:8U 
 
 THE 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS RESERVE, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 TEACHING OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND 
 
 aPON 
 
 THREE SERMONS 
 
 rr.EACIIKD IN THE 
 
 CKQRCH OF ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE, 
 
 BY 
 
 PtEV. E. W. XORMAN, M.A. 
 
 ExETEU College, Oxford. 
 Assistant. 
 
 *• • ■ . • . * 
 
 •• , • • , 
 
 : .1876. . . • •. . . ■ 
 
 : . : : :•• • .•••• 
 
 • * » * • * 
 
 • * • • • 
 
 J ft. 4 »-- » I fc 
 
 Published by JIe^uest. 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, 23 & 25 ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 
 
 1873. 
 

 t » • 
 
TI E ruLLOWIXa 
 
 SERMONS 
 
 AHE IXSCKIBED 
 TJ THB 
 
 C II U II C U W A K D E X S AND CONGREGATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Chcech of St. James the Apostle, 
 ■with ekntimeitts 
 
 OF 
 
 SVEB IKCBEASINQ EINDNKSS 
 
 AND RBOAHD. 
 
PEEFACE, 
 
 The kind solicitations of friends -who beard the following scrmOQi;, and 
 who desired to possess a copy, have induced me to lay them before the 
 public. I have been the more inclined to take, this cours«, because their 
 object and teaching have not been clearly understood in all quarters, and 
 I am reluctant to be misunderstood on so important a point. There is a 
 growing danger lest the extravagancies which mar the labours of one 
 Bcliool in our Church, may bring about the worst and most injurious schism 
 which England has experienced. 
 
 Under these circumstances, every loyal Churchman should know and 
 submit to the teaching of his Church. With this view, I prepared these 
 sermons solely for the information of my own congregation, and I print 
 them almost verbatim as they were preached. I have not encumbered the 
 text with foot notes, but desire here to mention that my principal author- 
 ities have been the learned Bingham, Jewel, Riddle's Christian Antiquities, 
 Hooker, tlie Biblical Dictionary, the Dictionary of Greek and Latin Bio- 
 graphy, the Dictionary of Theology, Troctor and others on the i'rayor- 
 Book, any of the fathers whose works I possess, and any modern com- 
 mentators who have treated of the matter. 
 
 R. W. N. 
 October, 1873. 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 St. Matt. 6 c, part of 3rd v. " Let not thy left Laud know what thy right 
 hand doeth." 
 
 These wordr<, as you know, form part of the goklon ti'easury 
 'Of Divine precei^ts, which wo call the " Sermon on the 
 Mount." Their immediate connection was with the subject 
 of Alms giving. Our Saviour had said, " Take heed that ye 
 do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. Therefore 
 when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before 
 thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in tho. 
 streets, that they may be seen of men." What is meant is, 
 I presume, that these rich hypocrites contrived that men 
 should see their deeds, observe them, comment upon them ; 
 that they made them as public as possible, so that they wore, 
 as it wore, looked for, ushei'ed in like some gi'oat personage 
 in a procession. 
 
 The same avoidance of ostentation in Alms giving is im- 
 pressed also in connection with Prayer and Fasting, and you 
 will, I think, observe the great solemnity with which our 
 Lord drives these words home. lie says of the hypocrites, 
 " Verily I say unto you, choy have their reward." Their 
 recompense is the praise and approbation of men ; that 
 they gain, but they have no reward of their Father in 
 Heaven. " But when thou doest aim.?, lot not thy left hand 
 know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be 
 in secret, and thy Father which sooth in secret. Himself 
 shall reward thee openly." Again, the Lord says :" When thou 
 prayest, thou shall not be as tho hypocrites, for they love to 
 pray standing in the synagogiies and the corners of tho 
 streets, that they may be seen of men. They havo their 
 reward, for men count them holy and reJigioup, and admire 
 
8 
 
 Ihom. But thou, when tliou praycst, enter into thy closet n 
 and when thou Imst sluit thy door, pray i-t thy Father whid t 
 i.s in secret, and tliy Father which sooth in secret shall rcwaiv t 
 theo openly." Notice, lio-^vr precise is the injunction, first ov d 
 into thy closet, then shut the door, then pray. " Once more f 
 " Avhcn ye fast (said the Lord) bo not, as the hypocrites o t 
 " a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces, that 
 " they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I sav : 
 " unto you, they have their reward. But <hou, when ] 
 " thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that 
 " thou appear not unto Tuon to fast, but unto* thy Father 
 " which is in secret ; and tliy Father which scoth In secret 
 '' shall reward theo openly." In other words, that Christian 
 men. when they practice self-denial, are to bo cheerfid. and 
 are not to blazon forth the fact by a sour, prim and pwifanical 
 ■ aspect. It must be plain to all of us that Christ wislioL" us ! 
 to pay most strict attention to these precepts. The ^ery 
 repetition gives wcio-ht to His enjoining on us, uot merely 
 an absence of ostentation i-- our religi(^n, but a positive reserve. ; 
 " Let not thy left hand know what thy right liand docth." '' 
 Our members are part of ourselves, yet what one did was, so 
 to speak, to be unknown to another, I c, that people in 
 general, and perhaps even ourclosest and most bosom friends, 
 liad best not know the inmost secrets of our religious as]iira- 
 tions. Let us attentively see why. 
 
 Ficligious life soon loses its pure standard and high 
 singleness of purpose, Mdion it comes much in contact 
 Avith men, and becomes public property. The deepest 
 prayer, the strictest self-denial, the most earnest stretch- 
 ing forth of the soul unto God, must be in secret, only 
 known to Ilim, remembered by Him, and written 
 down in His book. There is no one who tries to lead a 
 Christian life, who h:s not had moments when ho realised 
 God's presence, when ho felt himself truly an heir of heaven, 
 when the immortality and future of the soul seemed to bo 
 open before him, when eartl nd its pleasures were for a 
 while forgolten. Would ho ta... ..bout such few and precious 
 
I 
 
 ' 9 
 
 moments? Would ho print ihcm in apamphlot, orsc-ml tlioni 
 toil now'.spapcr ? Would they not he soiled und tarnished if 
 they were conversed nl»out ? Such a thini^ reminds mo of tho 
 desecration of churches at the J{orormation, wlien the 
 Bacred books illuminated and <jjori,'oously hound wore put to 
 all sorts of ii^nolile uses by ii^noi-ant soldiers. 
 
 It would lie abhorrent to any ni;-htly eonstiluted mind, to 
 feel that its most i)rivateth()ii;.,^htseouid bo confided to others, 
 and])orhaps made tho subjecr. of I i!j;lit conversation ami, jest- 
 ing. Also the very publicity would impair tho acceptableness 
 of'such thoughts, and would distract them from their oi-iginal 
 object. In such a case, the lirst result would bo that ](e()].lo 
 would become wha^ is called ^elf•conscious. and sell-conseious- 
 noss is very often the parent of vanity and conceit. Self-con- 
 Kciousncss is one of the great smires wlr'eh be>el the 
 clergy, from the fact that so much of their devotional life 
 is in public. If a person were in the habit of going through 
 (^omo course of prayers, or were to do some very chari- 
 table and self denying act in public, and so as to attract 
 tho attention of a vei-y large number of men. he woidd 
 naturally liegin to t!iiid<, /. r., the J)evil would put ihe 
 thought in his heart—" 1 wonder what peojde think of 
 me. ]Jid they remark the fervour of my ])rayer, the 
 largeness of my eharily, the saintliness of my life ? What do 
 they say of mo, if they converse on the subject at all?" 
 Kotice next the results which would follow. A person who 
 allows these thoughts to steal into his mind will often be 
 thinking that others are watching him. The idea will come 
 into his thoughts like cross paths which bewilder a traveller, 
 and draw him off from tho main roml. There will no longer 
 bo tho uninterrupted tlo\ving onward of tho soul to God, no 
 longer tho craving for Him and disregard of all else. This 
 is one of several reasons why it is so undesirable for peo- 
 ple to bo ostentatious in their devotion, singular in their at- 
 titudes and demeanour when engaged in public worship. The 
 second result is that someone conscious of tho observation of 
 men, will regulate his actions accordingly, M'ill think how ho 
 
10 ■ 
 
 will attmof, and how howillbo-<t socuvo rosiwct, admiration 
 love or .irratitudo ; and to say the least, his actions, words an" 
 thoughts will loso their singleness of purpose and puritv u.^, 
 cdiaraeter. Instead ofbeingdone tor (iod, and existing onl\ 
 for Him, they will be done also for men. And so I sa\^ 
 that sclf-consfiousness, that baleful tendency, will be th(u 
 parent of vanity. At length by slow degrees, a ])er8oiu 
 Avould act to be seen of men, and to gain popular applause , 
 A veil would then be thickening between his soid and [{] 
 God, and his acts would become valueless. 
 
