These religious communities were by the dominant hierarchies called _sects,_ and stigmatized as _heretics._ As such they were traduced and persecuted continually. And though they may have had their errors, they were the best and purest defenders of the Christian faith, and the truest representatives of the first disciples of Christ then existing. The State churches were the heretics; while those so-called sects were the true successors of the first Christians. They were defamed and oppressed, calumniated and martyred because they bore witness to the truth of God and testified against the errors and vices of the so-called churches. History has never done them justice, and perhaps never will; because history has been too much written in the interest of their enemies, or from their standpoint. Tortured and tormented by those who should have been their defenders, crowns and miters alike pledged to their destruction, they could do nothing but suffer. And this they nobly did as Christ's faithful witnesses. They were known by various names in different ages and in different lands, but retained the same general characteristics. In the _first_ and _second_ centuries, Messalians, Montanists, Euchites, were terms which distinguished some of these sects. In the _third, fourth,_ and _fifth_ centuries arose the Novatians. Increasing with exceeding rapidity, they quite overspread the Roman empire, in spite of the cruel and destructive persecutions which they suffered. In the _fourth_ century the Donatists appeared, as a new form of existing sects, or a new phase of the old faith. They multiplied rapidly, spread extensively, and long survived. In the _seventh_ century appeared the Paulicians, attracting much attention, and calling down upon themselves the wrath of the Romish Church. Still they increased greatly, notwithstanding their many persecutions. That these Christian communities should have been faultless could not be supposed. But they were the best of the ages in which they lived, and maintained the purest forms of Gospel truth and practice. Without the advantage of organization and association, they differed somewhat among themselves. But in general they all professed to take the New Testament as the rule of their faith and practice. They held to a spiritual church-membership, and received only professedly regenerated persons to the ordinances. Denying the orthodoxy of the Romish Church, they rebaptized persons received from that body, and hence were called _Anabaptists._ Infant baptism they rejected, according to Allix, Mosheim, Robinson, and other historians. Baptism they administered by immersion, as indeed did all Christians during those ages. Robinson calls them "Trinitarian Baptists." It is said that the Empress Theodora, after having confiscated their property, caused to be cruelly put to death no less than one hundred thousand Paulicians, for no other fault or offense than their religious faith.