"Granny's Chapters" Part 37

Of course, there may have been a few scattered here and there; but there was no body of Jews in either country during this period.

In Germany, their condition continued much the same. The slightest pretence sufficed to raise a persecution; and a pretence was afforded, at the close of the century, by an impostor, named David, who declared that the Messiah would positively appear in the year 1500. He afterwards declared, that the Messiah had delayed His coming on account of the sins of the people; and he caused the credulous Jews to appoint a solemn fast, in order to obtain pardon and hasten the appearance of the Deliverer. The Jews of course suffered; and David was imprisoned, and died shortly afterwards.

In the beginning of this century, great efforts were made for the conversion of the Jews in the Spanish kingdom of Arragon. The Pope was zealous in the work; and one of their own race, named Jerome, who had himself embraced Christianity, undertook to convince his countrymen even by pa.s.sages from the Talmud, that Jesus Christ must certainly be the Messiah. Although the Jews treated the Pope with great respect, they were by no means disposed to listen to Jerome, with whom they were very angry; first, for deserting the faith of his people; and, secondly, for drawing them into disputes, which might bring persecution upon them. It is said, however, that 4,000 Jews were then converted, and that a few years later, through the zeal of one of the clergy, a still larger number were baptized; but the greater part, having only submitted to baptism out of fear, continued to observe in secret all the rites and ceremonies of the Hebrews.

In 1479 a great change took place in the condition of the Jews in Spain, for Ferdinand, King of Arragon, married Isabella, the Queen of Castile; so that from this time the two kingdoms became _one_, called the Kingdom of Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella were very anxious that all the inhabitants of Spain should be Christians. In 1492 the Moors were driven out of Granada, and their country became also a part of the Kingdom of Spain; but many of the Moors, rather than leave their beloved Granada, pretended to become Christians. Having driven the Moors out of Spain, Ferdinand thought it would be desirable to get rid of the Jews also; and he commanded them either to be baptized or to quit Spain altogether. In order to prevent Jews or Mahometans who had been baptized, from ever returning to the practices of their former faith, Ferdinand and Isabella were persuaded to establish the Court of the Inquisition in Spain. The Inquisition was a Court of Inquiry, the members of which were charged by the Pope to examine all persons accused, or suspected of holding any opinions in religious matters, not agreeing entirely with the doctrines taught by the Church of Rome.

They had power to torture the accused, in order to force them to confessions, and to put to death all who continued to hold any opinions condemned by the Pope. So much was this dreadful tribunal feared by the people, that none ventured to withhold their nearest and dearest relations from the officers of the Inquisition, whose duty it was to arrest all persons, upon whom rested the slightest suspicion of what was called heresy. The unfortunate creatures thus dragged from their homes, were kept for a long time in the dungeons of the Inquisition, until they accused themselves and declared the cause of their imprisonment; for they were not told of what crimes they were accused, nor were their accusers ever brought face to face with them to witness against them, as justice would have demanded. Seldom did any, who were once consigned to the dungeons of the Inquisition, return to their families; and so well was this known that, when they were taken away by the officers, their friends and relations looked upon them as dead: nor did they dare to make any effort to save them, lest they should themselves be looked upon as accomplices in some unknown crime.

When no shadow of proof could be brought against the wretched prisoners, they were discharged, with the loss of great part of their property, after suffering the most cruel tortures during a tedious and dreadful imprisonment. Many of those whom the Inquisitors (or Judges in this Court) chose to consider guilty, were secretly put to a cruel death, in the dungeons of the Inquisition. Sometimes a number of these so-called "heretics" were executed publicly, by being all burnt together with great pomp and ceremony, so as to make quite a show of their execution!

This terrible show was called an "Auto-da-Fe," meaning a sacrifice offered up by faithful Christians to prove their devotion to G.o.d! It is dreadful to think of all the cruel and wicked things which have been done under pretence of religion, when true religion should fill our hearts with love to G.o.d, and love to man for His sake, and make us strive to subdue all our own evil pa.s.sions and tempers.

