1 According to the Ordo Romanus and various manuscript rituals of the ninth or tenth century published by Martene ", the penitent who came to confess his sins, was, after prayer had been made by the priest, seated opposite to him ", and interrogated as to the nature of his sin; the priest reminding him of various offences which he might have committed. In the Exhortation to the Sick in our ritual, the penitential portion commences with an admonition to the work of self-examination and repentance. Then the priest enquired concerning the faith of the penitent, as in our office. I shall rehearse to you the articles of our faith, that you may know whether you do believe as a Christian man should, or no. Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord, &c. . . The sick person shall answer, All this I steadfastly believe P. Interroget eum sacerdos, dicens: Credis in Deum Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum? Resp. pœnitens : Credo. Item : Credis quia istæ tres personæ, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, unus sit Deus? Resp. Credo. Item: Credis quia in hac ipsa carne in qua modo es resurgere habes, et recipere sive bonum sive malum prout gesseris? Resp. Credo 9. Ordo Romanus, apud Hittorp. p. 27-33. m Martene, ubi supra. "This custom is still observed in the Eastern church. (Martene, 1. i. c. vi. art. iii.) In the Roman communion the penitent kneels. According to Martene (ibid.) the ancient place of confession was before the altar. This is expressly mentioned in the Ordo Roma ... nus, apud Hittorp. p. 28. P Visitation of the Sick. Ordo Romanus, apud Hittorp. p. 28. Martene has pub It appears from Martene, that in the middle ages it became customary not only to examine penitents as to their faith, but also as to their knowledge of the Lord's Prayer'; and, in fact, this rite was made the means of imparting a knowledge of the elements of religion in times when confession became compulsory. After this, the penitent was exhorted to the forgiveness of those who had injured him. Then shall the minister examine him whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive from the bottom of his heart all persons that have offended him; and if he have offended any other, to ask them forgiveness; and where he hath done any injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power t. Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter". the articles of their faith, the t Visitation of the Sick. ▾ Visitation of the Sick. w The form is as follows:"Confiteor tibi, Domine, Pater cœli et terræ, tibique, bone et After this, according to the more ancient discipline, some work of penance was imposed for a time, with a view to test the sincerity of repentance; and absolution was not given till the allotted time had been completed; but from the eighth or ninth century we find instances of absolution before the imposition of penance. This is the case in the Ordo Romanus and some of the rituals published by Martene, in which, immediately after the confession, the priest says, "Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus *, employing the form of absolution preserved in our Communion Office. After this the penitent, according to the Ordo Romanus, acknowledging that he had committed other sins which had escaped his memory, besought the counsel, judgment, and intercession of the priest; and then prostrated himself on the ground in sign of contrition. The priest, after a time, raised him up, and appointed such penitential works for such a time as he judged appropriate to the circumstances of the case and the person". No such works are required to be imposed in our Office for Visiting the Sick; and indeed it seems evident that when absolution is granted immediately after con benignissime Jesu Christe, una cum Sancto Spiritu, coram sanctis angelis tuis, et coram sanc-tis tuis, coram hoc altari et sacerdote tuo, quia in peccatis nutritus, et in peccatis post baptisma usque ad hanc horam sum conversatus: Confiteor etiam quia peccavi nimis in superbia, inani gloria, &c. (mentioning many other sins.) Obnixe etiam te, sacerdos Dei, exposco ut intercedas pro me, et pro peccatis meis ad Dominum Deum nostrum, &c. Ordo Romanus, Hittorp. p. 29. See also a MS. 900 years old, published by Martene, lib. i. c. vi. art vii. Ordo 4. * Ordo Romanus, apud Hittorp. p. 29; Martene, lib. i. c. vi. art. vii. y Ordo Romanus, p. 29, 30. The same rite may be seen in some ancient rituals, published by Martene, ubi supra. ance. fession, as in the case of sick persons, it can only be on the supposition that sufficient evidences of real contrition and faith have been afforded previously to such absolution; and in this case, as indeed in all others, the imposition of particular works, such as fasting, prayer, almsgiving, &c., is rather a matter of expediency than of necessity; for true repentance infers a change and renovation of the whole heart and conduct, and does not consist in the mere performance of certain imposed works of penance; though such may be useful in some cases, in assisting the minister to judge of the sincerity of repentIn the case of those who may desire to confess their sins privately before receiving the Eucharist, according to the recommendation of the Church; or of those who at other times, according to canon cxiii. may use private confession; there seems to be no rule laid down by the Church, requiring absolution to be given immediately after confession, and before the completion of any assigned works of penance; and therefore it seems that priests are at liberty to act on the more ancient or the more modern practice, as they may judge expedient, i. e. either to defer absolution till after the accomplishment of prescribed penance, or to grant absolution before such works are performed. In fine, there seems nothing whatever to prevent absolution from being given in every case, where there are evident proofs of sincere contrition and change of heart and conduct. Absolution is also obtained by all those who in the public service confess their sins with contrition and a changed heart, over whom the priest pronounces the remission of their sins. It is as much in the power of the Church to exercise the power of the keys by absolving many penitents at once, as in absolving a single penitent. This must be admitted even by all adherents of the Roman communion, because they maintain, that indulgence, or relaxation of the penances and other temporal penalties due to remitted sin, is an exercise of the power of the keys; and if indulgence may be granted to many persons at once who perform certain prescribed works, absolution also may be granted at once to many persons who are worthy of it. General absolutions are at least as valid as general indulgences. EXCOMMUNICATION AND ABSOLUTION. Ir does not seem that any particular form is prescribed in the English Church for excommunication. The usual form is apparently similar to that which Oughton has published. This decree is as follows: In Dei nomine, Amen. Cum venerabilis vir N. Legum doctor, Reverendi in Christo patris ac Domini, Domini Joannis permissione Divina London. Episcopi Vicarius in spiritualibus ... in quadam causa [here follows a statement of the offence committed], rite et legitime procedens, antedictum M. propter ejus manifestum contemptum et contumaciam. excommunicandum fore decreverit, justitia mediante: Idcirco nos T. C. clericus, Artium magister, presbyter, authoritate sufficienti in hac parte legitime fulcitus, eundem M. propter præmissa . . . in hiis scriptis excommunicamus". z The form of excommunication of Richard, bishop of Gloucester, by Matthew, archbishop of Canterbury, A.D. 1571, is found in Collier's Eccl. History, Records, No. 77. a Oughton, Ordo Judiciorum, tom. ii. p. 375. |