Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

Let us farther examine the origin of the Waldenses:
(1.) These assailants of Waldensian history, like the witnesses against the
resurrection of Christ, are not agreed among themselves. Dieckhoff made the
line in the Noble Lesson, proving the antiquity,of the Waldenses, an
interpolation. But Herzog:
“in his anxiety to maintain the descent of the Vaudois from Valdo, would
evidently be glad to accept Dieckhoff’s theory of an interpolation of the two
troublesome lines. But this he does not find himself warranted in doing, as the
lines are certainly present in all existing copies of the poem, in print and MS.,
and thus certainly appear not to have been interpolated since the Reformation.
… He maintains, indeed, that the Noble Lesson is certainly of Vaudois origin,
in opposition to Dieckhoff, who in a long note sets forth reasons for thinking
that it may have been originally a production of the Bohemian brethren.”
Todd farther differs and concedes:
“Since we admit (until duly advised to the contrary) that the verse is genuine,
and acquit its author of any dishonesty.” f616
(2.) In relying on Romish testimony against Waldensian antiquity these
assailants of Waldensian history have very unfairly rejected a greater number
of Romish writers which, against their own side, testify in favor of the
antiquity of the Waldenses. As witnesses when testifying against their own
side are rightly regarded as much more worthy of belief than when testifying
for it, the Romish writers in favor of Waldensian antiquity are entitled to much
greater credit than are those against it.
Pilchendorf, a Romish author of the fourteenth century, in his: “Contra
Haeresin Waldensium” acknowledges their origin may be traced back in the
early part of the fourth century. He reproaches the Vaudois for concealing
themselves, to which one of them replies:
“Non possum esse talis Lucerna publica, propter instantes persecutiones, quia
vacant me haereticum — I am not able to be the light of the world because of
continuous persecution; because they call me a heretic.” f617
Polichdorf says, instead of the Waldenses acknowledging Waldo their founder,
that “dicentes sectam eorum durasse a temporibus Sylvestri papae” — they
teach their sect, continues to Pope Sylvester. f618
Moneta:
“a celebrated Romish professor of the University of Bologna, A.D. 1244,”
while opposing the claim of the Waldenses to antiquity, unwittingly gives up
his case, in challenging them: “But if the Vaudois assert that their way existed