enjoyment of their respective Functions and that your Majesty would be pleased to Abrogate and Revoke all Decrees and Judgments given to the contrary 18. In the year 1617. by the Edict of Restauration made in Favour of the Reformed Churches of Bearn Confirmed by Your Warrant for the Peace of Monpellier Your Majesty was pleased to maintain those Churches aforesaid of Bearn in the Liberty and full Enjoyment both of their Doctrine and Discipline without Changing or Innovating of any Article or Canon in either of them yet nevertheless Your Court of Parliament of Navarre in prejudice of their Liberty of Ordaining and Deposing of Continuing or Removing their Pastors from those Churches unto others where they be sent by their Synods doth forbid them to Proclame or Celebrate any Fasts without its permission or to make Appeals in matters purely Ecclesiastical elsewhere than unto the said Parliament or to Toll any Bell at any time for the Convocation of our Church Assemblies in that Province as is evident from the Decrees of the said Parliament Wherefore Your Majesty is most Humbly Requested to continue unto those Churches their Liberty granted them in those matters and to forbid the said Parliament of Navarre from intermeddling with such things for the suture and that You would be pleased to Abrogate and Disannul all those Decrees which have been made on this occasion 19. Your Majesty was pleased by all Your former Declarations made in favour of Your said Subjects to promise the continuance of that Bounty granted them by the late King Henry the Great of Glorious and Immortal Memory and divers times since Confirmed by Your Majesty for the Maintenance of our Ministers and Universities which was in Compensation of the Tythes paid by Your Subjects aforesaid unto the Popish Parish Curates Yet nevertheless for divers years last part they have been totally deprived of this Liberality And whereas several Assignments were made them for the former years there is yet remaining due unto them a very considerable Sum And although this Favour hath been again and again Promised and was Granted to them in the year 1629. whenas the Towns of the Lower Languedoc submitted themselves to Your Majesty's Authority and the said Promise was since confirmed by Your Majesty's Answer at Montauban to our Bill of Grievances we then tendered You yet nevertheless those very Assignations given them for the year 1627. have been revoked nor have there been any given them for the following years therefore Your Majesty is most Humbly intreated in pursuance of Your Royal Promises to continue unto Your Subjects aforesaid the enjoyments of those former Favours and Liberalities and to ordain and cause them to be paid all Arrears due for the years past and to continue them for the future The End of the Bill of Grievances CHAP. XXVIII The Copy of a Letter from the Pastors and Professors of Geneva sent unto the National Synod of Alanson touching the Doctrine and Books of the Sieurs Amyraud and Testard Messieurs and our most Honoured Brethren THe Return of another Holy Synod to be held by you giveth us a new ground of adoring the infinite Mercy of our God who having for divers Ages chosen your Nation above many others wherein to erect his Kingdom with the Glorious Ensigns of sundry and long continued Combats and Sufferings and with the peculiar Priviledges of Purity Union and a Holy Discipline doth now also in these woful turbulent times through that Clemency and Equity which he hath inspired into your Sovereign Lord the King vouchsafe unto you that excellent means for your Subsistence and the Conservation of his unvaluable Gift the Blessed Gospel among you even your Synodical Meetings whereby your way and course may be kept even without stumbling and your Possession of the Divine Faith safe and lasting And verily all Ages have judged this Ordinance the only Powerful Profitable and most Effectual means for the preservation of the Church and the Reducing of it back again when fallen from unto its first pure and holy Principles But yet the best Canons that were ever framed and established have not been so constantly practised nor observed as among you tho' it is our daily Prayer and we hope in God that through his Divine Grace those of your Discipline shall be continually observed for many Ages That part we have in your Communion and which we have by reason of your singular Affection to us causeth us to recognize so great a mercy with thankfulness and the rather because the dangers of the times had left us quite hopeless of it And tho' considering your Eminent Abilities Prudence Zeal Godliness and Knowledge we can contribute very little if any thing besides our Consent Prayers and Vows unto God for you yet in as much as you ever accepted kindly of our Lines we shall presume once more with our wonted freedom to unbosom our selves to you and to give you the thoughts of our Hearts upon the present State of your Churches according to that general knowledge we have of it and so leave on Record as we are perswaded the mutual Harmony of our Sentiments and inward motions with yours This offers it self first unto us that when we contemplate your condition and compare it with that of very many other Churches which for a long time together have been lying and groaning under deep and extream Oppressions both Corporal and Spiritual we cannot but bow the knee of our Souls before the Throne of the Heavenly Majesty who changeth Times and ruleth Hearts and turneth them as the Rivers of Waters which way soever he pleaseth who bringeth into Temptation supporteth under it and granteth a joyful issue and deliverance from it and who hath shortned the days of your Trial having seen as 't is reasonable for us to believe the promptitude of his Gracious Remnant among you for Repentance and Conversion and their improvement of the day of their Visitation and hath therefore put a period to your Desolations and not suffered the Fiery Trials of some of your Members to be without seasonable refreshments nor those terrors which had generally possessed you to be without the dawnings of some renewed Hopes and Comfort And we cannot but unite our Affections and Zeal with yours whereby to invite you and our selves to Consecrate this inestimable Mercy of your Peace vouchsafed you of God to the Glory of his Great Name the Celebration of his Wonders and to the renewal and reinforcement of our Obedience and Service to him that as you have been the first in these last General Calamities of the Churches in deliverance so you may also have this advantage above them all to walk before them in a most illustrious example of a Serious and Holy usage of it employing your selves Religiously in all thankfullness unto God who is the Sole and Sovereign Author of it and demeaning your selves according to your bounden Duty in all Obedience and Subjection to the Instruments thereof and in an inoffensive peaceable
Effigies Reverendi Viri IOHANNIS QUICK S ti Evangely Ministri an o Aetat 55o. SYNODICON in GALLIA REFORMATA SYNODICON IN Gallia Reformata OR THE Acts Decisions Decrees and Canons Of those Famous National Councils OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES IN FRANCE BEING I. A most Faithful and Impartial History of the Rise Growth Perfection and Decay of the Reformation in that Kingdom with its fatal Catastrophe upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nants in the Year 1685. II. The Confession of Faith and Discipline of those Churches III. A Collection of Speeches Letters Sacred Politicks Cases of Conscience and Controversies in Divinity determined and resolved by those grave Assemblies IV. Many excellent Expedients for preventing and healing Schisms in the Churches and for re-uniting the dismembred Body of divided Protestants V. The Laws Government and Maintenance of their Colleges Universities and Ministers togeâ—â—er with their Exercise of Discipline upon delinquent Ministers and Church-members VI. A Record of very many illustrious Events of Divine Providence relating to those Churches The whole Collected and Composed out of Original Manuscript Acts of those Renowned SYNODS A Work never before Extant in any Language In Two VOLUMES By JOHN QUICK Minister of the Gospel in London LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst and J. Robinson at the Three Bibles and Crown in Cheapside and the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1692. TO THE Right Honourable WILLIAM EARL of BEDFORD BARON of THORNHAVGH Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of Middlesex Cambridge and Bedford Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and one of the Lords of Their Majesties most Honourable Privy-Council May it please your Lordship SEals as Coats of Arms an a kind of Hieroglyphicks Those Mother-Churches in the Valleys of Piedmont where our holy Religion hath been conserved in its Power and Purity during that long black night of Popish Superstition and Idolatry had this for their Common Seal A Taper burning in a golden Candlestick scattering its glorious Beams in a Sable Field of thick darkness It is a truth incontestable that most of the European Nations do stand indebted to them for that comfortable Knowledge of the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus which is now shining forth in its Meridian-Glory in the midst of them The Famous Waldo of Lions was their near Neighbour and received his most Excellent Instructions together with that Book of Life the Holy Bible from them And Lollard that famous Preacher in England from whom God's Saints and Martyrs with us four hundred years ago were denominated was one of their Barbes I have met my most Noble Lord with another Seal as Illustrious an Hieroglyphick as the former appertaining unto the National Synods of those Renowned and once Flourishing though now Desolate Reformed Churches of France which was Moses's Miraculous Vision when he fed his Flock under the Mount of God viz. A Bramble-Bush in a flaming Fire having that Essential incommunicable name of God Jehovah engraven in its Center and this Motto Comburo non consumor in its Circumference I burn but am not Consumed With this those venerable Councils Sealed all their Letters and Dispatches A sacred Emblem of their past and present Condition Whilst Mystical Babylon Spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord hath been in his most pretious Truths and Ordinances and in his dearest Saints and Members for many Ages successively Crucified did swim in the calm Ocean of Worldly Riches and Grandeurs in the pacifick Seas of secular Felicities and Pleasures Poor Zion in that bloody Kingdom of France hath been in the storms and flames hath passed from one fiery Tryal unto another from Cauldrons of boyling Oyl into burning Furnaces heated with fire seven times hotter than before she hath been driven from populous Cities and the pleasant Habitations of Men unto the cold snowy Lebanon to the high craggy tops of Amana and Shenir to the frightful Dens of Lions and to the horrid Mountains of Dragons and Leopards Why their Heavenly Father should afflict and exercise so frequently and so severely these his Children and Churches he himself informeth them by that weeping Prophet All thy Lovers have forgotten thee They seek thee not for I have wounded thee with the Wound of an Enemy with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of thine Iniquities because thy Sins were increased Why criest thou for thy Afflictions Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy Sins were increased I have done these things unto thee And in truth the mournful Relicks of these Calamitous Churches do justify God in all the evil that is befallen them do condemn themselves and kiss his Rod accepting patiently the punishment of their Iniquity But this Bramble-Bush though always burning is not consumed This is a Miracle of divine Mercy entailed upon them for many Generations I will mention the loving kindnesses of Jehovah and the praises of Jehovah according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed on them and his great goodness towards the House of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his Mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses In all their affliction he was afflicted with them and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old When they passed through the Waters he hath been with them and through the Rivers they have not drowned them and though they have walked through the fires yet they have not been burnt up those Flames have purified and refined but not devoured them And though these last storms like the Fluctus decumani have been the worst and forest yet they have not been without Illustrious tokens of God's gracious presence with them and most merciful providence over them He hath made the Earth to help the Woman he hath spread a Table for their sustenance in the Wilderness and provided for them in their flights dispersions and banishments a most quiet habitation and in this last and greatest persecution that ever did befal them they have found in this Land as well as in other Protestant Countries an inviolable Sanctuary and which cannot but be observed it was in that very juncture when those two smoaking Firebrands Rezin with Syria and the Son of Remaliah were in a joint Confederacy totally to extirpate the blessed Gospel as out of France so out of these Fortunate Islands they met with a safe Harbour in Great Brittain The pernicious Plot was carried on as vigorously here at home against the Reformation as it was cruelly Executed in Kibroth Hattaavah that Land of Graves from whence they fled and where thousands of God's Saints were buried alive When the Bartholomaean Massacre was projected in the last Age there was a design to have tricked over some of our most Noble Patriots unto that unfortunate Marriage in which more Blood was drunk than Wine who should have been Sacrificed together with that Valiant Lord
