,,confession ,,and ,,absolution4  ,,by  
,,right ,,rev4 ,,monsignor ,,capel1 ,d4 
,d4   ,domestic ,prelate of ,his        
,holiness1 ,leo ,,xiii1 happily         
reigning1         ,member of the        
,congregation of the ,segnatura1        
,priest of the ,archdiocese of          
,westminster4          99       99      
99       99       99  ,he hath placed in
 us the ,ministry of                    
,reconciliation4--#b ,cor4 v1 #ah4      
99       99       99       99       99  
,,philadelphia3 ,,cunningham  ,,son1    
#hag ,,arch ,,street4  ,,new ,,york3 ,d4
  ,j4 ,,sadlier  ,,co41 #ca ,,barclay   
,,street4                        #ahhd4 
,copyright1  ,,peter ,f4 ,,cunningham   
,,son1  #ahhd4     ,,confession ,,and   
,,absolution4   ,in the series of       
twenty-four conferences delivered in the
 ,cathedral at ,philadelphia1 during    
this ,lent1 was one on ,god's           
,conditions for ,pardoning ,sin4 ,at the
 request of many1 it is now published1  
but under the title of ,confession and  

,absolution4 ,there have been made such 
modifications and additions as are      
necessitated by publication1 and such   
others as will cover aspects of the     
question treated by me elsewhere in the 
,united ,states4  ,the extracts from the
 ,fathers which appear in the following 
pages are taken from the accurate and   
judicious collection known as ,faith of 
,catholics1 a work in three volumes1    
well worthy the attention and study of  
those who1 not having a library of the  
,fathers1 or not conversant with the    
classical languages1 are nevertheless   
anxious to know the evidence of the     
early ,christian writers concerning the 
doctrines and practices of the ,catholic
 ,church4                               
,t4 ,j4 ,,capel4       ,,philadelphia3  
,feast of ,our ,lady's ,sorrows1 #ahhd4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,to this ,,second ,,edition there have  
been added certain statements and       
passages1 to meet sundry questions      
addressed to the ,author on the subject 

of ,confession and ,absolution4         
,feast of the ,patronage of ,st4        
,joseph1 #ahhd4     ,,confession ,,and  
,,absolution4       ,,text3 ,god hath   
reconciled us to ,himself by ,christ1   
and hath      given to us the ministry  
of reconciliation4 ,for ,god indeed     
was in ,christ1 reconciling the world to
 ,himself1 and ,he hath      placed in  
us the word of reconciliation2 we are   
therefore      ambassadors for          
,christ4--#b ,,cor4 v1 #ah4  ,no more   
important question can be submitted for 
consideration to those who believe in   
the existence of ,god1 in man's         
responsibility to his ,creator1 and in  
divine revelation1 than what are ,god's 
conditions for pardoning sin committed  
after baptism4 ,for however much men may
 doubt1 deny1 or dispute about religion1
 they can never impugn the fact that    
they are individually sinners4 ,if we   
say we have no sin1 we deceive          
ourselves1 and the truth is not in us2#a
 in many things we all offend2#b even   

the just man shall offend seven times4#c
  ,good sense1 as well as faith1 tells  
us that having willingly committed or   
consented to any thought1 word1 or deed 
prohibited by ,god1 or having knowingly 
and wilfully omitted any duty imposed by
 the divine law1 then have we revolted  
against our ,god4 ,and should this be   
done with full knowledge and            
deliberation in a matter deemed grave by
 the ,lawgiver1 or grave in its own     
nature1 or rendered so by circumstances1
 then has there been a grievous         
transgression of our duty to ,god4  ,the
 moment we so act1 are we and our crime 
abominable in the sight of the ,all     
,holy4 ,thou hatest all the workers of  
iniquity2#d and to the ,lord the wicked 
and his wickedness are hateful alike4#e 
,our sin instantly merits eternal       
punishment3 ,if the just man turns      
himself away from his justice1 and do   
iniquity according to all the           
abominations which the wicked man useth 
to work1 shall he live8 ,all his        

justices which he had done shall not be 
remembered4#f ,but the fearful1 and     
unbelieving1 and the abominable1 and    
murderers1 and whoremongers1 and        
sorcerers1 and idolaters1 and all liars1
 they shall have their portion in the   
pool burning with fire and brimstone1   
which is the second death4#g ,finally1  
by our grievous sin do we destroy       
habitual or justifying grace1 the       
supernatural life of the soul1 rendering
 it incapable of doing aught that will  
have everlasting reward4 ,when          
concupiscence hath conceived1 it        
bringeth forth sin2 but sin1 when it is 
completed1 begetteth death4#h ,well1    
therefore1 are we told3 ,flee from sins 
as from the face of a serpent2 for if   
thou comest near them1 they will take   
hold of thee2 the teeth thereof are the 
teeth of a lion1 killing the souls of   
men4#i  ,deadly sin accordingly puts us 
at enmity with ,god1 and deprives us of 
all claim on ,his justice4 ,these are   
days when men talk much of their own    

rights4 ,little do they think to assert 
and uphold the rights of the ,king of   
,kings1 the ,lord of ,lords4 ,and so it 
escapes them that having violated their 
obligations to their ,creator1 their    
,redeemer1 their ,sanctifier1 by        
grievous sin1 they have no claim for    
pardon on the ground of justice2 they   
can only appeal suppliantly to the      
infinite mercy and goodness of ,god1    
that their iniquities may be blotted    
out1 that they may be restored to the   
position whence they have fallen1 and   
that they may regain the habitual grace 
necessary for keeping the solemn        
obligations of baptism4 ,this being the 
case1 the ,almighty can and does impose 
,his conditions for reconciling the     
sinner and for restoring the prodigal   
child to the lost sonship4 ,it is not   
for sinful man to dictate what such     
terms shall be4 ,it is for an outraged  
,god to enact1 for the transgressor to  
comply with the command4  ,of these     
conditions1 one flows from the infinite 

holiness of ,his own nature1 namely3    
contrition or repentance4 ,the other1   
which is judicial absolution from sin1  
implying previous confession of it1 is  
imposed by the revealed law of ,god1 and
 is therefore a divine command obliging 
all--popes and bishops1 priests and     
people4 ,let us deal with these         
separately4  ,,footnotes3  #a ,john i1  
#h4  #b ,james iii1 #b4  #c ,prov4 xxiv1
 #af4  #d ,ps4 v1 #f4  #e ,wisd4 xiv1   
#i4  #f ,ezech4 xviii1 #bd4  #g ,rev4   
xxi1 #h4  #h ,james i1 #ae4  #i ,ecclus4
 xxi1 #b4     ,i4   ,the necessity of   
repentance as the essential condition   
for the sinner obtaining ,god's         
forgiveness is plainly taught both in   
the ,jewish and ,christian              
dispensations4  ,prophets and penitents 
throughout the ,old ,testament bear     
evidence to this truth4 ,the words of   
the ,psalms of ,david1 the exhortations 
of ,jeremias and ,isaias to the people  
of ,god to be converted1 have become    
household words in our books of piety1  

exciting the soul in sin to arise and go
 to the ,god of mercy4  ,the ,new       
,dispensation was ushered in by the     
,forerunner of ,christ preaching the    
,gospel of ,repentance3 ,do penance1 for
 the kingdom of ,god is at hand4 ,our   
,lord announces ,his own mission to be  
to call sinners to repentance3 ,unless  
you all do penance1 you shall all       
likewise perish4 ,he sent ,his ,apostles
 that penance and remission of sin      
should be preached in ,his name among   
all nations4 ,and1 while on earth1      
,jesus sent them1 two and two1 to preach
 that men should do penance4  ,and1     
after the ascension of the ,saviour whom
 ,god hath exalted with ,his right hand 
to give penitence to ,israel1 and       
remission of sins1#aj the ,apostles     
proclaimed the same truth4 ,peter's very
 first sermon is3 ,do penance and be    
baptized1 every one of you4#aa ,he1 on  
the occasion of the cure of the lame    
man1 preaches3 ,be penitent and be      
converted1 that your sins may be blotted

 out4#ab ,the same ,apostle writes3 ,the
 ,lord beareth patiently for your sake1 
not willing that any should perish1 but 
that all should return to penance4#ac   
,st4 ,paul1 in like manner4 ,god        
commandeth all men1 everywhere1 to do   
penance4#ad ,and again3 ,the benignity  
of ,god leadeth thee to penance4#ae     
,this contrition or repentance does not 
mean a mere cessation from wrong doing1 
and starting anew in the way of         
goodness1 drowning in the past the evil 
done4 ,on the contrary1 as by sin we    
turned our backs on ,god to go into a   
far-off country1 to spend there our     
substance1 so by contrition must we turn
 main1 retrace our steps1 and journey to
 that ,father and home whence we        
departed4 ,hence is the process named   
conversion to ,god1 just as sin is      
defined to be an aversion from ,god4    
,moses1 expressing this thought1 says3  
,when thou shalt be touched with the    
repentance of thy heart1 and return to  
,him1 the ,lord thy ,god will have mercy

