The Time Line from the Waldenses to Luther.
The Time Line from the Waldenses to Luther.
From Heb 11, The Heroes and Heroines of the Faith, we learn an over-arching lesson: it is good and right to have heroes and heroines!, especially among God's people.
Think of the places were David's mighty men are recorded; and lest we forget, their deeds are written down for our encouragement.
So in this Blog I want to give a bit of a history lesson, a time line, from around the year 1100 until the early 1500s, showing the sequential inter-connectedness from the Waldensens, to Peter Waldo, to John Wycliffe, to Jerome of Prague and Jan Hus, to William Tyndale, to Martin Luther.
These men should be our heroes, but they are largely unknown. While all of the above men, and many others too, stood against the anti-Christian Establishment that controlled the world, ie the Roman Catholic Church, God brought it all to a culmination with Luther, using him to rescue The True Church from its Babylonian Captivity; the title of one of his books.
I want to show the very clear and simple sequence of people who led up to Luther. This is not an exhaustive study; my hope is to stir you up to do a bit of investigating yourself, for even though there is a lot of information available on the internet about these facts of history, I have found there is a terrible lack of basic knowledge and understanding of Christian history among God's people. This is not good; the same issues are still around; the same issues that they fought against, we need to fight against; the same enemies they had, are our enemies; the enemies of Truth never change!
So we will look at the following:
1) The Waldenses
2) The Noble Lesson (1100)
3) Peter Waldo (1140 - 1205)
4) John Wycliffe (1328 - 1384)
5) Jerome of Prague (1379 - 1416) and Jan Hus (1369 - 1415)
6) William Tyndale (1494 - 1536)
7) Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)
It is said the Luther started the Protestant Reformation, but Luther did not rise up out of a vacuum! As with all events in human history, there are people and events which proceed the major event; events are sequentially inter-connected, linked together.
Even though the Waldenses were Italian protestants living in the Alps, and Peter Waldo was born in France, and Wycliffe was in England, and Jerome and Hus were Czech, and Tyndale English, and Luther in Germany, and even though they lived at intervals of about 100 years apart from each other, the later ones knew all about the previous ones, had access to their writings, and knew their teachings.
Even though news moved slower then than it does today, yet news moved back and forth across Europe: the world was very inter-connected!
1) The Waldenses and The Noble Lesson
The Waldenses were Italian Protestants who lived in the Alps. The English name "Waldenses" comes from the Italian "valle" which means valley; Italian has no "w." They were called "the people of the valleys," because they lived in the valleys of the Italian Alps.
They had been persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries.
The definitive book on them is:
"The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piedmont." by Samuel Morland. 1658.
https://archive.org/details/historyofevangel00morl/page/n11/mode/2up
The title page has this sub-title:
Containing a most exact Geograpicla description of the place, and a faithful account of the doctrine, life, and persecutions of the ancient inhabitants. Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody massacre, 1655. And a narrative of all the following transactions, to the year of our Lord, 1658. All which are justified, partly by divers ancient manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther, and party by other most authentic attestations: the true originals of the greatest part whereof are to be seen in their proper languages by all the curious in the public library of the famous University of Cambridge.
Note, it was written in 1658, right in the middle of the Puritan Age, by an Englishman.
Piedmont, is the northern district of Italy. It borders Switzerland. Piedmont means "foot of the mountains." I confess, I feel a kinship with these people, as that is my place of origin; my dad's side is Piedmontese, from Frazione Gibello, Comune Strona. I visited there, and saw my grandfather's house, where he lived prior to immigrating to America in 1919.
Morland establishes the history of the Waldenses, as being well before the reformation, "by divers ancient manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther," and he establishes them as true evangelicals by the many original documents which he translates, and by the fact that for hundreds of years the Roman Catholic church tried to exterminate them, the final attempt being in 1655, which prompted him to write his book 3 years later.
On the French side of the Alps, they were called the Albigens, and Pope Innocent the III lead a crusade against them 1209-1229.
When you read about them, you will see they are called "heretics," but remember, that is the Catholic church calling them that! While we might not agree with each and every one of their positions, they were Evangelical Christians, and Fox, in his "Book of Martyrs," writes about them, and the Catholic persecution of them.
2) The Noble Lesson
The Noble Lesson is a document, written by the Waldenses in the year 1100. This further establishes them as being around long before even Wycliffe, who is called "The Morning Star of the Reformation."
It's contents are GREAT!, but this Blog is not about its contents. If you are interested in reading it, and it is not very long, here is a link.
https://www.reformedreader.org/noblalecon.htm
For the purpose of this Blog, two (2) things are important:
1) When was it written and 2) Why was it written.
