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
sworn a Promise of Marriage unto a Maid or Woman shall depart unto another Country and the Maid or Woman shall make her Complaints of it craving to be discharged from her Promise because of his disloyalty Let inquiry be made upon what occasion he left the City whether it be lawful and with the Consent of his Partner who is now the Plaintiff or whether it was not for Debauchery and because he was unwilling to accomplish the Marriage And if it appear that he had no sufficient reason for so doing and that he did it out of a wicked Intent let inquiry be made into what place he is withdrawn and how notice may be given him to return within a prefixed day and to perform his promise of Marriage unto his Partner and if upon notice given he do not appear then let Proclamation be made on three Sundays a Fortnight's distance intervening betwixt each Proclamation the last being made on the sixth Lord's-day and if he do not appear at the time assigned then let the Maid or Woman be declared free and set at liberty from him and let the delinquent Man be banished for his disloyalty In case he do appear let him be compelled to accomplish the Marriage out of hand But and if it cannot be known into what Country he is gone and that the Maid or Woman and his Friends and nearest Relations shall swear that they are all ignorant where he is then let the same Proclamations be made as if he had notice given him that the Maid or Woman is discharged acquitted and liberated from him But in case there was a just cause for his absence and that he had advised and acquainted his Partner with it then let the Maid or Woman use all possible diligence by her self and his Friends to recal and induce him to return and if he do not return within the Year then let Proclamations be made as was before directed in the fourth Article Article IX And let the same Course be taken with a Maid or Woman that shall offend as the Man excepting always that the Husband shall not be obliged to wait a full Year altho his Wife had lest him with his Knowledge and Consent unless he had given her leave for to be absent a longer time Article X. If a Maid being duely tied by promise of Marriage is frauduiently transported out of the Territory of this Republick that she might not accomplish the Marriage let inquiry be made whether some one or other in the City hath not aided nor assisted in this rape that so they may be compelled to return her under such a Penalty as shall be judged meet and if she be under Guardians and Trustees they also shall be enjoined to see her forth coming if possible Article XI If a married Woman have abandoned her Husband and he be silent and make no complaint of it or if the Wife thus forsaken of her Husband shall dissemble it without a word 's speaking and this afterwards come to light let them be cited both into the Consistory there to inform how matters have gone that so all scandals may be prevented and that no deceit nor collusion may be tollerated nor what is worse winked at and the true state of the Matter being come to light an effectual course may be taken to prevent all voluntary Divorces which Men and Women of their own head-strong Wills and without Authority of the Civil Magistrate would give unto one another Yet nevertheless the Wife at the request of her Husband shall be compelled to follow him when and wheresoever he pleaseth to remove his habitation whether it be out of choice or necessity provided he be not a debauched Person who will carry her God knows whether into some strange and unknown Country but if it be into a Land at some reasonable distance where he will make his residence and in some convenient place to follow his Calling and to live as an honest Man she must follow him Let all matrimonial Matters concerning personal Conjunction be first transacted in the Consistory but not Matters concerning Estate or Dower And here let there be a most friendly Agreement and Correspondency in God's Name But if there should need any judicial Sentence to be pronounced then let them go unto the Council and acquaint their Lordships with the Sence of the Consistory who may after judge finally in the Case The End of the Synod of Vertueil THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE VII National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE Held At Rochel in the Province of Aulnix and Year of our Lord 1571. THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Moderator and Scribes Chap. II. General Matters Observations upon the Confession of Faith Hereticks in Poland and Transylvania opposed Cozain's Works condemned and the Bishops of England desired to suppress his and the Books of some other Hereticks Erastus condemned Three Originals of the Confession kept one at Rochel another in Bearn and the third at Geneva Chap. III. Observations upon the Discipline Form of Ordination Alterations and Emendations of several Canons of the Discipline Chap. IV. Continuation of those Observations A Motion for answering the Books of our Adversaries approved by the Synod Chap. V. Catalogue of Vagrant Chap. VI. A particular Matter about Elders and Deacons A Motion of the Lord High-Admiral made unto the Synod Chap. VII General Matters Of the Consistory Of Delinquents Of Provincial Synods and Baptism Chap. VIII Four Observations upon the Discipline Of the Lords-Supper Marriages More Observations upon the Discipline Chap IX Canons about Marriage Particular Orders Chap. X. Orders about Publishing of Books c. Chap. XI Particular Matters Chap. XII Matters relating to Monsieur Mercure The Church of Taillebourg A Case of Conscience from the Province of Poictou The Churches of Languedoc not conforming exactly to the Discipline THE First Synod of Rochel 1571. Synod VII SYNOD VII In the Name of GOD Amen CHAP. I. Canons ordained in the National Synod held at Rochel the second Day of April One thousand five hundred seventy and one in the Eleventh Year of the Reign of Charles the Ninth Theodore de Beza Minister of Geneva was chosen Moderator N. des Gallars and de la Rougeraye Scribes CHAP. II. General MATTERS Observations upon the Confession of Faith I. FOrasmuch as the kind Acceptance and Entertainment of Christian Doctrine is the true Foundation of Church Discipline we have decreed to open this Synod by Reading the Confession of Faith Received in the Churches of France II. Forasmuch as our Confession of Faith is Printed divers ways The Synod declareth this to be the true Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in France which beginneth with these words We believe that there is but one God which Confession was drawn up in the first National Synod held at Paris May the 25th 1559. These Hereticks were Davidis Gentilis Blandrata Socinus c. III. The Confession being read
they be accompanied with a Godfather and that they have made profession of our holy Christian Reformed Religion CAN. IX A Surety coming from another Church shall not be admitted to present a Child unto Baptism unless he bring with him a Certificate from his own Church CAN. X. Such as present Children unto Baptism shall be of sufficient Age in their fourteenth year at least and shall have Communicated at the Lord's Table or if they be well stricken in years and have not as yet received the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper they shall protest seriously that they will do it and in order to it that they will suffer themselves duly to be Catechised CAN. XI Persons suspended from the Lords Supper may not in the quality of Sureties present Children unto Baptism so long as their Suspension shall stand in force against them CAN. XII Pastors shall diligently exhort all Godfathers and Godmothers to weigh and consider their Promises made at the Celebration of Baptism and Parents also to chuse such Sureties for their Children as are well-instructed in Religion and of a Godly Life and Conversation and that are as much as may be of their Acquaintance and by whose means if there should be a necessity for it in the course of God's Providence it is most likely that their Children will have a Religious Education CAN. XIII Such as by their Proxies presenâ— Children to be baptized in the Church of Rome shall be severely censured because they consent thereby unto Idolatry CAN. XIV As for Names which are given Children in Baptism Ministers shall reject if it can possibly be done and without any inconvenience those which yet remain of old Paganism nor shall they impose on the said Children the Names ascribed unto God in Scripture as Immanuel and others of like nature Moreover Parents and Sureties shall be admonished to take Names approved in the holy Scriptures or if they fancy any other they may be accepted excepting always those before mentioned and those which signify a matter which is unseemly CAN. XV. Ministers shall admonish their Flocks to demean themselves most reverently at the Administration of Baptism And that the contempt of Baptism which is expressed by too many even the far greater part of our People by going out of the Assembly or carrying themselves irreverently at its Administration may be avoided for the future it hath been judged meet that this holy Sacrament shall be administred before the singing of the last Psalm or at least before the giving of the Pastoral Blessing And the People shall be carefully admonished to behave themselves with the self same Reverence in the administration of Baptism as in that Sacrament of the Lord's Supper forasmuch as Jesus Christ and all his benefits are alike equally exhibited and offered to us in both the Sacraments CAN. XVI Consistories shall have an eye over such persons as do without any great and urgent cause defer for a long time together the Baptism of their Children CAN. XVII Chap. XII Of The Lord's Supper Although the Wife of a Believing Husband be of a contrary Religion yet is he in no wise to be excused if that his Child be presented unto Baptism in the Church of Rome and therefore he shall not be received unto the Lord's Supper unless he have to the utmost of his power laboured to prevent it CAN. XVIII All Baptisms shall be Registred and carefully kept in the Church-Books together with the Names of both the Parents Sureties and of the Children baptized which shall be subscribed by the Minister's own hand who did baptise them And when as Children shall be presented unto baptism The Parents and Sureties shall be obliged to bring with them a Note in which shall be inserted the Name of the Child of its Parents and Sureties and the day of its Nativity CAN. XIX The Parents Names of Bastards Children born of an Illegitimate Conjunction if they be known shall be Recorded in the Book of Baptisms unless of those Children who are born in Incest That so the very Remembrance of such an enormous Wickedness may be for ever buried in the Grave of Forgetfulness In which case it shall be sufficient only to have nominated the Mother together with the Sureties who shall present the Child to Baptism And in the Baptising of all Illegitimate Children express mention shall be made that they were born out of holy Wedlock CHAP. XII Of the Lord's Supper CANON I. WHere there is no Form of a Church the Lord's Supper shall not be administred CAN. II. Children under twelve years of Age shall not be admitted unto the Lord's Table but as for others who are above that Age it is left unto the Minister's discretion to judge whether they have sufficient knowledge to qualify them for their admission to it CAN. III. Priests Monks and other Ecclesiasticks belonging to the Church of Rome shall not be admitted to the Lord's Supper till they have first made a publick acknowledgment of their former Life and profession CAN. IV. Incumbents who retain the name and title of their Benefices and all other persons who do either directly or indirectly participate in Idolatry whether they receive the Income of their Benefices with their own hands or the hands of others shall not be admitted to Communion with us at the Lord's Table CAN. V. Ministers shall have notice given them not to receive unto the Lord's Supper the Members of other Churches without having a sufficient Testimonial from their Pastor or in default thereof from an Elder if it may be had CAN. VI. A Man dumb and deaf demonstrating his sence of Piety and Religion by evident signs tokens and gestures may be received unto the Lord's Table in case the Church hath experience of his holy Life and can perceive that he hath Faith and the true Knowledge of God CAN. VII The Bread in the Lord's Supper shall be administred unto them who cannot drink Wine they protesting seriously that it is not out of contempt that they do forbear it besides they doing their utmost endeavour for it yea bringing the Cup as near unto their Mouth as they can and taking and touching it with their Lips all occasions of offence will be by this means in this case avoided CAN. VIII Pastors are left at liberty in giving the Bread and Wine to use the accustomed words it being a thing purely indifferent provided that they use such words as tend to edifying CAN. IX The Churches shall be informed that it belongeth only unto Ministers to give the Cup. CAN. X. Forasmuch as when the Lord's Supper is administred sundry diseased Persons come unto it which causeth many that are in health to be shy of taking the Cup after them Pastors and Elders shall be admonished to use their greatest prudence that godly order may be kept up and observed in this Case CAN. XI Such as having been a long while Members of the Church and refuse Communion with it at the Lord's Table
the ensuing Edict given at St. Germans en Laye May 21. 165â— The Declaration of Louis the Fourteenth confirming the Edicts of Pacification Given at St. Germans in Laye May 21. 1652. LOUIS by the grace of God King of France and Navarre To all Persons who shall see these Presents Greeting The late King our most honoured Lord and Father whom God absolve having acknowledged that it was most needful for preserving the Kingdoms peace that his Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion should be maintained in the full and intire enjoyment of those Edicts made in their favour and that they should enjoy the free exercise of their Religion did therefore take a most especial care by all convenient means to hinder their being troubled in the enjoyment of those Liberties Prerogatives and Priviledges granted them by those said Edicts and having to this purpose immediately upon his coming unto the Crown by his Letters Patents dated May 22. 1610. and since his Majority by his Declaration of the 20th of November 1615. declared that he would that those said Edicts should be executed that so he might thereby ingage his said Subjects to continue in their Duty Now we following the example of so great a Prince and imitating him in his goodness we are willing to do the like Having for those very same Motives and Considerations by our Declaration of the Eighth of July 1643. willed and ordained that our said Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion shall enjoy all Grants Priviledges and Advantages especially the free and full exercise of their said Religion according to the Edicts Declarations and Orders made on this account for them And for as much as our said Subjects of the said pretended Reformed Religion have given us certain proofs of their affection and fidelity particularly on those occasions which occur'd unto them to our very great satisfaction Be it known that we for these Causes and at the most humble Petition presented to us by those our said Subjects professing the said pretended Reformed Religion and after that we had caused it to be debated in our presence and with our Council We by their advice and from our certain knowledge and Royal Authority have commanded declared and ordained and we do command declare and ordain and 't is our will and pleasure that our said Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion shall be maintained and preserved as indeed we do now maintain and preserve them in the full and entire enjoyment of the Edict of Nantes other Edicts Declarations Decrees Articles and Warrants done and dispatched in their favour registred in Parliaments and Chambers of the Edict particularly in the free and publick exercise of the said Religion in all those places in which it was accorded them notwithstanding all Letters and Decrees either of our Council or of the Sovereign Courts or other Judgments to the contrary We willing that the transgressors of those our Edicts shall be punished and chastised as disturbers of the publick peace And we command our beloved and faithful Officers in our Courts of Parliament Chambers of the Edict Bailiffs Seneschals their Lieutenants and other our Officers to whom it shall appertain every one in his place that they do cause these Presents to be registred read and if need be published and that the Contents of them be kept observed and maintained according to their form and tenor And because there will be need of this present Declaration in many and divers places we will that unto Copies duly collationed by one of our beloved and faithful Counsellors and Secretaries there shall be as much faith given as to this present Original For such is our pleasure In testimony whereof we have caused our great Seal to be put unto these Presents Given at St. Germain in Laye the 21 st day of May and in the Year of Grace 1652. And of our Reign the Tenth Signed LOVIS And a little lower By the KING Phelippeaux And sealed with the great Seal SECT XX. Now as well at Court as in the Field each strove to proclaim loudest the Deserts of the Reformed The Queen Mother herself ingenuously acknowledged that they had preserved the Government for herself and the young King This is a Truth that cannot be contested and yet as true as it is what I shall add will seem incredible But the Enemies of the Reformed have told it them an hundred times over and the sequel hath perfectly verified it That this Great Service of theirs in Saving the King and Kingdom was the precise the principal and proper Cause of their Ruine and of all those Evils which have since befallen them For their restless Adversaries the Popish Clergy used all endeavours to envenom the sence of that Important Service of theirs in the Minds of the King and his chief Ministers for they never left suggesting to them That if upon occasion the Reformed could save the State from ruine they might likewise upon another and siding with its Enemies utterly overthrow it That therefore in prudence this Party must be suppressed and what good they had done must be no longer regarded but as an Indication of that Mischief which some time or other they were capable of effecting This diabolical Policy which hinders Subjects from serving their Prince to avoid the pulling down upon themselves and children Chastisements instead of Recompences took immediately with the ungrateful Court. For as soon as the Kingdom was setled in Peace the Design was put on foot of destroying the Reformed and that they might clearly understand that it was their Zeal and Loyalty for their King which had ruin'd them Those Cities which had given the noblest Instances of it were first assaulted Immediately on very slight pretences they fell foul on Rochel Montauban and Milhaud three Towns where the Professors of the Reformed Religion had most signalized themselves for the Court's Interests Rochel was plagued with an infinite number of Proscriptions her best Ministers and Citizens being driven out and exiled Montauban and Milhaud are sack'd by Soldiers These were but particular Strokes and the beginning of those dreadful Woes which followed after SECT XXI 'T will be a difficult matter to give in an exact account of those various methods used for their destruction For the malice of their Enemies was exceeding fruitful in plotting and contriving of mischiefs Every day produced a superfetation of them for twenty Years together I will instance but in a few for it would be an endless work to enumerate all These were some of the chiefest First Law-Suits in Courts of Justice Secondly Deprivations of all kinds of Offices and Employments and in general of all manner of ways for subsistence Thirdly The Infractions of the Edicts under the plausible gloss of explaining them Fourthly New Laws and Orders Fifthly Juggles and amusing Tricks Sixthly The animating and exasperating of the Rabble with Hatred and Rage against them and barbarous Cruelties and Torments These were some of the most considerable Machins which the
were so far from being heard that their Troubles became greater and their repeated Petitions render their Condition still worse and worse When as Deputies from Cities and Provinces have come to the Louvre in the most dutiful manner with the most humble Supplications of the sorely distressed Protestants for Relief under their heavy pressures they have received an express Order from the King to be gone home again immediately Thus was Monsieur de Vignolles Deputy for the Province of Languedoc used No sooner was he arrived at Paris but one of the Kings Pursuivants is dispatched to him with a peremptory Command to depart the City in eight days upon pain of close Imprisonment And Monsieur Faissé deputed by the Inhabitants of Privas did no sooner appear at Court with their Complaints but the Captain of the Kings Guards commands him in his Majesty's Name to depart the Court instantly upon the like peril of being clapt up in Prison And when the Province of Lower Guienne had sent Monsieur Sarrau to lay at his Majesty's Feet an humble Representation of their many Grievances he received a private Letter under the Kings Seal forbidding him to come to Court A multitude of such Precedents might be produced And if at any time and after many difficulties they have been successful and weathered out the storms of affronts and injuries they have met withal yet when their businesses hath come to an hearing oftentimes no Advocate could be got to plead their Cause or if they have been heard although their Arguments were never so strong yet they have been at last slighted and rejected and no right done them They have some times spent whole years in pursuit of their Causes and in hope of Audience but have been worn out with delays whereas Sentences against them have been obtained by the Clergy in twenty four hours Yea many times after long waiting and great Charges the Protestant Agents and Deputies have been forced to return home with the sad tidings of the loss of their most righteous Causes The last Petition presented to the King himself by the Lord Marquiss of Rouvigny the General-Deputy in March 1684. was couched in the most submissive terms that would have moved and melted into pity the hardest heart thousands having seen and read it for it was afterward Printed yet they got nothing by it but the hastening of their ruine and destruction SECT XLI This was effectually accomplished some few Months following and in such a terrible and violent manner hath it been Executed that the darkest and most distant Corners of Europe yea and of Asia and America have heard and rung of it But the circumstances are not known to all and therefore I shall give an account of them in a few words that the mouth of Impudence may be stopped who publish abroad That no Violences have been offered in France unto the Reformed and that the Conversions there have been voluntary and of their free consent At first they took these measures to Quarter Souldiers in all the Provinces almost at the same time and chiefly Dragoons which are the most resolute Troops of the Kingdom Terrour and dread marched before them and as it were by one common Intelligence all France was allarm'd and filled with this News that the King would no longer suffer any Hugonots in his Kingdom and that they must resolve to change their Religion For there was no human Power could preserve them in it SECT XLII They began with Bearne in this Province the Dragoons first exercised their skill in Persecuting Soon after the storm breaks out in the High and Lower Guienne from thence it rides post unto Xaintongue Aunix Poictou the Upper Languedoc Vivaretz and Dolphiny Then they roar and ravage in Lionnois Sevennes and the Lower Languedoc Provence and in the Valleys of Piedmont and the little Country of Gex Afterwards they fall with a most horrid rage upon the rest of the Kingdom upon Normandy Burgundy Nivernois and Berry the Provinces of Orleans Tourain Anjou Brittain Champagne Piccardy and the Isle of France not excluding Paris it self which underwent the same Fate with the other Protestants The first thing the Intendants were to do according to their Orders and Instructions was to summon the Cities and Commonalties before them and when those Inhabitants which professed the Reformed Religion were assembled they then very gravely acquaint them That it was his Majesty's pleasure they should without delay become Roman Catholicks and if they would not do it freely they would make them do it by force These poor People surpriz'd with such a proposition answer That they were ready to sacrifice their Lives and Estates to the King but their Consciences and Souls being not their own but Gods they could not in any wise dispose of them There needed no more to bring in the Dragoons upon them these armed and booted Apostles are at hand they seize immediately on the Gates and Avenues of the Cities they place their Guards in all the Passages and brandishing their naked Swords the Cry is Kill Kill or else turn Catholicks They be quartered on the Protestants at discretion and are strictly charged by their Officers to let none go out of their houses nor to hide and conceal their goods or effects on great penalties The Catholicks also are threatned in like manner in case they should receive harbour or assist them The first days are spent in consuming those Provisions the house afforded and plundering them of Moneys Rings Jewels and whatever was of any esteem or value Then they set to sale all the goods of the Family and invite the Papists not only of that place but also those of the neighbour Towns and Cities to come and buy them And be sure they could sell them cheap pennyworths and give them a very good Title SECT XLIII A Spâ—â—â—â— of Popish Cruelties Afterwards they fall upon the Persons of the Protestants and there was no Wickedness though never so horrid which they did not put in practice that they might enforce them to change their Religion Amidst a thousand hideous Cries and Blasphemies they hang up Men and Women by the Hair or Feet upon the roofs of the Chambers or hooks of Chimneys and smoakt them with wisps of wet Hay till they were no longer able to bear it and when they had taken them down if they would not sign an abjuration of their pretended Heresies they then truss them up again immediately Some they threw into great Fires kindled on purpose and would not take them out till they were half roasted They tied ropes under their Arms and plung'd them to and again into deep Wells from whence they would not draw them till they had promised to change their Religion They bound them as Criminals are when they be put to the Rack and in that posture putting a Funnel into their Mouths they pour'd Wine down their throats till its fumes had deprived them of their reason and they had in that condition
