to relate. The particulars may be seen in a small piece, intitled Popery and Slavery difplayed, p. 19, 20.

Yet as notorious as was this fcene of barbarity, it was induftriously promoted by the priests, who administered the facrament to many, on condition they would fpare none; and this was backed by the benediction and indulgence of the Pope, of which the following is a true copy.

t

The POPE's BULL.

Ad futuram Rei Memoriam:

URBANUS OCTAYUS, &c,

3

Having taken into our ferious confideration the great zeal of the Irib, towards the propagating of the Catholic faith, and the piety of the Catholic warriors in the feveral armies of that kingdom (which was for that fingular fervency in the true worship of God, and notable care had formerly in the like cafe by the the inhabitants thereof, for the maintenance and prefervation of the fame orthodox faith, called of old the Land of Saints) and having got certain notice, how, in imitation of their godly and worthy ancestors, they en deavour, by force of arms, to deliver their thralled nation from the oppreffions and grievous injuries of the bereticks, wherewith this long time it hath been afflicted and heavily burthened; and gallantly do in them what lieth to extirpate and totally root out those workers of iniquity, who in the kingdom of Ireland had infected, and always ftriving to infect, the mafs of Catholic purity with the peftiferous leaven of their beretical contagion: We therefore, being willing to cherish them with the gift of thofe fpiritual graces, whereof by God we are ordained the only difpofers on earth, by the mercy of the fame Almighty God, trufting in the authority of the bleffed apostles Peter and Paul, and by virtue of that power of binding and loofing of fouls, which God was pleased (without our deferving) to confer upon us : To all and every one of the faithful Chriftians in the aforefaid

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aforefaid kingdom of Ireland, now, and for the time of militating or fighting against the heretics, and others enemies of the Catholic faith, they being truly and fincerely penitent, after confeffion, and the fpiritual refreshing of themselves with the facred communion of the body and blood of Chirft, do grant a full and plenary indulgence, and abfolute remiffion for all their fins, and fuch as in the holy time of jubilee is ufual to be granted to thofe that devoutly vifit a certain number of privileged churches, within and without the walls of our city of Rome; by the tenour of which prefent letters, for once only, and no more, we freely beftow the favour of this abfolution upon all and every one of them; and withal defiring heartily all the faithful in Chrift, now in arms as aforefaid, to be partakers of this most precious treasure.

"Toall and every one of thefe aforefaid faithful Chriftians, we grant licence, and give power to choose into themselves, for this effect, any fit confeffor, whether a fecular prieft, or a regular of fome order, and likewife any other selected perfon approved of by the ordinary of the place, who, after a diligent hearing of their confeffions, fhall have power to liberate and abfolve them from excommunication, fufpenfion, and all other ecclefiastical fentences and cenfures, for whomfoever, or for what cause foever, pronounced or inflicted upon them; as alfo from all fins, trefpaffes, tranfgreffions, crimes, and delinquencies, how heinous and atrocious foever they be; not omitting thofe very enormities in the moft peculiar cafes, which by any whatfoever former conftitutions of ours, or of our predeceffors Popes, (than which we will have thefe to be no lefs valued in every point) were defigned to be referved to the ordinary, or to the apoftolic fee, from all which the confeffor fhall hereby have power granted him to abfolve the forefaid Catholics at the bar of confcience, and in that fenfe only. And furthermore, we give them power to exchange what vow or vows foever they were formerly

formerly aftricted to (thofe of religion and chastity excepted into any other pious or good work or works, impofed or to be impofed on them, and every one of them to perform in all the forefaid cafes, by a wholesome penance, according to the mind and will of the confeffor.

"Therefore, by the tenor of these prefent letters, and by the virtue of that holy strict obedience, wherein all Chriftians are bound unto us, we charge and command all and every one of the reverend brethren, archbishops, bishops, and other ecclefiaftical prelates, and whatfoever ordinaries of places now refiding in Ireland, together with all vicars, fubftitutes and officials under them; or these failing, we command all fuch to whom in those places the care of fouls is incumbent, that as foon as they fhall have received copies of these our letters, they fhall forthwith, without any ftop or delay, publish them, and cause them to be published, throughout all their churches, diocefes, provinces, countries, cities, towns, lands, villages, and places whatfoever. &c. &c. &c.

