Appendix A - Cautelæ inquisitorum decem contra hæreticorum cavillationes et fraudes

Summary

The text has been taken from Directorium, pp. 288–9, BM, fol. 124r–v.

Prima cautela inquisitoris est, ut si videat hareticum uti duplicitatibus verborum in suis responsionibus: utpote aquivocationibus, conditionis adiectionibus, quastionum retorsionibus, quastionum admirationibus, tergiversationibus, verborum translationibus, et sic de aliis eorum cavillationibus, qua dicta sunt supra: quod non permittat in huiusmodi persistere, sed conetur per sua interrogatoria ad propositum, de quo intendit ipse inquisitor, reducere: ut si interrogetur, an credat in unicam sanctam ecclesiam catholicam; intelligendo de ecclesia eorum, que est ecclesia malignantium: interrogetur ille de qua ecclesia dicit, et quis praest? et si dicat, quod Papa, interrogetur ubi moratur pro nunc ille Papa, et similia, prout materia requiret: et sic de aliis ad propositum, de quo quaritur, eum reducendo.

The inquisitor's first ruse is as follows: If he sees that the heretic is using verbal tricks in his replies, in the shape of equivocations, added conditions, twisting questions, wondering at questions, evasions, shifting words, and thus is showing scorn for the things which are mentioned above, the inquisitor should not allow him to persist in this way but endeavour through his interrogation to bring him back to the matter which the inquisitor himself intended. For example, if he (the heretic) is asked whether he believes in one holy Catholic Church he may understand that as being about his church, which is the church of the wicked. He should be asked what church he is speaking of and who presides over it. And if he says the Pope, he should be asked where that Pope lives at present. He should be asked such questions as are needed to bring him back from other things to the subject about which he is being questioned.