title to the Mercy of God the Father to which as to our only Sanctuary we are bound to have Recourse ARTICLE XIV We believe That Jesus Christ being the Wisdom and eternal Son of the Father took upon him our Nature so that he is one Person God and Man Man that he might be able to suffer both in Soul and Body made like unto us in all things Sin only excepted so that as to his Humane Nature he was in truth the very Seed of Abraham and of David conceived in due time in the Womb of the most Blessed Virgin by the secret and incomprehensible Power of the Holy God And therefore we detest as contrary to that Truth all those Heresies with which the Churches were troubled in times past and particularly we detest those diabolical Imaginations of Servetus who ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ an imaginary Deity whom he asserted to be the Idea and Pattern of all things and the counterfeit or figurative Son of God In short he framed him a Body compacted of three Elements uncreated and so did mingle and overthrow his Nature ARTICLE XV. We believe That in one and the same Person to wit the Lord Jesus Christ his two Natures are truly and inseparably conjoined and united yet nevertheless in such a manner that each Nature doth retain its distinct Properties So that even as in this Divine Conjunction the Divine Nature retaining its Properties doth still abide uncreated infinite and filling all places so also the Humane Nature remaineth finite having its form measure and property And altho' the Lord Jesus Christ when he rose from the dead did give Immortality unto his Body yet he never deprived it of the Verity of its Nature Therefore we do so consider Christ in his Deity that we do not spoil him of his Humanity ARTICLE XVI We do believe That God by sending his Son into the World did declare his infinite Love and inestimable Goodness to us delivering him over unto death and raising him again from the dead that he might fulfil all Righteousness and purchase Everlasting Life for us ARTICLE XVII We believe That by that only Sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered upon the Cross we are reconciled unto God that so we may be held and accounted Righteous in his sight because we can never please him nor be partakers of his Adoption but so far only as he forgiveth us our sins and burieth them in his grave Therefore we affirm That Jesus Christ is our intire and perfect Washing and that by his Death we obtain full satisfaction whereby we are delivered from all those sins of which we are guilty and from which we could never be absolved by any other means or remedy ARTICLE XVIII We believe That our whole Righteousness is founded in the Remission of our Sins which is as David calleth it our only Happiness Wherefore we do utterly reject all other means by which men do think they may be justified before God and casting away all conceits of our own Vertues and Merits we do altogether rest upon the sole Obedience of Jesus Christ which is imputed to us as well for the covering of our Offences as that we may find Grace and Favour with God And indeed we believe that should we in the least forsake this Foundation we could not find elsewhere any repose but must needs be agitated with Inquietudes in our Consciences because we are never at peace with God till we be perswaded upon good grounds that we are beloved in Jesus Christ For that in our selves we have deserved to be hated by him ARTICLE XIX We believe That by this means we have liberty and priviledge of calling upon God with full confidence that he will shew himself a Father to us for we have no access unto the Father but in and through Christ the Mediator And that we may be heard in his Name it is meet that we should hold and derive our Life from him as from our Head ARTICLE XX. We believe That we are made partakers of this Righteousness by Faith only as it is written He suffered to purchase Salvation for us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish And this is therefore done because the Promises of Life offered to us in him are then applied to our use and made effectual to us when we do accept of them and in no wise doubt but that we shall enjoy those things which the Lord by his own mouth hath assured us of So that the Righteousness which we obtain by Faith dependeth upon the free gracious Promises of God by which God doth declare and testifie unto us that we are beloved of him ARTICLE XXI We do believe That by the secret Grace of the Holy Ghost the light of Faith is â—inded up in us so that it is a gracious and special Gift which God bestoweth upon whom he pleaseth and the Faithful have nothing whereof they may boast because they are doubly obliged unto God for having preferred them before others and for that he never gave Faith unto the Elect once only to bring them into the good way but also to cause them to continue in it unto the end For as God doth begin Faith so doth he also finish and perfect it ARTICLE XXII We believe That by this Faith we are regenerated unto newness of Life we being naturally imbondaged under Sin And we do by Faith receive that Grace to live holily and in the fear of God in our receiving of the Promise which is given us through the Gospel to wit that God will give us his Holy Spirit So that Faith is so far from freezing our Affections to Godliness and Holy Living that contrariwise it doth engender and excite it in us necessarily producing all manner of good Works Finally Altho' God to accomplish our salvation doth regenerate and reform us that we may do those things which are well-pleasing yet notwithstanding we do confess that the good Works which we do by his Spirit are never accounted to us for Righteousness nor can we merit by them that God should take us for his Children because we should be always tossed with doubts and disquiets if our Consciences did not repose themselves upon that satisfaction by which Jesus Christ hath purchased us for himself ARTICLE XXIII We believe That all the Types of the Law ended when as Christ came in the flesh But altho' the Ceremonies are no longer in use yet nevertheless the Substance and Truth of them abideth always in his Person who fulfilled them Moreover we must be holpen by the Law and the Prophets for the right ordering of our Lives and that the Promises of the Gospel may be confirmed to us ARTICLE XXIV We believe That forasmuch as Jesus Christ is conferr'd upon us to be our alone Advocate and that he commandeth us even in our private Prayers to present our selves before the Father in his Name and that it is in no wise lawful for us to call upon God in any other
Monsieur de Beza acquainted the Assembly of those Heresies disperst abroad in Poland and Transylvania by divers Persons against the Unity Divinity and humane Nature of our Lord Jesus Christ receiving the Errors of ancient Hereticks particularly of Samosatenus Arrius Photinus Nestorius Eutyches and many others yea and of Mahomet himself also Whereupon the Synod unanimously voted their Detestation of all those abominable Errors and Heresies and adviseth all Pastors Elders and Deacons and generally all the Faithful vigourosly to oppose their Admission into the Churches of France IV. Information was also given concerning the Errors of Cozain by the Minister of Normandy and Monsieur de Chandieu and Monsieur de L'estang were ordered to examine the Table of the said Cozain and to bring in a Report of it and finally it was condemned rejected and detested And the English Bishops shall be desired to suppress the Books of the said Hereticks which began to be in vogue among them V. The Nine and twenty Articles of the Confession of our Faith and the others concerning Church-discipline being read and propounded by the Minister of Bourdeaux notice was given concerning a certain Physitian who maintained the Supremacy of the Magistrate as Head of the Church and had published certain Writings under his own Hand and Name containing the Reasons of his Opinion Whereupon the whole Assembly ratified the said Articles of it's Confession and rejected the Error of the said Physitian and of all others who would abolish Church-discipline confounding it with the Civil Government of the Magistrate It condemns also those Errors proceeding from the afore-mentioned Tenent VI. Moreover the Synod ordered Monsieur de Beza to answer them who impugned the aforesaid Articles of our Faith and the Discipline of our Church and in special the above-mentioned Physitian and our Brother the Minister of Bourdeaux shall deliver unto Monsieur de Beza the Points Collected by him that must be answer'd and the whole shall be communicated to the Brethren of Geneva Union must be placed instead of Unity in the Art concerning these two words in the 26. Art see Synod of Nismes g. m. Art 20. And the 3d. Synod of Rochel Art 8. concerning divers Obsenric in the Confession of Faith VII Instead of Vnity there shall be replaced the Word Vnion in the six and thirtieth Article of our Confession of Faith And whereas the Deputies of the Isle of France and Brie do conceive it needful that the said Article be explain'd in that Clause of it which treats of the Participation of Christ's Substance in the Sacrament of his Supper After a long Conference it was at last resolved That the Synod approving the said Article rejecteth their Opinion who will not receive the Word Substance By which word the Synod doth not understand any Confusion Commixture or Conjunction after a carnal Manner nor in any wise Natural but a most true and intimate Conjunction after a spiritual Manner by which Jesus Christ is so far made ours and we his that there is no Conjunction of Bodies either Natural or Artificial which can be so close and intimate nor is this our fence and meaning as if by the Conjunction of Christ's Person and Substance with ours there did result a kind of third Person and Substance No but this only That by his Vertue all that is in him needful for our Salvation is hereby most freely and intimately given and communicated to us Nor do we consent with them who say that we communicate in his Merits Gifts and Spirit without his being at all made ours But with the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians admiring this Supernatural and to our reason incomprehensible Mystery we do believe that we are made Partakers of his Body delivered to the death for us and of his Blood shed for us so that we are Bone of his bones and Flesh of his flesh and that we receive him together with all his Gifts by faith wrought in us through the incomprehensible Vertue and Efficacy of his Holy Spirit and thus do we in this Sence understand these Words of our Lord speaking Who so eateth the Flesh and drinketh the Blood of the Son of Man hath everlasting Life Item I am the Vine you art the Branches and we must abide in him that we may bring forth much Fruit and that we are Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bones And as we derive our death from the first Adam because we participate of his Substance so must we as truly partake of the second Adam Christ Jesus that we may derive life from him And therefore all Pastors and the Faithful in general are required not to yield unto the contrary Opinions because what is now asseretd by us hath firm footing in the express Word of God Three Original Copies of the Confess 〈◊〉 of Faith the 〈◊〉 at Rochel 〈◊〉 2d 〈…〉 and the 〈…〉 VIII Finally when as the Confession of Faith was read and ended the whole Synod decreed that without any Additions there should be three Copies fairly written in Parchmin whereof one should be kept in this City of Rochel another in Bearn and the third at Geneva and all three should be subscribed by the Ministers and Elders Deputies of the Provinces of this Kingdom in the Name of all the Churches Moreover her Majesty the Queen of Navarre and my Lords the Princes of Navarre and Conde and the other Lords here present in this Synod are also requested to subscribe it with their own hands CHAP. III. Observations upon the Church-discipline Tuesday the Third of the same Month. I. THE Discipline being read it was judged needful that under the Head of Ministers there should be made this following Addition viz. The most diligently that may be II. Under the fourth Head to these words It shall be granted because of our present Circumstances shall be added the Ninth Article of the Synod of Vertueil III. Under the Eight shall be added Although the Vsage of Imposition of Hands be good and holy yet it shall not be reputed necessary as if it were of the Substance of Ordination The Form of Ordination IV. The Form of Ordination was drawn up by Monsieur de Chandieu in these following Words The Minister who presenteth to the People the Person to be Ordained shall briefly treat of the Institution and Excellency of the Ministery alledging for this purpose these or the like Texts of Holy Scripture viz. 4. Eph. 11. Luke 10.16 John 20.22 2 Cor. 5.19 120. 1 Cor. 4.1 Exhorting every one to take special heed that both Minister and People discharge their proper Duties The Minister shall acquit himself with the greater care and diligence in his Calling because he knows of what high price and excellent account it is with God And the People shall with all Reverence receive the Message of God brought unto them by this his Embassador The Form of Prayer at Ordination was first framed in the Synod
