Among the mountain solitudes of
Northern Italy, a people exiled
00:02:30.42\00:02:35.50
to the wilderness kept the light
of truth burning throughout the
00:02:35.53\00:02:38.89
darkness of the Middle Ages.
00:02:38.92\00:02:41.07
God had provided for his people
a sanctuary of awful grandeur
00:02:41.10\00:02:45.80
befitting the mighty
truths committed to their trust.
00:02:45.83\00:02:49.55
To those faithful exiles, the
mountains were an emblem of the
00:02:49.58\00:02:53.41
immutable
righteousness of Jehovah.
00:02:53.44\00:02:56.03
They were a constant
witness to God's creative power
00:02:56.06\00:02:59.46
and a never failing assurance
of his protecting care.
00:02:59.49\00:03:03.62
God, who had set fast
the mountains and girded them
00:03:03.65\00:03:07.36
with strength, so that no
arm, but that of infinite power,
00:03:07.39\00:03:11.21
could move them
out of their place.
00:03:11.24\00:03:13.25
In like manner,
had established his law
00:03:13.28\00:03:21.58
amid the gloom that
settled upon the earth.
00:03:26.77\00:03:29.39
During the long
period of papal supremacy,
00:03:29.42\00:03:32.23
the light of truth could
not be wholly extinguished.
00:03:32.26\00:03:35.78
In every age, there
are witnesses for God.
00:03:35.81\00:03:39.53
Men who cherished faith in
Christ as the only mediator
00:03:39.56\00:03:42.96
between God and man,
00:03:42.99\00:03:45.07
who held the Bible as
the only rule of life,
00:03:45.10\00:03:47.97
and who hallowed
the true Sabbath.
00:03:48.00\00:03:50.57
How much the
world owes to these men.
00:03:50.60\00:03:53.68
Posterity will never know.
00:03:53.71\00:03:55.95
They were branded as heretics,
their motives impugned,
00:03:55.98\00:03:59.79
their characters maligned,
their writings suppressed,
00:03:59.82\00:04:03.08
misrepresented or mutilated.
00:04:03.11\00:04:06.28
Yet they stood firm, and
from age to age maintained
00:04:06.31\00:04:11.05
their faith in its
purity as a sacred heritage
00:04:11.08\00:04:14.70
for the generations to come.
00:04:14.73\00:04:16.60
One group of these
faithful witnesses for God
00:04:27.10\00:04:30.14
was the Waldenses.
00:04:30.17\00:04:31.60
Their doctrine stood out
like the majestic mountains.
00:04:31.63\00:04:40.75
Their religious belief was
founded upon the written word
00:04:40.78\00:04:44.06
of God, the true
system of Christianity.
00:04:44.09\00:04:47.48
But those humble peasants
and their obscure retreats,
00:04:47.51\00:04:51.24
shut away from the world
and bound to daily toil among
00:04:51.27\00:04:54.39
their flocks and
vineyards had not by themselves
00:04:54.42\00:04:58.03
arrived at the truth which
opposed the dogmas and heresies
00:04:58.06\00:05:02.13
of the apostate church.
00:05:02.16\00:05:04.36
Theirs was not a
faith newly received.
00:05:04.39\00:05:08.13
Their religion was
passed down as an inheritance
00:05:08.16\00:05:14.71
Italy is a land of contrast.
00:05:43.01\00:05:46.92
In the north there
are snow-capped mountains
00:05:46.95\00:05:49.68
and alpine meadows.
00:05:49.71\00:05:51.93
Toward the south we find a
mild Mediterranean climate,
00:05:51.96\00:05:55.62
and in the heart of
this country is Rome.
00:05:55.65\00:05:59.13
Sitting as it were, a
queen in the midst of the seas.
00:05:59.16\00:06:03.36
In the north dwelt
the church of the Alps,
00:06:03.39\00:06:06.63
the land of the Walden sees.
