Book contents
Question 29
from PART III
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2015
Summary
METHOD Ten of bringing an end to proceedings involving the Faith and of passing sentence is when the person denounced for heretical depravity, after a careful examination of the merits of the proceedings with a good panel of legal experts, is found to have confessed heresy and to be impenitent and yet not relapsed. Such a situation is very rarely found, but we inquisitors have occasionally had experience with them. The bishop and judges should not be in a hurry, if they do come across one. Instead, they should keep him well guarded in chains, even for many months, and urge him to convert, | explaining that if he remains impenitent in this way, he will be damned in body and soul. If in the end it will not be possible for him to be broken down with fortunate or adverse circumstances or with threats or blandishments, so that he will veer back from his errors, and if he is given the suitable length of time mentioned before, the bishop and judges should get themselves ready to hand him over (abandon him) to the secular arm. They will send to the messenger or bailiff or chief magistrate of the secular court a note ordering him to appear with his staff on such-and-such non-feast day at such-and-such hour in such-and-such place (outside the church), where they will hand over to him a certain impenitent heretic, and to have a public announcement made by crier in the streets or places where announcements are normally made by crier, to the effect that on this day, hour and place a preacher will make a sermon for the Faith and will hand over to the secular arm a certain heretic, and that accordingly everyone should come and be in attendance, receiving the usual indulgence.
When these things have been carried out, he will be handed over to the secular court in the manner of the following text. He should, however, be admonished, in the manner previously cited, to veer back and repent, but if he is completely unwilling, sentence is passed.
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- The Hammer of WitchesA Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, pp. 616 - 618Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009