ven granting that the feudal
system could cease to exist without dragging down in its fall all
form of government, how could the State provide for the public
welfare, if she did not possess the power to punish criminals, as the
Cathari maintained?

But the great unpardonable crime of Catharism was its attempt to
destroy the future of humanity by its _endura_, and its abolition of
marriage. It taught that the sooner life was destroyed the better.
Suicide, instead of being considered a crime, was a means of
perfection. To beget children was considered the height of
immorality. To become one of "the Perfected," which was the only way
of salvation, the husband must leave his wife, and the wife her
husband. The family must cease to exist, and all men were urged to
form a great religious community, vowed to the most rigorous
chastity. If this ideal had been realized, the human race would have
disappeared from the earth in a few years. Can any one imagine more
immoral and more anti-social teaching?

The Catholic Church has been accused of setting up a similar ideal.
This is a gross calumny. For while Catharism made chastity a _sine
qua non_ of salvation, and denounced marriage as something infamous
and criminal, the Church merely counsels virginity to an elite body
of men and women in whom she recognizes the marks of a special
vocation, according to the teaching of the Savior, "He that can take,
let him take it." _Qui potest capiare capiat_.[1] She endeavors at
the same time to uphold the sacrament of marriage, declaring it a
holy state, in which the majority of mankind is to work out its
salvation.

[1] Matt. xix. 11, 12.

There is consequently no parity whatever between the two societies
and their teachings. In bitterly prosecuting the Cathari, the Church
truly acted for the public good. The State was bound to aid her by
force, unless it wished to perish herself with all the social order.
This explains and to a certain degree Justifies the combined action
of Church and State in suppressing the Catharan heresy.

CHAPTER VI
FIFTH PERIOD
GREGORY IX AND FREDERIC II
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONASTIC INQUISITION

THE penal system codified by Innocent III was rather liberally
interpreted in France and Italy. In order to make the French law
agree with it, an oath was added to the coronation service from the
time of Louis IX, whereby the King swore to exterminate, i.e., banish
all heretics from his kingdom. We are incl