# The Belief Of The Ancient Waldenses Respecting The Office Of The Secular Authority.

12th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE BELIEF OF THE ANCIENT WALDENSES RESPECTING THE OFFICE OF THE SECULAR AUTHORITY.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

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, col. 2.

By these words the Waldenses indicate that even
as Christ exercised no temporal authority in the
state of his 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.





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