_Augustin Tamarit, a physician, of the town of Salas, was imprisoned in
the Inquisition on the third of July, 1757, and tried for heretical
speeches. The following are some of the articles of the accusation, with
the imputed assertions qualified; that is, their character and tendency
formally pronounced by the officers of the Inquisition._
In the Royal Palace of the Inquisition of Barcelona, on the twentyninth
day of March, one thousand seven hundred and fiftysix, at the morning
audience, the Inquisitors Licentiate Don Joseph Otero y Cossio,
Licentiate Dr Manuel de Guell y Serra as Calificadores, and Father
Mariano Alberich, Jesuit, Fray Augustin Voltas, Dominican, Fray Raphael
Talavera, Minim, and Fray Buenaventura de Lanuza, Observante, all of
this Holy Office--having read article by article the following
propositions, _qualified_ them in the following manner.
A certain person, a native of these kingdoms, has asserted,
That the Moors were wealthy, prosperous, and in the enjoyment of
plentiful rain, directly the reverse of us Christians, and concluded by
saying ‘What remains for us but to join the Moors?’ On another occasion
he asserted that it was better to be bad than good, as good people were
generally poor, and bad ones rich.
_The first part of this proposition is scandalous, savouring of Molinism
and apostacy. The last is heretical._
Speaking of the bishops, he said, in answer to a question, ‘What power
have they to ordain priests?’
_This proposition is insulting to the episcopal dignity, and by the way
in which it is expressed, the inference is drawn that it is virtually
heretical._
That the friars and ecclesiastics devoured the people, and that the king
ought to take them into his service, by which means he would have
soldiers enow.
_This is scandalous, and insulting to the ecclesiastical and secular
state._
That the figures of the Saints were said to work miracles, and if this
were the fact, let one of them be thrown into the river to see if he
could save himself.
_Blasphemous and virtually heretical._
That it was a great pity for a man to be obliged to tell another,
meaning the Confessor, everything he did, and that it would be better to
speak into a hole and stop it up, for ‘what good did confession do?’
That he went to confession but once a year, signifying that but for
constraint he would not go at all.
_This is heretical, as it is a scorning of the Divine institution of
sacramental confession._
Speaking of the supplications which are made for rain, he asked, ‘What
use is there in running after these Saints, and what power have they to
make it rain? What is the use of carrying in procession these images?’
meaning several, and among others that of Nuestra Señora del Coll, ‘as
they are nothing but bits of wood or stone.’
_A heretical blasphemy._
Speaking of the Bull of the Santa Cruzada, he asserted that if he was
sovereign, he would hang every one who received the Bull.
_This is insulting, et sapiens hæresin._
Speaking of the chapels and hermitages in the village where he lived, he
asked ‘What do those images do there?’ meaning, ‘Why do not people
destroy them?’
_A heretical blasphemy._
Others saying to him ‘Let us go to mass,’ he answered by asking, ‘What
could they get by hearing mass?’ thus disturbing the devotions of the
hearers, and scorning this holy performance.
_Considered in connexion with the other assertions, this is scandalous,
and sapiens hæresin._
Speaking of Indulgences, he said with some contempt, that he should
value six dineros more than all the Indulgences together, and that they
were good for nothing.
_Scandalous and heretical._
Speaking of prodigies and miracles, he said that from the time of Christ
to the present day there had been no miracles, that he knew this well,
since he had conversed with a learned person. On another occasion,
discoursing on the same subject, he said, that God had never performed
a miracle, and he knew it, making at the same time the sign of the
cross upon his forehead.
_Heretical._
Speaking of tithes, he asserted that, were it not for compulsion, he
would not pay tithes, and that it would be better for people to enjoy
the fruit of their labors themselves, and not the ecclesiastics.
_Insulting and scandalous._
Speaking of burials and supplications for the dead, he asserted that
when he died he would as willingly be interred in common, as in
consecrated ground, and that but for compulsion he would not have a mass
said for his soul.