00:06:06.66\00:06:08.94
As if carved from the mountains,
the Piedmont valley spread like
00:06:08.97\00:06:13.38
spokes in a giant wheel.
00:06:13.41\00:06:15.87
The origin of the Waldenses, is
lost in the night of centuries.
00:06:19.70\00:06:24.17
Their tradition
declares that they were driven
00:06:24.20\00:06:27.43
from southern Italy
to the Alpine valleys
00:06:27.46\00:06:30.22
during the second
and third centuries.
00:06:30.25\00:06:33.04
Let us go back in time
to the early Christian era
00:06:39.89\00:06:43.18
of Pagan Rome.
00:06:43.21\00:06:44.77
Paul, a gray-haired old man
was taken to Rome as a prisoner.
00:06:44.80\00:06:49.69
While in Rome, Paul,
though chained to a soldier,
00:06:49.72\00:06:53.61
was allowed to witness in his
own rented house for two years.
00:06:53.64\00:06:58.73
In less than two years,
the Gospel found its way
00:06:58.76\00:07:01.42
to Nero's imperial
halls and throughout Italy.
00:07:01.45\00:07:05.74
Nero, the emperor of
Rome, bore the impress of Satan.
00:07:08.29\00:07:13.97
He was fierce,
debased, and corrupt.
00:07:14.00\00:07:17.97
Under his reign, Paul
was confined to a dark
00:07:18.00\00:07:21.52
and dismal prison
awaiting execution.
00:07:21.55\00:07:24.78
Nero ordered the
beheading of Paul.
00:07:24.81\00:07:28.25
Thus silencing one of
Christ's greatest witnesses,
00:07:28.28\00:07:29.25
but his influence
and written word live on.
00:07:32.92\00:07:37.46
The persecution of
Christians, beginning under Nero
00:07:37.49\00:07:41.17
about the time of the
martyrdom of Paul, continued
00:07:41.20\00:07:44.30
with greater or
lesser fury for centuries.
00:07:44.33\00:07:47.78
Many gave their
lives to follow Christ.
00:07:47.81\00:07:50.76
They were the objects of
popular hatred and suspicion.
00:07:50.79\00:07:54.76
They were condemned as
rebels against the empire,
00:07:54.79\00:07:57.47
As foes of the
government and pests to society.
00:07:57.50\00:08:01.04
Great numbers were sentenced
to death because they would not
00:08:01.07\00:08:04.72
worship false deities
and acknowledge the emperor
00:08:04.75\00:08:08.37
as god on earth.
00:08:08.40\00:08:11.02
Their punishment was often
made the chief entertainment
00:08:11.05\00:08:15.21
to public festivities.
00:08:15.24\00:08:17.44
Vast multitudes assembled to
enjoy the sight of Christians
00:08:17.47\00:08:21.00
sentenced to death.
00:08:21.03\00:08:22.26
Placed in the coliseum to
be torn apart by wild beasts.
00:08:22.29\00:08:26.69
Under the fiercest persecutions,
these witnesses for Jesus
00:08:26.72\00:08:31.51
kept their faith unsullied.
00:08:31.54\00:08:34.06
At the beginning of the
4th century, during the time of
00:08:39.46\00:08:42.31
Diocletian, many of
these persecuted Christians
00:08:42.34\00:08:45.56
fled to Northern Italy.
00:08:45.59\00:08:47.11
These
forerunners of the Waldenses,
00:08:47.14\00:08:49.83
settled in the valleys of
the Piedmont and became known
00:08:49.86\00:08:52.60
as the peoples of
the valley or the Voudoi.
00:08:52.63\00:08:57.68
As the persecution of the
Christians became more furious,
00:08:59.75\00:09:03.40
the violence in
pagan Rome also increased.
00:09:03.43\00:09:07.41
Constantine, an emperor of
Rome in the fourth century,
00:09:07.44\00:09:11.95
observed that those Caesar's who
had persecuted the Christians
00:09:11.98\00:09:15.92
usually came to a bad end,
00:09:15.95\00:09:18.45
while the number of
Christians continued to grow.
