Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/23

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part of the History he forgets what he promised, and insidiously endeavours to bias the minds of the credulous and the ignorant with prejudices favourable to his own persuasion. He makes use of every trifling incident in the history to advocate the cause he defends ; and tries by every means in his power to instil into the minds of his readers a favourable idea of the church of Rome.

He begins from the year of Christ 43 1 to deviate from truth in the course of his ecclesiastical history. He commends those who were united to the church of Rome, and endeavours to refute the assertions of those historians who have written against the proceedings of the popish usurpers. He calls the opposers of the Romanists calumniators, and endeavours to persuade the readers that their writings are mere misrepresentations. He treats the writings of the more ancient and learned Armenian authors in a very different manner, as they have not openly opposed the doctrines of the Romish church, but, according to the circumstances of their own times, have occasionally endeavoured in mild language to bring the Roman disputants to submission to the Armenian pontiff. In general, they have not spoken in decided opposition to the doctrines of the Pope, and hence Father Michael assimilates these ancient and learned writers to those who have abandoned the -cause of their own church, and embraced the errors of the Roman catholics. He quotes from these writers in a very interested manner, in order to prove his falsehood and unfounded assertions. In consequence of these

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