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Messrs. NEALE
BUTCHER

TOWNSEND

EMERSON, and
DRESSER.

and in addition to the ten other Ministers and ten Laymen who remain. 7. THAT ROBERT STEVEN, Esq. the Treasurer of the Society, be requested to continue to occupy that appoint ment, which he has hitherto filled with honorable and useful fidelity and zeal.

8. THAT this Meeting renew their acknowledgements to THOS. PELLATT, Esq. and JOHN WILKS, Esq. the Secretaries, whose disinterested and important labours they gratefully acknowledge and most urgently entreat them to renew.

belonging to the Baptist denomina- ·
tion, had been liberally afforded.
Mr. MAT. WILKS demonstrated the
necessity and practicability of more
PELLATT disclaimed, as an unmerited
extensive pecuniary support..
Mr.
aspersion, any representation of the
Society as an institute exclusively
political;-and Mr. DURANT advoca-
ted the cause of the Vaudois, as he
depicted the horrors attendant on
the sanguinary march of Persecution,
even amidst the retirements of their
thinly populated vallies, and amidst
the contignous sublimities of the
stupendous Alps.

All these genflemen, however, concurred to express their zealous attachment to a Society which had so often frustrated evil designs, which 9. THAT thi Meeting cannot sepa- had repressed the tyrannous and perrate without again expressing their secuting,- which had contributed to opinion of their excellent Chairman, protect liberty of conscience in EngSAMUEL MILLS, Esq. whose integrity, land, in India, in Europe-and which attention, prudence, and firmness, had usefully laboured to acquire privithey unite with cordiality to applaud." leges and security for Dissenters and These Resolutions were introduced for Methodists, which had never been or supported by various Gentlemen; previously attained. and the Meeting was informed and stimulated by the successive and able addresses of the Rev. George Collison, of Hackney: - Durant, of Poole;- Eccles, of Leeds;- Rowland Hill; Hunt, of Chichester; -Jackson, of Stockwell ;-Jackson, of Green Hammerton, in Yorkshire;Perrot, of Guernsey ;- Slatterie, of Chatham;-Dr. Styles, of Brighton; -Thomas, of London ;- Thornton, of Billericay;-Upton, of London; and Matthew Wilks-and of William Bateman, Thomas Wilson, and James Young, Esqs. the Treasurer, the Chairman, and Mr. Pellatt.

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The result of a recommendation so general and well merited, was an immediate present of £50 by a respectable and pious Welchman, on behalf of the Calvinistic Methodists in WALES;-and will be, it is hoped, a subscription of a small annual contribution from every Christian society, of every denomination, which England may contain.

That no apology may be made for a neglect of such assistance, we again additionally state, that Two POUNDS are the amount of the Annual Contributions expected from each Congregation in England, and ONE Those able and interesting Ad- POUND from every Congregation in dresses there is not an opportunity to Wales; that such Subscriptions beinsert; but it is especially to be re- came due at Lady-day; and that they gretted that it is not possible to and the arrears may be transmitted by report the impressive and Christian friends, or by the post, to the Treasurer cloquence with which the Rev. Mr. ROB. STEVEN, Esq. Upper Thames SLATTERIE illustrated the exertions Street, London; or to either of the and utility of the Society. Mr. Secretaries, THOMAS PELLATT, Esq. PERROT Communicated the gratitude Ironmongers' Hall; or JOHN WILKS, and the oppressions of the French. - Esq. Finsbury Place, London; to Mr. JACKSON applauded the firm the latter of whom applications may resistance of Mr. Hill to Parochial be addressed; and that any Country Assessments-Mr. HILL explained Ministers or their friends will always the evil tendencies of such assess- be received with pleasure at the ments, and the causes of his resistence. Mr. HUNT detailed the riots which, at Midhurst, had occurred. Mr. UPTON acknowledged the protection, which, to his place of worship,

Williams, Printer, Clerkenwell,

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Meetings of the Committee, which occur at Half-past Six, precisely, in the Evening, on the last Tuesday in every month, at the New London Tavern, Cheapside.

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Memoir relative to the Vaudois: commu

I

nicated by Rev. T. Morgan. Williams's Library, April, 1816.

