Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTEH XX. Establishment of the General Inquisition. The accession of InnpceotJI. to the pontificate, which happened in 112$, formed a memorable epoch in the history of the Inquisition. This pontiff was not only capable of sustaining the new system adopted by the Church, but of extending and preserving it, until the innovations of his predecessors took a firm footing. Observing that the heresy of the Al- liigenses triumphed over the apostolic bulls, and not being satisfied with the manner in which the bishops executed the measures decreed by the council of Verona, he determined to send to those places two delegates, charged with repairing the evil, which the bishops had failed to prevent; and, if he dared not at first deprive the latter of a knowledge of affairs relative to heresy, he found means to render the episcopal authority almost null. The fear that the principles which he wished to establish might meet with strong opposition, induced Innocent III. not to give to the Inquisition (which he established in fact) the stability of a permanent and perpetual body. He therefore contented himself with organizing a particular commission, well persuaded that time would complete and consolidate his work. For this end, in 1203, this pontiff charged Pierre de Castelnau and Raoul; both monks of Citeaux, in Narbonnese Gaul, to preach against heretics:which they did with some success. The niomem appeared favourable to the pope, to introduce intn the Catholic Church inquisitors independent of the bishops, who should have ttae right- to persecute heretics. Consequently he named for apostolic legates the Abbe of Citeaux, and the monks Pierre and Raoul, authorizing them to take necessarv measures to bring back heretics to the Catholic, faith, and to deliver to the secular authority…