Allâ—giance and Obedience to the King their Soveraign This was all his offence but his Function was the greatest For this he must die But he suffers death triumphantly Died Abner as a Fool Monsieur Hommel liv'd a Saint died a Martyr Some Passages of his Martyrdom are fallen into my hands written by an eye and ear Witness of them which for the Reader 's satisfaction are here communicated without addition or alteration I count my self happy said this dying Saint that I can die in my Master's quarrel What! would my gracious Redeemer descend from Heaven unto Earth that I might be lilted up from Earth to Heaven would he undergo an ignominious Death that I might be possessed of a most blessed Life Verily if after all this to prolong a frail and miserable life I should lose that which is everlasting should I not be a most ungrateful wretch unto my God and a most cruel Enemy to my own Happiness No! no! the Dye is cast I am immoveable in my resolution I breath after that Hour O! when will that good Hour come which will period my present miserable life and give me the injoyment of one which is infinitely more blessed Farewel my dear Wife I know your Tears your continual Sighs hinder your bidding me Adieu Don't be troubled at this Gibbet upon which I must expire 't is to me a triumphal Chariot which will carry me into Heaven I see Heaven open'd â—â—d my sweet Jesus with his out-stretched Arms ready to receive me yea he will receive me who is the Divine Spouse of my Soul I am leaving the World in which is nothing but adversity that I may get to Heaven and enjoy everlasting felicity You shall come unto me I shall never any more come back to you All that I recommend unto you is Educate our dear Children in the fear of God and be careful that they swerve not from that way prescribed them in the Holy Scriptures I have bequeathed them a little Formulary for their Instruction that if ever they be brought into the like condition with my self they may undergo it couragiously And be confident in the goodness of our God who will send them the Divine Comforter to strengthen them in all their Straits and Distresses Prepare them for Suffering betimes that so in that great day when we shall appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ we may be able to bespeak him Lord Here we are and the Children which thou hast graciously given us Ah! I shall never have done Ah! why am I hindred from my departure why am I kept so long in this my earthly Tabernacle Farewel my dear People 't is the last Farewel I shall ever give you Be ye stedfast be ye fixed And know that I never preached to you any thing but the pure Truth of the Gospel the true way which leads unto Heaven Some one then told him He spake too much How said he do I speak too much I speak nothing but the very truth I have neither spoken nor done any thing that was in the least offensive to the Sacred Majesty of our August Monarch But on the contrary I have always exhorted the People committed by the Lord unto my charge to render those Honors which are due unto our King and have inform'd them that our Lives and Fortunes are at his disposal and that we are bound to employ them in the defence of his Estate and Crown But as for our Consciences we hold them of our God and must keep them for him Then his Judges leaving him ordered the Executioner to do his office which he did breaking his Arms and his Legs And being then demanded whether he would die a Roman Catholick He answer'd How my Lords Had it been my design to have changed my Religion I would have done it before my Bones had been thus broken to pieces I wait only for the hour of my dissolution Courage Courage O my Soul Thou shalt presently injoy the delights of Heaven And as for thee O my poor Body thou shalt be reduc'd to dust but 't is that thou may'st be raised again a Spiritual Body Thou shalt see things that never enter'd into the heart of man and which are in this life impossible to be conceived He again addressed himself unto his Wife Farewel once more my well-beloved Spouse I am waiting for you But know though you see my Bones broken to shivers yet my Soul is replenished with unexpressible Joys He utter'd many excellent Matters which are now slipt my memory Only I shall not omit that he kiss'd his very Judges who poured out a shower of Tears being astonished at so great a constancy His eyes were always lifted up to Heaven He never gave one Cry for all the Blows that were laid upon him after the first His Life was had in singular veneration and as long as this Earth shall continue his Death will be in admiration Let 's imitate this Great Man of God and persevere unto the end tho' with the loss of our Lives in the true Religion which is that only that will conduct us to the Heavenly Paradise Amen I intended â—â—od willing to write his Life at large and to publish it shortly in my Icones N. B. Every Limb every Member and every Bone in his Body were broken with the Iron Bar forty Hours before the Executioner was permitted to strike him upon the Breast which gave him as they call it Le Coup de Grace the Blow of Mercy that Death-stroke which put an end unto all his Miseries Before we proceed any farther I shall desire the Reader to remark SECT XLVI 1. That in the Head of these booted and armed Apostles besides their own Military Officers and Commanders there marched the Intendants of every Province and District together with the Bishops of the Diocess accompanied with a Troop of fiery Zealots Missionaries Monks and other Romish Churchmen The Intendants gave out such Orders as they conceived would most effectually promote and facilitate the conversion of the Hereticks and suppress natural Bowels and Pity in case any such arise and move in the Dragoons or their Officers The Prelates kept open House to receive Abjurations and to have a strict and careful eye that nothing might be done contrary to the Intentions of the Clergy 2. When the Dragoons had made some to relent and yield by their inhumane Cruelties they presently change their Quarters and are sent to plague those of the Reformed who do yet persevere in their fidelity to Christ and the Gospel So that often times these had at once all the Dragoons quartered upon them which were before dispersed among all the Inhabitants of that place This was a burden insupportable 3. That in the most eminent Cities and Towns of the Province they were careful by the Intendants or some other means to procure some persons to change their Religion before they sent their Troops thither and these new Converts must be aiding and assisting in perverting others So
your businesses are in extream danger at it were at the last gasp when you need the greatest Circumspection a most immovable fidelity and unchangeable integrity and without any affectation or introduction of ambition or hidden disguised interests No man going to War intangles himself with the World that so he may the better please his Captain that hath listed him That commination is very dreadful the Priest shall be as the people and that lamentation exceeding doleful All this evil and mischief is from the Prophets and the Stones of the Sanctuary are lying at the four Corners of the Streets Let us most Dear and Honoured Brethren give up and resign our selves to the conduct of true Wisdom speaking to us from the Word of God which is to forsake our own This also most Honoured Brethren should be endeavoured that all persons whatsoever in the Ministry when called forth unto those secondary employments of the Church do retain in their deportments and conversations the marks and characters of their first and most Sacred Vocation Let their Devotion Piety Gravity Self-denial and Sequestration from Worldly pleasures used with too great a liberty by many Christian States-men serve to maintain the sweet odour and reputation of our Church Government and to keep up inviolably the authority of their most Holy Ministry and to bind the Souls and Consciences of men by religious humility to an everlasting dependance on the Majesty of their great Lord whose holiness and Soveraign Wisdom shineth forth most resplendently in the Order of his service as the Queen of Sheba saw and admired it in the Court of Salomon Impiety and Impudence are too much in vogue every where But let the Sanctuary the Church of God be at least the Receptacle and Habitation of true and unfeigned Piety where it may act and breath freely at in the open Air with an uplifted countenance in a couragious demonstration of the Spirit and evidence of Truth convincing and condemning the unfruitful works of darkness and awakening with its bright shining Flambeau the drowzy Consciences of a perverse generation it may incourage the faithful unto perseverance and preserve the Remnant of Jacob in this day of dispersions and desolations The last Enemy of the Church and he hath been essentially one and the same in all ages and places and therefore she is now exposed unto all the mischiefs he can do her it the World The World succeeding the the stood of Heresies and Persecutions disguiseth himself into a Friend and Ally and the poor Church being respited and reprieved from her former contention and destructions by a short peace he makes short work with her and brings upon her the consumption determined which ravageth her poor and small remainder These last times have yielded us sufficient evidences and tokens of his rage and desolations Faith is decayed zeal grown cold the Gospel and the cross are become ridiculous and contemptible the language of Canaan is quite forgotten and a multitude of Souls in Israel debauched by following the Counsel of Balaam Now a strong and vigorous resolution is most needful His cheats and impostures can never be prevented but by a rejection of them when they crave at first their admission We are bound also in Conscience to request and sollicit you tho we be very well satisfied that it is already upon your Hearts to take care that those different sentiments which for these last years have troubled your Church in the Doctrine of Justification may be supprest Those opinions have been fomented and imbitered by prejudices grudges and secret hatable they have been spread abroad and propagated into a multitude of unprofitable and dangerous questions by frequent disputes and wranglings As for our part although we hold absolutely the same Faith with your Churches and do apply whole Christ unto our selves for Redemption from Death and Wrath and to obtain everlasting life and that we judge it to be communicable by imputation of all his obedience done and suffered by him in his human Nature which we were bound to have yielded according to the law of God in our persons yet we could never approve of such great strife and altercation between Brethren who were otherwise minded much less can we approve of their bitter separation and mutual condemnation So that we had rather that little spark had been suffered of its own accord to have dwindled away into nothing than by blowing it into a flame by so many oppositions to kindle a greater fire in the hearts of Gods People which hath tormented then with a world of ungodly jealousies suspicions and prejudices and those too in an age tossed and beaten with the tempestuous winds of contention and victory We have divers time suggested this advice and importunately insisted on it that there might be a Temperament and Expedient found out for a Concordat which without condemning or prejudicing either party might be sufficient to guide and direct Conscience and totally to exclude all errors subversive of Faith and destructive of Salvation in this fundamental point And we have received abundant consolation for that the self-same Counsels have been prescribed by a great and most potent Monarch and by very many learned men and most celebrated Universities And we were exceedingly satisfied that you did not reject but were well-pleased with our proceedings and intentions as we do according to the Universal Laws of Christian Charity freely forgive their unkindnesses to us who have been displeased with us for them And you most Honoured Sirs sith you have not only knowledge and wisdom but power also to judge and determine in these matters we beseech you to exert that power so forcibly and effectually that you may pluck up by the roots all unprofitable and curious questions and see to it that your Pastors and Professors do with all sincerity pursue those things which make for the Edification of your Churches in Faith and Godliness and that they utterly abandon all those opposition of Science falsly so called On which point we presume to deliver our mind with our usual freedom and we desire you would revise that form couched and conceived in the Synod of Privas and once more deliberate about it not that we except against the substance of it in the least but because its manner seems to threaten you with worse breaches and far greater partialities We are not the first who have observed the Remedy of forms to be very dangerous especially when a controversy is not formed into a party unless it be in Articles purely necessary and determined by the Word of God it self and when it 's otherwise impossible all means failing us to detect the fallacies of our real Adversaries and such strait bands instead of conjoyning and setling have for the most part dislocated the members and wounded them more sorely We desire also that when new authentick forms shall come to be framed the Churches might be first of all consulted that so our ears may not be
pur-blind about eight and thirty years of Age Deposed by the aforesaid Synod held at Nay for his un-natural and un-dutiful Carriage unto his Aged Parents for very great and shrewd suspicions of Adultery from which he could never clear himself and because in his common Deportments and Conversation he acted as one altogether unworthy the Sacred Ministry 12. John Perrier formerly Pastor in the Church of Paillac in Auvergne low of Stature red Hair copper-Nos'd about fifty years old Deposed by the Synod of Burgundy for deserting his Church and a great many other Crimes All these afore-mentioned Acts Decsiions and Canons were past in the National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France and Principality of Bearne assembled at Charenton St. Maurice near Paris from the First of September to the First of October in the year 1623. As also was sworn the Oath of Union in Doctrine and Discipline and of fidelity to His Majesty as was practised heretofore in these National Synods and in the very words of that Oath framed by the Synod of Alez Thus Subscribed by Durant Moderator Bailly Assessor Faucheur Scribes and de Launay Scribes And there was this Appendix written by the hand of the Lord de Launay at the close of this Synod A True Copy sent unto the Colloquy in the Land of Chartres attested by the Manual Subscription of De L' Aunay one of the Scribes of the said Synod and one of the Deputies for the Province of the Isle of France and by these Deputies whose Names follow William Rivett Berlie Pastor of the Church in Quissac J. Clerc De Chambrun Chamier Pastor of the Church at Montlimart St. Amblier Jurieu Pastor of Chastillion on the Loir Villon Havres M. de Langle Pastor in the Church of Rouen P. Paulett Pastor of Vezenobre D' Avignon Pastor at Rennes P. Beraud Pastor and Professor in the Church of Montauban Savoye Pastor in the Church of Castres Isle Pelletier Pastor in the Church of Vandome Cottiby Pastor at Poictiers CHAP. XXVI CANONS and DECREES Made and Establish'd in the National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France held at Charenton near Paris September l623 inviolably to be observed by all the Churches and Vniversities in that Kingdom CHAP. I. Of Predestination Election and Reprobation CANON I. FOrasmuch as all Mankind sinned in Adam and are thereby become liable unto the Curse and Eternal Death God had done them no wrong in case he had left Men in their Estate of Sin and under the Curse and Damn'd them for evermore Thus speaketh the Holy Apostle Rom. 3.19 22. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God And Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death CANON II. But in this hath God manifested his Love that he sent his onely Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him may not perish but obtain everlasting Life 1 John 4.9 John 3.16 CANON III. And that Men may be brought to believe God sendeth the glad tydings of Salvation in the Gospel to whom he pleaseth by the Ministration whereof Men are called unto Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ crucified For how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach unless they be sent Rom. 10.14 15. CANON IV. Such as believe not the Gospel the Wrath of God abideth on them but such as receive and embrace Christ Jesus the Saviour with a true and lively Faith they be delivered by him from the wrath of God and Damnation and are made partakers of Everlasting life CANON V. God is in no wise the Cause nor guilty of Mens unbelief they themselves are as of all other their Sins But Faith in Jesus Christ and Salvation by him is the free gift of God according as it is written Ephes 2.8 You are saved by Grace through Faith and this not of your selves but the gift of God and also Philip. 