As many churches have claimed the Waldensians as part of their spiritual lineage independent of the Roman Catholic Church, it may be of interest to them (and us) to take a closer look at what these folks actually believed. What follows are transcripts of two ancient documents that offer us some insight into their beliefs:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Waldensian Confessions of Faith, 1120
1. We believe and firmly maintain all
that is contained in the twelve articles of the symbol, commonly called the apostles'
creed, and we regard as heretical whatever is inconsistent with the said twelve articles.
2. We believe that there is one God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. We acknowledge for sacred canonical scriptures the books of the Holy Bible. (Here follows the title of each, exactly conformable to our received canon, but which it is deemed, on that account, quite unnecessary to particularize.)
4. The books above-mentioned teach us: That there is one GOD, almighty, unbounded in wisdom, and infinite in goodness, and who, in His goodness, has made all things. For He created Adam after His own image and likeness. But through the enmity of the Devil, and his own disobedience, Adam fell, sin entered into the world, and we became transgressors in and by Adam.
5. That Christ had been promised to the fathers who received the law, to the end that, knowing their sin by the law, and their unrighteousness and insufficiency, they might desire the coming of Christ to make satisfaction for their sins, and to accomplish the law by Himself.
6. That at the time appointed of the Father, Christ was born - a time when iniquity everywhere abounded, to make it manifest that it was not for the sake of any good in ourselves, for all were sinners, but that He, who is true, might display His grace and mercy towards us.
7. That Christ is our life, and truth, and peace, and righteousness - our shepherd and advocate, our sacrifice and priest, who died for the salvation of all who should believe, and rose again for their justification.
8. And we also firmly believe, that there is no other mediator, or advocate with God the Father, but Jesus Christ. And as to the Virgin Mary, she was holy, humble, and full of grace; and this we also believe concerning all other saints, namely, that they are waiting in heaven for the resurrection of their bodies at the day of judgment.
9. We also believe, that, after this life, there are but two places - one for those that are saved, the other for the damned, which [two] we call paradise and hell, wholly denying that imaginary purgatory of Antichrist, invented in opposition to the truth.
10. Moreover, we have ever regarded all the inventions of men [in the affairs of religion] as an unspeakable abomination before God; such as the festival days and vigils of saints, and what is called holy-water, the abstaining from flesh on certain days, and such like things, but above all, the masses.
11. We hold in abhorrence all human inventions, as proceeding from Antichrist, which produce distress (Alluding probably to the voluntary penances and mortification imposed by the Catholics on themselves), and are prejudicial to the liberty of the mind.
12 We consider the Sacraments as signs of holy things, or as the visible emblems of invisible blessings. We regard it as proper and even necessary that believers use these symbols or visible forms when it can be done. Notwithstanding which, we maintain that believers may be saved without these signs, when they have neither place nor opportunity of observing them.
13. We acknowledge no sacraments [as of divine appointment] but baptism and the Lord's supper.
14. We honour the secular powers, with subjection, obedience, promptitude, and payment.
2. We believe that there is one God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. We acknowledge for sacred canonical scriptures the books of the Holy Bible. (Here follows the title of each, exactly conformable to our received canon, but which it is deemed, on that account, quite unnecessary to particularize.)
4. The books above-mentioned teach us: That there is one GOD, almighty, unbounded in wisdom, and infinite in goodness, and who, in His goodness, has made all things. For He created Adam after His own image and likeness. But through the enmity of the Devil, and his own disobedience, Adam fell, sin entered into the world, and we became transgressors in and by Adam.
5. That Christ had been promised to the fathers who received the law, to the end that, knowing their sin by the law, and their unrighteousness and insufficiency, they might desire the coming of Christ to make satisfaction for their sins, and to accomplish the law by Himself.
6. That at the time appointed of the Father, Christ was born - a time when iniquity everywhere abounded, to make it manifest that it was not for the sake of any good in ourselves, for all were sinners, but that He, who is true, might display His grace and mercy towards us.
7. That Christ is our life, and truth, and peace, and righteousness - our shepherd and advocate, our sacrifice and priest, who died for the salvation of all who should believe, and rose again for their justification.
8. And we also firmly believe, that there is no other mediator, or advocate with God the Father, but Jesus Christ. And as to the Virgin Mary, she was holy, humble, and full of grace; and this we also believe concerning all other saints, namely, that they are waiting in heaven for the resurrection of their bodies at the day of judgment.
9. We also believe, that, after this life, there are but two places - one for those that are saved, the other for the damned, which [two] we call paradise and hell, wholly denying that imaginary purgatory of Antichrist, invented in opposition to the truth.
10. Moreover, we have ever regarded all the inventions of men [in the affairs of religion] as an unspeakable abomination before God; such as the festival days and vigils of saints, and what is called holy-water, the abstaining from flesh on certain days, and such like things, but above all, the masses.
11. We hold in abhorrence all human inventions, as proceeding from Antichrist, which produce distress (Alluding probably to the voluntary penances and mortification imposed by the Catholics on themselves), and are prejudicial to the liberty of the mind.
12 We consider the Sacraments as signs of holy things, or as the visible emblems of invisible blessings. We regard it as proper and even necessary that believers use these symbols or visible forms when it can be done. Notwithstanding which, we maintain that believers may be saved without these signs, when they have neither place nor opportunity of observing them.
13. We acknowledge no sacraments [as of divine appointment] but baptism and the Lord's supper.
14. We honour the secular powers, with subjection, obedience, promptitude, and payment.
http://www.reformedreader.org/ccc/waldenses_confessions_of_faith.htm
Hey Miller.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I happened to walk in the General international conference (American Associations (methodist?) of the Waldensians in one of their historic churches in the mountains around Turin. (Piedmont area)
I walked in and out of their discussions, looked around the library talked to people in the food and book stalls. I got myself a couple of books on their history.
All in all I felt and was made quite welcome in my mountaineering walking back pack suit.
I wondered what would have happened if "a certain hobo" would have walked in a wcg refresher program and asked to see the offices of hwa and Rader and subsequently order some food at the Student Center.
Bwahahaga.
Ok I admit to being a "hobo" but with a commanding presence and intellectual demeanor........ reminiscent of descriptions of Lucifer I admit.
I too pictures of their logo, lux eternis or something. Anyway I have a memory of light from that experience and it didn't rain in the mountains that day.
Nck
Thanks for sharing the reminiscences, and I enjoyed the hobo in Pasadena fantasy!
DeleteWhen the French persecuted the Waldensians, the great protestant powers of the day Sweden, Holland and England intervened to prevent a massacre.
DeleteI wish that had happened for the Yezidi. One of my favorite cults. I mean who gets to worship a cherubim etched in stone at the border of what many today think was the location of "the garden of eden."
I try and speak up for persecuted "little" people.
I believe I already shared a visit to the small inconspicuous tabernacle of the last remnant of a small once populous Jewish group in remote Central Asia.
Asked for a small donation I turned to the tin box to drop some coins. It was then that I saw, the pictures of senator Hillary Clinton visiting that exact same little shrine in order to I believe to honor and fulfill a promise she had made to her New York sponsors.
In an Egyptian Wadi I entered into discussing the Council of Chalcedon with a Coptic monk. He thought I was too worldly to discuss ecumenism with him and I wished him well with the Islamic guards outside.
In the shiite shrine of mirrors in Damascus a bearded guy tried to trap me into discussing politics. But I speak of peace only when outside of my comfort zone. I try and see how minorities do in seas of majority.
My little contribution too liberty within the box.
Nck
Great stories, and every contribution toward the good (no matter how insignificant it may seem to us or others) can make a difference.
Delete