fpecial or general Commiffion, may grant them in "thofe Countries unto which they are legated; ArchBishops and Metropolitans within their own Pro"vinces, Bishops in their respective Diocefes, as allo religious Men, and fecular Priefts, as far as they are en"trafted by his Holiness with fuch Authority.

(a) "That Indulgences do extend, as well to the high "Forum or Tribunal of our Saviour Christ, as to the "internal Forum or Court of the holy Church."

That (b) "To obtain this special Treasure, or any "Part thereof, there is required, a fit Difpofition in him "that is to receive the fame, that he truly perform all " and every Precept vhich he that granteth the faid In"dulgence fhall appoint, or fo much thereof as fhall be neceffary, according to the Intention of the Giver, who commonly allows the Choice of two, three, or more Things to be done, as every Man's Eftate, Opportunity, and other Circumstances require, with"out accomplishing whereof, the faid Indulgences can"not be obtained."

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That Indulgences do only profit and avail fuch as obtain and get them, and not others, fo as we cannot procure Indulgences for another, except the Bull whereby they are published do exprefly fpecify the fame, which is very feldom, and not without extraordinary Cause.

(c)" That thefe Indulgences profit the Dead; for, "as the Suffrages of the Living advantage them by "Way of Impetration, fo Indulgences avail them by Way of Satisfaction and Application.

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(d) "But, he tells us, they are given one Way to "the Dead, and another Way to the Living: Unto the "Latter by of Way of Abfolution, as being immediately fubject unto the Pope; unto the Former by Way of Suffrage, infomuch as the Pope difpenfing the fpi"ritual Treasures of the Church, for the Debt of Pu

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(a) Page 28. (b) Page 29. (c) Page 31 (d) Page

« nishments.

"nishments due for Sins, fatisfieth God therewith in "fuch wife, that he accepteth the fame, and this he illuftrates by this Example. Suppofe the Pope of his good Nature and Charity wou'd release all thofe, that " are imprisoned in his City of Rome for Debt, paying "for them fo much as every one oweth to his Creditor; "then may he with juft Reason, and without any more. "to do, lawfully difcharge out of Prison thofe which "are his own Subjects, having abfolute Jurifdiction 60 over them. But if he have a mind to deliver others,› imprifon'd for the like Debt, in the Territories of any "other Prince of Italy, juridically he cou'd not do it s "but by disburfing the Money, and paying the faid "Debts, he might intreat fuch Prince in their Behalt,, "to accept the Money, and fo rekafe the Debtors out "of Prifon; and in that Cafe it may be faid, that the Pope, by Way of Intreaty, delivered them, altho' it "were in their Prince's Power to accept the fame or 66 no. Even fo (faith our wife Catholick Author) It "falleth out in this Difpenfation of the Treasure of Indulgences, which is, as it were, Money given us $ by the Pope, to fatisfy the Debts we owe to God for "our Sins, (and which must one Way or other be "paid before we be released) Now when this is be "ftowed upon us that are living, and immediately fub- ject to his Holinefs, we thereby are juridically (or "in due Form of Law) abfolved thereof. But for the "Dead, feeing he payeth for them alfo, he is to intreat "for them by Way of Suffrage, trufting to the Goodness s "of God, ...

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He proceeds (a) to fhew the rare Virtues of thefe Indulgences, and affirms, that "A Man having done what "was enjoin'd, for gaining a plenary Indulgence, if at "that Inftant he chance to die, he may be affur'd to go "to eternal Glory, without paffing thro' the Fire of "Purgatory. But when his Confeffor at point of Death

(a) Page 60.

hath

"hath not granted him a plenary Indulgence, or when "after fuch Grant, he hath committed fome venial Sin, 66 or a mortal one, of which he is confessed, but háth "not done Satisfaction for the fame; he cannot then "affure himself of being exempted from fome Punish

ment: And therefore it is good (that the Priest may get double Fees, First, For Indulgence, and then afterwards for Maffes) "To help the Soul of the Deceased, "by Way of Prayer and Suffrage, prefently after his "Departure."

After all these excellent Properties afcrib'd to Indulgences, as not only Remiffion of Sins, but additional and higher Degrees of Glory in Heaven, &c. wou'd not any Man be inquifitive to know, what thofe Things or Duties are, which ufually are enjoin'd to be done for the obtaining fuch wonderful Privileges? The fame Author gives us Variety of Inftances; as for Example, That, (a) Pope Adrian the fixth granted, that whoever lying at the Point of Death, hou'd hold in his Hand "an hallowed Wax Candle, and depart out of this Lîfe, "holding the fame, fhall obtain a plenary Indulgence of all his Sins; it fo be that once before his Death, he hath recited the Pfalter or Rofary

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(b) "Whoever fhall go on a Christmas Day in the Morning, and fay his Prayers in the Church of St. Anaflata in Rome, fhall have a like complete In<< dulgence."

