got out of God's Ark and the Deluge is about thee Where wilt thou pitch the Sole of thy Foot Go then as the Dove and return unto thy place Salvation is not to be had any where else Thou knowest it as well as I. Whether art thou gone Where art thou a going Dost not thou know that Jesus Christ only hath the Words of Eternal Life Thinkest thou to find it any where else Why Man He only is the Way the Truth and the Life Thou hast changed thy Riligion thou hast quitted thy Party thou hast abandoned thy Flock Good God what hast thou done O Friend I forbear to speak my Fears But once again What hast thou done Thou hast quitted the Rich Pearl with the Cock in the Fable for a Grain of Wheat See from whence thou art fallen and consider I beseech thee Dear Friend what thou hast gotten by thy Fall Thou embracest a Religion patch'd up of Human Ceremonies Thou knowest it well a Religion which is an Hodge-podg of Jewish and Pagan Ceremonies blended together Thou hast thrown thy self into its Arms thou liest in its Bosom thou wearest its Livery and art marked with its Marks And thou very well knowest why and wherefore Thou wast remiss in thy Duty Thou wast not payed thy Sallary This was thy frequent Complaint Thou idle and slothful Servant oughtest thou to forsake thy Lord's Service and his Flock Thou wast not serious enough nor caredst to take pains in thy Calling Instead of studying and giving thy self to reading thou hauntedst wicked Companies which thou knowest corrupt good Manners and being such an one thy self thou couldst not chuse better Birds of a Feather will Flock together More I might say but I spare thee Well Man what hast thou done Consider I beseech thee and I adjure thee to it by the Bowels of our ancient Friendship that 't is the true Religion which thou hast forsaken and that only in which Salvation is to be had and that the very Church of Rome her self believeth all the Articles that the Reformed Church believeth And I can speak it and thou knowest it as well as I that in case she were divested of all her Jewish Ceremonies and Human Inventions and of Men's Traditions which are set up in the room of God's Word the Romish Religion would be no longer Roman but Reformed What then hast thou done Thou hast took the Shadow for the Substance the Ceremonies for the Truth I protest unto thee upon my Soul that thou art out of the way Friend Give me thy Hand and I will once more set thee in the right way and thou shalt taste how gracious the Lord is to them that fear him that he is ready to forgive most willing to shew Mercy and if thou hast recourse unto him by Prayers and Supplications in the Name and Merits of his Dear Son thou shalt certainly obtain the Remission of thy Sins thro his Name My Friend thou hast joyned thy self to the Communion of Idols and art a Partner with Idolaters and dost thou think in their Communion to work out thy Salvation Be not deceived God will not be mocked No Idolaters shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ah! dost not thou know that our Religion which thou hast quitted giveth the Glory of Man's Salvation unto the Christ of God only That it ascribeth the Salvation of Believers to the Lord Jesus only That it preacheth nothing else but what the Elect Apostle of the Gentiles preached even Jesus Christ and him Crucified That it putteth Confidence in none but God And as David seeketh for none in Heaven but God That it adoreth no Creature whatsoever but adoreth God only Father Son and Spirit Three Persons in one God That it invocateth God only because besides him there never was nor never will be any that can help save and deliver That with the blessed Virgin she calleth him her God and her Saviour That it teacheth not the Doctrin of Devils nor forbiddeth Marriage nor to obstain from Meats which God hath created to be used by the Faithful and those who have not known the Truth with Thanksgiving That it is not Sacrilegious to rob the People of the Cup against the express Commandment of God That it reacheth God to be a Spirit and that such as worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth That it teacheth to fear God and to honour the King whom may the Lord of his Mercy long preserve To sanctifie the day of Rest but not Festivals which are only Men's Inventions To keep Promise and Covenant tho to a Man's Loss and Hurt Rather to serve God than Men And forasmuch as God hath spoken the Word that he will not give his Glory unto another nor his Praise unto Graven Images it teacheth all to ascribe Glory unto God only and to give him the Thanks of all our Mercies because he is the sole Author and Donour of them Our Religion doth not take away any of God's Commandments nor suffereth any Images to be made nor Pictures to be hung up that they should be served and adored A Religion neither addeth to nor taketh any thing from the Holy Word of God for it well knows that such as do so the Plagues written in that Word shall be inflicted on them and their Names shall be blotted out of the Book of Life It teacheth with St. Paul that the Divine Scriptures can make us wise unto Salvation and with St. John that the Blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all Sin and that there is none other Purgatory for our Sins than Christ's Blood Time would fail me and I should but waste it if I told thee That the Death of the Son of God is our Life his Wounds our Health and that there is none other Sacrifice for Sin than that one only and never to be repeated Sacrifice of his Death Friend our Religion teacheth that by this Sacrifice we have the Remission of all our Sins and that where the Remission of Sins is there is no more Oblation for Sin and therefore no Mass Take heed unto thy self Friend for if thou sinnest wilfully after Admonition after that thou hast received the knowledge of the Truth know of a Truth that there is no more Sacrifice for Sins Do not then count the Blood of the Covenant a prophane thing for thou knowest that 't is a most fearful thing to fall into the Hands of an incensed God Be zealous therefore and Repent In short thou knowest that all the Doctrins of our Religion are contained in thâ— Holy Scriptures and yet thou hast quitted it What hast thou done Thou art return'd unto Babylon from which God hath brought thee forth in the Loyns of thy Fathers that thou mightst not participate in her Sins nor in her Plagues Thou hast return'd with the Dog unto thy Vomit and with the Sow that was washed to wallow in the Mire My Friend my Bowels are troubled for thee Believe and follow my Counsel Awake and
it IX Under the Second towards the End this shall be added And the said Elders shall be admonished not to declare unto the Consistory their faults without just Cause and in much Charity according to the Rule of God's Word No Person at the first Report of his Miscarriage shall be mention'd by name in the Consistory On this Article the Lord-Admiral propounded That Persons upon the first Report should not be mention'd by Name unto the Consistory until they had first resolved whether they should be called into it or no. And there was added That no Person for the first Report ought to be named unless the Consistory for good and vallid causes should think fitting so to do X. Under the Third towards the End shall be this Addition If they be fit and in case of want and hindered by Ministers CHAP. VII General Matters Thursday the Fifth of the same Month. I. THere shall be added to the Third Article of Elders and Deacons That none others besides the said Deacons shall intermeddle with the Administration of the Poors Money II. This Article shall be added The Elders and Deacons may be present at Propositions of the Word of God made by Ministers besides their ordinary Sermons as also at Censures and shall have their Priviledge of Voting in all Matters Doctrine only excepted Of the CONSISTORY III. THE Fourth Article shall be thus formed Ministers and Elders compose the Consistory in which Ministers shall always preside and the Deacons may be present if so be the Consistory do judge it fitting IV. On the Seventh Article after these Words For tryal of their Ability shall be added which yet shall not be done without great Prudence and Discretion with promise of Secrecy V. There shall be this Addition made to the Close of the Eighth Article And if there be any other Counsels they shall be supprest VI. After these words in the Ninth But principally at the Auditing of Accounts there shall be this Addition of which the People shall have notice given them VII The Tenth Article was thus Explained If there should arise any Contention concerning Doctrine it shall be out of hand notified unto the Colloquy subordinate unto the Synods where also the Elders and Professors in Divinity may be present to give their Judgment on the Points but the Decision of these Controversies shall especially belong unto the Ministers and Professors of Divinity VIII In the Twelfth instead of Adjured to speak the Truth there shall be Exhorted and Summoned in the Name of God to speak the Truth IX On the Sixteenth after these words Propositions of the Word of God shall be added Among Scholars Of Delinquents and Censur'd Persons and what are these Offences which render them obnoxious unto Censures No copy of Excommunication or Church-censures to be given X. THE Question being mov'd whether a Copy may be given of the Excommunication or of any other Censure It was answered That because the whole Process was a Matter of Conscience it ought not to be given And as for the publick Act it 's subject properly to the Magistrates Jurisdiction XI The first Article was approv'd of but after those words And if notwithstanding all this they do not convert but persist in their Stubbornness and Obstinacy there shall be added On the fourth Lord's-day the scandalous Persons shall be Excommunicated either in this or such like form as shall be advised on by the Consistory we do declare unto the whole Congregation that we do not own him for one of the Members of our Church and in the Name and by the Authority of our Lord Jesus we cut him off from it XII On the third unto those words After they shall have continued firm shall be added without expecting the Advice of a National Synod Of Provincial SYNODS XIII ON the first Article instead of once a Year shall be inserted at least twice XIV In the second after the first Period shall be added And the said Ministers and Elders shall produce their Orders of Deputation XV To the sixth This Article is the 11th in the Chapter of Provincial Synods in the Book of Discipline this Article of the Synod of Vertueil shall be added If there arise any difference between two Synods they shall choose a third to reconcile them Of BAPTISM 1571. Synod VIII XVI AFter these words in the second Article This is the 4th Article in the Chapter and Book of Discipline Quit and resign their Right unto the Sureties shall be added As to Instruction And a little before shall be added If the Parents do consent The second and third Article shall make but one Papists and excommunicate Persons being joyned together XVII And the fourth after these words And is wholly null shall be abridg'd and cut short and shall be thus expressed Baptism administred by a Person who hath neither Call nor Commission is wholly null and void CHAP. VIII Acts passed upon Friday the Sixth of the said Month. I. IN the sixth Article the word Alliance shall be removed and it shall suffice to say thus much That fellowship among the Faithful may be maintained by Conjunction of Friendship and instead of Conceited shall be put Contentious II. Instead of these words in the Eighth Although the Husband have an unbelieving Wife yet he is not excusable shall be put these words Altho' the believing Husband have a Wife of contrary Religion yet is he not excusable III. After these words in the Ninth The Ministers shall reject shall be added as much as is fitting IV. This Article shall be added The Consistories shall have an eye over them who detain their Children from Baptism too long a time Of the LORD's SVPPER Beneficed persons not to be admitted to the Lord's Supper V. THis Article shall be added Beneficed Persons retaining the Name and Title of their Benefices and those also who dabble with Idolatry in their said Benefices shall not be admitted to the Lord's Table but such as hold those Benefices by the King's Gift and make a true and publick Profession of the Reformed Religion owning and avowing it with sufficient Considence may be received unto the Lord's Supper only they shall be exhorted to apply the yearly Profits of those their Benefices to pious Vses This is the 7th Article in the Chapter of the Lord's Supper and Book of Discipline VI. After these words in the sixth Article And striving as much as in them lieth shall be added yea also they shall put the Cup unto their Mouths that so they may prevent all Offence which might otherwise be taken VII At the End of the tenth Article there shall be this Addition And therefore the National Synods shall take care about it as the Good of the Church shall require This Article is the 14th in the Chapter of the Lord's Supper and Book of Disline Of MARRIAGES VIII THere shall be this Addition made unto the first Article This is the
2d Article in the Chapter of Marriages and Book of Discipline That all Persons young or old tho' they have been formerly married if they refuse to pay that Honour and Duty unto their Parents of Acquainting them with their intended purpose of Marriage shall be sharply reprov'd by the Consistory This is the 6th Article in the Chapter of Marriage and Book of Displine IX After these words in the third Touching Consanguinities and Affinities the Faithful may not contract Marriage with Persons And in lieu of what follows 1571. Synod VIII Forasmuch as great scandal may proceed from it whereof the Church shall take Cognizance there shall be put unless it be permitted them by the King's Edict X. This Addition shall be made unto the seventh This is the 16th Chapter of Marriage and Book of Discipline And if the Parties resolve to solemnize their Marriages in any other place than that where their Banes were published they shall take with them a sufficient Certificate of their Banes having been thrice published XI And farther Additions shall be made unto this Article 'T is a part of the 21st Article in the Chapter of Marriages and Book of Discipline in these words As for Persons suspended the Lord's Table they shall notwithstanding this their Suspension be permitted Marriage but with this Proviso That they confess their Faults with true Repentance XII This also shall be added That notice be given unto the Faithful That divers Difficulties arising about Marriage-promises may be prevented Promises of Marriage shall be made in words de praesenti they shall â—or time to come make the said Promises in pure and plain words de praesenti nor shall the Consistories admit the Banes of any others to be published in the Church From which promises according to God's Word the said Parties can never be discharged XIII Instead of they shall be admonished This is the 23th Article in the Chapter of Marriage and Book of Discipline in the 19th Article shall be put they may be admonished and at the end shall be added But if it should be the Case of any Church-Officers tho' they Received again their Wives yet shall they be displac'd from that Office they held and exercised in the Church XIV After those words in the twentieth who shall acquaint him with his Liberty according to the Word of God This is the 29th Article in the Chapter of Marriage and Book of Discipline there shall be inserted yet nevertheless because of the many Difficulties we advise the Ministers of this Kingdom not to marry those Parties tho' they be at Liberty to provide themselves elsewhere And after these words And as for what concerns the offending Party the Remainder shall be thus abridged This Liberty after great and mature deliberation shall be declared to him And a definitive Sentence having been obtained from the Civil Magistrate the Consistories may proceed unto the Celebration of that Marriage XV. Touching the fourth Article of particular Matters treated in the Synod of Vertueil and dismissed over to this Synod We have advised That the Wives of Priests and Monks which had been married unto those of them who have since revolted should not cohabit with them as Women with their Husbands least God's Holy Ordinance of Marriage should be loaden with Reproach and Infamy altho the Marriage be not dissolved But illae vocatae sunt ad caelibatum they be called out by God's Providence unto a single Life CHAP. IX Acts passed on Saturday the seventh Day of the same Month. I. To the Head of Marriages the Canon decreed at Vertueil shall be added This is the 21st Article in the Chapter of Marriage and Book of Discipline The Banes of Widows shall not be published till four Months and an half after the decease of their first Husband that the Evil and Scandal which otherwise would fall out may be avoided II. And this also It 's convenient for the keeping up of Discipline in the Church These two Articles make up the 24th in the Chapter of Marriages and Book of Discipline that no Marriage be solemnized on Communion-days And this Canon shall not be dispensed with but for very weighty Causes and those also approved by the Consistory III. Item Marriages shall not be solemnized on days of Fasting Concerning Particular ORDERS IV. THere shall be added after the Word This Article is the 2d in the Chapter of particular Orders Lands belonging unto Castles this word And the Titles in the first Article V. To the third Article there shall be this Addition Judges shall not be reproved for giving Sentences in Causes concerning Ecclesiastical Goods and the Execution of the King's Edict This Article is divided into the 5.6 and 7. Articles of particular Orders in the Book of Discipline And Arbitrators shall in no wise intermeddle with any of those Matters which either directly or indirectly do concern Idolatry Advocates shall be admonished neither to demand nor give Councel in Causes belonging to the Execution of the said Edict VI. On the 4th Article the Queen of Navar demanded our Advice whether through want of others she might with a good Conscience Receive and Establish Roman Catholick Officers in her Dominions This is the 13. Article in this Chapter and Book of Discipline as also in her Conrt and Family To which the Synod humbly replied That her Majesty should take special heed about her Domestick Officers and as much as possible only to imploy Persons fearing God and of the Reformed Religion And that she should cause the Papists that are peaceable and of unblameable Lives to be instructed and that she should utterly discard those Traytors who forsook her in her Necessities and cruelly persecuted God's Saints in these last Troubles VII After those words in the 6th They may address themselves This is the 8th Article in this Chapter and Book of Discipline shall be added in case they be sent by the Magistrate VIII After Brethren and Sisters in the Eighth Article shall be put and other Parents And the last Clause shall be thus couched This is the 16th Article in the Chapter and Book of Discipline And they shall be exhorted to assist and provide for them according to the Laws of Humanity and Book This present Body of Church-Discipline having been diligently examin'd according to God's Word by all the Ministers and Elders of the Reformed Churches of France was in all its Heads and Articles approved by the said Deputies who in their own Names and for their Churches did Promise and protest to keep and observe it for the Edification of the Church the Conservation of Order and their mutual Union that God might be the better glorified by them N. B. The Discipline was kept most strictly forty Years after this Synod and then they began to lax the Reigns yeilding too much to the Iniquity of the Time CHAP. X. Particular Orders about publishing of Books
