410 ?DuLor?cn. [Boo? Cajetan told Pope Adris? himself, th? to him that readeth the Decre- tals it plainly appears, that "an indulgence is nothing else but an 8bso* lution from that penance which the COltlessor hath imposed," mad, therefore, can be nothing like popish indulgences. It is true the canonical penances were lessened and altered by com- mutations; and the ancient discipline of the church, in imposing penan- ces, was made so loose that the indulgence was greater than the ira. position. It became a trumpet and a levy for the holy war in the time of Pope Urban II., for he gave a plenary indulgence and remis- sion of all sins to those who would f?ght aga/nst the Saracens. Though the fathers of the church could not be supposed, in direct terms, to speak against indulgences, because in their days they were unknown; yet they have said many things which destroy this new doctrine. They teach repentance producing a good life; a faith that entirely relies on Christ's merits; a hope depending on the promises of the gospel; a labour of love; a religion of justice, piety, and moral virtues. They do also expressly teach that pilgrimages to holy places, and such like inventions, are not the way of salvation. The sense of the fathers is well expressed in these words of Austin: "God said not, Go to the east, and seek righteousness; sail to the west, that thou mayeat receive indulgences. But, Indulge thy brother, and it shall be indulged to thee; you have need to inquire for no other indulgence to thy sins; if thou wilt retire into the closet of thy heart, there thou wilt find it"* 1. The papal advocates, from the shock occasioned by the Reforma- tion, and the exposure of the sale of indulgences by Protestants, have endeavoured to soften them down, and keep out of sight their real ture, affirming that they are chiefly used to mitigate penance or church censures. To decide this point, we shall quote specimens of the indul- gences granted from time to time, that the reader may see how far Ro- manlets are misrepresented by Protestants in the article of indulgences. It was mentioned above, that according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome, the treasury of the church, composed of the merits of Christ and those of the saints, was committed to Peter and his successors, the popes, who may open the treasure and dispense it at pleasure. For ? sum of money, or some penitential act, a pardon is conveyed to any particular person, or a release for any one in whose happiness he is interested from the pains of purgatory. Such indulgences were granted by Urban II., in the eleventh century, as a recompense to those who went on the meritorious expedition of conquering the Holy Land. They were afterward granted to those who hired a soldier for tim purpose; and in process of time were bestowed on such as gave money for accomplishing any pious work enjoined by the pope. Julius II. had bestowed indulgences on all who contributed toward building the church of St. Peter, at Rome; and Leo X., in order to complete this great fabric, granted indulgences for the same purpose. 2. Robertson, in his History of Charles V., book ii, gives an account of these indulgences, and the fo,*m of them, as they were used in the beginning of the sixteenth century. The following is the account
- Bee Fermrb on the word indulge-v?, Append/x, where the ri? ?l pmgre? of
c?s are treated with considerable cleame? and abil/ty, but with gt?t m?. 1
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