Concerning the manner in which the Waldenses prayed, the following is found in an ancient papistic book: “The Waldenses observe this manner in praying: they bow down with bended knees upon the ground, leaning against a bench or something suitable for this purpose. Thus, with bended knees, and body bowed down, they generally continue in prayer as long as it might take to repeat the Lord’s prayer and the amen thirty or forty times. This they do every day with great reverence.” Again: “They say, teach, or have, no other prayer than the Lord’s prayer, or the paternoster. The angelic Salutation, or the Ave Maria they condemned.” Bapt. Hist., page 647.

Among other things, the ancients make mention of some of the Waldenses, who are called apostles, teachers, angels, and brethren; but who nevertheless obtained their names not because of their nobility, high descent, or great worldly learning, but, to all appearance, on account of their virtue. For, as regards their descent, and standing in this world, they were very humble; their names were: Nicholas of Poland; John of Poland, a peasant’s son; Walrich of Hardeck, a shoemaker by trade; Conrad of Gmund, in Suabia, a peasant’s son; Simon of Salig, in Hungary, a tailor by trade; Herman of Mistelgen, a peasant’s son, and blacksmith by trade.

“But,” says the writer who accuses them, “they lead this kind of life and walk: first, they fast three or four days in the week, living on bread and water unless they have to do very hard work; then the chief among them take care that their subjects appear before them. (If by the terms, chief and subjects, there are understood teachers and common people, or master tradesmen and servants, or the like, there is no ambiguity). They pray seven times a day; the oldest (among them) begins the prayer.” Bapt. Hist., page 649.

These and like testimonies respecting the virtues of the Waldenses, even from their bitterest accusers, indicate that they were very merciful, virtuous, and godfearing people, and that they were thus greatly calumniated by those who sought to maintain the contrary in regard to them. But, how unjustly some have proceeded in accusing said people, with regard to their faith as well as to their life, of this we will presently give some account.

HOW THE WALDENSES WERE UNJUSTLY ACCUSED BY THEIR INQUISITORS AND ACCUSERS.

In the second book of the first part of the History of the Waldenses, by Jean Paul Perrin, translated by J. M. V., 3d chapter, page 74, col. 2, there is an account of one Jan Veileti, a monk, and inquisitor over the Waldenses, and how very unfaithfully and deceitfully he or his clerk acted in the case of these people, from which it can be inferred, how it also was with others of their accusers. The words read as follows:

But in the processes which were instituted by this monk Jan Veileti, we have observed an exquisite kind of villainy and low cunning; for, having gotten these proceedings into our hands, we found in them little billets, upon which this commissary (Jan Veileti) had noted the answers of the accused, simply, and just as they had come from their lips; but these simple answers, we afterwards, in the proceedings, found extended, and frequently given in a form contrary to, and quite different from what the sumptum, that is, the aforementioned answer as noted in the proceedings, implied and contained; thereby perverting the meaning of the defendent, and causing him to say that of which he had never thought.

For example, when he was asked whether he did not believe, that as soon as the sacramental words were pronounced by the priest, in the mass, the body of Christ was in the host, just as he was on the tree of the cross, and the Waldenses answered, No, Veileti or his clerk set down as his answer: That he had confessed that he did not believe in God.

Again, when it was asked, whether the saints must not be invoked, the reply was, No, they wrote: That they had reviled, and spoken evil of, the saints.

When it was asked, whether the virgin Mary must not be saluted and invoked in our extremity, and the answer was, No, they wrote: That they had reviled the virgin Mary.