A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 2

by Henry Charles Lea

When, in 1562, Pius IV reformed the Penitentiary he confined letters of absolution to the forum of conscience.—Bull. In sublimi (Bullar. II, 75).

[282] Collectio Decretorum Sacræ Congregationis S^ti Officii, p. 245 (MS. penes me).

[283] Llorente, Hist. crít., Append. n. 3.—Páramo, p. 137.—Boletin, XV, 472, 474.

[284] Printed by Llorente, Append. n. 4. That this was procured, and of course paid for, by the Conversos is evident from the fact that the original was presented, January 4, 1484, to Garcia de Meneses, Bishop of Evora in Portugal, by Juan de Sevilla, who asked, as it provided that full faith should be given to all notarial transcripts, authenticated by the seal of a bishop, that he would authorize the notary, Nuñez Lorenzo, to make transcripts and attach the seal, to which the bishop assented.—Archivo de Simancas, Patronato Real, Inquisicion, Leg. único, fol. 20.

Thus the bull was brought to Spain by the Conversos; copies were needed and either they dared not trust the original to any Spanish bishop, or could find none who ventured to assist in its multiplication; it was therefore carried to Portugal, where the bishops were under no constraint.

[285] Boletin, XV, 489.—Llorente, Hist. crít. cap. V, Art. iv, n. 20.

[286] Archivio Vaticano, Sisto IV, Registro 677, Tom. XVIII, fol. 498.

[287] Pulgar, Chronica, III, xxxviii.

[288] See Vol. I, Appendix, p. 572.

[289] Archivo gen. de la C. de Aragon, Regist. 3684, fol. 33