is best to wait for the witness, and it may be desirable to hold him, in order to examine him personally; this is left to the commissary’s choice, for, having the case before him, he can decide what is best to do.  If any one be summoned on the affairs of the Holy Office and shall not render due obedience, a written order must be sent to him, imposing upon him the penalty of excommunication and a fine in money, should he disobey.  A report of all proceedings in each individual case shall be made, so that the disobedient person may receive exemplary punishment, according to his station in life and the nature of his disobedience.

10.  Some are accustomed to send their denunciations through memorials, with or without their signatures, or by letters-missive; but, since these persons write them under no pressure or oath, and without the presence of a judge or a notary, they expand their accusations to the detriment of their neighbor’s reputation.  Therefore the commissary ought to avoid as much as possible the acceptance of such letters and memorials, and shall order the witnesses to declare under oath what they know of the matter, in order to free their consciences, and shall examine them concerning the facts.  If the acceptance of such a letter cannot be avoided, the person who writes it should be summoned and made to acknowledge it under oath before a notary, after which he should be examined about the letter.  If the letter be written from a distant place, the rule in the preceding clause can be followed.

11.  Likewise some persons, moved by passion more than by commendable zeal, are wont to denounce others on the ground that they are confessos, and therefore not entitled to wear silk, carry weapons, ride on horseback, or do other things forbidden to them by laws and royal ordinances of these realms, as well as by the instructions of the Holy Office, as likewise is set forth in the edict.  In these cases one ought to be careful not to accept such depositions except from children and grand-children of relaxados, or from children of a relaxada, [40] or from persons who themselves have been reconciled to the Church [reconciliados].  The commissary may receive denunciations from these three classes of persons, and send them to the Holy Office, without making any arrest, issuing interdicts, or taking other steps.  On the contrary he will maintain great secrecy, and charge the witnesses to do the same.  As for other persons denounced as confessos, since they are not in the said class, nothing will be written.  On the contrary, the same secrecy will be imposed upon the witnesses and they shall be very kindly admonished to be silent, and not to slander their neighbors, informing them that the Holy Office will take no offense at what they have testified.