banished them unto Rheims and are now doing penance for their Heresie as the Papists call it and you may be sure a severe Penance it is that will be inflicted on them by the bigotted Nuns in their Convents The Lady Vielle Vigne neâ—r Nantes in Brittany being accused of holding a Conventicle in her house that is for keeping a day of Prayer was immediately arrested and all that had been found at that Religious Meeting were carried to prison where this Excellent Pious Lady abides in Duress Monsieur de Rosemont formerly Pastor of Giens having through humane Infirmity fallen with the Multitude fell sick in danger of death the Priest of his Parish comes to visit him and offers to administer the Popish Sacraments Extream Unction and the Eucharist unto him but the poor Man refuses them and declares his mind boldly against them and in particular against their Sacrilege in robbing the People of the Cup. Finally it pleased God that he recovered of his distemper and being in perfect health he was demanded whether the words he had spoken and the discourse he had held in his Sickness were the effects of his Fever and Delirium or of his fixed and settled Judgment He answered couragiously that what he had spoken in his Sickness he would stand to in his Health that they were his present Thoughts and Faith and expressing a great deal of Remorse and Sorrow for his Fall he begg'd pardon of God for it whereupon he was brought before a Judge who condemn'd him forth-right unto the Gallies there to be hung till he was dead Monsieur Bayley Minister of Carla in the County of Foix and who was in June 1685. seized on by the Provost of Montauban and thrown into a Dungeon in the Castle of Trumpet at Bordeaux not one of his Friends or Relations being ever permitted to visit him or to know the cause of his Imprisonment died the 12th of November following but with that Constancy as became a Martyr of Jesus Christ praising and blessing God for his Sufferings These Sufferings of his had been very great and exceeding grievous He lay a long while together sick without any relief or assistance yea they were so barbarously cruel to him as to deny him a Cup of cold Water to quench his burning Thirst his merciless Guards treating him in his very malady with all manner of Barbarities that by those Torments he might be enforced to apostatize from the Truth but this excellent man of God held stedfastly to the last and by his Faith and Patience conquered the Cruelties of his Tormentors and died triumphantly He was a Person of great Worth and Learning all which was communicated by him to the Edification of his Flock His Brother one of the rarest Scholars of this Age is that famous Author of the Republique des Lettres The Widow of Monsieur Fremont that rich famous Banker of Paris together with her two Sons left above 200000 Liveres in their House and escapt most fortunately their Persecutors Monsieur Fremont putting himself and six more into the Habits and Arms of the Life-Guard and himself as an Officer in the head of them coming upon the Frontiers to the Guards demands whether none had passed them lately To which they replied Yes some had done it a little before with Pass-ports But this new Officer tells them they were counterfeited and he was ordered to pursue these Counterfeits and so saved himself and Company In Poictou the Houses of the Gentry are demolished and excessive Cruelties by the Mission to make them renounce their Religion The Lady of a Person of Quality who for his Constancy was imprisoned after that his House had been pulled down was clapt up between four Walls where though she was big with child and very near her time yet she was starved to death with Cold and Famine In the Burrough of Torique three Leagues from Niort Frances Aubin a Country Woman declaring her resolution to persist unchangeably in the Protestant Religion they first squeezed her Fingers to pieces with Iron Skrews and then hung her up by her Arm-pits smoaking and forcing her to suck in with her Nostrils Tobacco and Brimstone afterward these bloody Villains tied her Legs unto a Horse who drew her upon burning Faggots Her own Brother of the same name was an Eye-witness of all her Sufferings who also was tortured by them but in another manner And forasmuch as none of these Cruelties could make them either loose their Resolutions or their Lives they flung them both into a low Ditch whence they were taken out almost knee deep in Mud and Water Another Inhabitant of the same place called Fountayne was hung up also by the Arms smoakt with Tobacco her Fingers burnt by a light fire and then thrust into a Dungeon to die of Cold and Hunger as a Man of S. Maixant had done before her A Gentleman of Augumois they tormented to death by pouring into his Mouth boiling Aqua Vitae and Wines and Water They gagged two Gentlewomen of the same Province and had almost killed them by a great quantity of Wine which they forced down their Throats Another Lady of Quality whilst they consum'd her Goods before her face they watching her by day and night forced her to turn the Spit without any Rest or Intermission and this hath been an ordinary practice to keep people so long waking 7 8 9. days and nights together the Dragoons watching by turns till these poor Creatures having lost their Senses and not knowing what Questions are put them or Answers they make unto them are intangled carried to a Popish Church and two Witnesses swearing they saw this though a delirious Person at Mass if afterward by Sleep or Food they came to themselves again and declare that they be Protestants they are condemned for Relapse and burnt to death without Mercy An Eminent French Minister gave the Writer hereof this Relation That Jan. 23. 1685. a Woman had her sucking Child snatch'd from her Breasts and put into the next Room which was only parted by a few Boards from hers These Devils incarnate would not let the poor Mother come to her Child unless she would renounce her Religion and become a Roman Catholick Her Chiled crys and she crys her Bowels yearn upon her poor miserable Infant but the Fear of God and of hell and losing her Soul keep her from Apostasie however she suffers a double Martyrdom one in her own person the other in that of her sweet Babe who dies in her hearing with Crying and Famine before its poor Mother Monsieur Elias Boutonnet a Merchant of Marans near Rochell was martyr'd by these bloody Miscreants after this manner They hung him up by the Heels to a Post of his own House and smoak'd him to death with wet Straw set on fire SECT XLV The Martyrdom of Monsieur Homel Pastor of the Church of Vivaretz in the Province of Sevennes in the Kingdom of France who was with most Hellish Cruelty broken upon
to do any thing for the advancement of Religion unless it were to diminish the numbers of the Churches belonging to those of the Pretended Reformed Religion by interdicting such as had been built contrary to the Orders of the said Edict and by suppression of the Mixt Chambers which were erected only provisionally God having at last granted to our People the injoyment of a perfect Peace and we also not being occupied with those cares to protect them against our Enemies and being able to improve this Truce which we effected for this very end that we might wholly apply our selves to seek out such means whereby we might accomplish successfully the design of the said Kings our Father and Grandfather upon which also we entred as soon as we came unto the Crown we now see and according to our Duty thank God for it that our Cares have at last obtained that end we had propounded to our selves inasmuch as the far greater and better part of our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion have embraced the Catholick And inasmuch as hereby the Execution of the Edict of Nantes and of whatsoever else hath been ordained in favour of the said Pretended Reformed Religion is become useless we have judged that we could do nothing better towards the total blotting out of the remembrance of those Troubles Confusions and Mischiefs which the progress of that false Religion had caused in our Kingdom and which occasioned that Edict and several other Edicts and Declarations which had preceded it or had been in consequence thereof Enacted than totally to revoke the said Edict of Nantes and the special Articles which in pursuance of it had been conceded and whatsoever else had been done in favour of that said Religion I. We therefore make known that for these Causes and others thereunto us moving and of our certain knowledge full power and Royal Authority we have by this present perpetual and irrevocable Edict suppressed and revoked we do suppress and revoke the Edict of the King our said Grandfather given at Nantes in the Month of April one thousand five hundred eighty and two in its whole extent together with those special Articles ordained the second day of May following and the Letters Patents expedited thereupon and the Edict given at Nismes in the Month of July one thousand six hundred and twenty nine we declare them void and as if they had never been together with all Grants made as well by them as by other Edicts Declarations and Decrees to those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion of what kind soever they may be which shall in like manner be reputed as if they had never been And in consequence hereof we will and 't is our pleasure that all the Temples of those of the said Religion situated within our Kingdom Countries Lands and Lordships of our subjection shall be immediately demolished II. We forbid our said Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion any more to assemble themselves for exercise of their said Religion in any Place or Private House under any pretence whatsoever yea and all real Exercises or such as were in Lordships although the said Exercises had been maintained by the Decrees of our Council III. In like manner we forbid all Lords of every degree the Exercise of their Religion in their Houses and Mannors whatsoever may be the Quality of their said Mannors and that upon pain of Confiscation of Bodies and Goods for those of our said Subjects who shall so exercise their said Religion IV. We command all Ministers of the Pretended Reformed who will not turn from it and embrace the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion to depart our Kingdom and the Lands of our Dominion within a Fortnight after the publication of this our present Edict and not to tarry beyond that time or during that said Fortnight to Preach Exhort or perform any Function of their Ministry upon pain of being sent to the Gallies V. Our will is that such of the said Ministers who shall change their Religion shall during their whole life continually injoy and their Widows also after them as long as they remain unmarried the same Exemption from Taxes and Lodging of Souldiers which they injoyed during the time of their Ministry and farther we will pay also unto the said Ministers as long as they live a Stipend which shall exceed by one third the Wages they received for their Ministry and their Wives also as long as they abide Widows shall injoy the one half of their said Stipend VI. If any of the said Ministers desire to become Advocates or would proceed Doctors of the Laws 't is our will and we declare it That they shall be dispensed as to three Years studying prescribed by our Declarations and having undergone the usual Examination and thereby judged capable that they be promoted Doctors paying one half only of those Fees customarily paid to this purpose in every University VII We forbid all Private Schools for the Instruction of the Children of those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion and generally all other things whatsoever that may bear the sign of Priviledge or Favour to that said Religion VIII And touching the Children that shall be born of those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion Our Will is that for time to come they be baptized by the Curates of their Parishes Commanding their Fathers and Mothers for that purpose to send them to their Churches on penalty of being fined five hundred Livers or a greater summ and those Children shall henceforth be brought up in the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion And we most strictly Command all the Judges of those respective places to see that this be Executed IX And that we may express our Clemency towards those our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion who are withdrawn from out of our Kingdom Countries and Lands of our Dominion before Publication of this our present Edict we will and give them to understand that in case they return within the space of four Months from the day of its Publication they may and it shall be lawful for them to enter into the possession of their Estates and to injoy them even as they might have done if they had been always at home whereas contrarily such as within that time of four Months shall not return into our Kingdom or Countries or Lands of our Dominion their Estates abandon'd by them shall be and remain Confiscated according to our Declarations of the twentieth day of August last past X. And we do most straitly again repeat our Prohibitions unto all our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion that neither they nor their Wives nor Children do depart our said Kingdom Countries or Lands of our Dominion nor transport their Goods and Effects on pain for Men so offending of their being sent to the Gallies and of Confiscation of Bodies and Goods for the Women XI We will and give them to know that all Declarations published against the
or to maintain Monks who were appointed to no other Service But to Farm a Field Rents or Lordship and to pay the Profits accrewing from them unto those Ecclesiasticks for as much as they be Temporal Lords of them the Faithful are left unto their liberty therein to do as they please Civil Jurisdiction may be â—xâ—â—â—â—â—d under Popish Church-men Whether an insufficient Elder may be deposed and a Banker chosen X. It was also determined That the exercising of Civil Jurisdictions or Procurations under the aforesaid Ecclesiasticks is not in itself unlawful provided it he not in Spiritual Matters as they call them XI Moreover whereas our said Brother of St. John d' Angely hath demanded Whether Elders uncapable of discharging their Office who had â—een admitted when the Church was first gathered might lawfully be deposed that other better qualified may be elected into their Places And whether a Banker might be chosen into the Eldership As to the First Article we answer That if those Elders be utterly incapable of discharging their Duties they shall be deposed according to what hath been determined already in the Articles of our Discipline But if they can tollerably perform them they ought not without their Consent to be laid by And touching Bankers in case they meddle with those Diabolical Dispatches of Pardon and Dispensations and other such-like Popish Abominations they shall be so far from being received into Office in the Churches that if after Admonition given them to desist from such Actions they do not refrain them they shall be forthwith Excommunicated XII Our Brother of Orleans propounded the case of a Woman who was resolved to serve God with a pure Continence but could not agree with her Husband a Time-server to commit Idolatry and whereas fearing trouble that may betide him and his Wife he gives leave yea sollicites his Wife to withdraw into a Place of Liberty Is it lawful for her to follow this Counsel We answer That as long as this Woman can possibly subsist with her Husband she ought to live with him that so many Inconveniencies may be avoided which would otherwise fall out through her absence But in case she cannot without imminent Danger to herself abide with him let her embrace our Lord's Counsel If they persecute you in one city flie ye unto another Yet always earnestly importuning her Husband as in Conscience he is bound to come unto her Whether Pyrates ought to be received unto the Lord's Supper XIII Our Brother of Marennes having craved our Advice concerning Pyrates and Tradesmen who before they were admitted into the Communion of our Churches had ill-gotten their Estates Whether they ought to be received unto the Lord's Supper We answer That not only these but all other Persons who shall unjustly detain the Goods of other Men however that Injustice may be modified are yet bound in Conscience to make Restitution of those Goods if they be able unto their right Owners And Ministers and Consistories shall take especially care herein and in case they find them eminently penitent and mourning for their Sin having exhorted them unto Charity they may admit them unto the Lord's Table XIV He also proposing this Case Whether Goods sold by Pyrates might be bought We answer That those Merchandizes are either sold publickly by the Permission and Approbation of the Magistrate or not If the Magistrate consent unto their Sale they may with a safe Conscience but if the Sale be Clandestine they ought not because they in buying should be Parties with the Pyrates Such as serve themselves of Papal Excommunications pollute their Consciences Tythes must be paid in Obedience to the King's Laws Children of excommunicate Persons are not to be paptized but conditionally XV. As to the Proposition of our Brother of Xaintes we answer That such as use Papal Excommunications do defile their Consciences XVI As to what was proposed by our Brother of St. Lo we answer That notwithstanding the Popish Priests do unjustly claim a Right to Tithes upon the account of their Ministry yet they must be payed because of the King's Commandment as a matter in itself indifferent and that Sedition and Scandal may be avoided XVII To another Proposal of our Brother was given this answer That where both Father and Mother were Excommunicate their Children should not be received unto Baptism until such time as the aforesaid Parents or one of them had reconciled himself unto the Church unless the Grand-father or Grand-mother of the said Child should present it in which case it might be baptized it being their Blood and descended from them One may be present at Popish Marriage-Feasts without wounding Conscience XVIII He also propounded this Matter of Fact The Church of St. Lo had been informed and thereupon maintained that to be present at Marriage Feasts celebrated by Popish Priests although there was no Idolatry in it at least none consented to by those Guests yet upon this account only that the Marriage was contracted and performed after the Popish Way they were defiled For which cause before the Lord's Supper was administred to them they swear that they were not present at those Feasts as aforesaid Yet afterwards having come to a right understanding of the Truth in this matter they demand Whether they be absolved of their Oath made by them thro' false Information that had been given them It was answer'd They were discharged from the Bond of such an Oath XIX Another Fact was also propounded by the same Brother A Man of S. Lo being ignorant of the evil Conversation of a Woman marrieth her about five Months after she is delivered of Child whereupon he would forsake her but the Parents of his Wife telling him That a Child might be born and that honestly too in that time for twelve Months this Year his Wife carried herself exceeding chastly or at least he had no occasion to suspect her But afterward the Husband possibly being weary of his Wife separates himself from her and publisheth how much he was abused by her Parents though he declares with his own mouth that he had accompanied with her as an Husband with his Wife It is demanded After what manner he is to be dealt with since he will neither take his said Wife nor hearken to the Remonstrances of the Consistory This Assembly adviseth That repeated Admonitions be Ministered to him in which if he do not acquiesce he shall be rejected by the Church XX. That Woman who refuseth or delays to joyn herself unto her Husband infected with some contagious Disease may not however be suspended the Lord's Table yet shall she be admonished conscienciously to perform that Duty which a Wife owes unto her Husband And at the same time the Husband shall be acquainted with the Danger to which he doth expose his Wife XXI And in answer to the Question of the Minister of Tours it was said That the Wives of infected Persons should not be rejected by the
or others that may sing Masses for the Dead is he to be deposed from his Office We answer Let him be first heard in the Consistory speak for himself before they proceed unto his Deposal XXVII It was demanded Whether the Word of God might be preached publickly without Authority from the Civil Magistrate Answer was given That there should be special care had of the Time and Publick Peace and above all that there be no Tumults nor Sedition XXVIII The Churches of Paris Orleance and Rouan are deputed by this present Synod to Protest against the Popish Council now held at Trent and of the Nullity of all its Decisions and Decrees and their Protestation shall be done either by Printed Books or Oral Remonstrances unto the King's Majesty or by any other way as they shall judge needful XXIX It is now Decreed That the Deputies of the Provinces when they go to Court shall take with them our Confession of Faith and consult among themselves how to present it unto His Majesty together with the Petitions of our Churches and to this purpose they shall make Application unto those Lords who they know to be Favourers of our Cause and Religion XXX Whereas divers Persons do solicite this National Synod to supply the Congregations who have sent them hither with Pastors they are all answered That at present we are utterly unable to gratifie them and that therefore they be advised to set up Propositions of the Word of God and to take special care of Educating hopeful young Men in Learning in the Arts Languages and Divinity who may hereafter be imployed in the Sacred Ministry and they are most humbly to Petition the Lord of the Harvest to send Labourers who may get it in XXXI May he be admitted to communicate in the Bread only at the Lord's Table who hath an Antipathy against Wine Yes he may provided that he do his utmost to drink of the Cup but in case he cannot he shall make a Protestation of his Antipathy The End of the Synod of Poictiers THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE III. National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE HELD At ORLEANCE in the Year of our LORD 1562. The Contents of this Synod Chap. I. A Moderator and two Scribes chosen Chap. II. General Matters The Synod to be called the General or National Church-Council of the Kingdom Chap. III. Discipline exercised upon Delinquents Chap. IV. Various Matters Cases of Conscience c. THE Synod of Orleance 1562. Synod III. SYNOD III. Articles of the National Synod held at Orleance the Twenty fifth Day of April in the Year One thousand five hundred sixty and two after Easter in the Second Year of K. Charles IX CHAP. I. Monsieur De Chandieu was a very learned French Divine His Works are 1. The Marks of the True Church 2. De L'Vnique Sacrifice 3. Contra les Traditions c. in Follo He was Lord of Chandieu and Baron of Chabot chosen by the Church of Paris to be their Pastor at Twenty Years of Age and Moderator of this National Synod at Twenty three A Gentleman of eminent Piety and Gravity He was desired by the King of Navary to be his Pastor and upon his Death removed to Geneva where he was called to the Pastoral Office in that City and discharged it with very great fidelity He never took any Wages for his Work in the Ministry He wrote himself Sadeel which is the Hebrew of Chandieu The Field of GOD. He died of an Hectick Fever in the 57th Year of his Age saith Mr. Du Thou but he was mistaken for it was in the 63d Anno 1591. Melchior Adams hath writ his Life among his Theolog. Exteri ANthony de Chandieu Minister in the Church of Paris chosen President Robert le Macon Lord La Fountaine Minister in the Church of Orleance and Peter Sevin Deacon of the Church of Paris chosen Scribes by General Consent of the Deputies CHAP. II. General MATTERS This Synod bears the Name and has the Authority of a General Council by the Advice of the Assembly I. THE Ministers and Elders Convocated in this Assembly of Orleance for the General Council of France following the Determination of the last Synod held at Poictiers are of Opinion That the present Assembly should have and bear the Name and Authority of the Council General of the Deputies of this Kingdom notwithstanding that several Deputies are absent who shall be sufficiently informed of Matters debated and resolved in this Council together with the Reasons for which notwithstanding their absence we were constrained to proceed without them all which shall be more largely declared in the next General Council where also shall be heard the Reasons of those absent Deputies for their Non-attendance and their Arguments if need be against the Decisions of the present Council Ministers of Princes and great Lords shall sign the Confession of Faith II. The Princes and other great Lords following the Court in case they would have Churches instituted in their Houses shall be desired to take such for their Pastors as are Ministers in Churches truly Reformed bringing with them sufficient Testimonials of their Lawful Call unto the Ministry who shall before their Admission subscribe the Confession of Faith of the Churches in this Kingdom and our Church-Discipline And that the Preaching of the Gospel may be more successful the said Protestant Lords shall be requested every one of them to erect a Consistory There shall be a Consistory in their Houses composed of the Ministers and other Persons most eminent for Piety in their said Family by which Consistory all Scandals and Vices shall be supprest and the Rules of Discipline observed Moreover those Ministers shall be present at Provincial Synods if it may possibly consist with their occasions And that this may be effected the Council hath ordained That the Province in which the Synod shall be assembled shall be obliged to call them to it And those Ministers especially or a part of them shall be there present being deputed by the rest unto the General Synods together with their Elders who may inform the said General or Provincial Synods of their Lives and Conversation And in case the said Lords and Princes have divers Houses they shall be advertis'd None to have preheminence over another that none of their Ministers may pretend domination or preheminence over another according to that Article of our Church-Discipline in this case expresly provided And when as the said Lords and Princes shall reside in those Houses of theirs where there is a Church already formed we desire for the preventing of all Divisions that the Church in their Family would joyn itself unto the Church of that place and for that time to make but one Assembly III. Whenas the Lord's Supper shall be celebrated in the close of every Synod according to the Fourth Article of our Church-Discipline in the Acts of the First National
