Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/178

162 THE FRATICELLI. to make numerous proselytes. About the middle of the century they circulated throughout Italy a document written in the ver- nacular, " so that it can be understood by every one," giving their reasons for separating themselves from pope and prelate. It is singularly temperate in tone and logical in structure. The argu- ment is drawn strictly from Scripture and from the utterances of the Church itself, and from even the standpoint of a canonist it is unanswerable. There are no apocalyptic hysterics, no looking for- ward to Antichrist or to new ages of the world, no mysticism. There is not even any reference to St. Francis, nor an}^ claim that his Kule is inspired and inviolable. Yet none the less the whole body of the Church is declared to be heretic, and all the faithful are summoned to cut loose from it. The reasons alleged for this are three — First, heresy ; second, simony ; third, fornication. As to the first, John XXII. is proved to be a heretic by the bulls pronouncing heretical the doctrine that Christ and the apostles possessed nothing. This is easily done by reason of the definitions of the previous popes confirmed by the Council of Yienne. The corollary of course follows that all his successors and their cardinals are heretics. As regards simony, the canons of the Decretum and the utterances of the doctors are quoted to show that it is heresy. As regards fornication, it was easy to cite the canons embodying the Hiidebrandine doctrine that the sacraments of fornicating priests are not to be received. It is true that there are many priests who are not fornicators, but there are none who are not simonists — who have not given or received money for the sacraments. Even if he could be found who is in- nocent on all these heads, it would be necessary for him to sepa- rate himself from the rest, for, as Raymond of Pennaf orte shows in his Summa, those are guilty of mortal sin and idolatry who receive the sacraments of heretics. The Fraticelli, therefore, have been obliged to withdraw from a heretical church, and they issue this manifesto to justify their course. If in any way it is erroneous, they ask to have the error pointed out ; and if it is correct, the faithful are bound to join them, because, after the facts are known., association with prelates and clergy thus heretical and excommuni- cate will involve in heresy all who are guilty of it.* » Comba, La Riforma, I. 568-71.