# Bruno, Bishop Of Angiers, And Berengarius, His Deacon, Condemned In Several Councils, Through The Roman Pope, On Account Of Their Views Against Infant Baptism, Transubstantiation, The Mass, Etc.; The First Time, A. D. 1059, The Last Time, A. D. 1079. · Page 1 of 2

[Previous page: HENRY AND ALFUARD, TWO PIOUS CHRISTIANS, THE ONE BEHEADED IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF SWEDEN, THE OTHER SLAIN AMONG THE NORMANS, FOR DEFENDING THE EVANGELICAL DOCTRINE, A. D. 1067.](/en/stories/mm-henry-and-alfuard-two-pious-christians-the-one-beheaded-in-the-uttermost-parts-of-sweden-the-other-slain-among-the-norma/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: BRUNO, BISHOP OF ANGIERS, AND BERENGARIUS, HIS DEACON, CONDEMNED IN SEVERAL COUNCILS, THROUGH THE ROMAN POPE, ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR VIEWS AGAINST INFANT BAPTISM, TRANSUBSTANTIATION, THE MASS, ETC.; THE FIRST TIME, A. D. 1059, THE LAST TIME, A. D. 1079.](/en/stories/mm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th/part-2/)

In our account of holy baptism for the year 1060,
we made mention of Bruno, Bishop of Angiers, and
Berengarius, his deacon, and showed, according to
the accounts of different writers, that they, in opposition
to the common belief of popery, denied infant
baptism and transubstantiation, with all that pertains
to it, as has been shown in said place.

Of Bruno we find no further account, only that
when he was examined he answered as has been related;
and that his doctrine, together with that of
Berengarius, was condemned by Pope Leo IX., in
two different synods, the one of which was held at
Rome, and the other at Versailles. But what further
happened to him after said papal condemnation, is
not mentioned by the ancients, or, at least, has not
come to our knowledge.

But of Berengarius it is stated, that besides the
aforementioned two condemnations by Pope Leo
259
the Ninth, which he suffered together with Bruno,
he was subjected to three examinations and as many
condemnations, in three successive Synods, once at
Tours, and twice at Rome. But to our sincere regret
we cannot omit mentioning that in the last three
examinations, either from fear of death or for some
other reason, he did not acquit himself altogether
manfully or in a Christianlike manner; inasmuch as
in each examination, if what the ancients have written
concerning it is correct, he denied his belief before
men; though after each denial, upon regaining
his freedom, constrained in his conscience, he reavowed
the same.

His denial, from whatever cause it may have proceeded,
was a fault of such magnitude that it could
not be tolerated even in an ordinary Christian, much
less in a martyr, unless it be that the name of a good
Christian or martyr be withheld from him. However,
when, against this, there is taken into consideration,
the heartfelt sorrow and grief which he
manifested every time, and that he again taught the
people as before, and this, as is stated by many, to
the end of his life; the name of a Christian, yea,
even of a martyr (though in weakness), on account
of the manifold troubles he met with because of his
belief, may still be accorded him.

The holy apostle Peter, after his threefold denial
of Christ, though this was a dreadful sin, was not
rejected by Christ, when he manifested sincere repentance;
seeing the Lord afterwards commanded
him to feed his lambs and sheep, yea, foretold him
that he should be bound, for his name’s sake, and
glorify God by his death, that is, that he should
have to die as a martyr, which also happened to
him in the reign of Nero, as is shown in the first
century, A. D. 69.

Berengarius lived to the age of about ninety years,
according to the papist Baronius, who says that he
remained separated from the Roman church,[153](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-12/#Footnote_153) as a
schismatic, to the end of his life, though Bellarmine
thinks differently, which we leave to him, till better
proof than the opinion of a monk of Malmsbury,
from whom, it seems, Bellarmine has derived his
opinion, can be furnished. Compare Bellarm., in
Chron., A. D. 1058, with Hist. Angl., lib. 3, touching
the opinion of the monk of Malmsbury.

As regards the time of his death, it is fixed
A. D. 1088, on the day of Epiphany. The last
words which he is said to have uttered, are adduced
by a certain bishop of Cenomana, called Hildebert,
in the third book of the English History, where he
says that Berengarius, sighing deeply, said: “To-day,
on this day of Epiphany, my Lord Jesus Christ
will appear to me, as I hope unto glory, because of
my repentance, or, as I fear, on account of other
things unto punishment.” A. Mell., fol. 395, col. 1.

These words, it seems, are misinterpreted by the
monk of Malmsbury, as though Berengarius, in
speaking of his penitence and good hope, had intended
to imply that, in the aforesaid articles, he
had returned to the Roman church; and that, in
mentioning his fear of punishment, he had reference
to the punishment of which he might have stood in
fear, because of the views which he had maintained
against the Pope and the Roman church. But, besides
that we see no clear proof in the opinion of
said monk, this utterance of Berengarius can very
fitly be taken in another and better sense, namely,
thus: That Berengarius, when he spoke of his repentance
and good hope in the appearance of Jesus
Christ, was confident, that the merciful Jesus, his
beloved Savior, because he had now repented, and
was sorry for his denial, to which the papists had
compelled him, would graciously forgive his sins;
since the Lord, when his disciple Peter had fallen
into a like, or still greater sin of denial, forgave him
when he repented of it. Yet, on the other hand,
that he was not entirely without fear, because he had
committed said denial against his conscience, and
because the Lord is as just as he is merciful, especially
in punishing sins that are committed against
the conscience, or with premeditation.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_259)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

[Previous page: HENRY AND ALFUARD, TWO PIOUS CHRISTIANS, THE ONE BEHEADED IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF SWEDEN, THE OTHER SLAIN AMONG THE NORMANS, FOR DEFENDING THE EVANGELICAL DOCTRINE, A. D. 1067.](/en/stories/mm-henry-and-alfuard-two-pious-christians-the-one-beheaded-in-the-uttermost-parts-of-sweden-the-other-slain-among-the-norma/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: BRUNO, BISHOP OF ANGIERS, AND BERENGARIUS, HIS DEACON, CONDEMNED IN SEVERAL COUNCILS, THROUGH THE ROMAN POPE, ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR VIEWS AGAINST INFANT BAPTISM, TRANSUBSTANTIATION, THE MASS, ETC.; THE FIRST TIME, A. D. 1059, THE LAST TIME, A. D. 1079.](/en/stories/mm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th/part-2/)

---

Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Bruno%2C+Bishop+Of+Angiers%2C+And+Berengarius%2C+His+Deacon%2C+Condemned+In+Several+Councils%2C+Through+The+Roman+Pope%2C+On+Account+Of+Their+Views+Against+Infant+Baptism%2C+Transubstantiation%2C+The+Mass%2C+Etc.%3B+The+First+Time%2C+A.+D.+1059%2C+The+Last+Time%2C+A.+D.+1079.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0ABruno%2C+Bishop+Of+Angiers%2C+And+Berengarius%2C+His+Deacon%2C+Condemned+In+Several+Councils%2C+Through+The+Roman+Pope%2C+On+Account+Of+Their+Views+Against+Infant+Baptism%2C+Transubstantiation%2C+The+Mass%2C+Etc.%3B+The+First+Time%2C+A.+D.+1059%2C+The+Last+Time%2C+A.+D.+1079.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1059%E2%80%931079+%28source+heading%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)
