The Inquisitors' Manual for the Use of the Inquisitions of Spain & Portugal

Biblioteca Obscura No. 17

By Nicolas Eymeric

Few documents provide a more revealing glimpse into the machinery of religious persecution than the manuals prepared for the inquisitors themselves. The Inquisitors' Manual for the Use of the Inquisitions of Spain & Portugal preserves one of the most influential guides ever written for the detection, examination, and prosecution of heresy, witchcraft, sorcery, and other crimes against the faith. Compiled by the renowned Dominican inquisitor Nicolas Eymeric, this remarkable work became an authoritative reference for generations of ecclesiastical investigators.

Drawing upon canon law, theology, judicial procedure, and centuries of inquisitorial experience, Eymeric explains the principles by which suspected heretics, magicians, sorcerers, and practitioners of forbidden arts were to be identified, questioned, and judged. The manual reveals the legal reasoning, religious doctrines, and investigative methods employed by one of history's most powerful ecclesiastical institutions, offering readers an unfiltered view into the administration of religious justice during the late Middle Ages and early modern period.

Far more than a legal handbook, this work stands as an extraordinary historical document illuminating the intellectual world of the Inquisition. It exposes the beliefs, fears, and judicial practices that shaped the prosecution of heresy and occult crimes across Europe for centuries.

Professionally restored from the original edition, this volume preserves one of the foundational texts of inquisitorial history and the legal treatment of witchcraft, magic, and religious dissent.

Why This Volume Matters

Nicolas Eymeric's manual ranks among the most important primary sources for understanding the operation of the medieval and early modern Inquisition. It demonstrates how theology, law, and judicial procedure combined to investigate beliefs and practices considered dangerous to both Church and society.

For historians, students of witchcraft, demonology, religious history, canon law, and the European Inquisitions, this volume provides an indispensable window into the official methods and legal framework that shaped centuries of religious prosecution.

About Biblioteca Obscura

Biblioteca Obscura is a collectible series from Shadowborn Press devoted to forgotten historical works that have shaped humanity's understanding of the occult, folklore, witchcraft, demonology, religion, alchemy, spiritualism, and the supernatural.

Each volume is carefully restored from original editions, professionally typeset, and designed to create a uniform collector's library preserving rare texts that have long remained inaccessible to modern readers.

Book Details

• Series: Biblioteca Obscura
• Volume: No. 17
• Author: Nicolas Eymeric
• Format: Premium collectible paperback
• Trim Size: 4 × 6 inches
• Publisher: Shadowborn Press
• Carefully restored from the original historical edition