Bishops, or Paftors, in their refpective Congregations had Power, (if they law Cause) to mitigate at their Difcretion; which Mitigation,. or Relaxation of the Sentence, was called an Indulgence, or fometimes a Pardon; which Doctrine was derived from St. Paul, who having commanded the (a) "Excommunication of the incel tuous Corinthian," upon the Humiliation and ferious Repentance of that Sinner, fhews, that it was Time to reconcile the faid penitent Offender, and doth therefore prefs the Church (b) to release him.

Hence it appears, that a Chriftian Indulgence is not as Papifts dream, a Kemiffion, or Pardon of temporal Punifhment, due to God, for Sins by God forgiven; but either a Declaration and Affurance of God's Remiffion of Sins most treely for Chrift's fake, to all them that are truly penitent, or elle a Releafe of the Cenfure of the Church, to them that have fhewed Tokens of Repentance, and Sorrow for their Sins, fufficient for the Satisfaction of the Church, which by their evil Example was offended.

The Difference herein between the primitive Practice, and that of the Romish Church is vaftly wide: Thofe Indulgences were Mitigations of Church Cenfures, these are private Satisfactions to God's Justice: Thole were Re-leafes of the Living, thefe are generally Difcharges to fuch as are dead, and fuppos'd to be rendred effectual; by the Interceffion or Application of the Merits likewife of the Dead. 'Tis one Thing to abfolve living Penitents from Sentence of Excommunication, at the Suit, or Request of living Perfons (fome holy Perfons who ufually interceded for Penitents) that have well deferv'dot the Church, or have an Intereft in our Love; and clear another Thing to release the Dead out of a feigned Purgatory, by imputing the Surplufage of another Man's Merits, and Satisfactions unto him. And that this laft is a pernicious Er

ror, craftily maintained by them to whom Gain is Godliness, will appear, if we confider, That,

Our Lord Jefus Chrift exprefly tells his Difciples, (a) "When ye fhall have done all thofe Things which are commanded you, fay, we are unprofitable Ser-"vants.

(b) Shall a Man be just with God, faith holy Job, "If he will contend with him he cannot answer him 66 one of a thouland.

(c) "Who can tell how oft he offendeth," faith the Man after God's own Heart. (d) « Who can fay, I have "made my Heart clean, I am pure from my Sin?" faith

the Wileft of Men.

Doch not that most illuminated Prophet Ifaiah affirm, That we are all as an unclean Thing, and all our "Righteoufnef as filthy Rags?" And doth not the Apoftle teach us, that (e) In many Things we of

"fend all?

If thefe Words of holy Scripture be true, as no Chriftian doubts, then where are thefe Surplufages of Saints, Merits, and Satisfactions? How fhall Bankrupts become Lenders? Or w ich Way can the Indigent relieve the Needy God has laid our Help on one alone that is mighty, why then will ye lean on the Reeds of Egypt? Christ is the fole Fountain of the Waters of Life, from which all Satisfaction and Reconciliation with the Father flows; and why will you hew out unto your felves broken Cisterns, that will hold no Water?

Had any Saints any fuch extraordinary Stock of Merit, yet cou'd it not be apply'd, or imputed to any other Men for their Advantage in the next World For the Apostle teaches us, (f) That Every one fhall receive according to that which he him felf hath done in the Body, whether it be good or bad." When we fay, that

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Chrift's Merits have been apply'd to us, our Popish Adverfaries impiously deride us; holding it for a Doctrine abfurd, that (a) the Merits of one fhou'd be imputed to another. Yet what they deny to Chrift, they attribute to Saints; that which they will not afcribe to the Son of God, they concede to the Pope. They will by no Means hear that God imputeth to us the Merits and Sufferings. of his Son, altho' the Scripture be exprefly for it; and yet they teach, that the Merits and Satisfaction of the Saints, may, by the Pope, be apply'd to us; and that they fatisfy for our temporal Punishments.

We know the Saints, tho' never fo great Sufferers here in their Pilgrimage, are already abundantly rewarded, when taken to Glory, and that, far above their Defert, as the Apoftle witneffeth, (b) I reckon that the Suf"ferings of this pre'ent Time are not worthy to be

compared with the Glory which fhall be revealed in us." And again, (c)" Our light Affliction, which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory." Wherefore the Saints Sufferings being fo fuperabundantly recompenced already, can be of no Value to help towards the Expiation of the Sins of others.

