Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

CHAPTER 16. — THE WALDENSES.
Of the twelfth century, Mosheim says:
“Of all the sects that arose in this century none were more distinguished by
the reputation it acquired, by the multitude of its votaries, and the testimony
which its bitterest enemies bore to the probity and innocence of its members,
than that of the Waldenses. … This sect was known by different
denominations.” f338
Prof. William Whitsitt, D.D., of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
has said, the Waldenses joined the Catharists. f339 The Catharists, in previous
articles, we have seen, were Paulicians, Albigenses, etc.
Prof. Whitsitt has conveniently divided the Waldensian history into two
periods. The first from the origin of the term Waldenses to the Reformation;
the second, during and since the Reformation. Prof. Whitsitt says that no doubt
the Waldenses altered their opinions under Luther’s influence. Until we come
to Anabaptist history we are concerned only with the first period of
Waldensian history.
To unravel much entanglement in their history and to prevent farther
entanglement, it is probably well to here introduce Mosheim’s statement:
“It is, however, to be observed that the Waldenses were not without other
intestine divisions. Such of them as lived in Italy differed considerably in their
opinions from those who dwelt in France and other European nations. The
former considered the church of Rome as the church of Christ, though much
corrupted and sadly disfigured. They acknowledged, moreover, the validity of
the seven sacraments, and solemnly declared they would always continue in
communion with it, provided they might be allowed to live as they thought
proper, without molestation or constraint. The latter affirmed, on the contrary,
that the church of Rome had apostatized from Christ, was deprived from the
Holy Spirit, and was, in reality, the whore of Babylon mentioned in the
Revelation of St. John.” f340
Prof. A.H. Newman makes about the same distinction. f341
Another thing may be well remembered: The party of Waldenses which first,
in a great measure, agreed with Rome, would gradually, by study of the
Scriptures and the influence of more evangelical parties, become more
Scriptural. Herein lies the explanation of Kurtz’s statement, that: “their
dogmatic views underwent a complete change,” and that the time when they
received the “doctrine of justification by faith alone, commenced about the
time of Huss.” f342 Huss, in the main, in principle, was a Baptist. f343