Thus doth the eternall God know when it pleaseth him how out of one and the same stemme to make the light of his mercies to shine from whence heretofore sprang nothing but darknesse Long and many happie yeares may your Honour continue in the same purpose and intent to preserue and to loue that Church for which Christ Iesus died and to dedicate the rest of your dayes to his glory and the edification of those flockes for whom he hath shed his most precious bloud Herein consists all your glory And that your felicitie may spring from hence I begge at Gods hands from the bottome of my heart euen with the same affection which binds me euer to continue Your Honours most humble seruant Iohn Paul Perrin of Lion From Nyons in Dauphiney Ian. 1. THE PREFACE THe Church of God in the world is of higher esteeme then the world it selfe It is the fruition of our Lord Iesus Christ He was crucified for it and without it nothing can be accounted good But as our Redeemer inuiteth vs to enter and to continue therein for our saluation so Satan endeuoureth to make men wander from the right way to their damnation He blindeth them to the end they may take that for the Church that hath but the name thereof holding them in error seducing them by a worldly glorious pompe and so makes them disdaine the true Church principally because it is subiect to persecution in the world wherein they that honour not the Maister cannot cherish the seruants in such sort that not acknowledging any other Church then that which hath triumphed for many ages together in the bloud of those Martyrs whom it hath killed they demand with great importunitie what and in what parts of the world the Chatholicke Church hath bene if that which so long and so peaceably hath obtained the title thereof be not the same Where was it hid say they during the fiue ages last past They are instant vpon vs that at the least we shew them some one in the whole course of so many yeares that hath beleeued that which in our times hath bene so much extolled vnder the name of Reformation This historie of the Christians called Waldenses Albingenses will satisfie those that can reade it without passion For therein appeares that for these last foure hundred and fiftie yeares there haue bene especially in Europe a great number in diuers kingdomes and countries which haue made profession of a religion altogether conformable to the word of God and the doctrine which hath bene receiued in the reformed Churches hauing mourned vnder the darkenesse of Antechrist wherein they shined like precious stones in a dunghill and roses among the thornes They seemed to the world but as abiect men but God beheld them as his children and gaue them eyes to see and eares to heare and an heart to vnderstand the truth And as he made way to his iudgements by leauing those to the spirit of amazednesse that had forsaken his word so he hath made way to his mercies in withdrawing this remainder of his people from the Temples polluted with idolatries causing the sacred inward ministerie of his Spirit to worke in them prouiding them temples and preseruing them from the infection of the externall ministerie defiled with infinite humane inuentions The writings of the said Waldenses and Albingenses which haue bene miraculously preserued vnto this present time make good in this historie the puritie of their religion and iustifie them against the imputations of their aduersaries They make it appeare vnto the world that they haue had for the foundation of their faith the Simbole of the Apostles allowing also of that of Athanasius for the rule of their obedience the eternall law of God for the substance of their prayers the Lords prayer And finally that they haue preserued the Sacraments instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ in the selfe same puritie wherein he first ordained them And also that they haue alwayes liued vnder a good and holy discipline carrying themselues in regard of their manners and conuersation according to the same word which is the rule of their faith And yet neuerthelesse we shall make it appeare that for all these things without which no man can be a true Christian they haue bene cruelly condemned to death banished sacked burnt cursed and persecuted with violence of armes Without reason then is it demanded where the Church was in these ages last past since it appeares that the almost infinite numbers which the Popes for righteousnesse sake haue put to death were the Church how contrarie soeuer to the Church of Rome and the Popes in whatsoeuer they were contrary to the Church of God Now forasmuch as the first point of the truth which these faithfull Martyrs haue maintained concerneth God who is without beginning and without end without whose command there is nothing true or auailable it must necessarily follow that the inuentions of men must giue place when God speaketh especially the truth being as ancient as the lye And we must also acknowledge that they that haue beleeued in former ages in one onely God by Iesus