# Auricular Confession by the Lutheran Reformers



## JM (Oct 14, 2008)

Interesting stuff.



> That Luther wanted private confession retained as a separate sacramental rite of the Church cannot be questioned. In his article, Of Confession, he says, "I will let no one take away private confession and would not exchange it for all the wealth of the world, for I know what strength and comfort it has given me."
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> In his eighth sermon against Carlstadt (1522), who had abolished private confession in Wittenberg during Luther's absence, Luther closed with the words, "I know the devil well. If you had known him as well as I, you would not have thrown private confession so quickly to the wind."
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> In his Babylonian Captivity of the Church Luther writes, "Of private confession, which is now observed, I am heartily in favor, even though it cannot be proved from the Scriptures; it is useful and necessary, nor would I have it abolished; nay, I rejoice that it exists in the Church of Christ, for it is a cure without equal for distressed consciences." Private Confession in the Lutheran Church





> "Our churches teach that private absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his error?" (Psalm 19:12)." (-- AC Latin; Concordia edition, 36-37).
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> By the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century, the practice of private absolution had been in place for well over 1,000 years. The Augsburg Confession is very brief and is intent simply on affirming that Lutherans continue the practice, but rejected any suggestion that all of one's sins must be enumerated. The article's purpose is twofold: to reject the false accusation that the Lutherans had rejected private absolution, to put distance between themselves and who had rejected it, and to reject the abuse of Rome that demanded that the penitent enumerate every sin he possibly could, or else he would not be certain of forgiveness. Sadly, over the course of time in Lutheranism, the practice of private confession and absolution fell out of practice. Concordia | The Lutheran Confessions


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## Davidius (Oct 14, 2008)




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## JM (Oct 14, 2008)

Davidius said:


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Yup.


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## Davidius (Oct 14, 2008)

JM said:


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I've also read that he had a much higher view of Mary than is normally assumed.


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## JM (Oct 14, 2008)

Davidius said:


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Martin Luther's views on Mary - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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