The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

—,SiOOF INDULGENCES.a-days, in travelling by steamer or rail, buys a ticket lorhimself and all the members of his suite.Such companies,one should think, must have had a jovial journey to theother world, seeing, however many the debts of sin whichthey might contract by the way, they were sure of finding allscores clear at the end.Others have had blank indulgencesgiven them, with power to fill in what names they pleased.The holders of such indulgences exercised a patronage of avery uncommon kind. They could appoint their friends anddependents to a place in paradise ;in which, it would seem,there are reserved seats, just as in terrestrial shows, to whichthe holders of the proper tickets are admissible, however latethey may arrive.* There are also defunct indulgences,the comfort of the dead, as well as of the living, having beenstudied. The process in this case is an extremely simpleone. The name of the deceased is entered on the indulgence,and straightway a plenary remission is accorded him, and heis instantly discharged from the torments of the purgatorialfire.f Indulgences have been afiixed also to such things asmedals, scapularies, rosaries, crucifixes. Of this we have anotable instance in the bull of indulgence granted by PopeAdrian VI. to certain beads which he blessed. This bullwas afterwards confirmed by Gregory XIII., Clement :— VIII,Urban VIII., and ran in the following terms " Whosoeverhas one of these beads, and says one Pater Noster andone Ave Maria, shall on any day release three souls out ofpurgatory ; and reciting them twice on a Sunday or holidayshall release six souls. Also reciting five Pater Nosters andfive Ave Marias upon a Friday, to the honour of the fivewounds of Christ, shall gain a pardon of seventy thousandyears, and the remission of all his s^ws."| These are meregleanings. With a little industry one might collect as manyfacts of this sort as would fill volumes.§* Gavin's Master Key to Popery, vol. i. p. 111.+ Pi-actical Evidence against Catholicism, p. 84.t Geddes's Tracts, vol. iv. p. 90.§ Tako a modern instance. It was announced in the public prints that