and he that beleeueth in him shall not be confounded And our Sauiour saith Hee that beleeueth in me shall haue eternall life Q. How doest thou know that thou beleeuest A. Because I know him to bee true God and true man who was borne suffered c. for my redemption and Iustification and that I loue him and desire to fulfill his Commandements Q. By what meanes may a man attaine to the Essentiall vertues that is to say Faith Hope and Charity A. By the gifts of the holy Ghost Q. Doest thou beleeue in the holy Ghost A. I doe beleeue For the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and is a person of the Trinity and according to the Diuinity is equall with the Father and the Sonne Q. Doest thou beleeue God the Father God the Sonne God the holy Ghost to be three Persons Then there are three Gods A. No there are not three Q. But yet thou hast named three A. That was by reason of the difference of the Persons not of the Essence of the Diuinity For though there be three Persons yet there is but one Essence Q. After what manner doest thou adore and serue that God in whom thou beleeuest A. I adore him by an exterior and interior adoration Exterior by the bowing of the knees the lifting vp of the hands the inclination of the body with hymnes and spirituall songs fasting inuocation but inwardly by a holy affection a will ready to doe what hee pleaseth and I serue him by Faith Hope Charity in his Commandements Q. Doest thou adore and serue any other thing as God A. No. Q. Wherefore A. Because of his Commandement whereby hee hath straightly commanded saying Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue As also I will not giue my glory to another Againe I liue saith the Lord Euery knee shall bow vnto me And Christ Iesus saith There shall be true worshippers who shall worship the Father in spirit and truth and the Angell would not be adored by Saint Iohn nor Saint Peter by Cornelius Q. After what manner doest thou pray A. I pray according to that Prayer that was taught vs by the Sonne of God Our Father which art in Heauen c. Q. Which is the other substantiall vertue belonging of necessity to saluation A. It is Charity Q. What is Charity A. It is a gist of the holy Ghost whereby the soule is reformed in will illuminated by Faith whereby I beleeue all that I ought to beleeue and hope whatsoeuer I ought to hope Q. Doest thou beleeue in the holy Church A. No for that is a creature but I beleeue there is a Church Q. What is that thou beleeuest touching the holy Church A. I say that the Church is considered after a two-fold manner the one in it substance the other in it Ministery Considered in it substance by the Church we vnderstand the holy Catholike Church which containeth all the Elect of God from the beginning of the World to the end in the grace of God by the merit of Christ assembled by the holy Ghost ordained from the beginning to eternall life the names and number of whom is known onely to God who hath elected them And lastly in this Church there remaineth no excommunicated person But the Church considered according to the veritie of the Ministery are the Ministers of Christ with the people subiect vnto them or committed to their charge vsing their Ministery by Faith Hope and Charity Q. By what markes doest thou know the Church of Christ A. By fit and conuenient Ministers and by the people who participate in the trueth of that Ministerie Q. How doest thou know the Ministers A. By the true apprehension of faith by sound doctrine by the life of good example the preaching of the Gospell and the due administration of the Sacraments Q. By what markes doest thou know the false Ministers A. By their fruits by their blindnesse by their wicked workes by their peruerse doctrine and by their vnfit disorderly administration of the Sacraments Q. How may we know their blindnesse A. When they not knowing that truth which belongeth of necessity to saluation they obserue humane inuentions as the Commandements of God of whom that is verified that the Prophet Esay speaketh and that hath beene alledged by our Sauiour Christ Iesus Mat. 15. This people honour mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me but they serue me for nothing teaching the doctrine and commandements of men Q. By what meanes or markes are wicked workes made knowne A. By those manifest sinnes of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. saying that they that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Q. By what markes is false doctrine knowne A. When men teach against Faith and Hope as diuers kinds of Idolatries worshipping the reasonable sensible visible or inuisible creature for it is the Father onely with his Sonne and the holy Ghost that must be serued and no other creature But contrarily we attribute to man and to the worke of his hands or to his words or to his authority in such manner that men being blinded thinke that God is a debtour vnto them for their false religion and couetous Simony of Priests Q. By what markes is the disorderly administration of the Sacraments knowne A. When the Priests know not the intention of Christ in the Sacraments and teach that all grace and truth is included in them by the onely outward ceremonies and leade men to the participation of the Sacraments without the truth of Faith Hope and Charitie It is the will of the Lord that all his should take heed of false prophets saying Beware of false prophets And againe Beware of the Pharises that is to say of their leuen and false doctrine And againe Belecue them not follow not after them Dauid hateth all such persons and therefore he saith I hate the congregation of the wicked And the Lord commandeth vs to withdraw our selues from among such people Numbers 16.26 Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest you be consumed in all their sinnes And the Apostle 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked together with vnbeleeuers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleeueth with an Infidell And What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles Wherefore come on t from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you Againe in the 2. Thes 3.12 We command and exhort you by our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly And in the 18. of the Reuel 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues Q. By what markes may we know those that are not
