Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1842-04-05

the court of Rome ITSELF he was dissuaded from it
by Cardinal Francis Soderini, Bishop of Preneste
who, among other reasons used the following -
That there was no hope ofconfounding or Destroy
ing the Lutherans by reformation of the court of
Rome That on the contrary, it was the true
way to give them more credit for, if the people,
who always judge by the event, were to see a re-
formation begun, they would suppose that, since
there had been good cause to oppose some abuses
there was room for believing the other novelties
proposed by Luther were well foundedi--that in
reading the history of past ages, it may be seen
that the heretics, who had rebelled against the au
thority ofthe church of Rome had always founded
their arguments upon the corrupt manners of the
papal court. Still, however, the popes had never
drought it would be of any use TO INTRODUCED a re
FORM but had satisfied themselves, after having
employed exhortatons and remonstrances with
engaging princes to protect the church;-that her.
estes had never been put an end to by reformation,
but by crusades and by exciting sovereigns and
nations to extirpate them. That it was by those
means that pope Innocent III. had extinguished-
that of the Albigenses in Languedoc; and his sue
cessors had employed no others against the Wal
denses the Picards &c.-that it would be impos-
sible to effect any reform without considerably
ducing the ecclesiastical revenues which were de-
rived from four sources; the one, temporal, namely,
the domains of the State; the three others, spir-
itual namely, indulgences, dispeusations, and the
collation. ofbenefces; and that none of these could
be dried up without occasioning to the holy see a
loss of a fourth Of its revenues" The above is
extracted from Catholic writer of great authority
Mr.. Cunningham then gives an extract from
the Tax of the apostolic Chancery containing the
expenses of committing certain sins
| "The Tax of the Apostolic Chancery," in
which the price of Absolution for every vice that
the pope professed to pardon, was fixed will
not poliute your pages by many extracts, but men,
ton two or three things to show your readers in
what estimation Papists held the privilege ofcom
hitting certain crimes, and how the crimes them
selves were estimated for layman numbering
layman, a sum equal to about Is Cd for him
who l1lleth his father or mother, wife or sister,
los 3D.: for laying violent hands on a clergyman,
so it be not to the effusion of blood, los. 3D. -
Thus, it seems, to strike a clergyman, though it
did not break his skin, was as great crime as
killing ones own parents. For a priest to marry
was crime for which no sum could atone |; at
least find nothing for this in the list but for a
priest to keep concubine was only los. cd. For
license to eat flesh in Lent, los Cd for a queen
to adopt child, 3OoJ This book has been often
printed both in popish and Protestant countries
and the Protestant princes inserted it among the
causes oftheir rejecting the council of Trent
When Papists saw what use the Protestans made
of it. they put it into the list of prohibited books
upon the pretence of its having been corrupted by
the Protestants
Claude ID Espence, Partisan divine of great
note in the Romish church in the 10th century,
bears the following testimony to this dreadful a.
buse; Provided money can be extorted, every
thing prohibited is permitted. There is almost
nothing forbidden that is not dispensed with for
money; so that Horace said of his age, the great
est crime that person can commit is to be poor
Shameful to relate they give permission to priests
to have concubmes, and to live with their harlots
who have children by them, upon paying an an
nual tribute And, in some places they oblge
priests to pay this tax, saying, that they may keep
a concubine ifthey please. From this book one
may learn more cnormities and crimes, than from
all books of the Summlsts. And of these crimes
there are some which persons may have the liber-
ty to commit for money, while dissolution from all
of them, after they have been committed, may be
bought l refrain from repeating the words
which are enough to strike one with horror"
"Popo Leo X, having, in thoyear 1917, publish
ed sale of plenury indulgences made grant Of
the revenue to arise therefrom, within the electo-
rate of Saxony to his sister Magdalen married to
Cibo, natural son of Pope Innocent VIII, who,
in consequence ofthat marriage, had made Leo a
cardinal at fourteen years of age, Magdalen,
anxious 10 make her brothers gift as profitable as
possible, appointed Aremboldi, then layman, but
subsequently created archbishop of Milan, to man
age the business for her, who intrusted the collec
ton ofthe indulgences to the highest bidders
These collectors, says Fra. Paoli Sarpi, the Cath
olic historian already quoted, caused much scandal
By their immoral hres, and debaucheries; spen-
ding IN tarernS and eIsephers, IN gaming, and
other things not fit to be mentioned qphGt the pe0