other houses whose principal Inhabitants or those who manage the affairs of the said Cities do Profess the Reformed Religion who shall be intreated by the Provincial Synods to do the Church this right as to assign the Rents out of the clearest Common Income and this by good Contracts passed between them and the Deputy of that Church to which the said Legacies had been bequeathed and the Mayors Sheriffs Consuls and principal Burgesses of the said Cities and other persons of note residing in them And the Consistories of those places shall be present at those Contracts to see that no Article or condition which may contribute to the Ratification and security of the premisses be omitted and the Consistory of that Church to whom the Legacy is bequeathed or its Deputies shall be vigilant and carefull that the payment of those Rents be well made and constant and that it be given in either by Bills of Exchange or any other ways with the least charges that may be in the Provinces and that the dividend be made in such a proportion unto every Church as of right belongeth to them And Provincial Synods are injoyned to look to it that the Intentions of the Donors be not diverted but punctually and most exactly observed and followed To this purpose there shall be annually tendred by every Church unto their Colloquy and by the Colloquies unto their Provincial Synod a just and true Account of what has been given by whom and to what uses with an Exhibition of the Contracts that they may be registred And in case there be any considerable sum of Moneys in Stock they shall be carried unto some one of the aforesaid Cities as shall be thought most advisable there to be laid up in Bank for the benefit of the Churches to which the said Moneys were bequeathed 4. And forasmuch as we who live in France are under divers Laws and Customs and that the style and form of contract is very different in several Provinces It 's therefore decreed that in every Province there shall be one and the same form used for Legacies and Gifts which shall be transmitted unto all the Consistories and by them communicated unto the Notaries professing Reformed Religion and unto such others as may be thought expedient The form shall be conceived in these insuing words excepting always a power of changing it in case of necessity I give and bequeath to the maintenance of the Ministry of the Gospel in the Church of N. the sum of N. which my will is that it be laid out in purchasing of a settled Rent or Estate in Land in the Cities of Rochel Montauban or Monpelier c. and this by the advice of the Consistory of the said Cities which Rent or Revenue shall be annually paid in and delivered unto the Consistory of the said place for the better maintenance of the sacred Ministry without ever being diverted to any other use And in case it should so fall out which God of his great mercy prevent that the Ministry of the word there in that Church should be suppressed either by war or any other publicly calamity it is my will that during the said Intermission and until the re-establishing of the said exercise of the Ministry that the said Rent be imployed towards the maintenance of the nearest Church unto that said place or otherwise as shall be judged most fitting by the Consistory Colloquy Provincial or National Synod of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom And I humbly and earnestly intreat the said Synods to have a strict and watchful eye that this Moneys be not diverted unto any other usage than what is now designed and intended by me CHAP. XIV Political Acts of matters treated in the National Synod held at Rochell in the month of March 1607. by His Majesties Writ THE Lords de la Noue and du Crois Deputed by the Assembly of Chastelleraud to reside near his Majesty being present in this Synod delivered us the Kings writ the Tenor whereof is as followeth This 29th day of December in the year of our Lord 1606. His Majesty being at St. Germain in Laye He then granted and permitted that in the National Synod which shall be celebrated by his subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion in the City of Rochell this next ensuing March they may proceed to the Nomination of their Deputies whom his Majesty permits to reside near his Royal Person on condition that the said Deputies shall be Nominated out of six persons who are Members of the same Synod to be presented unto his Majesty out of whom he may and will chuse two to whom that Office shall be given and which shall be continued to them for three full years as also that in the said Synod the Deputies aforesaid shall debate of none other business excepting the aforementioned Nomination and matters purely Disciplinary relating to the well-governing of their Churches as is expresly declared in the Edicts and Grants of his said Majesty on pain of forfeiting those Grants and Priviledges in case they act contrary to this his will and pleasure His said Majesty having commanded me to dispatch the said Writ which he would sign with his own hand and enjoyned me also to countersign it being a Member of his most Honourable Council of State and Secretary of his Commands Signed thus Henry And below Forgett 2. It being moved Whether the Deputies of the City of Rochel be called in to the Debate about the King 's Writ The Assembly considering that they were only summoned as a National Synod under which Quality the Answer given to the 17th Article of the Memoirs last presented unto his Majesty expresly forbids the admission of any other persons Ministers and Elders only excepted into our Synodical Meetings on pain of forfeiting them for the future It was resolved that a Committee of Pastors and Elders should be delegated unto the Mayor Aldermen and Council of the City and represent unto them this difficulty craving their Advice upon it and give them to understand upon what grounds their Deputies sent unto us have not been hitherto received by us Whereunto they gave this Answer That it was their sole Intention to be present only at those Debates which related to the Writ sent by his Majesty down unto this Assembly as being matters purely civil according to that exception made in his Majesties Answer to the 17th Article of the Memoirs last presented him and as by the same Answer they were allowed to be present at Political Assemblies whereupon the Synod having pondered their Arguments and considering their Importunity gave leave unto them to be present with us upon the Debates about his Majesties Writ and accordingly Monsieur de Romagne and de Mirande the two Sheriffs of the City and de Beaupreau and the Bayliff of Aunis Burgesses of the said City were admitted into the Synod 3. The said Writ having been read The Assembly well weighing the Conditions inserted in it judged that
Council that the Moneys granted by his Bounty unto the Churches might be assigned on some particular Tally for this year That a long time was spent before he could find any success of his endeavours But at last they would give him Orders and Assignations which in truth he refused to accept because he knew them to be naught and worth nothing And that finally about the end of the last April they had given him others which he was constrained to take because he saw the Lords of the Council fixed in their resolutions of giving him none other That indeed these latter Assignations were a little better than the former but it would be a very great while before any payment were made that it would be at least Six or Eight Moneths before the first Summ would become due that the whole Assembly knew they would not grant him any Order or Tally for the last year 1622 yea and His Majesty had revoked his former grant of Moneys to the Churches for the year 1621 and employed them elsewhere to some other purposes And as for the Arrears due unto us in the foregoing years he had took all care possible and used the utmost diligence to recover them but with very little or no success that he had brought in his Accompts and prayed the Assembly to constitute a Committee to audit and close them The Assembly having most heartily thanked the said Lord of Candal for his singular care respects and kindnesses upon all occasions expressed unto the Churches and desired the continuance of his Love did nominate Messieurs de Basnage and Le Clark Pastors du Port and du Four Elders to peruse and examine his Accompts And whereas a world of inconveniencies will befal our Churches by so long delay of paying in the Moneys granted us by His Majesty for this year now current the Synod deputed the Sieurs de L' Angle a Pastor and du Port an Elder and the Lords of Montmartyn and Candal to wait upon His Majesty and on the behalf of this Assembly most humbly to beseech him to grant some other Assignations and Orders for the more speedy paying in of His Majesties Great Bounty unto our Churches and that as a Token of His Royal Goodness and Liberality he would be pleased to add some other Summs to us instead of those which have been taken from us in the last foregoing years we having received not so much as one farthing or doibt for them 15. A few dayes after the said Deputies being returned from the King they made Report in this Assembly how Graciously they had been received by His Majesty who assured them that in case his said Subjects of the Reformed Religion continued in their Duty and Obedience he would alwayes give them all possible content And the same Expressions of kindness they received also from the Lords of His most Honourable Privy Council who ordered out of hand Forty Thousand Livres to be payed in unto them they yielding up unto their Lordships the old Warrants for the like Summ but as for what was requested about reimbursing us the years past by fixing those Summs due unto us on some other Tallies and Assignations their Honours were pleased to say There was no reason why they should promise it 16. The Province of Anjou requested that the University of Saumur might not any longer be left destitute of Professors in Divinity but that some speedy care and course might be taken to send Monsieur Cameron to be Professor of that faculty in it The Lord Commissioner and Deputy for His Majesty unto this Synod declared that it was the Will and Pleasure of His Majesty that those two Gentlemen Mr. Gilbert Primrose and Mr. John Cameron should not be preferred neither of them to any Publick Office either of Pastors in the Churches or of Pastors and Professors in the Churches and Universities of this Kingdom not because of their Birth as being Foreigners but for some private Reasons of State relating to his Service And the said Lord of Galland presented us His Majesties Letters Written and Signed with His Own Hand Lewes and a little lower de L' Omeny Dated the Twenty Fifth day of this present Moneth The Assembly understanding this to be His Majesties pleasure would not put it to the Vote Whether they should be continued or not in their Ministry but deputed the Sieurs Cottiby Minister of the Gospel and du Bois and St. Martyn Elders together with the Lord of Montmartyn General Deputy to carry unto His Majesty a Petition from this Assembly wherein this Assembly did most humbly beseech His Majesty that as he had lately with his own Mouth most graciously promised so His Majesty would be pleased to give Order that all our Ministers might as fully injoy the fruit and benefit of his promise CHAP. XV. N. B. What picque the King of France had against Monsieur Cameron as I cannot tell so I shall not write my guesses and conjectures about it because they may be and may not be true Mr. Cameron if he had designed what afterwards some others attempted a coalition of both the Religions Protestant and Popish yet certainly was no Papist yea far enough from their Doctrine and Worship But he had angred the Jesuits not so much as his Reverend Colleague and Countreyman And this was the true reason why Monsieur Primrose was necessitated to quit Bourdeaux and France when as Cameron was permitted to tarry and return to Bourdeaux and was preferred unto the Professors Chair in Divinity afterwards at Montauban On Whitsunday in the year 1619. Father Arnoux the Jesuit preaching before the King Queen and Court of France in the Castle of Amboise attempted a Task impossible to whiten Blackamores to wash or wipe his Church clean and especially his own Order from an indelible blot viz. That they held it lawful to kill Kings This the Jesuit with a boldness and audaciousness which is the proper Talent of their Society would have some how or other evaded He assures that Royal Auditory with the greatest confidence that it was never the Doctrine of their Catholick Church never believed by these good Fathers that Subjects might lawfully rebel against their Sovereigns yea that it doth anathematize all those who teach and preach that the Sacred Persons of Princes may be lawfully made away and murdered yea that the whole Society of Jesuits doth condemn detest and as much as hi them lieth doth anathematize all Advisers Abettors and Aiders of Rebels against their King upon any pretext vvhatsoever His Majesty and that vvhole illustrious Auditory vvere overjoyed at this free and liberal Declaration of the Jesuit and quitted the Sermon as they said very much edified And His Majesty told it publickly that he had great reason to be pleased with the Fathers of the Society and that Father Arnoux had in the Name and stead of them all plainly and fully enough condemned the Book of Mariana Monsieur Primrose vvas present at this Sermon and
