ADVERSARIES(Acts 5:12-41) A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up and said, "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intended to do with these men (apostles)...Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will FAIL. But if is from God, you will NOT able to Stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." His speech persuaded the Pharisees. They called the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them NOT to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The Apostles left the Sandhedrin, rejoicing because they had counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they Never stopped preaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Peter and other apostles say, " We must obey God than men!"
(Matthew 16:13-20) Jesus said to Peter, "Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my Father
which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, "That thou art Peter, upon this
Rock (Christ) I will build MY church and the gates of HELL shall NOT prevail against it..."
History of the Christian Church by William Jones
1812 Chapter 5, Section 1
As Peter Waldo became more acquaintance with the Scriptures, he began to discover that a multiplicity of doctrines, rites and ceremonies which had been into the national religion, had not only no foundation in the word of God, but were most pointedly condemned in that book. Inflamed with zeal for God, and with concern for the souls of his fellow-sinners on the other hand, he raised his voice loudly against them, Condemning the arrogance of the pope, and the reigning vices of the clergy.
Peter Waldo taught the TRUTH in its simplicity, and enforced its practices influenced the heart and life; by his own example, as well as by appeal to the lives of those who first believed in Christ, he labored to
demonstrate the great difference that existed between Christianity of the
Bible and that of the Church of Rome.
The archbishop of Lyons, France heard of these proceedings, and became indignant. He forbade Peter Waldo and his companions to teach any more and being proceed against as heretics. Waldo replied that though a layman, he could NOT be silent in a matter which concerned the Salvation of his fellow-friends, the respectability and influence of his connections, many of whom were men of rank; that his presence was highly necessary among the people whom he had by this time gathered into Their Church, and which he had taken the oversight, all operated so strong in his favor, that he lived concealed at Lyons during the space of three years. [Perrin's history chapter 1.] Information of these things was then conveyed to Pope Alexander III who no sooner heard of such heretical proceedings than he anathematized Peter Waldo and his adherents, commanding the archbishop to proceed against them with the utmost rigor. In (1163) a Council of the Roman Catholic Church at Tours called together by Pope Alexander III, forbade any intercourse with Waldenses because they taught "a damnable heresy, long since sprung up in the territory of Toulouse."The Decreed of Pope Lucius III against Waldensians Heretics, A.D. 1181
"To abolished the malignity of diverse heresies which are lately
sprung up in most part of the world, it but fitting that the power
committed to the church should be awakened, that by the concurring assistance of the Imperial strength, both the insolence and malpertness of the heretics in their false designs may be Crushed, and the truth of the Catholic simplyicity shinning forth in the holy Church, may demonstrate her Pure and Free from their false doctrines."
"Wherefore we, being supported by the presence and power of our most dear Frederic, the most illustrious Emperor of the Romans, always increaser of the empire, with the common advice and council of our brethren, archbishops, and many princes, who from several parts of the world are met together, do set themselves against these heretics who have got different names from the several false doctrines they profess. We condemn all manner of heresy, by what name whatsoever it may be denominated."
"More particularly, we declare all Catharists, Paterines, and those call themselves " the Poor men of Lyons, France" the Passignes, Josephists, Arnoldist, to lie under a perpetual anathema. As the apostles saith, assume to themselves the authority of preaching; whereas they said, " How shall they preach except they be sent." We therefore conclude the same sentence of a perpetual anathema, ALL those either being forbid or not send do not presume to preach publicly or privately, without any authority received from the Apostolic See or from the bishops of their respective dioceses:"
"As also all those who are NOT afraid to hold or teach any opinions concerning the sacrament of the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, baptism, the remission of sins, matrimony, or any other sacraments of the church, differing from what the holy church of Rome doeth preach and observe: and generally all those whom the same church or Rome, or the several bishops in their dioceses, with the advice of their clergy, or clergy themselves. With the advice if need be of neighboring bishops, shall judge to be Heretics."
"We declare ALL entertainers and defenders of the said heretics, and those that have showed any favor or given countenance to THEM, thereby strengthen them in their heresy, whether they be called 'Comforted,' 'Believers,' or 'Perfect,' or with whatsoever superstition name they disguise themselves, to be liable to the same sentence. As to those who are taken notice of by the church as suspected of heresy, they be forthwith delivered up to the secular power, and their goods confiscated to the use of the Catholic Church.""We further decree, that this excommunication, in which our will is that all heretics be included, that if any bishop be found wanting or slow therein, he be suspended for three years from his Episcopal dignity and
administration. That all earls, barons, governors and consuls of cities and
other places, in pursuance of the co monition of the respective archbishops and bishops, whenever they are required so to do, they will powerfully and effectually assist the church against heretics and their accomplices; to execute the ecclesiastical and imperial statues concerning the matters herein mentioned."
"But if any of them shall refuse to observe this, they shall be deprived of their honors and charges, and be rendered incapable of receiving others; and moreover, be involved in the sentence of excommunication, and their goods be confiscated to the use of the Church. And if any city shall refuse to yield obedience of these Decretal Constitutions, or that contrary to the Episcopal commonition they shall be neglected to punish opposers, we ordain the same to be excluded from all commerce with other cities, and be deprived of the Episcopal dignity."***** ILdefonsus, King of Arragon, also testified his zeal against the
Waldenses, by an edict published in the year 1194, that the doctrine of
Waldo had NOT only found its way into Spain, that it had got such footing
there as to create no little alarm, and call forth the determined
interference of the government.