Armagnac 18. Roberty heretofore a Cordelier Fryar living in the same House with the Bishop of St. Prins 19. Hermes de la Faye he was a Jacobin Fryar 20. James Courtain de Calaux a Fellow boasting himself to be a Prophet and to be endowed with a Prophetical Spirit 21. Francis Porcelin an Italian 22. Hierom Bolsec a most Infamous Lyar and Apostate 23. Matthew D' Ancbe 24. Hierom Rolse All these Decrees were done and made in the National Synod of Lions held in August 1563 And thus Signed in the Original VIRETT Moderator The End of the Synod of LIONS CHAP. XXI Three ANSWERS of the Pastors and Professors of Geneva and of some of the Ministers who were deputed unto the National Synod of Lions 1563 and impowered by it to make these following Returns unto the Questions propounded to them The first Question was about Marriage viz. Whether Promise of Marriage might be dissolved by the mutual Consent of the engaged Parties The Brethren of Geneva's ANSWER Article I. WE cannot judge otherwise but that the Reverence which all ought to have for Marriage should keep the Parties who have pledged their Troth to each other from breaking it For sith it is as Solomon stileth it The Covenant of GOD it is not of the same nature with other Bargains and Agreements which depend upon the wills of Men and we cannot but believe that this was the Mind and Intendment of our Lord when lie spake these words Whom God hath joyned together let not man put asunder tho' as yet there had been no carnal knowledge of each other Therefore the Promise is Sacred and must be held Irrevocable For God having punished the Fornication of a Man with a betrothed Maid as if it were the very Crime of Adultery he doth thereby sufficiently demonstrate that the Maid was obliged as if she were married for Adultery presupposeth Marriage Article II. And whereas some Inconveniencies are alledged we answer That they will as well hold against them that are in Age as against Minors for it oftentimes falls out that they do as badly agree as Cats and Dogs and yet they cannot be suffered to quit one another because neither of them are now at liberty for so doing Article III. The Opinions of Lawyers in this case is of no force because they do allow of Divorces between Husbands and Wives Which yet is directly contrary to the Ordinance of God Article IV. And that Gloss put upon those words To be joyned together i. e. to have accomplished Marriage ought not to be admitted And the Judgment of St. Paul is urged to no purpose 1 Cor. 6. 16. for when the Apostle saith that the Fornicator is one Body with the Harlot he useth only a Comparison from which there cannot be deduced any true Definition For it is otherwise certain that this Sentence cannot be properly avouched of Fornication because God hath honoured Marriage only with this Priviledge to make two Bodies lawfully conjoyned to be but one But as we said St. Paul that he might aggravate the sin of Fornication alledgeth this Passage of Moses's to conclude That a man is separated from Jesus Christ whenas he defiles and polutes his body in coition with an harlot Article V. And although the betrothed Maid be under the power of her Parents till such time as her Husband is intrusted with her yet this must admit of an Exception viz. That it do not derogate from the Rights of the espoused Husband and that the Father be not compelled against his will to resign up his Daughter to him and so to bring no prejudice unto Marriage Article VI. Moses doth not distinguish at all between the Crimes of a married and espoused Wife when they commit Whoredom Deut. 22.22 24. but accounts them both Adulteresses Article VII Nor do the Laws determine against these Promises of Marriage mutually past between the Parties as if they were not indissolvable For altho' a Father may oppose the Marriage and endeavour the Dissolution of the Promises yet the Parties themselves are not suffered to do it Article VIII Moreover there is a very great difference between the Consent of the Parties and the cognisance of their Cause For we do not deny but that a Man having been deceived may declare the Trick put upon him that he may be relieved But we say plainly that the Parties being reciprocally obliged are not acquitted nor freed one from the other nor will they be allowed to discharge and acquit each other And 't is in this Point and none other that we count Espousals to be the same with Marriage Article IX It is not said That because the holy Apostle doth not particularly declare that a Man may not give a Bill of Divorce unto his betrothed Wife that therefore he may dismiss and leave her to her former liberty But rather we may say that the Law for both the betrothed and married is one and the same because there is the same reason for it Article X. Besides there is one thing more to be observed that he doth not of set purpose handle this matter but he toucheth at it by the by and upon occasion The sin which he then mentioned calling alowd upon him for Reproof yea and 't is certain that he suffered Polygamy both in publick and private Persons because at that time it could not be remedied For this may be gathered from those words of his A Bishop ought not to be the Husband of two Wives both living at the same time Article XI Although the Church requires a publick Declaration on the Wedding-day it cannot be thence inferred that the Parties may retract their Promises but this is rather done to prevent those Inconveniencies of clandestine Marriages only and so the Parties do but ratifie their Promise before the People that they may be Witnesses unto it Article XII That Passage in the 22d of Deut. is very clear and express to prove that she who had pledged her Faith unto a Man is his Wife so that 't is not in her power nor can she at her pleasure leave her Husband We know also that Tamer having been reserved as a Wife for the youngest Son of Judah and playing the Harlot was condemned to the Fire for Adultery And a Widdow in Israel could not marry out of her Husband's Family if she had no Issue by him she being the reputed Wife of his surviving Brother And when as Joseph neither durst nor would Defame the Blessed Virgin doth therefore declare That if she had prostituted her Body it was a Crime of Adultery Wherefore let the Parties look before they leap and be curiously inquisitive about each other before they do mutually oblige themselves for they must know that this is a Contract without Repentance Unless they be after informed of an Error Cheat or some such-like Mistake in the Person Nor will this Consideration be at their pleasure when the Judge shall come to give Sentence upon the cause ANSWER II. ABout
and judge whether the Crime related to them and whereof the Sinner hath been first of all admonished deserve for its heinousness Suspension or no and if it do then he who shall have committed such a sin shall for some time be deprived of the Lord's Supper in order to his Humiliation and the Tryal of his Repentance But if the sin be known only to a few Persons this Suspension nor its cause may not be signified unto the People least the Sinner be the more defamed See the Synod of Nismes Art 5. and his sin made more scandalous and notorious than it was and it shall be sufficient if in this case he do only acknowledge his sin unto the Consistory that so he may be received unto the Table of our Lord Jesus But as for those who having been oftentimes admonished of their sins shall ever shew themselves Disobedient to the Consistory and those also who being guilty of great and enormous Crimes punishable by the Civil Magistrate and which bring publick Scandal upon the Church altho' there may be observed some beginnings of Repentance in them shall nevertheless be out of hand suspended the Lord's Table and the said Suspension shall be published unto the People that so the Church of God may be discharged of all Blame and Reproach and that such Sinners may be the more deeply humbled in the exercise and proof of their Repentance and an Holy Terrour struck into the hearts of others and if after some good space of time there appearing solid proofs and evidences of their Conversion and Repentance attested to by sufficient Witnesses the Judgment whereof belongs unto the Consistory they shall be publickly reconciled unto the Church by Confession of their Offences and Expressions of true Repentance that so they may purge away and repair the Scandal they had given unto the whole Church and then they shall be admitted unto the Lord's Table But and if it should happen Degrees of proceeding to the last Excommunication that after along and patient waiting and divers Admonitions made by the Consistory and the aforesaid Proceedings observed and practised and all charitable Endeavours used for the regaining of the Sinner he nevertheless abide obstinate and impenitent then the Pastor in the Name of the whole Church shall proceed against him by publick Admonitions declaring unto the whole Church his Offences protesting also of their due and religious Care for him and Carriage towards him tho' without any fruit or benefit exhorting the whole Church to seek God earnestly on his behalf and to use all means that may bring him to a sight and sence of his sin that so that dreadful Sentence of Excommunication and Cutting off from the Church of God whereunto she cannot proceed but with the greatest Regret and Grief may be prevented And the said Pastor shall in his Sermon from the Word of God declare the true right and lawful Use of this Censure that every one may be instructed in his Duty both towards God and his Neighbour and that all may understand that this last Remedy is used with this Sinner for the Glory of God the Honour and Reputation of the Church and the Salvation of his Soul in particular And these publick Admonitions and Denunciations shall be prosecuted and continued three several times on three several Lord's Days on the first of which the Sinner shall not be mentioned by Name that so in some sort he may be spared though he be already too well known unto the People but on the two succeeding Sundays he shall be particularly named And if after all this he does not repent nor become a Convert but persisteth obstinately in his sinful Courses then on the fourth Lord's Day in the face and presence of the whole Congregation such a one mentioning him by Name shall be declared and pronounced Excommunicate and cut off as a rotten Member from the Body of the Church the Pastor declaring it authoritatively from the Word of God in the Name and with the Consent of the whole Church Those who are thus excommunicate and cut off shall be deprived of all Communion with the Church and of all it's Priviledges and the Faithful shall be admonished neither to converse familiarly with them nor to frequent their Company that so they may be ashamed humbled and brought unto Repentance the truth whereof shall be demonstrated by good Fruits and unexceptionable Evidences known unto the Consistory who shall judge whether they ought to be received again into the Church and having called seen and heard them and found them truely penitent it shall be published by the Pastor unto the whole Congregation that so they may be stirred up to praise God for touching their hearts with Remorse and recovering them unto Repentance And then these Penitents shall come before the whole Church to give satisfaction for their past Scandal confessing and detesting their former Sins and Rebellions begging humbly Pardon of God and the Church for them and thus shall they be received unto the Church's Peace and Fellowship with Joy and Publick Thanksgiving CHAP. IV. III. FOrasmuch as the Holy Apostle hath ordained That such as approach unto the Lord's Table should examine themselves and this being a principal Point of that Examination that we search into ourselves diligently to see and discover whether we have truely renounced all sins and those sins especially which are most contrary to God's pure and holy Worship as Idolatry and its Appurtenances are and because such as are beneficed by Papal Provisions tho' of different degrees notwithstanding their Knowledge and Profession of the Gospel-Truth and retaining the quality of Incumbents or injoying the Fruits of their Benefices no matter how it be they do seem to us not to have discharged this their Duty The Question having been put in general Whether they should be received unto the Lord's Supper Wheeher beneficed Persons ought to be received to the Lord's Table they professing the Truth of the Gospel The Brethren are of Opinion That we must here distinguish there being some who having devested themselves of all Title to their Benefices do yet reserve unto themselves Pensions out of them which they injoy either by Provision from Rome or by private Compact between themselves and those to whom they have resigned or some other way be it what it will these shall be told That they cannot use this Traffick without greatly offending GOD. Because one of these Parties grounding this Reservation upon the Pope's Grants and maintaing himself in it by his Authority doth as much as in him lieth own and avow his Supremacy And the other Party because he receiveth Wages from the Evil he hath done his Neighbour and receiveth an yearly Tribute from him who by this means is subjected unto Conditions full of Impiety and Idolatry by which Fact they approve of that Evil they have already done and continue in it and therefore they shall from the Word of God be admonished not to
transmitted Difficulties shall be maturely examined and the Arguments on both sides urged being fair and carefully written down shall be sent unto the National Synod And forasmuch as our present Circumstances will not admit any great Number of Ministers and Elders in this National Synod we are of Opinion that for this time only and during these Difficulties that the Brethren assembled in each Provincial Synod should choose from among them one or two Ministers and as many Elders of the ablest and most expert in Church-Affairs to be sent in the Name of the whole Province who shall come furnished with good Memorials and premeditated Thoughts upon those Difficulties which had been communicated to them The Provinces shall not prescribe any set time or term unto these their Deputies for returning but shall let them tarry in the said Synod as long as there may be need of them and the Charges of the said Deputies shall be defrayed by their respective Provinces And that the National Synod may be no more imployed in Matters already decided by former Synods the Provinces shall be advised to read over carefully the Acts of the past Synods before they prepare their Memorials and to send nothing but what is general â—nâ— of common concern to all the Churches or else that which merits the Resolution of the said National Synod And the Churches of Poictiers which is charged with the calling of the next National Synod shall be informed of all this that they may intend their Duty CHAP. XI General Advertisements unto the Churches XXIV THE Printers in every Province shall be advised That whereas at the end of Psalm-Books and Catechisms they do add the Confession of Faith of our French Churches that they do especially this which begins with these words We believe and confess that there is but One GOD c. and which hath an Epistle prâ—fixed to it dedicated to the King and not that other Confession which begins thus Forasmuch as the Foundation of Faith c. not but that both are conformable in Doctrine And hereof also Notice shall be given to the Printers of Geneva Elders not to be displac'd without great cause XXV Although the Elders Office as now used by us be not perpetual as is exprest in the 35th Article of the Discipline nevertheless the Churches shall be admonished not to discharge their Elders but for great Causes whereof the Consistories shall take Cognizance that so the Church may be be conducted after the bed manner by Persons well verst in her Government XXVI Ministers in places appointed by the King and in all others are advised not to receive the Members of any other Churches unto the Lord's Supper without a sufficient Attestation produced by them under the hand of their Pastors or Elders if it may be had No Books must be written ridiculously but Modesty is to be observed in them XXVII Ministers and others whom God hath endowed with Gifts and Abilities to write in Defence of the Truth are requested not to publish their Thoughts in a ridiculous or injurious manner but to keep to that Modesty and Gravity which becomes the Majesty of God's Word and to observe that self-same Modesty and Majesty in their Sermons and in their ordinary Stile to use the Language of God's Spirit in the Holy Scripture Schollars to be maintained by the Churches in the Universities XXVIII Because there is every-where a visible decay and a great want of Ministers and that some provision may be made for a Succession the Churches shall be admonished by our Brethren the Provincial Deputies that such as are rich would maintain some hopeful Schollars at the Universities who being educated in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and other good Learning may be fitted for and employed in the Sacred Ministry XXIX Altho' in our Churches for the most part the Lord's Supper is administred only sour times a Year yet the more frequent Celebration of it is very desirable due Reverence in approaching to it being always observed because it 's most beneficial for God's Children to be exercised and grow in Faith which is done by the frequent usage of the Sacraments as also because this was the Practice of the Primitive Church Nâ—â—â—e mâ—n may not carry with them in their Journeys the Ministers of the Churches leaving them â—â—â—upplied XXX Ministers being given to the Service of the Church and not to the Persons and Palaces of Great Lords altho' their Families may equallize in Numbers some Churches yet their Lordships shall be desired not to carry away with them in their Removals or Travels abroad with their Families the Churches Ministers least thereby they be left unprovided XXXI Lords and Gentlemen shall be censured according to the Discipline of our Churches if after frequent Admonitions they entertain in their Houses scandalous and incorrigible Persons especially if they suffer Priests to sing Mass or by Dogmatizing to debauch their Domesticks or if having cashiered them they shall again receive them into their Service XXXII The Churches shall be admonished to beware of a Book written by Mr. Charles Du Moulin Entituled Vnio quatuor Evangelistarum because in it there be divers Errors as about Limbus Free-will and the Sin against the Holy Ghost and the Lord's Supper and in particular about the Calling of Ministers and Church-Discipline which he treats with scorn and would totally subvert The Faithful also are warned not to assist at any of his Sermons or Sacraments it being against the Discipline of our Church Modesty to be kept in Attire See the Synod of St. Foy General Matters Art 2. The Faithful must use Charity towards their Brethren or Sisters that have forsook their Monastries XXXIII Ministers shall exhort their People to be modest in their Habits and that they themselves do in this and all other Matters give them the best Example forbearing all Gaudery in their own Persons and in their Wives and Children XXXIV They whose Brethren and Sisters have quitted their Monastery that they might serve God in freedom of Conscience shall be exhorted to admit them unto a part of their Estate at least they shall be compelled by all Censures to afford them Maintenance and a competent Pension according to their ability For they would otherwise shew themselves void of Natural Affection The End of the Second National Synod of Paris THE ACTS DECISIONS and DECREES OF THE VI. National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Christ IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE Held in the Town of VERTVEIL and Province of AVGOVLMOIS the First Day of September 1567. THE CONTENTS of this SYNOD CHap. I. Moderator Alterations and Annotations upon the Church-Discipline Chap. II. Marriage of Excommunicated Persons and Infidels Provincial Synods Reading of the Holy Scriptures Bread in the Lord's Supper to be taken by them who can't the Cup Church-Government Loan of Ministers Pastors deserting their Churches Rejection of Church-Officers Chap. III. A Case of Conscience about a Deaf and Dumb Man's
communicating at the Lord's Table and a Womans cohabiting with her Leprous Husband Elders and Deacons subscribe the Confession and Discipline Chap. IV. Of Vagrants Care of the Widows and Children of deceased Ministers Chap. V. Particular Matters Appeals by Ministers a Minister restored to his Reputation Clopet an accused Minister highly censured Monks and Priests revolting Chap. VI. Notes about a Book seller Poverty of the Church of Pamiers and care for it Restoration of Roberty a censured Minister Reflections upon an Intruder into the Ministry Chap. VII Roll of Vagrants Chap. VIII General Advertisements unto the Reformed Churches of France in eighteen Articles Chap. IX Fifteen Cases of Conscience resolved by Mr. Calvin Chap. X. Twelve Orders and Decrees concerning Marriages THE Synod of Vertueil 1567. Synod VI. General Matters SYNOD VI. Articles of the National Synod held at Vertueil in Augoumois the first day of September One thousand five hundred sixty and seven and in the Seventh year of the Reign of King Charles the Ninth Monsieur de L'Estre was chosen Moderator Chap. I. Alterations Additions and Annotations upon the Church-Discipline General MATTERS IT is Enacted by the Authority of this present National Synod that none shall be put into the List of Vagrants until such time as the Neighbour Churches have first proceeded against them according to the Canons of our Discipline and that they have clone their best endeavour to reclaim and reform them and there shall be kept a particular Roll of those Vagrants distinct from the Articles of the National Synod II. In Churches where there be several Ministers none of them shall give a Certificate concerning any matter of Importance without having first Communicated it with his other Brethren III. Elders may be present at Propositions of the Word of God made by young Ministers and at their Censures and may freely if it please them pass their Judgment on them IV. Such who according to the custom of the Country do falsifie disguise or corrupt their Merchandizes as Stretchers Drawers of Cloth in Poictou shall be admonished by the Consistory to forbear those Cheats and in case they should not desist they shall be laid under Censures V. Pastors who have obtained leave to follow their Studies for some time shall apply themselves to their Colloquy or Synod for its confirmation without which they may not depart their Churches lest by their departure the Churches be left unprovided VI. The determination of time and age capacitating persons to contract Marriage doth properly belong to the Civil Magistrate CHAP. II. Excommunicates and Infidels shall not be permitted Marriage without publick pennance VII WHere one Party is an Infidel or Excommunicate the Marriage shall not be celebrated in our Churches unless the Unbeliever do first make a Protestation to renounce all Idolatry and to live in the Church of God as becomes a Christian and the Excommunicate Person in like manner shall have given by publick Pennance full satisfaction for his offence to the Church VIII If there be a sufficient number of Ministers to make a Synod the Provincial Synods shall be modell'd according to the Governments But and if a Church shall complain of its being thereby incommoded and that there arise any strife about it between the Provinces a third shall be chosen to reconcile them Nothing besides the Holy Scripture to be read in the Church IX None other Writings besides the Holy Scriptures shall be read in the Publick Assemblies X. The Synod judgeth it not advisable that they should receive the Bread at the Lords Table who cannot the Cup. The Bread shall not be given in the Lords Supper to them who refuse the Cup. XI This Assembly understanding that some private persons had either spoken or written against the Discipline exercised in the Churches of this Kingdom demanded of the Deputies severally and distinctly whether their respective Churches had any scruple about the Discipline which hath been hitherto observed by us Whereunto the Deputies did all unanimously answer that their Churches did fully consent unto the Discipline and required its inviolable observation and that such who opposed this our Established Order might be censured And the absent Provinces which were but few in number have by Letters under their own hands testified their consent unto it XII If hereafter any difference should arise between two Provinces about their Redemanding of Ministers they shall choose a third to accord and arbitrate the matter between them A Pastor accused of leaving his Church shall purge himself before the Synod XIII Ministers accused for leaving their Churches without their consent first had shall be bound to make their personal Appearance before the next Provincial Synod unto which they did belong upon the first Summons that so they may clear themselves publickly And their innocency being vindicated the Church which had impeached them of unjust desertion shall be obliged to reimburse them all charges of their journey No Officer in the Church shall be said by till the Consistory have first determined it XIV Until the whole body of the Consistory have first maturely considered the causes why they should be rejected no Minister Deacon nor Elder shall reckon themselves to be rejected CHAP. III. XV. AS to the case propounded whether a Dumb and Deaf man giving Evidence by signs and gestures of his Faith and Godliness may be admitted to Communion at the Lords Table this Assembly judgeth that he may be received especially if they have had long experience of his holy Life and the Church do testifie of his Faith and Knowledge in the things of God A woman may not be compelled to live with her Lepours Husband XVI A Woman may if she please and do consent unto it live sequestred with her Leprous Husband But in case of her refusal 't is the judgment of this Assembly that she ought not to be enforced because the Commonwealth is concerned in this matter Onely she must not be wanting in her duty otherways XVII Whenever Elders and Deacons are received into Office they shall subscribe our Confession of Faith and Church Discipline or else make a publick protestation to observe it XVIII It is ordained that those words of the twenty ninth Article of our Discipline Where the Ministry is established and those also As much as possible shall be razed out of the said Article XIX Difficulties that cannot be determined by the Consistory shall be remitted to the Colloquy or Classis and from thence to the Provincial Synod XX. When any differences arise between Gentlemen professing the true Religion they shall be admonished to refer them unto their Friends and Kinred that so they may be amicably composed CHAP. IV. The Church or Province shall take care of Ministers Widows and Orphans see the Synod of St. Foy Gen. Mat. art 5. XXI SUch as being once inrolled by order of a National Synod among the Vagrants they shall never be taken off the file but
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
the preservation of their mutual Union and to obtain a commodious Peace it was very well accepted and approved by this Synod who farther declared the necessity of a punctual and general Observation of it at least until such times as it shall please God to incline the Heart of our King to grant us the Free Exercise of our Religion by a Royal and Favourable Edict which may be embraced and approved by all the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom And that the said Union and Order may be carefully preserved all Pastors Colloquies and Provincial Synods are earnestly intreated to put to their helping hand XXXV Professors of our holy Religion having Law-suits or Differences among themselves be it either in Matters Civil or Criminal shall be seriously exhorted by their Pastors to compose their Quarrels by Arbitrators of our own Religion without impleading one another at the Bars of Popish Judges CHAP. V. Of APPEALS I. AN Appeal being brought by the Deputy of the Church of Dangeau re-demanding Monsieur Vian who by certain Colloquies was Licensed and sent unto the Church of Marchenoir and whereunto the Provincial Synod had also consented Upon hearing the Deputies of both Churches and the said Monsieur Vian this Assembly ordered That the said Vian should be appropriated unto the Church of D'angeau and that as he returned homeward he should preach some Sermons at D'angeau aforesaid and then return unto Machenoir where he shall remain by the space of one Month and if within that time the Church of D'angeau do not pay him all the Arrerages of his Stipend which they owe him he shall be affixed wholly unto the foresaid Church of Marchenior and if he be satisfied and return to D'angeau he shall be paid hereafter duly every Quarter his Salary and in case the said Church should again fail in her Duty as formerly in not satisfying the said Vian within three Months that Order of the Provincial Synod shall be confirmed and the said Monsieur Vian shall be appropriated unto the Church of Marchenior II. An Appeal being brought by the Church of Fescamp concerning the Person of Monsieur Lazarus Robert their Pastor who by the Provincial Synod of Normandy was lent unto the Church of Pont-dorson it is ordained That the said Monsieur Lazarus shall remain with his Church of Fescamp provided they take care for his better maintenance III. The Church of St. John d' Angely brought an Appeal by the Advice of the Synod of Xaintonge wherein they declare That * * * Monsieur D'amours was a mighty Man in Prayer and Chaplain in Ordinary to Henry IV. before his last Apostasie The very Papists in the Army and the greatest Lords and Commanders in it were melted by him in that Duty and would call upon the King That before they went to fight that the Minister who prayed yesterday might pray again Monsieur D'amours was sent unto the Church of Barbezieux the Letters and Memoirs of the Consistory and other Writings having been read this Assembly determined That the Synod of Xaintonge had very good and sufficient grounds for their disposal of Monsieur D'amours but Madam the King 's only Sister having requested of this National Synod by her Letter That the said Monsieur D'amours might be Pastor to the Church in her Family this Assembly granteth unto her Royal Highness the said Monsieur D'amours for the Service of her Church and Family and forasmuch as the said D'amours doth ordinarily reside at St. John the said Church is intreated to help that of Barbezieux and in case they do not the Provincial Synod are ordered to make provision for them Monsieur Turquet Deputy for the Church of Lion entred his Protest against this Ordinance concerning Monsieur D'amours as prejudicial to the Church of Lions which claimed him of Right as their own IV. An Appeal was brought by the Church of Marianges from the Provincial Synod of Languedoc which had adjudged Monsieur Moinier to the Church of Nismes the Church of Nismes requesting That in regard of her great Needs Monsieur Moinier might be left unto her This Synod de creeth That forasmuch as the said Church of Marianges hath not appeared to defend its Appeal the Order of the Provincial Synod of Languedoc shall stand in force V. Complaint being made by the Church of Aymet against a Decree passed in the National Synod of Montauban which adjudged Monsieur Balarand unto the Church of Castres the Deputy of Aymet requiring that the said Decree might be revers'd and the said Balarand restored unto the Church of Aymet for the Reasons assigned by them and Monsieur Rotan being heard on the behalf of the Church of Castres it is ordained by this present Synod That Monsieur Balarand doth of Right belong unto the Church of Aymet and that he shall be restored again unto the said Church which may recal him within three Months counting from this 14th of June 1596 and in case of his Disobedience unto this Order he shall be interdicted the Exercise of his Ministry VI. An Appeal was brought by Monsieur Simon L'hermite Lord of Puy deposed from the holy Ministry by the Colloquy and Classis of Fontenay held at St. Germain in March last the causes and grounds of his Appeal having been reported to us and the motives inducing the said Colloquy to depose him to wit his pertinacious asserting That the Humane Nature of our Lord Jesus Christ was destroyed in his Death This Synod appointed Master Merlin Rotan de Serres and the Lord du Plessis to confer with the said du Puy and to convince him of his Error who relating to us That the said du Puy doth own and approve our Confession of Faith and that he had offended and fallen into an Error as above-mentioned which also the said du Puy confessed openly before this Assembly That he had held that erroneous Opinion but doth now acknowledge the Humanity of our Lord Jesus to have been ever conjoyned to his Divinity in Life and Death yea whilst his Body lay in the Grave and he doth abjure all other Errors contrary unto this Truth now subscribed by him The Deputies also of the Province of Poictou having been heard upon the whole matter this Assembly approveth the Proceedings of the said Colloquy as just and equitable But because the said du Puy hath abjur'd that his Error and earnestly desireth to serve the Church of God and promiseth for the future to carry himself with greater modesty and humility this Assembly doth restore the said du Puy unto his Office of the Ministry yet ordaineth That for three Months he shall be silent and not exercise any of the Publick Duties thereof which time expired he getting a Certificate of his pious Conversation from that Church wherein he liveth he may be by the approbation of the Colloquies sent unto any Congregation which shall give him a Call CHAP. VI. Particular MATTERS I. THE Theses of Anthony de L' Escale being presented unto this Synod
