Seisselius, of Turin-bears almost precisely the same testimony to the peculiarities of the Christians of those vallies, as that which we have just heard respecting the Bohemian Waldenses. He says distinctly: "They receive only what is written in the Old and New Testaments.*

Thus do their very enemies testify to the Protestant and Congregational principles and doctrines of the persecuted Waldenses.

In addition to the testimony of the enemies of the Waldenses, we have two or three of their ancient Confessions of Faith; which have been preserved for centuries, among these mountain Christians. In one of them, the substance of which is given by the Magdeburg Centuriators, they assert, That

1. "In articles of faith, the authority of the Holy Scriptures is the highest; and for that reason it is the standard of judging; so that whatsoever doth not agree with the word of God, is deservedly to be rejected and avoided.

2. The decrees of fathers and councils are [only] so far to be approved as they agree with the word of God.

3. The reading and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, is open to, and is necessary for all men,—the laity as well as the clergy; and moreover, the writings of the prophets and apostles are to be read rather than the comments of

men.

4. The sacraments of the church of Christ are two, baptism and the Lord's supper; and in the latter, Christ has instituted the receiving in both kinds, both for priests and people.

5. Masses are impious; and it is madness to say masses for the dead.

6. Purgatory is the invention of men; for they who be

* Jones, pp. 38-45.

lieve, go into eternal life; they who believe not, into eternal damnation.

7. The invoking and worshipping of dead saints is idolatry. 8. The church of Rome is the Whore of Babylon.

9. We must not obey the pope and bishops, because they are the wolves of the church of Christ.

10. The pope hath not the primacy over all the churches of Christ; neither hath he the power of both swords.

11. That is the church of Christ, which hears the pure doctrine of Christ, and observes the ordinances instituted by him, in whatsoever place it exists.

12. Vows of celibacy are the inventions of men, and productive of uncleanness.

13. So many orders [of the clergy, are] so many marks of the beast.

14. Monkery is a filthy carcase.

15. So many superstitious dedications of churches, com memorations of the dead, benedictions of creatures, pilgrimages, 30 many forced fastings, so many superfluous festivals, those perpetual bellowings [alluding to the prac tice of chanting] and the observations of various other ceremonies, manifestly obstructing the teaching and learning of the word, are diabolical inventions.

ry.

16. The marriage of priests is both lawful and necessa

Such appears to have been the faith of the Waldenses, in the twelfth century. I have given the Centuriator's abridgement entire, because it contains the substance of the other Waldensian creeds which have come down to us; and presents a correct view of these Alpine Christians.

These sentiments-if we may believe one who had apos tatized from the faith and became its bitter persecutor (Rei

* Jones, pp. 47-49.

berius Saccho)-were embraced by vast multitudes of persons before the middle of the thirteenth century; for, says he, "There is scarcely a country to be found in which this heresy is not planted." Their doctrines were propagated with great assiduity by all who embraced them. Reinerius tells us that one method adopted by them was, to travel up and down the country as pedlers of jewelry, and trinkets, and needle-work, and handkerchiefs. Having gained ac cess to a family, and disposed of some of their wares, they would tell the inmates of more valuable matters; they would then repeat portions of the word of God, and inform the listening family that by this "he communicates his mind to men, and inflames their hearts with love to him."

Not to weary the reader with further particulars, of what we have learned respecting the Waldenses and Albigenses, this is the sum: Between the ninth and thirteenth centuries there appeared in different parts of Europe, numerous bodies of dissenters from the Catholic hierarchy, who, though known by various names, and differing in minor particulars, yet agreed pretty generally in the following points: 1. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are an infallible and sufficient guide to the church of Christ; and that men are under no obligations to believe or practice, as a religious duty, anything not enjoined by the Scriptures. 2. That these teach, that the church of Christ should consist of such only as hear and obey the truth. 3. That Christ has given his church no authority to make laws for the government of his people, but simply requires them to administer such as he has given in his word. 4. That the whole hierarchal system of church government then exist ing in the world, was anti-Christian; since the Scriptures nowhere recognized the different orders of the clergy, or the right of the pope, and his bishops, and priests, and other

officers to rule over the people of God. 5. They seem to have recognized no other church officers but bishops or elders, and deacons.* 6. These appear to have been elected by the brethren ;† and their bishops, at least, ordained by the imposition of the hands of others in office.‡ 7. Their churches were composed of persons" previously confessing and declaring [their] faith and change of life.”

* I have already noticed Mr. Waddington's assertion—that they recognized three orders in the clergy. I will not deny that a community of these good men may have been found, who retained this innovation upon apostolical simplicity; but I have not yet met with any evidence of it, and their enemies seem distinctly to assert the contrary; and their own writers declare that, "they admit of no other degrees than bishops and deacons." This is asserted by Vignaux, who, for forty years, was pastor of one of the Waldensian churches in the vallies of Piedmont.-See Jones, pp. 84, 85, 149.

Dr. Clarke, in his Martyrology, says, that among the opinions for which the Waldenses were "so declaimed against and cruelly persecuted by the Romanists, were these: "That there is no difference between a bishop and a minister. That it is not the dignity, but deserts of a presbyter, that makes him a better man.' Chap. 22, folio ed.

Dr. Miller thinks there is evidence of their having the office of ruling elder among them. This, however, would not necessarily affect the assertion in the text.

↑ An ancient manuscript preserved among the Waldenses, relating to ecclesiastical discipline, claims for the people, the right to choose their own church officers, as a privilege which God has conferred upon his people-" According to the diversity of the work, in the unity of Christ, and comformably to the apostolic example, For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed.' And these men, "having good testimonials and being well approved of, are received with imposition of hands."-Gilly's Waldensian Researches, p. 143, quoted by Le Bas. Introduction to the Life of Wickliffe, p. 54.

These were the prominent principles and doctrines of the Waldenses and Albigenses, which related to the order, and government, and worship of their churches; and which seem to authorize an enrolment of their names among the ecclesiastical ancestors of modern Congregationalists.

These sentiments, connected with a faith and morality equally pure and scriptural, spread over almost all parts of the continent of Europe;* and found their way even into England ;† preparing the ground, if not sowing the seeds for the harvest of later days.

It was not to be expected that these scriptural Christians should escape the hand of persecution. The story of their sufferings has been so often told, and may be so easily known to all who have access to even a good Sabbath School library, that I need not dwell upon particulars. The decrees of councils, the efforts of bishops, the bulls of popes, the rack and fires of the Inquisition, the armies of the crusaders cheered on with the war cry-" Persecute

* "Cesarius saith: That this heresy so increased, that in a short time it infected-usque ad mille civitates-a thousand cities."Clarke, p. 37.

+ Clarke tells us that, "Anno Christi, 1160, some of them came into England, and at Oxford were punished in the most barbarous and cruel manner."-Martyrology, folio, p. 36.

**

* *

con

Pope Alexander III, (A. D. 1160-1163) doomed these unfortunate Christians to utter extirpation: "Giving them over to Satan; interdicting them all communion and society with others; fiscating their goods, disinheriting their heirs; ordering their houses to be razed to the ground, and their lands to be given to others; * * ** commanding kings, princes, magistrates, councils, and people, to make an exact inquisition, to shut the gates, to ring the toll-bell; to arm themselves, to apprehend, kill, or use any other violence to them; giving their accusers a third part of their estates; condemning all favorers to the same punishment.". Clarke's Martyrology, Chap. 22.