 on thee4#af ,and still more explicitly 
does the prophet ,joel declare3 ,be     
converted to ,me with all your heart1 in
 fasting1 and in weeping1 and in        
mourning2 and rend your hearts1 and not 
your garments1 and turn to the ,lord    
your ,god3 for ,he is gracious and      
merciful1 patient and rich in mercy4#ag 
,again1 the inspired ,word says3 ,cast  
away from you all your transgressions1  
by which you have transgressed1 and make
 to yourselves a new heart and a new    
spirit2 and why will you die1 ,o house  
of ,israel8#ah  ,the ,lord ,god1 whom we
 have outraged by sin1 knows no past4 ,i
 am who am1 is ,his name4 ,in ,his holy 
sight1 we who have sinned1 and our      
transgressions1 are ever abominable1    
unless we make to ourselves a new heart 
and a new spirit4 ,be converted to ,me1 
and ,i will be converted to thee1 are   
the words of ,him who exercises on us   
,his great mercy4  ,holy ,church1 in her
 ,general ,council assembled at ,trent1 
defined this contrition or repentance to

 be a sorrow of mind1 and a detestation 
of sin committed1 together with a       
determination of not sinning for the    
future--animi dolor1 ac detestatio de   
peccato commisso1 cum proposito non     
peccandi de catero4#ai ,or1 as the same 
,council says3 ,penitence was indeed at 
all times necessary for all men who had 
defiled themselves with any mortal sin1 
in order to the obtaining grace and     
justice1 99 99 99 that so1 their        
perverseness being laid aside and       
amended1 they might1 with hatred of sin 
and a pious grief of mind1 detest so    
great an offence of ,god4#bj ,and1 as   
the ,roman ,catechism explains1 this    
means no mere feeling1 but a genuine act
 of the will4 ,a mother may show more   
sensible signs of grief at the loss of  
her only child than when sorrowing for  
sin1 yet this is not in the least       
inconsistent with the most perfect      
contrition or repentance4  ,there are   
times when the intense sorrow for sin   
arouses the whole being of man3 exciting

 not only the higher1 but also the lower
 and sensitive part of his nature4 ,st4 
,mary ,magdalen1 ,david1 and many other 
great penitents1 wept bitter tears of   
sorrow for their past wrongs4 ,this1    
though a heavenly favor1 is no necessary
 part of repentance4 ,indeed1 it is     
possible to weep and to have sensible   
sorrow without having a contrite heart4 
,the three essential elements in        
contrition are3 hatred of past sin1     
grief at having sinned1 and a determined
 purpose at all costs to avoid1 in the  
future1 sin and the occasions of sin4   
,these emanate from the will of man1 not
 from the feelings2 they must be strong 
or intense enough to make the sinner    
prefer to endure any evil1 or sacrifice 
any good1 rather than again offend ,god1
 so infinitely good in ,himself1 and so 
infinitely good to man4  ,unhappily1 it 
is within our power to hate1 to grieve1 
and to purpose amendment very sincerely1
 and yet not have that sorrow which     
fulfills ,god's condition for the pardon

 of sin4 ,some human motive--such as    
loss of health or wealth1 injury to     
reputation and influence1 the ignominy  
and servitude of wrong-doing--may lead a
 man to detestation of the past and to a
 firm resolve to avoid wrong in the     
future4 ,excellent as may be such a     
change of mind1 yet it is not sufficient
 to obtain forgiveness from on high4 ,it
 is based entirely on the injury and    
loss accruing to self4 ,god is excluded 
from the whole idea2 and yet it is      
against ,him1 and against ,him alone1   
that we have sinned4  ,the only sorrow  
acceptable to ,god is that which springs
 from a supernatural motive1 the soul   
excited thereto by divine grace4 ,in    
this is our utter helplessness shown2   
for while it is within our own power to 
do wrong1 we cannot return to the path  
of duty and repent without the help of  
,god4 ,it is by the heavenly gift of    
grace operating within1 and by the      
co-operation of the sinner1 that the    
heart is made contrite4 ,the remembrance

 of ,god's infinite love and            
perfections1 accompanied by earnest     
prayer for mercy1 may rouse the soul to 
hatred and grief for its sin1 and thus  
is generated that contrition perfect    
through charity for having offended ,god
 so sovereignly good1 who is to be loved
 above all things4 ,for ,his own sake1  
and regardless of the penal consequences
 of sin1 the soul is touched with       
sincere compunction4 ,this sorrow1 with 
the implicit or explicit desire to have 
recourse to the ,sacrament of ,penance1 
reconciles the soul at once with ,god1  
and restores the justifying or habitual 
grace lost by grievous sin4 ,there is   
now no condemnation to those who are in 
,christ ,jesus1 who walls not according 
to the flesh1 but after the spirit4 ,for
 the law of the spirit of life iii      
,christ ,jesus hath delivered me from   
the law of sin and of death4#ba ,the    
soul about to go before ,god's          
judgment-seat1 if it be in deadly sin1  
and have not at hand the means for      

obtaining absolution1 is obliged to have
 this perfect contrition1 or otherwise  
the sin remains unforgiven4  ,again1 the
 soul1 contemplating in the sight of    
,god the turpitude of sin1 as made known
 to us by revelation1 or the terror of  
,god's judgment on those condemned to   
hell1 or the irreparable loss of the    
sight of ,god consequent on sin1 may be 
excited by fear of ,him who hath power  
to cast into everlasting prison4 ,the   
soul1 awe-stricken by the painful sight 
of its own guilt1 and by the sense of   
the judgment of ,god1 yet hoping for    
pardon and resolved to sin no more1     
makes an initial act of the love of     
,god1 and appeals to ,his goodness for  
forgiveness4 ,though the motive is less 
perfect1 yet ,he who desireth not the   
death of the sinner1 but that he be     
converted and live does in ,his         
exceeding mercy accept this as          
sufficient for pardon1 if there be added
 to it the actual reception of the      
,sacrament of ,penance4 ,in other words1

 in this case1 unless the sinner shows  
himself to the authorized minister of   
reconciliation and receives his         
absolution1 there is no pardon4         
,whether this sorrow be of the perfect  
kind1 arising purely from love of ,god1 
or whether it be less perfect1 caused by
 fear of ,god3 in either case1 it is    
internal1 seated in the mind and heart2 
it is supernatural in its motive1 and   
springs from grace2 it is universal1    
extending to every deadly sin committed2
 it is sovereign1 displeasing the will  
more than any ill which could happen4   
,the sorrow which is according to ,god  
worketh penance unto salvation which is 
lasting3 but the sorrow of the world    
worketh death4 ,for behold this selfsame
 thing that you were made sorrowful     
according to ,god1 how great carefulness
 doth it work3 in you2 yea defence1 yea 
indignation1 yea fear1 yea desire1 yea  
zeal1 yea revenge4#bb ,this1 then1 is   
contrition3 the first and necessary     
condition for the pardon of sin4 ,it is 

begun and perfected in the soul by the  
impulse and by the assistance of the    
,holy ,ghost4 ,the grace of ,god1       
obtained through the precious blood of  
,jesus ,christ1 commences and completes 
the work of repentance4 ,god1 who is    
rich in mercy1 through ,his exceeding   
charity with which ,he loved us1 even   
when we were dead in sins1 hath         
quickened as together in ,christ1 by    
whose grace you are saved4#bc ,the blood
 of ,jesus cleanseth us from all sin4#bd
 ,we have redemption through ,his blood1
 the remission of sins1 according to the
 riches of ,his grace4#be  ,,footnotes3 
#aj ,acts v1 #ca4  #aa ,acts ii1 #ch4   
#ab ,acts iii1 #ai4  #ac ,peter iii1 #i4
  #ad ,acts xvii1 #cj4  #ae ,rom4 ii1   
#d4  #af ,deut4 xxx1 #a4  #ag ,joel ii1 
#ab4  #ah ,ezech4 xviii1 #ca4  #ai ,con4
 ,trid4 ,sess4 xiv1 cap4 #d4  #bj ,sess4
 xiv1 c4 #a4  #ba ,rom4 viii1 #a1 #b4   
#bb #b ,cor4 vi1 #aa4  #bc ,eph4 ii1 #d4
  #bd #a ,john i1 #g4  #be ,eph4 i1 #g4 
,,ii4   ,it has pleased ,god1 as we     

learn by the ,christian revelation1 to  
institute a human and visible ,ministry 
of ,reconciliation for sinners4 ,st4    
,paul expresses this in the clearest    
way1 writing to the ,corinthians3 ,if1  
then1 any be in ,christ1 a new creature3
 old things are passed away3 behold1 all
 things are made new4 ,but all things   
are of ,god1 who hath reconciled us to  
,himself by ,christ1 and hath given to  
us the ministry of reconciliation4 ,for 
,god indeed was in ,christ1 reconciling 
the world to ,himself1 not imputing to  
them their sins2 and ,he hath placed in 
us the word of reconciliation2 we are   
therefore ambassadors for ,christ4 ,in  
this passage does the ,apostle teach the
 truth declared elsewhere3 ,christ died 
for our sins1 the just for the unjust1  
that ,he might offer us to ,god1 being  
put to death indeed in the flesh4#bf    
,herein is it taught very plainly that  
we are redeemed by ,jesus1 and that     
there is no other name under heaven     
given to men whereby they must be saved4

