Deep Dive into Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe - Summary of the Inquisition

The Inquisition is described as the offspring and image of the popedom, emerging in the thirteenth century when the popedom reached the summit of its mortal dominion. During this period, the papacy was independent of kingdoms and held unparalleled influence as the sovereign of body and soul. Despite having immense power for good, its nature is characterized as hostile, leading to the "monstrous and horrid birth" of the Inquisition.The Inquisition was planted wherever popery had power, extending from Europe to the East (like Goa) and South America, which was partitioned into provinces of the Inquisition. The Netherlands became "one scene of slaughter." Spain alone had seventeen tribunals.The activities of the Inquisition resulted in widespread violence and suffering. While no authentic global record exists, multitudes perished. Punishments included being burned annually, with an average of ten per tribunal in Spain (totaling around 170 annually based on the seventeen tribunals there). Spain's lists of "murders" reached thirty-two thousand. Additionally, three hundred and nine thousand were burned in effigy or condemned to penance, punishments equivalent to exile, confiscation, and taint of blood, causing significant ruin. Vast numbers also perished unrecorded in dungeons from torture, confinement, and broken hearts, and millions of dependent lives were lost as a consequence of the victims' deaths, numbers considered "beyond all register." Public events like auto da fes were celebrated, particularly in South America, as public displays of punishment.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed