The Vaudois: what can we learn today from England and the Vaudois?

 The Vaudois: what can we learn today from England and the Vaudois?

See Cromwell and Vaudois

Milton

Cromwell

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1832/jan/24/the-vaudois

William III

Queen Anne

Wilberforce

SPCK

Gilly and Mrs Gilly - he married an artist

Beckwith

Mrs Fortescue - she used the curiosity about places, noistalgia for more rural ways of life,  people yearning for the sublime and beauty, the old ways of life, the Alps, travel, combined it with religion and the picturesque to rouse interest and attachment - for the sole purpose of raising money to support the Church.  Her descendants are Church Commissioners!

What did England get out of this connection?  Sheer admiration of military tactics of the Vaudois

What did the Vaudois get out of it?

International viewpoint - too spoilt?

Current state of apostacy in Vaudois, the taking over of the theological institutions - England too.  Interest in Christianity in Africa, China, Far East etc- poverty etc.

Does any continued connection matter to these valleys?  Is it all mythologising the past?

What is the value of foreign intervention and support?

Is there any point in trying to bring these people back to their own traditions?

What happened in twentieth century? Methodism and Anglicanism- weak

Revisit Gilly’s views - narrow, set apart from liberal influence, ancient lineage and connections, authenticity to draw on

Revisit Beckwith’s views - outreach to Italian speakers from base in Torre Pellice? 

What particular relevance have valleys now?  Symbolically relevant.  Christians in state of resistance, even Catholic Church. We learn from these valleys a story of resistance to the point of death, unmatched in the history of the world.

some faithful to own Vaudois church heritage

others faithful to England’s long history and its treaties, as a key protector of Protestantism in Europe inspite of its own spiritual condition, they want to explore and honour the efforts of the noble English, such as Beckwith buried here, Gilly, women. MOre meaningful to English speakers because of their feelings, commitment and story

other are faithful to the wider history of Christian Piedmont going back to Roman times

others faithful to Italy as the key influential country for the gospel in Europe in ancient times.

The remnant - 

But are these valleys, now in the hands of apostates, the place God would gather this remnant?

What would Cromwell, Gilly and Beckwith say today, if they were with us?  Cromwell would be outraged, as his deepest wish was a people with a pure way of life honouring to God.  Beckwith would be disappointed even shocked that his well meaning internationalising influence may have opened the door to an international viewpoint from the valleys. He would be very sad that the outreach to Italy had been warped by apostate theology.

But farseeing, wise, William Gilly would be not surprised.  He predicted that if England did not remain to give strong in giving Gospel and financial support, the Waldensian Church would inevitably fall prey completely to European apostasy.

Cromwell would champion freedom of religious, freedom of speech, purity of life. The Vaudois were set apart to champion faithfulness to God, a basic political.

Gilly - “There is still no story like that of the Vaudois”. Keep a narrow, viewpoint, not an international ones, keep away from negative international theological influences which will destroy your faith, work and church.

Beckwith - “Evangelise Italy - and now darkened Europe” - using teaching, information, modern media, strategy, possibly using different tools for different people.

We learn from them and others this lesson: 

Do not over “mythologise” the past - times move on. We ab orn into our own times, not into the world as it was 400 years agao and we have a mission ourselves. In all times and ages God accomplishes what He wants to in terms of saving souls. 

Christians acting can achieve long lasting things, using intellectual and artistic skills, influence, networking, prayer

The barbs inspite of their suffering aimed to share the Gospel outside valleys, as the risk of their lives.

Waldensian valleys still have power to draw people and resources still - their beauty is undimmed - and there is a cafe called Caffe Londra, via Beckwith -. though Hotel Gilly has closed.

The believing dead, some the ancestors of those present today, some remain buried around are an inspiring cloud of witnesses. 

My own suggestion is to put on an art exhibition or open an art shop selling reproduction prints,  of these valleys including if we can find some, those from Piedmont, e.g. in Turin.  

Invite all those who come to join SAV - aim to set up a basic courses online and further events.