A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 31
The Devils 1ſt. Deſign againſt the Waldenſes, Defeated by God.
CHAP. XXXI.
THis Uſhers in the Devils firſt Deſign, the firſt part of this laſt Plot was againſt the Waldenſes, in which God alſo diſappointed him, giving ſtill a New Remedy for this New Malady: No ſooner did the Lord ſtirr up his Faithful Witneſſes Bereng arius, the Waldenſes, and the Albingenſes, in the 11th. Century, to give their Teſtimony againſt the Kingdom of the Beaſt, which had now overſpread the whole Chriſtian World (like another Deluge) by the help of thoſe Swarms of Innumerable Locuſts: but then began the Devil (in his firſt Perſecution under Papacy) to Support by force what he had hitherto Advanc'd by fraud; Here the Beaſt began [foreign] to make his Bloody War againſt the Seed of the Church, Revel. 12. 17. as the Red Dragon had done 1ſt. againſt the Man-Child (Conſtantine) whom the Church brought forth after her Ten Sharp Throws in the Ten Primitive Perſecutions, v. 4. and 2ly. againſt the Woman or Church it ſelf, in his Flood of Arrianiſm, v. 5, 9, 13. Then did the Dragon give Power to the Beaſt (that came out of the Bottomleſs pit) to make War with the Saints, to overcome them, and to Slay them, Rev. 13. 2, 7, 15. The Occaſion of the Beaſts firſt War was this, A Knot of Jovial and Jolly Rich Romaniſts being at their mad Merriments and Paſtimes, one of them ſuddenly falls down Dead, at which ſad Spectacle Peter Waldus (a Rich and Learned Citizen of Lions in France, and then a boon-Companion with them) was much ſtartl'd; This Providence God made an Ordinance for his Converſion; He Returns Home, falls upon Inſtructing his Family and Familiar-Friends, in the Doctrine and Practice of Faith and Repentance; as alſo upon Inveighing againſt the Ignorance, Superſtition, and Debauchery of the Romiſh Religion, (which Indulg'd ſuch Mad-Merry-Meetings as God from Heaven had Teſtify'd againſt.) This Coal being Kindled, Kindleth many more Coals, which eagerly Hearkened to this 1ſt. Angel, Rev. 14. 6; who layd the firſt Foundation of Romes Ruine: from this Waldus Sprang thoſe Good Chriſtians, the Waldenſes, All Kindled with a Coal from Heaven by this Mans Miniſtery: This was Matter enough to make the Devil ſtir, and to Kindle the Beaſt with a Coal from Hell, to wit, Alexander the 3d. (the ſame that Betray'd the Emperor into the Turks Hand, and that ſet his Foot upon the Emperors Neck, &c. as before.) This Pope firſt Curſes them with Bell, Book, and Candle, 2ly. Perſecutes them with the Inquiſition, Fire, and Sword, &c. yet neither this firſt Game will Satan Win, as the Sequel ſhows: for (1) Sanguis Martyrum eſt Semen Eccleſiae, The more they were Moleſted, the more they Multiplyed, Inſomuch that G. Morrel in his Memorials ſaith, there were above Eight Hundred Thouſand who made profeſſion of the Waldenſian Faith, in the Y. 1260. or 12th. Century, notwithſtanding all the Bloody Cruelty of the Beaſt againſt them. (2ly.) Their Scattering by perſecution did Spread the Goſpel almoſt into all Lands, as France, Picardy, Lower and Upper, Germany, Bohemia, Savoy and Lombardy, yea, into England, Poland, Italy, Spain, Flanders, and many more, in all which the Light of Truth hath ever ſince Shone (more or leſs) to the Diſperſing of that thick Fogg of Antichriſtian Darkneſs. (3) Though the Waldenſes (when they were forced to take up Arms in their Juſt and Neceſſary Defence, both as Men and as Chriſtians) did then Confeſs to the Beaſts Champions, [We know ye muſt overcome us, for God hath ſaid, The Beaſt ſhall make War againſt the Saints, and overcome them,] Rev. 13. 