 It is very hard for anyone, whose life is very public^ 
 to avoid thinking of what estimation men will hold] 
 him in, and whether they will praise or condemn him, " 
 It would be next to impossible for any one to reveal '. 
 the depths of his relations with God. of "his communings 
 with his Maker in times of solitude, without measuring such 
 things by the worM's standard, and trying to gain tVs approval. 
 Thus it is a snare to a man to give publicly large subscriptions 
 to charities. He maypcrhai^s build a church or an hospital. 
 Ho will be spoken of in newspapers as charitable, generous 
 niunificent. There are very tew to whom this does not 
 give pleasure, and who, if thoydonot take especial care, will 
 not be damaged Ity it. There ai-e very few who, when they 
 have been remarked on as being benevolent, will not do some 
 act of the same kind to keep up their character. TubMcity 
 at times is unavoidable and even necessary, but people shouM 
 beware lest all their alms and good deeds should be the talk 
 of men. Let them keep back their best, their first fruits of 
 sacrifice for Clod's eye only, and let ^hem, by watchfulness and 
 self sacrifice, guard against any injury to their singlehearted- 
 ness. From fear of this risk, really devout people often 
 give sums anonymously to charities, in order that they may 
 be the moans of doing good, and yet be unknown to men 
 Jn this present ago there is no doubt a real spirit of alms 
 giving lor the love of Cod and not the praise of men. But 
 m this ago there is also much of what may be called reli- 
 gious gossip. There are unfortunately parties in the Church 
 
11 
 
 'Wl tho!?c who bclon.i; to one section arc only too apt to speak 
 "11 of and fin.l fault with tliosc who ditlei- from tliom. This 
 'is much to be lamented. It mars the spirit of love and good 
 ■Vill. It increases divisions, and promotes stubborn, obstinate 
 •Wlf conceit. Eeliijion's sacred name has in former days 
 •been used to account for and justify some of the most 
 'barbarous acts that have ever been perpetrated. And 
 'relii;-ious ijossip is the 'worst form of all gossip, and 
 helps to foster a real spirit of irreverence. Also be- 
 sides the tendency, so common now, to run down people 
 who do not hold exactly what we do, there is also the ten- 
 dency to talk of our religious feelings, because we often speak 
 ofour religious views. One follow> the other. This is much 
 to be guarded against. 
 
 Hvcry one shoidd mistrust himself, if he finds himself 
 disposed to talk much of his religious '.^clings. A 
 stream, which covers a wide surface, cannot as a rule 
 be deep and full, and if any one be addicted to converse 
 upr>n his love to God an.l hopes of Heaven, I do not fancy 
 that such sentiments would be very deep-rooted or stable. It 
 is wonderfully easy to get into a sort of sensational style of 
 religious talk, to adopt insensibly a set-tone of voice, a num- 
 ber of special phrases, a sort of jargon, when we speak of our 
 ideas upon the greatest of all subjects, the relations between 
 the Almiu-hty God of Heaven and the immortal soul which 
 He has made and sanctitied. But to parade our ideas about 
 our souls, their present state and their future hope, though 
 done almost unconsciously, is likely to beget self-satisfaction 
 and even hypocrisy. It must injure our humility and real 
 dependence on God. It would be like taking some beau- 
 tiful delicate, fra-ile white robe, and handing it round to a 
 mob of tilthy men. to be examined and lingered by them. 
 That robe would be returned to its owner, torn, defaced and 
 
 detiled. n m ■ <■ 
 
 I have hcar.l that, among some bodies oi Christians 
 who dissent from our Church, young men, almost boys and 
 youn- girls, are permitted, nay invited, to relate and ex- 
 
12 
 
 patiato upon thoir rcligiou, exporioncos before „« 
 assembly of people. If this be true, there ™ c 
 .caroely anything „„re HUely to ongeide. ani t „ ' - 
 reahty real ignoraneo of self and confusion of rflW o 
 with rel,g,o„, feelings. This is not all. Itwoudtend, 
 produce real forgetfulness of God. It wouTdl ° .,^ 
 approbation of listening n,on the test of I^iou" fe an^ 
 supermduco the temptation to invent experiences il order t 
 .coure prom.nent attention. How unlilo this is to t ho se > 
 sH,ve shrmking from public gaze, of the truly rtiot 
 m,nd. How destructive to the modest humilitypr '= to 
 youth. How dangerous to the advance in good wh ch oil? 
 
 int «:ir:;:'r ,:trG:" '•"-'• """ ^-™' ^°""> «- 
 
 1 believe that re.serve on rclicrions subioPt« ,'« „ .• ■, 
 characteristic of the country' wle:' '' ' En.li™" H^ 
 guage ,s spoken. I believe, also, th.at such ."sC i " 
 
 lil-cH tl ■ ^*"°" S'-"™ slowly, it is then the more 
 
 the IT , u ='' '°'"*' """y y"^--"™ fM- 8ome sympa. 
 
 vi bo fr '"* "''°"' "'»>• <^-™ *"='>'"''°. ""d yoa n 
 Without boinc: irmtified vof A^^nv, +i • i • . J^ain 
 
 wholesome. Much of thl I ■ "''^i"-,'™""" ™»y be 
 sicklva„,l,-f„„ . "'■"""S ""y '*' ™°'*W ond 
 
 Z so'uT To r";T ■ "7 ""■"''""'"'' ""^ '"'"is™-- of 
 cannot « '""'■''" "'■ '"™""«'-' *<' stream which 
 
 cannot overflow may become all the deeper, and mav 
 penetrate n>ore into the st™cture of sue'h a persIC 
 nature; he ,.uy be led to incorporate his reli,.irmore 
 
 .T'f- """ '""<* " "" the more firmly " It To 
 guard th,s holy, natural, and healthy reserve that our Church 
 
 «:; tTc:i,tr"'sr:':e;" "-'^ ^■™''°" ""™ "'"« 
 
 in., it unon be V '"' '" ""y '™>' f™" P'-o* 
 
 pr^ct ce'^ Sbf "r"'"."' " """"■'"' '•"«•"'"•. »■• necessary 
 
 mctice. She rather mvites them to confess their sins and 
 
 "flrm,t.es to God. This subject is a matter of much debat^ 
 
13 
 
 at the present time, and I purpose to treat of it at an early 
 opportunity. My remarks of this morning I will ask you 
 to look upon in the light of a preamble. 
 
 We should notice, lastly, that our Lord's words, and the con- 
 clusion which I have drawn from them, are no recom- 
 mendation for us to keep back our faith from men. The 
 warning against ostentation in prayer, almsgiving or self- 
 denial does not iriiply that we should be ashamed of perform- 
 ing these very obvious Christian duties. There is no con- 
 tradiction between the text and such passages as the follow- 
 ing : " Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on 
 a hill cannot be hid — neither do men light a candle and put 
 it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light 
 to all them that are in the house. Let your light so shino 
 before men that they may see your good works, and glorify 
 your father which is in Heaven." llathor, this reserve in our 
 religious words and acts, this absence of parade, this retiring 
 humbleness, are quite compatible with a thorough unflinch- 
 ing confession of faith in God when the occasion arises- 
 This reserve is found joined with a firm yet quiet attitude 
 in these days of religious controvei'sy. It is found coupled 
 with a steady consistent upholding of the one faith given to 
 the Christian — the faith in Christ crucified, and an un- 
 swerving adherence to the principles of the Church. The 
 reserve which our Lord put before us, agrees with the con- 
 victions of those who have thought the most and prayed the 
 most. We are not to be ashamed of Christ and His truth ; 
 but the more we prize it and dwell on it, the more shall wo 
 feel that He gave it us to show forth more in our lives than 
 with our lips, and that our most cherished feelings mostly 
 belong to our communion with our Heavenly Father ; that 
 they are beyond words, and cannot be spoken of without 
 sustaining loss and change. 
 
