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Moreover, the Council, in one of its most formal decrees, subscribed separately by all the Fathers at the end of the Actio quarta, expressly declares, that images are worshipped," not only that by memory we may attend to the prototype, but also that we may be made partakers of some sanctification." (Con. tom. 7, p. 540.) And it is afterwards said, that "by worshipping them and giving them honorary adoration, we actually do partake of sanctification." The Council also declares that it is of no consequence by what name the worship of images be called, whether salutation or adoration, provided Latria, which is only due to God, be not understood by it. It also says that all "who do not embrace the venerable images shall be anathema," that is, in plain English, shall perish everlastingly.

So much, then, for the doctrine of the Roman church on the subject of image-worship,-now for its practice. In the Services for the Invention of the Cross, the following hymn is sung to the true cross.

"Hail, O cross, our only hope

In this paschal festivity,

bring to the pious an increase of righteousness, and to sinners grant pardon of their sins.

"O cross, more resplendent than the stars, save this present congregation assembled in thy praises. Hallelujah."

In the worship of the images of the true cross, the priest uncovering it takes off his shoes and draws near to adore, thrice bowing his knees before kissing the cross; the minister then bows thrice and adores the cross, saying "We adore thy cross, O Lord." In the benediction of the cross, the pontiff kneels before the cross, devoutly adores and kisses it. "Tum Pontifex flexis aute crucem genibus ipsam devoté adorat et osculatur." In the benediction of an image of the Virgin, the Pontiff prays that. "God would vouchsafe to bless and sanctify the image prepared in veneration to the honour of the most pious mother of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and that whoever shall strive suppliantly to honour the same queen of mercy before this image, may both be rescued from impending dangers, and in the sight of his divine Majesty may obtain pardon of all their. sins.

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Now Mr. Butler cannot deny the orthodoxy and authenticity of these doctrines and practices, because they are extracted by Dr. Phillpotts from the Pontificale Romanum, a book of undoubted authority, cited as such by Bossuet, and always conformed to by the Roman church. And, after seeing such

extracts, we would fain enquire whether he and Dr. Milner can possibly affirm, with the hope of being believed, that images are only made and retained to put them in mind of the persons they represent; and that the adorations and genuflexions of the pontiff before the image of the cross, have no further meaning than that memorable bow which the late Lord Stanhope made at Lord Melville's trial, to the King's throne, in the House of Lords: it will hardly be attempted. Dr. Phillpotts has reason for his strong expression, that the representation of the Roman doctrine on this subject, made by modern apologists, is "false and deceitful."

In the Sixth, the Seventh, and the Eighth Letters, Dr. Philpotts treats the doctrine of PURGATORY and INDULGENCES; and proves that the modern versions of that doctrine are a complete departure from the former faith, and at the same time, diluted as they are, that they are as contrary to Scripture as they are to truth.

The Roman Catholics are with great reason exceedingly cautious in all their treatises respecting Purgatory, and its attendant doctrine of Indulgences. Mr. Butler merely says, in the words of the Council of Trent, "that there is a purgatory, and that the souls detained in it are helped by the suffrages of the faithful." Dr. Milner says, that all that is necessary to be believed by Roman Catholics on this point is, "that there is a middle state, called purgatory, and that the souls detained in it are helped by the prayers of the living faithful." (End of Controversy, p. 311.)

This, however, is not quite all, there is another little circumstance of no small importance to be adverted to; into which, by the aid of Dr. Phillpotts, we will make a little enquiry. Souls in purgatory are not only helped by the prayers of the faithful, but by "the sacrifice of the mass. This the Council of Trent decrees in its 25th session: " the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the mass." (Sess. 25, Decretum de Purgatorio.) Now upon this doctrine is, and ever has been founded, the inseparable connection between purgatory and indulgences; a connection which the Roman Catholics vainly attempt to dissemble, but which the Pope has joined together, and they can never put asunder. This truth is thus confessed by Fisher, Bishop of Rochester." It is on purgatory that all regard for indulgences depends. If you take away purgatory, for what will you want indulgences? we shall not have the smallest need of them if there be no purgatory." Since, then, purgatory was so late in being known and received in the church, can any

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one wonder, respecting indulgences, that there was no use of them in the early ages of the Church?"

Such then being, according to the orthodox Bishop Fisher, the origin of indulgences, it may not be uninstructive to our readers to lay before them what the moderns say in their behalf. The author of the "Papist Represented and Misrepresented," says, they" are nothing but a mitigation or relaxation, upon just causes, of canonical penances, which are or may be enjoined by the pastors of the church on penitent sinners, according to their different degrees of demerit.

Bossuet, in his Exposition of Faith, says,

"It is the necessity of satisfactory works which has obliged the ancient Church to impose penances, called canonical: when, therefore, she imposes on sinners painful and laborious works, and they undergo them with humility, that is satisfaction: and when, out of regard to the fervour of the penitents, or to other good works which she prescribes to them, she relaxes something of the punishment which is due, that is called indulgence."

Dr. Milner says:

"That the essential guilt and eternal punishment of sin can only be expiated by the merits of Christ, but a certain temporal punishment is reserved by the penitent himself to endure: that satisfaction for this temporal punishment has been instituted by Christ as a part of the Sacrament of Penance; nevertheless, that the jurisdiction of the Church extends to this very satisfaction, so as to be able to remit it wholly or partially, in certain circumstances, which is called an indulgence." "Lastly, it is the received doctrine of the Church that an indulgence, when truly gained, is not barely a relaxation of the canonical penance enjoined by the Church, but also an actual remission by God himself of the whole or part of the temporal punishment due to it in his sight." End of Controversy, p. 305.

