Chapter 4
The Waldenses
Amid the gloom that settled upon the earth during the
long period of papal supremacy, the light of truth could not be wholly
extinguished. In every age there were witnesses for God--men who
cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man, who
held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the true
Sabbath. How much the world owes to these men, posterity will never
know. They were branded as heretics, their motives impugned, their
characters maligned, their writings suppressed, misrepresented, or
mutilated. Yet they stood firm, and from age to age maintained their
faith in its purity, as a sacred heritage for the generations to come.
The history of God's people during the ages of
darkness that followed upon Rome's supremacy is written in heaven, but
they have little place in human records. Few traces of their existence
can be found, except in the accusations of their persecutors. It was the
policy of Rome to obliterate every trace of dissent from her doctrines
or decrees. Everything heretical, whether persons or writings, she
sought to destroy. Expressions of doubt, or questions as to the
authority of papal dogmas, were enough to forfeit the life of rich or
poor, high or low. Rome endeavored also to destroy every record of her
cruelty toward dissenters. Papal councils decreed that books and
writings containing such records should
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be committed to the flames. Before the invention of
printing, books were few in number, and in a form not favorable for
preservation; therefore there was little to prevent the Romanists from
carrying out their purpose.
No church within the limits of Romish jurisdiction
was long left undisturbed in the enjoyment of freedom of conscience. No
sooner had the papacy obtained power than she stretched out her arms to
crush all that refused to acknowledge her sway, and one after another
the churches submitted to her dominion.
In Great Britain primitive Christianity had very
early taken root. The gospel received by the Britons in the first
centuries was then uncorrupted by Romish apostasy. Persecution from
pagan emperors, which extended even to these far-off shores, was the
only gift that the first churches of Britain received from Rome. Many of
the Christians, fleeing from persecution in England, found refuge in
Scotland; thence the truth was carried to Ireland, and in all these
countries it was received with gladness.
When the Saxons invaded Britain, heathenism gained
control. The conquerors disdained to be instructed by their slaves, and
the Christians were forced to retreat to the mountains and the wild
moors. Yet the light, hidden for a time, continued to burn. In Scotland,
a century later, it shone out with a brightness that extended to far-distant
lands. From Ireland came the pious Columba and his colaborers, who,
gathering about them the scattered believers on the lonely island of
Iona, made this the center of their missionary labors. Among these
evangelists was an observer of the Bible Sabbath, and thus this truth
was introduced among the people. A school was established at Iona, from
which missionaries went out, not only to Scotland and England, but to
Germany, Switzerland, and even Italy.
But Rome had fixed her eyes on Britain, and resolved
to bring it under her supremacy. In the sixth century her missionaries
undertook the conversion of the heathen Saxons.
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They were received with favor by the proud
barbarians, and they induced many thousands to profess the Romish faith.
As the work progressed, the papal leaders and their converts encountered
the primitive Christians. A striking contrast was presented. The latter
were simple, humble, and Scriptural in character, doctrine, and manners,
while the former manifested the superstition, pomp, and arrogance of
popery. The emissary of Rome demanded that these Christian churches
acknowledge the supremacy of the sovereign pontiff. The Britons meekly
replied that they desired to love all men, but that the pope was not
entitled to supremacy in the church, and they could render to him only
that submission which was due to every follower of Christ. Repeated
attempts were made to secure their allegiance to Rome; but these humble
Christians, amazed at the pride displayed by her emissaries, steadfastly
replied that they knew no other master than Christ. Now the true spirit
of the papacy was revealed. Said the Romish leader: "If you will
not receive brethren who bring you peace, you shall receive enemies who
will bring you war. If you will not unite with us in showing the Saxons
the way of life, you shall receive from them the stroke of death."--J.
H. Merle D'Aubigne, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century,
b. 17, ch. 2. These were no idle threats. War, intrigue, and deception
were employed against these witnesses for a Bible faith, until the
churches of Britain were destroyed, or forced to submit to the authority
of the pope.
In lands beyond the jurisdiction of Rome there
existed for many centuries bodies of Christians who remained almost
wholly free from papal corruption. They were surrounded by heathenism
and in the lapse of ages were affected by its errors; but they continued
to regard the Bible as the only rule of faith and adhered to many of its
truths. These Christians believed in the perpetuity of the law of God
and observed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Churches that held
to this faith and practice existed in Central Africa and among the
Armenians of Asia.
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But of those who resisted the encroachments of the
papal power, the Waldenses stood foremost. In the very land where popery
had fixed its seat, there its falsehood and corruption were most
steadfastly resisted. For centuries the churches of Piedmont maintained
their independence; but the time came at last when Rome insisted upon
their submission. After ineffectual struggles against her tyranny, the
leaders of these churches reluctantly acknowledged the supremacy of the
power to which the whole world seemed to pay homage. There were some,
however, who refused to yield to the authority of pope or prelate. They
were determined to maintain their allegiance to God and to preserve the
purity and simplicity of their faith. A separation took place. Those who
adhered to the ancient faith now withdrew; some, forsaking their native
Alps, raised the banner of truth in foreign lands; others retreated to
the secluded glens and rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there
preserved their freedom to worship God.
The faith which for centuries was held and taught by
the Waldensian Christians was in marked contrast to the false doctrines
put forth from Rome. Their religious belief was founded upon the written
word of God, the true system of Christianity. But those humble peasants,
in their obscure retreats, shut away from the world, and bound to daily
toil among their flocks and their vineyards, had not by themselves
arrived at the truth in opposition to the dogmas and heresies of the
apostate church. Theirs was not a faith newly received. Their religious
belief was their inheritance from their fathers. They contended for the
faith of the apostolic church,--"the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints." Jude 3. "The church in the wilderness,"
and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world's great capital, was
the true church of Christ, the guardian of the treasures of truth which
God has committed to His people to be given to the world.
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Among the leading causes that had led to the
separation of the true church from Rome was the hatred of the latter
toward the Bible Sabbath. As foretold by prophecy, the papal power cast
down the truth to the ground. The law of God was trampled in the dust,
while the traditions and customs of men were exalted. The churches that
were under the rule of the papacy were early compelled to honor the
Sunday as a holy day. Amid the prevailing error and superstition, many,
even of the true people of God, became so bewildered that while they
observed the Sabbath, they refrained from labor also on the Sunday. But
this did not satisfy the papal leaders. They demanded not only that
Sunday be hallowed, but that the Sabbath be profaned; and they denounced
in the strongest language those who dared to show it honor. It was only
by fleeing from the power of Rome that any could obey God's law in
peace. (See Appendix.)
The Waldenses were among the first of the peoples of
Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures. (See Appendix.)
Hundreds of years before the Reformation they possessed the Bible in
manuscript in their native tongue. They had the truth unadulterated, and
this rendered them the special objects of hatred and persecution. They
declared the Church of Rome to be the apostate Babylon of the
Apocalypse, and at the peril of their lives they stood up to resist her
corruptions. While, under the pressure of long-continued persecution,
some compromised their faith, little by little yielding its distinctive
principles, others held fast the truth. Through ages of darkness and
apostasy there were Waldenses who denied the supremacy of Rome, who
rejected image worship as idolatry, and who kept the true Sabbath. Under
the fiercest tempests of opposition they maintained their faith. Though
gashed by the Savoyard spear, and scorched by the Romish fagot, they
stood unflinchingly for God's word and His honor.
Behind the lofty bulwarks of the mountains--in all
ages the refuge of the persecuted and oppressed--the Waldenses
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found a hiding place. Here the light of truth was
kept burning amid the darkness of the Middle Ages. Here, for a thousand
years, witnesses for the truth maintained the ancient faith.
God had provided for His people a sanctuary of awful
grandeur, befitting the mighty truths committed to their trust. To those
faithful exiles the mountains were an emblem of the immutable
righteousness of Jehovah. They pointed their children to the heights
towering above them in unchanging majesty, and spoke to them of Him with
whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, whose word is as
enduring as the everlasting hills. God had set fast the mountains and
girded them with strength; no arm but that of Infinite Power could move
them out of their place. In like manner He had established His law, the
foundation of His government in heaven and upon earth. The arm of man
might reach his fellow men and destroy their lives; but that arm could
as readily uproot the mountains from their foundations, and hurl them
into the sea, as it could change one precept of the law of Jehovah, or
blot out one of His promises to those who do His will. In their fidelity
to His law, God's servants should be as firm as the unchanging hills.
The mountains that girded their lowly valleys were a
constant witness to God's creative power, and a never-failing assurance
of His protecting care. Those pilgrims learned to love the silent
symbols of Jehovah's presence. They indulged no repining because of the
hardships of their lot; they were never lonely amid the mountain
solitudes. They thanked God that He had provided for them an asylum from
the wrath and cruelty of men. They rejoiced in their freedom to worship
before Him. Often when pursued by their enemies, the strength of the
hills proved a sure defense. From many a lofty cliff they chanted the
praise of God, and the armies of Rome could not silence their songs of
thanksgiving.
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Pure, simple, and fervent was the piety of these
followers of Christ. The principles of truth they valued above houses
and lands, friends, kindred, even life itself. These principles they
earnestly sought to impress upon the hearts of the young. From earliest
childhood the youth were instructed in the Scriptures and taught to
regard sacredly the claims of the law of God. Copies of the Bible were
rare; therefore its precious words were committed to memory. Many were
able to repeat large portions of both the Old and the New Testament.
Thoughts of God were associated alike with the sublime scenery of nature
and with the humble blessings of daily life. Little children learned to
look with gratitude to God as the giver of every favor and every
comfort.
Parents, tender and affectionate as they were, loved
their children too wisely to accustom them to self-indulgence. Before
them was a life of trial and hardship, perhaps a martyr's death. They
were educated from childhood to endure hardness, to submit to control,
and yet to think and act for themselves. Very early they were taught to
bear responsibilities, to be guarded in speech, and to understand the
wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word let fall in the hearing of their
enemies might imperil not only the life of the speaker, but the lives of
hundreds of his brethren; for as wolves hunting their prey did the
enemies of truth pursue those who dared to claim freedom of religious
faith.
The Waldenses had sacrificed their worldly prosperity
for the truth's sake, and with persevering patience they toiled for
their bread. Every spot of tillable land among the mountains was
carefully improved; the valleys and the less fertile hillsides were made
to yield their increase. Economy and severe self-denial formed a part of
the education which the children received as their only legacy. They
were taught that God designs life to be a discipline, and that their
wants could be supplied only by personal labor, by forethought, care,
and faith. The process was laborious and wearisome, but it was
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wholesome, just what man needs in his fallen state,
the school which God has provided for his training and development.
While the youth were inured to toil and hardship, the culture of the
intellect was not neglected. They were taught that all their powers
belonged to God, and that all were to be improved and developed for His
service.
The Vaudois churches, in their purity and simplicity,
resembled the church of apostolic times. Rejecting the supremacy of the
pope and prelate, they held the Bible as the only supreme, infallible
authority. Their pastors, unlike the lordly priests of Rome, followed
the example of their Master, who "came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister." They fed the flock of God, leading them to the
green pastures and living fountains of His holy word. Far from the
monuments of human pomp and pride the people assembled, not in
magnificent churches or grand cathedrals, but beneath the shadow of the
mountains, in the Alpine valleys, or, in time of danger, in some rocky
stronghold, to listen to the words of truth from the servants of Christ.
The pastors not only preached the gospel, but they visited the sick,
catechized the children, admonished the erring, and labored to settle
disputes and promote harmony and brotherly love. In times of peace they
were sustained by the freewill offerings of the people; but, like Paul
the tentmaker, each learned some trade or profession by which, if
necessary, to provide for his own support.
