A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages

Chapter I.--the Spiritual Franciscans.

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Dissensions in the Franciscan Order from Elias to John of Parma 1

Joachim of Flora.--His Reputation as a Prophet 10

His Apocalyptic Speculations as to the Third Era 14

Adopted by the Spiritual Franciscans 18

The Everlasting Gospel.--Its Condemnation 20

The Spirituals Compromised.--John of Parma Removed 23

Persistence of the Joachites 25

Increasing Strife over Poverty 27

Bull Exiit qui seminat 30

Persecution of Italian Spirituals 32

The French Spirituals.--Jean Pierre Olivi 42

Arnaldo de Vilanova 52

Disputation before Clement V.--Decision of Council of Vienne 57

Renewed Persecution of the Spirituals 61

Commencement of Rebellion.--Dissensions among Them 62

Election of John XXII.--His Character 66

He Enforces Obedience and Creates a Heresy 69

Bloody Persecution of the Olivists 73

They Form a New Church 79

Their Fanaticism.--Naprous Boneta 81

Suppression of the Sect.--Its Career in Aragon 84

Jean de la Rochetaillade.--Remains of Joachitism 86

Chapter Ii.--Guglielma and Dolcino.

Incarnation of Holy Ghost in Guglielma 90

The Guglielmites Form a New Church 94

Prosecuted by the Inquisition 98

Fate of the Sectaries 100

The Order of Apostles.--Spiritual Tendencies 103

Gherardo Segarelli.--Burned in 1300 104

Dolcino Assumes the Leadership 109

His Open Revolt.--Suppressed after Four Crusades 113

Continuance and Character of the Heresy 120

Chapter Iii.--the Fraticelli.

Question Raised as to the Poverty of Christ 129

Reaction against the Holiness of Poverty 130

Doctrine of the Poverty of Christ Declared a Heresy 134

It Complicates the Quarrel with Louis of Bavaria 135

Marsiglio of Padua and William of Ockham 139

Gradual Estrangement of the Franciscans 142

Louis Deposes John XXII. as a Heretic 145

Michele da Cesena Revolts 147

Utility of the Inquisition.--Submission of the Antipope 149

Struggle in Germany.--The Franciscans Support Louis 153

Louis gradually Gains Strength.--His Death 156

Dissident Franciscans Known as Fraticelli 158

Sympathy for them under Persecution 160

Their Tenets 162

Fraticelli in France and Spain 167

Orthodox Ascetism.--Jesuats.--Observantines 171

The Observantines Replace and Suppress the Fraticelli 174

Chapter Iv.--Political Heresy Utilized by the Church.

Denial of Papal Claims Pronounced Heresy 181

The Stedingers.--Tithes Enforced by Crusades 182

Crusades to Support Italian Interests of Papacy 189

Importance of Inquisition as a Political Agency 190

Advantage of the Charge of Heresy 191

Manfred of Naples.--The Colonnas.--Ferrara 193

John XXII. and the Visconti 196

Cola di Rienzo.--The Maffredi 203

Use of Inquisition in the Great Schism 204

Case of Thomas Connecte 208

Girolamo Savonarola 209

Chapter V.--Political Heresy Utilized by the State.

Use of Inquisition by Secular Potentates 238

The Templars.--Growth and Relations of the Order 238

Causes of its Downfall.--Facilities Furnished by the Inquisition 249

Papal Complicity Sought.--Use made of Inquisition 257

Errors Charged against the Templars 263

The Question of their Guilt 264

Vacillation of Clement.--The Assembly of Tours 277

Bargain between King and Pope.--Clement Joins the Prosecution 281

Prosecution throughout Europe.--Its Methods in France 284

The Papal Commission.--Its Proceedings 289

Defence Prevented by Burning those who Retract 295

Proceedings in England.--The Inquisition Necessary 298

Action in Lorraine and Germany 301

In Italy and the East 304

In Spain and Majorca 310

Torture in Preparation for the Council of Vienne 317

Arbitrary Proceedings Required at the Council 319

Disposition of Property and Persons of the Order 322

Fate of de Molay 325

Popular Sympathies 326

Distribution of the Property of the Order 329

Case of Doctor Jean Petit 334

Case of Joan of Arc.--Condition of the French Monarchy 338

Career of Joan up to her Capture 340

The Inquisition Claims her.--Delivered to the Bishop of Beauvais 357

Her Trial 360

Her Condemnation and Execution 372

Her Imitators and her Rehabilitation 376

Chapter Vi.--Sorcery and Occult Arts.

Satan and the Spirit World 379

Incubi and Succubi 383

Human Ministers of Satan.--Sorcerers 385

Penalties under the Roman Law 392

Struggle between Pagan and Christian Theurgy 393

Repression of Sorcery by the Early Church 395

Magic Practices of the Barbarians 400

Leniency of Barbarian Legislation 408

Legislation of Church and State in Carlovingian Period 412

Practical Toleration in Early Mediæval Period 416

Indifference of Secular Legislation 427

The Inquisition Assumes Jurisdiction 434

All Magic Becomes Heretical 435

Astrology.--Pietro di Abano.--Cecco d'Ascoli 437

Divination by Dreams 446

Comminatory Church Services 447

The Inquisition Stimulates Sorcery by Persecution 448

Unfortunate Influence of John XXII 452

Growth of Sorcery in the Fourteenth Century 454

Increase in the Fifteenth Century 464

Case of the Maréchal de Rais 468

Enrique de Villena 489

Chapter Vii.--Witchcraft.