 ,he alone paid the price of our        
redemption2 by ,his precious blood alone
 are we redeemed2 and through ,him alone
 is sin forgiven4  ,but1 in the same    
passage1 ,st4 ,paul is equally explicit 
in declaring3 ,he hath given to         
us--namely1 the ,apostles--the ,ministry
 of ,reconciliation--the word of        
reconciliation4#bg ,in this there is no 
pretension that the ,apostles were the  
reconcilers by inherent right2 theirs is
 an agency of reconciliation1 and hence 
does ,st4 ,paul speak of their as       
ambassadors of ,christ4 ,and in virtue  
of this does the ,apostle1 when         
exercising the office on the incestuous 
,corinthian1 unhesitatingly declare3 ,if
 ,i have forgiven anything1 for your    
sakes have ,i done it in the person of  
,christ4#bh ,what is here so positively 
claimed and acted on by the ,apostle was
 very definitely instituted by our      
,lord1 as is recounted in the ,gospels4 
,to the ,apostles and their successors  
did ,jesus ,christ impart the power to  

baptize all nations4 ,by baptism is man 
purified from original sin--from his own
 personal or actual sins1 if there be   
any2 there is infused into him habitual 
or justifying grace1 accompanied by     
faith1 hope1 charity1 as well as the    
gifts of the ,holy ,ghost2 and he is    
made the adopted child of ,god4 ,the    
efficient cause of such spiritual       
regeneration is ,jesus ,christ2 and yet 
it is by a ,minister of ,reconciliation1
 pouring water and saying the words ,i  
baptize thee in the name of the ,father1
 etc41 etc41 that the cleansing is      
effected4 ,it is passing strange that   
those who believe in baptism as the     
appointed means1 whereby a minister     
reconciles a soul in original sin should
 hesitate to admit the ministerial power
 of forgiving actual sin4 ,the principle
 is the same4 ,nearly fifteen hundred   
years ago1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 writing       
against the ,novatians1 said3 ,if it be 
not lawful for sins to be forgiven by   
man1 why do you baptize8 ,for1          

assuredly1 in baptism there is remission
 of all sins4 ,what matters it whether  
priests claim this right as having been 
given them by means of baptism or       
penitence8 ,one is the mystery in both4 
,but thou sayest3 ',it is the grace of  
the mysteries that operates in baptism4'
 ,and what operates in penitence6 ,is it
 not the name of ,god8 ,where you       
choose1 you claim for yourselves the    
grace of ,god3 where you choose1 you    
repudiate4#bi  ,for1 in like manner1 in 
the ,sacrament of ,penance1 does the    
,minister of ,reconciliation say3 ,i    
absolve thee from thy sins1 in the name 
of the ,father1 etc41 etc4 ,thereupon   
the words produce what they signify1 if 
the penitent is genuinely contrite4 ,but
 the ,reconciler is ,jesus ,christ1 who 
uses priests as ,his delegated agents   
for effecting forgiveness4 ,on the day  
of the resurrection1 ,jesus ,christ     
appeared to the eleven1 whom ,he had    
made priests at the ,last ,supper1 and  
said3 ,peace be to you4 ,as the ,father 

hath sent one1 ,i also send you4 ,when  
,he had said this1 ,he breathed on them1
 and ,he said to them3 receive ye the   
,holy ,ghost2 whose sins you shall      
forgive1 they are forgiven them2 and    
whose sins you shall retain1 they are   
retained4#cj  ,the passage is           
exceptionally clear1 and for fifteen    
centuries was accepted in its plain     
grammatical signification4 ,our ,lord1  
who is possessed of all power in heaven 
and on earth1 makes ,his ,apostles      
workers together with ,him in the       
forgiving of sin4 ,they derive the power
 from ,him1 and receive it by the       
inbreathing of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is
 no product of their learning1 or       
experience1 or piety1 nor is it any     
right inborn in them2 but it is a divine
 gift1 given by the redeemer to ,his    
priests for the sanctification of souls4
 ,by it are ,his legitimate ministers   
made co-operators in the work of        
reconciliation4 ,already had the        
,scribes thought that ,jesus blasphemed 

when ,he said to the man sick of the    
palsy3 ,son1 be of good heart3 thy sin  
is forgiven thee4 ,they realized not    
that the ,almighty could impart the     
power of pardoning to ,his creatures4   
,to convince them that the ,son of ,man 
hath power to forgive sin1 ,jesus       
performed this special miracle1 and     
healed the man of the palsy4 ,the       
multitude1 seeing this1 feared and      
glorified ,god1 who had given such power
 to men4#ca ,the power is of ,god1 who  
alone can forgive sin1 though ,he       
exercises it through men as channels of 
,his grace4 ,the power of working       
miracles in like manner belongs to      
,god's omnipotence2 yet did ,he         
condescend to allow ,his ,apostles and  
others to share in it4 ,in this they    
were but ,his delegates4  ,the passage1 
in the next place1 expresses judicial   
power3 for the commission draws the     
distinction between remitting sin and   
retaining sin4 ,this exercise of        
discretionary power does not depend on  

the arbitrary will of the ,apostles1 but
 has to be decided according to the     
,gospel law of true repentance described
 previously4 ,the ,apostles are         
appointed ministerial judges of the     
dispositions of penitents1 and of the   
sins on which they are to pronounce     
sentence of remission or of retention1  
and their sentence is as efficacious as 
if it were pronounced by ,christ        
himself4  ,now1 it is a primary         
condition of just judgment that the     
judge should not only be cognizant of   
the law which is to be administered1 but
 also of the cause submitted for        
judgment4 ,applying this to the exercise
 of the judicial power with which the   
,apostles are invested1 two things are  
needed3 the first1 that they should know
 the law and the conditions on which sin
 is to be retained or remitted4 ,this   
they can only learn of ,god4 ,the       
second1 that they should know the sin   
committed1 its nature and its           
circumstances4 ,this can only be learned

 from the sinner2 for sin is a          
deliberate and voluntary transgression  
of ,god's law4 ,and1 therefore1 as ,st4 
,thomas of ,aquinas has it1 the         
principle of sin is the will4 ,it is in 
the recesses of the knowledge and       
liberty which the soul has1 that the    
guilt of sin is to be sought4 ,who then 
but the individual offender can know the
 sins for which forgiveness is asked8   
,the disclosure can only come from the  
wrong-doer4 ,clearly then1 confession1  
in the ordinary course of things1 is the
 necessary and preliminary condition for
 seeking absolution from sin4 ,whether  
this confession be made in public or in 
private is a mere matter of convenience1
 to be decided by those who absolve4    
,the honest humble accusation of all    
deadly sins constitutes the essential   
character of such confession or avowal  
of transgressions4 ,if we confess our   
sins1 ,he is faithful and just to       
forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us  
from all iniquity4#cb  ,that interior   

and supernatural contrition is to be    
followed by the judicial sentence of a  
duly-appointed priest1 to whom          
confession of all deadly sins has been  
previously made1 is the unanimous       
teaching of the ,christian writers from 
the earliest date4 ,the existence of    
,penance as the ,sacrament of           
,reconciliation1 at all times in the    
,church1 is permanent evidence to the   
belief and practice of early            
,christians4  #a4 ,in the ,history of   
the ,church given in the ,acts of the   
,apostles1 we learn that many of those  
who believed at ,ephesus1 after ,st4    
,paul's preaching1 came confessing and  
declaring their deeds4 ,and many of     
those who had followed curious things   
brought their books together1 and burnt 
them before all4#cc ,here is a clear    
instance of contrition1 confession1 and 
determination of purpose4  ,again1 the  
incestuous ,corinthian is judged by ,st4
 ,paul1 and sentenced in the strongest  
language3 ,in the name of our ,lord     

,jesus ,christ1 you being gathered      
together1 and my spirit1 with the power 
of the ,lord ,jesus1 to deliver such a  
one to ,satan4#cd ,the offender         
repented1 and lest he should be         
swallowed up with overmuch sorrow1 the  
,apostle reversed sentence1 and forgave 
the wrong done1 in the person of        
,christ4 ,a clearer case of retaining   
and remitting is unnecessary4  ,these   
instances are sufficient to show that   
the ,apostles themselves exercised the  
power of the keys in binding and        
loosing4  #b4 ,among the living ,greek  
,communions are to be found descendants 
of those sects which either separated   
from or were cast off by the ,church    
centuries ago4 ,the ,photians date back 
to the tenth century2 the ,nestorians1  
the ,jacobites1 the ,abyssinians1 the   
,copts1 to the fifth and sixth          
centuries4 ,differing as these do in    
some points of doctrine1 and parted by  
the bitterest antipathies1 yet on the   
matter of absolution and confession they

 have the same teaching and practice4   
,it is no question of unburdening a     
troubled conscience for peace and       
counsel1 but confession is exacted as a 
necessary condition for obtaining       
pardon4 ,in #aegf1 the patriarch        
,jeremias of ,constantinople sent to the
 ,protestant theologians of ,tbingen a  
declaration of the belief of the        
,greeks4 ,in it1 among other doctrines1 
that of the absolute necessity of       
detailed confession to a priest is      
asserted4 ,these sects then are1 by     
their practice and teaching1 witnesses  
to the truth concerning the sacrament of
 reconciliation as taught by ,holy      
,church in our day4  #c4 ,early heresies
 contribute1 in like manner1 their part 
to the mass of irrefragable evidence in 
support of the doctrine4 ,as early as   
the second century1 ,eusebius says ,a4  
,d4 #aga1 the ,montanists arose in ,asia
 ,minor4 ,among other things1 ,montanus1
 their founder1 taught that were any to 
commit grievous sin after baptism1 to   