Years of Age deserted his Ministerial Calling and is since turned Apostate 5. Nicolas Jacornais formerly Pastor of the Church of Cheilary in the Province of Lower Languedoc a little brown Fellow chesnut-colour'd Hair high-eagle-nos'd short Neck somewhat crook-back'd deserted his Ministerial Calling about thirty five Years old 6. John Garsin Pastor of the Church of Graue in the Province of Dolphiny but a deserter of it and now an Apostate about forty Years of Age of a middle Stature red-favour'd and frowning holding his Head a little side-ways red Hair his Eyes deep sunk into their Holes very rude in his Discourse and Carriage quarrelsom conceited hugely of himself and totally incorrigible he was deposed by the same Province 7. Paul Puy formerly Pastor in the Church of Chastean Queyras having been two Years suspended he was at last finally deposed from the Sacred Ministry by the Province of Dolphiny for Adultery proved upon him 1626. The 25th Synod and Perjury lying Calumnies and divers other atrociou he is now an Apostate aâ—middle-statur'd black and dead-look'd Fellow high Eye-brows wide open Nostrils flat Nose sharp-picked Heard very proud and stately in his Gate aged about thirty six Years 8. George Arbaud formerly Pastor of the Church of Boicoiran in the Province of Lower Languedoc deposed by the Synod of his Province for Usury Theft contempt of his Calling writing of disfamatory Libels and Batteries he is a short thick Fellow brown-favour'd bald-headed cagle-nos'd meagre Face and black Beard about fifty Years old 9. James Joly formerly Pastor in the Church of Millaud deposed by the Province of Higher Languedoc for attempting to commit Adultery for impious and profane Discourses and designing to revolt from the true Religion for solliciting like the Devil other Pastors to apostatize with him for Rebellion against the Order and Discipline of our Churches he is tall of Stature a little small Head and bald red weeping Eyes about fifty five Years old his Beard beginning to turn gray 10. Cousins Vagrants who was born in Haynault heretofore Regent at St. Lo a middle-statur'd meagre-fac'd Fellow his Hair and Complexion black little Eyes and sunk into his Head about thirty five Years old a Vagrant 11. Beauvillier wandring from one Church unto another intruding himself into the Ministry of the Gospel where-ever he hath opportunity he says he was born at Negrepelisse and Son-in-Law to Monsieur Reynault deceased who was late Minister of Bourdeaux by Profession an Advocate a short Fellow chesnut-colour'd Hair meagre Face his Eyes deep sunk into his Head lame of his left Arm about thirty six Years old a Wanderer 12. Bonitons heretofore Pastor of St. Affrick a red-hair'd Fellow half gray his Face and Hands spotted all over with black Morphew a big out-bending Belly low of Stature having been by the Consistory and Neighbour-Pastors of St. Affrick deposed from his Ministry he afterwards turn'd Apostate and is about fifty five Years old CHAP. XXXVI An Act for calling of the next National Synod in Normandy THE Provinces of Normandy and Burgundy craving they might obtain the Priviledg of calling the next National Synod it was by plurality of Suffrages granted unto the Province of Normandy with Order to issue out Letters of Summons unto the Provinces in May 1629. All these Acts and Canons were done and decreed in the National Council of the Reformed Churches of France assembled at Castres the 15th day of September and which continued till the 5th of November 1626. and signed thus in the Original Chauve Moderator O. Blondell Petit Scribes Bouterove Assessor O. Blondell Petit Scribes And by all the other Deputies both Pastors and Elders who were sent unto the Council CHAP. XXXVII 1626. The 25th Synod A Catalogue of all the Churches Reformed in France and Principality of Bearn together with the Names and Sir-names of their Pastors regularly disposed according to the Order of the sixteen Provinces making up so many distinct Provincial Synods and brought by the Deputies of their respective Provinces unto this present National Council held at Castres First The Province of Burgundy THE Province of Burgundy is divided into four Colloquies having thirty two Churches and thirty four Pastors 1. The Colloquy of Chaalons 1. The Church of Chaalons hath for its Pastor Theophilus Cassegrini 2. The Pastor of Bourbon is Bartholomew Garnier 3. Bussy hath Heliodorus du Noyer 4. At Coursac is Jeffery Bruy 5. At Paras is John Veridet 6. At Maringues is Lewes Romph 7. At Cheirac is Paul Canett 8. At Mouleas is Noel Leslege 2. The Second Colloquy of Burgundy is Lyons 9. Esajah Baillé and Alexander Romph are Pastors of the Church of Lyons 10. The Church of Mascon hath Peter Belior 11. Pont de Vellé Jacob Textor 12. Belleville Peter Tannol 13. Bourg Peter Pelet 3. The Third Colloquy is at Dijon 14. At St. John Delesme is David Roy. 15. Cinallin hath Peter Balenat 16. Dijon hath Stephen Gautier 17. Issurtille injoyeth John Durand 18. At Beaune is Francis Renaud 19. At Chastillon upon the Seine is Samuel Rondot 20. At René le Duc is Francis Manget 21. At Noyers is John Compere 4. The Fourth Colloquy is at Gex 22. At Chalais is John Japes 23. At Versoy is Francis Perreau 24. At Crassett is Peter de Preau 25. At Lesly is James Clerk 26. At Gex is James Goutier and Daniel Sauret 27. At Toiry is John Vauralongue 28. At Farnex is Joseph Prevost 29. At Saconey is Francis Borsat 30. At Farges is Amand de Bore 31. At Colonges is Joseph Aubery 32. At Divonne is Paul Bacuett The Second Province and Provincial Synod is the Isle of France divided into four Colloquies having thirty six Churches and forty one Pastors 1. The First Colloquy is that of the Isle of France 33. Wherein is the Church of Paris and its Pastors are Peter du Moulin John Mestrezat and Charles Drelincourt 34. Chasteauthierry hath Mr. Noyensel 35. At Claye is Mr. Jacobé 36. At Fountainbeleau is Depresse 37. At Senlis is Mr. le Blanc 38. At Meaux is Carre 39. At Touguin is Migneau 40. At Lisy and La-Ferte and Spenay is Danois 2. The Second Colloquy is of Champagne 41. At Chaalons is Massin 42. At Vitry is Courselles 43. At Sesannechaltazay is Boucher 44. At Velmora is Beaune Becud 45. At Bar on the Seine is Bilet 46. At Espinet is Rasquett 47. At Netancour is Campdemer 48. At Vassy is Juigne 49. At St. Mars is Alpez 50. At Falaise and Royencour is Richard 51. At Passavant is Rouuel 3. The Third Colloquy is of Picardy 52. At Clermont and its Annexes viz. Compiegne Mondisier and Omecrcour is Mr. Maillard 53. At Chanvierassy is Tricottell 54. At Lain is Icoriges 55. Le Balgensy hath Rambours 56. At St. Quentin is Mestayer 57. At Oysemond is Blanchard 58. At Amiens is Delacloche 59. At Establet is Blondel 60. At Calais are Buguet Laulier and Berard 4. The Fourth Colloquy is of Beausse 61. At
our Church CAN. XXXII A Pastor or Elder breaking the Churches Union or stirring up Contention about any point of Doctrine or of the Discipline which he had subscribed or about the Form of Catechising or Administration of the Sacraments or of our Common-Prayers and Celebration of Marriage and not conforming to the determination of the Colloquy he shall be then suspended from his Office and be farther prosecuted by the Provincial or National Synod CAN. XXXIII In every Church there shall be kept Memorials of all notable and remarkable passages relating to Religion and in every Colloquy a Minister shall be appointed to receive them who shall carry them unto the Provincial and thence unto the National Synod CHAP. VI Of the Union of Churches CANON I. NO Church shall claim any Primacy or Jurisdiction over another nor one Province over another CAN. II. No Church shall assume unto it self a power of undertaking business of great consequence in which the interest or damage of other Churches shall be comprised without the advice and consent of the Provincial Synod if it may possibly be Convened And in case the affair be urgent it shall at least be Communicated by Letters unto some other Churches in the Province and they shall receive and take their advice about it CAN. III. Churches and particular Members shall be advised that whatever persecution may happen to procure for themselves a private peace and liberty they do not depart from the Sacred Union of the whole Body of our Churches And whoever acteth contrary to this Canon shall have such a Censure inflicted on him as Colloquies and Synods shall judge expedient CAN. IV. Disputes about Religion shall be so managed that none of ours may be the Aggressors and if they are ingaged in a verbal disputation they shall in no wise undertake it without laying down this for a Foundation-Rule That the Holy Scripture is the sole Judge of Controversies nor shall they yield the power of judgment and decision in points of Doctrine unto the writings of the Ancients nor shall they enter upon any Disputation unless the conditions of it be first agreed on by Writings mutually and respectively signed and executed Nor shall they attempt a publick Disputation but with the advice of their Consistory and of a select number of Pastors who for this purpose shall be chosen by the Colloquies or Provincial Synods They shall not adventure upon any dispute or general Conference Chap. VII Of Colloquies without the advice of all the Churches assembled in a National Synod upon pain if Ministers act otherwise of being declared Apostates and Deserters of the Churches Union CAN. V. Churches shall be informed that our Ecclesiastical Assemblies of Colloquies and Synods whether Provincial or National are the Bands and Buttresses of their Concord and Union against Schisms Heresies and all other inconveniencies that so they may discharge their duty in the use of means for the continuance and upholding of those Ecclesiastical Assemblies And in case any Churches or particular Person should refuse to contribute unto their expences who were obliged to be present in those Assemblies they shall be grievously censured as Deserters of that Holy Union which ought to be kept up among us for our mutual preservation And all Ministers who shall neglect the observation of this Canon shall be most severely censured by National and Provincial Synods N.B. That the Editions of the Discipline at Paris and Ronan in the Year 1663. have in the last line of this Canon National inserted but two other Editions of the Years 1666. at Geneva and 1676. at Quevilly do omit it and have only Provincial Synods CHAP. VII Of Colloquies CANON I. IN every Province the Churches shall be divided according to their number and conveniency of neighbour places into Colloquies or Classes And this Division shall be made by authority of the Provincial Synod And the next adjoining Churches shall meet in Colloquies twice or four times a year if it may be done as of ancient times it hath been ordained The appointment of time is left wholly to the prudence of Provinces and unto these Colloquies the Ministers accompanied each of them with an Elder from every Church shall give their personal attendance CAN. II. And the proper business of such Colloquies and Assemblies shall be to consult about composing differences and difficulties emerging in their Churches according to the Canons of our Discipline and in general to provide for whatsoever may be thought expedient and necessary to the weal and maintenance of our Churches CAN. III. And in these Colloquies Ministers in their turns shall make a Proposition from the Word of God that so their care and diligence in the study of the Scripture and their method and form of handling it may be known CAN. IV. As Consistories are subject and subordinate unto Colloquies so are Colloquies unto the authority of Provincial Synods CAN. V. Chap. VIII Of Provincial Synods Colloquies and Synods shall consult about the extent and bounds of those places in which each Minister shall exercise his Ministry CAN. VI. In the close of Colloquies there shall pass a friendly and fraternal Censure upon Pastors and Elders there present in all matters of which it may be thought fit to admonish them CHAP. VIII Of Provincial Synods CANON I. IN all Provinces the Pastors and Elders of every Church shall meet together once or twice a year if it can be done which is left unto the prudence and discretion of the Synod CAN. II. Ministers shall bring with them one or two Elders at the most chosen out of their Consistory And the said Ministers shall bring with them their Commissions But if a Pastor come alone without an Elder or an Elder without a Pastor there shall be no regard had of their Memoirs And this Canon shall be observed in all Ecclesiastical Assemblies If they cannot appear they shall excuse themselves by Letters on which the Brethren then and there present shall pass judgment and send their Memoirs subscribed by one Pastor and Elder Such as having no lawful excuse shall yet forbear their appearance at Colloquies and Provincial Synods shall be censured and the said Colloquies and Provincial Synods may judge definitively of their fact and dispose of their persons CAN. III. Churches which have many Pastors shall depute them by turns unto Colloquies and Synods CAN. IV. Ministers and Elders which are deputed unto Colloquies and Provincial Synods shall have their expences defrayed out of the common stock of their Churches CAN. V. Those Churches which refuse means unto their Ministers for their appearance at Colloquies and Synods shall be admonished of this their duty that they exhibit to them and in case of failure in it so that Ministers are inforced to come unto them upon their own charges after two or three admonitions they shall be deprived of their Ministry and the charges of those Ministers shall be defrayed by those Churches unto which they are sent and in
