Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typ...os. Excerpt from book: more women will be burned alive to-morrow;" and his letter concludes with a brutal and disgusting jest upon the condition in which some of these unhappy matrons were at the time. Justly, indeed, has the church of Rome been designated the church of demons For two whole years did the fire and sword of antichrist devour this unhappy district, and sixteen hundred victim gratified with then- blood the sanguinary thirst of Rome. A few of the Vaudois effected their escape, and regained, with infinite toil, the valleys of their ancestors. CHAPTER VII. INFLUENCE OF THE REFORMATION IN THE VAUDOIS VALLEYS. THE SYNOD AND THE BIBLE. 1520 ?1S35. Upon learning the progress of the Reformation in Germany, the Vaudois of Piedmont deputed two of their barbas, George Morel, of Frayssinie-res, and Pierre Masson (Latomus), to visit the reformers in Germany, and to confer with them. These had long interviews with CEcolampadius and others, on free-will, predestination, and other leading topics, and received from them evangelical answers, reduced to writing, which filled their hearts with joy. As they were returning home with their treasure, their conversation, at an inn in Dijon, revealed them to some fanatics as reformers, and they were at once seized. George Morel managed to escape with the letters and instructions he had received from the Lutherans; but Pierre Masson was martyred on the 10th of September, 1530. After several conferences, at which the answers of the German reformers were examined by the Vaudois pastors, a great synod was held in theamlet of Chanforans, in the valley of Angrogna. It began on the 12th of September, 1532, lasted six days, and was attended by representatives from all the Vaudois communes in Savoy, Italy, France, and Dauphiny; by the entire Vaudois popul...Detailed info »« Brief info