Tenth: "And one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying: "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
"But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying: Doest not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly, but this man hath done nothing amiss.
"And he said unto Jesus: Remember me, when thou art in thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him: Verily, I say Unto thee: to-day, shalt thou be with me in Paradise." (Luke xxii, 39-43.)
Yes, in the Paradise or Kingdom of Christ without auricular confession! From Calvary, when his hands are nailed to the cross, and his blood is poured out, Christ even then protests against the great imposture of auricular confession. Jesus will be to the end of the world what he was there on the cross: the sinner's friend; always ready to hear and pardon those who invoke his name and trust in him.
Disciples of the gospel, wherever you hear the cry of the repenting sinner to the crucified Saviour: "Remember me when thou comest to thy Kingdom," go and give the assurance to that penitent and redeemed child of Adam that "his sins are forgiven"—clean the leper.
Eleventh: "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord; and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isa. lv. 7. 8.)
"Wash you, and make you clean, put away the evils of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed; judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. i, 16-18.)
Here are the landmarks of the mercy of God, put by his own almighty hands! Who will dare to remove them in order to put others in their place? Has ever Christ touched those landmarks? Has he ever intimated that anything but faith, repentance and love, with their blessed fruits, were required from the sinners to secure his pardon? No—never.
Have the prophets of the Old Testament or the apostles of the New ever said a word about "auricular confession" as a condition for pardon? No—never.