Request to the Chambers ordained by this present Edict without suffering the time imported by those Ordinances to be ran out to their prejudice And till such times as the said Chambers and their Chanceries shall be established Appeals either by word of mouth or tendered in by writing by those of the said Religion before the Judges Registers or Deputies Executors of the Decrees and Judgments shall have the same effect as if they had been uplifted by Royal Letters LXI In all Inquests which shall be for any cause whatsoever in civil matters If the Inquisitor be a Catholick the Parties shall be bound to agree among themselves of another to be in Conjunction with him and in case they cannot agree the said Inquisitor or Commissioner shall by vertue of his Office take one unto himself who shall be of the said pretended Reformed Religion And the same also shall be practised when as the Commissioner or Examiner shall be of the said Religion he shall take an Assessor to himself who shall be a Roman Catholick LXII We Will and Ordain that our Judges may take knowledge of the validity of Testaments in which those of the said Religion are concerned in case they do require it and Appeals from those Judgments may be taken out from the said Chambers ordained for the Processes of those of the said Religion notwithstanding all Customs to the contrary yea and those of Brittain also LXIII To prevent all differences which may fall out in our Courts of Parliament and the Chambers of those Courts ordained by our present Edict we shall make a good and ample Regulation betwixt the said Courts and Chambers and such an one as that those of the said pretended Reformed Religion may intirely enjoy the benefit of the said Edict which regulation shall be verified in our Courts of Parliament and shall be kept and observed without any respect had unto the former LXIV We do prohibit and forbid all our Soveraign Courts and others of this Kingdom to take Cognisance of or judge in the Civil or Criminal Processes of those of the said Religion the Cognisance of which by our Edict is attributed unto the said Chambers provided that they demand the dismission of them thither according to what was said before in the 40. Article LXV We will also by way of provision and till we have taken some further course and shall have otherwise ordained that in all Processes moved or to be moved in which those of the said Religion shall be in the quality of Plaintiffs or Defendants principal Parties or Securities in civil matters in which our Officers and Presidial Courts have full power of judging finally without Appeal that they shall be permitted to require that two of the Chamber where the Processes ought to be judged shall abstain from giving judgment on them who without any cause shown shall be bound to abstain notwithstanding that Ordinance that the Judges may not be held for persons excepted at without cause offered they retaining over and above this those exceptions of right against the rest And in criminal matters in which also the said Presidial and other Subalternate Royal Judges do judge without Appeal the accused also of that Religion may require that three of the said Judges do abstain from judging of their Processes without shewing of any Cause And the Provosts of the Mareschals of France the Vice-Bailiffs the Vice-Seneschals the Lieutenants of short Robe and other Officers of the like quality shall judge according to the Ordinances and Regulations formerly given upon the account of Vagabonds And as for the Inhabitants in the Jurisdiction of those Provosts charged and accused if they be of the said Religion they may require that three of those Judges aforesaid who may take cognisance of their cause do abstain from judging of their Processes and they shall be bound to abstain without any cause shewed by them unless in that Company where the said Processes shall be judged there be no more than two in Civil matters and three in Criminal matters of the said Religion in which case they shall not be permitted to except against or refuse those Judges without shewing of a cause why And this shall be common and reciprocal with the Catholicks in that form as above as to their refusing of Judges where those of the pretended Reformed Religion shall be the greatest number And 't is not our meaning nor intention that the said Presidial Courts Provosts of Mareschals Vice-Bailiffs Vice-Seneschals and others who judge Soveraignly and without Appeal should in virtue of what hath been said take Cognisance of the palled troubles And as for Crimes and Riots which have fallen out upon other accounts than those of the late Troubles since the beginning of March in the year 1585. unto the end of the year 1597. In case they should take Cognisance of them we will that they may take out their Appeals from those judgments and bring them before the Chambers Ordained by this present Edict And the same shall be likewise practised by the Catholick Complices and where those of the said pretended Reformed Religion shall be Parties LXVI We Will also and Ordain that from henceforward in all Instructions besides the Informations of Criminal Processes in the Seneschallies of Tholouse Carcassonne Rouergue Loragais Beziers Montpellier and Nismes the Magistrate or Commissioner deputed for the said Instruction if he be a Catholick shall be bound to take an Assessor who shall be of the said pretended Reformed Religion of which the Parties shall agree and in case they cannot agree there shall be chosen by vertue of his office one of the said Religion by the Magistrate or Commissioner aforesaid As also in like manner if the said Magistrate or Commissioner is of the said Religion he shall be bound in the same form as was said before to take unto himself a Catholick Assessor LXVII When as the Provosts of the Mareschals of France or their Lieutenants shall be demanded to issue out a Criminal Process against an Inhabitant within their Jurisdictions who is of the said Religion and is charged and accused of a Crime which is triable in their Provost's Courts the said Provosts or their Lieutenants if they be Catholicks shall be bound to call in to the drawing up of the said Processes an Assessor of the said Religion which said Assessor shall be present at the Judgment of the Competency and at the definitive Judgment of the said Process Which Competency may not be judged but in the next Presidial Court in an Assembly of the principal Officers of the said Court who shall be present upon those very places upon pain of nullity unless that the Accused should require that the Competency should be judged in the said Chambers ordained by this present Edict In which Case as to what concerns the Inhabitants in the Province of Guienne Languedoc Provence and Dolphiny the Substitutes of our General-Attorneys in the said Chambers shall cause at the request of the said
that they are of the said Religion and honest Men. ARTICLE L. That Act of Indempnity granted unto those of the said pretended Reformed Religion by the 74. Article of this said Edict shall be of force as to all taking away of Royal Moneys whether by breaking up of Coffers or otherwise yea and as for those which were levied upon the River of Charante although they had been affected and applied unto private uses ARTICLE LI. The 49. Article in the secret Articles made in the year 1577. touching the City and Archbishoprick of Avinion and County of Venise as also the Treaty made at Nismes shall be observed according to their form and tenour and there shall be no Letters of Mark given by vertue of those Articles and Treaties but only by the Kings Letters Patents Sealed with his Great Seal Yet nevertheless such as would obtain them may get them by vertue of this present Article and without any other Commission from the Royal Judges who shall take informations of the contrary actings denial of Justice and iniquity of Judgments propounded by those who shall desire to obtain the said Letters and shall send them together with their advice closed and sealed up unto his Majesty that he may Ordain therein according as he shall see reason ARTICLE LII His Majesty accordeth and willeth that Master Nicholas Grimoul be restored and maintained in his Title and Possession of the Offices of ancient Lieutenant-General Civil and of Lieutenant-General Criminal in the Bailywick of Alanson notwithstanding that Resignation by him made unto Mr. John Marguerit and his admission into it and the Provision obtained by Mr. William Bernard of the Office of Lieutenant-General Civil and Criminal in the Court of Eximes and the Decrees given against the said Marguerit resigning it during the Troubles unto the Privy-Council in the years 1586 1587 and 1588. by which Mr. Nicholas Barbier is maintained in the Rights and Prerogatives of the ancient Lieutenant-General in the said Bailywick and the said Bernard in the said Office of Lieutenant at Eximes whom his Majesty hath cashiered and all others contrary to this Article of the Edict Moreover his said Majesty for certain and good Considerations hath granted and Ordained that the Grimoult shall reimburse within the space of three Months the said Barbier of that Revenue which he paid in unto the Casual Parties for the Office of Lieutenant-General Civil and Criminal in the Viscounty of Alanson and of fifty Crowns for charges and he shall order the Bailiff of Perche or his Lieutenant Mortaigne to do it And the money being reimburst or if the said Barbier shall refuse or delay to receive it his Majesty hath forbidden the said Barbier as also the said Bernard after the signification of this present Article to intrude themselves into the exercise of the said Offices upon pain of being guilty of Cheating and he the said Grimoult is put into the possession of his Offices and Rights unto them appertaining and thus doing those Suits which were depending in his Majesty's Privy-Council betwixt the said Grimoult Barbier and Bernard shall be terminated and suppressed his Majesty forbiding the Parliaments and all others from taking Cognisance and the said Parties from all Prosecutions for them Moreover his said Majesty hath undertook himself to reimburse the said Bernard of a thousand Crowns furnished unto the Casual Parties for his Office and of the sixty Crowns for the mark of gold and costs having to this purpose now ordained a good and sufficient assignment which the said Grimoult shall diligently get in and at his sole Charges ARTICLE LIII His said Majesty shall write unto his Ambassadours that they do importunately desire on behalf of all his Subjects yea and for those of the said pretended Reformed Religion that they be not prosecuted for their Consciences nor subjected unto the Inquisition going coming sojourning trading and trafficking in all Foreign Countries Allies and Confederates of this Crown provided that they commit no offence against the Government of those Countreys in which they shall be ARTICLE LIV. It is his Majesties Pleasure that there shall be no inquiry made after the receipt of those Impositions which were levied at Royan by vertue of the Contract made with the Sieur de Candelay and others who succeeded him and he confirmeth and approveth of the said Contract for that time in which it took place in the whole Contents thereof until the 18th day of May now coming ARTICLE LV. Those Riots which were occasioned about Armand Courtines in the Town of Millaud in the year 1587. and of John Reines and Peter Seigneuret together with the proceedings against them by the Consuls of the said Millaud shall by vertue of this Edict be abolished and supprest nor shall it be lawful for their Widows and Heirs nor for the Attorneys-General of his Majesty their Substitutes or other Persons whatsoever to make any mention Inquiry or Prosecution notwithstanding and without any respect had unto the Decree given in the Chamber of Castres the tenth day of March last which shall be null and without effect as also shall be all Informations and Proceedings both of the one and other side ARTICLE LVI All Prosecutions Proceedings Sentences Judgments and Decrees given as well against the late Lord of La Noue and against the Lord Odet of La Noue his Son since their detention and Imprisonment in Flanders which happened in May 1580. and in November 1584. and during their continual imployment in the Wars and for the service of his Majesty shall be void null and of none effect and whatsoever hath ensued in consequence thereof And both the said Lords De la Noue shall be admitted to defend themselves and be restored unto that Condition and State in which they were before the said Judgments and Decrees they not being obliged to refund the expences nor to pay the Fines if they had incurred any nor shall there be alledged against them any non-suit or prescription during the said time Done by the King in his Council at Nantes the second day of May 1598. Signed HENRY And a little lower Forget Sealed with the Great Seal upon yellow Wax HEnry by the Grace of God King of France and Navarre To our Beloved and Faithful Officers holding our Court of Parliament at Paris Greeting We did the last April cause to be expedited our Letters of Edict for the establishment of a good order and peace between our Catholick Subjects and those of the said pretended Reformed Religion Moreover we have granted unto those of the said Religion certain secret and particular Articles which we will to be of the self-same force and vertue and to be observed and accomplished in like manner as our Edict For these Causes We Will We Command and do most expresly injoin you by these presents That the said Articles Signed with our Hand and attacked unto this under the Counter-Seal of our Chancery you do cause to be Recorded in the Register of our
have here inserted it A Letter of the French King to the Prince Elector Duke of Brandenburgh BROTHER I Would not have discoursed the Matter you write to me about on the behalf of my Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion with any other Prince besides your self But to shew you that particular esteem I have for you I shall begin with telling you that some persons disaffected to my Service have spread seditious Pamphlets among strangers as if the Acts and Edicts that were passed in favour of my said Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion by the Kings my Predecessors and confirmed by my self were not kept and executed in my Dominions which would have been contrary to my Intentions for I take care that they be maintained in all the Priviledges which have been granted them and be as kindly used as my other Subjects To this I am engaged both by my Royal Word and in acknowledgment of the Proofs they have given of their unspotted Loyalty during the late Troubles in which they took up Arms for my Service and did vigorously oppose and successfully overthrow those ill Designs which a rebellious Party were contriving within my own Dominions against my Royal Authority I pray God to take you Brother into his Protection LOUIS N.B. That Rebellious Party which the French King stigmatizeth so hainously in this Letter were the Roman Catholicks adhering to the late Prince of Condé who having some Evidences of the Illegitimacy of the present French King began with the Sword in his hand to publish his own Banes unto the Crown of France And the Loyal Protestants opposing this Rebellious Prince and his Rebellious Army and in the Providence of God having been the unhappy Instruments of his and their overthrow are applauded by the King himself from whence they drew this natural Conclusion that he then when he writ this Letter to the Duke of Brandenburgh had no intentions to destroy them But that they were mistaken and that Prince Elector abused is notorious to the whole World SECT XXXVII Another and the fifth method used by the Council for their ruine were those jugling Tricks with which they were frequently amused As for Example At the same time that some Churches were Condemned and accordingly demolished others were conserved and confirmed To make the World believe they were very Conscientious Observers of the Rules and Measures of Justice and that those Temples condemned by them were such as were not grounded upon any good Titles Sometimes they would mollify over-rigorous Orders and Decrees At other times they seemed not to approve of those violences which were offered by the Intendants and other Magistrates and would therefore grant out new Orders to restrain and moderate them After this manner did they hinder the Execution of a Decree made in the Parliament of Rouen which injoined those of the Reformed Religion to fall on their