From their pastors the youth received instruction.
While attention was given to branches of general learning, the Bible was
made the chief study. The Gospels of Matthew and John were committed to
memory, with many of the Epistles. They were employed also in copying
the Scriptures. Some manuscripts contained the whole Bible, others only
brief selections, to which some simple explanations of the text were
added by those who were able to expound the Scriptures. Thus were
brought forth the treasures of truth so long
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concealed by those who sought to exalt themselves
above God.
By patient, untiring labor, sometimes in the deep,
dark caverns of the earth, by the light of torches, the Sacred
Scriptures were written out, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Thus
the work went on, the revealed will of God shining out like pure gold;
how much brighter, clearer, and more powerful because of the trials
undergone for its sake only those could realize who were engaged in the
work. Angels from heaven surrounded these faithful workers.
Satan had urged on the papal priests and prelates to
bury the word of truth beneath the rubbish of error, heresy, and
superstition; but in a most wonderful manner it was preserved
uncorrupted through all the ages of darkness. It bore not the stamp of
man, but the impress of God. Men have been unwearied in their efforts to
obscure the plain, simple meaning of the Scriptures, and to make them
contradict their own testimony; but like the ark upon the billowy deep,
the word of God outrides the storms that threaten it with destruction.
As the mine has rich veins of gold and silver hidden beneath the
surface, so that all must dig who would discover its precious stores, so
the Holy Scriptures have treasures of truth that are revealed only to
the earnest, humble, prayerful seeker. God designed the Bible to be a
lessonbook to all mankind, in childhood, youth, and manhood, and to be
studied through all time. He gave His word to men as a revelation of
Himself. Every new truth discerned is a fresh disclosure of the
character of its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means
divinely ordained to bring men into closer connection with their Creator
and to give them a clearer knowledge of His will. It is the medium of
communication between God and man.
While the Waldenses regarded the fear of the Lord as
the beginning of wisdom, they were not blind to the importance of a
contact with the world, a knowledge of men and of
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active life, in expanding the mind and quickening the
perceptions. From their schools in the mountains some of the youth were
sent to institutions of learning in the cities of France or Italy, where
was a more extended field for study, thought, and observation than in
their native Alps. The youth thus sent forth were exposed to temptation,
they witnessed vice, they encountered Satan's wily agents, who urged
upon them the most subtle heresies and the most dangerous deceptions.
But their education from childhood had been of a character to prepare
them for all this.
In the schools whither they went, they were not to
make confidants of any. Their garments were so prepared as to conceal
their greatest treasure--the precious manuscripts of the Scriptures.
These, the fruit of months and years of toil, they carried with them,
and whenever they could do so without exciting suspicion, they
cautiously placed some portion in the way of those whose hearts seemed
open to receive the truth. From their mother's knee the Waldensian youth
had been trained with this purpose in view; they understood their work
and faithfully performed it. Converts to the true faith were won in
these institutions of learning, and frequently its principles were found
to be permeating the entire school; yet the papal leaders could not, by
the closest inquiry, trace the so-called corrupting heresy to its
source.
The spirit of Christ is a missionary spirit. The very
first impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the
Saviour. Such was the spirit of the Vaudois Christians. They felt that
God required more of them than merely to preserve the truth in its
purity in their own churches; that a solemn responsibility rested upon
them to let their light shine forth to those who were in darkness; by
the mighty power of God's word they sought to break the bondage which
Rome had imposed. The Vaudois ministers were trained as missionaries,
everyone who expected to enter the ministry being required first to gain
an experience as an evangelist. Each
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was to serve three years in some mission field before
taking charge of a church at home. This service, requiring at the outset
self-denial and sacrifice, was a fitting introduction to the pastor's
life in those times that tried men's souls. The youth who received
ordination to the sacred office saw before them, not the prospect of
earthly wealth and glory, but a life of toil and danger, and possibly a
martyr's fate. The missionaries went out two and two, as Jesus sent
forth His disciples. With each young man was usually associated a man of
age and experience, the youth being under the guidance of his companion,
who was held responsible for his training, and whose instruction he was
required to heed. These colaborers were not always together, but often
met for prayer and counsel, thus strengthening each other in the faith.