for 63 Churches 3205 16 5 To the Lower Languedoc for 73 Churches 4764 5 6 To Poictou for 48 Churches 2137 4 0 To the Isle of France c. for 68 Churches 3027 14 0 To Xaintonge for 169 Churches 3071 4 6 To the Province of Anjou for 29 Churches 1291 4 6 To the Higher Languedoc and Higher Guienne for 94 Churches 4185 7 0 To Orleans and Berry for 36 Churches 1602 18 0 To Dolphiny for 78 Churches 3472 19 0 To Normandy for 53 Churches 2359 17 0 And whereas there will be wanting 33750 Livers to compleat the last Quarter of the said summ of 135000 Livers or whatsoever part of it he may receive shall be actually paid in by him the fifteenth day of August the next year unto every one of the Provinces defalking only one Sous in the Liver and unto such persons as shall be constituted by the said Provinces to receive it for them And if any more Moneys shall be recovered after the said fifteenth day of August the next year he shall pay it in by Bills unto every one of the Provinces according to the Dividend which shall be made by our General Deputies residing with his Majesty provided they will accept of it And this order for the Dividend shall hold good not only for this present year 1607. but also for the year ensuing 1608. yea and till the holding of the next National Synod Dividend There shall be sixty and nine portions paid into the Province of Xaintonge for 54â— Pastors in actual service six Proposans and nine Churches destitute of Ministers There shall be 107 portions paid into the Province of Lower Languedoc for 90 Pastors 5. Churches vacant six Proposans and one Minister Emeritus by reason of his age only five of these portions must go to the Lower Auvergâ—e There shall be 36 portions paid into the Province of Orleans and Berry for 21 Pastors 9 vacant Churches and six Proposans There shall be 68 portions paid into the Province of the Isle of France for 48 Pastors seven vacant Churches two Ministers Emeriti by reason of age and five of those portions are supernumerary There shall 72 portions be paid into the Province or Lower Guienne the Churches of Soullais and Bigorre for 62 Pastors in actual service four vacant Churches five Proposans and one portion granted as an Honorarium to Monsieur Baduel There shall be 29 portions paid into the Province of Anjou for 19 Pastors in actual service for six vacant Churches three Proposans and one Minister Emeritus by reason of his age There shall be paid ninety and four portions into the Province of Higher Languedoc and Guienne for seventy Pastors in actual service six vacant Churches seven Proposans four Pastors Emeriti thirteen of these portions were super-numerary and four of them for the Higher Auvergne There shall be paid in fourty eight portions to the Province of Poictou for thirty nine Pastors in actual service for five Churches vacant three Proposans and one Pastor Emeritus There shall be paid in thirty eight portions to the Province of Vivaretz for eighteen Pastors in actual service five Churches vacant three Proposans and two portions added as an Honorarium to Monsieur de la Faye Pastor of the Church of Aubenas There shall be paid in seventeen portions to the Province of Provence for seven Pastors in actual service seven Churches vacant and three Proposans There shall be paid in seventy eight portions to the Province of Dolphiny for sixty one Pastors in actual service seven Churches vacant eight Proposans and two Ministers Emeriti There shall be paid in fourty portions to the Province of Burgundy Gex and Lionnois for twenty nine Pastors in actual service seven vacant Churches and four Proposans There shall be paid in fifty three portions to the Province of Normandy for thirty eight Pastors in actual service seven Churches to be provided for six Proposans and two Ministers Emeriti There shall be paid in nineteen portions to the Province of Brittany for seven Pastors in actual service seven vacant Churches four Proposans and one Pastor Emeritus CHAP. VII An Account of those summs which the National Synod hath Decreed to be paid out by the Lord of Candal Receiver General of the Moneys given by his Majesty unto the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom IMprimis He shall reimburse the Sieurs de la Noue and du Cross the sum of fourscore and twelve Livers payed down by them for verifying of those Letters Patents discharging all the Ministers of the Reformed Churches in France from payment of any Taxes whatsoever and for the Seal afâ—ixed to those Letters of our Bill of Grievances presented to his Majesty He shall pay unto Mr. Reynault Minister of the Church of Bourdeaâ—x the sum of two hundred and ten Livers for those Reasons expressed in the Synodical Decree He shall pay unto Messieurs du Bois Cargrois and Gigord Professors in the University of Montpellier the sum of 400 l. which were given them by the Synod He shall pay to Mr. Theophilus Bleuet Lord of La Combe the sum of 120 l. for those causes expressed in the Synodical Order He shall pay unto Corneille the Printer in this City six Livers for printing the general Laws of our Universities composed by this Synod There is the sum of eight hundred twenty eight Livers which the said Lord of Candall is to keep in his hands deducting but of it for himself one Sous in the Liver and to pay it in by equal portions unto the Provinces for the first Quarter of this present year 1607. and the said sum shall be allowed him in his Account of Disbursments he producing the fore-mentioned Orders and the Acquittances from the parties to whom he payed it CHAP. VIII Memorials and Instructions given to the Lords of Villarnoul and de Mirande the General Deputies of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom attending upon His Majesty how to bring Monsieur Palot to Account for the Moneys dispensed by by him which His Gracious Majesty was pleased so bestow upon our Reformed Churches FIRST You must take the Oaths of Messieurs de la Nouve and du Cros and then prosecute the said Palot before the Lords of Pontcarre and of Beaumarchais who are the Judges constituted by his Majesty to hear and determine the said Accounts And whereas the said Palot may persist in what he hath formerly urged to avoid all Accounting that the Receivers General upon whom he hath Moneys assigned have not as yet brought in their Accounts or Copies of them that they might be examined and verified and it might be known whether the Moneys of their Accounts have been diverted to other uses to there prejudice of those Assignments you must then inform our Lords the Judges that this is a meer fiction and evasion For if the said Palot had a desire to see those Accounts he might with a wet finger be satisfied Let him but present his Petition unto the Court of Exchequer in
Paris to have sight and Copy of the Accounts of the last Receivers General upon whom as he saith were his Assignments and there they lie and it will he granted him immediately And in case the said Palot refuse to petition the said Court the Lords our General Deputies shall compel him to it and force him in their names to take out Coppies and Extracts concerning those Receivers General and whatever else may necessarily relate unto the said Palot And whereas the said Palot doth take for granted that there is due unto him the sum of twelve thousand Crowns and more It is necessary that our General Deputies should demand sight of those Accounts brought in by him that it may be proved whether he hath made a good and just Receipt for all his Moneys which they may easily do and the said Receipt may be verified but taking out from the Exchequer Copies and Extracts or all Moneys which the Receivers General have imposed or payed in to the said Palot All which any Attorney belonging to the said Court of Exchequer will get dispatched for them out of hand And forasmuch as we have too just cause to fear it that in the Account brought in by the said Palot there will be found several double false Reprisals All the Deputies of the Provinces are charged to send unto our Lords the General Deputies a Copy of all Accounts given in by their particular Receivers in their respective Provinces that so we may have a full and perfect knowledge of the Receipt and Disbursment set down and used in the Account of the said Palot So that if any thing should be owing to him which is very improbable and incredible he may be payed by the Receivers General of Thoulouse who were ordered in the closing up of their Accounts for the years 1600 and 1602. To pay in unto the said Palot the summ of 15966 Crowns six Sous and ten Deniers For out of this summ there will not only be enough to satisfie him but there will also remain some Moneys in stock for our Churches And 't is to be feared that he hath made the like mixtures in his other General Receipts in which he hath left a Fund for accommodating with all the Debtors And this affair is of so long continuance that people do now a days forbear speaking of it as if it were so old as to be forgotten which usually falls out in all general matters And when as the said Accounts are brought in and cleared up then all Papers remaining in the hands of the said Palot concerning those Assignations shall be taken from him and the Receivers General and the Debtors are to be prosecuted And if any of those assignations appear to be of no worth nor value our General Deputies shall use their best and utmost endeavour to get new and better Assignments And that it might be made appear that there was such a good debt of fifteen thousand nine hundred sixty and six Crowns five and fourty Sous and six Deniers owing unto our Churches there was put into the hands of our Lords General Deputies the Extracts taken out of the Chamber of Accompts for the Province of Languedoc Done at Rochel this 12th day of April Signed Berault Moderator of the National Synod Rivet Scribe Roy Scribe CHAP. IX Of Appeals 1. MOnsieur de la Rouviere Doctor of the Civil Law came impowered by the Common Council of the City of Usez into this Assembly to defend an Appeal which certain of the Consuls and Inhabitants of that City had made from the Colloquy of Usez and the Provincial Synod of Lower Languedoc held at St. Hippolyte by whom Mr. Laurence Brunier Minister of the Gospel was restored unto his Pastoral Office in the Church of Usez against the will and desire of these his Opponents On the other part the said Mr. Brunier Pastor of that Church and de Janas Doctor of the Civil Law came also furnished with ample powers from a great Assembly of that City disavowing those powers of the Sieur de la Ruviere and of the Consistory there Now although the disavowal of the first powers by the second might have been very well contested yet nevertheless because of the consequence and importance of this affair the Assembly passing by that formality did give audience to both Parties that it might take some effectual course about the principal Wherefore the Deputies of that Province were heard give in the reasons moving the said Province of Lower Languedoc to restore the said Mr. Brunier unto the Church of Usez and Monsieur Codur unto the Ministry in their Province contrary to the Decree of the National Synod of Gap which had excluded Monsieur Brunier from the City and Church of Usez until the meeting of this present Assembly and Mr. Codur from that Province Monsieur de la Rouviere was also heard speak on behalf of the Appellants and offering his objections as well against that decree of the Provincial Synod as against the very person of Monsieur Brunier Monsieur Brunier also was heard speak in his own defence and justification and the Deputy sent together with him from the Consistory of the Church of Usez who testified the unanimous desire of the Consistory and of the whole Church to enjoy him for their Pastor and how eminently acceptable and successful the Ministry of the said Mr. Brunier was among them Letters also were read from the Church of Beziers and one of their Elders sent by them declared the importunate desire of the said Church that Monsieur Codur might be confirmed in the Pastoral Office to them as also how very fruitful and edifying his Ministry had been among them Upon the whole this Assembly did utterly dislike and disapprove of those proceedings of the Provincial Synod of Lower Languedoc for neglecting the Decree of the National Synod of Gap and for introducing Monsieur Brunier into the Church of Usez and Monsieur Codur again into the Province and doth judge the said Province to have incurred a very great Censure by its notorious transgression of a decree made by the National Synod a crime of very dangerous consequence because if Provincial Synods shall slight the Authority of the National they will open the Flood-gates to let in upon us a deluge of unseen mischiefs And the said Monsieur Brunier hath deserved a sharp reproof for listning unto methods for his restoration which tho sought out by others were in truth propounded by himself unto the Provincial Synod and for that he acquiesced rather in the Judgment of a Provincial Synod than of the National yea and acted contrary to it And the like Censure is inflicted upon Monsieur Codur who being excluded the said Province could not of right have sought a readmission into it nor ought the Province when he sought it to have readmitted him And as for the Church of Usez it cannot but be blamed for its precipitancy and impatiency in not tarrying till the time
that aforesaid Decree in the said Church This Assembly having heard Monsieur Merlin speak in behalf of the Synod and Monsieur Bonnet for the Colloquy judged that the Church of Soubize failed in their Letter of Summons inserting a clause that the Colloquy had exceeded their power by an over-rigorous censure inflicted on the said Church and Minister and it approveth the Decree of the Synod against the said Colloquy But for as much as publication hath not been made of it we do ordain that it shall be forborn only Monsieur Petit shall read in the Consistory of the Church of St. Just this present Article that so the honour of the said Minister maybe repaired 39. Bertrand Faugier formerly Minister of the Church of Viners in Dolphiny appealed from the Decree of the Synod of that Province whereby he was Deposed from the Sacred Ministry but his Appeal was declared null and void for non-appearance in person at this Assembly 40. The Appeal of the Church of Lamure in Dolphiny from a Decree of their Provincial Synod being only about Money matters shall according to the Canon made at Rochel be determined by the next adjoining Province CHAP. VI. Of General Matters 1. NO Church shall seek a Minister for it self out of the Province unless it have first consulted with the Colloquies or Synod of the Province 2. The Provinces shall be admonished carefully to observe the tenth Article of the eighth Chapter of our discipline wherein are declared the proper causes which may be brought by Appeals unto our National Synods and if any shall hereafter bring those matters before us which are determinable in Provincial Synods they shall not be heard And Provincial Synods shall give notice hereof unto such persons as Appeal without just cause 3. The Deputies of those Provinces in which are erected the Mixt Courts consisting of half Protestants and half Papists are ordered in the name of this Assembly to wait upon the Lords Presidents and Counsellors of those Mixed Courts professing the Reformed Religion and to exhort them to persevere in their zeal and good affection to the general welfare of the Churches and of their poor oppressed Members who have recourse to them for justice against their oppressors and Letters shall be written to them to this purpose 4. The Consistory of Nerac shall in the Name of this Assembly exhort the Lords Presidents and Counsellors professing the Reformed Religion in the mixt-Court of Guyenne to take special care that nothing do pass in their Court to the prejudice of the Edicts and Articles granted to the Professors of our Religion and that private persons may not be unjustly oppressed And in case of their neglect and connivency at such injustice the Consistory of the said Church shall proceed against them by all Church Censures 5. The Deputies of Lower Languedoc moved this Question what course should be taken with those persons against whom the Consistories having proceeded by Church Censures for their delinquencies according to the Discipline were yet abetted by their Friends and Kinred who combining together with them against the Consistories do forbear hearing of Sermons neglect Sacraments and refuse their ordinary contributions towards the maintenance of the Ministry It was decreed that they be prosecuted both abettors and abetted with all Church-Censures and Colloquies and Provincial Synods ordered are to take special care that these Censures be duly executed 6. The Deputies of the Isle of France and Picardy propounding it the Provinces are charged to proceed against such as do by underhand dealings canvass for deputations unto Politcal Assemblies by all Church Censures And they who Represent the Provinces shall make oath that they never obtained to be Deputies by any of those unfair practices and in all Elections of members unto such Assemblies in whatsoever place Burrough City or Province that they neither have nor shall in any wise give their Votes for them who by such undue courses have demanded Craftily contrived or Ambitiously affected and sought after those Deputations nor have they nor will they seek or demand the same for themselves by such or the like ways and means And in case his Majesty out of his Royal Bounty should defray their charges at those General Assemblies It is ordained that the Moneys so given by him shall be received by the Treasurer of the Churches for their benefit and the Churches shall pay the respective Deputies all the expences of their Journy Professors are exempted from all Deputations unto Political Assemblies 7. the Provinces are injoyned never to depute unto our General National Assemblies whether Political or Ecclesiastical the Professors of Theology nor shall they be imployed in any Deputations unto Court And whether they shall be sent or not unto our National Synods it 's left wholly to the prudence of the Provinces 8. Theophilus Bleuitt otherwise called de la Combe having been deposed from the Ministry by the Province of Anjou and his deposition ratified by an act of the last National Synod held at Rochel presented himself unto this Assembly craving the favour of re-admission into the Ministry The Assembly having heard the causes for which he was deposed and those enormous Crimes whereof he stood convicted declareth him utterly unworthy of that Sacred Office yea that he shall not be so much as suffered to teach School in any of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom and forbids him for the future ever to put his foot within any of our Synodical Assemblies more 9. The Deputies of the Isle of France moving it this Assembly decreed that in those Provinces where that Custom was established of bringing the fifth Penny of all Charities to the Colloquies or Provincial Synods to be employed in the maintenance of our Proposans shall continue it as long as they see it expedient And in case any Churches of the Provinces should oppose themselves against it they be enjoyned to conform unto the practice of the major party on pain of being deprived of the Ministry In consequence hereof the Deputy of Burgundy complaining of the great inconveniencies befallen them by the Exemption of the Church of Lion from this Ordinance it was again decreed that the said Church should be subjected to it as well as the other Churches of that Province 10. It 's left to the prudence of Consistories to judge what Poor are fit to be relieved by every particular Church and who are to be sent back unto the places of their Nativity or of their former Residence And herein to carry it with all Charity both towards the Poor and those Churches whereunto they do return them An Order for maimed Souldiers bearing the Cross on their Cloaks 11. The Deputies of the Lower Guyenne moving it this Assembly resolved That Protestant Souldiers to receive the Relief granted by His Majesty unto those who had been maimed in His Service might wear the Cross on their Cloaks not as a Badge of Superstition but as the Mark and Cognisance of their
last Supper but yet permitted his Apostles to distribute among themselves the Bread and the Cup. And as to the abridgment of these words which we bless this Assembly judgeth that none should be employed but such as can authoritatively utter all the words of Institution Nor can the Example of the Church of Geneva any ways relieve the Church of Metz because that at Geneva in their delivery of the Cup the Deacons are silent but not so the Pastors For which causes and that the Authority and Reverence due unto this holy Sacrament may be kept up and maintained the said Church is exhorted to conform it self in this matter unto the Example and Practice of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the general Custom of our Churches and this to be done by the sweetest ways possible without any thing of violence 23. This Assembly was informed how that the Consistory of the Church at Orleans and in particular a certain Elder of it called Mesmein did but with a previous Protestation to declare unto the Supream Magistrate and to the Kings Attorney the matters transacted in it set themselves against an Order of the Provincial Synod held at Blois ordaining a General Colloquy in pursuance of the Decrees of their former Provincial Synods as also that the Sieur Eruet Doctor in Physick had writ a Defamatory Libel against that Canon of the Assembly of Saumur which enjoyned all the Provinces to establish Counsels for their mutual safety and against that Decree of the said Synod held at Blois This Assembly reproving and condemning all these Proceedings as being contrary to our Discipline and to the Union of all our Churches did Depute the Sieurs du Moulin la Fresnaye and Cartaud Pastors together with the Sieurs Bigot Manevill and du Bois Elders as they return in their way homewards to pass unto Orleans and there to Assemble the Consistory and notify unto them the pleasure of this National Synod which is that the Canons and orders of Saumur be observed as best agreeing with our duty unto their Majesties and what had been practised during the life of Henry the Great of Glorious memory and full Power is given unto the said Commissioners to determine finally in the Name and Authority of this Assembly of this affair and to suspend and remove all past excesses in and about it whatsoever and the Charges of the said Deputies during their abode at Orleans shall be defrayed by that Province 24. The Appeal of Master John de Vassan Pastor of the Church of the Castel upon Loir who stands accused of several Crimes and suspended by the Commissioners which were Deputed by the Provincial Synod of Anjou is dismissed over to the next approaching Synod of that Province and in case he do not appear in person to justify himself he is from this very instant declared to be deposed from the Sacred Ministry 25. The Sieurs d' Arguillon and Barnier two Magistrates of the City of Nismes together with Arnold Guyrand second Consul and Vestric Favier a Member of their Common Council as also the Sieurs Suffren and Chambrun Pastors of the said Church of Nismes deputed by their Consistory unto this Assembly did instantly and most importunately intreat that their Pastor Monsieur Ferrier might not be removed from them notwithstanding what had been before resolved about him in this Assembly as also that he might at their request be restored to them and that leave might be granted him to assist personally in Political Assemblies in case he were commissionated thereunto Whereupon the said Deputies of Nismes being demanded if they had any thing to offer from the said du Ferrier answered that he had charged them with nothing as from himself The Assembly having maturely debated the Remonstrances and Petitions of the said Deputies and applauded their Zeal and great Love to Monsieur Ferrier gave them to understand that forasmuch as the causes moving them to transport the said Ferrier out of the Province were still valid and in being they could not depart from their former Resolution which was not taken up on design of reflecting on or interesting the said Church of Nismes for which they have as high an esteem and value as for any other Church of Christ in the Kingdom and they hope that the whole Church will submit it self unto this Synodical Decree Whereupon the said Deputies and particularly the Sieur d' Arguillon speaking first renewed with great vehemency his desires adding very injurious words full of menaces threatning us with the confusions that would arise hereupon in the Church of Nismes and that he would give them notice of it He was seconded according as it had been concerted among them in private by the Sieur Vestrie Favier with discourses full of Arrogancy and Threats with a Protestation of Appeal unto another Synod and let this do what it pleased they would never part with the said Monsieur Ferrier and that he should continue to exercise his Ministry both in Nismes and in the Province also Accusing this Assembly of passion and partiality in its Judgment Whereupon the Assembly desiring an Act of Record for such injurious Language and to know whether the said Deputies would avow or disavow it the said Vestrie returning again into the Synod to evidence his owning of all his former discourses gave us Memoirs of them stuft with falshoods and calumnies all subscribed and attested with his own hand the which Copy was ordered to be safe kept and forth-coming in case of need at the next National Synod 26. And the Sieurs Suffren and Chambrun are sharply censured for becoming the Bearers of such Libellous and injurious writings against this Assembly to whom it was declared that they might and ought to have excused themselves from any conjunction in such a Deputation because by their departure from the City of Nismes the whole Church was left without a Pastor and this their offence was judged so grievous and their contempt of this Assembly so intolerable that they deserved a very long suspension from their Ministry Yet nevertheless out of pure respect unto the Church of Nismes and that it may not be left destitute of its Ministers The Synod doth Mercifully pardon them their offence and injoyns them most strictly upon their return unto Nismes to do their utmost that this Synodical decree be put in execution against the said Ferrier and that they do their utmost endeavour to prevent whatever Murmurings or troubles may hereupon fall out and that they keep their Church in peace And in Case after the dissolution of this Assembly they presume to act contrary to what is now commanded them the next Colloquy of Lions is authorized to proceed against them and all other Pastors and Elders Complices with them in the same Rebellion even to suspension yea and deposition from their respective charges And as for Monsieur Ferrier this Assembly will provide him a Church out of the Province which shall be signified unto him and
