The Novelty of Popery Discovered, Chapter 16
CHAPT. XVI.
The Noveltie of Papall Indulgences.
HAving before cleared the Noveltie of Purgatori…, by the Roman…tes owne confession, it followeth necessarilie, that Papell Indulgences can brage of no Antiquitie: For, sayeth their owne Bishop of Rochester, Roffon cont. Luther art. 18.If yee take away Purgatorie, what neede will bee of indulgences? for vponupon it, (sayeth hee) dependeth all the respect that is had to indulgences.
Yet to discover more clearlie, the Novelty of Papall indulgences, wee will first consider what were these auncient indulgences, which are mentioned in the recordes of Antiquitie, to hauehave beene at first in vse in the Church of CHRIST, that by the generall name common to these auncient, and the now late Papall indulgences, none may bee deceaved.
First, then, the indulgences of olde, were onlie a releasing of penitent…, from some part of the severitie of discipline, injoyned to scandalous offenders, as their serious repentance and publicke evidence thereof did procure: as may bee seene,Bell. l. 2. de indulg c. 6. 2. COR. 2. and as Bellarmine himselfe maketh manifest, out of the Actes of the Councells of Nice, and Ancyra, set downe by him at length.
Which thing also their owne Cassander showeth,Cassand. cosult art. …2 saying, That the diminishing of Canonicall Pennance, or that relaxation which was granted by the Bishop to publicke penitents, when eyther somewhat of the tyme, or of the rigour of the pennance was lessened, was called an Indulgence: so that it was a lessening and mitigation, of their disciplinarie satisfaction to the Church, who were penitents and alyue, granted by everie Bishop to such of his Diocesse, and that verie sparinglie,Bell. I. 1. de indulg c. 3. §. post et c. 12. §. posterior as Bellarmine showeth, but no largesse and application of the satisfactions of Saynctes, joyned with CHRIST'S sufferings, for the reliefe of those that are dead, out of a forged fyrie Purgatorie, graunted onelie by the Bishop of Rome, for satisfaction to him in moneyes:B…ll, ibidē §. 30 and as Bellarmine acknowledgeth, for the lightest causes as anie, lavishing out greatest Indulgences, as that is, which is granted to all who heareth… Popes blessing at Easter.
Now if wee inquyre what is become of these auncient Indulgences,Bell. l. 1. de indulg c. 8. Bellarmine will tell vsus, saying, I confesse indeede, (sayth hee) that the forme of drspencing with a number of yeares or dayes, or Lents appoynted for pennance,Prier. l. cont. Luth. pro indulg Antonius part. 1 tit. 10 c. 3. Cajet. opuse. l. 5. c. 1. et…. de indulg. initio which was of olde in vse, is now cleane left off.
Next, if wee inquyre concerning these new Papall Indulgences, that are come in their place, whether they hauehave anie Antiquitie for them, eyther by Scripture, or ancient tradition, their owne Syl…ester Prier…as, Antonius, Cajetane, and others, will g…ant, that they hauehave none: for thus sayeth Prierias, (and with him the other two) Indulgences are not knowne to vsus, by anie authoritie of Scripture: nor was there any vse of the in the beginning of the Christian Chruch.Roffen cont. Luth. art. 18 (say…th their Bishop Fisher.)
To come next from Scripture, to the authoritie of Fathers, Cardinall Cajetane telleth vsus,Cajet supra. That none of the Auncient Fathers, Greeke or Latine, hauehave brought these to our knowledge, (sayeth hee) which therefore maketh Bellarmine, that hee citeth not one Father for them.
As also to consesse, that Durandus, Antoninus, Bell. l. 2. de indulg c. 17.and Rochester, denye, (sayeth hee) that Indulgences were knowne in the times of Ierome, Augustine, and other Fathers, who lived in the first fiue hundreth yeares.
Next, after the first fiue hundreth yeares, if wee inquyre, in the auncient Fathers that thereafter lived, whether anie mention is to bee found of Papall Indulgences,Antō. part. 1 tit 10 c. 3. …. their Antoni… will tell vsus, saying, There is no testimonie for them in the auncient Fathers at all, but onelie (sayeth hee) out of more later wryters.
Wherefore their owne Alfonsus à Castro, Alfōs. adv. Heres. l. 8. …it indulgentia Chem exam. de indulg. c. 4.vponupon the same ground granteth, That their vse (sayeth hee) is onlie oflate in the Church.
Iustly therefore, is that challenge made by Chemnitius, that no T…stimonie can bee produced out of anie Father by anie, that any such doctrine or venting of Papall Indulgences, was in vse in the Church, for the space allmost of twelue hundreth yea…es after CHRIST: the first author of them beeing (as their owne Polydor, and Agrippa telleth vsus) Boniface the eyght, who lived about that tyme, and extended them to the soules in Purgatorie: and for the better sale, and venting of them, devysed a solemne Iubile▪ beeing therein a successour, rather to Simon Magus, than to Simon Peter.
So that wee see this doctrine of Indulgences, is new in the institution, now in the p…actise, new in the extent, and n…w everie way, and consequentlie false, and impiouslie deceatfull.