CONFESSION IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 25, 27 October 1898, Page 10

CONFESSION IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Many years ago Dr. Short, Anglican Bishop of St. Asaph, in his History of the Church of England, deplored the fact that his coreligionists neglected ' the most Scriptural duty ' of confession, while,' said he, ' scarcely a vestige remains [in the Establishment] of ecclesiastical law for the restraint of vice.' Habitual confession is, and has long been, one of the planks of the High Church position. Ie forms, just now, the chiet item of a particularly lively Anglican controversy, which in five days filled over eighteen columns of the London Times. Anglican bishops and clergy of every degree, as well as laity, are taking an active part in the newspaper campaign. The Scriptural character of confession is praotically admitted on all hands. The only real dispute arises as to its frequency and sacraiiiental character. On both these subjects opinion is as divided as it well can be. This was also to be expected. In 1874, the Committee of the Upper Houae of the province of Canterbury ruled as followß :—: —

•The Church of England, in the 25th Article, affirms that Penance is not to be counted for a Sacrament of the (ioopel, and, aa judged by her formularies, knows no such words as " sacramental contusion." '

The whole High Church Party 'strictly maintains the Catholic doctrine th,it Penance is a Sacrament of the Goapel. This was the doctrine of Bishop Cobiu, Pusey, and others. Lord Halifax thus states the High Church powtion : — ' People want to be told plainly : (1) The Sacrament of Penance is the law of Christ. (2) It is the law of the Church of England. ( 3) It is a Sacrament which they are free to use or not, as they please, ou their own responsibility, (4) Free Englishmen will not tolerate this attempted intrusion on their liberty in this matter, (o) And, above all, if some are too cowardly and too unmanly to lace their sins, don't let them suppose for a moment that they can make others such cowards as themselves.' ,

Mr. Gawne, of Duaedin (says the Southland Times of April 13 1891), has just been on a visit to Invercargill to push business a little. Not that it wants much canvassing, for since he commenced the manufacture of his Worcestershire Sauce, the demand has kept pace with his capacity to supply it. He makes a really good thing; indistinguishable from the famous Lea and Perrin's, which he places upon one's table at a much lower price, and trusts te that ta secure a steadily growing trade. Those who have not yet tried the colonial article should put their prejudice aside for a time and test the question with a bottle or two. — # %