Knees when they met the Sacrament Thus they also granted a Noli prosequi against the actings of a puny Judge of Charanton who had ordered that Prayer in the Protestant Liturgy who groaned under the Tyranny of Antichrist to be struck out of it And thus also they seemed not to favour another Persecution which began to spread and become general in the Kingdom against the Ministers under pretence of obliging them to take an Oath of Allegiance in which other Clauses were inserted contrary to what Ministers do owe unto their Callings and Religion And 't was thus also that they suspended the Execution of some Edicts which they themselves had procured as well to tax the Ministers as to oblige them to a precise Residence upon those places where they exercised their Ministry With the same design the Syndicks of the Clergy had the art to let the principal Churches of the Kingdom to be at rest for many years together without any disturbance in their religious Assemblies whilst at the same time they desolated all others in the Country They suspended also the Condemnation of the Universities to the very last The Court seemed at first unable to believe and at last in no wise to approve the horrible excesses of Marillac the Intendant of Poictou which he committed in his Province though yet that poor and bloody Fellow did nothing but by their express Order SECT XXXVIII But amongst all those illusions there be five or six which are most remarkable The first was that at the very time when the Court issued out all those Decrees Declarations and Edicts which we have before recited and which they caused to be put in execution with the greatest severity yea at the very same time that they interdicted Church-Assemblies demolished the Temples deprived particular Persons of their Offices and Employments reduced People to Poverty and Famine flung them into nasty Jails loaded them with grievous Fines banished them from their Houses and Estates and in a word had almost ravaged all The Intendants Governours Magistrates and other Officers in Paris and generally over all the Kingdom did very coolly and gravely give out That the King had not the least intention to touch the Edict of Nantes but would most religiously observe it The second was that in the same Edict which the King published in the year 1682. to forbid Roman Catholicks to embrace the Reformed Religion that is to say at a time when they had made considerable progress in their grand work of the Protestants destruction they caused a formal Clause to be inserted in these terms That he confirmed the Edict of Nantes as much as it was or should be needful The third remarkable is That in the Circular Letters which the King wrote to the Bishops and Intendants obliging them to signify the Pastoral Advertisement of the Clergy to the Consistories of the Reformed He tells them in express terms That his intention was not that they should do any thing against those Grants which had been formerly made by Edicts and Declarations in favour of those of the Reformed Religion The fourth That by an express Declaration published about the latter end of the year 1684 the King ordained That Ministers should not remain in the same Church above the space of three years nor return to the first within the space of twelve And that they should be thus translated from Church to Church at least twenty Leagues distant from the other Supposing by a most evident consequence that his design was yet to permit the exercise of Religion to the Ministers in the Kingdom for at least twelve years Though at that very moment they had fully resolv'd in Council upon the Edict of Revocation A fifth Remark is a Request presented to the King by the Assembly of the Clergy at the same time that they were drawing up an Edict to repeal and abrogate that of Nantes and giving instructions unto the Attorney-General how to frame it And in that Decree which was granted on this Request of theirs the Clergy complained of the mis-representations which Ministers are wont to
seven years old capable of chusing their Religion they are at the same time expos'd to contract the crime of those that are called relapse and by consequence do undergo the capital Punishment ordain'd by your Majesties Laws in that case Foreigners and Infidels themselves will think themselves well Authoriz'd by this Example to take the Children of those who profess a Religion contrary to theirs And lastly the Roman Catholick Religion will hardly avoid the reproach of all good Christians when it shall appear that it not only receives but forces Conversions from Children of seven years old that is in an age when they have but the first appearances of reason and when their Judgments scarce begin to act and where by consequence any change of their Religion cannot proceed from a determinate choice but from a blind obedience or yielding to the threat or allurements that can move them That it is contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Church is so visible that even admitting your Suppliants to be Hereticks 't is most certain that in antient times the Church never took away Children under age from those that liv'd under the same ties of civil society with them though at the same time they thought them Infidels In a word Sir it is an unheard of practice to this day in all the Nations of the World that the Power of Fathers should be restrain'd to seven years over their own Children particularly in Cases of Religion Thomas Aquinas one of the greatest Doctors of the Roman Catholicks decides positively that it is not lawful to baptize the Children of the Jews against the will of their Parents and that for two Reasons one that it was never the practice of the Church and the other that it is against the course of natural Justice and when the Kings of Spain and Portugal Sisebuth and Emanuel carried on by a Zeal of Religion went about to practise something like it the fourth Council of Toledo oppos'd the action of the King of Spain and all the World has blamed the proceeding of Emanuel when he took away from the Jews their Children under fourteen years of Age. The famous Bishop Osorius who speaks of it says that it was an action neither founded in Justice nor in Religion though it proceeded from a good Intention and aim'd at a good End because God Almighty requires from Mankind a voluntary not a forc'd Sacrifice It being against his Laws that any violence should be offer'd to Conscience to which he adds this terrible Circumstance that divers of those unfortunate Fathers threw their Children headlong into deep Wells and precipitated themselves after them It cannot be alledg'd Sir that the Declaration of your Majesty does not order the taking away of Children from their Parents and that it only gives them the liberty of chusing their Religion For in the first place the Violence is not so much to be look'd upon as offer'd to the Children but to the Parents whose Children they are by the Gift of God and Nature 't is the sence of the same Thomas Aquinas who speaking of the Jews says that it were injustice to baptize their Children against their will because it were the taking away from them that paternal Power with which they are invested by nature which says he the Church never did even in the most Christian Princes times as Constantine and Theodosius who without doubt would have permitted it had it not been against all Reason And the Edict of Nantes it self in the 18th Article forbids equally Force and Persuasion and calls them both Violence and all Laws have as severely punish'd the Rape of Seduction as that of force in Children under Age. Secondly The Age of seven years fully attain'd does not hinder but that as to the Parents the Violence is as great as if their Children were torn from their Mothers Breasts because that all Laws both natural and civil do submit Children to their Parents till the Age of Puberty and therefore 't is equally unjust to take them away at seven years old as in the Cradle If it be alledg'd that Children at seven years old are capable of sinning mortally and so may be admitted to the choice of their Religion We Answer that besides that that Principle is not generally allow'd and that it would be very hard to judge your Petitioners by Maxims which they do not receive 't is easie to see that it is a very unjust and unequal Inference and that there is a great deal of difference between the first Idea's of good and evil which Children may begin to have at seven years old and the discerning or examining of two Religions with a determination to leave that in which they have been brought up to follow another which must of necessity be less known to them if they are not altogether ignorant of it and which the World knows to be a choice of so difficult a nature that it is the earnest endeavour of human Mind animated with the most diligent inquiry of its way to Heaven Your Petitioners shall not here touch upon the fatal and sad Consequences which are like to attend the Execution of so severe a Law the despair of Fathers and Mothers the inevitable Discord between Parents and Children the change of Education from the tender hands of Parents into those of Strangers the liberty it gives to ill-dispos'd Children who will scorn the Correction of their Parents having means ready to shake off their Authority the exaction of unreasonable Pensions from Parents for the keeping of their Children out of their own Families the forc'd retreat of many thousands out of your Majesties Dominions the apprehension that those who remain will be in to have any Children born to 'em and a thousand other Inconveniencies and Interruptions of the Bonds of civil Society Your Petitioners Sir are convinc'd as well as all the World that nothing here can resist your Power but they know likewise that your Majesty loves to temper that Power with Sweetness and Justice after the Imitation of God Almighty who never displays the Infinity of his Power upon his poor Creatures but that he doth at the same time look upon 'em with Eyes of Compassion 'T is your Justice Sir that your Petitioners implore in the Excess of their Grief and 't is to you Sir alone that they direct their sighs and tears taking the confidence to say as it is true that they had rather endure all things and death it self rather than be separated from their Children in so tender an Age and so be hinder'd from Educating them in their own Religion according to the obligation of their Consciences Therefore your Petitioners humbly beg that it may be your Royal Pleasure to revoke and annul the Declaration of the 17th of June last and to order that that of February 1669. be in full force and your Petitioners shall continue to offer up their Vows and Prayers for your Majesty's most prosperous and glorious Reign But they
the future be prevented XV. To the case Whether a Promise made by a Maid at the Age of eleven with the consent of her Parents to which before twelve she had renounced Ministers contracting unfitting Marriages to be severely censured Promises of Marriage made by Minors though with the consent of Parents are null A Papist maynot be married unless he or she do renounce the Mass Renters of Benefices where Idolatry is shall within a limited time be excommucate He that continues and hardens himself in his sins shall be excommunicate might be dissolved This answer was given That such a Promise was Null XVI It being moved Whether Ministers might marry them who were downright Papists The Synod answers That it may not be done unless they do positively renounce the Mass XVII Gentlemen or other renting Benefices from Priests where Idolatry is not as yet purged shall be seriously admonished to abstain from so doing within a certain fixed time and in case of final Disobedience to this Admonition they shall be cut off from Communion at the Lord's Table XVIII As to the difficulty propounded by our Brethren of Nismes Whether a Minister may with a good Conscience leave his Church when his Wife after that he hath done his Duty in order to her Conversion will not live with him It is answered That all circumstances considered he shall renew his Endeavours for the Conversion of his Wife and in the mean while he shall have his liberty to resume again his Charge as soon as he shall have reduced his Wife unto her Duty XIX Our Brother of Xaintes having demanded what is to be done in this case A Man having done publick Penance in the Church for divers Faults committed by him yet again and again returns unto the same Sins ought he to be excommunicated or not Our Judgment is because he hath not truely hearkned unto the Church that he be excommunicate XX. As to that Question Whether the Promises of Marriage may be given before a Priest because the Mother will have her Daughter contracted by a Priest It is answered Forasmuch as the presence of the Priest is only required that the Espousals should be performed by him 't is our Advice that it ought not to be done XXI A young Man promiseth Marriage unto a Maid with this express Condition inserted in the Contract That he promiseth Marriage provided the Maid consents to be married in the Reformed Church the Maid promiseth and consents for a time afterward seeing the Troubles arising for Religion she will not yeild unto it and saith farther That she will never have this young Man It 's demanded Whether he is hereby freed from his Promise We answer The young Man shall endeavour by his diligent Sollicitations to perswade her and 't is left to the prudence of the Consistory to judge of the Diligences used by him and accordingly to proceed to a Declaration of the Nullity of the Marriage if need be XXII Such as bearing Office in the Reformed Church having in times of Persecution fallen into Idolatry shall be deposed from their said Office and before they be again received unto the Lord's Table shall undergo publick Penance And if private Persons are guilty of the same Crime they shall do the same Penance enjoyned them by the Consistory all which shall be performed with Christian Charity and due Moderation according to the Rules of our Ecclesiastical Discipline XXIII The case being moved Whether it be sufficient that the Fornication of a Man be proved by his Harlot and the Testimony of some worthy Person who shall depose that he heard the Fornicator acknowledge his Crime and that those belonging to the House do testifie of theit frequenting each others company 'T is our Counsel That the Consistory of the Church would exhort the Accused to confess the Truth confronting him the Harlot and Witnesses together and to examine well all Circumstances And if he persist in his Denial yet to suspend him