Histoire de l'Eglise Vaudoise [pp. 656-674]

Vaudois Church.
abominations," willing as ever to be the ally of despotism, and
eager as ever to make herself drunk with the blood of saints.
Chameleon-like, Rome well knows how to adapt herself to varying times and seasons; with a matchless versatility she can use
the blandest cajolery, or utter the most horrible curses, according to the character of the people with whom she has to deal.
Her prelates, fresh from Italy, and still redolent with the
odours of the dungeons of the Inquisition, at Liverpool and
New York can wax eloquent in defence of the rights of conscience, and in praise of our unlimited religious liberty. Rome
can vary the tones of her voice and the expression of her
countenance, but her nature is unchanged. If we would know
what she is, we must learn what she has been; if we would
know what she would do if she could, we must learn what she
has done when she had the power. And, therefore, we rejoice
in the appearance of works like the one before us, which
rehearse the mournful but glorious story of those who fought
the battle of truth and freedom with their great enemy, " counting not their lives dear unto them," if they might only transmit the precious legacy to succeeding generations.
The history of the Vaudois Church has a special interest,
from its bearing upon the much agitated question of apostolical
succession. It is the history of a body of faithful men, whose
existence dates from those earlier and purer times when Romanism was unknown. The Reformed Church holds that the most
essential bond of connection with the apostolic, is the belief
and confession of cc the truth in Jesus," and that even if Rome
could show, what it is idle for her to pretend to have, an
authentic catalogue of bishops, all of them canonically (in her
sense) ordained, and reaching from the days of Peter to those
of Pio Nono, it would avail her little; her ecclesiastical character would still mainly hang upon the inquiry whether she had
"continued in the apostles' doctrine." The true catholic
Church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone."
No careful reader of the Epistles of Paul and John, can fail to
notice the immense importance which they attach to doctrineholding the head"-" preaching Christ"-" walking in the
truth." With them, the matter preached is the object of pri
1851.]