_Sapit hæresin._
He spoke with disrespect of the Holy Inquisition, and said that the
Inquisition corrected none but madmen and fools, making them declare
just what was desired, and then punishing them.
_Scandalous and insulting to the Holy Tribunal._
The bells tolling for a dead person, some one said to him, ‘Let us say a
_paternoster_ for the dead,’ to which he replied with contempt, ‘To what
purpose all these prayers for the dead?’ The other person answering that
they were supplications for his soul if in Purgatory, inasmuch as the
souls, which do not go to heaven or hell, are detained in Purgatory, he
replied scoffingly to this effect: ‘Who has ever been in Heaven, Hell,
or Purgatory, to tell us what becomes of the souls of the dead?’ adding,
that sooner than die he would be transformed to a horse, an ant, or any
other animal, for dead men never come back, and that when dead he would
as willingly be buried in rubbish as in consecrated ground.
_Heretical._
Speaking of supplications for rain, he said they were good for nothing,
and that it was nonsense to waste money for this purpose, for whether
supplications were made or not, it would rain and shine just as it did
in other parts of the world; that the rain depended upon the clouds, and
God did not concern himself about it, adding, ‘Search in what part God
exists to make it rain;’ and some one answering him, he repeated that
they must get this error out of their heads, about supplicating for
rain, as it was of no effect.
_Scandalous and heretical._
That St Thomas committed errors like the rest, and that it was useless
to cite the authority of the Holy Fathers, for they were not to the
purpose.
_Scandalous and insulting to the Holy Fathers._
That we could not be certain that the supplications produced rain or
cured sickness, and that it was superstitious to believe so as the
vulgar did.
_Heretical._
The person who uttered the above sayings is declared unanimously to be a
scandalous, presumptuous, and insulting blasphemer of the Saints, Holy
Fathers, the Pope, and Ecclesiastical State, and to be suspected _de
vehementi_.
MARIANO ALBERICH.
FR. RAFAEL TALAVERA.
FR. AUGUSTIN VOLTAS.
F. BUENAVENTINA DE LANUZA.
JUAN ANTONIO ALMONACID, _Sec’y_.
[_Dr Tamarit, however, was fortunate enough to escape with a penance,
the customary reprimands and threats in case of repeating his offences,
and an imprisonment of about three months._]
* * * * *
In the town of Cardona, in the bishopric of Celsona, on the thirtieth of
May, one thousand six hundred and fortyeight, in the afternoon, appeared
voluntarily, before the Revered Joseph Riera, Presbyter and Commissary
of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, and Dr Pablo Serra, Presbyter
Rector of the said town of Cardona, and Notary, sworn, a woman calling
herself Vitoria Sala, wife of Hermenter Sala, who came, as she stated,
to give information of something relating to the Holy Office.
Questioned, what she had to declare.
Answered, that about a year ago, while she was confessing herself in the
church of San Diego, of the aforesaid town of Cardona, to Father Fr.
Felix Coll, a regular Ecclesiastic of St Francisco, and at that time
Conventual of the Convent of San Diego, on many occasions during the act
of confession or immediately after, and while in the confessionary, he
had told her that he should ruin her, and many times he practised
touching her face, thighs, and back. On one occasion he endeavored to
feel of her bosom but she prevented him. At other times he touched and
squeezed her with his hands, and in one instance attempted to kiss her,
which she avoided by turning away her head. He told her that she must
not discover these things to any other confessor, for he did not behave
thus with any bad intention, but for the purpose of removing her
scruples, and that it would be for her benefit.
The deponent was informed that the Promoter Fiscal of the Holy Office
presented her as a witness in a cause under his direction against the
said Father Fr. Felix. She was directed to give attention while her
deposition was read word for word, and she declared that it was all
true, and that she had nothing to add, diminish, or alter, respecting
it, as it was the truth, and if necessary she was ready to repeat it
anew against the said Father Fr. Felix Coll; that she did not make the
declaration out of malice or ill will, but solely to discharge her
conscience. The said Vitoria not being able to write, I, the said
Commissary, sign in her name.
JOSEPH RIERA, _Presbyter Commissary_.