00:09:18.49\00:09:22.26
Emperor Constantine, through
a supernatural experience,
00:09:25.28\00:09:30.11
professed to
accept Christianity.
00:09:30.14\00:09:33.01
On his way to battle he
claimed to have heard a voice,
00:09:33.04\00:09:37.06
and upon looking up saw a cross
in the sky and heard the words,
00:09:37.09\00:09:41.45
In this sign, conquer.
00:09:41.48\00:09:45.84
Yet he continued on in
his pagan forms of worship.
00:09:45.87\00:09:51.09
This nominal
conversion of Constantine caused
00:09:51.12\00:09:53.63
great rejoicing.
00:09:53.66\00:09:55.49
But, rather than converting
the world to Christianity,
00:09:55.52\00:09:59.15
the world cloaked with
a form of righteousness
00:09:59.18\00:10:02.10
walked into the church.
00:10:02.13\00:10:04.02
Christianity and
paganism were now combined.
00:10:04.05\00:10:08.65
The sun universally celebrated
as the invincible guide
00:10:15.18\00:10:20.17
and protector of the
emperor of Rome, received more
00:10:20.20\00:10:23.82
of Constantine's devotion
than did the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:10:23.85\00:10:28.53
This coin shows Constantine
on one side and Apollo,
00:10:28.56\00:10:32.89
the sun god on the other.
00:10:32.92\00:10:35.37
When Constantine
claimed to accept Christianity,
00:10:35.40\00:10:38.89
the sun god Apollo,
often pictured with the rays
00:10:38.92\00:10:42.13
of the sun coming out of
his head, became the image of
00:10:42.16\00:10:45.86
Christ for the Christian church.
00:10:45.89\00:10:49.13
The emblems of the sun
are often found in the art
00:10:51.02\00:10:54.45
of the Roman Church,
portraying paganism combined
00:10:54.48\00:10:58.29
with Christianity.
00:10:58.32\00:11:00.05
At the very heart of
the Vatican complex in Rome
00:11:00.08\00:11:03.80
lies an immense solar wheel.
00:11:03.83\00:11:06.63
A cross within a cross.
00:11:06.66\00:11:09.46
In the center of this wheel is
an obelisk, a symbol associated
00:11:09.49\00:11:14.37
with sun worship.
00:11:14.40\00:11:16.31
In pagan religions, the sun has
always been a symbol for life.
00:11:19.21\00:11:23.73
The obelisk represented
the male organ of reproduction.
00:11:23.76\00:11:27.93
The solar wheel also a fertility
symbol represented the sun,
00:11:27.96\00:11:32.37
moon and stars.
00:11:32.40\00:11:34.52
These pagan symbols can be seen
in temples all over the world,
00:11:34.55\00:11:38.35
and their origins can be
traced back to ancient Babylon.
00:11:38.38\00:11:42.47
This oculus, in one of
the great domes of St. Peters,
00:11:47.52\00:11:51.13
allows the rays of
the sun to shine through.
00:11:51.16\00:11:54.42
Notice the solar
wheel around the opening.
00:11:54.45\00:11:58.02
This dome and
oculus symbolizing the sun
00:11:58.05\00:12:02.44
are part of the Pantheon,
Rome's oldest pagan temple.
00:12:02.47\00:12:06.56
It was completed in 27
BC, and dedicated to all gods.
00:12:06.59\00:12:12.46
St. Peters, modeled after
the Pantheon, copied much of
00:12:12.49\00:12:16.95
its symbolism in architecture,
even to the point of duplicating
00:12:16.98\00:12:20.97
the obelisk
placed in front of it.
00:12:21.00\00:12:23.93
At one time statues of the
gods were placed at the base
00:12:23.96\00:12:27.59
of the dome inside the Pantheon.
