It is not my design to give even an abridged account of ecclesiastical affairs as connected with this people during the many centuries of their existence, but confine myself to a consideration of the origin of their distinguishing appellation, with an account of their doctrinal sentiments and religious practices, and their terrible persecutions and dispersion.

It is evident that the Latin word vallis has been the parent of the English word valley, the French and Spanish valle, the Provençal vaux, vaudois, the Italian valdesi, the low Dutch valleye, and the ecclesiastical Valdensis, Valdenses, and Waldenses. The designation of the word is valleys—inhabitants of valleys—neither more nor less. There being no w in the Latin language, the terms Vallenses and Valdenses were employed long before the more modern one of Waldenses came into use.

It appears that from the earliest ages, the inhabitants of the valleys about the Pyrenees did not profess the Catholic faith; neither was it embraced by the inhabitants of the valleys of the Alps; it occurred, also, that one Valdo, in the ninth century, a friend and adviser of Berengarius, and a man of wealth, talents, and piety, who had many followers, possessed himself of a Bible, by which he was led to perceive the errors and corruptions of Rome, which he severely denounced; moreover, it came to pass that about one hundred and thirty years after, a rich merchant of Lyons, whose name was Waldo, openly withdrew from the communion of Rome, and supported many to travel and teach the doctrines believed in the valleys. All these people, though different in their origin, and different no doubt in some minor points of faith and practices of worship, were called Waldenses as a general term. They had also other appellations imposed upon them, which, however, were mostly local, and which I shall subsequently take into consideration. This accounts in a satisfactory manner for the diversity of the statements concerning them. In Languedoc these heresies were supposed to be of recent origin, and to have originated from Waldo, whose immediate followers were called Waldenses. This, however, was merely the renovation of the name from a particular cause, and not its original; for we find that, in other districts, other branches of this same original sect are called by other appellations, significative of some distinguished leader. Thus, in Dauphiny, they were called Josephists, and, in other places, Petrobrusians, from Peter De Bruys. Sometimes they received their names from their manners, as Catharists (Puritans), Bonne Homines (good men); at others, from the peculiarities of their religious ordinances, as insabbathists (sabbath-keepers), and Sabbatharians, because they contended for the observance of the original sabbath, and denied the real presence of Christ in the eucharist.[15] By some they were denominated Bulgarians, and by others Paulicians, and, by a corruption of that word, Publicans, because it appears that a multitude of that ancient sect had emigrated hither, and amalgamated with them.[16] Sometimes they were named from the city or country in which they prevailed, as Toulousians, Lombardists, and Albigenses. Nevertheless all these branches were distinguished as keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

In more recent times they were particularly distinguished in France by the name of Albigenses, from the great numbers of them that inhabited the city of Alby, in the district of Albigeons, between the Garonne, and the Rhone. After the Council of Alby, which condemned them as heretics, that name became general and confirmed. In the records of this Council the following passage occurs: "They savour of Judaism, they practise circumcision,[17] they observe the Jewish sabbath, but say the holy Dominical day is no better than other days; let them be accursed."

Very laboured disquisitions have been written, and great pains taken, by a certain class of writers, to prove that the Albigenses and Waldenses were very different classes of Christians, and that they held different opinions and religious principles. How far this distinction extended it is impossible at present to ascertain; but when the popes issued their fulminations against the Albigenses, they expressly condemned them as Waldenses; by the legates of the Holy See they were accused of professing the faith of the Waldenses, the inquisitors formed their processes of indictments against them as Waldenses; the leaders of the crusades made war upon them as Waldenses; they were persecuted on all sides as such; nor did they attempt to rebut the charges made against them, but readily adopted the title thus imposed upon them, which they considered it an honour to bear.

The Pasaginians, or Passignes, were another branch of this same sect, who derived their appellation from the country of Passau, where it is computed that eighty or one hundred thousand of them resided. That these were all one people is evident from the fact that the provincial councils of Toulouse in 1119, and of Lombez in 1176, and the general councils of Lateran, in 1139 and 1176, do not particularize them as Pasaginians, or Albigenses, but as heretics, which shows that they existed and were generally known before these names were imposed upon them.

Their enemies confirm their identity as well as their great antiquity. Father Gretzer, a Jesuit, who had examined the subject fully, and who had every opportunity of knowing, admits the great antiquity of the heretics, and, moreover, expresses his firm belief that the Toulousians, Albigenses, Pasaginians, Arnoldists, Josephists, and the other heretical factions, who, at that time, were engaging the attention of the popes, were no other than Waldenses. This opinion he corroborates by showing wherein they resembled each other. Among other points he mentions the following: "Moreover, all these heretics despise the fasts and feasts of the church, such as Candlemas, Easter, the Dominical day; in short, all approved ecclesiastical customs for which they do not find a warrant in the Scripture. They say, also, that God enjoined rest and holy meditation upon the seventh day, and that they cannot feel justified in the observance of any other."