deny ,christ1 or have been stained with 
the guilt of impurity1 murder1 or like  
crimes1 they were to be for ever cut off
 from the communion of the ,church4     
,while admitting that power to forgive  
sin was given by ,christ to the         
,apostles and their successors1         
,montanus wished to restrict that power1
 excluding from its domain idolatry1    
impurity1 and homicide4  ,some eighty   
years later1 two schisms were created3  
the one in ,north ,africa1 led by the   
priest ,novatus1 aided by the deacon    
,felicissimus1 the other by the         
anti-pope ,novatian1 in ,rome4 ,both    
were prompted by the question of        
receiving into the communion of the     
,church those who had lapsed into       
idolatry1 or had denied the faith during
 the times of persecution4 ,the ,african
 schism insisted on the laxest possible 
line of action1 namely1 to receive      
indiscriminately without proof of       
penitence4 ,the schism in ,rome pursued 
the most unyielding rigorism4 ,whoever1 

said ,novatian1 its leader1 has offered 
sacrifice to idols1 or stained his soul 
with the guilt of sin1 can no longer    
remain within the ,church2 and if he be 
of those who have denied the faith1 he  
can not again enter her communion3 for  
her members consist only of pure and    
faithful souls4  ,these contentions had 
one great advantage3 they brought into  
prominence the teaching of the ,church  
concerning the forgiveness of sin1 and  
occasioned a more scientific and        
dogmatic statement of the doctrine      
concerning the ,sacrament of ,penance4  
,in the controversy1 figure the names of
 ,st4 ,cornelius1 ,pope1 of ,st4        
,cyprian1 of ,st4 ,athanasius1 of ,st4  
,pacian1 of ,st4 ,gregory ,nazianzen1 of
 ,tertullian4 ,until the schismatics    
were driven to extremities1 it is plain 
both sides take it for granted that the 
,ministry of ,reconciliation was given  
to the ,church by ,jesus ,christ1 and   
that the exercise of the ministry       
consisted in pronouncing judicial       

sentence of pardon on those who had     
shown repentance and had confessed their
 grievous sins4 ,religious strife in    
this case produces the interesting      
evidence that1 as early as the second   
and third centuries1 ,confession and    
,absolution were held and practised as  
necessary for the pardoning of sin under
 the ,christian dispensation4  #d4 ,the 
,penitential ,canons of the first ages  
of the ,church are another evidence to  
the doctrine of ,absolution and         
,confession4 ,the ,apostolic            
,constitutions1#ce and ,tertullian1#cf  
give us a picture of the severe         
penitential discipline to which sinners 
were subjected4 ,many painful           
circumstances obliged the ,church modify
 and almost abrogate these public       
penances4  ,the accounts of the         
suppression given by the historians1    
,socrates and ,zozomen1 afford ample    
proof of confession made publicly1 of   
the retaining of certain deadly crimes  
until a long time had been spent in     

rigid penitential exercises1 and1       
lastly1 of the absolution finally       
granted by bishops and priests4  ,these 
authors1 as well as many who come after 
them1 are clear in discriminating       
between the public confession1 which is 
a matter of discipline1 and confession  
the necessary condition for the pardon  
of sin4 ,since1 says ,zozomen1 the      
,greek ecclesiastical historian of the  
fifth century1 it is absolutely         
necessary to confess our sins in order  
to receive the pardon of them1 it was   
thought too onerous and too painful to  
exact that this confession should be    
made in public1 as in a theatre4  #e4   
,we may now turn to the writings of the 
,fathers of the first five centuries4   
,it will be seen that throughout1 when  
treating of the forgiveness of sin1 it  
is always assumed that the priests of   
,holy ,church were endowed with the     
power of absolution1 and exercised it on
 those who had sinned after baptism4    
,the sacrament of pardon is constantly  

referred to under different names3      
penance1 confession1 absolution1        
exomologesis1 reconciliation1 the second
 baptism1 the laborious baptism1 the    
second plank after the shipwreck4 ,of   
these1 exomologesis occurs very         
frequently4 ,its meaning varies3 at one 
time it signifies manifestation of sin1 
whether in private or in public1 and at 
another it expresses the public penance 
and confession in vogue in the first    
ages of the ,church4  ,at the end of the
 first century1 ,st4 ,clement of ,rome1 
the third ,pope after ,st4 ,peter1 who  
died in the year one hundred1 and whom  
,st4 ,paul1 in his ,epistle to the      
,philippians1 numbers among his         
fellow-laborers whose names are in the  
book of life1 writes1 in the ,second    
,epistle ascribed to him and addressed  
to the ,corinthians3 ,as long as we are 
in this world1 let us repent with our   
whole heart of the evil deeds which we  
have done in the flesh1 that we may be  
saved by the ,lord whilst we have time  

for repentance4 ,for after that we have 
gone forth from this world1 we are no   
longer able to confess or repent        
there4#cg  ,in the middle of the second 
century1 appeared the ,teaching of the  
,twelve ,apostles1 causing1 at this     
moment1 no small attention in the       
religious world4 ,its date is variously 
stated from #abj to #afj ,a4 ,d4 ,to it 
does ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria1 who  
lived into the second decade of the     
third century1 make reference4 ,the     
text1 together with a translation1 is   
now published4 ,therein 7,chap4 ,,iv7 do
 we read3 ,thou shalt by no means       
forsake the ,lord's commandments1 but   
shalt guard what thou hast received1    
neither adding thereto nor taking       
therefrom4 ,in the ,church thou shalt   
confess thy transgressions1 and thou    
shalt not come forward for thy prayer   
with an evil conscience4 ,and again     
7,chap4 ,,xiv73 ,but on the ,lord's ,day
 do ye assemble and break bread1 and    
give thanks1 after confessing your      

transgressions1 that your sacrifice may 
be pure4  ,in the latter part of the    
second century1 the pupil of the great  
,st4 ,polycarp1 ,st4 ,irenus1 ,bishop of
 ,lyons1 born about #abj ,a4 ,d41 and   
who died in #bjb1 writing against the   
,valentinians and certain ,gnostics led 
by ,marcus1 states explicitly that many 
of the women who had been led into      
heresy and impurity1 and who afterwards 
returned to the ,church1 confessed even 
publicly1 and wept over their           
defilement4 ,but others1 ashamed to do  
this1 and in some manner secretly       
despairing within themselves of the life
 of ,god1 apostatized entirely4#ch  ,the
 same writer1 styled the ,light of the  
,western ,gauls1 mentions that ,cordon  
who appeared before ,marcion1 he also   
under ,hyginus1 the eighth bishop1      
having come into the ,church and        
confessing1 thus completed his career4  
,in the last decade of the second       
century1 and in the first twenty years  
of the third century1 the famed         

,tertullian1 who was born at ,carthage  
about the year #afj1 and who lived and  
labored in ,rome and ,north ,africa1    
ending his life1 it is variously stated1
 from #bbj to #bdj1 wrote1 before       
joining the ,montanist sect3 ,if thou   
drawest back from confession            
7exomologesis71 consider in thine heart 
that hell-fire which confession shall   
quench for thee2 and first imagine to   
thyself the greatness of the punishment1
 that thou mayest not doubt concerning  
the adoption of the remedy4 99 99 99    
,when1 therefore1 thou knowest that     
against hell-fire1 after that first     
protection of the baptism ordained by   
the ,lord1 there is yet in confession   
7exomologesis7 a second aid1 why dost   
thou abandon thy salvation8 ,why delay  
to enter on that which thou knowest will
 heal thee8 ,even dumb and unreasoning  
creatures know at the season the        
medicines which are given them from     
,god4 99 99 99 ,shall the sinner1       
knowing that confession has been        

instituted by the ,lord for his         
restoration1 pass over that which       
restored the king of ,babylon to his    
kingdom8 99 99 99 ,why should ,i say    
more of these two planks1 ,i may call   
them1 for saving men8#ci  ,in the middle
 of the third century1 ,origen1 pupil of
 ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria1 was born 
in that town about #ahd1 labored there  
for a time1 and afterwards at ,csarea in
 ,palestine4 ,he died at ,tyre in #bec4 
,again and again does he make reference 
to confession of sin and its absolution 
by a priest4 ,hear therefore now1 says  
he1 how many are the remissions of sin  
in the ,gospels4 ,the first is this by  
which we are baptized unto the remission
 of sins4 99 99 99 ,there is also yet a 
seventh1 although hard and laborious3   
the remission of sins through penitence 
when the sinner washeth his bed with    
tears1 and his tears become his bread   
day and night1 and when he is not       
ashamed to declare his sin to the priest
 of the ,lord1 and seek a remedy4#dj    

,and commenting on the words of the     
,psalmist--,because ,i declare my       
iniquity--,origen writes3 ,wherefore see
 what divine ,scripture teaches us1 that
 we must not hide sin within us4 99 99  
99 ,but if a man become his own accuser1
 while he accuses himself and confesses1
 he at the same time ejects the sin1 and
 digests the whole cause of the disease4
 ,only look diligently round to whom    
then oughtest to confess thy sin4 ,prove
 first the physician1 99 99 99 that so  
in fine then mayest do and follow       
whatever he shall have said1 whatever   
counsel he shall have given4#da ,again  
does ,origen write3 ,for if we have done
 this1 and revealed our sins not only to
 ,god1 but also to those who are able to
 heal our wounds and sins1 our sins will
 be blotted out by ,him who saith3      
',behold1 ,i will blot out thy          
iniquities as a cloud1 and thy sins as a
 mist4'#db  ,in the first half of the   
third century1 flourished ,st4 ,cyprian1
 ,bishop of ,carthage4 ,born in ,north  