00:12:27.62\00:12:30.08
People worship before
this statue of Peter which was
00:12:31.99\00:12:35.55
originally the idol of Jupiter,
a pagan god, taken from the
00:12:35.58\00:12:40.63
Pantheon and placed
near the altar in St. Peters.
00:12:40.66\00:12:44.34
To the left of this magnificent
altar, with its colossal
00:12:47.36\00:12:50.81
serpent columns, is a statue
of Mary, entitled La Verita,
00:12:50.84\00:12:56.37
meaning the truth.
00:12:56.40\00:12:58.09
In the Roman church it is
said of Mary, I am the way,
00:12:58.12\00:13:02.41
the truth and the life.
00:13:02.44\00:13:04.71
She has her foot on the
world showing her power over it
00:13:04.74\00:13:08.82
and in her arms
is a startling sight.
00:13:08.85\00:13:12.03
She is not holding the infant
child Jesus, as we would expect,
00:13:12.06\00:13:16.96
but she is holding the
sun, a golden sun disk.
00:13:16.99\00:13:22.24
The first queen of Babylon
named Samarimus, was said
00:13:22.27\00:13:27.62
to have given
birth to the sun god.
00:13:27.65\00:13:30.34
She was called the
queen of heaven, just as Mary
00:13:30.37\00:13:33.32
is called the queen of heaven
by the Roman Catholic church.
00:13:33.35\00:13:36.86
During the first few centuries
after Christ's ascension,
00:13:41.46\00:13:45.85
the loyal followers of Jesus
watched apostasy creeping into
00:13:45.88\00:13:50.25
the Christian church.
00:13:50.28\00:13:51.77
They saw the need to separate
themselves from this apostasy,
00:13:51.80\00:13:56.74
as they observed church and
state combining their powers
00:13:56.77\00:14:00.23
to enforce religious
practices, to be followed by all
00:14:00.26\00:14:03.81
or suffer civil penalties.
00:14:03.84\00:14:07.50
On the 7th day of March, in
321, Constantine gave the first
00:14:09.01\00:14:14.13
public measure
enforcing Sunday observance.
00:14:14.16\00:14:17.89
This edict required townspeople
to rest on the venerable
00:14:17.93\00:14:21.81
day of the sun.
00:14:21.84\00:14:24.15
During the 1st centuries,
most of the Christian world
00:15:07.56\00:15:11.65
worshipped God on the
7th day, as had the apostles.
00:15:11.68\00:15:15.69
When the edict of Constantine
did not prove a sufficient
00:15:15.73\00:15:19.87
substitute for divine authority,
Eusebius, a bishop of Rome,
00:15:19.91\00:15:23.97
who sought the favor of princes,
advanced the claim that Christ
00:15:24.01\00:15:28.04
had transferred the
sanctity of Sabbath to Sunday.
00:15:28.07\00:15:31.76
Those who continued to
cherish the 7th day Sabbath
00:15:31.80\00:15:35.52
were made enemies of
the state and of the church.
00:15:35.55\00:15:39.24
Justinian ascended the throne
of Constantinople as the Emperor
00:16:07.02\00:16:10.51
of the East in 527.
00:16:10.54\00:16:13.36
He was a shrewd politician, and
in an effort to extend his rule
00:16:13.40\00:16:19.09
over the whole of the Roman
empire, he realized his need
00:16:19.13\00:16:22.83
of securing the cooperation
of the Catholic church,
00:16:22.86\00:16:25.75
which by this time
was highly organized.
00:16:25.78\00:16:29.23
In 538, a new order of
popes began with vigilance.
00:16:29.27\00:16:34.19
Now the popes no longer
belonged solely to the church,
00:16:34.23\00:16:39.11
but were men and
rulers of the state.
00:16:39.15\00:16:41.93
Justinian had given the Pope
of Rome the power to be the head
00:16:41.97\00:16:46.92
of all bishops, and the true and
effective corrector of heretics.
