Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-05-07
MISCELLAN EOUS.
The InquiS,t'On.

From an excellent article in the Meth
cdIst Quarterly. on Ticknor's Spanish
Literature, we extract the following strong
paragraphs:
The closing chapter of the first period
is occupied with the dismal history of the
establishment of the lnquisllion, and lis
first steps in the atroclous career OF blood
and crime through which it afterwards
passed in Christian Spain. We have al
ready alluded, III general terms, TO the
deadly influence which this diaboIical in
venrion exercised over the outward pros.
pcriry and intellectual culture of Spain.
No language is strong enough to express
the horror which the long raln of cruel
and ghaSlly deeds connected with It's ha-
led name inspires. Far be ii from us, ms
Protcsrants, 10 charge on al The members
of the Catholic Church at any time, or on
arv members of the Catholic Church at
the present time, d sympathy with lis de-
lcslable oulragcs, committed equally d
gainSt the rights of man and the honor OF
God. But in these latter days, when THAI
ancient apostacy is again enucIng men
from the simple lai!h of The Gospel, by
the aAuremcntS OF aesthetic taste; by gor-
geous ceremonial> by solemn music and
pricsty pomps, at shrlnes and altarS ornate
with the costly gifts of kings and princes;
by the sPlendors of pictorial and archiler-
tural art; hv the images of saints, martyrs.
and madonnas by the pretended mira
clcs aucslng her transmitted holiness and
power; when learned men and accom-
plshcd women are slillng the spirit of in.
Quirv, and putting their doubts to rest by
Surrcndermg their reason captive 10 the
asserted im'aNbiily of he See of Rome
when to her other incantalions, she has
added, with TIE cunning OF her worldly
tlcXlhsiry, the false appearance of sympa,
Thy with the liberal spIrlt OF our age; and
thus is gaming ioo,huld, slowly but sure
", and, as some think, to the peril OF our
hlood-bought civil and religious liberties,
on these western shores when we see
all this going on around us, 1t is becoming
reflect; to look back ON the past, and
Learn anew what have been the natural
consequences Of tie principles of the Ro-
mISh doctrines when they have been car,
RED out, unchecked by the opposing for
res of science and enlightened public SEN
ument, called into being by the Protestant
Reformation. TIcknor has given us a
simple and fair account of the lnquisiron.
~ relation 10 The dcvclopcmcnt of the na.
uona genius of Spain His views are
not Poicmlc, hut historical, and thew are
supported by documents of the highest
authority, alike unQucstoned in the Pro-
teStanI and Catholic world. We see un-
iolded here the results that follow " hen
nan Is allowed to assume the mlallihle
attributes OF God; to assert I'm his i'm picuS
arrogance the right of controlling tie
thoughts of hisfelow man, of standing be
tween hlm and his Maker. and of daring
To weld with audaciouS WjckrGnrSS the
power that belongs to the Almigh;v alone
HE lnQuisf,ion was established in the
city OF SevilE in 1881. The first meet
'ng oi the ,nqulsitor> was held ON the ID
ct January. Within four days from rha
uate SIX persons Were burned. I'm Anda.
l"S'a alone, during the first wear, two thou
sand perlshed AZ the stake, besides seven
H+" thousand who were subjected TO pun
lShments less severe. Mr.. Ticknnr inn
preSsively says:
Such severity brought with it. O
course, great amount of fraud and false
hood. Mulumdes of the followers Of Mo
hammed-heglnning with four lhousan,
whom Cardinal Xlmenes baptized ON rh
day when. contrary to the =. provisions @
The capituiatlon of Granada. lie cnnsecra
ted me great mosque of the Albavcvian a
athrlsIian temple-were forced to en,e
ihe fold OF the Church, without either III