About A. D. 826, the Saracens invaded the islands of the Romans, and took possession of CretePage 242 (where Paul had ordained his beloved spirtual son Titus bishop and shepherd of the church), and put to death, Cyril, the bishop of the church of Gortina, for confessing Christ. Compare A. Mell., 2d book, fol. 306, col. 2, with Zonar., Torn. 3, in Michaele Balbo Cedren. TOUCHING THE TYRANNY INSTITUTED BY THE KING OF BULGARIA AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS, ABOUT A. D. 842 When the afore-mentioned tyrant Regnerus, who commenced to reign about A. D. 818, had died, in the year 832, having been cast among the snakes, and the Christian believers in the devastated regions, had obtained, it seems, some freedom in the matter, of living according to their faith, there arose against them, ten years afterwards, namely, A. D. 842, another miscreant, no better, to all appearance, than the former, though for a time he had borne the name of a Christian, who instituted great tyranny against them. The last-mentioned author, proceeding to the year 842, speaks in his account concerning this matter as follows, "When this king of the Bulgarians had received the kingdom from his father, who wished to retire into privacy, he apostatized from the (Roman) Christian faith to heathen idolatry, and re-established the latter, with much tyranny against the Christians. Chron., 9th book, page 287, col. 1, from Hist. 4ndra, fol. 182. Leon., lib. 4, fol. 176. Compare this with the above note.
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