Anabaptist Church History
Language: English

The original account

OF THE SECOND DECREE.

First Part. · AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

Original wording, with book contents, page navigation, and linked notes. Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

By the chancellor of this Emperor, A. D., 1230. (Same place, Epist. 25, Petri. de Veneis).

305

In another letter of Peter de Veneis, we find another decree of Frederic II., which reads as follows:

“We therefore decree and ordain that heretics, of whatever name, shall receive condign punishment, throughout the empire, wherever the church shall condemn them as heretics, and deliver or indicate them to the secular judge.

“But if any of the aforesaid, after their apprehension, deterred by the fear of death, shall desire to return to the unity of the Catholic faith, they shall according to the requirement of the church ordinances, be imprisoned for life, to do penance.

“Moreover, all heretics, in whatever city, village or place, of the realm they may be found by the inquisition sent by the Apostolic see, or by other zealous adherents of the Catholic faith, shall receive like punishment.

“All those, then, who shall have jurisdiction there, shall be bound, on the denunciation or intimation of the inquisitors, or of other Catholics, to apprehend and closely keep them, until they, after their being condemned by the censure of the church, shall punish them with death.

“We ordain like punishment for those whom the crafty enemy stirs up to be their advocates, or who are their improper protectors.”

At the end of the decree are these words: “But the heretics whom they shall point out to you, you shall, each in his jurisdiction, be bound to apprehend and keep in close custody, so that they, after the judgment of the church, shall be punished according to their deserts; knowing, that in the execution of this matter, if you will do your utmost unitedly with these brethren (the Dominicans and Franciscans),178 to expunge from our dominion the blot of this unheard-of heretical wickedness (thus he calls the true faith), you will render unto God a pleasing, and unto us a commendable, service.

“But if any be slack or negligent herein, and unprofitable before the Lord, he also shall be justly worthy of punishment in our eyes.” Given at Pavia.