from the Lord's Supper provided the Witness be an honest Person and without reproach XXIV The Churches shall be advertised not to celebrate the Marriage of strange Persons who dwell not in the places where those Marriages are to be solemnized unless they bring Certificates from those Churches whereunto they do belong A Pagan Maid must not be baptized till she have been well instructed in the Christian Religion XXV A Maid brought from among Salvages and not instructed in the Principles of Christian Religion ought not to be baptized before she can give a rational account of her Faith and that by a publick Confession XXVI In the Province of Berry whenas over and above the Synodical Assemblies and Propositions to exercise the Gifts of young unordained Preachers in order to their Approbation for the Ministry there shall be other Assemblies specially convened to consult about necessary and emergent Affairs they shall be held by the common Agreement of the Churches Consistories and not by any other Authority that so that Article of our Discipline may not be thwarted which expresly ordaineth that no Church shall usurp any Authority over another XXVII The Minister of Memiot desiring our Judgment in this case A Gentleman caused his Child to be baptized by a Priest who continues practising his Idolatry Shall this Child be rebaptized or not It 's answered in the Negative XXVIII The Minister of Chasteneauef and Mazon desired Resolution unto this case Whether he may with a good Conscience lend another his Name that under the covert thereof he might enjoy the Profits of a certain Benefice We answer That he ought not to do it in any wise XXIX Forasmuch as the Minister of New castel in Normandy hath of his own accord forsaken his Ministry induced thereunto by the perswasions of his Wife as he protested before the Colloquy at Diep it is resolved that the Brethren Ministers of that Colloquy shall censure him according to his Deservings and put him in the Catalogue of Desertors A Man may not marry his Brother's Widow XXX It being demanded Whether it were only a Prohibition of Humane Laws That the Widow of the deceased Brother might not be married to his surviving Brother The Council answered That such Marriages were also forbidden by the Word of God And though under the Law of Moses it was ordained That when the elder Brother died childless the younger Brother should raise up Seed unto him yet this was only a temporary Law to God's Ancient Israel and intended only for the preservation and distinction of their Tribes XXXI One having renounced his Benefices demands advice What he shall do with his Writings Deeds and other Evidences belonging unto the Lands and Revenues of those his said Benefices We advise him to discharge himself by due course of Law according to the Ordinance of the Magistrate and he shall cancel his Letters of Presentation XXXII A certain Lady craves our Advice Whether she may claim her Right and Interests in a
made this Decree That if through want of will on their side they were not employed in the sacred Ministry they shall be bound to make restitution unto those Churches which had furnished them with necessary Supplies towards their Education as soon as God shall enable them XLIX The present Synod returns Thanks unto Monsieur Beraud Rotan and the other Pastors for their pious endeavours in maintaining the Truth at the Conference held at Mants with Monsieur De Perron and other Popish Theologers and ratifies their whole proceeding and that offer made by them to continue the said Conference at the pleasure and commandment of His Majesty In pursuance whereof the Synod hath nominated twenty Pastors out of whom twelve shall be chosen to confer with those of the Romish Church that so the Provinces may have notice and come prepared for the said Conference And in case the Provinces would recommend any other they are required to do it speedily and shall acquaint the said Beraud and Rotan with it Catalogue of those nominated for the General Conference The twenty Persons nominated are Monsieur Rotan of Xaintonge Monsieur Ceovt of Bourgogne * * * Mr Chauve See the Synod of Saumur Gen. Mar. 12. Monsieur De L'Estang Godion of Poictòu Monsieur D'aneau of Higher Languedoc Monsieur Pacard of Xaintonge Monsieur De la Noue of Anjou Monsieur Constans of Lyonnois Monsieur Cazenave of Bearn Monsieur De la Banserie of Normandy Monsieur De la Faye of Geneva Monsieur De Beaulieu of France Monsieur Des Alâ—ues of Tourain †††Another Copy hath Monsieur De Serres Monsieur Chamier of Dauphine Monsieur De Chambrisé of Brittany Monsieur Ricotier the Son of Gascony Monsieur Gigord of Lower Languedoc Monsieur Berault of the Higher Guyenne Monsieur | | | But Baron's Name was razed out Baron of England Monsieur Melanez of Gascony and Monsieur Junius of Leyden in Holland L. The Province of Lower Languedoc demanding our Advice What course should be taken with those Ministers who having been deposed did afterwards live soberly and religiously without giving any the least offence tho' a long time had past since their Deposition whether it were lawful to employ them again in the Dispensation of the Word and Sacraments in that self-same Province where they had been deposed or not This Synod answers That it is in no wise expedient because contrary to the very Letter of the Canons of our Discipline LI. The same Deputies having moved That there might be nothing innovated as to the Observation of Holy-days such as Christmas and the rest the Synod doth accord unto it LII This Assembly having seen Monsieur Daneau's Answer unto the first part of Bellarmin's Works doth judge them worthy to be made publick whereof Notice shall be given our said Brother by Letters from this Synod and he is entreated to intimate in his Preface that he designed brevity in his Answer because others had been more large and ample LIII Monsieur De Serres having requested by his Letters written to this Synod See Synod of Saumur Part. Mat. 3. that some learned Men might be appointed to revise his Collection out of the Fathers a Work undertaken by him to prove our Religion to be the most Ancient Catholick Religion and the Romish to be New and Particular This Synod hath ordained That the said De Serres shall cause three Copies of his Collection to be fairly transcribed whereof one shall be sent into the Lower Languedoc and from thence into the Higher Languedoc Guyenne and Gascogny another into Xaintonge and from thence into Poictou and the Churches beyond the River of Loire and the third shall be sent unto Geneva that care may be taken about its Impression And till it be thus revised the said Monsieur De Serres is expresly ordered neither to print nor publish any thing of the said Collection LIV. The Synod being informed that several Sums of Money were collected in the Churches for their Service whereof no account hath been render'd This Synod ordereth That all Receivers of those Collections made in the said Churches do bring in their Accompts of those Moneys unto the next National Synod notwithstanding any Agreement past between these Receivers and particular Churches to the contrary And the Province of Lower Languedoc shall give Notice to Monsieur De Serres and John Chalais that they come and yield up their Accounts and pay in the remaining Moneys in their hands at the time appointed them before the six Ministers and six Elders or other Persons well skill'd in matters of Accompt which shall be deputed by the Synod of Lower Languedoc and these Accounts shall be audited in the City of Monpellier And in case the said Monsieur De Serres refuse so to do he shall be suspended from the Ministry and the said John Chalais from the Sacrament And both of them are required to appear in Person before the next National Synod But De Serres died the very day before it sat LV. The Deputies of Higher Languedoc demanding Whether Sinners who had committed certain Crimes for which by Sentence of the Magistrate they were punished with Brands of publick Infamy ought also to be censur'd by the Church so far as to do publick Penance in the face of the whole Congregation The Synod resolved affirmatively because they be two distinct Matters the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrate and the Ecclesiastical Cognisance taken by Consistories this relating to the Conscience and the interiour concerns of the Soul and that only to the Body and outward Man CHAP. V. Of APPEALS I. WHereas the Church of Rochel hath brought an Appeal from the Province of Poictou about Monsieur Esnard whom the said Church claims for its Minister by Vertue of an Order granted it by the National Synod celebrated in the Year 1581. It is now decreed That because the. said Church hath not produced the Grant of that Synod Monsieur Esnard shall remain where he is at present in the Province of Poictou and moreover the said Church shall be censured for having used Terms of Law in the said Appeal II. An Appeal being brought by the Colloquy of Angoulesme against the Church of St. Mesme about a Judgment past in the Synod of Xaintonge This Article was razed out in the Synod of Saumur Part. Mat. 4. this Assembly doth confirm that Judgment in the whole and in every part of it denounced by the said Synod which is also charged by the Authority of this Assembly to censure Monsieur De Bargemont and his Associates for troubling us with their Impertinencies III. The Church of Cognac and Monsieur De Bargemont having appealed from a Judgment given in the Synod of Xaintonge held at Pons This Assembly decreeth That the said Monsieur De Bargemont shall be appropriated to the Church of Segonsac with this Proviso that he serve alternatively the Church of Coignac and Segonsac and that
particularly promiseth to hinder the out-breaking of Piscator's Notions provided he be not provoked elsewhere by any others This Assembly ordaineth John Earl of Nassau his Letters unto Monsieur Regnault that Lettes shall in its name be written unto the said most Noble Lord thanking him for his pious affection and humbly intreating that Prince to continue his endeavours for effecting of that much-desired Union and to take care that none of his Subjects do break out into bitter expressions and to assure him on the behalf of our Churches in this Kingdom that no person shall be suffered to exasperate Dr. Piscator by any publick Writings as also that if any one hath heretofore done it he had no Commission for so doing from us and it was disowned by this Synod and that we shall take special care to prevent it for the future See the first Synod of Rochel G. Mat. 6. and of Montauban observat upon the Confes Art 4. Th' Article concerning Antichrist to be printed and inserted into our Confession 8. Our Printers shall be once again charged according to the Decrees of the Synods of Montauban and Saumur to put the word Union instead of Unity in the twenty sixth Article of our Confession And all Pastors in whose Churches there be Printing Houses are required to oversee the next impressions that so it be done accordingly 9. That Article concerning Antichrist inserted by the Synod of Gap into the body of our Confession and making the thirty first having been in its order read weighed and examined was approved and allowed by general consent both as to its form and substance for very true and agreeing with Scripture-Prophesie and which in these our days we see most clearly to be fulfilled Whereupon it was resolved that it should continue in its place and that for time coming it should be imprinted in all Copies which should come from the Press 10. That word Superintendent in the thirty third Article shall abide according as it was expounded by the Synod of Gap 11. Whereas the Pastors and Classis of Lausanna Morges c. do demonstrate in their Letters that it would be fit to add unto the close of the thirty third Article after the word Appertaining this restriction as far forth as they be grounded on the Word of God This Assembly hath found it needless and superfluous because that the foregoing words For in Excommunication we ought to follow what our Lord hath declared to us do sufficiently express unto us the aforesaid Restriction 12. Whereas some have remonstrated that it were meet to express in the thirty sixth Article more clearly that Union which the faithful have one with another and which is signified to us in the Lord's Supper But this point having been debated it was judged needless for that the Conjunction of the head with the Members there mentioned did necessarily infer the mutual Union and Communion of the Members one with another 13. The Consistories of Churches in which our Printers live are charged for time to come to have a special care that our Printers do not forget those words of our Lords Institution Take Eat c. And Drink ye all c. according as was Decreed in the Synod of Saumur 14. The Province of Higher Languedoc scrupling the word Lieutenant in the thirty ninth Article This Assembly saw no reason for it but that it might continue in it as importing nothing contrary to what is signified by that word when attributed unto Magistrates by the Holy Scriptures and equivalent to those words which the Word of God doth bestow upon them 15. The Confession of Faith having been read over word by word and in every Member Article and Clause of it it was unanimously approved and sworn to by all the Deputies present in the Synod who promised and protested to live and die in this Faith and particularly in what had been determined according to the Scriptures That we be justified before God by the imputation of that obedience of our Lord Jesus which he yielded unto God his Father in his Life and Death Which said Protestation the Deputies of the Provinces will by the Authority of this Synod cause also to be taken by all the Pastors of their respective Provinces which had sent them CHAP. III. Observations on the reading our Church-Discipline 1. ON the Second Article of the first Chapter after these words of their Doctrine shall be added approved at least by the space of two years since their Conversion and confirmed by good Testimonials from those places in which they live 2. On the fourth Article of the same Chapter that alternative of two or three shall be removed and there shall be mentioned three only 3. No Church shall for the future undertake whatever sollicitations may be made it to examine or ordain those Pastors which are to serve out of this Kingdom but herein they shall conform unto the Discipline and the Decrees of former National Synods 4. After these words in the fourth Article which shall be advised there shall be added without being able during that all whole time to administer the Sacraments that so c. See Synod of Gap 4 Art uppon the Discipline 5. That Article of the Synod of Gap concerning the eleventh Canon of this first Chapter shall be most strictly observed and that it may be better kept for the future in all Consistorial Classical and Synodical Censures diligent inquiry shall be made into the Conversation and Manner of Preaching used by every Pastor and an Oath shall be imposed on the Examinant to speak the Truth to the best of his knowledge and that they may the better answer to every point they shall read unto them the said Article of the Discipline 6. On reading the ninteenth Article the Synod ordered Letters should be written unto the Lords of this Kingdom professing the Reformed Religion that they be intreated when ever they are called from their Houses unto Court or when ever they travel that they would not fail to take their Pastors with them 7. The Synod expounding the twenty eighth Article by these words their Churches being heard doth understand the Consistories and Chief of the people and by these words for certain considerations doth understand whatever may fall out in general and not particularly the proceeds of Censures A Colloquy may lend a Minister for three and the Provinc Synod 6 months out of the Province See the first Synod of Vitré g. Mat. 24. 8. On the thirty third Article where speech is had about the consent of Pastors and Churches in case of Loan of Ministers without the Province It is now decreed that notwithstanding any Appeal to the contrary a Colloquy may lend a Pastor for three Months and the provincial Synod for six 9. The means prescribed by the Synods of Gap and Gergeau to prevent their ingratitude who refuse maintenance unto their Pastors are left to be used according to the discretion and charity of the