1.29 To you it is given freely and graciously to believe in Christ Jesus CANON VI. That God giveth Faith in his time unto some and not unto others this proceeds from his Everlasting Decree for known unto God from the beginning are all his works Acts. 15.18 And he doth all things according to the Council of his own Will Ephes 1.11 And in the Execution of this Decree he doth by his grace soften the hearts of the Elect though they be never so hard and stony and maketh them to believe but he doth in his Righteous Judgment leave the Non-Elect in their Wickedness and Obduracy And from this do we principally discover the profound depths of his Mercy and also that just distinction among the Children of Men who were all equally forlorne lost and undone Sinners And as the Decrees of Election and Reprobation revealed by Gods Holy Word doth administer unspeakable Consolation to Pious and Devout Persons so as the Ungodly and Unbelievers take it it must needs be wrested and perverted to their destruction CANON VII Now Election is the unchangeable purpose of God by which according to the most free and good pleasure of his Will out of mere Grace he hath chosen in Jesus Christ unto Salvation before the foundation of the World out of Mankind fallen by their own fault from their first Integrity into Sin and Destruction a certain number of Men who were in themselves not better than others for they were all alike plung'd into the same gulph of Misery And this Jesus Christ God hath also constituted from all Eternity the Head and Mediator of his Elect and the Foundation-stone of their Salvation and so decreed to give them unto Christ that he might save them and call and draw them effectually by his Word and Spirit into Communion with himself and to give them true saving Faith in him to justifie and sanctifie them and having kept them by his Mighty Power in Communion with his Son to shew forth the Sovereignty of his Mercy and the praise of the Riches of the Glory of his Grace he will at last glorifie them as it is written Ephes 1.4 5 6. God hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World that we might be Holy and unblameable before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in his Well-Beloved And Rom. 8.29 Whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified CANON VIII This Election is not divers for kind but one and the same only as to all that shall be saved in the Old and New Testament For the Scriptures doth teach and preach but one only good Pleasure Purpose Decrees and Counsel of Gods Will by which he hath chosen us from Eternity both to Grace and Glory to Salvation the End and to the way and means
not from the unchangeable Election unto Glory any other Benefit or Experience or Assurance than vvhat may flovv from a mutable and contingent Condition But besides that this is a most gross absurdity to suppose a Certainty vvhich is uncertain it is also repugnant to the common Sence and Experience of the faithful who together with the Holy Apostle rejoyce in the Sence and Feeling of their Election praising God for this Divine Benefit according to the Counsel of our Lord Jesus for that their Names be vvritten in the Book of Life Luke 10.20 vvhich is in Heaven In short they oppose the Sence of their Election to the fiery darts and temptations of the Devil challenging him thus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect Rom. 8.32 CANON VIII Those vvho teach that God out of his Just and Soveraign vvill only hath not decreed to leave any one in fallen Adam and in that common Estate of Sin and Condemnation and to pass them by in the Communication of Grace necessary to vvork Faith and Conversion For this is firm and immutable Rom. 9.18 He vvill have Mercy on vvhom he vvill and vvhom he vvill he hardneth Item Matth. 13.11 To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but unto them it is not given Item Matth. 11.25 26. I give thanks unto thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth for this that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes and little Children It is even so O Father for such is thy good pleasure CANON IX Those that teach that the cause wherefore God sendeth the Gospel rather to one Nation than to another is not the Sole and Soveraign good will and pleasure of God but because one Nation is better and more worthy than another to whom the Gospel is not communicated For Moses doth in plain words contradict it speaking thus unto the Children of Israel Deut. 10.14 15. Behold the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens belong unto Jehovah thy God the Earth also and all that is in it but Jehovah delighted in thy Fathers only to love them and hath chosen their posterity after them to wit you from among all People as is evident this day And Jesus Christ Matth. 22.28 Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if these Miracles had been done in Tyre and Sydon which have been done in the midst of you they would have repented in Sackcloth and Ashes CHAP. II. Of the Death of Jesus Christ and Mans Redemption by it CANON I. GOD is not only Soveraignly Merciful but also Soveraignly just And his Justice requireth as it is revealed to us in his Word that our Sins committed against his Infinite Majesty be not only punished with Temporal but also with Eternal Punishments in Soul and Body Nor can we avoid those dreadful punishments unless the Justice of God be fully satisfied CANON II. Now we being utterly unable of our selves to satisfie Divine Justice and to deliver our selves from the Wrath of God God out of his boundless Mercy hath given us his Onely Son to be a Surety for us who was made Sin and a Curse upon the Cross for us and in our stead that he might make satisfaction for us CANON III. This Death of the Son of God is the One Onely and most perfect Sacrifice and Satisfaction for our Sins whose worth and value is Infinite and which is abundantly sufficient to expiate the Sins of the whole World CANON IV. And this Death is of so great a Value and Dignity because the Person who suffered it is not only a True Man and perfectly Holy but is also the Onely Son of God of the self-same Eternal Essence with the Father and the Spirit For such a one must our Saviour needs be because he felt in his Death the Sence of Gods VVrath and Curse which we had deserved by our Sins CANON V. Moreover the Gospel-promise is that whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ crucified shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Which promise ought to be preached and tendered indifferently unto all Nations and Persons to whom God in his good pleasure shall send the Gospel and together with it the great Command of Faith and Repentance CANON VI. And whereas many who are called by the Gospel do not repent nor believe in Christ Jesus but perish in their Infidelity this cometh not from any defect or insufficiency in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered upon the Cross but the fault is in and from themselves CANON VII But all that truely Believe and are delivered and saved from their Sins and Everlasting destruction through Jesus Christ this singular benefit is derived to them from the mere Grace of God only which he oweth no Man and it was given them from all Eternity in Jesus Christ CANON VIII For such was the most free Counsel and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father that the quickning Power of God and the saving efficacious Vertue of his Sons most pretious Death should extend it self unto all the Elect to give them and them onely Justifying Faith and thereby infallibly to bring them unto Salvation That is to say God would that Jesus Christ by the Blood of his Cross wherewith he confirmed the Nevv Covenant should efficaciously redeem all those and none other out of every Nation Kingdom People and Language vvho from all Eternity vvere chosen unto Salvation and vvere given him by the Father that he should give them Faith vvhich as all other Gifts of the Holy Ghost he hath acquired for them by his Death and purge them by his Blood from all Sin both Original and Actual committed before and after Faith that he should keep them faithfully unto the end and finally present them before the Father glorious vvithout any spot or blemish CANON IX This Council proceeding from the Everlasting Love of God towards his Elect hath been powerfully accomplished from the beginning of the World unto this very day The Gates of Hell having in vain opposed it and it shall be also alwayes in succeeding Ages accomplished yea in such manner that the Elect shall be in their appointed time gathered into one and there shall be alwayes upon Earth in one place or other a Church of Believers founded in the Blood of Jesus Christ which will bear a constant Love unto its Saviour who as the Bridegroom for his Dearly Beloved Bride hath yielded up the Ghost upon his Cross which also shall persevere in his Service and shall praise and glorifie him now in time and to all Eternity Errors Rejected The Orthodox Doctrine having been Explained the Synod Rejecteth their Errors CANON I. WHO teach that God the Father destinated his Son unto the cursed Death of the Cross without any certain or determined Counsel to save any one particular Sinner so that the Necessity Utility and Dignity of the Impetration of Christ Jesus his Death might have been wholly saved and
all possible care shall be taken that neither the Civil Magistrate nor weak Christians may be offended CAN. X. A Man may not marry the Mother of his Deceased Spouse to whom he was betrothed without an Order from the Civil Magistrate which shall be waited for both by the Pastor and the Parties Contracting that Marriage N. B. This last Clause of the Canon is only in my Parisian and Quevilly Editions CAN. XI Likewise a Man may not marry his Wife's Aunt such a Marriage being Incestuous and although the Magistrate should permit it yet shall it not be Solemnized in our Assemblies And therefore all Pastors are carefully to keep themselves from it And by parity of reason the Marriage of an Uncle with his Niece or with the grand Niece of his deceased Wife is also Incestuous CAN. XII Although Civility and Decency may oppose the Marriage of a Man with the Widow of his Wife's Brother yet in case the Civil Magistrate do authorize the Contract the Churches shall not make any difficulty to bless such a Marriage Provided that there be good evidence that the said Contract hath been first allowed and approved by the authority of the Civil Magistrate N. B. These last Clauses of this Canon Printed in another Character are only in my Editions of Paris and Rouen CAN. XIII No Man after his Wife's Death shall marry her with whom he had committed Adultery during her Life unless that such a Marriage were authorized by the Civil Magistrate CAN. XIV Forasmuch as the principal end of Marriage is to procreate Children and to avoid Fornication the Marriage of an Eunuch that is so known shall not be admitted nor solemnized in any of our Reformed Churches CAN. XV. All Marriages shall be propounded unto the Consistories with a sufficient Certificate of the Promises CAN. XVI The Banes of Matrimony shall be published in those places where the Parties dwell and if they have a mind to celebrate their Marriage elsewhere they shall carry with them a sufficient Certificate that the Banes have been thrice published CAN. XVII The Banes shall be published on three Sabbath-Days following in those places where the Word of God is Preached and in other places when as Common-Prayers are read However it be yet there shall be the space of fifteen days between the Publication of the Banes and the Solemnizal of the Marriage in the Congregation which may be performed on the third Sabbath CAN. XVIII Such as live in those places where the publick Exercise of Religion is not established may cause their Banes to be published in the Popish Churches because it is a matter purely Political CAN. XIX The Churches shall not suffer any Persons to be Married without an ample knowledge and approbation of them CAN. XX. If one of the Parties be of a contrary Religion the Marriage-Promises shall not be received nor published in the Church unless that Party of the contrary Religion have been sufficiently instructed and have publicity protested in the Church of that place where the said Party shall be known that from a good Conscience he doth renounce all Superstition and Idolatry and particularly the Mass and that he will through Divine Grace persevere the residue of his days in the pure worship of God of which instruction the Consistory of that Church shall take Cognisance in which that Protestation shall be made And it shall not be lawful for any Pastor or Consistories to do otherwise on pain of being Suspended yea and deposed from their Offices CAN. XXI If one of the Parties who would Marry be Excommunicate the Marriage shall not be permitted to be Solemnized in any one of our Churches unless that the Excommunicate Person shall have acknowledged and done Penance for his Offences But as for suspended Persons from the Lords Table the Consistories may permit them to marry notwithstanding their Suspension but yet not without taking Cognisance of their Cause CAN. XXII The Banes of Widows who desire to marry again shall not be published in the Church till at least seven Months and an half be expired after their Husbands Death that so all Scandals and Inconveniencies which might afterwards fall out may be prevented unless in such a Case in which the Civil Magistrate hath interposed his Judicial Sentence to the contrary CAN. XXIII All Marriages shall be publickly Solemnized in the Religious Assemblies of the Faithful according to the word of God and by the Ministry of the Pastors and not of any others N. B. That middle Clause in another Character is only in my Parisian and Quevilly Editions of the Discipline CAN. XXIV For the good order of our Churches no Marriage shall be Solemnized on those days in which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is Administred And this Canon shall not be broken but upon very great Considerations of which the Consistory shall take Cognisance Moreover no Marriages shall be Solemnized on Days of publick Prayer and Fasting CAN. XXV Such as being betrothed shall cohabit together as Man and Wife before they be lawfully and solemnly Married whether their offence do come to light before or after the Solemnizal of the Marriage they shall do publick Penance for this their Offence or at least they shall acknowledge it before the Consistory either way as the discretion of the Consistory shall appoint And if it be discovered before Marriage then shall there upon the Wedding day before they do proceed to compleat the Marriage be such Ceremonies and Censures used as the Consistory shall judge fitting unless those Persons had cohabited together in the days of their Ignorance without despising or contempt of our Church-Government And those also who cohabited as Man and Wife when as there was no Church erected in the places of their Habitation or in the Province and all these shall only be called into the Consistory that so their Marriage may be ratified and Celebrated in the Church of God if the Consistory shall judge it to be expedient CAN. XXVI That those inconveniencies may be avoided which fall out through over-long delays of Solemnizing Marriages the Parties and those Persons under whose power they are shall be advised not to defer the Consummation thereof any longer than six Weeks after publication of the Banes if it be possible CAN. XXVII All Marriages shall be Registred and carefully kept in the Church-Books CAN. XXVIII The Faithful whose Partners are convicted of Adultery may be admonished to a reconcilement with them but in case they will not do it that Liberty which God in his holy Word hath granted them shall be declared to them But if it be the hap of a Church-Officer he shall not take his Wife again or if he do he shall lay down his Office CAN. XXIX This course shall be taken about Divorces for Adultery The Innocent wronged Party shall prosecute at Law before the Civil Magistrate the Delinquent so long till that by his definitive Sentence and final Judgment she be duly Convicted which Sentence the
