Untitled - Shattering Denial

THE INQUISITION 205
little security in business, for the contracts of a hidden
heretic were essentially null and void, and could be
rescinded as soon as his guilt was discovered, either during
his lifetime or after his death. In view of such a penal
code, we can understand why Lea should write: While
the horrors of the crowded dungeon can scarce be ex
aggerated, yet more effective for evil and more widely
exasperating was the sleepless watchfulness which was
ever on the alert to plunder the rich and to wrench from
the poor the hard-earned gains on which a family de
pended for support/ 1
This summary of the acts of the Inquisition
but a brief and very imperfect outline. But a more com
is at best
plete study would not afford us any deeper insight into
its operation.
Human passions are responsible for the many abuses
of the Inquisition. The civil power in heresy trials was
far from being partial to the accused. On the contrary,
it would seem that the more pressure the State brought
to bear upon the ecclesiastical tribunals, the more arbi
trary their procedure became.
We do not deny that the zeal of the Inquisitors was at
times excessive, especially in the use of torture. But
some_ of their cruelty may be explained by their sincere
desire for the salvation of the heretic. They regarded
1 Lea, op. cii., p. 480