TRITHEMIUS’ ACCOUNT OF THEIR EXAMINATION, AND DISPUTATION WITH ECBERT; ALSO OF THEIR DEATH.

Trithemius gives a brief description of their examination, and disputation with Ecbert, abbot of the monastery of St. Florian in Schonaugh, in the bishopric of Treves:

The clergy and the chief men of the city of Cologne, by messengers and letters, requested Ecbert to come to Cologne, as being a very learned man, in order to examine said heretics. Abbot Ecbert arrived at Cologne, August 2d, A. D. 1163, and entered into a public disputation with three of these heretics, Arnold, Marsilius, and Theodoric, who seemed to possess better abilities than the rest.

However, he does not state precisely, what were the articles of the discussion, unless we are to glean them from his following words: “They contemned all the rulers of the church, prelates, priests, and clerks, calling them soul-deceivers and snares of the devil. They ridiculed the sacraments of the Roman church (among which was included infant baptism), and denied the holy body and blood of the Lord (that is, transubstantiation in the sacrament of the altar). Now, when they could neither by arguments, nor by authority (namely, from the testimony of the fathers), nor by admonitions, be induced to renounce their errors (thus he calls their true faith), but obstinately persisted in their purpose, they were utterly cast out from the church, and delivered into the hands of the laity, that is, into the power of the secular authorities, who led them, eight men and two women, out of the city, and committed them to the flames, on the fifth day of August of the same year.” Frith., in Hist. Also, 2d book of the Persecutions, fol. 441, col. 3, 4.