as often exercised by the Church at the
intercession of those who were condemned to martyrdom, when the penitents
themselves gave strong marks of fervent sorrow, as we learn from the
writings of Tertullian and Cyprian.

The General Council of Nice and other Synods authorize Bishops to
mitigate, or even to remit altogether, public penances, whenever, in their
judgment, the penitent manifested special marks of repentance. Now, in
relaxing the canonical penances, or in substituting for them a milder
satisfaction, the Bishops granted what we call an Indulgence. This
sentence of remission on the part of the Bishops was valid not only in the
sight of the Church, but also in the sight of God. Although the Church
imposes canonical penances no longer, God has never ceased to inflict
temporal punishment for sin. Hence Indulgences continue to be necessary
now, if not as substitute for canonical penances, at least as a mild and
merciful payment of the temporal debt due to God.

An Indulgence is called plenary or partial, according as it remits the
whole or a part of the temporal punishment due to sin. An Indulgence, for
instance, of forty days remits, before God, so much of the temporal
punishment as would have been expiated in the primitive Church by a
canonical penance of forty days.

Although the very name of Indulgence is now so repugnant to our dissenting
brethren, there was a time when the Protestant Church professed to grant
them. In the canons of the Church of England reference is made to
Indulgences, and to the disposition to be made of the money paid for
them.(476)

From what I have said you may judge for yourself what to think of those
who say that an Indulgence is the remission of past sins, or a license to
commit sin granted by the Pope as a spiritual compensation to the faithful
for pecuniary offerings made him. I need not inform you that an Indulgence
is neither the one nor the other. It is not a remission of sin, since no
one can gain an Indulgence until he is already free from sin. It is still
less a license to commit sin; for every Catholic child knows that neither
Priest nor Bishop nor Pope nor even God Himself--with all reverence be it
said--can give license to commit the smallest fault.

But are not Indulgences at variance with the spirit of the Gospel, since
they appear to be a mild and feeble substitute for alms-giving, fasts,
abstinences and other penitential austerities, which Jesus Christ
inculcated a