1 Ordeal Formulas The two methods of proof used in early Germanic law were compurgation and ordeal In compurgation the accused swore to his own innocence together with a group of oath helpers Two typical kinds of ordeal in their Christianized form are described in the following liturgical formulas The Judgment of the Glowing Iron After the accusation has been lawfully made and three days have been passed in fasting and prayer the priest clad in his sacred vestments with the exception of his outside garment shall take with a tongs the iron placed before the altar and singing the hymn of the three youths namely Bless him all his works he shall bear it to the fire and shall say this prayer over the place where the fire is to carry out the judgment Bless 0 Lord God this place that there may be for us in it sanctity chastity virtue and victory and sanctimony humility goodness gentleness and plenitude of law and obedience to God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost After this the iron shall be placed in the fire and shall be sprinkled with holy water and while it is heating he shall celebrate mass But when the priest shall have taken the Eucharist he shall adjure the man who is to be tried and shall cause him to take the communion Then the priest shall sprinkle holy water above the iron and shall say The blessing of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost descend upon this iron for the discerning of the right judgment of God And straightway the accused shall carry the iron to a distance of nine feet Finally his hand shall be covered under seal for three days and if festering blood be found in the track of the iron he shall be judged guilty But if however he shall go forth uninjured praise shall be rendered to God Test of the Cold Water Consecration to Be Said over the Man May omnipotent God who did order baptism to be made by water and did grant remission of sins to men through baptism may He through His mercy decree a right judgment through that water If namely thou art guilty in that matter may the water which received thee in baptism not receive thee now if however thou art innocent may the water which received thee in baptism receive thee now Through Christ our Lord Afterwards He Shall Exorcise the Water Thus I adjure thee water in name of the Father Almighty who did create thee in the beginning who also did order thee to be separated from the waters above that in no manner thou receive this man if he be in any way guilty of the charge that is brought against him by deed namely or by consent or by knowledge or in any way but make him to swim above thee And may no process be employed against thee and no magic which may be able to conceal that fact of his guilt Source Ernest F Henderson Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ages London George Bell and Sons 1910 314 17 2 Formula for Conducting the Ordeal of Boiling Water 12th or 13th Century Let the priest go to the church with the prosecutors and with him who is about to be tried And while the rest wait in the vestibule of the church let the priest enter and put on the sacred garments except the chasuble and taking the Gospel and the chrismarium1 and the relics of the saints and the chalice let him go to the altar and speak thus to all the people standing near Behold brethren the offices of the Christian religion Behold the law in which is hope and remission of sins the holy oil of the chrism the consecration of the body and blood of our Lord Look that ye be not deprived of the heritage of such great blessing and of participation in it by implicating yourselves in the crime of another for it is written not only are they worthy of death who do these things but they that have pleasure in them that do them Then let him thus address the one who is to undertake the ordeal I command thee N in the presence of all by the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by the tremendous day of judgment by the ministry of baptism by thy veneration for the saints that if thou art guilty of this matter charged against thee if thou hast done it or consented to it or hast knowingly seen the perpetrators of this crime thou enter not into the church nor mingle in the company of Christians unless thou wilt confess and admit thy guilt before thou are examined in public judgment Then he shall designate a spot in the vestibule where the fire is to be made for the water and shall first sprinkle the place with holy water and shall also sprinkle the kettle when it is ready to be hung and the water in it to guard against the illusions of the devil Then entering the church with the others he shall celebrate the ordeal mass After the celebration let the priest go with the people to the place of the ordeal the Gospel in his left hand the cross censer and relics of the saints being carried ahead and let him chant seven penitential psalms with a litany Prayer over the boiling water O God just judge firm and patient who art the Author of peace and judgest truly determine what is right O Lord and make known Thy righteous judgment O Omnipotent God Thou that lookest upon the earth and makest it to tremble Thou that by the gift of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ didst save the world and by His most holy passion didst redeem the human race sanctify O Lord this water being heated by fire Thou that didst save the three youths Sidrac Misac and Abednago cast into the fiery furnace at the command of Nebuchadnezzar and didst lead them forth unharmed by the hand of Thy angle do Thou O clement and most holy Ruler give aid if he shall plunge his hand into the boiling water being innocent and as Thou didst liberate the three youths from the fiery furnace and didst free Susanna from the false charge so O Lord bring forth his hand safe and unharmed from this water But if he be guilty and presume to plunge in his hand the devil hardening his heart let Thy holy justice deign to declare it that Thy virtue may be manifest in his body and his soul be saved by penitence and confession And if the guilty man shall try to hide his sins by the use of 1 Container in which blessed oil was kept 3 herbs or any magic let Thy right hand deign to bring it to no account Through Thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ who dwelleth with Thee Benediction of the water I bless thee O creature of water boiling above the fire in the …
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