The noveltie of poperie discovered and chieflie proven by Romanists out of themselves / by William Guild ...

CHAPT. XVI. (Book 16)

The Noveltie of Papall Indulgences. (Book 16)

HAving before cleared the No∣veltie of Purgatori••, by the Roman••••tes owne confession, it followeth necessarilie, that Pa∣pell Indulgences can brage of no Antiquitie: For, sayeth their owne Bishop of Rochester,* 1.1 If yee take away Purgatorie, what neede will bee of indulgences? for vpon 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 haue beene at first in vse in the Church of CHRIST, that by the generall name com∣mon to these auncient, and the now late Papall indulgences, none may bee deceaved.

First, then, the indulgences of olde, were onlie a releasing of pe∣nitent••, from some part of the se∣veritie of discipline, injoyned to scandalous offenders, as their se∣rious repentance and publicke

evidence thereof did procure: as may bee seene,* 1.2 2. COR. 2. and as Bellarmine himselfe maketh ma∣nifest, out of the Actes of the Councells of Nice, and Ancyra, set downe by him at length.

Which thing also their owne Cassander showeth,* 1.3 saying, That the diminishing of Canonicall Pennance, or that relaxation which was granted by the Bishop to pub∣licke penitents, when eyther some∣what 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 peni∣tents and alyue, granted by eve∣rie Bishop to such of his Diocesse, and that verie sparinglie,* 1.4 as Bellar∣mine 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 satisfa∣ction

to him in moneyes:* 1.5 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 Indul∣gences,* 1.6 Bellarmine will tell vs, saying, I confesse indeede, (sayth hee) that the forme of drspencing with a number of yeares or dayes, or Lents appoynted for pennance,* 1.7 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 haue anie Antiquitie for them, eyther by Scripture, or an∣cient tradition, their owne Syl∣••ester Prier••as, Antonius, Cajetane, and others, will g••ant, that they haue none: for thus sayeth Prie∣rias, (and with him the other two) Indulgences are not knowne to vs, by anie authoritie of Scrip∣ture: nor was there any vse of the

in the beginning of the Christian Chruch.* 1.8 (say••th their Bishop Fisher.)

To come next from Scripture, to the authoritie of Fathers, Car∣dinall Cajetane telleth vs,* 1.9 That none of the Auncient Fathers, Greeke or Latine, haue brought these to our knowledge, (sayeth hee) which therefore maketh Bellarmine, that hee citeth not one Father for them.

As also to consesse, that Du∣randus, Antoninus,* 1.10 and Rochester, denye, (sayeth hee) that In∣dulgences were knowne in the times of Ierome, Augustine, and other Fathers, who lived in the first fiue hundreth yeares.

Next, after the first fiue hun∣dreth yeares, if wee inquyre, in the auncient Fathers that thereaf∣ter lived, whether anie mention is to bee found of Papall Indul∣gences,* 1.11 their Antoni•••••••• will tell vs, 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,* 1.12 vpon 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••sti∣monie can bee produced out of anie Father by anie, that any such doctrine or venting of Papall In∣dulgences, 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 Poly∣dor, and Agrippa telleth vs) Bo∣niface 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 insti∣tution, now in the p••actise, new in the extent, and n••w everie way,

and consequentlie false, and im∣piouslie deceatfull.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Roffon cont. Lu∣ther art. 18.
• * 1.2

  Bell. l. 2. de indulg c. 6.
• * 1.3

  Cas∣sand. cosult art. ••2
• * 1.4

  Bell. I. 1. de indulg c. 3. §. post et c. 12. §. po∣sterior
• * 1.5

  B••ll, ibidē §. 30
• * 1.6

  Bell. l. 1. de indulg c. 8.
• * 1.7

  Prier. l. cont. Luth. pro indulg Anto∣nius part. 1 tit. 10 c. 3. Cajet. opuse. l. 5. c. 1. et••. de in∣dulg. initio
• * 1.8

  Roffen cont. Luth. art. 18
• * 1.9

  Cajet supra.
• * 1.10

  Bell. l. 2. de indulg c. 17.
• * 1.11

  Antō. part. 1 tit 10 c. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.12

  Alfōs. adv. Heres. l. 8. ••it indul∣gentia Chem exam. de in∣dulg. c. 4.