The History of the Holy War, Book 3 · Chapter 20 – Chapter 21
Chap. 20. The Albingenses their answer, confessing some, denying most crimes laid to their charge; Commendations their adversaries give them.
COme we now to the full and foul indictment wherewith these Albingenses are charged: That they gave no reverence to *Reinerius, fol. 22. art. 32.holy places; rejected the baptisme of infants; held that temporall power was grounded in grace; that it was a meritorious work to persecute the Priests of Rome and their subjects: With the Adamites they went naked (an affront to nature;) with the Manicheans they made two first causes, God of good, the devil of evil; held community of all things, even of wives amongst them; were *Claudius Rubis, History of Lyons, pag. 269.sorcerers and conjurers (pretending to command the devil, when they most obeyed him) guilty of incest, buggery, and more unnaturall sinnes, whereby men (as it were) runne backward to hell.
No whit affrighted with this terrible accusation, many late writers dare be their advocates to defend them, though confessing them guilty of some of these, but not in so high and hainous a manner as they are accused.
True it is, because most in that age ranne riot in adoring of Churches (as if some inherent sanctity was cieled to their roof, or plaistered to their walls; yea, such as might more ingratiate with God the persons and prayers of people there assembled) the Waldenses (out of that old errour not yet worn out, That the best way to straighten what is crooked, is to over-bow it) denied Churches that relative holinesse and fit reverence due unto them. Baptisme of infants they refused not (though *In his 66. Homily on the Canticles.S. Bernard, taking it rather from the rebound then first rise, chargeth them therewith) but onelyonly deferred it till it might be administred by one of their own Ministers; their tender consciences not digesting the Popish baptisme, where clear water by Gods ordinance, was by mans additions made a salve or plaister. That dominion was founded in grace, seemeth to be their very opinion: Yea, it hangeth as yet in the Schools on the file, and is not taken off, as a thing disputable, finding many favourers. But grant it a great errour (for wicked men shall be arraigned before God, not as usurpers, but as tyrants; not for not having right, but not right using the creatures) yet herein they proceeded not so farre as the Papists now-a-dayes, to unthrone and depose excommunicated Princes: So that they who do most, have least cause to accuse them. That they spoke too homely and coursely of the Romish Priests, inveighing too bitterly and uncharitably against them, condemning all for some, may perchance be proved: And no wonder if they spake ill of those from whom they felt ill. But take their speeches herein, as the words of men upon the rack, forced from them by the extremitie of cruel usage.
In these errours the Albingenses hope to find favour, if men consider, First, the ignorance of the age they lived in: It is no news to stumble in the dark. Secondly, the frailty (that squire of the body) attending on mans nature; yea, he shall be immortall who liveth till he be stoned by one without fault. Thirdly, the errours themselves, which are rather in the outlimbes then vitalls of religion. And it may be conceived they might have been reclaimed, if used with gentle means, not catechized with fire and fagot; it being a true rule, That mens consciences are more moved with leading then dragging or drawing.
But the sting of the indictment is still behind in the tail or end thereof; charging them with such hainous errours in doctrine, and vices in life: All which the patrones for the defendants *Bishop Iewel, Apol. part. 1. chap. 2. divis. 1. Waldo and the rest, for ought we know, and I beleeve (setting malice aside) for ought you know, were godly men. Their greatest errour was that they complained of the dissolute and virious lives of the Clergie.deny and defie, as coined out of the mint of their enemies malice.
It will be objected, If denying the fact might serve the turn, we should have no malefactours: This therefore is but a poore plea, barely to deny, when that such clouds of witnesses are against them. And grant they have a few straggling writers, or some sleeping records which may seem to acquit them, what are one or two men (though suppose them giants) against a whole army?
To this I find it answered for the Albingenses, That it hath been the constant practice of the Romish writers, alwayes to defame those that differ from them, especially if they handle too roughly the Noli me tangere of the Popes supremacie. In later times what aspersions, as false as foul, have *In vita Lutheri.Cochleus and *In vita Calvini.Bolsecus laid on Luther and Calvine? Now how fearlesse will they be to steal at midnight, who dare thus rob men of their good name at noon-day? When such Authours as these lie with a witnesse, yea, with many *Solidly confuted by Dr Whitaker, De notis Ecclesia, cap. 15. Out of Melanchthon, Sleidan, Gryneus, Beza, eye-witnesseswitnesses, who could disprove them; no wonder if they take liberty falsely to accuse the Albingenses, conceiving themselves out of the reach of confutation; writing in such an age when all the Counsel is on their own side, being plaintiffs, and none assigned for the defendants.
Secondly, I find they produce the authenticall copies (such as are above their enemies calumnies) of the Catechismes, Apologies, Remonstrances of these Albingenses; wherein the distilled doctrine of the Protestants is delivered free from Manicheisme, or any other heresie fathered upon them.
Thirdly, their enemies slanders plainly appear in some particulars; which justly shaketh the credit of the whole accusation. For whereas they are charged with the Adamites willingly to have gone naked, we find them rather nudati then nudi, forced thereunto by the Popes Legate: Who being about to take the city of Carcassone in France, where these people most swarmed, he would not grant them their lives but on this condition, That both males and females should go forth, and passe by his army *So witnesseth Peter De valle Sarnensi, being himself a Monk, and lately printed (anno 1615.) in Paris. See Rivet On Genesis, pag. 138.stark-naked. Argued it not a very foul stomach in him who could feed his eyes with contentment on such a sight, which otherwise would more deeply have wounded the modesty of the beholder then of the doers, who did it by compulsion? See now how justly these innocents are charged! As well may the Israelites be blamed for cruelty to themselves, in puting out their own eyes, when they were commanded to do it by the mercilesse Ammonite.