The document's opening words are:
O Brethren, give ear to a noble lesson.
We ought always to watch and pray,
For we see the world nigh to a conclusion.
We ought to strive to do good works,
Seeing that the end of this world approacheth.
There are already a thousand and one hundred years fully accomplished,
Since it was written thus, for we are in the last time.
It gives us the date when it was written, saying that 1100 years have elapsed from the time of Christ.
It was written in the year 1100.
Then after giving a summation of history, to show they believe all the bible teaches, they show how their enemies mock them, saying:
The Scripture saith, and it is evident,
That if any man love those who are good,
he must needs love God, and Jesus Christ.
Such an one will neither curse, swear, nor lye,
He will neither commit Adultery, nor kill;
he will neither defraud his Neighbour,
Nor avenge himself of his Enemies,
Now such an one is termed a Waldensian, and worthy to be punished,
And they finde occasion by lyes and by Deceit,
To take from him that which he has gotten by his just labour.
However, he that's thus persecuted for the fear of the Lord, strengthens himself greatly,
By this consideration, that the Kingdom of Heaven shall be given him at the end of the World.
Then he shall have a weight of glory in recompence for all such dishonour.
The name Waldenses was a term of derision, "you live in the mountains," you are poor, illiterate, un-taught, hicks, not the educated establishment town people like us. Just like the name "Christian," was a term of derision in the early years of the Church; just like Peter and John were mocked by the religious leaders in Act 4:13
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."
The Waldenses wrote "The Noble Lesson" to show they were being persecuted for holding to the bible! And that they were being persecuted by those who did not hold to the bible.
Remember, we are establishing a time line, a flow of people connected by the fact that they held the same beliefs and were persecuted by the same enemy.
3) Peter Waldo (1140 - 1205)
It is often thought that Peter Waldo started the Waldensens, but note he was born 40 years after The Noble Lesson was written. It is just happens that his name is the same!
He was born in Lyon, was a successful merchant, started reading the bible, was saved around 1170, and became a traveling evangelist. He is often referred to as the Proto-Protestant!
Waldo preached the evangelical gospel!
From Wikipedia:
In January 1179, Waldo and one of his disciples went to Rome, where they were welcomed by Pope Alexander III and the Roman Curia.[17] They had to explain their faith before a panel of three clergymen, including issues which were then debated within the Church, such as the universal priesthood,[18][19][20] the gospel in the vulgate or local language, and the issue of voluntary poverty. The results of the meeting were inconclusive. The pope affirmed the Waldensians' vow of poverty, but forbade them to continue preaching due to their status as laypeople.[4] Waldo and his followers revolted against the ban and increased their preaching and missionary efforts. They continued to gather followers and began proclaiming doctrines at odds with Catholicism - such as the right of all worthy members including women to preach the Scriptures without permission from Church authorities.[4] They also began preaching against Purgatory, prayers for the dead, and indulgences.[4] They were excommunicated by the Catholic Church. By the late 1180s, they were being pursued as heretics. This persecution only increased their preaching against the Roman Catholic Church.[4] The Waldensians developed a doctrine that forbids the use of weapons or of oaths, which led them to refuse any participation in Catholic rituals.[4] The Catholic hierarchy accused them of apostasy.[4] Waldo condemned what he considered as papal excesses and Catholic dogmas, including purgatory and transubstantiation. He said that these dogmas were "the harlot" from the book of Revelation.[21] Waldo's ideas, but not the movement itself, were condemned at the Third Lateran Council in March of the same year.[22] The leaders of the Waldensian movement were not yet excommunicated.
Waldo intinerated through out Europe, preaching, and so influential was he, that the Pope wanted to talk to him!
These are the same issues that Wycliffe, Hus, and Luther later preached against;" would not he as pre-dating them, given them food for thought! And another issue was translating the bible into the local languages. The men who followed Waldo did the same.
4) John Wycliffe (1328 - 1384)
Here is were we make a huge mistake. We see 120 years between Waldo's death, and Wycliffe’s birth and assume Wycliffe knew nothing of Waldo and was therefore not influenced by him - mistake!
Waldo was an active adversary to the Roman Catholic Church, every one knew what he taught.
Wycliffe was a catholic priest and professor of theology at Oxford - he knew all about Waldo.
He preached the same doctrines Waldo did, and he translated the bible into English!
He preached against purgatory, transubstantiation, rule of the clergy, papal infallibility, and indulgences (the hot topic for Luther 200 years later).
He was summoned before papal counsels and his ideas declared heretical.
The Wikipedia article on Wycliffe is very good, but too big to quote here. Plus there are many articles showing Peter Waldo's influence on John Wycliffe.
