PREFACE

The aim of this book is to provide, within a short space and primarily for the general reader, an account of the heresies of the Middle Ages and of the attitude of the Church toward them. The book is, therefore, a brief essay in the history not only of dogma, but—inasmuch as it is concerned with the repression of heresy by means of the Inquisition—of law as well. The ground covered is the terrain of H. C. Lea’s immense work, "A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages"; but that was published more than thirty years ago, and since then much has been written, though not indeed much in English, on the medieval Inquisition and related subjects. As the present work has been undertaken in the light of some of these more recent investigations, it is hoped that it may be of utility to closer students, as well as to the general reader, as a review of the subject suggested by the writings of Lea’s successors, both partisans and critics. At the same time, this book does not profess to be a history, even the briefest, of the medieval Inquisition. Its main concern is with doctrine, and for that reason, chapters on Averroism The philosophy of Averroes, which emphasized the independence of reason and science from religious dogma. and on Wycliffitism The movement following the teachings of John Wycliffe, which challenged various Catholic Church practices. and Hussitism The reform movement led by Jan Hus. have been included, though they have little bearing on the Inquisition.

The entire subject, on both its sides, is complex and highly controversial. Probably no conceivable treatment of it could commend itself to all tastes or be accepted as impartial by the adherents of all types of religious belief. It can, however, at least be claimed that this work was begun with no other object in view than honest inquiry, with no desire whatever to demonstrate a preconceived thesis or draw attention to a particular aspect of truth. The conclusion arrived at in these pages is that the traditional ultra-Protestant conception