Of the Albigenses and Waldenses

Of the Albigenses and Valdenses

Source — Philippus van Limbroch
The History of the Inquisition
London, 1732
Book I Chapter VIII

An enquiry, whether the Valdenses and Albigenses were the same People, according to the common Opinion of Protestants, or different from one another. It cannot be doubted but that they had some Opinions in common. But there is nothing more evident, than that there was amongst them a great Variety of Doctrines, and Difference of Rites and Customs, as appears from the Book of the Sentences of the inquisition at Tholouse, in which are to be found many of the Sentences pronounced against the Albigenses and Valdenses, which discover some very curious and uncommon Things, concerning their Doctrines and Rites and which are such evident Proof of their difference in Opinions and Customs, that from the reading of a few Lines, one may easily know whether the Sentence pronounced was against the Albigenses or Valdenses; which manifest Difference hath induced me to believe that they were two distinct sects ; though I have hitherto been in the common Opinion, that they were but one. And that this may appear more clearly, I shall here give out of the Book of Sentences, the Doctrines common to both, and those in which they differed, and describe their particular Rites and Customs.

The Opinions common to them both were these : Every Oath is unlawful and sinful ; and therefore they would never, Upon any Occasion, take an Oath. Concerning Penance and the Confession of Sins: The Albigenses are said to believe, That Confession made to the Priests of the Church of Rome, signifies nothing: That neither the Pope nor any other of the Church of Rome can absolve any one from his Sins; but that they have the Power of absolving from their Sins, all those who become of their Sect, by the Imposition of Hands.

Almost the same Things are ascribed to the Valdenses, that they teach, that they have Power from God only, even as the Apostles had, of confessing men and Women of their Sins, who believe them, and are willing to confess to them: That they hear their Confessions, and enjoin them Penance for their Sins ; although those who hear their Confessions, are not ordained by the Church, are not Priests or clerks, but Laity only ; and though they confess that they have not, in the least, received this Power from the Church of Rome. And farther, in most of the Sentences against the Valdenses, we find, That they confessed their Sins to one of the Valdenses, and received Absolution and Penance from him, and believed that the said Confession and Absolution, and Penance, as much availed to the Salvation of the Soul, as though they had been confessed to at proper Priest. But their Doctrine is best understood by the Sentence of Hugueta , the Wife of John, of Vienna: That God only can absolve from Sins ; and that he who receives Confession, can only advise what a Man ought to do, and enjoin Penance; and that a wise and prudent Person may do this, whether he be a Priest or not.

As to the Church of Rome, the Albigenses are said to believe, That there are two Churches, one merciful, viz, theirs and the Church of Christ which retains that Faith, in which every one, and without which no one can be saved: the other a cruel one, viz. The Church of Rome, which is the Mother of Fornications, the Temple of the Devil, and Synagogue of Satan ; and that no one can in saved in the Faith of that Church. And elsewhere we read, That no Man can be saved, that is not received by them, and unless he die of their Sect.

The Valdenses are said to have taught almost the same things: That they are not subject to the Roman Pontiff; nor to the Prelates of the Church of Rome: That they cannot be excommunicated by the Pope, nor the other Prelates of that Church: That they ought not to obey the Pope, when he commands them to forsake and abjure their Set, as condemned by the Church : That the Church of Rome sins, and acts unlawfully and unjustly against them, because it persecutes and condemns them. And that they further taught, That the Prelates of the Church of Rome, are blind Leaders of the Blind, do not preserve the Truth of the Gospel, nor imitate the apostolic Poverty; and that the very Church of Rome is an House of Lies.

Albigensian Beliefs

The Opinions that are ascribed to the Albigenses, but never to the Valdenses are these: That there are two Gods and Lords the one good, the other evil. That the Creation of all Things, visible and corporeal, was not from God our heavenly Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, but by the Devil and Satan, the God, who is the God of this World, and the Maker and Prince of it: Which as. they express elsewhere in this Manner: That it was not God that caused Earth to yield Seed and bring forth Fruit. And elsewhere: That the good God made all Things invisible and incorruptible ; and that the evil Prince, viz. Lucifer, made all Things visible and corruptible, and even humane Bodies, And in another Place: That there were two Gods, one good, the other bad ; and that the bad God created all Things visible. Since these Things are to be met with in the Sentence of Petrus Auterius one of their famous Doctors, I am apt to think, not only that some of the Manicheans, who were banished from Asia, and came into Bulgaria, and afterwards went into the Country of Tholouse, lurked amongst them but that they had, many of them at least, embraced the Manichean Opinions. And indeed, we ought not to conceal the Truth. For although they are to be commended for having discovered many of the Romanish Errors in Doctrine; and for their forsaking, the Communion of that Church; yet we ought ingenuously to own their Mistakes. And as their recommending to those they received into their Communion, what they called the Endura, i, e. fasting themselves to Death, was certainly an Error in Practice; so that we need not be ashamed to own that they foretimes erred in Matters of Faith, ‘Tis rather to be wondered at, that in so barbarous an Age, they should throw off so many Errors, than that they should retain some.

