Yea, it seems, that the Waldenses not only held that they themselves might not wage war or kill any one, but that they also denied the right of secular authorities who wished to be called Christians, to kill, even if the persons whom they should put to death were malefactors. Concerning this, we find in _P. J. Twisck’s Chronijk_, that the “Poor Men,” “Insabbathi,” or “Waldenses,” taught, that no judge who would be a Christian, might put to death any one, not even a malefactor. _Chron., page 534, col. 2_l and _page 535, col. 1_, from _Chron. Seb. Fr., fol. 202_, and _Enca. Sylvio._
Moreover, in the account of Gabriel Prateolus and Guilielmo Reginaldus, who have noted the accusations regarding the doctrine of the Waldenses, also this charge is found against them: _Art. 17_. “They (the Waldenses) teach that no judge may condemn any one to any punishment; to which end they adduce that it is written: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’” _A. Mell. 2d book, fol. 434, col. 1, Elench. Haeres. Tit. Paup. de Lugd. Calvin. Turcismi., lib. 2, cap. 5._
Touching what G. Prateolus and G. Reginaldus add by way of accusation, we let them answer for it. It suffices us that in this they came very near the truth; but they went too far in what the Waldenses understood with regard to capital punishment, namely, that authorities may punish no one with death; this they applied to every kind of punishment, as though the Waldenses had censured the authorities for punishing any one, even a great offender, in any wise; which we are not aware that the Waldenses ever opposed in any formal article, unless some particular one among them held such views.
In the mean time it appears, from the last as well as from the preceding testimonies, how exceedingly fearful these people were in the matter of punishing any one with death; so that they not only desired to be clear from it themselves, but also spoke against the same in the secular authorities. Still more did they reprove open warfare, in which not only a few, but very many are killed, and this for trifling reasons. This being true, we will proceed to other points of their faith, which they had in common with the Baptists.
NOTE.--That the Albigenses also, who were one with the Waldenses, were defenseless, peaceable, and meek people, living in quiet under certain papistic authorities, who protected them. See, among others, _Introduction, page 50, col. 2, and page 51, col. 1, from Baron, in Annal._