00:16:46.95\00:16:51.87
Thus, by the 6th
century, the papacy
00:16:51.90\00:16:54.93
had become firmly established.
00:16:54.96\00:16:57.51
Its seat of power was
fixed in the imperial city,
00:16:57.54\00:17:00.29
and the bishop of Rome was
declared to be the head over
00:17:00.32\00:17:03.85
the entire church.
00:17:03.89\00:17:06.02
Paganism had given
place to the papacy.
00:17:06.05\00:17:09.87
From 538 to 1798, Europe
lapsed into the Dark Ages
00:17:09.91\00:17:14.70
and the atrocities committed
under papal rule revealed
00:17:14.74\00:17:19.19
one of the greatest
persecuting powers in history.
00:17:19.23\00:17:23.65
Now began the 1260 years
of papal oppression foretold
00:17:39.57\00:17:44.35
in the prophecies of
Daniel and the Revelation.
00:17:44.39\00:17:48.47
Behind the lofty bulwarks of
the mountains, the Walden sees
00:19:04.65\00:19:09.05
found a hiding place.
00:19:09.09\00:19:11.09
Here for a thousand
years, witnesses for the truth
00:19:11.12\00:19:14.91
maintained the ancient faith.
00:19:14.94\00:19:17.94
Deprived for centuries of
a visible church and forced
00:19:17.97\00:19:22.30
to worship in caves and
dens, the Waldenses strength
00:19:22.33\00:19:26.62
was in the word of God.
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.36
This intimate knowledge of
God's word was their only light.
00:19:28.39\00:19:33.85
The Waldensian ministers
were trained as missionaries.
00:19:36.99\00:19:41.06
Their school was in the
almost inaccessible solitude
00:19:41.10\00:19:45.14
of the deep mountain
gorge of the Pra del Tor.
00:19:45.17\00:19:48.97
Their studies were
severe and long continued,
00:19:49.00\00:19:52.97
embracing the Latin,
Roman and Italian languages.
00:19:53.01\00:19:56.90
After several years of study and
retirement they were consecrated
00:19:56.94\00:20:02.03
to God's work by
the laying on of hands.
00:20:02.07\00:20:05.10
Everyone desiring to enter the
ministry was first required to
00:20:05.14\00:20:09.16
gain an
experience as an evangelist.
00:20:09.20\00:20:12.89
Every year in
September, the barbs or uncles,
00:20:15.59\00:20:18.78
as their pastors were
called, held a general counsel
00:20:18.82\00:20:22.46
to review the work of each
student, to examine and ordain
00:20:22.50\00:20:25.95
young ministers, and to select
the missionaries who were to
00:20:25.99\00:20:29.75
visit the distant churches
in Italy and other countries.
00:20:29.79\00:20:33.45
Each was to serve three years
in some mission field before
00:20:33.48\00:20:37.10
taking charge of
a church at home.
00:20:37.14\00:20:40.22
This service requiring at the
outset self-denial and sacrifice
00:20:40.26\00:20:44.60
was a fitting introduction to
the pastor's life in those times
00:20:44.64\00:20:48.95
that tried men's souls.
00:20:48.99\00:20:51.38
The youth who received
ordination to the sacred office,
00:20:51.41\00:20:55.05
saw before them not the prospect
of earthly wealth and glory,
00:20:55.08\00:21:00.06
but a life of toil and danger
and possibly a martyr's fate.
00:21:00.09\00:21:05.03
The missionaries went out
two by two as Jesus sent forth
00:21:09.26\00:21:13.46
his disciples.
00:21:13.50\00:21:14.76
With each young man was
usually associated a man of age
00:21:15.20\00:21:19.16
and experience, who was held
responsible for the training
00:21:19.19\00:21:23.36
of his young companion,
and whose instruction the youth
00:21:23.39\00:21:27.52
was required to heed.
