Certain Peasants, Called Apostolics, in the Year 1155

It is stated that about the year 1155 there were, in the above part of France, certain simple but truth-loving peasants who, pointing to no other author of their doctrine or belief than the apostles, called themselves Apostolics, as though they meant to say that their doctrine and belief came from the apostles. Bernard,** abbot of Clairvaux, denounced them strongly in various sermons, calling them a sort of despised, boorish rabble, ignorant and altogether weak. [n402-2] "They," he says, "are boorish people, idiots, and completely sold; but they must not be dealt with unwisely." "From this it appears," writes Abraham Mellinus, "that they must not have been so very dull and ignorant after all."

Meanwhile Bernard goes on railing against them, in papistic fashion. "Ask," he says, "who their author is; of what sect are they? They will not be able to name anyone. But what heresy is there that does not have its author from among men? The Manicheans had Manes as their head and master; the Sabellians had Sabellicus; the Arians, Arium; the Eunomians, Eunomium; the Nestorians, Nestorius; likewise every other such pest had its separate master among men, from whom it took both its origin and its name; but what name or title shall be given or granted to these? [n402-3] None at all," he says, "because they received their heresy neither from nor by men; yet far be it from us to say that they received it through the revelation of Christ."

Going on, he shows what their so-called heresy consisted of, saying: "They ridicule us for baptizing infants, and for begging the intercession of the saints, and the like. It has been found that they would rather die than be converted (namely, to the Roman church). Many a time the believers (he means the papists) laid hands on some of them and dragged them out; and when they were asked about their faith, they would not confess their wickedness, but openly declared that they taught true godliness and were ready to die for it. Meanwhile the people standing by were no less ready to put them to death; and falling upon them, they made these new heretics martyrs of their own faith."

"Some wonder at this, that when they were led out to death they were not only joyful but also patient; but it is to be lamented that not only secular princes, but also, it is said, some churchmen, indeed bishops, who ought much rather to have persecuted them, upheld them for the sake of gain, saying: 'Why should we condemn as heretics people who have not been convicted of heresy, nor confessed it?' "

Thus far, Bernard, who was called The Mellifluent, but who nevertheless poured out nothing but bitter gall against these people. In Sermons 16 and 66, on Canticles. Also, Epistle 240, oldest edition. [n402-4]

From this it is sufficiently apparent, writes Mellinus, that they persecuted these poor people to death, not because of Manichean doctrines, which Bernard unjustly and covertly charges them with, but because they opposed the Roman church and her errors. Second book, folio 438, columns 1 and 2.

NOTE. These were the same people we mentioned in our account of those who, in the twelfth century, opposed infant baptism, from Nicholas Sander, who states concerning them

"That they were called Apostolics because they professed to walk in the footsteps of the apostles, and declared that they held to the apostolic writings only; that they despised infant baptism, purgatory, praying for the dead, the invocation of the saints, the swearing of oaths, and so on; that they accepted no evidence except from the New Testament; and went joyfully to their death." Nic. Sand., book, and Histor. Doopsg., A. 8. D. Anth. Jac., folio 118. H. Montan. Nietigh., page 84. Introduction, page 50, Jacob Mehrning, Bapt. Hist., page 599. P. J. Twisck, Chron., page 469. B. [n402-5]