Christ haue bene the true members of the Church making the Catholike Church in what part of the world soeuer they haue bene placed Now it appeares by the doctrine and confession of the faithfull whereof much is spoken in this historie that they haue alwayes put their hope in the liuing God expecting saluation and life by no other meanes but by the Sonne of God If then for these things they haue bene slaughtered what wrong is done vnto those that are guiltie of the same sinnes by those bloudie desires which they haue to banish those out of the world whose mouthes by reason they cannot stop if seeming to seeke the Church in ages past they be sent vnto those faithfull whom such as themselues haue put to death Haue they not rather reason to be thankfull vnto God with vs for that the violent assaults of Satan haue bene alwayes in vaine because the Church hath euer continued in the person of Gods seruants victorious by faith and triumphant by martyrdome which we haue not measured in this historie according to the crueltie of their punishment but the iustice and goodnesse of the cause It will adde much to the glory of God to follow this bloud by the trace gathering together the certaine proofes of the faith and constancie of millions of witnesses who haue sealed the truth with the losse of their owne liues They whose hearts God shall moue to enlarge this historie by the true narration of what hath passed touching this subiect in those places where it hath pleased the Lord to make them grow increase as there is no Kingdome State Principalitie nor almost Citie towne or village in Europe where this innocent bloud hath not bene shed shall adde much to the edification of his Church when many shall contribute to the notice thereof that which God hath done in passed
could imagine might hurt the people hee assayed also to winne them by the preachings of the Monkes whom he brought with him into the Valley of Angrongne Being therefore come vnto the place where their Temple was he caused one of his Monkes to preach in the presenee of the people who made vnto them a long exhortation to returne vnto the Church of Rome of which hee reported many things which the people beleeued not After that the Monke had said as much as he would and that he held his peace the greatest number of the people required that the Pastors that were there present or some one of them for all might be permitted louingly and mildly to answer to the discourse that had been made by the Preacher but the President by no meanes would giue way thereunto whereupon there followed a certaine rumour or muttering among the people which strooke the President and his Monkes with an astonishment in such sort that they could haue been content to haue been elsewhere but dissembling their feare the President retired himselfe without a word speaking to Turin whether being come hee related to the Parliament what hee had done and withall signified vnto them the difficulties that were to winne this people by extremities because if any attempt should bee made to take them by violence they were resolued to defend themselues and the places of their abode being fauourable vnto them it was to bee feared it would cost a great deale of labour and much blood would bee shed before they could either bee brought into the Church of Rome or out of the world That is was the worke of a King to roote them out and a King of Franc and therefore it was necessary to send the reports and to commit vnto his owne will and pleasure the issue of so troublesome an enterprise This aduice was followed the indictments and reports were sent to the King but as the affaires of the Court cannot be finished but with long time there passed a whole yeere before there was any other course spoken of or taken against them then that of the Inquisitors who alwaies deliuered some one or other to the secular power but the yeere being expired there came from the Court expresse commands of the King to make them to doe that by force which they would not be brought vnto by words or friendly vsage The Parliament re-sent the said President of Saint Iulien who so soone as hee was arriued at Angrongne he commanded them in the name of the King to goe to the Masse vpon paine of Confiscation of bodies and goods They demanded a Copy both of his commission and his speech promising to answere him in such a manner that he should haue reason to rest contented but nothing could giue the President satisfaction who still pressed vpon them to change their religion but in vaine For they answered him that they were not bound to such commands against the commandement of God Hee commanded that twelue of the pricipalln amongst them with all the Ministers and Schoole-masters should presently yeeld their bodies to the prisons of Turin there to receiue such sentence as reason shall require and hee enioyned the Sindics of the said Valleys to dismisse and suffer to depart presently all strangers and from thence forward not to receiue any Preachers or Schoole-masters but such as