its authority And forasmuch as it is the Rule of all Truth containing all Matters necessarily required for the Worship of God and our Salvation it is in no wise lawful for Men nor Angels to add unto or to take from this Doctrine or to change it And hereupon it followeth That it is not lawful to oppose either Antiquity or Custom or Multitude or Humane Wisdom Judgments Edicts or any Decrees or Councils or Visions or Miracles unto this Holy Scripture but rather that all things ought to be examined and tried by the Rule and Square thereof Wherefore we do for this cause also allow of those three Creeds namely the Apostles the Nicene and Athanasius his Creed because they be agreeable to the Word of God ARTICLE VI. The Holy Scripture teacheth us That in that one and simple Divine Being there be three Persons subsisting the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost The Father to wit the first Cause in order and the Beginning of all things The Son his Wisdom and Everlasting Word The Holy Ghost his Vertue Power and Efficacy The Son begotten of the Father from everlasting the Holy Ghost from everlasting proceeding from the Father and the Son these three Persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not divided but of one and the same Essence Eternity Power and Equality And to conclude in this Mystery we allow of that which those four ancient Councils have determined and we detest all Sects and Heresies condemned by those holy ancient Doctors St. Athanasius St. Hilary St. Cyril and St. Ambrose ARTICLE VII We believe that God in Three Persons working together by his Power Wisdom and incomprehensible Goodness hath made all things not only Heaven and Earth and all things in them contained but also the invisible Spirits of which some fell head-long into Destruction and some continued in Obedience That the fallen Angels being corrupted by their Malice are become Enemies of all good and consequently of the whole Church That the holy Angels having persevered by the Grace of God are Ministers to glorifie his Name and serve his Elect in order to Salvation ARTICLE VIII We believe that God hath not only made all things but also ruleth and governeth them as he who according to his will disposeth and ordaineth whatsoever cometh to pass in the World Yet we deny that he is the Author of Sin or that the blame of things done amiss can be laid upon him seeing his Will is the soveraign and infallible Rule of all Righteousness and Equity but this we confess That he hath those admirable Means as whereby he maketh the Devils and the Ungodly as his Instruments to serve him and to turn the Evil which they do and whereof they are guilty into good So that when we acknowledge that nothing can be done without the Providence of God we do most humbly adore his Secrets which he hath hidden from us nor do we enquire into those which are above our reach and Capacity Nay rather we apply unto our own use that which the Holy Scripture teacheth us for our Peace and Comfort to wit that God to whom all things are subject doth watch over us with a Fatherly Care so that not so much as an Hair of our Head falleth to the ground without his Will and that he hath the Devils and all our Adversaries fast bound in Chains that they cannot without leave first given them do us any harm ARTICLE IX We believe that Man being created pure and upright and conformable to the Image of God through his own fault fell from that Grace which he had received and thereby did so estrange himself from God the Fountain of all Righteousness and of all good things that his Nature is become altogether defiled and being blind in his Understanding and corrupt in his Heart he hath utterly lost that Integrity and although he can somewhat discern between Good and Evil yet we do affirm That whatsoever Light he hath it straightway becometh Darkness when the Question is of seeking after God so that by his Understanding and Reason he can never come to God And although he be indued with Will whereby he is moved to do this or that yet forasmuch as that also is in bondage to Sin that he hath no freedom to desire that which is good but if he have any 't is the gracious Gift of God ARTICLE X. We believe that all the Off-spring of Adam are infected with the Contagion of Original Sin which is a Vice hereditary to us by Propagation and not only by Imitation as the Pelagians asserted whose Errors are detested by us Nor do we think it necessary to inquire how this Sin cometh to be derived from one unto another For it is sufficient that those things which God gave to Adam were not given to him alone but also to all his Posterity and therefore we in his Person being deprived of all those good Gifts are fallen into this Poverty and Malediction ARTICLE XI We believe that this stain of Original Sin is Sin indeed for it hath that mischievous Power in it as to condemn all Mankind even Infants that are unborn as yet in their Mothers Womb and God himself doth account it such yea and that even after Baptism as to the Filth thereof it is always Sin Howbeit they who are the Children of God shall never be condemned for it because that God of his rich Grace and soveraign Mercy doth not impute it to them Moreover we say that it is such a Depravedness as doth continually produce the Fruits of Malice and Rebellion against God so that even the choicest of God's Saints although they do resist it yet are they defiled with very many Infirmities and Offences so long as they live in this World ARTICLE XII We believe That out of this general Corruption and Condemnation in which all Men are plunged God doth deliver them whom he hath in his eternal and unchangeable Counsel chosen of his meer Goodness and Mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ without any consideration of their Works leaving the rest in their Sins and damnable Estate that he may show forth in them his Justice as in the elect he doth most illustriously declare the Riches of his Mercy For One is not better than another until such time as God doth make the difference according to his unchangeable purpose which he hath determin'd in Jesus Christ before the Creation of the World Nor can any one by his own power procure unto himself so great a Blessing because we cannot by Nature nor of our selves excite in our selves any one good Motion Thought or Affection until such time as God does prevent and incline us to it by his Grace ARTICLE XIII We believe That whatsoever is requisite to our Salvation is offer'd and communicated to us now in the Lord Jesus Christ who is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption so that whosoever leaveth Christ doth renounce all interest in and
Relapst shall be Executed according to their form and tenour XII And furthermore Those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion till such time as it shall please God to illuminate them as others have been may abide in the Towns and Places of our Kingdom Countries and Lands of our Dominion and continue their Traffick and injoy their Goods without being troubled or hindred because of the said Pretended Reformed Religion Provided as before That they do not exercise it nor assemble themselves on pretence of Prayers or of any manner of worship according to that said Religion on the Penalties beforementioned of Confiscation of Bodies and Goods We Command all our Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellors in our Court of Parliament of Accounts and Court of Aids at Paris Bayliffs Seneschalls Provosts and other our Justices and Officers to whom it shall belong and to their Deputies that they cause this present Edict to be read published and registred in their Courts and Jurisdictions yea and in Vacations and to entertain it and cause it to be entertained kept and observed in every particular without swerving and that in no manner of wise they permit the least swerving from it For such is our Will and Pleasure And that this may be for ever firm and stable we have caused these Presents to be Sealed with our Seal Given at Fountainbleau in the Month of October in the Year of Grace one thousand six hundred eighty and five and in our Reign the Forty Third Signed LOVIS Visa Le Tellier And a little lower By the KING Colbert And Sealed with the Great Seal of Green Wax upon threads of red and green silk Registred heard and at the Request of the Kings Attorney General that they might be Executed according to their form and tenor and Copies collationed sent unto the Courts Bailiwicks and respective Jurisdictions that they might be in like manner Registred And the Deputies of the King 's said Attorney-General are Commanded to see its Execution and to Certifie the Court thereof At Paris in the Chamber of Vacations the two and twentieth day of October in the Year one thousand six hundred fourscore and five Signed De la Baune SECT LII The same day that this Edict was Registred which was the 23d of October they began to throw down the Temple of Charenton and at the same time little notes were disperst abroad to the heads of Families for their Appearance before Mr. Attorney-General to give in their Answer whether in three days they would embrace the Roman Catholick Religion or not The Eldest Minister of this Church was Commanded to leave Paris in four and twenty hours and immediately to depart the Kingdom this was that excellent Man of God Monsieur Claude who afterward died at the Hague Of whom I shall say more in my Icones One of the Kings Footmen was ordered to see him safe out of the Kings Dominions His Collegues met with a little better treatment for they had forty eight hours given them to quit Paris and upon their parole for so doing they were left to shift for themselves Accordingly Monsieur Maynard Allix and Bertau come for England and are here exercising their Ministry The rest of the Ministers were allowed fifteen days for their departure but it can hardly be believed to what Cruelties and Vexations they were exposed They were not permitted to dispose of their Estates nor to carry away any of their moveables or effects yea they disputed them their very Books and private Papers upon this pretence that they must prove and justify their Books and Papers did not belong to their Consistories A task impossible for there were no Consistories then in being Moreover they would not give them leave to take along with them either Father or Mother Brother or Sister or any of their Relations or Kindred though they were many of them infirm diseased and impoverished and could not in any wise subsist without their help Yea and they went so far as to deny them their own Children if they were above seven years old yea and some that were under that age and were as yet hanging upon their Mothers Breasts They refused them Nurses for their new-born Infants although their own Mothers could not suckle them In some Frontier places they stopped and imprisoned them upon trifling and ridiculous pretences They must immediately prove that they were really the same Persons which their Certificates mentioned And they would know whether there were no Criminal Process or Informations out against them They must presently justify that they carried away nothing with them that belonged unto any one of their respective Churches Sometimes having thus amused and detained them they would tell them the space of fifteen days allotted them by the Edict for their Departure was now expired and that therefore they should have no liberty to leave the Kingdom but must be sent unto the Gallies There was hardly any kind of deceit and injustice and troubles