Waldensian Confession of Faith of 1120
(Reproduced from Jones' Church History)
1. We believe and firmly maintain all that is contained in the twelve
articles of the symbol, commonly called the apostles' creed, and we
regard as heretical whatever is inconsistent with the said twelve
articles.
2. We believe that there is one God - the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
3. We acknowledge for sacred canonical scriptures the books of the Holy
Bible. [NOTE: Here follows the title of each, exactly conformable to our
received canon, but which it is deemed, on that account, quite
unnecessary to particularize.]
4. The books above-mentioned teach us: That there is one GOD, almighty,
unbounded in wisdom, and infinite in goodness, and who, in His goodness,
has made all things. For He created Adam after His own image and
likeness. But through the enmity of the Devil, and his own disobedience,
Adam fell, sin entered into the world, and we became transgressors in and
by Adam.
5. That Christ had been promised to the fathers who received the law, to
the end that, knowing their sin by the law, and their unrighteousness and
insufficiency, they might desire the coming of Christ to make
satisfaction for their sins, and to accomplish the law by Himself.
6. That at the time appointed of the Father, Christ was born - a time
when iniquity everywhere abounded, to make it manifest that it was not
for the sake of any good in ourselves, for all were sinners, but that He,
who is true, might display His grace and mercy towards us.
7. That Christ is our life, and truth, and peace, and righteousness - our
shepherd and advocate, our sacrifice and priest, who died for the
salvation of all who should believe, and rose again for their
justification.
8. And we also firmly believe, that there is no other mediator, or
advocate with God the Father, but Jesus Christ. And as to the Virgin
Mary, she was holy, humble, and full of grace; and this we also believe
concerning all other saints, namely, that they are waiting in heaven for
the resurrection of their bodies at the day of judgment.
9. We also believe, that, after this life, there are but two places - one
for those that are saved, the other for the damned, which [two] we call
paradise and hell, wholly denying that imaginary purgatory of Antichrist,
invented in opposition to the truth.
10. Moreover, we have ever regarded all the inventions of men [in the
affairs of religion] as an unspeakable abomination before God; such as
the festival days and vigils of saints, and what is called holy-water,
the abstaining from flesh on certain days, and such like things, but
above all, the masses.
11. We hold in abhorrence all human inventions, as proceeding from
Antichrist, which produce distress (Alluding probably to the voluntary
penances and mortification imposed by the Catholics on themselves), and
are prejudicial to the liberty of the mind.
12 We consider the Sacraments as signs of holy things, or as the visible
emblems of invisible blessings. We regard it as proper and even necessary
that believers use these symbols or visible forms when it can be done.
Notwithstanding which, we maintain that believers may be saved without
these signs, when they have neither place nor opportunity of observing
them.
13. We acknowledge no sacraments [as of divine appointment] but baptism
and the Lord's supper.
14. We honour the secular powers, with subjection, obedience,
promptitude, and payment.