A modest enquiry into the mystery of iniquity by H. More.

CHAP. XVI.

1. A new Scene of Diabolical outrages done to the innocent Flock of Christ. 2. That they are all to be imputed to this Antichristian Synagogue, though not particularly appointed by them. 3. A description of an Infernal Tribunal coloured over with the specious Title of The Holy Inquisition. 4. The Demeanour of these Infernal Judges to the accu∣sed. 5. The salvage usage of the sentenced party by the grim Executio∣ner. 6. A new addition to the former Torture. 7. The Torment of the hollow Trough, 8. And pan of Charcoal. 9. That this exem∣plary Cruelty in these Spiritual Judges influencing all the Instruments and Adherents to their Church makes her guilty of all the Military outrages also.

1. BUT I am weary of figuring out such sad and Tragical scenes of things; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the modes of villainie are infinite. There seems nothing more detestable then that cruelty of Canniballs that eat mans flesh.

But how far short would it fall thereof, if we should suppose that the Instruments and Adherents to this Antichristian power did riot it with the Brains of men, and set upon the table the Dugs of women fried like Tripes; whom they first ravish, and then cut off their breasts with some parcel of those parts which modesty will hardly name?

What should we think of stabbing a man on the soles of his feet and at his eares, cutting off his genital parts, frying the wound with the flame of a Candle, for his greater torment, and for stopping the bloud? What of the tearing his nails off with hot pincers, to make him re∣nounce his Religion, and to reconcile him to this Pseudo-Christian Synagogue? What of spitting naked women through their pudenda,

and so carrying them for some space on their shoulders on long poles? What of stripping off the skin of a mans arme and legs in long slices like leathern points, leaving him to starve in this sad condition in prison? What of dragging by the feet at the tail of a Mule through the Streets, the body beating against the Stones, and the people flinging Brick-bats at him as he passes by their doors? What of cramming Gun-powder into the mouths and throats of men, and then setting it on fire to tear their heads in fitters? And what lastly of this beastly and barbarous Cruelty, to pull the eyes of a man out, and to cut off his yard, and thrust it into his mouth, and to expose him thus mangled unto the view of the people two or three days together, and in conclusion to flay him a∣live, and hang the quarters of his skin at the chief windows in the Town?

Could there be any thing more damnably Antichristian then such outrages as these against the Innocent Lambs of Christ, whom this false and Imperious Church disguizes with the odious name of Hereticks? concerning whom they instruct their bloudy Instruments, that they are not worthy to live, nor to die an easy death, nor to have Christian burial; but that their naked bodies are to be exposed to the rage and hunger of greedy swine and dogs.

2. And truly, though these Cruelties, all of them which are here de∣scribed, are not supposed to be appointed particularly by the Ghostly Fa∣thers of this grand Hypocritical Synagogue: yet their Instruments, Agents and Adherents being informed by them that all that are not of this Church are Hereticks, and that all Hereticks are worse then Dogs, and to be used worse if we have a mind to it, nay that it is meritorious to abuse them thus, and that their tormenting them in this manner, and killing of them with this barbarity, will free themselves from the fire and torments of Purgatory; it is plain that all this Antichristian salvage∣ness and cruelty is to be laid at the door of these Ghostly Fathers them∣selves. Which will be still more manifestly their due, if they be supposed to have influence upon the other, not onely by their Antichristian Doctrine, but by the Authentickness of their Example.

3. As if, for example, we should frame some such supposition as this, That there were a Court of Judicature set up, for the enquiring after and examining all suspected of Heresy, for the punishing them accor∣dingly when they are discovered; and that some Holy persons of this Church should be Judges in this Sacred Consistory, this Holy Inquisition; but their proceedings for point of Cruelty and Injustice not inferiour to any thing we have yet named: would not this be a sign or watch-word, as it were, to all the Adherents to this Devilish Religion to use the ene∣mies of it as cruelly as opportunity will permit, or the natural bitterness of their own spirits suggest?

Let us imagine therefore a Tribunal, though not so just, yet more severe (or rather more cruel) then that of those Judges of Hell, Minos and Rhadamanthus, and, that it may be more like theirs, to be in some subterraneous room, (that the cries and groans of the tormented may not pierce the ears of the people) where all things are transacted in that more

impure light and stench of Links and Torches, held by Assistants and Officers as grim of aspect as the infernal Furies; and that the proceedings of this Court are infinitely more unrighteous then those of Hell, these Holy Judges having unlimited power, any vile person being admitted for a witness against the suspected, and they making no matter whether the accusation be by word of mouth or by tickets cast in before this Sacred Consistory; for without any personal appearance or confronting one another the process is to be framed, without party, without witness, and without other Law then the pleasure of these Spiritual Judges or Infer∣nal Spirits.

