The Albigensian Heresy

rs "a local habitation and a name," its actual habitation was not local, and its name is misleading.

emacy northward, and the Kingdom of France its territorial domains southward, and it suited their respective interests to unite their forces in a home-crusade against Southern France. Between the upper and nether millstones the body was crushed, but "its soul goes marching on." Its enemies declared it to be rank paganism (Manicheism)[2]: its adherents the purest form of Christianity (Catharism). An impartial investigation will, we think, show that neither claim can be substantiated. Impartiality, however, is not easily preserved. Most of the documentary evidence which has come down to us is biassed. The Church considered it its sacred duty to destroy all heretical literature as pestiferous: the heretics, equally, the archives of the early inquisitions, whenever they fell into their hands in their few military successes, on the ground that they were dangerous to

"a free-will offering" (Lev. xxii. passim); in the N.T. it means "an opinion," whether true, false or neutral, or "those who hold such opinions." The Pharisees (orthodox), the Sadducees (rationalist), the Christians (schismatic) are alike described as "heresy," where perhaps "school" or "

thniorum ac Gnosticorum lacunis Manete Persa antesignato emergens, diu lateque pervagata est, sobolem et propaginem fuisse Catharos seu n