shall be sent them by the Diocesan They answered that they could not nor would not obey any such commands as were against God and that they would not make their appearance at Turin because they could not doe it without danger of their liues and to be molested for their beleefe This Parliament of Turin was in such sort incensed against them that as many as they could cause to be apprehended in Piedmont and the frontiers of the Valleies so many they burnt at Turin among others M. Ieffrey Varnigle Minister at Angrongne was burnt in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fifty seuen 1557. by whose death at Turin in the place of the Castle the people were much strengthned and edified there being present a great number that saw him to persist in the inuocaton of the name of God vnto his last gaspe During these grieuous persecutions the Protestant Princes of Germany did intercede for them beseeching King Henry the second to suffer them to liue in peace in the profession of that Religion wherein they had liued from the father to the sonne for some ages past The King promised to haue regard to this their request and indeed they continued quiet vntill the peace was made betweene the King of France and of Spaine and that the Duke of Sauoy was restored to his estates that is to say in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fifty nine 1560. The yeere after the said restitution of the Country the Popes Nuntio reproued the Duke of Sauoy for that he followed not the steps of the Kings of France in his zeale who affecting the Catholike Romish religion had with all his power persecuted the Waldenses and Lutherans of the Valleys of Angrongne and other their bordering neighbours and that if he did not ioyne his forces in what possibly hee could to bring them into the bosome of the Church or to take them out of world that his Holinesse should haue great reason to suspect him to bee a fauourer of them The Prince of Piedmont promised to vse all the meanes he could for their reduction or vtter subuersion in pursuit whereof hee commanded them to goe to the Masse vpon paine of their liues and to see their Valleys laid open to fire and sword To which command they not yeelding obedience he set vpon them by open force and gaue the charge of this warre to a gentleman named le sieur de la Trinite And in the meane while at the selfesame time he caused them to be pursued by the Monkes the Inquisitors Iacomel and de Corbis This war is printed in a treatise by it selfe And it is likewise set downe in the 8. booke of the history the Martyrs of our times fol. 532. But forasmuch as the History of this warre is brought to light elswhere we will not enter into any large discourse thereof onely we may here obserue that after la Trinite had been well beaten with his troopes seeing that the Lions pawe could stand him in no steed he couered himselfe with the Foxes skin telling them that what had passed had befallen them for want of parley and communication rather then for any ill will that his Highnesse bare vnto them and that if his souldiers had exceeded their bounds it was because of that resistance which they found and that hereafter hee would bee an instrument for their conseruation and as desirous to procure their peace as at the beginning he shewed himselfe earnest to procure their trouble And therefore he counselled them to send certaine of the principall amongst them to his Highnesse by whom he would send his commendatory letters both
common amongst them The Catechisme or manner of instructing their Children which the Waldenses and Albingenses haue vsed in manner of a Dialogue where the Pastor asketh the question and the Childe answereth set down iointly in their owne proper Language in the French Copy for the more Authority CHAPTER I. The learned Reader desirous to see the Originall may haue recourse to the French Booke where it is faithfully set forth in their owne old Language Lo. Barba Si tu fosses demanda qui sies tu Respond L'Enfant Creatura de dio rational mortal c. The Pastor Question WHat art thou Answer A creature of God reasonable and mortall Q. Why hath God created thee A. To the end I should know and serue him and that I might be saued by his grace Q. In what doth thy saluation consist A. In three essentiall vertues which doe necessarily belong to saluation Q. Which be they A. Faith Hope and Charity Q. How dost thou proue it A. The Apostle saith in the 1 Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 13.13 These three things remaine Faith Hope and Charity Q. What is Faith A. According to the Apostle Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for the euidence of things not seene Q. How many kindes of Faith are there A. There are two sorts of Faith that is a liuely and a dead Faith Q. What is a liuely Faith A. That which worketh by Charity Q. What is a dead Faith A. According to Saint Iames That Faith which is without workes is dead Againe Faith is nothing without workes Or a dead faith is to beleeue there is a God and to