In the decree of Pope Lucius III., dated 1181, we find the Catharists, Paterines, Josephists, Arnoldists, Passignes, and those calling themselves the "Poor of Lyons," all considered as one, and laid under a perpetual anathema.

It is evident from all these testimonies that the Waldenses, as they penetrated into different countries, became distinguished by a great variety of appellations, which they derived from the countries they inhabited, or from the men who became their leaders at particular periods. Thus in Albi, Toulouse, Provence, Languedoc, and the neighbouring countries in France, they were called Albigenses; Vaudois, Vallenses, and Waldenses in Savoy; Pasaginians in Passau, and the adjacent regions, with other names and titles too numerous to mention here.

Nevertheless it appears that some distinction existed between these different parties. The old Waldenses were not seceders from the Church of Rome; for neither themselves nor their ancestors had ever embraced its faith. Claudius Seyssel, a popish archbishop, declares that the Waldensian heresy originated from one Leo, who, in the days of Constantine the Great, led a party of heretics from Rome into the valleys. Pope Gregory VII. observes that it is well known that in the days of Constantine the Great, some assemblies of Jewish Christians being persecuted at Rome, because they persisted in obedience to the law of Moses, wandered off into the valleys, where their descendants remain unto this day. Reiner Sacco declares that, in the opinion of many authors of note, their antiquity could be traced to the apostolic age. He also observes that never, within the memory of man, have they acknowledged allegiance to the papal see. But that there were seceding parties, who, at different times and under particular leaders, withdrew from the communion of that church, and became amalgamated with the old Waldenses, we have every reason to believe. That these latter, though disposed to condemn many of the grosser superstitions of that church, such as the worship of images, transubstantiation, the sacrament of the mass, etc., might still hesitate about rejecting all her man-made ordinances, is highly probable. Indeed, this very thing is mentioned by a very ancient writer, quoted by Perrin, as producing divisions among them.

At the head of one of these parties was Claude, Bishop of Turin, who flourished in the commencement of the seventh century. It does not appear that this bold reformer ever separated wholly from the Church of Rome, but he denounced many of her corruptions and abominations in no measured terms, and had many followers. From the death of this eminent man until the time of Peter Waldo, of Lyons, the history of this people is involved in much obscurity. If they possessed any writers among themselves capable of giving their transactions to posterity, or if any records of their ecclesiastical affairs were committed to writing, the barbarous zeal of their opponents has prevented their transmission to our times. To the accounts of their adversaries, therefore, we must look for proofs of their existence, and here they are abundant. They are, also, uniformly represented as separated in faith and practice from the Catholic Church, and as continually multiplying in number; but further than this we have of them very imperfect statements.

During all this period the popes appear to have been too intent upon their own pleasures, and too much engaged by their own quarrels, to interfere with the despised Waldenses, and it was not until the twelfth century, that these people appear in history as obnoxious to the court of Rome. About this time one Peter Waldo, an opulent merchant of Lyons, in France, made an attack upon the superstitions of the Romish church, particularly the monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation. He commenced by causing a translation of the four gospels to be made into French, which he circulated extensively among his countrymen, particularly those of the poorer class. He soon became a preacher, gathered a large church in his native city, from which, a few years after, himself and his adherents were driven by the anathemas of the Pope. Waldo, with his numerous followers, retired into Dauphiny, where his preaching was attended with abundant success. His principles were embraced by multitudes, who were denominated Leonists, Vaudois, Waldenses, etc.; for the very same class of Christians were designated by all these different appellations at different times, and according to the different countries in which they appeared.

Driven from Dauphiny, Waldo sought refuge in Picardy, where, also, his labours were abundantly blessed. Persecuted thence, he fled into Germany, and carried with him the glad tidings of salvation. From Germany he removed to Bohemia, where he finally finished his course in the year 1179, and the twentieth of his ministry. The amazing success which had crowned the efforts of this holy man, aroused the pontiff and his legates to the most vindictive and sanguinary measures. Terrible persecutions ensued; the bishops of Mentz and Strasburg breathed nothing but vengeance and slaughter against them. Thirty-five citizens of Mentz were burned in one fire at the city of Bingen, and eighteen in Mentz itself. In Strasburg eighty were committed to the flames. In other places multitudes died praising God, and in the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection.