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Article JOHN COUSTOS, FREEMASON. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, Freemason.
intimidate me , when I should be brought before them ; which I accordingly was , in a few days , after having been shaved and had my haircut by their order . I now was led , bareheaded , to the President and four Inquisitors , who , -upon my coming in , bid me kneel down , lay my ri g ht hand on the Bible , and swear , in the presence of Almighty God , thalt I would speak truly with regard to all the questions they should ask me : These
questions were , my Christian and sirnames , those of my parents , the place of my birth , my profession , religion , and how long I had resided in Lisbon . This being done , they addressed me as follows : " Son , you have offended and spoke injuriously of ' the Holy Office , as " we know from very good intelligence , for which reason we exhort yon " to make a confession of , and to accuse yourself ofthe several crimes
, " you may have committed , from the time you was capable of judging " between good and evil to the present moment . In doing this , you " will excite the compassion of this tribunal , which is ever merciful " and kind to those who speak the truth . "
It was then they thought proper to inform me , that the diamond , mentioned in the former pages , was only a pretence they had employed in order to get an opportunity of seizing me . I now besought them , " To let . me know the true cause of my imprisonment ; that " having been born and educated in the Protestant religion , I had " been taught , from my infancy , not to confess myself to men , but . to
" God , who , as he only can see into the inmost recesses of the human " heart ' , knows the sincerity or insincerity of the sinner ' s repentance " who confesses to him ; and , being his Creator , it was he only could " absolve him . " The reader will naturally suppose , that ' they were no ways ] satisfied with my answer ; they declaring , " That it would be indispensably ne" cessary for ' me to confess myself , what religion soever I mi g ht be o £ " otherwise that a confession would be forced from me , by the expe" ' dients the Holy Office employed for that purpose . "
To this I replied , " That I had fiever spoke in my life against the " Romish reli gion ; that I had behaved in such a manner , ever fince " my living at Lisbon , that I could not be justly accused of saying or " doing any thing contrary to . the laws of the kingdom , either as to " spirituals or temporals ; that I had always imagined the Holy Office " . took cognizance of none but those persons who were guilty of sacri" . lege , blasphemy , and such like crimes ; whose deliht is to depreciate
g " and ridicule the mysteries received in the Romish Church , but of " which I was noways guilty . " - They then remanded me back to my dungeon , after exhorting me to examine my conscience . Three days after they sent for me again , to interrogate me a second time . The first question they asked was , " Whether I had carefull y " looked into my consciencepursuant to their injunction ? " I replied
, , " That after carefull y reviewing all the past transactions of my life , I " did not remember my having said or done any thing that could just" ly give offence to the Holy Office ; that , from my most early youth , " my parents , who had been forced to quit Jrance for their reli g ion , and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, Freemason.
intimidate me , when I should be brought before them ; which I accordingly was , in a few days , after having been shaved and had my haircut by their order . I now was led , bareheaded , to the President and four Inquisitors , who , -upon my coming in , bid me kneel down , lay my ri g ht hand on the Bible , and swear , in the presence of Almighty God , thalt I would speak truly with regard to all the questions they should ask me : These
questions were , my Christian and sirnames , those of my parents , the place of my birth , my profession , religion , and how long I had resided in Lisbon . This being done , they addressed me as follows : " Son , you have offended and spoke injuriously of ' the Holy Office , as " we know from very good intelligence , for which reason we exhort yon " to make a confession of , and to accuse yourself ofthe several crimes
, " you may have committed , from the time you was capable of judging " between good and evil to the present moment . In doing this , you " will excite the compassion of this tribunal , which is ever merciful " and kind to those who speak the truth . "
It was then they thought proper to inform me , that the diamond , mentioned in the former pages , was only a pretence they had employed in order to get an opportunity of seizing me . I now besought them , " To let . me know the true cause of my imprisonment ; that " having been born and educated in the Protestant religion , I had " been taught , from my infancy , not to confess myself to men , but . to
" God , who , as he only can see into the inmost recesses of the human " heart ' , knows the sincerity or insincerity of the sinner ' s repentance " who confesses to him ; and , being his Creator , it was he only could " absolve him . " The reader will naturally suppose , that ' they were no ways ] satisfied with my answer ; they declaring , " That it would be indispensably ne" cessary for ' me to confess myself , what religion soever I mi g ht be o £ " otherwise that a confession would be forced from me , by the expe" ' dients the Holy Office employed for that purpose . "
To this I replied , " That I had fiever spoke in my life against the " Romish reli gion ; that I had behaved in such a manner , ever fince " my living at Lisbon , that I could not be justly accused of saying or " doing any thing contrary to . the laws of the kingdom , either as to " spirituals or temporals ; that I had always imagined the Holy Office " . took cognizance of none but those persons who were guilty of sacri" . lege , blasphemy , and such like crimes ; whose deliht is to depreciate
g " and ridicule the mysteries received in the Romish Church , but of " which I was noways guilty . " - They then remanded me back to my dungeon , after exhorting me to examine my conscience . Three days after they sent for me again , to interrogate me a second time . The first question they asked was , " Whether I had carefull y " looked into my consciencepursuant to their injunction ? " I replied
, , " That after carefull y reviewing all the past transactions of my life , I " did not remember my having said or done any thing that could just" ly give offence to the Holy Office ; that , from my most early youth , " my parents , who had been forced to quit Jrance for their reli g ion , and