beleeue those things concerning God and not to beleeue in God Q. What is thy Faith A. The true Catholike and Apostolike Faith Q. What is that A. It is that which in the Apostles Symbole is diuided into twelue Articles Q. What is that Symbole A. I beleeue in God the Father Almighty c. Q. By what meanes canst thou know that thou beleeuest in God A. By this Because I know that I haue giuen my selfe to the obseruation of the Commandements of God Q. How many Commandements of God are there A. Ten as it appeareth in Exodus and Deuteronomy Q. Which are they A. Hearken O Israel I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in Heauen c. Q. Vpon what doe all these Commandements depend A. Vpon the two great Commandements that is to say Thou shalt loue God aboue all things and thy Neighbour as thy selfe Q. What is the foundation of these Commandements by which euery one ought to enter into life without which foundation no man can worthily fulfill the Commandements A. Our Lord Iesus Christ of whom the Apostle saith in the first to the Corinthians None can lay any other foundation but that which is laid euen Iesus Christ Q. By what meanes may a man attaine to this foundation A. By Faith So saith Saint Peter 1 Epist 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect precious 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 gift 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 twofold 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
profited in his whole life in the Scriptures as he had done in those few dayes of his conference with the said Waldenses in examining the Articles of their Confession by the passages of Scripture cited by them This Bishop not being satisfied by this triall sent a companie of yong Doctors that came lately from Sorbonne to confound them by the subtiltie of their questions But one there was among the rest that said at his returne with a lowde voice that he had learned more touching the doctrine neccessarie to saluation in attending to the answers of the little children of the Waldenses in their catechizings then in all the disputations of diuinitie which he had euer heard in Paris Bern. de Gir. in his history of Fraunce lib. 10. Bernard de Girard Lord of Haillan saith that the Waldenses haue bene charged with more wicked opinions then they held because saith he they stirred the Popes and great men of the world to hate them for the libertie of their speech which they vsed in condemning the vices and dissolute behauiour of Princes and Ecclesiasticall persons Vesemb in his Oration of the Waldenses King Lewis 12. hauing bene informed by the enemies of the Waldenses dwelling in Prouence of many grieuous crimes which were imposed vpon them sent to make inquisition in those places the Lord Adam Fumee maister of Requests a Doctor of Sorbon called Parui who was his Confessour They visited all their Parishes and Temples and found neither images not so much as the least shew of any ornaments belonging to their Masses and ceremonies of the Church of Rome much lesse any such crimes as were imposed vpon them but rather that they kept their Sabbathes duely causing their children to be baptized according to the order of the Primatiue Church teaching them the Articles of the Christian faith and the Commandements of God The king hearing the report of the said Commissioners said and he bound it with an oath that they were better men then he or his people It appeareth by the memorials of the Archbishop of Ambrun named Rostain The same king vnderstanding that in Dauphiney namely in the valley of Fraissiniere in the Diocesse of Ambrun there were a certaine people that liued like beasts without religion hauing an euill opinion of the Romish religion he sent a Confessour of his with the Officiall of Orleans to bring him true information thereof This Confessour with his colleague came vnto the place where they examined the Waldenses dwelling in the said valley touching their beleefe and conuersation The Archbishop of Ambrun who made account that the goods of the said Waldenses were annexed to the demaine of his Archbishopricke as being confiscable for the cause of heresie pressed the aforesaid Commissioners speedily to condemne them for heretickes but the said Commissioners would not obey his desire but rather iustified thē as much as in them lay insomuch that before their departure the said Confessour of the king in his chamber at the signe of the Angell in Ambrun wished in the presence of many that he were as good a Christian as the worst of the said valley of Fraissiniere Ioachim Camer in his historie pag. 352. King Francis the first of that name and successour to Lewis 12. vnderstanding that the Parliament of Prouence had laid heauie burthens vpon the Waldenses dwelling at Merindol and Cambriers and other places thereabout desired to be informed of the beleefe life and conuersation of the said Waldenses and to that end commanded William de Belay Lord of Langeay at that time his Lieutenant in Piemont to make a diligent