Records of The Spanish Inquisition Part 26

The said Inquisitor having examined the above proceedings, in his morning audience, on the day before stated, ordered that the investigation be suspended for want of proof, and that it be recorded in the registers under the name of the person referred to.

Attest. DR DON CYRO VALLS Y GELI, _Sec'y._

Information has been received and sworn to in this Holy Office, that a certain person has, in the presence of others, among whom was Juan Bonafos, surgeon, living in the house of Don Antonio Ca.n.a.ls, uttered the following a.s.sertions.

1st. That the priests in the holy sacrifice of Ma.s.s, have no power to bring Christ down from heaven, which is proved by the example of the English, who, although so learned a people, yet do not believe this, which they would if it were true, from their great sagacity.

2d. That the French have done right in breaking up so many ecclesiastical and lay communities, which were the cause of such a mult.i.tude of dissensions and altercations, destructive to the crown and to the Apostolic Roman Catholic Church.

3d. That the chaplains dress in black to cover their ignorance, inasmuch as they know nothing.

4th. That there is no h.e.l.l nor purgatory.

5th. That the highest disgrace which could befall him in this world, would be to have one of his relations a monk, or the Beneficiado of a parish.

6th. That if the Tribunal were to order him to be arrested, he had arms in his house and would resist till he had killed four or five.

In consequence of this, we hereby grant a commission to our Commissary Dr Antonio Amill, for the examination before Dr Andres Fernandez de la Cuesta, Presbyter, as Notary, of the said Juan Bonafos, according to the formula herewith subjoined. The name and residence of the speaker and those who were present, are to be recorded, as also all the circ.u.mstances of time, place, &c., as prescribed in the above direction; the whole to be forwarded to us with this commission. G.o.d preserve you.

Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, June eleventh, 1791.

The Licentiate,

DON MANUEL DE MERRA Y PANIYGUA.

DR DON PEDRO DIAZ DE VALDES.

JUAN ANTONIO ALMONACID, _Sec'y._

In the city of Barcelona, on the eleventh day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninetyone, before Dr Antonio Amill, Presbyter and Commissary of the Holy Office, by virtue of a commission of the Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition of Catalonia, and me, Andres Fernandez de la Cuesta, Presbyter and Notary, having sworn to preserve secrecy, and perform faithfully our duties, appeared and made oath to declare the truth and preserve secrecy, Juan Bonafos, surgeon, a native of the village of San Lorenzo de la Muga, in the bishopric of Gerona, of age, as he stated, twentyone years.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he did not know.

Questioned, if he knew that any person had said or done aught which was, or appeared to be, contrary to our Holy Catholic Faith and Evangelical Doctrine.

Answered, Yes, inasmuch as about six months before, he had heard Joseph Coch, a surgeon, native of Sellern, and at present residing in Barcelona, make the following a.s.sertions.

1st. That the priests &c. [_The six a.s.sertions specified above._]

On another occasion, the deponent having stated to him that he had been in the Carthusian Convent, where he read an edict of the Holy Tribunal, prohibiting several books, and among them, one called _Avisos de Moises_, the above person replied, that as Christ had abolished the law of Moses, he hoped that another Christ would come and abolish the laws of the first. He moreover told him that he had prohibited books in his possession, which in fact he showed to the deponent. Their t.i.tles the deponent does not know.

Questioned, in what place the abovementioned Josef Coch made these a.s.sertions, and what persons were present at the time.

Answered, that it was at the house of the surgeon Baramon, in the Calle de los Flasades; and that the person present was Antonio Trabe, surgeon, who lives with Dr Torner, Beneficiado of San Justo.

Questioned, what was the age and personal appearance of the said Joseph Coch.

Answered, that he should suppose him to be about thirtythree years old; that he was of a middling height, with a thin, pock marked face, and black hair.

The above is the truth, according to the oath of the deponent, who states that he has not made this declaration out of malice, but solely from conscientious motives. Having been read to him, he declares it to be correctly recorded. I add his signature.

JUAN BONAFOS.

DR ANTONIO AMILL, _Presbyter Commissary_.

Before me--JUAN BONAFOS.

DR ANTONIO AMILL, _Presbyter Commissary_.

