HEN the reformed

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THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE INQUISITION IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. The most zealous of all the popish religion began to monks, and those who most implicitly diffuse the gospel obeyed the church of Rome, were the light throughout { Dominicans and Franciscans: these, thereEurope, Pope In-fore, the pope thought proper to invest with nocent the Third an exclusive right of presiding over, and entertained great fear for the Romish managing the different courts of inquisition. church. Unwilling that the spirit of free { The friars of those two orders were always inquiry should gain ground, or that the selected from the very dregs of the people, people should attain more knowledge than { and therefore were not troubled with puncthe priests were willing to admit, he de- tilios of honor: they were obliged, by the termined to impede, as much as possible, { rules of their respective orders, to lead very the progress of reformation. He accord-austere lives, which rendered their manners ingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or unsocial and brutish, and, of course, the persons who were to make inquiry after, better qualified them for the employment. apprehend, and punish heretics, as the re- of inquisitors. formed were called by the papists.

The pope now thought proper to give the inquisitors the most unlimited powers, as judges delegated by him, and immediately representing his person: they were permitted to excommunicate, or sentence to death, whom they thought proper, upon the most slight information of heresy. They were allowed to publish crusades against all whom they deemed heretics, and enter into leagues with sovereign princes, to join those crusades with their forces.

At the head of these inquisitors was one Dominic, who had been canonized by the pope, in order to render his authority the more respectable. Dominic, and the other inquisitors, spread themselves into various Roman catholic countries, and treated the protestants with the utmost severity. In process of time, the pope not finding these roving inquisitors so useful as he had imagined, resolved upon the establishment of fixed and regular courts of inquisition. After the order for these regular courts, the In 1244 their powers were further infirst office of inquisition was established increased by the emperor Frederic the Secthe city of Thoulouse, and Dominic became the first regular inquisitor, as he had before been the first roving inquisitor.

ond, who declared himself the protector and friend of all inquisitors, and published two very cruel edicts, viz. :

1. That all heretics, who continued ob

2. That a heretics, who repented, should be imprisoned for life.

This zeal in the emperor for the inquisitors, and the Roman catholic persuasion, arose from a report which had been

Courts of inquisition were now erected in several countries; but the Spanish in-stinate, should be burnt: quisition became the most powerful, and the most dreaded of any. Even the kings of Spain themselves, though arbitrary in all other respects, were taught to dread the power of the lords of the inquisition; and the horrid cruelties they exercised compel-propagated throughout Europe, that he inled multitudes, who differed in opinion from the Roman catholics, carefully to conceal their sentiments.

tended to renounce Christianity, and turn Mahometan; the emperor, therefore, attempted, by the height of bigotry, to con

tradict the report, and to show his attach- a heretic to escape from confinement, or

ment to popery by cruelty.

The officers of the inquisition are:-
Three inquisitors, or judges;

A fiscal proctor;

Two secretaries;

A magistrate;

A messenger;

A receiver;

A jailer;

visiting one in confinement, are all matters of suspicion, and prosecuted accordingly. Nay, all Roman catholics were commanded, under pain of excommunication, to give immediate information, even of their nearest and dearest friends, if they judged them to be what was called heretics, or anywise inclined to heresy.

Those who give the least countenance

The inquisition likewise takes cogni-
zance of such as are accused of being
Magicians; Soothsayers;
Witches;
Wizards;
Blasphemers,

Common swearers:

and of such who read, or even possess the Bible in the common language, the Talmud of the Jews, or the Alcoran of the Mahometans.

An agent of confiscated possessions; or assistance to protestants, are called fauSeveral assessors, counsellors, executors, or abettors of heresy, and the accusationers, physicians, surgeons, doorkeepers, tions against these usually turn upon some familiars, and visiters, who are all sworn of the following points: comforting such as to secrecy. the inquisition have begun to prosecute; The principal accusation against those assisting, or not informing against such, if who are subject to this tribunal is heresy, they should happen to escape; concealing, which comprises all that is spoken, or abetting, advising, or furnishing heretics written, against any of the articles of the with money; visiting, writing to, or sendcreed, or the traditions of the Romishing them subsistence; secreting, or burnchurch. The other articles of accusationing books and papers, which might serve are, renouncing the Roman catholic per- to convict them. suasion, believing that persons of any other religion may be saved, or even admitting that the tenets of any but papists are, in the least, reasonable or proper. We shall mention two other things which incur the most severe punishments, and show the inquisitors, at once, in an absurd and a tyrannical light, viz.: To disapprove of any action done by the inquisition, or disbelieve { anything said by an inquisitor. Upon all occasions the inquisitors carry The grand article heresy comprises on their processes with the utmost severity, many subdivisions; and, upon a suspicion and punish those who offend them with the of any of these, the party is immediately most unparalleled cruelty. A protestant apprehended: advancing an offensive prop- has seldom any mercy shown him; and a osition; failing to impeach others who Jew, who turns Christian, is far from being may advance such contemning church cere- secure; for if he is known to keep commonies; defacing idols; reading books con-pany with another new-converted Jew, a demned by the inquisition; lending such suspicion immediately arises that they pribooks to others to read; deviating from the vately practise together some Jewish cereordinary practices of the Romish church; monies; if he keeps company with a perletting a year pass without going to con- son who was lately a protestant, but now fession; eating meat on fast-days; neglect- professes popery, they are accused of ploting mass; being present at a sermon ting together; but if he associates with a preached by a heretic; not appearing when Roman catholic, an accusation is often laid summoned by the inquisition; lodging in against him for only pretending to be a pathe house of, contracting a friendship with, pist, and the consequence is, a confiscation or making a present to a heretic; assisting of his effects as a punishment for his in}