then if the said Dissenters refuse conformity they shall promising as before be dismissed over to the ordinary National Synod or if there be one at that time extraordinarily assembled they shall be heard in it with all holy freedom And here shall be the final and absolute Decision made of this Controversie from the Word of God whereunto if they refuse a full and entire Obedience and in plain and express terms do not renounce their recorded Errors they shall be cut off by the Sword of Excommunication from the Body of their Churches A Pastor or Elder breaking the Churches Vnion or stirring up contention about any Point of Doctrine or Discipline which he had subscribed or about the Form of Catechising Administration of Sacraments Publick Prayers or Celebration of Marriage and not conforming to the determination of the Colloquy shall be then suspended from his Office and either the Provincial or National Synod shall finally proceed against him CHAP. V. The manner of Electing Ministers XIX THE Fourth Article concerning Ministers shall be couched in these terms A Minister shall not be chosen by one only Minister with his Consistory but by two or three Ministers called into the said Consistory and if there be one in being by the Colloquy or if it may be by the Provincial Synod Afterward he shall be recommended to the People who shall hear him two or three weeks following or for some longer time if it be conceived fitting that he may be known to them and his Method in Teaching the Congregation also shall be expresly informed that if any one of them know a just cause or reason why the called Minister should not be chosen or if they be dissatisfied with them that they would declare it unto the Consistory who will readily receive and patiently and freely hear their Exceptions against him And in case there arise contention on one side or other the Election shall be suspended and the whole Affair shall be brought before the Provincial Synod who shall take knowledge both of the Justification and Reception of the said Ministers who though justified shall not however be imposed upon that People against their will or to the discontentment of the major part of them And on the contrary the Peoples Silence shall be taken for their full consent Finally the said Pastor shall be presented unto the People and be ordained by laying on of hands And if any Ministers be desired by particular Churches to be employed in their Service they shall be sent with good Testimonials of their Life and Doctrine unto the Colloquy or Synod of the Province whereunto the Churches that demanded them do belong and that Colloquyor Synod shall first hear them and in case the Ministers thus sent have never before exercised the Pastoral Office they may examine them and afterwards depute three or four Ministers to nominate and present them unto the Churches which desired them who having heard them preach shall finally receive them or if the People do oppose it the whole Affair shall be determined according to the Order before appointed and all at the Costs and Charges of the Churches which demanded them XX. At the close of that Article concerning Excommunication under the Head of Delinquents these words shall be added And during the Publication as well of the said Excommunication as of the Reconciliation it shall be lawful for those of the People who never consented to give Notice of it unto the Consistory and they have all holy liberty for so doing and the Consistory shall consider of it whereas the silence of others shall be taken for consent And in case of opposition or discontent they shall not proceed unto Excommunication without advising with the Colloquy yet nevertheless the said Suspension shall stand and remain in its full vigour and effect XXI To the first Article of Particular Orders there shall be made this short addition And to nourish Monks XXII In the 27th Article concerning Ministers after these words To shorten the Term of Three Months there shall be added And the said Colloquy shall consider how those ungrateful Persons shall be dealt with weighing maturely and considering seriously all Circumstances and above all having in their eyes the Glory of God the Edification of his Church and the Honour of the Ministry And what remains of that Article shall be razed out XXIII After the 18th Article concerning Consistories this present shall be subjoyned In those places where the Exercise of the Reformed Religion is not established the Faithful shall be exhorted by the Neighbour Colloquies to choose unto themselves Elders and Deacons and to observe the Discipline of the Church and the Colloquy shall advise unto what Church most commodiously both for Minister and People they may be annexed and this shall be done by consent of all or the major part of them and they shall not depart from that Church without having first consulted the said Colloquy Provincial Synods have Power of changing Ministers XXIV The 16th Article concerning Ministers shall be couched in these following words Authority is granted unto Provincial Synods for certain Causes to remove Ministers their Churches being first heard and their Reasons duly pondered but in case of difference the Cause shall be finally decided by the National Synod and till that Sentence be obtained Ministers shall abide where they were XXV There shall be this addition made unto the Article of Provincial Synods And the said Deputies shall come at the common Charges and Expences of their Churches XXVI To the sixth Article of Baptism this Clause shall be added And after they have made Profession of Religion XXVII To the third Article of Elders after these words As also the Sentences of Suspension shall be done there shall be this addition Without any mentioning of Name XXVIII Unto the end of the 7th Article of Elders shall be this added And they shall be diligently exhorted to continue in their Offices as long as may be because frequent changes brings damage unto the Church The Faithful may not be present at any Stage-plays XXIX There shall be this addition at the end of the 18th Article concerning particular Orders It shall not be lawful for the Faithful to be present at Stage-Plays Comedies Tragedies or Farces whether they be acted publickly or privately because they have been ever condemned by God's ancient Churches for corrupting of good Manners especially when as the Holy Scripture shall be profaned by them But if a Colledge judge it meet for their Youth to represent any History not comprised in the Sacred Scriptures which was never given us for our sport and pastime but to be preached for our conversion and comfort and provided this be done but very seldom and by the Advice of the Colloquy which shall first peruse the Composition it may be tolerated XXX The fifteenth Province shall be divided into two Forest Auvergna and La Marche shall make one Burgundy Lyonnois and Benujolois another and
Cause and Sin must he confessed VIII There shall be no publick Penance done in the Church without express Confession of the Cause and Crime committed by this publick Penitent They shall not be chosen Elders nor Deacons who have Popish Wives IX For the future none shall be chosen if possible into the Eldership or Deaconry whose Wives are of a contrary Religion according as the Apostle Paul hath ordained Nevertheless that the Church may not be deprived of the Service of divers godly and well-deserving Persons who by reason of past ignorance have Wives of another Religion they may for this present necessity be tolerated provided they do their endeavour by Instructions and Counsels to convert their Wives and to bring them into Communion with the Church X. Neither Ministers nor Elders may give Attestations without an express and punctual Declaration of the Places and Persons Names and the way which they intend to travel who obtained these Certificates at their hands And if any Attestations are presented to them without these Circumstances they are required to vacate and tear them in pieces and those who granted them shall be censured in the next ensuing Colloquy or Synod CHAP. III. An Act for a National FAST IX FOrasmuch as the Times are very Calamitous and that our poor Churches as are daily menaced with many and sore Tribulations and for that Sins and Vices of all sorts are risen up and growing in upon us in a very fearful manner a general Day of Prayer and Fasting shall be published that our People may humble themselves before the Lord and all the Churches of this Kingdom shall observe it on one and the self-same Day which shall be Tuesday the 25th of March next following and if it may be done the Lord's Supper shall also be administred in all the Churches on the ensuing Sabbath XII According to the 2d Article in the Chapter of Consistories and Book of Discipline about Common-Prayers The Churches shall be exhorted where Morning and Evening Common-Prayers are publickly used to conform themselves unto those others which have none and where this Custom was never introduced And Ministers shall advise all Governors of Families to Worship God by Morning and Evening Prayers in and together with their respective Housholds and Families XIII Churches refusing to defray the Expences of their Ministers in going to Classes and Synods Churches shall defray their Ministers expences at Collâ—quies and Synods shall be admonished of their Duty and in case of non-performance and that their Ministers be inforced to travel to those Sessions at their own Costs and Charges they shall be deprived of their Ministers unless they remind themselves of their Duty and reimburse them those Sums they had so expended Moreover Colloquies shall reassume their disused Exercise of Propositions on the Word of God as they were formerly handled to their very great Profit and Edification That so Ministers may better know their Duty and grow in the Study and Understanding of the Holy Scripture and be more Methodical in their Sermons and Divinity Discourses XIV God-mothers shall be equally bound to the Religious Education of those Children for whom they be Sureties as their God-fathers And Ministers shall charge them to see that they conscientiously fulfil their Promises XV. The Synod having been acquainted that in divers Places during the Celebration of the Lord's Supper Ministers do vary in their Expressions it judgeth that nothing shall be innovated in particular Churches but that herein they be left unto their Liberty for the present only the Provinces shall be advertised to come prepared about this Matter unto the next National Synod XVI His Majesty shall be Petition'd to approve of those Marriages which have been celebrated among us during the last Civil Wars according to the Tenor of the former Edict against the Laws of the Romish Church in that particular Article of Consanguinities and Affinities CHAP. IV. Cases of CONSCIENCE A Man may nâ—t marry his dead Wife's Aunt XVII IT being Queried Whether any one might Marry the Aunt of his deceased Wife Answer was given That such a Marriage was altogether Incestuous and in case any Church had permitted it the said Church deserved Censure See the Synod of Bergeraâ— Art 2. XVIII This Case being propounded A Maid was betrothed unto a Man by words de presentl and with the usual requisite Solemnities The Resolution of this Case was to be given by the Magistrate but afterwards this Man happens to be condemned unto the Gallies during Life yet by some how or other he escapeth out of them and returning home doth demand and summon his betrothed Spouse to marry him according to her Promise What shall be done herein The Synod doth advise That because Marriage is a mixt Alliance the Parties concerned shall apply themselves unto the Magistrate according to whose Decree the Church shall be governed XIX Although the holding Temporalities of Benefices in France be an indifferent Matter yet the Faithful are admonished to intermeddle as little as may be with such Purchases because of their evil and dangerous Consequences and Consistories and Colloquies shall use a great deal of Prudence in their Opinions and Actings in and about them Scripture-stories must be handled with modesty by Poets XX. Such as shall put into Verse or Poems Scripture-stories are admonished not to blend nor mingle Poetical Fables with them nor to ascribe unto God the Names of false Gods nor to add or diminish from the Sacred Scriptures but to confine themselves strictly to the Scripture-Terms Modesty in Apparel See the Synod of Paris Gen. Mat. Art 33. XXI That Article concerning the immodest Habits and Fashions of Men and Women shall be observed with the greatest Care imaginable And both Sexes are required to keep Modesty in their Hair and every thing else that no Scandal may be given to our Neighbour See the Synod of Bergerac Art 9. upon reading the Discipline XXII A Minister may not together with his Ministery practice Physick But yet out of Charity he may give his Advice and Assistance unto the sick Members of his Church and to the Neighbourhood without diverting himself from his Function nor shall he draw Advantage from it unless in time only of Trouble and Persecution when as he cannot exercise his Ministery in his own Church XXIII Fathers and Mothers are exhorted to be exceeding careful in Instructing their Children which are the Seed and Nursery of the Church and they shall be most bitterly censured who send them to the Schools of Priests Jesuits and Nuns As also the Gentry shall be reproved who place them Pages or Domesticks in the Houses of Lords and Noble-men of the contrary Religion XXIV Such as commit enormous Crimes as Incests Murders or the like shall be without any more ado cut off from Communion at the Lord's Table and their Suspension shall be published in the Church XXV If there arise any difference between a Church and
of one and the same Faith and Acts of Love and Charity because they are part of the same Mystical Body whose Members have none other aim or end than with one heart to serve God and the King in peaceable Lives and Liberty of Conscience so as for the Churches in other Nations they never had nor ever will have any Intelligence Alliance or Correspondency with them than what shall be approved by God and His Majesty desiring always to live in peace under the Wings of His protection Farther the Council protesterh that our Churches had never the least intimation or knowledge that any of their Members professing the Reformed Religion have tamper'd in any Plots or Treasons with the Spaniard or other Enemies of this Crown and if it could be proved to them that there be such as were ingaged in those pernicious designs and practises we would be the very first with heart and hand to subscribe unto their Condemnation and to abhor both them their Complices and Adherents as we now do from our very Souls profess our Abhorrency and Detestation both of them their Doctrine and practise who having divers times attempted to Assassinate the Sacred Persons of Kings do to this very day uphold and mantain Intelligencies and Correspondencies both at home and abroad within and without the Kingdom against their pretious Lives and Imperial Crowns Dignities and Regal Authority As for that Canon past in the Synod of Realmont and read now unto us This Council cannot conceal its grief for the great wrong done unto that Synod because it was enforced by His Majesties Commissioner then personally assisting in it to frame an Act which seems to take for granted that there were some Ministers accused of holding Intelligence with the Spaniard the most implacable Enemy of France and of our Churches though in truth there was not so much as one found guilty of that Crime and the Churches cannot but adore the goodness of God unto them that after the most diligent and rigorous Inquiries made to this purpose not one of our Pastors could be impeached and that the malitious and shameless Calumnies of our most invenim'd and inveterate Adversaries could never fasten or prove their Accusation upon any one particular Person of one Communion The Event having at last demonstrated that our Churches were condemned most unjustly and cleared and proclaimed innocent of all those Accusations before the whole World And as for the two following points This Assembly is resolved to give full contentment unto His Majesty And whereas our former National Synods have made a Canon about the first so will this also be as careful to enact another And the Acts of this Assembly shall answer for the second so that His Majesty shall ever have Universal Obedience Subjection Fidelity and most Faithful Service from our Churches whereunto we are obliged by our Natural Duty the Motions of our Conscience and the Ordinance of our God CHAP. V. The Kings Warrant for Choice of a New General Deputy THE Lord Commissioner Galland having been informed of the Death of the Lord Maniald one of the General Deputies of our Churches unto His Majesty did on the Five and Twentieth day of September present unto this National Synod this following Warrant dispatched by Express Order from His Majesty This day the Three and Twentieth of August One Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Six His Majesty being at Nants and considering that the term of Three vears was now expired in which the Lords of Montmartyn and Maniald who had been chosen General Deputies for His Subjects professing the P. Reformed Religion and in that Quality and Office to reside and serve at Court and to attend upon His Majesty in all his Progress and Motions and that there must be a new Election of some other Deputies to succeed them in their Office and considering farther that this Election could not be more conveniently done than in a National Assembly and Council which His Majesty hath permitted His said Subjects of the Reformed Religion to hold in the City of Castres this September next ensuing that so they may not be put to unnecessary Expence and Trouble as they would otherwise be if they should be forced to call another Assembly on this occasion His Majesty for these considerations and divers other good and important reasons relating unto his Service the Repose and Tranquillity of his Government and Kingdom hath granted License unto the Deputies which shall be present at the said National Council to treat and choose new Deputies who may reside and serve in that Quality near his Royal Person instead of the said Lords of Montmartyn and Maniald and this in the presence of the Lord Galland one of the Lords of our Council of State and Commissioner unto the said National Assembly and to propose unto him Six Persons capable faithful and most affectionately inclin'd unto His Majesties Service and the Publick Peace that out of them His Majesty may prick two unto the said Office of General Deputies by means whereof those aforesaid Lords of Montmartyn and Manyald shall be discharged of their Imployment observing the forms in such cases accustomed provided alwayes that in the Assembly aforesaid there shall not be any other Matters debated or handled excepting what concern the Discipline of their Religion as has been determined by His Majesties Edicts and Declarations In testimony whereof His Majesty hath commanded me to expedite this present Writt Signed by His Own Royal Hand and Countersigned by me one of His Most Honourable Privy Council and Secretary of State and of his Commands Signed Louis and a little lower Philippeaux CHAP. VI. The Synods deliberation upon the Writt THE Assembly consulting upon His Majesties Writt and considering that it does not contain an Express Command but only a simple permission to nominate General Deputies and that it doth in such a manner restrain the said permission as that it leaveth unto this Assembly no liberty nor power at all of calling the said Lord of Montmartyn to an Accompt who hath from the first time of his Election unto this present day exercised the said General Deputation much less to give Instructions unto such as may be Elected unto the said Office Besides that this Assembly durst not adventure upon the said Election without an open violation of His Majesties Edicts Letters Patents and Sealed Letters and of our usual and accustomed Order and the Solemn Protestation of former Synods who have expresly declared that they desired and intended utterly to forbear all cognisance of Affairs of this Nature And farther that the Churches had been for a very long time together deprived of the Assistance of His Majesties Bounty and that it would be needful most humbly to petition him to order his Royal Promises to be observed and entirely accomplished and fulfilled For these Causes and Reasons and particularly that we might keep within the bounds of Order and to the Ancient practice of the Churches The Council judged
