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2

And thus it is that we enter on the opening of the xith century, a time much to be noted in the history of Witnesses in the West: it being the æra of the Councils of Orleans and Arras, in which heretics and heresies were condemned that had been imported, it is said, from Italy; and which introduced and was followed by that of Berenger, Arnold of Brescia, Peter de Bruys, and his disciple Henry, and in fine of the Waldenses. -Before speaking of these, however, it may be well to trace in a separate Section a distinct line of confessors for scriptural evangelic truth, who cotemporarily or nearly so with Serenus and Claude of Turin had kept up a witnessing for Christ and God's word in the East; and afterwards in the xth and xith centuries, having migrated into the West, seem then and there to have intermingled with the Western witnessing body for Christ. I refer, as the reader will anticipate, to the body known under the name of Paulicians in ecclesiastical history; or, as I prefer to call them for a reason afterwards given, with the slight change of one letter, Paulikians.

3. THE EASTERN OR

PAULIKIAN LINE OF WIT

NESSES.

As regards this line of Witnesses, perplexities and obscurities arise chiefly from the circumstance of the loss of the writings of those in whom we think to trace it. The PAULIKIANS,-those to whom I refer,—are known to us only through the reports of bitter enemies, who

1 See p. 248, 254, infrà. It is difficult to determine decisively in the case of the Orleanist sectaries and those at Arras, whether they had an Eastern or a Western origin; it being only said that the teachers of the heresy came from the borders of Italy. But it is quite competent to the inquirer, as I shall have again to observe, to refer them to a Western origin, if so he prefer. The heretics at Cologne constitute the first indubitable example of sectaries of an Eastern or Greek origin in Western Europe.

2 Berenger's connexion with Italy is noted by Matthew of Westminster on the year 1087 "Berengarius omnes Gallos, Italos, et Anglos, suis jam pæne corruperat pravitatibus." Faber 158. And though this has reference to his influence, not origin, yet it marks connexion, which may not improbably have been earlier.

brand them as heretics. And Bossuet, and Maitland, and Dowling, and many others, acquiescing implicitly in the hostile testimonies against them, both admit and re-echo the charge. To myself the exercise of a spirit of caution, and even of suspiciousness, in the matter, seems dictated alike by common sense and common equity; at the same time that I am not unaware of the possibility of carrying that suspiciousness too far. On the whole I may truly say that I have given to the evidence as candid, and also careful consideration, as I am able. And the conclusion I have found myself forced to by it is this; that the charges of heresy made against them have no consistent or sufficient evidence to rest on; and that, on the other hand, from the general facts of their history, from the unwilling admissions in their favour of the hostile chroniclers, and even from the nature of the particular charges of heresy made against them, the inference is warranted, that at first the general body of the Paulikians, and afterwards, as they multiplied, particular bands out of it, were faithful witnesses for Christ. The facts of the case will now be set fully before the reader :—at least sufficiently so to enable him to judge for himself, whether the conclusion I have formed be warranted by the evidence or not.

I now proceed then to sketch the rise and subsequent history of the PAULIKIAN SECT, up to the time of their westward migrations in the 11th and 12th centuries :there being reserved for a later Section the full discussion of the existing evidence as to their real character: whether witnesses for Christ, answering to the Apocalyptic description of Christ's two witnesses: or disreputable heretics, accordantly with the assertion of their

enemies.

The sect thus began. In the year A. D. 653, soon

The former of the two last-named Authors in his Book on the Waldenses, and Letter addressed to Dr. Mill, containing Strictures on Faber;-the latter in his Pamphlet on the Paulikians.

after the Saracenic conquest of Syria, an Armenian named Constantine, residing near Samosata, received from a Deacon whom he had hospitably entertained on his return from captivity in Syria, the present of two volumes, then very rare; one containing the four Gospels, the other the fourteen Epistles of St. Paul. (Did not the giver's advice and prayers accompany the gift; and indicate a connection of the sect which arose thereupon with religionists of an earlier date? 1) It is reported by the narrator, that Constantine had been educated previously in the principles of Manicheism. However this might be, the perusal of these sacred books caused a revolution in his professed principles, and whole subsequent course of life. Separating alike from Manichean or other heretics, and from the established but now apostate Church of Greek Christendom, he applied himself thenceforward to the formation of a distinct Christian sect or church: a sect consisting of such as might be willing, with himself, to found their faith and practice on the simple rule of those sacred books ;-the only part, apparently, then possessed by him or them of God's written Word. In the missionary labours whereby he sought to accomplish this his object, (and indefatigable those labours seem to have been,) he likened himself to a disciple of St. Paul. "I," said he, "am Sylvanus ; you the Macedonians: "3—thus intimating that it was the doctrine of St. Paul, very specially, that he wished himself to teach, and them, to follow. And they, acquiescing in his views, adopted, as if in public token of this their profession, the name which has thenceforth ever attached to them of PAULIKIANI, or disciples of the disciple of St. Paul.'-Now supposing Constantine

1 Compare the account of the foreign heretic detected in Gaul A.D. 650, given p. 217, Note 1.

2 I mean Petrus Siculus, who is the principal and most authentic historian on the subject. He wrote his history about A.D. 870, when the Paulikian sect and community was flourishing; having collected the account, as he tells us, during a residence of nine months at Tephrice, their capital. B. P. M. xvi. 754. Besides him Photius, his cotemporary, the famous Archbishop of Constantinople, wrote on the Paulikian history; and, two centuries after, Cedrenus. See Dowling. 3 See 1 Thess. i. 1.