their Principals That they believed it to be true that they would teach it as such and procure to the utmost of their powâ—r that it should be taught and believed in and by all their Churches and Provinces CHAP. V. Observations on Reading of our Church-Discipline Article 1. St. Maixant Observat 2. THE Deputies of the Province of Orleans and Berry having noted it it was ordered that after these words in the close of the fourth Article in the first Chapter His ordination being compleatly finished in that Church whereunto he is sent the following words shall be razed then there shall be Deputed three Ministers to Present him unto the People in lieu of which these shall be substituted Which shall be informed of his Election by Act and Letters from that Synod or Colloquy carried and read unto them by a Pastor or Elder Art 2. The 5th Article shall begin with these words He whose Election is declared and published to the Church shall make a Proposition c. Art 3. See Syn. of Rechel obs 4. The 7th Article shall not begin with these words when Ministers are to be ordained but with these following All which as before having been observed two Pastors Deputed expresly by the Synod or Colloquy to ordain by imposition of hands the Minister Elect being come unto the Church He of them who is to Preach shall treat of the nature and manner of ordination c. Art 4. St. Maixant Obser 4. Whereas the Deputies of Burgundy moved about the sence of the 7th Article as to the hand of fellowship and of the newly Elected Pastors presence at the Acts of Colloquies and Synods after his Election This Assembly judgeth that the hand of fellowship ought not to be given him but immediately after his ordination and that this is the sence of that Article and tho he may be permitted entrance into the Colloquy or Synod yet shall he not be admitted to give his decisive suffrage the first Sessions after his Ordination Art 5. In expounding the 19th Article of the same Chapter this Canon was made Orltans Art 3. That none of the Pastors Ministring in the Houses of Princes and great Lords should be chosen Deputies unto our National Synods unless it were for that particular Province unto which their Church and Consistory is joyned at the very instant time of their Deputation Art 6. The Deputies of the Isle of France insisting for a change of some words 1 Par. 22 which their Provincial Synod judged needful to be altered in the 47th Article of the same Chapter This Assembly thought it inconvenient to make any alteration Art 7. The Deputies of Vivaretz demanding that in the second Article of the 7th Chapter the number of Elders which are to be sent unto Synods or Colloquies might be reduced to the same with that of Pastors and that one Elder only might be Commissionated with the Pastor The Assembly ordained that there should be nothing changed in it Art 8. As to what hath been observed by the Province of the Isle of France on the 5th Article of the 8th Chapter this Assembly ordains that the Article shall not be changed but these words following shall be added to it Saving always their power to prosecute that ungratefull Church according to the Judgment of the Provincial Synod Art 9. On the 5th Article of the 3d. Chapter after these words They shall herein follow the Common form there shall be these added And they shall suffer none other books to be read but the Canonical books of the old and new Testament Art 10. In the 2d of Article the 11th Chapter instead of these words that he were chosen Doctor it were best so that all Ambiguities may be removed to read both Doctor and Minister Art 11. The Province of Berry remonstrating by their Deputies that the 5th Article of the 13th Chapter had been changed at Privas without the Consent of the Provinces and demanding that it might stand as it had been couched by the Synod of Gergeau which also was demanded by the Province of Lower Languedoc and Sevennes This Assembly ordained that the Article should remain in that very form as it was framed by the National Synod of Privas Art 12. Vertâ—eil 26. At the request of the Deputies of the Isle of France this Assembly considering the 32d Article of the 13th Chapter treating of Monks and Priests revolting from the truth of the Gospel which they had once embraced and returning like Swine to Wallow in the Mire of Idolatry doth Judge meet and fit for the removing of all Ambiguities that these following words should be added to it viz. Chaunting Masses and entring again into their Cloysters Art 13. 1 Paris P. M. 17. Do not evil that good may come lest the end should be destruction The Deputies of Higher Languedoc moved that because of the great advantage would accrew unto us by Monitories gotten out of their Ecclesiastical Courts against those of the Church of Rome especially in compelling them to confess the truth it would be very convenient for us to allow the demanding of them and that the 11th Article of the 14th Chapter might be razed out But this Assembly ordained that the article should abide in its full force and nothing at all to be changed in it Art 14. Montpellier p. m. 16. Altho the Deputies of Sevennes demanded it yet this Assembly did not conceive that the 32th Article in the same Chapter concerning Duels needed any further explication wherefore it shall continue as it is the words being very clear and plain and their sence obvious to any common Understanding and their exact and careful observation of this Canon is recommended unto all the Consistories Our Church Discipline being read the Assembly approved of it in all its Articles and all the Deputies Promised and Sware for themselves and their Churches and Provinces that they would observe it in their own persons and use their best endeavours that it should be most carefully observed in their respective Churches and Provinces CHAP. VI. Observations on reading the Acts of the National Synod of Privas Art 1. Privas Art 3. after the List of the Deputies IN reading that Article concerning such as will not yield to the Majority of votes in our General Assemblies the Deputies of the Province of Xaintonge craved advice how to Censure them that will not acquiesce in the votes and resolutions of our General and Provincial Assemblies whether Ecclesiastical or Political but set themselves vigorously against their Execution This Assembly ordains that such refractory persons in any of those Assemblies shall be prosecuted with all Ecclesiastical Censures according as Consistories Colloquies Provincial and National Synods shall Judge meet Art 2. The Lord de la Millitiere Deputy General earnestly demanding both in his own name and in their's also who were joynt Deputies together with him for the Reunion that the Censure past on the Sieur de Barjac which
Thomas at Cambridge in the Year 1586. The Confession which is commonly added to the End of the Bible and bound up with it and with the French psalm-Psalm-Books consists of Forty distinct Articles Yet there is an Edition of it by Justus Livius a Printer of Leyden and dedicated to the States-General of the Netherlands which hath Monsieur Chamier's Preface and is distinguished into Thirty five Articles in the Year 1616. I have consulted and compared several Printed Editions of the Confession as that of Hawtyn of Rochell in the Year 1616. and he was Printer to the National Synods which exactly agreed with several others printed since and with the Latin Edition in the Corpus Syntagma Confessionum printed by Chouet at Geneva in the Year 1654. And at Geneva was kept one of the three Parchment Originals of this Confession as the other two were reserved one at Paw in Berne and the third in the Archives of the City of Rochell and unless my Memory fail me there is one of these Originals in the City of Leyden in Holland and in the Custody of the French Church there But I will not be peremptory Sect. 11. The next thing which was done by this first National Synod was a Draught of their Church-Discipline The Canons of which at first were but a few yet they did in three and twenty Synods alter add amend augment and meliorate their first Plat-form 'till they had brought it to that compleat Form and System of Articles which was the established Order for the Conduct and Government of all their Churches I have heard very many of their most grave learned and judicious Divines magnifie it as a Master-Piece In truth their pious Reformers saw a great necessity of reviving and restoring the ancient Discipline and therefore at the same time that sound Doctrine and pure Scripture-Worship was introduc'd into their Churches they did also set up Discipline and that it might be effectually practised they did in the Synod of Orleans the sixteenth Article of General Matters ordain That the Canons of Church-Discipline should be read in the Consistories of the Reformed Churches in France on those Days when as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administred and all Pastors Elders and Deacons all Moderators Assessors Scribes and Deputies of their Synods National and Provincial and all Members of Colloquies were expresly injoined according to their solemn Promises when they were first received into their respective Offices to see that it was diligently faithfully and vigorously executed And O! that the Generation which succeeded the first Reformers had not lax'd the Reins how happy might they have been In the Morning of the Reformation they were fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with Banners The greatest Princes of France submitted their necks to this golden Yoke of Christ A National Synod was formidable to the most daring Sinner Their Discipline duly and prudently managed preserved the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Morals among them And now I shall present it to me Reader SECT XII The Discipline of the Reformed Churches of France CHAP. I. Of Ministers CANON I. THAT such Persons may be chosen into the Ministery as are meet for so sacred an Employment Chap. I. Of Ministers let the standing Canon of the Apostle be observed That inquiry be made into their Doctrine whether they be apt to teach and also into their Conversation with all possible Diligence CANON II. Novices lately received into the Church especially Priests and Monks shall not be admitted unto the Sacred Ministry without a long and diligent inquiry and experience had both of their Life and Doctrine approved at least by the space of two Years since their Conversion and confirmed by good Testimonials from the places of their abode nor shall they be ordained no more than unknown Persons without the Advice of Provincial and National Synods CANON III. If any Bishop or Curate should desire to be employed in the Ministry of the Gospel he cannot be admitted till he be first a true Member of the Church and renounce all his Benefices and all other Dependencies on the See of Rome and make acknowledgment of all his Offences formerly committed by him according as he shall be advised by the Consistory and after long proof and experience had of his Repentance and godly Conversation CAN. IV. A Minister of the Gospel unless in times of Difficulty and Cases of very great necessity in which he may be chosen by three Pastors together with the Consistory of the Place shall not be admitted into this Holy Office but by the Provincial Synod or by the Colloquy provided that it be at least composed of seven Pastors which number being found in a Colloquy some of the Neighbour Ministers shall be called in to concur with it and the Minister elect shall be presented with good and valid Testimonials not only from the Universities and particular Churches but also from the Colloquy of that Church in which he had been most conversant CAN. V. The Minister presented shall be examined in this manner First by Propositions from the Word of God upon such Texts as shall be given him the one necessarily in French the other in the Latin Tongue if the Colloquy or Synod shall judge it expedient One whole day shall be granted him to prepare himself for each of these Exercises If by them he give satisfaction unto the Assembly there shall be tendered him a Chapter of the New Testament by which his skill in the Greek Language shall be known and as to the Hebrew they shall be careful to see that at the least he can serve himself of good Books for the understanding of the Scripture in that Original Unto these there shall be added an Essay of his skill in the most needful parts of Philosophy let the whole Examen be managed with singular Charity and without Affectation of any thorny or unprofitable Questions Finally he shall compose a brief Confession of his Faith in Latin on which he shall be opposed by way of Disputation And if after this Examination he be found capable then the Assembly remonstrating to him the Duty of that Office whereunto he is called shall further declare that Power which is given him in the Name of Jesus Christ See Obs 1. upon the Discipline in the Synod of Tonneins to minister both in the Word and Sacraments and he shall be fully and solemnly ordained in that Church unto which he is sent and the said Church shall be informed of his Election by the Act or Letters of that Synod or Colloquy which shall be delivered and read unto them by a Pastor or Elder CAN. VI. He whose Election shall be declared unto the Church shall Preach publicity the Word of God on three several Sabbaths but without power of administring the Holy Sacraments or of solemnizing Marriages in the audience of the whole Congregation that so they may know his manner of Teaching and the
all possible care shall be taken that neither the Civil Magistrate nor weak Christians may be offended CAN. X. A Man may not marry the Mother of his Deceased Spouse to whom he was betrothed without an Order from the Civil Magistrate which shall be waited for both by the Pastor and the Parties Contracting that Marriage N. B. This last Clause of the Canon is only in my Parisian and Quevilly Editions CAN. XI Likewise a Man may not marry his Wife's Aunt such a Marriage being Incestuous and although the Magistrate should permit it yet shall it not be Solemnized in our Assemblies And therefore all Pastors are carefully to keep themselves from it And by parity of reason the Marriage of an Uncle with his Niece or with the grand Niece of his deceased Wife is also Incestuous CAN. XII Although Civility and Decency may oppose the Marriage of a Man with the Widow of his Wife's Brother yet in case the Civil Magistrate do authorize the Contract the Churches shall not make any difficulty to bless such a Marriage Provided that there be good evidence that the said Contract hath been first allowed and approved by the authority of the Civil Magistrate N. B. These last Clauses of this Canon Printed in another Character are only in my Editions of Paris and Rouen CAN. XIII No Man after his Wife's Death shall marry her with whom he had committed Adultery during her Life unless that such a Marriage were authorized by the Civil Magistrate CAN. XIV Forasmuch as the principal end of Marriage is to procreate Children and to avoid Fornication the Marriage of an Eunuch that is so known shall not be admitted nor solemnized in any of our Reformed Churches CAN. XV. All Marriages shall be propounded unto the Consistories with a sufficient Certificate of the Promises CAN. XVI The Banes of Matrimony shall be published in those places where the Parties dwell and if they have a mind to celebrate their Marriage elsewhere they shall carry with them a sufficient Certificate that the Banes have been thrice published CAN. XVII The Banes shall be published on three Sabbath-Days following in those places where the Word of God is Preached and in other places when as Common-Prayers are read However it be yet there shall be the space of fifteen days between the Publication of the Banes and the Solemnizal of the Marriage in the Congregation which may be performed on the third Sabbath CAN. XVIII Such as live in those places where the publick Exercise of Religion is not established may cause their Banes to be published in the Popish Churches because it is a matter purely Political CAN. XIX The Churches shall not suffer any Persons to be Married without an ample knowledge and approbation of them CAN. XX. If one of the Parties be of a contrary Religion the Marriage-Promises shall not be received nor published in the Church unless that Party of the contrary Religion have been sufficiently instructed and have publicity protested in the Church of that place where the said Party shall be known that from a good Conscience he doth renounce all Superstition and Idolatry and particularly the Mass and that he will through Divine Grace persevere the residue of his days in the pure worship of God of which instruction the Consistory of that Church shall take Cognisance in which that Protestation shall be made And it shall not be lawful for any Pastor or Consistories to do otherwise on pain of being Suspended yea and deposed from their Offices CAN. XXI If one of the Parties who would Marry be Excommunicate the Marriage shall not be permitted to be Solemnized in any one of our Churches unless that the Excommunicate Person shall have acknowledged and done Penance for his Offences But as for suspended Persons from the Lords Table the Consistories may permit them to marry notwithstanding their Suspension but yet not without taking Cognisance of their Cause CAN. XXII The Banes of Widows who desire to marry again shall not be published in the Church till at least seven Months and an half be expired after their Husbands Death that so all Scandals and Inconveniencies which might afterwards fall out may be prevented unless in such a Case in which the Civil Magistrate hath interposed his Judicial Sentence to the contrary CAN. XXIII All Marriages shall be publickly Solemnized in the Religious Assemblies of the Faithful according to the word of God and by the Ministry of the Pastors and not of any others N. B. That middle Clause in another Character is only in my Parisian and Quevilly Editions of the Discipline CAN. XXIV For the good order of our Churches no Marriage shall be Solemnized on those days in which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is Administred And this Canon shall not be broken but upon very great Considerations of which the Consistory shall take Cognisance Moreover no Marriages shall be Solemnized on Days of publick Prayer and Fasting CAN. XXV Such as being betrothed shall cohabit together as Man and Wife before they be lawfully and solemnly Married whether their offence do come to light before or after the Solemnizal of the Marriage they shall do publick Penance for this their Offence or at least they shall acknowledge it before the Consistory either way as the discretion of the Consistory shall appoint And if it be discovered before Marriage then shall there upon the Wedding day before they do proceed to compleat the Marriage be such Ceremonies and Censures used as the Consistory shall judge fitting unless those Persons had cohabited together in the days of their Ignorance without despising or contempt of our Church-Government And those also who cohabited as Man and Wife when as there was no Church erected in the places of their Habitation or in the Province and all these shall only be called into the Consistory that so their Marriage may be ratified and Celebrated in the Church of God if the Consistory shall judge it to be expedient CAN. XXVI That those inconveniencies may be avoided which fall out through over-long delays of Solemnizing Marriages the Parties and those Persons under whose power they are shall be advised not to defer the Consummation thereof any longer than six Weeks after publication of the Banes if it be possible CAN. XXVII All Marriages shall be Registred and carefully kept in the church-Church-Books CAN. XXVIII The Faithful whose Partners are convicted of Adultery may be admonished to a reconcilement with them but in case they will not do it that Liberty which God in his holy Word hath granted them shall be declared to them But if it be the hap of a Church-Officer he shall not take his Wife again or if he do he shall lay down his Office CAN. XXIX This course shall be taken about Divorces for Adultery The Innocent wronged Party shall prosecute at Law before the Civil Magistrate the Delinquent so long till that by his definitive Sentence and final Judgment she be duly Convicted which Sentence the
of humanity and Consanguinity CAN. XVI Neither Ministers nor other Members of the Church may print any Books composed by themselves or others concerning Religion nor may they at all publish them until they have first Communicated them unto the Colloquy or if need be unto the Provincial Synod And in case the matter be urgent requiring speedy dispatch unto the Universities or to two Pastors appointed by the Synod who shall attest under their own hands that they have perused and examined the said Writings CAN. XVII They that handle the Histories of holy Scripture in Poems are admonished not to blend or intermingle Poetick Fables with them nor to give unto God the names of a false God nor to add unto nor take any thing from the Sacred Scriptures but they shall confine themselves as near as they can unto the words of it CAN. XVIII Neither the Canonical nor other Books of the Bible shall be transformed into Comedies or Tragedies CAN. XIX Churches which have Printers belonging to them shall advise them not to print any Books concerning Religion or the Discipline of the Church without having first Communicated them unto the Consistory because of those manifold Inconveniencies which have formerly happened upon this account And neither Printers nor Booksellers nor Hawkers shall sell any Books of Idolatry or that be Scandalous stuffed with Ribauldry or Impiety which tend to the corrupting of good Manners CAN. XX. Although Priests cannot lay any just claim or title unto Tyths in regard of their Ministry yet nevertheless they must be paid because of the King's Command and for the avoidance of Scandal and Sedition CAN. XXI According to his Majesties Edict the Faithful shall be exhorted to give none offence by working upon Holy-Days CAN. XXII All Usuries shall be most strictly forbidden and suppressed and matters of Loan shall be regulated according to the Kings Ordinance and the Rule of Charity CAN. XXIII All violence and injurious words against the Members of the Church of Rome as also against Priests and Monks shall not only be forborn but also as much as may be shall be totally suppressed CAN. XXIV Swearers who in passion or levity do take God's holy Name in vain and others who blaspheme the Divine Majesty shall be most severely censured and if after the second admonition they be not reclaimed they shall be then suspended from the Lord's Table And all Outragious Blasphemers Forswearers and such like Persons shall in no wise be tolerated in Church-Communion But immediately for their first offence shall be suspended the Lord's Supper and if they continue in their Ungodliness they shall be publickly Excommunicated CAN. XXV The Churches shall admonish the Faithful of both Sexes to retain Modesty and that most especially in their Habits and shall take care that all Superfluities heretofore committed in them may be retrenched But yet our Churches shall not make any Decree about it because it is an affair properly belonging unto the Civil Magistrate yet may they endeavour by their Remonstrances that his Majesties Edict concerning these matters be more diligently observed CAN. XXVI No Person shall be deprived of Communion at the Lord's Table for wearing any fashion of Apparel which is ordinarily and usually worn in this Kingdom But under this head those ought not to be comprised which carry with them a notorious Badge of Lasciviousness dissolution or over-curious novelty such as naked Breasts Painting and the like with which Men and Women cloath and abuse themselves And Consistories shall do their utmost to suppress these Impieties and shall proceed against the Refractory by Suspension from the Lord's Table N. B. That Clause in the middle of this Canon Printed in another Letter is found in my Parisian and Quevilly Editions of the Discipline yet injoined by the National Synods held at St. Foy 1578. Canon 21. of General Matters The second of Rochel 1581. Art 41. Explaining the 26 Canon in the last Chapter of the Discipline and the Synod of Montauban 1594. Canon 45. of General Matters CAN. XXVII All Dances shall be supprest and such as make a Trade of Dancing or make Custom of being present at Dances having been sundry times admonished in case they prove contumacious and Rebellious they shall be Excommunicated and all Consistories are charged to see that this Canon be most heedfully kept and observed and in the name of God and by the Authority of this Synod that it be read publickly in their Churches And Colloquies and Provincial Synods are exhorted to have an observing eye on those Consistories which shall not perform their duty in this particular that they may be censured N.B. Provincial Synods is left out by pure omission from my other Editions but those of Paris and Quevilly CAN. XXVIII Mummings and Juglings shall not be suffered nor Wassail-days nor keeping of Shrovetide nor Players at Heypass nor Tumblers nor Tricks of Goblets nor Puppet-Plays and Christian Magistrates are exhorted not to permit them because they do feed curiosity and cause a great deal of waste and loss of time Moreover it shall not be lawful for the Faithful to go to Comedies Tragedies Interludes Farces or other Stage-Plays acted in publick or private because in all Ages these have been forbidden among Christians as bringing in a corruption of good Manners but then most of all when as the Sacred Scriptures come to be profaned Yet nevertheless when as in a Colledge it shall be found profitable for Youth to represent any History it may be tolerated provided always that the subject matter thereof be not comprised in the holy Scripture which was never given us for matter of sport but purely to be Preached for our Instruction and Comfort And this also shall be done very rarely and with advice of the Colloquy which shall first have the sight and perusal of the Composition CAN. XXIX All Plays forbidden by the Kings Edicts as Cards Dice and other Games of hazard avarice lasciviousness notorious loss of time or scandal shall be suppressed and the Persons reproved and admonished in the Consistories and censured according to Circumstances No Lotteries can be approved although they were or were not allowed by the Civil Magistrate and the godly Magistrates professing the Reformed Religion are exhorted to restrain them N. B. This last Clause of the Canon is only in my two Editions of Paris and Quevilly CAN. XXX It is a thing purely indifferent to be present at those Feasts and Banquets which are made by those of the Popish Religion when as they are Espoused Married or their Children are born However the Faithful are admonished to use them for edification and seriously to ponder with themselves whether they be Masters of so much strength as to resist the dissolutions and other evils committed at them and especially whether they can reprove them And under these Feasts those are not to be comprised which Priests make at the Celebration of their first Mass for it is utterly unlawful for any one who
