it himself, towards the incestuous Corinthian, and recommended to the pastors of that church to do the same.
Indulgences are divided into Plenary and Partial.
A Plenary Indulgence remits all the temporal punishment due to sin, in such a manner, that, whoever gains it entirely, and receives the perfect application of it, becomes as pure before God as if he were just regenerated in Jesus Christ by the waters of baptism. Therefore, were we to die immediately after gaining the full benefit of a Plenary Indulgence, we would go immediately to heaven. But it is impossible to know if we have received the full benefit of any Indulgence; because the benefit we receive from Indulgences is proportionate to the perfection of our dispositions, and to the piety with which we have performed the works prescribed.
A Jubilee differs from a Plenary Indulgence, only inasmuch as it is accompanied with more privileges and more solemnity: every Pastor, in time of the Jubilee, has power to take off all excommunications, to absolve in all reserved cases, and to commute simple vows into other works of piety. The benefit of it extends to all the faithful, who, in a body, offer a holy violence to heaven by prayers and good works. The term between one Jubilee and another, is now fixed to twenty-five years, by Paul II and Sixtus IV, that, as the frailty of man to sin is very great, and man's life seems to shorten, every one, if possible, might enjoy this benefit. Upon extraordinary occasions, Jubilees are also sometimes published.
A Partial Indulgence remits only a part of the temporal pain due to sin.
In granting Indulgences of a determinate number of days, of weeks, or of years, the Pope does not pretend to abridge the sufferings of purgatory for such a length of time. His intention is to remit as much of the pain due to sin, as would have been remitted by the Canonical penance faithfully performed during a corresponding number of days, weeks or years: but the extent of this remission can never be known.
Perhaps Indulgences of many years, even reiterated and multiplied efforts to gain Plenary Indulgences, will not deliver us from all the pain due to our sins. We know, however, that Indulgences afford us a certain means of hastening our entrance into heaven; and this alone should induce us to do out very bast, to gain all we possibly can.