that aforesaid Decree in the said Church This Assembly having heard Monsieur Merlin speak in behalf of the Synod and Monsieur Bonnet for the Colloquy judged that the Church of Soubize failed in their Letter of Summons inserting a clause that the Colloquy had exceeded their power by an over-rigorous censure inflicted on the said Church and Minister and it approveth the Decree of the Synod against the said Colloquy But for as much as publication hath not been made of it we do ordain that it shall be forborn only Monsieur Petit shall read in the Consistory of the Church of St. Just this present Article that so the honour of the said Minister maybe repaired 39. Bertrand Faugier formerly Minister of the Church of Viners in Dolphiny appealed from the Decree of the Synod of that Province whereby he was Deposed from the Sacred Ministry but his Appeal was declared null and void for non-appearance in person at this Assembly 40. The Appeal of the Church of Lamure in Dolphiny from a Decree of their Provincial Synod being only about Money matters shall according to the Canon made at Rochel be determined by the next adjoining Province CHAP. VI. Of General Matters 1. NO Church shall seek a Minister for it self out of the Province unless it have first consulted with the Colloquies or Synod of the Province 2. The Provinces shall be admonished carefully to observe the tenth Article of the eighth Chapter of our discipline wherein are declared the proper causes which may be brought by Appeals unto our National Synods and if any shall hereafter bring those matters before us which are determinable in Provincial Synods they shall not be heard And Provincial Synods shall give notice hereof unto such persons as Appeal without just cause 3. The Deputies of those Provinces in which are erected the Mixt Courts consisting of half Protestants and half Papists are ordered in the name of this Assembly to wait upon the Lords Presidents and Counsellors of those Mixed Courts professing the Reformed Religion and to exhort them to persevere in their zeal and good affection to the general welfare of the Churches and of their poor oppressed Members who have recourse to them for justice against their oppressors and Letters shall be written to them to this purpose 4. The Consistory of Nerac shall in the Name of this Assembly exhort the Lords Presidents and Counsellors professing the Reformed Religion in the mixt-Court of Guyenne to take special care that nothing do pass in their Court to the prejudice of the Edicts and Articles granted to the Professors of our Religion and that private persons may not be unjustly oppressed And in case of their neglect and connivency at such injustice the Consistory of the said Church shall proceed against them by all Church Censures 5. The Deputies of Lower Languedoc moved this Question what course should be taken with those persons against whom the Consistories having proceeded by Church Censures for their delinquencies according to the Discipline were yet abetted by their Friends and Kinred who combining together with them against the Consistories do forbear hearing of Sermons neglect Sacraments and refuse their ordinary contributions towards the maintenance of the Ministry It was decreed that they be prosecuted both abettors and abetted with all Church-Censures and Colloquies and Provincial Synods ordered are to take special care that these Censures be duly executed 6. The Deputies of the Isle of France and Picardy propounding it the Provinces are charged to proceed against such as do by underhand dealings canvass for deputations unto Politcal Assemblies by all Church Censures And they who Represent the Provinces shall make oath that they never obtained to be Deputies by any of those unfair practices and in all Elections of members unto such Assemblies in whatsoever place Burrough City or Province that they neither have nor shall in any wise give their Votes for them who by such undue courses have demanded Craftily contrived or Ambitiously affected and sought after those Deputations nor have they nor will they seek or demand the same for themselves by such or the like ways and means And in case his Majesty out of his Royal Bounty should defray their charges at those General Assemblies It is ordained that the Moneys so given by him shall be received by the Treasurer of the Churches for their benefit and the Churches shall pay the respective Deputies all the expences of their Journy Professors are exempted from all Deputations unto Political Assemblies 7. the Provinces are injoyned never to depute unto our General National Assemblies whether Political or Ecclesiastical the Professors of Theology nor shall they be imployed in any Deputations unto Court And whether they shall be sent or not unto our National Synods it 's left wholly to the prudence of the Provinces 8. Theophilus Bleuitt otherwise called de la Combe having been deposed from the Ministry by the Province of Anjou and his deposition ratified by an act of the last National Synod held at Rochel presented himself unto this Assembly craving the favour of re-admission into the Ministry The Assembly having heard the causes for which he was deposed and those enormous Crimes whereof he stood convicted declareth him utterly unworthy of that Sacred Office yea that he shall not be so much as suffered to teach School in any of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom and forbids him for the future ever to put his foot within any of our Synodical Assemblies more 9. The Deputies of the Isle of France moving it this Assembly decreed that in those Provinces where that Custom was established of bringing the fifth Penny of all Charities to the Colloquies or Provincial Synods to be employed in the maintenance of our Proposans shall continue it as long as they see it expedient And in case any Churches of the Provinces should oppose themselves against it they be enjoyned to conform unto the practice of the major party on pain of being deprived of the Ministry In consequence hereof the Deputy of Burgundy complaining of the great inconveniencies befallen them by the Exemption of the Church of Lion from this Ordinance it was again decreed that the said Church should be subjected to it as well as the other Churches of that Province 10. It 's left to the prudence of Consistories to judge what Poor are fit to be relieved by every particular Church and who are to be sent back unto the places of their Nativity or of their former Residence And herein to carry it with all Charity both towards the Poor and those Churches whereunto they do return them An Order for maimed Souldiers bearing the Cross on their Cloaks 11. The Deputies of the Lower Guyenne moving it this Assembly resolved That Protestant Souldiers to receive the Relief granted by His Majesty unto those who had been maimed in His Service might wear the Cross on their Cloaks not as a Badge of Superstition but as the Mark and Cognisance of their
more advantagiously promote the common Weal of our Churches the repose and happiness of the State and the establishment of their Majesties Authority And the like Letters to the same purpose shall be written to the Lords of Chastillion of Parabere to the Dukes of Rohan and of Sully to the Dukes of Soubize and de la Force and to the Lord du Plessis from this Assembly to acquaint them with our desires and invitations in the name and behalf of all our Churches to joyn in with the Lords Dukes of Bouillon and de les Diguieres and that as we had exhorted these so we do earnestly exhort their Lordships also to quit and forego their own particular Resentments and Discontents and that as formerly they have so they would be pleased now and evermore to testifie their zeal and affection for the Weal and Repose of our poor Churches and that they would demean themselves with a generous frankness and integrity in their mutual Correspondence and Re-union one with the other that being united in a perfect Bond of Charity they may with conjoyned Forces promote and advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Letters also shall be written unto the Lady Dutchess of Tremouille intreating her in the name of all our Churches to continue her endeavours in mediating the said Peace and Re-union and to give her thanks for her singular care in the Education of her Children in the True Religion and in the Fear of God and in Love and Affection to our Churches hoping and praying that they may hereafter prove excellent and useful Instruments of God's glory and of the Churches good And it shall be protested to all and every one of those Lords in the name and behalf of our Churches in the said Letters directed to them of our Intention and Resolution to consider honour and value them according to their Families Qualities Dignities and Merits as being the most honourable Members of our Body And the said Letters shall be presented them to wit unto the Lords of Bouillon and of les Diguieres of Chastillion and to the Lady Dutchess of Tremouille by the immediate hands of our General Deputies Those for the Lord Duke of Rohan and my Lord of Soubize by the Lords Barons of Saujon and Bonnet Deputies for the Province of Xaintonge who shall also acquaint them particularly from this Assembly with our sentiments desires and designs exhorting them to approve of them and to consent unto them and they shall be intreated to declare freely their thoughts of the whole that so the General Deputies may be out of hand advised and allured of it The Letter to the Lord Duke of Sully shall be tendered by Monsieur de l'Isle Grossat Deputy for the Province of Berry That to the Lord de Plessis by the Sieurs Perillau Vigneux and Ferrand Deputies of the Province of Anjou That for the Lord de la Force by the Sieurs de Brassalay and du Hau Deputies of Bearne That for the Lord de la Parabere by the Sieurs de Cuville and Cognac Deputies of Poictou And all these Gentlemen are charged with one and the same Message as above-mentioned only they may make such additions as their zeal and dexterity shall judge to be most conducing to the Weal and Perfection of so glorious a work Moreover this Assembly intreateth and exhorteth that for God's sake and the glory of his great name and their own salvation and for the peace and welfare of the Nation yea it adjures by all that is desirable or commendable the whole Body of our Communion in general and every faithful Soul in particular to divest themselves of all Animosities whatsoever and to lop off immediately all dissolutions and dissentions lest they should be the causes of the dissipation of the Churches of God in this Kingdom which have been planted in the Blood of infinite Martyrs and preserved by the Zeal and Concord of our Fathers and that they would at length open their Eyes and see and consider that the Churches Enemies bottom all their designs of ruining us upon our own Intestine Dissentions and that by reason of these we are become very little and exceeding despicable with our Adversaries And all Pastors and Elders of Churches are enjoyned diligently to procure the Re-union of the respective Members of their Flocks and to lend one another their helping-hand to effect so good a work and mightily to insist upon it in their puâ—lick Sermons and private Exhortations and Remonstrances And in case they should meet with contempt scorn and reproach in the discharge of this their duty and that any one through an obdurate perverseness should shew himself implacable and irreconcilable This Assembly according to that Authority which the Great God gives unto the Ministers of his holy Word denounceth to them the dreadful Judgments of God and wisheth that they may be had in Execration among and by all the Faithful yea all the ensures of the Church shall be exerted against such Refractory persons and the utmost rigour of our Discipline shall be inflicted and executed upon them lest the good Name of God should be blasphemed through our sins and that we may not contract upon our selves the guilt of the Churches desolation but rather that b the Bond of Peace and Fraternal Union the Church of God may send forth a sweet perfume among our Adversaries and his holy Name may be blessed and glorified by the Children of men 9. And whereas in the prosecution of the said Re-union the several persons before mentioned to be employed in it must needs be at considerable Expence this Assembly leaveth that Affair unto the prudence of our Lords the General Deputies who shall apply themselves to the Lord of Candall with this our Order to disburse Moneys for their necessary Charges And the Lords the General Deputies at Court are ordered to complain unto their Majesties that the Moneys granted by them by way of Augmentation unto our Churches are not paid nor have we the disposal or management or receipt of them and they shall again by word of mouth renew their former Instances and vigorously importune that the said Augmentation-Moneys and all other sums belonging to us may be put into such hands as shall wholly depend upon our Churches that so according to the Warrants granted us for the said Moneys and according to the Promise made us they may be paid in unto us without any defalcation or diminutions and that our poor Churches may be cased of that Penny in the Liver which the Receivers attribute unto themselves and their condition bettered if may be And as to what sums have been advanced by the aforesaid Lords Deputies notice shall be given thereof unto the Provinces CHAP. XII A Warrant signed for 45000 l. for the Churches FRiday the 22th of June the Lord de Rouvray produced in this Assembly the Original Grant of Augmentation of five and forty thousand Livers which it hath pleased His Majesty to bestow upon
