Although Bernard began a strenuous opposition to these people, still he testifies: "If you ask them of their faith, nothing can be more Christian-like; and if you observe their conversation, nothing can be more blameless, and what they speak they make good by their actions.... As to life and manners, he circumvents no man, overreaches no man, does violence to no man. He fasts much and eats not the bread of idleness; but works with his hands for his support." Claudius, archbishop of Turin, who joined in hunting and persecuting them to the death, writes, "Their heresy excepted, they generally live a purer life than other Christians." Again, "In their lives they are perfect, irreproachable, and without reproach among men, addicting themselves with all their might to the service of God." The sum and substance of their offense is mentioned by Cassini, a Franciscan friar, where he says, "That ALL THE ERRORS of these Waldenses consisted in this, that they denied the church of Rome to be the holy mother church, and _would not obey her traditions_." In conclusion I quote from the celebrated Roman Catholic historian Thuanus. He states their tenets as follows: "That the church of Rome, because it renounced the true faith of Christ, WAS THE WHORE OF BABYLON ... that consequently _no obedience was to be paid to the Pope_, or to the bishops who maintain her errors; that a monastic life was the sink and dungeon of the church, the vows of which [relating to celibacy] were vain ... that the orders of the priesthood were marks of the great beast mentioned in the Apocalypse; that the fire of purgatory, the solemn mass, the consecration days of churches, the worship of saints, and propitiations for the dead, were the devices of Satan." Lib. VI, Sec. 16, Lib. XXVII. The chief offense of these so-called heretics seems to have been that they denounced the Pope as "Antichrist" and the apostate church of Rome as "the Babylonish harlot." 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.