seventh century, doubtless held nearly the same religious opinions, and separated from the established church in their respective countries, on account of the increasing corruption in doctrine and practice. Thus likewise the appellations of Leonists, Piccards, Albigenses, Vaudois, and Waldenses, were given in different places and periods to the same people.* But in whatever uncertainty the origin of the Waldenses may be involved, there can be no doubt as to the soundness of their doctrine, and the unblameable tenour of their lives. The former is proved by their Confessions of faith, and the latter is acknowledged even by their enemies. On these points, the testimony of Reinerius Sacho claims peculiar attention; first, because his connection with the Waldenses for a number of years enabled him to speak from personal knowledge; and secondly, because his apostacy and subsequent elevation to the dignity of an inquisitor, in which station he became a cruel persecutor of his former friends, would induce him to represent them in the most odious light. Yet, all the charges he brings against them, amount to nothing more than the heavy crime of opposing the unscriptural and superstitious doctrines and practices of the reigning church, and he is compelled to admit the orthodoxy of their creed, and the rectitude of their lives.

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Among all sects, or religious parties, separated from the Romish church," says this inquisitor, "there is not one more dangerous than the Leonists or Waldenses, for the following reasons: first, because this sect is older than any other. It existed, according to some, in the days of Pope Sylvester, in the fourth century, and according to others even in the days of the Apostles. Secondly, because it is widely spread; for there is scarcely a country into which it has not found its way. Thirdly, because while other sects create disgust by their blasphemous doctrines, this has a great appearance of piety, as its members lead a righteous life before men, believe the truths

* Their own historians call them Waldenses, or Wallenses, a term derived from the Latin word, VALLIS, a valley, because great numbers resided in the valleys of the Alps and Pyrenees. Some suppose that they received their name from Peter Waldo, a rich merchant at Lyons, who lived in the twelfth century, and of whom more will be said in the sequel.

concerning God and divine things, and retain all the articles of the apostolic faith, only hating the Romish church and clergy."

The testimony borne by this inquisitor to the orthodoxy of their creed is confirmed by the Confessions of faith,* compiled by themselves, in order to refute the charge of heresy and other accusations brought against them by their enemies.

These documents make it sufficiently evident, that the Waldenses held no doctrines inconsonant with those generally called orthodox, and that the accusation of their enemies, who charged them with maintaining principles of an immoral tendency in private life, and subversive of civil governments, was entirely unfounded. The cause of the hostility against them must be sought for in their protestation against the errors and superstitions of the Romish church, and the usurpation of power over the consciences of men by its hierarchy. They resisted its tyranny on no other grounds than those which, at a later period, caused the Reformers to refuse submission to the Papal see. As far as they had received light, they acted on the Protestant principle, that in matters purely religious, the Bible is the only infallible rule of conduct, and God the sole Sovereign of conscience.

Dating the period when they first seceded from the Roman Catholic communion, and organized congregations of their own, about the year 1150, we find them, for many generations, faithfully adhering to the truth as it is in Jesus, even under the severest sufferings, and zealously propagating that truth, wherever they could find entrance; while their adversaries used every possible means to prevent the spread of their doc

trines.

Without attempting to settle the difference between ecclesiastical historians, whether Peter Waldo was the original founder of the Waldensian church, or not, it is certain that he was a distinguished instrument of extending its interests. It will not,

* The necessary brevity of this Introduction does not admit of the insertion of these Confessions. The reader may find them in a work entitled Histoire des Vaudois, written by John Perrin, (who was a Waldensian,) and published at Geneva in 1619. An English translation is inserted in Jones's History of the Waldenses, p. 365–369.

therefore, be irrelevant to our subject to insert a few notices respecting him, extracted from Perrin's history.

"PETER WALDO was an opulent merchant in the city of Lyons, and a man of learning. He spent the earlier part of his life without paying any serious attention to religion, and had no intention of withdrawing from the Romish church. He did indeed enter his protest against the doctrine of transubstantiation, which the court of Rome about that time required all men to acknowledge, because the adoration of the host in the eucharist was connected with the reception of this doctrine. Waldo's mind revolted against this novel piece of superstition, but as yet without experiencing any saving change in his own soul.

