By Dominican Inquisitor Reinerius Sacco, Circa 1250 AD
Note that the sect of the Poor of Lyons, who are also called Leonists, arose in this way:
When the older citizens were together in Lyons, it happened that one of them suddenly died in their presence. Wherefore one among them was so terrified that he distributed the great treasure of his estate to the poor. And from this a great multitude of the poor flocked to him, whom he himself taught should have voluntary poverty and to be imitators of Christ and the Apostles. Since he was somewhat literate, he taught them the New Testament in their native language. [N. B. The marginal note adds, “According to the Illyricus’ Magdeburg Centuries, the 8th chapter of the 12th century falsely elevates Waldo to the highest pinnacle of learning.”] When he was rebuked [by the clerical authorities] for his rashness, he despised them and began to insist on his doctrine, telling his disciples that the clergy, who were of evil life, envied their holy life and doctrine. When the Pope had pronounced a sentence of excommunication against them, they stubbornly despised both the Pope and his sentence, and so to this day their doctrine and rancor still thrive in all their territories.
I divide their heresies into three categories:
- First, the blasphemies with which they blaspheme the Roman Church, its statutes and all Clergy.
- Second, errors against the Sacraments and Saints.
- Third, we make note of those things they detest, although honest and approved customs of the Church.
Their first error [in the first category] is that they say the Roman Church is not the Church of Jesus Christ but is the Church of the Evil Ones and that it failed under [Pope] Sylvester when the poison of temporal things was infused into the Church. And they say they are the Church of Christ because they observe the doctrine of Christ in the Gospel, as well as the words and examples of the Apostles.
Their second error is that all vices and sins are found in the [Catholic] Church and that they alone live righteously.
The third is that almost no one in the [Catholic] Church observes the Gospel doctrine, only they alone.
The fourth is that they are truly poor in spirit and suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake and faith.
Fifth, that they themselves are the Church of Jesus Christ.
Sixth, that the Roman Church is a harlot [prophesied] in the Apocalypse because of the excess ornamentation, which even the Eastern Church does not care for.
Seventh, they despise all the statutes of the Church because they are heavy and numerous.
The eighth is that the Pope is the head of all errors.
Ninth, that the Prelates were scribes and religious Pharisees.
Tenth, that the Pope and all the Bishops are murderers because of wars.
Eleventh, that one should not obey Prelates but only God.
Twelfth, that no one is greater than another in the Church, Matt. 23, All of you are brothers.
Thirteenth, that no one should bow the knee to a priest. Rev. 2 [sic:22], where the angel says to John, See that you do not do this.
Fourteenth, that tithes should not be given because the first fruits were not given to the Church.
Fifteenth, that Clergymen should not have possessions, Deut. 18, The priests and all who are of the tribe of Levi shall have no part or inheritance with the people of Israel, because they eat the sacrifices and shall receive nothing else.
Sixteenth, that Clerics and Cloistered Men should not have prebends [i.e., a share of the Church revenue or property].
Seventeenth, that Bishops and Abbots should not have royal rights.
Eighteenth, that the land and people are not to be partitioned.
Nineteenth, it is evil to establish endowed churches and monasteries.
Twentieth, that wills should not be obligatory to include churches.
Also, to become a member of the Church does not require a ritual for membership.
They condemn all the clergy for their idleness, saying that they should work with their hands as the Apostles did.
They reject the names of prelates such as Popes, Bishops, etc.
They say that no one should be forced to believe.
They consider all ecclesiastical offices null, nor do they care for ecclesiastical privileges.
They despise the immunity of the Church and of persons and ecclesiastical things.
They say that all parochial rights are contrived. Likewise, they say that the observances made by religious men are the traditions of the Pharisees.
In the second category, they condemn all the Church’s Sacraments.
First, they say the Catechism teaching on Baptism is nothing [i.e., worthless; of no spiritual benefit]. Also, that the ablution which is given to infants is of no benefit. Likewise, that the godparents do not understand the priest when answering him. Also, that the stated offering is a suggestion. Likewise, they reject all exorcisms and blessings of Baptism.