Actings in the Church of Paillac which he quitted and forsook during the times of the late Commotions 10. The Province of the Isle of France and Church of Paris having related their Proceedings with Monsieur Richer formerly Pastor in the Church of Vandieres This Assembly applauding the Charity of the said Province and particularly of the Church of Paris towards him doth confirm the Judgment denounced against him by the said Province for his Levity and evil Conversation notwithstanding the long-continued Indulgence of that Province to him 11. Forasmuch as the Colloquy of Ambrun was not in a Capacity of taking Cognizance of the Cause of Mr. Genoyer which was recommended to them by the National Synod of Castres This Assembly commissionates the Colloquy of Gapensois finally to determine that matter 12. This Assembly having read the Censure past on Monsieur Persy and ordained that it should be razed out of the Acts of the National Synod of Castres doth commissionate the Provincial Deputies of Higher Languedoc in their Return homeward to pass by Monflanquin and to take Cognizance of the Fact mentioned in the Acts of the Synod of Lower Guyenne And in case the said Deputies cannot execute their Commission they shall give notice of it unto their Province which is impowered in that case to pronounce a final Sentence 13. Although the Deputies of Lower Languedoc have faithfully informed this Assembly how that through the rich and soveraign Mercy of God Monsieur Peyrat was preserved from the very Brink and Precipice of Destruction unto which his many Infirmities and sore Temptations had most lamentably exposed him and declared the Course which the Synod of the said Province had took with him in order to his Recovery and Re-establishment in the Exercise of his Ministerial Office yet doth it nevertheless grievously censure the Provincial Synod for proceeding to his Restoration contrary to the usual and accustomed Forms and Neglect of the Canons of our Church-Discipline 14. Monsieur Aymard Deputy of the Province of Sevennes unto the National Synod of Castres having not discharged the Commission given him by the said Synod This Assembly censuring both the said Aymard for his Neglect and the Province of Sevennes for not calling him to an Account for it doth confirm the Judgment passed by the Provincial Synod of Lower Languedoc against Mr. Tustan 15. This Assembly judging the Neglect of the Province of Sevennes worthy of a most grievous Censure ordains that the Act made in the National Synod of Castres against Monsieur Bony shall abide in full force And whereas the Colloquy of Montpellier hath took Information of the Facts proposed but not decided in the aforesaid Synod it is now fully impowered to proceed against the said Bony according to the Discipline in case he be found guilty and if hereafter there be a Default of rendring an account of Commissions given to the said Province by the National Synods the Moderators of those Provincial Synods shall be suspended from their Office 16. The Province of Berry had Audience given them as to those Matters of their Complaints and Petitions And this Assembly ordaineth that the Decree of the National Synod of Castres shall stand good and that the other past in the Provincial Synod held at Chastillon upon Loir shall be razed out of the Body of their Synodical Acts. 17. The Synod not being able to change any thing in that Canon of the National Synod of Castres concerning Monks exhorteth the Provinces to practise it with all possible Prudence and Charity 18. The Printers of Geneva and Sedan shall be informed by the Church of Paris exactly to observe the Citations already added or that may be hereafter added to the Margents of our Confession of Faith 19. Forasmuch as divers Difficulties are started about the observation of that Canon made in the last National Synod of Castres which ordered that ancient Pastors should always be preferr'd before Scholars who were demanded by particular Churches to be ordained Ministers unto them This Assembly taking off the Commination pronounced in case of Disobedience to that Canon against the Moderators of Colloquies and Provincial Synods and mollifying it in that part thereof which imposeth a precise necessity of giving the Preference unto Pastors doth yet notwithstanding exhort the Provinces to observe this Ordinance as much as possibly they can and not to quit it but at such times whenas they shall be constrained by an evident and most urgent Necessity so to do 20. * * * Another Copy writes Noel Noah Gaultier deposed by the Synod of Burgundy appeared in Person before this Assembly and demanded his Restitution unto the Sacred Ministry presupposing that he had appealed hither but could not get out his Appeal which he designed against the Sentence past upon him The Assembly being fully informed as well of the Causes for which he was put into the Roll of the Deposed as of his Actings against the said Province rejected his Petition 21. George Arband presenting himself before this Assembly and importunately desiring to be restored unto his Ministry from which he had been deposed by the National Synod of Castres he was told by the Moderator in open Synod that there would be nothing altered in the Sentence past upon him but that it should abide still in force against him 22. Now that according to the Decree of the last National Synod of Castres this Assembly proceeded to examine the Reasons brought by the Deputies of the Provinces upon that Question Whether it be lawful and expedient to administer Baptism on Days of ordinary common Prayers whenas there is no Sermon preached and all of them had been duly pondered and debated the Assembly did at last conclude That a Sermon preached either before or after Baptism was not of the Essence of that Sacrament but only a Matter of Order whereof the Church might determine and therefore the respective Churches and Provinces are left unto their respective Usages and Customs provided that they be such as in their best and maturest Thoughts will most contribute unto their edifying 23. This Synod ratifying the Judicial Sentence past by the Colloquy of Anduze in the Cause of Mr. du Cros and Raill doth yet condemn those bitter Expressions used by Mr. du Cros in his Letter written against George Arbaud after his Reconciliation with him 24. The Lord Malet reporting the State of the Process against the Sieur Palot was intreated to continue his Prosecutions vigorously and not to suffer the Cause to be heard before any other Judges than the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council because of the great Prejudice that would otherwise redound unto the Churches 25. Although the Churches of this Kingdom have little cause of Satisfaction from the Province of Bearn by reason of their dilatory Proceedings in the Business of Mr. Mainuelle yet forasmuch as it was granted the said Province that all Judicial Sentences past by them to this day should be valid and not liable
hath been by some Persons misinterpreted and that therefore they would be pleased to explain their Sense and Intentions of it This Assembly did explain it self thus That by those grievous Crimes and Accusations whereof there is mention made in their Act they understood all matters whatsoever relating to the Purity of Life and Conversation of the said Monsieur Morus of all which he was absolutely judged innocent And as to those other points whereof he was impeached as some sharp Words spoken or written against his Brethren the Assembly declareth that the Remonstrances and Counsels were given him upon this account and which having been accepted by him he was also in this respect absolved and Discharged 20. Monsieur Plassay formerly Pastor of the Church of Niort presented himself to this Assembly complaining that the last Synod of Poictou held at Fontenay le Conte had suspended him without any lawful cause from his Ministry and for that a Committee of that Synod did in pursuance of that Suspension most unjustly depose him notwithstanding the Appeal which he had brought against his Suspension and he petitioned that he might be restored with Honour unto the Exercise of his Office There joyned with him in this his Complaint and Petition the Sieurs Bellebat and Tristan Deputies of the Heads of Families in the said Church of Niort and requested that he might be restored and continued in his Ministry among them as was more amply specified in their Appeal from the Decrees of their Provincial Synods held at Lusignan in the Year 1657 and at Fontenay aforesaid in the Year 1658. Monsieur de la Place Deputed by a certain number of the Elders of that Church was heard opposing the Demand both of the said Monsieur Plassay and of those two before-mentioned Deputies and craved a Confirmation of the Decrees of those Synods and of their Committee and complained that the Conversation of the said Monsieur Plassay did render him unworthy to be received into the Holy Ministry The Deputies of the Province of Poictou were heard also speak whatsoever they thought meet on this occasion And the Report of the Committee being made and Letters and Acts concerning this affair being read the Assembly judged that those who opposed the continuance of Monsieur Plassay in his Ministry to the Church of Niort are worthy to be Censured because they have testified too much bitterness and passion against the said Mr. Plassay as also for that they did not express that tender care which they ought unto the Edification of the Church of Niort who professed that they were very well satisfied with his Ministry opposing themselves to the sense and sentiment of the People and this too in ways diametrically opposite to Christian Charity and the Discipline practised in our Churches Moreover the Assembly judged the Province of Poictou to have deserved Censure for having in the said Synod of Fontenay removed Mr. de Coignac from the said Church of Niort without any cause alledged as they did also the Sieur de Plassay from it without hearing either him or the said Church and for that they suspended him from his Ministry with very much precipitancy without any reason assigned by the said Synod yea and without so much as citing him to appear before them And it injoyneth the said Synod to abstain from such Proceedings as these for the future And as for those Inhabitants in whose Names the Sieurs de Bellebut and Tristan have here appeared this Assembly disapproving their Rebellion to the Orders and Canons of our Ecclesiastical Assemblies to which all Church-Members owe Submission and Obedience and those extraordinary courses they have taken on several occasions by which they have violated the order of our Discipline and that Reverence which they were bound to pay unto their Superiors and more especially for that to redress their grievance they did contrary to the Canons of our National Synods apply themselves unto Secular Judges to the Civil Magistrates which very fact of theirs is expresly forbidden by our Discipline whereas they should have contented themselves with their Appeal unto the Superiour Assemblies which were allowed them and therefore these have incurred the sharpest Censures And whereas Monsieur Plassay hath been found by this Assembly deeply ingaged in the most violent proceedings of those Inhabitants before-mentioned and among the rest in that undue recourse unto Secular Judges and that he is convicted of Rebellion against our Church Discipline having exercised the functions of his Ministry after that he was suspended and deposed directly contrary to our Canons a fact in it self so heinous that it deserveth the severest and utmost Censure This Assembly cannot but condemn these Actings of the said Mr. Plassay although 't is evident he persisted but a very little while in his Rebellion and that he hath forborn the Exercise of his Ministry for about Fourteen Months or thereabout and yet being desirous to support him it Decreeth that he shall be sharply censured and reproved but that the Sentence of Deposition inflicted on him shall be taken off and that he shall be restored unto the Exercise of his Ministry but with this restriction that he do not for Three Months time perform any of the duties thereof which term being expired he shall enter again upon them in the said Church of Niort and in which this Assembly doth confirm and settle him exhorting him to employ himself with the greatest care and diligence that is possible and to look more narrowly unto his ways and deportments and to shew forth that gravity which becometh his Calling and Profession and to seek after their Friendship who may be averse to him And finally as to Monsieur de Coignac this Assembly confirms him also in the said Church of Niort and could do no less considering what it oweth unto his Age and Merit And that this present Ordinance may be notified unto the said Church the Sieurs Marchand and de la Forest Pastors and the Sieurs de Thiac and de Courcelles Elders in the Province of Xaintonge are charged to visit that City and to endeavour the Peace of that Church and to reconcile those particular Members of it which are at variance one with another and these Deputies together with Mr. de Plassay are intreated to do their utmost for the effecting of this good work and that in the mean while in the presence of this Assembly they do give mutually to each the Right Hand of Reconciliation The business of Monsieur Amyraut and D'Huisseau 21. The Sieur D'Huisseau Pastor accompanied with the Sieurs de Haumont Benoist and Favre did Petition for themselves and on behalf of other the Heads of Families in the Church of Saumur that Monsieur d'Huisseau might be confirmed in his Ministry unto the said Church they Appealed also from the Decrees of the First Synod held at Beauge in the Year 1656 and at Saumur in the Year 1657 and at Previlli in the Year 1658 and from the
their bold and presumptuous Vngodliness even brave dâ—â—e and provoke the Justice of God and kindle against themselves the Fire of his most dreadful Wrath and Vengeance so that we have too much cause of Fear lest the Benignity of God yielding unto his just Indignation by reason of the Impenitency of Sinners he should at last pour out the Vials of his Fury upon the Land without sparing of his poor Church which tho separated from the World by the Purity of its Profession is too often plunged in the Vices and Corruptions of that Age in which it liveth Wherefore the National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France assembled by his Majesty's permission in the Town of Loudun knowing that there is none other way nor means to avert the Judgments of God than by giving speedy and evident Tokens of a most serious Repentance of a most sincere and extraordinary Humiliation doth ordain a Solemn Fast to be kept and observed in all the Churches of this Kingdom on Thursday the 28th of March next coming that Thanks may be rendred to Almighty God for the Peace which himself the God of Peace hath vouchsafed us and to obtain from his Divine Goodness that it may be attended and followed with all kind of Benedictions and that ardent Prayers may be offer'd up to God for the Health and Prosperity of his Majesty's Sacred Person who gave him in as a Return of Prayers unto his praying people that the Lord would be pleased to crown his Enterprizes with Success to fulfil his Desires to augment the Glory of his Crown and the Weal of his State and Government and to wrestle with God for the yearning Bowels of his Compassions upon us which we have forfeited by the multitude and aggravations of our sins and importunately to beseech him that he would extinguish the Fire of his Indignation which menaceth his poor Churches with the severest Chastisements hoping and believing that upon our sincere Conversion to him and deep Abasement and Humiliation in Sackcloth and Ashes before his most terrible Majesty he will return to us with his infinite Mercies and for the sake of his Dear Son by whose Name we are called to cause the Light of his Loving Countenance to shine upon his Church and to receive us graciously which will be our Salvation And this Act shall be read and published in all the Churches that all persons in Communion with us may take notice of it CHAP. XV. A Dividend of the Sum of Sixteen Thousand Livres granted by the King to the Deputies of the National Synod of which every one shall receive Two Hundred Sixty and Two Livres  l. s. d. TO the Province of Normandy for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To the Higher Languedoc for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Burgundy for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Lower Languedoc for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Berry for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Sevennes for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Provence for Two Deputies 0536 00 00 To Poictou for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Brittaine for Two Deputies 0536 00 00 To Anjou for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To the Isle of France for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Xaintonge for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To Dolphinâ— for Three Deputies 0804 00 00 To the Lower Guiennâ— for Three Deputies 0804 00 00 To Bearn for One Deputy 0262 00 00 To Vivaretz for Four Deputies 1072 00 00 To the First Deputies sent to Court 560 00 00 To the Second Deputies sent to Court 245 00 00 To the Post who brought the Bill of Exchange 250 00 00 To Monsieur de la Morinay for his needless Expences 100 00 00 To those who rode to Richlieu about the Mony 28 00 00 To Chinon for getting out the Mony 28 00 00 For loss of Mony 17 00 00 To the Porters of Loudun 48 00 00 CHAP. XVI Tho Roll of Deposed and Apostat Pastors who have changed their Religion 1. JOhn Cordeil formerly Minister in the Church of Vertueil in Dolphiny a Fellow low of Stature great Head and Bald before his Hair mix'd with gray great uplifted Eyes high red-colour'd Visage a great short Neck Grave in his Going but inclining to Stupidity a loud and clear Voice and dull Laughter 2. Sebastian D'aubus heretofore Minister of Commonde and Professor of Philosophy at Montauban about Six or Seven and Forty Years old his Face is marked with little black Spots his Hair black and curled even to the Crown of his Head a Fellow of mean Judgment 3. Philip Codure formerly Minister and Professor at Nismes about Seventy Years old or somewhat more his Hair gray tawny colour'd Face high raised Eye-brows his Eyes sunk into his Head a frowning ill-look'd Fellow slow of Speech dull and heavy in his Gate gross and tall of Stature 4. John de la Porte Pastor of St. Andrews de Val borgne in the Province of Sevennes deposed by the last Provincial Synod held at Alez for Desertion of his Church and Calling Aged about Five and Twenty Years or thereabout a middle size Fellow pale white Face and Chestnut-colour'd Hair 5. Bordat formerly Pastor of the Church in the Island of Barrieres and Province of Lower Guyenne about Seventy Years of Age the Moustaches of his Beard thick and trussed up low of Stature and somewhat fat a very red-favour'd Fellow 6. Balde alias Bellecourt Sixty Years old or more a great and fat Fellow born in the Province of Dolphiny he was bred a Monk renounced Popery and his Monastick Profession but is since returned with the Dog unto his Vomit he is Grave in his Deportment a Man of little Sense or Reason 7. William Martin some time since Minister at Montoire in the Province of Anjou Aged about Forty his Hair Flaxen wide Mouth a middle Stature Fellow This Wretch like Judas sold his Christ and Gospel for a sorry Sum of Silver and turn'd Papist at Tours being bought out of his Religion for Eight Hundred Livres and it is very much questioned whether he had half the Mony There was a very Serious Letter written him immediately upon his Revolt by an Unknown Person and which he himself Published and I have here below subjoyned it for the Readers Information CHAP. XVII An Act for Taxing the Expences of the Deputies and for their Payment BY reason of the dear Rates and high Prices of Victuals the Journeys of the Deputies are at the Request of divers Provinces Taxed at Six Livres a Day for each of them which Sum shall be payed them respectively by the Churches out of the Tax for our Vniversities within Two Months after their Return And in default of Payment the Deputies of the Churches who shall not have gotten their part and portion shall be deprived of their Consultive Vote in the Provincial Synod and Deduction shall be made of his Majesties Liberality out of this Sum. CHAP. XVIII An Act for calling the next National Synod THE Right and Priviledge of calling the next