,africa1 he became a ,christian about   
#bdj1 and was beheaded in #bch as an    
enemy of the gods1 and a seducer of the 
people4 ,he repeatedly refers to the    
practice of confession and absolution4  
,the following passage from his work ,de
 ,lapsis will suffice to show his mind3 
,god perceives the things that are      
hidden1 and considers those that are    
hidden and concealed4 ,none can escape  
the eye of ,god3 ,he sees the heart and 
breast of every person1 and ,he will    
judge not only our actions1 but also our
 words and thoughts4 ,he regards the    
minds of all1 and the wishes conceived  
in the hidden recesses of the breast4   
,in fine1 how much loftier in faith and 
in fear 7of ,god7 superior are they who1
 though implicated in no crime of       
sacrifice1 or of accepting a            
certificate1 yet because they have only 
had thought thereof1 this very thing    
sorrowingly and honestly confessing     
before the priests of ,god1 make a      
confession 7exomologesis7 of their      

conscience1 expose the burthen of the   
soul1 seek out a salutary cure even for 
light and little wounds1 knowing that it
 is written ',god will not be mocked4'  
,in the early part of the fourth        
century1 ,lactantius1 who is said to    
have been converted about the year #bij1
 and to have been put to death about    
#cbf1 writes3 ,as every sect of heretics
 thinks its followers are above all     
other ,christians1 and its own the      
,catholic ,church1 it is to be known    
that is the true ,catholic ,church      
wherein is confession and penitence     
which wholesomely heals the wounds and  
sins to which the weakness of the flesh 
is subject4#dc  ,in the first half of   
the fourth century1 ,eusebius1 the      
well-known ecclesiastical historian and 
,bishop of ,csarea1 in ,palestine1 who  
was born about #bgj1 flourished during  
the reigns of ,constantine and          
,constantius1 and died in #cdj1 leaves  
on record that the ,emperor ,philip1 who
 wished to join in the prayers of the   

,church1 was not permitted to do so     
until he made his exomologesis          
7confession71 and classed himself with  
those who were separated on account of  
their sins4#dd  ,in the same century1   
,st4 ,hiliary1 ,bishop of ,poietiers1 in
 ,gaul1 who died in #cfh1 writes3 ,there
 is the most powerful and most useful   
medicine for the diseases of deadly     
vices in their confession4 99 99 99     
,confession of sin is this1 that what   
has been done by thee thou confess to be
 a sin1 through thy conviction that it  
is sin4#de  ,in the fourth century1 ,st4
 ,athanasius1 ,patriarch of ,alexandria1
 born about the year #bif1 who lived    
till #cgc1 and whose name is identified 
with the ,general ,council of ,nice1 is 
equally explicit4 ,as man1 says he1 is  
illuminated with the grace of the ,holy 
,spirit by the priest that baptizes1 so 
also he who confesses in penitence      
receives through the priest1 by the     
grace of ,christ1 the remission of sin4 
,in this same century1 ,st4 ,pacian1 who

 died ,bishop of ,barcelona about #cgc1 
and who wrote on ,baptism and ,penance1 
asserts3 ',but you will say you forgive 
sin to the penitent1 whereas in baptism 
alone it is allowed you to loose sin4'  
,not to me at all1 but to ,god only1 who
 both in baptism forgives the guilt     
incurred1 and rejects not the tears of  
the penitent4 ,but what ,i do1 ,i do not
 by my own right1 but by the ,lord's4 99
 99 99 ,wherefore1 whether we baptize1  
whether we constrain to penitence1 or   
grant pardon to the penitent1 ,christ is
 our authority4 ,it is for you to see to
 it1 whether ,christ hath this power1   
whether ,christ have done this4 ,baptism
 is the ,sacrament of our ,lord's       
passion2 the pardon of penitents is the 
merit of confession4#df  ,in the latter 
half of this same century1 ,st4         
,ambrose1 born in ,gaul about #cdj1 who 
lived till #cig1 the last twenty-two    
years ,bishop of ,milan1 writes3 ,sins  
are remitted by the word of ,god1 of    
which the ,levite is the interpreter and

 also the executor2 they are also       
remitted by the office of the priest and
 the sacred ministry4#dg  ,it seemed    
impossible1 says this writer elsewhere1 
that water should wash away sin4 ,then  
,naaman the ,syrian believed not that   
his leprosy could be cured by water2 but
 ,god1 who has given so great a grace1  
made the impossible to be possible4 ,in 
the same manner1 it seemed impossible   
for sins to be forgiven by penitence4   
,christ granted this to ,his ,apostles1 
which has been from the ,apostles       
transmitted to the offices of the       
priests4#dh  ,and1 in similar strain1   
does ,st4 ,john ,chysostom1 ,archbishop 
of ,constantinople1 who was born about  
#cdd1 and died in #djg1 comment on the  
words ,whatsoever ye shall bind on      
earth1 etc41 etc43  99 99 99 this bond  
touches the very soul itself1 and       
reaches even unto heaven2 and what the  
priests shall do below1 the same does   
,god ratify above1 and the ,lord        
confirms the sentence of his            

servants4#di  ,the great ,st4 ,jerome1  
born in #cdb1 and after a life spent at 
,alexandria1 at ,rome as ,secretary to  
,pope ,damasus1 in ,syria1 and finally  
in ,bethlehem translating the           
,scripture1 died in #dbj4 ,he writes3   
,in the same way1 therefore1 that there 
7among the ,jews7 the priests make the  
leper clean or unclean1 so also here 7in
 the ,church7 does the bishop or priest 
bind and loose not those who are        
innocent or guilty1 but1 according to   
his office1 after hearing the various   
kinds of sins1 he knows who is to be    
bound and who loosed4#ej  ,and ,st4     
,augustine1 born #ced1 who was converted
 by the preaching of ,st4 ,ambrose1     
mentioned above1 who was later made     
,bishop of ,hippo1 in ,north ,africa1   
and who died in #dcj1 writes3 ,for this 
end are sins signified by these         
curtains1 that they may be expressed by 
confession1 and may1 by the grace which 
is given to the ,church1 be             
abolished4#ea  ,this same ,father says3 

,let a man judge himself of his own     
will1 whilst he has it in his power1 and
 reform his manners1 lest1 when he shall
 have it no longer in his power1 he be  
judged by the ,lord against his will2   
and when he shall have passed upon      
himself the sentence of a most severe   
remedy1 but still a remedy1 let him come
 to the prelates by whom the keys are   
ministered to him in the ,church1 and as
 one now beginning to be a good son1 let
 him receive the manner 7or amount7 of  
his satisfaction from those who are set 
over the sacraments4#eb  ,writer after  
writer continues in the same strain1 in 
this and the following century4 ,the    
passages cited clearly indicate that    
confession and absolution are assumed to
 be the ordinary channel whereby sin is 
pardoned4 ,throughout they1 as the      
,fathers of the preceding centuries1    
make the true dispenser of forgiveness1 
,god in general1 or1 at other times1    
,jesus ,christ1 or again1 the ,holy     
,spirit2 but they are equally explicit  

in declaring the earthly visible organ  
whereby the pardon is exercised to be1  
the ,bishop1 the ,priest1 the ,ministers
 of the ,church4 ,these ,christian      
writers constantly prove the ,ministry  
of ,reconciliation by reference to the  
passages concerning loosing and binding1
 in the eighteenth chapter of ,st4      
,matthew1 and forgiving and retaining   
sin1 in the twentieth chapter of ,st4   
,john4  ,the authors we have cited1 and 
in whose writings many other passages   
are to be found1 are representatives    
during the first five centuries of the  
,church in ,north ,africa1 in ,egypt1 in
 ,asia ,minor1 in ,palestine1 in        
,greece1 in ,italy1 in ,gaul1 and in    
,spain4 ,they are unanimous in upholding
 the power of absolution and the        
necessity of confession4  #f4 ,but a    
most unexpected witness is to be found  
in one of the great ,protestant         
,communions4 ,the ,english ,government1 
under the ,tudor dynasty1 threw off its 
allegiance in things ecclesiastical to  

the ,holy ,see4 ,the sovereigns of      
,england then claimed that spiritual    
authority heretofore exercised by the   
,pope4 ,henceforth1 the ,church was not 
in1 but of ,england4 ,it became a ,state
 ,department1 the archbishops and       
bishops receiving their appointment1    
care of souls1 and jurisdiction1 from   
the king1 just as the judges1 the       
officers of the army and navy1 are      
commissioned to their circuits1 their   
regiments1 and their ships4 ,the ,crown 
is not only the fountain-head of all    
spiritual governing-power1 but the      
,crown1 aided later by its ,council1    
became the final ,court of ,appeal in   
all disputes about doctrine4  ,the      
,established ,communion1 in its         
doctrinal code1 the ,thirty-nine        
,articles1 which each clergyman declares
 he accepts ex animo1 asserts that      
,penance is not a sacrament of the      
,gospel4 ,and in the ,book of ,homilies1
 which the said ,articles commend as    
containing good and wholesome doctrine1 

do we read3 ,we ought to acknowledge    
none other priest for deliverance from  
our sins but ,jesus ,christ4 99 99 99   
,it is most evident and plain that this 
auricular confession hath not the       
warrant of ,god's word4 99 99 99 ,i do  
not say but that1 if any do find        
themselves troubled in conscience1 they 
may repair to their learned curate or   
pastor1 or to some other godly learned  
man1 and show the trouble and doubt of  
their conscience to them1 that they may 
receive at their hand the comfortable   
salve of ,god's word2 but it is against 
the true ,christian liberty that any man
 should be bound to the numbering of his
 sins1 as it hath been used heretofore  
in the time of blindness and            
ignorance4#ec ,it is clear that both the
 ,articles and the ,book of ,homilies   
deny the power of absolution and the    
necessity of confession as essential    
conditions1 in the ordinary course of   
things1 for the forgiveness of sin4     
,the ,book of ,common ,prayer--the      

