The burning of books

The early church generally judged heresy through councils or synods and punished it with excommunication. After the time of Constantine, secular Christian princes were regularly called on by the church to execute heretics and confiscate their goods. The Emperor Frederick II organized an inquisition to hunt out heretics in 1232, but this function was quickly claimed for the church by Pope Gregory IX. Inquisitors heard the cases of those accused of heresy, often with the assistance of a jury of lay and clerical members. Those accused who confessed were typically received again into the church after penance. Those who refused to confess and were found guilty suffered penalties of varying severity. Those among the condemned who were handed over to the secular authorities were usually burned at the stake. The Spanish Inquisition varied from the general European pattern. It was largely a function of the Spanish state and noted for its severity. It was not dismantled until the nineteenth century.