Jesus every knee shall bow, not only in heaven and in earth, so is it also with those under the earth-the dead in Christ in the hidden place of their abode. The latter will all adore Him as their Redeemer, for it is only because of His most precious bloodshedding that their purification surely continues, and is being duly completed. For the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. When, therefore, St. Paul speaks of the work which has been commenced in the baptized being continued and carried on to the day of Christ, it is evident that its progress is not in the smallest degree stayed by death, but advances in due course after death, until "the great day of the Lord," which is, as we know, the day of the general judgment. So that it is impossible to avoid the inevitable conclusion that the work of cleansing and preparation continues, and is completed after the separation of soul and body. And this, of course, is in perfect accordance with the teaching of our Blessed Saviour Himself. "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man," He declared, "it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to

come."*

And again, referring to the interval between death and judgment, our Lord spoke of a prison-house, whence men should not be released until of the debt due they had paid the uttermost farthing. In the life beyond the grave, therefore, it is clear that there is progress and retrogression, forgiveness of past transgressions and its opposite. Surely numbers of ordinary Christians enter upon that life in a state which sorely needs pardon, cleansing, and due preparation for an eventual entry into heaven. For perfect remission of sins, and the blotting out of all their stains and consequences, involves a complete purification by God's favour, in God's time, and in God's mode.

Do the formal statements of the Council of Trent -taken literally, and independent of modern gloss, and the fantasies of fervent fanatics-involve or imply more than this? A ready negative will be the fair and faithful answer of not a few.

St. Matthew xii. 32.

+ St. Matthew xviii. 23-35.

CHAPTER X.

THE PRACTICE OF PRAYING FOR THE DEPARTED OBSCURED

IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

ANY of God's most precious and valuable gifts,

MANY

whether temporal or spiritual, are not only liable to abuse, but are abused. Memory, free will, understanding, food, raiment, drink, the gift of speech, freedom, authority, power-each in its turn comes under this category. And so it is with divine graces and donations bestowed in the Church. All the baptized do not use these aright and duly. Some men grievously abuse them. And what men do, as individuals, that same corporations of men sometimes effect. Both history and experience have taught us as much, melancholy as it is to contemplate the lesson.

Now it is asserted, and commonly believed, that no practical evil existing in the Western Church during the latter part of the fifteenth and the early part of

the sixteenth centuries, had greater influence in bringing about the irreligious divisions and separations which were effected later, and exist still, than the sale of indulgences.

John Tetzel, a Dominican monk, the son of a goldsmith at Leipsic, was appointed by Albert, Archbishop of Mentz, to farm the most liberal indulgences, which his Grace had been commissioned by Pope Leo X. to dispense and dispose of; and he did his work well. It was an unclerical office, but profitable; and the successful working of it would, from a temporal point of view, eminently benefit both Archbishop and Pope. Tetzel claimed to possess the power to absolve, not only from ecclesiastical censures, but likewise from all sins, enormities, and transgressions, however terrible in their character and numerous; and even from those of which the Pope alone-as was commonly taught could take cognizance. He declared that by virtue of his, office and delegated privileges he had full and absolute power to release from all the punishments of purgatory; altogether independent of the parish clergy, he gave permission to frequent the sacraments; he promised, in the Pope's name, to those who were liberal in the purchase of his indulgences, that the gates of hell should be for ever

closed against them, and that the doors of everlasting happiness should be infallibly opened at their decease. His mission for a while was a success. But, opposed by Luther and others, in due course its very success brought disaster and schism upon the whole Western Church. A small spark kindled a great fire. This is not the occasion to trace a great result from a comparatively trifling cause; but as the result was most sensibly experienced in the Church of England as well as elsewhere, the immediate cause may not improperly be here put on record.

In our own country, from the early part of the fourteenth century, the same kind of indiscreet traffic had been openly and largely carried on, mainly by the spiritual sons of St. Dominick. Sometimes the interests of one religious order were cleverly played off against those of another. When the Dominicans lost favour at Rome, for any cause, reasonable or unreasonable, the Augustinians were appointed to carry on the work. When these latter failed or faltered in doing it efficiently, the religious of the white scapular were ready to supplant them. So that the indulgences were duly and regularly disposed of, and the Pontifical exchequer replenished, it was no great matter who were the actual instruments of their