in France as it was delivered to the French King in the Year 1681. SIR YOur Majesty's Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion do with all humility represent to your Majesty that your Declaration of the 17th of June last does so overwhelm them with grief that they are almost out of themselves but nevertheless they are so bold as once more to have recourse to your Majesty hoping that being still your most faithful Subjects they shall not be denied access for Justice and that rather like God Almighty your Majesty will be tender to hearken to the Voice of the afflicted Upon this confidence they throw themselves at your Majesty's Feet and desire you to consider that this Declaration is directly contrary to all the Edicts granted to those of that Religion and particularly to the Edict of Nantes which has been given to them as a perpetual and irrevocable Law and which your Majesty has frequently confirm'd for besides that this does all along suppose that your Subjects of that Religion shall enjoy in this your Kingdom all rights as well natural as civil which are common to any of your Subjects and that among those Rights that of the Power of Parents over their Children to the Age of Puberty is one of the most general the 18th Article of that Edict does expresly provide That none shall by force take away any Children from their Parents to baptize or give them the Sacrament of Confirmation against the will of their Parents 'T is well known that Confirmation is never given to Children till they are past Seven years old and if the Edict forbids to give them Confirmation at that Age sure much less will it allow them to be at liberty to chuse their Religion and to make abjuration at that age of a Religion in which they were born and educated 'T is with the same Intention that the 38th Article of the same Edict does in express words say That the Parents making profession of that Religion may provide their Children of such Tutors and Guardians as they shall think fit nay that they may name one or more either by Will or Codicil before a Notary or written with their own Hand Your Majesty Sir is most humbly supplicated to weigh the force of the word Education even after the Death of the Parents for it evidently demonstrates that the Edict had a regard to the paternal Right of Parents over their Children not only as inviolable during their Life but extending it self even after their Death so as no zeal of Religion nor any other Pretext could take it away nay it was so far from being limited to the age of Seven years that it was to be preserv'd during the whole Course of the Education which scarce begins at that Age and is very narrowly limited when it ends at that of Fourteen Besides Sir The Edict of Nantes is not either the onely or the first Law that speaks in favour of this Power which being a Law of Nature is as ancient as the World and 't is a Maxim that natural Rights are immutable but it is found also in an Answer given to the Protestants in the year 1571. under the Reign of Charles the Ninth which was the severest reign against those of that Religion The Power of Fathers over their Children was thought so sacred that it was said upon the 24th Article that Fathers should not be hindred in the Education of their Children according to the Principles of their Religion and the Motives of their Conscience and that even after the Death of the Parents their Children should be Educated in the same Religion till they had attained the full Age of Fourteen years and then should be left to their Choice and Liberty But Sir none of your Royal Ancestours have more authentically acknowledged this right of Parents than your Majesty For besides divers Judgments given in your Council of State in the years 63 and 65 which are expresly in favour of this Power your Majesty's Declaration in the year 69. has it in express words That it is prohibited to all Persons whatsoever not only to take away from their Parents the Children of those of the pretended Reformed Religion or to allure them but they shall not also make any Change or declaration of Change of their Religion before they have attained the compleat Age of Fourteen years for the Males and Twelve for the Females and that till they have respectively attain'd the same age they the said Children shall after the decease of their Parents remain in the hands of their nearest Relations of the same Religion and that any that shall detain them shall be oblig'd to restore them back to their Relations All this has been put in execution and confirm'd by divers Precedents and particularly by a Judgment given by the Archbishop of Rheims in the Month of August 76. by which it is ordain'd that none of the Female Sex shall be received into the House of the Propagation of the Faith at Sedan till they have attain'd the Age of Twelve years compleat Your Majesty's Suppliants beg leave to represent to your Princely Consideration the Difference that will be found between the Declaration of 1669. and this last of 1681. the first leaves to Nature its Rights and Priviledges to Conscience its Motives and Impulses to the civil and common Laws their Principles and Maxims to your Parliaments their Rules and constant Methods of proceeding to foreign Nations an Example worthy their Imitation and lastly to the Roman Catholick Religion the honour of keeping within some bounds of Equity in Conformity to Reason and the Practice of the Primitive Church whereas under this new Law Nature suffers and groans to see Children torn from the Bosom of their Parents to whom she had given them and who ought to be more theirs at the Age of Seven years than before since 't is properly at that time that their Education begins and that Parents do as it were take possession of their right The Conscience of your Petitioners will be troubled and disquieted in the most cruel manner imaginable since the Paternal care of Children for their Education is one of the most important and indispensable duties of Conscience every Parent being responsible to God Almighty for his Childrens actions while nature has deposited them in his hands The Civil and Canon Laws will both speak in favour of your Suppliants for if Children before the age of puberty which is at fourteen can neither make a Will nor be Witnesses at Law nor make Vows nor do any Act of their own will how can it be thought reasonable that they should before that age make choice of their Religion which is the most important Act of their whole Life Your Parliaments Sir who following the common Principles of Reason and Equity did never yet subject Children to capital Punishments before the age of Puberty must now violate that Custom of all Nations and practised in all Ages for by making Children of
the Wheel at Tournon a City in the same Province October 1683. THE Professors of the Reformed Religion in France having for these last Twenty Years seen the Infraction and Seizure of their Privileges the Violation and Abrogation of those Royal Edicts that had been formerly granted to them the suppression of their Assemblies for Religious Worship the demolition of their Temples and their poor Children whose Souls could not but be dear unto them taken away from them by Violence and hurried into Monasteries to be trained up in Idolatry and groaning under a world of other Miseries divers of them in the Provinces of Poictou Xaintonge Guyenne the Higher and Lower Languedoc Sevennes Dolphiny and Vivaretz consulting together laid a general Project about restoring their ruinated Churches One of the Articles concluded by them was That the 18th day of July in the Year 1683. their Pastors should jointly set upon the Exercise of their Publick Ministry in preaching of the Word c. in all those Places where for some time before it had been interdicted Yet before they undertook it they presented their most humble Address unto their King in which with the profoundest Submssiions they protested unto his Majesty their inviolable Loyalty and Fidelity and only craved this favour of him their Soveraign that under his gracious protection they might serve their God according to his appointment in the Sacred Scriptures to which they were obliged by all Bonds imaginable and that they might enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences according to the former Concessions of his Royal Predecessors 'T is not certain whether this their Petition ever came unto the King's hands The malicious Popish Clergy having blockt up all ways of Access for the poor Protestants at Court. Immediately after this there was a particular Assembly held in Vivaretz in which they came to the same Resolutions of setting up the publick Worship of God according to the Gospel 'T is true neither of these not the former nor this latter were to any effect executed at all unless in the Province of Vivaretz and some certain places of Sevennes and Dolphiny Yet this their Declaration of their purposes cost them dear for it brought upon those poor people a Royal Army who put to fire and sword whatever of the Protestants they met with sparing neither Sex nor Age butchering them after a most barbarous manner and with extream Inhumanity and Cruelty Now the Dragoons live at discretion eat up and devour the whole substance of these miserable Protestants All sorts of Torments are lawful scarce any unpractised but the greatest and most especial subjects of their rage were the Ministers of the Gospel None of these that fell into their hands could believe them Men they found them by woful Experience to be incarnate Devils The Stories are too many and too large to be here recorded Yet Reader you shall have a taste of one or two At a Village in Dolphiny called Bourdeaux there was a solemn day of Prayer and Fasting observed by these poor Christians Monsieur St. Ruth St. Ruth paid the Reckoning at last for all his Hellish Cruelties at the Siege of Limerick in Ireland in the Year 1691. where God's Sword of Justice cut him off from doing further Mischief Maschal de Camp brings in 6000. Dragoons upon them his Dragoons were three to one of these Protestants They are now surprised and commanded every Man to lay down their Arms but knowing that if they did both they and their Ministers should be hanged out-right they refused Hereupon St. Ruth commands his Dragoons to give sire and at this first discharge kills a Multitude of these Meeters However seeing no other way but Death before them such as had escaped this first Volley resolve to sell their Lives at the dearest rate and in their own defence killed some of the Dragoons who fell dead at the feet of their murdered Companions About Fifty or sixty broke through the Army designing to save themselves in an adjoining Barn who all excepting some few were burnt alive Those few that endeavour'd their Escape were taken who were every Man of them hang'd without delay by one of their own Party whom they constrained to become their Executioner and whom also they executed afterwards themselves There was among the Prisoners Monsieur Daniel Chamier great Grandson to that famous Divine of the same name Pastor and Professor at Montauban This Young man was executed after a most horrible manner He was carried to Montelimar and there broken upon the Wheel He received fifty Blows of the Iron Bar upon the Scaffold before they gave him the mortal Blow and was left alive under those exquisite torments three days together e'er he died He endured these Cruelties with an exemplary Constancy and Fortitude Some one had interceded with the Duke of Nouailles for a young Gentleman not twenty years of age who had an Estate of 30000 Livers the Duke promised him his life provided he would turn Roman Catholick This heroick religious Youth rejecteth the Conditions he will not buy Repentance so dear he scorneth life with sin a life bought with the loss of God of Heaven and Glory He chuseth therefore death because he believed and hoped for a better Resurrection And having with his own hands fitted the Halter to his Neck he suffers death joyfully But among all the instances of these Martyrs this which I am about to relate of Monsieur Homel is the most remarkable Monsieur Homel was sometime Minister of the Church of Soyon but when he was executed he was Pastor of the Church of Vivaretz He was a Venerable Divine aged some sixty five Years whose whole Life has been unblameable He was deputed by his Church and Province unto the last National Synod held at Loudun in the Year 1659. This eminent Servant of God was broken alive upon the Wheel at Tournon where by the way Reader the Jesuites have a College He received forty Blows of the Iron Bar upon the Scaffold He languished under this Hellish Cruelty two days together The very thoughts thereof strike an horror into the hearts of them that hear it My Author tells me he trembled his Hair stood an end at the remembrance of it Certainly this Minister must have been guilty you will say of some very horrid Crime of some unheard of piece of Treason against his King and Country for which he suffer'd a death far worse than drawing in pieces by wild Horses But he was no Trumpet of Sedition or Rebellion he was no James Clement nor John Chatel nor Francis Ravaillack to assassinate his Prince This holy Man of God abhorr'd such abominable practices All the crime laid unto his charge that could be prov'd against him was matter of Duty to God of Duty to his Church over which the Holy Ghost had made him Overseer He faithfully and zealously exhorted his Brethren in the Ministry to preach the Gospel even upon the Ruines of their Temples yet without quitting their
