Bull against the Waldenses (Dowling, The history of Romanism, 1845)

Text: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;" "And he [the little horn] ... shall wear out the saints of the most High, ... and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:21,25

Quote:



   § 62.—This same pope Innocent issued a violent and furious bull against the Waldenses, an extract of which, though only a specimen of a large class of similar effusions of papal bigotry and blood-thirstiness, is yet worthy of record as a specimen of the spirit of Popery only a few years before the glorious reformation, and while Luther, its destined author, was just emerging from infancy. Luther was born in 1483. The bull of pope Innocent was issued in 1487. This truly popish document institutes Albert de Capitaneis archdeacon of the church of Cremona, nuncio and commissioner of the apostolic See in the states of the Duke of Savoy, and prescribes to him to labor in the extirpation of the very pernicious and abominable sect of men called the Poor of Lyons or the Waldenses, in concert with the Inquisitor-General Blasius, of the order of the Preaching-Brotherhood. The Pope gives him, for that object, full power over all archbishops, bishops, their vicars and chief officers; "in order," says he, "that they may have authority, together with you and the said inquisitor, to take up arms against the said Waldenses and other heretics, and to come to an understanding to crush them like venomous asps, and to contribute all their care to so holy and so necessary an extermination. . . . . We give you power to have the crusade preached up by fit men: to grant that such persons as shall enter on the crusade and fight against these same heretics, and shall contribute to it, may gain plenary indulgence and remission of all their sins once in their life, and also at their death; to command, in virtue of their holy obedience, and under penalty of excommunication, all preachers of God's word to animate and incite the same believers to exterminate the pestilence, without sparing, by force and by arms. We further give you power to absolve those who enter on the crusade, fight, or contribute to it, from all sentences, censures, and ecclesiastical penalties, general or particular, by which they may be bound, as also to give them dispensation for any irregularity contracted in divine matters, or for any apostasy, and to enter some terms of composition with them for the goods which they may have secretly amassed, badly acquired, or held doubtfully, applying them to the expenses attendant on this extirpation of heretics; . . . . to concede to each, permission to lawfully seize on the property, real or personal, of heretics; also to command all being in the service of these same heretics, in whatsoever place they may be, to withdraw from it, under whatever penalty you may deem fit; and by the same authority to declare that they and all others, who may be held and obliged by contract, or other manner, to pay them anything, are not for the future in any way obliged to do so; and to deprive all those refusing to obey your admonitions and commands, of whatever dignity, state, order, and pre-eminence they may possess, to wit, the ecclesiastics of their dignities, offices, and benefices; and the laity of their honors, titles, fiefs, and privileges, if they persist in their disobedience and rebellion; . . . . and to fulminate all kinds of censures, according as the case in your judgment may demand; . . . . to absolve and re-establish such as may wish to return to the lap of the church, although they may have sworn to favor the heretics, provided, taking the contrary oath, they promise to abstain most carefully from doing so."* [...]

   * Leger. Hist. des eglises Vaudoises, Vol. ii., chap. 2; the original of the bull is in the library of Cambridge University.

Dowling, John, The history of Romanism: from the earliest corruptions of Christianity to the present time, with full chronological table, analytical and alphabetical indexes and glossary.; illustrated by numerous accurate and highly finished engravings of its ceremonies, superstitions, persecutions, and historical incidents, New York: Edward Walker, 1845, pp. 425-426.

Online Source: archive.org/details/historyofromanis00dowl

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