The Roman Church hereby, doth infinitely wrong the infinite Bounty of our Redeemer, when in Derogation of his all-fufficient Merits, they go about, (as it were) to lengthen them out, by the imaginary Excrefcency, and Superabundance of Saints Satisfaction. The Apoftle tells us, (d)" There is no Condemnation "to them which are in Chrift Jefus." If no Condemnation, then no Punishment eternal, or temporal; fo as to appeafe God's Juftice, already fatisfy'd by that one ineftimable Sacrifice on the Crofs. And as for Sickness, and other temporal Scourges, wherewith God chaftifeth his Children for their Reformation (not for fatisfying

(a) Bellarmine de Fuftificatione. Lib. 2. Cap. 7. (b) Rom. 8. 18. (c) 2 Cor. 4. 17. (d) Rom. 8. 1.

his

his Jultice.) All the Pope's Pardons that ever were, are not able to abate one Fit of an Ague, much lefs to difcharge any Arrears of Punishment due for Sin in another World." As the Tree falleth, fe it lyeth," faith holy Writ. And, "There is but one Mediator between God " and Man, even the adorable Jefus Chrift." Whatever therefore they attribute to the Saints in this Kind, they detract from our Saviour, “Who will not have "his Glory given to another." We acknowledge, with most humble Gratitude and Veneration, his Merits to be a moft rich and inexhaustible Treasury, never shut up to any that approach it on his Terms; but to add thereunto, the Sufferings or Merits of any Saints or Martyrs, were no better than to take away Gold feven Times re fin'd, and instead thereof (to fill up the Room not the Sum) to lay a few brafs Tokens, and then to endeavour to put off the Whole for current Sterling. This is to embale the Coin of Heaven, and give it an unlawful Counterfeit Stamp, which is no less than high Treafon against the King of Kings.

If the Saints Sufferings cou'd any Way expiate our Sins, then might they in fome Senfe, be accounted our Redeemers. But this, Thomas of Aquine himself, blushed to affirm, and therefore refolved the quite contrary; and we wish our modern Romanists wou'd be content to acquiefce in the Opinion of that famous Author, whom they fo much delight in, and whofe Words are thefe, (a) The Sufferings of the Saints profiteth the "Church not by Way of Redemption, but by Way of " Example."

Were there any fuch Thefaurus Ecclefia, or Treasury of Saints Merits, what peculiar Power hath the Pope to difpofe thereof for Remiffion of Sins? We have already fufficiently proved, that our Saviour conferr'd the fame Power indifferently on all the Apostles, which he allowed to Peter, under whom alone the Pope most talfly claims.

(a) Part 3, 9, 48. Art. 24.

Had

.

Had the Pope any fuch Stock, and fuch fpecial Power of granting Indulgences, yet cou'd it not extend to the Souls in Purgatory, according to their moft learned Doctor's Opinion: For fo Gerfon concludes, " Becaufe

they are not fubject to the Pope's Court." Now it the Souls in Purgatory are none of his Subjects, where is his third Kingdom? Why wears he a triple Crown, tó denote the Rule he bears in Heaven, Earth, and Purgatory? What Power can he then have to mitigate their Fine, or remit their Mulct, or abate their Fire?

Having fet forth the Nature of Indulgences, and fhewn how contrary the fame are to the holy Scriptures, we come now to reflect upon the Policy of the Invention, and fhall only take Notice of their Efficacy to draw Money out of Peoples Pockets: For which Purpose, there cou'd not have been started a more neat Contrivance; and therefore they are most properly ftiled by the Romanifts themselves, the Treafury of the Church: For indeed they were defigned for no other End, but (as Matt. Paris in Hen. 3, fpeaks) to cram the Coffers of the Romanifts. For,

Seeing the Monopoly or fole Power of granting them was velted in the Pope, who cou'd difpence them as fparingly or liberally as he thought fit: Whenever therefore he had Occafion, or a mind to amaís Money, it was a Way no less fure than ready on Pretence of blowing a Trumpet for a War againit Turks, or Hereticks, or even against his proper Sovereign the Emperor, or any Neighbour Prince, or State, with whom his Holinefs was at odds, to fend out into all Kingdoms, and proclaim Markets and Fairs, for vending fuch his fpiritual fmall Wares, and propofe Sales of thefe Indulgences upon Terms, that thofe who wou'd disburfe any Sums of Money for the Purposes aforefaid, as the Occafion was, thou'd have Pardons and Indulgences for fuch a Number of Years, proportionable to the Pence they cou'd depofite. And our antient Hiftorian, Henry de Knigh ton, honeftly and plainly tells us, (a) " There was no Ab

(a) Col. 2671.

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ac folution