The holy inquisition wherein is represented what is the religion of the Church of Rome, and how they are dealt with that dissent from it.

CHAP. XII. Of the Condemnation of Hereticks that are to be burnt.

IF a man prosecuted by the Inquisi∣tion, or thus reconciled by it, at∣tempts to flee and be taken, he is a fugitive, by a great mercy they may immure him: but if they smell out any Heretical Pravity in the case, then must he be burnt, he is taken for obstinate or relaps. And so likewise if he lets his tongue loose, and doth tell tales out of the School; if he disobeys the Com∣mands of the Inquisitors; if he again by word or deed declares he hath still some inclination towards Heretical

Pravity; or if, notwithstanding all their pains to instruct him better, he still per∣sists in the profession of what they call Heresie; in all these cases where they judg a man Relaps or Contumace, he never comes out of their Dungeons but to be tied to the Stake.

Nothing is more displeasing to him than the constancy of a true Christian, who heartily makes confession of all the Articles of the Christian Faith, and declares his resolution to die in and for that Catholick & Primitive Faith against the errors and Innovations of the Church of Rome. After they have as much and as long as they could exercised their cru∣elties against him, and end avoured thereby to bring him to an abjuration of his Faith; then if that doth it not, his Wife and Children and nearest Friends are to be sent for, to try whe∣ther they can move him and soften his heart, (as their Directories appoint.) If this also be ineffectual, then he is declared convict, and must die without redemption.

Yet saith Carena and others, Promis∣sio impunitatis Relapso, non tenet judicem qui promisit:

They may tempt him

with promises of life and impunity, to make him discover or renounce, without being obliged to perfor∣mance.

His present life being for∣feited, they may do and say what they will for the benefit of his soul.

But it is a judged case, as Nich. Eime∣ricus proves, that when a man hath persisted so long in his Heresie, he is ne∣ver to be trusted, and that though he would profess himself a Roman Catho∣lick, yet he is to be delivered to the Se∣cular power. And Dell Bene is very express, Nec debet ad poenitentiam ad∣mitti qui convertitur jam prolatura sen∣tentia, &c.

That he that is converted when sentence is ready to be given, must never be admitted to any kind of Penance: and that after his Sen∣tence his fate is yet more irrever∣sible.

They may release him of his Excommunication, but yet he shall burn.

All Relaps and Impenitent Here∣ticks are excommunicated and devoted to damnation before they be delivered up to the Secular power. And after∣wards, when the great day comes, which they call the Act of Faith, and the

People are to see the sport, and to be made sensible how vile and odious He∣reticks are in this world, the Prisoners are brought out into a publick place, commonly into a Cathedral Church. The Penitents bedeckt as I have said before. The Relaps and Impenitents in a more horrid dress, with Devils painted upon them, and blasphemous expressions writ about their head, which the crowd is to think they have said. Their tongue is tied, that they may not say one word, and that by a prudent pro∣vision, lest they should offend the Ears of the by-standers with their impious Blasphe∣mies, as their Doctors have it; Alligata lingua, ne impiis blasphemiis offendat astantes. But we could give another reason for it, that know what we Here∣ticks would be apt to speak in that case.

However in those Countries, it goes down with the ignorant Vulgar, who are taught, above all things, to have the greatest abhorrence and detestation for what their Guides call Heresie, and to believe the worst of things of those that are called Hereticks. So that they that are brought to die find little pity

among the People, and the Inquisitors may lay to their charge what they please, without fear of being disbelie∣ved or disproved. One of the Inquisi∣tors makes a discourse, wherein is sum∣marily rehearsed the Crimes of the Pri∣soners, and the Proceedings of the Holy Tribunal, and that being ended, they are degraded that were Priests, or of any inferior Order, according to the Form in the Pontificale, and then Sen∣tence comes to be pronounced; the condemned Hereticks are delivered up to the Secular Judg; and for a con∣clusion the Inquisitors very bountifully give Indulgences to the good Catholick people who assisted at the solemnity, and then return to their Monastery, to prepare sport for the next Act of Faith.

SECT. I. A Sentence in some Relapses.