Masses We do abhorre all humane inuentions Art 11 as coming from Antechrist all which bring troubles with them and are preiudiciall to the libertie of the spirit Art 12 We beleeue that the Sacraments are outward signes of holy things or visible formes of inuisible grace and are of opinion that it is good that the faithfull do sometimes vse those signes and visible formes if it may be done But neuerthelesse we beleeue and do hold that the aforesaid faithfull may be saued not receiuing the said signes when they want place or power to vse them Art 13 We do not acknowledge any other Sacrament but Baptisme and the Eucharist We do honour the secular power Art 14 with all subiection obedience promptitude and payment CHAP. XIII Another Confession of the faith of the Waldenses WE beleeue that there is one onely God Art 1 Taken out of the booke of Charles du Moulin de la Mon. des François p. 65. who is a Spirit the Creator of all things the Father of all who is aboue all and in vs all who is to be adored in spirit and truth vpon whom onely we waite and to whom we giue all glorie for our life our nourishment clothing health sicknesse prosperitie aduersitie we loue him as the author of all goodnesse we feare him as knowing our hearts Art 2 We beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne and image of his father that in him dwels the fulnesse of the diuinitie by whom we know the Father who is our mediatour and aduocate and there is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men by which we can be saued in whose name onely we call vpon the Father and vse no other prayers but those that are contained in the holy Scriptures or agreeing vnto them in substance We beleeue that the holy Ghost is our Comforter Art 3 proceeding from the Father and the Sonne by whose inspiration we make our prayers being renewed by him who doth all good works in vs and by him we haue knowledge of all truth We beleeue that there is one holy Church Art 4 which is the congregation of all the elect and faithfull which haue bene from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end whereof our Lord Iesus Christ is the head the which Church is gouerned by his word and guided by the holy Ghost in which all good Christians ought to remaine for it prayeth without ceassing for all and the word thereof is agreeable vnto God without which no man can be saued Art 5 We hold that the Ministers of the Church ought to be irreprehensible both in life and doctrine otherwise they are to be deposed from their office and other to be substituted in their place And that no man ought to presume to vndertake this honourable calling but onely he which is called of God as Aaron nourishing the flocke of Christ not for dishonest gaine or as hauing any superioritie ouer the Clergie but as being an example to the slocke in word in conuersation in charitie in faith and in chastitie We confesse that Kings Art 6 Princes and Gouernours are ordained and established Ministers of God to whom we are to obey For they carrie the sword for the defence of innocents and the punishment of malefactors and for this cause are we bound to do them honour and to pay tribute From which power and authoritie no man can exempt himselfe as may appeare be the example of our Lord Iesus Christ who refused not to pay tribute not challenging any iutisdiction of temporall power We beleeue Art 7 that in the Sacrament of Baptisme the water is the visible and externall signe which representeth vnto vs that which by the power and vertue of God inuisible so working is within vs that is to say renouation of the spirit and mortification of our members in Iesus Christ by which we are also receiued into the holy congregation of the people of God protesting and declaring before it our faith and change of life Art 8 We hold the holy Sacrament of the table or Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ to be a holy remembrance and thanksgiuing for the benefits which we haue receiued by his death and passion which is to be receiued in faith and charitie examining our selues that so we may eate of that bread and drinke of that cup as it is written in the holy Scripture We confesse that mariage is good and honourable Art 9 holy and instituted of God which ought to be forbidden to none if there be no impediment by the word of God We confesse that they that feare God Art 10 seeke the things that please him doing good workes the which he hath prepared to the end we should walke in them which are charitie ioy peace patience benignitie goodnesse mildnesse sobrictie and other workes contained in the holy Scriptures On the contrary Art 11 we confesse that we are to take heed of false teachers whose end is to call the people from the true worship of God and to rest themselues vpon creatures putting their confidence in them as also to perswade the people to leaue those good duties that are contained in the holy Scriptures and to do those that are inuented by men Art 12 We hold the old and new Testament for the rule of our faith we agree to the generall Confession of faith with those articles contained in the Symbole of the Apostles which doth thus begin