batim. But I cannot leave off here, till I have yet added the conclufion of their catechifm and direction, with some paffages out of one of their paftor's letters, fit to the prefent occafion.

They conclude with this direction, namely, how to rule their bodies,* and live in this world as becomes the children of God. Not to serve the mortal defires of the flefh. To keep their members, that they be not arms of iniquity and vanity. To rule their outward fenfes. To fubject the body to the foul. To mortify their members. To fly idlenefs. To obferve a fobriety and measure in eating and drinking, in their words and cares of this life. To do works of mercy. To live a moral or just life by faith. To fight against the defires. To mortify the works of the flesh. To give. themselves to the exercise of religion. To confer together touching the will of God: to examine diligently the confcience. To purge, and amend, and pacify the spirit.'

To which I fhall add the epiftle of one of their pastors, as I find it recorded amongst other matters relating to thefe poor afflicted people.

§. XXII. An epiftle of paftor Bartholomew Tertian, written. to the Waldenfian churches. of the valley of Pragela, thus tranflated:

Concl. p. 68. Encaren qual manier fidel. debian regir li ler Corps: non fervali defirier mort. &c.

JESUS BE WITH YOU.

TO all our faithful and well-beloved brethren in Chrift Jefus, health and falvation be with you all, Amen. Thefe are to put you in remembrance, and to admonish you, my brethren, hereby acquitting myfelf of that duty which I owe unto you all, in the behalf of God, principally touching the care of your foul's falvation, according to that light of the truth, which the most high God hath beftowed on us, that it would please every one of you to maintain, increase, and nourish, to the utmost of your power, without diminution, thofe good beginnings and examples, which have been left unto us by our forefathers, whereof we are no ways worthy. For it would little profit us to have been renewed by the fatherly vifitation, and the light which hath been given us of God, if we give ourselves to worldly, carnal converfations, which are diabolical; abandoning the principle, which is of God, and the falvation of our fouls, for this fhort and temporal life. For the Lord faith, What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to lose his own foul? For it would be better for us, never to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to do the contrary. Let me therefore intreat you, by the love of God, that you decrease not, or look back; but rather increase the charity, fear, and obedience, which is due unto God, and to yourselves, amongst yourselves; and stand fast in all these

Hift. Wald. 1. 4. c. 11. p. 55, 56, 57.

good principles, which you have heard and understood of God, by our means: and that you would remove from amongst you, all vain converfation and evil furmifes, troubling the peace, the love, the concord, and whatfoever would indifpofe or deaden your minds to the fervice of God, your own falvation, and the adminiftration of the truth, if you defire that God fhould be merciful to you in your goods temporal and fpiritual: for you can do nothing without him; and if you defire to be heirs of his glory, do that which he commandeth: If you would enter into life, keep my commandments."

Likewise be careful, that there be not nourished among you any sports, gluttony, whoredom, dancings, nor any lewdnefs, or riot, nor questions, nor deceits, nor ufury, nor difcords; nor fupport or entertain any persons of a wicked converfation, or that give any fcandal or ill example amongst you; but let charity and fidelity reign amongft you, and all good example; doing to one another, as every one defires fhould be done unto him; for otherwife it is impoffible, that any fhould be faved, or can have the grace of God, or be good men in this world, or have glory in another. And therefore, if you hope and defire to poffefs eternal life, to live in efteem and credit, and to profper in this world, in your goods temporal and spiritual, purge yourfelves from all diforderly ways, to the end that God may be always with you, who forfakes not thofe that trust in

y Mat. xix. 17.

him. But know this for certain, that God heareth not, nor dwelleth with finners, nor in the foul that is given unto wickedness, nor in the man that is fubject to fin. And therefore let every one cleanfe the ways of his heart, and fly the danger, if he would not perish therein. I have no other thing at this prefent, but that you would put in practice these things; and the God of peace be with you all, and go along with us, and be prefent among us in our fincere, humble, and fervent prayers, and that he will be pleased to fave all thofe his faithful, that trust in Christ Jefus.

Intirely yours, ready to do you fervice in all things poffible, according unto the will of God.

• Bartholomew Tertian.'

f. XXIII. Behold the life and doctrine, inftruction and practice, of the ancient Waldenfes.* How harmlefs, how plain, how laborious, how exceeding ferious and heavenly in their converfations! Thefe were the men, women, aye, and children too, who, for above five hundred years, have valiantly, but paffively, maintained a cruel war, at the expence of their own innocent blood, against the unheard-of cruelties and feverities of feveral princes, nuncios, and bishops; but above all, of certain cruel inquifitors, of whom their historians report,

*Bern. de Gir. lord. de Hail. Hift. de la Fr. 1. 10. Vefemb. Orat. in Wald. Beza Hift. hom. dig virer. de ver. & falf. Rel. 1. 4. c. 13, p. 249. Cat. Teft. ve. 334. Vigin. Bib. Hift. p. 1.

that they held it was a greater evil to conceal an heretic, than to be guilty of perjury; and for a clergyman to marry a wife, than to keep a whore. In fhort, to diffent, though never fo confcientiously, was worfe than open immorality. It was against the like adverfaries these poor Waldenfes fought, by fufferings throughout the nations, by prifons, confifcations, banishments,* wandering from hill to valley, from den to cave; being mocked, whipped, racked, thrown from rocks and towers, driven on mountains, and in one night thoufands perishing by exceffive frost and fnow, fmothered in caves, ftarved, imprisoned, ripped up, hanged, difmembered, rifled, plundered, strangled, broiled, roasted, burned; and whatfoever could be invented to ruin men, women and children. These Waldenfes, you Proteftants pretend to be your ancestors: from them, you fay, you have your religion; and often, like the Jews of the prophets, are you building their praises in your difcourfes: but, G look back, I befeech you, how unlike are you to thefe afflicted pilgrims! What refemblance is there of their life in yours? Did they help to purchase and preferve you a liberty and religion, can you think, at the lofs of all that was dear to them, that you might pafs away your days and years in pride, wantonnefs, and vanity? What pro. portion bears your excefs with their temperance; your gaudinefs with their plainnefs; 11 your luxury and flefh-pleafing converfations

Vieaux Mem. fol. 6, 7. § Mat. Par. in Hen. 3. Anno. 1220, Sigonius de Reg. Ital. 1. 7. Sernay c. 47. Chef. I. 3. c. 7