A heretic is one who embraces a heresy, that is, one who holds some theological doctrine which conflicts with the beliefs of the Catholic or universal church, but who, at the same time, calls himself a Christian.
Many of the early Christians preserved their Jewish or Greek philosophical notions, and mingled them with the doctrines of Christianity. Even in the time of the apostles we find traces of the Gnostics, and subsequently a great variety of heretical sects or sectaries arose. Among the chief may be mentioned the Manichaeans, Sabellians, Arians, Apollinarians, Nestorians, Monophysites, Pelagians, Monothelites, Paulicians, etc. Among religionists stigmatized as heretics in later times by the Roman Catholic Church, were the Waldenses, the Wicliffites, Hussites, Lutherans, and all Protestant sects and churches.
Before Christianity was made the religion of the Roman state, nothing but excommunication was inflicted upon the heretic; but severe laws were passed soon after the conversion of the emperors. The code of Justinian contains many ordinances against heretics, and the canon law made it a duty to denounce them, under pain of excommunication. As early as 385 Priscillian was condemned to death as a heretic by the Spanish bishops at the Council of Treves; but the persecutions of heretics, properly so called, began in the pontificate of Gregory VII, in the llth century. Spain, Italy, and France, from the 13th to the 16th century, suffered much from these persecutions, but the states of Germany showed greater moderation. In England the burning of heretics was practised before 1200, and long continued. Heresy is now left entirely to the cognizance of the ecclesiastical courts. Research Heretic
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Abbreviations
General Information
Research Heretic