I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. And for as much as the Pastors of the Waldenses taught their people the Athanasian Creed in the Waldensian language we haue taken it out of their bookes word by word as they pronounced it in old time CHAP. XIIII The Symbole of Athanasius in the Waldensian language QValquequal vol esser faict salf deuant totas câ—sas es de necessitatenir la fe Catholica laqual si alcun non tenré entierament sensa dubi periré eternalment Ma aquesta es la fe Catholica Qunos houran vn Dio en Trinita la Trinita en vnita non confondent personnas ni departent la substantia Car antra es la personna del Paire del Filli del Sanct Esperit La Paire non crea lo filli non crea lo Sanct Esperit non crea Lâ— Paire non mesuriuol lo Filli non mesuriuol lo Sanct Esperit non mesuriuol Lo Paire Eternal lo Filli Eternal lo Sanct Esperit Eternal Emperço non tres Eternals ma vn Eternal enaimi non tres mesuriuols non crea Semeillament lo Paire tot Poissant lo Filli tot poissant lo Sanct Esperit tot Poissant emperço non tres tot Poissants ma vn tot Poissant Enaimi lo Paire es Dio lo Filli Dio lo Sanct Esperit Dio emperço non tres Dios ma vn Dio. Enaimi lo Paire es Seignor lo Filli Seignor lo Sanct Esperit Seignor emperço non tres Seignors ma vn Seignor Ca enaimi nos sen costreit confessar per Christiana verita
which cause let it be and dwell alwayes in vs that wee may addict our selues to holinesse and righteousnesse Lo teo regne vegne Thy Kingdome come YOu must vnderstand that God the Father hath two Kingdomes the one of glory life eternall the other of grace the life Christian And these two Kingdomes are ioyned together in such manner that betwixt them there is no middle but the point of death But according to the order of diuine Iustice the Kingdome of grace is before the Kingdome of glory And therefore they that liue in the Kingdome of grace by which we are to passe if wee will enter the Kingdome of glory without doubt they shall raigne in the Kingdome of glory and no man can reigne there by any other meanes And therefore Christ our Lord saith vnto his Disciples Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof that is the Kingdome of grace and vertue as Faith Hope Charity and the rest But forasmuch as you cannot performe this of your selues without the heauenly grace beg it at Gods hands saying O our Father which art in Heauen thy King dome come that is to say the loue of vertue and the hatred of the World La toa volunta sia faita enaimi es faita en cel sia faita en terra Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen A Man cannot affect desire or doe any better thing in this life then to endeuour with all his wit and vnderstanding and with all his heart to doe the will of God as the Angels doe it in Heauen Now to doe the will of God is to renounce himselfe that is to say his owne proper will and to dispose and employ that which is in his owne soule and heart or that is without him in things temporall according to the Law of God and the Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ Iesus And to be well content with whatsoeuer it shall please God to doe or permit both in aduersity and prosperity Many there are who thinke they are to be excused because they know not the will of God But these men deceiue themselues For the will of God is written and plainely manifested and proued by the word of God which they will not reade or vnderstand And therefore saith the Apostle Conforme not your selues vnto those that loue the World but be reformed and renewed in the truth of your vnderstanding to the end you may know what is the will of God And againe this is the will of God euen your sanctification There is no worke that is little if it be done with a willing and feruent affection And our Sauiour teacheth his Disciples both by words and examples that the will of God must be done not theirs saying I am come into the world not to doe my will but to doe the will of my Father who hath sent me Againe being neere his passion and seeing the torments of death which he was to endure as he was man he cryed out O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me but yet not my will but thy will be done To be briefe we must thus pray in all our affaires O our Father which art in Heauen Thy will be done in vs by vs and of vs in Earth as it is done by the Angels in Heauen without idlenesse continually without fault vprightly without humane desire doing that which is good leading a vertuous and a pure life obeying our superiours and contemning this World Dona nos lo nostre pan quotidian enchoi Giue vs this day our daily bread WEe may heere vnderstand two kinds of bread Corporall and Spirituall By Corporall bread wee are to vnderstand our meates and drinkes and clothing and all things necessary for the body without which we cannot liue naturally The Spirituall Bread is the Word of God the Body of Christ without which the Soule cannot liue And of this Bread Christ spake vnto his Disciples Whosoeuer shall eate of this bread shall liue eternally And therefore it is the dutie of euery man in all humilitie to aske this Bread at Gods hands who can giue it him saying O our Father doe vs the grace and fauour that wee may obtaine by our iust labour the bread that is necessary for our bodies and to vse it with sobriety and measure yeelding thee alwayes thankes and praises and that wee may charitably bestow some part of them vpon the poore Moreouer we beseech thee that thou wilt bee pleased so to deale with vs that wee may vse this bread with sobriety to thy glory and the good both of body and soule For the Prophet Ezekiel saith Chap. 16.49 That fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse was the cause of the iniquities and abominations of Sodom which