ALB 



ALB 



,.tl>'rir were calitil r.ltcrir.i, and Catliari or Ca/ari ( !n France 

 thty obtained ihe apptllation of Albij^tnfes, (n;u\ tlie cir- 

 cuiiiftancc already rncutioncd ; and thty were alio dtnonil- 

 .Iiited Bulgariiuis, becaiifc thty originajly came from ]>ul- 

 f^aiia ; i'liblicana jirobaLly by conuption from I'aiilicians, 

 .tons-Hommcs, or Cfuod Men; Pctro-linifTians from Peter 

 Bniys, who is faid by feme to bave full bnuighl tbeni into 

 l^anjjuedoc ; Anioldiih, Abelardiits, Henriciiuis, from the 

 r.air.es <if Arnold dc BrtfTe, Peter Abclard, and Hciiry, who 

 adopted their opinions. They were alfo called PaAag-ers, 

 Albii, and Albr.nenfcs ; but foinc confidcr the latter as 

 rlillintt from the Albiger.fes, thougii they avowed fimilar 

 fentiments, and trace their ori^jiu to the Kth ccntnry. As 

 tlie Albigenies were diiHngiiiflKd by their uppofitlon to the 

 dik'ipline and cereironies cf the cluirch of Rome, the Popifh 

 writers have comprehended all the adverlarics of tlus ehiirch 

 tiiider the lame appellation. Accordingly they have con- 

 founded them with the Waldenfes, or Vaudois, who fprang 

 up at a later period, and differed from them in fome of their 

 • ■opinions. Boduet, the bifliop of Mt-anx, contends, that 

 they were different fefts ; and he alledj^es, that the Albi- 

 genfes were heretics and manichees ; and that theWaidenfes 

 were merely Ichiimatics, wlio vere found as to articles of 

 faith, and feparated from the church of Rome on accoinit 

 of forms and diieipline. lint they were unqneUionahly 

 agreed in their oppofition to the papal hierarchy, and in 

 alferting the ulurpation, tyranny, and idolatry of the 

 Romifh ch\irch, and in reprefenting the pope as Antichrilh 

 The learned I^imboreh has taken pains to inveiUgate and 

 afcertain the difltrence between tlieie two iccts ; and he 

 Hates, in detail, the feveral opinions and praftiees in which 

 they both agreed and dilTered. Thev concurred in main- 

 taining the unlawhilnels and fnifuhitfs of every kind c;f oath, 

 and the inntility ot conftffion to the prieil, and the ineificacy 

 of abfolution, and in reprefenting the church of Rome as 

 antichriftian. The opinions in which they diiagreed were 

 thofe of the manichees, which he inclines to think were 

 adopted by many of the Albigenfcs, but which are not jnilly 

 chargeable againll the Waldenfes. The fcn-mer are laid, 

 upon the authority of the book of the Sentences of the In- 

 qaihtion at Toulonfe, to which this writer refers, to have be- 

 lieved, that there are two Gods and Lords, the one good, the 

 other evil ; that all things vifible and corporeal were created 

 not by God, our HcavenlvFatlier, and the Lord Jefus Chrirt, 

 but by the devil, the evil god, who is the god of this world, 

 and the maker and prince of it. They alio maintained, that 

 the facramcnts of the church of Rome are vain and unpro- 

 fitable ; viz, the. eucharift, baptilm, confirmation, orders 

 and extreme unftion. In the euehariil they behevcd, that 

 tliere was not the body of Chriif, and nothing but mere 

 bread ; the baptifin of water they condemned as unavailing, 

 and particularly that of children ; extreme unction was, in 

 their judgment, of no avail ; and as to the orders of the 

 church of Rome, they reproached and condemned its whole 

 conllitution ; matrimony was fmful, and not appointed by the 

 rood God ; they alfo denied the incarnation of Chriit ; and 

 maintained, that he did not take a real human body, nor 

 r.le again with it, but merely with the likcnefs of it ; and 

 that it was impoffible for God to be incarnate ; they are alfo 

 ciarged with dtiiying the rcfurreotion of bodies, alledging 

 that though the louls of men (hall come to judgment, they 

 iliall not then appear in their bodies ; they obje(f\ed to the 

 ;juoratiun of tlie crofs, the iign of which they reprefented 

 Si a detcftable emblem of the devil ; and they believed, that 

 the fouls of men were fpirits baniflied from heaven bceaufe 

 cf their lins. The Albigenfcs differed alio from the Wal- 

 aeiiiei in their rites and culloms, as well as in their dodriiies. 



