Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent.

  • Beaumont, John, -1731.
Date:
1724
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    219/226 (page 205)
    Thus we fee j that after Chriftianity had egregi- oufly plaid the fool about a thoufand Years, they began to grow wifer, and Men have had fairer Play in criminal Caufes ; and as Man’s Condition is fomewhat mended in this refped, it may be wifh’d and I am forry I cannot fay hoped, that all thofe who adminifter Juftice, as to Meum and Tuum, in Chriftian Governments, would ferioufty confider they are incomparably out-done in that refped by the Turks, and the more rationalP agans, and would think of fome Amendment, I cannot now enlarge on this Subject, but mu ft fay, I think Men cannot enough refent thofe villanous and execrable Abufes daily put on them by the delays of juftice and the Corruptions ufed in the Adminiftration of it in the generality of Chriftian Governments : Non hie Arcana revdo, Non ignota loquor, lie eat vulgata referre. And as Aventinus obferves, that what at one time is accounted Piety, at another time is accounted Error, we may confider what Chriftians, partly by their Policy, and partly by their Zeal without Know¬ ledge, have brought Religion to® Nunc gerit ham, aliam Speciem nunc induit anno Relligio, ad procenim Senfa parata loqui. Fhis, or that Mask Religion every Year Puts on, as Rulers whifper in her Ear* I fhall only add one Obfervation here, viz,. That as all Men mu ft allow there was a Reality in the fore- mentioned Tryals, both among Chriftians and Pagans; fb that fome carried burning-hot Irons in their Hands, fome dip’d their Arms up to their Elbows in fcalding-hoc Water, fome walk’d on burning Coals,