,liturgy of the ,anglican ,communion--in
 the office for visiting the sick1 does 
urge the confession of the sick person1 
and gives the form of absolution to be  
used by the minister4 ,it also bids the 
minister to exhort those approaching    
communion1 who cannot quiet their       
conscience1 to seek absolution1 together
 with ghostly counsel and advice4 ,in   
the ,book of ,common ,prayer used by the
 ,episcopalians in the ,united ,states1 
these directions concerning confession  
and absolution are omitted4  ,the result
 of the teaching of the ,articles was   
the complete destruction1 in the mind of
 the people of ,england1 during three   
centuries1 of the need of confession and
 absolution4 ,and1 until some fifty     
years ago1 it was unknown for ,anglicans
 to go to confession4 ,they lived and   
died without the faintest conception    
that such an ordinance was divinely     
instituted1 or that it was necessary or 
even advisable4 ,a change came1 and     
certain of the clergy of the            

,established ,communion began to teach  
the necessity of confession4 ,this      
produced open revolt in their camp2 the 
matter became so serious that the       
,convocation sitting in #ahgc gave it   
consideration1 and the ,bishop of       
,salisbury boldly said3 ,habitual       
confession is unholy1 illegal1 and full 
of mischief4 ,the ,bishop of ,lichfield1
 in indignation1 declared3 ,i would     
rather resign my office than hold it1 if
 it was supposed that ,i was giving     
young men the right to practice habitual
 confession4 ,the ,archbishop of        
,canterbury said3 ,i am ready to revoke 
the license of any curate charged with  
hearing confessions4 ,and the ,bishop of
 ,ely declared3 ,in no other communion  
would it be possible for a man to set   
himself up as the general confessor of a
 district1 without any other authority  
than his own4  ,the assembled bishops1  
who of course represented the living    
teaching body of the ,establishment1    
published a formal document1 wherein    

they declare3 ,the ,church of ,england1 
in the ,twenty-fifth ,article1 affirms  
that penance is not to be counted for a 
sacrament of the ,gospel1 and1 as judged
 by her formularies1 knows no such words
 as ,sacramental ,confession4 ,and in   
this same declaration1 commenting on the
 two instances wherein the ,book of     
,common ,prayer recommends seeking the  
aid of a clergyman1 is it said3 ,thus   
special provision1 however1 does not    
authorize the ministers of the ,church  
to require1 of any who may resort to    
them to open their grief1 a particular  
or detailed enumeration of their sins2  
or to require private confession        
previous to receiving the holy          
communion2 or to enjoin1 or even        
encourage1 any practice of habitual     
confession to a priest2 or to teach that
 such practice of habitual confession1  
or the being subject to what has been   
termed the direction of a priest1 is a  
condition of attaining to the highest   
spiritual life4 ,by far the greater     

majority of the clergy and laity        
endorse1 heart and soul1 this           
declaration4  ,notwithstanding these    
clear utterances in ,convocation1 young 
curates and vicars took to themselves   
authority1 and began to hear confession 
and pronounce absolution4 ,these        
gentlemen had never been prepared for   
the work3 in their course of            
ecclesiastical studies the hearing of   
confessions and the absolving from sin  
were never contemplated2 they had to    
obtain their knowledge from the manuals 
in use among ,catholic priests4 ,their  
bishops neither would nor could give    
them authority2 and so these clergymen  
became an authority to themselves1 and  
declared they had power to forgive sin1 
merely because they were ordained       
priests4 ,such a pretension could not be
 made by any priest or bishop of the    
,catholic ,church1 however valid may be 
his orders4 ,to the sacramental power of
 orders must be added juridical         
authority to absolve4 ,this1 in the     

divine economy1 as will be shown later1 
is the means whereby the exercise of    
such a power can be duly controlled4    
,such was the movement in ,england4 ,i  
find it transported to the ,united      
,states4 ,and ,i am told by honorable   
trustworthy people that in ,boston1 ,new
 ,york1 ,baltimore1 ,philadelphia1 and  
other cities1 there are ,episcopalian   
clergymen who insist that their         
penitents shall confess at regular      
intervals4#ed ,that such a fact is      
possible1 or that persons should be     
found ready to submit themselves to such
 a self-asserted ministry1 is simply    
incredible in face of the clear         
declaration of the ,thirty-nine         
,articles1 the official commentary of   
the ,book of ,homilies cited above1 the 
formal condemnation of the ,english     
bishops1 and the intentional omission of
 the only two passages referring to     
confession from the ,book of ,common    
,prayer used in ,america4  ,in the      
,united ,states it is the more          

inexplicable1 inasmuch as by the        
,declaration of ,independence there     
could be no jurisdiction derived from   
the ,crown of ,england4 ,and1           
consequently1 the ,episcopal ,church1   
formed as it was after the              
,independence1 could not1 from the      
nature of the case1 receive jurisdiction
 from without4 ,it formed itself into a 
corporation1 and its only authority was 
generated by itself4 ,but that of       
confessing and absolving from sin could 
not have been so created3 no more than  
it could have been done by the          
,episcopal ,methodist1 the              
,presbyterian1 the ,quaker1 or any other
 religions corporation4 ,it is not      
unreasonable in a matter so grave1      
affecting the eternal salvation of men1 
to ask of these gentlemen1 calling      
themselves ,reverend ,father            
,confessors1 by what authority do they  
these things1 and who gave them this    
authority4 ,assuredly1 their bishops    
declare they do not1 and cannot4        

,excellent and beyond reproach as are   
these clergymen1 well-instructed as they
 may be in the casuistry of the ,roman  
,catholic moral1 theological1 and       
ascetical works1 their absolutions are  
null and void1 and of no more avail than
 if pronounced by mere laymen4 ,the joy 
and peace produced in the souls of many 
who submit to these ministrations1 arise
 not from the genuineness of the        
ordinance4 ,god in ,his goodness rewards
 the honest intentions1 the good        
dispositions1 and faith of those who    
receive them4 ,the same manifestations  
of grace are found among ,methodists and
 ,presbyterians2 ,episcopalians would be
 the first to deny the reality and truth
 of ,sacraments in these bodies4  ,but1 
it may be asked1 how has such a change  
been wrought in the minds of            
,episcopalians on both sides of the     
,atlantic8 ,the ,oxford movement of some
 forty-five years ago turned men's minds
 to the early history of the ,church3   
and1 finding confession and absolution  

then to be the ordinary and necessary   
conditions for reconciliation with ,god1
 the practice was introduced1 but       
without seeing the important truth that1
 besides valid ordination1 there is     
needed jurisdiction from the ,church1 so
 as to make absolution of avail4  ,this 
new school of religions opinion among   
,anglican and ,protestant ,episcopalians
 contributes its share of testimony to  
uphold what the ,church of ,god has     
always taught1 namely1 that over and    
above having a genuine supernatural     
sorrow for sin1 there is ordinarily     
required on the part of the sinner      
confession of sin1 followed by the      
judicial absolution of ,god's minister1 
approved and commissioned by the        
,church1 who alone possesses the power  
of the keys to remit or retain sin1 and 
who has therefore the sole right to     
approve and authorize confessors4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,the constant practice of the ,roman    
,church2 the belief and practice of the 

earliest schismatics2 the existence of  
the ,penitential ,canons2 the statements
 of the ,fathers1 representatives of all
 ,christian lands in the first five     
centuries1 when ,latins and ,greeks were
 in the ,undivided ,church2 the         
discovery made by ,high ,churchmen in   
our day3 render1 separately and         
cumulatively1 evidence to the belief in 
,confession and ,absolution which no    
reasonable man can or ought to reject4  
,it is plain that had so painful a task 
as the confessing of sin to man not been
 of ,apostolic origin1 assuredly its    
introduction to the ,christian ,church  
would have caused the bitterest         
struggle1 and the date of such a        
movement would have been indelibly      
impressed on the page of history4 ,but  
no such strife is recorded4  ,well1     
therefore1 did the ,church1 assembled in
 ,general ,council at ,trent1 having    
first taught and defined the nature of  
contrition or repentance1 sum up the    
question of confession3 ,it is certain  

that1 in the ,church1 nothing else is   
required of penitents but that1 after   
each has examined himself diligently1   
and searched all the folds and recesses 
of his conscience1 he confess those sins
 by which he shall remember that he has 
mortally offended his ,lord and ,god2   
whilst the other sins1 which do not     
occur to him after diligent thought1 are
 understood to be included1 as a whole1 
in that same confession2 for which sins 
we confidently say with the prophet3    
',from my secret sins cleanse me1 ,o    
,lord4' ,now1 the difficulty of a       
confession like this1 and the shame of  
making known one's sins1 might indeed   
seem a grievous thing1 were it not      
alleviated by the so many and so great  
advantages and consolations which are   
most assuredly bestowed by absolution   
upon all who worthily approach to this  
sacrament4 ,for the rest1 as to the     
manner of confessing secretly to a      
priest alone1 although ,christ has not  
forbidden that a person may1 in         