 In this age of much talk, when there are innumer- 
 able religious newspapers, periodicals, and! hot contro- 
 versies going on, it is refreshing to turn to the life 
 of some saint of God, whose life flowed on in an oven 
 
14 
 
 quiot current, fertilizing all those who approached him, 
 whoso character was more and more likened to the Divine 
 pattern, and yet whose life was hid with Christ. Such 
 persons have I known who during their lives have been 
 thought by some, cold, hard, proud, shy. This ia a great 
 trial, but it is bettor to have to bear it than to sun oneaelf 
 in the light of human popularity. It prevents us, also, from 
 craving too much for human opinion. And if a person's 
 nature is thoroughly interpenetrated by true religion, alight 
 will at times break from him, showing to all aroLhd that 
 God is with him. 
 
 Religion is the jirinciple by which the spiritual life 
 within us is fed. Hereafter, nothing that is secret shall 
 not bo manifest. Here many things must be secret. 
 Our duty is to maintain a high standard, not to com- 
 promise in morals or religion, but not to be given to much * 
 speech about cither, and above all to shun the slightest 
 approach to courting the good opinion of men. Be afraid 
 of hunian praise. Think rather of the things in which you 
 offend than those in which you do well. As says an old 
 writer : " Desire to be a Christian, not to be thought one." 
 Self consciousness destroys much good promise. To fear, to 
 love God, and to do always what is right will be the best safe- 
 guai-d. Leave the rest to God. He may, if you look to Him 
 for strength, and strive only to please Him, make you an in- 
 strument for His glory. The righteous will one day shine 
 forth as the sun, but their glory will not be in this life, it 
 will be when their strife is over, in the kingdom of their 
 leather which is in Heaven. 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 James 5 c, 16 v. : " Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for 
 another, that ye may be healed." 
 
 It is not wise in these days of theological bitterness for 
 either clergy or laity to cultivate to any great extent the 
 controversial spirit. It rather serves to stiffen into more 
 unbending rigidity the barrier that separates us from others, 
 and to make re-union a more than ever hopeless contingency. 
 But yet there are times, when it is necessary to speak out 
 with no hesitating accents, and when silence might be 
 damaging to the cause of truth. It is this consideration, 
 that has determined me to lay before you to-day my views 
 on the subject of Confession. I can truly say that my con- 
 victions have not been formed hastily. They are the result, 
 at all events, of twenty years' honest thought, and the 
 opinions which I held, of course, somewhat immaturely on 
 first entering the ministry, while they have been modified 
 in some points, have in others deepened and strengthened 
 by time, study and intercourse with my fellowmen, 
 whether clergy or otherwise. Of course, my views as a 
 private individual possess no importance whatever. They 
 only become of consequence from the responsibility of my 
 office, and relation to you. On first joining this church, I 
 expressed a strong hope that a tie of confidence would bind 
 us together. Those who know me well, whether on this or 
 the other side of the Atlantic, are well acquainted with my 
 religious coavictions. But this knowledge cannot, of course, 
 belong to all here, and I could scarcely bear at any time 
 that any one should conceive my fearing to reveal my belief 
 But especially am I at this present junctur^desirous to carry 
 you with me, since for a while we are deprived of the pre- 
 
16 
 
 sence of my friend and brother, the Incumbent of this 
 church, and therefore increased responsibility devolves on ' 
 myself 
 
 But to turn to the matter before us. The theory and 
 practice of confot^sion has been brought into great pro- 
 minence of late in England, and whatsoever affects the 
 mother Church must sooner or later influence her daughter 
 Churches. Moreover, confession is not a matter of merely 
 abstract doctrine. It touches family life, and may bo said 
 to be a social as well as a religious question. It therefore 
 seems to me right to show you what to my mind is clearly 
 and unmistakcably the teaching, on this head, of the Church 
 of England. 
 
 But first it is well for us to examine the doctrine of the 
 primitive Church and also that of the modern Roman 
 Church, on the subject of confession. You might say 
 to me in objection, what is the use of entering on Roman 
 Catholic teaching, when we are completely at variance with 
 that Church in question on many points. True, but I wish , 
 you to notice how modern are all the peculiarities of Eoman- 
 ism. Also, I see, with regret, a tendency on the part of j 
 some in England, to approximate in phraseology to tho I 
 usages of Rome with regard to those matters on which Ave ' 
 believe Rome to be wrong, and also to approximate to her ' 
 sometimes in deed as well as in word. Then, too, our 
 Church herself appeals fearlessly to primitive antiquity. 
 She bases her teaching and practice on that which has been 
 transmitted to us from the earliest Apostolic times, and in 
 matters of faith she refers us to Scripture as the^final court 
 of appeal. 
 
 Now, quite apart from social and moral ;;objections, 
 I assert that the teaching of the Church of Rome is on 
 this point utterly unprimitive, and in ancient days was never 
 heard of. She stands alone and apart from other Churches 
 on the subject of confession. No other Church makes con- 
 fession a necessay^ preliminary to the reception of the Holy 
 Communion, or to a Christian death. Of course, if the mat- 
 
17 
 
 ter before U3 were one merely of external ceremonies, no 
 gi-eat imporfanco need bo attached to this fact. While 
 truth, if it bo truth, must be ever unchanged and unchange- 
 able, its outer garb may vary. Every true system must be 
 elastic, and must be able to adapt itself to the changing needs 
 anel circumstances of men. No cluirch would be bound to 
 carry out exactly the same ritual that was in use a thousand 
 years ago. Discipline may be, and has been modified. 
 Ecclesiastical machinery may change and has changed. 
 Most notable changes have ensued with regard to public 
 confession and public penance during the first thousand 
 years of the Church's existence. But liome far exceeds 
 this legitimate liberty. She allows no one to communicate 
 who has not first made a private confession. She lias 
 exalted confession itself into a sacrament, a tenet un- 
 known to the primitive Church, and has declared that 
 the Most High only as a rule forgives through the lips of 
 the absolving priest. She has thus made concession compul- 
 sory for all Avho would enjoy full church privileges, and has 
 enjoined confession once a year upon all who would desire 
 to be held within the pale of the Church, and profit by licr 
 sj'stem. 
 
 If we turn to ancient Christendom, we find such teach- 
 ing unknown for nearly 1200 years. The Lateran Coun- 
 cil, in A.D. 1215, decreed, that all people should at the 
 least once in a year confess their sins privately to a priest. 
 Innocent 3rd then and there proclaimed it heresy for any 
 man to assert that confession to God was sufl[icient, without 
 private confession to a priest. But even subsequent to his 
 time the custom was not by all doomed essential, and up to 
 the period of the Eeformation and the Council of Trent, it 
 was considered as somewhat of a novelty by many. 
 
 In very eai'ly times ecclesiastical discipline was extremely 
 strict. This was perhaps needful in times of persecution, 
 when false, ungodly and immoral brethren would not only 
 have weakened but corrupted the rising Church, In early 
 days the best known form of confession was a public one. 
 