But besides, they are said also to have held the following Opinions.—That all the Sacraments of the Church of Rome are vain and unprofitable, viz. The Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Order, and extreme Unction.

As to the Eucharist, they are reported to have believed; That there was not the Body of Christ, and that there was nothing but mere Bread.

As to the Baptisms That they condemned the Baptism of Water, saying ; that a Man was to be saved by their laying on of Hands upon those who believed, and that the Sins were to be remitted without Confession and Satisfaction: that no Baptism availed any Thing; no, not their own. We read also in the Sentence of Petrus Raymundus. Dominicus de Borne, that he heard Peter Auterii teaching, amongst other Things, That the Baptism of Water, made by the Church was of no avail to Children because they were so far from consenting to it, that they wept.

As to extreme Unction : That the Order of St. James, or extreme Unction upon the Sick, made by material Oil, signified nothing . and that they prefer Imposition of Hands, which the Inquisitors call execrable.

As to Orders : That they reproach and condemn the Constitution of the whole Church of Rome, and deny all the Prelates of it the Power of Binding and Loosing saying:. That they cannot loose or bind other Sinners, since they themselves are greater Sinners ; but that they can give to those they receive, the Holy Spirit, in order to Salvation.

As to Matrimony: That it is always sinful, and cannot be without Sin; and was never appointed by the good God. Also That carnal Matrimony between a Man and a Woman, is not true Matrimony, nor good, nor lawful, nor appointed by God ; but a quite different spiritual Matrimony.

As to the Incarnation of Christ: That the Lord did not take a real humane Body, or real humane Flesh of our Nature; and that he did not really arise with it nor do other Things relating to our Salvation; nor sit down at the Right-hand of the Father with it, but only with the Likeness of it. They affirm also: That that the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord, neither is, nor was a carnal Woman, but their Church, which they say is true Penitence ; and that this is the Virgin Mary. Or as we read elsewhere : That God never entered into the Womb of the blessed Virgin Mary ; and that he only is the Mother, and Brother, and Sister of God, that keeps the Commands of God the Father. Likewise, that it was impossible for God to be incarnate ; because be never humbled himself so much, as to put himself in the Womb of Woman.

Concerning the Resurrection of the Dead: They are charged with denying the Resurrection of Bodies. Or : There will be no future Resurrection of human bodies ; and although the Souls of Men shall come to Judgment, they shall not come in their bodies. Which is elsewhere more distinctly explained : That they imagine a sort of spiritual Bodies, and a Sort of an inward Man ; in which Bodies Persons are hereafter to rise. One of the Albigenses is said to have believed, that when Souls of wicked Men are gone out of their Bodies, before and after Judgment, they go “los Bauffes, and los Tertres,” i. e. over Rocks and Precipices; and the Devil throws them headlong from the Rocks. Also, That the Souls of Men, after their Separation from the Body, have Flesh and Bones, Hands and Feet, all Members; which though they are thrown by Devils headlong from the Rocks, and by this Means tormented, yet can never die.

As to the Adoration of the Cross: That no Man ought to adore the Cross : Which in another Place is very odiously represented, viz. That the Sign of the holy Cross, which the universal Church worships as the Emblem of our Salvation, and the Representation of our Lord’s Passion, is a detestable Emblem of the Devil. And the Reason of this is added elsewhere: That the Cross of Christ ought not to be adored; because no Man worships the Gallows upon which his Father was hanged.

As to the Human Soul: That Souls were Spirits banished from Heaven because of their Sins.

These Opinions of the Albigenses are not one of them ascribed to the Valdenses, who had quite different Tenets, which are never mentioned in the Sentences of the Albigenses. They are such as these:

Waldensian Beliefs

—That all Judgment is forbidden by God, and that of Consequence is a Sin, and contrary to what God has forbidden, for any Judge to condemn any Man to Punishment or Death, in any Case, or for any Cause whatsoever. And for this they apply these Words of the Gospel, Judge not that ye be not judged.

—That the Indulgences given by the Prelates of the Church of Rome are of no avail; That there is no Purgatory for Souls after this Life ; and that the Prayers and Vow’s of the Faithful for the Dead cannot profit them. This is elsewhere more distinctly explained, That this Life is the only Purgatory and Place for Repentance or for Sins ; and that when the Soul goes from the Body, it goes either to Paradise or Hell; and that therefore the Valdenses make no Prayers or Vows for the dead, because, say they, those who are in Paradise do not need them, and those that are in Hell cannot reap any Advantage by them.

