A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

The Authors who wrote against the Albigeois and Vaudois.

GRETSER brought to light, A. D. 1614. three Authors who wrote against the Albigeois and Vaudois in the end of the Twelfth Century: These three Writers are Ebrard of Be∣thune in the Province of Artois, Bernard Abbot of Fontcaud and Ermengard or Ermengaud. * 1.1

EBRARD OF BETHUNE, confutes in his Work, 1. The Error of the Manichees, con∣cerning the Law of Moses, and the Prophets; by shewing, That the Law ought not to be rejected; that the Patriarchs and the Prophets were Saved; and that it is the true God, who gave the Law, and created the World. Afterwards he passes to other Errors common to all the Hereticks of that time, about the Sacraments, and the Customs of the Church; and establishes against them the following Doctrines, viz. That Children ought to be bap∣tiz'd; that it is lawful to marry; that the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, contains the Body of JESUS CHRIST; that none but Priests have the Power or Right of offering, and that they ought to do it in the Churches: That the Unction of the Sick is profitable; that Pil∣grimages

upon account of Devotion, are commendable; that it is lawful to take a true Oath; that Malefactors may be punished and even put to Death; that we shall rise again in the the future State with the same Body that we now have; that Faith ought to be preferr'd to good Works; that Crosses ought to be honour'd; that Women shall be Saved, and rise again with the distinction of their Sex; that Salvation may be obtain'd by different means, and in different States; and that it is lawful to eat Flesh: Lastly, he shews that those Hereticks are culpable, in regard that they conceal themselves, and that altho' they boast of renouncing the Possessions of this World, yet they endeavour to enrich themselves by other means; that they mistake the meaning of Holy Scripture; and that all the Characters of Hereticks agree with them. He adds, That some of them call themselves Valois, and others Xabatates; that they are wont to tear off their Shoos, and that they continually expose themselves during the whole Day to the heat of the Sun, till Supper-time, when they appear in the publick Places. He concludes this Treatise with a Catalogue of all the Hereticks taken out of Isidorus, and with the Resolution of divers Questions propos'd by him. * 1.2

The second Author, who is BERNARD Abbot of Fontcaud, dedicated his Book to Pope Lucius III. and consutes the Vaudois, whom Bernard Arch-bishop of Narbonne had twice con∣demned after having heard their several Pleas. He makes particular mention of the Obedi∣ence due to Popes and Prelates; He declaims against the permission that those People allow Lay-men and even Women to Preach; against their Assertion that the Alms, Fastings, Sa∣crifices and Prayers of the Living do not avail any thing with respect to the Dead; against those who deny Purgatory, and maintain that Humane Souls are neither in Hea∣ven nor Hell till the Day of Judgment; and against their Asseverations, that the People ought not to meet in the Churches to pray. Thus this Author positively opposes none but the Vaudois. * 1.3

The Third nam'd ERMENGARD, at first impugns the Errors of the Manichees about the old Law, Marriage, the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, and afterwards passes to other Errors concerning the Sacraments and Church-Discipline. He proves, that it is requisite to have Churches and Altars; That the singing of the praises of God is useful and reasonable: That the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of JESUS CHRIST ought to be celebrated in the Church, and that the Words of its Institution, ought to be understood in a proper and not in a figurative Sense: That Baptism is necessary for Salvation, and that it ought even to be administer'd to young Children: That Repentance is likewise necessary for those who have fallen into Sin, and that it is composed of three Parts, viz. Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction, and that it is requisite to make Confession to a Priest. He refutes in particular the Custom that was in use among those Hereticks in the imposition of Hands, which they call Consolation, and which they admini∣ster'd in the following manner:

The Superior amongst those People, after having wash'd his Hands, took the Book of the Gospels, and exhorted those, who came to receive the Consolation, to put their whole trust and hope of their Salvation therein, and afterwards laying the Book of the Gospels on their Head, repeated Seven times, the Lord's Prayer and the beginning of St. John's Gospel from In principio to these Words, Gratia & Veritas per Jesum Christum facta est i. e. Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. Thus ended the Ceremony of their Consolation; but if it should hap∣pen that no Superior is present, then one of the Comforted performs the same Ceremony, and even Women do it to sick Persons in the absence of Men: They believe that this Conso∣lation remits Sins, even mortal ones, and that without it 'tis impossible to be Saved: Lastly, they maintain, that those who have actually committed a mortal Sin, are uncapable of ad∣rainistring it effectually. Afterwards Ermergard proves against them, that 'tis lawful to eat Flesh, and to take an Oath, and establishes the Doctrines of the Resurrection of the Dead, the Invocation of Saints, and Prayers for deceased Persons.

These three Authors scarce make use of any other Proofs but Passages of the Holy Scrip∣ture to confute the Errors they oppose, and to establish the Truths they maintain; nay they produce a great number of them, amongst which there are some which do not clearly prove, what they assert.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ebrard of Bethune.
• * 1.2

  Bernard Abbot of Fontcaud.
• * 1.3

  Ermen∣gard.