Sad too, to remember, that this cruel tribunal, under whose authority the most barbarous and wicked acts were committed through a long series of years, was established by Christian bishops, under the idea that they could thus please a G.o.d of love and mercy!

It is necessary to mention the circ.u.mstances which led to the establishment of a tribunal, so opposed to the spirit of Christianity.

The Popes, from being originally the Bishops of Rome, had gradually claimed and obtained influence and power over the Church in all Christian kingdoms; and they required that every member of these churches, should believe exactly whatever they and their Council declared to be right and true. The different orders of monks, who were established in every Christian country, supported the Pope's claims, and did all in their power to increase the power and authority of the Roman Pontiffs. Not content with spiritual power, the Popes, little by little, claimed the right to interfere in temporal affairs; so that, by degrees, the Pope claimed and exercised a kind of sovereign power over all Christian kings, and required them to obey him in temporal as well as spiritual matters. Such was the influence of the priests over an ignorant and superst.i.tious people, that their kings would not have dared to deny the superior authority of the Pope, had they wished to do so; for the people were taught to believe, that the Roman Pontiff had power to draw down upon individuals and nations who had displeased him, the severest judgments, or visible signs of the displeasure of the Almighty G.o.d Himself.

In England, the Pope's power never was so great as it became in Italy and other European countries.

But though Christians in general, and the monks in particular, were ready to profess belief in whatever the Popes declared to be the truth, there arose from time to time men who, contrary to the Papal order, dared to search the Scriptures for themselves; and thus perceived clearly, that the Church of Rome had adopted many doctrines and practices which were, in fact, quite contrary to those taught by the Apostles, and given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who made such an important discovery, naturally told others of it; and thus there grew up in the Christian Church, a party who were opposed to the Pope's authority, both in spiritual and temporal matters.

This was of course highly displeasing to the sovereign Pontiff; and, in order to check the spread of feelings and opinions which weakened the Papal power, the terrible Court of the Inquisition was established in Italy, by Pope Gregory the Ninth, in the year 1233--that is, towards the middle of the thirteenth century. It became the constant endeavour of all future Pontiffs, to persuade the various sovereigns of Europe, to introduce this iniquitous tribunal into their dominions.

But, although Gregory the Ninth may be said to have established the Inquisition as a permanent tribunal, it was not altogether a new inst.i.tution; for, at the close of the twelfth century, the same desire to check the growth of feelings opposed to Papal power, led Innocent the Third, in the year 1198, to nominate Inquisitorial Courts, to examine all persons accused of heresy. From this beginning, sprang the Court of Inquisition, established by Gregory A.D. 1233.

Innocent the Third is well known in English history, as the Pope to whom King John gave up his kingdom, to be returned to him as a Papal fief. He is also remarkable for the encouragement given to the cruel persecution of the Albigenses in the south of France, and of the Waldenses in the valleys of Piedmont.

The Albigenses were a body of men living about Toulouse and Albigeois, in Languedoc, who distinguished themselves by their opposition to the doctrines and ceremonies of the Church of Rome. Their name appears to have been given them, either because a great number of them resided in the diocese of Albi, or because they were condemned as heretics by a council held in that town. The Albigenses became so powerful, that Pope Innocent the Third sent a legate into their country; but, as that step produced no good effect, he stirred up against them Philip the Second, King of France, who, being joined by other princes, carried on a regular crusade against these unfortunate people. They were at first supported by Raimond, Count of Toulouse; but when the King of France made war upon them, he deserted them, and made his submission to the Pope; but, soon afterwards, finding himself plundered by the Crusaders, he declared war against them. He was, however, defeated and slain at the siege of Toulouse; and the consequence was, that the city surrendered to the Crusaders, who also conquered the greater part of Languedoc and Provence.

His son, also called Raimond, who succeeded him, published a declaration against the Albigenses, A.D. 1253; and agreed with the Pope and the King of France, to set up the Inquisition in his territories. From this time the Albigenses gradually decreased in number, until, in the sixteenth century, the remnant had become so intermingled with the Vaudois, that all are known by the latter name.

