The History of the Holy War, Book 3 · Chapter 18
Chap. 18. The Pope sendeth an armie of Croises against the Albingenses. Three severall opinions concerning that sect.
POpe Innocent the third having lately learned the trick of imploying the armie of Pilgrimes in by-services,1206 began now to set up a trade thereof. For two yeares after he levied a great number of them, whom he sent against the Albingenses in France. These were reputed hereticks, whom his Holinesse intended to root out with all crueltie; that good shepherd knowing no other way to bring home a wandring sheep then by worrying him to death. He fully and freely promised the undertakers the self-same Pardons and Indulgences as he did to those who went to conquer the Holy land; and very conscionably requested their aid onelyonly for fourty dayes, hoping to chop up these Albingenses at a bit. Though herein he was deceived, and they stuck in his and his successours teeth for fifty yeares together. The place being nearer, the service shorter, the work lesse, the wages the same with the voyage into Syria, many entred themselves in this imployment, and neglected the other.
We will trace this armie by their footsteps, and our penne must wait on their swords. And I hope that his Holinesse, who absolved many of their vows from Palestine, and commuted them into a journey into France, will also of his goodnesse dispense with my veniall digression herein, in prosecuting their actions. Yea, indeed, I need not his dispensation, being still resident on my own subject, this also being styled, The Holy warre, The warre for the Crucifix, The army of the Church; the souldiers also bearing the badge of the Crosse on their coat-armour.
But first let us throughly examine what these Albingenses were, and what they held: a question that will quit the cost in studying it.
They were a younger house of the Waldenses, and branched from them; not different in doctrine, but later in time, and distant in place: so called from the countrey Albigeois in France, where they lived.
I find three grand different opinions of Authours concerning them:
First, Some make them to have been very monsters in life and doctrine; so that the heaviest punishment was too light for them. And this is the generall voyce of most writers in that age, and all Romanists in our dayes.
Secondly, Others clean contrary hold, That these Waldenses (for I make them and the Albingenses synonyma, as *Io. Paul. Perin. De Albing. lib. 1. cap. 1.others have done) were onelyonly the true Church of God in that age, whilest all others being corrupted with abominable superstition, were no true Church at all. These alone were Gods Virgins, his Witnesses in sackcloth, his Woman in the wildernesse, his sealed ones, his seven thousand whose knees were not suppled with the Baalisme of that age. This is the expresse opinion of some strict Protestants; and of some who speak it not out, yet mutter it to themselves.
Thirdly, A third sort *Dr Field, Of the Church, lib. 3. cap 8. We acknowledge them (viz. Wickliff, Husse, Hierome of Prague, &c.) to have been the worthy servants of God, and holy Martyrs & Confessours, suffering in the cause of Christ against Antichrist; yet do we not think that the Church of God was found onelyonly in them.explode this opinion, as trespassing on Divine providence; that God who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth, should be in so long a lethargie as to suffer hell to eat up his heaven on earth for so many yeares together, leaving no true Church but so small a company of such simple people. They conceive that the maintainers hereof engage themselves in a labyrinth of difficulties, hanging too great a weight on so slender a string, in making such an handfull of men the onelyonly Church for so long continuance. More moderately therefore they hold, That these Albingenses were a purer part of the Church; and though guilty of some errours (as there must be a dawning before the day) and charged with more, yet they maintained the same *Dr White, in his Replie to Fisher, pag. 104, 105. The Waldenses maintained the same doctrine in substance with the modern Protestants.doctrine in ore, which since Luthers time was refined: So that the main body of the Church visible at this time was much in dilapidations, whilest the Albingenses, as an innermost chapell thereof, was best in repair.
Let the Reader choose the probablest opinion when he hath perused the evidences of all sides; which we will now produce, deducing the historie of these Albingenses from their first originall.