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twenty-first schism, and in the popedom of John XXII. a very severe persecution against the Waldenses throughout all France, and especially at Paris.

Also in the year 1304, the monks inquisitors appointed to search after the Waldenses, apprehended one hundred and fourteen of them at Paris, who were burnt alive, and suffered the fire with admirable constancy.

We likewise find in the Sea of Histories, that in the year 1378, the persecution against the Waldenses continuing, a vast number of them were burnt in the Place de Greve in Paris.

CHAPTER XVI.

The Waldenses dwelling in Italy, and the persecutions which they there suffered.

In the year 1229, the Waldenses had already spread themselves in great numbers throughout all Italy. They had ten schools in Valcamonica alone, and they sent money from all parts of their abode into Lombardy, for the maintenance and support of the said schools. Rainerius saith, that about the year of our Lord 1250, the Waldenses had churches in Albania, Lombardy, Milan, and in Romagna, likewise at Vincence, Florence, and Val Spoletine. In the year 1280, there were a considerable number of Waldenses in Sicily, as Haillan observes in his History.

c

In the year 1492, Albert de Capitaneis, inquisitor and archdeacon of Cremona, surprised one of the barbes or pastors of the Waldenses, named Peter de Jacob, as he was passing over a mountain in Dauphiny, called le Col. de Costeplane, in his journey from Pragela, into the valley of Fraissinieres. Being demanded whence he came, he replied, that he came from the Waldensian churches in Italy, whither he had been to perform his duty, by fulfilling of his charge; and that he had passed by Genoa, where he told them the barbes of the Waldenses had a house of their own; which agrees with what the Sieur de Vigneaux observes in his memorials; that a barbe or pastor, named John of the valley of Lucerne, was for some misdemeanor suspended the ministry for the term of seven years, and that during the said time, he remained at Genoa, where the barbes had a house of their own, as they likewise had a very handsome one at Florence. Besides the above mentioned testimonies and proofs of the Waldenses dwelling in Italy, we have also those of Calabria. They were harassed in Italy with continual persecutions until they were entirely destroyed. The emperor Frederick II. did most severely handle and persecute them by edicts, by the inquisition, and by constitutions, especially that which condemns the Gazari, Patarens, Leonists, Speronists, Arnoldists, &c. There

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First Tab. p. 152.

e Sea of Hist., year 1378.

Sigonius de Regno Italico, lib. 17. Vignier, third part of his Bible History. b Rain. in Summa, fol. 18.

Le Sieur de Hail. Life of Phil. 3.

It appears by the indictment of the said pastor, the original of which is in our hands.

• Vigneaux, Memorials, fol. 15.

Constitut. which begins Inconsutilem Tunicam.

he laments and condoles the folly and simplicity of those whom he calls Patarens, that is, persons exposed to sufferings and misery, because they prodigally flung away their lives, being ambitious of martyrdom; whereas by quietly adhering to the faith of the church of Rome, they might, saith he, live in peace and tranquillity amongst other people, who acknowledge her to be their mother, and head over all the churches in the world. It was his pleasure, that they should be speedily and severely punished, for fear they should spread themselves further, seeing they had also begun to inhabit in Lombardy, and his kingdom of Sicily, where he ordered them to be handled with the utmost rigour and severity, that they might be banished thence, and from the world together.

Roger king of Sicily did likewise make constitutions against them, and caused them to be persecuted.

Pope Gregory IX. harassed and oppressed them with grievous persecutions. One of his legates banished them out of all the cities and countries of Italy, and commanded that their houses should be razed. He likewise ordained and established two preachers in Milan, who, by the authority of the archbishop, made a search after the Waldenses, and wheresoever they could catch any of them, they made the prætor carry them where the archbishop appointed, at the public expense and charges.

Pope Honorius also most cruelly persecuted them under the name of Fratricelli, that is, Shifters: for those who were called by that name in Italy, were no other than Waldenses. In the time of Boniface VIII. they were charged with the same crimes and imputations, as the Waldenses of Dauphiny, and the primitive Christians were. The monks inquisitors ever made a strict and diligent search after them in Italy, to deliver them up to the secular power, and not satisfied with condemning the living, they also made process against the dead, disinterred their bodies, burned their bones, and confiscated their goods.

1

Paulus Æmilius speaks thus of the Fratricelli." There were, saith he, in the time of Charles le Bell, very many famous persons eminent for their courage and learning. That age did indeed flourish in learning; and some there were who were truly pious and holy; but some out of an eager and unseasonable desire to excel the rest of the world in goodness, became very wicked and impious; and others there were whose manners and institutions were dubious. As to the just and righteous, they were troubled and grieved at the wickedness of the times, but were forced to hold their peace and as to those whom they called Fraterculi, they condemned the clergy both by word and writings, speaking against their gaudy apparel, their wealth and titles, and taught they were not becoming or agreeable to the Christian religion. Which occasioned it to be said, that they were of the religion of the Waldenses, because such was their doctrine.

