The Roman Catholic Church had consolidated power by the early Middle Ages. During this time, Christianity was upheld in great part by both the common people and rulers alike. Because of this,
came to be regarded as enemies of society; they were considered a threat to the accepted practices.
From the medieval period to the early modern era there was little in the way of police, so law enforcement was in the hands of the community. The common belief was that to keep order, you had to make sure that the people were afraid of prescribed punishments. As a result all crimes, from stealing to murder, had harsh sentences. Fines, shaming (being placed in stocks), mutilation (cutting off part of the body), and death were common forms of punishment.