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It would not be finreign to die but would lead into an interminable fields to exa- mine at any length the subject of papal indul- gences, particularly considered as vendible oommodity. That such was the case for some tii!ie previoQS to and at the Reformation^ i* QotorioQs* I shall therefore content myself with a particular reference to one only docu ment It is, Albert! Moguntini Sunmaria Instructio Sub-commissariorum in causa Indul- gentiariaj in consequence of an occasional Ju* bilee published by Leo X* for rebuilding St. Peter's churchy and first made public from a MS. in the library of the senate of Leipsic, by Kappius^ in his Theatrum Indulgentiarum, &c« and to be found in Gerdesii Introd* in Hist. Evangelii Seculo xvi. &c. torn. i. Monum. num. ix. The whole is abundantly important ; but the part most to the purpose in view is § 84. Item dedaiamus quod Confessores et Peniten- tiarii possunt absolvere ab omnibus peccatis quantumcunque gravibus et sedi apostolice re- servatis. Exceptis his que superius specificata sunt. Veruntamen in casibus reseivatis sum- mo pontifici ac presulibus de jure^ bonum est» si persona delinquentis sit magni status et mag« naram facultatum» verbum fiicere cum snbcom-
