"to contend with the most unblushing effrontery" for Ron
Helen Willis hhiwater@BRIGHT.NET
Thu, 04 Jun 1998 08:12:12 -0700 (00896991132, 3576B94C.2BEC@bright.net)
Ron disagreed with the book I quoted claim that the Catholic Church set the
pattern for all following witchcraft trials. Most historians date the
beginning of the true horrors as the publication of _Malleus Maleficarum_ in
1484. As I pointed out this book is available in English translation at
http://www.amazon.com for $12.95 and is well worth having a copy of for
those interested in the history of Christianity. This book had a bull from
the pope as an introduction and an "Official Letter of Appobation of the
Malleus Maleficarum from the Faculty of Theology of the Honourable University
of Cologne" attached to the end (dated May 19, 1487.)
Both Claire and Ron have claimed in the past that the Holy Ghost will protect
the church from a false teaching being taught by a corrupt man somehow
becoming pope. Malleus Maleficarum not only instructs clerics in the church
how to torture and kill witches, but, as John Hamilton pointed out to lie by
promising to spare the life of an accused witch if she confesses and names
others. Pope Innocent's bull makes it clear that not only is he ordering
this, in the name of the Church, but that many of the local officials in the
area Kramer and Spreger were working were resisting their efforts and
claiming the witchcraft they were hunting did not exist at least in their
communities. Here's a quote from the bull:
....And although Our dear sons Henry Kramer and James Sprenger, Professors of
Theology, of the Order Friars Preachers, have been by Letters Apostolic
delegated as Inquisitors ot these heretical pravities, and still are
Inquisitors, the first in the aforesaid townships, districts, dioceses, and
other specified localities, and second in certain territories which lie along
the borders of the Rhine, nevertheless not a few clerics and lay folk of
those countries, seeking too curiously to know more than concerns them, since
in the aforesaid delegatory letters there is no express and specific mention
by name of these provinces, townships, dioceses, and districts, and further
since the two delegates themselves and the abominations they are to encounter
are not designated in detailed and praticular fashion, these persons are not
ashamed to contend with the most unblushing effrontery that these enormities
are not practice in those provinces, and consequently the aforesaid
Inquisitors have no legal right to exercise their power of inquisition in the
provinces, townships, dioceses, districts and territories, which have been
rehearsed, and that the Inquisitors may not proceed to punish, imprison, and
penalize criminals convicted of the heinous offences and many wickednesses
which have been set forth.......
HELEN:
The bull end with instructions to the Bishop of Strasburg that:
..... he shall threaten all who endeavour to hinder or harass the
Inquisitors, all who oppose them, all rebels, of whatever rank, estate,
position, preminence, dignity, or any condition they may be, or whatsoever
privilege of exemption the may claim, with excommunication, suspension,
interdict, and yet more terrible penalties, censures, and punishment, as may
seem good to him, and without any right of appeal, and if he will he may by
Our authority aggravate and renew these penalties as often as he list,
calling in, if it so please him, the help of secular arm.....
HELEN:
This pope's own word condemn him. He used the power of the church to inflict
this Inquisition on communities where the local authorities did not wish it.
Moreove, he had to threaten the local authorities with the same treatment, if
they resisted, in order to get compliance. This was more than 30 years before
the beginning of Protestantism, so it wasn't the Protestants and it wsn't the
secular governments that started this terror, it was the Catholic Church
itself from it highest offices.
Helen
hhiwater@bright.net