Justification Apart From Baptism Among Pre-Reformation Waldensians

In an article published in 1900, Henry Vedder quoted what some Roman Catholic sources reported about the beliefs of the earliest Waldensians ("Origin And Early Teachings Of The Waldenses, According To Roman Catholic Writers Of The Thirteenth Century", The American Journal Of Theology, Vol. IV, no. 3, July 1900, pp. 465-89). You can read the article on the page just linked. I want to quote some portions of what a few of those Catholic sources said about how the Waldensians viewed salvation and baptism. As with other issues, there is no one view that every Waldensian held. And it could be that one or more of these Waldensians was misunderstood, that somebody who wasn't a Waldensian was mistaken for one, and so on. But since I'm citing a few different Catholic sources (whose reliability is discussed in the article linked above), and those sources sometimes use the plural to describe the Waldensians they're discussing, for example, it seems highly unlikely that no Waldensians actually held the views in question.

My understanding is that the large majority of pre-Reformation Waldensians believed in justification through works of one variety or another, including justification through baptism. But it seems that a small minority of them rejected baptismal justification. Here are some of the relevant comments from the Catholic sources as Vedder quotes them:

[quoting Stephen of Bourbon] It suffices for salvation to confess to God alone and not to men; and external penances are not necessary to salvation; but whenever any sinner repents, however great and many the sins he has committed, if he dies he immediately rises (statim evolat, i. e., to heaven)….

[quoting David of Augsburg] They say that a man is then truly for the first time baptized, when he is brought into their heresy. But some say that baptism does not profit little children because they are not yet able to believe….

[quoting Passau anonymous] Concerning baptism they say that the catechizing is of no value. Again, that the washing that is given to infants does not profit….

[quoting Alanus Universalis] The aforesaid heretics oppose the sacraments of the church: for they say baptism does not avail before years of discretion. But on this article of heresy there are different opinions among the heretics. For some say little children have no sin, and so baptism is not necessary for little children. Others say that little children have sin, but cannot have remission of sins or the virtue of baptism without faith. . . . Others of the heretics say that little children have sin, but baptism does not avail them before years of discretion, because they have not faith ..... Without baptism faith avails not, nor faith without baptism..... There are those who say the sacrament of baptism that is celebrated in the church of God has no efficacy, either as to little children or adults ..... He who comes to baptism either repents or does not. If he does not repent, baptism does not profit him; if he repents, he is already justified, and all his sin is remitted. Therefore baptism has no power of remitting sin for him, and water baptism is not at all necessary for remission of sins. .... Others said baptism does not avail without imposition of hands….

[quoting Peter of Vaux Sernai] "Do you believe that water secures your salvation?" He answers: "I do not believe it."

(482, 484-85)