Among others there was one named Herman, who being buried at Ferrara, was condemned to be disinterred twenty-eight years after his death, and his bones to be burnt; although he was accounted in his lifetime a righteous and holy man. Andrew likewise, and Guillaume his wife, were disinterred, and their bones burnt.i

Sigonius de Regno Italico, lib. 17. iSea of Hist. in the year 1300.

Paulus Æmilius in Charles the Fair.

¿ The Waldensian colony in Calabria Citeriore had increased in the sixteenth century to four thousand persons. To suppress those churches, and reduce them

CHAPTER XVII.

Some of the Waldenses retired into Dalmatia, Croatia, Sclavonia, Constantinople, Greece, Philadelphia, Diagonicia, Livonia, Sarmatia, Bulgaria, and there suffered persecution.

THE monk Rainerius, in his book of the form or method of proceeding against the heretics, in that catalogue that he made of the Waldenses, or poor of Lyons, observes, that in his time, in the year 1250, there were

to the papal bondage, the Inquisitors at Rome sent two monks, Malvicino and Urbino, who were directed either by fraud or force to accomplish their satanic design. On their first arrival, those monks assumed great gentleness. Having assembled the inhabitants of Santo Xisto, the monks announced their friendly warning to the Waldenses, not to hear any teachers but the Romish massmen, to dismiss the Waldensian missionary evangelists, and to live according to the popish rules, in which case, they would have nothing to fear-but if they would not submit to the court of Rome, they would incur the punishment of heretics, the confiscation of their property, and death in ignominy and torment. Having appointed a time for the celebration of mass, they required all the Waldenses to attend on that idolatry. But those Christians in a body left the town, except a few aged persons and chidren, and retired into the neighbouring forest.

The subsequent details are found in Chapter viii. But one circumstance which Perrin only mentions incidentally must be detailed in full, as given by Pantaleon, and De Porta. Pope Pius IV. promised to make the brother of the marquess of Buccianici, a cardinal, if that marquess, who was governor of Mentulto, would eradicate Christianity out of the province of Calabria. The following narrative was written by an eye-witness of that papal impious tragedy.

"I have now to inform you of the dreadful execution of the Lutherans this morning, June 11, 1560. To tell you the truth, I can compare it to nothing but the slaughter of so many sheep. The executioner went to the prison, and bringing out one of them, covered his face with a napkin or benda, as we call it, led him into an adjacent field, and causing him to kneel down, cut his throat with a knife. Then taking off the bloody napkin, he went and brought out another, whom he murdered in the same manner. In this way he butchered the whole number, eighty-eight men. Not any person, after witnessing the slaughter of one, could stand to look at a second. The meekness and patience with which they went to martrydom are incredible. I still shudder when I think of the executioner with the bloody knife in his teeth, the dripping napkin in his hand, and his arms besmeared with gore, going to the house, and taking out one victim after another, just as a butcher does his sheep that he intends to kill. According to the order, the dead bodies are appointed to be quartered, and hung up on the public roads throughout Calabria. The marquess of Buccianici, the governor of the province, will go on and put others to the torture, and multiply the executions until he has destroyed the whole of them.

"A decree this day has been passed that a hundred women shall be racked, and afterwards executed, in order that there may be a complete mixture of men and women. Some refuse to look at the crucifix, or confess to a priest, and will be burned alive. These people amount to sixteen hundred, all of whom are condemned. They are a simple, unlettered people, cntirely occupied with the spade and plough, and show themselves sufficiently religious at the hour of death."

Tommaso Costo, a Neapolitan historian of that period, thus writes of those Calabrian Christians.-"Some had their throats cut, others were sawn through the middle, and others were thrown from the top of a high cliff: while the father saw his son put to death, and the son his father, they exhibited not any symptoms of grief, but said joyfully, that they should be as the angels of God."

When the persecutors were "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with

churches in Constantinople, in Philadelphia, Sclavonia, Bulgaria, and Dia. gonicia.

Vignier takes notice, that after the persecution of Picardy, they dispersed themselves inio Livonia, and Sarmatia.

Matthew Paris tells us, that they had spread themselves long ago, as far as Croatia and Dalmatia, and had taken such footing there, that they had brought over several bishops to their party. He likewise says, that there was one Bartholomew, who came from Carcassone, to whom they paid all obedience; and that he styled himself in his letters Bartholomew, the servant of servants of the Holy Faith, and that he created and ordained bishops and churches. This may be forgery, because he attributes that to this person, which is attributed to the pope; that is, in styling himself the servant of servants, and yet usurpeth and exerciseth a dominion and sovereignty contrary to the institution of the Son of God, and the practice of his apostles. As also what Albertus de Capitaneis saith, that they had their great master or supreme pastor in the city of Aquila, in the kingdom of Naples, upon whom they did absolutely depend: for we find not one word in all their writings that has the least tendency to, or gives the least hint of any such matter. We only make use of the words of this historian, to show the extent of those places, whither the Waldenses had fled to avoid the fury of the persecution.