Its Origin in the Fifteenth Century 492

The Sabbat.--Regarded at first as a Diabolic Illusion 493

Adopted by the Church as a Reality 497

Its Ceremonies 500

Power and Malignity of the Witch 501

The Church Helpless to Counteract her Spells 506

Belief Stimulated by Persecution 508

Witches Lose Power when Arrested 509

Secular and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over Witchcraft 511

Inquisitorial Process as Applied to Witchcraft 513

Case of the Witches of the Canavese 518

Case of the Vaudois of Arras 519

Slow Development of the Witchcraft Craze 534

Stimulated by the Inquisition and the Church 538

Influence of the Malleus Maleficarum 543

Opposition to the Inquisition.--France.--Cornelius Agrippa 544

Opposition of Venice.--The Witches of Brescia 546

Terrible Development in the Sixteenth Century 549

Chapter Viii.--Intellect and Faith.

Intellectual Aberrations not Dangerous 550

Theological Tendencies and Development 551

Roger Bacon 552

Nominalism and Realism 555

Rivalry between Philosophy and Theology 557

Averrhoism 558

Toleration in Italy in the Fifteenth Century 565

Modified Averrhoism.--Pomponazio.--Nifo 574

Raymond Lully 578

Evolution of Dogma.--The Beatific Vision 590

The Immaculate Conception 596

Censorship of the Press 612

Chapter Ix.--Conclusion.

Omissions of the Inquisition.--The Greek Heretics 616

Quæstuari, or Pardoners 621

Simony 624

Demoralization of the Church 627

Morals of the Laity 641

Materials for the Improvement of Humanity 645

The Reformation Inevitable 647

Encouraging Advance of Humanity 649

APPENDIX OF DOCUMENTS 651

INDEX 665

THE INQUISITION.

BOOK III.. Special Fields of Inquisitorial Activity.

SPECIAL FIELDS OF INQUISITORIAL ACTIVITY.

CHAPTER I.

THE SPIRITUAL FRANCISCANS.

In a former chapter we considered the Mendicants as an active agency in the suppression of heresy. One of the Orders, however, by no means restricted itself to this function, and we have now to examine the career of the Franciscans as the subjects of the spirit of persecuting uniformity which they did so much to render dominant.

While the mission of both Orders was to redeem the Church from the depth of degradation into which it had sunk, the Dominicans were more especially trained to take part in the active business of life. They therefore attracted the more restless and aggressive spirits; they accommodated themselves to the world, like the Jesuits of later days, and the worldliness which necessarily came with success awakened little antagonism within the organization. Power and luxury were welcomed and enjoyed. Even Thomas Aquinas, who, as we have seen, eloquently defended, against William of Saint-Amour, the superlative holiness of absolute poverty, subsequently admitted that poverty should be proportioned to the object which an Order was fitted to attain.

It was otherwise with the Franciscans. Though, as we have seen, the founders determined not to render the Order a simply contemplative one, the salvation of the individual through retreat from the world and its temptations bore a much larger part in their motives than in those of Dominic and his followers. Absolute poverty and self-abnegation were its primal principles, and it inevitably drew to itself the intellects which sought a refuge from the temptations of life in self-absorbing contemplation, in dreamy speculation, and in the renunciation of all that renders life attractive to average human nature. As the organization grew in wealth and power there were necessarily developed within its bosom antagonisms in two directions. On the one hand, it nourished a spirit of mysticism, which, though recognized in its favorite appellation of the Seraphic Order, sometimes found the trammels of orthodoxy oppressive. On the other, the men who continued to cherish the views of the founders as to the supreme obligation of absolute poverty could not reconcile their consciences to the accumulation of wealth and its display in splendor, and they rejected the ingenious devices which sought to accommodate the possession of riches with the abnegation of all possession.

In fact, the three vows, of poverty, obedience, and chastity, were all equally impossible of absolute observance. The first was irreconcilable with human necessities, the others with human passions. As for chastity, the whole history of the Church shows the impracticability of its enforcement. As for obedience, in the sense attached to it of absolute renunciation of the will, its incompatibility with the conduct of human affairs was shown at an early period, when Friar Haymo of Feversham overthrew Gregory, the Provincial of Paris, and, not long afterwards, withstood the general Elias, and procured his deposition. As for poverty, we shall see to what inextricable complications it led, despite the efforts of successive popes, until the imperious will and resolute common-sense of John XXII. brought the Order from its seraphic heights down to the every-day necessities of human life--at the cost, it must be confessed, of a schism. The trouble was increased by the fact that St. Francis, foreseeing the efforts which would be made to evade the spirit of the Rule, had, in his Testament, strictly forbidden all alterations, glosses, and explanations, and had commanded that these instructions should be read in all chapters of the Order. With the growth of the Franciscan legend, moreover, the Rule was held to be a special divine revelation, equal in authority to the gospel, and St. Francis was glorified until he became a being rather divine than human.

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