down. And the Apostles did on many Occasions charge those firft Converts to be ready to Receive and Entertain Strangers; and thofe now come among us are truly the Strangers in the Scripture-Language; being forced to leave their Country, what by the Defolations of War, and what by the Op. preffion of Perfecutors, fo that they fly to this Church and Nation, that God has honoured to give SanEtuary and Relief to fo many Thousands, driven from their own Countries by the Fury and Violence of Bloody Men. It is not fo long fince we our felves were thinking to what part of the World we were to have gone for Refuge, when we were fo near Falling under the Power of Men, whofe Tender Mercies are Cruel. It is true, God broke that Snare, and we were Delivered. Let us therefore now Treat these Strangers as we would have defired to be Treated, if we had been forced to wander up and down the World; and while we, by the good Providence of God, feel none of the Miferies of War, let our Bowels be moved for those whofe Subftance has been Devoured by it. Who knows what a Share the Charitics fhew'd fome Years ago to other Refugees has had in drawing down thofe fignal Bleffings of God on Her Majefty's Counfels and Arms, that are the Wonder of the whole World. Let us not therefore be weary in Well-doing; and tho' Taxes are Heavy, yet let us Straiten our felves, and give even out of our Neceffity; and by fo doing, we may hope our Publick Bleffings fhall not only be continued to us, but fhall grow and encreafe upon us. And we may foon fee the happy Effects of our Relieving thefe Strangers, in their Induftry among us; for they are defirous of nothing fo much as to be put in the way of Labour; fo that we may fee the Encrease of what is thus Sown, as we do happily feel it in those whom we have formerly received upon the like Account. I doubt not but you will lay this, and a great deal more to the fame purpose, before your People; in which, and in all your other Labours, I commend you to the Bleffing of God, and am, My Dear Brethren, Your Affectionate Brother, and Servant in the Lord,

Printed, July 23.

1709.

Gi. Sarum.

Latter

Letter of the Lord Bishop of Ely to the
Clergy of bis Diocefe.

Loving Brother,

THERE be lately come over into Great-Britain se

veral Thousands of the Inhabitants of the Lower, Palatinate in Germany, Driven out of the Land of their Nativity, chiefly by the Barbarity and Cruelty of the French, the Common Enemies of Christendom, who have frequently Invaded their Country, Plunder'd their Houfes, and with Sword and Fire made many Places Defolate.

Thefe miferable People, flying from their Oppreffors, have humbly caft themselves at the Feet of Her moit Excellent Majefty, who out of Her Princely Compaffion hath Gracioufly Received them into Her Protection, and Supported them with Food and other Neceffaries; and Conftituted a Commiffion of Her Privy-Counsellors, and other Perfons of great Wisdom and Integrity, to take fuch Care of them, and make fuch Difpofition of them in all parts of Her Dominions, that they may be no Burden to her own People.

For the better Promoting fo Pious a Work, Her Majefty has Granted thofe Poor Palatines Her Leters Patents, to Requeft the Benevolence and Charity of Her Loving Subjects; and I make it my earnest Defire to you, fully to Explain and Set forth their Deplorable Condition, and with the greatest Affetion to Recommend them in this lamentable and diftreffed State to your Congregation, as moft true and proper Objects of their Chriftian Charity.

You often have, and will now teach them, that Charity is the Virtue moft effential and peculiar to our Religion, and which will moft effectually Recommend us to the Favour of God, and make us moft Acceptable to Men. In thus doing, you will act moft agreeably to the fettled Principles of our Church, and the conftant Practice of our Nation, which has been Famous in all Times for fhewing Kindness to Strangers: And you may well Obferve, that, as a Reward from Heaven of our Bounty to Foreigners, we have found our Trade Ddz Improved,

Improved, our Manufactures Increased, and the Strength, Riches, and Welfare of the Kingdom highly Advanced.

I also defire that your Zeal and Care may further appear, in Affifting at the Collection of the Charity of your Parishioners; and that you begin with thofe, who are most Wealthy, and who have been most Eminent for their Bountiful Contributions formerly on these Occafions; for by their Generous Example others will be Moved to Give more Liberally. I heartily Commend you to the Mercies of God, and Your Loving Brether, and Servant,

am,

Ely House, 1 Aug.

1709.