in it then this Council commands that Province in which the said David shall be and reside to Formalize itself against him and upon this account the Church of Paris shall be obliged to furnish the said Province with Proofs which it hath now or may have had heretofore lying by against the said David that so he may be proceeded against in such a manner as shall be thought most advisable for the Repose of the Church III. Touching the matter propounded by the Minister of Paris the Council is of Opinion That the Marriage pretended to be broken by reason of Spiritual Kinred doth remain firm and in its full power and therefore the second Marriage which hath since intervened is null and these second married Persons are excommunicated because of their Adulteries until such time as they have done publick Penance and shall have duely evidenced their Repentance IV. Whereas our Brother the Minister of Varennes in Picardy doth usually administer the Lord's Supper every Month the Council doth advise That our Brother of Mont-mejor do admonish him in the Council's Name to follow the general Practice of our Churches that so there may be no Diversity among us and our Uniformity may be preserved V. The Churches are advertised to take notice of a Fellow called Frederick Thierry formerly an Augustin Fryar as also of another called Marmande as being Vagrants VI. 'T is the Judgment of this Council That a Minister being imployed in the Church may not ordinarily exercise any other Calling nor receive Wages for it Our Brother of Britain moved this Question VII As to that Book entituled A Treatise of Christian Discipline and Polity composed and published by John Morelly the Council judges That as to the Points concerning the Discipline of the Church by which he pretends to condemn and subvert the Order received in our Churches sounded upon the Word of God that the said Book contains wicked Doctrine and tends to the Confusion and Dissipation of the Church and therefore the said Council cautions the Faithful to take heed of the aforesaid Doctrine VIII A Remonstrance being made by the Church of Poictiers about an Appeal brought by the People of the City of Loudun from a Decree of the Provincial Synod of Poictou held at Niort concerning the Fact of Maturin Sibileau the said Appeal having been signified to the Church of Poictiers on behalf of the said People of Loudun the Decrees both of the Provincial Synod held at Partinay and of the Synod of Niort were read and considered Whereupon this present Council hath and doth send back the Knowledge of the said Cause unto the next Provincial Synod of Touraine which by the Authority of this Council shall pass a Definitive Judgment upon these Persons although they were absent provided their Absence be not out of Contumacy and they had been duely informed of the meeting of that Synod And in the mean while it is ordained That both the said Sibileau and the said People of Loudun shall yeild Obedience to the Synod of Niort And to this purpose the Church of Poictiers is required to signifie this present Sentence and the Church of Tours is to Assemble the said Provincial Synod IX A Petition being presented by Madam Margaret de la Voirie concerning a Marriage pretended to have been contracted between her and the Noble William de Schilhant The Council has approved and doth approve of that Sentence given by the Provincial Synod of Touraine held at Mans the last October by which the said Marriage was declared Incestuous because the said De Schilhant had formerly espoused the Sister of the said Petitioner whereunto it does injoyn the said Lady quietly to submit and to observe it with Repose and Tranquility of Conscience moreover the Council exhorts her to return unto her own Church there to make such Acknowledgment of her Fault as the Consistory shall think meet X. Having heard the Remonstrance made by our Brother the Deputy of Poictou concerning Peter Boulay who had intruded himself into the Ministry of the Church of Niort The Council ratifies and approves the Determination of the Provincial Synod held at Niort by which the said Boulay was declared uncapable and insufficient to be chosen into the Ministry of the Gospel until such time as he had given proofs of his Sufficiency before the Provincial Synod of Poictou Moreover this present Council hath ordained That this very Advice shall be signified both unto the said Boulay and to all those who do abett him by our Brethren La Forest and De Thire who making report unto the next approaching Synod of Poictou of the Obedience or Rebellion of the said Boulay and his Abettors a final Period shall be put unto this Affair according to the Rules of our Church-Discipline And the Council leaves it to the Wisdom of the next â—ynod whether it be expedient for the common Edification of the Church that our brother De la Fayole be not also removed from Niort XII There shall be no Alteration made in that Article of our Discipline touching the Choice of Ministers and the Council hath ordained That * * * In the Book of Niort he is called M John Viâ—ier Mr. John Rebitt do sign the Confession of Faith and Articles of Discipline and moreover doth expresly forbid him so Teach in his Lectures Doctrine contrary unto them that so there may be no Disunion in the Church and if he should refuse Submission to this Advise of the Council he shall be sent back to the Consistory of that City to be dealt withal according to the Canons of our Church-Discipline XII As to that Question moved by our Brother of Orleance the Council hath and doth leave it to the liberty of the respective Consistories to judge of those who may be sit to assist at the Examination of Candidates for the Ministry as may be most expedient for their Edification yet so as they shall not suffer any besides the Members of the said Consistory to examine them XIII The Council judgeth it inconvenient to publish from the Pulpit the Articles of our Discipline yet they may be given unto such as desire them by the Consistories XIV Whereas the Letters sent unto this present General Council of the Reformed Churches of France assembled at Orleance by * * * The Book of Niort calls him Jodâ—â— Maurice Joequin are fraught with heavy Complaints against David Vivian Minister of Bourges and divers others of the Consistory of the said Church and because both Parties are absent the said Council remands them unto the next approaching Provincial Synod Berry that there the said Vivian and the other Members of the Consistory may be dealt withal as is just and sitting In the mean while considering the outragious and prophane Words mentioned in the said Letters and the Contumacy of the said Joequin disdaining to come unto this present Council after he had been lawfully summoned and the Threatnings contained in his Answer divers of our
Chap. V. Of Vagrants Debauched Persons and Councils Chap. VI. Of Imposition of Hands Sureties in Baptism c. Chap. VII Vniformity in Common Prayers No Marriages without Certificates Loane of Ministers Synods and Colloquies Chap. VIII An Abjuration made by a Socinian Chap. IX Secret Promises of Marriage and several Cases of Conscience about Absolution Churches Ingratitude Age of Communicants of Marrying the Sister of a deceased Spouse Accounts of the Poors Money Divorces Chap. X. Method in Calling of National Synods Chap. XI General Advertisements unto the Churches about Printers Elders Books Schollars Lord's Supper Ministers in Noble Mens Houses Censures on Lords Censure upon a certain Book The Second Synod of PARIS 1565. Synod V. SYNOD V. Articles Decreed in the National Synod held the second time at Paris the twenty fifth of December 1565 and in the fifth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Ninth CHAP. I. NIcholas de Galars Minister of the Church of Orleance being chosen President and Lewis Capel Minister of Meaux and Peter Le Clere Elder of the Church of Paris Scribes after the Invocation of the Name of GOD. CHAP. II. An Explication of the Canons of the CHVRCH-Discipline and an Addition of several others General MATTERS I. FOrasmuch as the Church of God ought to be governed by a good and holy Discipline and that no other may be introduced but what is grounded upon the Word of God the Ministers and Elders deputed from the Provinces of this Kingdom to confer about Ecclesiastical Affairs and met together in the Name of the Lord after diligent Perusal of the Book and other Writings of M. J. Morelly concerning the Polity and Discipline of the Church and sufficient Conferences had with him from the Holy Scriptures about it do by this present Act condem his said Books and Writings as containing evil and dangerous Opinions subverting that Discipline which is conformable unto the Word of God and at this day received in the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom and whereas delivering up the Government of the Church unto the People he would bring in a new tumultuary Conduct and full of Confusions upon it from whence would follow many great and dangerous Inconveniencies which have been remonstrated unto him and he once and again admonished to abandon these Matters which yet he will not do but persists in his Assertions saying That he is perswaded those his Opinions are built upon God's Holy Word We having divers times exhorted him to approve and consent unto that Order which is received and conserved in these our Churches as appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles and proved to him from their Sacred Writings because we hope that the Lord will be gracious to him and also because he does not differ from the Church in any of the fundamental principal Articles of our Faith the Brethren of this Assembly supporting him with Christian Charity are of Opinion that he be received to the Peace and Communion of the Church provided that as he hath formerly promised by Writing and now again protested to ratifie and sign with his own Hand this his Promise so that for time to come he do carry himself peaceably and subject himself to the Order and Discipline established in the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom without ever any manner of ways publishing those his said Opinions neither by Word of Mouth nor Writing contrary to the said Discipline or to a Treatise in confirmation of it which may shortly be printed provided also that according to his former Promises and at the request of the Lords of the City and Church of Geneva to whom he hath not yet given sufficient Satisfaction though he is bound in Duty to reconcile himself unto them which is evident from his own Letters that he do once more by new Letters of his own Writing confess and acknowledge to have offended them and do beg their Pardon because that being an Inhabitant of their said City he did contrary to the Orders of the Seignory print and publish his said Book without having first demanded and obtained their License and being called both by them and the Consistory of that Church to give an account of that his Contempt he did not appear at the day assigned him These conditions being performed by him and the Consistory of that Church whereunto he shall joyn himself must take knowledge whether he hath fulfilled them or no and they accordingly may receive him as a Member of the Church and admit him into Communion with them or else proceed against him by Ecclesiastical Censures CHAP. III. The manner of Proceeding in Ecclesiastical Censures II. FOrasmuch as Sins committed in the Church ought to be corrected by the Word of God and according to the Rule of Charity and all Sins are not alike grievous and scandalous some being more enormous others of a lesser nature some secret and others publick we must therefore according to their quality and aggravations accommodate the Censure and Reprehension so then secret Sins whereof the Sinner by means of Brotherly Admonitions shall be brought unto Repentance and hath reformed them shall not be brought into the Consistory but those only which these first means cannot reform nor amend or Sins publickly known the cognisance of which belongs unto the said Consistory who must proceed to the Reformation of them by proper and convenient Censures considering these sins with all their circumstances that so according as the case requireth they may apply either a severe and rigorous Reprehension or a more moderate one in the Spirit of Meekness as may be most expedient to bring the Sinner to Repentance who to this end shall by the Authority of the Consistory be for some time deprived of the Lord's Supper if it be needful that so he may be humbled Excommunication must not be used but in extream necessity or finally excommunicated and totally cut off from the Body of the Church according to that Order hereafter declared if so be he shew himself rebellious to the Holy Admonitions and Censures inflicted on him and continue obstinate and impenitent But inasmuch as this is the last and most rigorous of all Remedies it shall never be used but in case of extremity when all fair and gentle Means have proved ineffectual And whereas even unto this day in divers places this distinction between this last Excommunication and temporary Suspension or simple Privation of the Lord's Supper hath not been observed as it ought that both the one and the other may be duely used the Ministers and Elders interpreting these words of Excommunication and Suspension from the Lord's Table The words Excommunication and Suspension explained No Minister of his private Authority can deprive a Man of the Lord s Supper do give it as their Opinion That no Person should be deprived or suspended the Lord's Table by the single Authority of the Pastors or of any other but only by the Consistory which shall prudently consider
transmitted Difficulties shall be maturely examined and the Arguments on both sides urged being fair and carefully written down shall be sent unto the National Synod And forasmuch as our present Circumstances will not admit any great Number of Ministers and Elders in this National Synod we are of Opinion that for this time only and during these Difficulties that the Brethren assembled in each Provincial Synod should choose from among them one or two Ministers and as many Elders of the ablest and most expert in Church-Affairs to be sent in the Name of the whole Province who shall come furnished with good Memorials and premeditated Thoughts upon those Difficulties which had been communicated to them The Provinces shall not prescribe any set time or term unto these their Deputies for returning but shall let them tarry in the said Synod as long as there may be need of them and the Charges of the said Deputies shall be defrayed by their respective Provinces And that the National Synod may be no more imployed in Matters already decided by former Synods the Provinces shall be advised to read over carefully the Acts of the past Synods before they prepare their Memorials and to send nothing but what is general â—nâ— of common concern to all the Churches or else that which merits the Resolution of the said National Synod And the Churches of Poictiers which is charged with the calling of the next National Synod shall be informed of all this that they may intend their Duty CHAP. XI General Advertisements unto the Churches XXIV THE Printers in every Province shall be advised That whereas at the end of psalm-Psalm-Books and Catechisms they do add the Confession of Faith of our French Churches that they do especially this which begins with these words We believe and confess that there is but One GOD c. and which hath an Epistle prâ—fixed to it dedicated to the King and not that other Confession which begins thus Forasmuch as the Foundation of Faith c. not but that both are conformable in Doctrine And hereof also Notice shall be given to the Printers of Geneva Elders not to be displac'd without great cause XXV Although the Elders Office as now used by us be not perpetual as is exprest in the 35th Article of the Discipline nevertheless the Churches shall be admonished not to discharge their Elders but for great Causes whereof the Consistories shall take Cognizance that so the Church may be be conducted after the bed manner by Persons well verst in her Government XXVI Ministers in places appointed by the King and in all others are advised not to receive the Members of any other Churches unto the Lord's Supper without a sufficient Attestation produced by them under the hand of their Pastors or Elders if it may be had No Books must be written ridiculously but Modesty is to be observed in them XXVII Ministers and others whom God hath endowed with Gifts and Abilities to write in Defence of the Truth are requested not to publish their Thoughts in a ridiculous or injurious manner but to keep to that Modesty and Gravity which becomes the Majesty of God's Word and to observe that self-same Modesty and Majesty in their Sermons and in their ordinary Stile to use the Language of God's Spirit in the Holy Scripture Schollars to be maintained by the Churches in the Universities XXVIII Because there is every-where a visible decay and a great want of Ministers and that some provision may be made for a Succession the Churches shall be admonished by our Brethren the Provincial Deputies that such as are rich would maintain some hopeful Schollars at the Universities who being educated in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and other good Learning may be fitted for and employed in the Sacred Ministry XXIX Altho' in our Churches for the most part the Lord's Supper is administred only sour times a Year yet the more frequent Celebration of it is very desirable due Reverence in approaching to it being always observed because it 's most beneficial for God's Children to be exercised and grow in Faith which is done by the frequent usage of the Sacraments as also because this was the Practice of the Primitive Church Nâ—â—â—e mâ—n may not carry with them in their Journeys the Ministers of the Churches leaving them â—â—â—upplied XXX Ministers being given to the Service of the Church and not to the Persons and Palaces of Great Lords altho' their Families may equallize in Numbers some Churches yet their Lordships shall be desired not to carry away with them in their Removals or Travels abroad with their Families the Churches Ministers least thereby they be left unprovided XXXI Lords and Gentlemen shall be censured according to the Discipline of our Churches if after frequent Admonitions they entertain in their Houses scandalous and incorrigible Persons especially if they suffer Priests to sing Mass or by Dogmatizing to debauch their Domesticks or if having cashiered them they shall again receive them into their Service XXXII The Churches shall be admonished to beware of a Book written by Mr. Charles Du Moulin Entituled Vnio quatuor Evangelistarum because in it there be divers Errors as about Limbus Free-will and the Sin against the Holy Ghost and the Lord's Supper and in particular about the Calling of Ministers and Church-Discipline which he treats with scorn and would totally subvert The Faithful also are warned not to assist at any of his Sermons or Sacraments it being against the Discipline of our Church Modesty to be kept in Attire See the Synod of St. Foy General Matters Art 2. The Faithful must use Charity towards their Brethren or Sisters that have forsook their Monastries XXXIII Ministers shall exhort their People to be modest in their Habits and that they themselves do in this and all other Matters give them the best Example forbearing all Gaudery in their own Persons and in their Wives and Children XXXIV They whose Brethren and Sisters have quitted their Monastery that they might serve God in freedom of Conscience shall be exhorted to admit them unto a part of their Estate at least they shall be compelled by all Censures to afford them Maintenance and a competent Pension according to their ability For they would otherwise shew themselves void of Natural Affection The End of the Second National Synod of Paris THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE VI. National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE Held in the Town of VERTVEIL and Province of AVGOVLMOIS the First Day of September 1567. THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Moderator Alterations and Annotations upon the Church-Discipline Chap. II. Marriage of Excommunicated Persons and Infidels Provincial Synods Reading of the Holy Scriptures Bread in the Lord's Supper to be taken by them who can't the Cup Church-Government Loan of Ministers Pastors deserting their Churches Rejection of Church-Officers Chap. III. A Case of Conscience about a Deaf and Dumb Man's