"Now, that these principal letters of ours, which cannot be conveniently brought to every place, may the sooner come to the notice of all, our will and pleafure is, that any whatsoever copies or tranfumpts, whether written or printed, that are fubfcribed with the hand of a public notary, and which have the feal of fome eminent perfon in ecclefiaftical dignity affixed thereunto, be of the fame force, power, and authority, and have the like credit in every refpect given unto them, as would be to thefe our principal letters, if they were fhewn and exhibited.

Dated at Rome in the Vatican, or St. Peter's palace, the 25th of May 1643, and in the twentieth year of our pontificate.

M. A. Maraldus.””

Lec

Let hiftory impartially relate the flaughter of about forty thousand of poor Americans *, on pretence of their refifting the attempts made for their converfion, as well as on accounts purely political.

And let that infernal flaughter-house, the inquifition, be described in its proper colours, where all the cruelties that imagination can invent; or the malignity of demons can inflict, to infult and torture, and, if poffible, to damn the miserable victim, are practifed in terrible perfection. Spain can boast of many of these holy inquifitions, as they are pleased to call them, as at Madrid, at Seville, Toledo, Grenada, Lordova, Cuenca, Valladolid, Mincia, Lerida, Logrono, St. Jago, Saragoffa, Valencia, Barcelona, and Majorca; as alfo without the kingdom, as in the Canary islands. Mexico, Carthagena and Lima +.

In Portugal and Italy the inquifition is in full force, and ordained merely for the extirpation of herefy, i. e. every thing contrary to the doctrine and practices of the church of Rome, in which they make use of the most dreadful and bloody tortures, to force perfons to confefs, and burn them without regard to age, fex, or condition. Once a year, or oftener, they celebrate what they call an Auto de Fe, or act of faith; and when the fentence of the holy tribunal of the inquifition is to be executed, it is generally on fome feftival, in the view of the court, and with the acclamations of the people . Nay, fo infatuated are they to Popifh cruelty, that even the King of Portugal, on his recovery from fickness, a little before the late earthquake, caufed an act of

Bishop of Chiapas's Account of the Voyages and Cruelties of the Spaniards in America, printed at London, 1699, Oct. + Bufching's Geography, vol. II. pag. 250.

See Limborch's Hiftory of the Inquifition, tranflated, by Dr. Chandler, with his Hiftory of Perfecution prefixed.

British Memorial, and Grosvenor's Serm. at Salt. Hall.

Faith to be celebrated, when three Jews, and one relapfe Proteftant, were burnt, as a public thanksgiving to God for his reovery.

Dr. Geddes tells us, that infinitely more Chrif tian blood have been fhed by the Papal empire and its agents, for not complying with the idolatry of its worship, than ever was thed by the Roman heathens

Does it appear from hence that Popery is mended in these respects, or is it easy to conceive how it ever should? Can these principles be difowned, which are declared to be the dictates of the Holy Ghoft, decrees and canons framed by infallible councils, the performance of which is therein declared to be well-pleafing to God, and in themselves meritorious?

A concife account of the inquifition I have occafionally given in the hiftory of the Reformation in the Low Countries, A. D. 1550, and need not repeat it here; but I fhall add the concluding paragraph of Limborch's Hiftory of the inquifition, tranflated by Dr. Chandler, and with it I fhall clofe this part.

The Papifts, fays Profeffor Limborch †, glory that the inquifition is the most certain remedy to extirpate herefies; efpecially, Ludovicus à Paramot, takes a great deal of pains to fhow that herefies have, in feveral places, been extinguished by the help of the inquifition, and at laft concludes in these words: "Thefe are fome of the faireft fruits, which the moft fertile field of the holy office hath produced to the church in all kingdoms, where it hath not been obftructed. But amongst all provinces and countries, the kingdoms of Spain do every day receive the nobleft fruits; for as in thefe countries the holy office of the inquifition is 'maintained with greater feverity, and is in greater honour and efteem with the nobles and princes, fo

* Geddes, vol. III. Effay VI.

+ Limborch's Hift. of the Inquifition, p. 318.

Lib. II. 3. 4, 5.