a Scandalous Person from the Lords Table The Provinces of Berry and Sevennes remonstrating that many and great inconveniencies might fall out by the Execution of such an Ordinance This Assembly Decreed That although for good and just causes the Pastor had been excepted against yet the Elders only by themselves might not proceed to suspend any Person from the Lords Table without the Presence and Approbation of a Neighbour Pastor 3. On that Article concerning Monsieur de Beauchamp 2. Vitre Appeal 2. which injoyned the Province of Britain to give him satisfaction for his Pension due unto him for his Four Years Service Minister in the House of the Lord Duke of Rohan and the rather because the said Province had for that whole time received the Portion of the said Monsieur Boauchamp out of the Monies given us by His Majesties liberality And the Letter of the said Minister were read in which he complained of the Injustice of the said Province and requested that a particular Church of Anjou might be appointed by the Authority of this National Synod to adjudge unto him the Summ of Eight Hundred Ninety and Eight Livres Ten Sous and Nine Deniers which are Owing him and be detained in the hands of Monsieur Boitereul Receiver of the said Province of Britain This Assembly decreeth that Monsieur de Beauchamp and Monsieur de Pestere for the Province the Deputies of Britain declaring that all Writings concerning this Affair are lodged with him shall appear before the Consistory of Saumur on the First day of April next that so their Accounts being Audited the Consistory of the said Church of Saumur may by the Authority of this Assembly finally determine this Matter And in the mean while the said Summ of Eight Hundred Ninety and Eight Livres Ten Sous and Nine Deniers shall be stopt in the Hands of the said Receiver of the Province of Britain to be restored unto the said Monsieur de Beauchamp in case it be found due unto him 2. Vitre gâ— m. 6 Below of Univers 12. 4. Whereas the Provinces had been Exhorted by the Synod of Vitre to consult by what means our Universities might be provided of Professors in Divinity This Assembly having heard the Opinion of sundry Provinces here tendered by their Deputies decreed That for this purpose there should be chosen out a certain number of Pastors in the Actual Service of these Reformed Churches without burdening our selves with a new Fund or choosing Scholars who by reason of their sew years and inexperience are less fit to govern the Youth in our Universities 5. Monsieur Boucherau having been heard about those complaints made in the Synod of Vitre concerning the Excessive Rates paid by our Students at Saumur for their Lodging and Diet This Assembly was fully satisfied of the groundlessness of those complaints 2. Vitre g.m. 17. 2 Vitre g. m. 21. 6. That Canon forbidding Ministers to preach their own private Sentiments on State Affairs being read and Report made unto this Synod that several Ministers had acted contrary to it in the last political Assembly held at Loudun This National Synod desirous to stifle all Seeds of Division forbore looking into what is past but for the future it did straitly forbid all Ministers to treat of State-Matters in their Sermons or Pulpit Discourses on pain of being suspended the Holy Ministry because the only Subject of their Sermons and publick Preaching should be the Holy Word of God and the venting of State-Matters by them exposeth the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus unto contempt and the Provinces shall take special care that an Account hereof be given by their Deputies when they return from the General Politick Assembly as also of what may be foisted in of this nature into their Writings and Printed Works 7. These words as much as may be shall be razed out of that Canon which had enjoyned the Churches to sing full parts of Psalms 2. Vitre g. m. 31. and so conform themselves into that Antient Custom in use with us ever since the Reformation 8. The last Synod of Vitre had injoyned sundry Ministers of the higher Languedoc residing in the City of Montauban 2. Vitre g. m. 38. and not in their own Churches to depart thence and to live actually they and their Families in those places where they be fixed Pastors and that within Three Moneths after Notice given them of this Decree and in case of disobedience it was expresly declared to them that they should be suspended yea and they were then denounced to be Suspended from the Holy Ministry But now the Letters and Excuses of the Sieurs Richard Pastor of the Church of Muzac and Islemade of Benoist Pastor of Albai and Realville and of du Mas Pastor of Verlai dwelling at Montauban being read and the Provincial Deputyes of higher Languedoc having been heard speak about them This Assembly besides their Suspension judgeth those Ministers to be guilty of open Rebellion against our Order and Church-Discipline and to have despised very many of our National Synods and to have abandoned their Flocks and therefore it declareth them to be Usurpers of the Sacred Ministry and farther it doth very severely censure that Province of higher Languedoc for suffering such great Disorders so long a time unpunished and the Consistory of the Church of Montauban for permitting them to preach after the Declaration made of their Suspension at Vitre and farther confirming the aforesaid Sentence it declareth the said Benoist and Richard to be suspended the Holy Ministry for Three Moneths to Commence from that very day when as this present Act shall be signified to them and if in case within Three Moneths time they do not obey the Canons of our National Synods and reside personally among their People they are from this very instant deposed And as for the Sieur du Mas this Assembly doth as yet grant him one Moneth more after that this Decree shall be notified to him and in case he be not then Obedient and reside on his Church he is declared suspended from the Holy Ministry which said Suspension shall continue upon him till he do conform and the Portions or Moneys arising from His Majesties Bounty that might accrew unto them as unto other conformable Ministers shall be detained by the Lord du Candal in his own hands until such time as they have intirely satisfied this present Synod and this its Ordinance But notwithstanding all that 's imported in this Censure Monsieur Gardesy is Excepted he having a lawful Excuse for his Abode at Montauban by reason of his great Age and for his laudable Travels undertook and sustained by him for the Service of Gods Church in the Flower and Vigour of his Youth And this present Act shall be Sinned and Authenticated by the Manual Subscriptions of the Moderator Assessor and both the Scribes of this Synod and shall be read and signisied both in the Consistory of the Church of Montauban
it his business to reconcile and settle them and afterward they shall be recommended unto their Province to give them a fixed Pastor And whereas they demand assistance from us towards the maintenance of their Minister all possible care also shall be taken herein for their full satisfaction 19. An Appeal was brought by the Lord of St. Stephens Baron of Gangers from the Judicial Sentence of the Colloquy of Sauve ratified by the Provincial Synod of Sevennes and Gevaudan held at Meyruez in the Moneth of July last by which the said Baron of Gangers was ordered publickly to be suspended from Communion at the Lords Table for the Injuries and Violencies done by him to Monsieur Coder Minister of the Church of Gangers and farther that if the said Lord continued to trouble the said Codur in the Exercise of his Ministry that then the Province would espouse his Quarrel and defend him by all lawful ways Ecclesiastical and Civil And in the same Appeal the Consuls and Inhabitants of Gangers did by their Deputies represent how that the same Synod had also in the same manner censured them for that they had given leave to the said Monsieur Codur to withdraw himself from them unto a Neighbour Church until such time as that the Synod had provided better for him And yet nevertheless they were enjoyned by the Synod to pay him continually his Stipend as if he were actually in service among them In short they demanded that the said Codur might be removed out of their Town and transplanted elsewhere The Appellants being called in and heard in all what they had to speak or offer and the Provincial Deputies of Sevennes in the reasons moving their Synod to pass such a Sentence on them and Monsieur Codur also being heard in his defence and pretended Justification and two Elders of the Church of Gangers with Letters from the Consistory requesting that the said Church might be no longer deprived of Gods Holy Word and Sacraments This Assembly ratified the Judicial Sentence given by the Synod of Meyruez as to the suspension of the Lord Baron of Gangers from the Lords Table and the Publication of it together with the censure past on the said Consuls and other the Inhabitants of Gangers as being Complices and Partners with their Lord in all his Violencies and Indignities used towards their Pastor Moreover it censureth the Consistory of the said Church for their Levity manifest enough by their Letters and Testimonials contradictory one unto another And as for Monsieur Codur to procure him peace and to effect he peace of the said Church of Gangers he shall be removed from the said Church and the Province of Sevennes are ordered either by their Synod or by he Colloquy of Anduze to settle him elsewhere and in order hereunto they shall be assembled before New-years day next coming till which time the said Church of Ganges shall duly pay him his Stipend and they shall also satisfie him for all his Arrearages fully unto this very day And whereas the said Monsieur Codur hath met with a world of Fatigues and Troubles by reason of his Imployment in Political Affairs to the great hinderance and unsuccessfulness of his Ministry he is intreated never any more to intangle himself with them nor to assist in Person for the future in any of those Political Assemblies And whereas the said Lord Baron of Gangers the Consuls and other Inhabitants of Gangers here present were exhorted to reconcile themselves with the said Monsieur Codur and the Sieur Codur reciprocally to forget the Injuries he had received and that they would mutually imbrace each other and live in an Holy Concord and Love this was freely and chearfully done by all Parties Whereupon this National Synod to strengthen and consolidate this Union and to conciliate them with those who were absent did take off the Suspension from die said Baron and restoreth him to the Peace and Communion of the Church and by this means all Processes both Civil and Criminal on all sides shall cease and never be used more 20. Monsieur Gallpin Judge of the City of Vsez appealed from the Synod of Lower Languedoc which had suspended the said Gallpin from the Lords Table and ordered that the said Suspension should be published in the Church Although this Affair be not of their Nature which according to the Cannons of our Church-Discipline ought to fall under the Cognisance of National Synods yet for procuring that sweet Blessing of Peace and for divers other Important Considerations This Assembly did enter upon the Debate thereof and accordingly judged that the Synod of Lower Languedoc had just cause for suspending the said Galpin from the Lord's Table and this not upon the account of his Office for which they did not in the least intermeddle with him but for that Reproach the said Galpin hath brought upon the Church very unseasonably by his Extravagant Actings against the Sieur Gondin Viguier Provost of the City of Vsez and for discovering himself by the by to be of another Religion than the Reformed of which he now makes profession However the Synod for divers reasons doth not think meet that his Suspension should be published And forasmuch as the principal end of this Assembly is to promote an Holy Union among all the Members of our Church and principally among Persons whom God hath in his Providence advanced unto publick Office and Honour The said Monsieur Galpin is exhorted to reconcile himself with Monsieur Gondin and both of them joyntly to take such Rules and Measures as may secure the Publick Peace and Tranquility of Gods Church in their respective Places and Callings And the said Galpin and Gondin having testified their acquiescence in this Decree they were both reconciled and promised to surcease all Law-Suits and Processes whatsoever and to live in Amity and Concord together and that in case they should act contrary to these their promises that they would submit themselves unto all Censures of the Church to suspension from the Sacraments yea and to Excommunication it self and that the Consistory and Colloquy of Vsez and the Synod of Lower Languedoc should with the highest Authority proceed against them Whereupon the Suspension and its publication decreed against the faid Galpin by the Synod of Lower Languedoc was taken off and he was immediately restored to the Peace and Communion of the Church 21. The Sieur Boulet appealed from the Synod of Lower Languedoc held at Vsez in March last because he having opposed the Election of Monsieur Astier to the Office of an Elder they had censured him This Assembly confirms the Judicial Sentence or the said Synod and doth grievously censure the said Boulet for retaining so long and notorious a passion contrary to the Laws of Christian Charity which forbid us to harbour Wrath and command us to exercise Love unto all Gods Children And Monsieur Astier also is severely reproved for expressing so much disrespect as he hath done unto
Normandy in this case decreed that the said Monsieur du Bois shall be received and fixed in the Pastoral Office of the said Church of â—ontaines and Crocy until the next meeting of the Provincial Synod of Normandy 16. Monsieur Joly petitioning this Assembly for some Relief for himself and poor Family until the sitting of the next National Synod and that leave might be given him to aspire unto the Profession of the Hebrew Language in case there should be a vacancy This Assembly granted him the letter and because of his wants and the distressed Condition of his Family they do give him an Hundred and Fifty Livres and for the future do continue unto him one free Portion under the same Name as it was granted him by the National Synod of Alez CHAP. XX. N. B. This Curcelles was after fixed Pastor in the Church of Vitre le Francois in Champagne where having begot his Servant Maid with Child he forsook his Church and fled into Holland that the might escape the punishment due unto his crime which of his free will he had committed where he returned with the Dog unto his former Vomit and licke up his once Abpured â—rrorâ— and lived and dyed an implacable line my of the Truth and and of all its Professors When he was dead there was found among his Books a Manuscript written with his own hand against the Godhead of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the profession of the Truth 17 MOnsieur de Courcelles formerly Pastor in the Church of Amiens having refused to subscribe the Doctrine received in the Synod of Alez did freely and of his own accord resign his Pastoral Charge into the hands of the Provincial Synod of the Isle of France but now protesting in this Assembly that he had quite rejected those Arminian Dogmes and that he did own and acquiesce intirely in the Doctrine received of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom and humbly petitioned this Synod that they would be pleased to restore him again unto his Charge upon the promises he did now make of retaining the form of sound words After that the Deputy of the Isle of France had related the proceedings of their last Synod upon the fact of Courcelles his quitting of his Place and Calling he was again called in and did plainly and clearly and with great earnestness avow and confess his consent unto the whole Doctrine taught and contained in those Canons decreed at the Synod of Alez and in this also holding and believing it to be the truth and agreeing with the Word of God and that he renounceth all Errors condemned in those aforesaid Canons and that he believeth those said Canons in every Branch and Article of them and was resolv'd to sign and defend them for the future to the utmost of his power during Life The Assembly having received this his Declaration and Protestation restored him again unto his Ministerial Office and remanded him back unto the Isle of France to be presented unto a Church and in case he could not meet with one in that Province then he might accept of a Call in any other And for his Comfort he had License given him in the interim to preach in any Church for its Edisication yea and in the Church of Paris also provided the Reverend Pastors of that Congregation did invite him to it Moreover this Assembly approved of all those former proceedings of the Province aforesaid in and about this business of Courcelles as having been done and managed with singular prudence Candor and Charity And it gives also unto the said Courcelles one Portion for his subsistence until such time as he be provided of a Church 18. Letters were tendred and read in this Assembly from the Lords Curators and Professors in the famous University of Leyden requesting that Monsieur Rivett who had been lent unto the said University by a former National Synod for their Divinity Professor might be confirmed and continued to them during Life by the Authority of this also The Letters of Monsieur Rivett writ unto this Assembly were in like manner perused and his Brother the Lord of Chamvernown declared that Doctor Rivett testified and expressed a continual Love and sincere Affection as in Duty he was bound unto his Native Countrey and that Cordial desire he had alwayes to serve it but that he could not at present be removed from the University of Leyden but to it s very great dammage and his own in particular for which cause he intreated this Assembly to continue him for some few years more in the aforesaid University of Leyden The Synod did hereupon grant him his request and ordered his continuance there until the next National Synod and that an answer should be written unto the Lords Curators and Professors there accordingly He lived there to his Death which fell out in the year 1651. His Works are Printed in Three Folio's 19. The Church of Alez petitioned that the Reverend Monsieur Chauve Minister of the Church of Sommieres might be coâ—ferred upon them for their Pastor After perusal of these Letters those of Monsieur Chauve were also considered who complained that his burthen was too heavy for his Shoulders and that he could not without assistance go through the necessary Duties of his Charge in either of those Churches The Deputies also of Sevennes and the Lower Languedoc and Monsieur L' Espeisses for the Church of Alez were all heard whereupon this Synod confirmed Monsieur Chauve in his Ministry of the Church of Sommiers and enjoyneth the said Province to take care that he have help and comfort given him in his great labours 20. The Church of Bourdeaux petitioned that Monsieur Alba Minister of the Church of Tonneins and Ferrand Minister of La Parade in the Province of Lower Guyenne might be bestowed on them for their Pastors Another Petition also was presented from the Lords President and Counsellors in the Court of Agen that they might be favour'd with the Ministry of the same Monsieur Alba. After perusal of several Letters from the Churches of Tonneins La Parade Bourdeaux and Agen and those of the Lords President and Counsellors there and hearing of Monsieur Coderois Elder in the Church of Bourdeaux and of Monsieur Alba and of the Provincial Deputies of Guyenne This Assembly presented Monsieur Ferrand unto the Church of Bourdeaux and Monsieur Alba unto that of Agen until the next National Synod And it does enjoyn the Colloquy and on their default the Synod of that Province to make some speedy provision for the Church of La Parade that they may be without delay supplied with a Pastor 21. Relation was made by the Province of Vivaretz concerning some Miscarriages of Monsieur des Maretz heretofore Pastor in the Church of Valet This Assembly not being able to judge of this Matter because of his absence hath dismissed the business unto the next Session of the Colloquy of Valentinois in Dolphiny to take cognisance of it and to
voted a Decree that the Censure past on the Church of Paris in that Synod of he Isle of France shall be reversed and that the Church of Paris shall be advised precisely to observe the Canons concerning the re-search of Pastors Moreover to comply with their instant urgent Importunities Monsieur Daille is purely and absolutely resigned to them 3. Whereas John Mellier having opposed the Election and Reception of the Sieur John Celaris into the Office of an Elder and brought his Appeal unto this Synod it is remanded back unto the Province of Higher Languedoc who have full power to determine it 4. The Synod ratifying the Judgment of the Province of Xaintonge from whence the Church of Montendre had appealed This Assembly ordaineth that for the future Provincial Synods shall judge soveraignly and finally in all causes about dismembring and conjoining of Annexed Churches 5. And therefore according to this Canon the Appeal of the Church of St. Hillary in the Province of Poictou is declared null notwithstanding what hath been remonstrated to the contrary by the Lord de la Begaudiere 6. For the same reason the Appeal of the Church of St. Fulgentius in the same Province is disanulled 7. The same Sentence was given on the Appeal of the Church of Quissac from the Decree of the Province of Sevennes 8. And for the like reason the Church of Sauve in the said Province having brought an Appeal had it rejected 9. Although the differences about the distribution of His Majesties Liberality granted us to our Churches ought not to be brought before these National Synods yet that the contestations in the Churches of the Lower Guyenne may be terminated the Deputies of that Province are commanded to confer with the R. R. Mr. Belot and de Baux Ministers of the Gospel and with the Sieurs Marlat and la Briere Elders that in case they should hit upon an expedient of accommodating Matters it may be ratified by the Authority of this Assembly not that we would have a precedent made hereof And once again that Ancient Prohibition against our Ministers is now revived That not one of them shall touch a Denier of His Majesties Bounty assigned to and distributed by the Provinces unto their particular Churches because the said Churches ought solely to receive it and it must remain wholly at their disposal and because our Pastors shall not have an uncertain but a most certain and determinate Pension for their subsistence from their Churches 10. The Appeal of Monsieur Perez Pastor of the Church of Cajarre was vacated and the Assembly injoyned the Province of Higher Languedoc to put forth their hand that the said Perez may receive for time coming greater satisfaction from his Church than heretofore And in case the said Church do not fully content him and pay him his just dues betwixt this and the next Synod of that Province they shall be deprived of his Ministry and he shall be assigned to some other Flock yea and though they should give him all possible satisfaction yet shall he not be compelled to serve a Church against his Will whereunto he was not sent but for a time 11. This Judgment past upon the Appeal of the Church of Angles that it was very needless and ill layd the Sentence of their Province being founded on Equity and Charity 12. The Appeal of Monsieur Peter Prevost a Pastor Emeritus is declared null 13. The Church of Bergerac appealed and petitioned that forasmuch as the Sentence of the Province of Lower Guyenne hath been invalidated the Twelve Hundred Livres formerly granted unto their Colledge might be continued The Letters and Memoirs of that Church being read and the Deputies of that Province heard this Decree was made That the Four Hundred Livres given unto every Province for their respectiye Colledges shall be continued unto that of Bergerac until the next National Synod unto which they shall give a clear and good account of what has been done by them for the re-establishment of their Colledge on default of which that Sentence of the Provincial Synod for translating the said Colledge to the Town of Nerac shall be confirmed And as for the remaining Eight Hundred Livres Four Hundred of them shall be detained by the Lord of Candal in his hands and the other Four Hundred shall be accorded to the Church of Nerac but on this condition only that the Town of Bergerac do find out some means for the re-establishment of their Colledge And our National Synods may hereafter give them sensible pledges of their accustomed Love and Kindness 14. Monsieur des Marests suspended the Holy Ministry by the Province of Vivaretz petitioned in his Appeals that they might be obliged to restore him unto the Publick Exercise of his Office and come to an account with him upon hearing the Deputies of that Province this Synod voted that his suspension should be removed and that the said Province should accompt with him for the Moneys owing to him before the Consistory of Alez and that Monsieur Cuper shall pay him presently in ready Moneys Three Hundred Livres out of what might accrew unto the said Province and to repair the want of Charity which those of that Province have been notoriously guilty of towards him they shall for the future take special care to incourage him in his Ministry 15. Mr. George Arbaut formerly Pastor of the Church in Boiscoiran appeared in Person before this Synod to maintain his Appeal But upon hearing the Deputies of the Province of Lower Languedoc by which he was Deposed and Monsieur Paulett Pastor of the Church of Vezenobre who gave in Evidence against him on one of the Principal Articles for which he was condemned the Letters and Acts produced both for and against him having been perused The Synod confirmed the Judgment denounc't against the said Arbaut and declareth him for ever unworthy of Employment in the Sacred Ministry and decreeth farther that he shall not be admitted to Communion in the Sacraments till such time as being toucht with a deep remorse and serious Repentance for his Sin he do fully freely and ingenuously Confess his Offences before that Church in which he constantly resideth 16. Monsieur Beraut Pastor of the Church of Montauban and Professor in that University appealed from a Decree of the Provincial Synod of Higher Languedoc and consequentially from the Actions of the Delegates of that Synod and of the Colloquy of Lower Quercy Letters from the Magistrates in the Sheriffdom or Montauban were read as also from the Four Consuls of the said City The Lords de la Roche and Bardon Counsellors in that Sheriffdom the Lords de la Rose and Auglas first and second Consuls and the R. Mr. Charles a Minister one of those Delegates were all heard speaking of this Affair and Monsieur Beraud also declaring his grievances as also did the Deputies of the Province The Synod did hereupon take unto it self the cognisance of this Case and voted that the R. R. Mr.
