Imatges de pàgina
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continues in that posture till every criminal has a mass-book before him.

Then the reader laying aside the trials, reads aloud the confession of faith, having first briefly exhorted the prisoners to repeat it after him with their hearts as well as their mouths; and this being done, each prisoner returned back to his place, and the trials were again read.

I was called in my turn, when I found my impeachment consisted of three heads; The first, for having asserted the invalidity of infant baptism; the second, for having said that images are not to be worshipped, and for having blasphemed a crucifix, by saying, that one of ivory was no more than a piece of ivory; and thirdly, for having spoke with contempt of the inquisition and its ministers; but above all for the blackness of my intentions when I affirmed these several things: In consideration whereof I was declared excommunicate; and for reparation, my goods and chattels were confiscated to the king's use, and myself banished from the Indies, and condemned to row in the Portuguese gallies for five years, and also to fulfil the other penances which should be particularly enjoined me by the inquisition.

Of these punishments, none was so grievous to me as my being forced to leave the Indies, where I had made a resolution of travelling several years longer: However, this reflection was sweetened, when I considered that I was going to be released out of the clutches of the inquisitors. My confession of faith being read, I returned to my place, and made my advantage of the advice my turnkey had given me, not to refuse the bread which was offered me; for as the ceremony lasted the whole day, none of the criminals eat any thing that day but in the

church.

After the trials of those who were pardoned were read, the inquisitor left his seat, in order to put on the albe and the stole; when being accompanied with about twenty priests, each having a switch in his hand, he came into the middle of the church, where, after having said several prayers, we were absolved from the excommunication, which it was pretended we had incurred, by virtue of a stroke on the back, which these priests gave to each of us with the switch.

I cannot forbear relating a circumstance, to show how grosly superstitious the Portuguese are with regard to every thing which relates to the inquisition; which is, that during the procession, and all the time I continued in the church, my godfather would never answer me, though I spoke several times to him, and besought him to give me a pinch of snuff,

which he refused me for fear of being involved in the same censure as myself; but as soon as I was absolved, he embraced me, gave me snuff, and told me he then looked upon me as his brother, since the church had loosed me.

The ceremony being ended, and the inquisitor returned to his seat, the prisoners who were to be burnt were made to advance forward. There were a man, a woman, and the images of four men deceased, with the boxes in which their bones were laid: The man and woman were black Indians, and Christians, accused of magic, and condemned as relapsed; but in reality were no more wizards than those who condemned them.

Of the four images, two represented men convicted of magic, and the other two, two men both new Christians, accused of turning Jews; one whereof died in the inquisition, and the other in his own house, and had been buried many years before in his parish church. However, being accused after his death of embracing the Jewish principles, as he died very rich, the inquisitors had caused his body to be taken out of the grave, in order to burn his bones in the act of faith. Hence it is plain, that the inquisitors, like our Saviour himself, exercise a power over the living and the dead.

The trials of these unhappy persons were read, which all ended in these words: viz. That it not being in the power of the holy office to pardon them, because of their relapsing into their errors or their impenitence, and being indispensibly obliged to punish them to the utmost rigour of the laws, they therefore delivered them over to the flames.

While these last words were pronouncing, a serjeant from the secular power advanced forward, and took possession of these unfortunate persons, who before had been struck gently on the breast by the alcaide, to shew they ware abandoned by the inquisitors. In this manner the act of faith ended, and whilst the condemned criminals were carried to the river side, where the viceroy and his court were assembled, and where the piles on which they were to be burnt, had been prepared the day before; while these things, I say, were doing, we were carried back to prison, but without observing any order as we walked.

Though I did not see them executed, yet as I had a full acount of it from persons who had been present at several of these executions, I shall give a description thereof in few words. When the condemned prisoners are coming to the place where the lay-judges are assembled, they are asked what religion they chuse to profess at leaving the world? But they do not make the least mention of their

trial, which is supposed to have been fair, and that they were justly condemned, the inquisition being looked upon as infallible.

Having answered this only question that is asked them, the executioners lay hold of them, and tie them to stakes; where they are first strangled in case they die Christians; but if they persist in professing Judiasm or Heresy, they are burnt alive; However this happens so rarely, that there is scarce one instance of it in four acts of faith, tho' several persons generally suffer on those occasions. The day after the execution, the pictures of the executed criminals are carried to the church of the Dominicans. Their heads only are to be represented to the life, with firebrands under them, with their names, those of their fathers, and their country, and the crimes for which they suffered, with the day of the month and year of their execution.

