Facts and Documents Illustrative of the History, Doctrine and Rites of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses

Roman Empire, have testified against the demonolatrous demon-worshipping apostacy, not at this time or at that time merely, like many individuals before the Reformation and like various national churches after it, but unintermittingly during the whole period of the latter 1260 years?” p. 23.

Considering that, according to Mr. Faber’s system, this latter period of 1260 years began A.D. 604 and has not yet run out, one would think that the matter was quite hopeless; but Mr. Faber is not daunted, and says, boldly,

“To this question I reply, that exactly two churches, and only two churches, can be found, which correspond with such a description: the church of the Vallenses and the church of the Albigenses.”

He then adds that “the origin of these two venerable churches is buried in the most remote antiquity,” p. 24, and speaks of “the unanimous testimony to their high antiquity, which is borne even by writers of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.” p. 25.

In order to prove these statements, he adduces certain Testimonies, which I proceed to examine in order.

I.

The first Testimony is that of an Inquisitor, which Mr. Faber extracts from a document printed in Allix’s book on the Ancient Churches of Piedmont. He says,

“This person states that, when in the thirteenth century the Albigenses were driven by the Crusaders from the south of France, they fled to the valleys of the Alps.