<

Vallenfes, or inhabitants of the valleys; and fo faith (3) one of the oldeft writers, Ebrard of Bethune who wrote in the year 1212; They call themselves Vallenfes, because they abide in the valley of tears,' alluding to their fituation in the valleys of Piedmont. They were called Albigenfes from Alby a city in the fouthern parts of France, where also great numbers of them were fituated. They were afterwards denominated Valdenfes or Waldenfes from Peter Valdo or Waldo a rich citizen of Lyons, and a confiderable leader of the fect. From Lyons too they were called Leonifts, and Cathari from the profeffed purity of their life and doctrin, as others fince have had the name of Puritans. As there was a variety. of phetarum & apoftolorum monumenta legenda effe, quam homi

num commenta.

(3) Vallenfes fe appellant, eo quod in valle lachrymarum maneant. Ebrard. Beth. Antihæres. Cap. 25. Uffer. ibid. Cap. 8. Sect. 4. Allix. ibid.

(4) In articulis fidei fummam effe facræ fcripturæ authoritatem, eamque ob caufam effe illam normam judicandi; ut quicquid cum verbo Dei non congruat, merito fit repudiandum et fugiendum,

Patrum & conciliorum dogmata eatenus probanda, quatenus cum verbo Dei conveniunt.

Sacrarum fcripturarum lectionem & cognitionem, omnibus hominibus, tum laicis, tum facratis viris, liberam & ncceffariam effe; imo potius pro

of names, so there might be fome diversity
of opinions among them; but that they were
not guilty of Manicheism and other abominable
herefies, which have been charged upon them,
is certain and evident from all the remains of
their creeds, confeffions, and writings. Their
opinions (4) are thus recited from an old
manuscript by the Centuriators of Magdeburg.
In articles of faith the authority of the
'holy fcripture is the highest, and for that
reason it is the rule of judging; fo that
whatsoever agreeth not with the word of God,
' is deservedly to be rejected and avoided.

• The decrees of fathers and councils are fo
far to be approved, as they agree with the
'word of God.
• The
dedicationes, memorias mortu-
orum, benedictiones creatura-
rum, peregrinationes, tot coacta
jejunia, tot fefta fuperflua, per-,
petuos iftos hominum indocto-
rum boatus, ac reliquarum cere-
moniarum obfervationes, verbi
doctrinam et inftitutionem ma-
nifefte impedientes, effe inven-
tiones diabolicas.

retricem Babylonicam,
Papæ et epifcopis non obtem-
perandum; quia fint lupi ec-
clefiæ Chrifti.

Papam non habere primatum fuper omnes ecclefias Chrifti, nec habere poteftatem utriufque gladii.

Ecclefiam Chrifti effe, quæ fincerum Chrifti verbum audiat, et facramentis ab ipfo inftitutis utatur, ubicunque locorum ea exfiftat.

Conjugium facerdotum effe licitum et neceffarium.

Vota effe hominum figmenta,
Sodomam nutrientia.

Tot ordines effe tot charac-
teres beftiæ.

Hæc ex antiquo manufcripto libro proferimus. Hift. ecclef. Magdeburg. Vol. 3. Cent. XII. Cap. 8. p. 548, 49. Edit. Bafil.' 1624. See alfo the Confeffion Monochatum effe cadaver of the faith of the Waldenfes in Perrin's Hift. B. 1. Chap.

fætidum.
Templorum tot fuperftitiofas 12 &c.

(5) Inter

The reading and knowlege of the holy fcriptures is free and neceffary for all men, the laity as well as the clergy; yea and the writings of the prophets and apoftles are to be read rather than the comments of men.

The facraments of the church of Chrift are two, baptism and the supper of the Lord. The receiving in both kinds for priefts and 'people was instituted by Christ.

"

Maffes are impious; and it is madness to fay maffes for the dead.

"

3.

Purgatory is an invention of men; for they who believe, go into eternal life, they who believe not, into eternal damnation.

