When it is considered that such doctrines were held dogmatically, it will be realized that in the sight of the Church--whose business was the salvation of souls--there could be no sin so intolerable, so execrable, as heresy. It will be realized how it happened that the Church could consider those of her children who were guilty of such crimes as murder, rape, adultery, and the sin of the Cities of the Plain, with the tolerance of an indulgent parent, whilst rising up in intolerant wrath to smite the heretic whose life might be a model of pure conduct. The former were guilty of only the sins of weak humanity; and sinners who have the faith may seek forgiveness, and find it in contrition. But heresy was not merely the worst of sins, as some have held. In the eyes of the Church it transcended the realm of sin--it was infinitely worse than sin, because it represented a state that was entirely hopeless, a state not to be redeemed or mitigated by good actions or purity of life. Taking this view of heresy, the Church accounted it her duty to stamp out this awful soul-pestilence so as to prevent its spreading; and she had St. Augustine’s word for it that it was merciful to be merciless in the attainment of that object. When viewed, as it were, from within, there is nothing illogical in the attitude of the Church towards heresy. What is illogical is the conception of God that is involved in the doctrine of exclusive salvation. Even if we survey the case of Galileo--one of the most illustrious prisoners ever arraigned before the tribunal of the Holy Office--we have no just cause to suppose that, in demanding his retraction of the theory of the earth’s movement round the sun, the inquisitors were inspired by any motives beyond the fear lest the spread of a notion--honestly deemed by them to be an illusion--should disturb man’s faith in the Biblical teaching with which it was in conflict. CHAPTER IV ISABELLA THE CATHOLIC Llorente agrees with the earlier writers on the subject in considering the Spanish Inquisition as an institution distinct from that which had been established to deal with the Albigenses and their coevals in heresy. It is distinct only in that it represents a further development of the organization launched by Innocent III and perfected by Gregory IX. Before entering upon the consideration of this Modern Inquisition--as it is called--it will perhaps be well to take a survey of the Spain of the Catholic Sovereigns--Ferdinand and Isabella--in whose reign that tribunal was set up in Castile. * * * * * For seven hundred years, with varying fortune and in varying degree, the Saracen had lorded it in the Peninsula.