"Christ upon earth; and that the pope is its heady and the vicar of "Christ; that they hold the absurd doctrine of transubstantiation, in"sisting that the bread and wine given in the sacrament is the very " identical body and blood of Christ which was nailed to the cross; "that they believe there is a place called purgatory, where the souls of "persons, after this life, are purged from the sins of mortality, and "that the pains and penalties here inflicted may be abated according "to the masses said by and the money paid to the priests; that they "teach, the communion of one kind, or the receiving the wafer only, *is sufficient for the lay people, though the clergy must be indulged "with both bread and wine; that they pray to the Virgin Mary and "saints, though their prayers ought to be immediately to God; that "they pray for souls departed, though God decides their fate immediately on the decease of the person; that they will not perform the "service of the church in a language understood by the people in general; that they place their devotion in the number of prayers, "and not in the intent of the heart; that they forbid marriage to the clergy, though God allowed it; and that they use many things in "baptism, though Christ used only water. When pope Alexander the "third was informed of these transactions, he excommunicated Waldo "and his adherents, and commanded the bishop of Lyons to extermi"nate them: thus began the papal persecutions against the Wal"denses."

TENETS OF THE WALDENSES.E

1. That holy oil is not to be mingled in baptism.

"2. That prayers used over things inanimate are superstitious. T

3. Flesh may be eaten in Lent; the clergy may marry; and auri"cular confession is unnecessary.

"4. Confirmation is no sacrament; we are not bound to pay obe"dience to the pope; ministers should live upon tithes; no dignity "sets one clergyman above another, for their superiority can only be "drawn from real worth..

5. Images in churches are absurd; image-worship is idolatry, the "pope's indulgences ridiculous; and the miracles pretended to be done by the church of Rome are false.

6. Fornication and public stews ought not to be allowed; purgatory is a fiction; and deceased persons, called saints, ought not to be prayed to.

Extreme unction is not a sacrament; and masses, indulgences, and prayers, are of no service to the dead.

"8. The Lord's prayer ought to be the rule of all other prayers.” Well, here we have the accusations of Peter Waldo, and the tenets he attempted to establish. For the first time, we have something in the shape of doctrine in the Book of Martyrs; and let us now compare these accusations and doctrines with the truths taught and believed by the primitive Christians. Hitherto Fox's "godly martyrs' have been all of them Catholics; but now, all at once, the reformers have become possessed of the "gospel truths preached according to their primitive purity." The first of his principal accusations against the Roman Catholics, we are told, is, "that they affirm the church of Rome to be "the only infallible church of Christ upon earth; and that the pope is

its head, and the vicar of Christ," To be sure, the Catholics do insist upon this article, and would they not be fools to put their trust in a church which they believed to be fallible? What reliance could they have on the correctness of the tenets they believed, if they were not sure they had them from unerring authority? Would they not rest on human assurance, if the church they followed was liable to error? Would they not be more consistent by rejecting their church at once, if they thought her fallible? As to the church of Rome being the only infallible church, there can be but one true church, which must be infallible; and there is no other but the Catholic church that can lay claim to infallibility, because she, and she only, can trace her doctrines up to the apostolic ages. For example, by referring to page 39 of our Review, it will be seen that St. Ignatius, who is ranked by Fox a "godly martyr, and was cotemporary with the apostles, succeeding St. Peter in the see of Antioch, held the infallibility of the church of Rome, and the supremacy of the bishop of that see over the whole church; consequently, Peter Waldo was opposed to this "godly martyr." St. Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, who is termed by Fox "a zealous op"poser of heresies in general," maintained in his writings, and sealed with his blood, the same doctrines held by St. Ignatius, see page 67. Tertullian also defended the infallibility of the church, see page 83. St. Cyprian, who lived in the third age, and whose "doctrines were orthodox and pure," according to the testimony of Fox himself, bore witness to the infallibility of the church, disputed by Waldo, as may be seen in page 90. St. Basil, admitted by Fox to have been a pillar of truth," and St. Gregory Nazienzum, cotemporary with St. Basil, both living in the fourth century, preached the doctrines of infallibility and supremacy, see pp. 166, 167, 169, 170. So much for the first accusation.

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The second charge is, "that they (the Catholics) hold the absurd ❝ doctrine of transubstantiation, insisting that the bread and wine given "in the sacrament is the identical body and blood of Christ which was nailed to the cross." Well, and in believing this doctrine, they believe no more than what the apostles taught, and the primitive Christians believed. See our preceding pages; namely, 40, for the sentiments of St. Ignatius on this point; p. 49 and 50, for those of St. Justin, a Christian philosopher, who suffered at Rome about the year 166; p. 71, for those of St. Cyprian; and pp. 169 and 170, for the belief of St. Basil and St. Gregory.

