Martyrs Mirror 371THE BELIEF OF THE ANCIENT WALDENSES RE; SPECTING THE OFFICE OF THE SECULAR AUTHORITY

It is altogether manifest, that the true Waldenses, in their beginning as well as in their progress, did not accept of secular power and authority, but forsook, yea, fled from it. This appears, in the first place, from those who were the originators, or at least, no insignificant representatives of their religion, namely, Peter Waldo and John of Lyons, both of them influential and very wealthy men, who voluntarily abandoned their riches, and taught their followers to do likewise to resign not only authority, but also the means which furnished occasion thereto, and to be content with such things as might be needful to them for a modest and sober manner of life. For this reason they were called not only Waldenses, but also Poor Men of Lyons. See Bapt. Hist., page 599. H. Mont., page 85.

To this belongs also, that, though their number was great, they suffered themselves to be martyred like sheep for the slaughter, after their expulsion from Lyons, to which they had not offered the least resistance; concerning which, ancient history affords an abundant evidence, and which, God granting us time, we shall notice more fully in the proper place.

As regards what the Waldenses, long after they had left Lyons, believed and taught with reference to this point, it is expressed in one of their articles as follows: "But He (Christ) also exercised no temporal jurisdiction or authority, in the state of His humiliation." Abr. Mell., 2d book, fol. 446, cot. 2.

By these words the Waldenses indicate that even as Christ exercised no temporal authority in the state of Hns humiliation, so His followers also, here, ought not to exercise any such authority, but that they themselves should be subject to secular authorities, as the whole article shows, both in the preceding and in the following words.

In another article they say, that they are truly poor in spirit, and, for righteousness and faith's sake do not exercise authority, but suffer persecution. Bapt. Hist., page 617, in the fourth error of their first article, as the Romanists call it.