A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1Lea, Henry Charles
History
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1
Lea, Henry Charles
Inquisition -- Spain
Thus, after four years of struggle, the Concordias of 1512 were
confirmed in the most absolute manner and the relations between the
Inquisition and the people appeared to be permanently settled. The
inquisitors however, as usual, refused to be bound by any limitations.
They claimed, and acted on the claim, that the papal bull of
confirmation was surreptitious and not entitled to obedience and that
both the Concordias and the Instructions of Bishop Mercader were invalid
as being restrictions impeding the jurisdiction of the Holy Office.[713]
On the other hand the people grew more restive and increased their
demands for relief. The occasion presented itself when Charles came to
Spain to assume possession of his mother's dominions. At Córtes held in
Saragossa, May, 1518, he received the allegiance of Aragon and swore to
observe the fueros of the Córtes of Saragossa, Tarazona and Monzon.
Money was soon wanted to supply the reckless liberality with which he
filled the pouches of his greedy Flemings, and towards the end of the
year he summoned another assembly to grant him a _subsidio_. It agreed
to raise 200,000 libras but coupled this with a series of thirty-one
articles, much more advanced than anything hitherto demanded in
Aragon--in fact copied with little change from those agreed to in
Castile by Jean le Sauvage and abandoned in consequence of his
death--articles which revolutionized inquisitorial procedure and
assimilated it to that of the secular criminal courts. Charles, in these
matters was now wholly under the influence of his former tutor and
present inquisitor-general Cardinal Adrian. He wanted the money,
however, and he gave an equivocal consent to the articles; it was, he
said, his will that in each and all the holy canons should be observed,
with the decrees of the Holy See and without attempting anything to the
contrary. If doubts arose the pope should be asked to decide them; if
any one desired to accuse inquisitors or officials, he could do so
before the inquisitor-general, who would call in counsellors and
administer justice, or, if the crime appertained to the secular courts,
he would see that justice was speedy. This declaration, with the
interpretation to be put on each and every article by the pope, he
promised under oath to observe and enforce and he further swore not to
seek dispensation from this oath or to avail himself of it if
obtained.[714] The people were amply justified in distrusting their
rulers, for Charles subsequently instructed the Count of Cifuentes, his
ambassador at Rome, to procure the revocation of the articles and a
dispensation from his oath to observe them.[715]
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