00:21:27.56\00:21:29.54
These co-laborers
were not always together,
00:21:29.57\00:21:33.76
but often met for prayer and
counsel and thus strengthened
00:21:33.80\00:21:37.37
each other in the faith.
00:21:37.40\00:21:39.56
To have made known the object
of their mission would have
00:21:41.40\00:21:44.62
ensured its defeat.
00:21:44.66\00:21:46.29
Therefore, they carefully
concealed their real character.
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.98
Every minister possessed
a knowledge of some trade or
00:21:50.01\00:21:53.59
profession and the missionaries
carried out their work under
00:21:53.62\00:21:57.05
cover of a secular calling.
00:21:57.09\00:22:00.05
Usually they chose
that of merchant or peddler.
00:22:00.09\00:22:04.13
All the while, their hearts were
lifted up to God for wisdom to
00:22:37.49\00:22:41.35
present a treasure more
precious than gold or gems.
00:22:41.39\00:22:45.75
They secretly carried about with
them their hand-written copies
00:22:45.79\00:22:50.19
of the Bible, in whole or part,
and whenever an opportunity
00:22:50.23\00:22:54.25
was presented they called
the attention of their customers
00:22:54.29\00:22:58.28
to these manuscripts.
00:22:58.31\00:23:00.59
If an interest to read
God's word was thus awakened
00:23:00.63\00:23:04.23
some portion was gladly
left with those who desired
00:23:04.26\00:23:07.82
to receive it.
00:23:07.86\00:23:09.29
Often the missionary
would say these words to those
00:23:09.33\00:23:12.67
that showed a genuine
interest in the truth.
00:23:12.71\00:23:17.71
Friends, we have
treasures far more valuable
00:23:17.75\00:23:22.72
than the ones we have shown you.
00:23:22.75\00:23:24.89
If you will
protect us from the priests
00:23:24.92\00:23:29.41
I will tell you about them.
00:23:29.45\00:23:32.45
I have a brilliant gem
from God himself, for through it
00:23:32.48\00:23:40.21
comes true knowledge of
God, and I have another,
00:23:40.24\00:23:44.61
that lights the fire of God's
love in the heart of the one
00:23:44.65\00:23:48.05
who owns it.
00:23:48.09\00:23:50.83
At the end of each day, the
two missionaries would return
00:24:03.13\00:24:06.77
to their room and ask the Lord's
blessing on their day's work.
00:24:06.81\00:24:11.35
These pious men were
great prayer warriors.
00:24:11.39\00:24:15.14
Our rule of conduct
should be the work of Jesus.
00:24:15.18\00:24:20.36
He who will confess Me on the
earth, I will confess in heaven.
00:24:20.39\00:24:25.44
And I will deny him in heaven
who has denied me on earth.
00:24:25.47\00:24:29.40
We prefer to be
repulsed by the papacy,
00:24:29.44\00:24:32.46
rather than by our Savior.
00:24:32.50\00:24:34.63
At times they were caught
and thrown in dismal prisons.
00:24:39.62\00:24:43.69
or they suffered great
agony for the word of God,
00:24:43.73\00:24:46.00
and for the testimony they bore.
00:24:46.04\00:24:48.52
Many were tortured and
placed on the horrible rack.
00:24:48.55\00:24:52.08
It was during this time
that the Waldenses claimed
00:24:52.11\00:24:55.61
the promises of God.
00:24:55.64\00:24:57.44
They kept a pure faith in spite
of torture, cold, destitution,
00:24:57.47\00:25:02.71
and loss of life in
the Alpine mountains.
00:25:02.74\00:25:06.53
They refused to give up the
Bible, to confess to priests,
00:25:06.56\00:25:11.03
to bow down to the
wafer, and believe it to be
00:25:11.07\00:25:14.25
the body of Christ, or to
acknowledge the Roman pontiff
00:25:14.29\00:25:18.04
as the Vicker of Christ.
00:25:18.08\00:25:21.09