inquiry into those affaires whereupon the said Lord sent into Prouence two honest reuerent men to whom he gaue in charge to make inquiry both of the liues and religion of the Waldenses as also of the proceedings of the Court of Parliament against them These two deputies to the Lord de Langeay reported that the greatest part of the countrie of Prouence did affirme that the said Waldenses were a kind of people very painfull and that about two hundred yeares since they departed from the countrie of Piemont and came to dwell in Prouence and taking vpon them the profession of husbandmen and sheepheards they made many villages that were destroyed in the wars and other desart sauage places very fertile by their labours And that they had found by informations in the said countrie of Prouence that the aforesaid men of Merindol were a peaceable people beloued of their neighbours men of a good and godly conuersation carefull to keepe their promises and to pay their debts without suites of law very charitable not suffering any amongst them to fall into want and beggery liberall to strangers and poore passengers to the vtmost of their power As also that the inhabitants of Prouence did affirme that they of Merindol were knowne from others of the countrie because they could neuer be perswaded to blaspheme or so much as to name the diuell or in any sort to sweare except it were vpon certaine contracts or in iudgement And that they were likewise knowne by this that whensoeuer they fell into company of such as vsed either idle or wanton or blasphemous discourse against the honour of God they presently departed Thus you see how many of the aduersaries of the Waldenses haue giuen honourable reports of them enforced thereunto by the force of truth it selfe Let vs now see in what esteeme they haue bene with those that succeeded them in the same beleefe CHAP. VI. Testimonies giuen of the Waldenses by many great personages that haue made profession of the reformed religion THeodor Beza calleth the Waldenses the seed of the most pure ancient Christian Church Beza in his historie of worthy men which was miraculously preserued in the middest of the darknesse and errours which haue bene hatched by Satan in these latter times Constans vpon the Reuelation Const vpon the Apocalypse sheweth that the reformatiō of the Church in the Westerne parts of the world began in France by the meanes of Waldo and that from this source it spread it selfe through the rest of Europe Bullinger speakes thus of the Waldenses Bullinger in the Preface of his sermons vpon the Reuelation VVhat should we say saith he that aboue foure hundred yeares since throughout France Italy Germany Poland Bohemia and other countries and kingdomes of the world the Waldenses haue made profession of the Gospell of Christ Iesus and in many their writings and continuall preachings accused the Pope to be the true Antichrist of whom the Apostle Saint Iohn had prophesied and therefore we were to flie from him These people being tortured with diuerse most cruell torments haue with vnspeakable constancie giuen testimony of their faith by glorious martyrdomes and the like they suffer euen at this very day It is beyond the power of man to banish them or to roote them out notwithstanding it haue bene often attempted by most mightie kings
Origine Confes Eccl. Bohemia Wiclesus à Waldensibus adiutus Hussium nostrum excitauit pa. 264. From hence it was said to the Husites that Wicklif had awakened their Iohn Hus. This Wicklif writ aboue a hundred volumes against Anti-christ or the Church of Rome the Catalogue whereof is in the booke of the Images of famous men that haue combated with Antichrist CHAP. XIII Of the Waldenses that did flie into Flanders and were there persecuted AFter the great persecution of the Waldenses in the time of Phillip the faire S. Aldeg in his 1. Table of the diff fol. 149. Iohn Dubrauius in the Hstory of Bohemia lib. 14. Historigraphers make mention of their repaire into Flanders whether he pursued them and caused a great number to bee burnt And because they were constrained to retire themselues into the woods to flie from those that pursued them they were called Turlupins that is See before l. 1. c. 1. dwellers with wolues as you haue heard before in that Chapter where we haue shewed what names were giuen vnto them Mathew Paris saith that a certaine Iacobin Monke Math. Paris in the life of Henry 3. named Robert Bougre had liued amongst the Waldenses making profession of their Religion but hauing afterwards forsaken them became a Monke and a very violent persecuter in such sort that he caused many to be burnt in Flanders Now his owne friends hauing taken knowledge that he much abused the power and authority of his office laying to their charge many things whereof they were innocent and executing his authority against many that were altogether ignorant of the beliefe of the VValdenses he was not only depriued of the office of an Inquisitor but cast into prison and being conuicted of diuers crimes was