SIR,
SEND

you some extracts from a Memoir relative to the Vaudois, delivered to me by a friend who was educated among them, and with whose family I have been acquainted many years. It is dated at Turin, Jan. 20th, 1816, and has been translated by me with difficulty from the French language, adulterated with the Patois of the valleys. Considered as supplemental to the Memoir respecting the Waldenses in the Monthly Repository for March last, (p. 129,) your readers, perhaps, will not think it unworthy of an admission into your pages.

I am, yours sincerely,
THOMAS MORGAN.

vernment granted them, had at length
built a church in the centre of their
commune. By the patents of Sept.
30, 1814, among other things, the
king ordered the Intendant of the
Province to compel us to shut up the
church of St. John, as built beyond
the strict boundaries to which we had
been confined. This took place in
consequence of a letter from that ma-
gistrate to the Moderator on the 25th
Nov. 1814. Of such moment did
Victor Emanuel consider the recom-
mendation of Lord Bentinck, the re-
presentative of a great and generous
nation, which had replaced him on
the throne of his ancestors!
chose rather to be influenced by the
perfidious insinuations of his ministers,
or his fanatical confessors, than to
comply with the request of Lord Ben-
tinck.

He

"Immediately after the return of "The Vaudois, foreseeing by the the king to his dominions, the Vauevents of 1814 what was likely to dois were deprived of all their embe their situation, thought it neces- ployments, such as receiverships of sary to depute M. Paul Appia, then the contributions, the places of saltJudge of the Peace, and M. Pevran, makers, secretaries of the communes, Pastor of Pramol, to wait on his Ex- judges, &c. and their young men of cellency Lord Bentinck, Commander merit, who had served with honour in of the British Forces at Genoa, for the France, were refused permission to purpose of requesting that he would enter the army, with the declaration take us under his high protection, and that no Protestant officers would be recommend us to the king on his re- received among the king's forces. turn from Sardinia, that we might re- About the beginning of May, 1794, ceive the same good treatment from the French had made themselves mashim with his other subjects. The ters of the fort of Miraboue, situated king arrived at Genoa while the Vau- at the extremity of the valley of Ludois deputies were in that city, and zerne, and the Vaudois were accused Lord Bentinck had indeed the good- of having been concerned in its surness to speak concerning us to our so- render, though there was not one of vereign, and to recommend us to his them in the fort. But the fanatical favour. This was about the 18th of Piedmontese laid hold of this accusaMay, Victor Emanuel arrived at Tu- tion as a pretence for planning a se rin on the 20th; and on the 21st he cond St. Bartholomew, to be carried published a manifesto, by which he into execution in the communes of put in force all the edicts which his St. John and La Tour, on the night predecessors had issued. The inha- of the 14th or 15th of May, 1794, by bitants of St. John, availing themselves the murder of the old men, the woof the liberty which the French go- men and the children who were left

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behind in the villages, while all the
Vaudois who were able to bear arms
the
were on the mountains, to oppose
invasion of the French troops. The
venerable Curé of Luzerne, Don Bri-
ansa, was the first to put the Vaudois
upon their guard; and a M. Odette,
a captain of militia, and a rich person
in the neighbourhood, repaired to
Paul Vertu at La Tour, declaring that
he would shed the last drop of his
blood in their defence. Towards the
night of the 14th of May, the house
of the Cure of La Tour, the church,
the convent of Recollects, and some
: Catholic houses were filled with as-
sassins. While the fatal moment was
approaching, seventeen expresses had
been sent to general Godin, who com-
nanded in the valley, and then had
his head quarters five miles above La
Tour, to give him information of
these circumstances; but he could not
believe that such horrors were in con-
templation. At length, some persons
of distinction having thrown them-
selves at the feet of the general, and
entreated him to send some companies
of Vaudois militia to La Tour, he en-
tertained no further doubts on the sub-
ject, but complied with their request,
and prepared to retreat with the rest
of the army. The troops arrived at
La Tour at the commencement of the
night, when the rain was pouring in
torrents, which, doubtless, had retarded
The assassins
the projected massacre.
now took to flight; and after their
departure, a list of the conspirators
was discovered, which was sent to the
Duke of Aosta, our present king.
Not one of them, however, was either
punished or sought after. Is not this
evidence that the court did not disap-

of their execrable design? The
prove
brave general Godin was disgraced,
without receiving any recompence for
his long services, and retired to Nyon,
in Switzerland, where he died.

