Page 462 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

PAULICIANS

New Testament faith. The Lutheran historian Mosheim, days he hurried himself through the five necessary
writing in the 17th century, says: “From Italy the orders, to become Patriarch on the sixth day, thrusting
Paulicians sent colonies into almost all the other himself into the place of Ignatius, son of Michael I., a
provinces of Europe, and gradually formed a man of blameless character, who was deposed because
considerable number of religious assemblies, who he refused to put the Empress out of the way of
adhered to their doctrine, and who realized every plotting Bardas by forcing her into a nunnery. But Pope
opposition and indignity from the popes.” They were Nicholas I., by the advice of a synod held at Rome,
later known by many names, including Paterini, deposed Photius as an usurper, A.D. 862. In turn,
Cathari, Bulgarians, Patarins, Gazarians, Turlupins, Photius excommunicated the pope, but Gass says that
Runcarians, and Albigenses. “Many historians, besides another synod deposed Photius in 867 as a liar,
Gibbon, such as Muratori and Mosheim, regard the adulterer, parricide and heretic. He was restored to the
Paulicians as the forerunners of the Albigenses, and, in patriarchate on the death of Ignatius, but was
fact, as the same people. The term “Albigenses” degraded and banished by the Emperor Leo in 886 for
probably derived from a Council which was held in the political intrigue and embezzlement of the public
year 1176 at the town of Lombers near Albi, “for the money. This is the chief witness on whose word the
purpose of examining certain reputed heretics” (Faber, Paulicians are condemned. ...
p. 221). One of the latest of these is Professor THE PAULICIANS THEMSELVES CERTAINLY SHOULD
Conybeare, one of the highest authorities on Paulician HAVE KNOWN WHAT THEY WERE, AND BOTH
matters (John Christian, A History of the Baptists in the THESE WITNESSES EXPLICITLY STATE THAT THEY
United States, I, p. 53). REPELLED THIS CHARGE WITH GREAT SPIRIT. But
Though the Paulicians were charged by their what difference did that make with these maligners?
persecutors with following the unscriptural doctrines So long as they could befoul their fame by that odious
of Manicheanism, many faithful historians have proven brand, they pinned the charge to them as if it were
that this was not the case. Their “heresy” was in true. Gibbon states that the Paulicians disclaimed the
cleaving to Scripture alone and in rejecting human theology of Manes, and the authors of the kindred
tradition. The Grecian and Roman Catholic authorities heresies, and the thirty generations, or aeons, which
made every effort to destroy the witness of these had been created by the fruitful fancy of Valentine. The
separated Christians, and to keep the New Testament Paulicians sincerely condemned the memory and the
Scriptures from the people. The power of this opinions of the Manichean sect, and complained of the
separated Christian movement was in the Scriptures injustice which impressed that invidious name on the
and in the sound teaching which was derived from the simple votaries of St. Paul and of Christ. All through,
Scriptures, and the apostate “church” attempted to these witnesses judged them by a false standard of
destroy the books and manuscripts which provided this their own raising, while the Paulicians are allowed no
power. They accomplished their wicked deed so counter evidence nor cross-examination, nothing but
effectively that we do not have the actual writings of denial and protest. ... THERE WERE DIFFERENT
the Paulicians. What we know of them, we know CLASSES OF MANICHEANS AS WELL AS PAULICIANS,
largely by the mouth of their persecutors. BUT PHOTIUS AND SICULUS LUMP THEM EN MASSE
Paulician history has come to us mainly through the AND CONVICT THEMSELVES AGAIN AND AGAIN OF
persecutors of the Paulicians, and it scarcely has its MISREPRESENTATION IN MATTERS OF PUBLIC
parallel for calumny in the annals of the centuries. NOTORIETY. ...
They have always been coupled with the Manicheans, As best they could, [the Paulicians] were trying to get
and nothing has been too base to say of them. Bossuet at the Bible and to follow its light (Thomas Armitage, A
and Bowers have distinguished themselves in this History of the Baptists, 1890, I, pp. 234-239).
calumny, but Bowers has been effectually answered by Wherever the Word of God was made to speak in the
the learned Lardner. ... [Bosseut] confounded the common language of men, it brought its gifts of eternal
Paulicians with the Manicheans, principally because he salvation and wisdom and sanctification and joy and
implicitly trusted their two enemies, Photius and every blessing of God through Jesus Christ. In a word,
Siculus, the authors who have sent their names down
from the ninth century on a tide of acrid invective. the Bible brought light to men. It showed the error of
Arnold of Germany, Beausobre and Lardner have manmade tradition and condemned ecclesiastical
honored themselves and the subject with sedate apostasy. Those who desired to found their Christianity
investigation and judicial candor, and have set right upon the Bible alone, who desired to form churches
many of the inconsistencies and contradictions of after an apostolic fashion, came into conflict with those
Photius and Siculus. who were busy creating a manmade form of Christianity
Photius possessed great ability, but he was an which conformed to the world. Our knowledge of the
interested party in his own evidence, and we may fairly spread of Christianity and of the spiritual conflicts
question how far he is entitled to absolute credence. As between truth and error during the centuries
Patriarch of Constantinople, no one was more immediately following the deaths of the apostles is
interested than he in crushing the Paulicians. ... In five
relatively meager. We have seen that portions of the

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