Editing William Wake (section)

==Life==
Wake was born in [[Blandford Forum]], [[Dorset]], and educated at [[Christ Church, Oxford]]. He took orders, and in 1682 went to [[Paris]] as chaplain to the ambassador; [[Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston|Richard Graham, Viscount Preston]] (1648–1695). There, he became acquainted with many of the savants of the capital, and was much interested in French clerical affairs. He also collated some Paris [[New Testament manuscript|manuscripts]] of the ''[[Textus Receptus|Greek New Testament]]'' for [[John Fell (clergyman)|John Fell]], [[bishop of Oxford]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>In his private collection he had f.e. minuscules [[Minuscule 73|73]], [[Minuscule 74|74]].</ref>

He returned to England in 1685. In 1688, he became preacher at [[Gray's Inn]], and in 1689, he received a canonry of [[Christ Church, Oxford]]. In 1693, he was appointed rector of [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]]. Ten years later, he became [[Dean of Exeter]], and in 1705, he was consecrated [[bishop of Lincoln]]. He was translated to the see of [[Canterbury]] in 1716 on the death of [[Thomas Tenison]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Tenison had been his mentor and was responsible for his obtaining his bishopric despite the notable reluctance of [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]], who regarded the appointment of bishops as her prerogative and distrusted Tenison's judgment.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}

In 1718, he negotiated with leading French churchmen about a projected union of the [[Catholic Church in France|Gallican]] and English churches to resist the claims of [[Roman Catholicism|Rome]].<ref>[[Joseph Hirst Lupton]], ''Archbishop Wake and the Project of Union'', 1896</ref> In dealing with [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformism]], he was tolerant and even advocated a revision of the ''[[Book of Common Prayer (1662)|Book of Common Prayer]]'' if that would allay the scruples of dissenters.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

His writings are numerous, the chief being his ''State of the Church and Clergy of England... historically deduced'' (London, 1703).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} In those writings, he produced a massive defence of Anglican Orders and again disproved the [[Nag's Head Fable]] by citing a number of documentary sources.<ref>William Wake: Archbishop of Canterbury, 1657–1737 by Norman Sykes</ref> The work was written in part as a refutation of the arguments of the "[[high church]]" opposition to the perceived [[Thomas Erastus|Erastian]] policies of [[William III of England|King William]] and the Archbishop of Canterbury, [[Thomas Tenison]]. He died at his official home, [[Lambeth Palace]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}

He was grandfather of the noted English geologist [[Etheldred Benett]].

He was buried in [[Croydon Minster]], in [[Surrey]].