The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-07-10

4 ~ Is
- were Romish suporstitions
a.I-I ldolatries elm mated one by one,
but barbarous praciicec-thc rem
nant Of Papal IDEAS OF morality
were gradually given up, and a. more
Christ-like spirit manifested itself
among the people in general. Pro-
testant England led the way III abol-
fishing the use of torture; and it's dis
continuance was Influenced not, as
in the case Of Papal legislation on
the subject, by reasons TO eXpedl-
ency, but because it's use was di-
rectly contrary to the spirit OF true
Christianity. But for the glorious
Reformation, there can be little
doubt that torture would still be
generally employed at the present
time in this country The Church
Of Rome was responsible for it's re-
vival during the first half Of the
thirteenth century when it was re-
produced from the ancient Roman
Pagan law ~The Bull of Innocent
", in 1852, ad eXtirpanda, which
contained minute directions for the
persecution of "heretics," and or
dered the use of torture for the dis
covery of "hcresy," was the means
the employert of torture throughout
the world The Church Of Rome, not
content with having borrowed super
stitiCns and idolatries from Pagan
Rome Of ancient days, must needs
also rehabilitate it's barbarOus tor
ments.
The last recorded instance Of the
use Of torture in Protestant England
is dated May 22nd, 1910. Roman
Catholic France did not abolish it's
employment until 1889, and in
Roman Catholic Austria it remained
in use until the middle of the
eighteenth century. In Spain, tor
ture was inflicted by Inquisitorial
fiends until the beginning of the
nineteenth century, and was abol-
ished in that country by it's king in
1913. 1t was not until 1916 that the
Pope forbade the employment Of tor
ture in all the tribunals of the In
QUESTION.
1t must seem almost incredible to
those not initiated into the perfdies
of ROmanism that there should exist
in this enlightened twentieth century
q Roman Catholic priest who does not
shrink from saying 6, word in favor
of the use Of torture. And yet this
is what the REV" A. Verrleersch,
S. j., professor of Moral Theology
and Canon Law" has done in his
book entitled Tolerance, published
in London during the present year,
and bearing the imprimatur of Car
dinal Bourne's Vicar-General, the
Fright Rev. Mgr." Edmund Sur
mont, and also that Of Cardinal Far
ley, of New York In dealing with
the procedure of the InQuisition, this
Jesuit priest desribes it's methods,
and refers to it's ''frightful tortures"
on Protcstants and others. Yet he
has not one word of condemnation
for all the denominations practised
by that hellish tribunal, and one can
only and naturally infer from what
he writes that he would rejoice to
see it's machinery set up once again
for the purpose Of crushing Protest
antism. This is what he writes (the
emphasis being Ours):
But the secrecy maintained (by
the Inquisitors) as to the names of
the witnesses and informers the re-
strictiOns as to the choice of an adj
Vocate, the traps set in the interroga-
tories, the torture, the frightful tor
turc, are some Of the features of the
trial which make men look upon
person suspected of heresy as a VIC
tim delivered up, without defence,
to the fanaticism of an ecclesiastical
judge. Nevertheless, his is not a