Mr. Butler says, that

"The temporal punishment due to sin, by the decree of God, when its guilt and eternal punishment are remitted, may consist either of evil in this life, or of temporal suffering in the next, which temporal suffering in the next life is called purgatory; that the Church has received power from God to remit both of these inflictions, and that this remission is called an indulgence."

Dr. Doyle, in his evidence before the Commons, says:

"Our doctrine with regard to indulgences is, that a person who may have offended against God or his neighbour, having done every thing in his power to satisfy for his fault; that such person, by gaining an indulgence, is thereby assisted and relieved from such temporal punish

ment, as God in his justice might inflict upon him either in this life, or hereafter in purgatory, previous to his admission into heaven."

He also says, that an indulgence could avert sickness resulting from the wrath of God.

Dr. Murray, before the Commons, says:

"The authorities of the Catholic Church have, in virtue of the power of the keys committed to them, a power to remit a certain portion of temporal punishment due to sin after the guilt of sin has been remitted."

"The temporal punishment of sin may be either in this world or the next. If it be in this world, it may be any temporal visitation from God, or any voluntary infliction of penance, by fasting, prayer, and self-denial and if it be in the world to come, we hold, that it is in a middle place, which is neither heaven nor hell; a kind of punishment known only to God, inflicted until the last remnant due to his justice be purged away."

He also says, that the authorities of the Church can avert or accelerate the wrath of God, as far as the temporary penalty of sin is concerned, by the power entrusted to them by God; and in this world are of use 66 to accelerate the passage of a soul through purgatory."

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He says likewise, that the grant of an indulgence is " a change of punishment from one species of austerity to another more suitable to human infirmity, a kind of commutation, which commutation is admitted in the canons of the Protestant Church."

Dr. Kelly says: "The indulgence consists in the remission of the temporal punishment that may remain due after the eternal guilt is remitted." The Douay Catechism says, an Indulgence "is only a releasing of temporal punishment due to such sins as are already forgiven us by the Sacrament of Penance."

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Now it is not a little amusing to observe the excessive pains which are taken in most of these expositions to suppress all mention of Purgatory, and to separate Indulgences from it. Gother and Bossuet (as Dr. Milner politely said of Bp. Porteus) tell an "egregious falsity," by saying, that indulgences are nothing but a relaxation of canonical penances;" because they are, in addition to this, a relaxation of punishment by fire in a future state; that "middle place," of which Dr. Murray speaks, “which is neither heaven nor hell:" which the Catechism of the Council of Trent, very expressly says, is "a place," and "a fire," (ignis purgatorius); which fire, according to the Canon Law, referred to by the Council of Trent, is, though not eternal, painful to a wondrous degree, and in which the souls of truly penitent and justified sinners, according to the Council, are tortured for a definite period. Those also who disbelieve this, must,

according to the Council, be damned. Bellarmine says, the belief of Purgatory is an article of faith; so that "they who do not believe it, shall never arrive there, but must be tormented in the eternal fire of hell." (Bell. de Purg. 1. 1. c. 15.). A droll decree this of the learned Cardinal's, but certainly quite just; because they who are so profane as to disbelieve in the fires of Purgatory, ought on no account to be admitted to the privilege of experiencing what they are.

Dr. Murray also (as Dr. Milner would say if he were writing of a protestant Bishop) tells "an egregious falsity" in his evidence; for he says, an Indulgence is "a change of punishment from one species of austerity to another, more suitable to human infirmity, a kind of commutation; which commutation is admitted in the canons of the protestant Church." Now how can he make out that that species of indulgence, which refers merely to purgatory, is "a change of punishment from one species of austerity to another, more suitable to human infirmity." For instance: a rich man dies in a state of grace, and leaves a certain sum of money to buy so many masses to accelerate the passage of his soul through purgatory: how can this be called a change of punishment from one species of austerity to another, more suitable to human infirmity? There is no change at all: the man undergoes no austerity; he merely leaves a certain sum of money, and in return for this money, the Church, as M. de la Luzerne says, in his Essai sur le Rituel des Indulgences, "unit ses prières aux merites de Jésus-Christ et des saints pour le soulagement de son ame, et lui applique ainsi les satisfactions de Jésus-Christ et des saints." There is no commutation here: there is only an application of what the Council of Trent (Sess. 21.) calls the heavenly treasures of the Church (cœlestes ecclesiæ thesauros) to the soul of a rich penitent. These treasures are the merits of Christ and the saints; and Luther was condemned for denying their efficacy. Again, Mr. Butler says, that to every indulgence there is one condition annexed; "I mean sincere repentance:" and Dr. Milner says, this is always enjoined or implied in the grant of it, and is indispensably necessary for the effect of every grace. (End of Controv. p. 304.) Now this, again, in Dr. Milner's polite phraseology, would be called an 66 egregious falsity," for indulgences are confessedly granted to souls already in purgatory; and how can souls in purgatory repent? They must, as Dr. Phillpotts says, "be free from all necessity, as they are removed from all possibility of repentance."

Such then are the difficulties to which the Roman Catholics are reduced by the inseparable connection which subsists be

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