To have made known the object of their mission would
have ensured its defeat; therefore they carefully concealed their real
character. Every minister possessed a knowledge of some trade or
profession, and the missionaries prosecuted their work under cover of a
secular calling. Usually they chose that of merchant or peddler.
"They carried silks, jewelry, and other articles, at that time not
easily purchasable save at distant marts; and they were welcomed as
merchants where they would have been spurned as missionaries."--
Wylie, b. 1, ch. 7. All the while their hearts were uplifted to God for
wisdom to present a treasure more precious than gold or gems. They
secretly carried about with them copies of the Bible, in whole or in
part; and whenever an opportunity was presented, they called the
attention of their customers to these manuscripts. Often an interest to
read God's word was thus awakened, and some portion was gladly left with
those who desired to receive it.
The work of these missionaries began in the plains
and valleys at the foot of their own mountains, but it extended far
beyond these limits. With naked feet and in garments coarse and travel-stained
as were those of their Master,
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they passed through great cities and penetrated to
distant lands. Everywhere they scattered the precious seed. Churches
sprang up in their path, and the blood of martyrs witnessed for the
truth. The day of God will reveal a rich harvest of souls garnered by
the labors of these faithful men. Veiled and silent, the word of God was
making its way through Christendom and meeting a glad reception in the
homes and hearts of men.
To the Waldenses the Scriptures were not merely a
record of God's dealings with men in the past, and a revelation of the
responsibilities and duties of the present, but an unfolding of the
perils and glories of the future. They believed that the end of all
things was not far distant, and as they studied the Bible with prayer
and tears they were the more deeply impressed with its precious
utterances and with their duty to make known to others its saving
truths. They saw the plan of salvation clearly revealed in the sacred
pages, and they found comfort, hope, and peace in believing in Jesus. As
the light illuminated their understanding and made glad their hearts,
they longed to shed its beams upon those who were in the darkness of
papal error.
They saw that under the guidance of pope and priest,
multitudes were vainly endeavoring to obtain pardon by afflicting their
bodies for the sin of their souls. Taught to trust to their good works
to save them, they were ever looking to themselves, their minds dwelling
upon their sinful condition, seeing themselves exposed to the wrath of
God, afflicting soul and body, yet finding no relief. Thus conscientious
souls were bound by the doctrines of Rome. Thousands abandoned friends
and kindred, and spent their lives in convent cells. By oft-repeated
fasts and cruel scourgings, by midnight vigils, by prostration for weary
hours upon the cold, damp stones of their dreary abode, by long
pilgrimages, by humiliating penance and fearful torture, thousands
vainly sought to obtain peace of conscience. Oppressed with a sense of
sin, and haunted with the fear of God's avenging
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wrath, many suffered on, until exhausted nature gave
way, and without one ray of light or hope they sank into the tomb.
The Waldenses longed to break to these starving souls
the bread of life, to open to them the messages of peace in the promises
of God, and to point them to Christ as their only hope of salvation. The
doctrine that good works can atone for the transgression of God's law
they held to be based upon falsehood. Reliance upon human merit
intercepts the view of Christ's infinite love. Jesus died as a sacrifice
for man because the fallen race can do nothing to recommend themselves
to God. The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the foundation
of the Christian's faith. The dependence of the soul upon Christ is as
real, and its connection with Him must be as close, as that of a limb to
the body, or of a branch to the vine.
