The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-29

sition was severe. because, as we have
seen, 1t was more of a civil and poll
tical institution and because 1t often
acted in opposition to ROME, THE
PART OF THE WORLD WHERE
HUMANITY HAS SUFFERED THE
LEAST FOR THE SAKE OF RELI-
GION.
te) Often the number of the victims
OF the Spanish Inquisition is stated as
being hundreds of thousands immolat-
ed during short space of time. Now
the figures of Llorente, himself, give
5o,ooo as the proportionate number of
victims for the 80 years during which
the lnqulsition lasted. And again in
TINS number are included various cate
CORES of malefact0rs properly so called.
VINO were subject to this tribunal; for
instance smugglers, magiclaus or sor-
cerers. perjurers, usurers, seducers, and
otner criminals guilty of abominable
excuses. Hence 1t clearly results that
the number of those who were execut-
ed for willful and obstinate adherence
TO heFetlcal doctrines was comparative
~ insignificant. as the greatest portion
or victims was made up of criminals,
VINO down to the commencement of the
present century would have been sem
fenced to death on conviction in any
other tribunal of Europe.
Moreover, even this number Is mani
testify exaggerated. Thus at the auto
da-fe of Toledo there were at different
dates 700, then 900 and $50 accused per-
son respectively. The truth KS that
there was not single victim; they
We're simply repenting criminal
brought before the tribunal, and none
were put to death as the auto-da-fe,
the profession of faith, put them at
liberty. Here, when it is a question
of comparing the much desired sever
ity of the Spanish Inauisition with the
doings of rulers of other countries, we
are of opinion that, on this point at
least, Protestant DIRECTORS would do
well to be silent. Certainly it is not
wise to provoke a comparison which,
If impartially examined by the light of
reliable historical facts, rather than
by that of traditional prejudice, will
be found to rebound to the credit of the
Inquisiton, and the disgrace of the
secular tribunals of their countries.
English Protestants in particular
should remember the records concern
ing the use of the rack; of thrusting
needles under the nails; of the Scaven-
gers daughter, a hoop or circle of iron,
in which a mans whole body was, as
it were, folded up. and his hands, feet
and head bound fast together; of the
Little Ease, q chamber in which a man
could neither sit nor stand, nor lie
down; and of various other devices OF
torture, which were used by the Pro-
testant Legislature of England against
- &c
that in Protestant countries, such as
Germany, Switzerland and England,
not to speak of other minor places,
there was not and there could not be
either the Spanish or the Roman Cath
Ollie Inquisition, yet it is not true that
there existed in these regions no In
QUESTION at all. There were, indeed. In
full blast the Protestant Inquisitions
of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, of
Luther and Melancthon, Calvin and
Zwinglius. purposely organized against
unoffending Catholics and directed to
rob of their very life all who were
courageous enough not to allow them
selves to be robbed of their faith. To
give some statistics, all taken from
Protestant authorities, Holinshed puts
down the number of those who were
butchered during the reign of the grand
royal inquisitor, Henry VIII, by the
hand of the public executioner, at H.
0OO and of his worthy daughter, the
female inquisitor, Elizabeth, Goblet
does not hesitate to inform his read
ers that this sanguinary queen put to
death more persons in one year than
the Inquisition did during the whole or
it's duration, 80 years" 1t would be
easy to prove that brutal violence and
wholesale slaughter of innocent Cath
olics signalized the rise and growth or
the Reformation in Germany, SW1tZer-
land and Southern France, not to speak
of Holland, Denmark and Norway,
where similar bloody scenes were en-
acted Though we have no intention TO
retaliate, yet in view of the historical
documents we may adduce, we Ieei
justified in advising our protestant
brethren that, as our Blessed Lora
says in His Gospel, they should nrst
cast the beam out of their own eye
before clamoring about the mote IN the
eye of their neighbor. (Math. Wis o.
AS the Droverb has it, they that i've IN
glass houses should be careful not to
throw stones at their neighbor. linen,
as we have seen, the Intolerance OF
Professionals has been everywhere much
more violent against Catholics, than
that of Catholics against hereticS. In
fact If was by a most sanguinary per
secution that Protestant rulers forciDly
snatched the people from their ailegl-
ance to the Roman Catholic Church.
And vet it is upon the members of this
Church alone that some writers cast
the blame Of bloody persecution against
their fellow men!
ITO he continued.)