The in turn, Wycliffe influenced Jan Hus. There are many articles detailing that.
While Peter Waldo is called the Proto-Protestaant, John Wycliffe is called "The Morning Star of the Reformation."
5) Jerome of Prague (1379 - 1416) and Jan Hus (1369 - 1415)
Next are these two (2) men, who were Bohemians, present day Czech Republic. They were both Catholic priests.
Again, the Wikipedia articles on them are great, but the summation is that they also taught the exact same things as did Waldo and Wycliffe, from Wikipedia:
Writings of Hus and Wycliffe
Of the writings occasioned by these controversies, those of Hus on the Church, entitled De Ecclesia, were written in 1413 and have been most frequently quoted and admired or criticized, yet their first ten chapters are an epitome of Wycliffe's work of the same title and the following chapters are an abstract of another of Wycliffe's works (De potentate papae) on the power of the pope.[43] Wycliffe had written his book to oppose the common position that the Church consisted primarily of the clergy, and Hus now found himself making the same point.
Both Hus and Jerome were condemned as heretics by the Catholic Church at the Counsel of Constance, and burned at the stake!
That same counsel ordered the bones of John Wycliffe to be exhumed, burned, and the ashes scattered on the Thames River!
There is no more clear connection from Wycliffe to Hus and Jerome than that they had the same enemy, who at the same counsel, condemned them to the same fate.
So great was / is Jan Hus, that a statue of him still stands in Prague; the Russians dared not take it down during there 40 year occupation of then Czechoslovakia.
6) William Tyndale (1494 - 1536)
Next William Tyndale, who note was a contemporary of Martin Luther. Again, we think these men did not know each other, or know about each other, but they were inter-connected. He escaped to the Continent, possibly attended Wittenburg University, and possibly lived and worked on his translation of the bible into English at Wittenburg Castle; that is were Luther was! William Tyndale lived during the reign of King Henry the VIII, yes the one with the 6 wives, who also corresponded with Martin Luther; they were all contemporaries!
Prior to escaping to the Continent, Tyndale had attended school at Oxford, where Wycliffe had taught! And it was only 80 years or so prior that the Council of Constance had condemned Wycliffe as a heretic and had his bones burned; of course Tyndale knew of this, not just the facts, but the theological issues as well.
Tyndale taught against all the same things as had the others. He was betrayed, caught, held as prisoner of the Catholic church, interrogated under by the Inquisition Court, condemned as a heretic, and burned at the stake.
Common issues - common enemy - common fate!
And Tyndale's main legacy to the Christian Church, his translation of the bible into English.
His famous quote, which shows how clearly he saw that it was essential for the average person to be able to read the bible English, and which shows how his enemies saw how clearly it was for them NOT to be able to read the bible in English:
If God spare my life, I will cause a boy who drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than the pope.
Tyndale's translation was the foundation for all of the English translations which followed, including the King Jame's Bible.
Waldo translated the bible into the vernacular; Wycliffe translated the bible into the vernacular; Tyndale translated the bible in the vernacular; and Luther translated the bible into the vernacular!
7) Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)
There is no doubt Luther was the man who "started" the Reformation. He stood "nose-to-nose" with the enemy, and rebuked them for their errors; the same errors which Waldo, Wycliffe, Jerome, Hus, and Tyndale had spoken against!
Actually, error is too soft a word, these are gross mis-understandings of the bible, such that it is not biblical Christianity at all, and so it is heresy.
There are many great biographies on Martin Luther, the best may be by Roland Bainton "Here I Stand"
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.186555
I am not a Lutheran, but in my opinion Martin Luther is the greatest theologian ever. His books are great. His 8 volumes of sermons, "The Bondage of the Will," his "Commentary on Galatians," etc, are all must reads for the Christian. He wrote deep truths for the common man, yet confounded the wise of his day.
But this Blog is not meant to be about Luther per se, it is to show that the Reformation was in progress for 500 years, starting with the Waldensens well before 1100, culminating with Luther, and I hope I have showed that, and that I have wet your appetite you learn more. There are good books on all of these men, but if you only read the Wikipedia articles on each of them, you will end up knowing more than 99% of the average Evangelical Christians do, and that alone would be good.
For myself, the more I read about these men, the more I realize the progress of God's kingdom is carried out by regular Christians who simply say, "This is what the bible says!"
These men did have positions of influence, but if they had kept silent, they would have had no influence at all; their influence came from speaking out, just like the servant girl in 2Ki 5, a true nobody, who simply said unto her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy."
May each of us, in our sphere of influence, among the circle of our family, friends, and acquaintances, be bold to speak, like these men did, hazarding life and honor for the cause of Christ, and may the Lord use us, as he did them.
5 August 2025