The Belief of the Ancient Waldenses Respecting the Office of the Secular…

It is altogether clear that the true Waldenses, at their beginning as well as in their later course, did not accept secular power and authority, but forsook it, indeed, fled from it. This appears, in the first place, from those who were the founders, 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 gave up their riches, and taught their followers to do the same: to give up not only authority, but also the means which gave occasion for it, and to be content with such things as they might need 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. [n384-1]

To this belongs also the fact that, though their number was great, they let themselves be martyred like sheep for the slaughter, after their expulsion from Lyons, which they had not resisted in the least; of this, ancient history gives abundant evidence, and, if God grants us time, we shall take it up more fully in the proper place.

As for what the Waldenses, long after they had left Lyons, believed and taught on this point, it is stated 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., 2nd book, folio 446, column 2. [n384-2]

By these words the Waldenses indicate that just as Christ exercised no temporal authority in the state of His humiliation, so His followers here ought not to exercise any such authority either, but should themselves be subject to the secular authorities, as the whole article shows, both in the words before it and in the words after it. [n384-3]

In another article they say that they are truly poor in spirit, and that for the sake of righteousness and faith they do not exercise authority, but suffer persecution. Bapt. Hist., page 617, in the fourth error of their first article, as the Romanists call it.