Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/25

 XXIV PREFACE.

a mistake in the name of Johannes the Philosopher and another individual of that name, and that the spirit oC opposition to the Chalcedonians was erroneously attri- buted to Johannes the Philosopher instead of another person of the same name. In consequence of this open falsehood of the author, some of the Armenian nation who have joined the Roman Catholic church, boldly opposed him; and this religious dispute was for some time carried on with great acrimony on both sides.

From this single example the reader may be able to judge of the other misrepresentations with which Father Chamich has garbled the facts relating to religious points. It is also worthy of remark, that the members of the Armenian church are not entirely exempt from censure on account of religious discussions. Several of these have at different times attacked their Roman Catholic brethren, and excited great persecution against them; yet the main cause of all these mischiefs are the Roman Catholics themselves. Those Armenians who have gone over to the church of Rome, are called by the members of the Armenian church, Arians and Eutycbiana. An anathema is periodically pronounced in the Armenian church against the renegadoes, who do all they can to ridicule our old national customs, because they are prejudicial to the tenets of the church of Rome. From such disputes arise the rancorous passions of hatred and revenge, which are generally followed by sad conse^ quences both to those who harbour them and those i^nst whom they are directed.

IV. — Armenia has produced a multitude of historiana.

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