CHAPTER III 



PERSECUTION 



Beware of old black cats with evil faces.&quot; 



aggressiveness of our fore 

 fathers puzzles and repels us. 

 It is the quality which, of all 

 others, is least comprehensible to the 

 unconcern which we call tolerance, and 

 to the sensitiveness which we call hu 

 manity. How, we ask ourselves, could 

 men have felt cock-sure of things about 

 which they knew nothing ; and why 

 should they have deemed it essential to beat their 

 convictions into other men s brains ? The speed 

 and sincerity with which principles were translated 

 into action five hundred years ago kept all Christen 

 dom in commotion. People did not then shrug 



