The story of our Christianity; an account of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times . f-insane fanaticism. Mr. Lea, the historian of the Inquisition,declares that No relgion can show a more unbroken roll of those who unshrink-ingly and joyfully sought death in its most abhorrent form, in preference toapostacy. If the blood of the martyrs were really the seed of the Church,Manicheism would now be the dominant religion of Europe. It is to be remem-bered that these people, when really indoctrinated, believed that the flesh andeverything visible were under a cu
The story of our Christianity; an account of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times . f-insane fanaticism. Mr. Lea, the historian of the Inquisition,declares that No relgion can show a more unbroken roll of those who unshrink-ingly and joyfully sought death in its most abhorrent form, in preference toapostacy. If the blood of the martyrs were really the seed of the Church,Manicheism would now be the dominant religion of Europe. It is to be remem-bered that these people, when really indoctrinated, believed that the flesh andeverything visible were under a curse, and that by dying for their cause theyescaped from the dominion of Satan, and passed at once into the abodes of blissand the presence of the original good Deity. The mere name of heresy was usually enough to infuriate the mob, andin regions where the Cathari were not well known, they were much de-tested. When some of them were on trial at Orleans in 1017, King Robertplaced his queen at the door of the church to hinder the crowd from tearingthem to pieces as they came out; but she was so angry that she struck one. 2<-3 204 THE STORY OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. of their leaders and put out his e}-e. There were fifteen of them; all but tworefused to recant, and perished in the flames, to the wonder of the beholders—such spectacles being then much less familiar than they afterwards few years later some were burned in the north of Italy. About 1040 theArchbishop of Milan sent for others, who came freely, a countess among them,and professed their faith without reserve. In prison they tried to convert thosewho came to see them as curiosities, till the visitors dragged them out andburned most of them. In 1052 the Emperor Henry hanged some at Goslar innorth Germany. But these were unusual occurrences in that century. It wasin 1045 that the good Bishop Wazo of Liege counseled leniency, saying thatthose whom the world now regards as tares may be garnered as wheat at thelast ha
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