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the shadow of its wings, scarcely one durst peep Still the light of primitive christian

or mutter.

ity was not entirely extinguished, nor the spirit of inquiry utterly crushed. Here and there it would now and then break forth, not only awakening hope amongst the oppressed, but spreading alarm amongst the powerful;

"For though the structure of a tyrant's throne,
Rise on the necks of half the suffering world,
Fear trembles in the cement."

If we look any where for the exhibition of an uncorrupt christianity, the brightest spots to be found are the valleys of Piedmont, and of Wales. Among the former, secluded from the world, lived men remarkable for their simple manners and their pure faith, who never acknowledged the dominion of Rome. They were called Waldenses and Albigenses; they existed in different societies, but were generally distinguished for their love of religious liberty, and with singleness of heart opposed the authority of the bible to human tradition. Archbishop Usher considers them as constituting some of the links in that chain of apostolic succession, which was - with him an important and a favorite subject. Occasionally advocates of their sentiments appeared in different countries. As some independent and powerful mind would study their doctrines and catch their spirit, and thence proceed

to give them free expression, all society would be moved, and a new proof would be furnished of the power of truth to make its way amidst the greatest obstacles. About the year 1315, (in the words of Fuller, an English historian,) Walter Lollard, that German preacher, or as Peter Perin calls him in his history of the Waldenses, one of their barbs, (or pastors,) came into England, a man in great renown among them; and who was so eminent in England, that, as in France, they were called Berengarians, from Berengarius, and Petrobrusians, from Peter Bruis, and in Italy and Flanders, Arnoldists, from the famous Arnold of Brescia; so did the Waldensian christians for many generations after, bear the name of this worthy man, being called Lollards."

At the time when Cromwell held the balance of power in Europe, an event occurred which engaged his warmest sympathy in behalf of the Waldenses of Piedmont, "who," says Godwin,

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were regarded as having entertained the principles of the reformed religion before Luther, and as never having bowed the neck to the Roman Catholic superstition."* By an edict of the Duke of Savoy, they were commanded to adhere to the Catholic faith. They refused, and a dreadful persecution followed. The news

* Godwin's Commonwealth, vol. 4, p. 205.

touched the heart of Cromwell, roused that love of liberty which had been the presiding principle of his conduct until after the battle of Worcester when ambition turned him, and led him to utter the memorable sentence, that "God regards the right of conscience, and authority over it, to belong to himself alone." With characteristic energy, he immediately despatched Sir Samuel Morland, under-secretary to Thurloe, to Turin, and sent letters to France and other powers, demanding redress.*

Morland having executed his mission, wrote a history of these victims of persecution, in which he presents a most affecting picture of their faith and suffering. Lovers of scriptural simplicity, nothing could induce them to submit to the authority of Rome. Their history was also written by Chesannion,† a Frenchman, who denies what had been said by some, that they rejected the sacrament of baptism, but says, "they only counted it unnecessary to infants, because they are not of age to believe nor capable of giving evidence of their faith." This remark however, is not of universal application; some of them practised infant baptism, but a

*Jones's Ch. His. vol. II, p. 322.

+Jones spells his name Chassagnon; Crosby, Chassanian ; Ivimey, Chessanion.

large portion of them rejected it as a human invention.

One of the most recent and celebrated works in Ecclesiastical History which has appeared on the continent of Europe, is by M. De Potter, who, in a compendious account of these people, says, they called the Pope antichrist, opposed the payment of tythes, abolished the distinctions in the priesthood, denied the authority of councils, rejected all the ceremonies of baptism except simple ablution, and laying stress on the truth that in infancy there can be no actual conversion to the christian faith, they therefore baptized anew all those who left the Romish Church, wishing to embrace their doctrines.

They asserted that the efficacy of sacraments depended on the character of the recipient, that the sanctification of the bread and the wine took place in the mouth of the worthy communicant and not in the hands of the priest who consecrated the elements without possessing the purity demanded by his office-that an honest layman had more power to absolve the faithful from their sins than a bad priest, that the worship of God consisted more in practical virtues than in ceremonies, that a priest who set himself up for a mediator between heaven and men, offended God, dishonored religion, and degraded himself.

They rejected the doctrine that marriage is a sacrament; denied that the church had the right to ordain celibacy for her ministers; refused to worship saints and relics, saying that God only is to be adored; abolished the customs of the church touching holidays, altars, masses, religious chants, bells, pontifical ornaments, images— the worship of which appeared to them as idolatry; and wax tapers, for which they said God had given no command. In a word, they rejected every thing which they did not find enjoined in the gospel, and the sacred scriptures. Thence, moreover, they condemned prayers for the dead, indulgences, pilgrimages, the doctrine of purgatory, admitting only a heaven and a hell, and prohibited oaths, allowing only simple affirmation.'

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In surveying ecclesiastical history, it is interesting to see how the faith of this people, having found an asylum amidst the rocks and mountains, the dens and caves of the earth, would thence go forth to extend its influence even unto high places. In the year 1215, this fact became a matter of complaint to the Pope by the Bishop of Arles, who said that some heretics had taught there, that it was to no purpose to baptize children, since they could have no forgiveness of

* De Potter, vol. VI, p. 405. See Appendix, F.

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