of Maiâ—ant 1609. 4th Article of Observations upon the Discipline Then shall be read in the hearing of the whole Assembly 1. Tim. 3. and 1. Titus Where the Apostle delivers the Characters and Qualifications of a true Minister and that the Elect Person may be enabled by divine Grace faithfully and conscientiously to perform the Duties of this holy and honourable Office a pithy and fervent Prayer suitable to the occasion shall be powred out before the Lord for him in the close of which he shall Impose his hands on the Head of the Elect Person beseeching God that as he is consecrated unto his Service So that from the year 1559. to the year 1609. there was no stated Form of Prayer to whose words the Minister in Ordination was tied up necessarily and invariably so he may be replenished with the Graces of his Holy Spirit and that he would vouchsafe to bless his Ministery and pious Labours unto the Glory of his great Name the Edification of his Church and the Salvation of this elected Minister V. Under the Ninth shall be added And the Church-discipline and Confession of Faith shall be signed and subscribed by the Minister Elect. VI. The Tenth and Eleventh Articles shall be explained and conjoyn'd in one and after these Words They shall be Ministers during life there shall he this Addition If they be not lawfully discharged upon good and sufficient Grounds and those approved by the Provincial Synod Moreover there shall be added And deserters of the Ministery shall be excommunicate by the Provincial Synod in case they repent not And after these Words And as for those who be sent unto any Church shall be added for a time VII The Twelfth which was the Thirteenth shall be thus corrected Altho ' a Minister do tell it publickly that he was forsaken of his Church or persecuted yet shall he not be received by another Church without evidencing unto the Colloquy or Synod his conduct in this Matter and the said Colloquy or Synod shall act therein according to their best judgment and discretion VIII Under the Fourteenth after these words Such who intrude themselves into the Ministery in lieu of Places shall be inserted Provinces IX Under the Seventeenth after these words or expecting the Determination instead of the Council there shall be put in of the Colloquy or Provincial Synod and before instead of Sent there shall be Lent X. To the Eighteenth shall be added with the good Will and Consent of the said Minister XI The Two and twentieth Article shall abide unchanged only with this Addition And all Advises and Letters shall be sent unto one particular Church and not unto any one particular Person This Article iâ— the 37th of the Chapter of Ministers in the Book of Discipline XII Under the Twenty Seventh in lieu of those words After he was summoned there shall be put Three Months being past the first Summons Also after those words It may be lawful for him to joyn himself unto some other Church shall be added by the Advice of the Colloquy or Provincial Synod which shall consider both the Poverty of the Church and the Estate of the Minister And in case of urgent necessity the said Colloquy or Synod may shorten the said Term of Three Months and it shall be lawful for them to censure those ungrateful People even with Excommunication CHAP. IV. Acts passed on Wednesday the Fourth day of the said Month. This Article is the 19th in the Chapter of Ministers in the Book of Discipline I. UNder the 11th Article of Ministers which had been lain by whilst the Princes sate among us there shall be these Alterations for General shall be put Provincial and National and at the end there shall be added As shall be Advised on in an amicable Conference of Ministers of both sides that so what is most expedient may be followed And this Article was approved by the Queen of Navar and by the Princes of Navar and Conde and by my Lords Count Lodwick and the Admiral II. Under the 31st there shall be this Addition The Provinces shall be informed by each other of the deposed Minister that so the Deposed may not be received into other Churches III. Under the 32th after those words During the time of his Ignorance shall be added And this in case the said Minister abiding in his Ministry do bring greater scandal than Edification unto the Church whereof the Synods shall take Cognizance IV. On Article the 38th Monsieur Beza having propounded according to the Commission given him by our Brethren of Geneva that there might be some certain Person chosen to answer those many Books published against our Doctrine and that those Answers might be brought into the Provincial Synods and there perused by them and so to be Printed either with or without the Author's Name as the Synod should judge most convenient This Motion was well approved by the whole Assembly And it was also ordered That in whatsoever Churches there were sound Books Printed against our Doctrine they should be sent unto the said Deputies CHAP. V. V. THE Catalogue of Vagrants being read the Names of these following Persons were rased out of it Torteveau P. Bouleu La Tornevie Roberty and there were inserted into it Le Breuil of Lazan together with Merillo Paul de Haye Rouseau John Bougayott Bavillardy an Albigensis And the Churches were warned by Monsieur Beza to beware of them and of John Tevignon a Burgundian c. Claudius Alexius who bore about him a Certificate under the Hand of Mr. Melancthon deceased and yet both deposed by the Classis of Monbelliard VI. Ministers must use no other Calling but their Ministery This Article was added unto the former concerning Ministers Ministers shall be forbidden to practice Physick or any other Calling Trade or Vocation whatsoever VII Another Article was also subjoined That Ministers who had Estates of their own might nevertheless receive Wages from their Churches but in so doing they ought to consider the Necessities of the Church and the Rules of Charity CHAP. VI. A particular Matter about Elders and Deacons VIII MOnsieur * * * He is called in two other Copies Vires and in a fourth Virel Vercelle Deputy of Brie declareth unto this Synod that the Elders and People of Meaux are dissatisfied with the first Article of particular Matters and complain that they be deprived of their Freedom and Priviledge in Elections Whereupon it was advised that inasmuch as they had been divers times heard and particularly that by the Synod of La Ferte under Joarre they had been largely instructed in the Will of God from his Holy Word in this Article Letters should be dispatcht unto them from this Assembly exhorting them to acquiesce in the Order of Discipline received in our Churches of France and in case they will yet have the Business heard over once again they shall apply themselves unto their own Provincial Synod about
from the King and without any mixture of Superstition or Idolatry they may do it lawfully enough But and if they hold them with Idolatry or Superstition be it either from the King's Gift or the Pope they cannot do it there is sin and guilt in the case nor shall they be admitted to Communion with us at the Lord's Table For this would be a professed owning of the Pope's Tyranny who hath no rightful Dominion nor Authority in these matters but Kings and Princes only who are robbed by the Pope's Usurpation of their just Rights Power Priviledges and Authority CHAP. VII Particular MATTERS Art I. IT is now concluded that the Province of Normandy may be divided into two Provinces in case they cannot conveniently meet in one and all the Ministers shall come unto them accompanied with their Elders according to the Canon of our Discipline and not by deputies from the Colloquies Art II. As for Cozain upon reading those Letters sent us from our Brethren the English Ministers it was ordered That the two Books written by the said Cozain and dedicated to some particular Members in the Church of Bourdeaux and brought unto this present Synod by Monsieur de la Sauls should be put into Monsieur Beza's hands for his perusal and who should make report of their Contents unto us and an Answer shall be returned to our Brethren of England Art III. The Deputies of the Isle of France craved our Advice about those Points of Church-Discipline now controverted by Monsieur Ramus du Rosier Bergeron and some others Whereupon an Order was made That Monsieur de Chambrun should read in this Assembly that Abridgement made by our Brethren of the Isle of France and extracted out of Morellius's Answer to that Book De la Confirmation de la Discipline and sent by them unto this Synod together with the Book of the said Morellius in answer to it and for decision of those Points and Arguments therein contained as also Ramus and De Rosier's Books which shall be delivered unto Monsieur Cappel to be examined by him And in case there be any other Arguments found in them besides those formerly urged by Morellius these shall be also answered And Messieurs de Beza De Roche Chandieu and De Beaulieu are chosen to reply unto them And as for the Decisions and Decrees they shall be made only by the Provinces Yet liberty is given unto the By standers in case they think good to make opposition and to this purpose the Doors of the Synod shall be leâ—t wide open and silence shall not be imposed upon any Man in this matter for this time Only it shall not be made a Precedent Art IV. But this Affair having been since considered examined disputed debated and put to the Vote as it was ordered in the last mentioned Canon a Decree passed That our Church-Discipline as it hath been all along to this very day observed end practised among us so also shall it be for the future without any change or innovation in it as being grounded upon God's Word And as for those Positions asserted by Monsieur Ramus Morellius Bergeron and others 1. About the Decision of Points of Doctrine 2. About the Election and Deposal of Ministers 3. About Excommunication out of the Church and Reconciliation with and Re-admission into it 4. And lastly about Prophesying None of these shall be received among us because they have no Foundation in the Word of God and are of very dangerous consequence unto the Church as the whole hath been verified and made appear in the presence of this Synod in which all the Arguments of those Books of Ramus Morellius and Du Rozier were most narrowly sifted and discussed and this was unanimously assented to by the Declaration of all the Provincial Deputies who affirmed That they had maturely and duly considered of those Points of Discipline controverted by those Gentlemen before-mentioned And Monsieur De la Roche Chandieu was ordered to reduce and set down in writing all the Answers and Resolutions made by this Assembly unto the said Treatises and Arguments and to communicate them with the Colloquy of Lionnois that they may be printed and published Only the Relation of these Synodâ—cal Answers and Resolutions shall be writ with the greatest moderation and without mentioning the Names of any Person Art V. The Colloquy of Limmigny shall be advised to get the Memoirs of their Synod to be razed nor may they make any particular Canons of their own but shall be governed by those of our Discipline Art VI. Monsieur Berauld and his Colleagues in the Church of Montauban are charged to recover from Monsieur Comerard of Tholouse the History of the Albigenses written in their Langùage and Monsieur D' Acier shall translate it into French and having done it shall communicate it unto their Colloquy according to the Canons of our Church-Discipline and then cause it to be printed And Letters shall be written to this purpose unto the said Sieurs de Comerard and D' Acier from this Assembly Art VII The County of Messin and City of Metz shall be joyned to the Province of Champagne according to the particular Canon of our Discipline and Letters concerning it shall be sent unto them from this Synod Art VIII The Lord Admiral de Chastillon having writ a Letter unto this Synod the Churches were all admonished of their Duty to his Majesty and an Answer should be returned to this effect unto his Lordship Art IX A Vote passed but without any prejudice to the liberty of Monsieur de Saules and without debating the Merits of his Cause that a Letter should be written unto the Magistrates of Geneva thanking them for their Love and Good-will and they shall be desired to continue it unto all the Churches of France in general and particularly to those of Bearn and we do grant Monsieur de Saules tor one Year more unto the Queen of Navarre and Letters also shall be written unto her Majesty and to his Highness the Prince her Son Art X. The Churches shall be excited to assist with their Charity the poor Members of the County and Church of Orange who are in extream poverty there being no less than Twelve hundred Families of these Refugees in the single Province of Dolphiny Art XI Before that Mr. John le Gagneur shall be admitted Pastor into any one of our Churches he shall give good Evidence of his Repentance and of his Reconciliation with the Church of Geneva and we will have some considerable space of time for proving the truth of his Repentance Art XII Upon the Censure of Ramus Morellius and their Companions it was voted That Letters should be writ in the Name and Authority of this Assembly unto the said Ramus Morelly Du Rozier and Bergeron and to give them all severally to understand what was concluded by this Assembly against their Books and to re-mind them of their Duty according to God's Holy Word and a Letter
they should carry and behave themselves wherefore leaving unto Notaries to follow their ordinary business in the way and manner prescribed to them nothing hinders but that the Church may make Espousals by words de proesenti XLIII All excessive and scandalous Usuries shall be severely forbidden and condemned Usuries forbidden XLIV After these words The Superstition of the Romish Church in the second Article of particular Orders there shall be these added And the said Printers and Booksellers are exhorted not to sell any scandalous Books relating to Idolatry or Impudicity or such at have a tendency to corrupt good manners Not lawful to marry the Widow of the Wise's Brother XLV As to that Case propounded Whether a Man might lawfully marry the Widow of his Wife's Brother we judge That over and above what has been determin'd by others formerly in this matter that there is a secret affinity between such Parties because in the sight of God the Man and Wife are accounted but one flesh and therefore decency and civility will not permit it Licenses to marry may be taken from the King thô not from the Pope XLVI It is in no wise lawful for any Member of our Churches to address themselves unto the Pope for Dispensations to marry within the degrees prohibited and to remove any present or after Impediments which may or do occur in that holy Estate because in so doing there is an owning and subjection to his Tyrannical Authority But yet in degrees not forbidden by the Word of God which are now forbidden by our Civil Magistrate we may lawfully address ourselves unto the King tor his License XLVII The Faithful shall be admonished both in Sermons and private Conferences not to defer Baptizing their Children unless there be some very great cause inducing them thereunto XLVIII None of our Members in Communion with us shall assist at their Weddings or Wedding-Feasts who that they may marry a Popish Wife do revolt from the Reformed Religion But as for those who have a long while ago left the Profession of our Religion or have been ever Papists it 's left to the prudence of the Faithful to consider what will be most expedient for them and if they go let them take heed of approving the Evil in those Meetings and that they bear no part in the Dances and other Dissolutions which are commonly found and committed at them XLIX For time to come neither Ministers nor any other of the Faithful shall print or publish any of their Writings or private Works without having first obtained the express leave and approbation of their respective Colloquies L. There shall be this clause added to the 12th Article of Figeac And the said Fathers shall make it appear unto the Consistory that they have been diligent in their Duty to hinder as much as in them lay the said Marriages LI. The Province of Brittany is ordered to convoke the next National Synod and shall give Notice thereof three Months before unto all the Provinces as also to the Ministers of Bearn Metz and Sedan and to the Ministers of Princes professing the Reformed Religion The Original of the Acts of this Synod was lodged up in the Archives of the City of Rochel out of which this present Copy was extracted and it was thus signed De Nort Moderator De L'Estang and Scribes chosen and deputed thereunto by the Synod Chauveton Scribes chosen and deputed thereunto by the Synod The End of the Second Synod of Rochel THE ACTS DECISIONS 1583. Synod XII and DECREES OF THE XII National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE HELD At Vitrè in the Castle of the Right Honourable GVY Earl of Laval on the 15th Day of May and ended the 27th of the same Month in the Year 1583 being the Ninth Year or the Reign of Henry the Third King of France and Poland THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Deputies Names Deputies from the Churches in the Netherlands 18. Synodical Officers chosen Chap. II. General Matters Deputies to be sent from the Reformed Churches of France unto the Dutch Synods and from theirs unto the French Synods 1. Their Confession and Discipline mutually signed Ministers to be lent reciprocally Assessments of Members to be in Churches not Provinces A Case of Conscience 6. Another about Prayer to be used at the Baptisms of Children born in Incest 8. Promises of Marriage by words de praesenti indissolvable Notorious Sinners cast out of the Church 12. A weighty Case of Conscience 13. Baptism to be administred before the last Psalm 14. A Case about Patronage 15. All the Deputies to communicate in the end of the National Synod 16. Whether a Popish Bride may be accompanied to her Church 17. A Case about Womens Habits 18. A Case about Prohibitions against Church Censures 19. Acts for a Synodical Seal and a National Fast 21 22. A Case about ungraceful Church-Members about Ministers delegated out of their Colloquy or Provinces about visiting of the sick 24 25 26. Chap. III. Canons removed from changed in and added to the Discipline Chap. IV. Of particular Matters A deposed Minister petitioning to be restored unto his Office is rejected A Case of Conscience 2. A whole Church deprived of the Ministry for not maintaining their Pastor 4. A Case of Conscience 5. An Apostate Minister exposed and excommunicated 6. Censures upon two other such Delinquents 7. A Minister practising Physick censured 10. the Harmony of Confessions approved 14. A Case about confronting Witnesses 15. A Case about a dissolved Marriage 17. A scandalous Minister deposed 18. A Case about a Pension upon a Benefice 21. King of Navarr's Message unto the Synod 26. A motion for Vnion between the German and French Churches The Appeal of a scandalous Minister rejected 31. A Case about a Man's Marriage with his Wife's Niece 32. Broccard's Book on Genesis again condemned 33. Bellefleur for writing against the Discipline censured An Act for calling the next National Synod THE First Synod of Vitre SYNOD XII CHAP. I. The DEPVTIES There appeared in this Synod on behalf of the Provinces and as their Representatives the Pastors and Elders hereafter named viz. 1. FOR the Province of the Isle of France the Land of Chartres Picardy and Brie Monsieur Matthew Virell Minister in the Church of Marchais in Beavoisis within the said Isle of France accompanied with Claudius de Hames Lord of Felnoy Elder of the Church at Dieppe 2. For Champagne and the Land of Messin there should have served Mr. Fleuret Minister of the Church of Esparnon in Champagne but he fell sick by the way and sent Letters of excuse unto the Synod which were accepted But the Province was censured for not sending an Elder with the said Minister 3. Fox Normandy M. William Feuguero Minister of Basqueville and John de Lamare Deacon of the Church of Veinieres 4. For Brittaine M. Peter Merlin Minister of the Church gathered in the House of the
that they may be combin'd into one and by this means gain a Minister for the Church of Rouen or if this don't like them they may contrive some better expedient And this course also shall be taken by the Province of Xaintonge for the supply of the Church of Xaintes XXV This Assembly prays and intreats the Province of Brittany to lend Monsieur De la Melluniere unto the Church of Vitré and at the same time to make provision for the Church of Cuisit where he is at present XXVI The Lord Du Plessis presented himself in the Name of the King of Navarre unto this Assembly proposing from His Majesty That there might be sent unto him being now on the other fide of the Loire certain Deputies Persons of Quality and Understanding who might be near His Majesty to acquaint him with the true State of our Churches and that he also might reciprocally communicate unto the Churches all Matters of Importance tending to their welfare and preservation This Assembly is of Opinion That all the Churches be exhorted effectually to comply with His Majesty's Demands and in order thereunto to name one or two Deputies to be dispatcht unto him in the Name of the Churches and this to be done out of hand and the Province of the Isle of France is to see it done without delay Means for uniting the German and French Churches Synod of Gap Gen. Mat. art 11. Synod of Rochel art 4. after the choice of Moderator and Assessor XXVII A motion being made for an Union and Agreement betwixt the Churches of Germany and ours this Assembly adviseth That Monsieur De Chandieu be solicited to undertake a Journey for the effecting of it and in case the said Monsieur De Chandieu have just Excuses for not accepting the Employ Monsieur De Seire shall be intreated to supply his place XXVIII Monsieur Salnar is intreated to write in the Name and by the Authority of this Synod unto the Princes and Divines of Germany and he shall confer with the Lord Du Plessis about the subject matter of his Letters and the said Letters shall be sent to Monsier De Chandieu to be represented by him XXIX Monsieur De Chassincour is intreated by this Assembly to continue his Office at Court and the Churches are exhorted to perform their Duties to him whereof the Brethren of the Isle of France are order'd to give him notice XXX The Deputy of Lower Languedoc demanding that our Brother Vilette Minister in the Church of La Sala may be removed thence and translated unto Montpellier because of that great Service he may do there and that his Church may be some otherways provided This Assembly leaveth the decision of this matter unto his Provincial Synod which after due consideration had of all Circumstances shall determine of it XXXI Monsieur Laurence Bouchart formerly Minister of Privas in Lower Languedoc deposed for his scandalous Crimes having appealed unto this Assembly it examined the Causes of his Deposition and all the Proceedings in and about it and now judgeth that he cannot be restored unto the Minstry whatever Testimonials of Repentance may be produced by him XXII To the Case propounded by the Deputies of Berry Whether his Marriage should be tolerated who had espous'd his Wife's Niece and that had some Years after his said Marriage joyned himself unto our Religion and communicated with us at the Lord's Table and hath had several Children by this Wife This Assembly answereth That by the 14th Verse of the 18th Chapter of Leviticus such a Marriage is incestuous and that therefore in no wise can it be tolerated and that they provoke not the Wrath of God more heavily against them they ought to separate one from the other And whereas these Persons committed this sin in the time of their Ignorance we advise that they privately confess it unto the Consistory where they shall be admonished counselled and comforted from the Word of God XXXIII Complaint being made by divers Persons of the Censure passed on Brocard's Exposition of the Book of Genesis in the last Synod of Rochel where he was condemned for Impiety and Prosanation of God's Holy Word and blaming it as too strict and rigorous tho' some would acquit him of Impiety because he agrees with us thoroughly in all the Articles of Faith This Assembly doth confirm the afore-mentioned Censure judging that that Doctrine is not only impious which is contrary to the Articles of Faith but that also which perverts the true sence and meaning as his doth of the Holy Scriptures because they be the true Foundation of the Christian Doctrine Yet that satisfaction may be given them who are displeased at the Censure past on this Book of Brocard's there shall be extracted out of it a Catalogue of his grossest Errors and communicated abroad for their perusal and information XXXIV Monsieur De Bellefleur appealing from the Sentence given against him in the Synod of Higher Languedoc by which his Treatise against the Discipline of our Churches was condemned this Assembly having read his Treatise and the Answers made unto it doth confirm the said Saentence past against the said Bellefleur To whom notwithstanding a Letter shall be dispatcht in the Name of this Assembly and the Answer of our Brother Monsieur Berault shall be communicated to him in which if he do not acquiesce the next Colloquy or Synod shall denounce him Schismatick XXXV The Deputy of Higher Languedoc related the Affair of Arias and Bourgade complaining that they were too severely censured by their Pastors Berault and Gironnin whereupon the Synod came unto this Resolution That the Piovince shall be informed that they have full Power and 't is their Duty to judge definitively of it and that the Censures given by the Consistory of Montauban and the Provincial Synod against them shall be in force and if the said Plaintisss be not quiet nor demean themselves peaceably and modestly according to their Duty The Colloquy of Lower Quercy calling in two other Ministers from the Neighbour-Colloquy shall in the Name and Authority of this Synod judge definitively of this Fact XXXVI The Province of * * * Higher Lower Languedoc is appointed by this Assembly to convoke and assign the Time of Meeting for the next National Synod which is once for all ordained two Years hence in the Month of May. May 16. 1583. Thus Signed by Peter Merlin Moderator And René Pineau Scribe The End of the Synod of VITRE THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE XIII National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE HELD At Montauban in the Year of our Lord 1594. THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Deputies unto the Synod Synodical Officers chosen The Lord's Supper to he received by all the Deputies in the conclusion of the Synod Chap. II. 7. Observations upon the Confession of Faith and its Approbation Chap. III. 21. Observations upon the Discipline being so many Additions and