the Province of Vivaretz And whereas the Church of Paris lent him already in his great Necessities one hundred Livers they be desired out of pure Christian Charity freely to forgive him that Sum. 28. The Synod taking into consideration the Complaint of the Widow of Monsieur Rossel deceased and the great Losses suffered by the Church of Bedarioux decreed that the Province of Lower Languedoc should pay her in the Stipend allowed her for the Year of her Widowhood and discharge that poor Church from the paiment thereof and take special care that this Widow have some settled Maintenance for the future Moreover an Order was granted that because her Necessities at present were very sore and pressing she should receive fifty Livers which the Lord of Candall is intreated to advance before-hand out of the Moneys accruing unto the aforesaid Province whose Receiver shall be obliged to allow it him on his Account 29. The Synod accepting his Offers promised its best Assistance unto the Reverend Monsieur le Faucheur Pastor of the Church in Monpellier and prayed him to take heart unto himself and couragiously to imploy those excellent Talents and Graces the Lord had bless'd him with in the Refutation of those Heaps of Sophism's piled up by the Cardinal of Perron in his huge Volume of the Eucharist that so the Church of God may be edified by so laudable and profitable a Work and the sorry sophistical Wranglings of the Enemies of God's Truth may be check'd and represt 30. There was granted threescore and twelve Livers unto the Sieurs Maurice de Bloy de Matrimont and Collan to defray the Charges of their Journey unto Montauban which is eighteen Livers apiece 31. Monsier Caper was ordered to pay unto Mr. Moynier Pastor of the Church of Bourniquett immediately seven-score Livers in consideration of his great Losses and this is not intended as a diminution of that Relief which the Synod hath reserved for him when it comes to divide the Monies destinated to the support and maintenance of our Churches in the Higher Languedoc And the Synod of that Province is charged to communicate unto his necessitous Family as they are bound by the Laws of Christian Charity for its Subsistence 32. An hundred Livers were assigned unto Monsieur Baylin Pastor of the Church of Villemur and to be paid him out of the clearest Monies which belong unto the Churches And farther it was voted that when the Dividend should be made of those Monies there shall be a special regard had unto the Necessities both of the said Church and Pastor 33. The Sieurs Crubel and Montanier Pastors of the Churches at Bias and La Corbaride declared and proved before the Synod by authentick Evidences and Memoirs the utter impossibility of their Residence on their Churches because of the dismal and deplorable Condition to which they be reduced Whereupon License was given them to reside at Montauban until such time as it should please God to bless those distressed Churches with Ability for their Resettlement among them and the next Provincial Synod shall take special care that it may be effected 34. The Churches of Soulés and La Bour being at a vast distance from the other Churches of this Kingdom whereby our National Synods have had little knowledg of their Estate and Wants and of that Relief which hath by this and former National Synods been ministred to them The Sieurs Mizaubin and Grenouilleau are ordered to travel thither immediately upon the breaking up of this Assembly and as Visitors appointed by this Synod to inspect their Condition and to inquire into those Differences between the Sieurs Busthonoby and Guillemin and to compose them and to make report of the Necessities of those Churches they being now incorporated with the Synod of Lower Guienne unto it and they shall take care that those Churches do by their Deputies appear at their Synodical Meetings and bring in an Accompt of their disposal of those Monies which have been formerly and may hereafter be allotted them And that Synod is charged to concern it self for the well-being of those Churches 35. The Province of Sevennes having advanced a thousand Livers before-hand for the Churches of Auvergne did request this Assembly that they might be reimbursed A Decree past that the said Province proving those Disbursments they should be repaid accordingly out of the Monies granted by the last National Synod unto those Churches 36. Monsieur Paulet informing this Synod with how great Violence he was forced and driven away from his Church of Vezenobre it was immediately voted that his Cause should be particularly recommended unto the Lords our General Deputies and that when the distribution of Monies shall be made in the close of this Sessions all care and respect should be had unto his Necessities 37. The Lord and Lady of Dangeau complaining that the Synod of the Isle of France had forbidden the particular recommending of them unto God in the Publick Prayers made by the Church of Chartres meeting at the Bridg of Tranchefetus although they had been formerly made for the Lord and Lady of that Place And the Deputies of the Isle of France having declared the Reasons of that Prohibition and justified it by the Acts of two several Synods thô they had also condemned the omission of those aforesaid Prayers and that they would have ordained their re-usage were it not for those many Oppositions they had encountred in it The Synod decreed That the Pastor of the Church of Chartres shall mention in his Prayers and pray particularly by Name for the said Lord and Lady according to the Intention of the Synods of that Province 38. The Sieur Codur writ Letters of Excuse which were read in this Synod as also the Acts of the last National and Provincial Synods of Lower Languedoc concerning the removal of his Ministry out of the Province of Sevennes Whereupon it was decreed that the Province should be censured for their over-much Indulgence to the said Codur and judged that the Gloss put upon the Canon of the Synod of Charenton by one of its Deputies was not in any wise to be admitted because it directly contradicted the Intention of that Synod And it doth now forbid the said Codur to exercise his Ministry either in the Provinces of Lower Languedoc or Sevennes and interdicts the Synods of those Provinces the granting him any License for so doing on pain of censuring the Moderators of those Synods in their private Capacities Moreover the said Codur is once again commanded to obey the Canon of the National Synod of Charenton and to retire himself into the Province of Dolphiny that there he may be provided of a Church And in case he refuse Obedience unto this Order the Synod of that Province is now impowred with full Authority to proceed against him according to the utmost rigour and severity of our Discipline 39. There were six-score Livers ordered to the Lord of La Beguadiere for defraying the Charges of his
and what Relief the said Agard hath and shall receive from that Province that so there may be some care taken to reimburse them 105. That Monsieur de la Vallade may be maintained in his Sickness and whilst the Hand of God is heavy upon him he being now visited in this City The Council ordered that out of the Sum of Ten thousand Livers given by his Majesty to defray the Charges of this Assembly a fourth part of that Portion of it which would have accrued unto the Province of Anjou should be presently taken out and bestowed upon the said Sieur de la Vallade and he shall not be obliged to be accountable for it And Mr. Cooper is requested to pay in this Money before-hand unto him 106. This Synod ordained that all Papers brought by Mr. Bony and the Lord Aldebert should be deposited by Mr. de Puy and de Grenouilleau into the hands of the Provincial Deputies of Higher Languedoc which was done accordingly 107. Mr. Busthonoby Pastor of the Churches in Soulés informed the Council That however the last National Synod of Charenton had ordered a Maintenance for him in those Churches yet there remained due October Quarter in the Year 1624 and the full Years 1625 and 1626. And he humbly prayed the Council to compassionate him under his pressing Wants and Necessities The truth of this his Information being undoubted and unquestionable the Lord of Candall was intreated to pay in unto him all those his Arrears and if the said Lord would of his Christian Charity and Generosity advance it before-hand we assure him he shall reimburse himself out of the first Monies he receiveth for the Service of our Churches 108. The Synod observing that by the Dividend made in the National Synod of Charenton there was granted unto the University of Montauban over and above its accustomed Allowance the Sum of Eight hundred and fifty Livers which were to be paid them till the sitting of this Assembly and through inadvertency that self-same Sum was again imployed in a late Dividend as if it were now due and to be paid unto the said University The Synod therefore ordaineth that out of the said Eight hundred and fifty Livers there shall be One hundred Livers only given in lieu of the Principal unto the said University and Sixty Livers to their Beadle and Porter and that the remaining Overplus amounting to Six hundred and ninety Livers and also Ninescore and nine Livers and eight Sous for a Portion cut off from the Province of Higher Languedoc and Higher Guyenne of those which were imployed in the said Dividend shall be detained yearly by the Lord of Candall from the said University and Province and he shall bring his Receipt and Accompt for all this unto the next National Synod 109. The Lord of Candall is intreated to pay unto the Province of Berry over and above the Portions which were allotted it one Portion omitted in the Account of the said Dividend 110. The Portion of Monsieur Dacier a Pastor Emeritus having been omitted by the Synod of Charenton through forgetfulness when they made a Dividend of Monies belonging to the said Province of Higher Languedoc shall be now restored him and paid into his Hands out of the very first Monies that shall be received for the Churches 111. Whereas the Sum of Four hundred Livers was settled upon another Colledg besides that of Nerac out of the Dividend for the Province of Lower Guyenne the laid Sum shall be detained by the Lord Candall because there was a particular Article of Four hundred Livers past for the Colledg of Bergerac 112. In case Monsieur Constans should be molested by the Apostate Peris the Council resolves to stand by him and to make his their common Cause and to maintain his Innocency and to defray all necessary Charges that he may be put to in the Suit 113. The Lord * * * Another Copy calls him Chanitrier Chintrier formerly Receiver of the Monies given us by his Majesty's Bounty for the Province of Xaintonge shall deliver unto the Lord of Angoulins an Acquittance of the Lord du Candall for the Arrears due unto the said Province for the Year 1621 and for which the said Chintrier shall be discharged by the Lord of Angoulins and shall himself draw up in due Form of Law the Discharge and Acquittance which is to be subscribed by him 114. The deep Poverty of the Church of Varis being reported by the Deputies of Dolphiny who also presented their Letters unto the Council a free Portion was voted for them out of the Dividend for the Province of Dolphiny to be delivered unto the said Church of Varis between this and the next National Synod 115. The Deputies of Dolphiny presented Letters from Monsieur le Veilleux a Pastor which being read the Council commending his Zeal and Piety and approving his Retreat from the City of Nismes doth charge that Province of Dolphiny to provide a Church for him in which he may employ those excellent Gifts which the God of all Grace hath so plentifully showred down upon him for its edification 116. The Council exhorted the Province of Anjou to get the last Tome of Mr. Cameron's Theological Works printed and promiseth that the next National Synod shall take care to see them reimbursed the Charges they must of necessity be at in that Impression CHAP. XXXI Of Universities and Colledges 1. THE Sieurs Roqués and Huglas first and second Consuls of Montauban Monsieur Weemes Principal of their Colledg and the Deputies of the Province of Higher Languedoc petitioned That Mr. Charles formerly Professor of Divinity in the University of Ortez and Principality of Bearn might be removed thence and preferr'd to the Church and University of Montauban But there was great Opposition made unto it because of the present and pressing Wants of the Churches of Bearn and their mighty struglings to preserve their University for which they had most humbly petitioned his Majesty and the Agreement past between them and the said Mr. Charles After the whole had been debated the Synod judged that they could not by any Authority of their own compel nor in Reason or Conscience ought they by their Exhortations to oblige those Churches to discharge the aforesaid Mr. Charles and to bestow him on the Church and University of Montauban Yet notwithstanding they acquainted the Deputies of those Churches that in case their Hopes and Endeavours should be frustrated they might then resign up the said Charles unto the University of Montauban and oblige both that City and the Province of Higher Languedoc by complying with their Desires 2. The Synod not judging it convenient to lessen the number of our Universities and wanting Means at present to provide for their Subsistence being utterly disabled from adding any thing unto them more than formerly they decreed That the Professors of Montauban and Saumur should receive out of the first Monies to be distributed among the Churches the Arrears
you have most worthily discharged yea and in those very National Synods which we have permitted to be convocated by our Subjects of the said Reformed Religion at Charenton aforesaid in the Year 1623 and in our City of Castres in the Province of Albigeois in the Year 1626. We therefore conceived we could not make a better choice than of your self being well satisfied that you will continue to give us the Proofs and Testimonies of your Affection to our Service For these Causes we have commissionated and deputed and we do commissionate and depute you the said Lord Galland by these our present Letters Patents signed with our own Hand unto the said Synod and order you forthwith to transport your self unto the said Synod in the Town of Charenton and therein to assist in Person as our Representative and to propose and resolve on such Matters as have been commanded you according to the Memoirs and Instructions we have delivered into your Hands taking special Care that none other Businesses be then or there treated and debated but such as of right ought to be consulted and determined on in those Assemblies and which are permitted by our Edicts and in case they should attempt any thing contrary thereunto you shall hinder it and by Interposal of our Authority suppress and stifle it and speedily give us Notice and Advice thereof that we may immediately apply such Remedies as will be most needful And for doing hereof we do now impower you by this our Commission and special Commandment in these our present Letters Patents For such is our Will and Pleasure Given at Monceaux the sixteenth Day of August in the Year of Grace one thousand six hundred thirty one and of our Reign the two and twentieth Signed in the Original LOVIS And a little lower by the King Phelippeaux And sealed with the great Seal in yellow Wax CHAP. III. The Lord Galland's Speech to the Synod 23. THE aforesaid Letters Patents having been read by the Lord Galland his Majesty's Commissioner he made this Speech unto the Synod That the King having buried in the Grave of Oblivion all former Actions which had fallen out in the last Troubles to the great Affliction of the Kingdom his Majesty gave him in charge to assure his Subjects of the Religion of his Royal Affection and good Will towards them and that whilst they continued within the Bounds of Duty and abstained from all bitter Reflections against the Government and Repose of the Publick and from all Intelligences and Correspondencies either with Natives or Foreigners and were sorely addicted to the Service of his Majesty they should experience the Kindnesses of a good Father and of a good King in his Majesty and injoy the free Exercise of their Religion and the Liberty of calling and holding their Synods Provincial and National But whereas in divers Years last past the Orders given by him and accepted of by his said Subjects have been differently interpreted His Majesty desireth by reviving them to take away for the future all Grounds of Misconstruction and Misunderstanding 24. Therefore in the first Place His Majesty requireth that whereas Commissioners were established in all Synodical Assemblies both National and Provincial by his Letters Patents in the Year 1623 founded upon the Practice observed in the Primitive Church and the Government of the best-ordered Kingdoms there shall be an intire and absolute Obedience yielded hereunto by his said Subjects of the Reformed Religion and that they do refrain and forbear all Protestations and Remonstrances to the contrary 25. In the second Place By those aforesaid Orders and agreeable to the Laws of the Kingdom it was decreed and enacted That no Strangers should be admitted into the Pastoral Office in any of the Churches which are reserved for natural French-men and Ancients of the Kingdom in bar of whom and to whose Prejudice divers Strangers have been received Wherefore his said Majesty renewing his Ordinance aforesaid doth inhibit his said Subjects to admit into the Ministry any one except a French-man born and as for others who have been admitted since the Year 1623 contrary to it his Majesty promiseth to dispense with them provided Application be made unto him for that Grace And whereas some have made Exceptions against this his general Resolution on behalf of those Ministers who are born in those Kingdoms and Common-wealths or Cities which are the Allies of his Majesty or under his Royal Protection the said Lord Commissioner declared That by Strangers we were to understand all sorts of Persons without Exception who were not born in the Kingdom or out of his Majesty's Dominions and Government although they were Natives of such Kingdoms Common-wealths and Cities as were his Majesty's Allies or under his Protection 26. In the third Place All Ministers are forbidden to depart the Kingdom without his Majesty's Licence and particularly Monsieur Salbert Minister in the Church of Rochel hath not only gone out of the Kingdom without his Majesty's Permission but in Contempt of his Royal Authority Wherefore the said Prohibitions are once more reiterated and reimposed and the said Salbert is injoined by his Majesty to reside in that Place appointed him and he is expresly forbidden all Exercise of his Ministry either in publick or private nor may this National Synod put him upon the Roll of Ministers to be presented by it unto vacant Churches 27. In the fourth Place By the National Synods of Charenton and Castres all Ministers were expresly forbidding to intermeddle with State-Matters yet notwithstanding Monsieur Beraud Minister of Montauban and Professor of Divinity in that University did not only intermeddle with State but military Affairs and was so bold as to maintain by a Book which he read unto his Auditory That Ministers have a Call to bear Arms and to shed Blood which is a Doctrine quite contrary to the Word of God the Decrees of Councils and the Laws of the Kingdom and the more dangerous in this Doctor because he instils these his wicked Notions into the tender Minds of Youth committed to his Charge and Education and 't is much to be feared that he will continue to poison them by such or the like Instructions which are foreign and contrary to the publick Peace and Tranquillity And therefore the said Manuscript is judged unworthy of publick View as being cross to the Word of God And his Majesty hath ordered its Suppression forbidding all Printers and Booksellers either to print or sell it and commandeth all the Members of this present National Synod to censure and condemn both it and its Author CHAP. IV. The Moderator's Reply to this Speech 28. THE Lord Commissioner having finished his Speech Prayers were offered up to God for the Preservation of his Majesty's Sacred Person for the Prosperity of his Government for the Settlement of the publick Peace of the Nation and for the Glory of his Crown And most humble Thanks were rendred unto his Majesty for the Continuance of his
the National Synod of Rochel the 18th in order held in the Year 1607. on the Discipline by which at the Request of the Province of Dolphiny the said Article had been explained The Assembly gave leave unto Provincial Synods to extend the Loan of Pastors unto the term of a full Year notwithstanding the Churches from whence those Pastors were borrowed had entred their Appeal against it 4. Upon the 4th Article of the 2d Chapter the Province of Poictou was advised to observe that Canon framed by the 24th National Synod held at Charenton in the Year 1623 which had ordained That the Children of Ministers should not he preferred unto the Pensions unless caeterus paribus they were equal in Merits with the other Competitors 5. After those Words in the 8th Article of the 5th Chapter As also all Sentences of Suspension those shall be added which were given by the Consistory and were not declared before the Congregation shall be binding although the suspended Person had made his Appeal either to a Colloquy or Provincial Synod 6. In Obedience to those Remonstrances made by his Lordship the Lord Commissioner the Provinces are exhorted to come prepared to the next National Synod in which it will be debated whether any thing shall be changed in the 19th and 20th Articles of the 5th Chapter before mentioned 7. The Word Gypsys the French call them Bohemians shall be razed out of the eleventh Chapter because the two others do sufficiently explain it 8. Those Words as also the Names of Office such as Baptist Angel Apostle shall be struck out of the 4th Article of the fore-mentioned 11th Chapter as being useless and now not practised in the Churches 9. The Deputies of Xaintonge upon that same Article reporting that divers Persons according to the Custom of the Country did give Names unto Children in Baptism which occasioned ridiculous Raillery and foolish Jesting and that it would be needful to redress it The Synod gave Liberty unto that Province to use such Means as they judged best and most expedient to effect it 10. The Lord Commissioner remonstrated on the 18th Article of the same 11th Chapter that the Register of Baptisms Marriages and Interments of the Members of all the Churches should be yearly brought into those Courts of Judicature whereunto our respective Churches do belong The Synod unanimously concurred with his Lordship and injoined all the Provinces to see that it be accordingly observed and performed 11. Upon the Remonstrance of the Lord Commissioner instead of those Words at the close of the first Article of the 13th Chapter Shall give such Advice unto the Parties as may be convenient there shall be inserted according to the Intentions of the Synod of Vertueil in the Year 1567 and of Montauban in the Year 1594 these Words The Consistory shall advise the Parties to apply themselves unto the Civil Magistrate 12. These Words Nevertheless the Parties shall be exhorted not to depart from the Words and Promises de futuro without great and lawful Causes shall be inserted into the fifth Article of the same 13th Chapter and the Clause beginning thus All Promises shall be razed 13. At the Request of the Lord Commissioner this Clause was added to the end of the 13th Article of the 13th Chapter Vnless that such a Marriage were authorized by the Civil Magistrate 14. Upon the Remonstrance of the Province of Xaintonge the Synod decreed That such as in conformity to the 18th Article of the same 13th Chapter did cause their Banes to be published in the Temples of the Popish Religion should carry a Certificate of their being of the Reformed Religion unto that Church which was nearest the Place of their Abode and where their Banes also shall be proclaimed that so all Surprizals may be prevented 15. These following Words shall close up the 22d Article of the same 13th Chapter Vnless the Magistrate hath interposed with his Judicial Sentence to the contrary 16. Upon the 2d and 11th Articles of the 14th Chapter the Synod approved of that Sentence given by the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge which judged that the Faithful ought not to desire their Parties of the contrary Religion to swear by the Te igitur and Cross 17. The Assembly not being able to add or change any thing in the 4th Article of the 14th Chapter giveth Licence unto the Province of Normandy to establish for its own particular Service such Orders as it shall judg most fitting for the Edification of the Churches in their Division 18. The Lord Commissioner requiring that for the future no Book might be published till it had been first examined by Divines appointed unto that very purpose this Assembly did thereupon ordain That the 16th Article of the said 14th Chapter of the Discipline shall be couched in these Terms Ministers nor any other Members of these our Reformed Churches may not cause any Books concerning Religion which are either made by themselves or any others to be printed or published till such time as they have first communicated the Manuscript Copy unto the Colloquy or if Occasion so require unto the Provincial Synod and in case the Matter be urgent unto the Vniversities or unto two Pastors nominated by the Synod who shall give an Attestation under their own Hands that they have examined the said Manuscript 19. The Lord Commissioner acquainted the Synod that his Majesty had sent him divers Books and Treatises on several Subjects fraught with injurious and intolerable Expressions and therefore required that they should be censured according to their Deserts Whereupon the Synod requested the said Lord Commissioner that those Books might not be at all look'd into because they were printed many Years ago and the greater part of them when their Authors were enforced to it by the bitter Provocations of others professing a contrary Religion And the Synod having together with his Lordship took all possible care in the foregoing Canons to prevent the printing of all offensive Books for the future the Provinces shall use all possible Care and Circumspection that his Majesty should not have any the least occasion to complain of us With which Answer his Lordship remained satisfied and judged it not meet that any particular Censure should be applied unto those Books as he had at first demanded 20. The whole Book of Church-Discipline having been read over the Deputies of the Provinces did in their own Names and in theirs who had commissionated them sign it promising solemnly that they would observe it and see it exactly observed by their respective Provinces CHAP. XVI Observations made in reading the Acts of the 25th National Synod held at Castres in the Year 1626. CHAP. XVII A great Debate about incorporating the Churches of Bearn with those of France opposed by the Lord Commissioner Article 1. THE Province of Bearn having charged its Deputies to submit it unto the Discipline of the Churches of this Kingdom and to the Authority of our National Synods as the rest of
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