were so great in the sight of God that he sent downe fire and brimstone to consume them Whereupon a certaine learned Father saith that costly apparrell superfluitie in diet play idlenesse and sleepe fatten the body nourish luxurie weaken the spirit and leade the soule vnto death but a spare diet labour short sleepe poore garments purifie the soule tame the body mortifie the lusts of the flesh and comfort the Spirit The spirituall Bread is the Word of God Of this Bread the Prophet speaketh Thy bread quickeneth mee And Christ saith in the Gospell Verily I say vnto you that the houre commeth when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare him shall liue And this is found true by this experience That is that many being dead in their sinnes hearing the Preaching of the Word of God haue departed quickned raised by the said Word of God betaken themselues to true repentance which giueth life This bread of the Word illuminateth the soule according to that of Dauid Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giueth light it giueth vnderstanding to the simple that is to say to the humble to the end they may know what to beleeue and to doe what to feare to flye to loue to hope This bread delighteth the soule more then honey and the honey-combe And therefore saith the Spouse Canticles 2.11 Let me heare thy voyce for sweete is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely There is another Spirituall Bread and that is the Body and Blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ In the Sacrament they that receiue it worthily receiue not onely grace but Christ the Sonne of God spiritually in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome Pardonna a nos li nostre debit o pecca coma nos per donnen a li nostre debitor o offendadors Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. IT should not seeme or bee grieuous to any man to forgiue his neighbour those offences hee hath committed against him For if all the offences which haue beene or can bee committed against all the men in the world were put into a ballance they would not weigh so much
our selues any superioritie but out of that brotherly loue and charitie we beare towards you The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath imparted vnto you an excellent knowledge of his truth more then to many other people and hath blessed you with a spirituall benediction So that if you persist in his grace he hath in store greater treasures for you which he will enrich you withall and make you perfect that you may grow to the full measure of the inheritance of Christ The subscription of the letter is Oecolampadius wisheth the grace of God the Father by his Sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit to his welbeloued brethren in Christ which they call Waldenses Martin Buoer writ vnto them at the same time this letter following BLessed be the Lord God and our louing Father who hath preserued you to this present time in so great knowledge of his truth and who hath now inspired you in the search thereof hauing made you capable and fit to do it Behold now what the nature of true faith is which is that so soone as it knowes in part any sparke of the diuine light it preserueth carefully the things that are giuen vnto it of God Saint Paul is an example vnto vs who in all his Epistles shewes the great care that he hath had to procure the glorie of God And doubtlesse if we pray with a good heart that the name of God be sanctified and his kingdome may come we shall prosecute nothing with such diligence as the establishment of the truth where it is not and the adnancement thereof where it is alreadie planted The rest of this letter is hereafter in the booke of the persecutions of the Waldenses Vigneaux in his Memorials of the Waldenses fol. 4. One onely thing doth especially grieue vs that our imployments at this time are such about other affaires that we haue no leisure to answer you at large as we desire c. Le Sieur de Vigneaux who was a Pastor of the Waldenses in the vallies of Piemont hath written a Treatise of their life manners and religion to whom he giues this testimonie that they were a people of a holy and godly life and conuersation well gouerned great enemies to vice but especially their Barbes for so they called their Pastors And speaking of those of his owne time he saith We liue in peace in these vallies of Piemont and in loue amitie one with another we haue commerce together neuer marrying our sonnes to the daughters of those of the Church of Rome or our daughters to their sonnes yea our manners and customes please them so well that such as are masters and call themselues Catholickes desire to chuse their men seruants and maid-seruants rather from amongst vs then themselues And they come also from faire to seeke nurses for their children amongst vs finding in ours more fidelitie then in their owne And as touching the doctrine for which the Waldenses haue bene persecuted It appeareth by the Historie of the Estate of the Church p. 337. they do affirme saith he that we are to beleeue the Scriptures onely in that which concerneth our saluation not any way depending vpon men That the Scriptures containe in them whatsoeuer is necessary to saluation and that we are not to beleeue any thing but what God hath commanded vs. That we haue one onely Mediatour and therefore we are not to inuocate Saints That there is no Purgatory but all such as are iustified by Christ go to eternall life They approue of two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. They affirme that all Masses are damnable especially those that are said for the dead and therefore are to be abolished That all humane traditions are to be reiected as not being necessary to saluation That singing and