Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition: A HistorySabatini, Rafael
History
Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition: A History
Sabatini, Rafael
Inquisition -- Spain; Torquemada, Tomás, de, 1420-1498
The churches were now filled with Jews who came clamouring for baptism,
having perceived that through its waters lay the way to temporal as
well as to spiritual life, and having in most cases--in the abject
state of terror to which they had been reduced--more concern for the
former than for the latter. Llorente estimates the number of baptized
at over a million, and this number was considerably swelled by the
conversions effected by St. Vincent Ferrer, who came forth upon his
mission to the Jews in the early years of the fifteenth century,
and who induced thousands to enter the fold of Christianity by his
eloquence and by the marvels which it is said he wrought.
* * * * *
The fury of the mob having spent itself, peace was gradually restored,
and little by little those Jews who had remained faithful to their
religion and yet survived began to come forth from their hiding-places,
to assemble, and, with the amazing, invincible patience and pertinacity
of their race, to build up once more the edifice that had been
demolished.
But if the sword of persecution was sheathed, the spirit that had
guided it was still abroad, and the Jews were made to experience
further repressive measures. Under decrees of 1412-13 they lost most of
the few privileges that the late king had left them.
It was ordained by these that henceforth no Jew should occupy the
position of a judge even in a Hebrew court, nor should any Jew be
permitted to bear witness. All synagogues were to be closed or
converted into Christian temples, with the exception of one in every
town in which Jews should be established. They were forbidden to
continue the practice of the professions of medicine, surgery, and
chemistry, in which they had specialised with such good results to the
community. They were no longer to occupy the offices of tax-collectors,
and all commerce with Christians was forbidden them. They must neither
buy nor sell in trade with Christians, nor eat with them, nor use
their baths, nor send their children to the same schools. The ghetto
was ordered to be walled round, so as to be enclosed and cut off
from the rest of the city, and they were forbidden to issue from it.
Intercourse between a Jew and a Christian woman was forbidden under
pain of death by burning, even though the woman were a prostitute.
They were forbidden to shave, and compelled to allow their beards and
hair to grow, in addition to which they were ordered to wear as a
distinguishing mark a circle of red cloth upon the shoulder of their
gabardines. They were further compelled to hear three sermons annually
from a Christian preacher, whose aim it was to pour abuse and contumely
upon them, to inveigh against their accursed race and creed, to assure
them of the certainty of the damnation that awaited them, and to exalt
before them the excellences of the Catholic religion (based, be it
remembered, that we may fully savour the irony, upon Faith, Hope, and
Charity).[46]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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