Censure shall be given among themselves by the Pastors and Elders in the * * * Breaking shutting up of every Colloquy XXV These following words shall be added to the second Article of the Eighth Chapter Churches having several Ministers shall send them by turns XXVI These words shall be inserted into the fourth Article Shall be deprived of the Ministry XXVII To the sixth there shall be this inserted The Days Hours and Places as also he shall gather the Votes of every Member And to the close of that Article these words shall be added And after this self-same manner the Moderators of Colloquies shall be governed XXVIII This shall be inserted into the seventh They shall have like Votes as the Pastors XXIX The eighth Article shall be struck out and transferr'd unto the following Chapter where also the word Provincial shall be razed and That of Confession of Faith inserted XXX This shall be put into the tenth Article The change of Pastors from one Province unto another and of one Church unto another and of the Churches of one Colloquy unto another XXXI In reading the Division of the Provinces and after hearing Monsieur Gantois Minister in the Church of Sedan who was seconded in his Discourse by his Elder it was decreed That the Churches of the Principality of Sedan and Rancourt for time coming shall be united to the Synod of the Isle of France Picardy and Champagne and be reputed Members of the Colloquy of Champagne XXXII The Province of Orleans and Berry demanding That Bourbonnois might be incorporated with their Province and the Deputies of Burgundy and Lyonnois opposing this their motion it was decreed That the said contending Provinces should bring with them the Memoirs and Opinion of those of Bourbonnois unto the next National Synod that there it may be regulated XXXIII This addition shall close up the third Article of the Ninth Chapter And that there may be no default three or four Pastors and as many Elders shall be nominated that in case the first named Pastors should be hindred from their Journey there may be others to supply their places XXXIV This Article shall follow next in order unto the fourth The first Act in the first Sessions of our National Synods shall be the reading our Confession of Faith and the Book of Discipline XXXV Towards the close of the fourth Article of the tenth Chapter in stead of Abolished there shall be read Removed XXXVI These words shall be added to the ninth Article of the eleventh Chapter Provided that the Sureties undertake for its maintenance and also that there be no presumption XXXVII The third Article of the 12th Chapter shall be couch'd in these words Priests Monks and other Ecclesiasticks of the Romish Religion shall not be admitted to the Lord's Supper till they have first in the face of the whole Church acknowledged and repented of their former Life and Profession XXXVIII The fourth Article shall be thus worded Incumbents bearing the Stile and Title of their Benefices and others intermedling with Idolatry directly or indirectly whether they receive the Profits thereof with their own or by the hands of others shall in to wise be admittted to communicate with us at the Lord's Table And the rest shall be razed out XXXIX The fifth Article of the thirteenth Chapter shall be put into these words It 's left to the discretion of the Churches either to use the words de praesenti or de futuro in Marriage-Promises However such Promises be they de praesenti or de suturo are in themselves indissolvable unless in case of some lawful Impediment And the Article next in order unto this shall be that which begins thus As concerning Consanguinities XL. The eighth Article shall be conceived in these words Spiritual Kindreds as they be termed are not comprised under the Titles of Consanguinity and Assinity in the King's Edict nor upon these Accounts may the Parties be hindred from contracting Marriage XLI This clause shall be inserted into the twelfth Article Promises of Marriage shall neither be receiv'd nor published in the Church c. Item He shall renounce all Idolatry Superstition and particularly the Mass XLII This shall be the first Article of the fourteenth Chapter in these words No one shall be received into the Communion of our Churches till he have first renounced all the Superstitions and Idolatries of the Church of Rome and particularly the Mass XLIII These words shall be razed out of the close of the fifth Article Vnless in case of abolishing the Preaching of God's Word and setting up of Mass XLIV To the fourteenth Article this shall be subjoyned And such as send their Children to the Schools of Priests Monks Jesuits or Nuns shall be prosecuteâ—â—ith all Censures of the Church XLV These words shall be struck out of the 26th Article Poinecons de Houpe and Fardingals as hath been decreed in former Synods XLVI These words shall be razed out of the 28th Article Or the setting up of Maypoles XLVII Because of the great Inconveniences of Lotteries set up in divers places of this Kingdom the 30th Article shall be finished with this clause Lotteries also ought in no wise to be approved whether they be appointed by the Magistrate or not and Godly Magistrates are intreated by their Authority to suppress them After these words Notorious Avarice these following shall be inserted into the same Article Obsceneness or loss of time XLVIII Such as challenge or put others upon challenging to fight a Duel and they also who accept the challenge c. These words shall be put into the 33d Article XLIX 'T is left to the liberty and prudence of Consistories after what manner to proceed against the ungrateful Members of their Churches whether by those compulsory ways allowed us by his Majesty or by particular Obligations or by Church-Censures even by suspension from the Lord's Table after grave and solemn Admonitions and Summons have been given these Delinquents by their Consistories or any other course they shall judge advisable L. The Pastors and Elders deputed from their Provinces unto this Assembly have sworn and protested in the Name of their Provinces to cause the Discipline ordained by this Synod to be used and observed to the utmost of their power CHAP. IV. Of APPEALS I. AN Appeal being brought by the Town and Consistory of St. John d' Angely from the Synod of Xaintonge who had appointed Monsieur D'amours he in no wise belonging unto the said Church of St. John to serve the Church of Chastleheraut until the meeting of the National this Assembly declareth That the Appeal was ill laid and the Ordinance of that Synod good and valid And whereas the said D'amours complaineth of the Terms couched in that Ordinance and of the Letters written in the Name of the said Synod this Assembly judgeth That the said Monsieur D' Amours was the true and lawful Pastor of the said Church of St. John for the time in which he
Brittany Orleans and Berry For Orleans and Berry Monsieur Nicholas Vignier Minister of the Church of Blois and Samuel de Chambaran Minister of the Church of Baugency Lorges and Marchenoir Tourain Anjou Maine For Touraine Anjou and the Maine Monsieur John Eleury Minister of the Church of Bougay and Peter de la Primaudaye Lord de la Bareé Elder of the Church of Chasteau du Loir For the upper and nether Poictou Monsieur John Bonnavet Minister of the Church of Lusson Poictou and John Chauffepied Minister of the Church of Niort and René de Lumont Lord of Fiefbrun Elder in the Church of Sansay Xaintonge Aunix c. For Xaintonge Aunix c. Monsieur Samuel L'Hommeau Minister in the Church of Rochell and Arthur de Partenay Lord of Genouillé and Querray Elder in the Church of Tonné Boutonné and Daniel Roy Elder in the Church of Xaintes Gascony Perigord and Limousin For Gascony Perigord and Limousin Monsieur Antony Renaud Minister of Bourdeaux Peter Esperian Minister of the Church at St. Foy James du Brueil Lord de la Garde Elder of Tonneins and Peter du Bazats Elder in the Church of Bourdeaux For Vivaretz and Vellay For the upper and nether Vivaretz and Vellay Monsieur Peter Labat Minister in the Church of Vabon la Gorce and Salvais John de la Faye Minister of the Church D'Aubenac and James Oliver Elder in the Church of Villeneufve de Berg. For the Lower Languedoc Monsieur Jeremiah Ferrier Minister and Professor of Divinity in the Church of Nismes Isaiah Bailly Minister in the Church of St. Martin d' Anduze and John de Barjac Lord of Gasque Elder in the Church of St. Martin Lower Languedoc and John d' Aguerre Elder in the Church of Sauve Higher Languedoc and higher Guyenne For the Higher Languedoc and Guyenne Monsieur Bernard Sónis Minister and Professor of Divinity in the Church of Montaubon John Josion Minister in the Church of Castres and the Lord Du Bovry Governor of the Isle of Jourdan and Elder of the Church there and Daniel de Belujon Elder of the Church in Villemure Burgundy Lyonnois c. For Burgundy Lyonnois c. Monsieur Peter Collinet Minister of the Church of Parrey Samuel de Trucis Elder of the Church of Bourg in Bresse and Job James Bonnet Elder in the Church of Chaalons upon Saone For Provence Provence Monsieur Anthony the Croase Minister of the Church in Cabiers and Peter de Villineufve Lord d' Espineuse Elder of the Church Dolphiny and the Principality of Orange For Dolphiny and the Principality of Orange Monsieur Claude Perron Minister in the Church of Pragelet Daniel Chamier Minister of the Church of â—ontlimart and Jacob Archmart Elder of the same and Jacob Videl Elder in the Church of Brianson For Normandy there was no Deputy but Monsieur du Moulin was entrusted with their Memoirs by the Brethren of that Province The Lords of St. Germain and des Bordes General Deputies for our Churches at Court and Mr. Joseph des Fountaines commissionated by Monsieur Palott to give in his Accounts of the King's Moneys granted our Churches were personally present in this Synod The Lords of St. Germain and des Bordes appeared in their Quality of General Deputies according to the Office conferred upon them by the General Assembly of St. Foy and Mr. Joseph des Fontaines was deputed by the same Assembly of St. Foy and to audit the Accounts of Monsieur Palott Prayers being ended Monsieur Chamier was chosen Moderator and Monsieur Ferrier Assessor and the Sieurs Vignier and Roy Scribes The Provinces which have not sent their full number of Pastors and Elders ordained by our Discipline are excused for this time but for the future they shall all oâ— them conform unto the Canon of the Synod of Montpellier otherwise they shall forfeit their right of Sitting and Voting in our National Synods The Powers given before Publick Notaries unto the Deputies of Brittany and attested by secular persons is tolerated for the present but that Province is required to abstain from them for time to come and are ordered to get their Letters of Commission signed by the Moderator and Scribes of their Provincial Synod Monsieur * * * In another Copy he is written Givoult Gueran Minister of the Church of Dindeveuf Deputed by the Province oâ— Normandy excused his absence from this Synod which was accepted but that Province shall be censured by Letters from us for their neglect in not sending other Deputies CHAP. II. Observations upon the Confession of Faith 1. THE Province charged to call our National Synod is charged also to bring with it the Original Confession of Faith which shall to this purpose be subscribed by this Assembly and sent unto that Province 2. The Synod reading over the Confession of Faith and explaining the 18th 20th and 22d Articles of the said Confession concerning our Justification before God expresseth its detestation of those Errors which are now-a-days broached to the contrary and in particular their Errors who deny the Imputation of Christ's Active and Passive Obedience by which he hath most perfectly fulfilled the whole Law unto us for Righteousness Our Righteousness by the Imputation of Christs active and passive Obedience And therefore Provincial Synods Colloquies and Consistories shall have a careful Eye on those persons who be tainted with that Error be they Ministers or private Christians and by the Authority of this Assembly shall silence them and in case of a wilful stubborn persistency in their Errors to depose them if they have a Pastoral Charge in the Church from the Ministry And Letters shall be writ unto Master Piscator to intreat him not to trouble the Churches with his new-fangled Opinions as also from this Assembly to the Universities of England Scotland Leyden Geneva Heydelberg Basil and * * * In another Copy Ziguen Herborne in which Piscator is Professor requesting them to joyn with us also in this Censure And in case the said Piscator shall pertinaciously adhere unto his Opinions Master Sohnius and Ferrier are to prepare an Answer to his Books and that it be ready against the Meeting of the next National Synod And this Article shall be read and in all points most exactly observed by the Provincial Synods 3. The Provinces are exhorted seriously to debate in their Synods how to word the five and twentieth Article of our Confession and to bring with them their maturest thoughts about it unto the next National Synod because in expressing our Faith about the Catholick Church mentioned in the Creed we have nothing in our Confession concerning the Church Militant and Visible As also they are intreated to consider whether it would not be fit to subjoyn ths word Pure unto those of the True Church which is in the nine and twentieth Article The Call of our first Pastors and Reformers was
seal and testify their great love and care for him and for his better subsistence the Deputies of the Provinces of Orleans and Berry having informed us of his deplorable condition It doth ordain that over and above the two Portions assigned him from the Kings Money in the late dividend at Gergeau two other Portions shall be added towards his relief by the Province of Berry The favourable Opinion of the Book of the Eucharist writ by the Lord du Plessis 17. The Pastors and Professors in the Church of Geneva having read according to the desire of the late Synod at Gergeau the book of the Lord du Plessis upon the Eucharist and given a very honourable testimony to it This National Synod doth render unto his Lordship their hearty thanks for his great zeal and affection to the truth of God and for his worthy labours in the defence thereof and orders that it be printed out of hand believing that the Lord will give his blessing to it 18. The difference between the Provinces of Vivaretz and of both the Languedoc's concerning Moneys assessed by these latter upon that of Vivaretz shall be finally determined and to this purpose the Decree made in the late Synod of Gergeau is now ratified because the Brethren of Vivaretz have brought nothing against it but what had been answered over and over And this Article shall be in full force as to those 3000 Crowns which had been raised by those Provinces before the Synod of Gergeau 19. Master Gabriel Raoul presented himself personally before this Synod humbly desiring his re-admission into the sacred Ministry from which he had been deposed by the Provincial Synod of the Lower Guyenne held at * * * Nismes Aymet which Sentence was ratified by the Ministers assembled at St. Foy with the Authority of the National Synod of Montauban in the year 1594. After that the said Raoul had been patiently and for a long time heard speaking what he could in his own defence and that the Acts of the said Synod of Aymet had been reviewed as those also of the Pastors assembled at St. Foy declaring the enormous crimes whereof the said Raoul was guilty and after reading the Certificates of several Colloquies Churches and Godly persons unanimously proclaiming him a person utterly unworthy of Imployment in the Gospel-Ministry as also that Act of the National Synod of Saumur confirming his deposal This Assembly ratified those Judicial Sentences past upon him by the foregoing Synods and declared the said Raoul utterly unworthy of ever being re-admitted into the sacred Ministry and farther adviseth him to humble himself deeply before the Lord in a most bitter Repentance for his hainous offences and for time to come to live Holily and Christianly in a private and secular life and to betake himself to the practice of Physick in some Church of Christ In the mean while all the Papers relating to his deposal and the Certificates given him by several of his Friends Ministers of the Gospel shall be deposited with the Church of St. Foy to be forth-coming upon all occasions And whereas he begged an Attestation from this Assembly we declare that none other can or shall be given him than what is expressed in the very words of this Act. And the Province whereunto he shall retire for Habitation and Imployment is required to take notice what use and benefit he shall make of the good Counsels that have been here given him and what his after Conversation is and accordingly to give in their Opinion whether he be fit or no to be received as a private Member into Communion with our Churches CHAP. V. Of Appeals 1. THE Church of Xaintes appealed from the Judgment past against them by the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge about Monsieur Primrose ho was given by that Synod for Pastor unto the Church of Bourdeaux Messieurs Renaud Minister of the Church of Bourdeaux and Roy Elder in the Church of Xaintes having been both heard Monsieur Roy declared that the â—hurch whom he represented would desist from their Appeal provided the â—hurch of Bourdeaux would secure them another Minister or that the Province would do it or that they might be assisted for a time with one of the Ministers of Rochell This Assembly doth confirm the Call of Monsieur Primrose unto the Church of Bourdeaux yet reprehends the carriage both of Monsieur Primrose and that Church of Bourdeaux in his Call and ordaineth that the said Church do perform their promise engaged to the Provine of Xaintonge of giving them a Proposan meet to be imployed in the Ministry And the said Province is enjoyned to take speedy care that the Church of Xaintes be supplied with an able Pastor besides him who at present laboureth among them because of the great importance of that Church 2. The Inhabitants of Elbaeuf appealing from the Decree of the Synod of Normandy which had incorporated them with the â—hurâ—h of Beauroger This Assembly giveth leave unto those Inhabitants of Elbaeuf to joyn themselves unto the Church of Quevilly provided that they continue their Contributions to the Church of Beauroger lest thaâ— by their departure from it they should cause its dissolution 3. The Church of Poictiers appealed from that Decree of the Synod of Poictou which would have reinstated Monsieur de la Dugnie in his Office of Elder This Assembly judgeth that the said Church did well in making their Appeal from that Synodical Ordinance and that Provincial Synod shal be censured for giving Judgment that the said de la Dugnie notwithstanding these offences whereof he was guilty and which were owned in the very Judicial Decree of that Synod should be restored 4. The Elders of the Colloquy of Nismes appealing from the Decree of the Synod of Lower Languedoc by which an hundred and sixty Livâ—rs of the Moneys granted us from â—he King's Bounty had been assigned over unto Monsieur de Falgueroles in consideration of his many and great Employments this their Appeal was rejected and made null and the Decree of the said Synod ratified and confirmed 5. Monsieur Sohnius appealed from the Decree of the Synod of Higher Languedoc which had ordered that because the said Sohnius was not ordinary Pastor in the Church of Montauban therefore he should not participate in the Moneys granted us by his Majesty This Assembly censuring the Province of Higher Languedoc for derogating from the Ordinance of Gergeau by which four Pastors were assigned unto the Church of Montauban it doth ratifie and confirm that Ordinance before mentioned at Gergeau and declares that the said Master Sohnius ought to receive his share in the said Moneys equally with the other Pastors which are in actual service 6. Monsieur Berauld appealed from the Decree of the Province of Higher Languedoc which would in the distribution of his Majesties Royal Bounty that in all Colloquies and Synods the number of Pastors and Elders should be equal This Assembly judgeth that the said Master
