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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66124	The case of the exiled Vaudois and French Protestants stated, and their relief recommended to all good Christians, especially to those of the reformed religion in a sermon preach'd at St. James Westminster, April 5, 1699, being the day of the publick fast / by William Wake ...	Wake, William, 1657-1737.	1699 (1699)	Wing W232; ESTC R12313	15,700	34

Act of Charity that We perform here upon Earth An Eminent Argument whereof we meet with in the account which He has given Us of the last Judgment And in which He seems to make the whole Issue of our Acquittal or Condemnation in a manner to depend upon it For having told us how he will then divide the Sheep from the Goats and set the one on his Right Hand and the other on his Left He thus delivers the Sentence which He will pass on both He will say to those on his Right Hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World For I was an Hungry and ye gave me Meat Naked and ye Cloathed me Sick and in Prison and ye Ministred unto me But he will say to those on his Left Hand Depart ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an Hungry and ye Fed me not Naked and ye Cloathed me not Sick and in Prison and ye Ministred not unto Me. These are the Sentences which our Saviour Christ will pronounce upon the Good and Bad at the last Day And from which if we may not generally conclude that Our Charity is the only Thing that shall hereafter be Enquired into and and be either Rewarded or Punished for ever yet thus much we may certainly infer that it is one of the main Things by which Our Piety shall be judged of And that he who has a true Love for his Neighbour and is upon all Occasions ready to do all the Good he can for him shall hardly fail of being Accepted by God as he will be sure to be generally beloved of Men for his Beneficence But it is not only our Charity that shall entitle Us to a Reward in the present Case tho' even that alone would be Sufficient to make Good the Promise of the Text to Us. He who Relieves a Persecuted Christian in the Name of a Disciple because he belongs to Christ and suffers for his Sake shall be considered by God not only for his Charity towards his Neighbour but for his Confession of Christ too And have a part in the Reward which the Other is to Receive upon the account of such his Persecution And this at once both ascertains and encreases the Retribution of such a Charity It renders it both more Excellent in its self and more Acceptable unto God Who as he will in the first place Reward those who Suffer for his sake so will he in the Next Consider Those who Own them in their Sufferings and extend their pious Beneficence to them upon the account of them Hence we may observe with what Extraordinary Circumstances our Saviour Christ delivers the Promise of the Text to this purpose The Person of whom he speaks is One of the least of his Disciples the meanest of any that should be called to suffer for his sake The Charity in which he instances is the poorest of all Charities A Cup of Cold Water Such as the most indigent person is able to Give and hardly any can be so far Reduced as to stand in need of it And yet even this little contemptible act of Charity if done to one of the meanest of Christ's Disciples in the Name of a Disciple shall not lose its Reward So acceptable a thing is it to God to Confess him in any Way before Men And so certainly shall he who do's it be Gloriously Rewarded by him to all Eternity And here then let us stop and from the general Consideration of the duty proposed and of the Great Reward which it has pleased God to promise to the faithful discharge of it proceed to that Application which his Providence has call'd Us at this time to make of it In pursuance whereof if the Principles already laid down be admitted as the true measure both of our Duty and Interest in this particular then I shall need only to shew that you have here a proper Occasion presented to you to practice the One and to advance the Other And that I shall do in this following method 1 st I will shew That the Persons here Recommended to your Charity are indeed the Disciples of Christ. 2 dly That they do suffer for Righteousness sake And therefore 3 dly Ought to be Considered and Relieved by Us upon the account of such their Sufferings And 1 st That the Persons here Recommended to your Charity are indeed the Disciples of Christ. This is a Point that I should not have thought it needful to insist upon had not the Calumnies of our Common Enemies obliged me to it But since They have thought fit again to Revive the malicious Slaunders of their Ignorant and Prejudiced Revilers and to set them off to the World with all the advantage that their Wit and Language enabled them to do It is necessary in justice to these poor persecuted Christians to place their History in its true light and to express our Charity towards them as well by Vindicating their Reputation as by Ministring to their Needs To take then this matter from the beginning The Persons of whom we are now speaking are a Portion of the Christians of the Evangelical Churches of Piemont The common Name by which they are most known is that of Vaudois or Waldenses So called not from Peter Waldo as has commonly been supposed but from the place of their Habitation the Valleys under the Alpes within Three of which the Churches we are now speaking of