Finally they protested, that they would in no point be stubborne: but if that their forefathers or they had erred in any one iote concernyng true religion, the same being proued by the worde of God, they would willyngly yeld and be reformed.

MarginaliaTheir Interrogatories.The interrogatories were concernyng the Masse, auricular confession, baptisme, mariage, and burials, according to the institution of the Churches of Rome.

MarginaliaTheir aunsweres to the interrogatories.
Masse.To the first they aunswered, that they receiued the Lordes Supper, as it was by him instituted & celebrated by his Apostles: but as touchyng the Masse, excepte the same might be proued by the woorde of God, they would not receiue it.

To the 2. touchyng auricular confession, they sayd that for their part, they cōfessed them selues dayly vnto God, acknowledging them selues before him, to be miserable sinners, desiryng of him pardon and forgeuenes of theyr sinnes, as Christ instructed his, in the prayer whiche hee taught them: Lord forgeue vs our sinnes. And as S. Iohn sayth: If we confesse our sinnes to God, he is faithfull and iust, to forgeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes. Marginalia1. Iohn. 1.And accordyng to that which God him selfe saith by his Prophet: O Israell, if thou returne, returne vnto me. MarginaliaIere. 4.
Esa. 43.And agayne, O Israell it is I, it is I, whiche forgiueth thee thy sinnes: MarginaliaAuricular confession.So that seyng they ought to returne to God alone, and it is he onely that forgiueth sinnes, therfore they were bound to confesse them selues to God onely, & to no other. Also it appeareth, that Dauid in his Psalmes, & the Prophetes, and other faithfull seruaūtes of God haue confessed them selues, both generally and particularly, vnto God alone: Yet if the contrary myght be proued by the worde of God, they would (sayd they) with all humblenes receiue the same.

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MarginaliaBaptisme.Thirdly, as touchyng Baptisme, they acknowledged and receiued that holy institution of Christ, and administred the same with all simplicitie, as hee ordeined it in his holy Gospell, without any chaungyng, adding or diminishyng in any poynt, and that all this they did in their mother tongue, accordyng to the rule of S. Paul, Marginalia1. Cor. 14.who willeth that in the Churche euery thyng be done in the mother toungue, for the edification of our neighbour. But as for their coniurations, oyling, and salting, except the same night be proued by the sacred Scripture, they would not receiue them.

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MarginaliaThe manner of burials.Fourthly, as touchyng burialles, they aunswered that they knew there is a differēce betwene the bodyes of the true Christians, and the infidels, for as much as the first are the members of Iesus Christ, temples of the holy Ghost, and partakers of the glorious resurrection of the dead, and therefore they accustomed to folowe their dead to the graue reuerently, with a sufficient company, and exhortation out of the worde of God, as well to comfort the parentes and frendes of the dead, as also to admonishe all men, diligently to prepare them selues to dye. But as for the vsyng of candels or lightes, prayers for the dead, ringyng of bells, except the same might be proued to be necessary by the worde of God, and that God is not offended therwith, they would not receiue them.

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MarginaliaObedience to mens traditions.Fiftly, as touchyng obedience to mēs traditions, they receaued and allowed all those ordinaunces, whiche (as S. Paul sayth) serue for order, decencie, and reuerence of the ministery. But as for other ceremonies, whiche haue bene brought into the Churche of God, either as a part of his diuine seruice, either to merite remission of sinnes, or ells to bynde mens consciences: because they are mere repugnant to the worde of God, they could by by no meanes, receiue them.

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MarginaliaCouncels not to be preferred before godds word.And where as the Commissioners affirmed the sayd traditions to haue ben ordeined by Councels: first they aunswered that the greatest part of them were not ordeyned by Councels. Secondly that Councels were not to be preferred aboue the worde of God, whiche sayth: If any man, yea or an Aungell from heauen, should preach vnto you, otherwise then that whiche hath bene receiued of the Lord Iesus, let him be accursed: MarginaliaGal. 1.and therfore (sayd they) if Councels haue ordeined any thyng dissentyng from the worde of God, they would not receiue it.

