466 History of the Spanish Inquisition. [Noy. 
ledge of their political import was exclusively reserved. \ He proceeds 
to say that his motives were conscientious, and arising from a deep con- 
viction, that the tribunal was “ vicious in principle, constitution, and 
laws;’ and that he thenceforth was induced to make use of the advan- 
tages of his situation, and to collect every document that he could procure 
relative to its history. His means were abundant, and the suppression 
of the Inquisition in 1809, threw all the archives into his hands, in addi- 
tion to the previous “ multitude of materials, obtained with labour and 
expense, and consisting of unpublished manuscripts and papers, mentioned 
in thé inventories of deceased inquisitors and other officers’ of the In- 
quisition.” _The labour of this diligent compiler was not yet complete, 
for he further “ collected every thing that appeared to him of conse- 
quence in the registers of the council of the Inquisition, and in. the 
provincial tribunals, for the purpose of the history.” 
From an early period the people of the southern vallies of the Alps 
had resisted the discipline and doctrines of the Papacy. The security of 
those mountain fastnesses had augmented their population during the 
disturbances of Italy, and from the ninth century till the twefth, they had 
attracted the anxious and angry notice of the church of Rome. They were 
found to deny her chief doctrines: the mass, the worship of saints, and 
purgatory. ‘The neighbouring archbishops were ordered to bring those. 
presumed revolters back, by subjecting them to ecclesiastical censures. 
On the failure of this preliminary measure, tlie armed force was let loose 
against them. They resisted with the patience and steadiness of men 
convinced on principle; but the invaders were too powerful, and after 
long and merciless sufferings, the immense majority of these true Chris- 
tians were either slain or driven out to wander as beggars through 
Europe. ; 
' But’ in the year 1160, the appearance of Peter, named Valdo, or 
Vallensis, from the common title of the people of the “ Vallies,”” gave the 
cause a new body, popularity, and vigour. A number of the fugitive 
Waldenses had been sheltered in the South of France ; their opinions had 
spread during the general distractions which shook the popedom in the — 
twelfth century. But the alarming feature which distinguished the mis- 
sion of Valdo, was the propagation of the Scriptures. ‘The four gospels, 
with other portions of the New Testament, were’translated into French. 
They were read by the people of the South with the eagerness of new 
discovery, anid the conviction due to their matchless wisdom. That light 
had 'then broke forth; which, however to be darkened, was never again to 
be extinguished by human power. ‘The first stone of the’great Refor- 
mation was'then laid. mean 
: To clear themselves from the imputation of mystical and unscriptural 
doctrines, the Waldenses published’ ‘‘ Confessions of Faith,” to which 
they pledged theirlives. It will be seen how little they differed from the 
protestantism of the Reformation in 1517, and how directly they were 
opposed:to the fundamental tenets of Rome. * 
They declared that, 
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the only standards 
of faith. 
“There is but one mediator between God and man, even the Lord. 
Christ Jesus. iv 
* Ranken’s Hist. of France, vol. iii, p. 202.— Perrin’s Hist. des Vaudois. (12; 13s 
