Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
The behavior of Father Petrucci in his new dignity greatly contributed to increase his
reputation, so that his enemies were unwilling to give him any further disturbance; and,
indeed, there was less occasion given for censure by his writings than those of Molinos.
Some passages in the latter were not so cautiously expressed, but there was room to make
exceptions to them; while, on the other hand Petrucci so fully explained himself, as easily to
remove the objections made to some parts of his letter.
The great reputation acquired by Molinos and Petrucci occasioned a daily increase of
the Quietists. All who were thought sincerely devout, or at least affected the reputation of it,
were reckoned among the number. If these persons were observed to become more strict in
their lives and mental devotions, yet there appeared less zeal in their whole deportment at
the exterior parts of the Church ceremonies. They were not so assiduous at Mass, nor so
earnest to procure Masses to be said for their friends; nor were they so frequently either at
confession, or in processions.
Though the new approbation given to Molinos' book by the Inquisition had checked the
proceedings of his enemies; yet they were still inveterate against him in their hearts, and
determined if possible to ruin him. They insinuated that he had ill designs, and was, in his
heart, an enemy to the Christian religion: that under pretence of raising men to a sublime
strain of devotion, he intended to erase from their minds a sense of the mysteries of
Christianity. And because he was a Spaniard, they gave out that he was descended from a
Jewish or Mahometan race, and that he might carry in his blood, or in his first education,
some seeds of those religions which he had since cultivated with no less art than zeal. This
last calumny gained but little credit at Rome, though it was said an order was sent to examine
the registers of the place where Molinos was baptised.
Molinos finding himself attacked with great vigor, and the most unrelenting malice, took
every necessary precaution to prevent these imputations being credited. He wrote a treatise,
entitled "Frequent and Daily Communion," which was likewise approved by some of the
most learned of the Romish clergy. This was printed with his Spiritual Guide, in the year
1675; and in the preface to it he declared that he had not written it with any design to engage
himself in matters of controversy, but that it was drawn from him by the earnest solicitations
of many pious people.
The Jesuits, failing in their attempts of crushing Molinos' power in Rome, applied to the
court of France, when, in a short time, they so far succeeded that an order was sent to
Cardinal d'Estrees, commanding him to prosecute Molinos with all possible rigor. The
cardinal, though so strongly attached to Molinos, resolved to sacrifice all that is sacred in
friendship to the will of his master. Finding, however, there was not sufficient matter for an
accusation against him, he determined to supply that defect himself. He therefore went to
the inquisitors, and informed them of several particulars, not only relative to Molinos, but
also Petrucci, both of whom, together with several of their friends, were put into the
Inquisition.
When they were brought before the inquisitors, (which was the beginning of the year
1684) Petrucci answered the respective questions put to him with so much judgment and
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