Priest or Pastor? by F. D. Starr

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 30, 1914

Priest or Pastor?

By F. D. Starr

F. D. STARR

CONFESSING sin is a very necessary act. "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Ps. 32:5. Two important points are to be observed; namely, whose sins are to be confessed, and to whom they are to be confessed. I am to confess "my sin," and confess it to the Lord, and to those I have injured.

In the Roman system, the confessional is a very important factor. The sinner confesses his sin; but to whom does he confess?—To a fallible human being like himself. Confessing his own sin is right, but in the other point he is wrong, for he confesses to man instead of to God.

But we are not Romanists; we do not do that way. We do not have priests; we have preachers or pastors. Let us in imagination accompany the Protestant pastor on one of his visiting tours, that we may compare his work with that of the papal priest. He calls on Brother S., and his parishioner is very glad to see him, for he has something very important to tell him. He lays before his pastor the indiscreet conduct of Brother J., telling what a reproach this man is bringing upon the church, and expressing his own deep sorrow that such a state of things should exist, but prefers that nothing be said about it. With this burden upon his mind, the pastor goes to visit Brother J., who is equally glad to see the minister, for he has been wanting an opportunity to relieve his mind of a burden that has been troubling him. He proceeds to relate the details of the unchristian conduct of Brother S., setting forth the matter in glowing colors. The sins of Brother S. and Brother J. have now been quite fully disclosed. In how many points have these brethren taken the right course?

The Scriptural method is for each one to confess his own sin, and confess it to God. The papal method is for the sinner to confess his own sin, but confess to a human priest. The plan just considered is for each one to confess his brother's sin and confess to a man like himself. The first method is correct in both points, the second is right in only one point, and the third is decidedly wrong in both points.

It may be said that a case like that is very rare. Very well; yet it is not quite so rare as it ought to be, as no doubt some pastors can testify. Conduct of this sort would put the Protestant pastor in a less enviable position than the Catholic priest. If each person would but know the "plague of his own heart," and confess his own sin, such irregularities as those already suggested would never occur.

God's ancient people were very dear to him, but it is on record that in certain instances they did "worse than the heathen." Far be it from us as his people today to do worse than the misguided devotees of a false system. If the plain directions in Matt. 18:15-18; 1 John 1:9; Prov. 28:13 were always followed, all of us would be in a condition to encourage the minister by sharing with him the legitimate burden of soul winning, and thus all be "laborers together with God."

"Let not revenge or dark despair Be to my bosom known; O, give me tears for other's woes, And patience for my own!"