RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Waldenses
nation of the cult of images, relics, saints, and the Virgin, but most productive of offense were their severe strictures upon the sacraments of the Church. Beginning about 1240, with the denial of the efficacy of sacraments administered by evil priests, the radical faction, assuming that all Roman Catholic priests were evil, proceeded to renounce Roman Catholic baptism as unnecessary; infant baptism as worthless; confirmation and extreme unction superfluous; and the Eucharist, ordination, and penance as administered by the Church, futile. The “friends,” with the moderates, did not always follow to these extremes, and the Waldenses only very seldom attacked belief in the sacraments itself. This extreme radicalism of the Lombard Waldenses was due, in all probability, to the influence of the Cathari; and the similarity of the two sects occasionally led to their formal confusion, as in the sect of the Piedmontese Martino de Presbytero, which occupies a prominent place in the acts of the Inquisition in 1388. Dogma was not yet the prominent feature in Waldensian preaching, which was mostly content with inculcating abstinence from oaths, falsehood, war, and capital punishment. Masses, prayers, and offerings for the dead were declared futile, and purgatory was denied. Foremost was the admonition of the two ways (Matt. vii. 13-14). In Italy and Germany, for preaching and the instruction of the elders, there were, in addition to the Bible, (1) an anthology entitled, Verba sanctorum Augustin, Hieronymi, Ambrosii, Gregorii, Chrysostomi, et Isidort (such a collection was already in the hands of Waldo); (2) Liber electorum (probably called also Liber justorum); (3) the “ Thirty Steps of Augustine,” a tractate on the virtues and vices; (4) Septem articuli fidei, perhaps identical with the seven articles on God in the French Waldensian catechism (ut sup.); and (5) a “ Rule,” with data concerning the origin of the sect, apparently transmitted only orally. The German Waldenses of the thirteenth century possessed also vernacular poems, which seem never to have been committed to writing. In the fifteenth century the German Waldenses had interpretations of the Gospels and Pauline epistles in the vernacular, though these were probably from the work of some Roman Catholic author and restricted to the lessons of the Church. The Italian Waldenses evidently possessed a number of books previous to 1368, but after that date had scarcely more than the Bible and the Liber electorum. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Waldenses of the Cottian Alps had a regular Bibliotheca Waldensis, but of its contents it is known that a small portion alone dated from the pre-Reformation period. To this portion belonged at least a tractate Vertucz; the Doctor and Vergier de consollacion, both anthologies; Glosa pater noster, an exposition of the Lord’s Prayer, probably translated from some Roman Catholic author; and Cantica, a translation of a Roman Catholic commentary on Canticles in seven books (the first of which is lost), with a few specifically Waldensian additions. This commentary was probably prepared in the Cottian Alps or in Provence toward the end of the fifteenth century, as also the Penitenca and Pecca. An essentially Waldensian work was the great Nobla leycon (ed. E. Montet, Paris, 1888), a
poem of 479 duodecasyllabic verses, written by an author of some theological training, probably in the Cottian Alps after 1231. It is a missionary sermon in verse after the order of the minstrels, reviewing the contents of the Bible under the threefold head of ‘the law of nature, the law of Moses, the law of Christ.’ The other didactic poems were probably likewise of the thirteenth century: namely, La Barca; Lo Novel Sermon; Lo Novel Confort; Lo Payre Eternal; Lo Despreczi del mont; L’ Avangeli de li quatre sementz; and the corrupt L’Oraczon. In Germany, as among the French Waldenses, the Lord’s Supper was celebrated in the fourteenth century annually on Maundy Thursday, but in the following century this usage disappeared and the masters were confined mostly to hearing confession. In the Cottian Alps, on the other hand, as well as in Provence, Apulia, Calabria, and middle Italy, the independent celebration of the Lord’s Supper lasted longer. In the fifteenth century the Waldenses of the Cottian Alps and middle Italy no longer all received the Eucharist from Roman Catholic priests, but took the bread consecrated by their ‘ barbs ” (clericals). But after the great persecution of 1487— 1494, it was received only from the priests of the Church, except at clerical ordinations the communion was celebrated in the ancient Waldensian fashion down to the sixteenth century.
Waldensian organization underwent an important change in the fourteenth century, when the German branch separated from the Italian, ceasing to have official relations with the Italian bishops and rector,
and regulating its affairs henceforth by
4. Organ- its own assemblies, which were held by izations. preference in the large cities at the time of the annual fairs. ‘The Germans did
not, however, elect a rector, for in Germany his influence had always been weak and the masters had become accustomed to act on their own responsibility. In all probability: there was no general Waldensian assembly in Germany, and no general organization. At the same time there was frequent intercommunication between all the conventicles of Germany, nor were relations with the Lombards entirely broken off. In Italy the strong central organization was maintained until the Reformation period. In the fourteenth century the three orders of clergy were found both in Italy and in Germany, but in the following century they disappeared from both lands. [It seems hardly probable that so radical a change should occur in the polity of so conservative a body within so brief a time. a. oH. N.] The only ordination then known was that received at reception into the sect, precedence within the body being determined solely by seniority. At the same time the position of the ‘‘ juniors ” corresponded in a sense to that of the French deacons, and the “ seniors ”’ to the French presbyters. In Germany all members of the sect were termed masters, while in Italy they were called ‘“ barbs”? (East Provencal barba, ‘“uncle’’). The mode of the life of the Waldenses, who received in Italy a new name at their ordination, was practically that of the early period. The systemfof training was carefully regulated. In Germany the pupil must study with a master for a year or two. He was then ordained, but must still
Waldenses