Facts of Faith

The Vandals

“Justinian’s cherished aim was the reconquest of Italy by the Empire; but in order to succeed in this it was necessary to secure his rear by overthrowing the Vandals and resuming possession of Africa.” - FAFA 42.2

“The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,” P. Villari, Vol. I, p. 197. FAFA 42.3

A pretext for breaking his oath of peace with the Arian Vandals soon presented itself. The Vandal government had oppressed the Roman Catholics just as the emperor, under the influence of the Papacy, had oppressed the Arians. But when Hilderic came to the Vandal throne he, through the influence of his Catholic wife, had restored the Roman clergy to their ancient privileges, and this had so displeased the Vandal leaders that Gelimer, a zealous Arian, had dethroned and imprisoned him, and reigned in his place. “A strong appeal was thus made to the piety [?] of the Emperor to deliver the true Catholic Church of the West out of the hands of the barbarian heretics.” — “Medieval and Modern History,” P. V. N. Myers, p. 62. Boston: 1897. FAFA 42.4

Justinian wavered for a time, fearing to attack these warlike Vandals, but a Catholic bishop assured him of victory, claiming “he had seen a vision, in which God commanded that the war should be immediately undertaken. ‘It is the will of Heaven, O Emperor!’ exclaimed the bishop.” — Id., p. 63. FAFA 42.5

Treachery, which with Rome and her allies has always been a justifiable weapon, was here used in the service of the church by her dutiful son. Justinian sent an army of 200,000 trained men under the leadership of Belisarius to conquer the Vandals, without declaring war, and unbeknown to Gelimer, their king. Villari says: FAFA 42.6

“Belisarius landed on the African coast, nine days march from Carthage [the Vandal capital]. He did not assume the attitude of a conqueror, but came, he said, as the deliverer of the Catholics and Romans, the clergy and lay proprietors, who were all equally oppressed by those foreign barbarians, the heretic Vandals.” — “The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,” Vol. I, p. 198.

Thus Belisarius won the enthusiastic support of a large part of the population. To undermine the zeal of the Vandal leaders for their king he sent the “leading men of the Vandals” a letter from Justinian, stating that he intended only to dethrone the usurping king, who was tyrannizing over them, and to give them back their liberty. The letter reads: FAFA 43.1

“‘It is not our purpose to go to war with the Vandals, nor are we breaking our treaty with Gaiseric. We are only attempting to overthrow your tyrant, who making light of Gaiseric’s testament keeps your king a prisoner.... Therefore join us in freeing yourselves from a tyranny so wicked, that you may enjoy peace and liberty. We give you pledge in the name of God that we will give you these blessings.’ The overseer of the public post deserted and delivered all the horses to Belisarius.” — “History of the Later Roman Empire,” J. B. Bury, Vol. II, p. 130. London: The Macmillan Co., 1925.

But Justinian never intended to keep his solemn oath to grant them liberty, and the people soon found Rome the severest of tyrants. FAFA 43.2

“In 533 the Byzantine general, Belisarius (q.v.) landed in Africa. The Vandals were several times defeated, and Carthage was entered on Sept. 15, 533.... In the next year Africa, Sardinia, and Corsica were restored to the Roman Empire. As a nation, the Vandals soon ceased to exist.” — Nelson’s Encyclopedia, Vol, XII, art. ” Vandals,” pp. 380, 881. New York: 1907. FAFA 43.3

“Religious intolerance accompanied the imperial restoration in the West. In Africa, as in Italy, Arians were spoiled for the benefit of Catholics, their churches were destroyed or ruined, and their lands confiscated.” — “Cambridge Medieval History,” Bury, Gwatkin, and Whitney, Vol. II, p. 44. New York: 1913. FAFA 43.4

“The Arian heresy was proscribed, and the race of these remarkable conquerors was in a short time exterminated.... There are few instances in history of a nation disappearing so rapidly and so completely as the Vandals of Africa.” — “A History of Greece Under the Romans,” George Finlay, P. 234. London and New York: J. M. Dent, ed., 1856. FAFA 44.1

“Africa, subdued by the arms of Belisarius, returned at once under the dominion of the empire and of Catholicism.... One imperial edict was sufficient (A. D. 533) to restore all the churches to the Catholic worship.” — “Latin Christianity,” H. H. Milman, Book 3, chap. 4, P. 455. New York. Crowell & Co., 1881. Thus the second horn of Daniel 7:8 was “plucked up by the roots.” FAFA 44.2

Here we have one sample out of many in history as to what kind of religious liberty Rome grants wherever she obtains the power. FAFA 44.3