The invocating and worshipping of dead faints is idolatry.

"The church of Rome is the whore of Babylon. • We must not obey the pope and bishops; because they are the wolves of the church of • Chrift.

The pope hath not the primacy over all the churches of Chrift, neither hath he the 'power of both fwords.

·

That is the church of Chrift which heareth the fincere word of Chrift, and ufeth the fa* craments instituted by him, in what place foever it exist.

• Vows

(5) Inter omnes fectas, quæ adhuc funt vel fuerunt, non eft

perniciofior ecclefiæ quam Leo-
niftarum, Et học tribus de
caufis.

Vows of celibacy are inventions of men, ⚫ and occafions of Sodomy.

So many orders are fo many characters of 'the beast.

·

Monkery is a ftinking carcass.

So many fuperftitious dedications of churches, commemorations of the dead, bene'dictions of creatures, pilgrimages, to many 'forced faftings, fo many fuperfluous feftivals, 'thofe perpetual bellowings (meaning the singing and chanting) of unlearned men, and the obfervations of the other ceremonies, manifeftly hindering the teaching and learning of the word, are diabolical inventions.

<

The marriage of priefts is lawful and ne'ceffary?'

Much hath been written in cenfure and commendation of this fect both by enemies and friends, by papifts and proteftants. If they have been grossly misrepresented and vilified on one fide, they have been amply vindicated and juftified on the other; but I will only produce the teftimonies of three witneffes, concerning them, whom both fides muft allow to be unexceptionable, Reinerius, Thuanus, and Mezeray. Reinerius (5) florifhed about the year

caufis. Prima eft, quia eft diu-
turnior; aliqui enim dicunt,

2

1254; quod duraverit a tempore Sylveftri; aliqui, a tempore apofto. lorum.

<

1254; and his teftimony is the more remarkable; as he was a Dominican, and inquifitor general. Among all the fects, which ftill are or have been, there is not any more pernicious to the church than that of the Leonifts. And this for three reafons. The firft is, because it is older; for fome fay that it hath indured from the time of pope Sylvefter; others, from the time of the apoftles. The fecond, 'because it is more general; for there is fcarce any country wherein this fect is not. The third, because when all other fects beget · horror

lorum. Secunda, quia eft generalior; fere enim nulla eft terra, in qua hæc fecta non fit. Tertia, quia cum omnes aliæ fectæ immanitate blafphemiarum in Deum audientibus horrorem inducant, hæc Leoniftarum magnam habet fpeciem pietatis; eo quod coram hominibus jufte vivant, et bene omnia de Deo credant, et omnes articulos qui in fymbolo continentur; folummodo Romanam ecclefiam blafphemant et clerum; cui multitudo laicorum facilis eft ad credendum. Reiner. contra Hæret. Cap. 4. p. 54. Edit. Ingolft. 1613. Uffer. ibid. Cap. 6. Sect. 11. Cap. 8. Sect. 1. Cave Hift. Litt. Vol. 2. ad ann. 1254. p. 302. Ufher hath added other remarkable teftimonies concerning the morals of the Waldenfes and

their followers. Pontificius quidam inquifitor [Rerum Bohem. Script. a Frehero edit. p. 231.] Leoniftarum five Waldenfium mores defcripturus, hujufmodi utitur præfatiuncula: Cognofcuntur hæretici per mores et verba. Sunt enim in moribus compofiti et modefti; Juperbiam in veftibus non habent, &c. Miferrima profecto tempora in quibus compofiti et modefti mores hæreticorum haberentur infignia. De iifdem Claudius Seyfillius archiepifcopus Taurinenfis; [Seyfil. tract. adverfus errores et fectam Waldenfium. Edit. Paris. Ann. 1520. fol. 9.] Nonnihil etiam ad horum Valdenfium confirmandam tolerandamque fectam confert, quod præter hæc quæ contra fidem religionemque noftram affumunt, in reliquis ferme puriorem quam ceteri Chriftiani vitam agunt. Non