and foundation was their utter ruine Wherefore that we might not overburden our selves with too great a load of businesses all at once and for that the fury of War is incompatible with the Constitution of good and wholesome Laws we did prudently defer and delay their full and particular satisfaction till such time as we might make the best provision for them that could be desired And now at last through the divine goodness enjoying a greater quiet than ever we believed that we could not better employ our selves than in those concerns of the glory of his holy name and service and that he may he religiously adored invocated and worshipped by all our Subjects and although it be not his good pleasure to permit at this time that it should be in one and the self-same form and mode of Religion yet at least that it may be with one and the self-same mind and intention and in such an order and manner as there may not be any trouble or tumult among them for it that so both we our selves and this Kingdom may always merit and preserve that glorious Title entail'd upon us by the noble Atchievements of our Progenitors of being the Most Christian and so by this means to remove the cause of all those evils and troubles which might fall out upon the score and account of Religion they being of all others the most spreading taking and influential For these reasons we knowing that this was an affair of the greatest importance and meriting our best thoughts and deepest consideration after we had taken in hand the Bills of Grievances presented us by our Roman Catholick Subjects and had permitted our other Subjects of the aforesaid pretended Reformed Religion to assemble themselves by their Deputies to prepare their Bills also and to bring them in together with their Remonstrances unto us and had several Conferences with them about those very matters at sundry and divers times and revised all former Edicts we have judged needful now upon the whole to give unto all our said Subjects one and that a general clear plain and absolute Law by which they may be ruled and governed in and about all those differences which have heretofore fallen out or may hereafter happen and fall out among them which 't is our hope will most effectually contribute to their mutual and full contentment upon all occasions and emergencies whatsoever Sith that we never deliberated nor advised with our Privy-Council about it upon any other ground or respect than that great zeal which we have for God's Service and Glory and that he may be more religiously obeyed and worshiped by all our said Subjects and that there might be setled and established among them a good and firm and durable Peace For the obtaining of which we do most devoutly implore and wait upon his Divine Goodness hoping and expecting the continuance thereof and of that wonderful Protection and Favour he hath always most illustriously vouchsafed unto this Kingdom from its first Foundations laid many hundred years ago unto this very day and that he will be so merciful unto our said Subjects as to give them to understand that in the observation of this our Law consists next and after their duty unto God and us the principal basis and ground-work of their Union Concord Tranquillity and Peace and the setling and restoration of the whole state in its primitive splendour opulency and power As we for our part do purpose resolve and promise to see that it be exactly observed without suffering it in any manner to be transgressed or violated For these Causes We with the Advice of the Princes of our Blood and other Princes and Officers of the Crown and other great and Honourable Persons in our Council of State who are near about us and attend upon us having well and diligently pondered and considered this whole affair we have by this perpetual and irrevocable Edict said declared and Ordained and we do say declare and Ordain I. In the first place That the sense and remembrance of all matters passed both on the one side and the other from the beginning of March in the year 1585. unto the day of our coming unto the Crown and during all the preceding Troubles and all causes and occasions of them shall be for ever suppressed and forgotten as if they had never been Nor shall it be lawful for our Attorney-Generals or any other Persons whatsoever whether publick or private at any time or on any occasions that may be to mention sue implead or prosecute for them in any of our Courts or Jurisdictions whatsoever II. We forbid all our Subjects whatsoever their Estate or Quality may be to revive the memory of past matters or to assault incense injure provoke or reproach one the other upon those accounts or upon any cause or pretext whatsoever to dispute contend or quarrel with or to wrong and offend any one either in word or deed but that they contain themselves within bounds and live together peaceably as Brethren Friends and Fellow-Citizens on pain of punishing the Transgressors as Breakers of the Peace and Disturbers of the quiet and settlement of the Common-wealth III. We Ordain That the Roman Catholick and Apostolick Religion shall be restored and set up again in all places and quarters of this our Kingdom and in all other our Dominions subject to us where the exercise thereof hath been intermitted that it may be peaceably and freely exercised without any trouble lett or hinderance And we do most straitly forbid all Persons whatsoever their quality estate or condition may be upon the Penalties before-mentioned to trouble molest or disquiet the Ecclesiasticks in the Celebration of Divine Service or in the receiving or injoyment of their Tithes Emoluments and Revenues of their Benefices and of all other rights and duties appertaining to them And that all persons who in the late troubles have seized upon Churches Houses Goods and Revenues belonging to the said Ecclesiasticks and who do possess and occupy them do entirely relinquish the same and do peaceably resign and yield up their possession and enjoyment of them and of all rights priviledges and securities unto those Churchmen who are disseized of them Moreover we do most straitly forbid all those of the said pretended Reformed Religion to have any Sermons preached or any other exercise of their Religion aforesaid in any Churches Houses or other Habitations of those the said Ecclesiasticks IV. And the said Ecclesiasticks shall have full liberty to buy those Houses and Edifices which have been built not upon holy but profane grounds taken from them in the late troubles or to compel the Possessors of the said Buildings to purchase the land of them at a certain rate and price which shall be estimated and set upon it by persons of judgment and experience in such matters and for which both the Parties shall agree And in case of non-agreement between them the Judges of those places shall determine saving
shall not be obliged to do it in any other manner than by listing up of their Hand Swearing and promising by God that they will speak the truth nor shall they be bound to take out a Dispensation for that Oath given by them in passing of Contracts and Obligations XXV We Will and Ordain That all those of the said pretended Reformed Religion and all others who have followed their Party of whatsoever estate quality or condition they may be shall be bound and constrained by all due and reasonable ways and under the penalties contained in our Edicts to pay and deliver unto Curates and other Ecclesiasticks and to any other Persons to whom they do belong the Tithes according to the use and custom of the places in which they be XXVI All disinheritings or privations made either by disposition of the Living or Testamentary of the dying out of hatred or upon the account of Religion only shall no more take place either for time past or for the future among our said Subjects XXVII And that we may use our best skill for reuniting the hearts of our Subjects as it is our Intention and that we may take out of the way all Complaints for the future We do declare that all those who do or shall make profession of the said pretended Reformed Religion shall be capable of holding and exercising all publick Royal or Seignoral Estates Dignities Offices and Charges whatsoever or in and belonging to the Cities of our Kingdom the Countries Territories and Lordships under our Obedience notwithstanding all Oaths to the contrary and they shall be indifferently admitted and received into them and our Courts of Parliament shall content themselves and all other Judges with an Information and Enquiry into the Life Manners Religion and civil Conversation of those who shall be provided unto those Offices as well of the one Religion as of the other without exacting from them any other Oath than to serve the King well and faithfully in the exercise of their Charges and to keep the Laws as hath been in all times observed And when as ever those said Estates Charges and Offices shall become vacant which are in our gift and disposal we will bestow them indifferently and without distinction of persons upon those who are capable of them as being a matter tending very much to the Union of our Subjects And 't is our mind and meaning that those of the said pretended Reformed Religion shall be admitted and received into all Councils Deliberations Assemblies and Functions which depend upon those matters aforesaid so that upon the account of the said Religion they may not be excluded nor hindred from the injoyment of them XXVIII And we do Ordain That in all Cities and places of this Kingdom there shall be speedily provided in every one of them by our Officers and Magistrates and by those Commissioners whom we shall Constitute for the executing of this our present Edict a place as commodious as may be for the Interrment of the dead of the said Religion And those Burying places which they have had heretofore and of which they have been deprived by reason of the late troubles whatever their quality was shall be restored to them unless that it appear that they be now at present occupied by Edifices and Buildings in which case they shall be provided of some others freely XXIX We most straitly injoin our said Officers to put to their hand that there be no scandal committed at the said Interrments and they shall be bound within a fortnight after it shall be required of them to provide for those of the said Religion a commodious place for the said Burials without using any protractions or delays on pain of being fined in their own private Capacities the summ of five hundred Crowns And the said Officers and all other persons are forbidden to exact any thing for the convoying of the dead Corps upon pain of being guilty of Extorsion XXX That Justice may be rendred and administred unto our Subjects without any suspicion of hatred or favour which is one of the chiefest means to preserve them in Peace and Concord we have Ordained and do Ordain that there shall be established in our Court of Parliament at Paris a Chamber composed of a President and sixteen Counsellors of the said Parliament which shall be called and entitled the Chamber of the Edict and it shall not only take cognisance of the causes and processes of those who profess the said pretended Reformed Religion and live within the Jurisdiction of the said Court but also in the Districts and Jurisdiction of our Parliaments of Normandy and Brittain according to that Authority which shall be attributed to it by this present Edict and this until such time as in every one of those Parliaments there shall be a Chamber established to distribute Justice upon the Places We do also farther Ordain that of four Offices of Counsellors in our Parliament aforesaid remaining of our last Erection four Persons professing the said pretended Reformed Religion being qualified and capable of them and the said Offices be vacant and to be distributed shall be invested with them and received into the said Parliament to wit the first shall be received in the said Chamber of the Edict and the other three in order shall be received into the three Chambers of Inquests Moreover that of the two first Offices of Lay-Counsellors which become vacant by death two persons professing the said pretended Reformed Religion shall be provided of them and these being received shall also be distributed into the two other Chambers of Inquests XXXI Besides that Chamber heretofore established at Castres for the Extent and Jurisdiction of our Court of Parliament of Thoulouse which shall be continued in the state in which it is We have for the self-same Considerations Ordained and do Ordain that in every one of our Courts of Parliament of Grenoble and Bourdeaux there shall be in like manner a Chamber established composed of two Presidents the one a Catholick and the other of the pretended Reformed Religion and of twelve Counsellors six of whom shall be Catholicks and the other six of the said Religion which Catholick Presidents and Counsellors shall be taken and chosen by us out of the Bodies of our Courts aforesaid And as for those of the said Religion there shall be a new Creation of a President and six Counsellors for the Parliament of Bourdeaux and of a President and three Counsellors for that of Grenoble who together with those three Counsellors of the said Religion who are now in the said Parliament shall be imployed in the said Chamber of Dolphiny And the said Offices of the new Creation shall be Created to the same Wages Honours Authorities and Preheminencies as those others in the said Courts And the said Chamber of Bourdeaux shall sit either at Bourdeaux or at Nerac and that of Dolphiny at Grenoble XXXII The said Chamber of Dolphiny shall take cognisance of the Causes
of tools to build his House 'T is the very Character of Hell to force Men to Mass by Fire and Sword by Dragoons Plunder and Tortures And none but the Devil would spirit Men unto such actions and they who use them are undoubtedly his proper Imps and Agents And that you may keep up your abhorrency of Popery never forget this Continually set before your Eyes all its Deformities and never look on them or it through those false Glasses which the Doctors of Lies do now adays represent them to you You see their Temples full of Images before which they bow down and worship contrary to the express Commandment of God Thou shalt not make unto thy self any graven Image thou shalt not bow down thy self before them And flatter not your selves with this that possibly you may not be obliged thereunto for the people with whom you are do it and you partake in this their Sin of Idolatry at leastwise if you do not abhor it both with heart and mouth Set before you that Idolatrous Worship performed unto Creatures and in particular that Honour which being due only unto God is yet nevertheless given unto the Mother of our Saviour Jesus Christ and unto Saints and then remember those dreadful words As I live saith the Lord I will not give my glory unto another And remember also that Idolaters are in the Van of those that shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Consider that Sacrifice ordained by their Church and wherein you must adore a bit of Bread Do not think you shall escape by this foolish suggestion We only adore Jesus Christ who is in Heaven For the Pagan Idolaters might have used the same plea That when they kneeled before their Idols they lifted up their Hearts to the true God Never be reconciled with them for that great wrong they do your Souls in robbing you of the Cup which is but one half of the Sacrament when as Jesus Christ hath given you the whole of it Never accustom your selves to that barbarous Language which keeps you from understanding your Religion and leaves it only to be gazed at with your eyes Keep up a perpetual aversion for that vain heap of Pagan and Jewish Ceremonies which are in a direct line of opposition to the purity and simplicity of Christianity But know 't is not enough that you detest all these things with your Heart you must also condemn them with your Mouths Your Judgments herein must not be concealed you must be ever and every where ready to confess the Truth And therefore as often as you shall have occasion declare openly without guile or reservation that you abhor that Worship unto which you are compelled to be present Never go to Mass unless they drag you to it by main force and whil'st they force you to it declare publickly that you do not in the least with your heart consent thereunto and if by the same violence wherewith they brought you to it they keep you at it yet manifest by your Actions that you have not any belief nor respect for those false Mysteries Keep carefully your Books of Piety of Devotion and of Controversie and read them with singular diligence and attention Preserve them by hiding and conveying them from the reach and search of your Persecutors Above all keep as your most precious Jewels the most Holy Bible and suffer every thing rather than suffer your Bibles to be snatcht away from you Read them daily and with the greatest devotion Concerning your poor Children 'T is true they will be ravisht out of your Arms and led to the Catechistical Exercises of the Priests and 't is to be seared this will be done with so great violence that 't will be impossible for you to hinder it yet as soon as they shall be returned from them never fail to destroy what those Priests have built up Instruct them in the Truth and infuse into their Souls a sacred abhorrency of the Romish Religion And this you may do by causing them to read carefully those places of Holy Scripture which are contrary to it Never forget nor spare any pains or expence in procuring from foreign Countries Books capable of instructing and strengthening you and when as the Priests shall have robb'd you or your own cause others to be brought you whatever rates you pay for them The poor Country Peasants and Mechanicks in Towns and Cities by reason of their ignorance are expos'd to greatest dangers But the strong ought to support the weak and you must earnestly endeavour each others edification This you may do as you travel into your Country-houses as you walk in the Streets yea when as you meet one another in your Shops there being none by you of the contrary Religion Supply these poor People with Books for their Instruction and exhort them without ceasing to bear up against all discouragements and never to let loose their hearts unto Idolatry but contrariwise to detest and oppose it by their discourses Maintain a continual Correspodence among your selves and perfectly know one another principally those who love the Truth and mutually incourage one another in your Resolutions never to forsake it If you can at any time meet together secretly by Night in the Retirements of your Houses let it be for the reading of God's Word and of good Books capable of instructing you but above all for Prayer Proper Prayers for your condition shall be sent you from foreign Countries By reason of that commerce and communion you are necessitated to hold with the Papists endeavour also after their Conversion Who knows but that God may have ordained this sore Persecution for this very end that you should carry the light of the Gospel into the very bosom of Popery in order to its destruction But take heed unto your selves For should you be dumb dogs and dissemblers and counterfeit the Papists before the Papists God will give you up to a reprobate sence So then forbear not speaking unto the Papists when you meet them but entertain them with Discourses of Religion And speaking to them of the violence offered unto your Consciences give them a lively pourtraict of the Deformities of their Religion and Purity of your own shew them the Vanities and Impurities of their Worship of their Idolatry and sottish Opinions And labour powerfully by all means their conversion And that this may be successful order your Lives with the greatest accuracy and circumspection 'T is visible that the sinful disorders and miscarriages of your Conversations have brought upon you those fearful Judgments from God under which you are now groaning There was no kind of worldliness in which you were not ingag'd such as rich Houshold-Goods Vessels of Silver Tapistry Feasts Gluttonies Idle Days Plays Pastimes Cloth of Silk and Gold Rings Pearls and Jewels If you be wise your first Reformation must begin here all these must be rejected sell your Tapistries your Silver Vessels wear the plainest Woolsteds have nothing to