 B 
 
18 
 
 Torsons guilty of scandalous r Jcncos, and oven of the ini 
 to commit them, announced their guilt before theul,^ 
 congregation. Such persons did not receive public abs,>- 
 tion, t.ll, after a course of severe penanco and several sta., ^ 
 of exclusion from communion, which lasted for years tl » 
 with many tears, and at the intercession of others' m,^ 
 publicly absolved by the Bishop, and M-cre thereby , * 
 axlmitted to full communion. It was found after a wl ' * 
 that siich public avowals brought at times disgrace upon tl i 
 Church, and subjected the confessing offender to danger ' 
 death Therefore, an office was instituted in the Easto, ^ 
 Church, called that of the Penitentiary Priest f 
 _ It was his business to receive the private confl- 
 Bions of those who offered thorn, and lo advise as 
 whether such confessions should or should not be ma, 
 public. He was also empowered to appoint priva; 
 penance for certain sins. After a time this offic 
 w^as done away with by x\ectarius, Archbishop of Co, 
 •stantinople. Every one, at the end of the fourth cor 
 tury was left free to act according to the dictates of his o^v 
 conscience with reference to presenting himself at tl 
 Holy Table, a system, which I ne.d scareclv remind you ^ 
 emphatically that of the Church of England. I would pra 
 you to notice that even in the early rigorous times, no o'r 
 was compelled to make a public or private confessio, 
 Ongen,in the third century, is the first Christian write 
 
 Such a,*: 1. The mourners. 
 
 2. The liearers. 
 
 3. Tlie prostrators or kueelers. 
 
 4. The bv-standers. 
 
 tThhn-a.^- ^' '^'''^I^^"'^^»*« ^■•^11^' r^'^tore-l to communion. 
 
 tTnis p.a.fcioe wa. alopt^d also in the Latin Ciurch and continue 
 to tue tuno of Leo the Great. He declared that every pdeth 
 2:^^'LT ''^''^^r'-^'^-- -^ to declare forgiveLf n G 
 
 he option of l? "f T""' *' *'^ ''' "' ^^« '' -- -°-<i-ed r, 
 tne option of c^n oiTender to c.nfes.. his sins to the priest or to^G. 
 
19 
 
 who mentions private confession at all. He states that per- 
 sons if necessary, chose with circumspection some one of 
 the clergy to whom they might unburthen themselves when 
 suffering from troubles of conscience, and who might help 
 them himself by counsel and guidance, or refer them if need 
 be to a higher court, with a view to public confession. To 
 similar import others after him express themselves. Tlie 
 greatest writers, whose names all Christians respect, such 
 men as Chrysostom, 'Gregory Nyssen, Basil, Hilary, Loo, 
 Ambrose, Augustine, all testify that confession to God was 
 
 sufficient. . 
 
 At that period it was unmistakeably and una.nmously 
 declared by all religious teachers that God alone can remit 
 sins • that all frail man can do is to receive a penitent sinner 
 into church communion, and, judging by signs, to conclude 
 that his repentance is sincere, and that (lod would forgive 
 him AVith that assurance, absolution was given in the name 
 of God, but not until the discipline had been duly carried 
 out, the perseverance in which was surely one j.roof of 
 
 sincere repentance. 
 
 In the middle ages a stricter rule was observed, and 
 confession was enforced on those who had beci. excom- 
 municated, if they wished to be restored to commu- 
 nion But still the practice was not made generally ob- 
 ligatory, nor was it habitual in other cases. And a long 
 time passed before confession was laid down to be an abso- 
 lute necessity for all who desired to be in a state of grace, 
 and in the way of salvation. This was finally decreed by 
 the Council of Trent. 
 
 Let us now examine the teaching of our ewn Church. 
 She has gone back to primitive practice and has fol- 
 lowed the guidance of Scripture. Among the Jews, a 
 kind of confession existed which accompanied the sin 
 offering. Confession of sin formed part of the very 
 notion of repentance. Achan was by Joshua called on to 
 repent and make confession of his sins to God, and at the 
 «ame time to communicate them to Joshua. John the Bap- 
 
20 
 
 list revived tho ancient practice, and we find that his coi 
 verts were baptized in tho river Jordan, confessing tlioir si,. 
 Moreover, the commission given by our Lord totheApostl, . 
 promised at first to St. Peter and afterwards conferred < . 
 all, included the idea of confession of sins, either to or in tl.^ 
 hearing of the Apostles, with the power of absolution. Ai , 
 as the Lord promised to be ever witli His Church, and th , 
 the Holy (Jhost should abide with her, such ordinar ■ 
 powers as are necessary to her existence must still e.\ist 
 tho Church, or Christ's promise has failed. I do not, , 
 present, purpose to explain what absolution is, since tV 
 doctrine must form tho subject of another sermon, butdesi 
 simply to remind you, that our Church in her ordination 
 ])riosts has used tho words of the very ministerial comni 
 sion, which our Lord employed when ho ordained 11 
 Apostles, and that therefore tho two occurrences are logical 
 connected. But in the Now Testament there is no nronti. 
 of any rite corresponding to what is called .sacramental co 
 fossion. The words of the text imply nothing of tho kin 
 They have boon abandoned by most Roman Catholic coi! 
 mentators as useless, and as making nothing for their pra^ 
 tico in this respect. St. James' words describe an act . 
 brotherly and afiectionato confession of light daily-occurriii 
 offences. Such a system might exist in a united Christin 
 body, when the offences committed by one against anotlu 
 would be confided, and joint prayers would be offered ui) t 
 God, the only source of forgiveness. Such a case of admi- 
 sion of errors, our Lord also contemplated, when he said 
 " If thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a dav 
 and seven times in a day turn again to theo, saying, I ropeir 
 thou Shalt forgive him." Similarly elsewhere, Matt. 5, c "3 
 ''First be reconciled to thy brother, then offer thy gift, 
 We also find that the Ephesian converts " confessed an 
 showed their deeds." But this was evidently a public prn 
 ceeding. Thus no Scriptural warrant exists for the ido: 
 that confession is of vital necessity, or even of great conse 
 quence for the strengthening and purifying of the Christiar 
 soul. 
 
21 
 
 n hor ro ^nilar Hon'ico of morning and ovening pva3'or 
 f^^ ChuiTh iiialvCH confoswion of win prooodo praise and 
 ' thank-sgivini,'. Sho loads hor childron up to tlio truth whioli 
 ' the Jows wore right in maintaining so plainly, viz, tluiKJod 
 alDno can remit nin.s. In tho gcnoral confession each one of 
 U8 can keep in mind his own failings, can bear them up to 
 God's Ihrono, and then tho Almighty's forgiveness, coming 
 I throuirh the lips of His ministers, if it tind tho good soil of 
 a penitent heart, will take root and blossom into peace. Our 
 Chui-ch teaches us, that tho general' al)solution pronounced 
 idt morning or evening prayer, or in Iho Communion 
 Office, is just as valid and otftoacious towards strength and 
 eHcouragemont, as any absolution uttered in private to one 
 ear alono. All of us are thus urged to confess our sins daily 
 to Goil, and to seek for His fcrgivenoss in Ills appointed 
 means. I need Imrdly tell you that (lod Himself needs no 
 means, and that anyone of us ki'.eeliiig in tho (piiot seclusion 
 of our own chaniber at homo, may. if ho lift up his heart to 
 his Maker in sincere repentance, receive forgiveness direct 
 from Heaven. But that blessed certainty should not lead 
 US to undervalue, still less to despise, whatever ordinances 
 and channels of forgiveness God has appointed for our souls' 
 health. Wc are also directed in our Church Catechism, as 
 well OS in tho first exhortation in tho Communion Oftice, to 
 examine ourselves by tho rule of God's commandments, 
 with a view to the knowledge of our sins, and the confession 
 of them to Him. 
 
 Thus the ordinary normal state of a Christian soul 
 is supposed to be one in which no private confession 
 to man is needed. Two exceptional conditions exist. 
 One of those is alluded to in the Communion Office, the other 
 in the Visitation of tho sick. Often as these have been 
 cited, it is needful to do so onco more. The exhortation, 
 after dwelling on the duty of self-examination and confes- 
 sion to God with a full purpose of amendment of life, and 
 after speaking of sins which hinder worthy communion, goes 
 on to say : " Because it is requisite that no man should com© 
 
00 
 
 to tho Holy Ooinmimion, but with a full trust in God - 
 mercy, ami with a quiut conncionco, thoroforoif (hero bcam*^' 
 of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscien(U'* 
 Jieroin, but roquiroth further comfort or counsel, lot him "* 
 conao to mo or to some other discreet and learned ministei ^ 
 of (rod's Word, and open his grief; that by the ministry oi ^ 
 Goil's holy word he may .-eceive the benefit of absolution 1' 
 together witli ghostly counsel and advice, to tho quieting ot ' 
 his conscience, and avoiding all scrui)lo and doubtfulne"ss. ' ^ 
 If words have any definite meaning, these latter clauses ^ 
 can only refer to an except ional case, when a person has a ' 
 grief, i.e., a burden onjiis conscience, which cannot be re- 
 moved by the ordinary means of self-examination and con- 
 fession to God. I am not now discussing-what the Trayer- 
 Book means by the expression "benefit of absolution," but 
 merely call your atfention to the fact that something like 
 confession is here recommentled. 
 
