g the
bonds of marriage, rejecting all idea of chastity, and contravening
all rights, human and divine. He evidently held Priscillian
responsible for all these teachings. That is why he rejoices in the
fact that "the secular princes, horrified at this sacrilegious folly,
executed the author of these errors with several of his followers."
He even declares that this action of the State is helpful to the
Church. He writes: "the Church, in the spirit of Christ, ought to
denounce heretics, but should never put them to death; still the
severe laws of Christian princes redound to her good, for some
heretics, through fear of punishment, are won back to the true
faith."[3] St. Leo in this passage is rather severe. "While he does
not yet require the death penalty for heresy, he accepts it in the
name of the public good. It is greatly to be feared that the
churchmen of the future will go a great deal further."

[1] _De Viris illustribus_, 121-123.

[2] _De haeresibus_, cap. 70.

[3] Ep. xv, _ad Turribium_, P.L., vol. liv, col. 679-680.

The Church is endeavoring to state her position accurately on the
suppression of heresy. She declares that nothing will justify her
shedding of human blood. This is evident from the conduct and
writings of St. Augustine, St. Martin, St. Ambrose, St. Leo
(_cruentas refugit ultiones_), and Ithacius himself. But to what
extent should she accept the aid of the civil power, when it
undertakes to defend her teachings by force?

Some writers, like St. Optatus of Mileve, and Priscillian, later on
the victim of his own teaching, believed that the Christian State
ought to use the sword against heretics guilty of crimes against the
public welfare; and, strangely enough, they quote the Old Testament
as their authority. Without giving his approval to this theory, St.
Leo the Great did not condemn the practical application of it in the
case of the Priscillianists. The Church, according to him, while
assuming no responsibility for them, reaped the benefit of the
rigorous measures taken by the State.

But most of the Bishops absolutely condemned the infliction of the
death penalty for heresy, even if the heresy was incidentally the
cause of social disturbances. Such was the view of St. Augustine,[1]
St. Martin, St. Ambrose, many Spanish bishops, and a bishop of Gaul
named Theognitus;[2] in a word, of all who disapproved of the
condemnation of Priscillian. As a rule, they protested in the name of
Christian