American Lutheranism Vindicated Part 6

Note 4. See Murdock, Edition of Mos.h.i.+em's History, Vol. iii, page 53, Harper's edition.

Note 5. Fuhrmann's Lexicon, Vol. iii., p. 3.

Note 6. Siegel's Manual, Vol. iii., p. 362.

Note 7. Ibid, p. 366.

Note 8. Ibid, p. 375.

Note 9. Luther's Works, Vol. xxii., p. 233-37.

Note 10. Ibid, p. 237.

Note 11. Ibid, p. 240.

Note 12. Ibid. p. 338.

Note 13. Luther's Works, Vol. xix., p. 666.

Note 14. Ibid., Vol. xx., p. 3.

Note 15. Luther's Works, Vol. xx., p. 195.

Note 16. Ibid., p. 257.

Note 17. Luther's Works, Vol. xxi., p. 63.

Note 18. The edition from which all our translations of Melancthon's Letters are made is that of Niemeyer, published at Halle, in 1830, ent.i.tled Philip Melancthon in Jahre der Augsburgischen Confession.

Note 19. Niemeyer's Melancthon, pp. 41-43.

Note 20. Ibid., p. 56.

Note 21. Niemeyer's Melancthon, p. 71.

Note 22. Niemeyer's Melancthon, p. 76.

Note 23. Niemeyer, p. 90, 91.

Note 24. Koethe's Melancthon's Works, Vol. I., p. 263.

Note 25. Ibid., p. 265.

Note 26. Ibid., p. 267.

Note 27. Luther's Works, Vol. XX., p. 199.

Note 28. Pfeiffer's Augapfel, second edit., p. 1045.

Note 29. Ibid. p. 1048.

Note 30. Pfeiffer's Aug. Appel., second edit., p. 1050.

Note 31. See the Lutheran Manual, p. 288, and Muller's Symb. Bucher, p. 51.

Note 32. See Lutheran Manual, p. 289.

Note 33. Plea, &c., p. 15.

Note 34. Lutheran Manual, pp. 288, 289, and Muller's Symb. pp. 51, 52, 53.

Note 35. Pfeiffer's Augapfel, 2d ed., p. 1045.

Note 36. Mueller's Symb. Books, pp. 248, 249.

Note 37. Koethe's Melancthon's Werke, Vol. i., p. 250.

Note 38. Luther's Works, Leipsic ed., Vol. xxii., p. 338.

CHAPTER VI.

OF PRIVATE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION.

This rite, in any sense of the term, that can be given to it in the Augsburg Confession and other former symbols of the Lutheran church, has long since been abandoned throughout our church in Europe, excepting in that small portion of German churches, known as Old Lutherans, and among those foreigners in the west of our country, who const.i.tute the Missouri Synod. It is historically unjust to apply the term _private_ confession to that public confession of sins, made by the congregation collectively, as part of our preparatory exercises on sacramental occasions, and usually a misnomer to apply the name private confession, to the habit of some of our German ministers, (termed Anmeldung,) of having all communicants call on them for conversation on their spiritual state, prior to sacramental communion.

Although these customs both grew out of private confession properly so called, neither of them retains its essential elements.

Let us first inquire _what does the Augsburg Confession mean by the phrase Private Confession_. Among the Romanists, _Auricular_ Confession is that rite, in which every individual of both s.e.xes must, at least once a year, appear before the priest at the confession box in the church or chapel, and confess in detail all the sins that he can recollect; after which, the priest a.s.signs the penitent some acts of penance, and on his promising to perform them, he then, as in the stead of G.o.d, professes to forgive him his sins. The Reformers, however, distinctly rejected the necessity of the penitents enumerating his individual sins, and the propriety of the minister's prescribing any penance to the penitent. They also distinctly made confession optional with the penitent, and the absolution dependent on his faith; and this purified rite they termed _Private_ Confession, although in some parts of the church it was still called Auricular Confession (Ohrenbeicht).

[Note 1] The manner in which this rite was performed in the Lutheran Church, is thus described by _Funk_ in his work ent.i.tled "Kirchenordnungen of the first century of the Lutheran Church in Germany," in which he presents the results of thirty of the _oldest_ Lutheran Formulas of Church Discipline and Wors.h.i.+p. "Absolution was received _privately_, by each one _individually, kneeling_ before the _confessional_, the confessor _imposing his hands_ at the time. Private confession was given only _in the church_, in which the confessional was so located _near the pulpit_, that _no other person could be near, or hear what was said_ by the penitent." [Note 2]

But

I. What does the Platform teach in regard to _this Private Confession?_ The Platform teaches, 1. That it was retained by the Augsburg Confession and other symbolical books. 2. It is objected to by the Platform, as unauthorized by the Word of G.o.d. 3. And thirdly, as being inconsistent with the fundamental doctrine of the Reformation, that _faith it the only condition_ of the justification or pardon of the sinner.

II. What does the Plea object to these positions?

1. That the impression might be made by the Platform, that the Lutheran doctrine has some affinity to the Romish doctrine of Auricular Confession. But the Platform expressly states the rejection of _Auricular_ Confession by the Reformers, and their retention of what they called private confession in its stead, the latter differing from the former as above stated. The Plea next introduces a formula of absolution, used in Wittenberg, in 1559, to show the harmlessness of the rite. But here, unfortunately, if we are not entirely mistaken, our friend has overlooked the fact, that it is a formula for _public_, and _not private_ confession which he cites. This is certain from the language throughout, being addressed "_to all such as are here present_," &c. It is well known that _private_ confession was rejected in the Lutheran Church in Denmark and Sweden in the beginning, as well as by different portions of Germany at an early day, and a public or general confession adopted in its stead. In Luther's Short Directory for Confession, &c., [[Note 3] tr. note: there is no note number in the original to go with the corresponding footnote, but this appears to be where it should go] we have his formula for _private_ or individual absolution, which will convey to the reader a more correct idea of its form: After the directions for confession of sins; the

Confessor says: "_G.o.d be merciful to thee and strengthen thy faith.

Amen_."

"_Dost thou believe that my remission of thy sins is G.o.d's remission?_

Answer of the penitent: "_Yes, dear sir, I do_."

Then the confessor says: "_According to thy faith, so be it unto thee.

And I, by command of our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive thee thy sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Depart in peace_."

Another specimen of private absolution we find in the Kirchenordnung, [Note 4] or Church Directory of Count _Wolfgang_, of the Palatinate, on the Rhine, &c., published in Nuernberg, 1557.