Antonin relates, that the Waldenses called in Italy Fratricelli, were burnt in his time, in several parts of the world; so that several of them leaving Italy, were forced to fly into Greece; as also that one of the most eminent and notable amongst them, Lewis de Bauiere, and two monks or grey-friars, John de Chastillon, and Francis de Hercastura, were burnt for adhering to them.“

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CHAPTER XVIII.

The Waldenses inhabiting in Spain, and the persecutions which they there suffered.

In the time of the wars against Remond earl of Thoulouse, and the earls of Foix and Comminge, when the Waldenses were persecuted by the pope's legates, several of them fled into Catalonia, and the kingdom of Arragon. This is what Matthew Paris takes notice of, saying, that in the time of pope Gregory IX. there were a great number of Waldenses in Spain; and also about the year 1214, in the time of pope Alexander IV.

the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," Revelation xvii. 6; it was not difficult to dispose of the prisoners who remained. The men were sent to the Spanish galleys; the women and children were sold for slaves; and the entire colony was exterminated." Many times have they afflicted me from my youth"-may the Waldenses say " many times have they afflicted me from my youth-My blood-the violence done to me and my flesh"-my CHRISTIAN BLOOD BE UPON ROME!-McCrie's Refor. mation in Italy, chapter v.

a Rain. de forma hæreticandi, fol. 10.

bVignier, third part of his Bibl. Historial. p. 130. Matthew Paris, Life of Henry III., King of England. d Antonin, part III. Tit. 21.

e Matthew Paris, Reign of Henry III.

who complains in one of his bulls, that they had suffered them to take such footing, and had given them time to increase and multiply as they had done. For in the time of pope Gregory IX. they were advanced so far in number and credit, that they ordained bishops over their flocks, to preach their doctrine unto them; which coming to the knowledge of the popish bishops, they were most cruelly persecuted."

CONCLUSION OF THE HISTORY OF THE WALDENSES.

By the contents of the preceeding chapters, it appears, that the Christians called Waldenses have opposed the errors and abuses of the church of Rome, and for above four hundred and fifty years were persecuted, not by the sword of the Word of God, but by all manner of violence and cruelty, in conjunction with several forgeries, calumnies, and false accusations, so that they were forced to disperse themselves wheresoever they could, wandering through wild and desert places. Yet the Lord hath so protected and preserved the residue of them, that notwithstanding the rage and fury of satan, they continued invincible against all the assaults of antichrist: whom they have challenged to spiritual combat, beating down and subduing him by the blast of God's Spirit. Crying out with a loud voice, not only throughout all Europe, but also in other places of the earth, that it was high time to depart out of Babylon, that we might not share in, and partake of her judgments. This is the people who endeavoured to set up, and re-establish the true and pure service of God by his word-a con

Bull which begins Iræ cunctis.

8 From 1412 to 1425, a great number of persons who entertained the sentiments of the Vaudois were committed to the flames by the Inquisitors of Valentia, Roussillon, and Majorca. The followers of Wickliffe emigrated to the Spanish Peninsula; for in 1441, the Inquisitors of Arragon and Valentia reconciled some of them to the papacy, and condemned others to the fire as obstinate heretics. But previous to that time, a fiery inquisition had been in operation against the Beghards, which is an opprobrious epithet then applied to the Waldenses by the persecuting popish priesthood, thereby to excite odium against those Christians, and to justify their own blood-thirsty cruelties. The leader of those disciples was condemned to perpetual imprisonment at Valentia, in the year 1350, and the bones of his followers were dug up from their graves and burned; nevertheless in 1442, it was discovered that they had multiplied both in Biscay and Calahorra. Alfonso de Mella, a Franciscan, and brother of the prelate of Zamorra, having incurred the suspicion of being at the head of a party of Waldensians, fled with his companions to the Moors, among whom, he died by torture at Grenada, having been pierced with reeds—“ an example-records the biographer-worthy to be recorded, of the vanity in human affairs, and the opposite dispositions of persons borne by the same mother."-John II. king of Castile, also sent a band of musketeers to scour the mountains of Biscay, and of Old Castle, who drove the Christians before them, like cattle, and delivered them to the Inquisitors, by whom they were transferred to the flames of martyrdom, at Domingo, and Valladolid. Thus the ancient Believers, after a most barbarous and unrelenting persecution of two centuries, were exterminated in Spain, with the exception of a few, who concealed themselves in the remote and inaccessible districts; and who at a subsequent period furnished occasionally a straggling victim, to the myrmidons of the Inquisition, when surfeited with the blood of Jews and Moriscos.-McCrie's History of the Reformation in Spain, chapter i.

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