next ensuing the Date hereof a National Synod composed of all the Deputies of the Provinces of our Kingdom to treat of Matters concerning their Religion And being to chuse a Person of sufficient and requisite Abilities and of approved Loyalty to Us to be present in our stead and to act in quality of our Commissioner in the said Assembly Now we being well acquainted with those Services you have done us in sundry and honourable Employments wherewith you have been intrusted by Us and of which you have acquitted your self most worthily we judged that we could not make a better choice than of your Person being well assured of the continuance of your Affection to our Service For these Causes we have Commissionated and deputed and do commissionate and depute by these Presents signed with our own Hand you my Lord of St. Mars for Us and in our stead to go and sit in Person on our behalf in the said Synod convocated in the said Town of Alanson there to propose and resolve whatsoever shall be commanded you by us according to the Memoirs and Instructions we have to this purpose put into your Hands taking heed that none other Matters be there proposed but such as ought to be treated in such Assemblies and are permitted by our Edicts And in case they should attempt any thing to the contrary you shall hinder them by the interposal of our Authority and you shall speedily give us advice thereof that we may apply those Remedies which are convenient in â—â—uch cases And for the doing hereof we give you Power Commission and special Command by these presents for such is our Pleasure Given at Paris the sixth Day of January in the Year of Grace One thousand six hundred thirty and seven and of our Reign the seven and twentieth Signed Louis and a little lower Phelippeaux And sealed with the Great Seal of yellow Wax CHAP. III. The Commissioner's Speech THE said Letters Patents being read the Lord Commissioner acquainted the Synod with what his Majesty had given him in charge to them in these very words SIRS I Am come into your Synod to declare unto you his Majesty's Pleasure you all know it and have preach'd and taught Obedience unto the Higher Powers All Authority is of God and therefore by consequence on this immoveable Foundation you must needs be infallibly obedient besides you are obliged to it by his Majesty's Bounty and by that Care he takes of you the favourable Effects whereof you shall always experience whilst you be obedient His Clemency and Power are your two firmest Supporters And as touching the former his Majesty hath charged me to assure you of the perpetual continuance of his Affection to you and of his maintaining his Edicts as long as you continue faithful Subjects And as for his Power Strangers themselves have felt it and do every day more and more feel and experience it We have with our Eyes seen those Successes of his which are more than Human by which God publisheth to the World that he upholdeth our King with his own Hand and maketh him a Terror to all about him I shall not remember those many Fortresses and Places of Surety which once you had and where you reposed too much Confidence all which are now reduc'd to nothing whereas since you depended on the sole Favour of his Majesty your Condition is much more happy and your Security much more fix'd and stable I doubt not in the least but that you have often reflected upon that admirable Providence of God in making his Majesty's Royal Authority to be your Preservation You be destitute of all Support yea you have in the midst of you against you a World of People subject as the Sea unto various Troubles and Commotions and yet notwithstanding the King upholds you in the Liberty of your Consciences and in the peaceable exercise of your Religion The fixedness and stability of the Earth ballanced in the Air is as great a Miracle as the Creation and Subsistence of the Universe God sustains it by the self-same Power with which he did at first create it and you also in like manner are preserved by the Word of his Majesty's Power Therefore Sirs you that are Ministers should shine in Wisdom and good Conduct in your respective Stations and Churches Among many signal Effects of his Majesty's Goodness received by you this is not the least yea it is a most remarkable one that you can meet in this Assembly and that too in a time of War All the Provinces of the Kingdom like so many Lines drawn from the Circumference can center in this Synod in Peace Could you ever demand a greater Testimony of his Majesty's Goodness than this Confidence he reposeth in your Loyalty and Fidelity This should engage you to submit your selves with greater reverence than ever unto his Royal Pleasure And I in no wise doubt but you will so govern your Words and Actions and chiefly your Affections that his Majesty shall have a most entire and perfect and dutiful Obedience from you 2. And that you may depend on the Protection and soveraign Authority of the King and may be wholly and solely fixed to his Service his Majesty doth in the first place forbid you all Intelligence and Correspondence whether Foreign or Domestick And his Majesty being informed that the Synod of Nismes and Mr. Rousselet a Minister have received Letters from the Canton of Bearn they are admonished not to commit the like Offence for the future For the Statutes positively forbid the King's Subjects to receive Letters from Foreign States yea they are not so much as to see any Foreign Embassadors though residing near his Majesty much less should our Synods or private Ministers receive Letters or hold Correspondence with Foreign Synods or Provinces The Lords of Bearn are Allies of the Crown and are of the same Religion with you united in Religion with you but there must not be any Union betwixt you and that Common-wealth for the least Correspondence even in Ecclesiastical Affairs with Foreigners though Confederates of the King doth raise a Suspicion and beget a Jealousy of Designs against the State The said Synod nor the said Minister Rousselet ought not to have received those Letters or if they had before they had opened them they should have communicated them to the Governour of the Place or the said Synod should have delivered them to his Majesty's Commissioner who was then present in it 3. And as for Domestick Correspondence within the Kingdom you must know that inasmuch as Provincial Councils are forbidden you therefore consequentially all sort of Communication by which such a Council might be promoted is expresly forbidden also His Majesty forbiddeth you to nominate any Ministers or other extraordinary Deputies whereby one Province may communicate with another about Political Affairs because you be no Body Politick no nor at this time whilst you are assembled in a National Synod may you communicate with another about
Doctrine and Writings of the Sieurs Amyraud and Testard Pastors and Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Saumur The Sieurs Testard Pastor of the Church of Blois and Amyraud Pastor and Professor of Theology in the Church and University of Saumur came in Person unto this Synod and declared That they understood from common Fame how that both at home and abroad and by the Consutations and Proceedings of sundry Provinces as also from divers Books written against them and their printed Labours they were blamed for that Doctrine which they had published to the World that therefore at the first opening of the Synod they presented themselves before it not knowing but that their Cause might be debated whenas the Confession of Faith came to be read and that they appeared to give an account of it and such Explanations of their Doctrine as the most Reverend Synod should judg needful and to submit themselves unto its Judgment and consequently to demand its Protection for the support of their Innocence hoping that this Favour would not be denied them because they were fully perswaded in their Consciences that they had never taught either by Word or Writing any Doctrine repugnant to the Word of God to our Confession of Faith Catechism Liturgy or Canons of the National Synods of Alez and Charenton which had ratified those of Dort and which they had signed with their Hands and were ready to seal even with their Heart-Blood Article 13. And the Sieur de la Place Pastor and Professor in the Church and University of Saumur reported also from the said University That he was charged by it to render an account of the Grounds and Reasons which induced him to approve and license the Works and Writings of Monsieur Amâ—â—aud which he did according to the Priviledg granted by the Discipline unto our Universities Moreover the Sieur Ouzan Elder in the said Church of Saumur being admitted into the Synod declared that the said Church understanding that Monsieur Amyraud one of its Pastors was brought into trouble for his Doctrine though both by it and and his most exemplary and godly Conversation they had been always exceedingly edified had given him an express Charge to testify unto it before this grave Assembly and most humbly to commend unto their Reverences the Innocency and Honour of his Ministry Article 14. There were also tendred unto the Lord Commissioner the Letters but not opened which were sent unto the Synod from the Churches and Universities of Geneva and Leyden and from the Sieurs du Moulin Pastor and Professor in Theology at Sedan and Rivet Pastor and Professor at Leyden together with the Treatises composed by them and the collationed Copies of the Approbations given by the Doctors in the Faculty of Theology at Leyden Franequer and Groningen unto the Treatise of the said Professor Rivet Which Letters being opened by the Lord Commissioner and their Contents perused by him he allowed the reading of them unto the Assembly The Assembly did likewise read the Letters writ by Monsieur Vignier Pastor in the Church of Blois and by Monsieur le Faucheur Pastor in the Church of Paris in which they offer their Sentiments for reconciling the Controversies arisen about the Writings of the said Testard and Amyraud and their Opponents Article 15. Moreover the Apologetical Letters of the Sieurs Vignier and Garnier Pastors of the Churches of Blois and Marchenoir were read who informed the Synod that by virtue of a Commission given them by the Province of Berry to examine the Theological Writings which might be composed either by the Pastors or others of their Province they had given their Attestation and Approbation to the Book of the said Monsieur Testard and had given an account of this their Judgment unto the Provincial Synod assembled in the Year 1634 and the Extracts of those their Writings were produced Article 16. Those Papers having been all read and the aforesaid Sieurs Testard and Amyraud having been divers times heard and the Assembly having in a very long Debate considered the Difficulties of those Questions raised by them did constitute the Sieurs Commarc Pastor id the Church of Vertueil Charles Pastor in the Church of Montauban de L'angle Pastor in the Church of Roan Petit Pastor and Professor in the Church and University of Nismes le Blanc Pastor and Professor in the University of Die de Bons Pastor in the Church of Chaalons upon Saone and Daillé Pastor in the Church of Paris a Committee to digest and reduce into Order the Explications which had been given or might hereafter be given by the before-mentioned Testard and Amyraud and that they should accordingly as soon as it was finished bring in their Report Article 17. And the said Committee having discharged their Trust and made their Report unto the Synod the before-mentioned Mr. Testard and Amyraud were again introduced and did with the deepest Seriousness protest before God that it was never in their Thoughts to propound or teach any Doctrine whatever but what was agreeable to the known and common Expositions of our Creed and contained in our Confession of Faith and in the Decisions of the National Synod held at Charenton in the Year 1623 all which they were ready to sign with their best Blood Article 18. And pursuant hereunto explaining their Opinions about the Universality of Christ's Death they declared That Jesus Christ died for all Men sufficiently but for the Elect only effectually and that consequentially his Intention was to die for all Men in respect of the Sufficienâ—y of his Satisfaction but for the Elect only in respect of its quickning and Saving Virtue and Efficacy which is to say that Christ's Will was that the Sacrifice of his Cross should be of an infinite Price and Value and most abundantly sufficient to expiate the Sins of the whole World yet nevertheless the Efficacy of his Death appertains only unto the Elect so that those who are called by the Preaching of the Gospel to participate by Faith in the Effects and Fruits of his Death being invited seriously and God vouchsafing them all external Means needful for their coming to him and showing them in good earnest and with the greatest Sincerity by his Word what would be well-pleasing to him if they should not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but perish in their Obstinacy and Unbelief this cometh not from any Defect of Virtue or Sufficiency in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ nor yet for want of Summons or serious Invitations unto Faith or Repentance but only from their own Fault And as for those who do receive the Doctrine of the Gospel with the Obedience of Faith they are according to the irrevocable Promise of God made Partakers of the effectual Virtue and Fruit of Christ Jesus's Death for this was the most free Counsel and gracious Purpose both of God the Father in giving his Son for the Salvation of Mankind and of the Lord Jesus Christ in suffering the Pains
Fifty Livres and to the Door-Keeper of the said Colledge professing the Reformed Religion Fifty Livres And as for the other Two Hundred Livres the Sieurs Garrissoles and Charles Professors in Divinity shall receive them Yearly by equal Portions over and above their Wages assigned to them as the Contributions of the Churches and Provinces shall come into their Hands It being but just and reasonable that their continual Labours and Cares for the publick should be recognised by this slender gratuity nor will this in the least prejudice the Regents or Door-Keepers whose Vails and Emoluments will come in unto them from the Minerval Monies by the Scholars paid at their Matriculation as was before granted in another Article ARTICLE 10. Out of an old Sum of One Thousand and Twenty Seven Livres of Arrears owing by the Province of Normandy to the University of Montauban the Sieur Harrissoles Professor in Divinity shall receive by way of Advance and without any prejudice to his Portion owing to him out of the Sum of Three Thousand Livers in consideration of his great Pains and Services performed by him for these Eighteen Months ever since the Decease of his Reverend Colleague Monsieur Beraud until the Settlement of his Successor Monsieur Charles the Sum of Three Hundred Livres And whereas that Province is indebted for those Arrears aforesaid until the setling of the succeeding Professor it is obliged to make good payment of it in the manner before appointed and particularly to see that the said Monsieur Garrissoles be fully content and satisfied who only when all others for want of their Sallaries quitted their Employments continued diligent in his station and followed hard the Duties of his Calling and Profession ARTICLE 11. That all Complaints may be prevented about the Non-Execution of the Canons concerning the Promotion of Scholars this Assembly leaveth it to the prudence of the Rectors and Councils of our Universities to judge of the proficiency made by them in their several Classes and so either to advance them from the Lower to an Higher Degree or to promote them unto the publick Lectures Nor shall they ever use any Indulgence herein but on special grounds and for very good reason and consideration ARTICLE 12. The Judgment of the Province of Anjou in preferring the Professors of Philosophy before the Professors of Eloquence is ratified and confirmed and until such time as the Provinces can make a Fund for the Maintenance of a Greek Professor this Assembly doth greatly approve and joyfully embrace the offer of that Gentleman who promiseth to exercise that Profession freely and without any Charge unto the Churches ARTICLE 13. The Pastors of those Towns and Cities in which our Universities are Erected having been Incorporated by the Canons of the National Synod of Alez in the Year 1620 into the Councils of those Universities shall be ordinarily and in their own persons present at them unless there be some lawful cause impeding them ARTICLE 14. According to the Received Custom for divers Years in the Church of Saumur our Proposans shall come up unto the Lord's Table immediately after the Professors and shall precede all the Regents of the Classes ARTICLE 15. According to that Canon made at Alez those Pastors in whose Churches our Universities are situated shall in their turns preside with the Professors of Theology at all Propositions both French and Latin ARTICLE 16. At the Request of the University of Saumur the Province of Normandy shall bring before September next unto the Consistory at Paris the Acquittances of those Payments which they pretend to have made unto the said University of the Sum of Six Hundred and Five and Twenty Livres which the said Province stood indebted to it for the Year 1637. on default whereof they shall be condemned to pay the said Sum as also the Sum of Nine and Forty Livres which are owing by them upon another Account And the Consistory aforesaid is fully empowered by this Assembly to judge finally without any Appeal in this Case ARTICLE 17. His Excellency the Lord Mareschal of Chastillon having writ unto this Assembly and by his Letters given us to understand that he designed to set up again the Colledge of Chastillon in the same Estate in which it was in his Fathers Life and the Sieur des Baraudieres Deputy for the Province of Berry having offered for the Lady Mareschal of Chastillon according to that express Order he had received from her to contribute yearly the Sum of Five Hundred Livres towards maintenance of a Professor in it The Assembly Voted That the said Lord and Lady should be most humbly thanked for their charitable Offers and entreated to continue always their Kindnesses unto the Churches and in compliance with their laudable Designs the Sieurs Drelincourt and Le Coq Deputies of the Isle of France have assured this Assembly that the Church of Paris will add Annually the Sum of Four Hundred Livres more which they had not given hitherto because they waited for the sitting of this Synod And the Sieur de L'Angle and the other Deputies of Normandy did voluntarily offer in the Name of their Province to contribute yearly the Sum of sixty Livres The Sieur de Croy and the other Deputies of Lower Languedoc have consented to pay the like Sum of sixty Livres The Sieur Bollenat and his Colleague Deputies for the Province of Burgundy consented also to make paying yearly the Sum of Fifty and Nine Livres over and above the Sum of Four Hundred Livres assessed upon them in the foregoing Synods And forasmuch as these Contributions are not sufficient the Synod ordaineth That the Churches of Rochel and Lions shall be intreated to contribute unto so good a Work according to their Piety and Zeal for the Glory of God ARTICLE 18. The Church of Loudan petitioning this Assembly to be assisted and enabled with some Supplies for the better Maintenance of their Colledge and that they might be forgiven their Contribution which they have hitherto payed into the University of Saumur and that the said Sum might be levied elsewhere It was Decreed That their Contribution should be paid in as formerly unto the University of Saumur and the Church of Loudan should receive Yearly the Sum of Threescore and Ten Livres to be paid in unto it by the Province of Brittaine which is exhorted and intreated to enlarge their Charity as much as possible unto the said Colledge of Loudan and that they would not hereupon abate or defalk any thing of their wonted Contribution to the University of Saumur ARTICLE 19. The Provincial Deputies of Lower Languedoc having represented that since the Death of Monsieur Petit Pastor and Professor of Theology in the University of Nisms that the Four Pastors of that Church have read Lectures unto the Students and kept up the other Exercises of Propositions and publick Disputations and that the Synod held at Montpellier in December last had charged them to continue these Academical Exercises until such
Loride an Elder for Scribes of the Synod who being Chosen did all of them take their Places accordingly CHAP. II. AS soon as the Officers of the Synod were nominated and seated the Lord de Magdelaine Counsellor to his Majesty in his Court of Parliament at Paris and Deputed by his Majesty to sit as his Commissioner in this Assembly deliver'd the King's Letters patents for his Commission which being Read they were Transcribed and Inserted into the Body of the Acts of this Synod whose Form and Tenor was as followeth Copy of his Majesties Letters Patents given to the Lord Commissioner LOVIS by the Grace of God King of France and of Navar To our Trusty and Beloved Consellor in our Courts of Parliament of Paris the Lord of Magdelaine Greeting We have permitted our Subjects of the Protestant Religion to hold in our Town of Loudun on the Tenth Day of November next a National Synod composed of all the Deputies of the Provinces of our Kingdom for to treat of matters concerning their Religion and being to choose a Person fitly qualified and of known Loyalty and Fidelity to us to assist in it and as our Commissioner to represent our Person in the said Assembly we well knowing those Services which you have rendered us in sundry Honourable Imployments wherein we had Commissionated you and which you have most worthily Discharged We have therefore judged that we could not make a better choice than of your self being well assured that you will continue to us the Proofs and Evidences of your Affection to our Service For these causes we have Commissionated and Deputed and we do now Commissionate and Depute you the said Lord of Magdelaine by these Presents signed with our Hand to pass over unto our Town of Loudun and in our place and stead to assist in the Synod there Convocated that you may then and there propound and answer all those things which we have given you in Commandment according to those Memoirs and Instructions we have delivered to you And you are to take special care that no other matters be there proposed nor debated but such as ought of right to be treated of in those Assemblies and which are permitted by our Edicts and in case they should enterprise any thing to the contrary you shall hinder it and by Interposing of out Authority suppress it or you shall speedily advise us of it that we may by such courses as in our Wisdom we shall judge most fit obviate and prevent it And for so doing we give you power commission and special command by these Presents for such is our Pleasure Given at Bourdeaux this Sixth day of September in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Nine and of our Reign the Seventeenth Signed LOVIS And a little Lower PHELIPPEAVX And Sealed at the lower end with the Great Seal and Yellow Wax CHAP. III. AFter reading his Majesty's Letters Patents the Lord Commissioner made this ensuing Speech unto the Assembly A Copy of the Lord Commissioners Speech Sirs ALthough my many Defects of which I am very conscious and my great Age might have well deterr'd me from accepting of this Commission with which it hath pleased his Majesty to grace and honour me and from coming hither and declaring his Will and Pleasure unto this eminent Assembly made up of the most able and considerable Persons of the Kingdom chosen out of the Body of the Professors of our Religion yet nevertheless I can boldly speak it that according to that Inclination which God hath given me for serving the King and the Publick unto which I have applied my self along time I did not in the least hesitate on this Occasion but did over-look all other Considerations hoping for Supplies from the Supreme Goodness to enable me to the performance of my Duty and from yours also that you will be readily disposed to facilitate what is desired of you And hence it is that I conceive with Joy a good issue of our Affairs even now when as I begin to speak unto you from his Majesty and you also have already took notice of it in that Grant vouchsafed you for your Assembling in this place according to your request which is a most remarkable effect of his Majesty's especial Favour to you which the good Providence of God hath now inspired into him for you after so many other signal Acts of his Royal Bounty you have formerly received from him for which I do not in the least suspect or question your Gratitude and Duty nor the sense of that Obligation which lieth upon you on many Accounts of yielding to him all Obedience according to the revealed Will of God who is the Sole and Sovereign Lord of all Men and of all things whatsoever And when I thus speak of his Majesty you know very well that we must understand all Persons acting by Authority from him according to the same revealed Will of Almighty God and the matter being so notorious we cannot but observe it in this place even that kindness and Justice you have upon many and sundry occasions had proof and sensible experience of from the Hands of his Majesty's first and Principal Minister of State his Eminency the Lord Cardinal Mazarin Nor need I enlarge on this Subject only let me add but one Reflection of my own about this last Favour the Convocation of this Synod which you believed to be at this time so needful for you you stand highly indebted unto his Eminency for it and the best and chiefest Fruit you can gather from its Consultations and Resolutions will be this to be more united among your selves and to maintain in Peace and Concord the whole Body of those of our Religion who are represented by you and to terminate and pacifie those Differences and Dissentions which are among you For sith they are produced through the Vice and Weakness of our Humane Nature and State and begin in the noblest Parts where the whole Body receiveth an alteration we may very much fear a Dissipation if only topiual Remedies be applied for these alone do seldom operate or contribute but a little to the Union and Conservation of the whole And whereas all Assemblies of whit kind soever do depend upon his Majesty who as supreme Lord hath a Right and Jurisdiction over all Persons and Actions and to ordain even in and about matters concerning the Church which was always consider'd as a Part of the State His Majesty was therefore pleased to vouchsafe you this Synod so earnestly desired by you that you might regulate past matters and re-establish among you that Order which you ought to keep for the future and the rather because there be many years lapsed since you had an Assembly of this nature Sirs It is most certain that your Enemies who design your diminution and ruin could never meet with a more favourable means and opportunity to attempt it than by maintaining and fomenting your Divisions and Dissentions for these will
bring you into Confusion So that you have good reason to admire the Benignity and Justice of his Majesty assisted with his Eminency's Counsel in giving you his Protection that by means of his Royal Power so much needed by you you may be maintained in all Liberty and enabled to deliberate and decree in those Points of Doctrin and Disciplin relating to your Religion altho his Majesty do not in the least wise approve of it because of its great difference from that of which he makes Profession as also doth not the far greatest part of his People who are his Subjects So that in case they should take that advantage they have to abuse you any way you have not in these circumstances under which you are now fallen through past Disorders any other means for your Subsistence but his Sovereign Authority which only since you have lost those Forces and Fortresses in which you formerly confided can keep you safe and if you will be contented happy Besides you know it by good experience that there is nothing more expedient or advantagious to you than an entire Submission unto his Majesty's Commands and next and immediately after God that you should depend upon the King's Sovereignty nor is any thing more just and reasonable when you put them both together for on the one hand you have his Majesty's Power and Good Will and on the other you have your Duty and Profit inseparably joyned together And there is yet something more cogent in the present Juncture of Affairs for sith the Divine Grace hath Crowned both King and Kingdom with so many Victories God sheweth you the beginnings of that Peace which above all other things you have so very much desired and so ardently prayed for and from which you may hope to participate in those abundant Blessings that are likely to flow in upon the Nation And his Majesty also on his part may hope that all his Subjects in thankfulness for this great Benefit will be the more Affectionately engaged unto bis Service and yield more chearful Obedience to him as they be all obliged by their Birth but you Sirs more than all of them because of those particular Priviledges which have been granted to you on this Occurrence I am expresly charged in the first Article of my Instructions from his Majesty to assure you that he will preserve you in the full enjoyment of those Priviledges which have been conferred upon you he declaring this to be his Intention that he will carry a Fatherly Affection towards his Subjects of the Reformed Religion and continue unto them the effects of his wonted kindnesses and that he will maintain and cause inviolably to be maintained his Edicts of Pacification believeth that you will persevere in that respect and Duty whereunto you are obliged And that you may obtain those Favours which his Majesty hath promised you his Majesty commanded me to tell you that immediately upon the Death of the Lord D' Arzillieres who exercised the Office of General Deputy he appointed the Lord of Ruvigny to succeed him and to take care of your Concerns at Court having an entire Confidence in him that he will serve him well and believing also that you will as you ought confide in him it being for your own good Yet his Majesty would not constrain you by mere necessity to have recourse unto him always if you have any Arguments of sufficient strength to exempt you and which his Majesty may accept and approve of And father his Majesty charged me to acquaint you that it was his Will that you should not in any of your National Synods make a Demand of a Political Assembly for the Election of a Deputy Commissioner On which Head I am particularly charged that in case any such Motion should offer to be made by the Deputies immediately to suppress it and not suffer it to be debated nor resolved And although his Majesty hath good Grounds to believe that you are well content with his Nomination of the Lord Ruvigny because of those Good Offices he hath already done you as his Majesty is with all his other Employments until now yet am I ordered to declare unto you that you be left at your Liberty to deliberate about the Confirmation of him in this Office of General Deputy that so after your Debate upon it his Majesty may provide at he shall think good And if you should allow of him and desire his Confirmation in this Office his Majesty will be very well pleased hoping that he will continue to acquit himself worthily in it that so being approved by you he may owe his establishment purely to your Consent And whereas in the last National Synod his Majesty had declared it to be his Will that no Deputy General should assist in it because no Person can be admitted a Member of it unless he be first chosen and deputed by a Provincial Synod and if he was admitted in quality of General Depute he must be there to debate of â—ecular Affâ—airs none of which kind and nature are or ought to be handled in such an Assembly Besides there be not now a days any Political or mixt Assemblies yet nevertheless his Majesty our of mere respect to the Lord of Ruvigny doth allow him to use that Priviledge which hath been ever enjoyed by his Predecessors in this Office and that he may come unto and vote in it at his Pleasure Moreover that such matters as have in these Assemblies been heretofore represented by his Majesty may be better executed according to his Majesty's Intentions and also whatever he may order hereafter I am according to his Orders given me in the first place to forbid you that you do not on any account whatsoever treat in this Synod of any Secular or State-matters or of Justice directly or indirectly but only of Church Discipline and of Reformation of Manners And to this purpose that no Assembly be hold Little or Great by Day or by Night but in my Presence and that no Persons be appointed as a Council in the Provinces in prejudice to those Prohibitions made by the Edict in the Month of November 1622. and that no General Fasts shall be proclaimed by the Provincial Synods Moreover It being his Majesty's desire that all his Subjects should live in Peace a Blessing so very needful for them and recommended to them by his Edicts of Pacification which he will have most strictly observed all Ministers are enjoyned to keep themselves in all their publick Discourses within the bounds of Moderation and to give no just cause of complaint of their Conduct and they be all expresly forbidden in their Sermons or Books to mention the Word Antichrist when as they speak of the Pope nor to style the Catholicks Idolaterâ— nor to treat the Catholick Religion with any scandalous or injurious Termâ— such as the Abuse and Deceits of Satan and other such like which are to be found in your Confession of Faith His Majesty