—Tanquam Canes ad vomitum re∣deuntes, culpis veteribus novas superad∣dere non verendo, nec divinum juramen∣tum metuendo, & in abjuratam haeresim

relabendo, per hoc se falso & ficte conver∣sos & impoenitentes ac de tam incorrigibili crimine incorrigibiles se ostenderunt ma∣nifeste, necnon omni gratia, misericordia & audientia tanquam Relapsi fecerunt se indignos, ita ut promissis & juramentis suis nulla sit de caetero fides penitus adhi∣benda. Nos praefati Inquisitores N.N. &c. communicato consilio multorum bonorum virorum peritorum tam jure Canonico quam civili, & Religiosorum plurimorum discre∣torum, Deum habentes prae oculis, & or∣thodoxae Fidei puritatem, sacrosanctisque Dei evangeliis positis coram nobis, ut de vultu Dei nostrum prodeat judicium, & oculi nostri videant aequitatem, praedictos N. N. &c. in hac die praesenti ipsis ad audiendum sententiam peremptorie assig∣nata, dicimus & per sententiam in his scriptis declaramus Relapsos esse in Haere∣sim abjuratam, & cum Ecclesia ultra non habeat quod faciat, Relinquimus eosdem N. N. Curiae seculari, candem affectuosè rogantes, prout suadent Canonicae fan∣ctiones, ut illis vitam & membra illibata conservet. Data, &c.

After a Rehearsal of the former Pro∣cess, Reconciliation, and Penance, and the usual formalities, then it follows,

Returning like Dogs to their vomit, without fear of their sacred Oath, or of adding new crimes to the former; falling again into the Heresie they had abjured before, they have made it appear that their conversion was false and feigned, and have declared themselves Impenitents, incorrigible of the most incorrigible crime of Here∣sie, and have rendred themselves un∣worthy of all grace and mercy, and of ever being heard, so that hence∣forth no faith at all can be given to their Oaths and Promises. Wherefore we N. N. Inquisitors, &c. with the counsel and advice of many good men learned in the Law, and of many dis∣creet Friers, having set before our eyes the glory of God, and the puri∣ty of the Orthodox Faith, and having put before us the holy Evangils, that our Sentence may come forth from the presence of God, and our eyes may look on the thing that is equal, do say and declare by this Sentence here written, that the foresaid N. N. (to whom we have peremptorily assigned this day to receive their Sen∣tence) are Relaps into Heresies ab∣jured

by them before; and now the Church having no more what to do to them, we leave the said N. N. to the Secular Court, begging of it affectionately, as we are directed by the Canonical Sanctions, that it would so deal with them, as to preserve them sound life and limb, &c.

This Sentence pronounced, the con∣demned Prisoners are delivered up to the Civil Officers, who for all the hypo∣critical Prayer of the Inquisitors, are obliged to burn them, and without fail ever do it. And if they should not, they would be excommunicated, and prosecuted with the utmost rigour. Del Bene, and all their Doctors prove it even by Papal Constitutions, That the Church hath power to put obstinate Here∣ticks to death. Sed Ecclesia non solet hanc potestatem exequi per ministros eccle∣siasticos, sed per saeculares. Nec debet nec potest Judex saecularis Haeretico dam∣nato poenam remittere, sed omnino debet illi statim inferre, juxta Text, &c. alias ut haereticorum fautor punire potest.

But the Church useth not to execute that power by Ecclesiastical, but by Secu∣lar Officers. And the Secular Judge

neither should nor may remit the pe∣nalty to the condemned Heretick, but is obliged forthwith to inflict it upon him, according to the Texts — of the Canon Law. Else he may be punished as a Favourer of Hereticks.

Nay, they ingeniously bring a Scripture Text why Hereticks should be burned, and that is because our blessed Saviour said, Joh. xv. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is wi∣thered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. And Canonists are very prolix in pro∣ving that Hereticks are to be punished with death, and not only with death, but with fire, which is the most cruel, and not only to be burnt, but to be burnt alive.

Padre Paolo tells us whence proceeds this custom of interceding for the con∣demned Hereticks, when they are going to be burnt. Mean while it may be obser∣ved how much their kindnesses & good words to Hereticks are to be trusted, who constantly pray that they may not lose bloud or life, when they are going to murther them with the greatest bar∣barity.

For as it appears, the Civil Magistrate is but an inferiour Officer, a Hangman to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal; he is ob∣liged to execute the irreversible Sen∣tence; and accordingly when the In∣quisi••ors are pronouncing it, the fires are kindled, and all is in readiness for ex∣ecution, which immediately follows.

Those Religious men and learned in the Law, whose advice is taken (as the Sentence mentions) are some Friers of the same House, who expect to be pro∣moted one day to sit on the Holy Tri∣bunal, and are trained up to it, by be∣ing sometimes Assessors. And some Ca∣nonists that are Consultors of the Holy Office, who by their skill in the Canon and Pontifical Law, are able to in∣form the Inquisitors, how far in any case they are warranted to proceed against Hereticks, suspected or proved.

SECT. II. A form of delivering a stubborn Heretick to the Secular Power.