 Again, in the ofHeo for the Visitation of the sir 'c, after 
 that tho minister has examined tho sick person as to the 
 questions of faith, repentance and charity, and has recom- 
 mended him to relieve his mind by a settlement of all his 
 earthly affairs, these words occur : " Here shall the sick 
 person be moveil to make a special confession of his sins, 
 if (mark the if) he feel his conscience troubled with any 
 weighty maftei-. After which confession the priest shall 
 absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desire it), after this 
 sort," 1. e., in some form similar to'the following. 
 
 I hope it is clear to all from the foregoing, since i 
 the Church has only recommended something akin to | 
 private confession under two con<litions, and one at least of J 
 those instances on the supposition that other ordinary means I 
 fail in their effect, that she does not recommend it in all i 
 cases. Also that neither of these instances imply or su-.rest 
 a minute enumeration of offences, and a dissection o7the 
 S)ul, but merely a confiding of a definite evil. It is surely ' 
 not the intention of the Church that the practice of confes- 
 sion should be considered as binding on all, as desirable for 
 
28 
 
 all, still loss an poriocUcal or compulsory. She does not re- 
 gard the condition re(iiiiriiiu: Hucii tvii unburthoninf,' of tho 
 HOUl ii!s nornuil or natunil. To hold confession to ho a ro- 
 <iuisitc itrolimiiiary to connnunion, as tho Komnn Church 
 authoritatively teaches, and as some An<,'licans scorn to be- 
 lieve, is an entirely modern invention. Thoro are instances 
 in ancient times of censure being passed on clergy for grant- 
 ing altsohition upon a simple private confession, because 
 their conduct seemed to imply the nusconception that human 
 beings could pardon sin. 
 
 Furthermore, while in the First Prayer Book of Edward 
 VI., the absolution appointed in tho service tor the sick was 
 directed to be iised in all private confession, this direction 
 was struck out in 1552, and has never been re-inserted. This 
 fact afi'ords an additional testimony to tho belief that iie 
 question of confession is loft an open one to the conscience 
 of every individual. Herein our Church manifests her wis- 
 dom, her consideration for all, and her primitive character. 
 All clergy are not o(\ually qualified to advise in such difficult 
 matters, and therefore, people arc permitted, if they see fit) 
 instead of consulting their own parish clergyman, to seek 
 some other who is discreet and learned, i. e., able to dis- 
 tinguish cases of conscience, and to afford right guidance and 
 counsel. AVhat greater latitude of choice can any reasonable 
 person demand ? 
 
 The revelation of a secret sin in confession is a 
 most bitter and violent remedy, perhaps needed at 
 times, and then wholesome, though painfal ; just as 
 potent medicines are required for certain diseases of 
 the body, and an excruciating surgical operation may in tho 
 end save a life. But for every person labouring under every 
 ailment, real orimaginary, to resort to violent drugs, would 
 be no more illogical than for every Christian to be flying to 
 confession, when he or she are examining their conscience. 
 ' Disease, Avhether of mind or body, ought not to be our in- 
 variably settled condition, and therefore it is wiser and 
 better for a Christian, if he can, to look to the Holy Spirit 
 
24 
 
 given to us all, and by prayer, self-examination, and watch- , 
 fulness to press onwards daily to God. The laying bare of 
 our souls to men, as a common practice, would be apt to 
 interfere with that closest of relations- that of those souls 
 to God. It is likely to weaken the gi-eat and vital truth of 
 individual responsibility. It inclines people to lean on 
 others, to surrender their consciences to the keeping of 
 others, to forget that no man may deliver his brother,mKl 
 that to God we all stand or fall. It tends to impair strength 
 of character, and vigorous determination to do right with 
 God's help, which all should strive for. It tends, instead of 
 developing self-government in people, and enabling them to 
 learn how with the aid of Divine grace, to cure themselves, 
 rather to turn them into machines. 
 
 Such evils do not exist in my fancy. I have seen them 
 at work. They are in a minor degree the evils which are ^ 
 found in that which is almost the most unmitigatedly evil 
 of all evil systems— I mean direction— as practised in the 
 Church of Eome. Frequent confessions may suj^gest evil, 
 as the Eoman Confessional has suggested evil. They impair 
 the pure, healthy reserve of the immortal soul. One,* to | 
 whom I owe almost all the good that may be in me, one too, | 
 who was gifted in a most remarkable degree with the power ! 
 of guiding souls in difficulty, thus wrote of the Roman Con- i 
 fessional, that it was "a corruption of the truth; a searing ' 
 iron to the conscience, a usur. tion of man over God ; a para- ! 
 lyzer of human energy; a poisonous suggester of evil." May 
 God preserve us from it, or anything like it. All true 
 Churchmen would disclaim a following of Eome in this par- 
 ticular; but I, nevertheless, detect a move, perhaps an 
 unconscious one, in that direction. I am thinking of the 
 Church at home. 
 
 I need not speak at length of the injurious social results 
 which increase in confession would be likely to introduce. It 
 is a subject that touches many to ^he very quick. Such an in- 
 
 • Rev. William Sewell, D.D. See his " Year's Sermons," p. 405. 
 
25 
 
 crease might bring about (I do not affirm that it must), 
 estrangement in families. It might alienate father from 
 daughter, diminish the confidence between husband and vvifc) 
 and completely wreck the happiness of a home.. It would pro- 
 bably produce consequences, mischievous not only to domes- 
 tic happiness but even to real religion. 
 
 But a few Avords more. The petition of certain English 
 clergymen to the effect, that a select number of clergy should 
 receive Episcopal license for the office of Confessor, has called 
 forth, as you know, much discussion, ami kindled a considera- 
 ble amount of excitement. It elicited a most wise, dignified, 
 fatherly and large-minded debate from the Prelates of the 
 Convocation of Canterbury. I most heartily concur with 
 the general sentiments they exprewsed. If those aforesaid 
 clergymen had petitioned that young inexperienced men 
 should be prohibited from exercising difficult and dan- 
 gerous functions, I would have gone w-ith them, because 
 I am confident that the mischief such persons may do might 
 be enormous, and life-long in its effects. Moreover, in my 
 opinion, our Church offers all that is needed. She has left 
 her members free to go to whom they will for advice and 
 consolation, and she need do no more. 
 
 Such \vas the prudent and temperate spirit that animated 
 our Reformers, and some of the greatest names that adorn 
 our calendar of post-Eeformation divines. Of these I will only 
 mention two, who are conspicuously known for their modera- 
 tion. These are Eichard Hooker and Bishop Jewel. The for- 
 mer writes thus of confession,* " That no opinion is held of its 
 being unlawful and unprofitable, saving only for those incon- 
 veniences which the world hath by experience observed in it 
 heretofore. And in regard thereof, the Church of England 
 hath hitherto thought it the safer way to refer man's hidden 
 crimes unto God and themselves only ; howbeit not without 
 special caution for the admission of such as come to the 
 Holy Sacrament, and for the comfort of such as are ready to 
 depart the world." 
 
 * Hooker, Book vi,p. 27G. 
 
2(3 
 
 And Bi.hop Jewel writes -!< -'As for private confession ' 
 abuses and errors apart, we condemn it not, but leave it at ' 
 liberty." 
 
