B. XX. Deduc 316 Las Casas summons another Junta, Taking the foregoing as their main principles, Ch. 1. the Synod made many deductions very unfavourable to the claims of the Conquerors; and tions from especially they pronounced what were the condiples laid tions upon which absolution should be granted the Synod. by confessors to the Spanish colonists, into which conditions restitution entered. the princi down by another Conclu The proceedings of this Synod were very bold, but Las Casas was not satisfied with them, because the particular point of slavery, though Las Casas much discussed, was not resolved upon. He summons therefore summoned a Junta, which was attended Junta. by all the learned men except the bishops; and this Junta pronounced that the Spaniards who had made slaves were "tyrants"; that the slaves the Junta were to be considered as illegally made; and that all those who possessed them were bound to liberate them. They also pronounced against the personal service of the Indians. sions ar rived at by summoned by Las Casas. It must not be supposed that the members of this Junta imagined that their decisions would immediately ensure the liberation of the Indians. These learned men contented themselves with declaring to their countrymen what they held to be the truth, and informing them of what was necessary for the salvation of their souls. They were not bound to do anything more.* and resigns the Bishopric of Chiapa. 317 B. XX. Ch. 1. resolves to go to Spain. Las Casas did not return from Mexico to his bishopric. Ever since his interview with the Las Casas Auditors of the Confines he had resolved to go back to Spain; and the reason which he gave to one of his reverend brethren was, that when at Court and near the King and his Council, he would be able to do more good service, both to his own province and to the whole Indies, than by staying in his diocese, especially as he had now members of his own Order stationed there, who could correspond with him, and inform him of whatever evil might require a remedy. confessors General. He accordingly prepared to act upon this re- Appoints solve. He appointed confessors for his diocese, and a and regulated the conditions of absolution, which Vicarwere expressed in twelve rules. He nominated a Nov. 9, Vicar-General for his bishopric, and then pro- 1546. ceeded from Mexico to Spain, where he resigned Resigns the the bishopric.* His return was in the year 1547. Chiapa, bishopric of One of the biographers of Las Casas states, that 1547. the Bishop was obliged to return to Spain to answer certain charges that were made against him, chiefly touching his formulary of confession, and that he went back as a prisoner. I do not find any authority for this statement; but it is certain that on the Bishop's return to Spain he did appear before the Council of the Indies, and had to Justifies justify this formulary, which he succeeded in lary of doing. * In 1555 he was allowed a pension of 200,000 maravedis, = 1087. 6s., a sum not inconsiderable in that day. his formu confession. CHAPTER II. THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN SEPULVEDA AND LAS CASAS. B. XX. Ch. 2. THE HE learned men of Spain were not all of the Bishop of Chiapa's way of thinking as regarded the rights and claims of the Indians. A certain Doctor Juan Ginés Sepulveda,* Principal Historiographer to Charles the Fifth, a man of great renown for learning in those days, had reSepulveda cently written a treatise entitled, Democrates SeBelli Cau- cundus, sive de Justis Belli Causis, in which he De Justis sis. maintained, in a very able manner, the right of the Pope and of the Kings of Spain to subdue by war the inhabitants of the New World. Sepulveda called his new work Democrates Secundus, because he had previously written a book which was entitled Democrates: a Dialogue on the HonourDemocra- able Nature of Military Study. The Democrates Secundus was also written in dialogue; and in it, LeoDialogue. pold, a German, made a formal statement, which tes Secun dus, a probably was sanctioned by the voice of public opinion throughout Europe at that time, that the Spaniards had, without sufficient attention to the laws of justice, piety, and Christianity, waged war against the innocent Indians. Sepulveda, under the name of Democrates, gave a full reply to his friend Leopold's accusation of the Spaniards. * Sepulveda corresponded with Erasmus, Cardinals Pole, and Contarini; and was the author of many learned treatises. Sepulveda's Book: its Reception in Spain. 319 hears of da's work. Sepulveda's work met with no favour, even B. XX. in the quarter where he might reasonably have Ch. 2. expected that it would be sure to be well received. He submitted his treatise to the Council of the Indies in the first instance; but they would not allow him to print it. He then appealed to Charles the Fifth, praying that his work should be laid before the Great Council of Castille. The Emperor consented. It was in 1547, when the Court and the Great Councils of Spain were at Aranda de Duero, that the Royal order from Charles arrived. Las Casas had also joined the Las Casas Court at that time, and then learnt what was the Sepulve nature of this treatise written by Sepulveda, upon which there was so much question. As may be imagined, he made the most determined and vigorous opposition to Sepulveda's views,-to use his own words, "discovering and bringing to light the poison of which the work was full." The Council submitted the Democrates Secundus, for examination, to the universities of Alcalá and Salamanca. The decision of these learned bodies was unfavourable to Sepulveda; and the permission to print was Sepulveda still refused. Sepulveda turned to Rome, where he had a great friend, who was Auditor of the Rota; and, under his auspices, the work, or rather an Apology for the work, containing the substance of it, was printed at Rome in 1550.* Charles the Fifth forbade its introduction into Spain. The author thereupon drew up a version in Spanish of his Apology, and did what he could to put that in circulation. The Apology is now to be found in Sepulveda's Works, reprinted from the Roman The title is Apologia pro Libro de Justis Belli Causis. not allowed to print his work in Spain. 320 Nature of Sepulveda's Treatise. Sepulveda's trea tise De Justis Belli Causis. B. XX, edition. It does not contain anything which Ch. 2. would at first sight be thought to be displeasing Nature of to the Monarchs of Spain. Sepulveda declares that to Jesus Christ all power was given in Heaven and Earth, and that this power devolved upon the Pope, who accordingly possessed authority in every land, not only for the preaching of the Gospel, but also for compelling men to obey the law of nature. The author defends his position by references to St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Gregory, and the great authority of the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas. He appeals to History, citing the law of capital punishment enacted by "that most pious Emperor," Constantine, against those pagans who should persevere in their rites and sacrifices. He maintains that men who are in a grievous state of error are to be recalled to the truth, whether they like it or not. He urges that more can be effected in a month by conquest than in a hundred years by mere preaching. Miracles are not to be asked for, when human means, having the sanction of divine authority, can attain the same end. "The preachers of our time," he says, "without miracles, cannot effect more than the Apostles did, blessed with the co-operation of the Lord, and their words being confirmed by miracles."* War, therefore, was a "Quæ omnia incommoda et Non enim arbitror, nostri temdifficultates, debellatis barbaris, poris prædicatores sine miraculis facillime tolluntur, et sic plus plus efficerent quam quondam uno mense in ipsorum conver- Apostoli, Domino cooperante, sione proficitur, quam centum et sermonem confirmante sequenannis per solam prædicationem, tibus signis. Quæ signa jam non pacatis barbaris, proficeretur. non sunt a Deo postulanda, cum |