d provinces have come under their
law, with horrible ceremonies and dreadful imprecations. Even kings
have not escaped the Church's maledictions. Fevret, writing of
excommunications in the Romish Church, says that lighted torches were
at times thrown on the ground, with curses and anathemas, and then
trampled out while bells were rung. This is somewhat similar to part
of the ceremony of excommunication by bell, book, and candle, to be
afterwards more particularly described.

There are instances of bishops excommunicating caterpillars and other
insects; and Fevret gives instances of excommunications going out
against rats and mice. It sometimes happened that popes and churches
excommunicated one another, each cutting off the other from the
communication of the faithful, and delivering over the anathematised
person or church to the devil. In 850 the synod of Pavia resolved that
all who refused to submit to the discipline of the Church should be
anathematised, and cut off from every Christian hope and consolation.

For fifteen centuries the Pope has claimed the power of disposing of
men's souls as seems best to him. Whom he blesses, he says, are
blessed; and whom he curses, he would make us believe, are cursed. He
arrogates to himself the authority of holding the keys of heaven and
hell.

In 1809 the Pope excommunicated Napoleon I., and in 1860 his Holiness
excommunicated Victor Emmanuel, king of Italy--sentences which implied
spiritual condemnation, and deprivation of earthly power. The subjects
of an excommunicated king were freed from allegiance to their
sovereign. It is supposed the Pope's power extends so far that he may
pronounce excommunication against the dead, even to the debarring of
deceased persons from being cleansed from their sins in purgatory, and
the consigning of them to the place of eternal punishment.

Terror and amazement followed the footsteps of the inquisitionists.
They proceeded with the greatest secrecy and silence. When a heretic
was seized, the world abandoned him; his nearest friends durst not say
a word in his defence. The heretical criminals were generally arrested
in the stillness of night, examined, tortured, and, unless they
recanted, condemned and executed without seeing or knowing who were
their accusers. Usually the accused persons were tortured until they
condemned themselves; and although witnesses were sometimes examined,
the form of procedure was a mockery of justice.

As a co