 I hope next Sunday to conclude this whole matter For 
 the present I would only say to those here to-day who are 
 firm members of En-land's Church, cling to her more 
 and more loyally. The more you know of her, the more you 
 wdl admire, love and reverence her. To those who may as 
 yet scarcely consider themselves as thoroughly rooted in her 
 system, I would say, let me assure you, that I almost daily 
 learn something fresh of her wisdom and her many blessings 
 These become the more conspicuous, when any assault is 
 made upon her strongholds, or when any well-intentioned 
 would-be reformers propose to improve upo'n her system. , 
 Ihcre has been of late years, as you know, much talk about 
 revision of the Scriptures, and the work is in actual ,)rogres3, 
 But I expect that what has been found before will be mac'e 
 clear again, viz., that very little emendation is attainable in 
 the way of accuracy, while no possible change can better 
 the grand archaic swing, the majestic eloquence, the .sublime 
 poetry, the vigorous Saxon of our English Bible. Similarly 
 many hands have been at work on the Prayer-Book. But 
 alter long and animated discussion, it has been pretty well 
 proved that most alterations would be for the worse. Our 
 book of Common Prayer is not perfection, but it is most 
 a<lmirable and most precious. May we not hope that this 
 heritage arrived at so painfully in days gone by, may be 
 preserved to us intact, and that nothing may be done to 
 abridge the wise liberty granted to the Church of England 
 It will be a satisfaction to me to feel that I have been of 
 service to any member of this congregation, and that I have 
 afforded one more evidence of the Scriptural and primitive 
 character of our Church. It will be a comfort, if I can hope 
 that a 1 will see more than ever the great truth that our 
 Churc-h, in all her ministrations, instructs us not to depend 
 
 * Jewel's Def. p. 15G, ed. 1611. 
 
27 
 
 upon an arm of flesh, but rather to live, if possible, with 
 consciences pure from great sin, Avith hearts closely knit to 
 Chi'ist, daily pom'ing into His ear our weaknesses and our 
 falls, drinking from His Holy Spirit strengthening aid, and 
 in His Sacrament receiving refreshing grace to help us over 
 the narrow way that leads to life eternal. 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 St. Mark 2c., 7v. Why cloth this man thus speak blasphemies ? Who can 
 forgive sins but God only ? 
 
 Wo come to clay to the second portion of our subject, viz. 
 the doctrine of the Church withi-espect to Ab.solution. It is 
 necessary to treat this carefully, in order to the full under- 
 standing of the whole matter, and it was impossible for me to 
 do justice to such a theme in one discoursor It is obvious 
 that the mass of people, who may practise private, or as it is 
 sometimes called " auricular confession," do so because they 
 fully believe that they receive a supernatural spiritual bene- 
 fit. They do not practise it for the sake of merely imimrting 
 a confidence to another. 
 
 Some go to confession as if seeking an opiate or cordial to 
 lull or stupefy the sulferings of conscience that will make 
 themselves felt, and instead of rousing themselves to struggle 
 desperately with their sin, prefer to find passing comfort in 
 the voice of a human being, rather than in the voice of God in 
 their hearts and the Word of God in His Scripture. These 
 persons are in a highly perilous condition. Such a weakness is 
 generally accompanied by a fatal evil, fostered, not cured by 
 the abuse of confession. I have in my recollection such cases. 
 The healthy growth of their souls was stunted and dwarfed. 
 They were learning the lesson of formalism. They had very 
 little moral sense, and their ideas of the true hoinousness of 
 sin were sorely confused. They seemed to think — at all events 
 they acted as if they thought that, provided they periodi- 
 cally visited a clergyman and opened their hearts to him, 
 the stimulus of his counsel and admonitions would 
 stand in the stead of active pei^severing resistance. It 
 was hard to awaken in such people the reality of the 
 
29 
 
 lexceoding wickedness of known and wilful sin. It was hard' 
 to teach them that every time they fell, after promising 
 amendment, the Devil had greater hold, the conscience was 
 drowsier and weaker, and that their shame at their sinful- 
 ness and deplorable feebleness of purpose, was fast subsiding 
 into brazen indifference. 
 
 But it would be wrong and inaccurate to class 
 all under this one category, and to pass a general sweep- 
 itig censure upon every individual who upholds auri- 
 rijailar confession as a regular practice, as if all and everyone 
 of this way of thinking were unreal, or weak, or wanting in 
 genuine tenderness of conscience, Many excellent people 
 ^believe that confession ought to onlor into every educational 
 system connected with our Church, and that it is the only 
 sure means of keeping out moral mischief and proserviiig 
 .purity. While I respect the earnestness and sincerity of these 
 persons, I am entirely opposed to their opinions on this mat- 
 ter. When conducting education in England I never encou. 
 raged confession, nor received confession from any pu])il. 
 
 But the question before us to day is this — what gain do 
 people expect through coming to Confession ? It is not 
 merely for the sake of the guidance and direction which one 
 skilled in soulmaladies might be able to supply. It is not 
 only for the heart-searching, the possible shame at having to 
 divulge the ulcers and stains of sin, and the discipline which 
 may have to be endured. It is more. It is the hope of 
 pardon for past sin, which if they ai'e considered penitent, 
 they hope to receive. And in this all agree, that God does 
 and will forgive the repentent sinner. But wiiat then is 
 Absolution ? Last Sunday we saw how the Church of Eome 
 maintains that it is, as a rule, the only means of forgiveness 
 vouchsafed by God. It is in her eyes a Sacrament, and the 
 main value of Confession is suffered to consist in its forming 
 part of the Sacrament of penance and its leading to priestly 
 Absolution. But we can pass by this monstrous assertion, 
 this tying God down to human instruments, this arbitrary 
 and most modern dogma. Let us briefly see firstly the 
 
30 
 
 teaching of the Scriptures ; socoadly that of the ancioi. 
 chiirch, and the witness of our own. 
 
 Poubtless our Lord's commission to His discipl, 
 meant something important. Christ then breathed o 
 them, and thus shewed that He was the fountai! 
 of Absolution. Also the commission Avas bestowed juv 
 after the Eesurrcction, as if to remind us that Chris' 
 had therein conquered the power of sin and Satan. More 
 over, as Christ Avas to be with us always till the end of tlu 
 world, the authority then granted would continue. He thei 
 said " whose sins yo remit they are remitted, and whose siib 
 ye retain, they are retained." (1) These Avords of our Master 
 used in the present tense conferred the powers prcA-iouslv 
 promised to Peter when Christ said : ." WhatsocA-cr thoii 
 Rhalt bind on earth shall be bound in HoaA-en, and AAiiatso- 
 ever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in HeaA'on."(21 
 These are expressions plainly derived from the notion oi 
 binding or releasing jirisoners. K"oav, avc should notice that 
 our Saviour spoke words in usage among the Jcavs. Person> 
 in authority Avcro said to retain or bind a practice, if they 
 forbad it, to loose or remit a practice, if they allowed or 
 sanctioned it. The Apostles and their successors avouUI 
 clearly possess the power to exclude from communion, or 
 admit to its reception, people whom they might believe to 
 be worthy or unAVorthy, penitent or impenitent, sincere or 
 the reverse. Such a rightful control and jurisdiction must 
 appertain to every religious system, as in fact it must belong 
 to every organized society. The Jewish authorities possessed 
 it, and Ave can observe traces of its exercise in the Gospels. 
 In this instance, our Lord solemnly entrusts it to His follow- 
 ers, and adds that in Heaven He would ratify their acts 
 done on earth. We find in Acts 19 c. 18 v. an instance of this 
 Apostolic remission,in the treatment of the Ephesian converts, 
 while Peter's treatment of Simon Magus narrated in the 
 
 (1) St. John, 2 c. 22 and 2.3 v. 
 (2; St. Matthew, 16 c. 19 v. 
 
01 
 
 oi 
 
 same Book, 8th c. its an instunoo of reluining the ^ins of one 
 not yet deemed truly jieuitent. 
 
