Chapter X. Of Indulgences and Jubilees

Q. What do you mean by indulgences?

A. There is not any part of the doctrine of the Catholic Church that is more grossly misrepresented by our adversaries than this of indulgences, for the generality of Protestants imagine, that an indulgence is a leave to commit sin, or at least, that it is a pardon for sins lo come; whereas, ir deed, it is no such thing. There is no such powe* in heaven or earth that can give leave to commit sin; and consequently there is no giving pardon beforehand for sins to come. All this is far from the belief and practice of the Catholic Church. By an indulgence, therefore, we mean no more than a releasing to true penitents the debt of temporal punishment, which remained due to their sins, after the sins themselves, as to the guilt and eternal punishment, had been already remitted by the sacrament of penance, or by perfect contrition.

Q. Be pleased to explain this a little farther?

A. That you may understand this the better, take notice, that in sin there are two things; there is the guilt of the sin, and there is the debt of the punishment due to God upon account of the sin. Now upon the sinner's repentance and confession, the sin is remitted as to the guilt, and likewise as to the eternal punishment in hell, due to every mortal sin,; but the repentance and conversion are seldom so perfect as to release the sinner from all debt of temporal punishment due to God's justice, which the penitent must either discharge by the way of satisfaction.' ' penance; or, if he be deficient therein, he n /. expect to suffer hereafter, in proportion to this debt which he owes to the divine Majesty. Nt)w an indulgence, when duly obtained, is a release from this debt of temporal punishment.

Q, liow do you prove, that after the guilt of sin and the eternal punishment have been remitted, there remains oftentimes a debt of temporal punishment due to the divine Justice?

A. I prove it, first, from scripture; where to omit other instances, we find in the case of David,

2 Sam. xii. that although upon his repentance the prophet Nathan assured him, v. 13. that the Lord hath put away his sin, yet he denounced unto him many temporal punishments, which should be inflicted by reason of this sin: which accordingly after ensued. See v. 10, 11, 12, 13. Secondly, I prove it from the perpetual practice of the Church of God, of enjoining penances to the repenting sinners, in order to cancel this punishment due to their sins.

Q. How do you prove, that the Church has received a power from Christ of discharging a penitent sinner from this debt of temporal punishment, which remains due upon account of his sins?

A. I prove it by that promise of our Lord made to St. Peter, St. Matt. xvi. 19. 'I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' Which promise, made without any exception, reservation or limitation, must needs imply a power of loosing or releasing all such bonds as might likewise, hinder or retard a Christian soul from entering heaven.

Q. Did the primitive Church ever practise any;hing of this nature?

A, Yes, very frequently, in discharging peni tents, when there appeared just cause for it, from a great part of the penance due to their sins as may be seen in Tertullian, St. Cyprian, and other ancient monuments: and of this nature, was what St. Paul himself practised in forgiving, as he says, 2 Cor. ii. 10. in the person of Christ — that is, by the power and authority received from him, — the incestuous Corinthian, without waiting his going through a longer course of penance.

Q. But were these primitive indulgences understood to release the punishment due to sin in the sight of God, or only that which was enjoined in the Church in her penitential canons?

A, Both one and the other, as often as they were granted upon a just cause: according to what our Lord has promised St. Matt, xviii. 18. 'Verily I say upon you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'

Q. What conditions are necessary for the validity of an indulgence?

A. First, on the part of him that grants the indulgence, besides sufficient authority, il is necessary that there be a just cause or motive for the grant; for, according to the common doctrine of the best divines, indulgences, granted without cause, will not be ratified by Almighty God. Secondly, on the part of him that is to obtain the indulgence, it is requisite that he duly perform the conditions prescribed, such as going to confession and communion, fasting, alms, prayers, &c. and that he be in the state of grace; for it is in vain to expect the remission of the punishment due to sin, whilst a person continues in the guilt of mortal sin.

Q. Does the indulgence so far remit all temporal punishment, as to free a penitent from all obligation of doing penance for his sins?

A, No: for the obligation of doing penance for sin, and leading a penitential life, is an indispensable duty. Hence the Church usually enjoins penitential works, in order for the obtaining of indulgences. And the opinion of the learned Cajetan and others is highly probable, that one condition for attaining to the benefit of an indulgence, in the release of the punishment of the next life, is a disposition to do penance in this life; for the treasure of the Church, out of which indulgences are granted, is intended by our great master for the relief of the indigent; yet not so as to encourage the lazy, who refuse to labour at all for themselves.

