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THE -WALDESES, v Tue WaldexSe, ValpexsesVauipois, or most ceLebrated ' arnif of martyrs, 1 this ."i ' rcliffion," to use the wor this "most ancient dtock' of ds of Milton, is a tome which, of fate, lias been, rising in popularity and interest every year. No writer appears to have laid before th public an account so tho roughly digested, accurate and comprehensiv), as Mr. Jones, whose History of the Christian 'Jhurch, the second volume of which is almost vh611y - devoted to this subject, has already- gone 1 h rough , rifht.or ten editions.' Wejliave endeavored, hoVever, to collect every ray of light frbm'qtlrer quarters in,making out the folloying st; mm dry ' view of their history, ' !' ' ' I ORIGIN OF THK WALDEXES. 4 It scenes to be a serious mistake info which V some popular writers have fajllen,-who repressnt the Waldenses as orifirinatinc in Franc4 abbut thevOar II4O, and deriving their name from the . 1 celebrated Peter Waldo. The evidence anipkthat so far from being a new sect period, they had eistd, under various is now at that names, , as a distiuct class of dissentdrs from 1 the estab-1 lished churches of Greece and Rome in . ' licst ages.- ;' ; ;: . i ' ' he ear- lit is, lnaeea,- an egregious error to feuppose i that when yhristiamty was pken into alliance Mvkhthc state, by the emperor Constantino., in the - beginning of th.e fourth century, all the orthodox : churches were so ignorant of the genius bf their j. religion as t6 consent to the Corruption of a . worldly establishment. Of the WaldcnsesiCrantz r (in the History ofthe United brethren) says, "These ancient Christians, who, besides the sev- ; era names of reproach given them, were at ' length denominated Waldenses, from one of the "I mojsj eminent teachexs- Petei Waldus. ilajtelheir origin from the beginning bf the fourth century ; ' Avhen one Leo, at the great revolution in leligion under Constantino the Great, opposed the inno vation of Sylvester, bishop 0" Rome." The Cath'ari, or Puritan churches of tie No . vatians also; had at that very period been flour ishing as a distinct communion for moie than . seventy years all over the empire ; maintaining &y the acknowieagemenr even or ineir enemies, the self styled Catholics, the integrity oCthe true -faith, together with the purity of discipline and iths power of godliness, whiclv had generally uisappearpa irom iac-aiioiic enurencs. inese Puritans being exposed to severe and sanguinary persecutions for-dissent, frornage to ag were compelled to , shelter themselves from thej deso lating storm in retirement ; and vhen in intervals they re-appear on the page of extern porarr listor v. unu ineir.principies .are propagaiect witn new i boldness and success, they are styled a netw sect, and receive a new name, though in reality they - arc the same . people. ; . ' "The same great 'principles ofattachmcra to the vvord of God, and determined adherence rjto the simplicity of its doctrine, discipline,' institutions, and worship, in opposition to the inno vatiojns of a secular spirit and policy on the one hand, and of ialse philosophy orlof pretended- apostolic tra ditions on the other, may be f traced undjer the name of Novatians, r Donatists Liuciferiank and .ymria"s' from tne tnr4 to thejseventh centuries, rhey fe-appear in the feulicians, who havje been , wisely accused of Manicha;ism, but who from 'uemiddlej ofthe seventh, to the end of the ninth Century. WOIthilv Sustn in erl bv tbir nrpnhVi'nfr 1 f kl- 1TCS, an their martyrdorns, their ferns of being the genuine descendants of the pri tnitive churches. From Asia Minor they spread them selves over Europe, through Thrace, Maccedonia, puusrBulgario Sclavonia, Sicily, Lorn bardy, "guria, anid Milan ; whence, fabout the. egin Jing ofthe eleventh century, they enterei-into V?un-Ce" rst 'sc9very of a congre Ration Jt this kind in that country, was at Orleans, .A. u- 1019. '.A Catholic council was immediately convened, and the Paulican missionaries, with heir converts, among whom were many tespec fable ciuzens and several of the ' resrular clersrv - - vit au ourni anve. ; uineraavocar.es oi tne doc in ICardV firift Siki'i 'Pl,r uroronlll ir.tJ rancel I "jugres or Bulgarians, Tisscrands or Weavers,' MW;.omQs;.or.!Good Men. I "ih soon spread through Germany, where .tiey cre called by the old name of Ca'thari, or, ? co.upiHon Gazafl In Italy the. same f eoplel 'f - pCTc .cal .Paterincs, Josephists;noldists,-and j itaTfc As carlyastheyear llOO.itiscerfatn , 3 im to be called Waldenses sixty years: tu:jl LT : advocated, and extended -amonc: the most j frZ ?.eril classes n Languedoc. and - Protence, P., 1 loo aY ine ceieDratea i'eter qe 1 thi "euery nis successor f irom horn VS nnA TJ- . f . !. : ti. ' : ?orti he Pccs f where they fiouffeh'ed. t?