into the chair of Peter, who are only written in the catalogue of Roman pontiffs for the sake of marking the times? For who can affirm that men illegally intruded by wicked women of this sort, were Roman pontiffs? There was never any mention of the clergy electing or afterwards approving. All the canons were closed in silence, the decrees of the pontiffs were suppressed, the ancient traditions were proscribed, and the ancient customs in electing the pope, and the sacred ceremonies, and the usages of former days, were wholly extinct. Thus lust, relying upon the secular power, and mad and stimulated with the rage of dominion, claimed every thing for itself. Then, as it seems, Christ evidently was in a deep sleep in the ship, when these winds blowing so strongly, the ship itself was covered with the waves.' This was, doubtless, one of the darkest periods that the earth had ever known. Yet, although through the obscurity little is to be discerned, we may feel well assured of the existence of both the western and eastern line of Witnesses; however faint the trace which, in this particular century, they have left. Of the continued existence of a faithful Church in Piedmont and near Turin, there can exist no reasonable doubt. It will be remembered that when, in 1640, the Prior Rorenco was commissioned to enquire into the history and antiquity of the Waldenses, he reported, that even in the ninth and tenth centuries they were not a new sect.' Admitting, clearly, that in those centuries, the ninth and tenth, he found traces of their existence; and evidence that their origin was still earlier. There is also extant, a letter of Atto, bishop of Vercelli, near Turin, of the date of a D. 945, in which he speaks of certain false teachers in his neighbourhood, who taught the people to forsake their priests and the Romish church; and who were regarded by the common people as prophets. + Evidence which exactly agrees * Baronii. Ann. Eccles. An. 900-912. with a reasonable anticipation of the state of religion in that neighbourhood, and at that period. We also find a notice, at the commencement of the next century, (A. D. 1030,) of a sect then existing at Turin, who acknowledged the Scriptures alone as their standard of doctrine; and rejected the superstitions of the Romish church.* Meanwhile, we must bear in mind, that it was about the year A.D. 970, that the eastern emperor, John Zimisces, removed the Paulikians from their former settlements, across the Bosphorus, and placed them in Phillippopolis, from whence divers of them strayed into the southern parts of Europe. And Ademarus Cabanensis, a monk of Limoges, says, that some 'Manichees' were first taken notice of in Aquitain, about the year 1010,-so that their migration into the south of France must have commenced about the close of the tenth century. * Muston, v. i. p. 163. CHAPTER X. A. D. 1000 TO 1100. COMMENCEMENT OF PERSECUTIONS IN THE WEST:THE CANONS OF ORLEANS-COUNCILS OF ARRAS CHARROUX-RHEIMS-BERENGER. WE desire to keep at the greatest distance from fanciful theories and groundless hypotheses. But in aiming to confine ourselves closely to fact, we do not feel at liberty to shrink from making an observation or two, on the apparent eventfulness,—if we may coin a word, which seems to mark the opening of each millenary. It recurs to every one's mind, so soon as the subject is alluded to, that the expression of St. Peter, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day," has been often understood to refer to a supposed relation between the six days of creation, and the sabbatic rest, and the six thousand years of the world's existence, to be followed, as many believe, by a millenary of peace and blessedness. Following this idea, and running our thoughts along the stream of history, every one will recal to recollection, in an instant, the dedication of Solomon's glorious temple, and the Divine descent to dwell in and hallow it, which occurred in the year A. M. 3000. And then, the still more important event, of our Lord's first advent, in A. M. 4004. Searching a little further, we shall observe the birth of the father of the faithful," the friend of God," Abraham, in ▲.м. 2008. And now we must name, in the last place, that the close of the tenth century after the Christian era, seemed to mark the deepest gloom of the midnight of the middle ages; and that the century upon which we now enter is remarkable for two striking features,—the rise of the Papacy, which, in the tenth century had been sunk in utter vileness and ignominy, to higher esteem, and far greater power; and at the same time, the commencement of a settled system of persecution, in the ten kingdoms of the west, of which, before this period, we find no trace. The Paulikians, in the east, had been suffering dreadful calamities, and the Romish bishops had approved and sanctioned such barbarities. But, in the west, until the year A. D. 1000 had passed, we find no systematic persecution of those who professed the principles now called "Protestant." Claudius of Turin might be controversially assailed; or Gotteschalcus, for carrying the doctrines of Augustine to an extreme, might be scourged and imprisoned; but such a case as that of the canons of Orleans, which will presently offer itself to our notice, has not, until now, occurred. While, on the other hand, so soon as we enter the eleventh century, we meet, at every step, bodies of men called heretics ; and at every step we trace them by the droppings of their blood, or by the smoke of the fires which consumed them. Up to A. D. 1000, no such thing is found in the west ;-after that period, scarcely a year is free from some appalling record of the kind. We have alluded to the martyrdom of the canons of Orleans. Mosheim thus introduces and narrates that event. "It is difficult to fix the precise period of time when the Paulikians began to take refuge in Europe; it is however, undoubtedly certain from the most authentic testimonies, that a considerable number of the sect were, about the middle of this century, settled in Lombardy, Insubria, and principally at Milan; and that many of them led a wandering life in France, Germany, and other countries, where they captivated the esteem and admiration of the multitude, by their sanctimonious looks, and the uncommon air of piety, which they put on with much affectation. In Italy they were called Paterini and Cathari, or rather Gazari, which latter appellation the Germans have preserved, with a small alteration only, which was proper to adapt it to the genius of their language. In France they were called Albigenses, from the town of Albi, in the Upper Languedoc, in Latin Albigia. They were likewise called Bulgarians, in France, because they came from Bulgaria, and because the head of their sect resided in that country; as also Publicans, which was probably a corrupt pronunciation of Paulikians; (Pavlicans) and boni homines, or good men, with several other epithets. “The first religious assembly which the Paulikians had formed in Europe, is said to have been discovered at Orleans, in the year 1017, under the reign of Robert. A certain Italian lady is said to have been at the head of this sect its principal members were twelve canons of the cathedral of Orleans, men eminently distinguished by their piety and learning, among whom Lisoius and Stephen held the first rank; and it was composed, in general, of a considerable number of citizens, who were far from being of the meanest condition." They “adhered obstinately to their principles, and were at length condemned to be burnt alive." * This martyrdom of the canons of Orleans was evidently no common event. Let us ascertain, as nearly as we may, the character of the sufferers. We find them, indeed, charged with the most heinous crimes. But herein they only resemble the more nearly the primitive Christians. It is curious to observe how closely the calumniators of the followers of Jesus tread in each other's steps, and repeat the very same charges, in far distant countries and remote * Mosheim, cent. xi. p. 2, chap. v. |