The doctrine which relates to absolution and indul gence, must be mentioned in the third place. These two varieties of imposture have been joined together by the ecclesiastical historians, and with sufficient reason ; for the tendency of both was to produce on the minds of men, one great and pernicious effect, namely, that of substituting the pope in t•,e room of Almighty God, and eshionshing our title to the happiness of heaven, ithout the cultivation of personal virtue. While such doctrines and practices degrade the understanding, by i subjecting it to the opinion and the authority of an n dividu.u, they relax at the same time the ties of all mor..i obligation. The pvw.r of absolution is one of those numerous consequences which result from what is technically called "the possession of the keys." We trust we need not repeat the arguments by which the Catholics attempt to support the exercise of this power. The extraordinary gifts which were conferred upon St Peter, were trac,smitted, (as they affirm,) to his succes sor the pope. And to Peter it is distinctly said, " I give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and what soever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be hound in hea ven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." It is more proper to observe, that the power of absolution was exercised in all its pre sumptuous and blasphemous extent, during the period of the crusades. In the' course of these expeditions, few sins were left unpardoned. Simply to enrol the name in the lists of the sanctified soldiery, was held sufficient to secure the high blessing of unlimited for giveness. The gates of paradise were opened wide to receive the consecrated battalions. The warriors of the cross were washed and cleansed by one deed of the pope, from all their iniquities. And in the thick dark ness of the age, there were few who were able to search into the foundations of the papal authority, and few who were willing to expose its absurdity, even if they had had the penetration to detect it. Some planet Seems to have struck the nations, or some fatality to have depressed the faculties of the human mind.
Indulgencies, though producing nearly the same ef fects with absolution, may be considered as somewhat different in their description and history. And they are deserving of more particular notice, as it was the indiscreet use of indulgences that provoked the oppo sition of Luther, and gave rise to the reformation in Germany.
The doctrine respectirig this branch of the papal im posture, seems to be merely an extension of that which relates to penances. It was universally admitted, that it belongs to the church, upon sufficient considerations, to relax the sevetity of her discipline, to shorten the period of probation, and to lessen the number of peni tentiary inflictions. And it was granted likewise, that the church is the only judge of those considerations which she may hold to be sufficient. To allow there fore certain sins to be committed, without subjecting the individual to the usual penances, was supposed to be within the legitimate Lange and just exercise of the ecclesiastical power ; and when the permission was signaled in writing, the document alone, or the fact and the document taken together, constituted what, in the primary acceptation of the term, was called an in dulgence. But the matter did not remain long in this situation. An additional import was given to the word; the practice was extended; and the remission of pe nances prepared the Way for the remission of sins. If
the individual was freed from all penitentiary inflictions, in tee former case, in the latter he was exempted from all punishment whatever; and if the indulgence was plenary, he might transgress with every sta tute in the decalogue, and every ordinance of the church. To this favoured individual, purgatory, and even hell itself, were divested of their terrors; in the prospect of the last judgment, he was already acquitted. Nor were arguments wanting to support the doctrine and the practice which we have thus cursorily described. Indulgences were purchased; the error was lucrative, and a lucrative error never fails to find its champions in the schools, ready to arm themselves, and to sally forth in its defence. "There actually exists," says St Thomas, " an immense treasure of merit, composed of the pious deeds and virtuous actions which the saints have performed, beyond what is necessary for their own salvation, and which are therefore applicable to the benefit of others; the guardian and dispenser of this precious treasure is the Roman pontiff; and of conse quence he is empowered to assign to such as he thinks proper, a portion of this inexhaustible source of merit,' suitable to their respective guilt, and sufficient to deli ver them from the punishment clue to their crimes." From the tumult of the crusades, the blasphemous im piety of the absolution, and the corruption of morals ari sing from indulgences, let us turn for a moment to the abodes of literature, and the retreats of philosophy. Here, perhaps, we may find something to rest upon with satisfaction ; sonie light, however scanty, to diver sify the scene ; some straggling ray to prove to us that the darkness may yet be broken and dispelled. We must own, however, that we are far from being relieved or gratified by the change. The literature of the middle ages is occupied chiefly with the miracles of the saints; and the combats of the crusaders are surpassed in every thing, except the shedding of human blood, by the war fare of the schools. The Nominalists gave keen battle to the Realists, and the Realists, no less valorous than they, maintained the conflict. John the Sophist and the famous Roscelin led on the bands of the former, while the latter marched under the banner of Thomas Aqui nas, and of Albert the Great. The doctors, subtle, irrefragable, seraphic, and angelic, all mingled in the fray, and augmented the noise by very large accessions. The great question among these fierce disputers was, whether the universals were things actually existing in nature, or whether they were merely words, that is, things existing only by designation. We trust our rea ders will see that this question was much more easily proposed than answered. In point of fact it proved to be so ; but on that very account, it formed the better subject of discussion. Argument was held upon it after argument, and syllogism tried after syllogism ; objec tions were made and rejoinders tendered, divisions took place, and deadly feuds were established. The learned every where engaged in the dispute, and all Europe rung again with the momentous controversy. Books were published; numerous and heavy comments were written, and annotations upon comments. Nor do we believe that this abstruse and subtle question is deter mined even at the present day. Our latest philosop:iers range themselves on opposite sides ; Dr Reid embracing the opinion of the Realists, and Dr Berkeley and Pro fessor Stewart attaching themselves to that of their more popular antagonists.