 But the Lord's words must mean somotliiiig more 
 yet than a right to exclude from religious privileges. 
 The Christian Church has understood their significa- 
 tion to bo that Christ's servants, the Apostles, hud the 
 power to declare in His name, that the sins of a sincere 
 penitent were surely forgiven. Also, the Chui'ch of Christ 
 believing that her Lord abides with her, and that the Holy 
 Spirit works in and through her ministrations, requires her 
 clergy, in special and exceptional cases, when they have 
 used their most carefid consideration, if they believe that a 
 8inner is repentant, to pronounce that he is absolved by 
 God. This declaration is of course valuable, in as much as 
 otherwise a penitent would have no distinct assurance of 
 pardon. Men have no more power in themselves to forgive, 
 than the Jewish Priests had to ctiro a leper. In fact their 
 positions and prerogatives are in some respects analogous. 
 Both could only, to the best of their judgment, declare that 
 God had exercised or would exorcise His cleansing power. 
 Next, notice what was the teacliing of the i^rimitivo Church. 
 In very earl}' times, when converts were made from Hea- 
 thenism, and as yet the Church had not seen more than one 
 generation of Christians, it was customary to speak of two 
 repentances in the case of almost every individual. 1st that 
 preceding baptism, assuming the person to bo bai^tizod when 
 grown up ; 2nd the daily repentance for daily misdeeds and 
 'sins of omission, and in some cases a public profession of jieHi- 
 tence and public discipline for grave offences. Therefore bap- 
 tism was considered the 1st and great absolution. (1) Tlio same 
 truth is taught by our own Church. "While in the Apostles' 
 creed wo speak of " forgiveness of sins, ' in the Nicene creed 
 we state a little more precisely that we uphold " one bap- 
 tism for the remission of sins." It is Christ's appointment 
 
 (1) Cyril Alex, teaches that reini.^sion pointed to baptism, auif 
 liinding to repelling from that baptism and exclusion from commu- 
 nion. 
 
32 
 
 that one baptised as an infant is cleansed from original ,s 
 and if he receive that Sacrament as an adult, and is (sincoiv ^"^ 
 repentant, his sins of act arc therein forgiven him. But in i ^^ 
 administration of Baptism, man's action is only minisloii; ^^^ 
 Ho obeys Christ's injunction. lie uses certain words ordain ^^ 
 by Christ,*Avith the element of water, but the power of gia _ 
 and of remission was and is held to pertain to God aloi ^" 
 The second absolution was hold to be conveyed through tl ^ 
 Holy Communion. This belief is most consonant to 8cri P 
 turc. When this Sacrament was instituted, the Lord spol ^* 
 of it as His "blood shed for the remission of sins." 'VVho> ^ 
 ever therefore partakes of that holy ordinance earnestly, ai ^ 
 in faithful ropenlaneo, receives absolution from Gotl. ■; I 
 those who had never lapsed into very heinous sin, this Saci ■* 
 ment was believed to carry remission of lesser oftences. 'J * 
 those who Avere grievous sinners, but had repented, remissi^ 
 of graver sin was, through it, believed to bo confern ^ 
 Every one can observe that this truth pervades our Coi; 
 niunion Service, and is very definitely stated in the fin; 
 collect that precedes the " Gloria in Excelsis." 
 
 The third kind of absolution was termed that of the "A 
 ministration of the Word and doctrine of God," a very anciei 
 expression, found again in the first exhortation of our office i 
 the Holy Communion, but which some persons have thougli 
 unmeaning. The testimonies of Scripture, its exhortatior, 
 to virtue and good works, are as the key of the Word of Go> 
 and declare His terms of forgiveness. They are thus ( 
 service in preparing men for repentance and reconciliatioi' 
 with God. J 
 
 The fourth kind of absolution consisted of interces 
 sion and prayer to God, accompanied by blessing, an 
 generally by laying on of hands. This finds its counterpar 
 in the forms of absolution familiar to us in our Pray er-Book 
 It is important to take notice that in none of these cases aii 
 applications of the term absolution, was private confessioi 
 held to be a necessary or even a very desirable prelude 
 The absolution was considered to be a ministerial, not at. 
 
88 
 
 absolute or personal act. The j>rlest, as far as liis human 
 kaowlodf^'o extended, acted on ilie helief that the jienitent 
 Hinner was in favour witl» (Jod. Moreover, talce tliis Hpecial 
 case : Jf any persons who had led evil lives, and had thereby 
 been Hovercd from communion in the Church, were undergo- 
 ing penance previous to their restoration ; flupposing they 
 were to all appearance at the point of death, before their 
 period of discipline had expired, they were, as a rule, ab- 
 8olyed and readmitted to communion. But if they happened 
 to survive and recover, they wore in old times compelled to 
 complete their full course of penance. Till this was accom- 
 plished, the Council of Nica}a forbade all such to receive the 
 Holy Communion, and only allowed them to bo " by- 
 standers," and join in the prayers. 
 
 This is, to my mind, a clear proof, tliat absolution 
 was not regarded as a final and absolute degree. 
 Then again : evil-doers once restored to communion, if 
 they relapsed into sin, were not usually, in ancient 
 times, allowed to perform a second penance. They were 
 urged to repent in private to God, and to hope for His 
 nltiniato forgiveness. Yet no private confession was en- 
 joined, or even permitted, a clear indication that it was not 
 deemed of necessity. It would bo a strictly correct assertion 
 to make that, in primitive times, private confession was in 
 most, if not all cases, sanctioned with a view^ to a subsequent 
 public admission of sin, and that no absolution was granted 
 on a mere private confession without public penance. 
 
 Then again : it is probable, to say the verj'' least, that the 
 form of absolution, used in ancient times, was in the shape of 
 aprayer. To this category belong our absolution in Morning 
 and Evening Prayer, and that found in the Communion Ser- 
 vice. The Greek Church, the most conservative of all re- 
 ligious bodies, uses no other than this, the supplicatory form. 
 And indeed, there is no certain indication of any other kind 
 in use in Christendom till the twelfth century, when the 
 erroneous doctrine on the subject of confession assumed a 
 grave and definite character. But some theologians, whose 
 
 c 
 
84 
 
 (.pinioim ilcsorvo ronpoft, fi,„li„^r an ihoy do a dcchimtivo < 
 
 indicutive form in tho Visihition office for the Hick, and i<,Kn 
 
 mg tho Hcrupulous euro with which tho Hofor.nors Ibll.nv. 
 
 ancient unagos when innocent, think that tho indicative fon 
 
 was used in private, and tho Hupplicatory form in publi, 
 
 Be this correct or no, oven tho former is only equivalent i 
 
 tho statement, that as far as erring men can jud-e of tni 
 
 ponitonco from outward signs, a sinner is assured of God 
 
 gracious forgiveness. This form is admissible as an act , 
 
 jurisdiction. It is an external act of ecclesiastical authcr 
 
 ity, which admits a person to communion, and oncoura-ro. 
 
 him to attend moans of grace. It declares God's purpose" (^ 
 
 those who repent; it assures them that they aro restored t, 
 
 trod s gracious favour, and freed from tho guilt of sin. 
 
 Bishop Wordsworth well states in his commentary, " Tl„ 
 ministry of reconciliation, spoken of hy St. Paul, 2 Cor 5 c 
 18 v., was committed by Christ to His Apostles,' and to th, 
 Christian ministry after them to tho end of time, and U 
 exorcised : 
 
 1. By preaching tho Word : whcroin they open tlu. 
 kingdom of Heaven by tho key of knowledge. 
 
 2. In tho Sacrament of Baptism : wherein thoy actually 
 receive men unto God's household as by an opened door 
 
 3. In declaring God's absolution of penitent sinners ; es- 
 pecially in the pardon pronounced and conveyed in 'and 
 sealed by the Sacrament of tho Lord's Supper. It is a 'min- 
 istry, because thoy only apply the means instituted by God 
 ihi) efficiency of their administrations is from Him Who 
 instituted tho means, and Who conveys tho blessing of spiri- 
 tual birth, life, health, recovery, salvation, through the 
 moans He has appointed, and by tho agency of those whom 
 He has appointed to minister them." Let us next consider 
 what the very term absolution was hold to signify with ref- 
 oronce to tho religious state of any Christian : 
 
 Ist, and most commonly it meant tho act which released 
 u person from the spiritual and religious penalties attachino- 
 to excommunication. ° 
 
36 
 
 Jnd. It WHS applied to tho tloclanition in God's nam© of 
 the forj^ivcMiossof HJiifl, t,'ranl(>d Ity (rod through tlio minirttrr.-' 
 tionH of llio Church. J^oth tliose viowH woro hold and 
 tftught by tiic aiicioiit Oliurcii. Bolli aro maintained and 
 taught by tho Cliurch of Enghmd. DiHciplino has docaj'od 
 in tho Reformo<l Chur(!li, as it Hoon began to decay of old 
 in the Clnireh at largo, but it is Htill in the power of any 
 clergyman to exclude a notoriouH ninnor from communion. 
 Unhaj)pily wo do not find wo much anxiety to come to 
 communion as to need the oxercise^pf diHcipline, and the re- 
 pelling of otfonders. Kuthor, we have to lament tho largo 
 number who voluntarily cut themselves off from meana of 
 grace. 
 