He tells us, (c) How " Pope Gregory the 13th. at "the Request of the English Seminary, having confe"crated certain Grains, Beads, and other Baubles, did annex thereunto very large Indulgences, but none may obtain them, but fuch as devote themselves to reftore the Catho'ick Faith in England, or labour in that Caufe. Now, whoever fo qualified, having one "of thefe Grains, being contrite, with a full Purpose "to confefs and communicate fo foon as he can commodiously, fhall recite the Corone or Rofary of our

(a) Page 81. (b) Page 63. (c) Page 99.

"bleffed

* bleffed Lady, or fhall read the Paffion of our Saviour, or the feven penitential Pfalms, or the Litany; praying for the Pope's Holiness, for the State of the Catholick "Church, the Propagation of the Catholick Faith, and "Conversion of England, Scotland, and Ireland, fhall gain, as often as he doth this, plenary Indulgence."

Nay more, (a) "He that at the Point of Death fhall once fay Jefus in Heart, if he be not able to pronounce "it, and fhall have about him, or kifs one of these hal"low'd Things, obtains a full Indulgence of all bis "Sins.

(b) "Whoever fhall be in great Danger of his Life, or "be feized for the Catholick Faith, or being apprehend"ed, fhall expect Torture, Stripes, or any Kind of "Scorn, fo often by faying then one Pater Nofter, and "one Ave, he fhall obtain full Remiffion of all his "Sins."

He hath yet a more ridiculous Piece of Folly, granted by the faid Gregory, and confirmed by Paul the Fifth, in thefe Words, Whoever, having one of these Grains, "fhall devoutly fast, according to the Custom of the "Church, the Eve of allthe Feafts of our blessed Lady, (that is, about four Times a Year)" Shall gain an hundred Years Indulgence; but if he faft them in Bread "and Drink only, he fhall obtain a thousand Years Pardon.

We are weary with reciting this horrid Trafh, but know not how to expofe their lewd Frauds, and blafphemous Devices, better than in their own Words; which we protest we have in all these Particulars fincerely fet forth, without injuring the Senfe (or it you pleafe Nonfenfe of the Author; nor is this one Doctor's Opinion, but their general Tenet and daily Practice, impos'd to be believed as an Article of Faith by their Trent Conventicle, in thefe Words, (c)" Whereas Chrift did leave the Power of granting indulgences to the Church,

(a) Page 112. (b) Page 104. (c) Seff. 25:

" and

" and the Church did use that divine Power in antient "Times, therefore the facred Council doth teach and. "command them to be retained in the Church, and doch condemn all them with a Curfe, which either term them unprofitable, or deny the Church's Authority "to grant them.

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Secondly, We are to fhew the Original of such Indulgens ces, and the Difference between thofe of antient Times, and thofe now ufed; and the Policy of these of later Invention.

Notwithstanding their boast of antient Times, it is well known, that the primitive Ages were wholly un acquainted with such Kind of Trumpery, as Durandus teftifies, for he fays, (a) "Little can be faids of any "Certainty touching Indulgences, for neither the Scrip"tures nor the antient Fathers do fpeak of them.” The Word we fometimes meet with in the Writings of the Fathers, and thence they wou'd obtrude their Meaning and Practice as an Apoftolical Tradition; as one of their Rabbins, feeing at the End of fome of St. Paul's · Epiftles, in a Latin Teftament, thefe Words, Miffa fuit, (this Epiftle was fent to, or from fuch a Place, by luch and fuch) boasted he had found the Maís, exprefly warranted in the Bible, and that it was faid by St. Paul. Tis true, in the primitive Church, when the Chriftians had committed any grievous or fcandalous Offence through human Frailty, or fear of Perfecution, either in denying the Faith, facrificing to Idols, or the like, fuch Delinquents were excommunicated, and for a long Time excluded from the Fellowship of the Faithful, 'till their Repentance might appear, and that by outward Expreffions of Sorrow, and humble Confeffion they had made fome Part of Satisfaction to the Church. The Rigour of this Punishment, or Duration of fuch Exclufion, the

(a) Du. 4. Sent. Dift. 20. 9, 3.

Bishops,