in which these worthy Ministers of Christ were not involved And yet through rich mercy very few revolted the far greatest number of them escaped either into England Holland Germany or Switzerland yea and some are now setled in New-England SECT LIII As for the residue of the Protestants whom the Violence of Persecution and the Cruel Usages they endured had necessitated to abandon their Estates Families Relations and native Country it is hardly to be imagined to what dangers they were exposed Never were Orders more rigorous and severe nor more strictly Executed than those which were given out against them They doubled the Guards at every Post in all Cities Towns High-ways Fords and Ferries They covered the Country with Souldiers they armed the very Peasants that they might stop the Reformed in their Travel or kill them upon the spot They forbad all Officers of the Customs to suffer any Goods Moveables Merchandises or other Effects of theirs to pass out of the Kingdom They forgot nothing that might hinder the flight of these poor Persecuted Creatures insomuch that they interrupted all Commerce with the Neighbouring Nations By this means they quickly filled all the Prisons in the Kingdom For the terrour of the Dragoons the horrour of seeing their Consciences forced and their Children to be taken away from them and to be Educated in Anti-Christian Superstition and damnable Idolatry and of living for the future in a Land where there was neither Justice nor Humanity for them obliged every one to think with himself and consult with others in whom they could confide how to get out of France and so they could but escape without polluting their Consciences many thousands of them were ready to and did actually leave their Worldly All behind them As for the poor Prisoners they have been since treated with unheard of Barbarities shut up in Dungeons loaden with Iron Chains almost starved with Hunger and deprived of all Converse but that of their inhumane Persecutors Many were thrust into their Monasteries where they
forth our most earnest Prayers to that Divine Goodness for this intent and purpose The rest you shall understand from our venerable Brother Angelo Archbishop of Genua In the mean time we greet you most kindly with our Apostolical Benediction Given at Rome the 13 th of November in the 10 th Year of our Pontificate SECT LVI Whil'st the Ministers are in exile their Eyes and Hearts are towards France There is many a Loadstone that draws their Affections thitherward They left behind them many dear Relations many Christian Friends under great Temptations and very sore Tryals And tho' they cannot visit them in person and converse with them mouth to mouth for their edification and mutual comfort yet they do it by Ink and Paper Many Pastoral Letters have been transmitted But if I am not mistaken this was either the first or one of the first which was written tho' a multitude of them have since followed An Epistle to our Brethren groaning under the Captivity of Babylon For whom we wish the Mercy and Peace of our God WE have heard with extream Grief most Dear Brethren in our Lord that great temptation to which you have been exposed and those grievous Calamities it hath pleased God you should undergo We have also understood but to our far greater Grief the sad news of your Weakness in yielding to the Temptation We beseech you seriously to reflect upon your selves and to consider what you have to answer unto him who hath commanded that you should confess him before Men if you would obtain that honour of his Confessing and owning you before God and Angels How will you be able to stand before his Judgment Seat who hath injoined you to forsake Goods Possessions Wives Parents and Children for his Names sake promising you an hundred fold recompence Can you tell him that you have resisted unto Blood striving against Sin Pray what are your Sufferings if compared with those of our Saviour Christ Jesus Did he start back when he saw Death stare him in the Face when he was to be Scourged with Rods to be Crown'd with Thorns to be affronted with Spittle to be pierc'd with Nails and to be hang'd upon the Cross What think you at your reading those words Blessed are those who are persecuted for Righteousness sake You have no share in that Blessedness For to avoid Persecution you have renounced that Righteousness What answer will you make those holy Apostles who with Tears Preached the Gospel of the Cross unto the World and who all Suffered Martyrdom by the hands of Hangmen and who prepared all their Disciples for Persecution by telling them Whosoever will embrace the truth and live godly in Christ Jesus must cast up his accounts of suffering Persecution What answer will you make our Reformers who spared neither Watches nor Sweats nor Blood to draw us out of Idolatry and Superstition What will you say unto those blessed Martyrs whose Children you are and who for this very Cause abandon'd by you endur'd Fires Prisons Racks and the most cruel Torments They were for divers years together buried alive in deep Dungeons full of Ordures Toads and Serpents and drawn thence they were driven into the Fire their Hands and Feet burnt and being half dead they were yet pluckt out of those Flames but it was to increase their Tortures Whilst they were alive they saw their Bellies burning and their own Bowels gushing out In the midst of those Torments instead of renouncing the Truth of God they blessed his holy Name and sang his Praises What will you say unto those great Workmen who with such great travel have erected this glorious Fabrick of Reformation and which in a moments time you have suffered totally to be ruin'd How can you indure the Reproaches of your glorified Ancestors whose goods were plunder'd who were outragiously persecuted and who notwithstanding have handed down unto you their Children the purity and verity of the Gospel For God's sake Dear Brethren Consider sadly your offence with all its aggravations and cry out in the bitterness of the Spirit Men and Brethren what shall we do Undoubtedly your Consciences under this hard Bondage crave our advice and we freely give it you And first of all Beware of that great danger in which your are you have denied God with your Mouth do not forsalte him with your Heart For it oft-times so happens that God delivers them up to a Reprobate sense who had perfidiously betray'd their own Consciences And they are such as once seemed to love the Truth but afterwards proceeded to hate it yea and at last to persecute it Two things may produce this Cursed effect The first is Despair For the Mercy of God being despaired of by any Person he doth incontinently hate the truth yea and at last abhors it Do not precipitate yourselves into this Condition Seriously consider your Sin but never despair of the pardoning grace of God Your Sin indeed is great But the Mercy of our Saviour is Infinite The Lord preserveth his Elect every where Yea sometimes there be such as belong to Zion even in Babylon provided they do their endeavour to come out of it and not to participate in her Sins and Idolatries lest they participate in her Plagues Bestir your selves then to get out of this Sodom where your Salvation is in so great Jeopardy and till you can do it have nothing to do with her Idolatries How these may be avoided we shall anon direct you A second thing which will render your condition irrecoverable is a customary contempt of the Truth At first it may seem difficult to you to be present at a worship so contrary unto yours To see brutish and Superstitious Wretches prostrate themselves before Images will create trouble to you You will scarce brook that barbarous Language in which you shall hear Litanies sung to the honour of Creatures and the great dishonour of your Creator You will yet suffer more when you must be prefent at that which they call the Sacrifice of the Mass and where they will force you to give religious adoration to a piece of Bread However it s to be feared that by degrees you may be inured unto all this though at present you may say For my part I believe nothing of all this and that 's enough Yet in process of time you may come to find this not very evil and may count gross Idolatries but harmless Superstitions which do neither good nor evil This way will infallibly lead you to a despising and hatred of the Truth and thence infallibly to Hell And this is that Sin against the Holy Ghost which is not pardoned in this nor shall be in the World to come Our advice upon the whole is this Maintain in your Souls as it well deserves a due horrour of Popery The methods used by them to bring you back again unto it do abundantly contribute hereunto It must needs be the Devils own Religion that serves it self of such kind
I have the will I swear unto you that my own mouth should have verified unto you what I now write that I am more than any man in the World of Montpellier April 26. 1614. Your Reverences The most Humble and the most Affectionate to do you service Chastillon The Letter of the Mareschall Duke of Bouillon to the National Synod of Tonneins Sirs I Delayed writing to you because I was in hopes to have sent my Letters by one of the Pastors of his Highness the Prince Elector Palatine who should have past through this City in his way unto your Synod and have delivered those of his Highness to you But that little time he had for so long a Journey and the little safety that now is on the High-ways having kept him at home they were directed to me that I may send them as I now do unto you and I shall take this occasion to confirm you in those assurances I have given you of my intire affection and service for the Weal Preservation and Increase of our Churches upon whose account you are now Assembled and that I desire to keep up with them a good Union and Correspondence 'T is to my very great regret that there have been some little differences between Monsieur du Moulin and Monsieur Tilenus one of the Professors in my University to the suppressing of which I have done all that lay in my power In so much that all those bitter reflections are allayed and quasht and I dare promise that from your prudence and the interposal of his Majesty of great Britain who writes to you by Mr. Hume Pastor of the Church of Duras and by the mediation of the Elector Palatin whose Letters this bearer from me delivers to you you will meet with some proper Expedient for their final determination so that those two great personages considerable for their Profession and merits may employ the gifts which God hath bestowed upon them more unto the Churches profit for the future And I will be Surety for the Sieur Tilenus that he shall pay the greatest deference unto your good Counsels and on my part I shall contribute all that you can expect from me to so good a work whereof I earnestly attend the happy Issue through your wise and prudent direction I shall detain you no longer but with the offer of my prayers unto God Almighty that he would please to guide and influence your Spirits and Councils that their result may be glory to his great Name and happiness unto his Church From Sedan May 3. 1614. A Postscript with his own hand Sirs ALtho I am well assured that your Intentions are all leading to a good Reunion both in Civil and Church-affairs yet will I not forbear quickening you hereunto and the rather because Satan and his Engines are now more than every at work marvellously busied and employed to divide us having found in this degenerate age more debauched persons and greater debaucheries than in times past Wherefore I protest unto you that in what concerns my self in particular that I shall freely discharge my duty and services according to what shall be resolved on in your Common and United Counsels and seek for my self none other benefit and advantage than to live and die in the fear of God Your most humbly to do you service Henry de la Tour. CHAP. XX. The Excommunication of Monsieur Jeremy Ferrier sometimes Pastor and Professor in the Church and Vniversity of Nismes denounced in the Church of Nismes upon the 14th of July 1613 being the Lords Day Extracted out of a little Book Intituled The Troubles happened in the City of Nismes in Languedoc July 15. 