Further Observations Concerning the Origin and Faith of These Martyrs

"For further explanation of this history," writes Mellinus, "which has been written by a bitter papist, the reader must be reminded to imitate the bee, which draws honey from the same flower out of which the toad draws poison, and, scorning the bitterness of the words of our adversaries, to pay attention only to the matter itself.

That he (the papist writer) says these Christians, whom he calls Publicans, had their origin from an unknown author,* leads Vignierius to suppose that they may have sprung from Peter Bruis, or from his companion, Henry of Toulouse. Guido of Perpigna, however, thinks they belonged to the Poor Men of Lyons, that is, the Waldenses. In the book de Haeresib. Bal. Centur. 2, in Appendix ad Gervasium Giestrensum. See also Abr. Mell., 2nd book, folio 440, column 1. [n408-2]

NOTE. As to what Peter Bruis and his companion, Henry of Toulouse, believed, as well as the Poor Men of Lyons, that is, the Waldenses, we have already shown that it is not at variance with the belief of the Anabaptists, but much rather agrees with it; and so it is evident that these thirty persons, who made the confession mentioned, were true martyrs, since they suffered for the true faith, and for the truth of Jesus Christ. [n408-1] Concerning these martyrs, see also five years later, Mart. Paris, book 5.