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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 you 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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