A.D. 1178. CO N VJ.CJ.MOir 0 Γ TH E HERETICS. 475 which they had concealed, for whereas they at first abhorred an oath as being an execrable thing and forbidden by the Lord, they were, by the paper of their confession, convicted of having sworn as they had said, ""We do believe in the truth, which is God, and do say that this is our belief;" not being aware that to adduce the truth and the word of God in testimony of the truth of their assertion, is beyond a doubt taking an oath; as we read of the Apostle, when he says, " For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,"17 and again, " God is my witness ;" 1 8 and as other passages of a like nature prove, which can be easily found by those who understand, and have read, the Holy Scriptures. When, therefore, they had been convicted by many and competent witnesses, and many persons were still preparing to bear witness against them, because the Church is not wont to deny the bosom of mercy to those who return thereto, they carefully warned them, laying aside all heretical corruptions, to return to the unity of the faith. They also advised them, as they had been excommunicated by our lord the pope, and the before-named cardinal, and the archbishops of Bourges and Narbonne, and the bishop of Toulouse, on account of their perverse preaching and schism, to come to be reconciled to the Catholic faith, according to the forms prescribed by the Church. This, however, being warped into tortuous ways and hardened by abandoned habits, they refused to do, on which the said cardinal, and the above-mentioned bishops, together with the before-named bishop of Poitiers, and the other religious men who had assisted them throughout, in the sight of the whole people, with lighted candles19 again denounced them as excommunicated, and condemned them, together with their prompter, the devil, and gave orders to all the faithful in Christ, thenceforth cautiously to avoid the before-named Raymond and Bernard, and their accomplices, as persons excommunicated, and handed over to Satan ; and that if at any time in future they should preach to them any thing else than what they had confessed in their hearing, they should reject their preaching as false, and contrary to the Catholic and Apostolic faith, and drive them as heretics and forerunners of Anti 17 18 1 Thess. iv. 15. Rom. i. 9. 1 9 A solemn mode of excommunication, in which, at the moment of sentence being pronounced, the candles were extinguished.