7. Yet by the Help of Earl Reymund, and Peter K. of Arragon, Chriſt (the Captain of their Salvation) gave them many Signal Victories over the Popelings which came againſt thoſe Chriſtians with their Croyſadoes or Croſſes, (the ſame they carry'd to their Holy War) as if they had been as bad as Turks. (4.) God did marvelouſly ſend them Saviours in their ſaddeſt times, as (1.) Lewis the 11th. of France, who (upon a Juſt Information of the Waldenſes Innocency, and of their Enemies Malicious Slanders) ſtop'd all proceedings of Perſecution by his Royal Decree. (2) King Francis was call'd off from perſecuting them, juſt as Saul was from purſuing David by a Meſſenger that told him. [The Philiſtims have Invaded the Land,] 1 Sam. 23. 27. even when he had got David (as it were) in a Pound, and had no way to Eſcape him, v. 26. juſt ſo a War aroſe 'twixt the Prince of Piedmont and this K. Francis the 1ſt. which gave to him a Diverſion from his perſecuting Work, and to the poor perſecuted Waldenſes a ſweet Relaxation from Hot Perſecution, as his Death did much more when another Perſecution was Deſigned. (3) K. Lewis the 12th. whoſe Chancelour (together with the Popes own Commiſſioner) examining the Witneſſes againſt the Waldenſes, and finding them Innocent of the Matters they were Charged with, they were Immediately Diſcharged, the Kings Commiſſioner publickly profeſſing, that he wiſh'd himſelf as Good a Chriſtian as the worſt of them; yea, the King (himſelf) Swore an Oath, that they were Honeſter than himſelf, and any of his Catholique-Subjects: Upon this he ſtay'd the Perſecution. (5ly.) The laſt Divine Teſtimony for thoſe Chriſtians, was Gods Black brand he ſet moſt Signally upon their Perſecutors: as (1) on that Arch-Biſhop, (who was the Devil's and the Pope's Arch-Engine in perſecuting Waldus, for Tranſlating the Bible into the French Tongue, and for Converting ſo many precious Souls from the Cacolique (rather than Catholique) Church of Rome) God left not his Cruelty long Unreckon'd for and Unrevenged, for the ſtroak of Divine Juſtice ſhortly after put a period to his Life and to his Perſecution both together. (2) Another of the Devils Tools, one Martin, who would have been a Mar-Prieſt indeed, boaſting how he would Slit the Noſe of a godly Miniſter, but ſoon after a Wolf met him, ſet on him, and bit off his Noſe, upon which he ran Mad and Dyed miſerably: a (3) Bloody Villain againſt thoſe Chriſtians, was one Miniers, whom his Sin found out, having it Legibly Writ upon his Puniſhment, for he was ſmitten with exceſſive Bleeding at his Fundament, as if God made him caſt out there all the Blood of the Saints (which he had Drunk,) together with his own Blood, and then was he Struck with an exceſſive Inward burning in his Bowels, (as if he had been in Hell before-hand) and with an extream Intolerable Stink of his lower parts, with all which he ended (in many Blaſphemies) his miſerable Life: And with no leſs black a brand did God Stigmatize the Devils (4) Tool John de Roma, a Monk, a Roman Jack indeed, that fill'd it ſelf top full of Saints-blood, but God ſmote him with Intolerable Torment all over his Body, (without the leaſt Reſpit) and with ſuch an unſufferable ſtink of his Louſie and Ulcerous Carcaſs, that his neereſt Relations were not able to come neer him, and ragingly crying out, Oh! this is for my Cruelty to Chriſtians, ſo Dyes Accurſed. (5) Earl-Simon, the Pope's prime Champion, was brain'd with a Stone thrown at him by a Woman out of an Engine at the Siege of Tholouſe, as Abimeleck was at Shechem, Judg. 9. 53. (who had ſlain his Seventy Brethren upon a Stone, and now 'tis juſt that a Stone ſhould ſlay him) thus alſo this Earl-Simon (more hard-Hearted in his Barbarous Butcheries of thoſe Antient Proteſtants, than any Stone, and having been the Deflowrer and Murtherer of many Women) hath his Head Shot off from his Shoulders by a Stone, and that out of the Hands of a Woman. Thus God by his moſt powerful Providence Plagued the Churches Enemies, and Preſerved his Church as a Diamond in a Dunghill, and as pure Wheat in the midſt of much Dirty Chaff, to wit, of Romiſh Corruptions.