punishment of his sins1 and for his own 
humiliation1 as well for an example to  
others for the edification of the       
,church that has been scandalized1      
confess his sins publicly1 nevertheless1
 this is not commanded by a divine      
precept2 neither would it be very       
prudent to enjoin1 by any human law1    
that sins1 especially such as are       
secret1 should be made known by a public
 confession4 ,wherefore1 whereas the    
secret sacramental confession1 which was
 in use from the beginning in ,holy     
,church1 and is still also in use1 has  
always been commended by the most holy  
,fathers with a great and unanimous     
consent1 the vain calumny of those is   
manifestly refuted who are not ashamed  
to teach that confession is alien from  
the divine command and is a human       
invention4#ee  ,,footnotes3  #bf #a     
,pet4 iii4 #ah4  #bg #b ,cor4 v4 #ah4   
#bh #b ,cor4 ii4 #aj  #bi ,de ,poent4 c4
 viii4  #cj ,john xx1 #ba4  #ca ,matt4  
ix1 #b4  #cb #a ,john i1 #i4  #cc ,acts 

xix1 #ah4  #cd #a ,cor4 v1 and #b ,cor4 
ii4  #ce ,ap4 ,con4 ii1 #af4  #cf ,de   
,poent4 c4 #i4  #cg ,ep4 ii1 ad ,cor4 n4
 #h4  #ch ,adv4 ,hres4 l4 i4 cxiii1 n4  
#d1 #e1 #f1 #g4  #ci ,de ,pnit4 n4      
#h-ab4  #dj ,hom4 in ,levit4 n4 #d4  #da
 ,in ,ps4 xxxvii1 n4 #f4  #db ,hom4 xvii
 in ,lucam4  #dc ,divin4 ,inst4 l4 iv1  
c4 #cj4  #dd ,hist4 ,ecc4 ,bk4 vi1 c4   
#cd4  #de ,tract4 in ,ps4 cxxxviii4  #df
 ,ep4 iii1 n4 #g-i4  #dg ,de ,cain et   
,abel1 l4 #b1 c4 #d4  #dh ,de ,pnit4    
cii1 n4 #ab4  #di ,vol4 ,i1 ,lib4 iii1  
n4 #e1 de ,sacerd4  #ej ,com4 in ,matt4 
c4 xviii4  #ea ,in ,exod4 n4 cviii4  #eb
 ,serm4 cccli1 n4 #i4  #ec ,homily on   
,repentance1 part ii4  #ed ,while this  
,second ,edition is passing through the 
press1 the following statement is       
reported by the ,new ,york ,herald1 ,may
 #eth1 to have been made the precious   
,sunday1 by the new pastor of ,st4      
,ignatius' ,episcopal ,church1 ,new     
,york3 ,and of the confessional1 we     
believe that auricular confession is a  

part of the preaching of ,god's         
ministers4 ,i should be unfaithful to my
 trust if ,i held back from proclaiming1
 by my words and by my practice1 that   
confession is necessary to salvation1   
and that ,god's ministers have the      
poorer to forgive sins4  #ee ,con4      
,trent1 ,sess4 xiv1 cap4 #e4     ,,iii4 
,so far1 the doctrine concerning ,god's 
conditions for reconciling the sinner   
has been limited to the interior        
supernatural repentance1 together with  
absolution and confession4 ,the other   
element--satisfaction--which is not of  
the essence of contrition1 but perfects 
it1 has not been treated1 simply because
 in another conference it is intended to
 deal with this question in connection  
with the works of penance and the       
doctrine of indulgences4  ,before       
closing the question now under          
consideration1 it is right that certain 
objections1 urged oftentimes in good    
faith1 sometimes in ignorance1 sometimes
 in malice1 should be duly met4  #a4 ,it

 is1 as was said elsewhere1 by no       
inherent power that the ,apostles and   
their successors are able to remit sin4 
,god1 and ,god alone1 can do so1 though 
,he can delegate this to others4 ,this  
,he has done4 ,but to secure so         
transcendent an authority from abuse1   
two elements are necessary before it can
 be exercised4  ,first1 from ,god1 and  
through the appointed sacrament1 must   
man be constituted a priest--that is1 an
 offerer of sacrifice4 ,this comes      
direct from ,god1 and is called the     
power of ,order1 and is obtained by     
ordination4 ,this was given to the      
,apostles at the ,last ,supper1 when our
 ,lord said3 ,do this in commemoration  
of me4 ,after ,his resurrection1 there  
was given the power or capability to    
forgive sin1 by the words ,receive ye   
the ,holy ,ghost3 whose sins you shall  
forgive1 they are forgiven2 and whose   
sins you shall retain1 they are         
retained4  ,the second element comes    
also from ,god1 but indirectly1 as it   

reaches the individual minister through 
the ,church4 ,it is the authority or    
commission of the ,church to a priest or
 bishop to exercise the power of        
pardoning which he has received of ,god4
 ,this is called jurisdiction4 ,it is   
included in the words said to ,peter3   
,to thee will ,i give the keys of the   
kingdom of heaven2 whatsoever thou shalt
 bind on earth shall be bound also in   
heaven1 and whatsoever then shalt loose 
on earth shall be loosed also in        
heaven4#ef ,of the which1 ,tertullian1  
writing more than sixteen centuries ago1
 says3 ,for if then thinkest heaven is  
still closed1 remember the ,lord left   
here the keys thereof to ,peter1 and    
through him to the ,church4#eg ,many a  
man has all the innate and acquired     
talent to be an excellent judge1 a      
proficient ambassador1 an efficient     
naval or military officer2 but over and 
above capability1 there is needed       
commission or appointment by competent  
authority4 ,so1 in like manner1 bishops 

and priests possess the power to pardon1
 but jurisdiction is needed to say on   
whom and where this power is to be      
exercised4 ,merely because a man is     
ordained validly1 this does not give him
 the power to absolve2 without          
jurisdiction1 his absolution has no more
 value than would that of a layman4  ,it
 will be evident that as jurisdiction   
comes from ,god but through the ,church1
 she can control those who are to       
exercise the power of pardoning sin4    
,hence1 she insists that her priests    
shall carefully study the moral law1    
just as a lawyer does civil law4 ,she   
exacts that those who hear confessions  
shall1 by examination1 prove their      
competency in the way of knowledge4 ,she
 trains from boyhood her ,levites to the
 sacred work they have to do1 and she   
permits only those to be admitted to the
 ,ministry of ,reconciliation whose     
piety1 past conduct1 and judgment       
commend them for confessions4 ,to those 
so approved she gives jurisdiction--or1 

as it is technically called1            
faculties--specifying where and on whom 
such power may be exercised4 ,this      
jurisdiction is always granted for a    
limited period of time1 during which it 
may be withdrawn if deemed advisable by 
the grantor4  ,thus1 then1 is every care
 taken in the selection and in the      
preparation of priests for the work of  
hearing confessions and absolving from  
sin4 ,even after they are duly          
appointed1 the restriction of the power 
to time1 places1 persons1 and causes1   
together with the varied tests of       
competency afforded by the conferences  
on cases of conscience and other        
theological knowledge1 held at frequent 
and regular intervals in each diocese1  
under the direction of the bishop1      
constitute a solid control over those   
exercising the ,ministry of             
,reconciliation4 ,then the priest's own 
belief and conscience1 as well as the   
obligation to confess his sins and seek 
absolution for them1 add to the faithful

 exercise of his duties as confessor4   
,beyond these human precautions and     
considerations1 the very fact that ,god 
instituted the ,tribunal of ,penance as 
the usual channel for pardoning sin1    
obliges us to realize that ,he himself  
would protect the administration of the 
sacrament4 ,for this sacred work1 ,his  
priests1 during many years1 are trained 
to a life of piety1 prayer1 and         
mortification4 ,the spiritual education 
of their own souls1 by meditation and   
examination of conscience1 fits them to 
know the workings of the souls of       
others4 ,before undertaking the study of
 painfully distressing treatises on     
certain parts of the moral law1 the     
,levite strengthens his soul by prayer1 
enters thereon simply for the glory of  
,god and the good of souls1 and is aided
 by experienced discreet professors4    
,medical men and lawyers are not trained
 and selected for their profession as   
are priests1 nor are they aided in their
 duties by special divine protection4   

,yet1 relying on them as gentlemen and  
on their professional honor1 clients1   
without fear or suspicion1 entrust to   
these1 themselves and their affairs4    
,why then not concede to priests at     
least this same measure of honorability8
 ,they1 like doctors and lawyers1 must  
for their work be theoretically         
cognizant of the crimes1 iniquities1 and
 weaknesses of mankind4 ,but they1 no   
more than doctors or lawyers1 speak of  
these things1 unless the penitent has   
been guilty of and confesses some such  
offence4 ,on the contrary1 those who    
enter the ,ministry are taught to be    
most prudent and discreet in putting    
questions2 never to ask more than what  
may be necessary4 ,the rule is to err on
 the side of too little4 ,nay1 rather   
than suggest or make known that which a 
penitent may be ignorant of1 the        
minister must consult more what is for  
the good of the soul than for the       
integrity of the ,confession4  #b4      
,again1 let it be remembered that it is 

not as in a court of justice1 where the 
plea of not guilty is set up1 and all   
has then to be wormed out by examination
 in the most detailed manner4 ,for the  
penitent enters the confessional as     
self-accuser1 states the offence1       
together with the number of times it has
 happened1 and any circumstances which  
may alter or aggravate the deed4 ,there 
are1 therefore1 in ,confession1 none of 
the nauseous details and descriptions of
 crime which may be heard in our courts 
and read in our newspapers4  ,the       
remarkable testimony of a ,protestant   
gentleman--,doctor ,forbes--may here be 
of much value4 ,in his memorandums1 made
 in ,ireland in the autumn of #aheb1 he 
says3 ,at any rate1 the result of my    
inquiries is that--whether right or     
wrong in a theological or rational point
 of view--this instrument of ,confession
 is1 among the ,irish of the humbler    
classes1 a direct preservative against  
certain forms of immorality at least4#eh
 ,among other charges preferred against 