often rehearsall of diuine Seruice fasts tyed to certaine dayes superfluous seasts difference of meates so many degrees and orders of Friers Monks and Nuns so many benedictions and consecrations of creatures vowes pilgrimages and the whole confusion and great number of ceremonies heretofore inuented are to be abolished They deny the supremacie of the Pope and especially that power that he vsurpeth ouer ciuill gouernment and they admit of no other degrees then Bishops Priests and Deacons That the Sea of Rome is the true Babylon and that the Pope is the fountaine of all the euils in these dayes That the marriage of Priests is good and necessary That they that heare the word of God and haue the true knowledge thereof are the true Church vnto which Christ Iesus hath deliuered the keyes to let in the flocke and to chase away the wolues Behold here saith Vinaux the doctrine of the Waldenses which the enemies of the truth haue impugned and for which in those times they persecuted them as their enemies themselues do witnesse Viret speakes of the Waldenses as followeth Viret of the true false religion lib. 4. chap. 13. p. 249. The Papists saith he haue imposed great crimes and that very wrongfully vpon those ancient faithfull people commonly called Waldenses or the poore people of Lions frō Waldo whose doctrine they followed by which they make it appeare that the Pope is Antichrist and that his doctrine is nothing else but humane traditions contrary to the doctrine of Christ Iesus For which cause they haue dealt against them as the ancient Painims did against the Christians accusing them that they killed their owne children in their assemblies The Author of the Historie of the reformed Churches in France writeth thus The Ecclesiasticall History of the reformed Churches of France tom 1. lib. 1. p. 35. The Waldenses saith he time out of mind haue opposed themselues against the abuses of the Church of Rome and haue in such sort bene persecuted not by the sword of the word of God but by all kind of violence and crueltie as also by a million of calumnies and false accusations that they haue bene enforced to disperse themselues into what parts of the world they could wandring through desart places like poore sauage beasts the Lord neuerthelesse preseruing the remnant of them in such sort that notwithstanding the fury of the whole world they were still preserued in three countries farre distant one from the other that is Calabria Bohemia and Piemont with the bordering parts thereabout from whence they haue bene dispersed into the quarters of Prouence about two hundred seuentie yeares since And as touching their religion they haue alwayes auoyded the Papall superstition For which cause they haue bene alwayes vexed by the Bishops and Inquisitors abusing the power of secular iustice in such sort that it is an euident miracle of God that they should be able to continue Iohn Chassagnon writes as followeth Iohn Chassagnon in his Historie of the Albigeois p. 25. It is written of the Waldenses saith he that they reiected all the traditions and ordinances of the Church of Rome as vnprofitable and superstitious and
that God had been very mercifull and gratious vnto vs in that he hath preserued vs vndefiled in the middest of so many Idolatries and superstitions which haue infected all Christendome in the ages past This admonition or remonstrance giuen by Oecolamp and Bucer to George Morrel and Pet. Masson is in the Memor of the said Monel fol. 5. vnder the tyranny of Antichrist of Rome They haue encouraged vs by holy aduertisements and reasons giuen and exhorted vs not to bury those talents which God hath imparted vnto vs finding it an euill thing that we haue so long delayed the time to make publike profession of adhearing to the Gospell and causing it to be preached in the eares and to the knowledge of euery one leauing the euents vnto God of whatsoeuer it shall please him shall fall vpon vs by procuring his glory and the aduancement of the Kingdome of his Sonne And afterwards hauing read the letters of the said Oecolampadius and Bucer which were sent vnto them as to their Brethren the Waldenses of Prouence and Dauphine the Propositions or Articles following were ordered reade and approued signed and sworne to by all the assistants with one minde and consent to conserue obserue beleeue and retaine amongst them inuiolably without any contradiction as being conformable to the doctrine which hath been taught them from the father to the sonne for these many hundred yeeres and taken out of the word of God ARTICLE I. That Diuine Seruice cannot bee done but in spirit and in truth For God is a spirit and whosoeuer will pray vnto him must pray in spirit II. All that haue been or shall be saued haue been chosen of God before all worlds III. They that are saued cannot but be saued IV. Whosoeuer holdeth free-Will denieth wholly the Predestination and the grace of God V. No worke is called good but that which is commanded by God and no worke is euill but that which is forbidden by God VI. A Christian may sweare by the name of God not any way contradicting that which is written in the fift Chapter by Saint Matthew prouided that hee that sweareth take not the name of the Lord in vaine Now that man sweareth not in vaine whose oath redoundeth to the glory of God and the good of his neighbour Also a man may sweare in iudgement because he that beares the office of a Magistrate be he Christian or infidell hath the power of God VII Auricular Confession is not commanded of God and it is concluded according to the holy Scriptures that the true confession of a Christian consisteth in confessing himselfe to one onely God to whom belongs honour and glory There is another kinde of confession which is when as a man reconcileth