The Relics of Rome, Part 58
The forme of the absolution appertainyng vntounto this Fraternitie.
AVtoritate dei omnipotētis, & beatorum Petri & Pauli Apostolorum eius, ac autoritate apostolica mihi in hac parte commissaEgo absoluo te ab omnibus peccatis tuis & paenis tibi in Purgatorio debitis propter culpas & offensas, quas contra deum & animā tuam commisisti. Et in quantum mihi committitur, restituo te illi innocentiae, in qua eras quando baptizatus fuisti, exceptis punctis hijs reseruatis Domino Papae, vt animae tua viuat cum Christo in secula seculorum. Amen. Whiche is thus in Englishe.
By the authoritie of God almighty and of hys blessed Apostles Peter and Paule, and by the Apostolique author… tie committed vntounto me in this behalfe I absolue thee from all thy sinnes and paines due vntounto thee in Purgatory for the faultes and offences, whiche thou hast committed against God and thine owne soule. And asmuche as lyeth in my power, I restore thee vntounto that innocencye, wherein thou were, when thou waste baptised: those poyntes only excepted, whiche are reserued to the Lord Pope, yt thy soule may liue with Christ worldes without ende. Amen.
The pardō of Saint Iohn of Beuerlay.Pope Alexander the thyrde hathe graunted to all them that geue ought to the mayntenaunce of the Collegiat Churche of Saint Iohn of Beuerlaye an hundred dayes of pardon, and relaxation from the seuenth parte of their penaūce. And Pope Innocent the fourth hath graunted to all the brethrē of the same. Faternitie, pardon of all sinnes forgotten, & of all vowes brokē, except the vowe vntounto the holy land, & at their latter …nd, remission & forgeuenesse of all their sinnes A paena & culpa: so that to eueryevery brother & sister of that Fraternitie being cōfessed & absolued, their cō fessour may well say on thys manner, as it is specified in the printed pardon▪
Iohn or Ioan▪ as free I make thee:
As heart may thinke, or eye may see.
☞Of this pardon it is also thus written,
Omnibus in annis qui turbāt iura Ioannis:
Ter execrantur, damnati iure probantur.
THe pardō graūted to the Fraternity of s. Cornelis at Westminster for such as geue any thynge vntounto it,The pard… of Saint Cornelis at We… minster. cōmeth in ye yere to .MM vii. C. &. ix. dayes for euer to endure, graūted by the holy father in god Thomas of the title of S Cecily, Cardinall, priest of Rome and Legate, Archebyshop of Yorke, and Chauncelour of England, &c. and of diuerse other Cardinalles and Bishops.
Certayne Popes of Rome hauehave committed and geuen authoritie & power to Priestes hauyng cure and charge of soules to absolue their ghostly childrē and parishioners, the whiche be brethrē or sistern to ye holy Fraternitie of the sepulchre of our Lord Iesu Christ, of all sinnes and crimes either confessed or forgotten, & of penance not well done. Also of vsurye, rapine, pollynge and pyllyng,The sepulchre pardon̄. extortion or other good euell gotten (excepte they knowe to whom they ought to make restitution) they are absolued. And of all manner of offences done to father and mother, if they were not done we laying handes on thē with violence. Also the sentence of cursyng done vnknowingly: also of of vowes broken, the vowe of Ierusalem signed with the crosse in the body, and the vow of Religion with solemnitye professed, onelyonly excepted. Also priestes and Clarkes that hauehave made any offence in saying their seruice. Also the aforesayd holy Fathers hauehave graunted to the brethren and sistern of the sayd place, the Stations of Rome, and the indulgences of the pilgrimages of the holy lande, whiche sūme of indulgence is. lxxx. M. yeres of pardō. Also our holy father Vrban the fourth of that name hath giuen & graunted to all brethern and sisterne of the sayd Fraternitie at the trāslation of Saint Swithein and at the Octaues of the same, and at the Natiuitye of our Lorde & the Octaues of the same, and vponupon good Fryday, & vponupon Easter day with the Octaues of the same, to be released of the seuenth part of their penaunce, & foure yeares, and foure Lentes of pardon. Our sayd holy father willeth also that they that be brethern and sisterne of the said Fraternitie, hauehave ecclesiasticall sepulture without deniall (of whatsoeuer death they chaūce to die) except they be opē ly and by name excommunicate.
