The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"Lo"""396 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.loosed in heaven? Is it in vain that the keys havebeen given to the Church? Do we make void theGospel ? void the words, of Christ ?In this extract how well doth the great Doctormeet the sophistry of those who, in our times, saythat it is sufficient to confess to God !St. Chrysostom, in his thirtieth Homily, says! we have now at length reached the close ofHoly Lent; now especially we must press forwardin the career of fasting, .... and exhibit a full andaccurate confession of our sins, .... that with thesegood works, having come to the day of Easter, wemay enjoy the bounty of the Lord For, asthe enemy knows that having confessed our sins,and shown our wounds to the physician, we attain toan abundant cure, he in an especial manner opposes us."And again he says:1Do not confess to me onlyof fornication, nor of those things that are manifestamong all men, but bring together also thy secretcalumnies, and evil speakings, .... and all suchthings."2The great Doctor plainly enjoins here a detailedand specific confession of our sins not to God, but toHis, minister, as the whole context evidently shows.The same Father, in an eloquent treatise on thepower of the sacred ministry, uses the following words:To the priests isgiven a power which God wouldnot grant either to angels or archangels insomuch;that what the priests do below, God ratifies above,1 Sermo cccxcii. *Tom. vii. Comm. in Matt.