1613. and Printed the same year MAster Jeremy Ferrier formerly Minister of the Word of God having been judged by the National Synod yet hath not in the least owned and acknowledged God's singular Mercy and Benignity to him nor the Gentleness and Clemency of his Judges He hath took no notice of his great and hainous offences though God saw them the Church observed them and the World cried out of them Some days after Sentence had past upon him he made semblance as if he acquiesced in it requesting to be provided of another Church His Judges had respect unto his demand and provided for him very much unto his conveniency But the close and issue hath evidently demonstrated that what he did was all in Hypocrisie was nothing else but fraud and mockery Instead of humbling himself he waxed more fierce and fiery he kicked against the pricks he hardened his heart against the voice of God speaking to him He hath multiplied and increast his sins seeking Sanctuaries for his Rebellion from the World and protection by it in his Enter-prizes following the train and lure of his own lusts and loving this present World he would rather be a slave to the Mammon of Unrighteousness than to serve God and his Church and betaking himself to wicked and unworthy courses he hath refused to be reformed and hateth Discipline and Correction scorning and trampling under foot all Church-Order He hath most licentiously inveighed against and satyrically lampoon'd the Ecclesiastical Assemblies he hath let flie the worst of Calumnies against the Servants of God generally and particularly in publick and private by word of mouth by Pen and Writing He threw himself wittingly and wilfully upon temptations and into the snares of the Devil he became his own Seducer and like tile Devil endeavoured to seduce others He hath by his ungodly comportments scandalized those that are without and such as are within he hath attempted to mischief the Church of God for which the Lord Jesus hath shed his most precious Blood He did most solemnly engage unto the Church of Paris yea he swore it with as great seriousness as possible that he would never take upon him nor aspire unto any other Calling than that of the Sacred Ministry unless the Colloquy of Lionnois should discharge him by taking from him all possible means of subsistence Before which nevertheless when he was called he refused to appear and would not be judged of God nor by the Men of God He hath cast himself into a contumacious and audacious Rebellion into the most injurious and excessive Insolencies he hath published himself guilty of a notorious and horrible Perjury totally deserting the Sacred Ministry having rejected all the Summons and Invitations unto Repentance made him for a whole year together by divers Church-Assemblies in divers places and at divers times by many most excellent Servants of God who cordially and industriously laboured after his Conversion and Reformation He hath despised the long-suffering patience and forbearance of God and of the Church and never heeded those publick Admonitions which according to the Discipline were used to reclaim him and bring him back again unto his duty But he persists obstinately in his sins in his Disobediencies and Rebellions and hardens hardens himself in his Impenitency insomuch that we must speak it
But as for us who adore these Divine Mysteries let us cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. O! The Depths of the Riches and of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his Judgments and his Waves are past finding out For who hath known the Mind of the Lord Or who hath been his Counsellor Or who hath first given unto him and it shall be rendred unto him again For of him and by him and for him are all things To him be Glory for ever and ever Amen Errors Rejected The Orthodox Doctrine of Election and Reprobation having been Expounded the Synod Rejected their Errors CANON I. I. WHO teach that the Will of God to save them that shall believe and persevere in Faith and Obedience of Faith is the full and whole Decree of Election unto Salvation and that there is nothing else revealed in the Word of God concerning this Decree For these deceive the simple and do apparently contradict the Holy Scriptures which doth not only witness that God would save such as shall believe but also that from all Eternity he hath chosen some certain Persons to whom in his own time he will rather give Faith in Jesus Christ and perseverance than unto others As it is written John 17.16 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men whom thou hast given me And Acts 13.48 And all those believed who were ordained unto Eternal Life And Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us before the foundation of the World that we might be Holy CANON II. Those who teach that Gods Election unto Eternal Life is of divers kinds the one general and Indefinite the other definite and particular and this again is either incomplete revocable not-peremptory but conditional or else complete unchangeable peremptory or absolute Item there is Election unto Faith and another unto Life and Salvation so that Election unto Justifying Faith may be without a peremptory Election unto Salvation For these are nothing else but the vain Inventions of brain-sick-Men forged without Scripture Light or Warrant and which corrupt the Sacred Doctrine of Divine Election and do dissolve asunder all the Links in that Golden Chain of our Salvation Rom. 8.29 And whom God hath predestinated them he also called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified CANON III. Those who teach that the good pleasure and determinate purpose of God whereof the Scripture maketh mention in the Doctrine of Election consisteth not in this that God hath chosen some certain Persons rather than others but in this that from out of all possible Conditions among which also are the works of the Law or from the Rank and Order of all things God hath chosen the Act of Faith though vile in it self and the imperfect Obedience of Faith for the condition of Salvation and that of his meer Grace he will accept and reckon it for perfect Obedience and judge it vvorthy the recompence of Eternal Life For by this pernicious Error the good Pleasure of God and the Merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ be all enervated and Men are turned avvay by unprofitable Questions from the true Doctrine of the Free Grace or God displayed in our Justification and the simplicity of the Scriptures And that Sentence of the Holy Apostle must be branded with falsity 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath called us with an Holy Calling not according to Works but according to his own determinate Purpose and Grace which was given us in Jesus Christ from the beginning of the World CANON IV. Those who teach that in Election unto Faith there is this Condition pre-required that Man do make a good and right use of Nature that he be an honest Man humble and disposed for Eternal Life as if Election did some way or other depend on these things For this Opinion is rank Pelagianisme and doth too overtly and boldly tax the Apostle of falsehood when as he saith Ephes 2.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. We have all had heretofore our Conversions in the Lusts of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of our Minds and were by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others But God who is Rich in Mercy by his great love wherewith he loved us even then when as we were dead in our sins hath quickned us together with Christ by whose Grace you are saved and he hath risen us up together with him and hath made us sit down together in heavenly places through Jesus Christ that so he might manifest in Ages to come the abundant Excellencies of the riches of his Grace by his loving kindness towards us in Jesus Christ For you are saved by grace through Faith and this not of your selves but the gift of God not of works least any one should boast or glory CANON V. Those who teach that incomplete and not-peremptory Election of particular Persons is done through foresight of their begun Faith Conversion Holyness and Piety or of its continuance for some time But that complete and peremptory Election is done from a foresight of their final perseverance in Faith Conversion Holyness and Piety and therein lieth that gratuitous and Evangelical Worthiness for vvhich he vvho is Elected is more Worthy than he vvho is not Elected and thus consequently Faith and the Obedience of Faith Holyness Piety and Perseverance are not the Fruits and Effects of Immutable Election unto Glory but Conditions and Causes vvithout vvhich there can be no Election vvhich Causes and Conditions are prae-required and foreseen in such a manner in those Persons vvho vvould be completely Elected as if they vvere already accomplished This is a Doctrine diametrically opposite unto Scripture vvhich in divers places inculcateth into our Ears and Hearts these and the like Sentences Rom. 9.12 Election is not of Works but of him that calleth Acts 13.48 All those vvho vvere ordained unto Eternal Life believed Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in him that vve might be Holy John 15.16 You have not chosen me but I have chosen you Rom. 11.6 And if it be by grace then it is no more of vvorks 1 John 4.10 In this is love not that vve have loved God but that he hath loved us and sent his Son into the VVorld that he might save us CANON VI. Those vvho teach that all Election unto Salvation is not unchangeable but that some of the Elect notvvithstanding all or any part of God's Decree may perish and that Eternally By vvhich gross Error they may make God changeable and overthrovv the Consolation of Believers vvhich is bottom'd and grounded upon the immoveable firmness of Gods Election and professedly contradict the Sacred Scriptures learning us that the Elect can never be seduced Matth. 24.24 And John 6.39 That Christ loseth not one of them vvho are given him by the Father And Rom. 8.29 Whom God hath predestinated them he called justified and vvill also glorifie CANON VII Those vvho teach that during this Life there proceedeth
since the fall that by his good usage of them he may by degrees obtain a far greater Grace to witt Evangelical and Saving Grace yea and Salvation it self and so by this means God is ready on his part to discover himself and to reveal Jesus Christ unto all because he doth sufficiently and efficaciously administer unto all those necessary means whereby they may attain the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of Faith and Repentance But that this is notoriously false besides the Experience of all Ages it is evident also from Scripture Testimony Psal 147.19 20. He declared his words unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with every Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them Acts. 14.16 And in times past God suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes Acts 16.6 7. And they were forbidden viz. Paul and his Company by the Holy Ghost to declare or preach his Word i. e. the Gospel in Asia and when they were come into Mysia they essayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit of our Lord Jesus suffered them not CANON VI. Who teach that when God doth truely and savingly convert Man it cannot be that he should put into his Will new Qualities Habits or Gifts and that therefore Faith by which we be first of all Converted and from which we be called Believers is not a quality or gift infused into us by God but an Action of Man only and that it cannot be called a gift unless it be upon this Account that Man can of himself attain it For these are palpable Contradictions to the Divinely inspired Scriptures which do in plain terms declare That God sheddeth abroad into our Hearts the new Qualities of Faith Obedience and the sence and feeling of his Love Jer. 31.3 I will put my Law in them and I will write it in their hearts Esaiah 44.3 I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed Rom. 5. ver 5. And the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us And these Opinions be repugnant to the Prayers and Practice of Gods Church in all Ages who have ever cryed with Jeremy 31.18 Convert me O God and I shall be converted CANON VII Who teach that Converting Grace is no other than a sweet perswasion or as some others of them explain it that the most noble manner of working in Mans Conversion and most suitable to his Humane Nature is that which is done by swasion and that nothing can hinder but that the Grace which they call Moral that is to say Arguments simply perswasive may change the Natural Man into Spiritual yea that God doth not any way else induce the Will to consent but by this way and manner of perswasions and herein consisteth the efficaciousness of Gods operation by which he doth so much surmount the operation of Satan Sathan only promising temporal good things but God such as be Eternal For this is rank Pelagianisme and crosseth the whole tenour of Sacred Scriptures which besides this way of operation by Moral Swasion in the Conversion of Man doth yet acknowledge another to wit that of Gods Holy Spirit which is far more Divine and efficacious as in Ezek. 36.26 I will give unto them a new heart and a new spirit