Q. Are you then of opinion, that a Christian receives no farther benefit by an indulgence, than he would do by the penitential works which he performs for the obtaining of that indulgence?

A. 1 am far from being of that opinion; for, according to that way of thinking, no benefit would be reaped from the indulgence, but only from the works performed for the obtaining of it: whereas, the Church of God has declared in the Council of Trent, that 'Indulgences are very wholesome to Christian people.' Sess. 25. But what many divines maintain is, that regularly speaking, there is required, though not an equality, yet some proportion at least between the works to be done for the obtaining of an indulgence, and the indulgence itself: and this I believe to be true. See Soto in 4tum. Dist. 12. Q. 2. Art. 2. and Sylvius in Sup. Q, 25. Art. 2. Qusesito 2. Conclus. 5.

Q. What is meant by the treasure of the Church, out of which indulgences are said to be granted?

A. The treasure of the Church, according to divines, are the merits and satisfaction of Christ and his saints, out of which the Church, when she grants an indulgence to her children, offers to'God an equivalent for the punishment which was due to the divine Justice. For the merits and satisfaction of Christ are of infinite value, and never to be exhausted, and the source of all our good: and as the merits and satisfactions of the saints have their value from Christ, and through him are accepted by the Father, so by the communion, which all the members of Christ's mystical body have one with another, they are applicable to the faithful upon earth.

Q. What is meant by a plenary indulgence?

A. That which, when duly obtained, releases the whole punishment that remained due upon account of past sins.

Q. What is meant by an indulgence of seven years, or of forty days?

A, By an indulgence of so many years or days is meant the remission of the penance of so many years or days, and consequently of the punishment corresponding to the sins, which, by the canons of the Church, would have required so many years or days of penance, Bellarmin, I. 1. de Indulg. c. 9. And thus, if it be true, that there ever were any grants of indulgence of a thousand years or more, they are to be understood with relation to the punishment corresponding to the sins, which according to the penitential canons would have required a thousand or more years of penance. For since, by these canons, seven or ten years of penance were usually assigned for one mortal sin of lust, perjury, &;c. it follows, that habitual sinners, according to the rigour of the canons, must have been liable to great numbers of years of penancce, and perhaps some thousands of years. And though they could not be expected to live so long as to fulfil this penance; yet, as by their sins they had incurred a debt of punishment proportionable to so long a time of penance, these indulgences of so many years, if ever granted, (which some call in question) wero designed to release them from the debt.

Q. What is the meaning of indulgences for the dead?

A' They are not granted by way of absolution,

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CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTED. 1G3 since the pastors of the Church have not that jurisdiction over the dead: but they are only available to the faithful departed, by way of suffrage, or spiritual succour applied to their souls out of^ the treasure of the Church.

Q. What is the meaning of a jubilee?

A, A jubilee, so called from the resjemblance it bears with the jubilee-year in the old law, Levit. XXV. and xxvii. (which was a year of remission, in which bondsmen were restored to liberty, and every one returned to his possession) is a plenary indulgence granted every twenty-fifth year, as also upon other extraordinary occasions, to such as, being truly penitent, shall wt)rthily receive the blessed sacrament, and perform the other conditions of fasting, alms and prayer, usually prescribed at such times.

Q. What then is the difference betwixt a jubilee and any other plenary indulgence?

A. A jubilee is more solemn, and accompanied with certain privileges, not usually granted upon other occasions, with regard to the being absolved by any approved confessor from all excommunications and other reserved cases, and having vows exchanged into the perfoi;^mance of other works of piety. To which we may add, that as a jubilee is extended to the whole Church, which at that time joins as it were in a body in offering a holy violence to heaven by prayers and penitential works; and as the cause for granting an indulgence at such times is usually more evident, and more or greater works of piety are prescribed for the obtaining it, the indulgence of consequence is likely to be much more certain and secure.

Q. What are the fruits which usually are seen amongst Catholics at the time of a jubilee?

A. As at that time the Church most pressingly invites all sinn-ers to return to God with their whole hearts, and encourages them by setting open her spiritual treasure in their favour, so the most usual effects of a jubilee are the conversions of great numbers of sinners, and the multiplying of all sorts of good works amongst the faithful. So far it is from being true, that indulgences are an encouragement to sin, or an occasion of a neglect ef good works, as our.adversaries unjustly object.