, one of the earliest reformers of the church from Popery, but erroneously
, one of the earliest reformers of the
church from Popery, but erroneously said to be the founder of that body of reformed Christians called the Waldenses, was an opulent merchant of Lyons in the twelfth
century. The first time when he appears to have opposed
the errors of the religion in which he was educated, was
about 1160, when the doctrine of transubstantiation was
confirmed by pope Innocent III. with the addition that
men should fall down before the consecrated wafer and
worship it as God. The absurdity of this forcibly struck
the mind of Waldo, who opposed it in a very courageous
manner. It does not appear, however, that he had any
intention of withdrawing himself from the communion of
the Romish church, or that in other respects he had any
very serious notions of religion. The latter appears to
have been produced first by the sudden death of a person
with whom he was in company. This^lett very serious impressions on his mind, and he betook himself to reading
the scriptures. At that time the Latin vulgate Bible was
the only edition of the Scriptures in Europe; but that
language was accessible to few. Waldo, however, from
his situation in life, had had a good education, and could
read this volume. “Being somewhat learned,
” says Reinerius, “he taught the people the text of the New Testament.
” He was also now disposed to abandon his mercantile pursuits, and distributed his wealth to the poor as occasion required, and while the latter flocked to him to
partake of his alms, he also attended to their spiritual instruction, and either translated, or procured to be translated the four gospels into French; and thus the inhabitants
of Europe were indebted to him for the first translation of
the Bible into a modern tongue, since the time that the
Latin had ceased to be a living language.