot the leading members of the Church of England, among whom especially are the dignitaries of the Church. Now, the question is, are they right in publishing what is contrary to the laws of the country, supposing the Lord Chancellor to be right, or is the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge right and the Lord Chancellor wrong? It is not the clergy who are to blame; theblame must rest, if any, on the apparent uncertainty of the law, to which the Bishop of London referred the other night in the House of Lords.  The Daily News observes that if, instead of alleging a right or a system, Mr. Wagner had pleaded the confidence which Constance Kent had placed in him as a friend as a reason for not bearing witness against her, he woula have placed himself on strong ground. A claim to official immunity excites prejudice, but we can all understand the obligations of ordinary human confidence. If, however, he had wished to stand in that free position, he should have forborne in the first place to hold hiiwelf out as a person desirous of hearing confessions, a systematic receiver of secrets, and in the next place he should not have presented himself as a witness at all. There is another matter which the News cannot clearly understand. Mr. Wagner states that neither he nor Miss Gream had anything to do, directly or indirectly, with Miss Kent's public confession. No one but himself was cognizant of her guilt till after the public acknowledgement of it had been decided on by Miss Kent herself. On this the Pall Mall Gazette remarks : Now Miss Cream at Trowbridge stated that she sent for Miss Lent to her room on Wednesday in If ely Week, and held a religious cony irsation with her, in which she got at the whole story. Miss Greani also asked Miss Kent if she fully realised what it—that is, the private confession—" involved," and was told by Miss Kent that she did. What did It involve if not a public confession? This certainly looks like putting a pressure upon the girl which could only lead to one result. What life was possible for Miss Kent after Mr. Wagner had begun to tell the inmates of the house that one of their number was • murderer? It seems clear, from the evidence given at Trowbridge, hat both Mr. Wagner and Miss Gream, while careful to avoid Wing any direct injunetion on Miss Kent, were all the while forcing her into • police court ; and much value cannot be attached to public confessions obtained by such means. The Timos holds that the country may rest secure that, whatever may be the occasional peculiarities of individual clergymen like Mr. Wagner. the law is quite clear en 'ugh and strong enough to prevent them ever rising to the height of public danger. As soon as they are deve oped into public overt acts their authors will find the laws and the opinion of this country a solid wall against which they will only knock their heads. The same consideration applies to the other Romanising pro. ceedings besides the confession. If Independent pencils with this melodramatic turn in religion chose to build an ecclesiastical edifice, and to imitate feebly the obsolete ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church, we should regard their proceedings with compete equanimity. But it is au outrage on it ,mmon sense to pretend that services such as were described in the Rouse of Lords are contemplated by the English Rubric, and it loan outrage on common mor.dity that persons should practise them who have solemnly pledged themselves to sire the form of public worship prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, and no other. Here, agate, however, the matter may be safely left to the law.