thy mother!' `And from that hour that
disciple took her to his own home.' Not a word more does the Holy
Spirit reveal to us of the history of the mortal mother of Jesus. All
we know is, that, as a mortal child of Adam, she must have been saved by
His precious blood shed on Calvary, for without that blood shed there is
no remission of sins."

The Inquisitor rose from his seat as if he would tear off his clothes,
and sat down again, exclaiming, "Blasphemy! blasphemy! You deny, too, I
hear, the necessity of confession and of priestly absolution?"

"I nowhere find it written that we are to confess our sins to man, but
always to God. `A broken and a contrite heart, O Lord, Thou wilt not
despise.' In the Epistle of James (chapter verse 16), he says, `Confess
your faults to _one another_, and pray for _one another_, that ye may be
healed'; that is to say, if you have trespassed one against another, or
if one brother has offended another. Nowhere do I find, however, that
on sinners coming in faith to our blessed Lord, does He require them to
confess their sins to Him before He will hear them. He says, simply,
`Thy faith hath made thee whole; go, and sin no more.' I find it also
written, `Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none
other name given among men whereby we may be saved!' When our Lord sent
out His disciples, He said to them that all those who would accept the
offers of the Gospel would be forgiven, or would have their sins
remitted through them, or rather through their preaching; and those who,
in spite of the preaching, refused to accept the offer, would have their
sins retained. Through faith in Jesus Christ only can a person obtain
forgiveness of sins; and John says, `He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him.' This great truth a minister has
the power to declare, but in no other way has he, according to the
Scriptures, the right to absolve any persons from their sins. I hold
that when our Lord said to His disciples, `Whose soever sins ye remit,
they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are
retained,' He said it not only to all the ministers of the Gospel, but
to all Christian men who go forth with the Bible in their hands, that
they should declare the glorious Gospel truth that all who trust in Him,
Jesus Christ, are forgiven; but that all who refuse to trust i