The historie of the holy vvarre by Thomas Fuller ...

Chap. 20.

The Albingenses their answer, confessing some, denying most crimes laid to their charge; Com∣mendations their adversaries give them.

COme we now to the full and foul indictment wherewith these Albingenses are charged: That they gave no reverence to holy places; rejected the baptisme of infants; held that temporall power was grounded in grace; that it was a meritori∣ous 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 sorcerers and conjurers; (pretending to command the devil, when they most obeyed him) guilty of in∣cest, buggery, and more unnaturall sins, whereby men (as it were) run backward to hell.

No whit affrighted with this terrible accusation, many late writers dare by their advocates to defend them, though confes∣sing them guilty of some of these, but not in so high and hainous a manner as they are accused.

True it is, because most of that age ranne riot in adoring of Churches, (as if some inherent sanctity was seeled 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 Waldenfes (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 Saint Bernard, taking it rather from the rebound then first rise, char∣geth them therewith) but onely deferred it till it might be ad∣ministred by one of their own Ministers; their tender consci∣ences 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 ve∣ry 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 proceed∣ed not so far as the Papists now-a-dayes, to unthrone and de∣pose 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 per chance be proved: And no wonder if they speak 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 extremity 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 im∣mortall who liveth till he be stoned by one without fault. Thirdly, the errours themselves, which are rather in the out∣limbs then vitalls of religion. And it may be conceived they might have been reclaimed, if used with gentle means, not cate∣chised with fire and fagot; it being a true rule, That mens con∣sciences 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 do∣ctrine, and vices in life: All which the patrones for the defen∣dants 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 male factours: This therefore is but a poore plea, barely to deny, when that such clouds of witnesses are a∣gainst them. And grant they have a few stragling 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 de∣fame those that differ from them, especially if they handle too roughly the Noli me tangere of the Popes supremacy. In later times what aspersions, as false as foul, have Cochleus and Bolsecus laid on Luther and Calvine? Now how fearlesse will they be ••osteal 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 witnesses, 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, Apo∣logies, Remonstrances of these Albingenses; wherein the di∣stilled doctrine of the Protestants is delivered free from

Manicheisme, or any other heresie fathered upon them.

Thirdly, their enemies slanders plainly appear in some parti∣culars; which justly shaketh the credit of the whole accusation. For whereas they are charged with the Adamites willingly to haue 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† stark-naked. Argued it not a very foul stomach in him who could feed his eies 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 Is∣raelites be blamed for cruelty to themselves, in putting out their own eies, when they were commanded to do it by the merciless Ammonite.

Lastly, they are cleared by the testimonies of their very ene∣mies; 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,† That they lived justly before men, and believed all things well of God, and held all the articles contain∣ed in the Creed; onely 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 unre∣proveable, without scandall 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,† The vale of Lewis.

William de Belai Lieutenant of Piemont gave this commen∣dation of the Merindolites (a sprig which some hundred years after sprouted from the Waldenses)† That they were a labori∣ous 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 innocency in man∣ners.

Thuanus, one that writeth truth with a steady hand, jogged neither by Romanists nor Huguenots, thus charactereth the † Con-waldenses, a stemme of that stock we speak of; They used raw pelts clapped about them for their clothes, the foure fect whereof served instead of buttons; all equall in poverty, having no beggars amongst them; their diet on deer and milk: yet was there scarce any amongst them but could read and write hand∣somely, understand the Bible, and sing psalms; scarce a boy, but could presently or by heart give an account of his faith: Tribute they payed very religiously, &c.

More might be added; but I end with Gamaliels words, † If this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, yè cannot overthrow it. It argueth the goodnesse of their cause, in that all their enemies cruelty (unwise to think to spoil the growth of chamomill 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 sun. But enough of their life and manners. And if any condemn me for superfluity herein, I guard my self with† S. Austines shield, Non est multiloquium, quando necessaria di••untur, quant ali∣bet sermonum multitudine ac prolixitate dicantur.

Notes

• Reinerius, fol. 22. art. 32.
• Claudius Rubis, History of Lyons, pag. 269.
• In his 66. ••••omily on the Canticles.
• Bishop Iew∣cl, Apol. part. 1. chap. 2. divis. 1 Waldo and the rest, for ought we know, and I believe (set∣ting m••lice aside) for ought you know, were godly men. Their great∣est errour was that they complained of the disso∣lute and vi••••∣ous lives of the Clergy.
• In vita Lutheri.
• In vita Calvini.
• Solidly con∣futed by D. Whitaker, De notis Ec∣clisiae, cap. 15. Out of Me∣lan••hthon, Sleidan, Gry∣neus, Beza, eye-witnesses
• †

  So witnes∣seth Peter De valle Sarnen∣si, being him∣self a Monk, and lately printed (anno 1615) in Paris. See Rivet On Genesis, pag. 138.
• †

  Cited by Fox in his Martyr••l. p. 232.
• †

  Thuanus. tom. 2. lib. 27. pag. 15.
• †

  Idem, tom. 10. lib. 6. pag. 188.
• †

  Tom. 2. lib. 27. pag. 16.
• †

  Acts 5. 38, 39.
• †

  In his pre∣face to his Retractat.