"ILdefonsus, by the grace of God, King of Arragon, Earl of Barcelona,
Marquis of Provence, to all archbishops, bishops, earl, knights, and to all
his people of his kingdom, or belonging to his dominions. We, in imitation of our ancestors, and in obedience to the canons which determine and ordain heretics, as persons cast out from the sight of God, to be condemned and persecuted everywhere, do command and charge that the Waldenses, Inzabbati, who otherwise are called, 'the Poor of Lyons' and all other heretics who cannot be numbered, being excommunicated from the holy church, adversaries to the cross of Christ, violators and corrupters of the Christian religion, and the avowed enemies, do depart out of our kingdom and all of our dominions."
"Whosoever, therefore, from this day forward, shall presume to receive
the said Waldenses, and Inzabbati, or any other heretics of whatsoever
profession, into their houses, or to be present at their shameful sermons, or to afford them meat, or any other favor, shall thereby incur the indignation of Almighty God, as well as ours, and have his goods confiscated, without the remedy of an appeal, and be punished as if he were actually guilty of high treason. Upon this declaration, having been admonished to repent for three days, they were seized by the people in their excess zeal, and burnt to death: and, what is the most astonishing, they came to the stake, and endured the torment of the flames, not only with patience, but even with JOY. In this case, O holy father, were I present with you, I should be glad to ask you, " How these members of Satan could persist in their heresy with such constancy and courage as is rarely to be found among the most religious in the faith of Christ."*
Their heresy is this: They SAY that the church is ONLY among
themselves, because they ALONE follow the way of Christ, and imitate the
apostles, not seeking secular gains, possessing NO property, following the pattern of Christ, who himself perfectly poor, nor permitted his apostles to possess anything. Describing themselves as the poor of Christ's flock, who have no certain abode, fleeing from one city to another, like sheep in the midst of wolves---enduring persecution with the apostles and martyrs. Whereas, we and our fathers having been brought up in the apostolic doctrine, have continued in the grace of Christ, and shall continue so to the end."
"They do not hold the baptism of infants, alleging that passage of
the gospel, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be SAVED." They place no confidence in the intercession of saints; and all things observed in the church which have NOT been established by Christ himself or his apostles, they call superstitious. They do not admit of any purgatory fire after death, contending that the souls as soon as they depart out of the bodies, do enter into rest, or punishment, proving it from that passage of Solomon, "Which way so ever the tree falls, whether to the south or the north, there it lies," by which they make void all prayers of believers for the deceased."
"We, therefore, beseech you, Holy Father, to employ your care and
watchfulness against these manifold mischiefs. You would be pleased by your study, to gather all these arms into one place, that they may be more readily found, and more powerful to resist these monsters. I must inform you also, that those of them who have returned to our Catholic Church, tell us, that they had great numbers of their persuation scattered almost every where, and that amongst them there were MANY of our clergy and monks. And as for those who were burnt, they, in the defense they made of themselves, TOLD us, that this heresy had been concealed from the time of Martyrs and that it had existed in Greece, France, Italy, Austria and many other countries."
The Pilgrim Church by Edward H. Broabent Chapter V page 96-97 In Strassburg, in 1212 the Dominicans had already arrested 500 persons who belonged to the church of the Waldenses. They were of all classes, noble, Priests, rich and poor, men and women. The prisoners that were like them in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Bohemia, etc. 80 of them, including 12 Priests, and 23 Women were given over to the flames. The goods of those excited were divided between the Church and civil authority, which placed its power at the disposition of the Church. Pope Innocent III required of the Count of Toulouse, Raymond VI, who rules in provence, and of other rulers in the South of France, that heretics
should be banished. Raymond temporized, but was soon involved in a hopeless quarrel with the Pope, who in 1209 proclaimed a crusade against him and his people. Indulgences, such as had been given to the Crusaders who went at great risk to themselves to rescue the Holy Places in Palestine from Mohammedan Saracens, were now offered to all who take part in the easier work of destroying the most fruitful provinces of France.
This and the prospect of booty and license of every kind attracted hundreds of thousand of men. Under the presidency of high clerical
dignitaries and led by Simon de Montfort, a military leader of great ability
and a man of boundless ambition and ruthless cruelty, the most beautiful and cultivated part of Europe at that time was ravaged, became for 20 years the scence of unspeakable wickedness and cruelty and was reduced to desolation.
When the town of Beziers was summoned to surrender, the Catholic inhabitants joined with the Dissenters in refusing, though warned that if
that place were taken NO soul should be left ALIVE. The town was captured, and of the ten thousands who taken refuge there, NONE were spared. After the captured of another place, La Minerve, about 140 "believers" were found, women in one house, men in another, engaged in prayer as they waited their doom.
De Montfort had a great pile of wood prepared, and told them, " to be converted to the Catholic faith or mount that pile! "They answered that they owned NO papal or priestly authority, only that of Christ and His word. The Fire was lighted and the confessors, without hesitation, entered the flames."It was near this spot, in the neighborhood of Nasbonne, that the Inquisition was established in (1210), under the superintendence of
Dominic, the founder of the Dominicans orders. The Inquisition finished
what the crusade had left undone. Many of the brethren fled to the Balkan
countries, others scattered throughout the neighboring land.
(To be continued Part II)
