Matchlesse crueltie declared at large in the ensuing history of the Waldenses apparently manifesting unto the world the horrible persecutions which they have suffered by the papists, for the space of four hundred and fifty years : wherein is related their original and beginning, their piety and purity in religion, both for doctrine and discipline : likewise hereunto is added an exact narrative of the late bloody and barbarous massacres, murders and other unheard of cruelties committed on many thousands of the Protestants dwelling in the valleys of Piedmont, &c. by the Duke of Savoy's forces, joyned with the French army and several bloody Irish regiments / published by command of His Highness the Lord Protector.

CHAP. IX.

The names of those Pastours of the Waldenses who haue in∣structed them for foure hundred yeares last past, and haue come to our knowledge.

WAldo from whom the Waldenses tooke their name, began to teach the people in the yeare of our Lord, a thousand one hundred and sixtie.

Le Sieur de Sancte Aldegonde obserueth, * 1.1 that at the same time that Waldo began to shew himselfe and to teach at Lions, God raised others in Prouence and Languedoc, a∣mong whom the principall were, Arnold, Esperon, and Io∣seph, of whom they were named Arnoldists, Iosephists, & Esperonists: though because their doctrine was first re∣ceiued in Albi in the countrie of the Albigeois, they were commonly called Albigeois, in such manner that on the one side the Waldenses, and on the other the Albigeois were as the two Oliues, or the two lampes which Saint Iohn speaketh of, whose light did spread it selfe through all the corners of the earth.

At the same time (saith he) followed Peter Bruis, whereupon many called them Peter Brusiens.

To whom there succeeded in doctrine, one Henry, the one being a Priest the other a Monke, and they taught in the Bishoprickes of Arles, Ambrun, Die, and Gap, from whence being chased away, they were receiued at Tho∣louse.

There was a certaine man (saith he) called Barthel∣mew borne at Carcassonne, * 1.2 that ordered and gouerned the Churches in Bulgaria, Croatia, Dalmatia, Hungaria, and appointed Ministers, as Mathew Paris reports, naming him their Pope or Bishop, and alledging to that purpose the letter which the Bishop of Portuense Legate to the Pope in the parts thereabouts, writ to the Archbishop of Roan and his suffragans; demanding succours and assi∣stance against them, insomuch that they were at the last constrained to retire themselues into desarts, following that prophesie in the 12 of the Reuelation, which saith, that the woman great with child, that brought forth a man child, which is the true Church of God, should in such sort be persecuted by the Dragon, which cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood, so that she was constrained to flie into the wildernesse, where she should be nourished for a time, and times, and halfe a time, or for the space of forty two moneths, or a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes.

Rainerius makes mention of two famous Bishops of the Waldenses, viz, of one Belazinanza of Verona, & one Iohn de Lugio, who taught amongst them after the abouena∣med, & about the yeare a thousand two hundred & fifty.

Arnold Hot, pastor amongst the Waldenses, maintained the disputation at Mont Real, whereof we shall make mention in his due place.

Lollard was also in great reputation amongst them,

both for a Commentary which he had written vpon the Reuelation, as also for that he had giuen knowledge of their doctrine in England, of whose name the Waldenses were called Lollards.

The Waldenses of the valleys of Angrongne, of Dau∣phiney, Prouence, and Calabria, haue had for their Pastors, these whose memories they haue preserued for aboue three hundred yeares past, that is to say, in Piemont,

Paul Gignons de Bobi. * 1.3

Peter the lesse.

Anthony of the valley of Suse.

Iohn Martin of the valley Saint Martin.

Mathew dc Bobi.

Philip of the valley Lucerna.

George of Piemont.

Steuen Laurence of the valley Saint Martin.

Martin de Meane.

Iohn of the valley of Lucerna, who for some offence was suspended from his office for seuen yeares, during which time he remained at Gennes, where the Pastors had a house, as they had also another very faire one at Flo∣rence.

Iohn Girard, de Meane, surnamed with the great hand.

Of the valley of Angrongne, Thomas Bastie, who died in the seruice of the Waldenses Churches at Pouille.

Sebastian Bastie, who died in Calabria.

Iohn Bellonat, of the same valley, who was the first a∣mongst the Pastors that married a wise.

Of the valleys of Perouse, Iames Germain.

Benedict Gorran.

Paul Gignous, de Bobi.

Iohn Romagnol, of Sesena in Italie.

Of Dauphiney, Francis of the valley of Fraissiniere.

Michel Porte, of the valley Loyse, in Briançonnois.

Peter Flot of Pragela.

Of Prouence, Angelin de la Coste.

Daniel de Valentia, and Iohn de Molines.

These two were sent into Bohemia to serue in the Chur∣ches of the Waldenses gathered together in the said Realme: but they betrayed the Churches, and brought much mischiefe vpon them, by discouering vnto the ene∣mies of the said Waldenses whatsoeuer they knew of their troupes and meetings, whereby there happened a great persecution: which occasioned the Churches of Bohemia to write to the Waldensian Churches of the Alpes, from thence forward not to call to such vocations any persons whose faith, honestie and zeale, was not throughly knowne by long proofe and experience.

The last Pastors which they had were George Maurel, and Peter Masçon, who in the yeare of our Lord 1530. were sent into Germany to confer of religion with Oeco∣lampadius, Bucer and others. Peter Masçon was taken pri∣soner at Dijon.

Steuen Negrin and Lewis Paschal were sent into Ca∣labria in the yeare 1560. to the Waldensian Churches at Montald, Saint Xist, and other places thereabout. Steuen N••egrin was taken prisoner and sent to Cosence, where he died in prison for want of sustenance.

Lewis Paschal was sent to Rome, where he was condem∣ned and burnt aliue, Pope Pius the fourth of that name being present and his Cardinals: whom he summoned to appeare before the throne of the Lambe to giue an account of their cruelties.

There are a great number of others, as may appeare by the processe commenced against the Waldenses of Dauphiney which are come to our hands, wherein men∣tion

is made of diuers Pastours which they haue had, * 1.4 who haue bene many times imprisoned and deliuered vnto death by the Monkes the Inquisitors, who caused them to be watched euen vpon the high Alpes, when they trauelled from one companie to another. This small number may suffice to giue vs to vnderstand, that though their enemies did their best endeuour wholly to banish them, and to roote them out from off the earth, yet the eternall God hath not ceassed to prouide labo∣rers for his haruest, when there was any need, to preserue euen to this present day, only in Dauphiney and Prouence, many thousands that thinke it their glory to haue come from the ancient Waldenses, and are rather inheritours of their zeale and pietie, then their earthly substance, which their persecutors do possesse, as the Pope doth at this present, who hath ioyned to his pretended Apostolike chamber, all the inheritance of the Waldenses who haue had any thing in his countrie of Venecin; and vnder the pretence of heresie, if he could, he would take away their liues too: so far is he from thinking to restore that which in vaine he hath bene importuned to do, & which his officers haue promised to restore, with more vanitie and falshood then honestie or true meaning. Now foras∣much as the Reader not knowing what manner of men their Pastors were, they may be the lesse esteemed, we will in the Chapter following insert what we find in their writings, which may make proofe of their vocation, the exercise of their charge, zeale, and pietie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In his first table of Differ. pa. 150.
• * 1.2

  Idem ibid. p. 15••
• * 1.3

  It appeares by the memories of Vignaux. fol. 14.
• * 1.4

  It appeareth by that bagge of procese which was found in the Cabinet du Sieur d' Auençon Archbishop of Ambrun, at the last taking of Ambrū, against the Waldenses of Froissiniere, & Largentiere.