Treatise Against the Bogomils
Sermon Against the Heresy (
The treatise is recognised as the earliest
Manuscripts
It has been preserved in 25 full copies, all from East Slavic sources, and 116 excerpts or compilations, some of which are of South Slavic origin.[6] The earliest of the extant copies was made in the 15th century.[3] As attested by the large number of copies, Cosmas' work was particularly popular in medieval Russia and Serbia. There, it was even used as a basis for writings against other heresies.[4]
Content
оучѧтъ же своꙗ си не повиновати сѧ властелемъ своимъ; хоулѧще богатꙑѩ, царь ненавидѧтъ, рѫгаѭтъ сѧ старѣишинамъ, оукарꙗѭтъ болꙗрꙑ, мрьзькꙑ богоу мьнѧтъ работаѭщѧѩ цѣсарю, и вьсꙗкомоу рабоу не велѧтъ работати господиноу своѥмоу.
They teach their followers not to obey their masters; they scorn the rich, they hate the Tsars, they ridicule their superiors, they reproach the boyars, they believe that God looks in horror on those who labour for the Tsar, and advise every serf not to work for his master.[7]
Sermon Against the Heretics is divided into two sections, which may be seen as separate works due to their somewhat different topics.
The second part of the treatise contains Cosmas' criticism on contemporary Bulgarian society, with particular attention to the religious and social issues of the time. While Cosmas was a staunch supporter of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's policies against Bogomilism, in the second section he spares no criticism to that religious body's other practices. Cosmas accuses the Bulgarian abbots and bishops of greed, gluttony and neglect towards the congregation.[4] He is also critical of hermits, whose popularity and influence at the time Cosmas saw as inappropriate.[11][12] Cosmas hints that the emergence of Bogomilism should be blamed at least partially on the contemporary state of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.[4][13]
See also
References
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-521-81539-0.
- Eteriano, Hugh; Janet Hamilton; Sarah Hamilton; Bernard Hamilton (2004). Contra Patarenos. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-14000-4.
- ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
- Loos, Milan (1974). Dualist heresy in the Middle Ages. Vol. 10. Springer. ISBN 978-90-247-1673-9.
- ISBN 978-0-521-60763-6.
- Peters, Edward (1980). Heresy and authority in medieval Europe: documents in translation. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1103-0.
- Sampimon, Janette; Sara van Halsema (2005). "Cosmas Presbyter. Homily Against the Bogumils. Operational Edition" (PDF). Ohio State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- Strayer, Joseph Reese (1992). The Albigensian Crusades. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-06476-2.
- Андреев, Йордан; Лазаров, Иван; Павлов, Пламен (1999). Кой кой е в средновековна България [Who is Who in Medieval Bulgaria] (in Bulgarian). Петър Берон. ISBN 978-954-402-047-7.