Identifier: shorthistoryofit00bomp (find matches)
Title: A short history of the Italian Waldenses who have inhabited the valleys of the Cottian Alps from ancient times to the present
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Bompiani, Sofia, b. 1835
Subjects: Waldenses
Publisher: New York, Barnes & Co
Contributing Library: Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Princeton Theological Seminary Library

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ral faith similar to that of the Waldensesand of the Protestant churches to-day is clear.In the year 1017, at Orleans, three priests,converts of the Paulicians, were examined foreight hours, Queen Constance keeping guardat the door of the cathedral, and afterwardswith a £tick putting out the eye of one ofthem,— Stephen, who had been her confessor,and who probably had reproved her sins. Bu* harder than any iron, they refused to repent,were degraded from holy orders, and withother converts, fourteen in all, were led with-out the walls of the city, where a great firewas kindled, and were burned. These mar-tyrs were said to be Manicheans, who main-tained the existence of two gods: an evil god,the creator of the material world, and a goodgod, the creator of the spiritual world. Butthey themselves said that they believed inone God, whose law was written in their heartsby the Holy Ghost: We can see our Kingreigning in heaven. By His own almightyhand He will raise us up to an immortal tri-
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Who were the Albigenses ? 23 umph, and will speedily bestow upon us joycelestial. The persistent charge of Manicheism, apagan religion of the East, was made againstthe Albigenses because their theological ances-tors, the Paulicians or Cathari, were them-selves converts from Manicheism in Armenia.About the middle of the seventh century, Con-stantine, a native of Armenia, from readingthe four gospels and the fourteen epistles ofSt. Paul, abandoned the errors of Manicheism,renounced Manes, accepted the doctrine ofthe Trinity and of Christs divinity and in-carnation, and led a life of exemplary godli-ness. He assumed the name of Sylvanus andfounded a new Church, the members of which,from admiration of St. Paul, called them-selves Paulicians. They protested against thetyranny of Rome, accepted the Bible as theonly rule of faith, and purified their creedfrom all errors of Gnostic theology. The emperors of the Eastern empire, whowere already slaughtering Manicheans, ex-tended their persecuti

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