under the name of Captain Gautier Art 16. Privas App. 18. In executing that Decree of the National Synod of Privas about the Expences which the Province of Orleans had disbursed in the University upon Mr. Salomon and which the Province of Lower Guyenne now enjoying his Ministry stands obliged to return back again unto them The Deputies of Berry acknowledged that they drew out of the hands of the Lord du Candal the sum of five hundred Livers upon an Acquittance of the said Province of Guyenne which yet the said Deputies redemanded as having before paid it in unto the said Salomon for his encouragement This Synod ordaineth that the Moneys detained by the said Province of Orleans shall remain in their custody saving always to the said Province of Guyenne a power of redemanding from the said Salomon what they had disbursed for him Art 17. Privas App. 23. The Decree of the same Synod concerning the Charges of those Commissioners sent unto Orleans which were to be equally defrayed by all the Churches of that Province shall stand valid Art 18. Privas App. 34. Le Sieur de la Vienerie Pastor of the Church of Tonne-Boutonne in Xaintonge presented his Petition that the Canon of the Synod of Privas concerning his Book might be moderated and those words in it by which his said Writings were declared to be very suspicious and erroneous in the points of Justification Predestination Invocation of Saints departed c. might be obliterated Moreover he professed that he was not convinced in his Conscience to be guilty of those matters whereof he is accused and desireth they may be proved he having written nothing but what he believeth to be the truth This Assembly voted that the aforesaid Canon should remain still in force and that Monsieur Banage and Bouchereau should peruse his Book and give him instruction and make report thereof unto this Synod which they did accordingly whereupon this Assembly did once more enjoyn him to suppress that his Manuscript which tho' revised by himself cannot be approved of neither in his words nor in his manner of handling it And exhorts him in his way of teaching to follow the form of sound words contained in the holy Scriptures however we judge charitably of him and of his Opinions and Intentions believing that he is orthodox and sound in the Faith principally as to the Fundamentals of Religion Art 19. Privas obs 2. upon the Coufession Revising that observation made upon the 18th Article of our Confession of Faith especially about the Oath enjoyned to be taken by all Pastors actually employed and Proposans who are designed for the Ministry concerning Justification divers Provinces remonstrated that it needed some explanation See Art 5. after the Roll in this Synod The Assembly after mature deliberation and long debate had of the matter ordained that it shall be couched in these terms Forasmuch as divers persons demand an explanation of the 18th Article of the Confession of our Reformed Churches in this Kingdom wherein the Doctrine of Justification is freely asserted this Synod declareth that in this point the Form of Doctrine which ought to be received and taught in the Churches of this Kingdom according to the Scriptures is That Man not having in himself either before or after his Effectual Calling any Righteousness of his own by which he may subsist before the Judgment-seat of God he cannot be justified but by Jesus Christ our Saviour who being incarnate was obedient unto his Father from the first moment of his birth unto the last of his ignominious death upon the Cross having most perfectly both in his life and death fulfilled the whole Law given unto men and that particular Commandment imposed on him by his Father of suffering and giving his Soul a ransom for many By which most perfect Obedience we are justified because it is counted ours by the Grace of God and apprehended by that Faith which he gives unto us From which we are assured that through the merit of this whole Obedience we have and shall obtain the forgiveness of all our sins and be made worthy of everlasting life And all Pastors Professors in Divinity and all other the Members of our Churches are enjoyned to hold fast this Doctrine and in no wise to depart from it and they be forbidden either by word of mouth or writing to teach or preach publickly or privately any thing that may be directly or indirectly repugnant to it Moreover this Synod ordaineth that whosoever are chosen into the holy Ministry shall promise it before God and all Consistories Colloquies and Provincial Synods shall exert their whole Authority to see this Canon punctually observed inspecting their Ministers and all other persons that none act contrary hereunto and to prosecute such as do with all the Censures of the Church Art 20. Privas p. m. 12. see about this Saumur p. m. 32. Montp p. m. 4. Gergeau p. m. 2. Gap obs 12. on the foregoing Synod In obedience to that Decree of the National Synod of Privas the Province of Normandy hath paid in to Monsieur Vatable the hundred Livers by the hands of the Deputies of Poictou and took up from them their Acquittance CHAP. XVII Appeals 1. MOnsieur John Constans Pastor of the Church at Mazgravier appealed from the Decree of the last Synod of Higher Languedoc held at Mauvesin for refusing him leave to withdraw from that Town tho' requested by him because of his Wifes sickness which could not brook the Air of Maz and because of those many unkindnesses he hath for divers years received from them and the Sieur Darder for from the Decree of the same Synod which permitted the said Monsieur Constans to live at Montauban until the next Provincial Synod Both of them being heard and the Deputies of that Province declaring the reasons which swayed them to pass that Decree This Assembly doth discharge the said Monsieur Constans from all Pastoral relation unto the said Church of Mazgravier on condition that the next Colloquy do provide a Pastor for the said Church who shall reside with them and the said Constans of another Church And Ordaineth that till this can be performed he shall continue to serve the said Church as before but without being obliged unto residence and the said Church is injoyned to make full payment to him of all his Arrears of Salary or they shall not be provided of another Pastor 2. 3. Rochel g m. 2. and observat 11. The Appeal of some Elders in that Church of Mazgravier from the same Synod was rejected because it was of the Nature of those things which might be finally determined within the Province and the parties were told that they deserved a very sharp reproof for presenting unto this Synod Acts attested by a Publick Notary as also for that contrary to the Canons of our National Synods Elders going out of office had named their successors whereas they ought to be chosen by
I have the will I swear unto you that my own mouth should have verified unto you what I now write that I am more than any man in the World of Montpellier April 26. 1614. Your Reverences The most Humble and the most Affectionate to do you service Chastillon The Letter of the Mareschall Duke of Bouillon to the National Synod of Tonneins Sirs I Delayed writing to you because I was in hopes to have sent my Letters by one of the Pastors of his Highness the Prince Elector Palatine who should have past through this City in his way unto your Synod and have delivered those of his Highness to you But that little time he had for so long a Journey and the little safety that now is on the High-ways having kept him at home they were directed to me that I may send them as I now do unto you and I shall take this occasion to confirm you in those assurances I have given you of my intire affection and service for the Weal Preservation and Increase of our Churches upon whose account you are now Assembled and that I desire to keep up with them a good Union and Correspondence 'T is to my very great regret that there have been some little differences between Monsieur du Moulin and Monsieur Tilenus one of the Professors in my University to the suppressing of which I have done all that lay in my power In so much that all those bitter reflections are allayed and quasht and I dare promise that from your prudence and the interposal of his Majesty of great Britain who writes to you by Mr. Hume Pastor of the Church of Duras and by the mediation of the Elector Palatin whose Letters this bearer from me delivers to you you will meet with some proper Expedient for their final determination so that those two great personages considerable for their Profession and merits may employ the gifts which God hath bestowed upon them more unto the Churches profit for the future And I will be Surety for the Sieur Tilenus that he shall pay the greatest deference unto your good Counsels and on my part I shall contribute all that you can expect from me to so good a work whereof I earnestly attend the happy Issue through your wise and prudent direction I shall detain you no longer but with the offer of my prayers unto God Almighty that he would please to guide and influence your Spirits and Councils that their result may be glory to his great Name and happiness unto his Church From Sedan May 3. 1614. A Postscript with his own hand Sirs ALtho I am well assured that your Intentions are all leading to a good Reunion both in Civil and Church-affairs yet will I not forbear quickening you hereunto and the rather because Satan and his Engines are now more than every at work marvellously busied and employed to divide us having found in this degenerate age more debauched persons and greater debaucheries than in times past Wherefore I protest unto you that in what concerns my self in particular that I shall freely discharge my duty and services according to what shall be resolved on in your Common and United Counsels and seek for my self none other benefit and advantage than to live and die in the fear of God Your most humbly to do you service Henry de la Tour. CHAP. XX. The Excommunication of Monsieur Jeremy Ferrier sometimes Pastor and Professor in the Church and Vniversity of Nismes denounced in the Church of Nismes upon the 14th of July 1613 being the Lords Day Extracted out of a little Book Intituled The Troubles happened in the City of Nismes in Languedoc July 15. 1613. and Printed the same year MAster Jeremy Ferrier formerly Minister of the Word of God having been judged by the National Synod yet hath not in the least owned and acknowledged God's singular Mercy and Benignity to him nor the Gentleness and Clemency of his Judges He hath took no notice of his great and hainous offences though God saw them the Church observed them and the World cried out of them Some days after Sentence had past upon him he made semblance as if he acquiesced in it requesting to be provided of another Church His Judges had respect unto his demand and provided for him very much unto his conveniency But the close and issue hath evidently demonstrated that what he did was all in Hypocrisie was nothing else but fraud and mockery Instead of humbling himself he waxed more fierce and fiery he kicked against the pricks he hardened his heart against the voice of God speaking to him He hath multiplied and increast his sins seeking Sanctuaries for his Rebellion from the World and protection by it in his Enter-prizes following the train and lure of his own lusts and loving this present World he would rather be a slave to the Mammon of Unrighteousness than to serve God and his Church and betaking himself to wicked and unworthy courses he hath refused to be reformed and hateth Discipline and Correction scorning and trampling under foot all Church-Order He hath most licentiously inveighed against and satyrically lampoon'd the Ecclesiastical Assemblies he hath let flie the worst of Calumnies against the Servants of God generally and particularly in publick and private by word of mouth by Pen and Writing He threw himself wittingly and wilfully upon temptations and into the snares of the Devil he became his own Seducer and like tile Devil endeavoured to seduce others He hath by his ungodly comportments scandalized those that are without and such as are within he hath attempted to mischief the Church of God for which the Lord Jesus hath shed his most precious Blood He did most solemnly engage unto the Church of Paris yea he swore it with as great seriousness as possible that he would never take upon him nor aspire unto any other Calling than that of the Sacred Ministry unless the Colloquy of Lionnois should discharge him by taking from him all possible means of subsistence Before which nevertheless when he was called he refused to appear and would not be judged of God nor by the Men of God He hath cast himself into a contumacious and audacious Rebellion into the most injurious and excessive Insolencies he hath published himself guilty of a notorious and horrible Perjury totally deserting the Sacred Ministry having rejected all the Summons and Invitations unto Repentance made him for a whole year together by divers Church-Assemblies in divers places and at divers times by many most excellent Servants of God who cordially and industriously laboured after his Conversion and Reformation He hath despised the long-suffering patience and forbearance of God and of the Church and never heeded those publick Admonitions which according to the Discipline were used to reclaim him and bring him back again unto his duty But he persists obstinately in his sins in his Disobediencies and Rebellions and hardens hardens himself in his Impenitency insomuch that we must speak it
Bearn brought with them a History of our Martyrs collected by that Province in the year fifteen hundred sixty and nine This Assembly ordained that it be sent unto Monsieur Goulark Pastor of Geneva that it may be added to the next Impression of our Martyrology 19. For the right understanding of those Canons made by the Synods of Rochel in the year sixteen hundred and seven and at Tonneins in the year sixteen hundred and fourteen Above Art 8. concerning a fixed Rule about the quota to be exhibited unto Monks for the defraying of their expences who abandoning their Convents do come and imbrace the Protestant Religion and live in Communion with our Churches This Assembly ordaineth that for the future the Churches and Provinces which first received them shall not have any power to redemand the charges they have been at about them from those Provinces in which they were born Mentauban Obs 9. Alez Obs 20. Forasmuch as the nine and twentieth Canon in the fifth Chapter of our Church-Discipline had ordained that if any persons professing the Protestant Religion should cite their Pastors or Elders or the whole Consistory before the Civil Magistrate to enforce them to bear witness against Delinquents who had confessed their faults before them that they should be prosecuted with all Church-Censures yea even as far as Excommunication This Assembly doth farther injoin all the Churches to prosecute such persons with the very self-same Censures who that they may avoid the Censures of their Consistories do arm themselves with Prohibitions from the Civil Magistrate although the matters for which they be censur'd are purely Ecclesiastical and not belonging to the Civil Tribunal or Jurisdiction 21. All Ministers are forbidden to vent in the Pulpit their private Sentiments of State-affairs St. Foy 26. Alez Obs 5. upon this Syn. it being contrary to the Resolutions taken up in our general Assemblies And Consistories Colloquies and Provincial Synods are injoined to have a watchful Eye over such Pastors as so do and to inflict upon them all the Censures of the Church yea and to suspend them from the Ministry and the same punishment shall be also laid on them who in their publick Sermons do clash one against another upon these matters Privas Obs 5. upon the former Synod 22. The Deputies of Anjou demanded at what time Monks who are lately converted from Popery unto the truth of the Gospel might be admitted to make their publick abjuration Answer was given by this Assembly that it was left wholly to the Wisdom of the Consistory to act therein according as they found such persons to have grown in Grace and in the knowledge of God's Truth Tonneins Obs 4. on the former Synod 21. The Sieur de la Viale one of the Deputies of Higher Languedoc presented unto this Assembly Letters from Monsieur Chamier Pastor and Professor of Divinity at Montauban by which he informed us of the progress made by him in his body of Controversies which he undertook at the intreaty of the last National Synod held at Rochell and that there were three Volumes ready and fitted for the Press the heads and matters of which were included in a particular Memorial that was also tendered by him The Assembly ordered their thanks to be returned him for his great and worthy labours and that the two thousand Livers which had been formerly promised him by the Synod of Privas should be kept by him as an incouragement for his travail and to help defray his charges and that the Church of God may be no longer deprived of his most singular and fruitful Labours whose publication it hath most ardently desired these many years The Consistories of Paris and Lyons are ordered to treat with the Printers and Booksellers of their Cities and with those of Geneva or with their Company who deal in such matters to undertake the Impression of these three Volumes without delay and to get them Printed either in Germany or Geneva and in case they should demand monies to be paid them in before hand they may oblige themselves to advance three thousand Livers deposited for this purpose with the Lord of Candal unto those that will ingage to finish the said Impression provided that as soon as it is finished they do cause to be deliver'd into those afore-mentioned Consistories of Paris and Lions according to the Articles Covenanted between them so many intire and perfect Books as will satisfy the aforesaid sum of three thousand Livers already received by them at the rate of four deniers per sheet And these Books lodged in the hands of those two Consistories shall be sold unto the Pastors of our Churches at a very moderate price reserving always twelve compleat Copies to be presented unto their Reverend and Learned Author free of all costs and charges whatsoever And farther those Consistories before-mentioned shall be accountable unto another National Synod for their receit and disbursement of the sum aforesaid and of the Books received and sold by them And that this Excellent Work of Monsieur Chamier may be the sooner finished and wrought off at the Press he is intreated to send speedily unto the abovementioned Consistories the Titles of his Works the number of Quires and of Folio's in each Quire together with one Folio-leaf of the same fairly written that so an estimate may be made of the bulk of the whole And these two Consistories having perused it they shall consult together about the best and most advantaglous terms they can agree on with the Printers which being signed notice thereof shall be given unto Monsieur Chamier with their request that he would be pleased to send his Manuscript Copy unto such a place as they shall appoint him at the charges of the Undertaker who shall be reimburst by deducting such a number of Books at the rates before contracted for as his charges amounted to in fetching the said Original Papers from their Reverend Author And the said Printers shall be obliged to work off the whole Impression within the space of one year at the farthest from the date of the Contract made with them 24. In pursuance of this Order for Printing those worthy Labours of the most Reverend Chamier Thomas Portau a Printer living at Saumur appeared in Person before this Assembly and offered those terms unto it which were accepted Whereupon the Consistory of Saumur were charged to contract with him taking therein the advice of the Lord du Plessis their Governour and of Monsieur Rivet Pastor of the Church of Touars and Monsieur Chamier shall be intreated to deliver unto the said Portau his Manuscript Copy who on notice given him shall wait upon him for it and at his own charges And besides this Article there shall be added these ensuing Conditions unto the Contract stipulated with him that he shall finish the Impression of these three Books against the next Mart of Franckfort and that he shall bring them to the place appointed before the