were comprehended Who it was that first planted the Gospel in these Parts or about what time it was done we cannot certainly tell But as our Religion was propagated in the very times of the Apostles into the Other Parts of Italy so is it most probable that it was not long after setled here too tho' by what Evangelist we are not able to determine Christianity being thus brought into these Parts and that no doubt in the same parity in which it was generally taught in those first Ages continued in these Churches as it did in Others for some considerable time if not free from All Corruption yet at least free from those dangerous Errors which afterwards began to creep into the World But about the Eigth Century the business of Image-Worship added to some Other more Early Superstitions began to disturb the Peace of the Church and to Enflame the Zeal of the best Christians to the Opposing of it Great was the Contention between the Eastern and Western Churches upon this Occasion The One with the 2 d Synod of Nice by Them accounted a General Council standing up in the Defence of Images The Other with that of Frankford as stifly declaring against the Worship of Them Among those who in these Western Parts appeared in the defence of the Christian Truths none was more Eminent than Claudius the Learned and Zealous Bishop of Turin in whose Diocess these Churches of the Valleys

lay The Point He began with was this of Images But his Piety and Learning soon carry'd him farther and led him on both to the Discovery and the Reformation of several Other Abuses that had privily crept into those Parts The Invocation of Saints The Superstitious Vse and Honour of Relics but above all the Groundless Pretence of the Popes Authority were the Chief Points against which he declared his Resentments And the Issue of his Endeavours was that tho' He met with much Opposition and rais'd to himself many Enemies yet he went on prosperously with his Undertaking and laid the Foundation of that Purity of Christianity in his Diocess which has ever since been preserved by these Churches of the Valleys to this very Day Thus early began the Reformation of Religion in those Parts But that which most contributed to the future Security of it was another Accident which fell out not long after and of which it will therefore be necessary for Me to give you a particular Account In the first Times of Christianity so far was the Bishop of Rome from being thought to have a General Authority over the Whole Church of Christ that his Jurisdiction did not extend to the neighbouring Diocess of Italy its self His Authority was limited to a Certain Tract of Land about the City called the Sub-urbicary Region Whilst the Churches of Italy were under another Government and Acknowledged the Bishop of Milan for their Head It cannot be doubted but that this must have been no small Grievance to the ambitious tempers and designs of the Bishops of Rome Who therefore omitted no Endeavours to gain the Bishop of Milan to their side and to persuade him to yield to their Authority Yet still that Church preserved its Liberty for near 1100 d. years after Christ and then by Artifice and Faction was either forced or perswaded to part with it It happen'd about that time that among other things a Controversy was raised between the Clergy and People of that Diocess concerning the Marriage of their Priests To compose this Pope Nicholas the IId became a Mediator between them and sent Peter Damian as his Legate to manage the difference for him And the Conclusion was that tho' with much difficulty and at the hazard of his Life the Cunning Legate carried his Point and perswaded the Bishop to submit to him Scarce was this Affair thus ended and the Legat well gone before the Bishop began to perceive the false Step he had made and resolved in the best manner he could to recover himself out of the Snare into which he had fallen In order whereunto He called a Synod of his Own Province disannull'd all that the Legat had done and asserted the Rights of the marry'd Clergy From hence began an Open Schism in the Church of Milan The One part adhered to the Interests of Rome The other with their Arch-Bishop stood up for their own Liberties and the Rights of the Clergy And being for this deserted by the Rest they communicated by themselves in a place called Pataria and from thence were afterwards known by the Name of Patarines To this Party as that which had the Greatest Right on its side the Churches of the Valleys joyn'd themselves And being thus broke off from the Communion of the Roman Church they kept themselves free from the Corruptions of it and maintained themselves in so much the greater Purity by their Constant and Earnest Oppositions to it It was not long after this that Peter Waldo of whom I before spake began a Reformation of Religion at Lyons Whose party being dispersed many of them chose to retire for safety into the Valleys and thereby gave Occasion to the Vulgar Error of his being the first Founder of the Evangelical Churches there Thus were these Churches both betimes Reform'd and Settled and Secured in their pure Profession of the Gospel It would be too long to relate what great Good was done by their means to all the other Churches of Europe What Colonies they sent out into France Germany England and even into Italy its self to propagate the Truth of the Gospel From these Churches it was that our Wicleff derived his Faith and Knowledge From these