The Albigensians: Their Origins and the Action of the Church in the 12th Century

out of hatred for those who preside over it. As if human malice could destroy the work of God, the aversion they had conceived for the teachers made them hate, all at once, both the doctrine they taught and the authority they had received from God to teach.

"Such were the Albigensians and the Waldensians (1)."

These proud people who "became weak" were all those who opposed the Church, which is the work of God. "These strong ones of the Church, whose faith no temptation could shake nor tear away from unity," were the Robert of Arbrissels, the Raoul Ardents, the Saint Bernards, the Pierre de Castelnaus, the Alexanders III, the Innocents III, and Saint Dominic. Our duty was therefore to study at length the work of these admirable men who "considered themselves fortunate enough that nothing prevented them from practicing reformation internal moral and spiritual renewal within themselves." This work was the very work of God, and it alone has remained.

We constantly follow the chronological order step by step. It has been said with reason that "Chronology is the eye of History." Nothing is truer for clarifying the obscure and turbulent period of the Albigensians. It is no longer

(1) Hist. des Vari. original: "Histoire des Variations des Églises protestantes" by Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, Book I, number 5.