$ called Tpulou'stans: AlbigensesJ and Tdsr Poor Men of Lyons, and Legists. ' in 1 1 ihCre foemned by a council at Toulouse cil nt t? an? aSain,:b'y the great Laterain Icoun crold' In tl60,.some:iof them rrii0?T?ascony t0 England,:: where they of P.0lic'ans and Publicans, cJrrup of the or.gmal name, Paulicians' About of lAe vatltcs. were the - ' body bi.l'rQtcftant Dissenters during tht middle at's The history of these churches of hefsecu ictl'saints, these meek "confessor?" thi "noble -'."RIGHTEOUSNESS, .TEMPERANCE, AND JUDGEMENT uus time j arose tbe celebrated Peter Waldo, of Lyons, w hose labors,; learnine.zeal and liberality greatly-extended their, principles ; in consequence of which, many writers, both Catholic and Pro testant, Have most erroneously regarded hirn is the parent and fqunder of the proper Waldehses. Mr. fiobinson, however,7has shown that jtbk name has a much earlier origin j'thatlt signifies 'inhabitants of the valleys and that it was applied to the persecuted people of whom we have spo ken, sirnply for the reason that great multitudes of them made, their -residence , in the valleys of the Pyrenees and of the Alps, where afffe after historians. Pierre GillVs Perrin Leaer. Sir Sam ucl Morland, and "pr. Allix. The names impo sed on' them by their adversaries, they say, have been intended to vilify and ridicule them, or to represent them as hew and(diflerent sects. i I Their enemies confirm their rreat antinuitv. Reinerus Saccho, the inquisitor, admits, that the waldenses flourished five hundred years before Peter Waldo.. Tins carries us back to the year COO the time ofthe appearance pf the Paulicians, or rather of their great revival and increase under the labor of Constantine SylvanusV Indeedf there is not wanting evidence.to show that churches of the Puritan order existed at that time, in the! West .as well as East. In the year 553, nine bishops' or Italy and bvvitzerland op.enly refused Commu nion with the pope of Rome, and the churches unaer their care persisted in the dissent. To say nothing of the labors of thosd noble reformers in the bosom of the Catholic church, Paulinus of Aquik? ia, in the century, Claude of Turin, in the ninth, the council of Rheims, in the tenth, and of Berengarius, archdeacon of Angers, in4hei ele venth which yet exerted a powerful, influence in opening the eyes of men to the corruption ,of that false church ; if we wilf believe the testimony of t)ie snfiering Waldenses themsel ves, their doer tfineand discipline had been'preservedan al its purityjnd efficacy from the days of the primitve martyrs, in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and especially in the valleys of Piedmont. i The learned Dr. Allix, in his 'Historv. ofthe Churches of Piedmont," gires this account : "That for three hundred years, or more, the bish op of Rome attempted to subjugate the church of Milan under his luhsdictibn : and at lastj the interests of Rome grew too potent for the church of Milan, planted by one of his disciples ; inso much that the bishop and the people, rather than own their Jurisdiction, retired to the 'valleys of Lucerne and Angrogiie'and thence were called Yallcnscs. Waldenses. or People of the Veil- lies. ' " . j : .; ' - M. Sismondi: in his late History ofthe. Crusa des- oainsUhe ft.Ibfgenses says. - vXhosc very persons who punisheatne sectaries with frightful torments, nave-alone taken it up themselves, to make us acquainted with their opinions pXloicing at the' same time, that they had been transmitted hi Gautt from generation -to generation, almost from the origin of Christianity. We cannot. therefore, be astonished if they have represented them to us with all those characters which might render them the most- monstrous. 