will I put within them and I will take away the heart of stone and give unto them an heart of Flesh CANON VIII Who teach that God doth not exert in the Conversion of Man all the Majesty of his Omnipotency so as thereby most powerfully and infallibly to bow his stubborn and rebellious Will to believe and convert but notwithstanding Gods exertion of all those operations of Grace which are used by him in Mans Conversion yet Man may resist God and the Holy Ghost even then when as God purposed and had resolved to convert him yea and that in very deed Man doth oftentimes resist God in such a manner as doth totally and intirely hinder his Regeneration yea that it is still in his own power whether he will be regenerated or not For this is nothing else but to rob God of the efficaciousness of his Grace in our Conversion and to subject the Action of God Almighty to the will of the weak Man which is contrary to the Apostolical Doctrine Ephes 1.19 learning us That we believe according to the efficacy of his Mighty Povver And 2 Thessalon 1.11 And God fulfilleth and accomplisheth in us all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of Faith with power 2 Pet. 1.3 And by his Divine power are given unto us all things appertaining to Life and Godlyness CANON IX Who teach that Grace and Free Will are Con-Causes and act though each his part yet jointly together in the first point of Conversion and that Grace as a Cause doth not in order precede the efficiency or motion of the Will that is in plain English God doth not efficaciously help the Will of Man to convert it self before the Will of it self doth first move and determine it self But Gods Ancient Church hath many Ages since anathematized this Doctrine of Pelagius by the words of the Apostle Rom. 9.16 'T is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy 1 Cor. 4.7 And who is it that maketh thee to differ from another And vvhat hast thou vvhich thou hast not received And Philip. 2.13 'T is God vvho vvorketh in us vvith Efficacy both to vvill and to do according to his ovvn good pleasure CHAP. IV. Concerning the Perseverance of SAINTS CANON I. THOSE whom God calleth according to his determinate purpose unto the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and regenerateth by his Holy Spirit he delivers them from the Dominion and Slavery of Sin but not wholly from their Flesh and Body of Sin in this Life CANON II. Hence it is that we dayly see so many sins of Infirmity and that the best Works of Saints are not without their Spots which is a continual ground for their deep humiliation before God and of recourse unto a crucified Jesus and dayly more and more to mortifie the Flesh by the Spirit of Prayer and the Sacred exercises of Piety and to breath after perfection till that being rid of this Body of Sin they may for ever Reign in Heaven with the Lamb of God CANON III. By reason of the Remainders of Sin indwelling in them and of the Worlds and Satans Temptations those who be converted could not persist in this Grace if they were left unto their own Strength But God is faithful who through the Riches of his Mercy doth confirm them in that Grace which he hath once given them and will keep them by his power unto the end CANON IV. Now although this power of God strengthning and preserving true Believers in their Estate of Grace be so very great that it can never be surmounted by the Flesh yet so is it that
Converts are not alwayes so guided and moved of God as they may not through their own fault in some particular Actions swerve from the Conduct of his Grace and be seduced by the Lusts of the Flesh to obey it Therefore they ought alwayes to watch and pray that they may not be led into temptation and in case they neglect this their Duty they are not only obnoxious to be seduced and drawn away by the Flesh the World and Satan into grievous and atrocious Sins but by the just permission of God they do actually fall and that very shamefully And we have sad instances of this in David Peter and divers other Godly Persons mentioned in Scripture CANON V. In the mean while by such Sins they hainously offend God and render themselves guilty of Death they grieve the Holy Spirit they interrupt the Course and Exercise of their Faith they do wound their Consciences most sorely and may lose the Sence and Feeling of the grace of God for a time 'till that he do once again lift up the Light of his Fatherly loving Countenance upon them vvhich he may do upon the serious renevval of their Repentance and returning into the good vvayes of their Duty CANON VI. For God vvho is rich in Mercy according to the unchangeable purpose of Election doth not utterly take away from his own his Holy Spirit no not in their greatest and most lamentable falls nor doth he suffer them to fall so low as to lose the grace of Adoption and their Estate of Justification or to commit that Sin unto Death against the Holy Ghost Nor doth he so forsake them as to suffer them to be precipitated into Everlasting Destruction CANON VII For even under those falls God preserveth in them principally and most carefully his Immortal Seed of Regeneration so that it is not totally lost nor destroyed in them Yea and afterwards he doth truely and effectually renew them by his Word and Spirit and bring them to Repentance working in them a godly sorrow for their Sins so that with a contrite and broken heart they do petition for and obtain their pardon through Faith in the Blood of the Mediator and feel once again the Grace of a Reconciled God and adore his faithfulness and tender bowels of Compassion and do for the future work out their Salvation more sollicitously with fear and trembling CANON VIII So then 't is not from any Merit or Strength of their own but by the Sole and Soveraign Free Grace and Mercy of God that they do not totally loose Faith and Grace nor live and die and perish finally in their Sins which might easily have been done and without all doubt would have eventually befallen them had it not been for God himself who can in no wise suffer his Council to be changed nor his Promise to be vacated nor that their Calling decreed in his Eternal Purpose should be revoked nor the Merit and Intercession of the Lord Jesus and his keeping of them should be annihilated nor the Seal of his Holy Spirit to be evacuated and abolished CANON IX And as for that keeping of the Elect unto Salvation and the perseverance of true Believers in Faith Believers themselves may be and are according to the Degrees of their Faith assured of it by which they be certainly perswaded that they are and shall continue true and lively Members of Christs Church and that they shall obtain the forgiveness of all their Sins and at last Everlasting Life CANON X. And therefore this Assurance doth not arise from any particular Revelation which is besides or without the Word but it proceedeth from Faith in Gods promises which he hath most abundantly revealed in his Holy Word for our comfort and from the witness of his Holy Spirit together with our Spirit that we be the Children and Heirs of God Rom. 8.16 17. and finally from a Serious and Religious Study and endeavour to keep a good Conscience and the unwearied performance of good works And should Gods Elect be deprived here below of this Sacred Consolation that they shall obtain at last the Victory should they be destitute of this infallible pledge and earnest of Eternal Glory they would be of all Men the most miserable CANON XI Yet notwithstanding the Scriptures testifie that Believers must conflict in this Life with many doubts arising from the Flesh and being thus agitated with grievous temptations they may not then feel this full Consolation of Faith and this certainty of preserving But God the Father of all Consolation will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear but together with the temptation will give them strength to undergo it and a most happy issue out of it 1 Cor. 10.13 and by his Holy Spirit will again revive in them the assurance of their perseverance CANON XII And this Assurance of persevering to the end is so far from rendring true Believers proud or plunging them into Carnal Security that its rather the Soarce and Root of true Humility and of Filial Fear of true Godliness and Patience in all our Conflicts and Combats of most ardent Prayers constancy under the Cross confession of the Truth and of Solid Rejoycing in God So that the Consideration of this benefit is a Spur and Incentive to quicken and provoke them to a serious and dayly Exercise of Thanksgiving and good Works As is evident from Scripture Instances and the Examples of Saints CANON XIII So that when as the Confidence of Perseverance is enkindled again in the faithful which are recovered from their falls this doth not beget in them a laziness and neglect of Piety but a far greater care to keep themselves in the ways of God which are ordained for us to walk in And they retain the certainty of their hope least by abusing the Paternal Love and Kindness of their God he should once again turn away his gracious and loving Countenance from them the sight whereof is unto all the faithful far better than Life and the deprival of it far more bitter than Death and they should fall into greater anguish and torments of Conscience CANON XIV And forasmuch as it hath pleased God by his grace to begin his Work in us through the preaching of the Gospel so also will he preserve continue and perfect it by the Hearing Reading Counsels Threatnings and Promises of the Gospel and by our Usage of the Sacraments CANON XV. This Doctrine of the Assurance and Perseverance of Real Saints and sound Believers which is so abundantly revealed by God in his Word unto the glory of his Name and the Consolation of Pious Souls and which is imprinted by him on the hearts of the Faithful is such as no Flesh can comprehend Satan hates the World laugheth at the Ignorant and Hypocrites abuse and is opposed by erroneous Spirits But on the other hand it hath been ever beloved and that most ardently by the Spouse of Christ and as a most inestimable
to yield all due Obedience and Service unto his Majesty 15. The Province of Dolphiny craved Advice what should be done with those who violated that Canon of Tonneins which had obliged Pastors to administer Baptism only at such Church-Meetings in which the Word of God was preached either immediately before or after Sermon because that divers Churches do it when as only they come together unto their accustomed Morning common publick Prayers without any Sermons at all After a long and smart Debate about this Matter the Council owning that the formal necessary Words for Consecration and Celebration of that Sacrament were fully comprized in the Liturgy of our Churches and judging it for the present utterly unfit to urge the Observation of that Canon of Tonneins decreeth that the Provinces having examined the Reasons alledged by both Parties pro and con shall give unto their Deputies commissionated unto the next National Synod the strongest Arguments to this purpose that so that Council may proceed to a final Resolution in the Case CHAP. XXVI An Act for a publick National Fast 16. THE Wrath of God having been kindled against his People and broken out upon them in divers Places for many Years last past so that he hath visited their Iniquities with sundry and very terrible Judgments such as the Plague unseasonable Weather the devouring Sword the Desolations of War all which have brought upon us and upon the Provinces deep Poverty woful Miseries and Calamities which should have quickned us and them unto a most serious Repentance and Reformation of Life Yet notwithstanding the Generality of Men do persist in their Sins and abound in their Transgressions so that the great Law-giver who alone can save and destroy hath not called in his Wrath but his Hand is stretched out still and a Multitude of our poor Churches in divers Places are sorely afflicted by the Enemies of the Gospel who turn every Stone and use all sort of means be they never so unjust and violent to deprive us of his Majesties Protection and the Benefits of that Peace which his Majesty was graciously pleased to grant equally and indifferently unto all his Subjects And forasmuch as the common sense of the most stupid Persons might have learn'd them that those many dreadful Judgments with which the Lord hath scourged his Churches have been drawn down upon them by their great Impenitency Stubbornness and Hardness of Heart and that God hath called upon them to lie low at to his Footstool in deep Abasement Humiliation and Contrition of Spirit and by their Patience and Christian Moderation to have used and improved these Chastisements as divine Remedies against those dismal and eternal Torments he had