great importance which is fitting you should be acquainted with now at the beginning of this Synod that so it may be the better ordered and ended the sooner I received in my Letters very lately an Express and particular Order concerning some certain Articles and Orders of which I before spake viz. That there is an Abuse committed by the Provinces in sending and communicating by their Deputies Letters from Strangers This his Majesty declareth to be contrary to his Edicts and prejudicial to the publick Peace and his own Service Wherefore I am commanded to be very careful and to provide herein that among your deliberations none other matters be debated but such as ought of right to be so by all the Deputies of the Provinces of this Kingdom and those Matters only which concern the Provinces and that you neither receive any Letters from nor hold any Correspondency with Strangers in any way or manner or for any cause or business whatsoever and you be most strictly forbidden to receive any Writings of what quality soever coming from Foreign Countries and not under his Majesties Jurisdiction nor may any one dare during the sitting of this Synod to publish or spread them abroad in this Town of Loudun And in case such a thing should happen and that such Papers are found I am injoyned immediately to suppress them and to proceed rigorously against such as vend or distribute them as is meet I should and to inflict such Penalties as I shall judge fit And farther I am most expresly and directly commanded to do what in me lieth for the shortning and speedy ending of this Synod Which Order I received in the last Dispatch that came unto this Town CHAP. IV. The Answer of Monsieur Daille the Moderator of the Synod unto the Speech of the Lord Commissioner AS soon as my Lord Commissioner had ended his Speech Monsieur Daille who was Moderator of the Synod made this Answer following in the Name of the whole Assembly unto his Lordship My Lord THE long interruption of these Holy Assemblies have made us but too sensible of their singular usefulness and how needful they be unto our Churches And this hath augmented our Joys to see that God hath at last touched the Heart of his Majesty our Sovereign Lord with that goodness as to grant us this present Synod And without doubt My Lord you observed Yesterday upon Reading the Letters of Commission from the respective Provincial Synods how deeply they were affected with the Mercy for they could not refrain the Expressions of their Sense and Resentment of it even in their Dispatches We therefore having received this singular favour from his Majesty do own and acknowledge it to be a mere and pure Act of his Grace and Clemency and take it as a Pledge and Earnest of his Majesties Good Will unto us and sincere purposes of keeping inviolate his Edicts Unto this his Majesty hath added another and more especial favour in pitching upon your Lordship to represent his Person in this Assembly even you my Lord who for Piety and Integrity for Faith and Vertue are renowned not only in our Churches but in the World it self In so much that the worst and greatest Adversaries of our Religion being won with the luster of that Justice and Uprightness which have ever shined forth in your Administration of that high Dignity and Office possessed by you these many Years in the first and chiefest Parliament of France do desire and continually demand that your Lordship may be their Judge and Reporter of their Causes and do account themselves happy in case they can obtain it Certainly my Lord his Majesty could never have made a more advantagious Choice for us and we render your Lordships our most humble Thanks that overlooking your great Age your many and weighty Affairs the tedious incommodities of Travel and of the Season of the Year your Lordship hath accepted of this Commission and closed with this opportunity which the good Providence of God hath put into your Hands for the Service of his Majesty and for doing all good Offices to our poor Churches which God knoweth have great need of so Fast and Faithful a Friend as your Lordship near his Majesty We need you my Lord and we intreat your Lordship that you would be pleased to testifie it with all Efficacy imaginable unto his Majesty and to his Ministers the Innocency the Simplicity of our Conduct that the Jealousies which our Ill-Wishers do suggest unto him against these our Assemblies may be abated and removed Our National Synods are in no wise prejudicial to his Majesties Service yea the very contrary is true for their first and principal use is to confirm us the more stedfastly in our Religion the First and most Illustrious Article whereof you know my Lord for you have been educated in it from your Infancy is the belief of the Sovereign Authority of Kings over all Persons whatsoever without Exception in their Dominions and of that indispensable Obligation lying upon all their Subjects to yield them in all things all Honour Service and Obedience not only out of Fear but for Conscience sake and such an intire and profound Submission that their respects are extended and performed unto all Officers acting by and under them and their Order and in whose Employments and Ministry there shineth forth any Beam of Royal Authority This Doctrin the Holy Apostles learnt us to be subject unto Kings and those who be Commissionated by them This Doctrin we received from the Primitive Christians that the King is next and under God and that there is no middle power intervening between God's and hiâ— and after that Service we owe unto our God there is none more Sacred or inviolable than his In the very first Sessions of this Synod your Lordship shall see every one of us subscribe this Holy Creed just as we have expounded it in our common and publick Confession and we trust that God will so enable us by his Grace that we shall more and more justifie the Confession we now make of it by a most constant and inviolable Fidelity in his Majesties Service And in the mean while we shall offer up our most ardent Prayers unto our God for the Health of his Majesty's most Sacred Person for the Prosperity of his Family for the happy Success of his Designs and for the Peace and Glory of the Kingdom But my Lord forasmuch as by the Orders of your Commission your Lordship hath presented to us divers points and of very great importance we beseech your Lordship to give way unto this Assembly to consider of them distinctly that our Answers may be returned with that Humility and Reverence which is owing by us unto the Will and Pleasure of his Majesty our Dread Sovereign And afterwards the Deputies did by the Mouth of their said Moderator add as followeth My Lord WE do acknowledge in the First place that it was a most signal effect of his Majesty's
Goodness that when the Office of General Deputy became void by the Death of the Lord Marquess of Arâ—illiers that his Majesty was pleased to fill it up with the Person of my Lord Marquess of Ruvigny a Noble-man endowed with all Qualities requisite for it and who will undoubtedly discharge it faithfully And if our Churches had chosen for themselves as was accustomed they could never have made an Election more advantagious And we also have cause enough to be thankful unto his Majesty for granting us the Liberty of Deliberating about his Confirmation in this Office without imposing on us in this juncture any Force or Necessity And for as much as our Churches are intirely satisfied with the care and pains which the said Lord Marquess of Ruvigny hath taken in our Affairs and that they believe he will always continue to acquit himself most worthily in this Imployment and because his Majesty hath given us to understand that it would be very pleasing to him that he should be Confirmed this Assembly not knowing how or where to make a better Choice do continue him in this Office and resign into his own Hands the Writ by which he was Establish'd and after that Solemn Protestation which he hath made unto this Assembly of discharging his Deputation with all possible care and faithfulness we gave him his Priviledge of Sitting and his deliberative and decisive Votes among us as all General Deputies his Predecessors have had according to his Majesty's desire And the Act hereof shall be inserted afterward into the Body of the Acts of this Synod As for the rest This Assembly being purely Ecclesiastical we know very well that none other matters but such as are Ecclesiastical and which concern the Religion and Discipline of our Churches ought to be treated in it and we are absolutely resolved that we will not in any wise swerve or depart from the Rules of our Duty and Callings nor will we suffer any other Assembly whatsoever to be held wherein any of our affairs shall be debated or any Election made of Deputies And we believe that there is not so much as One Man among us who is one of our Members that hath the least inclination thereunto And as for the Proclaiming of General Fasts by the Provincial Synods it being expresly Ordained by our Canons that the Province whose right it is to call the National Synod may publish a General Fast if there be a necessity for it and the King having permitted us the Exercise of our Discipline and the putting of our Canons in Execution This Assembly hopeth that his Majesty's Equity and Goodness will not deprive us of the Power and Liberty to reduce them into act and practice And the rather because our extraordinary humbling of our selves before God is not design'd only for this end that we may obtain from his Sovereign Mercy a peculiar Blessing on those of our Communion but also we do then wrestle with our God for the prosperity of the whole Nation and for the Preservation of his Majesty's own Person And as for that Discreet Carriage required from our Ministers in the Exercise of their Pastoral Office in their Books and Sermons printed or preached in Defence of our Religion our Fathers before ever the Exercise of our Religion was permitted by the Edicts and in the very midst of Fire and Faggot had Christian Charity in that great Esteem and Commendation that they by a most plain and Express Article of our Discipline did prohibit the Usage of any injurious reproachful Terms which might in the least exasperate Men's Spirits so that the Times in which we now live being more calm and peaceable through the Grace of God and the Goodness of our King his Majesty may be fully assured that on this Account he shall always find us yielding a most perfect Obedience a most exemplary Moderation And it were to be wished that the Preachers in the Romish Communion were as circumspect then should we not be so much torn in pieces as we are continually by them both in Print and Pulpit But as for those Words Antichrist in our Liturgy and Idolatry and Deceits of Satan which are found in our Confession they be Words declaring the Grounds and Reasons of our Separation from the Romish Church and Doctrins which our Fathers maintained in the worst of Times and which we are fully resolved as they through the Aids of Divine Grace never to abandon but to keep faithfully and inviolably to the last Gasp Whilst his Majesty's Predecessors were pleased to permit our Churches the choice of Foreigners for their Pastors we made use of that Priviledge and none of our Synods either Provincial or National ever knew one of them to deport himself otherwise than a Native of this Kingdom all of them when invested with the Ministry in our Churches have lived and acted and preached as natural born French-men But since that Interdiction made us by the late King of Glorious and Immortal Memory we never received any but have utterly forborn it and we have most humbly petitioned his Majesty now reigning that he would be pleased to put a distinction between those who are wholly Strangers and others who tho the Sons of Strangers are yet born in the Kingdom and are under the Protection and Government of his Crown and whom our Parliaments in all Questions about Inheritances and Successions to them and other Priviledges of this Nature have equalized with all other his Majesties Subjects And although some of them have been Educated in Commonwealths yet their Religion learns them to subject themselves with all Reverence to the Superior Powers under all Forms of Government whatsoever and that Protection which they have from this Kingdom doth incline their Affections upon Principles of Gratitude and Interest unto a Monarchical Government And in case his Majesty should be pleased to allow them the Exercise of their Ministry among us in this Kingdom as we most humbly petition his Majesty so to do he would have full and clear and sufficient Proof of their Loyalty in his Service As for Letters which may be sent by Strangers unto this Assembly although there is none of our Religion in any Nation that doth sollicit us unto Actions contrary to our Duty and in case they should go about to do it all and every Individual Member of this Assembly at the first sight of such a Letter would reject the Motion with Horror and Execration And we cannot but acknowledge that in some respects as for publick Orders sake the Lords Commissioners deputed to us and set over us by his Majesty are to receive and dispose of them according to his Majesty's Will But yet as to matters concerning our Religion we hope that his Majesty will suffer us to hold Communion and Correspondence with our Brethren For other Letters coming from his Majesty's Subjects to this Assembly and relating to Ecclesiastical matters wherein they be concerned his Majesty having graciously permitted us
to whose Jurisdiction the Authors of these Disturbances do belong and against whom the Opposition is formed The Sieurs Testard Pastor of the Church of Blois and Amyrald Pastor and Professor of Theology in the Church and University of Saumur came in Person unto this Synod and declared that they understood from common Fame how that both at home and abroad and by the Consultations and Proceedings of sundry Provinces as also from divers Books written against them and their printed Labours they were blamed for that Doctrin which they had published unto the World that therefore at the first opening of the Synod they presented themselves before it not knowing but that our Cause might be debated whenas the Confession of Faith came to be read and that they came to give an Account of it and such Explanations of their Doctrin as the most Reverend Synod shall judge needful and to submit themselves unto its Judgment and consequentially to demand its Protection for the support of their Innocency hoping that this Favour would not be denied them because they were fully perswaded in their Consciences that they had never taught neither by Word nor Writing any Doctrin repugnant to the Word of God to our Confession of Faith Catechism Liturgy or Canons of the National Synod of Alez and Charenton which had ratified those of Dort and which they had Signed with their Hands and were even ready to seal with their Hearts Blood And the Sieur de la Place Pastor and Professor in the Church and University of Saumur reported also from the said University that he was charged by it to render an account of the Grounds and Reasons which induced him to approve and license the Works of Monsieur Amyraud which he did according to the Priviledge granted by the Discipline unto our Universities Moreover the Lord Ouzan Elder in the said Church of Saumur being admitted into the Synod declared That the said Church understanding that Monsieur Amyraud one of their Pastors was brought in trouble for his Doctrin tho both by it and his most exemplary Godly Conversation they had been always exceedingly edified they had expresly charged him to testifie unto it before this Grave Assembly and most humbly to recommend unto their Reverences the Innocency and Honour of his Ministry There were also tender'd unto the Lord Commissioner the Letters which were sent unto the Synod from the Churches and Universities of Geneva and Sedan and from the Sieurs du Moulin Pastor and Professor of Theology at Sedan and Rivett Pastor and Professor at Leyden together with the Treatises composed by them and the collationed Copies of the Approbations given by the Doctors in the Faculty of Theology at Leyden Franequer and Groningen unto that Treatise of the said Professor Rivett which Letters being opened by the Lord Commissioner and their Contents perused by his Lordship he allowed the reading of them unto the Assembly The Assembly read the Letters writ by Monsieur Vignier Pastor in the Church of Blois and by Monsieur Le Faucheur Pastor in the Church of Paris in which they offer their Sentiments for reconciling the Controversies arisen about the Writings of the said Testard and Amyraud and their Opponents Moreover the Apologetical Letters of the Sieurs Vignier and Garnier Pastors of the Churches of Blois and Marchenoir were read who informed the Synod that in vertue of a Commission given them by the Province of Berry to examin the Theological Writings which might be composed either by the Pastors or other persons of their Province they had given their Attestation and Approbation to the Book of the said Monsieur Testard and had given an account of their Judgment unto the Provincial Synod assembled in the year 1634. and the Extracts of those Writings were produced Those Papers having been all read and the aforesaid Sieurs Testard and Amyrald having been divers times heard and the Assembly having in a very long debate considered the difficulties of those Questions raised by them did constitute the Sieurs Commarc Pastor in the Church of Vertueil Charles Pastor in the Church of Montauban De L'Angle Pastor in the Church of Rouan Petit Pastor and Professor in the University of Nismes Le Blanc Pastor and Professor in the University of Die de Bons Pastor in the Church of Chaalons upon Saone and Daille Pastor in the Church of Paris a Committee to digest and reduce into order the Explications which had been given by the before-mentioned Testard and Amyraud and that as soon as it was finished they should bring in their Report And the said Committee having discharged their trust and made their report unto the Synod the before-mentioned Mr. Testard and Amyraud were again introduced and protested with the deepest Seriousness before God that it was never in their Thoughts to propound or teach any Doctrin whatsoever but what was agreeable to the known and common Expositions of our Creed and contained in our Confession of Faith and in the Decisions of the National Synod held at Charenton in the Year 1623 all which they were ready to sign with their best and purest Blood And pursuiant hereunto explaining their Opinions about the Universality of Christ's Death they declared that Jesus Christ died for all Men sufficiently but for the Elect only effectually and that consequentially his Intention was to Die for all Men in respect of the sufficiency of his Satisfaction but for the Elect only in respect of its quickening and saving vertue and efficacy Which is to say that the Will of Christ was that the Sacrifice of his Cross should be of an infinite price and value and most abundantly Sufficient to expiate the Sins of the whole World yet nevertheless the efficacy of his Death appertains only unto the Elect so that those who are called by the Preaching of the Gospel to participate by Faith in the effects and fruits of this Death being invited seriously and God vouchsafing them all external means needful for their coming to him and shewing them in good earnest and with the greatest sincerity by his Word what would be well-pleasing to him if they should not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but perish in their Obstinacy and Unbelief this cometh not from any defect of Vertue or Sufficiency in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ nor yet for want of Summons or serious Invitations unto Faith or Repentance but only from their own Fault And as for those who receive the Doctrin of the Gospel with Obedience of Faith they are according to the irrevocable promise of God made partakers of the effectual Vertue and Fruit of Christ Jesus his Death For this was the most free Council and gracious purpose both of God the Father in giving his Son for the Salvation of Mankind and of the Lord Jesus Christ in suffering the pains of Death that the efficacy thereof should peculiarly belong unto all the Elect and to them only to give them justifying Faith and by it to bring them infallibly
Consistory of that Church where these Persons are Members shall judge of the lawfulness of those Promises In a particular Affair the Common Cause is not to be concerned XL. No Church shall undertake any Matter of great consequence wherein the Interest or Damage of other Churches is of right to be comprised without consulting the Provincial Synod if it may be conveniently assembled But if the business be urgent they shall communicate it to other Churches of the Province and obtain at least by Letters their Advice and Consent XLI These present Articles of Discipline are not so ordained by us but that if the Churches Profit do require they may be changed But it shall not be in the Power of any one particular Church to change them without having first Advised with and got the Consent of a National Synod CHAP. III. Particular Matters Propounded and Decided in the aforesaid National Synod held in PARIS Such as have Popish Licenses to Marry shall not be married without having first confessed their Sin 1. AS to that Case of Conscience propounded by the Minister of Diep it was answer'd That such as had Licenses from Popish Vicars or Curates to Marry where they pleased should not be married in the Church of God unless they do confess this their Offence before the Congregation wherein they be married And the Minister of the Gospel shall be instant with them to evidence their Repentance by Tearing of the License But whether the Tearing of it in pieces be done in the Church or Consistory that is left unto the Church's Prudence where this Matter may fall out None can be discharged of their Marriage-Promise upon pretext of Religion II. As to the Question propounded by the Minister of Anger 's it was answered That he who had espoused a Maid of the Popish Religion but is himself since converted although the said Maiden refuseth to be married in the Church of God is nevertheless bound by his Promise wherefore he ought sollicite her to accomplish it but if she will not consent unto it he must contain himself until such time as the Bond be broken either by her Marriage or Whoredom The same Advice was given in the like case by Mr. Calvin Whether the Children of Papists are to be receiv'd into the Church III. The Minister of Castelherand having moved this case A Papist displeased with the Creasme and Spittle and other Ceremonies added unto Baptism by the Popish Church desireth him to Baptise his Child It was queried Whether he should do it But because there was another Question first to be debated viz. Whether the Children of Papists ought to be received into the Church of Christ Divers Arguments having been banded on both sides the Decision thereof was remanded to a more full Assembly What Course is to be taken with the Broachers of Heresies IV. As to what was related by the Minister of Poictiers concerning Lavan who for a long time hath publickly Taught and printed strange Doctrines Schisms and notorious Heresies The Brethren may if they judge meet cite him to appear before the next Provincial Synod or privately Commune with him and if he be found Obstinate there being made a diligent and faithful Collection of his Heresies they shall be brought into the Provincial Synod that so they may be according to the Rule of GOD's Word condemned However out of hand the People shall be admonished to avoid so great a Plague V. And whereas our Brother of Poictiers hath declared in private Conference That an Heretick is not to be punished as an Heretick but as a Disturber of the Civil Government we say That were there no other Fault but this yet he should be admonished not to create Troubles unto the Church but there being other Circumstances reported unto this Assembly and these in particular That he hath very proudly scorned Counsel given him and basely Calumniated the Minister his Tutor and the whole Consistory calling him A blind Leader of the Blind and notwithstanding the many Remonstrances made him not to frequent a certain Schismatical Heretick nevertheless he continues to keep him company Therefore for these causes we advise that he be cut off by Excommunication from the Fellowship of the Faithful VI. The Minister of Poictiers having demanded Whether it be well done to take their Oaths who are newly received into the Church not to discover their Brethren Whether an Oath may be take from such as are received into the Church Again these Novices being made Prisoners for the Gospel's sake and the Magistrate tendring them an Oath to declare the Truth whether notwithstanding their first Oath they should discover their Brethren As to the former it was answer'd That respect must be had unto the circumstance of Places that so they may obviate the Levity and Malice of those Persons who otherwise by their Imprudence and Malice would endanger an whole Church Whether a Man notwithstanding his former Oath may yet afterward declare his Brethren And as to the second Question It is most certain that the end of that Oath being to glorifie God and preserve Charity the latter Oath does not oblige to speak or do any thing contrary unto these But it were better that they did Protest at first never to speak any thing that might redound to the Dishonour of GOD or the Damage of their Neighbours Whether Children may be baptized without a Sermon and where no Church is VII Is it necessary that Infants should be baptized in a Publick Church-Assembly Or may it be done without such a Congregation as in a private Family where there be very few People We answer That where a Church is already constituted publickly there the Children shall be baptized publickly But where there is none gathered nor publickly established and Parents through Infirmity are afraid to carry them to a publick Assembly far distant from them there to be baptized Ministers may yeild what in Prudence they may judge convenient for them Whether the Faithful may write their Childrens Names in the Registers of Popish Priests VIII Our Brother of St. John d' Angely demanding Whether the Faithful might lawfully suffer their Childrens Names to be recorded in the Registers of Popish Priests It was answered That because it was a Civil Ordinance of his Majesty the Ministers and Consistories should specially observe the Design and End of him that it and admonish him that he be very careful lest thereby he be taken for a Papist Whether the Faithful may Rent Ecclesiastical Revenues IX Advice hath been taken upon what was proposed by the Minister of St. John d' Angely viz. Whether the Faithful might lawfully Farm the Ecclesiastical Revenues of Monks and Priests c And it is our Judgment That it is in no wise lawful for the Faithful to intermeddle with any Matter that hath Idolatry conjoyned with it as the Patten or the Baise-mains or to cause Masses or Vigils to be said or sung