4 mingled witn all the fables which would serve to irritatatei the mindsj of the people against those who professed them. Nevertheless, amidst many puerile land caluinniDus tales, it is still easy to recognise ( the principles of the Reformation of the sixteenth century among the heritics who are designated by the name of Naudois ov Albigeois I r Dr. Allix, speaking of the Patennes, some whom, disciples of Gundnlph, one of their teach crs, went from Italy to theNetherlafids, where they were thrown into prison, says, "Here, then, we have found a body of men in Italy before the year 1026, live hundred years before the Reform ation, who believed contrary to the opinions ofthe church of Rome, and who highly condemned her errors, Mr. Jones adds, "Atto, bishop of Verceul li, had complained of such peoplecightyyears 7e- Jore, and so had others before him, and there is the greatest reason to believe they had always existed in Italy. It is observable that those alluded to by Ur. Allix, were brought to light by mere acci dent. About the year j 1040, the Patennes had boj come .very numerous at Milan, which was theitj principal residence : & in 1259, some of their churches in other Italian cities, we are informed by Remeirus, the inquisitor, contained fifteen hundred members. The Qhurches were organized i into sixteen comnartments. or associations. I hey had no connexion with the Catholic' church which theyj regarded as Antichrist from the time of pope Sylvester. . .Now, when we reflect that the Paterines, both in principles and 1 practice, were the same people as the Waldenses, or Poor Men cf Lyons, we shall not wonder at the re markable words ofljeinerius, hiraslfa Catholic, concerning the lattet. 1 : v.l "iOj ; ; "Of all the sects, which have been, or now exist," say this inquisitor, " none are more ih jurious' to the Church, (1. e. of Rome,) for three reasons f-l.Bccausejit is more ancient. V pome aver their xistence from the time of Sylvester ; others, from the time ofthe apostles. "Z. Because it is so universaL . There is scarcely any country into whichjthis sect has not crept. And, 3. Be cause all other heretics excite horror by the great ness of their blasphemies against God but these PTp a great Just re nave a great, annearance tf metv: as Ihev1 live w ; - r '7 . :ivrv men, peneve ngntiy an inmgs con cerning Uod, and confess all the articles which are contained in the creed : onl v they hateahd revile the Popeof Rome, and in their accusations are easily, belief . ' . . ; : Sucka concession,from such a source, speaks ivolumes;' ' Hereherei is a5 succession of faithful -men.' whoso arwstolic-oricriri, perpetuity. thWffh y - : a ..... V . 1- -. ' -. admired by the chuirc cessionoi jaiiiui men, uruwicu, wy tian churches, claiming to be the true successors of the apostles, protesting against allthe corrup tions of the patriarchs and the papacy, and for this? reasonsubject t tcf-?rrsecution- tromboth, through the hands ofthe secular powers to which age; mey iouna an asylum irom the tyranny of the cjKurcli of Korhe. . This view of he" rntter also, is suteolffed by the testirnon v of their ': own ;dfterJ hidden, diffasiongeneral orthodoxy evan 'geligal sirnplicityUnd:,scUty pf character; is tney are ainea ; a emtren, on 11c not on oi. x ci NEAVBERN, N. C. WEDNESpAY,, MAY 530, alone, but on.hci entire foundation of ihe aposi io auu propneis,-jesus vn"sl nimseu (jqiug the chief corner stohe'and against which the gates of hell have hot been able to prevail. iMay Ve notsay then, in the languageof Revelation, "Here is the patience ; of the saints- These are thpv. who, keep, the commandments of God, and the, j taithot Jesus r ; Rev. xiv. 12. i 1 It also: appears that the Tecesses of the; Alps! and the Pyranees were distinsruished retreats of these persecuted Christians in the darkest ages r w. v.uv-"- v. "3 mr, lvoumawu uuserves,: mhis feccJeBiastical researches, "Greece was Ithe, parent, Spain and Navarre, tho nurses, FranceHiot the church of Jesus Christ, but an assembly the step-mother, and Savoy, (i. e.piedmoDt,) the jailer, q the class of Christians called Walden- Inn Cton.rr.n nor nnrl Vivnn -i'..Ti i !. ses. PRINCIPLES OF THE WALDKNSE8. : t Hence it is hardly to be wondered at, that the Waldenses, like the Scriptures, have been resort ed to by all patties ofthe Protestants, in defence of their peculiar" sentiments. The Papists accu sed the Protestants of being a new sect, whose principles had no existence till thedays of Luther. I his ucharge ! they all denied, and each oartv sought to. find predecessors, and to trace a line of succession up to the apostles.