New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-30

muted for pious works by his gifts. This was
the character Of indulgences In the eleventh
century. Then came the wave Of enthusiasm
that led to the first crusade. The little indul-
gences that did away with part of the penance
were wholly ecipsed by the magnificent prom
Use Of Urban ii, that service in Palestine should
replace all penance for those who had duly con-
fessed their sins
Mr.. Lea is not inclined to credit the Crusaders
with much influence Europe as has some
times been claimed for them. But they GER
| tainly had effect in innumerabe details on
the art, the agriculture, the manufactures, the
| trade. the philosophy and the imaginative
literature Of the West. To this result the
growing traffic In indulgences contributed
AS this traffic became moe and more i'm
portant 1t assumed new characteristics The
Papacy was rising a temporal power, and
the distinction hard to keep always in
view between its needs as a political organism
and its demands the spiritual overseer or
Christendom. With modern theories as to the
faithful Of funds for the explicit purpose
| to which they are contributed. the money paid
for indulgences would doubtless have been APP
propriated to spiritual objects. But dscrimina-
tion not accurate in the days Of the cru
saders. Indulgence secured the building of
| rope. They enriched the churches and shrines
| and the houses of the religious with vast en-
dowments. But they were equally efiicacious
to fill up the Golfers of the Pope when he. as
an Italian prince. desired to add to his DO
minions TO repress the ambition or rival.
They good for putting down heresy, or
for fomentng a war among the great Powers
If a crusade was preached and yet never took
place, the Pope might at least be the gamer
and crusades at the last were often advocated
with no military result. Leo y, for example,
industriously urged an attack on the Turks by
the combined Powers of Chrstendom and sue
ceeded on more than che occasion in patching
up a peace between warning kings, but moth
ing came of it, unless he obtained money for
completing the great works that made Rome
the wonder Of the world.
When this process Of vulgarizing what was
deemed a sacred thing had gone on for centuries
it was no wonder that the merely financial and
political aspects Of the system of indulgences OBJ
scured all the rest The revenue gained in this
way was looked legitimate perquiste, and
the voluntary gifts of the faithful developed into
a tax which they could neglect to pay only at
their own spiritual peril. In Spain for long
time the failure to buy ndugences within fixed
period was held to be proof Of heresy. But the
movement which converted the gifts of a contrite
heart into license upon sin would have been less
rapid II a great calamity had not happened TO the
Papacy. This was the schism toward the close of
the medieval period, the effect of which was to
set up two Popes. one at Avgnon, the other al
Rome. There were now rival applicants for the
allegiance and the contributions Of the faithful.
The needs Of the two pontffs were doubled while
the area from which they could expect an Income
divided. The vigilance with which the Chris
tian world canvassed was, OF course, re-
doubled. and some Of the Popes who were politi
clans first and spiritual rulers second neglected
no promises that could be turned to profit "Boni-
face *" remarks Mr.. Lea. who put up every
thing for sale from archbishoprics to the inferior
offices of the curia. and who sold the same prefer
ment two or three times over when he could
not likely to hesitate to the means by which
the sale of indulgences could be rendered more
productive"