Although prevalent in the centuries before the Restoration, the most obvious fulfillment of this prophecy is the Roman Catholic practice of indulgences. During the 16th and 17th centuries, one could receive forgiveness from sins by paying off the church official. A clever doctrinal foundation was devised to support such a practice:
“…the doctrine gradually grew up that Christ had atoned for the eternal punishment of sin, but not for its temporary punishment. The temporal punishment they divided into that of the present life, and that of the future life or of purgatory. It was held, that every man who would attain salvation must suffer the temporary punishment of his sins, either, in the present world or in the flames of purgatory; and that the confessor to whom a man confessed his sins had the power to adjudge and impose this temporary punishment. The punishment thus imposed consisted of fasting, pilgrimages, flagellation, etc.” (Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History, 6th ed., London 1868, notes from p. 564)
In order to avoid such a severe temporal punishment, one could pay the church in money or property. Of course, this became a great source of income for the church and also a great comfort to the wealthy who quickly learned that forgiveness could be purchased at a price. Also, this became quite convenient, for eventually, accommodations were made such that the individual could pay for their sins in advance of committing them. This, of course, was necessary because, “Jesus, they said, has not removed all the punishments of sin.” (Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History, 6th ed., London 1868, notes from p. 564)
James E. Talmage
"…we find the Church imposing punishment of fine, imprisonment, bodily torture, and even death, as penalties for infraction of church regulations, and, more infamous still, providing for mitigation or annulment of such sentences on payment of money. This led to the shocking practice of selling indulgences or pardons, which custom was afterward carried to the awful extreme of issuing such before the commission of the specific offense, thus literally offering for sale licenses to sin, with assurance of temporal and promise of spiritual immunity.
“…In illustration of the indulgences as sold in Germany in the sixteenth century, we have the record of the doings of John Tetzel, agent of the pope, who traveled about selling forgiveness of sins. Says Milner: ’…The people believed that the moment any person had paid the money for the indulgence he became certain of his salvation: and that the souls for whom the indulgences were bought, were instantly released out of purgatory…John Tetzel boasted that he had saved more souls from hell by his indulgences than St. Peter had converted to Christianity by his preaching. He assured the purchasers of them [that] their crimes, however enormous, would be forgiven…For, remission of sins being fully obtained, what doubt could there be of salvation?’” (The Great Apostasy, pp. 134, 136)