the Churches of Bohemia were establish'd Here in short was the Truth of Religion both Taught and Maintain'd till at last it pleased God to give it a free passage and a larger Dominion by the Great Reformation which was generally made in Europe about the beginning of the last Century Anno. 1517. These then are the Persons whom we now recommend to your Charity They are a part of the most antient of all the Reformed Churches of Europe Who by breaking off betimes from the Tyranny and Communion of the Bishop of Rome were never at all involved in the most part of those Errors which that Church abounds with And from the Ninth Century downwards have stood clear of those into which they were before fallen I go on 2 ly To shew That what they now Suffer is for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. I have before observed that it was about the middle of the xi th Century that the Church of Rome usurping upon the Authority of that of Milan occasion'd a Seperation of many of the Italic Churches from its Communion and of these of the Valleys among the rest And if we look back into the Ecclesiastical History of that Province we shall find that from thenceforth they never enjoy'd any Rest from those Violences and Oppressions which the Malice and Interest of that Proud Ambitious See found means to raise against them To pass by the Bulls the Sentences and Excommunications which were continually thunder'd out from the Vatican against Them and the Effect of which many of these Poor Men sufficiently felt in the time of Pope Alexander the III. Anno. 1180 How terible was the Decree of Pope Lucius the III. against them Who not content to Excommunicate them for their Heresie and to invite the Civil Government to engage on his side against them obliged all Princes to take a Corporal Oath to make search after them and to use their utmost Endeavours utterly to extirpate them out of their Dominions Thus their Tryals and Persecutions began but they did not stop here For what Lucius decreed Pope Innocent the III took care to put in vigorous Execution He renew'd this Order against them and Caused diligent Search to be every where made after them And to strengthen the Churches Authority Pope Honorius the III not only continued the same Method but obtain'd of the Emperour Frederic the II that memorable Edict which is still preserved in the Feudal Law against them But above all the rest most effectual was the Course which Gregory the IX pitch'd upon to destroy them He setled the Inquisition into an Establish'd Office against Them and so perfected that Design which his Predecssor Innocent the III had set on foot for their Ruin

forth in as Black Characters both with respect to our Faith and Manners as ever these distressed Persons have been Represented to Us on this side the Mountains The short of the Matter is that both They and We freely declare against the Tyranny and Corruptions of the Church of Rome and that is enough to warrant the Worst that can be said to blacken and bespatter both Them and Vs. But I must not insist upon these Matters but having now more fully than I design'd shewn both Who the Persons are who ask your Charity and How they come to stand in need of it shall proceed 3 dly And very briefly to represent to you What just Reason we have to succour and assist them upon the account of These their Sufferings If 1 st We consider either the Cause or Authors of their Persecution it will from both appear that we of the reform'd Religion must Support Them or they must be left to sink under their Afflictions for We may be confident that if we do not help them No body else will Were the Case here that of Christianity in General Did these Poor Men suffer by the Hands of Turks or Infidels One might then hope that the Common Love and Duty we all profess to our Blessed Saviour and his Gospel might move every Church however differing in other Matters yet to joyn together for their Relief But it is the misfortune those for whom we are now concern'd that they are persecuted not by the Common Enemy but by those who are called by the same Name of Christians They suffer not for the defence of the Gospel but for the maintenance of the Truth and Purity of it against those who have either mistaken or perverted the Faith of it And if We who in this are agreed with Them do not relieve them with what Reason can we expect that those whom they Oppose and by whom they are Persecuted should help Them Here therefore is a Case in which the Argument of the Text returns with a double force upon Us. These Persons are not only the Disciples of Christ but of the same particular Faith and Communion with our selves They are our Brethren not only as they are Christians but as they are Reform'd too and which is yet more They suffer for being so They might have believed in Christ and yet have continued in the peaceable Enjoyment of their Country and Possessions But they could not have continued Reformed without quitting them and therefore they readily forsook both And surely the least we can do to testify our concurrence with them in this Profession will be to extend our Charity towards them And thereby to shew that We do own their Cause and account it such as deserves to be suffer'd for But 2 dly It is not only a Matter of Charity but of Interest also to Us to help and relieve them And that is an Argument which where it is once received seldom fails of prevailing with most Men. It cannot be unknown to any among