4. Now when the suspected or accused have descended into these shades of Death, we will suppose these subterraneous Judges to begin with some terrifying Premonitions and Comminations, mingling some Hypocritical Exhortations and Protestations, as if they would wash their hands clean, as Pilate of old, of the innocent bloud they are about to spill.

But if the party will not accuse himself by the terrour of these threats, that they may notwithstanding take away his life in such a torturous way as they think fit for Hereticks, (yea though he should freely confess that which they will call Heresy, yet if he will not betray all of the same opinion that he either knows or suspects) he is presently sentenced to undergoe such Agonies and Trials as these men of Cruelty shall please to adjudge him to.

5.

Wherefore there is ready at hand the grim Executioner in a black disguise so horrid as makes him look more like a Devil then a man; who seizing upon the sentenced parties, be they men or women, married or virgins, of mean rank or of noble quality, first strips them naked, to satisfy the lustfull eyes of these Holy Leachers: which to the modest Maids and grave Matrons must be a torment worse then Death it self. After this he binds their hands eight or ten times about with Cords; these cruel and lustfull Villains on the Bench com∣manding him to bind one round harder then another, and then with a smaller line their thumbs, and then to fasten the parties hands and thumbs to a pulley that hangs on a gibbet. After this to hang weights of Iron or Lead at their feet, at first, suppose, about five pound, and to twitch them up by the rope till their Head touches the pulley. In which pitifull posture they are called to and bawled at by these salvage Judges to confess what they would have them. And thus they hang in this exquisite torture a good space of time.

And if the party will confess nothing, nor betray his friends, the true professours of the Gospel and faithfull Servants of Jesus, they let him down indeed, but to hoise him up again with a double weight of Iron at his feet; the salvage Judges commanding the hangman to let the rope goe up and down with many short checks or stops, that the weight of the Iron may rend every joynt of his body one from another. Which intolerable pain if it cause the party to shreek and cry out, (as it must needs) these grim Benchers shall drown the noise with roaring and railing at him, and calling him Dog and Heretick for so obstinately

(that is, so faithfully) refusing to betray himself and his friends.

Which if he persist in, they will let him down again, and adde still more weight to his heels, and an higher torment to his whole body; putting this poor member of Christ to these unsupportable tortures for at least two or three hours together; and, it may be, as they shall think fit, some three days after, when his joints are most sore, bring him to suffer the same extremities of torment again, nay repeat it at great distances, if life will endure it, five or six times over.

6. And this I think were a Cruelty little inferiour to any we have hitherto intimated in all our barbarous Suppositions. But let us adde ano∣ther Scene somewhat different;

The stripping them as before, but then the binding of their hands behind them, and hanging them at the pulley, together with the girding of their thighs so hard, as also their legs, with strong cords, and forcing the strings, by plugs of wood thrust betwixt, so deep into the flesh, that they reach near the very bone: In which into∣lerable Torment they will keep them two or three hours together.

7.

Or else, which is more cruel, if it be possible, to gird both thighs, legs and armes with strong small cords, as before, so hard that they sink out of sight into the flesh to the bone; but withall to lay the party along with his face upwards on a great hollow Trough having a cross bar in the midst, with his back resting on that bar, to his unspeakable disease∣ment; spreading over his mouth and nostrils a fine Lawn, upon which they pouring out water in a small, but high-falling, stream, drive the Lawn into his mouth and down the furthest part of his throat: which can put him in no less agonie then they are that are fetching their last gasp. And what violence is done to him by that softer Engine, I mean the fine Linen when it is twitched out of his mouth, the bloud and water that comes with it doth copiously witness; one would think it brought up the very Entralls with it out of the body.

8. And lastly, to make an end, That that Element that is most mer∣ciless may not seem to be forgotten by these wicked Engineers of Cruelty, it were easy to imagine, that they may make use of great Chark-coal-pans

of Iron full of hot coals, forcing the Captives feet as near as they please, and basting them with Lard, to make the pain of scalding more exquisite.

Which torture can be little less then the roasting men alive at the fire.

9. Certainly if the Religious Orders of a Church in a form of Justice, and upon pretence of Piety and Zeal against Hereticks, can commit these astonishing outrages and acts of Barbarism against the faithfull Followers of Christ; how can their example fail of being a School of universal Cruelty for their Adherents against all such whom they shall look upon as Hereticks? and they are taught all are so that are not of their Church. And therefore the guilt of all these Tragical cruelties which are done upon the true Members of Christ, though not immediately by the Ecclesiasticks themselves, but by military men, whose Instructers and Examples they are, is most righteously laid upon this bloudy Prophet-murthering Syna∣gogue herself, this cruel and imperious Harlot drunk with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus; as well she may,

upon such Principles as I have supposed her to be of, and rage even to im∣mense Massacres, which may exhaust thousands, yea an hundred thou∣sand at a draught.