"not openly and publicly printed and sold, in “this place (Paris) at this day, as in former times,

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a Book, entitled Taxa Cameræ seu Cancel"lariæ Apostolicæ,' in which you may learn more of crimes, than in all the summists and "summaries of all the vices that can be named; "and in which there is set forth to very many even "a license, but to all, who will pay for it, an absolution."

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"It is wonderful," he presently continues, "that at this time, and during the existence of "the present Schism, (it was written soon after the Reformation,) this Index, as it were, to so

many, so foul, so horrible wickednesses has "not been suppressed--a thing so infamous

that I do not think in Germany, in Switzer"land, or any country else that has separated "from the Roman See, any work can be pub

licly exposed to sale, more full of scandal to

the Church, than this. And yet so far is it from being suppressed by the friends of the Ro

Apostolicæ negotiationem nundinationemque, quasi quoddam Augea Stabulum tandem repurget.

It further appears from Espencæus, that this abuse was of long standing; for he says, that an officer of Innocent VIII. who lived in the preceding century, modò Cameram Apostolicam pecuniarum Matrem appellat, modò venalia Romæ omnia agnoscit.

"man Church, that licenses and impunities for the "commission of such enormous crimes are in a great measure renewed and confirmed in the "faculties of the Legates who come hither from Rome."

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I have cited this passage at a length which may be tedious, but I have done so in order to prove beyond contradiction the existence of this great abuse; an abuse so far beyond all ordinary bounds of credibility, that any contradiction of it, on whatever authority, is received with a ready belief. Even your inaccuracy, and Dr. Milner's oft convicted insincerity, might still leave you credit for your assertion, that this "Taxa Cameræ Apostolicæ," was no more than "a rate of fees for the document of "absolution, which in certain great cases could "be obtained from the Pope only, and in order "to defray the expenses attending the appli"cation; and for Dr. Milner's, † that "in

case there ever was the least real ground"work for this vile book, which I cannot find "that there was, the money paid into the

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Papal Chancery could be nothing else but the "fees of office on restoring certain culprits to

*Book of the Roman-Catholic Church, p. 111.

† End of Controversy, p. 293. note.

"the civil privileges which they had forfeited by "their crimes." But the testimony of Espencæus has stripped both you and him of these vain pleas, and has exposed this foul particular of your Church's corruption in all its deformity.

Before I conclude this letter, I suppose I must say something to the point, which you and Dr. Milner display so much eagerness to press against the Church of England, I mean, that she, too," grants Indulgences" in certain cases. I shall dispose of this matter in a single sentence. The Church of England has, in many instances, permitted the commutation of certain Ecclesiastical Punishments into another form of Punishment, pecuniary fines, which fines are to be employed (according to the authority cited by Dr. Milner himself) for the relief of the poor, or other pious uses: whether this be wise or unwise, is, in my present argument, a matter of perfect indifference; I will only say, that as soon as the Church of Rome shall reduce her own doctrine and practice on the article of Indulgences to the same point, she shall hear no more reproaches from us on this head.

LETTER IX.

Confession and Absolution in the Church of Rome.Statement of Doctrine and Practice of the Church of England on those points.

WE are now come to a part of our subject, on which I feel it difficult to write, without expressing more warmth of indignation against the doctrine of your Church, than it would perhaps, in addressing you, become me to exhibit. I abstain, therefore, and shall content myself with simply stating, in the first instance, what that doctrine is. But in order to do this satisfactorily, it is necessary that I should say something for the information of my Protestant readers of the supposed sacrament, to which Confession and Absolution belong.

It is, then, the doctrine of the Church of Rome, that mortal Sins, committed after Baptism, are remitted only in the sacrament of penance and of this sacrament the form, that which constitutes it a sacrament, is the speech of the Priest, Ego te absolvo, &c.: that the matter of

it, or rather, as the Council of Trent* expresses it, the quasi matter, are the acts of the penitent himself, namely contrition, confession to the Priest, and satisfaction. Of these acts, Contrition is the inward grief and detestation on "account of Sin committed, with a purpose of "not sinning in future.' It is sometimes made perfect with love, and reconciles the sinner to God, before recourse has actually been had to the sacrament of penance; but then the reconciliation is not to be ascribed to contrition, without the wish and purpose of having recourse to the sacrament, which wish and purpose are included in that perfect contrition. But imperfect contrition, or attrition, as it is called, since it commonly arises either from a consideration of the baseness of Sin, or from the fear of Hell and punishment, if it exclude the present will of sinning, and be accompanied with the hope of pardon, is an impulse of the Holy Spirit; and, therefore, though by itself without the Sacrament of Penance, it will not lead the Sinner to justification; yet it disposes him to obtain the grace of God in that sacrament. In short, the Council of Trent has

* Sess. xiv.

† Sine Sacramenti voto. Ibid.