In case the criminal had relapsed into his guilt, these words are written under his picture, He was burnt as an heretic relapsed. If he persevered in his error, after having been accused but once, the words Continuing in heresy, are written under his picture; but there are very few of these. In fine, if after having been accused but once, by a sufficient number of witnesses, he persists in asserting his innocence, and dies in professessing the Christian religion, then there is under his picture, He was burnt as an Heretic convict; but did not confess. And of the latter there are great numbers. Now it is certain, that out of an hundred who die as negatives, ninety-nine are not only innocenent of the crime imputed to them, but chuse to die, rather than falsly confess themselves guilty of a crime. For it is not natural

me, which consisted only of bread and figs, the hurry of the day not allowing the officers to get any thing else. I slept however much better this night than I had done for a considerable time before, but the moment day appeared, I was impatient to know my fate. About six, the alcaide bid me give him back the dress I had worn in the prosession, which I willingly returned him; and at the same time offered him the San-benito, but he would not receive it I being to wear it on all sundays and festivals till I had completed my sentence.

About seven, breakfast was brought me, and a little after, I was ordered to pack up my things, and to be in readiness against my being called out. I obeyed this last order with all possible care and dispatch; when about nine, a turnkey opened my door, ordered me take up my bundle upon my shoulders, and to follow him to the great hall, whi ther the greatest part of the prisoners were already come. Having staid some time here, I saw about twenty of my fellow prisoners, who had been sentenced to be whipt the day before, which had just then been executed upon them by the hands of the common hangman, tho' all the streets of the city, Being thus assembled, the inquisitor came in, when we all fell on our knees to receive his blessing, after having kissed the ground he walked upon. Orders were afterwards given to such blacks as had few or no clothes, to carry those of the whites, Such of the prisoners as were not christians, were immediately sent to the places whither they had been condemned; some of them into banishment others to the gallies, or the house where powder is made, called Casa da Polvera; and the christians,

hired for that purpose in the city, there to be instructed for some time.

to suppose, that was a man sure to be pardoned in whether blacks or whites, were carried to a house case he would confess, would persist in his innocence, and chuse rather to be burnt than to own a truth, the confession of which would save him.

These terrible portraits are hung up in the nave, and over the great gate of the church, as so many illustrious trophies sacred to the glory of the holy office; and when the side of the church is filled, they also croud the wings near the gate with them. which is not far from the inquisition, there are several hundreds of these melancholy paintings. the act of faith, that I was almost as desirous of from ing back to my cell, as I had been a little before to come out of it. My godfather accompanied me to the hall, and the alcaide having carried me into the gallery, I went and shut myself up whilst he was looking after the rest. Being got in, I threw my

self

go

the bed till my supper should be brought

upon No. 13.

The blacks lay in the parlours and galleries, and the whites were put into a separate apartment, where we were confined all night, but had liberty to range the whole house over in the daytime, and to speak with any body. The whites and blacks were catechised separately every day, and mass was

daily celebrated, at which we all assisted, as also at morning and evening prayers. During my stay in this house, I was visited by a religious Dominican, my friend, whom I had known at Daman, where he was prior. The good father, who was oppressed with years and sickness, no sooner heard of my being set at liberty, but he immediately visited me in a sedan. He bewailed my ill fate with tears and embraces, telling me that he had been in great terror for my sake; that he had often enquired into the state of my health, and my affairs, of the

4 L

Father

Father Procurator of the prisoners, his friend, and of the same order; that he could obtain no answer for a considerable time; and that at last, after many entreaties, all he could get out of him, was, that I was still alive. The sight of this good friar gave me great consolation, and the necessity I was under of leaving the Indies was a trouble to us both. He had the humanity to visit me several times, when he requested me to return to the Indies as soon as I should be set at liberty, and sent me provisions of various kinds for a voyage, which otherwise I could never have procured.

After I had lived in this house till the twentythird of January, we were again conducted into the hall of the inquisition, when each of us was called in his turn to the board of the holy office, there to receive from the hands of the inquisitor, a paper containing the penances to which we were respec. tively sentenced. I went thither in my turn, when laying my hands on the gospels, I was ordered to kneel down, and to promise not to reveal any of those particulars which had happened in the inquisition during my imprisonment. The judge afterwards gave me a paper signed by himself, containing the penance enjoined; and as it is short I shall transcribe it word for word.

List of the penances enjoined, &c. 1. During the three years to come, he shall confess and communicate: The first year, every month; and the two following, at Easter, Whitsuntide, Christmas, and the Assumption of our Lady. 2. He shall assist at mass all Sundays and Festivals, in case he has opportunity for so doing. 3. During the said three years, he shall daily repeat five times the Pater-noster and Ave Maria, in honour of the five wounds of of our Saviour Christ. 4. He shall not engage in friendship with Heretics, or persons whose faith is in the least suspected, which may in any manner prejudice his salvation. 5. He shall keep inviolably secret, all that he has either seen, said, or hcard; as also whatever has been transacted with himself, either at the board, or other places of the holy office.

Francisco Delgado e Matos."