"An extraordinary occurrence was the means employed by divine Providence to awaken his mind to serious reflection. One evening after supper, while enjoying the company of some friends, one of them fell down and instantly expired, to the great consternation of all present. Such a lesson on the uncertainty of human life, forcibly arrested his attention. The sudden death of his friend led him to think of his own approaching dissolution, and under the terrors of an awakened conscience, he had recourse to the Holy Scriptures for instruction and comfort. Hedid not study the sacred volume in vain. While it disclosed to him his sin and danger, it also pointed out to him the only way of access to God and reconciliation. He had grace given him to believe in Jesus as the Atoner of his sins, and his soul was filled with joy and peace.

"This gave a new turn to his thoughts and pursuits. He relinquished his mercantile occupations, distributed his wealth to the poor, and, while he liberally provided for their temporal necessities, sought to direct their attention to their spiritual wants. To do this more effectually, he undertook, with the assistance of some learned men, a translation of the four gospels into French. This was the first translation of any part of the Bible into a modern language.

"The more Waldo studied the sacred volume, the more clearly was he convinced of the errors of the Church of Rome. Zeal for the glory of God, and concern for the souls of his

fellow-sinners, many of whom were perishing for lack of knowledge, constrained him to raise his voice against the prevailing superstition and impiety. He taught evangelical truth in its scriptural simplicity, and enforced its practical influence on the heart and life, by his own example, and laboured to demonstrate how widely the Christianity of the New Testament differed from that of the Church of Rome.

"The consequence of all this may be anticipated. The Archbishop of Lyons forbade him to teach any more, under pain of excommunication, and being proceeded against as an heretic. But Waldo replied, that, though a layman, he could not be silent in a matter which concerned the salvation of his fellow-creatures. Measures were now taken to apprehend him ; but the number and affection of his friends, the respectability and influence of his connections, many of whom were men of rank, the universal regard paid to his character for probity and piety, and the conviction that his presence was highly necessary among a people, whom he had by this time gathered into a church, and of which he was the pastor, operated so strongly in his favour, that he lived concealed at Lyons during the space of three whole years.

"Information of these proceedings was speedily conveyed to the reigning Pope, Alexander III. who anathematized Waldo and his followers, commanding the archbishop to proceed against them with the utmost rigour. Waldo and his friends were obliged to leave Lyons; but whereever they went they preached the Word. He first retired into Dauphiny where he labored with much success. Driven from thence, he proceeded into Germany, and, according to the testimony of Thuanus, a very authentic Roman Catholic Historian, at length settled in Bohemia, where he died in the year 1179, about twenty years after he commenced his ministerial labors. Many of his disciples had followed him into Bohemia, where their services were of great use in promoting the cause of reformation, begun in that country. Others fled for an asylum into the valleys of Piedmont taking with them the new translation of the Bible."

Long before Peter Waldo commenced his labors, the Wal

denses, under different names, had been the zealous propagators of divine truth, and had been viewed with malignant jealousy by the Romish church as a most heretical and pestilent sect; yet, notwithstanding this, their numbers had been greatly multiplied, and persons of their principles and communion were to be met with in almost every country of Europe. Their chief places of residence, and where they appear to have been first formed into a regular Christian community, were France, Italy, Piedmont, and the Alps. They collected congregations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Dalmatia, and Hungary, which flourished throughout the thirteenth century.

In times of persecution frequent and numerous emigrations took place; for these sincere followers of Christ obeyed the injunction of their Master, and, when persecuted in one city fled into another. Wherever they settled, they communicated to others a portion of the knowledge, faith, and love, which they posessed themselves. Thus they did not remain unfruitful, but became the spiritual parents of a numerous progeny in almost every country of Europe. In Bohemia and the country of Passaw alone they are said to have amounted in 1315, to eighty thousand; and a few years after their numbers in Europe were computed at eight hundred thousand.

Large as these numbers appear, they are not incredible if we take into account the multitudes which lost their lives in times of persecution, and the new methods that their enemies took to destroy them. On this subject the Roman Catholic historian, Thuanus, remarks: "Against the Waldenses, when exquisite punishments availed little, and the evil was increased by the remedies which had been unseasonably applied, complete armies were at length raised, and a war of no less weight, than what our people had before waged against the Saracens, was determined against them. The result was that they were rather slain, put to ffight, spoiled every where of their goods and possessions, and dispersed abroad, than convinced of their error and brought to repentance." And Jones adds: “It is an acknowledged truth, that in those days the Waldenses were so numerous, that in travelling from Cologne to Milan, the whole extent of Germany, they could lodge every night