Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/189

Rh` quarrel raged more fiercely than ever. The Franciscans declared that the inquisitor who started it would be deprived of his office and mastership in theology. Pius thereupon soothed him by as- suring him that he had only done his duty, and that he had noth- ing to fear. The conference had become an inevitable evil, and Pius found himself obliged to allow it to meet in December, 1463. Each side selected three champions, and for three days, in the presence of the pope and sacred college, they argued the point with such ar- dent vehemence that, in spite of the bitter winter weather, they. were bathed in sweat. Then others took part and the question was debated pro and con. The Franciscans put in evidence the blood of Christ exhibited for the veneration of the faithful in many shrines, and to the foreskin which was in the Lateran and also in the royal chapel of France. They also appealed to the cuttings of Christ's hair and beard, the parings of his nails, and all his excretions—did these remain on earth or were they divine and carried to heaven? To these arguments the Dominican reply is a curious exhibition of special pleading and sophistry; but as no one could allege a single text of Scripture bearing upon the ques- tion, neither side could claim the victory. The good Bishop of Brescia, who had at first played the part of peacemaker, consist- ently presented a written argument in which he proved that the pope ought not to settle the question because such a determination ould, firstly, be doubtful; secondly, superfluous; and, thirdly, perilous. This wise utterance was probably inspired, for Pius re- served his decision, and, August 1, 1464, only eight days before his leath, issued a bull in which he recited how the faithful had been scandalized by the quarrel between the two Orders, and, there- ore, he forbade further discussion on the subject until the Holy See should finally decide it. The Dominicans were emphatically rohibited from denouncing the Franciscans as heretics on ac- ount of it, and any infraction of his commands was punishable by ipso facto excommunication supplemented with harsh impris- nment. He tells us himself that after the public discussion the ardinals debated the matter for several days. The majority in- lined to the Dominicans and he agreed with them, but the preach- g of the Franciscans was necessary for the crusade against the urks which he proposed to lead in person, and it was impolitic