unto the People The Elder 's Office XXIII The Elders and Deacons are the Counsel of the Church in which the Ministers of the Word ought to preside The Office of Elders is to assemble the People to make Report of Scandals unto the Consistory and such other like Matters according as in every Church it is couched in Writing together with the proper Customs of those Places and Times Yet is not their Office for Life The Deacon's Office XXIV The Deacon's Office as now used by us is not perpetual yet this belongs unto them to Collect the Moneys for the Poor the Prisoners and the Sick and by the Advice of the Consistory to distribute those collected Charities among them to Visit them and in their respective Houses to Catechize them and in case any Deacon shall be found fit and he promise to devote and consecrate himself during Life unto the Service of God in the Ministry he may be chosen by the Ministry and Consistory to Catechize publickly according to the Form received in our Churches and this in order to their Trial without permitting them to administer the Sacraments The manner of Electing Elders and Deacons XXV The Office of Elders and Deacons is not to Catechize publickly nor is their Office perpetual However neither the one nor the other shall quit it without leave first obtained from the Church In the Minister's absence or sickness or in any other necessity of the Church the Deacon may read Prayers and the Holy Scriptures but he shall not take upon him the Office of Preaching XXVI In those Places in which Church-Order is not yet established both Elders and Deacons shall be chosen by the common Suffrage of Pastor and People but where Discipline is already constituted it shall be done by the Minister and Church-Councel who shall give them their Charge and they shall subscribe the Confession of Faith professed and avowed by us then they shall be presented unto the People and in case any one should oppose their Election it shall be debated and determined in the Consistory but if they cannot agree it shall be referr'd unto the Provincial Synod Causes of Deposing Elders and Deacons XXVII The Deacons and Elders shall be deposed for those very self-same Reasons that the Ministers of the Word were according to their quality and if being condemned by their Consistory they should make their Appeal they shall be suspended until such time as the Provincial Synod shall have ordained otherwise Books forbidden to be Printed till first communicated XXVIII Ministers nor any Other Members of the Church may not Print their own or others Works concerning Religion nor in any wise Publish them till they have first communicated them unto two or more of the Gospel of unspotted Reputation Who are to be Excommunicated XXIX Hereticks Contentious Persons Despisers of God Rebels against the Consistory Traytors to the Church such as be impeached and convicted of Crimes worthy of Corporal Punishment such as scandalize the whole Church shall be utterly excommunicated and cut off not only from the Sacrament but from all Communion with the whole Church And as for Delinquents suspended from the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and guilty of other Vices it is left to the Church's prudence whether they shall be admitted to hear the Word preacht or no. XXX Such as are Excommunicate for Heresie Contempt of God Schism Treason and Rebellion against the Church or other grievous Offences scandalous to the whole Church shall be denounced Excommunicate Persons before the People Who are by Name to be declared Excommunicate and who not unto the People together with the Causes of their Excommunication And as for those who were Excommunicate for lesser Offences it 's left to the Church's Prudence to consider whether they shall be published by Name unto the Congregation or not And this Order shall hold till it be otherwise determined in a National Synod Manner of Receiving Excommunicate Persons XXXI These having been Excommunicated shall address themselves unto their Consistory for Re-admission into Church-Fellowship who shall judge of their Repentance And if they have been publickly Excommunicate they shall testifie their Repentance publickly but if they have not been publickly Excommunicate they shall only in private before the Consistory express their Repentance Denial of the Faith demands a Publick Acknowledgment When Fasts are to be proclaimed XXXII Such as through force of Persecution have abjured the Gospel shall not be received into the Church till such time as they have expressed their Repentance publickly before all the People XXXIII Publick Prayers and extraordinary Fastings yet without any scruple or superstition shall be enjoyned in times of severe Persecution of War Pestilence Famine and other grievous Affliction as also whenas a Minister is to be chosen or a National Synod to be conven'd Of the Publication of Marriage XXXIV Marriages shall be propounded unto the Consistory in which the Contract of Marriage shall be produced signed by the Publick Notary or proved by some other sufficient Attestation in such places where there is not a Notary Or if the Persons will not produce their Contracts they shall however bring a sufficient Attestation under the Notary's hand or some other way and a Fortnight after the Banes shall be published on three Lord's Days following in those Places where the Word is ordinarily preached and in other Places where is Exhortation and Publick Prayers provided that this Publication be continued a full Fortnight and then the Marriage may be solemnized in the Church This Order shall not be infringed unless there be very great Causes for it whereof the Consistory shall take Cognisance Marriages and Baptisms are to be Registred XXXV Both Marriages and Baptisms shall be Registred and the Register preserved carefully by the Church together with the Names of the Fathers and Mothers and Sureties for the baptized Infants XXXVI The Faithful may not contract Marriage within the prohibited Degrees of Affinity and Consanguinity and the Church is to take heed that all scandal in this particular be avoided The Church may not dissolve a Marriage XXXVII The Faithful whose Yoke-fellows are convict of Adultery shall be advised to reconcile themselves with them but in case of refusal that liberty they have by the Word of God shall be declared to them However none of the Churches shall dissolve the Marriage least they should intrench upon the Authority of the Civil Magistrate The Consistory in case Parents refuse their Consent shall order about it XXXVIII No Person may contract Marriage without the Consent of Parents But in case Parents should be so unreasonable as to refuse their Consent to such an holy and needful Ordinance the Consistory shall advise what is to be done herein XXXIX Promises of Marriage once made cannot be dissolved no not by mutual consent of the Parties who have past those Promises each to other And the
may then be published as if there had been no Impediment at all That so all Frauds which might otherwise be committed in this Matter may be prevented and avoided Article IV. Let no Stranger coming from a Foreign Land be admitted unto Marriage unless he bring with him good and vallid Certificates or undoubted Letters of Credit or that he have a Testimony from Godly Persons here upon the Place who will attest for him that he hath not a Wife elsewhere The Fifth DECREE THE next Query is about Bonds of Marriage and their Dependencies ANSWER Article I. Let the Banes be published on three several Sundays in the the Church before that the Marriage be Solemnized and let the first Syndick give it under his hand that he knoweth both the Parties so that immediately after the third Publication the Marriage may be then celebrated If one of the Parties belong to another Parish let him bring his Certificate from that Parish with him Article II. Let not the betrothed Persons cohabit together as Man and Wife till such time as they be solemnly married in the Church in that manner which is constantly practiced among Christians If any shall have done otherwise let them be imprisoned for three days and fed only with Bread and Water and be called into the Consistory and convinced of their Sin that they may be ashamed and humbled before God The Sixth DECREE THE next Query is about the Celebration of Marriage ANSWER Article I. Let the Parties to be married come upon their Wedding-day modestly unto the Church without Drums or Minstrels demeaning themselves orderly and gravely as becometh Christians and let them come before the Bell hath done Tolling that so the Marriage may be solemnly blessed before Sermon And if they be negligent and should come too late let them be turned away unmarried Article II. Let it be lawful to celebrate Marriages on any day yea upon any Working-day which shall seem good unto the Parties themselves provided there be a Sermon or upon the Lord's-day by Nine in the Morning or on any other day of the Week at the same hour when as the Word of God is Preached excepting only that day when the Lord's Supper shall be Administred that so there may be no distraction in the Worship of God and that all may be the better prepared for Communion with Christ at his holy Table The Seventh DECREE About the Man's dwelling with his Wife ARTICLE LET the Man and his Wife cohabit together in one and the same House having all things in common between them And if either of them separate from the other to live apart let them be called into the Consistory and convinced of their Sin and in case of differences betwixt them let them be made up and return home reconciled each with the other The Eighth DECREE IT is Queried What are the Degrees of Consanguinity which hinder Marriage ANSWER Article I. No Marriage may be contracted in the direct Line between the Father and his Daughter or the Mother and her Son and so consequentially between none other of their Descendants because this is destructive of natural Modesty and Piety and is expresly forbidden by the Law of God and the Civil Laws Article II. In like manner no Uncle can marry his Neice or Grand-niece nor the Aunt her Nephews or Grand-nephews because an Uncle represents a Father and an Aunt the Mother Article III. Nor may a Brother marry his Sister either of the whole or half Blood As for those other Degrees tho they be not forbidden neither by the Law of God nor by the Civil Law of the Romans yet nevertheless because such Marriages have not for many years been practiced and that we may shun all Scandals and that ignorant Persons may not blaspheme God and his Word Let not Cousin Germans contract Marriage together till that time hâ—th gotten a better Opinion of such Marriages among us As for Intermarriages in other degrees let them not be hindered The Ninth DECREE IT is Queried What are those Degrees of Affinity which hinder Marriage ANSWER Article I. Let no Father marry his Son's Widow nor let any Woman marry her deceased Daughter's Husband so consequently in those degrees which descends in a direct Line Article II. Let no Man marry his Wife's Daughter nor her Grand-child nor any in this Line downward Article III. Let not the Woman marry her Husband's Son nor Grand-son nor any in this Line downward Article IV. In like manner let none marry the Widow of his Nephew or of his great Nephew Article V. Let no Man marry his Brother's Widow nor any Woman him who was her Sister's Husband Article VI. A Man having committed Adultery with his Neighbour's Wife if it be afterward discovered he shall not marry the Adulteress because of the Scandals and Dangers that will ensue upon such a Marriage The Tenth DECREE THE next Query is about the Discords Variance and Contentions between married Persons ANSWER Article I. In case a Man doth not live peaceably with his Wife but that there be Strifes and Quarrels betwixt them let them be called into the Consistory and be admonished to live in Godly Concord and Union and Love together and let each of them be reproved for their Faults according as the Exigency of their case shall require Article II. If a Man shall evil intreat his Wife abusing beating and tormenting her or if he threaten outragious Mischief to her and it be known that he is a very disorderly and cholerick Fellow he shall be turned over to the Council who are humbly intreated by their Authority expresly to require him not to beat his Wife and that under some certain Penalty The Eleventh DECREE IT is Queried For what Causes may and ought a Marriage to be declared null ANSWER Article I. In case a Woman should complain that her Husband is bewitcht and naturally impotent for any Congress with his Wife and this shall by Confession or Visitation be found true let the Marriage be then declared null and the Woman also set at liberty from her Husband and the Man strictly forbidden not to abuse any other Woman in this manner Article II. If a Man should make the same Complaint of his Wife that he cannot have carnal Knowledge of her because of some defect in her Body and that she will not suffer it to be remedied and the Truth hereof being well known let the Marriage be declared null The Twelfth DECREE IT is Queried For what Causes may and ought a Marriage to be dissolved ANSWER Article I. In case a Man accuse his Wife of Adultery and prove it by Witnesses and clear Evidence and demand hereupon to be separated from her let him be divorced and also have leave to marry again with whom he best pleaseth Yet may he be exhorted to forgive his said Wife but he may not be urged importunately nor compelled against his will to keep her Article II. Altho in ancient times the Wifes priviledge was
Prosecutions to cease against Monsieur de la Garime and Monsieur de la Grange for having deposed Master Gaspar Olaxa who was ejected by Authority of the Colloquy of Albigeois and the Provincial Synod held at Montaban And in case our Advice concerning the said de la Garime and la Grange be not entirely observed this National Synod doth declare That those of the Church of Castres on whom it was incumbent to effect it shall be censured even with suspension from the Lord's Table and farther that they be utterly unworthy of ever enjoying the Ministry of their Pastor Monsieur Balarand and the Colloquy of Albigeois are ordered from us to meet in any other place than the City of Castres and to see to it that this our present Decree be effectually observed and that the said Monsieur Balarand be transferr'd from the City of Castres and to see to it that this our present Decree be effectually observed and that the said Monsieur Balarand be transferr'd from the City of Castres to serve in some other Church elsewhere VI. The Province of Higher Guyenne having complained of the wicked Conversations and scandalous Lives of Master Gravel and Vieux Banque it was decreed That the Ministers of Upper Quercy shall summon the said Graver and Vieuxbanque to appear without delay in two Months time personally in this City of Montauban where the Minister of the Upper Quercy producing sufficient Evidence that they had summon'd the said Graver and Vieuxbanque to appear together with the Information of the Crimes charged on them which if clearly proved on them the Ministers of this City and Colloquy by the Authority of this National Synod shall suspend or depose them as they see cause from the Ministry and in case of their non-appearance they shall be immediately suspended and this their Suspension published in the Churches VII The Province of Tourain Anjou and Main craving Advice how to dispose of Monsieur Le Bloy Minister of St. Aignan this Synod doth ordain That the said Le Bloy shall continue in the said Church provided that within six Months the said Church do give him full satisfaction in paying him the Salary they had promised him and in cause of failure therein he shall be consigned unto the Church of Preuilly according to the Order of the Provincial Synod of Touraine VIII Whereas the Church of * * * Two other Copies read Bracquâ—t Bourinquet doth inform us That their Pastor Monsieur De la Finer is removed from them by the Pastors of the Province commissionated by this present Synod to inspect that Affair who have thereby left them totally destitute without a Minister this Assembly doth ordain That the said Sieur de la Finer shall abide with his Church exercising all the Duties of his Office until such time as they be provided of another and the Colloquy of Lower Quercy shall take that Task upon them and the said Sieur de la Finer shall be presently paid all his Arrears and that said Church of Bourinquet shall supply all his Wants for the future and in case of non-performance on their part then the said Sieur de la Finer shall be free and fully discharged from them IX This Assembly at the Request of the Deputies of Lower Languedoc doth think meet That our Brother Monsieur Boulet do stand related unto Condoignac and Vergessers but with this Condition that he exercise his Ministry in his former Church until such time as they be provided of another X. At the desire of the Magistrates of the City and Church of Rochel as also of the whole Province of Xaintonge this Assembly ordaineth That Letters be sent forthwith to the Syndics and Church of Geneva earnestly intreating that the Seignory and Consistory of that famous Church and City would be pleased to give up their Right in our honoured Brother Monsieur Rotan for the Service of the Church of Rochel because of his singular usefulness and fruitful Labours in that Church and his great serviceableness in that Province yea and to all the Reformed Churches of France Yet Rotan was afterward deeply suspected for prevaricating in Religion XI Complaints being made by the Province of Xaintonge against Master Esperient and Cahier this Assembly orders That the Province of Xaintonge do inform the Synod of Bearn about the said Esperient because he belongs to it that he may give satisfaction to them and that the Sieur Cahier shall be written to in the Name of this Assembly that he personally appear before the Synod of Xaintonge which is impower'd with full Authority by this present Synod to hear and judge of the whole Fact XII The Province of Lower Languedoc demanding Advice about Mr. John Corneille it is decreed That the Province shall be sharply reproved for their so long suffering and sparing the said Corneille in his Errors and wicked Actions and in particular the Magistrates and other Persons in the Church of Orange who prosecuted so vigorously his Restoration unto the Ministry For which cause this Synod confirmeth the Deposition of the said Corneille and ordains that he be silenced for ever and that the Magistrate and Consistory of Orange be reproved for permitting him to pray publickly during his Suspension as also we give warning that it is dangerous to employ him in the teaching of Youth XIII Sharp and Comminatory Letters shall be written unto the Colloquy of Auvergne and to Monsieur De Montcassin that if they do not satisfie and reimburse Monsieur Lambert his Expences in getting the King's Orders for the maintenance of the afore-mentioned Ministers this Synod on their refusal will proceed against them as Delinquents and particularly against Monsieur Montcassin because he became bound for the Payment of that Money as appears by the very Act of the Provincial Synod held in this City of Montauban in the Year 1593 And in case they do not give satisfaction before the breaking up of this Assembly Process shall be issued out against them as we have written them XIV Forasmuch as in the conclusion of this Synod the Colloquy of Higher Rouargue have returned no Answer to it theâ—efore in pursuance of the Resolution before taken it is decreed That Monsieur de Villette and Chalais when they return into their Province of Lower Languedoc shall interdict the Exercise of the Ministry in all the Churches of that Colloquy and particularly Monsieur de Montcassin shall be suspended and silenced for not performing his Promise XV. Mr. William Benet acquainting this Assembly That he had discharged his Duty in educating his Son Mark Antony in good Learning in order to his being employed in the Ministry of the Gospel to his great comfort and yet without his privity and consent his said Son had accepted of a Call unto the Church of Marvejoles in the Province of Lower Languedoc After hearing what could be alledged for themselves by the Deputies of that Province as also the Plea of the said Mark Antony for himself
and diligently perused by it they were found to contain divers erroneous Points of Doctrine contrary to the analogy of Faith yea and contrary to the point of Justisication Whereupon the said de L'Escale was interrogated Whether he would receive Instruction in those Points which are contrary to the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in this Kingdom but he answered in the Negative and that he would not submit himself to the Judgment of this Synod nor be instructed by it but boldly demanded that we would either approve or reject his Theses And although our Brother Mr Rotan who was first deputed to confer with him before the Lord du Plessis Governour of this City and two Elders of the Church had non-plust and silenced him so that he knew not what to answer yet nevertheless he did obstinately persist in his Errors and Self-conceitedness Whereupon this Assembty having remonstrated to him his gross spiritual Pride and wicked pernicious Errors doth now ordain That this Act shall be inserted into the Articles of the present Synod that so the Reformed Churches of France may be cautioned against his false Doctrine which hath been condemned by the Churches of Suitzerland and Intelligence of this shall be given unto Monsieur Beza in Geneva and to the French Church of Basil II. The Deputies of the Isle of France and Normandy declaring That they had only prosecuted the Verification of the Edict in 1577 for themselves this Assembly was satisfied therewith III. Whereas Monsieur de Serres hath informed this Synod See Synod of Montauban G. M. art 52. concerning the Printing of his Harmony and how impossible it is for him to transcribe three Copies as he was ordered by the last National Synod held at Montauban This Assembly hath therefore thought fitting that this present Work be Printed either at Geneva or Rochel or any other place where they may be conveniently communicated unto the Pastors deputed by the Synod of that Province in which it shall be printed IV. The Censure denounced in the second Article of the National Synod of Montauban against Monsieur Bargemont shall be revoked See the Synod of Montaub Appeals art 2. and struck off the File because he hath given satisfaction unto his Province V. The Fact of Monsieur de Croix heretofore Minister in the Church of Perigneux shall be examined by the Provincial Synod of Dolphiny VI. Monsieur de * * * Two other Copies call him Villenave Vielbancque complaining by Letters unto this Assembly that he was deposed from the Ministry by the Colloquy of Berry who were impowered to it by Authority of the last National Synod held at Montauban and requiring that a Committee might be appointed to hear what he had to say in his own defence a Vote passed that his Cause should be dismissed over to the Provincial Synod of Gascoigny VII The French Church in London by their Letters to this Synod earnestly requested That Monsieur de la Fontaine might be continued among them and the said Minister moved also by his own Letters to the same purpose Whereupon Monsieur D'Orival Deputy from the Province of Orleans intreated That in case Monsieur de la Fontaine were yielded up unto the Walloon Church of London that then Monsieur du Moulin might be given during life unto the Church of Orleans and his Mission to it ratified by the Authority of this Assembly The Deputy of the Isle of France also did consent that on those Terms Monsieur du Moulin should be perpetually affixed to the Church of Orleans This Assembly decreeth That Monsieur de la Fontaine may remain in the Service of the Church of London always that Right reserved which our Churches of France have unto him and that Monsieur du Moulin be given for ever unto the Church of Orleans VIII Our Brethren Pastors in the Church of Metz excusing themselves for not sending a Deputy unto this Synod by reason of their present Circumstances and craving Advice about the dissoluteness of Habits Monsieur de Serres is ordered from this Assembly to write unto them That they do their endeavour to come unto the Synods of this Kingdom and that they conform themselves unto that Article of the Discipline concerning Habits without any the least difficulty And this self-same Order shall serve also for the Provinces of Gascogny and Orleans which demanded a larger liberty as to that Article IX Letters were read from the Pastors of Sedan excusing their inability of deputing one from their Body unto this Synod and craving Advice about the Marriages of such as were lately received into Fellowship with our Churches whether their Nuptials might be solemnly blessed in our Assemblies before they had communicated at the Lord's Table and claiming Monsieur Capel Lord of Tilloy and some others as their own Ministers requesting also that they might be assisted by a Collection in this their extream necessity After mature deliberation it was resolved That they should conform exactly as to their first demand unto the Articles of our Discipline without any the least repugnancy and for the Second they were dismissed over to the Synod of Champagne and for the Third we will endeavour to gratifie their desires and the Provinces shall be exhorted liberally to contribute to them and the Monies of the said Collection shall be remitted unto Monsieur de Menilles and de la Gourmandiere Elders in the Church of Paris X. The Lord du Plessis Governour of this City desiring that the Lords going into the Army might be exhorted to take with them a Minister demanding also from this Assembly that Monsieur de la Noue might be provided of a Pastor by our Authority It was resolved That the Lords now going and those who are already gone into the Army should be advised so to do and Letters shall be written unto the Church of Sedan that they would be pleased to lend one of their Pastors unto Monsieur de la Noue who may be sit for such an Employment and in case of failure herein on their part then the Colloquies of the Isle of France shall endeavour to get him one XII Monsieur Manthois according to the desire of Monsieur de la Banseric is granted unto the Church of Pont-dorson XII The Lord Baron of Courtomer demanding by Monsieur de la Banseric a Pastor for his Church of Courtomer the Church of Paris was appointed to use all possible means to procure him one XIII Master Gabriel Raoul formerly a Minister requesting by his Letters to be restored unto his Office this Assembly judgeth That the Deposition of the saiâ— Raoul ought to be continued whereof Notice shall be given him by Monsieur de St. Hilary De Sâ—â—res was suspected to be an Accommodater with the Papists but prevented by Death XIV Monsieur de Serres complaining of that Order past against him in the last National Synod of Montauban This Assembly having with much patience for a long time together