and admitted of all kind of Evidence and Witnesses against him though they were never so passionate and Parties in the case and some also who were not legally to be admitted unto a Deposal against a Minister And as for the said Sieur de Richelieu This Assembly judgeth him worthy of a very grievous Censure for neglecting his Duty and not keeping up Order and Discipline in his Church for not holding Consistories nor passing Censures as ought alwayes of course to have been done and practised before Communion days at the Lords Table and for leaving his Church before the time appointed and without having demanded or obtained his License of departure in due form and above all for expressing too much levity in his imaginations and for giving too much way unto his passions and for speaking disadvantagiously of other Persons and insulting over the dead whom he took for his Enemies and who could not speak for themselves And whereas this Assembly could not at present be fully and satisfactorily informed of the State of that Church of Plouer the Colloquy of Constantine in the Province of Normandy is ordered to visit it by their Deputies who are Authorized by this Assembly to provide for that Church as they shall judge meet and to order all matters for its edification in Godliness and if they see cause for it they shall remove and discharge the said Sieur de Richelieu from his Ministry and the Expences of these Deputies shall be defrayed by that Province of Britain 13. The Church of Die and the Sieurs Martinett and Huron appealed from two Judicial Sentences denounced in the Provincial Synod of Dolphiny against them to witt Monsieur Martinett complained for that the said Synod had ordained his removal from the said Church of Die upon pretence of ease and quieting his Spirit though he had been preferred unto that Church by some former Synods And Monsieur Huron appealed for that the said Synod had forbidden him the Exercise of his Ministry within the Province of Dolphiny whereunto he had retired in time of the late troubles And the said Church appealed for that the said Synod had refused and rejected their endeavours to get Monsieur Huron for their Pastor Whereupon the Provincial Deputies of Dolphiny were heard give in their Report of the causes and occasions moving their Synod to pronounce those Judgments and the aforesaid Martinett and Huron were heard in their reciprocal Accusations and Apologies and in like manner the Messengers of the said Church were heard speak for it and the Acts relating to these Affairs were all produced and perused upon the whole This Assembly doth ratifie the Judgment of the said Province of Dolphiny and dischargeth the said Monsieur Martinett from his Pastoral Office in the Church of Die purely for his ease comfort provided alwayes that the said Church do pay him if they have not already done it all his Arrears due unto him from the very first day that he was set at liberty from them by the aforesaid Synod and he is at full liberty to accept of any other Church And as for the maintenance of the said Martinet since that time he was first of all discharged and set free of serve the Church Beaumont This Assembly exhorteth and intreateth the said Province out of Charity to pay him the one half of his Salary And forasmuch as Monsieur Huron has been convicted to have left his Church for little or no just cause and to have brigued his Election into the Church of Die and to have fomented the Divisions in it betwixt the Church and Monsieur Martinett in whose expulsion out of it he had the greatest hand and part having consented to divers irregular Actings and Contentions and adhered to the Rebellions of several Members of the said Church to the contempt of its Consistory and of the Decrees of many Ecclesiastical Synods and for that he kept Conventicles private Meetings Proclaimed Fasts and Days of Prayers and Writt Books contrary to the Analogy of Faith and Form of Sound Words and hath done many other things contrary to the Order and Discipline Established in the Church of God and that honourable Calling of the Holy Ministry This Synod aggravating the Judgment of the Provincial Synod of Dolphiny suspends the said Huron from the Sacred Ministry for the space of Three Moneths and sets him at liberty to be imployed in some other Province than that of Dolphiny And forasmuch as in their endeavours to get the said Huron to be their Minister the Consistory and Pastors of the Church of Die have too much adhered to the unruly motions of some private Persons and strangely supported their insolencies and proud irregular actings This Assembly doth judge them also worthy of a very sharp censure and exhorts them for the future to testifie and express more Vigour and Zeal for the Discipline of our Churches and to maintain it in theirs and to see the Decrees and Canons of our National Synods put in Execution And that all these Censures may be performed the Sieurs Paulet and Berlie Pastors Deputies for the Province of Sevennes are appointed by this National Synod to pass over unto the said City of Die as they return home unto their Province and in the Consistory of that Church there to make denunciation of them 14. The said Sieur Huron the next day came into this Synod petitioning that his suspension might be taken off and that some maintenance might be provided for him until such time as he were presented unto another Church But the Synod confirmed his suspension and ordered that some small matter should be allowed and given him for his present Relief 15. The Church of Sauve and Monsieur Rossel Pastor of the Church of Montlimart appealed from a judgment of the Synod of Dolphiny by which his Ministry was refused to that of Sauve and confirmed in that of Montlimart though the former did most earnestly re-demand him After hearing the Deputy of the Church of Sauve and Monsieur Rossel speaking for it as also Monsieur Chamier for the concern of the Church of Montlimard and the Provincial Deputies of Dolphiny and Sevennes This Synod ordains that Monsieur Rossel shall be lent unto the Service of the Church of Sauve in the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments until the next National Synod and injoyneth the Colloquy of Montlimart to take care that the said Rossel be then restored unto his Office again in that Church 16. Monsieur de Gouvernet Lord of Mirabel appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Dolphiny concerning Monsieur Perrin Pastor of the Church of Serres After that the Deputies of that Province had been heard who reported that there was nothing to this purpose spoken of or handled in their Synod at Mure This Assembly because of the absence of Monsieur Perrin and their want of Acts needful to determine this Affair hath given full Authority to the Province of Burgundy to judge therein and the Province of Dolphiny is
you have most worthily discharged yea and in those very National Synods which we have permitted to be convocated by our Subjects of the said Reformed Religion at Charenton aforesaid in the Year 1623 and in our City of Castres in the Province of Albigeois in the Year 1626. We therefore conceived we could not make a better choice than of your self being well satisfied that you will continue to give us the Proofs and Testimonies of your Affection to our Service For these Causes we have commissionated and deputed and we do commissionate and depute you the said Lord Galland by these our present Letters Patents signed with our own Hand unto the said Synod and order you forthwith to transport your self unto the said Synod in the Town of Charenton and therein to assist in Person as our Representative and to propose and resolve on such Matters as have been commanded you according to the Memoirs and Instructions we have delivered into your Hands taking special Care that none other Businesses be then or there treated and debated but such as of right ought to be consulted and determined on in those Assemblies and which are permitted by our Edicts and in case they should attempt any thing contrary thereunto you shall hinder it and by Interposal of our Authority suppress and stifle it and speedily give us Notice and Advice thereof that we may immediately apply such Remedies as will be most needful And for doing hereof we do now impower you by this our Commission and special Commandment in these our present Letters Patents For such is our Will and Pleasure Given at Monceaux the sixteenth Day of August in the Year of Grace one thousand six hundred thirty one and of our Reign the two and twentieth Signed in the Original LOVIS And a little lower by the King Phelippeaux And sealed with the great Seal in yellow Wax CHAP. III. The Lord Galland's Speech to the Synod 23. THE aforesaid Letters Patents having been read by the Lord Galland his Majesty's Commissioner he made this Speech unto the Synod That the King having buried in the Grave of Oblivion all former Actions which had fallen out in the last Troubles to the great Affliction of the Kingdom his Majesty gave him in charge to assure his Subjects of the Religion of his Royal Affection and good Will towards them and that whilst they continued within the Bounds of Duty and abstained from all bitter Reflections against the Government and Repose of the Publick and from all Intelligences and Correspondencies either with Natives or Foreigners and were sorely addicted to the Service of his Majesty they should experience the Kindnesses of a good Father and of a good King in his Majesty and injoy the free Exercise of their Religion and the Liberty of calling and holding their Synods Provincial and National But whereas in divers Years last past the Orders given by him and accepted of by his said Subjects have been differently interpreted His Majesty desireth by reviving them to take away for the future all Grounds of Misconstruction and Misunderstanding 24. Therefore in the first Place His Majesty requireth that whereas Commissioners were established in all Synodical Assemblies both National and Provincial by his Letters Patents in the Year 1623 founded upon the Practice observed in the Primitive Church and the Government of the best-ordered Kingdoms there shall be an intire and absolute Obedience yielded hereunto by his said Subjects of the Reformed Religion and that they do refrain and forbear all Protestations and Remonstrances to the contrary 25. In the second Place By those aforesaid Orders and agreeable to the Laws of the Kingdom it was decreed and enacted That no Strangers should be admitted into the Pastoral Office in any of the Churches which are reserved for natural French-men and Ancients of the Kingdom in bar of whom and to whose Prejudice divers Strangers have been received Wherefore his said Majesty renewing his Ordinance aforesaid doth inhibit his said Subjects to admit into the Ministry any one except a French-man born and as for others who have been admitted since the Year 1623 contrary to it his Majesty promiseth to dispense with them provided Application be made unto him for that Grace And whereas some have made Exceptions against this his general Resolution on behalf of those Ministers who are born in those Kingdoms and Common-wealths or Cities which are the Allies of his Majesty or under his Royal Protection the said Lord Commissioner declared That by Strangers we were to understand all sorts of Persons without Exception who were not born in the Kingdom or out of his Majesty's Dominions and Government although they were Natives of such Kingdoms Common-wealths and Cities as were his Majesty's Allies or under his Protection 26. In the third Place All Ministers are forbidden to depart the Kingdom without his Majesty's Licence and particularly Monsieur Salbert Minister in the Church of Rochel hath not only gone out of the Kingdom without his Majesty's Permission but in Contempt of his Royal Authority Wherefore the said Prohibitions are once more reiterated and reimposed and the said Salbert is injoined by his Majesty to reside in that Place appointed him and he is expresly forbidden all Exercise of his Ministry either in publick or private nor may this National Synod put him upon the Roll of Ministers to be presented by it unto vacant Churches 27. In the fourth Place By the National Synods of Charenton and Castres all Ministers were expresly forbidding to intermeddle with State-Matters yet notwithstanding Monsieur Beraud Minister of Montauban and Professor of Divinity in that University did not only intermeddle with State but military Affairs and was so bold as to maintain by a Book which he read unto his Auditory That Ministers have a Call to bear Arms and to shed Blood which is a Doctrine quite contrary to the Word of God the Decrees of Councils and the Laws of the Kingdom and the more dangerous in this Doctor because he instils these his wicked Notions into the tender Minds of Youth committed to his Charge and Education and 't is much to be feared that he will continue to poison them by such or the like Instructions which are foreign and contrary to the publick Peace and Tranquillity And therefore the said Manuscript is judged unworthy of publick View as being cross to the Word of God And his Majesty hath ordered its Suppression forbidding all Printers and Booksellers either to print or sell it and commandeth all the Members of this present National Synod to censure and condemn both it and its Author CHAP. IV. The Moderator's Reply to this Speech 28. THE Lord Commissioner having finished his Speech Prayers were offered up to God for the Preservation of his Majesty's Sacred Person for the Prosperity of his Government for the Settlement of the publick Peace of the Nation and for the Glory of his Crown And most humble Thanks were rendred unto his Majesty for the Continuance of his
Favour and Royal Benignity towards the Churches who have none nor desire to hold any Intelligence or Correspondence with Strangers but do protest unanimously that they will next and immediately under God depend wholly and solely on his Majesty's Protection and Soveraign Authority And it was resolved that as to the first Particular propounded by the Lord Galland his Majesty's Commissioner that although the Cause of sending those Royal Commissioners into our Ecclesiastical Synods was from divers false Reports spread abroad and taken up against those Synods most unjustly and to their great prejudice and damage and that it had occasioned the former National Synods most humbly to petition his Majesty that he would be pleased to leave the Churches in their ancient State of Liberty yet forasmuch as his Majesty hath ordained that no more Petitions should be presented him to this purpose the Churches do acquiesce in his Majesty's Pleasure sith he will have this his Ordinance inviolably observ'd and this Synod doth yield an intire Obedience to the King's Will and the Order prescribed by his Majesty whereof the Churches hope to reap the Fruits promised them in their Establishment and better Subsistence for the future and approbation of their Innocency and the rather because the last National Synods of Charenton and Castres have already tasted of them and been in a more especial manner aided by the Prudence Equanimity and good Conduct of his Lordship the Lord Galland Therefore a Decree past That conformably to his Majesty's Intention our Synodical Assemblies should subject themselves to a precise observation of his Majesty's Declaration made in the Year 1623 about sending Commissioners unto Synods and Colloquies And his Majesty shall be most humbly petitioned to enjoin those his Commissioners whom he shall be pleased to send into the Provinces not to abuse his Majesty's Name or Authority to the raising of new Difficulties which may deprive the Churches of the Effects of his Royal Bounty 29. And whereas his Majesty by his Declaration of the Year 1623 hath forbidden our Churches to receive into the Pastoral Office such Persons as are born in foreign Countries out of his Jurisdiction and divers Provincial Synods conceived that those Persons were excepted who were born in those States allied unto his Majesty and under the Covert of his Royal Protection wherein also they were confirmed by the Commissioners in whose Presence and no where else some few of those Ministers had been received Now our said Lord Commissioner having at this instant assured us that as it was his Majesty's Intention to comprehend under the name of Strangers all Persons born out of the Kingdom without exception so also that he is pleased to deal favourably with all those who have been admitted since the Year 1623 and to repute them as his natural born Subjects this Assembly intreateth the said Lord Commissioner to continue his good Offices unto our Churches and chargeth the Deputies which shall be sent unto his Majesty to present him our most humble Requests that those aforesaid Pastors may be comprized in that his Act of Grace and that for the future all others so born may be instituted and inducted into the Pastoral Cure of our Churches in the Presence of his Commissioners as if they had been natural born Frenchmen 30. And as for the third and fourth Articles in his Lordship's Speech the Synod hath upon very just Grounds intreated his Lordship to assure his Majesty that the Churches sixing themselves more and more in the observation of those Reglements taken up in the two last National Synods and with which his Majesty is fully satisfied will take all possible care that no Complaints upon those Accounts may be ever hereafter brought unto his Majesty And as for that particular Business of Monsieur Salbert this Assembly deferring all Obedience to his Majesty's Pleasure and leaving the said Salbert in that Estate wherein he is at present doth yet notwithstanding judg themselves bound by the Laws of Charity to have recourse unto his Majesty's Goodness on his behalf And therefore we most humbly beseech his Majesty out of his innate Clemency to remove the Tokens of his just Indignation against him and to let him share and participate in that same Royal Favour which he has vouchsafed and extended unto others involv'd with himself in the Miseries of the late Troubles 31. And whereas a certain Book hath been seen by us bearing Monsieur Beraud's Name whose Preface is already condemned by the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council and that we are required to examine and censure both it and him After hearing of the said Professor Beraud he did ingenuously acknowledg himself the Author of it but also that it was extorted from him by mere Force and through the Malignity of the Times in the late Confusions and that it was never in his Thoughts or Intention to grant a License unto Ecclesiastical Persons to shed Blood and those Words of which he is accused having occasioned an Exposition quite contrary to his Judgment he declareth with all possible Sincerity and as in the Presence of God that he disapproveth of the Ambiguity in which those Expressions are there couched and detesteth from his very Soul the Consequences which are thence deduced protesting that his Belief is intirely conformable to that of the Reformed Churches in this Kingdom which have according to the holy Scriptures decided in our former National Synods that Pastors should in no wise intrude themselves into the Administration of State-matters because they he wholly alien and foreign to their Profession and therefore the Argument is more valid that they cannot without contradiction to God's holy Word and the Confession of our Churches founded upon it stretch out their Hands to draw Blood from any one or engage in any military Factions This Assembly therefore confirming the Decrees of former National Synods and grievously censuring the said Beraud for having rashly and to ill purpose used those scandalous Expressions tending to establish an erroneous Doctrine declared once again That it doth reject and condemn that Proposition extracted out of the Book of the said Beraud and forbiddeth him and all other Professors in our Universities and Ministers in our Churches to teach or write any such Doctrine for time to come upon pain of incurring all Ecclesiastical Censures 32. And as for those sharp Words mentioned by his Lordship the Commissioner the Churches are utter Strangers to them having declared the Word of God with all Modesty and Meekness however they have been ill handled in divers Places and tho oftentimes our Adversaries have most licentiously perverted the most innocent Expressions of our Faith to render us more odious and criminal 33. The Lord Galland his Majesty's Commissioner requiring that Monsieur Bastide may be removed from the Church of St. Africk in the Province of Higher Languedoc because his Deportments in the said Church have been destructive to the Publick Peace and Tranquillity The Assembly being informed
of Monsieur Hommeau who was designed by the Synod of Anjou to be Pastor unto the Church of Lassay in the County of Maine it was declared null 27. Mrs. Judyth Guyot the Wife of Mr. Laverdan appealing from the Judgment pronounced against her by the Commissioners of the Synod of Burgundy and not appearing to maintain her Appeal the Assembly declared it null and void 28. Whereas some private Persons in the Church of St. Foy had appealed from the Colloquy of Lower Agenois who opposed the re-establishing of Mr. Duvall in his Office of Elder decreed by the Synod of Lower Guyenne their Appeal was declared null 29. The Synod of Sevennes having censured Monsieur du Mas and the Church of Ganges having appealed from that Judgment but not appearing to defend their Appeal it was declared null 30. Monsieur de Monbonoux and other Inhabitants of the Town of Anduze appealing from a Judgment given by the Synod of Lower Languedoc against Monsieur Arnaud their Pastor their Appeal was declared null 31. Monsieur Talaisac appealing from a Judgment denounced against Monsieur Preudhomme Pastor of the Church of Cournontaeuail his Appeal was declared null 32. Although the Province of Normandy had sufficient reason to set Monsieur Marchant at Liberty and to bestow his Ministry upon the Church of Gisors yet nevertheless because of the importunate Petition of the Church of Athis of Laselle and les Voutes and for that they have all jointly promised to give full and intire Satisfaction unto the said le Marchant and for that he expresseth a great Inclination to continue his Service unto the said Church of Athis the Assembly leaving it to the Care of the Colloquy of Roven to provide for the Church of Gisors ordaineth That the said Monsieur le Marchant shall be settled again in that of Athis and its annexed Congregations who shall make him a full and compleat Paiment of all Arrears of Sallary due unto him And in Default hereof the next Synod shall execute upon them that Judgment formerly denounced against them 33. On Sight and Perusal of the Acts of the Synod of Dolphiny as also of the Letters and Memoirs of Monsieur Aymin Pastor in the Church of Die this Assembly judging his Appeals frivolous declared on the first that the Province of Dolphiny had very prudently judged that they ought not to be troubled about Sollicitings made in the Years sixteen hundred thirty three and thirty four for the Maintenance of the University of Die that he ought not to have tarried at Paris after the Revocation of the Powers given for those Sollicitings and that he ought now to be accountable to the Council of the University of Die who imployed him and in case he were aggrieved then should he have carried his Complaint to the Consistory of Lyons who were commissionated to judg finally of this Affair And on the second that he hath well deserved the severest Censures for not acquiescing in the Judgment of his Province which is exhorted to oblige him and all others to a personal Residence with their Flocks on Pain of having all Church-Censures inflicted on them and in no wise to suffer the Monies destinated by the Churches for the Maintenance of the University of Die to be diverted contrary to the Intention of the Donors unto other Uses 34. The Memoirs of Monsieur de la Fitte Pastor of the Church of Pau and of de Mirau Elder in the Church of Bourdeaux and the Letters and Memoirs of the Lords de la Peyrette and du Bois private Members of the said Church of Bourdeaux were all read and their Appeal also from the Judgment of the Province of Lower Guyenne which was reported by the Deputies of that Synod Whereupon the Assembly declared that the Appellants had not any Grievance at all upon them and that their Appeal was therefore groundless and rejected CHAP. XV. General Matters 1637. The 27th Synod Article 1. * THE Assembly leaveth the Provinces at full Liberty to keep their ancient Customs observed by them in singing that Prayer at the End of the ten Commandments and which is usually recited by some kneeling by others standing and by others sitting according to the settled establish'd Order in every Church not judging it in any-wise reasonable to oblige them all unto one only Form in a Matter which of its own Nature is indifferent Article 2. The Province of Berry requesting it this Assembly ordaineth that for the future when the Question shall be moved about furnishing our Universities with Professors in Divinity that Province in which the University lieth destitute of a Professor shall invite the four next adjoining Provinces to depute at their own Charges some of their Pastors who may assist in Person at the Examen of the Candidate for the vacant Professor's Chair Article 3. The Demand of the Province of Poictou was granted that whoso should hereafter transgress the 16th Article in the 14th Chapter of our Discipline and the particular Canons enacted in the Province where he resideth about publishing of Books shall be suspended from the Ministry Article 4. However Men may have a Right to buy or keep Slaves and this be not condemned by the Word of God nor is it abolished by the Preaching of the Gospel in the far greatest part of Europe and though there hath been insensibly brought in a Custom to the contrary and that Merchants purchase and dispose of them as of their proper Goods and Chattels especially such as traffick on the Coasts of Africk and the Indies where this Commerce is permitted do buy from the Barbarians either by way of Exchange of Goods or for ready Money Men and Women-Slaves who being once in their Power and Possession they do again openly sell in the Market or truck them away unto others This Assembly confirming that Canon made on this Occasion by the Provincial Synod of Normandy doth exhort the Faithful not to abuse this their Liberty contrary to the Rules of Christian Charity nor to transfer these poor Infidels unto other Hands besides those of Christians who may deal kindly and humanely with them and above all may take special Care of their precious immortal Souls and see them instructed in the Christian Religion Article 5. The Province of Lower Languedoc desiring it all the Provinces are informed to take heed that the 9th Article in the 1st Chapter of our Discipline be not transgressed which forbids the ordaining of any Proposan without a Title or assigning him to some particular Church Article 6. The Deputies of Lower Languedoc being expresly charged thereunto by their Province did represent that although the Churches of this Kingdom had in all their Sermons Prayers and Thanksgivings publick and private given evident Proof to the whole World of that Fidelity and most sincere Obedience which his Majesty's natural-born Subjects of the Reformed Religion were obliged to yield unto his Majesty yet nevertheless the sworn Enemies of our Religion do never cease railing
