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In the next Century the Council of Trent Eftablished it yet further. The Words of the 19th Article of the Trent Greed are, "I do Stedfaftly Believe that there is a Pur

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gatory, and that the Souls therein detained are help'd by "the Prayers of the Faithful".

The third Canon of the Council of Trent, Anathematizes all those who fay, the Sacrifice of the Mafs profits only him that takes it, and that it ought not to be offered for the Satisfaction of the Sins of the living & the deadBellarmine indeed tells us, That this Doctrine must be understood only of Venial Sins, and not such as are Mortal, for the latter he grants fend Men to Hell directly.

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One great Point yet remain'd; and that was to make this wonderful Power of delivering Souls out of Purgatory, a Prerogative or Peculiar to the See of Rome, and fix it in the Pope, that so the Profits might all centre with Him. Thereupon the Canonifts and great Doctors of that Church declare," That Bishops and other Inferiour Priests cannot "apply Indulgences to the Dead; it belongs only to the "Pope ". Among others Fohannes Angelus affirms, "The Souls in Purgatory are under the Popes Jurifdiction

Father Alexander, in his 5th Tome, Title Indulgences, fays, Non Vivis Solum fed etiam defunctis profunt Indulgentia e SUMMO PONTIFICE, pro illorum levamine conceffa illifque speciatim applicatæ.

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Thus the Romish Church, at length Established the Doctrine of Purgatory in all the feveral Articles of it. Having done this; The next thing was to fet up a Trade upon this Foundation, and to make Merchandize of it, for that was the Main thing defigned all along., Here-upon the Bishops, Priefts and Religious of all Orders, were set to work, to draw in the Superftitious People to Purchase these Maffes,Prayers,&c. at fuch Rates,as they were pleafed to fet upon them, in order to redeem the Souls of their Ancestors, Children, and other Friends, out of Purgatory. This work was foon accomplished, and the great Point. quickly gained, thro' the Craft and Delusion of the Popes Agents for the World in thofe Ages, as 'twas Prophecied, Wondered after the Beast, and being given up,Sacro-fanita Dei Ira, to ftrong Delufions, they believed Lies. The Merchants and Chapmen of Rome, like Locafts Swarmed all over the Chriftian World, and with the greateft Impudence, tho' under the Cloak of Piety and Compassion to Souls, bartered away thefe Commodities, for that which was much better, Money, Lands, or any thing else of value they could get.

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This wretched Trade was carried on with fo much Fraud and Wickedness, for fo many Ages, that 'tis impoffible, as Bilhop Burnet observes, to read the Account of it, without both Amazement & Indignation. And yet out of this very Eater at length there came forth Meat; for the Infamous Sale of Indulgences from Pope Leo the X in Saxony, was

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the very thing, which first disgufted LUTHER against the Church of Rome, and happily engaged him in the GLO RIOUS REFORMATION.

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Our English Hiftories and Law-Books farnith us with very Authentick Proofs and Inftances of the indefatigable Pains, infatiable Avarice, and vile Frauds of thefe Purga·tory Merchants. How they would Sollicit, and even fometimes Force Men and Women living or dying to devote or give away fuch a part of their Eftates for this Pious ufe of Redeeming Souls out of Purgatory f. This at length as an Ingenious Man obferves, infpired them with that Inhuman Cruelty and Barbarity as made them defire the Death of all Men. This Remark confirms that Latin Verfe quoted by the Famous John Hufs, in one of his Sermons, fpeaking of the Avarice of the Priefs, and the gain they make of Purgatory Maffes,

De Morbo Medicus Gaudet, de Morte Sacerdos.

...Nor were they kinder to one another; for at the Death of Clergymen, the Pope challenged for himself All their Eftates that were raised out of the Revenues of the Church;

+ The Popifo Synod held at Diamper in India, Anno 1599. among other Decrees Enacts, "That all fuch as die worth

left nothing for a certain number of Puro 000: Fanoins, and have

"much taken out of their Eftates before the
to be applied for the ule aforefaid
Synod, fag. 260.

Maffes, fhall have fo Divifion among the Heirs, Dr. Geddes Hiftory of that

fo that a rich Clergyman cou'd no fooner fall Sick, but the Popes Collectors were gaping about him for his Goods, and fet Guards prefently about his House: That by this, Bishops have been Deserted upon their Death Beds, and Famifhed for want of Meat to Eat *

The first thing these Spiritual Factors laid their hands on for Returns to Rome, was the Money and Moveable Treafure of the Nation; but they could not ftop here, they had their Eye upon the Solid Eftate of the Kingdom, in order to make a Land Bank of thefe new Bills: This alfo

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to the fhame of our Ancestors be it fpoken) was foon effected, and a great part of the Terre of England, beftowed upon Religious Houfes, or for fome Pious use, as it was called, upon no other Confideration, than a certain Number of thefe Indulgences for the Redemption of Souls out of Purgatory. This, Bishop Burnet in his Expofition of the Articles of the Church of England No. 22, fays, was exprefs'd in the very Deeds of theLand: And he further obferves, that thefe Endowments thro' the Profuseness the World was then wrought up to by the Subtilty and vile Practices of the Romish Clergy, increafed to fo vaft a Degree; that if the Parliament of England had not by feveral Statutes of Mortmain restrained this crying Abuse, very Constitution of the Nation might in time have been fubverted, and the Temporalties wholly fubjected to the Spirituality, and in time the People have been all

the

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* །

Peter de Moulin in his Treatife of Papal Ufurpations, Book. 4.

Tenants

Tenants or Farmers to the Clergy. For which Reafon he ✯ clear in the point; That the States and Princes of Chriftendom were at full Liberty upon the Discovery of thefe Impoftures, to void all the Endowments that had followed upon them, and either to apply them to better Ufes, or to reftore 'em to the Families from which they had been drawn, if that had been practicable, or to convert them to any other Ufe. Thus that Learned Man.

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This Rule was notably put in Practice by our King HENRY the VIIIth, with the Advice and Affiftance of thofe two famous Worthies, THOMAS CROMWELL Earl of Effex, and Arch Bishop CRANMER.

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It must be acknowledged, that thro' the tender Mercy of GOD, when the Day fpring from on high vifited fo many of the Nations at the Reformation, the Riches of this Merchandize we are treating of, in one Hour, as, the Prophetical Phrafe is, came to nought in the Proteftant Countries; fo that no Man, i. e. no wife Man, no good Proteftant would buy of it any more, Rev. xviii. 11. Yet alas! there are Millions that continue, and it is to be feared willingly, to be imposed on and cheated with thefe Wares, even to this Day: for this is an Iniquity that will not be purged from the Romish Church till She dye.

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A Modern Traveller, in a Book Entituled, The Frauds, of Romifb Monks and Priefts, Vol. I. Letter 5. informs

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