Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- BOOK I—ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF THE INQUISITION
- CHAPTER I THE CHURCH
- CHAPTER II HERESY
- CHAPTER III THE CATHARI
- CHAPTER IV THE ALBIGENSIAN CRUSADES
- CHAPTER V PERSECUTION
- CHAPTER VI THE MENDICANT ORDERS
- CHAPTER VII THE INQUISITION FOUNDED
- CHAPTER VIII ORGANIZATION
- CHAPTER IX THE INQUISITORIAL PROCESS
- CHAPTER X EVIDENCE
- CHAPTER XI THE DEFENCE
- CHAPTER XII THE SENTENCE
- CHAPTER XIII CONFISCATION
- CHAPTER XIV THE STAKE
- APPENDIX
CHAPTER I - THE CHURCH
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- BOOK I—ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF THE INQUISITION
- CHAPTER I THE CHURCH
- CHAPTER II HERESY
- CHAPTER III THE CATHARI
- CHAPTER IV THE ALBIGENSIAN CRUSADES
- CHAPTER V PERSECUTION
- CHAPTER VI THE MENDICANT ORDERS
- CHAPTER VII THE INQUISITION FOUNDED
- CHAPTER VIII ORGANIZATION
- CHAPTER IX THE INQUISITORIAL PROCESS
- CHAPTER X EVIDENCE
- CHAPTER XI THE DEFENCE
- CHAPTER XII THE SENTENCE
- CHAPTER XIII CONFISCATION
- CHAPTER XIV THE STAKE
- APPENDIX
Summary
As the twelfth century drew to a close, the Church was approaching a crisis in its career. The vicissitudes of a hundred and fifty years, skilfully improved, had rendered it the mistress of Christendom. History records no such triumph of intellect over brute strength as that which, in an age of turmoil and battle, was wrested from the fierce warriors of the time by priests who had no material force at their command, and whose power was based alone on the souls and consciences of men. Over soul and conscience their empire was complete. No Christian could hope for salvation who was not in all things an obedient son of the Church, and who was not ready to take up arms in its defence; and, in a time when faith was a determining factor of conduct, this belief created a spiritual despotism which placed all things within reach of him who could wield it.
This could be accomplished only by a centralized organization such as that which had gradually developed itself within the ranks of the hierarchy. The ancient independence of the episcopate was no more. Step by step the supremacy of the Roman see had been asserted and enforced, until it enjoyed the universal jurisdiction which enabled it to bend to its wishes every prelate, under the naked alternative of submission or expulsion. The papal man date, just or unjust, reasonable or unreasonable, was to be received and implicitly obeyed, for there was no appeal from the representative of St. Peter.
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- A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages , pp. 1 - 56Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010