The teachings of popes and priests had led men to
look upon the character of God, and even of Christ, as stern, gloomy,
and forbidding. The Saviour was represented as so far devoid of sympathy
with man in his fallen state that the mediation of priests and saints
must be invoked. Those whose minds had been enlightened by the word of
God longed to point these souls to Jesus as their compassionate, loving
Saviour, standing with outstretched arms, inviting all to come to Him
with their burden of sin, their care and weariness. They longed to clear
away the obstructions which Satan had piled up that men might not see
the promises, and come directly to God, confessing their sins, and
obtaining pardon and peace.
Eagerly did the Vaudois missionary unfold to the
inquiring mind the precious truths of the gospel. Cautiously he produced
the carefully written portions of the Holy Scriptures. It was his
greatest joy to give hope to the conscientious, sin-stricken soul, who
could see only a God of vengeance, waiting to execute justice. With
quivering lip and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, open to his
brethren the
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precious promises that reveal the sinner's only hope.
Thus the light of truth penetrated many a darkened mind, rolling back
the cloud of gloom, until the Sun of Righteousness shone into the heart
with healing in His beams. It was often the case that some portion of
Scripture was read again and again, the hearer desiring it to be
repeated, as if he would assure himself that he had heard aright.
Especially was the repetition of these words eagerly desired: "The
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John
1:7. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14, 15.
Many were undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome.
They saw how vain is the mediation of men or angels in behalf of the
sinner. As the true light dawned upon their minds they exclaimed with
rejoicing: "Christ is my priest; His blood is my sacrifice; His
altar is my confessional." They cast themselves wholly upon the
merits of Jesus, repeating the words, "Without faith it is
impossible to please Him." Hebrews 11:6. "There is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts
4:12.
The assurance of a Saviour's love seemed too much for
some of these poor tempest-tossed souls to realize. So great was the
relief which it brought, such a flood of light was shed upon them, that
they seemed transported to heaven. Their hands were laid confidingly in
the hand of Christ; their feet were planted upon the Rock of Ages. All
fear of death was banished. They could now covet the prison and the
fagot if they might thereby honor the name of their Redeemer.
In secret places the word of God was thus brought
forth and read, sometimes to a single soul, sometimes to a little
company who were longing for light and truth. Often the entire night was
spent in this manner. So great would be the wonder and admiration of the
listeners that the messenger of mercy was not infrequently compelled to
cease his reading
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until the understanding could grasp the tidings of
salvation. Often would words like these be uttered: "Will God
indeed accept my offering? Will He smile upon me? Will He pardon
me?" The answer was read: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy-laden, and I will give your rest." Matthew 11:28.
Faith grasped the promise, and the glad response was
heard: "No more long pilgrimages to make; no more painful journeys
to holy shrines. I may come to Jesus just as I am, sinful and unholy,
and He will not spurn the penitential prayer. 'Thy sins be forgiven
thee.' Mine, even mine, may be forgiven!"
A tide of sacred joy would fill the heart, and the
name of Jesus would be magnified by praise and thanksgiving. Those happy
souls returned to their homes to diffuse light, to repeat to others, as
well as they could, their new experience; that they had found the true
and living Way. There was a strange and solemn power in the words of
Scripture that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing
for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried conviction to
those who heard.
The messenger of truth went on his way; but his
appearance of humility, his sincerity, his earnestness and deep fervor,
were subjects of frequent remark. In many instances his hearers had not
asked him whence he came or whither he went. They had been so
overwhelmed, at first with surprise, and afterward with gratitude and
joy, that they had not thought to question him. When they had urged him
to accompany them to their homes, he had replied that he must visit the
lost sheep of the flock. Could he have been an angel from heaven? they
queried.
In many cases the messenger of truth was seen no
more. He had made his way to other lands, or he was wearing out his life
in some unknown dungeon, or perhaps his bones were whitening on the spot
where he had witnessed for the
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truth. But the words he had left behind could not be
destroyed. They were doing their work in the hearts of men; the blessed
results will be fully known only in the judgment.
