What Did The Waldensians Believe In?

Peter Waldo

 The Waldensians were a 12th century Christian sect, although some have argued that Peter Waldo did not start the sect, but just organize it. 

Despite that, there exists a lot of confusion on the beliefs of the Waldensians today, almost every Protestant groups sees the Waldensians as their spiritual ancestors, but what did they really believe in?
This post will do something that most haven't taken the time do, which is go to the actual sources themselves.

Firstly, we have a book written by early Waldensians called the "noble lesson", although it is not full of theology, some things are implicit. 

Firstly, it seems that baptism is implicitly affirmed to be for believers only, as it reads: "They preached to Jews and Greeks, working many Miracles; And baptized those who believed in the Name of Jesus Christ."

The Waldensians apparently separated the Mosaic law and the law of Christ as substantially distinct laws, as the book reads:

The second Law which God gave to Moses, Teacheth us to fear God, and to serve him with all our strength; For he condemneth and punisheth every one that offends.  But the third Law which is at this present time, Teacheth us to love God, and serve him purely: For he waiteth for the Sinner, and giveth him time, That he may repent in this present life. 

Although not exclusively dispensational, the view that the law of Christ is a substantially distinct law from the Mosaic, is clearly against the principles of covenant theology.

However, the Cathar convert to Catholicism, who lived close to the time of Peter Waldo, "Renerius Saccho" also wrote in detail on Waldensian beliefs. Saccho when listing Waldensian beliefs mentioned these (word by word quotations):

• That the Pope is the head of all errors
• they condemn all the Sacraments of the Church... also, that the ablution which is given to infants profits nothing
• also, they say that the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles is sufficient for salvation without the statures of the church - that the tradition of the church is the tradition of the Pharisees

This shows that the Waldensians objected to infant baptism, believed that scripture alone is infallible and they denied the papacy. However, they were not a Gnostic sect, as they clearly affirmed the trinity, the incarnation and such basic doctrines. The Waldensian book "noble lesson" even directly mentions the word trinity, as it says "These three (the holy Trinity) as being but one God, ought to be called upon,".

Thus, the Waldensians held to similar theology as such as Baptists, Anabaptists and many other Evangelicals, though not being exactly identical in every respect.