JOHN

44this high degree of pride. Kings have always rejectedthe counsels and suspicions which had beenpresented to them against this tribunal, because theyare in all cases absolute masters of nominating,suspending, or revoking, the inquisitors, and have,moreover, nothing to apprehend from the Inquisition,which is terrible only to the subjects." *I avail myselfof this formal declaration of thecommittee, for the purpose of showingthat thepriesthood should not be maliciously implicated ;and, if further proof were necessary, you may find itin the report itself, where the reporter of said committeeobservesthat in none of the pope's bulls canit be ascertained that the business of the supremecouncil can be transacted in absence of the inquisitorgeneral,which inconvenience, however, is easilyremedied, inasmuch as (and he concludes very correctly)the counsellors act in this case not as ecclesiastical,but royal, judges^Do we not know that itis a settled point, that, at the present day, as formerly,no ordinance of the Inquisition can be executed, noreven published, without the previous consentof theking ? JHence ithappens that the kings have always tenaciouslyadhered to this civil institution,and that* Porque son (los Reyes) en todo caso, los arbitros de suspendernornbrar y revocar a los Inquisitores, &c. p. 6d.tPage 35.$ Hoy mismos .... los edictos de la Inquisition no podian publi->carse sin habcr antes obtenido el consentimiejito del rey, p. 89,