The Waldensian missionaries were invading the kingdom
of Satan, and the powers of darkness aroused to greater vigilance. Every
effort to advance the truth was watched by the prince of evil, and he
excited the fears of his agents. The papal leaders saw a portent of
danger to their cause from the labors of these humble itinerants. If the
light of truth were allowed to shine unobstructed, it would sweep away
the heavy clouds of error that enveloped the people. It would direct the
minds of men to God alone and would eventually destroy the supremacy of
Rome.
The very existence of this people, holding the faith
of the ancient church, was a constant testimony to Rome's apostasy, and
therefore excited the most bitter hatred and persecution. Their refusal
to surrender the Scriptures was also an offense that Rome could not
tolerate. She determined to blot them from the earth. Now began the most
terrible crusades against God's people in their mountain homes.
Inquisitors were put upon their track, and the scene of innocent Abel
falling before the murderous Cain was often repeated.
Again and again were their fertile lands laid waste,
their dwellings and chapels swept away, so that where once were
flourishing fields and the homes of an innocent, industrious people,
there remained only a desert. As the ravenous beast is rendered more
furious by the taste of blood, so the rage of the papists was kindled to
greater intensity by the sufferings of their victims. Many of these
witnesses for a pure faith were pursued across the mountains and hunted
down in the valleys where they were hidden, shut in by mighty forests
and pinnacles of rock.
No charge could be brought against the moral
character of this proscribed class. Even their enemies declared them to
be a peaceable, quiet, pious people. Their grand offense was that they
would not worship God according to the will
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of the pope. For this crime every humiliation,
insult, and torture that men or devils could invent was heaped upon
them.
When Rome at one time determined to exterminate the
hated sect, a bull was issued by the pope, condemning them as heretics,
and delivering them to slaughter. (See Appendix.) They were not accused
as idlers, or dishonest, or disorderly; but it was declared that they
had an appearance of piety and sanctity that seduced "the sheep of
the true fold." Therefore the pope ordered "that malicious and
abominable sect of malignants," if they "refuse to abjure, to
be crushed like venomous snakes."--Wylie, b. 16, ch. 1. Did this
haughty potentate expect to meet those words again? Did he know that
they were registered in the books of heaven, to confront him at the
judgment? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these My brethren," said Jesus, "ye have done it unto
Me." Matthew 25:40.
This bull called upon all members of the church to
join the crusade against the heretics. As an incentive to engage in this
cruel work, it "absolved from all ecclesiastical pains and
penalties, general and particular; it released all who joined the
crusade from any oaths they might have taken; it legitimatized their
title to any property they might have illegally acquired; and promised
remission of all their sins to such as should kill any heretic. It
annulled all contracts made in favor of Vaudois, ordered their domestics
to abandon them, forbade all persons to give them any aid whatever, and
empowered all persons to take possession of their property."--Wylie,
b. 16, ch. 1. This document clearly reveals the master spirit behind the
scenes. It is the roar of the dragon, and not the voice of Christ, that
is heard therein.
The papal leaders would not conform their characters
to the great standard of God's law, but erected a standard to suit
themselves, and determined to compel all to conform to this because Rome
willed it. The most horrible tragedies were enacted. Corrupt and
blasphemous priests and popes were doing the work which Satan appointed
them. Mercy had
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no place in their natures. The same spirit that
crucified Christ and slew the apostles, the same that moved the blood-thirsty
Nero against the faithful in his day, was at work to rid the earth of
those who were beloved of God.
The persecutions visited for many centuries upon this
God-fearing people were endured by them with a patience and constancy
that honored their Redeemer. Notwithstanding the crusades against them,
and the inhuman butchery to which they were subjected, they continued to
send out their missionaries to scatter the precious truth. They were
hunted to death; yet their blood watered the seed sown, and it failed
not of yielding fruit. Thus the Waldenses witnessed for God centuries
before the birth of Luther. Scattered over many lands, they planted the
seeds of the Reformation that began in the time of Wycliffe, grew broad
and deep in the days of Luther, and is to be carried forward to the
close of time by those who also are willing to suffer all things for
"the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 1:9.
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