Although executions for heresy had occurred as early as
the fourth century, for a long time milder penalties were usually
inflicted. The heretic might be exiled, or imprisoned, or deprived of his
property and his rights as a citizen. The death penalty was seldom invoked by
the Church before the thirteenth century. Since ecclesiastical law forbade the
Church to shed blood, the State stepped in to seize the heretic and put him to
death, most often by fire. We must remember that in medieval times cruel
punishments were imposed for even slight offenses, and hence men saw nothing
wrong in inflicting the worst of punishments for what was believed to be the
worst of crimes.
THE ALBIGENSES
In spite of all measures of repression heretics were not
uncommon during the later Middle Ages. Some heretical movements spread over
entire communities. The most important was that of the Albigenses, so called
from the town of Albi in southern France, where many of them lived. Their
doctrines are not well known, but they seem to have believed in the existence
of two gods—one good (whose son was Christ), the other evil (whose son was
Satan). The Albigenses even set up a rival church, with its priests, bishops,
and councils.
