PAULICIANS, a branch of the ancient Manicheans, so called from their founder, Paulus, an Armenian, who lived in the seventh century, and who, with his brother John, both of Samosata, formed this sect; but others are of opinion that they were so called from another Paul, an Armenian by birth, who lived under the reign of Justinian II. In the seventh century a zealot called Constantine revived this drooping sect, which had suffered much from the violence of its adversaries, and was ready to expire under the severity of the imperial edicts, and the zeal with which these were carried into execution. The Paulicians, however, by their number, and the countenance of the Emperor Nicephorus, became formidable in all the East.

But the cruel rage of persecution, which had for some years been suspended, broke forth with redoubled violence under the reigns of Michael Curopalates and Leo the Armenian, who inflicted capital punishment upon such of the Paulicians as refused to return into the bosom of the church. The Empress Theodora, tutoress of the Emperor Michael, in 845 obliged them either to recant or to quit the empire; upon which several of them were put to death, and more retired amongst the Saracens.

Upon this they entered into a league with the Saracens; and choosing as their chief an officer of the greatest resolution and valour, whose name was Carbeus, they declared against the Greeks a war which was carried on during fifty years with the greatest exasperation and fury. During these commotions, some Paulicians spread their doctrines amongst the Bulgarians; but many of them, either from a principle of zeal for the propagation of their opinions, or from a natural desire of flying from the persecution which they suffered under the Grecian yoke, retired, about the close of the eleventh century, from Bulgaria and Thrace, and formed settlements in other countries. Their first migration was into Italy; and thence, in process of time, they sent colonies into almost all the other provinces of Europe, and formed gradually a considerable number of religious assemblies, who adhered to their doctrine. In Italy they were called Patarini, from a certain place called Pataria, being a part of the city of Milan, where they held their assemblies; and Gathari or Gazari, from Gazaria, or the Lesser

Tartary. In France they were called Albigenses, and anxiously concealed their more obnoxious doctrines. The first religious assembly which the Paulicians had formed in Europe is said to have been discovered at Orleans in 1017, under the reign of Robert, when many of them were condemned to be burned alive. The ancient Paulicians, according to Photius, expressed the utmost abhorrence of Manes and his doctrine; but it is nevertheless certain that their successors were Manicheans. The Greek writers comprise their errors under the six following heads. They denied that this inferior and visible world is the production of the Supreme Being, distinguishing the Creator of the world and of human bodies from the Most High God who dwells in the heavens; they treated contemptuously the Virgin Mary; they refused to celebrate the institution of the Lord’s Supper; they loaded the cross of Christ with contempt and reproach; they rejected the books of the Old Testament, and looked upon the writers of that sacred history as inspired by the Creator of this world, and not by the Supreme God; and they excluded presbyters and elders from all share in the administration of the church.