himselfe vnto his neighbour whereof mention is made in the fift of Saint Matthew The third manner of Confession is when as man hath sinned publikly an all men take notice of it so he confesse and acknowledge the fault publikely VIII We must cease vpon the Lords day from all our labours as being zealous of the honor and glory of God for the better exercise of our charity towards our neighbours and our better attendance to the hearing of the word of God IX It is not lawfull for a Christian to reuenge himselfe vpon his enemy in any manner whatsoeuer X. A Christian may exercise the office of a Magistrate ouer Christians XI There is no certaine time determined for the fast of a Christian and it doth appeare in the word of God that the Lord hath commanded or appointed certaine daies XII Marriage is not forbidden any man of what quality or condition soeuer he be XIII Whosoeuer forbiddeth marriage teacheth a diabolicall doctrine XIIII He that hath not the gift of continency is bound to marry XV. The ministers of the word of God ought not to be changed from place to place except it be for the great benefit of the Church XVI It is not a thing repugnant to the Apostolicall communion that the ministers should possesse any thing in particular to prouide for the maintenance of their families XVII Touching the matter of the Sacraments it hath been concluded by the holy Scriptures that we haue but two Sacramental signes the which Christ Iesus hath left vnto vs the one is Baptisme the other the Eucharist which wee receiue to shew what our perseuerance in the faith is as wee haue promised when we were baptized being little infants As also in remembrance of that great benefit which Iesus Christ hath done vnto vs when hee died for our redemption washing vs with his most pretious bloud These Articles being resolued vpon by them astonished the Priests that were amongst them to gather vp the reuenewes of their Cures being out of all hope to see those people reclaimed and brought vnto the obedience of the Church of Rome by any force much lesse of their owne acord and perceiuing the dore to be shut against their gaine they retired themselues without speaking a word Vpon this their retrait the Masse vanished of it selfe in the Valleys of the said Waldenses And because they had onely the new Testament and some bookes of the old translated into the Waldenstan tongue they resolued speedily to send to the presse the whole Bible their bookes being onely manuscripts and those but a few They sent therfore to Newcastle in Suitzerland Suisse See the Ecclesiasticall History of the Churches of France pag. 37 1536. where they gaue fifteene hundred crownes of gold to a Printer who brought to light the first impression of the French Bible which was seen in France and incontinently in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred thirty six they sent to Geneua one Martin Gonin to prouide a large supply of such bookes which he should see to bee fit for the instruction of the people but they were frustrated of their intent because this good man was apprehended for a Spy passing ouer the hill de Gap by a certaine Gentleman named George Martin Lord de Champolion and so soone as hee was knowne to be a Waldensian he was sent to Grenoble and there kept in prison In the booke of Martyrs of our time lib. 3 fol. 111. and afterwards in the night-time cast into the Riuer Lyzere for feare lest hee should speake of his beliefe before the people for the Monke Inquisitor that deliuered him to the secular power told them that it was not good that the world should hare him because saith hee it is to bee feared that they that heare him may become worse then himselfe There happened warres in Piedmont betweene King Francis the first of that name and the Prince of Piedmont which fell out happily for these poore people for so long as those confusions continued they were at quiet vntill Pope Paul the third of that name sollicited the Parliament of Turin to take some violent course against them in doing iustice vpon them as vpon pernicious Heretickes whensoeuer they should bee deliuered into their
as from his friend that if he did not acknowledge his fault he would be in great danger of his life Copin answered him that his life was in the hands of God and he would neuer desire to preserue it to the preiudice of his glory and forasmuch as he had but two or three paces to walke in his iourney to heauen his hearty prayer vnto God was that he would be pleased to giue him the grace not to turne back Some few daies after he was examined by a Monke Inquisitor in the presence of the Bishop who tormented him a long time with sweet and gentle perswasions endeauouring to winne him by faire words to the abiuration of his beliefe but Copin alwaies conuinced him by the word of God alleadging vnto him that if he should be ashamed of Christ Iesus or deny him before men Christ would be ashamed of him and deny him before his Father in heauen The Monke ended his disputation with these and the like threatning speeches Goe thou waies thou cursed Lutheran to all the diuels in hell and when thou shalt be tormented by those vncleane spirits thou wilt remember those good and holy counsels which we haue giuen thee to bring thee to saluation but thou haddest rather go to hell then to reconcile thy self to our holy mother the Church It is long agoe saith Copin that I was reconciled to our mother the Church After many violent incounters they caused his wife and a sonne of his to come vnto him promising him liberty and to depart with them if hee would amend his fault by confessing it They suffered his said wife and sonne to sup with him in prison which time he spent in exhorting them to patience the wife for that shee should want a husband the childe a