"from the learned labours and godly zeal "of Peter Waldo. In the century before 66 66 us, they were gloriously distinguished by a dreadful series of persecutions, "and exhibited a spectacle to the world, "both of the power of divine grace, and "of the malice and enmity of the world against the real gospel of Jesus Christ. "The Cathari, whom Bernard so unhappily misrepresented, were pecu 66 liarly numerous in the vallies of Pied"mont. Hence the name of Vaudois or Vallenses was given to them, par 66 ticularly to those who inhabited the vallies of Lucerne and Angrogne.* A "mistake arose from a similarity of "names, that Peter Valdo, or Waldo, "was the first founder of these churches. "But from a just account of the subject "it appeared, that the real protestant * This mistake occurs in Mosheim's History; but it is most satisfactorily accounted for and corrected; and the host of writers cited by his annotator, fully corroborate the statement given by Dr. Milner. (See Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. translated by Dr. Maclaine, and edited by Dr. Cooke, vol. iii. page 123.) "doctrines existed during the dark ages "of the church, even long before Wal"do's time; the proper founder of them 66 being, as before observed, Claudius "of Turin, the Christian hero of the "ninth century. About the year 1160, "the doctrine of transubstantiation,* "which, some time afterwards, Inno"cent III. confirmed in a very solemn 66 66 66 manner, was required by the court of Rome to be acknowledged by all men. "A very pernicious practice of idolatry was connected with the reception of "this doctrine. Men fell down before "the consecrated host, and worshipped "it as God. And the novelty, absurd 66 ity, and impiety of this abomination, 66 very much struck the minds of all men "who were not dead to a sense of true re 66 66 86 ligion. At this time Peter Waldo, a citizen † of Lyons, appeared very outrageous in opposing the innovation; *See Note A. + From the number of these Christians in Lyons, they were sometimes called Leonists, as well as Waldenses, Vallenses, &c. though it is evident, from the very imperfect account we have of him, that "it was not one single circumstance alone which influenced him in his "views of reformation. It was the fear "of God, in general, as a ruling principle in his own soul, and an alarming "sense of the wickedness of the times, which, under divine grace, moved him "to oppose with courage the dangerous corruptions of the hierarchy." After particularizing the circumstances of the character, doctrine, and discipline of the Waldenses, and of their dreadful sufferings at the hands of the Romanists, the same historian mentions the establishment of that horrible institution, the inquisition, and the proclamation of a crusade against this truly Christian sect. With respect to the former, he observes, "It was reserved "to Innocent III., than whom no pope 66 ever possessed more ambition, to in"stitute the inquisition (A. D. 1206); "and the Waldenses were the first ob"jects of its cruelty. He authorized "certain monks to frame the process of "that court, and to deliver the sup 66 posed heretics to the secular power. "The beginning of the thirteenth cen 66 66 tury saw thousands of persons hanged "or burned by these diabolical devices, "whose sole crime was, that they trust"ed in Jesus Christ for salvation, and "renounced all the vain hopes of selfrighteous idolatry and superstition." The limits of this sketch are too narrow to admit of more than a very brief outline of the history before us. There is, however, an anecdote respecting the inquisitorial persecutions of this sect in Germany, which must not be omitted. "In Germany, in the year 1230, the 66 papal inquisition oppressed the Wal"denses with peculiar severity. They 66 were, notwithstanding, stedfast in "their profession; and their pastors "publicly announced the pope to be "Antichrist: affirming, that if God had "not sent them into Germany to preach "the gospel, the very stones would have "been raised up to instruct mankind. 56 6 66 6 We give not,' say they, a fictitious remission, but we preach the remission "of sins appointed by God himself, "'in his word.' About the year 1330, 66 Echard, a Dominican monk, an in quisitor, grievously oppressed them. "At length, after many cruelties, he 66 66 urged the Waldenses to inform him of "the real cause of their separation from "the church of Rome. This was an opportunity not often vouchsafed to this people by their enemies, of using the weapons of their Christian warfare. "Echard was enlightened, confessed "the faith of Christ, united himself to this people. Like Paul, he preached 66 the faith he once destroyed; and in "the issue, was burned at Heidelberg, "and the Christians glorified God in "in him! Raynard Lollard was another convert of the same kind; at first a Franciscan, and an enemy to the Waldenses. He was taken by the inquisitors after he had diligently taught "the gospel, and was burned at Cologne! From him the Wickliffites in 66 66 66 |