- The" perver sions ot neresyon the cme hand, and the corrup tions 01 popery, on tne other, left no alternative but to find that succession among the Waldenses. The researches of learned men of different com munitiesinduced by this circumstance, have furnished mucin important evidence that miht otherwise have been lost in oblivion. But the natural consequence has been, that all have been tempted to mould the character of the Waldenses otho support , of their own particular views, in stead of collecting into one point all the light of history and calmly abiding the issue, vFor,aiter all, an uninterrupted succession, however grati fying it may be to bo. able to trace it, is necessary only to a church which regulates its practice by tradition, ancnot by the pure word ot God.: Such was the'jdoctrwe of the Waldenses, in the times of their ancient purity. 11 is necessary nere inai we-aistinguisn.bet tween the ancient and modern Waldenses It appears frorn all ihe accounts we gather of them before the Reformation, tbat their principles and practice were more pure and scriptural; than since that period. History assigns reasdhs for this. From the united attestation of their ene mies, and from their own confession of faith we earn that the ancient Waldenses were distin guished chiefly by the following points : U - 4 1. 1 Heir supreme, attachment to the Scriptures. They held that the Holy Scriptures arc the only, source of faith and religion, without regard to the authority ot the fathers and traditions. A lthough they principally use the New Testament, yet, as onicatScripture. j "They translatedthe Old and I!shr nrnvps thnv rprrrirrfprl thr fin nl5r fv.! mn-: New Testament," says Reinerius, "into the vul gar tongues, arid spake and taught according to them." From their greater use of the New Tes tament, however, as Venema observes, their ad versaries took occasion to charge them with de spising the, ;01d. "Hence whatever a? doctor of the church teaches," says Reinerius, "Avhich he does not prove! from the New Testament, they consider it as entirely fabulous contrary toUhe doctrine ofthe church." He adds, I Jiave heard and seen a certain unlearned rustic, who recited the book of Job, word by word, and many . who perfectly knewsthe New Testament." j Howno- ble ! I ; ; f . 2. Their Scriptural simplicity, and. soundness of belief Their adversaries frequently acknowl edged this: see the testimony of thCjinquisitor above. It is amply confirmed also by jtheir own authentic monument land confessions of faith, of which several are printed at length in Tones' His-, tory of the Church. . j -. -From a confession pftheir faith, in 1 120, ex tract thei following particulars: "(1.) That the Scriptures teach that, there is one God, almighty,, all-wise, all-good, who made all things by his goodness ; for he formed Adam in his ovn image and likeness : but that by the envy of the devil sin entered into thq. world, and that we are sinners in and by Adacr ' (2.) -That Christ was promised to our" fathers,; who received the law: that so, knowinar by the law. their unrighteousness and! insufficiency"- they mirht-desire the coming of Christ to satisfy for their sinsrand accomplish the : ' . - 0 . , - 1 .. . C WU""0 law -by hirnselt , (3.) That Christ.was born ini the time appointed by God.the Father ; that is toj say, in the time when all iniquityabounded, that he might show us grace and mercy, as being faithful. (4.) That Christis our life, truth, peace, and righteousness; as also our pastor, advocate; and priest, who died for the salvation of all who believe, and is ; risen for our justification. (a) That there is no mediator and advocate with God rit wii born inij the Father, save Jesus Christ. 1$ ) That after J this life there are only two places, the one lor the saved, and the other for the damned. (7.) That we ought to honor the secular! povyers by subjec tion, ready obedience, and paying of tribute" What could be rho ire evangelical. ; J 1. ! 