New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-24
LEAFS INQUISITION.
ANOTHER BRILLIANT INsTALMENT.

svo up T. bs7. Harper Brothers
The second volume Of NJ. LEAFS admirable WORK
treats Of the Inquistion in the several ianns Oh
Chrstendom In detail and exhibits the springs Oh
activity and the character OF the various
.mnloved by the Church to stimulate and extend
the hideous system OF persecution which was the
nracticaI answer of Rome to Chrstendom's we'll
fonnded protesrs against the cOrruptness aud pro-
f,cacv of the priesthood. The first chapter deals
with the career OF the Inquisiton In Languedoc,
and in this example the methods OF the Church are
clearly illustrated. Heresy prevalent OF neces-
sity In that beautiful country whose people had
ontstrpped the intellectual progress of their con-
temporar,es With increase of intelligence the
general disgust and anger at the rottenneSs of the
Church inevitably deepened. and a reactlonary
movement set in which issued in the rise of the
Catharl and the Waldenses The distinguishing
tenets of both these secs severe moral disci-
plne the practice Of evangelical virtues, absl-
nence from all sensual indulgence, problty vera
city, and sobriety in all things. Both Cathari and
Waldeuses condemned by their example the
orthodox priesthood. The latter were stepped
TO the lips in profiigacy and in
iquity. Guttony. drunkenness. concubinage,
simony mendaclty, greed irreverence, sloth,
selfshness were charged upon them generally.
Their lives were perpetual scandals and causes OF
decentralization. Rome rad frequently attempted
70 reform them. but in vaiu add her powerlessness
for good was largely caused by the notorious and
unsurpassed corruption OF the Curia Itself There
was nothing in the gift OF this body which gold
would not purchase and all Christendom knew IT,
Exhor;ations to purity from such source
naturally fell dead upon ears which had long lost
the capacity to tinple with a sense of shame.
Bnt Rome cluug none the less desperately 10 her
own Interests Between the alternatives OF an i'm
possible reform within the Church and war to the
flaa lnrIa 1 M a.
tate. Since the priesthood would not amend their
lives and slnce,- failing such amendment, they
could no longer obtain voluntary submission from
thinking men and pure men, the policy of war upon
INTEL geuce purity, uprightness and all that con-
stutes the Christian life. was deliberately adopted
This was the work of the Inquisition Heresy was
nj bottom revolt from the crimes of the priesthood
In the ferment of expanding intelligence many new
and strange religious ideas were developed, and
these furnished the Inqulsition with excuses for
persecution. But the central historical fact re-
mains that this terrible engine Of rep7es-
sion was called into being by the sins
of the Church and not by the sins or
her children. in Languedoc the deed accomplished
vas the extinction of the most advanced civl'lza-
ton of the time in the Old World. I'm the twelfth
century saws Mr. Lea, 1.-THE South OF France had
been the most civilized land of Europe. There
commerce, industry. art science. had been FAR IN
ad -ance of the age. The cities had Won virtual
salf-government were proud of their wealth and
strength ealsus of their liberties, and selt-sacri-
fciug in their patriotism. The mobiles. for the
most part were cultivated men. roets themselves
or patrons of poetry, who had learned that their
prosperity depended on the prosperity OF their
subjects and that municipal lber les were safe
Cuard rather than a menace. to the wise ruler
The Crusaders came, and their Unfinished work was
taken up and executed to the litter end by the In
ousltion Ii left a ruined and Impoverished coun-
try. with shattered industry aud failing commerce
The native mobiles were broken by conhscatlon anu
replaced by strangers. who occupied the soil, IN
tr,ducing the harsh customs of Northern feudal-
ism OF the despotic principles of the Roman law.
in the extensive domains acquired by the crown.
peope CT rare natural gifts hal been tortured,
decimated, Inundated deSpoIed, for century ana
more The precOcIous civilization whom had
promised to lead Europe In the path of culture was
gone aud to Italy was transferred the houor OF inc
Renaissance"
To effect this the Inouisition had availed itself
of roval and segnorlal cupidIty with craft which,
though successful enough at the time, proved
eventually to have been shOrt-sighted by the
system # conf .catons established under the Holy
Office the King of France was enabled to reward
his servants extend his power and consolidated
his king ION. When, however. he hal done these
thing, he ceased TO brook the assumption of equal
end oven sunarior movers advanced by the lnqui,i-
tion Phllipne lie Bel was the first to curb its
operations net that he any other medl@Val ruler
cared a dot for the suterngs OF his su olects but
because feeling himself strong enough TO stanu
alone he chose that no one but himself should
have the right to Cypress and persecute them'
Henry. however, was extinguished in Languedoc.
The Ca,hqri and Waldenses could no longer make
bend AGAINST their ecc lesiastcal foes The Church
had made solitude and called IL peace. In France
the Inouistion failed TO take root Perhaps the
Ie'orm spirit there was too feeble to dare tue en-
counter The clergy certainly were not less cor
ript than those Of Languedoc. Bat they were
more tolerated. The jealousy of the royal power
moreover repressed the activity OF Rome by
minimizing or at times Withholding alto
oetbcr that secular aid without which
the muuisltors conld not burn their
victims. In SPAN also at this period there was
little heresy The Inquistion was introduced, but
until the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella it found
but barren field for Its laborS.
In Italy the G .neral conditions fayore1 the
growth of the lnqulsition. Anarchy pre-
varied The cities wnen not engaged IN civil
comnot,on fought one another Great mobiles held
sway over provinces. and eyerv agency when
could avail either the PIU1cy or tine revolving
CITIES or the sen-inde Dellent provinces, was
eagerly and without scruple employed by all the
eombatants in turn. Heresv tnus became IN erect
apoiitica instrument. IL was adroltly employed
bv the PopeS TO help or obstrjct, now this
now ne other faction cheftan. Guelphs ana
Ghibelhnes were a ternately fautors of heresy and
defenders of the faith Rome took advantage OF
the perpetual qnarr-ls between lords ana ieuna-
10 les 10 push the ln1uistIon, aud through II ,ne
temporal power Ii was q fine field for the exhiol-
ton of every quality OF worldly wisdom; of every
tendencc save those for the propagation ana sup
mort of which the Church orr gnally estao-
ished Never was the management OF the Papacy
more astute crafty and subtle. 1t manifested acooi-
ness pcrspicaclty and provision such AS no secular
ruler of thc period could equal; but there was