do with Silk or Gold at your Feasts or Repasts Every day should be unto us a day of Prayers and Tears not a feasting but a fasting day Your Indevotion is another source of your Afflictions You have despised God's holy Word Family Duties Family Prayer hath been either neglected or very negligently performed That you may turn away God's Wrath from you set upon the Religious Performance of these Religious Duties Let them be frequent prolonged and with greater fervency Let your outward demeanour be exemplary for its great mortification and this too in the very eyes of your adversaries and that you may be known publickly who you are by the modesty humility and plainness of your Garb and principally by your Charity and the excellency of your Faith Take a special care of your poor persecuted Brethren give liberally towards the charges of their Escapeal All things should now be in common among you and no person should count any thing his own whil'st his poor Brother needs it This is the very soul of Christianity and if you thus bestow it God may restore again unto you his Gospel whereof he hath deprived you Thus ordering your Conversations you will be admired by your own Countrymen and Enemies of your Religion it will prevail with them to hear you favourably and incline them either to become Converts themselves or else to favour your Escapeal These Adviso's are only Expedients for the present till such time as it shall please God to open you a door of deliverance from the Tyranny you now groan under And you must take the first opportunity you can of departing For don't fool your selves with this imagination that you shall be able for any long space of time to keep the Truth of God in the Land of Meshek Your Piety will gradually decay Your Children having never known any other Religion than the Romish will accustom themselves unto it and never desire to leave their Country Wherefore spare neither pains diligence nor costs that you may be transported into a Land of Liberty And look not back behind you to carry away what is in your Houses Whosoever looks back again is not meet for the Kingdom of Heaven And tho' you were stript of all in your flight yet you would be rich enough in having your Souls given you for a Prey The worst that can befal you is to die of famine But is that kind of death more terrible than any other Can any Death be dreadful to us when the Life of our Souls lies at stake and the Glory of God is concerned And yet possibly it may never be so bad with you 'T is our Duty in no wise to doubt of God's mercy Such a thought should never be harbour'd by us In the very worst of times God hath been gracious to his People and they have been relieved in their necessities So that all the hazard you run is but the renouncing the Vanities of this World or being reduced to work with our hands for our living or to receive an Alms. The pride of Man's heart can't brook this thought But 't is this Pride that must be subdued 't is this Monster that must be brained 't is it that hath undone us We should reckon it our great honour to be debased scorned impoverished and stript of all for Christ Jesus Our Life is very short No matter how we suffer in it Our great concern should be for Eternity We live and work for Eternity My brethren count it great joy when you fall into divers temptations And be perswaded that you cannot make any other satisfaction for your great crime in renouncing with your mouths the Truth of our holy Religion than by sacrificing unto God your Estate Ease and Comforts than by offering up your selves at last for his sake unto the Sufferings and Miseries of this Cruel World As for those among you who yet stand your ground My dearly beloved Brethren in the Name of God look unto the Recompence of Reward promised you for your Perseverance Look unto the Glory you shall receive for having overcome all Difficulties and retained your Integrity Let 's look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith lift up your hands that hang down and strengthen your feeble knees Remember that he endured the Cross and despised the shame and that he exposed himself to the contradiction of sinners that he might sit down at the right hand of God his Father Consider that great cloud of Witnesses and persist constantly in that Race which is set before you Look unto those Martyrs who live now glorified in Heaven and in the memory of Men. Remember that God chastises all he loves and that he owns them for his children be not therefore displeased with the correction of the Lord. Remember he bestows a very great honour upon you in calling you out to suffer for his Name 's sake Take patiently the loss and spoiling of your Goods your Prisons and Sorrows The Lord will recompence you for all your hard Labours and will give a glorious issue to all your Conflicts The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen If you have any charity for your Brethren you will communicate this Letter among them SECT LVII I have done with my Preface adding Courteous Reader but one Advertisement about my Manuscript Copies out of which I have extracted and compiled my Synodicon It is more than twenty Years ago that I met with some Collections out of the Manuscript Acts of these National Synods That great Learning deep Wisdom and sound Godliness I observed in them inflamed my desires and affections after the Originals Accordingly when as the Ministers were banished France and about 150 of them came unto London I made it my business to learn of them some News of these Acts. But I may speak it truly that the far greater part of these Reverend Confessors did with much regret inform me that they feared they were lost irrecoverably For the first thing the Intendants did when they visited their Churches was to seize upon all Papers Writings Acts Deeds Books and whatsoever belonged unto their Consistories Colloquies and Synods yea and this they did also unto particular Ministers thus robbing them of their well-furnish'd Libraries and of all their Manuscripts I mingled my Griefs with theirs for this Peculate But yet did not give over my search No sooner did I hear of any new Minister arrived but I insinuated my self into his Acquaintance and renewed my Inquiry tho' frequently to my sore dissatisfaction And having given over all hopes of ever seeing this Jewel one day about two years and a half since as I was in company with about six or seven of these worthy and reverend Refugees bemoaning the great loss their Churches had sustained in this cruel Persecution and particularly in the loss of those Acts of their famous National Synods * * * Monsieur Foren Pastor of the Church of Sion in the Province of
Antichrist in their private and publick discourses This Synod protesting that this was the common Faith and Confession of all our Churches and of this present Synod That the Pope is the Great Antichrist and one of the principal causes of our separation and departure from the Church of Rome and that this Confession was contained in and extracted out of the holy Scriptures that it had been sealed with the blood of a world of Martyrs Therefore all the Faithful be they Pastors or private Christians are exhorted constantly to persist in the profession of it and openly and boldly to confess it yea and this very Article shall be inserted into the body of the Confession of our Faith and the General Deputies of our Churches at Court are required to petition his Majesty that none of his Officers in any Soveraign or other Inferiour Courts of Judicature may be suffered to infringe our Liberty of Conscience granted us by his Edicts of making a free Confession of our Faith and that none of them may trouble or vex us as divers of them have done for this very matter And who so are now prosecuted and molested on this account or may be hereafter they shall be supported and defended by the whole Body of the Churches in the best manner that can be according to that firm Bond of Union which is established among us And Letters shall be written to our Lords the Judges in the Mixt Courts to exhort them vigorously to maintain this Article of our common Confession Concerning those words Pretended Reformed 6. A general Case was proposed Whether the Faithful might lawfully use in publick Acts and Instruments before Magistrates these words Of the pretended Reformed Religion especially if those Magistrates be of a contrary Religion to us This Assembly thinks fit that an humble Address be presented to his Majesty intreating him that we may not be forced to speak or act any thing contrary to our Consciences and in the mean while all the Faithful are exhorted to abstain from that word of Pretended it being repugnant to our Faith and to that sincere and free and open confession we are bound to make of it Whether a private Christian may appropriate unto himself a place of Burial and erect Monument upon Pillars 7. This Case was propounded by our Brethren of Xaintonge Whether a private person might appropriate unto himself a place of Burial and erect upon Pillars or any other way a Monument unto himself and whether the Lords of the Mannor or other Gentlemen may set up their Escutcheons in our Temples As to what concerns our Churches This Assembly ordaineth That in matters of Sepulchres the ancient plainness and simplicity shall be retained nor shall any private person appropriate any spot of ground unto himself in particular because we express hereby our Communion as with the Saints in their Death so in our hope and expectation of a blessed Resurrection And the same plainness and modesty shall be observed in our Temples leaving however unto Colloquies and Consistories to act on special occasions as they shall judge meet The Form of Certificates that shall be given unto Officers of the Mixt Courts and to Govenours of places 8. The Attestations granted unto Officers in the mixed Courts where they be one half Protestants and the other Papists shall run in the same form with those given unto Governors as it was expressed and inserted into the acts of the Synod of Montpellier in these terms We Ministers and Elders assembled in the Colloquy of N. in the Province of N. do testifie that whereas Monsieur N. hath applied himself unto us for our Attestation of his being a Protestant professing the Reformed Religion he being chosen by his Majesty for the Government of N. vacant by the death of Mr. N. lately deceased we do attest and certifie unto the Kings most excellent Majesty that the said Monsieur N. doth make open and actual profession of the Reformed Religion and that he communicateth with us in the Holy Sacraments and is a person of a Godly life and well reported of performing all the duties belonging to his said profession and therefore we do give him this our Testimonial for his use and service as in reason and Conscience we stand obliged 9. Messieurs Berron and Videl demanding that out of the Common stock of Moneys granted us by his Majesty there might be drawn the summ of Six thousand Crowns for the founding an University at Die and whereas the Deputies of the Town of Die protested that they sought not a penny of the said Moneys for themselves only that other Churches having Academies they had none and that the necessities of their Churches did require one This Assembly having considered the whole judgeth that there cannot be granted unto the said Town of Die any farther summ than was at first demanded by their Deputies 10. Our Brethren of the Church of Die requesting that Monsieur Chamier might be constituted by this Synod the Professor of Divinity in their intended Academy This Assembly doth confirm that Article of the Synod of Gergeau whereby it was ordained that Monsieur Chamier ought not without the express consent of the Churches of his Province be removed from his Church of Montlimart 11. Our Brethren of Dolphiny desired that some means might be contrived for a Conference and Union with the Lutheran Churches in Germany Means of Union with the Lutherans See the Synod of Vitré part M. Act. 27. and the 3d. Synod of Rochel Act. 4. after the choice of the Moderator that so the Schism between us them might be removed This Assembly desirous to see the fruits of such a noble project ordereth Letters to be dispatcht to the Orthodox Universities of Germany England Scotland Geneva Basil and Leyden and to Messieurs des Gourdon and de Fontaines in London intreating them to travel with us in the effecting of this Holy Union and that Princes may be ingaged to put forth their authority herein that so we may all be more firmly united among our selves in the Confession of one and the same Doctrine 12. This Case was propounded A Proposant never called nor ordained unto the Ministry takes upon him to baptise a Child Is this baptism valid This Synod judgeth that the scandal given unto the people be carefully taken away And forasmuch as that baptism is of no force the Child shall be brought into the Church of God by true Baptism according to the decision of the Synod of Poictiers 13. This Case was moved Whether an Oath might be lawfully taken before the Magistrate by laying the hands on and kissing of the Bible This Assembly judging that Ceremony to be of dangerous consequence declareth that it ought not to be used but that whoso are called out to swear shall content themselves with the bare lifting up of their hands 14. The Province of the higher Languedoc moved whether disputations in Theology might be introduced among our Ministers in