1- 31 Their purity and excellence of lift and man' ners Though often accused of the most abomi nable crimes, the whole evidence goes to show that these accusations were vile calumnies, inven ted for party purposes by their malignant enemies, the papal . priests. . ,n6feed, pin ancient inquisitor confesses that .these heretics are known by their manners and conversation,: for they are orderly and modest in their behavior, and deportment They avoid all appearance of pride in their dress ; they neither-indulge in finery, nor are they mean and ragged. They avoid commerce, that they may be free from -deceit uhd falsehood. jTfiey. get their livelihood by manual industry, j They are not anxious about; amassing riches, but con tent themselves, with :the hecessaries of life. They are chaste, temperate, and sober. , ,;They abstain from "anfrerl Even when -they orork, they! either learn or ieaeh Seisseliasafch bishnn of Tnrin also admits. ."Theif-heresy ex cepted, they generally live u purer lifelhakoth- ZrtWriitlfr Vi-Mart 'this !' "i "" ' ""':4. Their, religious ' fervotrCOuragc1and zeal tleiherms T assigns ias 'onev cause of their great increase; their great zeal "All of them, men and TO COME." 1835. women, night and day, ncyer (ieasq from teaching and learning. -The first lesson,", he adds, "which the Waldenses teach those whom they bring over to jtheir party, is to instruct them what manner of persons the disciples of Christ ought to be; and this they do by the doctrine of the evangelists and apostles, saying that those only are the followers of jthe apostles who imitate their manner of life.". Mark this!. Hence, ;--. . j5. Their steady oppositions to all corruption and antichristian usurpatio7is."TVhe first error ot the Waldenses," oi tne Waldenses." savs an ancient inauisitor. "is. that they affirm that the church of Rome i3 r. tt . .. . . oiungoaiy men, and that she has ceased from be ing the true church from the time of pope Svl vester, at which time the poison of temporal ad vantages was cast into the church." Thev re jected images, crosses, relics, legends, traditions. auricular conlessors, indulgences, absolutions, clerical celibacy, orders, titles, tithes., vestments. monkery, masses, and prayers for the dead, pur gatory, invocation of saints, j and of the virgin Alary, holy water, festivals, processions, pilgrim a2S v,gilst Lent, pretended miracles, exorcisms, consecrations, confirmations, extreme unction, and the:hke. r They condemned the use of litur gies, especially in an unknown tongue. Thev condemned the mystical or allegorical interpreta- 10ns ot the Scripture. Most of all, they condem ned, the lyicked lives of both people and clergy in that worldly communion., Do we wonder they were persecuted ? p. Iheir enlightened v texts oj liberty of con science. " 1 hey anirm. ' savs the inauisitor. that no man ought to be forcibly compelled in matters of faith." On this point, as also on the next, they were, far in advance ofthe reformers, Luther and Galvm' 7. Their just ideas of the nature and charac ter of a church of Christ. "That is the church o Christ which hears the pure doctrine of Christ and observes the ordinances instituted by him. in whatever place it exists." "The sacrament ofthe church of Christ are two, baptism and the Lord's supper ; and in the latter Christ has instituted the receiving in both kinds, both for priests and pco pie." V We consider the sacraments as signs of holy things, or as the visible emblems of invisi ble blessings. We regard it as proper, and even necessary, that belie vers use these symbols when it .can be done: Notwithstanding Which we maintain that believers may be saved without these signs, when they have neither place nor opportunity of observing them." - Hence Seissc- lius remarks, '.'They say that they alone observe the evangelical and apostolic doctrine, on which account-, by nn intolerable impudence, they usurp the name of the Church of Christ!" Reinerius also observes, "They declare themselves to be the apostles' successors, to have apostolical 'au l)ority,"and ihe'tevs of bincJihg- and looslng.-r They say a man is then first baptized, when he is received into their' community. Some of them hold that baptism is of no advantage to infants, they cannot actually believe. On the whole it is evident, that they were, and that too on principle, dissenters, not from the church of Rome only, but from all national established churches.