The Waldenses took their name from Peter Waldo, who was a rich merchant of Lyons, in the latter part of the twelfth century. Waldo, being extremely anxious for the increase of Christian knowledge and piety, employed a priest, in the year 1160, to translate from the Latin into French, the four Gospels and some other parts of Scripture.

When this was done, Waldo found that there was no authority in Scripture, for many of the doctrines and practices taught by the Church over which the Pope presided; in fact, that they were quite contrary to the Word of G.o.d. In consequence, he gave up his mercantile profession, distributed his riches among the poor, and devoted himself, as a public teacher, to spread a knowledge of Scriptural truth. His success was great. His followers took their name of Waldenses from him; and they were also called "The poor men of Lyons."

The Archbishop of Lyons, and other rulers of the Church in those parts, opposed Waldo vigorously, but with little effect; for the simplicity and beauty of his doctrines, and the pious and blameless lives led by him and his followers, caused a daily increase of their numbers. Being driven out of Lyons, they spread over Dauphine, Provence, and the valleys of Piedmont.

The merciless persecution carried on against these innocent people, by Philip the Second and Innocent the Third, failed to destroy them utterly, although the king is said to have destroyed the country seats of 300 gentlemen in the attempt. Amongst those who distinguished themselves most in this barbarous persecution, was Simon de Montfort, whose son, bearing the same name, retired to England, and became a favourite of Henry the Third, who created him Earl of Leicester. After one quarrel and reconciliation with his sovereign, Leicester put himself at the head of the English barons who rebelled successfully against Henry the Third; but in the battle of Evesham, when the royal forces were led by Prince Edward, the Earl was defeated and slain.

In spite of the united efforts of the Pope, the King of France, and of the Count Simon de Montfort, the Waldenses continued to exist, and were in later times known as the Vaudois.

Chapter XIII.--TREATMENT OF THE JEWS BY FERDINAND.

The Monks took such an active part in the persecution of the Jews, that it may be well to give some account of the "Religious Orders," as they are called; all of which hated the Hebrew race, and would gladly have seen it extirpated.

Very soon after the establishment of the Christian religion, there were men who wished to devote their hearts and lives to the service of G.o.d, and thought they could better do this by giving up all the pleasures and business of ordinary life. It became the practice for such to leave their families and live together in houses, thence called Religious Houses, under the direction and authority of some priest. Here they spent their time in devotion, and in doing good to their fellow creatures: the services in the churches were performed by them; they undertook the education of the young; books were prepared by them, for in those days there were no books except such as were written by hand; and to them the sick and poor applied for relief, which was never denied.

Those who became inmates of such houses, were not bound to remain in them; but as long as they did so, they were bound to obey the orders of the ruling priest.

But before long, a change took place: these religious houses took the name of Monastery, Abbey, Priory, or Convent. Those who entered these houses, took a solemn oath to remain in them until their death, and to be in all things obedient to the priests, who, under the appellation of Abbots or Priors, ruled over these establishments, whilst they themselves were completely subject to the Pope. As the gifts of money and lands bestowed upon these religious houses, gave them power and influence, those who ruled over them became ambitious, and desired to have a share in the government of kingdoms: in this they gradually succeeded by persuading kings and princes, that by following their advice in all things, they would please the Lord G.o.d, and ensure his favour.

As time went on, the heads of the abbeys, monasteries, priories, and convents, became more and more powerful, in the various kingdoms where they were established. The inmates of these various houses belonged to different cla.s.ses or "orders"; the chief of which, were the Benedictines, Dominicans, and Franciscans.