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Charles Emanuel III., who called us his good and faithful Vaudois, would not revoke one of the oppressive edicts, and we could not have any physicians or advocates of our religion, nor any military promotion above the rank of serjeant, except in the militia; whilst under the last (French) government, three attained the rank of Lieutenant-colonel, two or three that of major, and more those of chief of battalion, captain, lieutenant, and many received decorations. If they are

dismissed from the service of France,
what shall they do, having no other
resource than their military talents
which the king will not value at all
in Protestants? The Vaudois avow
their having favoured the principles
of liberty of conscience, and of break-
ing the chains by which they had
been bound for ages. Posterity will
judge whether this be a crime before
God, or even before men. They had
rendered services, most powerfully en-
joined by humanity, to their deliverers
(and masters), the commune of Bobbi
alone having furnished, on the appli-
cation of their very worthy pastor, the
late M. Rostan, volunteers, who car-
ried three hundred siek and wounded
soldiers over the heights of the Alps.
For this service they received the ac-
knowledgements of the grand army
of Italy, by an Order of the Day,
dated 3rd Prim. An. 8, (24th Dec.
1799,) and signed, by Suchet, General
of Division, &c. This humane con-
duct was represented by the priests
and other cruel enemies of the Vau-
dois, to have been the natural effect of
their political opinions, notwithstand-
ing that the Russians and Austrians
met with a similar reception from
them (never in the least interrupting
their perfect liberty of conscience), as
appears by the testimonials received
from Marshal Suwarrow and Prince
Bagration (who shewed the greatest
favour), of Prince Kevenhuller, Gen-
eral Niemsell and, above all, the
brave Count Nieper, who constantly
interested himself on behalf of the
Vaudois, and was respected by them
as their benefactor,--at whose sugges-
we.give
tion they sent to Count Bubna a short
list of their requests, of which
the substance---

"1. That they may have secured to them a perfect liberty of conscience, and of situation, in common with the other subjects of his Sardinian majesty.

g. That their religion may be n obstacle to their employment in civil and military offices, according to the scale of promotion.

"3. That they may keep the property acquired beyond the limits to which they were confined, and that they may be permitted to make further acquisitions, should they meet with a fair opportunity.

4. That they may be permitted to settle in any of his Sardinian ma

Memoir relative to the Vaudois.

jesty's dominions, where they may find it their interest so to do.

"5. That the support of their pastors may be established by the enjoyment of the property granted them by the French government (the salary of 1000 franks to each of the thirteen pastors), or in such mode as shall please his Sardinian majesty.

6. That they may be permitted to keep open the temple built at St. John's, beyond the ancient limits, as well as to build others, and to keep schools where it shall be found necessary for the pastors to reside.

7. That they may have liberty to print, within the dominions of his Sardinian majesty, such books as are necessary for conducting their public worship, or to bring them from abroad.

"8. That persons educated in their religion may have perfect liberty to practise as physicians, apothecaries, surgeons, advocates and notaries.

9. That in forming the municipal councils, regard be paid in each commune to the proportion of the mixed population, and that strangers to the communes do not receive appointments, or indigent Catholics, without their consent.

10. That they may be permitted to inclose their burial places within walls, and to repair or build edifices adapted to public worship or instruc

tion.

“11. That children, under fifteen years of age, may not, under whatever pretence, be compelled or persuaded to change their religion.

12. That they may not be under the necessity of observing the festivals pointed out in the Almanack, which may render them idle, or seduce them to debauchery.

13. Finally, That they may wholly, and in every respect, partake of the privileges of the Catholic subjects of his majesty, in the same manner as they enjoyed them after the Revolution, until the restoration of his Sardinian majesty to the throne of his ancestors by English generosity!! Let the Status-quo of January 1813, be established with respect to whatever relates to the Vaudois.