- Their church officers, Reinerius says, were bish ops, elders, and deacons; but the distinction be tween their bishops and other elders seems to have been only, that the former were the official pastors of the churches. ; That they understood and practised immer mcrsion as baptism is evident,5 but whether they generally practised infant baptism has been long a matter of dispute. The xwprds of Reinerius seemed to apply that, in his time, (12G0) they were of different opinions on this point The modern Waldenses in the vaUevs of Piedmont, do practise it ; but they have so cnanged iu,many points since their amalgamation with the. Calvin ists at the Reformation, having also received their pastors; from them since 1G03, that nothing decis ive can be hence inferred. Dr. Murdock thinks that; the followers of Peter. Waldo universally practised infant baptism; but he gives us no au thority for this opinion. The only one of their ancient writings which, sanctions it i3 the 5trt tual Calendar-, but this, if genuine, is of doubtful date. On the contrary, all their other writings, from the Noble Lesson, in 1100, ddwn to their Confession of Faith', 1565, Dr. Gill affirms to be .- - ..It ! . t T. m lavor 01 me oapusn roi 1 relievers oniy. 11 at leasi ceriaiu, niui me v.uiuuri, me r-uienuea, wi Berengarians, the Arnoldists, Petrobpisians, and Henricians, i. el the earlier, Waldenses, as far as I . . H' f ! I .1 1 F . t nistory testines,: venementiy opposed imam oap- tism. That there were, on tne otner nana many among them in after years whoadontedtheprao tice, is, in view of all the facts, highly probable. Mr. Jones; in his preface to the fifth edition of his History, says, that the Waldenses were Anti-pe- do-bavtisls. 1. e. Jiaotists. Mr. Miiner, alter say- , "I cannot find any satisiactory pjoois mat AValdenses Were in judgment'Anti-pedobap- tists strictly," concludes; thus:! "I lay no great stress on the subject ; tor thcWaioenses imgni have been a faithful, humble, and spiritual peo ple,, as. I bclievelthey were; if they had differed from the general-bod v of Christians on this arti HoWever this! point mav.be decided, it is now generally acknowledged that the . Waldenses wpro th : "witnesses for the truth" in the dark ao-P And that thev gave the first impulse to a re form'of the whole Christian church, so called. ( i ! PERSECUTIONS, ETC. ,For bearing their noble testimony against the church of Rome, these pious people, we re for ma- ny centuries the L subjects, of most cruel persecu tions;' and in the thirteenth;-century tho Pope instituted a crusade against them and they were slau ghtered with - ji fury perfectly diabol icaL Their pnncipieshowever, continued unsuoaucu jinrl at the Reformation their descendents, innurh ber ei ght hundred th busan d, were reckoned among the protesjan.is, wiiu.waom uieyv c hw! so congeniau .. t-r:; ; 1. v i1;-:- - f ; .u - Some united with the-Lutherans, others with Calvinists; and'other still with ' the Anabaptists of the -better-sortl afterxvards called ;M on ites The modern M"cnnonites,". says Mosheim, "not onlv consider themselves as thedescendenis 01 me I - , ! 1 U : i VOL. 1, NO. 20. Waldenses: whn. and persecutor! Koraish church; but pretend, moreover, to be the purest offspring of those respectable sufferers.": "ym, Paniaiiy concedes this claim; though . ' Dr, JNIurdock COntPSts it Wnmln1ri nA tt-.. thm.Hl warrantable assertions. On this point see ward s Letters, where the descent pfthe Meo- nonues. from the ancient evangelical Waldense?. is Jullyjackuowledged by the highest living au- ' uwAMjr. a "3 xveionnea cnurcnoi ti 01 land. . In'the seventeenth centuTv. the flames ef nerse- cution yere rekindled against them in Piedmont, by the cruelty of.Louis IV.. lG55and IG85. J n tho lnstat theTeTOTrntrorrof tl rorfTntz7 abpuj fifteen thou3andf perished in the prison? of Pignerol, besides great umbers who, perished among -the mountains. . They reccHed . after- wares, the powerful protection and swppoit of England, under William III. -.gtill the house of Saxony. continued to treat them'as; heretics, and they jwere oppressed by a variety of cruel edicts, f But ye have not space here la enter into the heart-' rending particulars,, nor into the details of their subsequent, history, their expulsion,retarn, chan ges, declension.' ' , , " j WTheh Piedmont was subjected to France, in lBOO; the French government (Bonaparte being first consul) placed them on the ?ame footing of toleration with the rest of France ; butpn the re turn the king of Sardinia to . Genoa j notwith standing the , Intercession of lord William Ben tick, he old persecuting edicts were revired in the end of 1814 ; and though they have notbeen sub jected tcl fire and fagot, as aforetime, their xvor ship has been 'restrained, and they were not only stripped of all employments, but by a. rnost pro vi dential fircurnstance only saved from a genera! massacre. ..Sjnce then they