bring you into Confusion So that you have good reason to admire the Benignity and Justice of his Majesty assisted with his Eminency's Counsel in giving you his Protection that by means of his Royal Power so much needed by you you may be maintained in all Liberty and enabled to deliberate and decree in those Points of Doctrin and Disciplin relating to your Religion altho his Majesty do not in the least wise approve of it because of its great difference from that of which he makes Profession as also doth not the far greatest part of his People who are his Subjects So that in case they should take that advantage they have to abuse you any way you have not in these circumstances under which you are now fallen through past Disorders any other means for your Subsistence but his Sovereign Authority which only since you have lost those Forces and Fortresses in which you formerly confided can keep you safe and if you will be contented happy Besides you know it by good experience that there is nothing more expedient or advantagious to you than an entire Submission unto his Majesty's Commands and next and immediately after God that you should depend upon the King's Sovereignty nor is any thing more just and reasonable when you put them both together for on the one hand you have his Majesty's Power and Good Will and on the other you have your Duty and Profit inseparably joyned together And there is yet something more cogent in the present Juncture of Affairs for sith the Divine Grace hath Crowned both King and Kingdom with so many Victories God sheweth you the beginnings of that Peace which above all other things you have so very much desired and so ardently prayed for and from which you may hope to participate in those abundant Blessings that are likely to flow in upon the Nation And his Majesty also on his part may hope that all his Subjects in thankfulness for this great Benefit will be the more Affectionately engaged unto bis Service and yield more chearful Obedience to him as they be all obliged by their Birth but you Sirs more than all of them because of those particular Priviledges which have been granted to you on this Occurrence I am expresly charged in the first Article of my Instructions from his Majesty to assure you that he will preserve you in the full enjoyment of those Priviledges which have been conferred upon you he declaring this to be his Intention that he will carry a Fatherly Affection towards his Subjects of the Reformed Religion and continue unto them the effects of his wonted kindnesses and that he will maintain and cause inviolably to be maintained his Edicts of Pacification believeth that you will persevere in that respect and Duty whereunto you are obliged And that you may obtain those Favours which his Majesty hath promised you his Majesty commanded me to tell you that immediately upon the Death of the Lord D' Arzillieres who exercised the Office of General Deputy he appointed the Lord of Ruvigny to succeed him and to take care of your Concerns at Court having an entire Confidence in him that he will serve him well and believing also that you will as you ought confide in him it being for your own good Yet his Majesty would not constrain you by mere necessity to have recourse unto him always if you have any Arguments of sufficient strength to exempt you and which his Majesty may accept and approve of And father his Majesty charged me to acquaint you that it was his Will that you should not in any of your National Synods make a Demand of a Political Assembly for the Election of a Deputy Commissioner On which Head I am particularly charged that in case any such Motion should offer to be made by the Deputies immediately to suppress it and not suffer it to be debated nor resolved And although his Majesty hath good Grounds to believe that you are well content with his Nomination of the Lord Ruvigny because of those Good Offices he hath already done you as his Majesty is with all his other Employments until now yet am I ordered to declare unto you that you be left at your Liberty to deliberate about the Confirmation of him in this Office of General Deputy that so after your Debate upon it his Majesty may provide at he shall think good And if you should allow of him and desire his Confirmation in this Office his Majesty will be very well pleased hoping that he will continue to acquit himself worthily in it that so being approved by you he may owe his establishment purely to your Consent And whereas in the last National Synod his Majesty had declared it to be his Will that no Deputy General should assist in it because no Person can be admitted a Member of it unless he be first chosen and deputed by a Provincial Synod and if he was admitted in quality of General Depute he must be there to debate of â—ecular Affâ—airs none of which kind and nature are or ought to be handled in such an Assembly Besides there be not now a days any Political or mixt Assemblies yet nevertheless his Majesty our of mere respect to the Lord of Ruvigny doth allow him to use that Priviledge which hath been ever enjoyed by his Predecessors in this Office and that he may come unto and vote in it at his Pleasure Moreover that such matters as have in these Assemblies been heretofore represented by his Majesty may be better executed according to his Majesty's Intentions and also whatever he may order hereafter I am according to his Orders given me in the first place to forbid you that you do not on any account whatsoever treat in this Synod of any Secular or State-matters or of Justice directly or indirectly but only of Church Discipline and of Reformation of Manners And to this purpose that no Assembly be hold Little or Great by Day or by Night but in my Presence and that no Persons be appointed as a Council in the Provinces in prejudice to those Prohibitions made by the Edict in the Month of November 1622. and that no General Fasts shall be proclaimed by the Provincial Synods Moreover It being his Majesty's desire that all his Subjects should live in Peace a Blessing so very needful for them and recommended to them by his Edicts of Pacification which he will have most strictly observed all Ministers are enjoyned to keep themselves in all their publick Discourses within the bounds of Moderation and to give no just cause of complaint of their Conduct and they be all expresly forbidden in their Sermons or Books to mention the Word Antichrist when as they speak of the Pope nor to style the Catholicks Idolaterâ— nor to treat the Catholick Religion with any scandalous or injurious Termâ— such as the Abuse and Deceits of Satan and other such like which are to be found in your Confession of Faith His Majesty
with divers Slanders not only against private Persons but also against the Provincial Synod and Consistory of the said City and the last Synod of Bauge is very much blamed for permitting the Impression and Publication of a Book entituled Les Pieces Authentiques And this Assembly confirmeth the Judgment of the Synod of Saumur in what concerns the Sieur de Beaujardin exhorting all Parties to lay by all their Resentments conceived one against the other upon the score of those injurious Words and Writings and to declare that they have no Intention in the least of harbouring them any more nor of persisting in them but that contrary wise they do acknowledge one another for Persons of Integrity and Honour and exempted from all Blame and Reproach and in this Quality they shall give each other the Hand of Reconciliation And to prevent all Differences for the future the Provincial Synod of Anjou is enjoyned to proceed against the Transgressors according to the Rigour of our Church-Discipline even to the last Censures and in case an Appeal should be entred the Provincial Synod of Brittaine shall take cognizance thereof and pass Judgment in it which shall hold good till the meeting of the next National Synod And as for those differences in the University of Saumur this Assembly giveth full Liberty unto the said University of chusing its Professors in Divinity proceeding therein according to its ancient Canons and Monsieur Royer Doctor of Physick is confirmed in his Office of Counsellor to the said University and the Sieur Doul in that of Professor of Eloquence without suffering the said Nomination to be made a Precedent and on this condition that the said Professor Doul do every three Months keep a publick Act. And this Assembly hath likewise approved and ratified that Canon of Agreement betwixt the Consistory and the said University for taking cognizance of all Affairs depending upon both those Assemblies And that this present Decree may be put in Execution the Sieurs Guitton and de Bourdieu Pastors and the Sieur des Champs an Elder are deputed to pass over unto Saumur and to visit the said Church which is ordered to defray their Expences 22. The Sieur John Nicholas a Bookseller Deputy from the Company of Merchants and Burgesses Members of the Reformed Church of Grenoble having presented to this Assembly Acts and Memoirs fraught with Complaints against the Consistory of the said Church occasioned by reason of a difference risen betwixt them and the Attornies in the Parliament and Court of the Edict there about Seats in their Consistory and demanded on behalf of their Principles the Merchants afore-named that the 7th Canon in the third Chapter of our Discipline might be observed the Substance of which was That neither Deacons nor Elders should claim any Primacy or Dominations the one over another be it either in their Nomination unto the People or in their place of sitting or in their Order of Voting And the Provincial Deputies of Dolphiny being heard and the Committee having made their Report the Assembly remandeth back this Affair to the Consistory of that Church of Grenoble to judge ultimately therein according to that Power given it by the Canons of the National Synods and the said Consistory is enjoyned to see that the said Canon of our Discipline be most exactly observed and censureth those Persons who opposed the said Consistory 23. The Provincial Deputies of Berry having advised the Church of Gergeau of the calling of this present National Synod and ordered them to appear before it to support their Appeal entred by them against the Judgment of their Provincial Synod held at Blois by which the Sieur la Tanne their Pastor was licensed to quit both that Church and Province and no Person appearing for them nor sending any Memoirs in Defence of their Appeal it was declared null and void 24. The Sieur du Vals Pastor of the Church of Aimargues appealed from the Judgment of the Synod of Lower Languedoc held at Vsez about the Differences held between him and the Sieur de Richeres Pastor of the Church of Vielle Ville This Assembly not finding matters as yet ripe for a compleat Decision hath dismissed them over to the Consistory of the Church of Alez who shall judge finally therein and without Appeal from them 25. There was an Appeal brought by the Consistory of the Church of Arvel from those Judgments past in divers Synods of the Province of Xaintonge about some certain Seats in the Temple of the said Church And the Deputies of that Province were heard who declared that they never had any notice given them of the said Appeal nor that it was to be prosecuted in this Assembly And that the Synod of their Province had not any knowledge of this Affair but only the contending Parties This Assembly without demurring on those Judgments passed by the said Synod of Xaintonge remanded back again this Affair unto the Consistory of the said Church of Arvel there to be determined according to the Canons made in this and former National Synods And as for other Affairs mentioned in the Memorial of the said Consistory relating to the Lady of La Monerie and the joyning of the Church of Braize to that of Mornac and that of the Lord of Forgiris to the said Church of Braize or of Arvel this Assembly hath dismissed them over to the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge 26. Mr. James Collin having sent no Memoirs to uphold his Appeal from that Judgment of the Provincial Synod of the Isle of France held at la Ferte au Col in the Year 1657. by which the said Synod declared that they met with nothing in that Act of the Consistory of Vitry dated February the 14th of the same Year which might induce that Consistory to censure the said Collin as he imagineth that they have done or that he was the Author of those matters contained in the Memorials produced by him against the Siuer Anguenet one of the Pastors of said Church of Vitry nor could they find in the said Act any Censure against him the said Mr. Collin for which Reasons they believed that his Appeal was needless All which considered this Assembly declared that the Appeal of the said Mr. James Collin from the aforesaid Judgment of the Synod of La Ferte au Col is null and void 27. Monsieur Paullet formerly Pastor in the Church of Vsez but at present Minister in the Church of Vaux and Province of Lower Languedoc did exhibit in his own Name and on behalf of the Magistrates Consuls and Common Council and of divers Heads of Families Members of the said Church the Reasons of their Appeals brought against the Judgments of the Synods of Montpellier in the Year 1654. and of Vsez in the Year 1659. and of Montpellier in the same Year as also why they opposed the Call of Pastors and Elders here undernamed in the said Church of Vsez The Provincial Deputies of Lower Languedoc and particularly
the Decre of that Synod held at Loudun 1655. And it doth disannul the Decree of the Synod of Beauge in the Year 1656. which upon this very account had confirmed the Decrees of the said Consistory Yet nevertheless it approveth that Order of suspending the Sieurs Niott Perillau and Piger from their Office of being Elders in the said Church which was denounc'd against them by that Consistory and ratified by the said Synod of Beauge Moreover this Assembly doth disannul that Decree of the Synod of Saumur in the Year 1657. which confirmed another made in the foregoing Synod of Beauge concerning the Ministry of the said Sieur D'Huisseau and disapproveth their Act in censuring the said D'Huisseau for having put in his Appeal to the Synod of Poictou from the Synod of Beauge for which he had very good and sufficient Grounds no less than a Canon of the National Synod of Charenton 1644. and for other Causes mentioned in the Acts of the said Synod And this Assembly could wish that the said Synod of Saumur had not approved the Meetings of the said Consistory in other places than those in which they were accustomed Moreover this Assembly blameth that Consistory for that in stead of doing right upon the Complaint of those aforesaid Gentlemen the Sieurs D'Huisseau de Haumont and their Companions which was occasioned by those Writings of Monsieur Amirald that published their Divisions in prejudice of those Apologies made by the said Synod of Saumur it censured them and would oblige 'em to demand Pardon and upon this account it reverseth the Decree of the Synod of Previlly in the Year 1658. which had confirmed the Judicial Sentence f the said Consistory This Assembly also could have wished that the said Consistory before they had pronounced Sentence of Suspension from the Lord's Supper against the Sieus Benoist Niotte de Haumont and Bouchereau for being the reputed Authors of those injurious Libels written both against them and the Synod of Anjou and the Sieurs Amyrald Beaujardin and others that they had took a more exact knowledge whether the forenamed Persons had been fully convicted And yet forasmuch as it hath since appeared evidently and plainly unto this Assembly that they were the real Authors of them they be by this Assembly declared worthy of that Censure of Suspension which was inflicted on them However this Assembly being very much grieved at this Division which hath so long a time troubled the said Church of Saumur and designing to settle a good firm and lading Peace among them for the future it doth take off that Suspension denounc'd against the Sieurs Niott and Perilleau and Mr. Piger deceased and taketh off that Censure of Suspension from the Lord's Supper denounc'd against the Sieurs Niotte Benoist de Haumont and Bouchereau and notwithstanding that Opposition made against the Calls of the Sieurs Druett Pillet and D'Ortonne unto the Office of Elders this Assembly doth confirm them in it And as to what concerns Monsieur d'Huisseau this Assembly wisheth that he had neither written nor printed any Letters on the account of these Differences However it disannulleth that Decree past against him by the Consistory of Saumur assisted by the Sieurs Guiraud and La Fay Ministers of the Gospel the 27th of March last and dismisseth him with Honour back unto his Church of Saumur and for six Months time he is to preach unto it as often as his Strength will suffer him which time the Assembly hath regulated to be the Work of one half Week when it comes unto his turn that so it may be known within that time whether he may be able for the future to perform the ordinary Duties of his Ministry as to the full and whole of it or of a Moiety only And whenas that time shall be expired or if it be before the sitting of the Provincial Synod of Anjou he shall then acquaint that Synod fully and plainly of his Intentions And in case he shall be then able to exercise his Ministry either as to the whole or to a Moiety of it he shall be at that time confirmed and payed his Wages proportionably to the Service which he hath performed during those six Months of Tryal And if that by reason of his bodily Infirmities he cannot perform the whole or one half of his Work in preaching he shall be from that time discharged but nevertheless he shall still be reputed and taken for Pastor of the said Church without Wages according to his own Proposals in which he shall have liberty to preach whenever he shall be requested to it and may when and as often as he pleaseth assist at Consistories and other Ecclesiastical Assemblies and shall enjoy both his Votes deliberative and decisive yet without pretending to any right of Presidency in those aforesaid Consistories or of being deputed by the said Church unto their Provincial Synods This Assembly censureth also the Sieur Niotte and others who shrowded themselves under the Secular Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrate in Contempt of the Canons of our Discipline and for taking the whole Consistory for their adverse Party that so they might be exempted from its Jurisdiction and for presenting an Act highly injurious to the said Consistory Moreover this Assembly doth condemn and censure with the greatest Severity all those Writings and Prints which have been made and published by both Parties as most scandalous and injurious and particularly a Letter styled Du Provincial stuft with divers Slanders not only against private Persons but also against the Provincial Synods and Consistory of the said City And the last Synod of Beauge is very much blamed for permitting the Impression and Publication of a Book Entituled Les Pieces Authentiques And this Assembly confirmeth the Judgment of the Synod of Saumur in what concerns the Sieur de Beaujardin exhorting all Parties to lay by all their Resentments one against the other upon the score of those injurious Words and Writings and to declare that they have no Intention in the least of harbouring them any more nor of persisting in them but that contrarywise they do acknowledge one another for Persons of Integrity and Honour and exempted from all Blame or Reproach and in this Quality they shall give each other the Hand of Reconciliation And to prevent all Differences for the future the Provincial Synod of Anjou is enjoyned to proceed against the Transgressors according to the rigour of our Church-Discipline even to the last Censures And in case an Appeal should be entred the Provincial Synod of Britain shall take Cognizance thereof and pass Judgment in it which shall hold good till the meeting of the next National Synod And as for the Differences in the University of Saumur this Assembly giveth full Liberty unto the said University of chusing its Professors in Divinity proceeding therein according to its ancient Canons and Monsieur Royer Doctor of Physick is confirmed in his Office of Counsellor to the said University and the