They reject the Sacrament of Confirmation. They also wonder why only Bishops are allowed to confirm.
They say priests who lead a life of mortal sin cannot perform the Sacrament of the Eucharist. They also say that Transubstantiation does not take place in the hand of one who performs it unworthily, but rather in the mouth of one who receives it worthily, and that it can be performed at an ordinary table, Malachi: In every place a pure offering shall be offered to my name. Likewise, they reject the fact that the faithful receive communion once a year because they themselves receive communion daily. Also, they say that Transubstantiation is effected through the reciting of vernacular words. Likewise, they say that the Mass is nothing because the Apostles did not have it and it is done for the sake of profit. They say that the [sacrificial] offering made by the priests at Mass is of no benefit. Also, they only receive the Canon of the Mass if the words of Christ are spoken in their common language.
They call the songs sung in Church an infernal cry.
They reject the Canonical Hours. Likewise, they reject the kiss of peace and the altar.
Concerning the Sacrament of Penance, they say no one can be absolved by an evil priest. Also, that a good layman has the power to absolve. Also, that they themselves, by the laying on of hands, forgive sins and give the Holy Spirit. Likewise, that confession should be made to a good layman rather than to a bad priest. Likewise, that no heavy penance is to be imposed by the example of Christ: Go and sin no more. Likewise, they reject public penances as unnecessary, especially for women. Also, that general confession should not be limited to once every year.
[Gretser notes that] Illyricus denies that [some of] the following things are rightfully attributed to the Waldenses. They condemn the sacrament of marriage, saying that spouses sin mortally if they unite without the hope of children. Likewise, they regard co-paternity [i.e., the spiritual relationship between godparents and a child] as nothing. Also, they despise the Church imposed degrees of consanguinity concerning marriage and the prohibition thereof which poses an impediment to public honesty and order. They also say that a woman after giving birth does not need a blessing and introduction. Likewise, they say that the Church erred in prohibiting the marriage of clerics, since even the Eastern churches contract it. They also say that those who are continent do not sin by kissing and embracing.
They also reject the sacrament of anointing the sick because it is given only to the rich, and because many priests are necessary to perform the ritual. Also:
They say the Sacrament of Orders is nothing.
They say that every good layman is a priest just as the Apostles were laymen.
The prayer of an evil priest avails nothing.
They mock the clerical tonsure.
They say Latin speech is of no use to the layman.
They mock the fact that illegitimate and wicked sinners are exalted in the Church.
They say that every layman and even a woman should preach, 1 Cor. 14: I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
They regard anything preached that is not proven by the text of the Bible as fables.
They say that Holy Scripture has the same effect in the vernacular as in Latin. Wherefore they also perform and give sacraments in the vernacular.
They know the text of the New Testament and a large part of the Old Testament by heart.
They reject the Decretals, Decrees, sayings and expositions of the saints. They mock dispensations and do not believe in ‘irregularities.’
They believe in no saint except the Apostles; they invoke no saint except God alone.
They despise canonizations, translations [extra-biblical use of metaphors] and vigils of saints.
They mock the laity who haply choose [patron] saints at the altar [during confirmation].
They never read the Litany [of the Saints], nor do they believe the legends of the Saints.
They mock the miracles of the Saints.
They despise the relics of the saints.
They consider the Holy Cross to be nothing more than a simple piece of wood.
They shudder at the symbol of the Holy Cross because [it signifies] the punishment of Christ; nor do they ever sign themselves [by making the sign of the cross].
They say that the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles is sufficient for salvation without the statutes of the Church.
That the tradition of the Church is the tradition of the Pharisees and that [in the Catholic Church] there is a greater threat in transgressing human traditions than in transgressing divine law. Matthew 15: Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
They refute the mystical meaning in the divine Scriptures, especially in the words and deeds handed down by the Church: such as a rooster on a comb signifies the Doctor of Theology.