Lastly, they are cleared by the testimonies of their very enemies; and who knoweth not, but such a witnesse is equivalent to a generall consent? For those, who, when bemadded with anger, most rave and rage against them, yet per lucida intervalla, in their cold bloud, when their words are indicted from their judgements not passions, do most sufficiently acquit them from these accusations.
Reinerius, a Jacobine Monk, and a cruel inquisitour of the Waldenses, testified, *Cited by Fox in his Maetyrol. pag. 232.That they lived justly before men, and beleeved all things well of God, and held all the articles contained in the Creed; onelyonly they blasphemed the Romish Church, and hated it.
Claudius de Seissell Archbishop of Turin confesseth, As touching their life and manners they were sound and unreproveable, without scandal amongst men, giving themselves (to their power) to the observation of the commandments of God.
King Lewis the twelfth of France being throughly informed of the faith and life of the Waldenses in his time, bound it with an oath, That they were better men then he or his people. The same King having killed many of those poore people, and having called the place where they lived, Vallis meretricia, for their painted and dissembled piety, upon better instructions changed the name, calling it from himself, *Thuanus, tom. 2. lib. 27. pag. 15.The vale of Lewis.
William de Belai Lieutenant of Piemont gave this commendation of the Merindolites (a sprig which some hundred yeares after sprouted from the Waldenses) *Idem, tom. 10. lib. 6. pag. 188.That they were a laborious people, averse from suits, bountifull to the poore, duly paying their Princes tributes and Lords dues, serving God with daily prayers, and shewing forth much innocencie in manners.
Thuanus, one that writeth truth with a steadie hand, jogged neither by Romanists nor Huguenots, thus charactereth the *Tom. 2. lib. 27. pag. 16Con-waldenses, a stemme of that stock we speak of; They used raw pelts clapped about them for their clothes, the foure feet whereof served in stead of buttons; all equall in poverty, having no beggers amongst them; their diet on deer & milk: yet was there scarce any amongst them but could reade and write handsomely, understand the Bible, and sing psalmes; scarce a boy, but could presently and by heart give an account of his faith. Tribute they payed very religiously, &c.
More might be added; but I end all with Gamaliels words, *Acts 5.38, 39.If this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it. It argueth the goodnesse of their cause, in that all their enemies cruelty (unwise to think to spoil the growth of chamomile by trampling on it) could never suppresse them; but they continued till the dayes of Luther, when this morning-starre willingly surrendred his place to him a brighter sunne. But enough of their life and manners. And if and condemn me for superfluity herein, I guard my self with *In his preface to his Retractat.S. Augustines shield, Non est multiloquium, quando necessaria dicuntur, quantalibet sermonum multitudine ac prolixitate dicantur.
Chap. 21. The Holy armie advance against the Albingenses; The cities of Besier and Carcassone taken.
POpe Innocent the third having now gathered together an armie of one hundred thousand Pilgrimes, set forwards for the finall exstirpation of the poore Albingenses. The best champions for his Holinesse herein, were the Duke of Burgundy, the Earls of Nevers, St ▪ Paul, Auxerre, Geneva, Poictiers, with Simon Earl of Montfort; Of the Clergie, Milo the Popes Legate, the Archbishops of Sens, Rovan; the Bishops of Clermont, Nevers, Lysieux, Bayeux, Chartres, with divers others; every Bishop with the Pilgrimes of his jurisdiction: To whom the Pope promised Paradise in heaven, but not one peny on earth. Their work was to destroy the Albingenses, which were in great numbers in Daulphine, Provence, Narbonne, Tholose, and other parts of France. Their Commission also extended to the rooting out of all their friends and favourers, whether detected, or onelyonly suspected; such as were Reimund Earl of Tholose, Reimund Earl of Foyx, the Vicecount of Besiers, Gaston Lord of Berne, the Earl of Bigorre, the Lady of la Vaur, with divers others. See here a new gate to heaven never opened before, for men to cut their way thither through the throats of their innocent brethren! Behold the holy Ghost, who once came down in the form of a Dove, now counterfeited in the shape of a Vulture!
But we must not forget how just before the warre began, the Pope pretended to reclaim them by reasons to the Church of Rome: To which end he gave order for a disputation with them. The parties, place, and time were agreed on; who, where, when they should dispute: but in fine nothing was effected. Yea, who ever knew conferences in so great oppositions to ripen kindly, and bring any fruit to perfection? For many come rather for faction then satisfaction, resolving to carry home the same opinions they brought with them: An upright moderatour will scarce be found, who hangeth not to one side: The place will be subject to suspicion, and hinder liberty: Boldnesse and readinesse of speech with the most (though not most judicious) auditours will bear away the bell from solidity of arguments: The passages in the disputing will be partially reported, and both sides will brag of the conquest; so that the rent will be made worse, and more spirits conjured up then allayed.
But now words ended in blows; the Pope onelyonly entertaining them in *Io. Paul Perin. De Albing, lib. 1. cap. 2.conferences, that in the mean time he might prepare his great armies more suddenly to suppresse them.
The first piece of service his souldiers performed, was in sacking the citie of Besiers, and burrough of Carcassone: In which many Catholicks, stedfast in the Romish faith, did dwell, and promiscuously were slain with the Albingenses; yea, Priests themselves were cut in pieces in their priestly ornaments, and under the banner of the Crosse: So that the swallowing of their foes made their friends also go down glib through their throats, without danger of choking. As for the city of Carcassone, which was not farre from the burrough; to the inhabitants thereof those immodest conditions were propounded, whereof formerly: which they refused; and God better provided for them: For whilest the citie was besieged, they escaped out by the benefit of a vault under ground, and so shifted abroad for themselves.