St. Benedict, the founder of the first religious order in Europe, was born at Spoleto, in Italy, A.D. 480. At the age of fourteen, he retired to a cavern, where the fame of his pious austerities brought him numerous followers. He afterwards founded the monastery of Monte Casino, near Naples, and thus established the Order of St. Benedict, or the Benedictines. The oath taken by all who entered this order, bound them never to marry, nor to quit their convent; to practise the strictest self-denial in every matter; to speak but little to the other members of the community; to give up all intercourse with the world; and to place their minds and bodies at the absolute disposal of their superior; so as not only to do at once whatever he bid them do, but to hold no opinions contrary to his. The Pope or Bishop of Rome, naturally looked with especial favour upon this order of monks; because being pledged to implicit obedience, they formed a sort of army, ready to do anything to increase the power of the priesthood and the Pope. The Benedictine Order was introduced into England by Dunstan, when he became superior of Glas...o...b..ry Abbey, in the tenth century.

The founder of the Dominican Order, was a man named Dominic, born at Calahorra, in Old Castile, A.D. 1170. He was employed by Pope Innocent the Third to convert the Albigenses; but failing in his endeavours, he joined in the horrible persecution carried on against them; and for his zeal in the cause, he was, after his death, A.D. 1221, canonized, (that is, ordered to be called a saint) by the Pope.

The founder of the Franciscan Order was born at a.s.sisi, in a part of Italy called Umbria, A.D. 1182; and was after his death canonized, and called St. Francis d'a.s.sisi. He was the son of a merchant, and had in his youth led a wild and dissipated life: but on recovering from a dangerous illness, he became enthusiastically devout; retired into solitude; and underwent every species of penance and mortification; so that his family thought he had gone mad. He gave up all claim to his father's property, and took a vow of poverty. Being looked upon as a saint, many joined him, and he drew up rules for them to observe; and these rules being approved of by Pope Innocent the Third, the order of Franciscan Friars was established, and its members increased rapidly.

St. Francis d'a.s.sisi was, as well as St. Dominic, a zealous persecutor of the Albigenses and Waldenses. St. Francis made an unsuccessful attempt to convert the Sultan, or sovereign of Turkey, and then returned to a.s.sisi, where he died, A.D. 1226: he was canonized four years later, by Gregory the Ninth.

It has been said, that the members of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders were called friars, instead of monks. The difference between the two cla.s.ses was, that the friars rejected the possession of all worldly wealth, and depended entirely for their subsistence upon what they could collect from the pious, in their wanderings about the country. On this account, they were also called "Mendicants," that is, "beggars." There were four orders of these Mendicant Friars: the Dominicans, or Black Friars; the Franciscans, or Grey Friars, sometimes called "Freres Mineurs" (Lesser Friars), or Minorites; the Augustines, or Mendicants, properly so called; and the Carmelites, who claimed their origin from the prophet Elijah.

Before we leave this subject, we must mention that there were also religious houses, called nunneries and convents, for females: the inmates were called nuns, and there were various orders of them, distinguished from each other by some differences in their rules and discipline.

But all monks, friars and nuns were bound by their vows never to marry, nor leave their retirement; and to be in all things obedient to their superior.

When the Court of Inquisition was set up in Spain, it was directed to pay particular attention to the conduct of the Jews, as the clergy had found out that their change of religion was generally only a pretence; and therefore the Pope exhorted all Christian princes to bring them to punishment.

Great numbers of the Jews, terrified at the fate which awaited them, gave up the observance of their own rites and ceremonies, and submitted to any penance or punishment appointed by the clergy: but many of these unhappy creatures were put to death, even after they had confessed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah: others were imprisoned for a long time, and when set at liberty, were obliged to wear two red crosses on their upper garment, which was considered as an acknowledgment that they deserved to be burnt. Property was, of course, seized; and besides their persecution by the Inquisition, the populace oppressed and ill-used them, so that their condition was as miserable as possible. The sufferings of the Jews whom Ferdinand drove out of Spain, were most extraordinary. The greater part embarked on board s.h.i.+ps, some of which, from being too heavily laden, sunk, and all on board were drowned; some of the s.h.i.+ps are said to have been burnt; some were wrecked on foreign sh.o.r.es, where the miserable pa.s.sengers died of want. The master of one s.h.i.+p determined to murder all his pa.s.sengers, in order, as he said, to avenge the death of Christ, whom their ancestors had crucified: the Jews, aware of his design, reminded this bad man, that one doctrine of Christianity was, that Christ desired the salvation, and not the death of sinners; but the master, instead of feeling how little his conduct was like what a Christian's ought to be, caused the Jews to be stripped, and landed on the coast of Africa, where he left them.