particularly promiseth to hinder the out-breaking of Piscator's Notions provided he be not provoked elsewhere by any others This Assembly ordaineth John Earl of Nassau his Letters unto Monsieur Regnault that Lettes shall in its name be written unto the said most Noble Lord thanking him for his pious affection and humbly intreating that Prince to continue his endeavours for effecting of that much-desired Union and to take care that none of his Subjects do break out into bitter expressions and to assure him on the behalf of our Churches in this Kingdom that no person shall be suffered to exasperate Dr. Piscator by any publick Writings as also that if any one hath heretofore done it he had no Commission for so doing from us and it was disowned by this Synod and that we shall take special care to prevent it for the future See the first Synod of Rochel G. Mat. 6. and of Montauban observat upon the Confes Art 4. Th' Article concerning Antichrist to be printed and inserted into our Confession 8. Our Printers shall be once again charged according to the Decrees of the Synods of Montauban and Saumur to put the word Union instead of Unity in the twenty sixth Article of our Confession And all Pastors in whose Churches there be Printing Houses are required to oversee the next impressions that so it be done accordingly 9. That Article concerning Antichrist inserted by the Synod of Gap into the body of our Confession and making the thirty first having been in its order read weighed and examined was approved and allowed by general consent both as to its form and substance for very true and agreeing with Scripture-Prophesie and which in these our days we see most clearly to be fulfilled Whereupon it was resolved that it should continue in its place and that for time coming it should be imprinted in all Copies which should come from the Press 10. That word Superintendent in the thirty third Article shall abide according as it was expounded by the Synod of Gap 11. Whereas the Pastors and Classis of Lausanna Morges c. do demonstrate in their Letters that it would be fit to add unto the close of the thirty third Article after the word Appertaining this restriction as far forth as they be grounded on the Word of God This Assembly hath found it needless and superfluous because that the foregoing words For in Excommunication we ought to follow what our Lord hath declared to us do sufficiently express unto us the aforesaid Restriction 12. Whereas some have remonstrated that it were meet to express in the thirty sixth Article more clearly that Union which the faithful have one with another and which is signified to us in the Lord's Supper But this point having been debated it was judged needless for that the Conjunction of the head with the Members there mentioned did necessarily infer the mutual Union and Communion of the Members one with another 13. The Consistories of Churches in which our Printers live are charged for time to come to have a special care that our Printers do not forget those words of our Lords Institution Take Eat c. And Drink ye all c. according as was Decreed in the Synod of Saumur 14. The Province of Higher Languedoc scrupling the word Lieutenant in the thirty ninth Article This Assembly saw no reason for it but that it might continue in it as importing nothing contrary to what is signified by that word when attributed unto Magistrates by the Holy Scriptures and equivalent to those words which the Word of God doth bestow upon them 15. The Confession of Faith having been read over word by word and in every Member Article and Clause of it it was unanimously approved and sworn to by all the Deputies present in the Synod who promised and protested to live and die in this Faith and particularly in what had been determined according to the Scriptures That we be justified before God by the imputation of that obedience of our Lord Jesus which he yielded unto God his Father in his Life and Death Which said Protestation the Deputies of the Provinces will by the Authority of this Synod cause also to be taken by all the Pastors of their respective Provinces which had sent them CHAP. III. Observations on the reading our Church-Discipline 1. ON the Second Article of the first Chapter after these words of their Doctrine shall be added approved at least by the space of two years since their Conversion and confirmed by good Testimonials from those places in which they live 2. On the fourth Article of the same Chapter that alternative of two or three shall be removed and there shall be mentioned three only 3. No Church shall for the future undertake whatever sollicitations may be made it to examine or ordain those Pastors which are to serve out of this Kingdom but herein they shall conform unto the Discipline and the Decrees of former National Synods 4. After these words in the fourth Article which shall be advised there shall be added without being able during that all whole time to administer the Sacraments that so c. See Synod of Gap 4 Art uppon the Discipline 5. That Article of the Synod of Gap concerning the eleventh Canon of this first Chapter shall be most strictly observed and that it may be better kept for the future in all Consistorial Classical and Synodical Censures diligent inquiry shall be made into the Conversation and Manner of Preaching used by every Pastor and an Oath shall be imposed on the Examinant to speak the Truth to the best of his knowledge and that they may the better answer to every point they shall read unto them the said Article of the Discipline 6. On reading the ninteenth Article the Synod ordered Letters should be written unto the Lords of this Kingdom professing the Reformed Religion that they be intreated when ever they are called from their Houses unto Court or when ever they travel that they would not fail to take their Pastors with them 7. The Synod expounding the twenty eighth Article by these words their Churches being heard doth understand the Consistories and Chief of the people and by these words for certain considerations doth understand whatever may fall out in general and not particularly the proceeds of Censures A Colloquy may lend a Minister for three and the Provinc Synod 6 months out of the Province See the first Synod of Vitré g. Mat. 24. 8. On the thirty third Article where speech is had about the consent of Pastors and Churches in case of Loan of Ministers without the Province It is now decreed that notwithstanding any Appeal to the contrary a Colloquy may lend a Pastor for three Months and the provincial Synod for six 9. The means prescribed by the Synods of Gap and Gergeau to prevent their ingratitude who refuse maintenance unto their Pastors are left to be used according to the discretion and charity of the
of Monsieur Chauve at present Pastor in the Church of Sommieres urging for themselves the great importance of their Church and the indispensible necessity they had of a Pastor whose Age and Experience might be able to undergo the burdens of so numerous a Congregation After hearing the Letters of the said Church of Nismes and their request uttered by the mouth of the Sieur de * * * Another reads Pierre d'Or another Pinedon Pucchredon their Deputy and the Arguments of the Provincial Synod by their Deputies to the contrary this Assembly ordained that the said Sieur Chauve should be lent for three months unto the Church of Nismes after which term the Provincial Synod having heard both the Churches and the said Sieur de Chauve may judge whether it be needful or not to dispose of his Ministry and if they find it necessary then by the Authority of this Assembly they shall give him unto the Church of Nismes and they shall provide that of Sommieres with another Pastor either taken from Nismes or elsewhere 33. The Sieur de la Faye This was razed out by the second of Vitré Obs 6. upon this present Synod Pastor of the Church of Aubenas in Vivaretz appeared in this Assembly Appellant from the Judgment of the Provincial Synod which had threatned him with the greatest Censures as if he had deserved them and farther had ordained that the next Synod of his Province should remove him unto some other Church which in their wisdom they should conceive to be more expedient for him and that in the mean while the Colloquy should have a watchful Eye over his conversation But this Assembly condemned all the proceedings of that Province in this Affair particularly for receiving Informations against the said Sieur de la Faye unattested and for censuring him without any cause or Reason and for not having recorded that their Censure nor brought hither any Record thereof and therefore approving the Appeal of the said Sieur de la Faye it doth abrogate that Sentence of the said Provincial Synod as infamous and unjust in every article branch and member of it 34. Certain Inhabitants of Caussade Appealed from a Decree of the Provincial Synod of Higher Languedoc This was reverst in the 2d Synod of Vitré p. m. 12. importing that the Sieur Grand formerly their Pastor but afterwards suspended for three months and then removed from three years should now at last the term being expired be imposed again upon them This Assembly over-looking the formalities which ought to have been observed in their Appeal but were not did graciously receive both them and it and having heard the Province and seen the Decree declaring several miscarriages whereof the said Grand had been guilty ordained that he be summoned to make his personal appearance before us and to be heard speak with his own mouth what he hath to say for himself and then to be Judged according to the merits of his cause Whereupon the said Sieur Grand having been examined by a Committee appointed for that End and they making report of his confessions and answers this Assembly aggravated his Censure and Judged that he could not exercise his Ministry to the edification of that Church of Caussade and therefore doth ordain that he be disposed of somewhere else by the Colloquy of Lower Quercy at their next meeting and that he be for ever made uncapable of returning to Caussade nor may the said Church ever have power over him or his Father who became bound for him to redemand the Moneys disbursed by them on his Studies because they enjoyed the exercise of his Ministry for some space of time 35. The Colloquy of the Isles Appealed for that Monsieur de la Forest formerly Pastor in the Church of St. John d' Angely was given by their Provincial Synod unto the Church of Mauze in the Colloquy of St. John d' Angely The Sieur Cocq ' a Minister having been heard speak for that Colloquy and the Deputies of the Synod of Xaintonge for the Province this Assembly confirmeth the said de la Forest in the Pastoral office of that Church of Mauzé and ordaineth that the Province shall provide for the Church of St. John d' Angely as soon as possible they can 36. The Church of Agen Appealed because having demanded their portions free of all taxations the Synod of Lower Guyenne had refused it This Assembly rejected their Appeal and dismissed over the affair relating to it unto the said Province which shall provide for their Pastors maintenance as soon as one shall be setled with them 37. The Church of Boislebeque appealing from the decree of the Synod of Normandy by which Monsieur Simson was not only excluded from the said Church of Boislebeque but also from all other Churches of Normandy this their Appeal was made null and void and the judgment of the said Province confirmed which is intreated to take care that the said Church of Boislebeque be supplied with a second Minister in case they shall judge it needful 38. The Colloquy of Albigeois brought an Appeal from the Judgment given in their Provincial Synod of Higher * * * Another Copy Higher Guyenne Languedoc about the affair of Monsieur Josion one of the Pastors of the Church of Castres relating to the Censures past against the said Colloquy and their Deputies After hearing the Sieur Raffin Pastor of the Church of Realmont for the said Colloquy and the Deputies of the said Province together with the said Josion and the Sieur de la Garrigues Deputy of the Church of Castres and the report of the Commissioners deputed to inspect the writings produced by the several parties and who were ordered to examine and hear Witnesses dwelling upon the place and who were particularly mentioned by name unto them this Assembly took off the Censure inflicted upon the said Colloquy and its Commissioners by the said Synod and yet approveth of its judicial sentence in all other particulars and ordaineth that all Papers concerning this business be deposited with Monsieur Gardesy that so the remembrance of them may be for ever forgotten 39. The appeal of Monsieur Raffin Pastor of the Church of Realmont from the Synod of Higher Languedoc which had confirmed an Ordinance of the Colloquy of Albigeois obliging the said Church to visit the annexed Church of la Fenasse every six weeks was disannulled and the decrees of the Provincial Synod and Colloquy were both confirmed 40. The Consuls of Pamiers appealed from a decree of the Synod of Higher Languedoc which would not grant them the precedency claimed by them to communicate first at the Lords Table before the Judge of that City But this their appeal was rejected because it was of the nature of those things which might be finally determined by the Synod of their own Province 41. The appeal of Monsieur Graue Elder in the Church of Pamiers from the Decree of the Synod of Higher Languedoc about Moneys ordered
received for the said City Which accordingly he promised to see done and performed 18. The Deputies of Dolphiny complaining that the Sieur Scoffier had not obeyed the Decree of the Synod of Privas St. Maixant p. m. 21. Privas p. m. 34. in paying the Moneys which he owed them this Synod voted that ninety Livers should be detained out of the Moneys beloning to the Province of Berry in which the said Scoffier serves as a Minister in the hands of the Lord du Candal and delivered unto the Province of Dolphiny yet leaving the Province of Berry at Liberty to take what course they thought good to recover the said sum from Monsieur Scoffier 19. The Deputies of Dolphiny complaining that the Sieur Jarry had received thirty Livers from the Church of Castel-Dolphin upon promise that he should come and serve them which yet he hath not done nor restored to them the said Moneys Order was given to the Synod of Sevennes that they injoin him to make them satisfaction and that they consult what censure to inflict upon him 20. Bertrand Auger or Faugier who was put upon the File of the Deposed Ministers by the National Synod of St. Maixant having cleared himself of the Crimes laid unto his charge was restored unto the exercise of his Ministry by the Synod of Dolphiny whose Deputies now demanding that his name might be razed out of that black Kalander this Assembly did accordingly grant it to them 21. A judgment of the Province of Normandy about some Money-matter being put in execution Privas p. m. 25. which was remanded thither by the Synod of Privas this Assembly ordained that the Province of Brittany should pay two thirds of the charges expended by the Sieur Trizonius who was commissionated in that affair by the Province of Anjou and the Moneys for the said charges shall be kept by the Lord du Candal in his hands out of the Moneys appertaining to the Province of Brittany unless their Deputies would rather compound and make present satisfaction 22. Complaint being made by the higher Generality of Normandy that the general charges for the whole Province were divided by equal portions between the Lower and Higher Normandy although there was a very great inequality both of Churches and Colloquies betwixt them this Assembly ordaineth for the future that the said Charges shall be divided into five parts whereof the Lower Normandy shall pay three and the Higher the other two 23. The Synod of the Isle of France complained of the Church of Paris for not paying in as the other Churches of that Province have done and still do the fifth penny of their Charity-Moneys This Assembly having heard the Sieur Bigot and seen the Acts of the Provincial Synod and the Accounts of the said Church approveth of the administration of their Charities and ordereth that the said Church shall continue in the same estate as it was heretofore only that their Deputies shall bring in to their Provincial Synod an account how they dispose of their fifth penny 24. The difference betwixt the Church of Orleans and their Provincial Synod about Claudius Garnier a Dominican Fryar converted unto the Protestant Reformed Religion is turned over to the Province of Anjou to put a final period thereunto by the authority of this Assembly 25. The Province of Lower Languedoc having referred unto this Assembly the separation of the Churches de la Bastide Viras Vignas and Bessars from the Church of Barjac that they might be incorporated with the Province of Vivaretz After hearing the Deputies of both Provinces and perusal of the Judgment given by the Synod of Lower Languedoc the aforesaid Churches were all adjudged unto the Province of Vivaretz excepting only that those of the Quarter of Bessars and only they are left to their own choice whether to continue Members of the Church of Barjac or to follow those other Churches See before Appeal 38. 26. The expences of Monsieur Raffin in his journey to this Assembly for defending that Appeal brought by the Colloquy of Albigeois shall be re-imburst him by the Provinces of Higher Languedoc and Guyenne out of the portions allotted to the said Colloquy 27. The difference between the Colloquy of Albigeois and the Synod of Higher Languedoc and Gyuenne about the distribution of their respective portions is dismissed over to the Synod of Lower Guyenne who have full power to put a final period to it by the authority of this Assembly 28. The Province of Lower Languedoc desiring to be discharged by this Assembly from paying those summs for which they stood indebted unto the Synod of Privas because that the Apostate Ferrier who had their Moneys and whom they had impleaded for them hath removed his cause by way of Appeal unto the Council It was ordained that the Decree of Privas should not in the least be changed And yet notwithstanding that these Petitioners should be holpen in their just prosecution of the said Ferrier at Law by all the Churches 29. This Assembly approving the labours of Mr. Andrew Rivet Pastor of the Church of Thouars and particularly those learned Works of his published against the Adversaries of the Truth gave him their thanks for them and as a testimony of that love and honour they bear him do give him the summ of six hundred Livers out of the common stock of all the Churches 30. The Synod of Poictou having proposed that there might be a new division and increase of Colloquies in the said Province after hearing the arguments pro and con this Assembly ordained that the Colloquies should abide in number and form as they have ever been untill now 31. The Sieur Chabot petitioned by Letters unto this Assembly that the publick Preaching of Gods Holy Word together with the administration of the Sacraments and all other exercises of our Holy Reformed Religion might be again restored unto the Church of Mussidan It was ordained that Messieurs d' Anglade and Esperien Ministers of St. Foy do visit that Church and Preach at Mussidan and dispose the dissenting parties to a reconciliation till the meeting of their next Provincial Synod 32. The Province of Higher Languedoc is exhorted to consider the distresses of the Church of Aiguesmortes and to assist it with a supernumerary portion equal unto any of those other portions given by them unto Pastors and to be paid out of that stock of Moneys which will be allotted them in the general Dividend 33. And the said Province is intreated to give unto Master Andrew Chanforan the Son of Monsieur Chanforan Pastor of the Church of Poussyn the first place that falls vacant for any Proposan Privas p. m. 19. 34. The Deputies in this Synod are charged when they return unto their respective Provinces to recommend unto them the continuance of their Charity towards the poor Refugees of the Marquisate of Salluces a great many of them still groaning under very pressing wants 2. Vitré obs 8. upon this Synod 35. According
