"It is sad indeed that in the use of the sacraments there is generally more of superstition than of faith. This must be openly confessed, for only then can conditions be improved when faults are recognized and made known. . . . We may continue to baptize chiildren [sic] of _Gewohnheitschristen_ (formal Christians), but it is a question whether we ought to continue to baptize the children of those who have given up the faith and among whom there is no guarantee of a Christian training. This means also a reformation in our confirmation practice. Does confirmation mean a family party, or mark the time to leave school, or has it something to do with baptism? These are rocks of offense which must be cleared out of the way if the Church is to be restored to health." Among the questions proposed to the pastors were the following: 1. Do you have a personal interview with each candidate prior to confirmation with the view of ascertaining his fitness for the act? 2. Do you at that interview inquire as to the candidate's repentance, faith, conversion, new life? 3. Is the confirmation of the candidate dependent upon the satisfactory result of this examination? Among the answers were the following: "Not, individually." "No, except before the congregation." "Not formally so." "For at least six months." "Only with certain ones," etc., etc. A goodly number of pastors speak to the candidates _"unter vier Augen,"_ but they are the exceptions. The ordinary practice knows nothing of such a course. The public examination is little more than an exhibition. In other words, we have strayed over to the Roman side of the road. The difference between us and the Roman priest being this: he will see them again at the confessional, but those whom we confirm in this superficial way, many of them, we shall never see again. Or, if perchance we should see some of them, it will be at long range, the same as when we first admitted them to confirmation. Imagine a doctor curing his patients in this way, getting them together in a room and prescribing for their diseases from what he sees of them in a crowd. The care of souls cannot be performed in bulk, it is the care of _a_ soul.