up by the Waldenses, with the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England, a very striking resemblance will be perceived; as the following extracts will prove: † Athanasius's Creed exists in the old Waldensian dialect, and Leger says the Vaudois were careful in teaching it to their children. from St. Matthew to Re- in the English version cor "The above books teach that there is an almighty, all-wise, and all-good God, who by his goodness hath made all things; for he formed Adam in his own image and likeness; but through the envy of the devil, and the disobedience of Adam, sin has entered into the world, and we are sinners in Adam and by Adam." "Of Jesus Christ," &c. "Christ was promised to * "One of the most illustrious witnesses we have of the belief of the churches of Italy, at the beginning of the fifth age, is Rufinus, presbyter of Aquileia. As for the rule of faith, which is the Scripture, Rufinus sets down a catalogue of the books of Holy Writ, the same that is at present received by the protestants, calling the books that we reject apocryphal . . . which is an evident mark that the church of Italy made a more accurate distinction of the canonical books from the apocryphal than the church of Rome at that time did. So that Rufiuus, in this respect, knew more than Innocent I., who began to confound the canonical writings by a mixture of the apocryphal." -Allix's Remarks, p. 23. .... the Fathers who received the law, in order that knowing by the law their sins, unrighteousness, they might desire the coming of Christ to satisfy for their sins, and fulfil the law by himself......Christ is our life, peace, righteousness, shepherd, advocate, sacrifice, and high priest, who died for the salvation of all believers, and is risen again for our justification." counted righteous before God only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings," &c. Comp. Catechism of the Church of England: Quest. "What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?"-Ans. "I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." The comparison thus briefly instituted between that ancient and venerable confession of the Waldensian Church and the XXXIX Articles, serves not only to prove that the doctrines which the Church of England reveres were maintained by the Waldenses, and (embalmed so to speak in this ancient document) preserved from corruption during the dark ages,-but shews it probable that this celebrated series of ARTICLES of the established church were partly formed by our reformers on the model of a Waldensian confession of faith. If so, how much is the church of England indebted,—how much indeed is every protestant church indebted-to that pure and primitive church, of which a rem |