re analogous to the
ancient church of the valleys. And I think we may fairly assume that the
fifteen years' episcopate of so distinguished a prelate must have given a
great assistance to that portion of his people who sought "to stand in the
old ways." Indeed the Marquis de Beauregard, in his _Historic Memoirs_,
expressly states that this bishop had a great number of adherents, that
they were anathematized by the pope, persecuted by the lay princes, chased
from the open country, and _so forced to take refuge in the mountains_,
where they have kept their ground from that time, always checked, but
always endeavouring to extend themselves. (Vol. ii. p. 50.)

After the time of Claude, however, the connection of the church in the
valleys with that to which it originally belonged became probably less and
less distinct, owing to the more decided growth of corruption and the
extension of papal influence, so that, as regards the greater portion of
Europe, primitive faith and practice was submerged by papal superstition
and tyranny. Therefore about this time, as appears from the Waldensian book
entitled _Antichrist_, the church of the valleys entered on what we call
its second epoch, and became isolated as regards organization, though not
as regards doctrine, from the earlier church. This epoch may be regarded as
reaching down to about the seventeenth century. I fix upon this date
because of the remarkable providence which befell the Vaudois Church in
1630.

This was none other than a pestilential visitation brought into the valleys
by the French troops, who were at this time occupying the valleys. By this
terrible plague some ten thousand of the Vaudois perished, including twelve
pastors. Only three pastors being now left, application was made to Geneva
for assistance, and pastors being sent from thence introduced a polity
which was Presbyterian rather than Episcopalian. Still the marked deference
to authority, the succession of the ministers elected by their predecessors
from time to time, the orderly administration of the sacraments, the use of
the creeds and of a liturgy, the entire absence of any protest against the
orders of the ministry customary in the early church, while so much is so
pointedly said respecting corruptions of doctrine, clearly sustain the
inference that the Waldensian Church adapted herself to the form of
organization adopted by the reformed churches of the continent not from
choice, but from such a concu