It is really amazing for a reasonable mau to refect, that sovereign princes will degrade themselves so low as to suffer a few Dominican priests to trample on their privileges, to despise their dignity, and injure their subjects. Ignorance among the vulgar may induce them to submit to the Inquisition, and self-preservation obliges them to be on their guard; but for a sovereign prince to see his dignity rampled on, and his subjects persecuted, is the

worst of policy that any person can form the least notion of. There have been undoubtedly many excesses, committed by religious persons of all denominations, and it is much to the honour of the civil power to check them in the bud. Every man who fears God and honours religion will treat the clergy with proper respect; but this must be, and always will take place, in consequence of the clergy having done their duty; for our Lord never interfered in political affairs while he was here on earth, so it is not the duty of his more immediate servants to do so. Christ could have prayed to his father, and would have sent him twelve legions of angels, one of whom (by Divine permission) could have in a moment destroyed the whole universe, tho' he did

not.

But if it is inconsistent with the religion of Jesus for one body of Christians to persecute another, how much more horrid must it be to find courts erected, composed of divines, whose sole business it is to put all those to death, who differ from them in sentiments, However it is not simply the putting them to death, that we would here take notice of. Great as that crime may appear in the sight of God, and however severely it ought to be punished by men, yet it is even trifling when compared with the inquisition. All the circumstances of aggravated cruelty are found united in that court, all sentiments of benevolence and humanity are attempted to be eradicated, natural feelings are laughed at, and conjugal as well as filial duty despised. And what is all this for? Is it in compliance with any rule of scripture? Every one who has read the bible, knows the contrary. Is it to punish criminals for any breaches of divine or human laws? Quite the contrary? for the objects of its indignation, even those who are Roman catholics, are in general the most peaceable and loyal subjects, in those countries where they reside.

Again, let us attend to the sentiments as embraced by those who are witnesses of the public executions of those injured people, who are prosecuted in the inquisition. It is natural for men to pity the unhappy creature who suffers for crimes; for we may detest the crime without hating the criminal. Nay, it is but reasonable we do so; especially if we know any thing at all of our own weakness. It is remarkable of Mr. Bradford, who was burnt alive for the gospel, that whenever he heard of a man committing a crime, or saw a criminal going to suffer, he laid his hand upon his breast, and said," I should have done so, but for restraining grace." And we are told of the great lord chief justice Hale, that when he pronounced sen

tence

tence of death upon prisoners, he declared, that "he felt much for them, but much more for his injured country."

of time, be remembered, the answer was in words. to the following import:

"The establishment of the inquisition was origiSuch sentiments as these are honourable to men nally of a political nature, or at least it was pretendof any denomination whatever: but how different ed to be so by the kings of France, who imagined in those countries, where the inquisition is not only that the Waldenses and Albigenses were enemies to tolerated, but even supported by human laws! The the regal government. Now there is no doubt these men where Heretics, who had denied the faith as it day set apart for the public execution of those who is in Christ Jesus, and yet I will freely acknowledge are called Heretics, is considered by all ranks of to you, that the church had no anthority for medpeople as a solemn festival. The sovereign forgets his dignity, the ladies divest themselves of the soft-dling with them. It was represented to the civil ness peculiar to their sex, and the multitude rejoice in what may justly be called a human sacrifice.

On such melancholy occasions, the people sit on scaffolds erected for the purpose, and so far are they from being affected with the unhappy condition of the sufferers, that they seem to enjoy a savage pleaTo sit in such sure m beholding their torments.

a manner and see an animal tortured to death, is
in all respects inconsistent with our characters as
men, but in levity to behold the sufferings of our
fellow-creatures is truly diabolical. All men cannot
comprehend the same notions, and when they are
required, nay, even commanded to embrace such as
they do not believe, it is laying a foundation for the
most horrid perjury, or it is to have men punished
in a wantonly cruel manner. Every man is to an-
swer to God for the truth of his sentiments, and
then what man is to be judge? It is generous to
bear with what we consider as weakness, in our fel-
low creatures, because it is a proof that we are con-
vinced of our own imperfection; but to impose our
own notions upon every one who is not of the same
opinion with ourselves, is to change the whole rati-
onal faculties, which must be equally as difficult as
to make all men have the same features, and the
same countenances. But here let us acknowledge
in candour, that what we have said concerning the
inquisition, does not apply, nor cannot be applied to
the whole body of the Roman Catholics at large,
nor are the Dominican friars to have this charge
brought against them, without particular excep-

tions.

There are many Roman Catholics in Britain, who hoki the proceedings carried on in the inquisition in the utmost abhorrence, and to this may be added, and there are many nations where the Roman Catholic religion is professed, that would never yet admit the inquisition. The author of this, in conversation with a learned Roman catholic priest, now alive, once mentioned this circumstance to him, and as he (the priest) had been brought up in Spain, desired to know whether or not he approved of the inquisition? As near as can at a considerable distance

power, that they were followers of that ancient sect of Heretics, called Manicheans; and you know that the sentiments of those Heretics were subversive of all the laws enacted for the benefit of society. That the Dominicans had some share in persecuting those people, cannot be denied; but these were dark and barbarous times, when men had not so much as considered the meekness of the gospel, nor distinguished between human and divine laws.

