Volume 2

The ceremonies and religious customs of the various nations of the known world. Together with historical annotations, and several curious discourses... / Written originally in French, and illustrated with a large number of folio copper plates ... designed by Mr. Bernard Picart ... Faithfully translated into English, by a gentleman some time since of St. John's College in Oxford.

Date:
1733-1739
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The ceremonies and religious customs of the various nations of the known world. Together with historical annotations, and several curious discourses... / Written originally in French, and illustrated with a large number of folio copper plates ... designed by Mr. Bernard Picart ... Faithfully translated into English, by a gentleman some time since of St. John's College in Oxford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cratr, and other kinds of Incantation; the Abufe of the Sacraments, and the Condem¬ nation of pernicious Books. For this Purpofe an Affembly is held every Wednefday aï the Minerva, at the General of the Jacobins, and every Thurfday before the Pope, who is the I lead thereof; the lenior Cardinal of the holy Office is always Secretary thereof and its Seal is in his Cuftody. None but Cardinals have an adive Voice in this Congregation ; and when they vote in the Minerva, and in the Pope’s Palace, they caufe all fuch as are not of their Col¬ lege, or come to confult them upon any Affair, to withdraw. It is proper to obferve in this Place, that the Judges of thefe Tribunals are not fo formidable as they are fup- pofed to be, by thofe who know them only by Hearfay ; and that they are neither fo ri¬ gorous, nor fo fevere at Rome as in Spain, Portugal, and all other Countries where the Inquilition is eflablilh’d. The Palace of the holy Office is inhabited by the Affeffor, the Commiffary, the No¬ tary, and other Officers of the fame Congregation. In it likewife are imprifon’d all luch as are accufed or fufpeded of Crimes whereof this Tribunal takes Cognizance, till the Profecution is ended ; when, if they are declared innocent, they are let at Liberty ; but in cafe they are found guilty, they are deliver’d over to the fecular Arm : But this feldom happens unlefs they are found obftinate, or have relapfed ; for they feldom go farther than the puniffiing them with perpetual Imprifonment, as was obferv’d at the Clofe of the laft Century, in the Sentence pronounced againft the famous Michael Mo- linos, who has made fo much Noile in the World by his Herefy of £>'utetifm; for which he receiv’d no other Punilhment than to be deprived of all civil Commerce with his Dilciples. There is another Maxim obferved by the Judges of this Tribunal, which is, that they abfolve all thofe who come and accufe themfelves of whatever might otherwife make them be confidered as Criminals, and they are clear’d for a flight Penance, with¬ out being depriv’d in any manner of their Liberty ; fo that from that Time, no Man is allow’d to moleft them in any manner upon that Account ; but if any Perfbn defers to do this till he is accufed and imprifoned, he is treated with the utmolt Rigour. All Officers and Commenfals of the holy Office, whole Number is very great, re¬ cognize no other Judge, either natural, civil, or criminal, but their Afleffor in the firfl: Place ; and afterwards by Appeal, fuch Cardinals as have Employments in the Inqui¬ lition. ‘ ; • 7 - ; . • 7 ■ t There is another Congregation held in the Palace of the holy Office every Monday, to prepare all Matters on which the Cardinals are to pronounce a decifive Sentence in their Affembly of the Inquilition. None of their Eminencies affift in this preparatory Congregation, and it is compolèd only of Divines and Confulters, or Qualificators of different Orders. The Congregation de propaganda Fide. TH E College of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith having been founded by Gregory XV. this Pope inftituted a Congregation to fuperintend it ’Tis compofed of eighteen Cardinals, one of the Pope’s Secretaries of State, an apoftolical Prothonotary, a Referendary, an Affiliant or Judge lateral, and a Secretary of the holy Office. All