As regards indulgences for the living, Tetzel always taught pure
doctrine. The assertion that he put forward indulgences as being not
only a remission of the temporal punishment of sin, but as a remission
of its guilt, is as unfounded as is that other accusation against him,
that he sold the forgiveness of sin for money, without even any mention
of contrition and confession, or that, for payment, he absolved from
sins which might be committed in the future.
His teaching was, in fact, very definite, and quite in harmony with the theology of the Church, as it was then and as it is now, i.e., that indulgences "apply only to the temporal punishment due to sins which have been already repented of and confessed"....
The case was very different with indulgences for the dead. As regards these there is no doubt that Tetzel did, according to what he considered his authoritative instructions, proclaim as Christian doctrine that nothing but an offering of money was required to gain the indulgence for the dead, without there being any question of contrition or confession.
He also taught, in accordance with the opinion then held, that an indulgence could be applied to any given soul with unfailing effect. Starting from this assumption, there is no doubt that his doctrine was virtually that of the drastic proverb:
“As soon as money in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory's fire springs."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgence
His teaching was, in fact, very definite, and quite in harmony with the theology of the Church, as it was then and as it is now, i.e., that indulgences "apply only to the temporal punishment due to sins which have been already repented of and confessed"....
The case was very different with indulgences for the dead. As regards these there is no doubt that Tetzel did, according to what he considered his authoritative instructions, proclaim as Christian doctrine that nothing but an offering of money was required to gain the indulgence for the dead, without there being any question of contrition or confession.
He also taught, in accordance with the opinion then held, that an indulgence could be applied to any given soul with unfailing effect. Starting from this assumption, there is no doubt that his doctrine was virtually that of the drastic proverb:
“As soon as money in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory's fire springs."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgence