When do we pray for the perfecting of their bliss? When we pray "that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of Thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in Thine eternal and everlasting glory" (Burial Service). Where besides does the Church teach us to pray for the faithful departed? In the office for the Holy Communion where it is What are some of the "benefits of Christ's Passion," which the faithful departed are still capable of obtaining? Increase of rest and peace, and a joyful resurrection at the Last Day. Are such prayers scriptural? Yes; St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus, "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day" (2 Tim. i. 18). By comparing this place with 2 Tim. iv. 19, it is evident that Onesiphorus was not alive. The prayer is, in substance, exactly what all the prayers in the early Liturgies for the faithful departed are. Does this imply that the state of persons after death can be altered? No; life is the time of probation. We shall receive at the Judgment for the deeds done in the body; and between the souls of the saved and the lost there is an impassable "gulf" (Luke xvi. 26). Is it lawful to address prayers to the Saints in Paradise or to invoke their aid? There is no instance of such invocation in Scripture; and the records of the early Church are altogether silent upon such a practice. The departed are beyond all possible reach of hearing prayer. That we may pray for them means that we must not pray to them. Sixth Sunday after Trinity. THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. Scripture illustration Mk xvi. 14-end 2 Sam. xii. 1-15 John xx. 11-24 Text........... 1 John i. 8, 9 John xx. 23 Is. lv. 7 PORTION OF CHURCH CATECHISM. From "My good child know this," to "Amen, so be it." § 1. Sin. What is the next article of the Christian faith? I believe in . . the forgiveness of sins. What is sin? Disobedience to God. Are all sins the same? No; some sins are of a far more deadly and defiling character than others (Eph. v. 5; Col. iii. 5, 6). Does St. John make this distinction? Yes; he speaks of a sin unto death, and of men who sin not unto death (1 John v. 16, 17). Give an illustration of what is meant? Allowing one's thoughts to wander in prayer, or neglecting prayer at stated times, are both very wrong, but they are not in the sight of God like adultery, or fornication, or blasphemy, or covet ousness. Can we sin in any way and not displease God? No; "All unrighteousness is sin" (1 John v. 17), and is therefore hateful to God. § 2. Forgiveness. How does the Nicene Creed express this article? "I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of What is the very first declaration of forgiveness under the Gospel? 66 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins " (Acts ii. 38). How is this expressed elsewhere? "Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (Acts xxii. 16; also Mark xvi. 15, 16). What do these passages show? That in order to have forgiveness we must be brought into the body of Christ. What is the body of Christ? The Church of Christ (Col. i. 18, 24). When were you brought into the Church or body of Christ? In Baptism, when I was an infant. But had you any sin in you? Yes; I had a sinful nature; I was born in sin (Psalm li. 5; Rom. v. 12, 14). What is this sin called? Original sin. What was the effect of your Baptism? The guilt of my birth sin was cleansed, and I was made a child of grace (Gal. iii. 26, 27). Have you committed sin since your Baptism? Yes; "In many things we offend all" (James iii. 2). What should you do when you have in any way offended God? I should seek forgiveness from Him. What does St. John say? "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John i. 9). Does Baptism also convey remission of sins to an adult? Yes; as in the case of St. Paul. Baptism is the first and chief means of conveying God's forgiveness of all sin inherited or committed to every penitent believer. § 3. "For Christ's Sake.' Can any good works of ours ever merit or purchase forgiveness? No; our Lord teaches us to say, when we "have done all those things which are commanded" us, "We are unprofitable servants" (Luke xvii. 10). For whose sake will God forgive us? For the sake of Jesus Christ (John xv. 16). How can God forgive sins for His sake? Because Jesus Christ made upon the cross an atonement for all our sins. Mention this in the words of Scripture. "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John ii. 2). § 4. The Conditions of Forgiveness. Does God forgive our sins without looking into the state of our heart? No; we must earnestly desire to be free from the guilt and power of sin (Ps. lxvi. 18). What then must we do before we can expect forgiveness from God? We must repent. How must we show our repentance? By confessing our sins to God. What else must we do? We must believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bore all "our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. ii. 24). Is there any sin for which repentance and faith cannot obtain forgiveness? No; the Holy Spirit expressly tells us that "If we May any baptized person, truly repenting and confessing his sins to God, believe that he is forgiven? Yes; if his repentance is sincere; if he makes restitution where it can be made, and if he forsakes his sin. What does true absolution deliver us from? From the power as well as from the penalty of sin. You said that confession of sins to God is a necessary condition of forgiveness; is there any confession to man needful? Yes; when by our sin we have injured another, we must confess to him that we have wronged him, and ask his forgiveness, and be willing to make all the reparation in our power. Is it well that we should ever confess to a minister of the Church? At times it is. Is this recognized in the Prayer Book? Yes; in the words: "Let him come to me, or to some other Minister of God's Word, and open his grief," etc. And in the "Visitation of Prisoners" we have this rubric: "Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, exhorting him to a particular confession of the sin for which he is condemned," etc. Should you gather from this that our branch of the Church considers that confession to the Priest ought to be systematic-as, for instance, at seasons such as Easter; or so often in the year or month-or only occasional? Only occasional ;-such confession is the medicine, not the food of the soul. Are there any directions respecting confession to a minister in Scripture? Yes; we have the people coming to John the Baptist "confessing their sins" (Mark i. 5). We read also that at Ephesus, under the preaching of St. Paul, many came and confessed and shewed their deeds" (Acts xix. 18). 66 Does this seem part of a systematic practice of confession at stated intervals? No; there was no such system in the Church till many centuries after the times of the Apostles. But the Apostle St. James says, Confess your faults one to another; does this mean necessarily confession to a Priest? 66 No; it includes confession to the person wronged and the acknowledgment of sinfulness generally. Why should we confess particularly to a minister? On principles of common sense: for, first of all, a minister of Christ being one whose business is the saving and oversight of souls, is the most likely to guide us aright; and, secondly, the ministers of Christ are the commissioned minis |