,confession in ,ireland and elsewhere1  
is the facility it affords for          
corrupting the female mind1 and of its  
actually leading to such corruption4 99 
99 99 ,so far from such corruption      
resulting from the ,confessional1 it is 
the general belief in ,ireland--a belief
 expressed to me by many trustworthy men
 in all parts of the country1 and by    
,protestants as well as by              
,catholics--that the singular purity of 
female life among the lower classes     
there is1 in a considerable degree1     
dependent on this very circumstance4#ei 
,with a view of testing1 as far as was  
practicable1 the truth of the theory    
respecting the influence of ,confession 
on this branch of morals1 ,i have       
obtained1 through the courtesy of the   
,poor ,law ,commissioners1 a return of  
the number of legitimate and            
illegitimate children in the work-houses
 of each of the four provinces in       
,ireland1 on a particular day1 viz3 the 
#bgth of ,november1 #aheb4 99 99 99 ,it 

is curious to mark how strikingly the   
results there conveyed correspond with  
the confessional theory3 the proportion 
of illegitimate children coinciding     
almost exactly with the relative        
proportions of the two religions in each
 province2 being large where the        
,protestant element is large1 and small 
where it is small4#fj  ,good sense ought
 to make objectors remember that priests
 have mothers and sisters and relations 
whom they love2 and priests would be the
 first to prevent these beloved ones    
from the demoralizing influences which  
enemies ignorantly attribute to the     
confessional4  #c4 ,once more let it be 
remembered that the ,tribunal of        
,penance is for the accusation and      
absolution of sin4 ,name1 nor abode1 nor
 fortune1 nor domestic concerns1 have   
any place there4 ,the priest is the     
spiritual physician1 and it is the      
disease which is submitted to him2 all  
else is foreign to his office1 nor has  
he the right to ask of other matters4   

,nay1 more3 a sacramental secret        
surrounds his work2 this involves       
obligations greater than any natural or 
promised secrecy4 ,information obtained 
in ,confession the priest can never use1
 be it in his own interest1 or in that  
of a family1 or of the ,state1 or of the
 ,pope1 or of the ,church4 ,therefore1  
to imagine the ,tribunal of ,penance to 
be an engine for obtaining and using    
information in domestic concerns and    
family secrets1 is to be sorely ignorant
 of the nature of confession and of the 
obligations of a confessor4  #d4        
,objectors of another kind urge that    
confession induces persons to sin more  
readily1 or at least it transfers the   
keeping of conscience to the priest4    
,seeing that all which is demanded by   
,protestants for repentance must be in  
the mind of the ,catholic before he can 
be absolved1 it is clear the objection  
comes ill from them1 and can have no    
foundation4 ,of course1 for those who   
believe that ,catholics obtain pardon by

 payment of money1 the objection would  
have weight4 ,but it can hardly be      
imagined that in the nineteenth century1
 among an intelligent people like       
,americans1 there are to be found       
persons who believe that ,catholics are 
so bereft of reason as to imagine that  
sin can be forgiven by the giving of    
silver and gold4  ,every ,catholic knows
 that to speak falsely in ,confession   
would be to lie to the ,holy ,ghost1 as 
did ,ananias and ,saphira2 that to      
confess as ,judas did1 without sorrow1  
would not only bring no pardon1 but1 on 
the contrary1 would add the sin of      
sacrilege to his soul4 ,the ,catholic   
knows that without a firm efficacious   
determination of purpose to avoid sin   
and its occasions1 and to satisfy for   
injuries done1 there can be no          
forgiveness of sin4  ,nowhere is the    
soul of man more prone to self-deception
 than in the matter of true repentance4 
,temptation may cease1 and with it comes
 cessation of wrong-doing4 ,this1 under 

self-deception1 may be easily construed 
into conversion4 ,self-interest and     
passion may so blind a man that he may  
imagine himself truly repentant1        
notwithstanding that he has not pardoned
 injuries1 or reconciled himself to     
enemies1 or restored ill-gotten goods1  
or retracted calumny1 or compensated for
 wrongs inflicted1 or is not disposed to
 avoid occasions of sin1 and the like4  
,the confessor has to intervene1 remind 
the penitent of these duties1 and secure
 that they shall be done1 before he can 
absolve from sin4 ,instead of becoming  
the keeper of the sinner's conscience1  
the confessor is but its instructor3    
duty and responsibility remain in all   
their extent to the penitent4 ,and the  
penitent has to test the genuineness of 
his contrition by unmistakable          
obligations to be complied with1 if     
forgiveness of sin is to be obtained4   
,all this1 instead of encouraging the   
sinner1 as opponents have it1 to return 
and wallow in the mire of iniquity1     

does1 on the contrary1 make him gird up 
his loins1 and walk with a firm but     
cautious step for the future4 ,and this 
apart from the fact that one of the     
supernatural effects of this sacrament  
of penance is the bestowal of actual    
medicinal graces1 whereby the soul is   
strengthened against relapsing1 and for 
which reason regular and frequent       
confession is so earnestly encouraged4  
#e4 ,to have a wise prudent spiritual   
adviser1 to have an experienced         
physician of the soul1 to have a        
merciful but strict judge of moral duty3
 is to have the greatest spiritual      
support on earth1 even apart from the   
superadded sacramental character of such
 a minister4 ,it is this blessed gift   
which the ,catholic has in his          
legitimately-approved and authorized    
confessor4  ,prejudice or ignorance can 
alone construe such an inestimable      
treasure1 which brings peace of         
conscience and heavenly consolation1    
into making the priest the keeper of a  

man's conscience1 and the destroyer of  
man's spiritual liberty and of his      
responsibility to his ,creator4  ,how   
different are the opinions of thoughtful
 men1 concerning this ,tribunal of      
,penance1 will be seen from the         
following3 ,one is a ,frenchman1 who1   
unhappily1 apostatized from the         
,catholic ,church2 the second is a      
distinguished ,german philosopher1 who  
lived and died a ,protestant2 the third 
is one of the profoundest thinkers of   
our day1 who1 born in the ,episcopal    
,church in ,england1 served her some    
forty years1 and then left her to enter 
the ,catholic1 ,apostolic1 and ,roman   
,church4  ,the first of                 
these--,voltaire--thus writes3  ,the    
enemies of the ,roman ,church1 who have 
assailed the salutary institution of    
confession1 appear to have removed the  
strongest restraint which can be put    
upon secret crimes4 ,the sages of       
antiquity themselves felt the importance
 of it4#fa  ,the second--,leibnitz--in  

his ,system of ,theology says3  ,the    
institution of sacramental confession is
 assuredly worthy of the divine wisdom1 
and1 of all the doctrines of religion1  
it is the most admirable and the most   
beautiful4 ,it was admired by the       
,chinese and the inhabitants of ,japan4 
,the necessity of confessing sin is     
sufficient to preserve from it those who
 still preserve their modesty2 and yet1 
if any fail1 confession consoles and    
restores them4 ,i look on a grave and   
prudent confessor as a great instrument 
of ,god for the salvation of souls4 ,his
 counsels regulate the sentiments1      
reprove vices1 remove occasions of sin1 
cause the restitution of ill-acquired   
property1 and the reparation of wrongs2 
clear up doubts1 console under          
afflictions--in fine1 cure or relieve   
all the evils of the soul2 and as       
nothing in the world is more precious   
than a faithful friend1 what is the     
value of that friend when he is bound by
 his functions and fitted by his        

knowledge to devote to you all his care1
 under the seal of the most inviolable  
secrecy8  ,the third--,cardinal         
,newman--says1 in ,anglican             
,difficulties3  ,if there is a heavenly 
idea in the ,catholic ,church--looking  
at it simply as an idea--surely1 next   
after the ,blessed ,sacrament1          
confession is such4 ,and such is it ever
 found1 in fact2 the very act of        
kneeling1 the low and contrite voice1   
the sign of the cross--hanging1 so to   
say1 over the head bowed low--and the   
words of peace and blessing4 ,oh1 what a
 soothing charm is there which the world
 can neither give nor take away6 ,oh1   
what piercing heart-subduing            
tranquility1 provoking tears of joy1 is 
poured almost substantially and         
physically upon the soul--the oil of    
gladness1 as ,scripture calls it--when  
the penitent at length rises1 his ,god  
reconciled to him1 his sins rolled away 
for ever6 ,this is confession as it is  
in fact1 as those bear witness to it who

 know it by experience4#fb  ,,footnotes3
  #ef ,matt4 xvi1 #ai1 and xviii1 #ah4  
#eg ,scorpiace1 n4 x4  #eh ,vol4 ii1 p4 
#ha4  #ei ,vol4 ii1 p4 #hc4  #fj ,vol4  
ii1 p4 #bae4  #fa ,annales de l',empire1
 vol4 i1 p4 #da4  #fb ,card4 ,newman1   
,ang4 ,diff4 p4 #cea4