rest they may write their thoughts about it unto that Province which is impowered to call the next National Synod and in case the matter be urgent it shall be couched in the Letters of Summons that so they may come prepared for it 9. The Province of Dolphiny moved whether if two or three Witnesses were brought by an Informer to give in evidence against a Pastor or Elder they might be admitted so that their testimony should be of sufficient force and vertue to condemn the accused altho there be none other crime objected against them This Assembly seeth no difficulty at all in the case 10. The Province of Anjou requesting it 1. Paris 27. this Synod injoineth all Consistories in their choice of Elders to cause such persons to be elected as are irreprehensible according to our Discipline and carefully to observe that Canon about the qualities necessarily required in them who are called unto those Offices And all Colloquies and Provincial Synods are charged to put to their helping hand that this Ordinance be duely kept and observed 11. The Province of Xaintonge moving it this Assembly ordained that such Persons who get themselves preferred unto the Government of our cautionary Towns or unto the office of Counsellors in the mixt Courts or shall obtain any other places granted unto Gentlemen professing our Religion without taking the necessary attestations according to the Letter and import of the Kings Writ for Governours and the particular Articles for Counsellors in Sovereign Courts they shall be declared Desertors of the Union of our Churches and prosecuted with all Church-censures And those of our Religion which are in possession shall be exhorted to keep still possession of those places and not to resign them but on this condition nor consent to their admission and reception who offer themselves without such a Testimonal And as for those other ways of complaints and remonstrances to be made unto their Majesties of the notorious violations of our Priviledges they shall be carried unto the next approaching Political Assemblies granted us by the Writ of their said Majesties But for the present our Lords the General Deputies are charged to require that some other person duely qualified according to the above mentioned orders may be substituted in the place of the Sieur Berger who is of late revolted from the truth And if that particular Government now become vacant by his Apostacy be not supplied before the next meeting of the general Assembly notice shall be given unto them of it that so they may prosecute it in the name of all the Provinces 12. At the request of the same Province of Xaintonge all Consistories be injoined to take special heed that Commanders in our Cautionary Towns do not admit into their familiar converse any debauched persons who be guilty of crimes deserving corporal punishment 13. And whereas the same Province hath desired that we would frame another form of excommunication besides that which is inserted in our Discipline we concur with them in their motion and shall take care that it be done accordingly 14. The Province of the Isle of France requested that an order might pass for our Readers to publish the Banes of Marriages out of their desks 3. Rochel observ 23. and not for Pastors to do it from the Pulpit But this matter was left to the prudence and liberty of Consistories 15. The aforesaid Province of the Isle of France demanding it this Assembly ordained that the Canons of former National Synods concerning Attestations should be most strictly observed and whatsoever Consistory presumeth to give one in any other form shall be most severely censured And therefore all Officers into whose hands such Attestations may fall are intreated to detain them and to present them unto the Provincial Synods or Colloquies upon whom the Churches which have given them are dependant 16. The Provinces of Xaintonge the Higher and Lower Longuedoc Privas of Colledges 23.2 Vitré of Colledges 1. and of the Isle of France all moving that it would be expedients lessen the number of our Universities in this Kingdom and to reduce them unto two only that so they might be rendered more compleat This Assembly doth not judge meet to diminish their number but adviseth that the Professors there employed do discharge their duty carefully and acquit themselves of their Offices faithfully and most conscientiously 17. Provincial Synods 2. Paris 3. Colloquies and Consistories are expresly forbidden to admit any Persons unto the Lords Table who directly maintain Idolatry or breed up their Children in it or have recourse unto the Pope for Dispensations that they may enjoy Benefices or others under their name And all such are judged utterly unworthy of obtaining Testimonials from our Churches whereby they may be advanced unto those important Charges in our Cautionary Towns 18. The Lord's General Deputies are ordered to give their Majesties the most humble Thanks of this Assembly for that they have been pleased to discharge our Churches of the Sous in the Liver which was formerly taken for paying the Salaries of our General Deputies out of the Moneys granted us by their Liberality Privas p. m. 20. and they are with all humility earnestly to request them to ease us of paying three thousand six hundred Livers which have been extraordinarily given unto the Inhabitants of the Baylywick of Gex by way of recompence for the loss of their Churches Stock whereof they were formerly in possession and that it may be paid them out of some other Fund than ours 19. Relation being made that divers Persons of eminent Note and Quality 2. Synod of Vitré g. m. 34. both within and without the Kingdom are designing how to bring the Orthodox Churches of France England Germany Switzerland the Low-Countreys and Geneva to a nearer Communication in some convenient place by Deputies sent from them all that so there may be a more strict and familiar Correspondence in Doctrine effected and kept up among them whereunto His Majesty of Great Britain expresseth a very great inclination It was resolved that those excellent persons who travail in this most pious Undertaking should have the Thanks of this Assembly and be intreated to persist in their laudable prosecutions of it And in the mean while this Design shall be imparted by the Provinces unto such as understand these matters that so this Proposal may be more seriously advised on in the next National Synod 20. For as much as the pernicious Doctrine of the Jesuits against the Lives Estates and Authority of Soveraign Princes is propagated and most impudently published to the World by the chiefest of that Sect Suarez having within a few months gone beyond all the Fellows of his Order in a Book newly published by him This Assembly detesting that abominable Doctrine together with its Authors exhorts all the faithful of our Communion to abhor and execrate it and all our Ministers and Professors are to Teach and Preach against it powerfully and
Synod ordaineth that the Province of Sevennes shall provide two Pastors for them to be sent unto them immediately one of which shall reside in the Town of Issoyre and the other shall serve the Churches of the Mountain according as it shall be prescribed them by the said Province And that those two Pastors may have a comfortable maintenance this Synod continuing the Decree of the former National Synods which had appointed four Portions free of all charges for those Churches of the Vpper Auvergne doth add a fifth for their Incouragement Which five Portions shall be received by the said Province and paid into the very hands of those Pastors to each of them the sum of five hundred Livers And the remaining Portions shall be distributed by those Provinces towards the necessities of those said Churches and all this to be duly and continually performed untill the meeting of the next National Synod Below p. m. 25. Alez p. m. 20. And in the mean while the respective Members of those Churches shall be pressed to contribute towards the maintenance of their Pastors and they shall give an account of their duty herein unto the next National Synod And whereas the said Monsieur Babat requests that he may be discharged from the service of those Churches he was ordered to continue the exercise of his Ministry among them until the meeting of the approaching Synod of Sevennes by which in case he then desire it he may be set at liberty and another substituted in his place However till the sitting of that Provincial Synod the said Babat shall wholly serve the Town Issoyre as its proper Pastor and the Colloquy of St. Germain shall give another Pastor to supply the Churches of the Mountain And forasmuch as the said Babat hath been at great expences in travelling unto this Synod and to the Assembly of Rochell the Lord of Candal is ordered to pay him an hundred Livers out of the mass of moneys belonging to all our Churches And as for that demand of the Deputies that a Fund might be given them for the raising and fixing of a Colledge at Issoyre This Assembly cannot do it because that having eased many persons among them of the charge in maintaining their Ministers they may very well as in Conscience they are bound and we also exhort them to do take care of this matter themselves CHAP. IX The King's Letter to the Synod Above Art 5. after the Catalogue of Deputies THE third of June Messieurs Hesperien and Bouteroue Pastors and Balene and Moussac Elders deputed by this Assembly unto the King returned hither and notified unto us with how much kindness and favour they were received by his Majesty and having declared to him their Commission and delivered their Memoirs and Instructions he heard and answer'd them very graciously as appears by his Majesty's Letter brought with them unto this Assembly and they had the thanks and applause of all the Deputies in it for their most affectionate care faithfulness and diligence in the discharge of their Commission And because it very much imported our Churches to be particularly informed of that good will and love his Majesty bears them that so they may be in an extraordinary manner stirred up to praise and bless the Lord for it and own and acknowledge themselves to be more strictly obliged to fidelity and perseverance in their obedience and subjection due unto his Majesty and to pray more heartily for the augmentation of his Majesty's Prosperity and Grandeur This Assembly ordained that the Letter which it pleated his Majesty to write us should be transcribed and Copies thereof sent abroad among the Churches which is here inserted word for word in this present Article By the KING To our Dear and Well-beloved the Deputies of our Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion assembled in their Synod at Vitré DEar and Well-beloved we received your Letters of the one and twentieth day of this Month by which we have sensible experience of your Zeal and Affection for our Service and for that of the Common-weal participating as you have done in the common joy of all our Subjects for the Peace and Settlement of the Kingdom which we have so happily procured for them whereof we were also more particularly informed by your Deputies sent unto us for this same purpose from whom we have gladly received the fresh assurances and protestations made by you of persevering in your Loyalty and Obedience to us as you have done heretofore and you may be very well assured that we will be always careful to maintain and preserve you in all your priviledges formerly granted to you And we will give you all in general and every one of you in particular new tokens of our Love and good will upon all occasions which shall occur unto us Given at Paris the 29 th of May 1617. LOUYS Phelippeaux 2. The Deputies of Xaintonge demanded a Decree Nymes 11. that no Colloquy might hence forward separate any particular Congregation which was annexed to conjoin it unto another without the previous advice and authority of a Provincial Synod This Assembly finding their demand very Equitable did Ordain that this should be an Universal Canon binding all Colloquies and Churches 3. Divers Persons of Quality having moved it that inasmuch as our Mechanicks are obliged by the Kings Edict to forbear working on the Festivals of the Romish Church over and besides the Lord's day It is left unto the prudence of Consistories to Congregate the People on such Holy-Days either to hear the word Preached or to join in common publick Prayers as they shall find to be most expedient See Synod of Saumur Art 13. of g. m. And whereas Complaints are made us that in some Churches before Sermon they sing part of the Psalm and reserve the last Verse for conclusion of the Exercise This Assembly injoins all the Churches to sing * * * This last Clause was rased out in the seventh Obs of this Synod by that of Alez out the whole pause and to conform themselves as much as may be to the ancient Order 4. Monsieur de Bertreville our General Deputy came unto this Synod the sixth day of June and took his place in it according to the Canons of our National Synods and had his Vote of deliberation and decision and sware and subscribed the Oath of Union of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom 5. The Lord of Bertreville our General Deputy declared to us Tonneins g. m. 6. that the King's Letters Patents though granted for exempting our Ministers from payment of Taxes were not as yet verified nor delivered into his hands nor unto his Colleague the Lord of Maniald This Assembly doth earnestly intreat them to use all needful means to get them dispatcht as soon as possible 6. Whereas the National Synod of Tonneins had injoined all the Provinces to consider of a Proposal made by several great Persons both at home and abroad Tonneins g.
