Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/139

 PERSECUTION OF THE APOSTLES. 123 this may have driven some of them back to France for safety, for in the auto of September, 1322, at Toulouse, there figures the Gali- cian already referred to named Pedro de Lugo, who had been strenuously labored with for a year in prison, and on his abjura- tion was incarcerated for life on bread and water. In the same auto there was another culprit whose fate illustrates the horror and terror inspired by the doctrines of the Dolcinists. Guillem Ruffi had been previously forced to abjuration as a Beguine, and subsequently had betrayed two of his former associates, one of whom had been burned and the other imprisoned. This would seem to be sufficient proof of his zeal for orthodoxy, and yet, when he happened to state that in Italy there were Fraticelli who held that no one was perfect who could not endure the test of continence above alluded to, adding that he had tried the experiment himself with success, and had taught it to more than one woman, this was considered sufficient, and without any- thing further against him he was incontinently burned as a re- lapsed heretic* In spite of Bernard Gui's exaggerated apprehensions, the sect, although it continued to exist for some time, gave no further seri- ous trouble. The Council of Cologne in 1306 and that of Treves in 1310 allude to the Apostles, showing that they were not un- known in Germany. Yet about 1335 so well-informed a writer as Alvar Pelayo speaks of Dolcino as a Beghard, showing how soon the memory of the distinctive characteristics of the sect had faded away. At this very time, however, a certain Zoppio was secretly spreading the heresy at Kieti, where it seems to have found nu- merous converts, especially among the women. Attention being called to it, Fra Simone Filippi, inquisitor of the Koman province, hastened thither, seized Zoppio, and after examining him delivered him to the authorities for safe-keeping. When he desired to pro- ceed with the trial the magistrates refused to surrender the pris- oner, and abused the inquisitor. Benedict XII. was appealed to, who scolded roundly the recalcitrant officials for defending a her- esy so horrible that decency forbids his describing it ; he threat- —Bernard. Guidon. Gravam. (Doat, XXX. 120-4).— Raym. de Fronciacho (Archiv fur Litt.- u. K. 1887, p. 10,— Lib. Sententt. Tnq. Tolos. pp. 360-3, 381.
 * Addit. ad Hist. Dulcin. (Muratori IX. 458).— Bernard. Guidon. Practica P. v.