Some of these poor creatures were destroyed by wild beasts; some died of hunger; but some were saved by the master of another vessel. Some of the Jews, on leaving Spain, sailed direct to the city of Fez, in Africa; but the inhabitants cruelly refused to admit them into the city, and they, too, died of want. Another party sailed to Genoa, which was at that time suffering from a scarcity of food, so that provisions were very dear: the inhabitants, seeing the miserable condition of the Jews, who had no money to buy food, met them with a cross in one hand and in the other bread, which they refused to give to any one who would not first wors.h.i.+p the cross. Many who had hitherto resisted all temptation to conform to Christian wors.h.i.+p, could hold out no longer, and did what was required of them.

The way in which Ferdinand had treated the Jews, was greatly blamed; and many nations expressed their astonishment, that the king should have so little regard to his own interest, as to banish a people, whose skill in money matters was so useful to the country. This very skill enabled the Jews to disappoint the avarice of the king; for they had managed to send the greater part of their wealth safely out of the country, and consequently Ferdinand got much less money from them than he had expected.

Meantime his subjects felt the loss of Moors and Jews, and the n.o.bles complained that their towns were deserted and ruined.

Many of the Jews on leaving Spain, went into Portugal, where their brethren had done good service to the king, by bringing him accounts of the coasts of the Red Sea; and also by helping his subjects to discover the way of reaching India, by sailing round the southern point of Africa.

But notwithstanding the services of the Jews already in Portugal, the king only allowed the fugitives from Spain to enter his dominions, on condition of their paying a sum of gold, with an understanding, that on a certain day fixed, they must either leave Portugal again, or be sold as slaves: on his part, the king promised to provide s.h.i.+ps to take them wherever they wished to go.

When the time came, the king really wished to keep his promise; but his orders were not obeyed, and the Jews who were about to sail, were so barbarously used by the seamen, that they chose rather to be sold as slaves than to put themselves into the power of such ruffians.

The next king of Portugal had pity on the Jews, and set them free from slavery; but afterwards, in order to gain favour with Ferdinand and Isabella, he ordered the Israelites to leave the kingdom on a certain day, after which, all who remained would be again treated as slaves. But the king did not like the idea of expelling such a number of skilful and industrious people, and he determined at least to keep all the children under fourteen years of age, and have them baptized and brought up as Christians. When, therefore, the time of departure drew near, he forbade the Jews to embark from any port except Lisbon; and when they came to that city, the king's officers seized their children, and dragged them away from their parents. We may imagine what a dreadful scene this was! Many, in despair, rather than give their children up, killed them and then put an end to their own lives. Besides this, the king contrived to delay their embarkation so much, that the day fixed pa.s.sed away before they had sailed, and consequently they became slaves. In utter despair, these poor creatures now agreed to become Christians, in order to recover their liberty, and their children. But such Christianity could only be a pretence; and their enemies, suspecting this, watched them narrowly.

The least sign of their observing any of the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, or of their preferring the Law of Moses to the Gospel, exposed them to the horrible cruelties of the Inquisition.

Shame upon Christians, who could thus treat their fellow creatures!

and instead of trying to win them over by Christian love, could thus render the very name of Christian more and more hateful to them.

Chapter XIV.--SEPARATION IN THE CHURCH.

The events which have been noticed in Spain and Portugal, extended well into the sixteenth century, and thus belong to modern history; for the fifteenth is the last of the ten centuries known in history as "the Middle Ages," during which, as we have seen, the sufferings of the Jews were very terrible. It is impossible here to give a particular account of this persecuted race in all countries, during the centuries that have since elapsed.

In the sixteenth century took place that important movement in the Christian church, spoken of in history as "the Reformation."