—That in the Church there are but three Orders, viz, of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. It is imputed to them also an a Crime, that they were Laymen, they preached from the Gospels, Epistles, and other Books of the holy Scriptures; whereas the Preaching and Exposition of the Scripture is entirely forbidden the Laity. All these Things will appear more plain from a Sentence passed on one of the Valdenses, which I shall here insert, out of the Book of the Sentences of the Tholouse Inqu. fol. 128.

Whereas the erroneous Followers and profane Professors of the Sect and Heresy of the Valdenses hold and affirm, that they are not subject to our Lord the Pope, or the Roman Pontiff, or to other Prelates of the Church of Rome, because it unjustly persecutes and condemns them.
Item, The foresaid Sect and Heresy of the Valdenses make a Jest of the indulgences which are granted by the Prelates of the Church, asserting that they are not valid,
Item, It denies that there is after this Life any Purgatory for Souls, and of Consequence that Prayers, and Alms, and Masses, and other Vows of Piety, which are made by the Faithful for the Dead, can at all profit them.
Item, Detracting from the Prelates of the Church of Rome, they deny and condemn their State, saying, that they are blind, and Leaders of the Blind, and that they do not preserve the Gospel Truth, nor follow the Apostolic Poverty. They also obstinately and falsely affirm, that the Church of Rome is the House of a Lie.
Item, Comparing themselves with the Apostolic Life and Perfection, and equaling themselves to them in Merit, they vainly glory in themselves, boasting that they hold and preserve the Evangelic and Apostolic Poverty.
Item. These and other Things, as well erroneous as mad, they privately dogmatize to their Believers in their Conventicles.
Item, They preach from the Gospels and Epistles, and other sacred Writings, which by expounding they corrupt, as Masters of Errors, who know not how to be Disciples of the Truth, because the Preaching and Exposition of the sacred Scriptures is wholly forbidden to the Laity.
Item, The said Sect of the Valdenses differs and disagrees in several Things, in Life and Manners, from the common Conversation of the Faithful, as is found and plainly appears by the Inquisition and Examination as well of the Valdenses themselves, as their Believers, and especially by the Confessions of those who are converted by the Inquisitors from that Sect and Heresy.

From these Instances it appears, that the Opinions of the Albigenses and Valdenses were different. However, ’tis not to be doubted, but that oft times their Enemies gave very vile and odious Accounts of the Doctrines they held as will appear by comparing the several Places in which they describe them. For the same Opinion, which in one Place appears extremely erroneous; in another, when ’tis more fully explained, and without Spite, is harmless enough; of which the single Instance of the Resurrection of the Dead is full Proof. For sometimes the Albigenses are accused, that they deny the Resurrection of human Bodies; as though they quite deny the Resurrection of the Dead; which yet in another Place is more distinctly explained thus, that the Dead Shall arise with spiritual Bodies. And that their Opinions have been misrepresented elsewhere, there can be no Doubt, and it will appear upon a Comparison of the several Places, wherein they are recorded. But that the Opinions of the Albigenses and Valdenses were very different, cannot be denied. For if they had held the same, no Reason can be assigned, why different ones should have been ascribed to them. One would rather be inclined to believe, that as their Persecutors greedily sought after every Occasion to punish them, they would have fastened on every one of them all the heretical Opinions of the Valdenses and Albigenses; that so being burdened with numerous Crimes, the Inquisitors might seem to have the more just Pretense for condemning them.

Hence we may learn what Credit is to be given to Popish Writers, when they give us an Account of the Opinions and Practices of those they call Heretics. ‘Tis their Way to charge all that separate from their Communion with Impurity and Lust, as though the only Cause of their leaving the Communion of the Church of Rome, was a dishonorable vice Persons that have been remarkable for their Chastity and Continence, In the mean while, nothing is more notorious, than that their Monks and Priests, who are forbid the Remedy of a chaste and honorable Matrimony abandon themselves without Shame to the most impure Embraces, and infamously wallow in carnal Pleasures. Erafinus, Tom, 9. Page 400. says; Then is a certain German Bishop, who declared publicly at a Feast, that in Year had brought to him 11,000 Priests that openly kept Whores: For they pay annually certain Sum to the Bishop.

I have been the longer on this Account of the Albigenses and Valdenses, that every one may judge whether they were one or two different Sects. To speak my own Mind freely, they appear to me to have been two distinct ones; and that they were entirely ignorant of many Tenets, that are now ascribed to them, Particularly the Valdenses seem to have been plain Men, of mean Capacities, unskillful and inexperienced.; and if their Opinions and Custom were to be examined without Prejudice, it would appear, that among all the modern Sects of Christians, they bare the greatest Resemblance to that of the Mennonites.

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