J. Ely.

Letter of the Lord Bishop of Oxford to the
Clergy of bis Diocefe:

Good Brother,

H

ER Majelty having been pleafed in the Brief, which She has Granted for the relief of the Poor Palatines, whom the French Cruelties on the Frontiers, and other Hardships on the account of their Religion, have driven from their own Country to feek Shelter here; a Copy of which Brief you will herewith receive," to recommend it in a particular manner to all the Archbishops and Bishops in "England and Wales, to give particular Directions "and Commands to all Parfons, Vicars and Cu"rates, of the feveral Parishes within their refpe"Etive Diocefe, for the Advancement of that Cha"ritable Work: I fend this Letter to you in Obedience to Her Majefties Commands, Hoping that it would otherwife have been Superfluous for me to Write to you, touching this Miniftring to thefe diftreffed Chriftians: For you know the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was Rich, yet for our fakes he became Poor, that we through his Poverty might be rich: You know who hath given Commandment, that he that loves God, love his Brother alfo: You know who it is that reputes himself to fuffer in the Perfon of bis Members, and of thofe more efpecially who are perfecuted for his fake, and the Truth of his Gofpel: Whefo

then

then hath this World's Goods, and can see these our Brethren, Brethren on many Áccounts, as Men, as Chriftians, as Reformed Chriftians, expofed to the extremeft Need, and that for their stedfaft Adherence to the Truth as it is in Jefus, how dwelleth the Love of God

in him?

We do and may Glory that our Church has defervedly the Character, not only of the Bulwark of the Reformation, but of the common Refuge of thofe that are perfecuted for it, and I truft none fhall ever be able to ftop us in this Boating. Let me therefore beseech you, and require you, in the Bowels of our Lord Jefus, both by Word and Example, to forward this Great and Pious Design of Our Gracious Queen, by Contributing your felf according to your Power, by charging thofe in your Parish that are Rich, and have much, that they be ready to give Plenteonly, and glad to Diftribute, by Exhorting those that have little, to do their Diligence gladly to give of that little, affuring both that by fo doing they will gather to themselves a good Reward in the Day of Neceffity, and lay up in Store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come, that they may attain Eternal Life.

I fhall add only one thing more, that this is one of the best Methods we can take, both of teftifying our Senfe of God's great Goodnefs, and our Thankfulness to him for it, in fo wonderfully preferving to us the free Exercise of our Religion in its Purity in this Church hitherto, and of prevailing with him to continue this invaluable Bleling to us and our Pofterity. To God's Bleffing and Grace, your Perfon, and Work, and Labours of Love, are moft fincerely recommended by

Your Affectionate Brother,
and Servant,

I think it would much forward
this Service, if you could
prevail with fome of the
chiefeft of your Parishio-
ners to accompany you
when
you go to Collect the
Charity of the reft.

W. Oxon.

Letter

Dd3

Letter of the Lord Bishop of Lincoln to the Cler gy of his Diocefe.

HER Majesty having been Graciously pleafed not only to take into Her Own Royal Protection the poor diftreffed Palatines, who are in fuch great Numbers fled to Her for Succour; but to Recommend their fad and deplorable Condition to All Her Loving Subjects of England; and particularly to Command Her Bishops, to direct and require their refpetive Clergy to use their utmoft Endeavours for the Advancement of this fo Charitable a Work; I think my felf obliged, as well in Obedience to Her Majefties Command, as in purfuance of that Duty we All owe to our Chriftian Brethren in their Neceffities, moft heartily to befeech you to do what in you lies to Stir up your Parishioners to a Liberal Conribution towards fo Excellent a Charity.

The Numbers of those who fland in need of our Relief, are fo Great, that it is not a fmall Matter that will fupport them from perifhing. Their Neceffities are fo Preffing, that they muft fink under their Wants, if not fpeedily, or rather prefently, affifted by Us. The Extremities under which they labour, haye fall'n upon them not by any Fault, or Negligence of their Own; but thro' the Rage and Violence of our Common Enemies, and for their Steadiness to that Caufe in which we Our Selves have been fo long, and (by God's Bieffing) are like to be fo fuccessfully Engaged. All thefe Confiderations not only befpeak our Charitable Beneficence towards them, but our utmoft Endeavours to Succour and Relieve them.

And for our farther Encouragement thereunto; befides the Bleffings we may ourselves expect from fuch a Charity (which has above any other Virtue,the Promife of the Life that now is, as well as that which is to come ;) We have no fmall Reafon to hope for a Publick Benefit from the Labours and Industry of fo many Perfons, the greater part of whom feem equally difpofed to become feful Members of the State, and Conformable to the Church of England as by Law Eftablished.

These