ges themselves. Towards the middle of the eighth
century the prelates of the Gallican Church especially distinguished
themselves by their determined opposition to such doctrines as the worship
of images and relics, masses for the dead, purgatory, celibacy of the
priests, supremacy of the popes, &c., errors inculcated, it would seem, by
the English monk Boniface, who has been called the apostle of Germany.

The correspondence between Pope Zachary and Boniface further reveals the
existence of a Christian community in Germany, holding a faith more
evangelical, and observing a ritual more scriptural, than that which Rome
was seeking to impose; _e.g._, Zachary says in his tenth letter: "As for
the priests, whom your fraternity report to have found (who are more
numerous than the Catholics (_sic_) wandering about disguised under the
name of bishops or priests, not ordained by Catholic (_i.e._, Romish)
bishops, who deceive the people) ... they are false vagabonds," &c.

But the most interesting proof of the existence of evangelical resistance
to popish corruption is that afforded by the conduct of Claude, bishop of
the metropolitical see of Turin, and in such close proximity to those
valleys whose history we are considering.

Claude, bishop of Turin, was a native of Spain, and so incidentally brings
to mind the remembrance of the fact that Spain, too, had upon her soil in
days gone by those who loved "to worship God in sincerity and truth." He
was chosen by Louis the Meek for the bishopric of Turin, on the ground of
his scriptural piety and evangelical eloquence. Being attacked by Jonas,
bishop of Orleans, and others, he defended himself with great ability; and
in reply to the charge that he was seeking to establish a new sect, he
answers, "I, who remain in the unity of the Church, and proclaim the truth,
aim at forming no new sect; but, as far as lies in my power, _I repress
sects_, schisms, superstitions, and heresies; I have combated, overthrown,
and crushed them, and, by God's assistance, I shall not cease to do so to
the utmost." These words of Claude, "I repress sects," seem clearly to
imply that in the diocese of Turin disaffection to Romish innovation had a
recognized existence, and definite, though not of necessity an
independent, organization; and that Claude, standing firm upon the platform
"of the faith once delivered to the saints" as the true centre of unity,
was attaching to himself all those whose principles we