Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-11-15
Two Hundred Years of Italian Prot
eStantism.

Italy offers nothing OF more interest to the
historian OF religion, aud 10 the observer OF
Christian progress In recent times, than the
community Of Protestants dwelling on the
slope OF the Alps from twenty-five TO forty
miles southwest Of Turin, IN some thirteen
parochial divisions and numbering %, 200.
with long history and a famous name as
WaldenseA
Two hundred years ago the coming autumn,
the landing of William OF Orange IN England,
and his obtaining the English throne the next
spring, gave occasion TO a movement OF 800
Waldenses from exile near Geneva, IN Switz.
erland, back into their native valleys In Pied
mont, the success OF which their descendants
are preparing to celebrate the bi-centenary Of
next year.
1t was desperate fighting movement, dur.
Ing thirty days and against more than
ten times their own number; and TO hold
their ground subsequent to the return the
heroic band had to fight no less than eighteen
pitched battles, the following winter, against
a Ere nch army of %, coo men. But an this
they did, and replanted themselves in their
ancient seats, where for two hundred years
they have maintained their Protestant testi-
mony to pure Christian simplicity of spirit
Hal faith
DIR. r ID. Hitchcock, who was foremost
scholar in Christian history, is authority for
the statement that about ITO, more than
three hundred years before Columbus discov-
cred America, aud almost three aud a half
centuries before Luther began, and Calvin
gave an organic doctrine TO the Protestant
reformation, there appeared as a Christian
teacher one Peter Waldo, awealthy merchant
of Lyons in France, who had been awakened
by the sudden death of an eminent citizen,
his near friend, 10 undertake religious re-
form, and who gathered companions, sepa
ratists from the Catholic fold, whose object
was to bring back among Christians the sim
IT.la If-1n Inn fNia of fha rl,t
church.
Waldo was excommun lcated by his arch
bishop in ll79, was condemned by the Catho.
lie church aud driven into exile In 1854, and
In 1897 is believed to have died In northern
Italy, where his pure work was destined to "A
remarkable survival during the ages OF perse-
cution and down to the present time. his
followers multiplied rapidly indeed In other
quarters, and gained a special hold in south
ern France and northern Spain as well as in
northern Italy, but when persecution befell
they gathered In the valleys of Piedmont and
Savoy, and have there held their ground for
600 years.
1t is only since 1913 that they have ever had
full liberty OF worship. and for ages, down to
200 years since, they had TO face every form
aud horror OF persecution. Three and thirty
distinct prosecutions are counted In their an
nails OF martyr heroism, AMI among these are
some OF the bloodiest which stain with in
effaceable shame as a synagogue of Satan,
the Romanist church Of the long ages when
Christian simplicity working separatism in
faith and life, was punished with wickedly
cruel shedding OF blood.
The recent history of the Waldepses, which
| gives to their hi centenary Of next year n sig.
niiicance o; great interest throughout
Protestant Christendom, is a history OF re-
vlval, of expansion, and OF manifold activity.
not alone In their homes, but IN missions
throughout Italy. They have a theolog cal
seminary at Florence, disclpleshlp OF 500
in Turin, and many hopeful beginnings OF
organic Protestsntism in all parts of the Ital.
ian realm.-4Kda aud Express