THE WALDENSES KEPT THE COMMANDMENTS.
By D. T. Bourdeau
Before me are two volumes entitled, “Histoire de l’Eglise Vaudoise,” written in French, by Antoine Monastier, from which I take the following extracts:— “An archbishop of Turin, Claude de Seyssel, who, about the year 1517, sought to persuade the Waldenses of the valleys to return to the Roman Church, says of them: ‘As to their lives and manners, they are irreproachable among men, devoting themselves with all their power to the observance of the commandments of God.’”—Vol. i. p. 135. On pp. 142, 143, Sacco, the inquisitor, represents them as saying: “Among us women teach as well as men, and a disciple seven days old teaches another. It is rare to find among them [the Romanists] a doctor who can quote correctly three consecutive chapters of the New Testament; but among us persons are not rare who can recite the whole Testament in the vernacular tongue. . . . They [the Romanists] strive to keep human traditions rather than the commandments of God.” Among other interesting documents, Vol. ii. contains a catechism of the Waldenses. In chapter two of this catechism I find the following:— “Q. By what may you know that you believe in God. “A. By this, that I know and observe the commandments of God. “Q. How many commandments of God are there? “A. Ten, as may be seen in Exodus and Deuteronomy.”—P. 299. Among the works of antichrist, the Waldenses mention that of “turning away the people from the true religion, and from the commandments of God.” And in contrast with this they claim to hold to “holiness of life (or holy conversion) and to the faithful accomplishment of all the commandments by faith in Jesus Christ.”—Page 239.