"From this time, which was in the thirteenth century, few persons were brought into trouble on account of their religious sentiments, till towards the latter end of the fifteenth century, when Ferdinand of Spain, in conjunction with his queen Isabella, established the inquisition, not for the punishment of Heretics, so much as for the the extirpation of the Moors, who then inhabited the greatest part of that kingdom. There was a necessity for this measure, consistent with sound policy, because it was at that time difficult to distinguish a native Spaniard from a Moor. But unhappily circumstances took a very different turn, and Ferdinand and his queen Isabella, became the persecutors of Protestants as well as of Mahometans. I will freely acknowledge that I hate persecution, nor am I much in love with the character of Ferdinand, and much less with that of his queen. Ferdinand was a very weak man, and as for Isabella, if we may believe a celebrated French author, she was destitute of human passions. Here pride and her bigotry went hand in hand together, and she trampled upon the privileges of human nity, under the stale pretence that she was doing God good service.”

It may be added further, that Mr. Fleury, and Dr. Dupin, two learned Frenchmen, and in every respect members of the church of Rome, have in their ecclesiastical histories condemned the inquisition as totally opposite to every principle n Christianity. But the great Fenelon, archbishop of Cambray, has carried the idea much farther; and asserts, that persecution in religious matters is inconsistent with sound policy, by tending to rob a sovereign of

hose

those subjects, whose industry is the source of his wealth and the support of his regal dignity.

But let the proceedings in the inquisitions be considered in whatever light the reader pleases, thus much is certain, that it is wrong to appoint those men to be judges who have entered into the clerical order. In all those countries where the Roman catholic religion is professed, the clergy are prohibited from marrying, and whatever may be their passions in other respects, any man who knows any thing of the world, will acknowledge that they cannot have the same tender feelings, as a father or a husband. This is a most shocking consideration, and yet not more shocking than true; and therefore it becomes a duty incumbent upon all the princes in the Roman catholic countries, to prevent as far as lays in their power, the clergy from sitting in courts of civil judicature. All those who are to judge in human actions, ought at least, to have human passions: for we mortals are such a composition of flesh and blood, that there is no other way of dealing with us.

because many persons are apt to believe, that all the Roman catholics are friends to the inquisition, whereas there are many worthy persons among them who abhor the thought. It is, however, a duty incumbent upon those who live in England, to convince Protestants, that they are not persecu tors; for as they have lately obtained a more than ordinary indulgence from the civil power, so gratitude should teach them to make a proper use of it. And thus we hope we have treated of the inquisition with candour, nor do we desire to dwell upon the vices, and much less on the weaknesses of our fellow creatures. We are often blinded by an improper use of our rational faculties, and this should teach us to look towards Divine Revelation. Here we find the veil drawn aside, and the way to everlasting happiness pointed out in so clear a manner, that even fools cannot, unless wilfully preverse, mistake their way. Carnal religion is devilish, but "the "wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then "peaceable, full of gentleness, and good fruits, "without partiality and without hypocrisy." James

We have been the more explscit on this subject, iii. 17.

The HISTORY of the WALDENSES, and the ALBIGENSES.

That an almost universal darkness overspread the

This church upon a rock, and that the gates of nations, where the name of Christ was mentioned,

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hell should not prevail against it; by which we cannot be denied, and this sable cloud continued to must understand, that from the time of his sending become more and more gloomy, from the sixth, the holy Ghost upon his disciples, there were to be down to the sixteenth century, where the glorious always some in the world who were to keep his light of the reformation dispelled the darkness that commandments without being tainted with idolatry, long bound, as it were with fetters, the children of or led away by errors. The learned Dr. Newton, men, and laid open to them the mystery of the everbishop of Bristol, has attended to this in his Disser-lasting gospel, We read in 1 Kings xxix. that tations on the Prophecies, and his lordship has made Elijah the prophet was called upon by the still small it appear, that even in the darkest times there have voice in the wilderness, he answered, that he only been some persons who were not led away by the was left in Israel, to worship the true God. But general corruption of sentiments, and profligacy of let us remember the answer; "I have seven thoumanners. This may seem rather a parodox to those sand in Israel, who have not bowed the knees unto who have not had an opportunity of studying history, Baal, and the mouths that have not kissed him." which is frequently the case, it being a subject that If then it was so under a law of carnal ordinances? requires great judgement, universal reading, and se- And did God take so much care of a church, which rious reflections from time to time. in all its ceremonies was only a type of the gospel

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