3 



Of tlie former, it h faid, there were two fjrts, fome pro- 

 fed'ed their faith, and conformed to the cu.loms of their feift, 

 and were called perfenl or cortfolat'i, perfett or comforted. 

 Others only enteied into a covenant with thefe perfcA prr- 

 fons, which they tall I.a ConiK'iienJ'n, the agreement, that 

 at the end of life they would be received into their fcft ; 

 for this rece])tion they were prepared by certain abllinenres 

 or falls ; and the admiifion, culled fpiritual baptifrn, was be- 

 lieved to fave the foul of the perfwi admitted, and v.as de- 

 layed to the lalt fickncls, when there were no hopes of 

 recovery. Thofe who were thus received were commanded 

 to make ufe of the eniliira, ;'. e. falling thcmfelvcs to death, 

 and even to haften their death by opening a vein and bathing. 

 Of the manicheifm of the Albigenfcs, and other opinions and 

 pracliees, which have been charged upon them by inquilitors 

 and popilli writers, they have been exculpated by proteilart 

 authors ; and the ehar»;es have been afcribed to that malig- 

 nant /.tal, which has induced perfecntors to vindicate their 

 own conduft, and to fix reproach on thofe who have been 

 deemed heretics. The errors and crimes of individuals have 

 been, not imfrecjuently, charged upon whole bodies of men; 

 and we have reafon to think, that this has been very much 

 the cafe in the prednt inllance. However this be, the AI- 

 bigeufes became fo formidable, both by their number and 

 zeal, that a holy league, or crnfade, was agreed upon 

 among the Catholics ; and pope Innocent III. exhorted all 

 princes to opprefs them as much as poffible, and to expel 

 them from their dominions. Raymond, carl of Tonloufe, 

 aflorded them temporai-j- protection and favour ; upon 

 which the pope ordered him to be excommunicated as a fa- 

 vourer of heretics. He alfo fent his legate, with letters to 

 many of the prelates, commanding them to make inquilition 

 agaiidl the Albigenfes, and to deftroy them. He alfo en- 

 gaged Philip, king of France, to coi.cur in this work of 

 extirpation. The pope's legate was accompanied by 12 

 abbots of the Ciflerclan order, preaching the crofs againll 

 the Albigenies, and promiJlng, by the authority of Inno- 

 cent, a plenary remiflicfi of all lins to all who took upon 

 ihem the crufadc. To thefe Dominiek joined himfelf, and 

 in that expedition invented the inquisition : and he de- 

 puted thole who were denominated cv.oa-bcurcrs to unite 

 their efforts for hippreffing thefe heretics. ^Vhen thefe 

 deputies of Dominiek and the pope were fufpeCted of be- 

 ing lefs -/ealons than they wilhed them to be, a plenai^ in- 

 dulgence was proclaimed in order to engage a greater number 

 of affillants in this warfare of intoleiancc and blood; The 

 crofs-bearers on this oceafion wore the crofs on their breails, 

 as thijfe who took it up againft the Saracens bore it on their 

 backs or (lioulders. Raymond, who was ftill forbearing and 

 indulgent, was excommunicated by a bull of Innocent, his 

 fubjects were abfolved from their oath of allegiance, and 

 power was given to any catholic, not only to aft againll his- 

 perfon, but to take pofTedion of his country. The Eaii. 

 was at lail overcome, promifcd obedience, and fought recon- 

 ciliation with the church. After the reconciliation of the 

 earl, the crofs-bearers were bufilv employed in attacking the 

 heretics, fei/ing their cities, filling all places with Daughter 

 and blood, and burning many whom they had taken captives. 

 In tlie year lioy Eiterre was taken, the inhabitants without 

 diilinftion put to the Iword, and the city burnt. Carcaffone 

 was alfo dellroyed ; and Simon, carl of Montfort, made 

 governor of the whole country', tor the purpofe of extir- 

 pating heretics, which he faith.fully fulfilled. In the next 

 year a new expcditic>n ot the crols-bcarei-s was undertaken 

 againll the Albigc'.fes. They fei7td Albi, and other lov. ns, 

 and either hanged (v buritt lliofe heretics, whom they tap. 

 tured. The carl of Tculijiifv; was alarmed by ihe dellruc"tive 



prejjrefs 



