The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"394 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.Saviour. In vindication of their bold assertion,they even introduce quotations from SS. Basil, Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Chrysostom. Thesequotations are utterly irrelevant; but if seen inthe context, they will tend to prove, instead of disproving the Catholic doctrine of Confession. Foithe sake of brevity, I shall cite a few passagesonly from the Fathers referred to. These citationsI take, almost at random, from the copiouswritingsof these Fathers on Confession. From these extracts you can judge of the sentiments of all theFathers on the subject of Confession. "Ab unodisce omnes"St. Basil writes :In the confession of sins, tLesame method must be observed as in laying open,the infirmities of the body ; for as these are notrashly communicated to every one, but to those onlywho understand by what method they may be cured,so the confession of sins must be made to such persons as have the power to apply a 1Laterremedy."on he tells us who those persons are."Necessarily,our sins must be confessed to those to whom hasbeen committed the dispensation of the mysteries ofGod. For thus also are they found to have actedwho did penance of old, in regard of the saints.For, it is written in the Acts, they confessed to theApostles, by whom also they were 2Twobaptized."conclusions obviously follow from these passages ofSt. Basil :1st, the necessity of confession ; 2d, the1 In Keg. Brev., qusest. ccxxix., T. II., p. 492.8 Ibid, cclxxxviii.. D. 516.