The third charge is, "that they believe there is a place called purgatory. So did St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazienzum, see our Review, p. 171, as a doctrine received from the apostles. Tertullian, in his work De Cor. Milit. p. 289, mentions" oblations for the dead on the anniversary day." And, in his treatise on single marriages, he advises the widow" to pray for the soul of her departed husband, entreating repose to him, and participation in the first resurrection, aff and making oblations for him on the anniversary days of his death; which, if she neglected, it may be truly said of her, that, as far as in "her lies, she has repudiated her husband."-De Monogamia, c. x. p. 955. St. Cyprian says, on this point, "Our predecessors prudently advised, that no brother departing this life should nominate any

❝ churchman his executor; and should he do it, that no oblation should "be made for him, nor sacrifice offered for his repose."--Ep. 1, p. 2. Numberless other witnesses could be adduced in favour of this doctrine; but we think those we have produced, and who are admitted by Fox to have been supporters of orthodox doctrines and opposers of heresies, will be deemed sufficient by the reader.

The next charge is rather premature, and does not belong to Peter Waldo: it is, "that they teach the communions of one "kind, or the receiving the wafer only, is sufficient for the day "people, though the clergy must be indulged with both bread " and wine." The receiving under one kind is not an article of faith, but a matter of discipline; and in Peter Waldo's time, it appears that the laity as well as the clergy received under both kinds. It was not till John Huss began to dogmatize, that it was finally ruled by the council of Constance, that communion should be administered to the laity under one kind only. Thus, then, John Fox is at his old trade of lying, and nothing more need be said about it here.

Catholics are next accused of praying" to the Virgin Mary and "saints, though their prayers ought to be immediately to God." On this point, we shall refer the reader to St. Basil and St. Gregory, both competent judges, by Fox's admission, whose sentiments will be found p. 172. Pope Martin, too, (see p. 179,) maintained the doctrine of honouring the Virgin Mary next to God; and surely, as he was a "godly martyr," he could not be a heretic, and a preacher of Popish doctrines.

The rest of the accusations are not worthy of notice here, and would take more space than we can spare to refute them; we will therefore content ourself with observing, that as we have proved, by the evidence of unimpeachable witnesses, that the leading charges here made in Peter Waldo's name, against the church of Rome, apply with equal force against all the "godly martyrs" hitherto recorded by John Fox, the modern editors of his Book of Martyrs must either expunge them from this book, or put Peter Waldo among the list of heretics admitted by Fox to be such in his records of the acts of his godly Catholic martyrs. Of the tenets imputed by Fox to the Waldenses we must say a few words, because, like his other statements, they are fabulous and absurd. Of the first and second nothing need be said, they are rites instituted by the church, and not revealed articles of faith. So we may say of the third, with the exception of confession, which is of apostolic institution, and flesh meat is eaten by Catholics in Lent; but what will the reader say, when we shall prove that the Waldenses rejected marriage altogether, and held that confession was valid if made to laymen. Of the fourth, confirmation was not a subject of dispute with them; they held obedience to the pope until he condemned their errors; and instead of allowing ministers tithes, they were to hold nothing, but live upon alms. How would the established and dissenting clergy like such a tenet should be taught by any of their flocks? And then as to the equality of dignity, is not this a thorough levelling system? Will the "plain Christians" say that this tenet is one of the "genuine principles of Christianity." Of the fifth, there is not the least appearance in history that Waldo ever troubled his head about it, and of the sixth so

far was he from disallowing fornication and stews, that he, as we before said, abrogated matrimony as unlawful, and encouraged the promiscous intercourse of the sexes. The rest we have already shewn to be contrary to the belief of the primitive Christians, and therefore could not be orthodox. Of the seventh, extreme unction was not a contested -point, and masses were not wholly abolished, as one was allowed to be celebrated every year. In this denial we are borne out by Bossuet, in his Variations of the Protestant Churches, who in his 11th book, vol. 1, after giving an account of a conference held between the Catholics and Waldenses, says, No. 80, Without examining here which side " was right or wrong in this debate, it is plain what was the ground of "it, and which were the points contested; and it is more clear than "day, that in these beginnings, far from bringing the real presence, "transubstantiation or the sacraments into question, they did not as "yet so much as mention praying to saints, nor relicks, nor images."