 And with regard to tho second moaning of the word ab- 
 solution, the clergy are fi-equently called ui>on toadminiHtor 
 Grod's ordinances for tho remission of sins in Baptism, in the 
 Holy Communion, and in the ordinary public services. Tn 
 this last, (rod's pardon is sown broadcast, to take root in tho 
 kindly soil of a penitent heart. 
 
 If any one feels tho burden of smi, our (Jhurch, like tho 
 Church in days gone by, calls on such to look to Christ, who 
 is over close to us, and in tho strength of His Spirit, tho 
 heritage of all, to forswear sin and to seek for forgiveness in 
 the Holy Communion, and in the general declaration of 
 God's pard(m. But, if there be any unusual and speciardiffl- 
 culty — any very sore temptation — any uneasiness of con- 
 science, which cannot bo quieted by prayer and self-examina- 
 tion — than does our Church, as did tho Ancient Church, bid 
 tho troubled soul seek comfort and counsel from some one 
 of tho clergy. All Christians would agree in this liberty. 
 Though Christ is tho only true Physician, yet we aro His 
 servants, and must strive to carry on His healing work. He 
 is the Chief Pastor, but wo have to feed His flock. Without 
 such a mission, tho pastoral office would not bo what Christ 
 meant it to bo, and we must not shrink from the charcro 
 however difficult and responsible it maybe. Then, if need 
 be, the terroi's of (^otl can be revealed. Then tho treasures 
 
 I 
 
86 
 
 ••!• <io'l'M love mul movcy can 1,« „po,iod o.it. Then mlvi c 
 vm bo ^.ivon with ro-.inl to oonflictini,. duties. Thou tl 1 
 woutulH of the fuintir.i. soul can bo bound up ,vnd i 
 H.nnor can bo io.l noaror to God. Tl.on tho w.ho injunctio, 1 
 o bo P..a.vo..-Boolccan bo followod out. arul by tho mini«tr « 
 of (rods Holy WonUn oarnost porson Horrowin.r for hI, ( 
 may rocoivo tho bonotit of aJ.soiution, tho minist"-y of, ' 
 concd.at.on to Clod, to.,.cthor with ^d.ostly .-ounsol and . i 
 vico, to tho quiotin^r of his con.scionc« and avoidin- of , 
 Hcruplo and .loubtfulnos^ If confidential a.lvisers are foui, 
 to bo UHcfuI, nay oven noodfui in tJio coneorna of tho bodv 
 and the affairs of this life, thoy may surely at times i. 
 proved advantageous in tho o(e .ml interests of tho immort. 
 Houl, and tho subject of greatest moment to every unit , 
 lunnanity Wore it not for this and other phases of th^ 
 mwust.rml l.fe tho ofUco of a cloi-^yman would dwindl, 
 down to tho .lehvery of so many sermons in the course of. 
 year, and tho loading tho devotions of the people. Importa. 
 as such dut.es unquestionably are, they by no means con 
 Htituto all lus avocations. 
 
 But while 1 claim Christian liberty for all, 1 must not 1. 
 understood even to suggest, that in order to promote spin- 
 tual progress, it is necessary or expedient for persons to b( 
 resorting ft-equently or periodically to their clergy for ad- 
 vice, or for the private imparting of difficulties and tempta 
 t.ons. The healthier condition is for tho Christian to strive 
 to know himself by careful and frequent self-examination, 
 and to make the oar of his Eodeemer tho constant recipient 
 of his most hidden thoughts. Into that sympathetic earw. 
 may pour our humble confessions of sin, and our yearnin, 
 after a holy life. .Nothing need be kept back. There ca^ 
 be no human infirmity on His part to mar or weaken the 
 bonefit which we c-an receive. To Him Who shares our nature 
 and knows our secrets and our infirmity, we can turn daily 
 •tud hourly, and from Him we can derive purity and grace 
 i will now draw all theso considerations to a conclusion. 
 J have dosu-ed to make my remarks of some value as dc 
 
87 
 
 olartfU.i-y, not nioroly of my own i)rivuto and doop-soatod 
 belief, but alwoof the toachiu«,' of the Church in which I min- 
 ister, and tho doctrine of the whole Church in its earlier and 
 purer dayw. This has necessitated some length, some detail, 
 and some historical statements, likely to be dry and weari- 
 some to many listeners. I have striven to shun even tho 
 appearance of i)edanlry, hasty assertion, and uncharitable 
 spirit, and tho detailed assertions are, I can assure you, not 
 without real value to us all in these anxious times. Confes- 
 sion to God is a primary duty for all, as a preparation for 
 receiving His pardon. With a vioW to this confession ^joing 
 a reality, self examiiuilion is necessary for all. But I trust 
 I have made clear to you, that neither among ancient Chris- 
 tians, nor among ourselves was or is confession to man looked 
 upon' as essential to a state of grace. ",Tho ancients equally 
 witli ourselves impress tho great truth,''that God is the foun- 
 tain of cleansing, that to make confession to man habitual, or 
 of vital obligation, or of great advantage or expediency, is to 
 run clean counter to ancient faith and practice ; and to bring 
 in one point the teaching of tho Eeformcd Church to tho 
 level of Christendom's condition, when it was tainted by 
 malignantly corrupting influences. 
 
 Wo generally affix tho name of Reformation to^our deli- 
 verance from these evils. Itwould bo still more correct to 
 call it the Eostoration. At that crisis, tho moss and defile- 
 ment and parasites which, as it wore, had>verspread tho 
 stately and beautiful fabric of the Church were removed 
 and swept away ; and she stood out wearing something of 
 the fair brightness which adorned her in Apostolic days.* 
 
 I trust all will see, that tho great object of tho ancient 
 plan of confession, whether public or private, was to benefit 
 tho offender and to keep abuses out of tho Church. Assum- 
 ing my assertions to bo correct, it must bo plain, that no 
 compulsion was exercised, that no desire was manifested to 
 exalt tho priesthood, to place man in God's stead, or to_,limit 
 
 • See Bishop HaH'n Conteiuplations, B. 20. 12, quoted hy Blunt, on 
 
 the Roforniation, p. 70. 
 
 • • . ' '.',■••■ ■ • •* • . ■ . 
 
 ■ ■'•.•'. < ' • . '••'•,. ' * I ; , 
 
 • ■*...•.... '.• . . .;,>'.■... ., 
 
. ^8 
 
 the vast and beneficent tide of God's forgiving love. I hop 
 all will see, that men may have passed and do pass frot 
 their cradle to their last resting-place, the grave ; living goo 
 lives as far as men can live, in the enjoyment of all Christia 
 privileges and means of grace, without ever once openin. 
 their lips to a mortal man in the way of private confessioi 
 or revelation of secret sin. I trust you are convinced, tha 
 to insist on the practice of confession being necessary, o 
 even generally beneficial to the soul's health, is just as m 
 true, as to tell a man in the healthy vigour of early mac 
 hood, that in order to b*still better, he must go through 
 course of very violent medical treatment. And lastly, ; 
 mast plainly declare that for any English clergyman t 
 toll his people at large, that they ought to come to confos 
 sion, is most seriously to exceed lawful liberty, to incur s 
 very great responsibility, to do that which he has no war 
 rant from Scripture or early Church teaching, and to lav 
 himself open in one respect to the charge of disloyalty 
 towards the Church of which he is a minister.