their dependencies and that the said Churches cannot long Subsist without a Good a Strict and Mutual Union and conjunction of one with the other and this better kept and maintained than formerly Therefore being desirous what in us lyeth for the future to remove all seeds of division and occasion of partialities between the said Churches and to obviate all Impostures Plots Calumnies and Practices whatsoever by means whereof divers Persons ill affected to our Religion do indeavour its utter Ruine and destruction For which reason we are more bound than ever by an unanimous consent and agreement to use those means which will most and best contribute to our just lawful and necessary preservation in the Union aforesaid under the authority of our Soveraign Lord the King and the Queen Regent his Mother we have in the Name of all those Churches and for their Weal and Happiness and for the service of their Majesties Sworn and Protested and do Swear and Protest yea we do also promise that we will see these our Protestation to be ratified in and by all our respective Provinces to continue inseparably United and conjoyned in the Confession of Faith owned and Professed by the Reformed Church of this Kingdom and confirmed approved and ratified by us all We Swear as well in our own Names as in the Names of all the Churches and Provinces which Commissionated us to be their Deputies unto this Assembly that we will live and die in this Confession as also we do protest that we will keep inviolably that Ecclesiastical Discipline which is established in the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom and to observe its Canons for the Government of these Churches and the reformation of manners owning and acknowledging that it is agreeable to the Word of God under whose supream and unviolable authority We Protest and Swear to yield all obedience and fidelity to their Majesties desiring nothing more than through the favour of their Edicts to serve our God without any Violence offered unto our Consciences Sworn and Subscribed by Gigord Moderator Gardesy Assessor Rivet and Scribes Maltrett Scribes And by all the other Deputies with their own hands CHAP. XVI An Act for the Meeting of the General Mixt Assembly THE Lord of Rouvray our General Deputy having sent unto this Synod his Majesties writ bearing date the 22d day of this present month by which at the request of this National Synod the time of meeting for the next National General Assembly is put off till the a 25th of August but without any change of place This Assembly judging the City of Grenoble to be a very inconvenient place because of its great distance and for being the Residence of a Parliament and for divers other great and weighty reasons ordered that Letters should be written unto the Lord Marshal Duke de Lesdiguieres and presented to him by the Deputies of Burgundy and Dolphiny who also by word of mouth should humbly intreat his excellency not only to take in good part the change of the place of meeting which all the Deputies convened at this Synod have unanimously desired and hold necessary but also that he would be pleased to joyn with them in their humble request and Petition unto their Majesties by the Lords our General Deputies who shall present unto them Letters from this Assembly in which with all humbleness it shall be declared that the late King of most happy Memory did usually make choice of the most meet and convenient places for the holding of those Assemblies And the said Lords Deputies shall use their utmost care and diligence to give notice and information of the success of this their undertaking before the 15th of July or sooner if may be unto the Provincial Assemblies in case of refusal This Assembly adviseth also that it would be expedient that they send each of them one Deputy chosen out of their whole Body to reiterate with all submissions and reverence their most humble Petitions unto their Majesties and by conjoyned Supplications to obtain this change from them Moreover the Lords General Deputies are most expresly charged to prosecute their complaints of that grievous Outrage Committed by the Lieutenant in the Government of Guise against Monsieur Sigart Pastor of the Church of Levall and to desire that justice may have its due Course upon that Officer they corroborating by word of mouth what hath been written unto their Majesties from this Assembly about it They be also exhorted according to the Canon made at Privas most humbly to petition their Majesties that we may be exempted from that necessity which is now more eagerly and violently prest upon us than ever yea and with greater severity rigour and exaction than heretofore and against that Liberty of Conscience which hath been so often promised us of styling our selves of the pretended Reformed Religion we rather choosing to suffer all kind of torments than to be compelled with our own mouths to condemn our own most holy and true Religion Moreover they be exhorted to assist the Church of Dijon whose place of Meeting for Religious Worship is removed four long Leagues distant from that City although by the Edict they may have their Temple in the Suburbs And yet this poor Church hath been frustrated of its expectations and earnest requests after ten years Prosecution and Attendance at Court for if They shall also complain of the Commissioners that were sent into Burgundy to see the Edict of Nants executed for that they refused to hear the Petitions tendered them for restoring the exercise of our Religion in seven antient Baily wicks and in the Cities of St. John de Laune and de Noyers where the Word of God had been duly and constantly Preached in the years 1576 and 1577. And they shall favour and stand by that opposition made by those of our Religion in Vivaretz against the Petition presented to the Council by the Judge of the Lower Vivaretz who would of his own head and authority bring into the Royal Courts of Villeneuve of Berg and Annonay Causes determinable in the Provosts Court which is expresly contrary to that Article of the Edict declaring that the Judgment of Declinators and Exceptions against the Jurisdictions of a Court shall only appertain to the Mixt Chambers of the Edict or to other Courts at the choice of the Professors of our Religion They shall complain also of letting decay the Fortifications of Clermont in the Lower Languedoc one of our Cautionary Towns and given us as a pledge and hostage for our security The Papists in the mean while fortifying the Town against the Castle They are also intreated to be careful of that business of Monsieur de la Garde Governour of Tonneins who being summoned and brought before His Majesty and Council after a world of difficulty was dismissed over to the Chamber of Grenoble from whence the Jesuits and other Clergy of the Romish Church would fain remove it back again to Paris And they shall use all
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
Ecclesiastical Affairs though relating unto all the Provinces in general as it hath been of late practised by the Synod of Nismes who entred into a Correspondence with that of Dolphiny and the Church of Montlimart about the Ministry of Monsieur Creguts and with that of Sevennes and the Church of Anduze for the Ministry of Monsieur issue out Orders relating to the general State of the Churches and for the same Reason his Majesty forbiddeth the Provincial Synods the Indiction of publick National Fasts 4. In the second Place that there may be a more firm Peace established in the State it is his Majesty's Pleasure that all Ministers do preach unto his Subjects that Obedience which is due unto him and to his Authority and Commandment by the Word of God and that it is no wise lawful for them whatever Causes or Occasions may induce them to it to revolt from nor take up Arms against their Soveraign And sith it may so fall out that some things may be enacted by the Government and Civil Magistrate which for want of knowledg of their true Springs and Motives may seem prejudicial to the Liberty of your Confidences although it be his Majesty's Intention to uphold and conserve it for you therefore his Majesty doth expresly forbid all and every one of you to tax or condemn his Government for any evil Designs against your Religion And farther that in none of your Sermons or Writings you make use of those Expressions of Torments Martyrs and Persecutions of the Church of God 5. Also that the Blessing of Peace may be promoted whenas you shall have occasion to speak of the Pope and of those of the Roman Catholick Religion of its Sacraments and Ceremonies you are not to call him Antichrist nor them Idolaters nor to use any unbecoming Words that may offend or scandalize them upon Pain of Interdiction i. e. of silencing the Ministers and dissolving the religious Church-Meetings and of greater Punishments You be also prohibited all injurious Words and Proceedings against such Ministers and other Persons who shall have quitted your Religion tor that of his Majesty 6 Finally That the Publick Peace may not be disturbed by any Writings or licentious Discourses no Books treating of your Religion whether printed within or out of the Kingdom shall be sold till they have been first examined and approved by two Ministers authorized thereunto otherwise they shall be all seized and confiscated 7. Moreover forasmuch as to resist the Orders of inferiour Magistrates deriving their Power as Beams from the Sun of Soveraign Royal Authority is to resist his Majesty himself and to subvert the very Publick-Weal his Majesty being informed that a Proposition was set on foot in the Synod of Andusa that the Marriage of a certain Person called Audebert who had remarried after a Divorce obtained from and decreed by the Judg there should not be celebrated his Majesty enjoineth you all now that you be assembled in this National Synod to resolve on it that all your Churches shall acquiesce in and conform unto all Orders of the Civil Magistrate in this Particular about the disannulling of Marriages and to take an especial care for the future that this Default be repaired 8. Thirdly It being his Majesty's Desire and Purpose to continue unto you the Possession and Injoyment of his Edicts which are granted and accorded to you and it being but just and equitable that you also on your part should observe them and not in the least infringe or violate them His Majesty injoineth all Ministers that in Obedience to the 10th Article of the Edict of Pacification made in January 1561 and those Letters Patents duly obtained thereupon and enrolled that they do preach only as in Duty they are bound in those Places where they make their actual residence and he forbiddeth them all Excursions from thence to preach in those Places which they call Annexations And his Majesty being informed of the manifest Contempt and Violation of this his Ordinance hath given me in charge to reiterate this his Prohibition and commands you to obey it upon the Penalties imported in the said Letters and in the Decree of his Council and threatens you in case of Non-compliance with a total Forfeiture and Deprival of all the Priviledges and Benefits of his Edicts 9. And whereas also you are permitted by the forty fourth Article of Particular Matters in the Edict of Nants to assemble your selves before a Judg Royal and by his Authority to make an equal Tax and to levy Monies necessary for defraying all Synodical Charges and the Maintenance of your Ministers in the Exercise of your Religion his Majesty doth forbid your said Ministers to take the Moneys out of the Poors Box or of Legacies bequeathed to pious Uses for the Paiment of their Sallaries or the fifth Penny out of that Fund for the Maintenance of your Universities and this upon very good and considerable Grounds because it is not any ways reasonable that the Moneys given and destined to the Poor should be diverted and imployed to any other Usage 10. And farther since it cannot be imagined that any Person could be guilty of such extream Baseness and Ingratitude as to refuse a Contribution to the Support and Maintenance of his own Pastor however lest there should be such an one and to prevent it for the future his Majesty explaining the 44th Article before-mentioned doth permit you every New-year's-day or in one or some of those twelve Days in the beginning of the Year to make an Assembly of the principal Inhabitants of every Town or Church in the Nature of a Consistory to consult about their Pastors Wages Charges of Journies unto Colloquies and Synods and for the Maintenance of the Professors and Regents in your Universities and for the Reparation and upholding of your Temples and to make an Accompt and List of all Persons able to contribute unto the said Charges which being brought before a Judg Royal shall be authorized by him and then every one so taxed and assessed by him shall be compelled to pay in his Part and Quota and in case of his Refusal it shall be levied by Distress and Fine notwithstanding his Opposition or Appeal as is done in the ingathering of his Majesty's Revenues And therefore his Majesty forbiddeth all Ministers to beg from Door to Door for their Maintenance 11. And his Majesty being informed that the said Synod of Nismes hath granted unto Mr. Petit Minister of the Gospel as Professor of Divinity the Sum of seven hundred Livers he doth now decree that the said Sum shall be paid out of the Monies destined to the Maintenance of Universities by the last National Synod and is to be taken out of the Dividend belonging to those three Colloquies which compose the said Synod and his Majesty commandeth and injoineth you to observe and keep those aforesaid Canons as well for the Payment of your Pastors as for the railing of the Monies 12. I have
be Saved if they will or that God hath Counsels and Decrees which may be frustrated and shall never obtain their effect nor farther can I find where he saith That God hath taken away from Men their Natural Impotency to believe and convert themselves to him nor that he reduceth the Efficaciousness of the Regenerating Spirit to a variable suasion yea I find most express Protestations to the contrary insomuch that these Gentlemen under pretence of Honouring do Defame him wronging his Name and Memory in making him the Author and Father of these wicked Doctrines But the most grievous Accusation of all lags yet behind for these Gentlemen tax me for calumniating them by attributing things unto them which they never did spoke nor thought Now although this their Complaint be unjust yet have I great reason to give thanks unto God Almighty that they be ashamed of their own Doctrine and that by disavowing these Points so clearly taught by them they make Semblance as if they were about to give Peace unto the Church which they have so very much disturbed and that they were returning once again into the good old way I shall be exceeding glad that your Holy Assembly may accept of their Explanations of their Sentiments tho' they will be hard enough and there be very little appearance of it and that their Retractation may be taken for an Explication that so their Honour may be secured provided they do re-unite themselves with you upon these conditions I would willingly suffer them to repute me a Liar so that they might be found honest men and true However that I may be cleared from all suspicions of being a Reproacher and Calumniator I have extracted with very much Faithfulness some few passages out of their Writings which I now lay open before you that you may Judge whether I have Calumniated them and whether such Doctrines as theirs may be endured For my part I am of that mind That I need not at all trouble my self about these Accusations because that many Provincial Synods and many Professors and Pastors of Foreign Churches and Vniversities do join themselves with me in making the very self-same Complaints and do also accuse them of those very Errors particularly my Reverend Colleagues the Worthy Pastors and Professors in this our City of Sedan as you will see by this Writing unanimously Subscribed by us all and sent unto you which we most humbly intreat you to take into your Godly Consideration For if you should content your selves with a meer allaying of these Controversies and an Imposal of Silence on both Parties you will leave the Spirits of Men in suspence and put Error in the same Rank and Degree of Reputation with Truth and Foreign Churches and Vniversities who have been concerned for these new Notions will take your Silence not for a condemnation of Them but of the Truth Nor can you hope that witty men who have for divers years together laboured with an incredible ardor to maintain and promote their Doctrines should be kept within bounds by a poor simple Exhortation given them in an Assembly which is no sooner broken up but they be freed and delivered from all fear and will be at liberty to speak and write whatever pleaseth them If Medicines do not cure the Sick they make them worse and do the more irritate and increase the Distemper We not knowing when or whether the Lord will ever favour you again with another National Assembly it is very needful that before your Dissolution you should make use of the most Effectual Medicines which may be useful and serve as a Warning and Example to Posterity and to such as under the Shroud and Covert of new Expressions shall attempt to bring in and set up new Doctrines When I consider how that your Assembly is composed of persons endowed with a singular Zeal for the Truth and Glory of God and who are richly furnished with Learning and Prudence and who will not suffer themselves to be surprized by little Arts and crafty Sollicitations and hearing no tidings of these Gentlemens change of Language or that they have forsook their principal Propositions I am full of hopes that God will give good Success unto your Deliberations and that he will use you as effectual Instruments in his hand to corroborate and confirm our Vnion and by the same means to establish Truth and Concord among us all May the Lord God of Truth and Peace preside in the midst of you by his Holy Spirit and power forth abundantly upon your Persons and Holy Work and Ministry his best Blessings In him I am most Reverend and most Honoured Brethren From Sedan April 27. 1637. Your most Humble and most Obedient Brother and Servant Du Moulin A Letter of Monsieur Diodati Pastor and Professor in the Church and Vniversity of Geneva unto Messieurs the Pastors and Elders of the Reformed Churches of France Assembled by Permission of the King in the National Synod of Alanson craving their Licence and Permission for the Printing of his Latin and French Translation of the Holy Bible together with his Annotations upon it Messieurs and most Honoured Brethren GOd be Praised for the meeting of your Holy Assembly from which we promise our selves an Universal Blessing to be derived down upon all your Churches and that your Holy Discipline will be preserved and the Union and Purity of your Churches strengthed Having now an opportunity presented me I make bold to communicate unto you a private Affair of mine own which hath made a great noise in the World and according to the diversity of mens minds hath been entertained with various and different Censures It is my Labour on the French Bible on which having travailed very many years I have at length by the Grace of God finished it and after divers Revisals of it and Conferences about it have brought it unto Perfection and do now only wait for a little freedom from the strong opposition of some persons made against it that I may publish it to the World These Men pretend the sole Judgment of the Synod of Alez why it may not be Printed and therefore their keenness and contradiction cannot be removed by a less Authority than that of another National Synod equal to it which may receive full information and take full cognizance of the Cause 'T is very true that this being a Labour of Pure Innocent and Confessed Orthodoxy of an unreproachable Fidelity done by a Man who never ministred the least occasion to have the sincerity of his Faith questioned and who for many years hath given unto the publick an Essay of his small Talent in this kind of Work a Labour only designed and devoted for private Uses and Studies and which being the Common Right and the Practice of the Christian Church in all Ages and Nations methinks it should not have met with so many Oppositions nor be necessitated to sollicit your Assembly for a Licence especially sith that the last