have been visited by some pious and benevojerit individuals and the number;ofthe Waldenses (or Vaudois has been taken at. nineteen thousand seven hundred and, ten, besides about fifty families residingat Turin in'all twenty thousand; But; alas, "hoiv has the' gold become dim !" I The readcrwhb wishes to enter morel fully into the history and principles of this interesting peo- pie, in auumon 10 Jones judicious anaj valuable history-ivhich isthesafestas well as the most com-, plete account of the ancient Waldenses, may consult; the following works: Maclaine's and Murdock's Mosheim ; Milner's History of the Crusades against the Albigenscs ; lviniey's His tory ofthe Baptist ; Benedict's do ; Gill's works .Ward's Farewell Letters, History of the United Brethren ; Jackson's Narrative ; Dwight's Trav els in! Germany ; and the Encyclopedia ' Ameri cana. I The- last six works are chiefly! valuable in reference to the, modern Waldenses ; from whom, in consequence of their connexion with the churches of France arid Geneva, much ofthe glory 'of their earlier -days pfscripturat simplic ity is departed. Their declension is jno more strange iandj melancholy-, however, than that which occurred in the primitive churches within two hundred I years ajicr the Aposties, and among the jDutch Baptists, within two hundred years after he death of Menno. O for) another Peter de Brcys.- . . . Let the Eaptists of this age take warning, and cleave to the vvord of God alone forever and ever.; Amir. Dap, Mac. ' - JXDIAN IMPROVEMENT. The following article was written by a young Chippe way Indian, and delivered at tne late ex: hibition ofthe students of the Onieda Conference Seminary1,. j-ATot. 'Rep, ; I V' I . ilissionary Enterprize. j The missionary, efforts' are thd most 'success- ful 'of all the1, benevolent cnterprlzes that have . been, put into operation for the spread of .Chris tianity and civilization in the world, jvhen the night of barbarism and superstition covered the whole face ofthe continent of Americathe poor and degraded inhabitant made the sun an dthc moon the objects of bis adoration. True, he had heard his ; forefathers speak ofthe Great Spirit, who presided over all: and created alii and re quired the adoration of all; But he knew not now to mini mis requirement; ana tnpugn ;ne never bowed himself before an idol, nor offered himself as a sacrifice, to appease the anger of his gods, yet he never heard the Divine revelation of God's holy word till in the course lof events , another racejof men from an unknown- land ap- : peared on' his native coasts, bearing to him, as has been truly! said, the seeds of life and death." Many efforts' vjere mk4e by jpious and Christian people for the preseryation of the Indian '. race ; but in vain, stil they were disappearing Ifrora the limits of civilized society, t At length he voice of humanity j prevailed in every heart of philan thropy, and now at the present day a unanimous chord of sentiment is vibrating in the Christian and civilized world, to meliorate the condition of the human rjure. Already has thtf ronrmurrity en listed its. conVbijed effbrUjn favpr ofthe missiona ry cquse. jjilready have men tufned their altcn tioq to the dark places of the earth; and even to the distant islands of the sea, there to plant the standard of Christianity, the Gospel ofthe great Redeerner to those - regions where ignorance and idolatry jare still, swaying their -brutalizing influences over the mind of man; to Asia; where the demon t)f idolatry exults in the misery of the wretched inhabitant, where its despotic jtyratmy has rent from the. human heart all that is endear ing in life, and has taught the mother to tear away from her bosbni her infant, and offer, itto contend ing alligators, .and the widow to ascend the fu neral pile of her husband; and to Africa, which appears the blackest in the catalogue cf huriran raise.rv, where the people . are stit bowing them selves down in the.rriost revolting idolatry; and wasting, away, as- though, a mighty pestilence, .were, making its! dreadful ravages apd depopula-, ting her sultry shofe3 where the'people.bfpth er lands are capturing with rurl'hands her de ,fenceless.sons,and conaigaingthem,to the. chains of slavery. ',i-.v : Lu.li -j ; rr r' c The great object of this benevolent enterpnze is, the general. diffusion of Christianity, ahd the purification ofthe whole world from. the aborni- 1 -. 1 .1