Further Observations Touching Said Fourteen Martyrs

"Robert Altisidorensis says of these martyrs of Orleans that they were among the best, or the chief, laymen of Orleans, and that for this reason a council was called there against them, in which they were unanimously condemned and sentenced, as heretics, to the fire; and that they were burned alive in this way."

This testimony is confirmed by Johannes, a monk of Floriax, who gives a somewhat fuller account of the matter in his letter to Oliva, or Olivarius, abbot of the church of Ansona, where he says: "Meanwhile I will tell you of this heresy (this is what he calls the true faith of these people), which was on Innocent's day, in the city of Orleans; for it is the truth, if you have heard anything of it. King Robert had fourteen of the best, or most nobly born, laymen of that city burned alive; who (Oh, what a great falsehood!), abominable before God, and hated by heaven and earth, utterly denied the grace of holy baptism (he means infant baptism, for on that the grace of salvation was promised to children, which these men denied), as well as the consecration of the body and blood of the Lord, and denied that anyone could obtain forgiveness of sins by it after he had committed a crime." Masson Annal. Franc., book 3, in Hugo and Robert.

Glaber Radulphus (in Hist. Gall., book 3, chapter 8) gives a much fuller account of these martyrs, telling not only how this (so called) heresy was discovered, but also how it was brought to Orleans and spread; which we pass by, in order to be brief.

He mentions, among others, two of these people by name, namely, Heribert and Lisoius, who were greatly esteemed and loved by the king and the lords of the realm, as long as their case was not known. Glaber tells further how they were discovered. At Rouen they sought to bring a certain priest over to their belief, through some whom [n372-1]

they had probably sent expressly to this priest, to explain to him the mystery of their doctrine, and who tried to persuade him by saying that very soon all the people would come over to them.

When the priest understood this, he went at once to Richard, the Count of that city, and told him the whole matter. Richard immediately sent letters by special messengers to the king, telling him of this secret pestilence (as he calls the true faith). King Robert, much grieved at this, without delay called a council of many bishops, abbots, and other religious persons (this is what he calls this bloodthirsty council), and through them had very strict investigations made, both as to the authors and the followers of this heresy. When inquiry was made among the laymen as to what the belief and faith of each one was, Heribert and Lisoius, named above, at once made themselves known, that they differed in their belief from the Roman church; and afterwards others also declared that they held with Heribert and Lisoius, and that they could in no way be drawn away from their faith. When they were questioned more closely, from where and by whom this presumption had begun, they gave this answer: "This is what you have long called a sect, which you now, though late, recognize. But we have waited a long time for you, as well as all others, of whatever law or order, to come over and unite with this sect; which we also believe will yet take place."

They then at once presented their belief, doubtless after the manner of the Albigenses and Waldenses, as will be shown later.

When the king and all those present saw that they could not be moved from their belief, he commanded that a very large wood fire be kindled not far from the city, so that perhaps, terrified by it, they might give up their belief. But when they were about to be led out to the fire, they cried aloud that they greatly longed for it, and gave themselves into the hands of those who were to drag them to the fire. They, thirteen in number, were given to the flames, and all who were afterwards found to be their followers were put to death in the same way.

Again, in the records of the parish church of

Orleans, called Saint Maximus' church, the time is stated when this took place. It happened, as it is said there, publicly at Orleans, in the year 1022, in the twenty-eighth year of King Robert, on the fifth induction, when the arch heretic Stephen and his companions were condemned at Orleans, and burned.

The citations above are taken from the writings of papists; therefore the reader is urged to judge charitably concerning the accusations which these long-standing adversaries have so bitterly thrown up against these devout witnesses of Jesus Christ.

NOTE. We have told above that these fourteen martyrs have been regarded by the ancients as the firstlings of the Waldenses; but the papists called them heretics. However, this is not to be wondered at; since in the course of time they took up the practice of calling heretics and the Waldenses by the same name. We will give a few examples of this. The priest Reinerius wrote a book which he called Summa contra Haereticos, that is, "A Summary against the Heretics." To this book the Jesuits later gave the title Contra Waldenses, or, "Against the Waldenses;" as if all the errors opposed in that book belonged only to the Waldenses, which is as untrue as falsehood itself. Compare Reinerius' book with A. M., second book, folio 437, column 4.

Everhard Berthuniensis gave his book the title Antiheretism, which is the same as saying Against Heretics, and so on; but the Jesuit Gretserus, when he published that book, called it Everhardus contra Waldensen; as if Everhard had written only against the Waldenses, though only the smallest part is directed against them. Nevertheless, by this title it was sought to charge the poor Waldenses with all the heresies mentioned in that book.

Afterwards one Ermegard wrote a book against the grossly erring spirits who held in their confession that the world and all visible things were not created by God, but (Oh, what an awful falsehood!) by Satan; which belief is charged by most of the ancient writers to the Manicheans; yet the falsifier last named, namely Gretserus, did not hesitate to head such a page of that book, Ermegard against the Waldenses; though the author refuted the Manicheans in particular, with whom the Waldenses had nothing in common. See the authors and books named above, and also the comments of Balthasar Lydius on the disputations of these persons. So it follows from what has gone before that it need not seem strange to the reader that the papists called the orthodox Waldenses, or at least those who opposed the Roman doctrine, as well as the priests and monks, by the hateful name of Manicheans or heretics, as was often the case, and as will presently be shown with regard to the good martyrs who, through the malice of the papists, were hanged at Goslar. [n372-2]