NOs, &c. attendentes quod tu N. fuisti nobis delatus accusatus — quod tu in illis Haeresibus perstiteras multis annis in tuae animae detrimentum, Nos Inquisi∣tores quibus ex officio incumbebat pravi∣tatem Haereticam extirpare, volentes prout tenebamur, in & super his certius infor∣mari, & videre an ambulares in tenebris an in luce, diligenter inquisivimus de prae∣dictis, teque citantes & efficaciter inter∣rogantes reperimus te praedictum N. in∣fectum Haeretica pravitate, ac eandem de∣fensantem coram nobis animo pertinaci. Sane cum prae cunctis mentis nostrae desi∣derabilibus cordi nostro insidat sidem San∣ctam Catholicam & Apostolicam in Po∣pulorum praecordiis complantare, omni era∣dicata haeretica pravitate, modos diver∣sos, varios, & congruos tam per nos quam per alios adhibuimus, quatenus resilires ab Haeresibus & erroribus antedictis, in quibus steteras atque stabas, prout nunc stas contumaciter ac pertinaciter animo

indurato; Verum cum humani generis inimico tuis praecordiis assistente, teque in dictis erroribus volvente & involvente, nolueris neque velis à saepe dictis Haeresibus resilire, plus eligens mortem animae incur∣rere gehennalem & corporis temporalem quam antefactas Haereses abjurare & ad gremium Ecclesiae advolare & animam lu∣crari, in reprobum sensum datus: ea∣propter cum sis ab Ecclesia sancta Dei ex∣communicationis vinculo innodatus, & merito, imò à grege domini separatus, ac participatione bonorum Ecclesiae privatus, & Ecclesia non habet circa te ultra quod faciat, cum ad te convertendum fecerit juxta posse: Nos, &c. Judices in causa Fidei antedicti, sedentes pro Tribunali more judicum judicantium, Sanctis Evan∣geliis positis coram nobis, ut de vultu Dei judicium nostrum prodeat, & ut oculi pro∣videant aequitatem: habentes prae occulis solum Deum, & sanctae fidei veritatem ac extirpationem Haereticae pravitatis, hac die, hora, & loco, tibi in antea assigna∣tis ad audiendum sententiam definitivam, condemnamus ac sententialiter judicamus te esse veraciter Haereticum impoenitentem, & ut veraciter talem tradendum & relin∣quendum brachio saeculari, & sicut Haere∣ticum

impoenitentem per hanc nostram sen∣tentiam de foro Ecclesiastico te projicimus & tradimus seu relinquimus brachio saecu∣lari, ac potestati curiae saecularis; dictam curiam saecularem efficaciter deprecantes, quod circa te citra sanguinis effusionem & mortis periculum sententiam suam mo∣deretur.

We, &c. considering that thou N. hast been accused before us for, &c. and that thou hadst for many years persisted in those Heresies to the great detriment of thy Soul, we Inquisi∣tors, to whom by our Office it be∣longs to extirpate heretical pravity, willing, as in duty we are bound, to be more certainly informed about the premises, and to know whether thou dost walk in the light or in darkness, have made a diligent inquisition into those matters, and having cited thee, did find by efficacious interrogations that thou the foresaid N. wert in∣fected with Heretical Pravity, which thou didst maintain in our presence with an obstinate mind. And also we desiring above all things, after the eradication of all Heretical pra∣vity, to plant in the hearts of men

the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith, have by our selves and others used, and caused to be used divers various and proper means to bring thee off from those the foresaid Er∣rors and Heresies, wherein thou wert, and still continuest to be with an ob∣stinate, incorrigible, and hardned heart; But now whereas at the in∣stigation of the Devil, who possesseth thy heart, and doth more and more involve and plunge thee into the said errors, thou hast refused, and still dost refuse to depart from the said Heresies, chusing to endure the dam∣nation of thy Soul, and the temporal death of thy Body, being given up to a reprobate mind, rather than to abjure thy Heresies, and save thy Soul by fleeing into the Lap of the Church: for this cause, thou being justly ex∣communicated from the Holy Church of God, separated from the Lords Flock, deprived from the participa∣tion of all Church-advantages, and the Church, after all her endeavours to convert thee, having no more what to do towards thee: We N. N. the foresaid Judges in causes of Faith,

sitting upon a Tribunal as absolute Judges, having laid before us the Ho∣ly Evangils, that our Sentence may come forth from Gods presence, and our eyes may look upon the thing that is equal, having also before our eyes nothing but the glory of God, the truth of the Holy Faith, and the ex∣tirpation of Heretical pravity, and having before appointed thee this day, hour, and place to receive thy final doom, we now by this Sentence judg and condemn thee to be truly an impenitent Heretick, and as truly such to be left and delivered up to the Secular Power: and according as an impenitent Heretick, we by this our Sentence cast thee out of the Ec∣clesiastical Court, and leave and deli∣ver thee up to the power and judica∣ture of the Secular Court; earnestly beseeching the said Court, so to mo∣derate her Sentence towards thee, as that thou mayst lose neither bloud nor life.