As Fox has favoured us with his version of the tenets of the Waldenses, we will here give them as stated by his first antagonist father Pársons, on the authority of all the writers that exerted themselves to controvert the erroneous notions of these infatuated people, and lived contemporary with them.

"1. That all carnal concupiscence and conjunction is lawful when "lust doth burn us.

"2. That all oaths are unlawful unto Christians for any cause whatsoever in this world, because it is written, nolite jurare, Do not swear, "Matt. v. Jac. v.

"3. That no judgment of life and death is permitted to Christians "in this life, for that it is written, nolite judicare, Matt. 7. Luc. 6.

"4. That the creed of the apostles is to be contemned, and no ac"count at all to be made of it."

“5. That no other prayer is to be used by Christians but only the "Pater noster set down in scripture.

6. That the power of consecrating the body of Christ, and of hear"ing confessions, was left by Christ not only to priests, but also to lay65. men if they be just.

"7. That no priests must have any livings at all, but must live on alms, and that no bishops or other dignitaries are to be admitted in "the clergy, but that all must be equal.

8. That mass is to be said once only every year, to wit, upon Maunday Thursday, when the sacrament was instituted and the apos"tles made priests: for that Christ said, do this in my remembrance to "wit (say they) that which he did at that time.

9. Item, That the words of consecration must be no other, but only the Pater noster, seven times said over the bread, &c."

These and other articles, to the number of thirty-three, were condemned by the church in council, as in the case of Arius, Donatus, and the Monothelites, mentioned by Fox; and we think it but just that the author of the Book of Martyrs and his modern editors, the "few plain Christians," should shew when and how the pope and prelates of the church lost the right of condemning error in doctrine. Besides, to what a wretched situation must the " plain Christians" be reduced, when they find it necessary to associate themselves with sectarians of

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an immoral character, and who differed from them too in many points of doctrine as widely as Protestants do from Catholics, for the purpose of diffusing, they say, "among their fellow believers a love and knowledge of the genuine principles of Christianity," and "a hatred and "abhorrence of the corruptions and crimes of popery and its professors." But we must now leave the reader to form his own unbiassed conclusions on the tenets of the Waldenses, which are represented by Fox and his editors to be "gospel truths according to their primitive purity," and enter into the historical transactions related by the martyrologist.#det

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Fox writes, "Waldo remained three years undiscovered in Lyons, though the utmost diligence was used to apprehend him; but at "length he found an opportunity of escaping from the place of his "concealment to the mountains of Dauphiny. He soon after found "means to propagate his doctrines in Dauphiny and Picardy, which "so exasperated Philip, king of France, that he put the latter, province, which contained most of the sectaries, under military execu"tion; destroying above 300 gentlemen's seats, erasing some walled "towns, burning many of the reformed, and driving others into Flan"ders and Germany.

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"Notwithstanding these persecutions (Fox continues), the reformed religion seemed to flourish; and the Waldenses, in various parts, “became more numerous than ever. At length the pope accused them " of heresy, and the monks of immorality. These slanders they, however, refuted; but the pope, incensed at their increase, used all " means for their extirpation; such as excommunications, anathemas, canons, constitutions, decrees, &c. by which they were rendered incapable of holding places of trust, honour, or profit; their lands were seized, their goods confiscated, and they were not permitted to "be buried in consecrated ground. Some of the Waldenses having "taken refuge in Spain, Aldephonsus, king of Arragon, at the instiga"tion of the pope, published an edict, strictly ordering all Roman "Catholics to persecute them wherever they could be found; and decreeing that all who gave them the least assistance should be "deemed traitors. The year after this edict, Aldephonsus was severely punished by the hand of Providence; for his son was defeated in a great battle, and 50,000 of his men slain, by which a considerable portion of his kingdom fell into the hands of the Moors. The re"formed ministers continued to preach boldly against the Romish "church; and Peter Waldo, in particular, wherever he went, asserted, "that the pope was antichrist, that mass was an abomination, that the "host was an idol, and that purgatory was a fable."

Now, through the whole of this account we have not one single authority quoted to substantiate the accuracy of it, but, as usual, all is assertion, bare assertion. However, with the man of sense and penetration, the statement carries with it its own refutation. But unhappily there are too many hurried away by their own prejudices and passions to discover the specious mode of the narration, and therefore it is our duty to lay bare the falsity of this account. Of the pope, the mass, and purgatory, enough has been said to shew that Waldo's notions were contrary to the belief of the "godly martyrs" of John Fox,