"By this fecond Angel proclaiming the fall of the myftic Babylon or Rome, we understand particularly Peter Valdo, or Waldo, and thofe who coneured with him, the Waldenfes and Albigenfes ; who were the first heralds, as I may fay, of this proclamation, as they first of all in the twelfth Centuary pronounced the church of Rome to be the apocalyptic Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, and abomination of the earth; and for this cause not only departed from ber communion themselves, but engaged great numbers alfo to follow their example, and laid the firft foundation of the Reformation." (a)

I judge they were branches of the fame tree who were put to death in England under Henery 11. Richard II. Henery IV. and Henery V. as heretics; and from them Wickliffe and John Hufs, Jerom of Prague received their light, which fhone out in fuch luftre as to enlighten all Europe, and I hope will shino more and more to the perfect day.

We find they underwent the fame calumnies and reproaches which have been the lot of the Saints in all ages, namely, their affembling in the night, and puting out the lights, and in the dark perpetrating the most filthy

(a) Deffert. on Rev. xiv,

crimes,

crimes; their raifing disturbances in the world, and breaking the peace of fociety, being disobedient to the civil powers, and raising factions and rebellions, and the like; and many believed, or pretended to believe those grofs flanders. The matter of fact was this, through the violence of perfecution, they were neceffiated to meet in the night, in remote and folitary places, to hear the gofpel, and to commemorate their Saviour's death in the communion; to render them odious their enemies invented thofe vile flanders partly to difcourage them from meeting together for the above purposes, and partly to blacken and render them odious to all, fo that there might be an apology for plundering and destroying them from the face of the earth.

As for their being rebellious, and disturbers of public tranquility, that is an old flander. Elijah was deemed a troubler of Ifrael. (a) Jeremiah was treated much in the fame manner. (b) So our Lord, the Prince of Peace, was charged with flirring up rebellion. (c) So were his Apofiles charged with turning the world upfide down, (d) and being peftilent fellows and movers of fedition. (e)

Thus were the venerable puritans charged as well as

(a) 1 Kings xviii. 17. (b) Jer. xxvi. (c) Luke xxiii. 1—6. (d) Acts xvii. 6. (e) xxiv. 5.

the

the Waldenfes, and ftale and thread bare as it is, it is ftill hacknied even in the prefent days. The matter of fact here is, neither Satan nor carnal men love the truth; it makes against them, and flirs up the carnal mind which is enmity against God: They rage and form against it, because it disturbs their lufts and paffions, or finful interefts; fo like Nero who fet Rome on fire and then charged the crime upon the Chriflians, it is fill fo with the enemies of truth, they hate the light, and raise up all the outrage they poffibly can against it, and thus criminate the innocent. Senfelefs calumnies of the fame nature flill continue, and no wonder; for Satan will fight for his ancient dominion, and will flir up his trufty Servants. He that is born after the flesh will perfecute him that is born after the fpirit; and if they cannot make use of prisons, racks and tortures, wild beafts, fire and faggots, they will fay all manner of evil against the followers of our Saviour: Indeed he developes the whole affair in his addrefs to his carnal brethren. "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I teftify of it, that its deeds are evil." (a) And again, to his difciples, "If ye avere of the world, the world would love his own; but because I have chofen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you."(b) Here is the true fource of all perfecution, enmity and hatered to Chrift, the adorable Saviour.

And here let me caution my reader, to beware of the Smallest tinature of an intolerant, narrow bigotted Spirit. You may be a churchman, a diffenter of any defcription, and you have a right fo to be, it is the birth right of every human being; but then, you must remember another has exactly the fame right that you have; you have no more right to force their confcience than they have to force yours.

It is that cruel, intolerant spirit which has kindled the flames of rage and perfecution, in every age and country. to the very great reproach and scandal of the chriflian name, and is as contrary to the Spirit of our Saviour as darkness is to light.

I fhall not exhibit a pompous catalogue of Authors who have treated more or less upon these morning stars of the Reformation, as that would avail very little to the generality of readers; nor should I have fwelled this introduction to fuch an extent, only I thought it eligable to present the reader with the thoughts of fuch men as Archbishop Uber, Bishop Newton, &c. and

as

I have a pointed diflike to notes, I could not well introduce them in the Body of the Hiftory, therefore I judged it beft to prefent them here in the introducion.

The Authors which I have chiefly followed are Perrin of Lyons, and Lennard, who seem to have taken

no

no small pains to investigate the real characters' of thofe valient champions of the faith, experience and pradice of the gospel.

I greatly admire their exceeding clearness in the effentials of religion, and the more fo, if we confider the times in which they lived, viz. before the art of printing was found out, confequently Books, even the Bible itself, very scarce, especially if we confider them driven up and down into mountains, dens and caves, as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things I fay, confidering all thefe amazing dif advantages I can but admire their clearness in the effential truths, as is apparent to every one who will perufe the abflrad of their catechifm which I have published; they may be called the Methodists of their day. O, may we imitate their well tried patience; their Chriftian courage; their fervent zeal; fincerity and uprightness in the caufe of their Saviour: So that we may follow them, as they followed their crucified Redeemer.

Bolton Oct. 2, 1793.

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