4. The Protestant churches reject auricular confes- sion. The Lutheran Church, however, allows confes- sion, only with this difference, that while the Catholic Church requires from the penitent the avowal of his particular and single crimes, the Lutheran requires only a general acknowledgment, leaving it, however, at the option of its members to reveal their particular sins to the confessor, and to relieve the conscience by such an avowal. The Reformed churches of the Con- tinent generally practise only general confession pre- paratory to the sacrament. There is a tendency, how- ever, in the high Lutheran reaction in Germany, to return to auricular confession. The Church of Eng- land, in some cases, exhorts to confession, but she makes it no part of her discipline, nor does she (as the Church of Rome insists upon, or as some of her own members would fondly introduce the practice) prescribe regular, complete, periodical confession. For the doc- trine of the Church of England upon the subject of con- fession to a pastor, see (in the Prayer-book) the former of the two exhortations in giving warning for the Com- munion, and the order for the Visitation of the Sick. The Church of England has recently been greatly agi- tated by what appears to be a concerted attempt on the part of the Romanizing part of her clergy to restore au- ricular confession. — Bingham, 1. c. ; Hopkins, Hist, of the Confessional; Elliott, On Romanism, i, 312 sq. ; Klee, Die Beickte, eine histor. trit. Untersuch. (Francf. 1828); Kliefoth, Die Beichte and Absolution (Schwerin. 1856). — Hook, Ch. Diet. s. v. See Penance ; Confession.
Austin, David, a Presbyterian minister, was born in New Haven, Conn., 1760, and graduated at Yale College, 1779. After studying with Dr. Bellam.y, he spent some time in European travel, and in 1788 was ordained pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Eliza- bethtown, N. J. He labored" faithfully till 1795, when he became deranged from fever. On his recovery the derangement continued, and he preached that Christ would appear in May, 1796. The failure of his pre- diction only confirmed his delusion, and he went about preaching the advent with great zeal, and creating great excitement. In 1797 he was dismissed from his pastorate. After some years he recovered his sanity, and was installed in 1815 pastor at Bozrah, Conn., where he remained until his death in 1831. He edited a Commentary and published several millennial pam- phlets.— Sprague, Annals, ii, 197.
Austin, Samuel, D.D., was born in New Haven, 176(1, graduated at Yale College in 1783. After teach- ing and travelling a few years, he was ordained, as
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the successor of Allen Mather, at Fairhaven, Conn., Nov. 9, 1786, where he remained until 1790. He then became pastor of a church in Worcester, Mass., where he labored faithfully nearly 25 years. In 1815 he was elected president of the University of Vermont, which office he resigned in 1821. After preaching a few years in Newport, he fell into ill health and melan- choly, and died at Glastonbury, Conn., Dec. 4, 1830. He was eminently pious and distinguished as a minis- ter. He published letters on baptism, examining Mer- rill's seven sermons, 1805 ; a reply to Merrill's twelve letters, 1806; and a number of occasional sermons.— Sprague, Annals, ii, 224.
Austin, St. See Augustine.
Australasia, a division of the globe forming a part of Oceanica. It comprises the continent of Aus- tralia, Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), New Guinea, and the Louisiade Archipelago, New Britain, New Ireland, and neighboring islands, Solomon's Islands, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and the isles to the southward, Kergueland Islands, St. Paul, and Amsterdam, and numerous coral reefs and islets. ■ — Newcomb, Cyclopedia of Missions. See Australia.
Australia, or New Holland, a vast extent of land forming the main portion of Australasia. Its area is about 2,700,000 square miles. The population in the five English colonies, New South Wales, Victo- ria, South Australia, West Australia, and Queensland, was, in 1802, about 1,240,000 souls. The native pop- ulation is rapidly decreasing. Their numbers are esti- mated at from 15,000 to 20,000. Toward the close of the last century Episcopal chaplains were appointed by the British government in New South Wales, which at that time was a penal settlement. In 1795 the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts commenced its missionary operations. In 1836 the first bishop was consecrated, and in 1847 three new sees were consti- tuted. In 1865 the Anglican Church had in Australia (exclusive of Tasmania, q. v.) seven dioceses, Syd-
ney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Bris- bane, and Goulburn. The Roman Church has an arch- bishop at Sydney, and bishops at Perth, Adelaide, Mel- bourne, Maitland, and Brisbane, and a population of about 80,000 souls. The Moravians established a mis- sion to the aborigines in 1849. In 1858 they sustained there two missionaries, but no specific results are yet reported. The Wesleyan Missionary Society opened a mission in New South Wales in 1815, in South Aus- tralia in 1838, in Western Australia in 1839. Their missions, both among the English population and the natives, have been blessed with remarkable success. They had, in 1865, 99 circuits, 484 chapels, 256 other preaching places; 1-15 missionaries and assistant mis- sionaries, 5226 subordinate agents, 16,246 members, 2707 on trial for membership, 35,612 scholars in schools. 91,870 attendants on public worship. There are also Congregationalists, Baptists. German Lutherans, and other denominations, though less numerous. The government contributes to the support of the churches and clergy of the Episcopalians, Wesleyans, Presby- terians, and Roman Catholics. In 1855 there were 613 public, Roman Catholic, and private schools, in which 40,000 children received instruction.— . I Imanac de Gotha ; Schem, Ecclesiastical Year-book for 1859.