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WILTSHIKE PAKDONS OR INDULGENCES. 

 By Canon Chr. Wordsworth. 



The latin word indulgentia was broadly used by St. Augustine 

 and other theologians in the sense of " forgiveness." Among the 

 imperial jurists it had acquired a narrower technical acceptation, 

 being used by them to express, variously (a) remission of civil 

 punishment due for an offence, (b) immunity from taxes, or (c) 

 amnesty granted by the dispensing power of the Emperor. 



In the Christian Church, even in the early days ere the Empire 

 had recognised or tolerated Christianity, the exercise of dis- 

 cipline by the Church over her own members carried along with it 

 as its natural consequence an authority to unloose, and a charitable 

 readiness to relax the penalty of excommunication, wherever this 

 could be rightly conceded. St. Paul trained the Church in Corinth 

 to realise the Divine quality of mercy, or "goodness," as well as 

 that of "severity." "To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive it 

 also" (I. Cor., v. 13; II Cor., ii., 6—10. cf. Bom., xi., 22.) In 

 course of time, with the Decian persecution, A.D. 250, difficult 

 cases arose, as to the salutary treatment of those who had denied 

 their Christianity when they were tempted to dissemble or renounce 

 it under the stress of persecution ; and subsequently a way 

 of return to communion was sought for them by themselves 

 or by their friends after the storm had passed. Some of 

 the " lapsed " (or libellatici, who had once procured certifi- 

 cates of conformity from heathen authorities in the days of 

 persecution) were willing to undergo penance, where it was in- 

 flicted on them as a condition for their restoration to the Christian 

 fold. On behalf of others it was alleged that certain of their own 

 martyred friends or relatives had with their last breath commended 

 the weaker brother or sister to merciful consideration, and in some 

 cases a note in their handwriting was produced to that effect. Such 

 pleas were duly respected. The next step was for the surviving 