to appear at Court and that he was at the Expence of printing the Confession of our Faith This Assembly gives him the Sum of seventy Crowns to reimburse his Charges and thanketh him for his care and faithfulness in the delivery of those Letters and for having communicated with Monsieur Piscator and brought back with him his answers But order is given unto the Synod of Lower Guyenne to examine him upon some certain points mentioned in the aforesaid answers as for styling himself the Messenger or Ambassador of the Churches and for submitting the Confession of Faith of the Churches of this Kingdom to the Censures of Forreign Universities and in case these can be proved upon him he shall be censured And forasmuch as the Letters of Monsieur Piscator have been communicated to others before they were tendered to this Assembly the said Synod shall make a strict inquiry into this matter and know whether Monsieur Regnault were guilty of it or no. CHAP. II. Observations on reading the Confession of Faith 1. ON the tenth Article in which it 's said that the whole off-spring of Adam are infected with Original Sin The Pastors of Lauzanna by their Letters request that our Lord Jesus Christ may be excepted But it was not found needful to accord it to them because that it 's expresly mentioned in another Article of the same Confession and for that in this place it is to be understood of other persons as also for that the Scripture expresseth this in plain terms 2. Whereas the Synod of Gap had charged the Provinces to consider in what terms the twenty fifth Article of the Confession of Faith should be couched and to come prepared for it unto the present Synod and to judge whether any mention should be made of the Catholick Church spoken of in the Apostles Creed as also whether it would not be expedient to add the word pure to that of true Church in the twenty ninth Article and that all in general should come ready to debate that Question of the Church The Provinces having been heard speak by their Deputies it was finally resolved by common unanimous consent that nothing should be added to or taken from these Articles and there should be no more discourse had about that point of the Church 3. It was Decreed that nothing should be added unto the eighth Article of our confession which treats of Justification because it 's couched in the very express words of Scripture and in its own common phrase Those Explications and Amplifications desired by some may be received either from Doctors in our Universities or Pastors of our Churches 4. Whereas Doctor John Piscator Professor in the University of Herborn by his Letters of answer to those sent him from the Synod of Gap doth give us an account of his Doctrine in the point of Justification Concerning Man's Justification in the Opinion of Piscator as that it 's only wrought out by Christ's Death and Passion and not by his Life and Active Obedience This Synod in no wise approving the dividing causes so nearly conjoined in this great effect of Divine Grace and judging those arguments produced by him for the defence of his cause weak and invalid doth order that all the Pastors in the respective Churches of this Kingdom do wholly conform themselves in their Teaching to that form of sound words which hath been hitherto taught among us and is contained in the Holy Scriptures to wit That the whole Obedience of Christ both in his Life and Death is imputed to us for the full remission of our Sins and acceptance unto Eternal Life and in short that this being but one and the self-same Obedience is our entire and perfect Justification And the Synod farther ordains that answer shall be made unto the Letters of the said Doctor Piscator propounding to him this Holy Doctrine together with its principal foundations yet without any vain jangling and with that devotion as becomes the singular modesty expressed by him in his Letters to us wherein there is not the least bitterness or provoking expression leaving it unto God who can when he pleaseth reveal unto him the defects which are in the Doctrine of the said Piscator as also to assure him that he hath exceedingly satisfied this Assembly in his Explications on that Topick of Repentance The suppression of the Book of Felix Huguet on the point of Justification for being written without the Warrant tho' in the name of all our Churches against Piscator 5. Letters were sent by Mr. Felix Huguet Minister of the Gospel together with two Copies of a Book writ by him in Latine concerning Justification which said book he had for some time past caused to be Printed at Geneva without the knowledge of the Pastors of that City or the Approbation of the Pastors of the Province of Dolphiny where he resides Upon report made of it by several Brethren Pastors of Churches ordered to peruse the said Book both as to its style and matter The Synod judgeth the said Huguet to have incurred a most grievous censure first for writing in the name of the Synod in a matter of General concern without any warrant from it for so doing and secondly for giving a publick answer to a Book which was never published and lastly for having Printed his Book contrary to the Canons of our Church-discipline And therefore it ordaineth that the said Book be suppressed and that thanks be returned to the Magistrates of Geneva for their preventing of its publick sale and to intreat them that for the future they would totally suppress it And farther the Synod hath thought good that in the Letter which shall be written unto Dr. Piscator he shall be acquainted that Huguets Book was writ without the order knowledge and consent of our Churches and only attempted by him upon a private caprice of his own without any publick Warrant or Authority for so doing Monsieur Sohnis answers orthodoxly and in the name and by order of the Churches unto Piscator 6. Whereas Monsieur Sohnis Pastor and Professor of the Church and University of Montauban hath at the desire and in the name of this Assembly written Letters and an Answer unto those of Piscator which upon perusal are found very orthodox It 's ordered that thanks be returned unto the said Sohnius for his labour and diligence but yet for peace and concord 's sake it 's thought good to detain them by us for a while and Monsieur Sohnis is intreated to suspend the publication of his Treatise about Justification for some short time till we see what fruits the sweet and gentle procedures may produce and the next National Synod shall then license it 7. Monsieur Regnault Pastor of the Church of Bourdeaux having sent us the Copy of Letters written to him by the most Illustrious Lord John Earl of Nassau in which he expresseth his desire of maintaining the Peace and Union of the Church and
under the name of Captain Gautier Art 16. Privas App. 18. In executing that Decree of the National Synod of Privas about the Expences which the Province of Orleans had disbursed in the University upon Mr. Salomon and which the Province of Lower Guyenne now enjoying his Ministry stands obliged to return back again unto them The Deputies of Berry acknowledged that they drew out of the hands of the Lord du Candal the sum of five hundred Livers upon an Acquittance of the said Province of Guyenne which yet the said Deputies redemanded as having before paid it in unto the said Salomon for his encouragement This Synod ordaineth that the Moneys detained by the said Province of Orleans shall remain in their custody saving always to the said Province of Guyenne a power of redemanding from the said Salomon what they had disbursed for him Art 17. Privas App. 23. The Decree of the same Synod concerning the Charges of those Commissioners sent unto Orleans which were to be equally defrayed by all the Churches of that Province shall stand valid Art 18. Privas App. 34. Le Sieur de la Vienerie Pastor of the Church of Tonne-Boutonne in Xaintonge presented his Petition that the Canon of the Synod of Privas concerning his Book might be moderated and those words in it by which his said Writings were declared to be very suspicious and erroneous in the points of Justification Predestination Invocation of Saints departed c. might be obliterated Moreover he professed that he was not convinced in his Conscience to be guilty of those matters whereof he is accused and desireth they may be proved he having written nothing but what he believeth to be the truth This Assembly voted that the aforesaid Canon should remain still in force and that Monsieur Banage and Bouchereau should peruse his Book and give him instruction and make report thereof unto this Synod which they did accordingly whereupon this Assembly did once more enjoyn him to suppress that his Manuscript which tho' revised by himself cannot be approved of neither in his words nor in his manner of handling it And exhorts him in his way of teaching to follow the form of sound words contained in the holy Scriptures however we judge charitably of him and of his Opinions and Intentions believing that he is orthodox and sound in the Faith principally as to the Fundamentals of Religion Art 19. Privas obs 2. upon the Coufession Revising that observation made upon the 18th Article of our Confession of Faith especially about the Oath enjoyned to be taken by all Pastors actually employed and Proposans who are designed for the Ministry concerning Justification divers Provinces remonstrated that it needed some explanation See Art 5. after the Roll in this Synod The Assembly after mature deliberation and long debate had of the matter ordained that it shall be couched in these terms Forasmuch as divers persons demand an explanation of the 18th Article of the Confession of our Reformed Churches in this Kingdom wherein the Doctrine of Justification is freely asserted this Synod declareth that in this point the Form of Doctrine which ought to be received and taught in the Churches of this Kingdom according to the Scriptures is That Man not having in himself either before or after his Effectual Calling any Righteousness of his own by which he may subsist before the Judgment-seat of God he cannot be justified but by Jesus Christ our Saviour who being incarnate was obedient unto his Father from the first moment of his birth unto the last of his ignominious death upon the Cross having most perfectly both in his life and death fulfilled the whole Law given unto men and that particular Commandment imposed on him by his Father of suffering and giving his Soul a ransom for many By which most perfect Obedience we are justified because it is counted ours by the Grace of God and apprehended by that Faith which he gives unto us From which we are assured that through the merit of this whole Obedience we have and shall obtain the forgiveness of all our sins and be made worthy of everlasting life And all Pastors Professors in Divinity and all other the Members of our Churches are enjoyned to hold fast this Doctrine and in no wise to depart from it and they be forbidden either by word of mouth or writing to teach or preach publickly or privately any thing that may be directly or indirectly repugnant to it Moreover this Synod ordaineth that whosoever are chosen into the holy Ministry shall promise it before God and all Consistories Colloquies and Provincial Synods shall exert their whole Authority to see this Canon punctually observed inspecting their Ministers and all other persons that none act contrary hereunto and to prosecute such as do with all the Censures of the Church Art 20. Privas p. m. 12. see about this Saumur p. m. 32. Montp p. m. 4. Gergeau p. m. 2. Gap obs 12. on the foregoing Synod In obedience to that Decree of the National Synod of Privas the Province of Normandy hath paid in to Monsieur Vatable the hundred Livers by the hands of the Deputies of Poictou and took up from them their Acquittance CHAP. XVII Appeals 1. MOnsieur John Constans Pastor of the Church at Mazgravier appealed from the Decree of the last Synod of Higher Languedoc held at Mauvesin for refusing him leave to withdraw from that Town tho' requested by him because of his Wifes sickness which could not brook the Air of Maz and because of those many unkindnesses he hath for divers years received from them and the Sieur Darder for from the Decree of the same Synod which permitted the said Monsieur Constans to live at Montauban until the next Provincial Synod Both of them being heard and the Deputies of that Province declaring the reasons which swayed them to pass that Decree This Assembly doth discharge the said Monsieur Constans from all Pastoral relation unto the said Church of Mazgravier on condition that the next Colloquy do provide a Pastor for the said Church who shall reside with them and the said Constans of another Church And Ordaineth that till this can be performed he shall continue to serve the said Church as before but without being obliged unto residence and the said Church is injoyned to make full payment to him of all his Arrears of Salary or they shall not be provided of another Pastor 2. 3. Rochel g m. 2. and observat 11. The Appeal of some Elders in that Church of Mazgravier from the same Synod was rejected because it was of the Nature of those things which might be finally determined within the Province and the parties were told that they deserved a very sharp reproof for presenting unto this Synod Acts attested by a Publick Notary as also for that contrary to the Canons of our National Synods Elders going out of office had named their successors whereas they ought to be chosen by
which he hath prepared that we should use and walk in CANON IX This self-same Election was not done out of fore-seen Faith and Obedience of Faith Holyness or any other good Quality and Disposition as a Cause or Condition prae-required in Man that is to be Elected but that God might give him Faith and Obedience of Faith and true Holyness And therefore Election is the Spring and Fountain of all saving Good from which flow out Faith Holyness and all other saving Gifts yea Everlasting Life it self as the Fruits and Effects thereof according to that saying of the Apostle Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us not because we were but that we might be Holy and Unblameable before him in Love CANON X. Now the Cause of this free Election is the only good pleasure of God which doth not stand in this that he hath chosen as a Condition of Salvation some certain Humane Qualities or Actions which are possible to be done but in this that he hath took unto himself some certain select Persons from among the vast Multitude and Community of Sinners to be his peculiar Inheritance Even as it is written Rom. 9.11 12 13. Before the Children were born and before they had done good or evil c. It was said unto her viz. Rebecca the Elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated And Acts 13.48 And all those who were ordained unto Eternal Life they believed CANON XI And forasmuch as God is most wise unchangeable knowing all things and Almighty therefore his Decree of Election can never be broken off nor changed nor revoked nor disanulled nor can the Elect be reprobated nor their number impaired and diminished CANON XII The Elect are in due time assured of their Everlasting and Unchangeable Election unto Salvation though it be done gradually and in a very unequal measure Nor do they get it by a curious diving into the Depths and Secrets of God but upon an exact scrutiny into their own hearts they meet with Spiritual Joys and Holy Heavenly Rejoycings and with those infallible Fruits of their Election noted and recorded in the Word of God such as Faith unfeigned in the Lord Jesus a Filial Fear of God Godly Sorrow for Sin and hungring and thirsting after Righteousness CANON XIII From this assurance and inward Sence and feeling of their Election Children of God do dayly take occasion for greater Abasement and deeper Humiliation of themselves before God and to adore the unfathomable depths of his Mercy and purge themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and also to love God most ardently and transcendently who hath first loved them with such a potent and unparallel'd Affection So far are they by this Doctrine from growing slothful careless carnally secure or negligent of Duty and of keeping the Commandments of God that they ordinarily through the just judgment of God are guilty of these sins who rashly and unwarrantably presuming of their Election do riot it at Noon day and turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness and refuse to walk in the good ways of Gods Elect. CANON