第84部分(第5/7 頁)

　not　discuss；　personally　I　think　the　virtue　of　Confession　which　it　inculcates　great；　since　thereby　is　brought　the　whole　weight；　wisdom　and　merit　of　the　Church　to　the　aid　of　the　particular　case。　I　am　aware　that　Confession　is　allowed　to　Anglicans　and　even；　in　a　sense；　enjoined　upon　them。　But　by　how　many　is　the　rite　employed？　And　why　is　it　not　employed？　The　question　may　be　answered　by　another。　Who　wishes　to　make　confessions　of　his　failings　—　to　lay　bare　that　wonderful　and　sometimes　awful　thing；　the　secret　soul　of　man；　to　Mrs。　Rector　or　Mrs。　Archdeacon；　or　even　to　a　selection　of　the　father　confessor’s　brothers　and　priests？　It　may　be　retorted；　not　without　indignation；　that　such　a　thing　would　not　happen。　Perhaps。　Yet　the　average　man　feels　a　risk　which　he　will　not　face。　Many　of　us　have　known　worthy　but　much　married　clergymen　whose　conjugal　confidences　are　famous。　In　consequence；　rightly　or　wrongly；　other　confidences　are　withheld　from　them；　and　with　the　abolition　of　a　one…doctrined；　properly　controlled；　responsible　and　non…amateur　celibate　priesthood；　Confession　has　gone　out　of　fashion。　This；　however；　is　by　the　way。

The　trouble　about　the　Roman　Church　is　not　only　its　notorious　intolerance　and　bigotry；　of　which　history　tells；　but　the　fact　that　some　of　the　doctrines；　as　I　understand　them；　are　not　to　be　found　in　the　New　Testament；　which　after　all　is　the　Christian’s　only　charter。　Since　the　Scriptures　are　of　no　private　interpretation　what　is　not　written　there　is；　so　far　as　they　are　concerned；　presumably　non…existent。　It　is　this　truth　that　keeps　so　many　from　the　gates　of　Rome。　Perhaps　in　some　day　to　e　she　will　modify　her　attitude　in　certain　directions；　as　we　may　modify　ours；　and　the　two　greatest　divisions　of　the　Church　of　Christ　will　draw　together　again。　I　trust　and　pray　that　t