a long and uninterrupted Possession without any Complaint brought in against him 2. For Suspending Monsieur Fazas the Younger maintaining his Father's Right yea since he had entred his Appeal without any the least regard had unto his Father's unjust Deposal from his Office in the Eldership 3. For refusing to notifie unto the Church the Restitution of the said Monsieur Fazas unto his Office whom they had Deposed although the Provincial Synod had ordered them so to do and that according to the Canons of our Discipline Moreover this Assembly Decreeth that the Judgment of that Provincial Synod shall be fully and most effectually performed and that the Pastors and Elders of the Church of Tonneins who shall not acquiesce in it shall be Censured and Suspended from their Offices by Monsieur Brignos another Copy hath Brinol Pastor of La Parande who was ordered by the Provincial Synod to inflict the Censures on them And the Lord of St. Blancard by reason that his House is Situated on the other side of the River shall be at liberty to joyn himself unto that Church which is nearest to him And farther all Consistories are strictly forbidden to bring any Appeals of this Nature unto these National Synods and although it be not our Intention to trouble our Selves with particular Customs which have obtained in the Churches about seating of Persons in our Temples yet we do declare our Judgment that there are less and fewer Inconveniences in leaving them free to all Comers than to assign them unto particular Persons of a Private Condition who have no Right nor Priviledge to arrogate and claim unto themselves a preheminence above any others 12. This Assembly desiring to preserve those Lords who have the priviledge of high Justice and other Gentlemen in the possession of those Advantages granted them by the Edict and doing right unto the Lord of Marcassargues upon his Appeal Ordaineth that the Province of Sevennes shall yield unto his Lordship's Demand upon those Conditions expressed in his Memoirs and produced by him in this Assembly to wit that the Pastors shall come unto his House at his Charges and without prejudice to those Religious Exercises which are to be performed formed on certain Days of the Week and that there be the like Consideration had for Persons of the same Quality and Character 13. A Man going by the Name of Michael dwelling at St. Stephens de val Franscisque being Condemned by the Provincial Synod of Sevennes to separate himself from the Niece of his Deceased Wife whom he had espoused Appealed unto this Assembly who having considered the Case judged that Monsieur Sauvage the Pastor and the whole Consistory of St. Stephen's had deserved the greatest Censures for their Disrespect shewn unto the Laws of the Land and the Canons of our Discipline in publishing the Banes of the said Michael and afterwards for having given him a Certificate of their Publication The Synod also of Sevennes was justly blamed for admitting a Fellow so deep in Guilt and engaged and resolved to continue in his Sin to take an Oath in their Presence And the Sieur Ausez is ordered to appear before the Provincial Synod of Lower Languedoc and to be accountable unto them for what he hath done in this business And the said Michael and his Wife are commanded to give Glory unto God and to refrain each others Company and no more to wound their Consciences by continuing in a Life so Scandalous Condemned by the Word of God and the Statute Laws of the Kingdom And whereas the said Consistory of Saint Stephens have took upon them by their Letters to maintain the Cause of these Delinquents and that there is very much reason to suspect that the Signature of Monsieur Barjon affixed to the Lower end of the said Letters is Counterfeited they shall be all carried to the next Synod of that Province which shall inform themselves of the matter of Fact and in case the Suspicion be found to be well grounded they shall immediately proceed to censure the Person or Persons guilty of this Forgery 14. The Acts and Memoirs sent from the Sieur de Combalasse and those Joyning with him on the One Party were read in this Assembly and on the other the Deputies of the Province of Higher Languedoc were heard giving in the Reasons of that Judgment which the Provincial Synod held at Mauvezin had prononuced both against the said Sieur de Combalasse and those who had Accused him Whereupon the said Judgment was Confirmed in all its Articles and Members And forasmuch as there have been very many Defaults in the Proceedings on all Hands which deserve a Censure it was Decreed that sith the Ministry of the said Sieur de Combalasse can be no longer Edifying to the Church of Realmont he shall be removed from it and another Pastor Substituted in his Stead And whereas upon Reading those Acts produced divers Articles of Accusation appeared which were not sufficiently cleared nor proved the Colloquy of Albigeois is charged at their next Meeting as also the Synod of higher Languedoc to revise this matter and to take new Information thereupon and as things alledged shall be averred and proved to apply the Censures appointed by our Discipline 15. Monsieur Guyonnet Pastor of the Church of Chastillon upon Seine having Appealed unto this Synod that right might be done him a Decree past that he should continue to serve the said Church one Year however until the Meeting of the Provincial Synod of Burgundy upon the breaking up of which he shall be at full Liberty And the Sieur de Carouge shall be sent unto the Church of Beaune to continue there for a time and at the departure of the said Monsieur Guyonnelt he shall be settled in the Church of Chastillon as its peculiar Pastor 16. That Judgment pronounced by the Province of Berry upon the Sieur de la Galere was Confirmed and his Appeal from it disannulled yet forasmuch as the said Province and that of Anjou in which he hath heretofore exercised his Ministry have given him an Honourable Testimony this Assembly Decreeth that he shall be left upon the Roll of Pastors who are by the National Synod to be distributed among the Churches and shall be imployed in such an One as the good Hand of God shall direct him to 17. The Sieur Codure formerly Pastor and Professor of Divinity in the Church and University of Nismes having sent Letters with a Diatribe of his Dedicated unto this Assembly in which he pretends to reconcile the Differences between the Protestants and the Church of Rome concerning Justification and demanded Audience of it According to his Request he was admitted to propound the Reasons and Motives of his Design Which having done there was a most serious Remonstrance made him of the great wrong he had done First Unto the Truth of God in taking upon him to reconcile Contradictory Opinions and utterly inconsistent one with the other And then Secondly How
to debate of these very matters we doubt not in the least but that he will allow us to receive those Letters and Memoirs which contain their Informations and Instructions to us In short our whole Religion being grounded upon the Word of God and this Word teaching us to fear God and honour the King we never perform any Act of Religious Worship to that Great God who created us in which we do not offer up a Prayer with our most ardent Vows for the Supreme Power here on Earth and particularly for all that are in Authority over us and upon all occasions that occur unto us we do leave Impressions hereof upon the Souls of the Faithful who are Members of our Churches in our Sermons And we are well assured that before the breaking up of this Synod your Lordship my Lord Commissioner shall see not in one single Exhortation only but in many those inviolable Inclinations we have unto the Weal and Happiness of the Government and that Obedience which we are all unanimously resolved to render unto the Will and Laws of our Prince when as they be not contrary to that of the Law of God who is the King of Kings And as his Majesty hath hitherto been pleased to favour us with our Liberty of serving God according to that Light we have received and in the Purity of the Gospel and whereas my Lord Commissioner hath now declared to us his Majesty's good Pleasure to uphold us favourably in this Liberty under the Protection of his Edicts and to exert that Authority which God hath put into his Hands to secure us from their Attempts who would deprive us of it and as we have no ground nor cause to complain of Oppression and Persecution so also we shall not make use of any such Terms as are expressive of them and we shall upon all Occasions give clear and ample Evidence of that respect we bear unto our Sovereign and we shall take a most especial care for keeping the Publick Peace of which our Actions Words and Writings and these Last shall never be published but according as we are allowed by the Edicts and regulated by the Canons of our Discipline and by the Decrees of our National Synods shall by the Grace of God be most valid and authentick Sureties for us as they have been in times past so for the future And as we shall never render our selves unworthy of his Majesty's favour so we hope that he will continue to extend unto us the Honour of his Love and good Will and that he will ordain all Governors of his Provinces Places and Fortresses and all Officers in Parliament and all other Courts of Judicature where Justice is administred to see that his Edicts be carefully executed that so there being no violation of them on their parts we also on ours may never have any occasion for the future of complaining to his Majesty who next and after God is our only Sanctuary to whom we may betake our selves for Refuge against all Injustices and Oppressions And as for what is past there being very many Places in this Kingdom where the good Intentions of his Majesty have not been followed and where those of our Religion have been disturbed in the Exercises of it and have suffered very great Violences in their Families in their Children in their own Persons and in their Estates in sundry and divers ways contrary to what is granted us by the Edict And the inferiour Judges have been so far from doing us right that even they have been the very Persons who have encouraged the Animosity of many others against us Our King being the Image and Vicegerent of God and who will undoubtedly endeavour to resemble him as in the Independency of his Power and Glory of his Majesty so also in his Justice and Clemency He therefore cannot but approve that afflicted persons do make their Addresses to Heaven to be supported under their Sufferings and comforted in their Afflictions so we also should have recourse unto his Royal Throne for Support under our Burthens and Redress of our Grievances and the Conservation of our Invaded Liberties and Properties And whereas his Lordship my Lord Commissioner was pleased to say That his Majesty hath greater reason to complain by far of his Subjects of the Reformed Religion for their Infractions and Transgressions of the Edict as if they had either in Languedoc or any where else attempted to restore the Preaching of Gods Word by overt Actions by mere Force and Violence contrary to the publick Peace and the General Laws of the Kingdom we profess that the hearing of this Relation was a most sensible Grief and Sorrow to us We do not complain in the least of your Lordship my Lord Commissioner for you did but follow those very Orders and Instructions which were given you We receive with all possible respect and humility whatever comes from his Majesty because we reverence his Authority and because we have many Pledges and Tokens of his Kindness and Love unto us But we are exceedingly grieved and concerned that those who are near his Majesty do us very ill Offices and slander us unto him representing our Actions in very odious colours so that in stead of informing him that the Exercise of our Religion hath been violently abolish'd and removed from very many places where it was permitted by the Edicts and that our Temples have been demolished by main Force and in an Hostile manner they have dispersed wicked false Stories of us at Court as if we had some new and unlawful Enterprizes and Designs in our Heads Besides we have another thing of very hard digestion that whereas the Canons of our Discipline do expresly forbid those of our Communion to send their Children unto Jesuits and to other professed and avowed Enemies of our Religion because that through their fiery and inconsiderate Zeal for their own they turn every Stone and use all sort of means to prevent them from that Duty they owe unto God and to their Parents yea and to his Majesty himself and we being allowed the Exercise of our Discipline as well as of our Religion why should we be counted blame-worthy for our care in the Religious Education of our Children and for our just Severity in censuring their sinful negligent Parents And whereas some of ours are accused for reproaching and other injurious Carriage towards such Persons as have quitted our Communion for that of the Church of Rome we are so far from approving of those Actions towards them that 't is well known we require all our Members to pray for them and to labour by all pious means to reduce them into the good way of Eternal Salvation But we profess our utter Ignorance of any such Abuses offered unto our Revolters And in stead hereof this we know that there be open Violences done unto those godly Persons who do forsake the Communion of the Romish Church and joyn themselves unto ours And we hope
Foreign Parts without the Kingdom and that he should not suffer them to be divulged or sold in this City of Loudun and this he did that neither the Parties concerned nor the Synod it self should complain that without those Paperâ— Pieces and Writings they could not come to a perfect knowledge of the bottom of this Affair and to judge aright of it In pursuance hereof and for these Considerations before mentioned the said Lord Commissioner declared that he did now also give full Liberty to all the Deputies who were in this Synod Judges of this matter to peruse those aforesaid Papers and Evidences as they should think meet and according to the Priviledges granted by his Majesty to his Subjects of the Reformed Religion by the Edicts and according to the Discipline received in our Churches and approved in France by the Laws and Customs of the Kingdom but without allowing them to subject themselves to any Foreign Authority Jurisdictioâ—◠〈◊〉 Judgments or to send Monsieur Morus unto any other Judges than â—â—ose of his said Kingdom to be tried by them and to undergo their Judicial Sentence this being contrary and prejudicial to his Majesty's Authority to his Ordinances and Edicts as also to the Weal and Rights and Priviledges of his Subjects All which it was his Lordships Pleasure should be inserted into the Act containing the Judgment of this National Synod upon this affair The Sieur Papillon Advocate in Parliament and Elder in the Church of Paris being admitted to produce his Arguments in defence of those Appeals brought both in his own Name and in that of Monsieur Beauchamp an Advocate and Elder also in the same Church from the Judgments given in the Synod of the Isle of France held at Ay in May last of this Year now current 1659 by which Monsieur Morus was conferr'd upon the Church of Paris to be their Minister and from those Members of the Consistory of that Church who had Ordered the said Mr. Morus to be confirmed in it notwithstanding their Appeal and for refusing to give him leave which he had demanded to pass into Holland according to his promise there to justifie himself from those Imputations laid upon him and for that they censured him the said Papillon for Appealing from them He was heard in this Assembly and the Assembly took notice of what he urg'd on behalf of his Appeal and heard him patiently in whatever he had to offer against those Judgments aforesaid And also Monsieur Morus was heard defend himself and explaining matters relating to him as were the Deputies of the Province of the Isle of France and those of the Consistory of the Church of Paris in defense of their Judgment and in their demand of the Ministry of the said Monsieur Morus And there was heard the Report made by the Committee appointed for a more exact Reading and Verification of all Papers and Writings and what Judgment had been past on the Excuses and Denials of both sides the Examination of this important business ate up several Days This Assembly having rightful Authority to judge herein and the rather for that the Synod of Nimeguen whose Act was now Read had remitted the whole unto the Prudence Discretion and Charity of this Assembly to do in it what it should conceive would most contribute to the Glory of God the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and the upholding of that Holy Correspondence which hath always been betwixt the Reformed Churches of France and those of the United Provinces did take and retain the cognizance of this affair unto it self and declared that it found no cause obliging it to condemn the said Sieur Morus nor to blast the Reputation of his Person or Ministry but on the contrary that it had sufficient Reasons to dismiss him justified from all those grievous Slanders and Accusations which were brought into this Assembly against him Wherefore it declareth him innocent of those crimes which were imposed on him and having perused those advantagious Testimonials given him by the Magistrate Pastors and Professors of Divinity in the City of Geneva by the Pastors and Professors of Divinity in the City of Middleburg by the Burgomasters and Curators of the City and Illustrious School of Amsterdam and by divers Pastors and sundry other private Persons whose Names and Probity are celebrious and well known to this Assembly and considering the great Edification which the Church of Paris receiveth from his Ministry and their vehement desires urged with the greatest importunity that he may be continued to them this Assembly doth Establish and Confirm him in the said Church to discharge the Office and perform the Duties of an ordinary Pastor in it And making Reflections upon what hath been transacted in the Synods of La Ferte au Col and D'Ay and in the Consistory of the Church of Paris on occasion of the said Monsieur Morus it censureth that Synod of La Ferte for having judged the said Monsieur Morus when he belonged not unto them nor was under their Jurisdiction and only because an Impeachment against him had been brought before them and for that they never exacted of him in order to his Induction into the Church of Paris but a simple License of departure from the Curators of the Illustrious School of Amsterdam without making mention of his Testimonial from the Church And the Synod of Ay is censured for assuming to themselves a power of judging the competency or incompetency of the Synod of Tergou over which they had none Authority and that in speaking of that Synod they used very unbecoming Expressions and reflected unhandsomly upon their Judgment and confirming the Censures issued out by the said Synod of La Ferte against the Consistory of the Church of Paris it doth ordain that the Canons of our Discipline about the Election and Confirmation of Pastors shall be observed with greater exactness than hath been done in this Call given unto and Reception of Monsieur Morus by the Church of Paris And as for the Sieur Papillon the Assembly hath taken off the Censures inflicted on him by the Consistory of the Church of Paris and doth fully acquit him from it and declareth that there was no reason for denouncing any Censure against Monsieur Beauchamp And after grave and serious Counsels and Admonitions given unto Monsieur Morus about his Conversation which was not managed with that circumspection as was requisite and advice unto him to be more careful for the future that the mouth of Calumny which hath been wide and loud open against him may be stopped he was injoyned more particularly to look to it that he offended no Man by his Words or Writings and that he labour to the utmost of his Power to preserve Peace and to calm and reconcile the Spirits of Men of all Perswasions to himself and to regain their Love and Amity from whom he is departed 19. It being represented unto this Assembly that their Act made about Morus Mr.