XIV And as this Doctrine of Divine Election according to the Infinite wise Council of God was preached by the Prophets of old by our Lord Jesus Christ and by his Apostles under both Testaments and after recorded in the Holy Scriptures So also ought it now in our days to be taught publickly in the Church of God for whom it is principally designed but with a Spirit of Discretion Religiously and Piously in time and place relinquishing all curious Inquiries into the wayes of the most High and all to the Glory of Gods Holy Name the Peace and Comfort the Everlasting Life and Happyness of his People CANON XV. Moreover the Sacred Scriptures do render this Everlasting Free Grace of God in our Election the more illustrious and recommend it to us by testifying that all Men are not Elected but that some in the Eternal Election of God are passed by to witt those whom God in his good pleasure which is alwayes most Free most Righteous Unblameable and Unchangeable Decreed to leave in that gulph of common Misery whereinto by their own sin they had flung themselves headlong and not to give them saving Faith nor the Grace of Conversion but having abandon'd them to their own ways and lusts he doth finally in his Righteous Judgment condemne and punish them Everlastingly not only for their unbelief but also for all their other sins for the manifestation of his Justice This is the Decree of Reprobation which doth not in any wise make God the Author of Sin the very thought whereof is horrid Blasphemy but on the contrary doth demonstrate him to be a most dreadful irreprehensible and Righteous Judge and Revenger of all Sin CANON XVI Such who do not as yet effectually feel in their own Souls a lively Faith in Christ Jesus or a particular confidence of Heart in God Peace of Conscience a diligent care and endeavour to yield Filial Obedience and to glorifie God through Jesus Christ and do yet nevertheless use the means by which God hath promised to work those Graces in us they should not be discouraged when as they here speak or Reprobation nor should they reckon themselves in the number of Reprobates but they ought carefully to continue in the use of means and ardently to petition for that happy hour when this Grace of God shall be abundantly poured down upon them and to wait for it in all Reverence and Humility much less should they be affrighted at the Doctrine of Reprobation who when as they desire to be sincere Converts and would please God intirely and be delivered from this Body of Death sin dwelling in them yet cannot make so great a progress in Piety and Faith as they would Because God who is full of Mercy hath promised that he will not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed But this Doctrine is indeed terrible unto them who forgetting God and Jesus Christ our Saviour are totally imbondaged unto the heart-piercing cares of this present World and the Concupiscencies of their fiesh during the whole time of their unregeneracy CANON XVII Wherefore since 't is our Duty to judge of Gods Will by his Word which testifieth for the Children of Believers that they be Holy not indeed by Nature but through the singular benefit of the Covenant of Grace in which they be included with their Parents Fathers and Mothers fearing God should not doubt of their Childrens Election and Salvation whom God takes unto himself in their Infancy CANON XVIII In case any Person murmur against the free Grace of God in Election and the Severity of Gods Justice in Reprobation we should oppose them with that of the Apostle Rom. 9.20 O! Man who art thou that contendest with God And with those words of our Saviour Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do with my own as I please
continued in its perfect being in all its parts complete and intire although the Redemption impetrated should never have been actually applyed either to or by any one particular Person But this Doctrine is injurious to the Wisdom of God the Father and to the merit of Jesus Christ and is contrary to the very Letter and express terms of the Scripture for doe but hear what our Lord speaketh John 10.15 17. I lay down my Life for my Sheep and I know them And the Prophet Esay saith of our Saviour Cap. 53.10 When as he shall have made his Soul an Offering for Sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand In short this Doctrine subverts that Article of our Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church CANON II. Who teach that the design of Christ Jesus in his Death was not effectually to ratifie the New Covenant of Grace by his Blood but only to acquire for his Father a right of contracting anew with Men another Covenant whether of Grace or Works it was not material But this is repugnant unto Scripture which teacheth Heb. 7.22 That Jesus Christ was a Surety and Mediator of a better that is to say of the New Covenant and Heb. 9.15 17. That a Testament is not in force till the Death of the Testator CANON III. Who teach that Jesus Christ by his satisfaction hath not merited for any one assuredly Salvation it self or that Faith whereby his satisfaction may be applyed effectually to Salvation But that he hath only acquired unto the Father the Power or plenary Will of treating anew with Men and prescribing to them new Conditions such as please him and whose accomplishment dependeth on the free Will of Man And so it might have fallen out that either no Man or all Men might have accomplisht them For these have too mean and abject thoughts of the Death of Christ Jesus not owning nor acknowledging the principal fruit or benefit acquired by it This Doctrine would redeem from Hell that Ancient and condemned Heresie of the Pelagians CANON IV. Who teach that this New Covenant of Grace which God the Father hath contracted with Men through the interposal of Christs Death doth not consist in this that we are justified before God and saved by Faith as it lays hold of Christs Death but in this that whereas the Law required perfect Obedience it is now abolished and God reckons Faith it self and the imperfect Obedience of Faith for a perfect and complete Obedience unto the Law and out of his mere and pure Grace doth esteem it worthy to be recompensed with Eternal Life For these Fellovvs contradict in express terms the Sacred Scripture Rom. 3.23 24. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption which is in Jesus Christ vvhom God hath ordained before all time to be a Propitiation by Faith in his Blood And thus introduce vvith profane Socinus a Novel and unheard of Justification before God against the Unanimous and common Consent of the vvhole Church CANON V. Who teach that all Men are received into a State of Reconciliation and to the Grace of the Covenant so that none is obnoxious unto Condemnation nor shall be condemned for Original Sin but that they be exempted from all the guilt vvhich is in that Sin For this Opinion crosseth the Scripture vvhich affirmeth Ephes 2.3 That vve are by Nature Children of Wrath. CANON VI. Who serve themselves of that distinction of the Impetration and Application that they may instil into the minds of simple and ignorant Souls this Opinion That God would equally impart unto all Men the benefits purchased by the Death of Jesus Christ and whereas some are made Partakers sooner than others of the Remission of Sins and of Eternal Life that this difference came from and depends chiefly on their free Will applying unto themselves that Grace which is indifferently offered unto all But this hath no dependency at all upon the gift of special Mercy working efficaciously within them that they may apply it rather than others unto themselves For making semblance as if they propounded this Doctrine in a good Sence they indeavour slily to insinuate into Souls the most pernicious Poyson of Pelagianisme CANON VII Who teach that Jesus Christ needed not to have died nor indeed did he die for them who were the Objects of Gods Sovereign Love and Elected unto Everlasting Life as if these needed not the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a notorious contradiction unto the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Christ hath loved me and given himself to the Death for me Rom. 8.32 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect God is he that justifieth who will condemne Christ is he that hath dyed for us They also contradict our very Saviour himself John 10.15 I lay down my Life for my Sheep and chap. 15.12 13. This is my Commandment that ye love one another even as I have loved you There is no greater love than this that one should lay down his Life for his Friends CHAP. III. Of the Corruption of Man his Conversion unto God and the manner how CANON I. MAN at first was created after Gods Image and adorned in his Understanding with the true and saving Knowledge of his Creator and of Spiritual things with Righteousness in his Will and Purity in his Heart and in all his Affections yea he was truly and throughly Holy but being turned away from God by the Instigation of the Devil and his own free Will he hath deprived himself of those Excellent Gifts and contrary wise instead of them he hath brought upon himself Blindness horrible Darkness Vanity and perverseness of Judgment in his Understanding Malice Rebellion and hardness in his Will and Heart and so in like manner impurity in all his Affections CANON II. And such as he is since the Fall such Children are there begotten of him he is the corrupted Father Of corrupted Children the Corruption through the Just Judgment of God being derived from Adam down upon all his Posterity Jesus Christ only excepted and this not only by imitation as the Pelagians of old asserted but by propagation of his Corrupted Nature CANON III. Therefore all Men are conceived in Sin and are born Children of Wrath utterly unable to perform any saving Duty enclined unto Evil dead in Sin and in Bondage to it and without the Regenerating Grace of Gods Spirit they neither will nor can return unto God nor reform their depraved Nature nor so much as dispose themselves to a Reformation of it CANON IV. 'T is true that since the Fall there remain in Man some Relicks of Natural Light by means whereof he yet retaineth some Knowledge of God and of Natural things he can discern between what is honest and dishonest and expresseth some kind of Care and Study for Vertue and Exteriour Discipline But he is so far from being able by this Light of Nature
Treasure constantly defended which God also will cause her evermore to defend so as no Counsel nor Force shall be ever able to prevail against it Now to this one God Father Son and Holy Spirit be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen Errors Rejected The Orthodox Doctrine having been Explained the Synod Rejects their Errors CANON I. WHO teach that the Perseverance of True Believers is not an effect of Election nor a gift of â—od purchased by the Death of Christ but it s a Condition of the New Covenant which Man before his Election and peremptory Justification as they call it must of his free will accomplish for the Sacred Scriptures witnesseth that it floweth from Election and is given unto the Elect by vertue of the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Jesus Christ Rom. 11.7 The Election hath obtained it and the others are hardned Also Rom. 8.31 32 33 34. He that hath not spared his only Son but given him for us all how shall he not also give us with him all other things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of â—ods Elect It is God that will justifie Who will condemn It is Christ that is dead yea rather who is risen again from the Dead and who sitteth at the right hand of God and who also maketh Intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall it be Oppression Or Tribulation Or Famine Or Peril or Sword Yea in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him who hath loved us CANON II. Who teach That God doth indeed provide for the Believer strength enough and power sufficient for perseverance and that in case he do his Duty God will preserve him However let all things be supposed which may be needful to perseverance in Faith and which God will make use of for his preservation yet still it depends upon the Liberty of Mans Will whether he will persevere or not This Opinion is bare-fac't Pelagianisme and whilst the Professor of it would make Man free they make him Sacrilegious Besides it is against the perpetual consent of the Gospel-Doctrine which removes from Man all grounds of boasting and ascribes the Glory of this benefit to the Grace of God only And it thwarteth the Testimony of St. Paul who saith 1 Cor. 1.8 that God will confirm us unto the end that we may be blameless in the day of Our Lord Jesus Christ CANON III. Who teach that the Faithful and Regenerate may not only fall totally and finally from Justifying Faith and from Grace and Salvation but also that they often do so and perish Everlastingly for this Opinion doth not only annihilate the Grace of Justification and Regeneration but also the perpetual keeping of the Lord Jesus Christ contrary to the express words of the Holy Apostle St. Paul Rom. 5.9 10. If Christ died for us when we were Sinners much more than being now justified by his Blood shall we be saved from Wrath by him And against the Apostle St. John 1 Ep. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for the Seed of God abideth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God and against the vvords of Jesus Christ John 10.28 29. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish nor shall any pluck them out of my hand my Father vvho hath given them unto me is greater than all and no one can take them out of my Fathers hands I and my Father are one CANON IV. Who teach that Believers and Regenerate Persons may sin the sin unto Death that is they may commit that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost Although the beloved Apostle and Disciple of Our Lord in the fifth Chapter of his First Epistle after that he had spoken in the sixteenth and seventeenth verses of those vvho commit the Sin unto Death and forbidden all Prayers for them added in the eighteenth verse We knovv that vvhosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that vvicked one toucheth him not CANON V. Who teach That none can have in this Life without special Revelation any certainty of their perseverance For by this Doctrine the faithful are deprived of the most solid substantial comfort which is to be had in this Life and are abandoned to the diffidence and wavering floating opinions and doubts of the Romish Church But the Sacred Scriptures every where deriveth this Assurance not from any special or extraordinary Revelation but from the proper marks of the Children of God and from his infallible Promises especially from the Apostle St. Paul Rom. 8.38 No Creature can separate us from the Love of God which he hath shown us in Jesus Christ our Lord 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments abideth in him and God in him And by this vve knovv that he abideth in us by his Spirit vvhich he hath given us CANON VI. Who teach That the Doctrine of Assurance of Perseverance and Salvation is a Pillovv for the Flesh to sleep on more securely and is in and of it self injurious unto Godlyness Good Works Prayers and all Holy Duties and Religious Exercises And on the contrary it is a laudable thing to be diffident and doubtful But such Persons bevvray their Ignorance and are mere Strangers to the efficacy of Divine Grace and to the operation of the Holy Ghost dvvelling in the Elect and contradict the Apostle St. John vvho doth in express terms assert the contrary 1 John 3.2 Beloved novv are vve the Children of God but vvhat vve shall be is not yet knovvn But this vve knovv that vvhen he shall appear vve shall be like unto him for vve shall see him even as he is And they must be more abundantly convinced by the Examples of Gods Saints both in the Old and New Testament who although they were assured of their Perseverance and Salvation did not thereupon neglect dayly Prayers or other Acts Duties and Exercises of True Piety and Religion CANON VII Who teach That there is no difference between a Temporary Faith and that which is Saving and Justifying excepting the duration of it For the Lord Jesus himself doth manifestly remark three other differences between those who believe but for a time and true Believers when as he saith Matth. 13.20 and Luke 8.13 and the verses following That those are they who receive the Seed in stony ground and these in good ground or in an honest heart that the former had no root but these have a firm root the one brought no fruit but these produced their fruits constantly and perseveringly in divers degrees and measures CANON VIII Who teach that it is no absurdity to say that when as the first Regeneration is extinct a Man may be born again yea he may be often new born For by this Doctrine the Seed of God by which we be new born is made corruptible directly contrary to the Witness of St. Peter Ep. 1. cap. 23. Being