"M. Count Bubna was not successful, any more than the English envoy, Mr. Hill, who, at the request of a deputation of Vaudois, (consisting of MM. Meille, Pegran and Ro

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taing, ministers, Brezzi and I. P. D. Vertu,) promised to take an active part on our behalf, but whose application appears to have been coldly received by the ministers, under the pretence that our situation was not worse than before the Revolution, without reflecting that our slavery could not in effect be worse than at that time. The king, also, received. the deputation of the Vaudois; but he did not promise them any relief, and in truth granted them none, doubtless> by the advice of his confessor. The Vaudois entertained hopes that the arrival of the queen would prove a favourable event for them, and the same deputation was appointed to wait on her majesty; but she would not deign to admit them to an audience, notwithstanding the positive assurance to the contrary of the Minister of the Interior, Count Vidua. The government has not made any public declaration respecting the purchases of national property and churches; and since opinions are divided on this subject, the state of uncertainty is fatal to those, whose pressing necessities render them desirous of parting with what they bought. Neither has any declaration been published respecting the Vaudois officers returned from France, and who have no other resource than their military talents. The following is a sketch of the po pulation of the Vaudois communes, which measures are taking to render more exact :

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"In this number are not comprised about 50 Protestant families of different nations, settled at Turin, who have no other pastor than the chaplain either of the English or Prussian envoy. The communes marked P. have Protestant churches; the others are obliged to attend the nearest church. But the church of St. John being shut up, the inhabitants are compelled to go to their ancient church (almost destroyed by an earthquake) in the commune of Angrogne, which has consequently two in its district. To the more distant parts of the country, and those seated among the summits of the mountains, the ministers can only go to exercise their functions once or twice a year, in the most favourable weather, and then preach in the open air. In order to reestablish the very small catholic parish of Bobbi, they compelled two poor widows of pastors who had an asylum in the house of the ancient curé, to quit their situation without notice in the middle of December, notwithstanding that all possible solicitations were made for a temporary indulgence, and the complaints which the writer of this paper preferred to Mr. Hill.

This exposé, which has been drawn up in haste, contains only indisputable truths, as may be proved to conviction to those who will apply to M. Geymet, a pastor, and chaplain to Mr. Hill, English envoy at Turin (formerly moderator of the Vaudois churches) and the Ex-Sub-Prefect of Pignerol, of which all the Vaudois communes are dependencies. It is necessary to state that M. the pastor Bert of La Tour, is at this time engaged in drawing up another account of the situation of the Vaudois, which cannot but confirm the contents of this, of which he has no knowledge. The Vaudois persuade themselves, that not only all the Protestant powers will favourably consider their case, but also the magnanimous emperors Alexander and Francis, and the other illustrious princes, if inform

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ed by the cabinet of London, the most powerful of all."

"Turin, Jan. 20th, 1816."

Raynerus Sacco, an inquisitor, has published a book against the Vaudois, in which he gives them the name of Leonists, from one of their ancient leaders called Leon, who lived towards the end of the third century. You may also see the blasphemy of the church of Rome against the Vaudois in Gretzer's Bibliotheque, written against that people. Many writers pretend that the name Vaudois is derived from Peter Valdo, whose adherents, persecuted in France during the twelfth century, fled for refuge into the retreats of the obscure inhabitants of our valleys who they knew professed the same religion with themselves. They were known by this name, however, eighty years before the time of Valdo, as ap pears from a poem written in the Patois of the country: illidison quel es Vaudose, e degne de morir. This poem is entitled La nobla Leiçon de 1100; and it is said to exist in M. S. at Cambridge. The ancient history of the Vaudois appears like a dream to those who have no knowledge of the warlike valour of this small people, who have suffered persecutions, the recital of which must strike us with horror. The following is a list of the historians of this unhap py people. Boyer's (an Englishman's) short History of the Vaudois, 12mo. Perrin's History of the Vaudois and Albigenses, 8vo. Leger's General History of the Vaudois, folio. Giles's short History of the same people, 4to. Brez' Abridgment of the History of the Vaudois, 8vo. Maranda's Picture of Piedmont, imperfect.

The situation of the pastors is truly deplorable. For the government have condemned Messrs. Vertu and Brezzi (who rented from the Protestant ministers the property granted by the French government of the value of 1000 franks each) to reimburse the sum of about ten thousand franks, advanced by them to the Protestant ministers, as they were authorized to do, and to claim the same from the pastors, who are positively compelled to borrow the means of existence, and of course find it impos sible to satisfy such a claim.

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