To the Fraternitie or brothehoode of S. Erasmus, S. Erasmus pardon.beside ye deliueraunce of many soules out of ye bitter paynes of purgatorye, with innumerable indulgences & pardons for them yt be alyue, are graunted fiue special gifts & singulare benefites, Fyrst, he shal hauehave reasonable goodes to his liues ende. Secondly, his enemies shal hauehave no power on him.Fiue special giftes. Thirdly, what lawfull peticion he asketh of God, shal be graunted him. Fourthly, he shall be vnbounde of his tribulation and disease. Fyftly, at his laste end he shal receaue the blessed body of oure Sauioure Christ Iesu in fourme of bread to his saluation by the gracious prayer & peticion of this blessed Martyr S. Erasmus. Al these pardōs, indulgences, priuileges, giftes & benefites shal al they hauehave, yt geue any part or porcion of their goodes to ye vpholding and maintaining of the holy place of S. Erasmus.
Many other raggemans roules could I here hauehave placed, which contayne also innumerable pardons, infinite indulgences, great giftes, singulare priuileges, wonderfull liberties, maruelous deliuerances & spedy remedies of soules out of purgatorye, &c, but these may seme to suffice at thys presēt. For hereof mayest yu euidentlye perceaue, what reliques we hauehave receaued from Rome, & what good stuffe the popyshe pardoners hauehave broughte vsus in tymes paste frō ye moste holy father, or rather frō ye romish Antichrist, & al for money. Do what thou wilte: liue as yu wilte: if money come, yu art out of hande made cleane, and absolued frō all thy synnes A paena & culpa, toties quoties, & art made as pure & faultlesse as yu were in time of thy baptisme,Money is the Marchant in all the popes affayres. so yt now by the vertue of these pardons thou mayest boldelye stand before y• iudging place of Christ, and be free from ye sentence of damnation, and in fine, be made fellow heyre with Christ, of euerlasting saluation.
What is to be done, that wee may hauehave true pardō.But if thou wilte hauehave the true pardon and remission of thy synnes, and be deliuered A paena & culpa, toties quoties, take thys order. Fyrst, repent thee of thy former lyfe. Secondly flee vntounto God the Father in the name of hys derely beloued Sonne Christ Iesu our alone Sauioure and Redemer, crauyng at his handes with stronge faith, mercy and forgeuenesse of thy synnes. Thyrdelye, take a newe life vntounto thee, euer desyring strengthe from aboue to walke dayly more and more in the holy wayes of Goddes moste holy lawe. If thou do thys, doubt thou not, but yt thou shalt hauehave abundauntly vntounto the great consolation and comforte of thy soule, remission of all thy synnes, quietnesse of conscience, the gift of the holy Ghost, Goddes fauoure, grace, and mercye, and after thys transitorye life, euerlastyng lyfe with al heauenly ioye and vnoutspeakeable felicitie, yea and that without these Antichristians pardons, whiche are nothyng ells,What the popes pardons are. than nets for mony, deceauings of ye people, defacyng of Christes death, obscuryngs of Gods free grace, very spurres vntounto all leudnesse of lyfe, and a ryght patheway vntounto euerlasting dānation.Esay. lv. Heare what god sayth by ye prophet: Come to the waters al ye yt be thirstye, and ye yt hauehave no money. Come bye, yt ye maye hauehave to eate. Come, bye wine & milke without any money, or money worth. Wherfore do you lay out your money, for the thing ye fedeth you not, & spende your labour about the thyng ye satisfyeth you not? But harken, harkē rather vntounto me, and ye shal eate of the beste, & your soule shall hauehave her pleasure in plenteousnesse. Enclyne your eares, & come vntounto me: take hede (I say) & your soules shal liue, &c. Are not these the wordes of our Sauiour Christ? Come vntounto me al ye that laboure and are laden,Math. xi. Apoc. xxii. and I shall ease you. Agayne, Let him that is a thyrst come. And let who soeuer will, take of the water of lyfe, freely and without any money. Of thē that wil seke remission of their synnes and pardon of their wicked life, or any other spirituall and heauenly gift: but only at hys hande by fayth in Christ: God complayneth greuously on thys manner and sayeth: Be astonyshed (O ye heauens) be afrayde,Iere. ii, and abashed at suche a thyng, sayeth the Lorde. For my people hath done two euills. They hauehave forsaken me the well of ye water of lyfe, and hauehave dygged them pyttes, yea vile and broken pittes, ye can holde no water. Blessed is the man, sayth the Psalmographe,Psal. xi. whose hope the name of the Lord is, and hath not turned vntounto vanities, nor vntounto suche as goe about with lyes.