Regarding the third category, note that they have asserted these errors regarding the customs of the Church. They despise all the approved customs of the Church which they do not read in the Gospel, such as the feast of Palm Sunday, the Reconciliation of Penitents [i.e., the Sacrament of Penance], the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday [i.e., when individuals come forward, often one by one, to venerate the cross through gestures like kneeling, bowing, or kissing], the feast of Easter and the feasts of the Saints because of the excessive numbers of feasts, and besides, they say that one day is like another. Hence, they work secretly on holidays. They say the Church does not care about fasting, Isaiah 58: Is this the fast that I have chosen?
They reject all dedications, blessings & consecrations of candles, flesh, palms, chrism, candle fire, Paschal Lamb, women after birth, pilgrims, sacred places, sacred persons, garments, salt & water. They mock the walled church, considering it a granary and call it in their language: Grain house. Nor do they say that God dwells there, Acts 17: God dwells not in temples made with hands. And that prayers are of no more avail there than in a closet, Matt. 6: But thou, when thou hast prayed, enter into thy closet, etc.
They care nothing about the dedication of the Church or the altar. They say that adorning the Church is a sin, and that it would be better to clothe the poor than to adorn the walls.
They say of the altar that it is [not meritorious, but] a loss for a cloth to rot on a stone, and that Christ did not give the Apostles robes, or a chasuble, or a shawl.
They make a cup in *Picario.* [ N. B. Marginal Note: * “The barbarian words are derived from the vernacular: Becher. Or from the pitch with which wooden cups are usually dyed. The Illyrian word is interpreted as a domestic cup.”] And they say that the body is like a piece of cloth [i.e., because it is simply a temporary covering for the divine soul/spirit. Thus, it is not divine and does not transmit divinity when eaten.]
Concerning light, they say that God, who is true light, does not need light: and that the only reason why it is important in churches is so that the clergy do not injure their feet when walking.
They reject the use of incense.
They say blessed water is simply water.
They say that [graven] images and paintings are idolatrous.
They mock the singing of the church and say that the power lies only in the words and not in the melody.
They mock the cries of the Laity.
They reject festive processions such as Easter and mournful ones such as Rogation Days and funerals.
They say that night and day chants were newly instituted by Gregory, which the Church did not have before.
They criticize the fact that a priest is allowed to sing several different Masses on one day.
They rejoice in the time of prohibition [i.e., papal interdicts] because then many may be [easily] infected [with Waldensian beliefs].
They say that people are forced to go to Church for the sake of alms; they themselves also go falsely, offer, confess, and receive communion, but all falsely.
They travel and thus, entering Lombardy, visit their bishops.
They despise [i.e. reject worshipping] the [alleged] tomb of the Lord and the tombs of the saints. They reject ecclesiastical burial, Matt. 23: Woe to you who build tombs. They would rather be buried in the field than in a cemetery if they did not fear the Church. They say that funerals for the dead, Masses for the dead, funeral offerings, wills, legacies, visitations of graves, vigils, anniversary celebrations, do not benefit souls.
They advise against the so-called confraternity of laymen and clerics and say that all this is done for the sake of profit.
They have all these errors because they deny Purgatory, saying that there are only two ways [to go after death], namely, one for the elect to heaven; the other for the damned to hell, Eccles. 11: if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. For if he is good, he does not need intercessory prayer, but if he is bad, it is of no use.
They say that every sin is mortal and none is venial.
They say that one Our Father is worth more than the sound of ten bells and more than any Mass.
They say that every oath is a mortal sin, Matt. 5: let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. He who says, truly or certainly, considers the oath. For the ‘perfect’ among them would rather die than swear. But the ‘imperfect’ swears if he is forced to swear or even if he is told [to recite] the form of an oath, excuses himself from sin, [by lying], lest he be forced and thus, being compelled, reveal secrets. Indeed, they consider him who compels to swear as a Confirmer, which is worse than a murderer, because in confirming he demands an oath, and is a Judge among witnesses, and an examiner of the faith, and a priest who compels in order to abjure sins. Hence, there are many perjurers. They criticize us for saying that by violating the trust given the priest, he is guilty of seven perjuries.
They say all Princes and Judges are themselves condemned because evildoers are not to be condemned [by them] according to Romans 12: Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and Matt. 13: Let both grow together until the harvest.
They say that the ecclesiastical judgments which priests make are made not for the sake of correction but for the sake of profit.
END