The History of Persecution, from the Patriarchal Age, to the Reign of George IIChandler, Samuel
History
The History of Persecution, from the Patriarchal Age, to the Reign of George II
Chandler, Samuel
Persecution -- Great Britain; Persecution -- History
But if after all these interrogatories the prisoner persists in the
negative, and says he doth not know why he is cited or sent to prison,
the inquisitor replies, that since it appears from his own words, that
he will not discover the truth, and that there is no proof of his having
such enmities with any person, or that there are no such causes of
hatred as he alledges, by which others could, or ought to be induced
slanderously, and falsely to inform against him, that therefore there
arises the stronger suspicion, that the depositions against him in the
holy office are true. And therefore he is beseeched and abjured, by the
bowels of mercy of Christ Jesus, to consider better and better, and
ingenuously to confess the truth, and to declare whether he hath erred
in words or deeds, in the aforesaid matter relating to the faith, and
the holy office, or rendered himself suspected to others.
If by such general interrogatories the inquisitor cannot draw from the
prisoner a confession of the crime of which he is accused, he comes to
particular interrogatories, which relate to the matter itself, or the
crimes or heresies for which the criminal was denounced. For instance,
if he was accused for denying purgatory, then one, two, or three days
after his first examination, he is again interrogated by the inquisitor,
whether he hath any thing, and what to say, besides what he said in his
other examination? Whether he hath thought better of the matter, and can
recollect the cause of his imprisonment, and former examination, or hath
at least any suspicion who could accuse him to the holy office, and of
what matters? Whether he hath heard any one discoursing of paradise,
purgatory, and hell? What he heard concerning that matter? Who they
were, that he heard speaking, or disputing of those things? Whether he
ever discoursed of them? What he hath believed, and doth now believe
about purgatory? If he answers, that his faith concerning it hath been
right, and denies any ill belief, but that he believes as holy mother
church believes and teaches, he is ordered to say what the holy Roman
mother church doth think and believe concerning this article.
If the prisoner knows the reason of his being apprehended, and openly
confesses every thing of which he hath been accused to the inquisitor,
he is commended, and encouraged to hope for a speedy deliverance. If he
confesses some things, but cannot guess at others, he is commended for
taking up the purpose of accusing himself, and exhorted by the bowels of
mercy of Jesus Christ to proceed, and ingenuously to confess every thing
else of which he is accused; that so he may experience that kindness and
mercy, which this tribunal uses towards those who manifest a real
repentance of their crimes by a sincere and voluntary confession.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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