Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/158

 142 THE FRATICELLI. pies that he carried on the war ; merciless were his assaults on the errors and inconsistencies of John XXII. , who was proved guilty of seventy specific heresies. Thus to the bitter end his dauntless spirit kept up the strife ; one by one his colleagues died and sub- mitted, and he was left alone, but he continued to shower ridicule on the curia and its creatures in his matchless dialectics. Even the death of Louis and the hopeless defeat of his cause did not stop his fearless pen. Church historians claim that in 134:9 he at last made his peace and was reconciled, but this is more than doubtful. for Giacomo della Marca classes him with Michele and Bonagrazia as the three unrepentant heretics who died under excommunica- tion. It is not easy to determine with accuracy what influence was exercised by the powerful intellects which England. France, and Italy thus contributed to the defence of German independence. Possibly they may have stimulated Wickliff to question the founda- tion of papal power and the supremacy of the Church over the State, leading to Hussite insubordination. Possibly, too, they may have contributed to the movement which in various development emboldened the Councils of Constance and Basle to claim superi- ority over the Holy See, the Gallican Church to assert its liberties, and England to frame the hostile legislation of the Statutes of Pro visors and Praemunire. If this be so, the hopeless entangle- ments of German politics caused them to effect less in their own chosen battle-field than in lands far removed from the immediate scene of conflict.* This rapid glance at the larger aspects of the strife has been necessary to enable us to follow intelligently the vicissitudes of the discussion over the poverty of Christ, which occupied in the struggle a position ludicrously disproportionate to its importance. For some time after the issue of the bulls C<r,n inter nonn ullos and Quia quorumdam there was a sort of armed neutrality between John and the heads of the Franciscan Order. Each seemed to be afraid of taking a step which should precipitate a conflict, doubt- — Preger, Der Kircbenpolitische Kampf, pp. 8-9. — Carl Miiller. op. cit. II. 251- 2,— Trithem. Chron. Hirsaug. ann. 1323.— Raynald. ami. 1349, No. 16-17.— Jac. de Marchia Dial. (Bal. et Mausi II. 600).
 * Martene Thesaur. II. 749-52. — Tocco, L'Eresia nel Medio Evo, pp. 532-555.