Winfrid Oldfield Burrows

“ Practically, the preparation of candidates for confirmation is the most important and exacting duty of the Anglican parish priest, as the administration of the rite is the most arduous of a bishop's tasks ”

“ Of the three forms of absolution in the Anglican Prayer Book, that in the Visitation of the Sick (disused in the church of Ireland by decision of the Synods of 1871 and 1877) runs “I absolve thee,” tracing the authority so to act through the church up to Christ: the form in the Communion Service is precative, while that in Morning and Evening Prayer is indicative indeed, but so general as not to imply anything like a judicial decree of absolution. In the Lutheran church also the practice of private confession survived the Reformation, together with both the exhibitive (I forgive, &c.) ”

“ The inscriptions in the Roman Catacombs bear similar witness to the practice, by the occurrence of such phrases as “Mayst thou live among the saints” (3rd century) ; “May God refresh the soul of . . . ”; “Peace be with them.” Among Church writers Tertullian is the first to mention prayers for the dead, and that not as a concession to natural sentiment, but as a duty: “The widow who does not pray for her dead husband has as good as divorced him.” This passage occurs in one of his later Montanistic writings, dating from the beginning of the 3rd century. ”

“ The West, on the other hand, deferred confirmation, not at first till the child had reached years of discretion, though that afterwards became the theory, but from the necessities of the case. The child was baptized at once, that it might be admitted to the Church, while the completion of its baptism was put off till it could be brought to a bishop. Western canons insist on both points at once; baptism is not to be deferred beyond a week, nor confirmation beyond seven years. ”

“ Public prayers were only offered for those who were believed to have died as faithful members of Christ. But Perpetua, who was martyred in 202, believed herself to have been encouraged by a vision to pray for her brother, who had died in his eighth year, almost certainly unbaptized ”

“ But about the 13th century the Roman formula was altered, and the council of Trent (1551) declared that the “form” and power of the sacrament of penance lay in the words Ego te absolvo, &c., and that the accompanying prayers are not essential to it. ”

“ Petitions to God that he would hear the intercessi ons of the departed became direct requests to them to pray (Ora pro nobis) ; and, finally, the saints were asked themselves to grant grace and help. Again, men felt difficulty in supposing that one who repented at the close of a wicked life could at once enjoy the fellowship of the saints in Paradise (St Luke xxiii. 43) , and it seemed unfair that they should be made equal with those who had borne the burden and heat of the day (St Matt. xx. 12) . ”