Untitled - Electric Scotland

506 I. IKK OK AKCHl .ISHOl TAIT [CH. xvm.
her that she came under cither of the above heads, I said I must
decline doing that which I believed would be a transgression of
the discipline of our Church."
He asked the Bishop, however, to direct him, as he
might see fit. The Bishop replied as follows :-
" MY i
The ftisliop of London to Ilie Rev. -.
)K.\ K MR. -, -
" LONDON
HOUSK, March 1864.
I am afraid it would not be possible for
me to undertake to give anvpositive advice as to the particular
case which you have brought before me, since the dealing with
individual consciences must necessarily be left to the responsi
bility of each clergyman.
"There are, however, undoubtedly cases in which the Church
directs her ministers to invite those who are in spiritual distress
to unburden their consciences. ... I do not think that it is
intended to restrict the benefit of absolution together with ghostly
counsel and advice to cases of consciences troubled with great
and marked sin, since some of the sins specified as disqualifying
for the reception of the Holy Communion are such as require
spiritual discernment to detect them, and may manifest them
selves in the conscience rather by a feeling of general disquietude
than by the apprehension of a particular fault. Great care is,
however, needed to prevent the use of the privilege given by the
Church to her weaker members from acquiring a merely supersti
tious value, a tendency to the increase of weakness rather than the
recovery of strength, which is the danger when confession grows
into a system, and when a person is in any way induced to lean
unduly upon the minister instead of being raised by the minister s
assistance to a trust in (iod s mercy through Christ.
"
I think that, bearing these general principles in view, you
will not err in receiving the person who has applied to you to
such consolation as confession and absolution may
confer. I
remain, yours very truly, A. C. LONDON."
The following letter to a young clergyman, from whom
the Bishop had received several pamphlets, explains it
self :