father but yet should assure themselues that God would be their father and more then a husband and for his owne part he was not bound to loue either wife or children more then Christ that they should hold it to be no small happinesse that it hath pleased God to do him that honour as to be a witnesse vnto his truth with the losse of his life and that he hoped that God would be so fauourable vnto him as to giue him strength to endure all manner of torments for his glory He committed to the care and charge of his wife his sonne and his daughter which they had in marriage enioyning her to bring them vp in the feare of God He commanded his sonne to obey his mother for so he should drawe downe vpon him the blessing of God he prayed them to pray for him that God would be pleased to strengthen him against all temptations and so hauing blessed his sonne and taken leaue of his wife they were dismissed out of prison and he locked vp where he was before His wife and child shedding fountaines of teares and crying out in such a lamentable manner as would haue moued the hardest hearts to compassion This good man not being content with what he had said vnto them by word of mouth writ vnto her this Lettre following the originall Copy whereof shee deliuered vnto vs written and signed with the hand of the said Copin the superscription whereof was this To my louing Companion Susan Copin At the Tower of Lucerna MOst deare Companion I haue receiued much comfort by your comming into this place and so much the more by how much the lesse I expected it And I thinke it was some comfort to your selfe that you had the meanes to sup with me as it came to passe but yesterday being the fifteenth of September in the yeere 1601 being Saterday I know not the cause why this was permitted but all things are in the hand of God and whatsoeuer were the cause I doe not thinke we shall euer eate together againe And therefore pray vnto God to be your comforter and put your trust in him who hath promised neuer to forsake those that trust in him You are wise and therefore gouerne our house in such sort that you keepe our children Samuell and Martha in obedience whom I command by that authority that God hath giuen me to be faithfull and obedient vnto you for then God will blesse them For the rest be not grieued concerning my selfe for if God haue appointed that I am come to the end of my daies and that it pleaseth the Almighty God that I shall render vp my soule which hee hath long time lent me my trust in him is that out of his abundant mercy hee will receiue it into heauen for the loue of his Sonne Christ Iusus by whom I belieue that our sinnes are blotted cut euen by his precious death and passion And I begge at his mercifull hands that he will accompany mee vnto the end by the powerfull assistance of his holy Spirit Bee alwaies carefull to pray vnto God and to serue him for so God will blesse and serue you Take no care to send me any thing for these three weekes and then you may send me if you please some money to pay the Iaylor and some thing else to succour me if I liue till then Remember also that which I haue often told you that is that God prolonged the life of King Ezechias for fifteene yeeres but that he had prolonged mine a great deale more for it is a long time agoe that you haue seen me in a manner dead and neuerthelesse I am yet aliue and I hope and hold for certaine that hee will still preserue mee aliue vntill my death shall be better for his glory and mine owne felicity through his grace and mercy towards me From the Prison at Ast Sept. 16. 1601. The Bishop of Ast was much troubled what to determine concerning this poore man For if he should let him goe they feared a scandall and that many would gather heart and courage to speake with a loud voice against the Romish Religion On the other side there was a clause in the treaty made betweene his Highnesse and the Waldenses which cleared him from all offence in these words And if any question shall bee mooued vnto them touching their faith being in Piedmont with other his Highnesses Subiects it shall be lawfull for them to answere not incurring thereby any punishment reall or personall Now he was asked the question and therefore to be quit from blame But the Bishop would not haue it said that hee had committed him to prison vniustly To the end therefore that his death might not bee imputed vnto him and it might not be thought that he sent him away absolued he sent his indictment to Pope Clement the eight to vnderstand what course hee should take herein It could neuer be knowne what answere the Bishop had but shortly after hee was found dead in prison not without some appearance that he was strangled for feare least if he should haue been publikely executed he might edifie and strengthen the people by his confession and constancy After his
therefore that their zeale was the more they stirred vp their enemies against them and plunged themselues into the greater dangers But as all are not victorious by faith but there are alwaies some weake who take counsell of the flesh and perswade themselues without reason that they can crooch and bow themselues in those places where God is offended by idolatry and yet keepe the heart pure and neate vnto God Oecolampadius from thence takes occasion to write that which followeth to be deliuered to those dissemblers which walke not with an vpright foote before God The Letter of Occolampadius written to the VValdenses of Prouence who thought they could serue God by prostituting their bodies before Popish Idols Written in the yeere 1530. Oecolampadius desires the grace of God the Father by his Sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit to his well-beloued Brethren in Christ who are called VValdenses WEe