An Anonymous Church Doctrine

Trial by ordeal was a method used in the Middle Ages to determine the guilt or innocence of a sinner. It was used as a last resort when other means failed to either convict or acquit a defendant. While several different "ordeals" were employed, the most common was the Ordeal of Hot Water. A priest, in the presence of the accused, would recite prayers and incantations over a cauldron of boiling water. Once blessed by a priest, the hand of the accused would be plunged into the boiling water, removed, and immediately bound in linen. Several days later the hand would be carefully inspected. If it showed any signs of infection, the person was declared guilty. The theory underlying the ordeal was that if human justice could not determine guilt or innocence, God could. God, all powerful...