threatned them and which they have most justly deserved and that in their deplorable Condition they should with Tears and Prayers with a most sincere Conversion and thorough Reformation have fled for Sanctuary unto the Arms of Soveraign Mercy that so that great God who createth Good and formeth Evil who giveth Peace and sendeth Adversity at his sole Will and Pleasure might have found them seeking those Blessings at his Hands only and not depended as they have done too frequently rashly and inconsiderately upon an Arm of Flesh Wherefore this National Synod representing the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom injoineth all Pastors to press home vigorously and zealously upon the Consciences of their People true Piety and Devotion towards God due Obedience unto the higher Powers sound and perpetual Repentance from dead Works the Want and Neglect of which have caused ignorant Persons to blaspheme the holy and fearful Name of God and to despise and vilify the good Ways of his Truth and Reformation And it doth further decree that a solemn Day of Fasting and Supplications shall be kept and observed in all the Churches of this Kingdom the first Thursday in March next coming because the Necessity of humbling our selves before God is absolute and indispensable there being none other way left us to turn away his Wrath from us and to hasten the time of our Deliverance than by a Reformation of our former Sinfulness and a better and exacter ordering of our Actions and Conversations for the future 17. The Council exhorteth all the Provinces and the richer Churches in them to erect publick Libraries for the Ease and Benefit of their Pastors and the Deputies of Burgundy as they return home-ward through the Lower Languedoc are charged to give particular Notice hereof unto the Consistory of Montpellier and the Church of Paris and Universities of Montauban and Nismes shall be acquainted also with this our Request 18. The Council enjoined all Persons who may hereafter audit their Accompts in the National Synods to bring with them their last Accompt and all Commissioners deputed to examine and close up such Accompts shall not proceed about the said Audit till such time as they have duly and accurately perused the Acts of the last Synod concerning both these and their last tendred Accompts because there be Remarks in them which look forward and backward both to the Years by-gone and past and those that are to come 19. His Majesty having graciously permitted a general Collection to be made throughout all the Churches of this Kingdom for the impoverished Cities of Rochel Montauban and Castres their Deputies came into the Council and petitioned that there might be a Dividend made of the said collected Charities protesting withal that they would chearfully acquiesce in its judicious Assignation of them Whereupon the Council decreed that one quarter of those Moneys should be given unto this Town of Castres and the three other Parts should be equally divided between the Cities of Rochel and Montauban CHAP. XXVII Differences between the Cities of Rochel Montauban and Castres 1626. The 25th Synod composed 20. THE Council composing the Differences which had fallen out between the Cities and Communalties of Rochel Montauban and Castres in dividing the Collection-Money before-mentioned they being at Variance among themselves about it And having heard the Reasons and Pretensions of the said Cities and Communalties both from the Mouth of their Deputies and the Report of the Commissioners appointed for the managing of this Affair and having maturely Considered the whole decreed That the fourth Part of those Moneys so collected shall be delivered into the City of Castres and the other three Parts shall be equally divided betwixt the Cities of Rochel and Montauban And that the said Cities and Communalties may reap and enjoy the Benefit and Comfort of the said collected Charities their Deputies here present are enjoined to nominate one certain Person from among them to receive those Moneys who is a Person of sufficient Honesty and Ability to be responsible for them together with three or four other Persons of known Integrity and Fidelity who may be present and actually imployed in the Distribution of them which shall be made by the Command and Authority of the Mayors and Consuls of the said Cities and
Plants which have been sent you from divers Provinces of this Kingdom that through your well-deserving Pains and Counsels they may be prepared and made fruitful Ministers of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus And to these our Thanks we shall add our most ardent Prayers unto God that he would pour out upon you his most precious and saving Blessings and that he would always make you a most eminent Example of his Grace and Mercy in the Churches of his dear Son covering you and your Common-wealth wherein you live with the Wings of his Protection to the Glory of his Providence and to the Honour of his Holy Name as also to the Consolation of our Churches In whose Name we are From Castres this 6th of September 1626. Most Honoured Lords and Brethren Your most humble and most affectionate Servants in the Lord the Pastors and Elders of the Reformed Churches of France assembled in our National Synod and for them all The Superscription was thus To our Lords the Pastors and Elders in the Church of Geneva at Geneva Chauve Moderator Bouterove Assessor Scribes of the Synod O. Blondel Petit A Letter from the Church of Paris to our most Honoured Lords the Pastors and Elders assembled in the National Synod at Castres Most Reverend and very Honoured 'T IS with very great regret on our part that we are enforced to complain unto you against our Province but we have too just cause for out so doing We have ever held a fair and Christian Correspondence and Fraternal Union with it And indeed Sirs if it had been only our own particular Interest that was concerned we should much rather have chosen to suffer all manner of ill Usages than to have interrupted you in your most holy and important Occupations But the Honour of our Functions and the Glory of our God and the Advancement of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ are all concerned Therefore we implore with the greater freedom the Assistance of your Charity and the Help of your Fatherly Protection because we are well assured of your Zeal to the Well-being and Edification of our Church You know Sirs that great Affliction wherewith our â—od hath of late visited us in calling unto himself that most excellent Person Monsieur Durant whose Gifts and Graces and singular ministerial Abilities were universally known throughout the whole Kingdom During his Sickness which lasted near sour Months and six Months since his Decease those two astors which were left us were so surcharged with hard Labour that they both fell dangerously Ill and must have infallibly funk under the weight of their Burden had they not been extraordinarily assisted and supported by God As soon as God had took into his Joys our late famous Pastor we faw immediately the great necessity we had to relieve and ease those two which survived and this was the unanimous Prayer and Desire of the whole Church It was utterly impossible for us to find in our Colloquy a Minister every way qualified for us for besides that none of those Pastors had a Voice strong enough for our Auditory and those other Abilities requisite for the edifying so great a People There were some afflicted with Sickness and divers Churches were destitute of Pastors and so far were we from being holpen by them that several of the Neighbour-Churches have importuned us to lend them our help To assemble a Synod for their and our Relief was out of our Power For besides the bitterness of the Season the rigour and sharpness of the Winter we were then in the very hottest and deepest of the late Trouble and without any hopes of Peace which since our good God out of his infinite Mercy hath bestowed upon us Being then obliged to provide for our selves elsewhere we were not in any great trouble on whom to sasten our Eyes for so had the gracious Providence of God ordered it that in the extremity of Monsieur Durant's Sickness Monsieur Daillé preached three Sermons to us which so much affected our whole Church that from that instant it was the common Discourse that as God afflicted us on the one Hand so did he seem to comfort us on the other by pointing out unto us such a Person as might he easily and speedily obtained by us because the Province of Anjou was well enough provided of able Pastors and of divers Proposans of very great Hopes Monsieur Durand resting from his Labours in Abraham's Bosom we believed it our Duty to concur with those ardent Desires that many of our Members had expressed for Monsieur Daillé and the rather because we were well inform'd of his singular Piety Probity and rare Learning who by reason of those excellent Gifts and Graces of God's Holy Spirit in him had been already sought after far and near by many of the greatest and most famous Churches in the Kingdom But the Lord out of his abundant Goodness had reserv'd him for us And that we might handsomly and regularly proceed in giving him a Call to the Pastoral Office in our Church we resolved at first to demand him by way of Loan as we can easily prove by our Letters written unto the Church of Saumur and to the said Monsieur Daillé and by the Acts of our Consistory But the Person whom we deputed to Saumur and to whose Prudence and wise Conduct we had confided this Affair having been refused as to the Loan advised us by an express Messenger that there was more hopes of gaining him as an absolute Gift because the Church of Saumur could more easily procure it self a fettled Pastor than borrow one for a few Months Whereupon he demanded of us new Letters and a more ample Commission The Quality of the Person imployed by us in this Negotiation and our most pressing urgent Necessity made us resolve to demand the Ministry of Monsieur Daillé purely and absolutely We in the mean while taking it for granted that our Synod would have approved and consented to what we had done as we on our parts were disposed to break off the whole Treaty in case they could make it appear that we were out and mistaken in our Choice and that there could be any thing opposed against the Doctrine Life and Conversation of him to whom we had sent our Call As soon as we had notice that our Synod should be assembled we to render all due Honours to it delegated the Sieurs Mestrezat Bigot and d' Huysseau to it and charged them to make report of our Conduct in this Affair and to petition that Assembly to approve of the calling Monsieur Daillé into Office among us though at that time we had no promise of him made us by the Church of Saumur We well hoped that those Reverend Gentlemen would have considered the great importance of our Church and the Kindnesses they continually receive from it and that they would have comforted us in our Affliction and would have praised our Proceedings or at least would
