But the most succinct account of the position is contained in an attack made upon them by a learned and fair-minded Dominican, Jacobus Lilienstayn.  His book, ’a Treatise against the erroneous Waldensian Brethren, commonly known as the Pickards, without rule, without law, and without obedience, of whom there are many in Moravia, more than in Bohemia’, was composed in 1505 and is dedicated to the Dean of Prague.  It begins by setting forth five general and twelve special errors of the Waldensians.  The former are as follows: 

1.  They call the Gospels, the Epistles and the Acts, together with the Old Testament where it agrees with the New, ’the Law of Christ’; and they attack and deride the Doctors of the Church.

     2.  They say the Pope has no more power in administering the
     sacraments of the Church, and in other ecclesiastical matters,
     than a simple priest has.

     3.  They say that in the practice of the Church nothing is to be
     added to what Christ and the Apostles taught and did.

     4.  They hold the pure text of the Gospel without any gloss.

     5.  They allege that the Church is in error, and that they
     themselves are the brethren of Christ and the true imitators of
     the Apostles.

Amongst the special errors are denials of the validity of indulgences and of the efficacy of masses for the dead; and the general simplicity of their conduct is shown in their practices at birth and death, baptism requiring only pure water, not holy oil and the chrism, and extreme unction banished from the death-bed.

Finally the good Dominican gives a brief account of the life of these Brethren ‘without obedience’.  In his preface he expresses his difficulty in gathering the truth about them:  ’for they are as inconstant as the moon, and the practices alleged against them in the past are denied by them to-day.’  But he concludes honestly that though their faith is ‘abhominable’ to true Christians, their life is good enough.  His good sense is further shown by his refusal to accept an absurd story about their method of choosing their leaders.  ’When one of these is to be chosen’, so ran the tale, ’the community meets together.  And as they sit in silence, the windows being open, a great fly enters and buzzes over them, settling at length on the head of one; who is then set apart for a season.  And when he is brought back, he is found to be learned in Latin and theology and whatever else is necessary, though he were rude and ignorant before.’  This Lilienstayn finds clearly false:  the simple life of the Brethren he illustrates by their practice.  ’They have Bibles in Bohemian, which they read.  Their women wear veils, and no colours, only black, white and grey.  They all labour with their hands.’  Thus their life to him was ‘good enough’.  It may remind us in many points of the Quakers.