confirm the Covenant of Grace propounded to us in the Gospel Ministry Answ Yes Quest How many Sacraments do you believe that there be in the Christian Church Answ Two Baptism and the Lord's Supper Quest Do you desire to be instructed in the Nature and Use of Baptism which you now demand of this Church of Christ Answ Yes Then the Minister shall say Our Lord sheweth us in what Poverty and Misery we are all born when he telleth us that we must be born again For if our Nature must be renewed that it may enter into the Kingdom of God then 't is evident that it is universally depraved and accursed whereof he admonisheth us that we may be humbled and displeased with oar selves and by this means doth he prepare us earnestly to petition for his Grace by which all that Corruption and Malediction of our first Nature may be abolished And we are not capable of receiving it till we be first emptied of all Confidence in our own Vertue Wisdom and Righteousness that so we may pass Sentence of Condemnation upon all that is in us And look as he remonstrateth unto us our miserable Estate so also doth he comfort us with his Mercy promising to regenerate us by his Holy Spirit unto newness of Life which will be the earnest of our entrance into his Kingdom This Regeneration consisteth of two Parts First that we deny our selves not following our own Judgment Will and Pleasure but resigning our Hearts and Understandings to be led Captive by the Wisdom and Righteousness of God and so mortifying our selves and all our fleshly Members here below we do then follow the Divine Light and take up our Complacency in Obedience unto his good Will and Pleasure revealed to us in his Holy Word and subject our selves to the Guidance and Government of his Holy Spirit Now the Accomplishment of both these is in our Lord Jesus whose Death and Passion is of such Vertue that by communicating in it we are as it were dead to Sin that so our carnal Affections and the Desires of our Flesh may be mortified In like manner by the Vertue of Christs Resurrection we rise up unto newness of Live which is of God inâ—smuch as his Holy Spirit doth guide and govern us and work in us those Works which are well-pleasing to him Yet the first and chiefest Point of our Salvation is that by his Mercy he freely pardons all our Sins not imputing them unto us and blotteth out the remembrance of them that so they may not be brought in Judgment against us All these Benefits are conferred upon us when he is pleased graciously to incorporate us into his Church by Baptism for in this Sacrament he testifieth unto us the Forgiveness of our Sins And to this purpose hath he ordained the Sign of Water thereby to signifie unto us That as this Element cleanseth away the Filth of the Body even so will he wash and purifie our Souls that there may not appear the least Spot upon them In the next place it holdeth forth unto us our Renovation which standeth as was said before in the Mortification of our Flesh and in that Spiritual Life which he effecteth in us So that we receive a double Grace and Benefit from God in our Baptism provided we do not disannul the Vertue of this Sacrament by our Ingratitude First That we have a most certain Token and Testimony that God will be a propitious Father to us not imputing our Sins and Offences to us Secondly That he will assist us by his Holy Spirit that we may be enabled to combat with the Devil Sin and the Desires of our Flesh until we have won the Victory and so enjoy the Liberty of his Kingdom which is a Kingdom of Righteousness For as much then as these two things be accomplished in us by the Grace of our Lord Jesus it followeth that the Vertue and Substance of Baptism is treasured up in him And indeed we have no other Laver but that of his Blood nor any other Renovation but what is in his Death and Resurrection which as he communicateth his Riches and Benedictions to us by his Word so also doth he distribute them abroad among us by his Sacraments And in this appeareth the wonderful Love of God towards us that these Graces bestowed on us having before the Incarnation of our Lord Redeemer been as it were locked up among the Jewish People and the Partition-Wall which separated between Jews and Gentiles being broken down by his Death he hath and doth shed abroad upon Mankind the saving Waters of his Grace in such abundance that now there is neither Jew nor Greek neither Male nor Female neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision nor any outward Condition of Men that can exclude them from that great Salvation which is in him and which the Lord Jesus will have preached unto all Nations And the Covenant of his Peace is now ratified by Baptism according to the Commission which he hath given unto his Apostles saying Go ye and preach unto all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Quest And is it not true my Brother that you desire to be Partaker of this Grace by Baptism Answ Yes Quest But forasmuch as he that entreth into the House of God must look unto his ways lest he should prophane the Sanctuary and presume according to that Saying of the wise Preacher to offer the Sacrifice of Fools and ungodly Persons and that he ought to be clean purged from all Leaven of Error and Malice do you not detest from your Heart all Errors contrary to that sound Doctrin taught in our Churches Answ Yes Quest Forasmuch as we are now about to administer the Sacrament of Baptism unto you do you not protest to live and die in the Faith of our Lord Jesus which you have now confessed before us and to adorn it with an Holy Life and Conversation and to direct all your Thoughts Words and Actions to the Glory of God and the Edification of your Neighbour and to submit your self to the Order and Discipline of our Church in Conformity whereunto this Holy Ordinance must be inviolably maintained Answ Yes This being done the Minister shall add Let us call upon God that he may be entreated to give his Blessing to this present Holy Ministration O Lord our God! The most wise and merciful God! We praise and bless thy Holy Name for that Grace which thy good Hand hath deigned to bestow upon this thy Servant who lay in the profound Darkness of the Shadow of Death but is now enlightned by thee thou having caused the Day-Spring from on high with his quickening and saving Brightness to arise and shine in upon him drawing him from a most deplorable hardness of a stony Heart to mollifie and soften him delivering him from the Bonds of Death and restoring Life unto him Lord as thou hast took away the Veil that was upon his
got out of God's Ark and the Deluge is about thee Where wilt thou pitch the Sole of thy Foot Go then as the Dove and return unto thy place Salvation is not to be had any where else Thou knowest it as well as I. Whether art thou gone Where art thou a going Dost not thou know that Jesus Christ only hath the Words of Eternal Life Thinkest thou to find it any where else Why Man He only is the Way the Truth and the Life Thou hast changed thy Riligion thou hast quitted thy Party thou hast abandoned thy Flock Good God what hast thou done O Friend I forbear to speak my Fears But once again What hast thou done Thou hast quitted the Rich Pearl with the Cock in the Fable for a Grain of Wheat See from whence thou art fallen and consider I beseech thee Dear Friend what thou hast gotten by thy Fall Thou embracest a Religion patch'd up of Human Ceremonies Thou knowest it well a Religion which is an Hodge-podg of Jewish and Pagan Ceremonies blended together Thou hast thrown thy self into its Arms thou liest in its Bosom thou wearest its Livery and art marked with its Marks And thou very well knowest why and wherefore Thou wast remiss in thy Duty Thou wast not payed thy Sallary This was thy frequent Complaint Thou idle and slothful Servant oughtest thou to forsake thy Lord's Service and his Flock Thou wast not serious enough nor caredst to take pains in thy Calling Instead of studying and giving thy self to reading thou hauntedst wicked Companies which thou knowest corrupt good Manners and being such an one thy self thou couldst not chuse better Birds of a Feather will Flock together More I might say but I spare thee Well Man what hast thou done Consider I beseech thee and I adjure thee to it by the Bowels of our ancient Friendship that 't is the true Religion which thou hast forsaken and that only in which Salvation is to be had and that the very Church of Rome her self believeth all the Articles that the Reformed Church believeth And I can speak it and thou knowest it as well as I that in case she were divested of all her Jewish Ceremonies and Human Inventions and of Men's Traditions which are set up in the room of God's Word the Romish Religion would be no longer Roman but Reformed What then hast thou done Thou hast took the Shadow for the Substance the Ceremonies for the Truth I protest unto thee upon my Soul that thou art out of the way Friend Give me thy Hand and I will once more set thee in the right way and thou shalt taste how gracious the Lord is to them that fear him that he is ready to forgive most willing to shew Mercy and if thou hast recourse unto him by Prayers and Supplications in the Name and Merits of his Dear Son thou shalt certainly obtain the Remission of thy Sins thro his Name My Friend thou hast joyned thy self to the Communion of Idols and art a Partner with Idolaters and dost thou think in their Communion to work out thy Salvation Be not deceived God will not be mocked No Idolaters shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ah! dost not thou know that our Religion which thou hast quitted giveth the Glory of Man's Salvation unto the Christ of God only That it ascribeth the Salvation of Believers to the Lord Jesus only That it preacheth nothing else but what the Elect Apostle of the Gentiles preached even Jesus Christ and him Crucified That it putteth Confidence in none but God And as David seeketh for none in Heaven but God That it adoreth no Creature whatsoever but adoreth God only Father Son and Spirit Three Persons in one God That it invocateth God only because besides him there never was nor never will be any that can help save and deliver That with the blessed Virgin she calleth him her God and her Saviour That it teacheth not the Doctrin of Devils nor forbiddeth Marriage nor to obstain from Meats which God hath created to be used by the Faithful and those who have not known the Truth with Thanksgiving That it is not Sacrilegious to rob the People of the Cup against the express Commandment of God That it reacheth God to be a Spirit and that such as worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth That it teacheth to fear God and to honour the King whom may the Lord of his Mercy long preserve To sanctifie the day of Rest but not Festivals which are only Men's Inventions To keep Promise and Covenant tho to a Man's Loss and Hurt Rather to serve God than Men And forasmuch as God hath spoken the Word that he will not give his Glory unto another nor his Praise unto Graven Images it teacheth all to ascribe Glory unto God only and to give him the Thanks of all our Mercies because he is the sole Author and Donour of them Our Religion doth not take away any of God's Commandments nor suffereth any Images to be made nor Pictures to be hung up that they should be served and adored A Religion neither addeth to nor taketh any thing from the Holy Word of God for it well knows that such as do so the Plagues written in that Word shall be inflicted on them and their Names shall be blotted out of the Book of Life It teacheth with St. Paul that the Divine Scriptures can make us wise unto Salvation and with St. John that the Blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all Sin and that there is none other Purgatory for our Sins than Christ's Blood Time would fail me and I should but waste it if I told thee That the Death of the Son of God is our Life his Wounds our Health and that there is none other Sacrifice for Sin than that one only and never to be repeated Sacrifice of his Death Friend our Religion teacheth that by this Sacrifice we have the Remission of all our Sins and that where the Remission of Sins is there is no more Oblation for Sin and therefore no Mass Take heed unto thy self Friend for if thou sinnest wilfully after Admonition after that thou hast received the knowledge of the Truth know of a Truth that there is no more Sacrifice for Sins Do not then count the Blood of the Covenant a prophane thing for thou knowest that 't is a most fearful thing to fall into the Hands of an incensed God Be zealous therefore and Repent In short thou knowest that all the Doctrins of our Religion are contained in thâ— Holy Scriptures and yet thou hast quitted it What hast thou done Thou art return'd unto Babylon from which God hath brought thee forth in the Loyns of thy Fathers that thou mightst not participate in her Sins nor in her Plagues Thou hast return'd with the Dog unto thy Vomit and with the Sow that was washed to wallow in the Mire My Friend my Bowels are troubled for thee Believe and follow my Counsel Awake and