of La Ferte on the Jouaire 600. 2. Colloquy of Picardy Pastors Churches 617. John Baptiste Ministers of Calais 601. 618. Peter Cartier 619. Buguet 620. Francois Becade 621. Ezechiel de Avois of Boulonois 602. 622. Peter Poynet of Amieus 603. 623. Daniel Boucherel of Cifemont 604. 624. Claudius le Vineux of Chauny Coussy 605. 625. John Mestayer of St. Quentin 606. 626. Paul Georges of Laon 607. 627. Peter Lambour of Leval Gercy 608. 628. John Nicollay of Compiegne 609. 3. Colloquy of Champagne Pastors Churches 629. Benjamin Augenet Ministers of Vini in Champenois 610. 630. Simon Gascher 631. Benjamin Massin of Chaalons 611. 632. John Pasquet of Espance 612. 633. Honorius de Candemere of Netancour 613. 634. John Rainet of Langres 614. 635. Samuel de la Cloche of Aychastelnay 615. 636. Abraham Jacquelot of Sezame 616. 637. Sigebert Alpeé of St. Mars 617. 638. Aaron Blondel of Jinecour 618. 639. Isaac Juigné of Vassy 619. 640. John Carre Minister of Heiz le Mauron 620. 4. Colloquy of the Land of Chartres Pastors Churches 641. Louis de Forquembergue of Houdan 621. 642. Louis Foulé of Laons Faviers 622. 643. Philip Falbergue of Chartres Joinvilliers 623. 644. Benjamin Tricotel of Mantes Auvergne 624. 645. Maurice de Lauberaut of Le Plessis la Jorville 625. 646. Dablon de Montigny 647. James Couronne of Autun 626. The end of the Catalogue of the Pastors of the Churches of France and Bearn as it was brought into the Seven and Twentieth National Synod of Alanson in the year 1637. Hereafter follow divers Acts and Letters which were not inserted into the Body of the Acts of this Synod but for the compleating of its History are in this place Registred and Related CHAP. XXIV The Speech made by Monsieur Ferrand Pastor of the Church of Bourdeaux Deputed by the National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France Assembled at Alanson the 27th of May 1637. unto His Majesty SIRE IF the Rivers having their Source from the Ocean do return again with their Tribute to it 't is much more Just and Reasonable that Your most Humble and most Obedient Subjects the Ministers and Elders Assembled by Your Authority in a National Synod should come and render into Your Royal Bosom the Profound Resentments and Eternal Thankfulness of their Souls for those numberless Favours they have received and do still enjoy by Your Majesty's most Gracious Protection and Royal Liberality which being superadded to those Duties of our Birth and Conscience do so bind us unto Subjection Fidelity and Obedience to Your Commands that no future Events can or will be able to dissolye or cut them asunder These Sire be the Loyal Protestations of those that sent us who desire nothing more than to Engrave in the hearts of Your most Dutiful Subjects of our Religion the Holy Maxims of an inviolable and Religious Obedience For we Sire are those very Persons who Believe and Teach that the Royal Authority is not of Humane but Divine Institution unto which every Soul ought to be Subjected and we are those who Believe and Teach the Sovereignty and Independency of Your Crown which resembling those higher Mountains whose Lofty Heads being exalted above the middle Region of the Air are never frighted with Thunders nor Lightnings No Sire You hold it from God only and it is solely depending on him and You are next in Power unto him the Sun of this Heaven the Soul of this vast Body the Heart of this Gallick Monarchy Yea Sire once more we be those very Persons who next unto the Service of our God have no greater Motive nor Principle than the Conservation and Augmentation of Your Majesty's Grandeur and these are our daily Vows and Prayers unto God Your Majesty being his most lively Image And therefore Sire we are emboldned to hope for Freedom of Access unto Your Majesty because our God loveth to be importuned with our Supplications and that Your Majesty will not reject these most Humble Petitions which are laid at Your Majesty's Feet with all imaginable Respect by many thousands of Souls who desire the Liberty of their Conscience and Religion for none other end than that by serving God they may also the self-same instant demand of him in their Prayers for Your Majesty a most immovable Prosperity a long Reign a most Happy Life a most Faithful Council Victorious Triumphant Armies and an innumerable People going and coming at the first beck and motion of Your Majesty Sire This Liberty shall never be abused by Your most Humble Subjects of the Reformed Religion unto Licentiousness no Sire they will imploy it as they have always done in Prayers and Fastings when as the precious Life of Your most Sacred Majesty lay exposed to all Hazards and Dangers a Life upon which depends all the Lives of Your Kingdom and You were Jeoparding it in the high places of the Field to acquire unto Your Subjects a durable Repose and Tranquility And forasmuch as Your Majesty's Sword is ever Glorious and Invincible against Strangers May it please Your Majesty to suffer us to form our Complaints against those who endeavour at home in the very Bowels of France to render Your Edicts Illusory and do blunt the Point and dull the Edge of Your Laws relating to our Liberties and Subsistence which are all founded upon the Observation of Your Edicts and Royal Commissions The Adversaries envying our Peace have made an infinite number of Gaps and Breaches in them Yet nevertheless Sire we perswade our selves that Your Edicts will remain Sacred and Inviolable and that Your Powerful Hand will cause the words of Your Royal Mouth to be exactly and punctually performed because you be the Judge and Father of Your People and that in Your Sacred Person Justice and Mercy shall Kiss and Embrace each other that so none may attempt to put asunder what our God hath joyned together This Hope replenisheth our Hearts with Joy and doth more ardently excite our Affections to pay unto Your Majesty all the Duties of Subjection and Loyalty and with inflamed Devotions we Address our selves to the Divine Majesty that he would inlarge the Bounds of Your Empire and accomplish all the desires of Your Royal Heart as being Sire of Your Majesty the most Humble and the most Obedient Servants and Subjects the Pastors and Elders Assembled in the National Synod by Your Gracious Permission at Alanson and in the Name of them all Basnage Moderator of the Synod D. Couppe Assessor D. Blondel Scribe and De Launay Scribe CHAP. XXV 2. Instructions given unto Monsieur Ferrand Gigord and Cerisy Deputed unto the King by the National Synod Assembled by His Majesty's Permission at Alanson 1637. THe Sieurs Ferrand Gigord and Cerisy Deputed by us unto the Court immediately upon their Arrival shall wait upon Monsieur de la Vrilliere Secretary of State to whom they shall deliver our Letters and assure him of our most humble Services and shall intreat him
you will protect you under the shadow of his Wings he will follow you in your goings out and comings in all and every one of you in general and particular with his chiefest and choicest Benedictions My Reverend Colleagues here present do concur with me in these Prayers and what my weakness could not their more excellent Gifts will contribute most effectually on this occasion to promote your Peace CHAP. XXI A Letter written by an Unknown Person to Mr. Martin upon his Apostacy from the Reformed Religion Friend IT is nois'd abroad and I hear it from all parts that thou hast been at Tours and renounced the true Religion and took up that of the Romanists for the Sum of Eight Hundred Livres whereof thou hast already received Four and that thou bearest the Arms and wearest the mark of the Beast and hast sworn thy self a Champion against all his Enemies What hast thou done Man What is the Party thou hast abandonned What Complaints canst thou form against them Of what Crimes wilt thou accuse them Is it true that thou hast left us Canst thou think on what thou hast done without terrour and horrour Thou hast quitted the Party of God thou hast forsaken his Inheritance thou art gone out of his way the way of Life The bare knowledge of this must cause the Sinner to turn Quaker for 't is his utter ruin his total destruction Adam had no sooner sinned but he was struck with horrour and confusion but thou declarest thy self as the shameless Whoremongers who boast impudently of their Sin and hold up their Heads audaciously when they come out of the Stews Saint Peter having denied his Master was confounded muffled his Face went out and wept bitterly but thou as I am informed and it toucheth me to the quick art more Joyous than ever the World can read an extraordinary Mirth and Gayety in thy Countenance Friend do not take any thing amiss that I shall tell thee for I can swear it that what I do it is if possible to regain and save thee Thou knowest it was a Judas who betrayed the Son of God his Lord and Master and he betrayed him for Thirty Pieces of Silver No sooner had he receiv'd the Mony but he betray'd his Master yet he confessed his Treason I have saith he betrayed Innocent Blood yea and he returns the Mony Take it saith he take this accursed Thing from me 't is the price of Blood of the Blood of the Son of God But it was too late for thou very well knowest that the Miserable Wretch tortur'd with the furies of his Conscience utterly despairing of Mercy went and Hang'd himself Now inasmuch as thou hast been Partner with him in his Treason though thou hast betrayed thy Master for a greater Sum than Judas did yet I beseech thee be not Partner with him in his Despair But go and return thy Mony and throw it at their Feet who have seduced thee Tell them I have sinned I have betrayed my Saviour I have left the way of Eternal Life but I do now from my very Soul utterly renounce these matters I abhor this my Sin O look you unto it and then come weeping and mourning for thy Sin and give glory unto God in his House in his holy Temple and resolve with David that thou wilt dwell in it for ever more For the God of Glory is a God of Mercy and he will upon thy sincere Repentance and humble ardent Prayers extend his Mercy to thee Age igitur poenitentiam prima opera fac I pray thee Dear Friend have compassion upon thy self pity thy precious Soul never be ashamed of Repentance sith thou wast never ashamed of Sin That Royal Prophet David is a fair Copy for thee to write after a most excellent example every way worthy thy imitation For having fallen shamefully he was not ashamed to confess it unto God nor to beg his Pardon and rich Grace restored him Tell God I have sinned acknowledge thine Offence own it to him with Compunction and Confusion with Remorse and Godly Sorrow and thou shalt be forgiven 'T is true indeed thy Crime is heinous thou hast left the Fountain of Living Waters to hew out unto thee Cisterns yea broken Cisterns that can hold no Waters Thou hast quitted God that thou maist follow Men thou hast quitted Life to embrace Death Thou hast falsified thy Promises and broken that Allegiance which thou hadst sworn in the most solemn manner unto God thou hast violated that Sacred Vow which thou hast made to the God and Father of Spirits Yet let not this fright thee into Despair for thou canst not but know unless thou hast forgoten it that where Sin abounds there the Grace of God doth much more abound for he superabounds in loving-kindnesses and multitudes of tender Mercies Consider then from whence thou art fallen be Zealous and Repent Thou hast not kept the word of Gods Patience and therefore he hath not kept but left thee in the Hour of Temptation which cometh upon the Inhabiters of this Earth to try them Thou hast forsaken the true Riches to take up with those that perish Thou knowest not thy own Poverty and Misery Time hath not as yet discovered it unto thee I counsel thee my dear Friend to buy of the Heir of all things Gold tryed in the Fire that thou may'st be rich Thou hast forsaken the glorious Son of Righteousness who thou knowest hath healing in his Wings Thus hast thou lost both Health Sight and Sense The Lord quicken thee When the Sun sets the Night draws on apace Darkness deprives us of Light The Decays of thy Health are Evidences of the groowth of thy Disease one follows ordinarily the other unless Death intervene I speak this as to temporal matters But as to spiritual he that is blind abideth so and he that hath lost his Health can never recover it without Sovereign Mercy unless the great Physician do open his Eyes do anoint them with his Heavenly Collyrium that he may see and do purge away his Sins that he may recover his former Health Consider then what thou once wast and from whence thou art fallen and O my dear Friend Repent Repent or else God will come unto thee in his Wrath and thy last Estate will be worse than thy first and my Affliction for thine everlasting Perdition greater O Friend rouze up thy drowsy Soul and from the bottom of thy Heart and from the depths of that Dungeon into which thou art fallen cry aloud unto him who hath the Keys of Death and Hell for Mercy cry aloud unto him for there is yet some hope Hope yet in God for he that is hopeless is helpless Thou needest Divine Wisdom ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth none Call upon him and he will redeem thee he will restore thee and thou shalt refresh my Bowels Though Simoniacal Persons who believe the Gift of God may be had for Gold and Silver will perish