shall be written unto die Provincial Synod of the Isle of France that they summon these aforesaid Gentlemen before the Colloquy of Beauvoisin and remonstrate to them their Offences but to deal gently and sweetly with them And in case upon their appearance they should reject their Admonitions they shall be proceeded against as Rebels and Schismaticks according to the Canons of our Discipline Art XIII As to the business of Cozin's before-mentioned Monsieur de Saule shall be intreated by the Assembly to answer our English Brethren and to send them Cozin's Book and the Remarks which have been made upon it Art XIV Monsieu de Beze is ordered to answer in the Name of this Synod the Letters of our Brethren of Zurich and to acquaint them with our Synodical Decrees Art XV. The Province of Berry is charged to call the next National Synod two Years hence or before in case of necessity CHAP. VIII The Vagrants styling themselves Ministers but deposed 1. BEauguyot 2. Arbaud 3. John Garambois alias Baremboin 4. Denis Lambert 5. Simon Savin or Savineau calling himself Monsieur De la Marchâ— 6. Monsieur Peter Granade going also by other Names as Sacalay Mercure Salcadry or Secudry All these before-mentioned Articles were Decreed and Verified in the National Synod of the Deputies from all the Provinces of this Kingdom at Nismes May 8. 1572. Signed in the Original John de la Place Moderator THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE IX National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE HELD At St. Foy the Great in the Province of Perigord the 2d Day of February and ended the 14th day of the same Month in the Year of our Lord 1578. being the 4th Year of the Reign of Henry the Third King of France and of Poland THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Synodical Officers chosen The Duke of Bouillon sits in it representing the King of Navarre Chap. II. General Matters Care of the Religions Education of the Youth Of Catechising Publicly Pennance No Church-Officers who have Popish Wives Of Attestations Chap. III. An Act for a National Fast About Common-Prayers Ministers Expences to Synods and Colloquies Of God-mothers Chap. IV. Several Cases of Conscience as about Marrying the Aunt of a dead Wife and a very strange Case about Marriage Holding the Temporalities of Benefices Fashions and Habits Ministers way not together with their Ministery Practice Physick c. Chap. V. An Act for calling the next National Synod Canon about Beneficed Persons Chap. VI. A Commission given to several Divines to assist at a Treaty of Vnion between all the Reformed Churches in Europe Chap. VII The Prince of Conde brings the first Appeal unto the National Synods Chap. VIII Discipline exercised upon a scandalous Minister Ap. 5.8.9 Censure upon an ungrateful Church-Ap 10. Fregeville censured Chap. IX A Roll of Ministers provided for and disposed unto Vacant Churches Remarks upon Monsieur Merlin the Moderator THE Synod of St. Foy 1578 Synod IX SYNOD IX Of the Ninth National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France held at St. Foy the Great in Perigord on the 21st day of February and ended the 14th day of the same Month in the Year of our Lord 1578. being the 4th Year of the Reign of Henry the Third King of France and of Poland CHAP. I. Art I. AFter Prayers made by the Pastor of that Church Master Peter Merlin Minister of the Word of God and Pastor of the Church gathered in the House of the Right Honourable Guy Earl of Laval was by general Suffrages chosen Moderator and Mr. Francois Oyseau Minister of the Church of Nantes and Mr. William de la Jaille Minister of the Church of Saujon were chosen Scribes of the Synod Art II. There was present and voted in it the most Noble and Illustrious Lord Henry de la Tour afterward Duke of Bouillon and Mareschal of France Viscount of Turenne Earl of Montfort Baron of Mountague c. representing as Lieutenant-General His Majesty the King of Navarre in the Province of Guyenne Art III. There fate also in this Synod the Judges Magistrates and Consuls of the said City of St. Foy CHAP. II. General MATTERS I. NO Province shall claim any Primacy or Preheminence over another II. The Deputies of every Province are charged to adâ—ise and press their respective Provinces to look carefully to the Education of their Youth and to see to it that Schools of Learning be erected and Scholastick Exercises as Propositions and Declamations be performed that so their Youth may be trained up and prepared for the Service of God and of his Church in the holy Ministery III. Synods and Colloquies shall proceed against ungrateful Persons to their Ministers by all consures according to the 27th Article of our Discipline under the Title of Ministers IV. Colloquies and Synods shall use their best and utmost diligence that the Tenth Article in the Chapter of Ministers be most punctually observed concerning Forsakers of their Ministery who upon slight and trivial Grounds do abandon it and their Churches For the Widows and Orphans of Ministers see the Synod of Vertueil General Matters 22. V. The Provincial Synods shall keep a Memorial of the Widows and Children of deceased Ministers especially of those who died in their Churches Service that so they may be relieved and maintenance may be given them out of the common Stock of the Churches in their respective Provinces according as their necessities shall require VI. The Synod of Upper Languedoc shall ordain two or three of their Assembly and such as they esteem best fitting for that Service to answer the publick Writings of our Adversaries and in their Replies and Refutations they shall deport themselves according to the Canons of our Discipline in that case provided with all Gravity Piety Civility and Moderation Concerning publick and private Catechisings VII Churches shall be admonished more frequently to practice Catechisings and Ministers shall Catechise by short plain and familiar Questions and Answers accommodating themselves to the Weakness and Capacity of their People without Enlargements or handling of common Places And such Churches as have not used this Ordinance of Catechising are hereby exhorted to take it up Yea and all Ministers shall be obliged to Catechise their several Flocks at least once or twice a Year and shall exhort their Youth to submit themselves unto it conscientiously And as for their Method in preaching and handling the Scriptures the said Ministers shall be exhorted not to dwell long upon a Text but to expound and treat of as many in their Ministery as they can fleeing all Ostentation and long Digressions and heaping up of parallel Places and Quotations nor ought they to propound divers Sences and Expositions nor to alledge unless very rarely and prudently any passages of the Fathers nor shall they cite prophane Authors and Stories that so the Scriptures may be left in their full and sovereign Authority In publick Penance the
to any Retraction and for that the Church of Geneva doth not renew its Suit against the said Mainuelle and seemeth thereby to have buried the Memory of that Fact of which he was accused in Oblivion The Synod leaving the said Mainuelle to the Judgment of his own Conscience doth injoin him for the future so to order his Conversation that there may be no just Occasions given of new Complaints against him 26. All the Provinces are injoined carefully to observe and practise the 6th Canon in the Observations of the 24th National Synod held at Charenton in the Year 1623 upon our Discipline and that 5th Canon in the Chapter of Particular Matters in the Synod of Castres and by all lawful and possible means to reduce them unto their Duty who cause their Children to be instructed by the Priests of the Romish Church or send them to the Colledges of Jesuits 27. In case his Majesty shall be pleased to continue the Grant of his wonted Liberality unto the Churches out of the Dividend of the Province of Provence there shall be first taken out the Monies granted unto Monsieur Durie by the National Synod of Castres and the said Province shall be accomptable to him for it from the very first day of his Establishment in the Church of Beauvoysin 28. The Difference between the Provinces of Xaintonge and Poitou shall be referred unto the next Colloquy of the Synod of Anjou which is also impowered to conjoin the Church of Saveilles with that of Villefaignan in case they shall judg that of Chefboutonné whereunto the said Church of Saveille is now joined may subsist of it self 29. Forasmuch as since the Decree of the National Synod of Castres concerning Monsieur Casaux five Years are now lapsed and the Province of Higher Languedoc hath not in all this time re-demanded him this Assembly bestoweth the said Casaux upon the Province of Lower Guyenne and he shall continue his Ministry in that Church in which he hath hitherto served as their own appropriated Pastor 30. According to that Decree of the National Synod of Castres the Churches of Auvergne shall carry their Declaration unto the next Synod of Higher Languedoc who shall determine whether they be able to compose a new Colloquy And in the mean while the Province of Burgundy shall continue their Care and Charity to the Church of Paillas in like manner as it hath done in Times past 31. The Colloquy of Albigeois shall exert all their Power that the Decree of the National Synod of Castres be executed against those Ministers in the Province of Higher Languedoc who reside not in their Churches and shall apply meet Censures to the Transgressors of the 13th Canon in the first Chapter of our Discipline and that by the Authority of this Assembly 32. The Monies promised unto Monsieur Chamier Pastor of the Church of Montlimard by the National Synod of Castres towards the printing of those excellent Works of his most learned Father now with God shall be effectually paid in unto him but I fear it was never done 33. The Provinces are exhorted to revise their Collections who have compiled the Articles of our National Synods into a Body that so there may be out of them made an Extract of such important Matters as explain the Canons of our Church-Discipline and they shall make Report hereof unto the next National Synod 34. Letters shall be written to Monsieur de Sommaise Salmasius to intreat him that he would devote his Studies and Pains to the Service of God's Church and that he would travel in the Examination and Confutation of the Annals of Cardinal Baronius 35. That Act promoting Monsieur de Garissoles to the Profession of Divinity in the University of Montauban having been presented by the Deputies of Higher Languedoc was confirmed And this Assembly confirmeth the said Mr. Garissoles in his Professorate and intirely approved of what was done in this Matter by the Commissioners who did examine him 36. This Assembly ratifying the Judgment passed by the Consistory of Alez in the Cause of Monsieur Desmarais which was dismissed to them by the National Synod of Castres decreeth That out of the first Monies belonging to the Province of Vivaretz shall be retained part of the Sum due by the said Province unto the said Desmarais that so he may be so far satisfied 37. According to the Decree of the National Synod of Castres out of the first Monies to be received by the Churched for three Years there shall be reprised by the Province of Xaintonge the thirteen Portions and an half granted to Mr. Bellot and Constans and the Acquittances of those two Ministers shall be brought in and delivered unto the Lord of Candall 38. Complaint being made of the non-Execution of the 13th Canon enacted in the 23d National Synod held at Alez in the Year 1620 about delivering the Cup at the Lord's Table by Pastors only This Assembly judgeth the Province of Lower Languedoc to have incurr'd a Censure for their over-much Indulgence unto the Churches of Montpellier and Nismes who have not to this very day conformed to it And it doth grievously censure the Consistories of those Churches and enjoineth them for the future not to quit the Practice of the other Churches of this Kingdom on pain of being prosecuted with all Ecclesiastical Censures 39. Monsieur d'Huysseau craving the Execution of that Decree made by the National Synod of Castres which had given him the Sum of two thousand five hundred Livers in compensation of his great Expences disburs'd in the Suit against Monsieur Palot The Assembly ordereth the Lord of Candall to pay him in the said Sum out of the first Monies which shall be divided among the Churches who shall be accomptable to him for it and deliver up unto him the Acquittance of the said Sieur d'Huysseau 40. Forasmuch as Mr. Roques hath not presented himself before this Assembly to render accompt of the Monies received by him out of the Collection permitted by his Majesty for the Cities of Rochel Montauban and Castres the Province of Lower Guyenne is charged to cite him unto their next Synod and to examine and finish his Accompts by the Authority of this Assembly 41. The Memoirs sent by the Sieurs Mizauban and Grenouilleau Commissioners appointed by the National Synod of Castres to visit the Churches of Soulés and Labour being read and Mr. Guillemin Minister in the said Church of Labour and the Provincial Deputies of Lower Guyenne and Bearn being heard The Assembly ordains That till such time as it shall please his Majesty to grant a settled Place for Religious Worship unto the Faithful dwelling in the Land of Labour that the said Church shall continue joined to the Province of Bearn that so it may be regularly visited and till such time as it can subsist of it self instead of three hundred Livers which were granted by the former National Synods unto the said Mr. Guillemin he shall receive the yearly Sum