PURITANISM AND CONFESSION OF SIN.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The Christianity of Mr. E. D. Stone seems to have out- stripped that of the Apostles. They, at any rate, had no lack of the sense of sin, for, says St. Paul, though "I delight in the law of God after the inward man . . . . I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bring- ing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Here is St. James' warning to the Hebrew Christians—"W hence come wars and brawlings among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in 5-.)ur members ? " And here is St. Peter's exhortation, " Dearly be- loved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." And St. John, " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- righteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar . . . ."
How many Jews could appeal to all who bad known them from youth to testify that after the straitest sect of their religion they had lived Pharisees P How many could say, " Against myself I know nothing "?
St. Paul made both these assertions. Yet, from the Christian standpoint of sinlessness before God, he lamented that he was still in captivity to the law of sin. According to Mr. Stone, the National Church confesses too much, and its prayer should be amended to suit the times. Better begin at the fountain-head, if necessary, and amend the Apostles.—1
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