That the name of Paulikians was assumed by themselves, and with a view to

sincere in his profession, it needs not to say how noble the enterprize; or again how strikingly, if carried out, it must have been a witnessing for Christ, in the midst of the prevailing superstitions and apostacy. His sincerity has however been impeached. The reader must all through bear this in mind. The historians from whom the narrative is taken, assert that it was done hypocritically; and in order, by means of the words of Scripture perverted, to propagate more safely, as well as insidiously, the principles of Manicheism. Yet they

agree that he burnt all his Manichean books, abjured Manicheism, and made it a law to his followers not to read any other book whatsoever, but the Gospels and Epis

mark their profession as followers of St. Paul, is admitted by Photius: for he says in one place, και γαρ επιγραφονται τετον (i. e. St. Paul;) and, in another, of Yevdwvvμoι maрaypapovraι. (Lib. iii. 42, ii. 190, quoted by Mr. Dowling.) And so too Petrus Siculus B. P. M. xvi. 758; “Quasi a Christo, atque doctrinâ præconis rectæ fidei Pauli Apostoli, hanc detestandam sectam acceperint." Besides which the very remarkable custom, kept up for above two centuries among them, of their chief teachers assuming, together with the pastoral charge, the name of one of St. Paul's disciples and companions commemorated in the New Testament,as Constantine that of Sylvanus, Simeon that of Titus, Paul of Episparis that of Timothy, Sergius that of Tychicus, &c,-is evidence of the fact as unanswerable as palpable. Their churches too, were named after St. Paul's churches; the Macedonians, Achaians, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians. Cedrenus ap. Dowling, p. 15.

As to the formation of the word Paulikians, great but very needless difficulties, as it seems to me, have been made about it, alike by ancients and moderns. Instead of being "so strangely formed," as Mr. Dowling says, (p. 13,) it needs but to trace it back to its root, precisely according to the analogy of derivatives of similar termination, in order to see its simple and natural explanation. If Xpisiavos is derived from Xpisos, and Henricianus from Henricus, from what may we suppose Пavλikiavos derived, but from Пavλikos? Again from what Παυλικος but Παυλος ? just as κοσμικος from κοσμος, Σωκρατικος from Σωκρατης, &c. ?-Which being so, we have only to reverse the process in the application. In assuming the name of Sylvanus, Tychicus, &c., both Constantine and other teachers of the sect after him, proclaimed themselves to the world, as not Socra tics, not Platonics, but Paulics, i. e. followers of St. Paul. So Petrus Siculus says of Sergius, "Cognomentum assumens Tychici, cujus nomen est celebre in Epistolis Pauli, Pauli discipulum se vulgo jactavit." Which being the teacher's profession and title, that of their followers was as naturally Paulikiani, or disciples of a disciple of St. Paul. (I adopt the English appellation Paulikians, in preference to Paulicians, as better suiting by the sound this derivation, than the other does.)-The absurd torturing of the word, in order to make it a corruption from the supposed barbarophonic title Пavλoiwavvo, the compound of the names of two Manicheans of Samosata, named Paul and John, that lived some time before Constantine, deserves remark, as shewing the animus of the writer; especially considering the Paulikians' confest condemnation of this Paul: "promptisimè damnant Paulum Samosatenum.” Nor indeed is its explanation as a corruption from Пavλavo, in the sense of Disciples of Paul of Samosata, much more felicitous. See Petrus Sic. B. P. M. xvi. 759, Marg. and 760.

tles of the New Testament: -moreover that these Gospels and Epistles were unadulterated by the Paulikians, and both received and preserved in precisely the same words as the authentic copies of the Greek Church.1

The ministrations of Constantine were prolonged for a period of near 30 years. Then at length, the sect having become sufficiently considerable to attract notice, an edict of persecution was issued against him and his Paulikian congregations by the Greek government; and the execution of the edict entrusted to an officer of the Imperial Palace, named Simeon. In the fulfilment of it Constantine was stoned to death. But from the stoning of Constantine, as from that of the proto-martyr Stephen, a new head to the Paulikian remnant was raised up in the person of his murderer. Impressions were made on Simeon by what he had seen and heard, that he could not shake off. For three years, we are told, he secluded himself in his own home, reflecting on it; then, having made up his resolution, left all,2-the necessary sacrifice, it seems, involved in the step he was taking; and, joining himself to those whom before he persecuted, became their new head and chief teacher.-The report of the revival of the heresy after a while reached the ears of a neighbouring Bishop; and by him was communicated to the then Emperor, Justinian II. On this the Imperial mandate was again issued against the sectaries; and Simeon, and a large number of his followers, convened to answer the charge. They were interrogated each separately on their tenets, and opportunity offered them for retractation. But in vain. But in vain. They continued pertinacious in what was deemed their errors. Which being

1 Thus Petrus Siculus, after enumerating the Books of the New Testament received by them, ("Sacra quatuor Evangelia et Pauli Apostoli denas quaternas Epistolas recipiunt, Jacobi item Catholicam, ternas Johannis, Catholicam Judæ, et Actus Apostolorum,") adds, "iisdem quibus apud nos sunt verbis." B. P. M. 756. Photius gives a precisely similar testimony to the genuineness of the Paulikian Scriptures. And so too Cedrenus, two centuries after.

2 "Quos quidem dum temerè nimis auscultat Simeon,.. pestiferam hæresim hausit, et cùm eâ rediit Constantinopolim ad Imperatorem. Triennio deinde domi suæ privatim acto, cùm plenè jam irretitus possideretur à Diabolo, relictis omnibus, clàm excessit, Cibossam petens." Ib. 760.

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