Yet another most serious disability, under which the accused laboured, was that he was not allowed the assistance of an advocate, he was thrown entirely on his own resources in making his defence. Innocent III expressly forbade advocates and notaries to lend any aid to heretics or their abettors. The prohibition at first applied only to the case of open and avowed heretics. Eymeric ruled that counsel were in no wise to be denied to the accused, but he followed this up by the qualification, that advocates espousing the cause of a heretic rendered themselves liable to prosecution before the Inquisition, as suspect of heresy themselves for doing so.[394] In actual practice what happened probably was that when the evidence against the accused was clear, he need expect no advocate; but when it was weak, then an advocate might be forthcoming. For if the evidence in support of the charge of heresy was strong, then assistance given to the accused was tantamount to fautorship of heresy, which was in itself a very serious offence. In any case the rôle of advocate was dangerous and there was no inducement to compensate for so grave a risk. That such assistance was seldom, if ever, actually given seems proved by the absence of any indication of the practice even in the early inquisitorial registers.[395] Very soon, however, it was decided absolutely that the use of advocates was to be prohibited. Such was the ruling of the Council of Albi in 1254; and the regulation soon became general.[396] This was the really inevitable consequence of the view which made the suspect a marked, a tainted man even before he had stood his trial. But certainly one consideration which weighed heavily against the use of advocates was the possibility of the practice encouraging the spread of heresy, though the chances of an advocate’s allowing himself to be infected by his client’s erroneous doctrines were remote. In its attitude towards this question we are once more reminded of the fundamental fact of the Inquisition’s twofold nature. If the inquisitor be considered as a confessor, the accused as a penitent paternally exhorted, lovingly urged to reconciliation, pardon being assured for the truly repentant, what possible need can there be for an advocate?[397] The tribunal gave every facility for the escape of the prisoner from all the possible unhappy consequences of his defamation, down _one_ avenue—confession, penance, reinstatement.