vnderstand that the feare of persecution hath made you to dissemble in your faith and that you hide it Now we beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse and confesse with the mouth to saluation but they that feare to confesse Christ before the world shall not bee receiued by God the Father For our God is truth without any dissimulation and as he is a iealous God he cannot endure that they that are his should ioyne together vnder the yoake of Antichrist for there is no communiō of Christ with Belial And if you communicate with the infidels in going to their abominable Masses you cannot but perceiue their blasphemies against the death and passion of Christ For when they glory in themselues that by the meanes of such sacrifice they satisfie God for the sinnes of the liuing and the dead what can follow but that Iesus Christ hath not sufficiently satisfied by the sacrifice of his death and passion and consequently that Christ is not Iesus that is a Sauiour and that he died for you in vaine If then we haue communion at this impure table we declare our selues to be one body with the wicked how irkesome so euer it be vnto vs. And when we say Amen to their prayers doe we not deny Christ What death should we not rather chuse What paine and torment should we not rather suffer Nay into what hell ought we not rather to plunge our selues then to witnesse by our presence that we consent vnto the blasphemies of the wicked I know that your weaknesse is great but it is necessary that they that haue learned that they are bought by the blood of Christ should be more couragious and alwaies feare him that can cast both body and soule into hell And what shall it suffice vs to haue a care of this life onely shall that be more precious vnto vs then that of Christ And are we contented to haue tasted the delights of this world onely Crownes are prepared for vs and shall we turne backe againe And who will beleeue that our faith hath been true if it faile and faint in the heat of persecution Let vs therefore pray vnto God to increase our faith For certainly it shall be better for vs to die then to be ouercome by temptations And therefore brethren we exhort you to diue into the bottome of this businesse For if it to be lawfull to hide our faith vnder Antichrist it shall be likewise lawfull to hide it vnder the Empire of the Turke and with Dioclesian to adore Iupiter and Venus nay it had been lawfull for Tobit to adore the calfe in Bethel And what then shall our faith towards God be If we honour not God as we should and if our life be nothing but Hipocricy and dissimulation he will spew vs out of his mouth as being neither hot nor cold And how doe we glorifie our Lord in the middest of our tribulations if we deny him Brethren it is not lawfull for vs to looke backe when our hand is at the plough neither is it lawfull to giue care to our wiues entising vs to euill that is to say to our flesh which notwithstanding it indure many things in this world yet in the hauen it suffereth shipwracke These godly admonitions preuailed much for the confirmation of the more weake and they came in very good time for those who presently after were sifted with many tempestuous outrages and euen one of those that brought the Letters made good vse of them that is to say Peter Masson who was apprehended at Diion where he was condemned to death for a Lutheran George Morel saued himselfe with his letters and papers and came sound and safe into Prouence where he bestowed much paines and with happy successe in the establishing of the Churches of the Waldenses of which the Court of Parliament at Aix did euery day apprehend one faithfull member or other whom they either condemned to the fire or sent to the gibbet or dismissed with markes in their foreheads vntill that in the yeere 1540 the Inhabitants of Merindol were summoned in the person of fiue or six of the principall at the earnest importunity of the Kings Atturney in the Parliament of Aix and the sollicitation of the Arch-bishop of Arles the Bishop of Aix other Ecclesiasticall persons A sentence was giuen against them the most exorbitant cruell and inhumane that euer was in any Parliament like in all things to that edict of King Assuerus granted at the instance of Aman against the people of God as it is written in the History of Hester For besides that the men and women that were summoned for contumacy were condemned to be burnt aliue by the said sentence their children and families outlawed it was decreed that the place of Merindol should be altogether made vnhabitable the woods cut downe two hundred paces round about it and all this without any audience or leaue granted to any to speake a word The King being informed of the rigour of this Edict sent into Prouence the Lord du Langeai to enforme him of the manners and beleefe of the said Waldenses and vnderstanding that many things were laid to the charge of this people which they were not guilty of King Francis the first of that name sent Lett es of grace and fauour not onely in behalfe of those that had offended by contumacy but all the rest of the Country of Prouence expresly commanding the Parliament from thence forward not in that case to proceed so rigerously as they had done in times past These Letters were supprest They that were personally summoned made request that it might bee lawfull for them to answere by a Proctor Francis Chai and William Armand appeared for all the rest requesting in their names that it might be made to appeare vnto them in what they had erred and that by the word of God being ready to abiure all heresie if once they might know that they were fallen into any And for this cause they deliuered vnto them in writing a confession of their faith to the end if they found any thing worthy