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MarginaliaCouncels not kept of the papists in many poyntes.Finallye, they sayd that the Councels had made diuers notable decrees concernyng the electiō of Bishops and Ministers of the Church: concernyng Ecclesiasticall discipline, as wel of the Clergie, as of the people: also cōcerning the distribution of the goods & possessions of the Church: And further, that all Pastours which were either whoremongers, drūkards, or offensiue in any case, should be put from their office: Moreouer, that who soe-uer should be present at the Masse of a priest, which was a whoremonger, should be excommunicate: and many such other thinges, whiche were not in any poynt obserued: And that they omitted to speake of many other thynges whiche were ordeined by diuers Councels, verye superstitious and contrarye to the holy Commaundementes of God, as they woulde bee readye to proue (sayd they) if they should haue occasion and oportunitie thereunto.

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MarginaliaDisputation required.Wherfore they required the Commissioners that a disputation might be had (as by the said President was pretended) publickely and in their presence, and then if it might be proued by the word of God, that they erred either in doctrine or conuersation and maner of lyuyng, they were content, with all humblenes, to be corrected and reformed, as they had before sayd: besechyng them to consider also that their religion had bene obserued and kept from their Aunciters, vntill their tyme, many hundreth yeares together: MarginaliaFor the antiquiti of these Waldois, see before pag. 295. 1086.and yet for their partes, beyng conuicted by the infallible worde of God, they would not obstinatly stand to the defence thereof: Saying moreouer that they, together with the said Lordes Deputies, cōfessed all one God, one Sauiour, one holy Ghost, one law, one Baptisme, one hope in heauen: and in Summe, they affirmed that their fayth & religion was firmely founded and grounded vpon the pure word of God, wherof it is said: That blessed are they which heare the same and kepe it.

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MarginaliaTurkes and Iewes fynde more fauour with the papists, then the true christians.To be short, seyng it is permitted to the Turkes, Sarasens, and Iewes (whiche are mortall enemyes to our Sauiour Christ) to dwell peaceably in the fairest Cities of Christendome, by good reason they should bee suffred to lyue in the desolate mountaynes and valleys, hauyng their whole religion founded vpon the holy Gospel, and worshippyng the Lord Iesus: and therfore they most hūbly besought them to haue pitie and compassion vppon them, and to suffer them to lyue quietly in their desertes, protestyng that they and theirs, would liue in all feare and reuerence of God, withall due subiection and obedience to their Lord and Prince, and to his Lieutenants and officers.

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The President and the rest of the Commissioners perceyuing that they laboured in vayne, returned to Thurin, with the notes of their procedings, the which immediatly were sent vnto the kings Court, and there the matter remained one yeare, before there was any aūswere made therunto: MarginaliaA breathing tyme geuen of God to the Angronians.duryng which time the Waldois liued in great quietnes: as God of his infinitie goodnes is wont to giue some comfort and refreshing to his poore seruants, after long troubles and afflictions. The number of the faithful so augmēted, that throughout þ^e Valleys, Gods worde was purely preached and his Sacramentes duely administred, and no Masse was songe in Angrongne, nor in diuers other places. The yeare after, þ^e President of S. Iulian with his associates, returned to Pignerol, and sent for thether, the chief rulers of Angrongne, and of the Valley of Luserne, that is, for vj. of Angrongne, and for ij. of euery parish besides, and shewed vnto them, MarginaliaPersecution againe beginneth agaynst the Angronians.how that the last yeare, they had presented their confession, the whiche by a decree made by the Parlamēt of Thurin, was sent to the kynges Court, and there diligently examined by learned men, and condemned as hereticall. Therfore the kyng willed and commaunded them,  

to returne to the obedience of the church of Rome, vpon payne of losse, both of goodes and life: enioyning thē moreouer, to geue him a direct aunswere within iij. dayes. From thence hee went to Luserne, and caused the housholders, with great threatnings, to assemble thē selues before certein by him appointed: but they with one assent, persisted in their former confession. And least they should seme stubburne in the defence of any erronious doctrine, MarginaliaThe Angronians require triall by Gods word.they desired that their confession might be sent to all the Vniuersities of Christendome, and if the same in any part, by the word of God were disproued, it should bee immediatly amended: but contrarywise, if that were not done, then they to be no more disquieted.

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The Presidēt not content with this, the next morning sent for vi. of Angrongne by him named, and for ij. out of euery other parishe, the whiche he and the gentlemen of the countrey, threatned very sore, and warned xij. of the chief of Angrongne, and certeine of the other parishes, to appeare personally at the Parlament of Thurin, MarginaliaThe Angronians required to bring in their ministers & Scholmasters.and to bryng before the iudges of the sayd Parlament, their Ministers, and Scholemasters, thinkyng, if they were once banished the countrey, that then their enterprise might be soone brought to and end. To the whiche it was aun-

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