new against this unworthy Fellow CHAP. XXIV Discipline Exercised upon a Vitious Minister 53. WHereas James Jolly sometimes Pastor of the Church of Milhaud appealed from a Sentence past against him by the Synod of Higher Languedoc which had deposed him from the Holy Ministry Upon hearing the Deputies of that Province and the said Jolly himself who having been divers times summon'd to clear himself of the Crimes laid unto his charge though to no purpose for he could never do it The Synod ratified the Sentence past against him in every article and particular and because the qualities of his Crimes proved upon him are very hainous and atrocious as tempting and solliciting of Women to Adultery abominable and profane Speeches professed resolves and purposes to Apostatize from the True Religion and Blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus perswading and enticing like the Devils other Ministers of Christ to joyn with him in his Revolt and Apostacy from all which horrible and scandalous Accusations he was bound in Honour and Conscience to purge himself and had he been innocent or had he but the least spark of Grace or one grain of the fear of God been lest in him he would have done it Moreover the said Jolly having discoursed with a great deal of impudence hardness and ungodliness in the very presence of the Synod and betook himself unto business utterly inconsistent with the Sacred Calling of a Minister for which had he none other guilt upon him he would have merited a Deposal from that Honourable Office The Synod seized with a just horror at his impenitency and aggravating the Sentence of his Provincial Synod denounceth the said Jolly utterly unworthy and altogether uncapable of any imployment in the Sacred Ministry of the Gospel deposeth him and doth now from this Instant declare him to be deposed from the Ministerial Function and for ever uncapable of being restored to it and depriveth him of all Communion in the Sacraments unto which he shall not be admitted 'till we have had a very long proof and some years Tryal and Experience of his Repentance and Reformation and that he have publickly and penitently acknowledged those great and hainous scandals he hath given unto the Church of God and in case he persist in his Rebellions then the Consistories and Colloquies being assembled together shall deliver him over unto the Devil by that dreadful Sentence of Excommunication 54. The Overseers of the Poor in the Church of Anduze appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Higher Languedoc and the Lord Aldebert Judge of Sauve complained against the Sieur John Bony Pastor of the Church of St. John of Cardonengue Master Cailou was heard speak in behalf of the Church of Anduze and Mr. Aldebert the younger opened the reasons of their Appeal and Mr. Bony together with the Provincial Deputies Apologized for themselves against thorn The Council having accurately considered all the Accusations and Matters of Offence included in those proceedings judgeth that Mr. Bony deserveth a very heavy Censure for notorious Avarice and dishonest Gain the guilt of which is apparent and visible upon him for that he disposed of the Goods of Pernette Andouyne to his own and his Childrens profit contrary to the Will and Testament she had once made in favour of the poor Members of the Church of Anduze Moreover the Council declareth that the said Master Bony cannot with a good Conscience detain and appropriate unto his own use the Goods aforesaid but ought immediately to restore them and to this purpose he was exhorted to choose Arbitrators as the said Overseers of the Poor would also to compose the differences between them and to agree upon the terms of restitution And it was farther intimated to him that in case the Execution of this Decree were in the least hindred or delayed by him the said Bony that the next Colloquy of Nismes was Authorized to proceed against him and to Depose him from the Ministry And forasmuch as he hath exprest his Repentance with grief and shame for his Sin and promised the Synod to give full satisfaction as before and for that he hath patiently and penitently borne the Suspension from his Office inflicted on him some Moneths ago The Synod doth restore him to the Exercise of his Ministry And whereas Monsieur Aldebert before-mentioned had been suspended from the Lords Table that Censure together with his being taxed for a Calumniator are both ordered to be taken off from him but he shall be first publickly reproved in the Person of his Son for that excessive Passion manifested by him in his Accusations Prosecutions and bitter Expressions in his Letters all which exasperated the Province of Higher Languedoc against him and were the true meritorious causes why he was so severely judged by them And both of those Gentlemen Bony and Aldebert are exhorted to a mutual reconciliation and forgetfulness of what is past and particularly the said Aldebert is advised to demean himself for the future with more Candor and Charity towards the said Bony And in case there should happen any new matter of Accusation against him that he do prosecute him according to the Forms and Canons of our Church Discipline Moreover Master Melucis and Berle Pastors and Witnesses to the aforesaid Testament shall be examined by their next Provincial Synod about their hand in this matter that so they may be dealt withal according to their demerits And whereas Monsieur de Surville another Minister could have given in a material Evidence against the said Bony but was sworn to Secrecy he also shall be called to an account and Justice shall be done upon him CHAP. XXV GENERAL MATTERS These poor Churches prayed for and rejoyced at the birth of the greatest Scourge and Plague that ever was upon them 1 WHereas all Pastors and Heads of Families and Members of our Churches ought dayly to implore the Throne of Grace for all Spiritual and Temporal Benedictions to be poured down upon the Person of His Majesty Our Dread Soveraign and for the Glory of His Crown the Peace and Prosperity of His Kingdom and Government they be all Exhorted in their Publick and Private Prayers importunately to beg of God that he would be graciously pleased to bless the Kings Majesty with Children of his own Body and to this purpose all the faithful shall with one accord joyn together in Common Prayers and Supplications that the Lord would hear and Answer the Requests of his poor Children who live under the Sh dow of his Anointed that the Scepter may be strengthned in his hand his House established from Generation to Generation and that over and above those Divine Graces and Favours which he hath already vouchsafed to him he may after a long and happy Life be honoured in succeeding Ages with the Glorious Title of Father of Kings as he is now with that of Father of his People 2. The Synod considering that through the Soveraign Mercy of God inclining His Majesties heart by
his Holy Spirit thereunto the Churches of this Kingdom do injoy that great Blessing of Peace and yet nevertheless there remain in the hearts of many Persons very deep resentments of their past Sufferings which may prove hereafter the Seeds of new Broils and Dissensions whereby the Honour of God and of our King and the Publick Tranquillity of the Nation may be exceedingly prejudiced and endammaged It exhorteth in the Name and Authority of God Almighty all the faithful to suppress and stifle those bitter Animosities which the unhappyness of our late Civil Wars may have enkindled in them and that none of Our Members do trouble their Neighbours for Matters done during those Troubles sith the Remembrance of them is abolished by His Majesties Edicts and Declarations of Peace and that they would embrace each other with a Cordial Love and Affection and live for the future as Members of one and the same Body contending mutually and mostly who shall do His Majesty the best and greatest Service and repair the woful breaches in the House of God And in particular the Inhabitants of this populous City ate Exhorted to render all Reverence aâ—â— Obedience unto their Magistrates and Superiours as being established over them by the Authority of God and the Magistrates also are to exert their Duties towards them who be subjected to their Government with all due and becoming Moderation and Fatherly Affection That so all sorts of Persons both Superiours and Inferiours may aim and level in all their Actions at the Glory of God the Service of the King and the Peace and Safety of the Common-wealth 3. The Synod confirming the Canons of former Synods about an exhibition unto Monks decreeth that in case a Monk cannot be maintained by that Province in which he was born and that the said Province will not contribute any thing towards his subsistence then the Province which is charged with him shall make application to the Lord of Candal and take his allowance out of the Moneys belonging to that Province where he first lived and quitted his Frock and Idolatrous Religion 4. Hereafter in the breaking up of these National Synods the Deputies shall carry home with them the Accompts rendred by the Lord of Candal for Moneys distributed by him unto every Province that so all suspicions of partiality in the Dividends of His Majesties Bounty may be suppressed 5. All the Provinces are expresly enjoyned by this Synod that they do not prefer our Proposans before Ancient Pastors unto vacant Churches and in case any Moderators of Colloquies or Synods shall suffer this Canon to be violated they shall be suspended from their Charges 6. That no Pastor discharged by Colloquies or Synods may hereafter assume unto himself a liberty of wandring from one Province unto another and so intrude himself into a particular Church without the consent of Colloquies and Synods a matter which redounds exceedingly to the dishonour of the Ministry and is become a most Notorious Scandal The Synod ordaineth that when as a Pastor shall be taken off the Service of his Church and can not be presently setled in another yet shall he be obliged to live within the bounds of that Province either as a Pastor discharged or else as one imployed in such a manner as the Province shall judge convenient until such time as he meet with a Call unto some other Church whether within or without the Province desiring him to be their fixed Pastor 7. The Pastors of the Church of Paris are ordered to revise the Marginal Texts in our Confession of Faith and to inform the Churches which have Printers to take special notice of their Remarks and to see that it be printed according to their corrected Copy without any difference 8. Such Churches as have Printing-Houses belonging to them shall advise our Printers to be careful that they insert no Historical Remarks into the Calendars which may occasion trouble unto the Churches and irritate the rage and malice of our Adversaries 9. There shall not be inserted into the Lettâ—â—s of Deputation unto Colloquies and Provincial Synods from particular Churches those self-same clauses of absolute submission which are used in the Provincial Letters unto the National Synod 10. 'T is left wholly to the Discretion of Consistories what censures they shall inflict on such who assist in Person at Baptisms Marriages or Funerals solemnized by the Church of Rome 11. That Canon of the National Synod of Gap about Burying in Temples and Church-yards shall be most exactly observed by all the Churches CHAP. XXVI An Act to preserve the Churches Writings Deeds c. 12 DIvers Papers of very great Importance to our Churches being lost to their unspeakable prejudice and all occasioned through their neglect of choosing some one particular Church in each Province wherein the Originals of all proceedings by our General Deputies might be deposited This Synod desirous to prevent so great a disorder for the future Decreeth That all Writings remaining in their hands who have been imployed in the General Deputation shall be redemanded of them by the Consistories of those Churches in which they make their Residence that so they may be more carefully preserved than heretofore And the Originals of all Declarations Writts Answers unto Cahiers and such other Papers concerning the General Body of our Churches shall be carried unto Rochell and lodged up in the Archives there And as for other Papers and Acts of Proceedings relating to particular Churches there shall be one Church in every Province which shall have the keeping of them that so upon all occasions we may tell where to find them And to this purpose there was named for the Province of Higher Languedoc the Church of Montauban for the Lower Languedoc the Church of Nismes for Sevennes Anduze for Anjou Loudun for Burgundy Gex for Vivaretz Privas for the Lower Guyenne Ste Foy for Poictou Niort for Xaintonge Rochell for the Isle of France Paris for Normandy Alencon for Britain Belin for Dolphiny Die for Berry Chastillion on the Loir and for Provence Aignieres 14. Whereas divers Provinces have been charged with the Memoirs of very many Churches groaning under the cruel Oppressions of our Adversaries who do daily deprive them of their Liberty of Conscience in the Service of God and of those Rights and Priviledges granted us by the King and Necessity requiring us to seck out some Remedy against such growing Mischiefs from his Majesty's Justice and Protection Monsieur le Haucher was ordered to collect into one Body all those Grievances aforesaid and all others which have been averred and signed by two Pastors or Elders shall immediately upon the Departure of this Council be sent unto him that all may be gathered into one general Bill and laid at his Majesties Feet with our most humble Petitions unto his Majesty that he would be pleased to extend his Royal Protection unto his most faithful Subjects of the Reformed Religion who have no greater Ambition in the World than