Us what Endeavours have been used and what projects have been laid for these last forty or fifty Years utterly to root the Protestant Interest out of Europe What Progress has been made by our Enemies to this purpose in Piemont Hungary Bohemia France shall I add and here at Home too both in England and Ireland is evident to all of Us. And had the design succeeded as it was verily believed and hoped it would have done I do not see what could have preserved the Reformed Religion from a general destruction But blessed be God! Who in most of these places has disappointed their Designs and we hope will in the End turn them as he has already in part done to their own Shame and Confusion And has effectually convinced us how necessary it is for us to unite together in Interest and Affection against our Common Enemies if ever we mean to support our selves and our Cause from Ruine by their unwearied Malice and Indefatigable endeavours against Us. It is but a little time since we were called upon to receive those of the Reformed Church of France into our Bosoms By doing of this we have preserved so much of the Protestant Interest from sinking And all that their Persecutors have gained by their Cruelties aginst them is but this that they have forced them to change their Country but have not at all lessened either their Zeal for their Religion or their Ability to defend it We are now invited to preserve the Remains of the same Church and of some of those of the Vallies of Piemont with Them A Flock little in Number but of Great Worth And such as we cannot suffer to Perish without fixing an Eternal Infamy upon our Names for our Vncharitableness Whose turn it may next be to suffer in this Cause we cannot tell This we know that be it whose it will Our Charity will have its Reward with God and give a Good Example and Encouragement to the Church of Christ. We may by what we do for these poor persecuted Men prolong our Own Tranquility and so meet with a Reward on Earth But though we should not yet this we are sure that we shall hereby purchase to our selves an Inheritance in Heaven Our Vnrighteous Mamon shall prepare for us an eternal Habitation What we now give for the sake of Christ and to his Disciples in his Name he will one Day return as if we had done it unto Himself And Verily I say unto you ye shall in No wise lose the Reward of it ERRATA PAge 7. Margin r. Hebr. xiii 1. p. 14. l. 15. r. Purity Ib. Margin l. ult r. Imagin p. 22. Margin l. 10. dele Sir Sam. FINIS BOOKS Printed for R. Sare at Grays-Inn-Gate in Holborne THe Genuine Epistles of the Apostolical Fathers St. Barnabas St. Ignatius St. Clement St. Polycarp the Shepherd of Hermas and the Martyrdoms of St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp Written by those who were present at their Sufferings being together with the Holy Scniptures of the New Testament a compleat Collection of the most Primitive Antiquity for about 150 Years after Christ Translated and Published with a large Preliminary Discourse relating to the several Discourses here put together 8 o. The Authority of Christian Princes over their Ecclesiastical Synods asserted with Particular respect to the Convocations of the Clergy of the Realm and Church of England Occasioned by a late Pamphlet Intituled A Letter to a Convocation Man 8 o. An Appeal to all the True Members of the Church of Enggland in behalf of the Kings Supremacy as by Law established by our Convocations Approved and our eminent Bishops and Clergy-men Stated and Defended against both the Popish and Fanatical opposers of it 8 o. A Practical Discourse concerning Profane Swearing especially in the two great Points of Perjury and Common Swearing 8 o. The Principles of the Christian Religion Explained in a brief Commentary upon the Church Catechism 8 o. A Sermon at the Dorsetshire Feast 1690. Before the Queen at Whitehall May the 10th 1691. Before the Lord Mayor November 26th 1691. At Grays-Inn upon the Death of the Queen At St. James's upon the Thanksgiving These Ten by Dr. Wake Fables and Stories Moralized being a Second Part of the Fables of Aesop and other eminent Mythologists c. Folio By Sir Roger L'Estrange Gal. vi 10. Heb. ixli 1. 1 Pet. i. 22 1 Jo. iii. 16· Mat. v. 44. Matt. xxv 32 33. 34 35 41. 42. Monsieur de Meaux's Variations des Egl. Protestan liv xi Leger Hist. des Eglises Evangel des Vallees de Piemont liv 1. cap. 2. Allix Remarks chap. xix Vide Car. M. Synod Paris Script de Tmagin Catal. Test. veri● lib. ix in Claudio Ion. Aurel. de Cult Imag 〈…〉 Claud. T●u●i● Bibl PP Tom. ●i● Car. à S. Paul Geogr S. lib. ii Ital. n. iv vii.x Allix Remarks chap. xiii Allix Remarks Ch. xiv Baron Annal. An. 1059 Leger Hist. des Vaudoises l. 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Concil Lateran iii. apud Labb To. x p. 1504. Cap. xxvii de Haereticis * Ibid Col. 1737. Concil iv Late●an Cap. 3. de Haeret. Add. La●b To xi p●g 234. * Frederic ii Constit. Sect. 5 6 7 Const. Feud pag. 27 Labb To. xi col 334. Leger Hist l. ii c. 2. Morland l. ii c. 1. Leger Hist l. ii chap. 6. Leger l. ii c 9. c. Sir Sam. Morland Hist. of Piem l. ii Anno. 1633. Memor Recond di Vittorio Siri Vol. vii p. 500. c. See the account of that persecution publish'd at Oxford 4 o 1689. Leger Hist. des Sr. Sam. V●udois Morla●d Hist. of the Evangel Churches of Piem Book ii c. 6 c. Leger Hist. l. 1. c. 30. Leger Hist. l. ● c. 19.30 Allix Remarks c. 26. Leger lib. l. 11. c. 10. c. See Leger before About 11500. Persons