"Be ye therefore merciful as your father also is merciful, forgive and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke vi. 36, 37). Auricular Confession, as the Rev. Dr. Wainwright has so eloquently put it in his "Confession not Auricular," is a diabolical caricature of the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Christ, just as the impious dogma of Transubstantiation is a monstrous caricature of the salvation of the world through His death. The Romanists and their ugly tail, the Ritualistic party in the Episcopal Church, make a great noise about the words of our Saviour in St. John: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John xx. 23). But again, our Saviour had Himself, once for all, explained what He meant by forgiving and retaining sins--(Matt. xviii. 35; Matt. vi. 14, 15; Luke vi. 36, 37). Nobody but wilfully-blind men could misunderstand Him. Besides that, the Holy Ghost Himself has mercifully taken care that we should not be deceived by the lying traditions of men on that important subject, when in St. Luke He gave us the explanation of the meaning of John xx. 23, by telling us, "Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke xxiv. 46, 47). In order that we may better understand the words of our Saviour in St. John xx. 23, let us put them face to face with his own explanations (Luke xxiv. 46, 47):-- LUKE XXIV. JOHN XX. 33. And they rose up the same hour, 18. Mary Magdalene came and told and returned to Jerusalem, and the disciples that she had seen the found the eleven gathered together, Lord, and that he had spoken these and them that were with them, things unto her. 34. Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.... 36. And as they thus spake, Jesus 19. Then the same day at evening, himself stood in the midst of them, being the first day of the week, and saith unto them, Peace be unto when the doors were shut where the you. disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood 37. But they were terrified and in the midst, and said unto them, affrighted, and supposed that they Peace be unto you. had seen a spirit. 38. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39. Behold my hands and my feet, 20. And when he had so said, he that it is I myself: handle me, and shewed unto them his hands and his see; for a spirit hath not flesh side. Then were the disciples glad, and bones, as ye see me have. when they saw the Lord. 40. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?