Before me--

ANDRES FERNANDEZ DE LA CUESTA, _Presbyter Commissary, Notary_.

In the city of Barcelona, on the twentysecond day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninetytwo, before Dr Andres Fernandes de la Cuesta, Presbyter and Commissary of the Holy Office, by virtue of a commission from the Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition of Catalonia, and me, Francisco Junca, Presbyter Notary, appointed for this investigation, sworn to preserve secrecy and perform faithfully the duty,--appeared according to summons, and made oath formally to declare the truth and preserve secrecy, Francis...o...b..au, clerk, a native and inhabitant of Barcelona, and residing in the Calle dels Tallers, in the house of the Earthen Ware Company, on the second floor, of age, as he stated, thirtyeight years.

Questioned, if he knew or conjectured the cause of his being summoned to appear.

Answered, that he supposed it might be for the purpose of inquiring about the following matter. Being one day at dinner, in the tavern of Domingo ----, in the Calle de la Paja, he heard a certain Estruch, and another person who was a fifer in the Walloon Guards, talking about the French affairs. The said fifer spoke against the christian religion and Spain, and Estruch opposed him. Among other things in the conversation, this fifer observed that he believed only three things; but what these were, the deponent could not recollect--it was so long ago--only one of them, as it appears to him, related to giving charity. He declared that he possessed many books, and was not afraid of the Inquisition, for he had already been engaged in some disputes relative to a woman, which had come under the cognisance of the Holy Tribunal, or some of the officers.

More of the conversation than this, he does not remember.

The deponent was then told that information had been received and sworn to, that a certain person had uttered, in his presence, and in that of others, the following a.s.sertions; _that fornication was no sin, and as to the rest, the whole was made good by giving charity to the poor_.

Other persons having mentioned the commandments, he replied, that they were all fulfilled by giving alms. Speaking disrespectfully of the church, he a.s.serted, _that the friars and chaplains did nothing but eat and stuff their paunches; that the church sought nothing but her own interest, collecting t.i.thes from one year's end to another; that the Pope had no more power than any other man; that he did not believe in the decalogue, nor the obligation to hear ma.s.s and confess, but only that there was a G.o.d, and that men were bound to give to the poor, and not steal_. The conversation turning upon the miracles performed by the intercession of the Saints, he a.s.serted _that he believed none of them, because he had not witnessed them_. Those of Christ being mentioned, he made this remark;--'_What a length of time from that period to 1791! and yet you believe them!_' thereby giving it to be understood that he did not believe them.

The deponent was therefore admonished in the name of G.o.d our Lord, and his Glorious and Blessed Mother, Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, to bethink himself and declare the whole truth.

Answered, that he heard the whole of these a.s.sertions except the first and last, relating to the miracles.

Questioned, why he had not given information of what he had heard to the Holy Office, inasmuch as it was so directly contrary to Our Holy Religion and Evangelical Law.

Answered, that he was so occupied with his dinner, and the debates going on, that he never thought of the obligation.

Questioned, from what cause and motive, and to what end the said fifer uttered these scandalous expressions; how many times, and what persons were present. Also, whether he was mad or drunk at the time, and whether he had been rebuked; how many times this was done, and if he abstained.

Answered, that he knew nothing of the cause, motive, or end of these words being spoken; that they were uttered only once at the noon above specified, in the sight and hearing of the deponent. That the persons present were the abovementioned Domingo, and a certain Juan, who, he believed, resided in the Calle Condal, next the house of Dr Juncia, on the second or third floor; also another person whom he did not remember; that he judged him to have been in his right mind, having asked the said Domingo in the presence of Estruch whether this man had not drunk too much, to which he replied that it could not be the effect of the wine, as he had, on other occasions, drunk more. That he did not recollect whether he was rebuked, but only that they kept disputing.

Questioned, what was the personal appearance and age of the said fifer.

Answered, that he was of a middling size, about forty years old, and had been the gardener of the citadel; that he belonged to the grenadier company of Brias, according to his own statement.

The whole of the above is the truth according to the oath sworn by the deponent, who also declared that the declarations were not made by him out of malice or ill will, but solely to discharge his conscience. The whole being read in his hearing, was declared by him to be correctly recorded, and he added his signature.

FRANCIs...o...b..AU.