condemned to perpetuall prison CHAP. XIV Of the VValdenses that were persecuted in Poland ABout the yeere of our Lord 1330 there were many that made profession of the Religion of the Waldenses in the Kingdom of Poland 1330. The Bishops had recourse to the meanes established by the Pope that is to say the Inquisition whereby they deliuer many of them into the hands of the executioner Flat Illy in his Catol of the wit pa. 539. The Author of the Catalogue of the witnesses of the truth hath written that he hath lying by him the forme of the Inquisition which the Inquisitors made vse off in this persecution Vignier in his Biblio pa. 130. In his History lib. 1. Vignier saith that at their departure out of Picardy many of them that were persecuted there retired themselues into Poland Le Sieur de Popeliniere hath set downe in his History that the Religion of the Waldenses hath spred it selfe almost into all parts of Europe euen amongst the Polonians and Lutherans and that after the yeer one thousand one hundred they haue alwayes sowed their doctrine little differing from that of the moderne Protestants and maugre all the powers and Potentates that haue opposed themselues against them they haue defended it to this day CHAP. XV. That many Waldenses haue been persecuted at Paris IN the yeer 1210 1210. The history of Languedoc 1. Ferier fol. 7. foure and twenty VValdenses were apprehended at Paris wherof some were imprisoned some burnt It happened also that during the one twentieth schisme and during the time of Pope Iohn the one and twentieth of that name the persecution was great throughout all France against the VValdenses but especially at Paris Againe in the yeere 1304 the Monkes Inqusitors 1304. 1. Tab. pa. 152. appointed for the search of the VValdenses apprehended at Paris a hundred and fourteene who were burnt aliue and endured the fire with admirable constancy We find also in the Sea of Histories 1378 The Sea of histories in the yeere 1378. that in the yeere 1378 the persecution continuing against the VValdenses there were burnt at Paris in the place de Greue a very great number CHAP. XVI Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Italy and the persecutions which we can proue they haue there suffered IN the yeere 1229 the Waldenses were spread abroad in great numbers throughout Italy 1229 Sigonius de regno Italico lib. 17. Valcamonica onely they had Schooles and from all parts of their abode they sent money into Lombardy for the maintenance of the said Schooles Vignier in the 3 part of his Bibl. hist Rain in summa fol. 18. Rainerius saith that about the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred fifty the Waldenses had Churches in Albania Lombardy Milan and in Romagina 2250 as also at Vincence Florence and Val Spoletine 1280 Le Sieur de Hail in the life of Phil. 3. In the yeere of our Lord 1280 there were many Waldenses in Sicile as le Sieur de Haillan obserueth in his History 1492 In the yeere 1492 Albert de Capitaneis Inquisitor and Arch-deacon of Cremona apprehended one of the Pastors of the Waldenses It appeares by the Inditemēt of the said Pastor the orginal whereof is in our hands named Peter de Iaeob passing ouer a mountaine in Dauphine called le Col de Costeplane as he was going to Pragela in the Valley of Frassinieres Being asked from whence he came he answered that he came from the Churches of the Waldenses in Italy where he had been to performe his duty to his charge and that he had passed by Gennes where he told them Genon that the Waldensian Pastors had a house of their owne which agreeth with that which Vignaux noteth in his Memorials Vignaux in his memorials fol. 15. That is that a certain Pastor named Iohn of the Valley of Lucerna was suspended from the office of a Pastor for the space of seuen yeeres for some fault he had committed and that during the said time he remained at Gennes where saith he the Pastors had a house as also they had a faire one in Florence Besides all these testimonies of the abode of the Waldenses in Italy we haue those of Calabria Chap. 7. of whom there was question before The persecutions that they haue suffered in Italy were continuall vntill they were wholly rooted out The Emperour Frederic the second of that name did grieuously persecute them by Edicts In the cōstitutiō which begins Jnconsutilem tunicans by the Inquisition by constitutions especially by that which condemneth GaZaros Patarenos Leonistas Speronistas Arnoldistas c. where hee bewailes the simplicity of those whom he calleth Patereniens as if he should say exposed to passions and suffrings in that they prodigally yeelded their liues to contempt affecting martirdome whereas if they would peaceably maintaine the faith of the Church of Rome they might saith he liue peaceably amongst other men who acknowledge her to be their mother and the head of all the Churches in the world It was his pleasure that they should be seuerely and speedily punished for feare lest they should farther spread themselues seeing also that they