the great losses it sustained in the Troubles of Privas as also to help defray the Expences they shall be at in a Suit at Court about the Consulship of their Town This Assembly judging that the Moneys granted us by His Majesty ought not to be diverted unto such uses doth notwithstanding recommend their Affair unto our Lords the General Deputies that they might get right due to them by the Lords of the Privy Council and because of the Necessities of the said Church there shall be a supernumerary portion assigned to them when we make the publick Dividend 6. Monsieur Massez Notary Publick and Secretary to the Consul of Montauban in the Higher Languedoc requesting to be reimburst by the Churches the great Expences he was at in prosecuting the wrongs done him by the Parliament of Tolouse It being a business of General Concern because of the Notorious Violations of the Edicts granted us by our Kings This Assembly exhorted the Province of Higher Languedoc to take care that the said Monsieur Massez have satisfaction given him for his past Losses and that he be indemnified for the future and that they extend their Charity to him in a most ample and exemplary manner sith they themselves have judged his case to be of very great Importance to all the Churches 7. The Magistrates Consuls and Consistory of the Town of Privas having represented both by Letters and Word of Mouth by Monsieur Tavernier one of their Elders deputed to us the great Losses Dammages and Afflictions sustained by them since the Death of Monsieur Chambaud whereby they be now reduced to a most lamentable condition and worthy of our most tender compassions which also was confirmed by Letters from the Synod and Political Assembly of Vivaretz and praying some Charitable Relief to be Exhibited to them that so this considerable and populous Church might not be totally desolated and dissolved This Assembly ordained That the Summ of Six Hundred Livres should be given the said Church of Privas for a present supply And all the Churches of this Kingdom shall by their Deputies here in this Assembly as soon as they return unto their respective Provinces be exhorted to open the Bowels of their compassion to the said afflicted Church of Privas and to relieve them by a General Collection upon the Lords Day in their respective Temples The Moneys of which Collection shall be sent unto the Churches of Lions and Nismes to be distributed by them unto that of Privas And Letters also shall be writ to the Lord Governour of Montauban to the Marquesses of La Charse of Montbrun and other the Parents and Kindred of the late Deceased Monsieur de Chambaud desiring them to take special care of the Religious Education of his Children that they may not be diverted from the True Religion and trained up in Popish Idolatry but that they would be pleased to undertake for them and become their Tutors and Guardians according to the known Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom 8. The Heads of Families professing the Reformed Religion in the Baylywick of Orillac in the Mountains of Upper Auvergne petitioned that the Portions granted them by the National Synods of Gap and Rochel might be contined to them This Assembly ordained that the Portion belonging unto the said Church in the Baylywyck of Orillac shall be given it free and discharged of all Taxes by the Province of Higher Languedoc Gap p. m. 18 3. Rochell 9. Monsieur Casaud Pastor of the Church of Lectoure petitioned on its behalf for some charitable Relief to raise it up from that woful Ruin and Misery into which it is now plunged and to sustain it against its Enemies for the future This Assembly compassionating the said Church did order and assign a free Portion out of the Dividend of Higher Languedoc and Guyenne unto it and one part of the Collection which shall be made in the Higher Languedoc and Guyenne for the Church of Privas shall be given unto the said Church of Lectoure 10. The Church of Tulette belonging to the Province of Dolphiny but inclosed on all parts with the County of Venisse humbly requested some relief for its subsistence Because this is a Church of great importance very poor exceeding feeble and unable to resist the many Enemies which do surround it This Assembly ordained that besides the free Portion which it should receive as well as others out of the Dividend for the said Province of Dolphiny It shall have also an half portion free out of the Common Stock of all the Churches until the sitting of the next National Synod 11. Hierome Quevedo a Spaniard escaped out of the Prison of the Inquisition demanded some relief that he might live in the profession of the Gospel This Assembly ordered him an Hundred Livres out of the common Moneys of the Churches which shall be put into the hands of the Consistory of Montpellier to pay him Quarterly a Portion that so he may learn some honest Trade whereby to gain a livelyhood Which Summ shall be continued to him or taken from him as the Consistory of the Church of Montpellier shall judge of his Deportments 12. Lawrence Joly one of the Exiled Protestants of the Marquisate of Salluces having brought Letters from the Church of Guillestre which is composed of the poor Refugees of the said Marquisate unto this Assembly did most humbly petition that they might have a Portion of the Moneys granted us by the King for the maintenance of a Pastor because they are in hopes that it may allure and attract a great many others who are groaning under that sore and heavy persecution in the Marquisate and doe hunger after the Bread of Life and ardently desire the Inlargement of Christ's Kingdom to quit and forsake it This Assembly in the Dividend of its Moneys will ordain a supernumerary Portion for the said Church of Guillestre 13. Monsieur Guingonis shall be assisted with Ten Crown out of the common Moneys belonging to the Province of Province And as for Mr. John Dury Student in Divinity the Province of Lower Languedoc is ordered to provide for him according to the Canons of our National Synods and in the mean while he shall receive Twenty Crowns out of the Moneys appropriated to the said Province of Lower Languedoc that so he may quit this Town and remove to Montauban 14. Anthony Verdier formerly a Priest in the County of Avignon had Six Livres given him that he might depart hence unto Grenoble 15. The Church of St. Paul Trois Chasteaux demanding some Relief to set up a School among them and to help build their Temple were dismissed over to the Province of Dolphiny which is exhorted to have a special care of that Church 16. Monsieur John Perier Pastor of the Church of Paillac in Auvergne did on behalf of his Church complain against the Provincial Synod of Burgundy for not giving him the Portions granted by the National Synod of Privas and requested that
received Whereupon His Majesty taking the words out of the Lord Chancellors Mouth repeated it himself I will not that one of them that is now in the Ministry of their Churches be turned out Afterward My Lord Chancellor continuing his Discourse told them That as for the second point that His Majesty left us wholly at liberty to judge of our Doctrine and would not himself have the cognisance of it but only gave us to understand that no Man should be obliged to pin his Faith upon anothers Sleeve or to swear unto the Faith of a Stranger but that every one should believe as he would Whereupon these Deputies judging and believing that this Answer did not m the least prejudice them nor our Churches because no Person in the Reformed Churches swears unto anothers Faith after they had once again returned Thanks unto His Majesty for all His Favours and protested afresh of their most humble Obedience and inviolable Affection to His Majesties Service they departed And having before their return hither waited upon the Chancellor privately and rendred him thanks as also to the Lords de Pisieux and d' Herbant for that Audience and very kind reception they had by their means from His Majesty they were informed by them that His Majesty was very well pleased with them and that he retained his Intentions of keeping the Peace provided his Subjects of the Reformed Religion continued in their Obedience 2. When as the Deputies had ended their Report the Lord Galland Commissioner and Deputy for the King in this Assembly related what was given him in charge by His Majesty upon these two aforesaid points This Synod yielding all Obedience to His Majesties Will in what concerns the admission of Strangers for the future doth yet resolve to take all opportunities of petitioning His Majesty that our Churches may enjoy the same liberty they ever had in this matter And as for the second point concerning the Oath The Synod declareth that the Intention of that of Alez was not in the least to wound His majesties Authority of which they will be alwaies most tender and sollicitous nor did that National Synod design to bring into this Kingdom any Foreign Customs or Strange Doctrines or New Opinions but only to testifie the Union of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom with those of the Low Countries in certain points of Doctrine which have been in all times entertained and embraced by them and for their substance are comprehended in our Confession of Faith but upon which there fell out some Controversies in the Netherlands However that they may give all possible contentment and satisfaction unto His Majesty This present Synod considering that the City of Dort is a Dependance and Member of a Foreign Common-wealth it doth ordain that the Reference had in the said Oath unto that City shall be taken away nor shall it for the future be administred in the Churches and Universities of this Kingdom And the said Oath shall be hereafter taken in that form as is exprest in the close of the Canons decreed in this present Synod which by its special Order were printed and inserted into these present Acts. 3. The Province of Normandy moved that a Canon might be ordained to oblige all Pastors to visit once a year the respect Families of their Churches and to take notice of their progress in Piety and to press them to it by the most quickning motives Although this Synod doth not judge it necessary to make any New Canons on this occasion yet nevertheless doth it exhort all Pastors and Consistories carefully to oversee the Flocks committed to their charge according to the Rule of Gods Word and the Example of those Worthy Ministers who have been noted and renowned for their diligence and faithfulness in the House of God 4. That same Province also requested that the Moneys given us by His Majesties liberality might not for the future be distributed by the number of Pastors but of Churches This National Synod as that of Privas before it decreeth That the former course and practice shall stand and that the said Portions shall be distributed according to the number of our Ministers but withal it exhorteth the Provinces in their particular distribution of the said Moneys to have a special regard and compassion for the poor and weaker Churches 5. The Province of Anjou petitioned the Synod that some expedient might be found out for setling of a certain Maintenance upon our Universities But there could not be at present any thing done in it 6. The Province of Lower Guyenne moved whether it might not be expedient to add some Marginal Notes unto those Texts in our French Bibles and to be published in the next Impression of the Holy Bible which our Adversaries accuse us to have falsified and corrupted This Assembly did not judge it needful because our Translation of the Sacred Scriptures hath been sufficiently defended by our own Divines as will appear to any one that will but take the pains to consult their Learned and Orthodox Writings upon this Subject 7. The Province or Lower Languedoc demanding License for our Pastors to continue their receiving of Moneys belonging to the Colloquies This Assembly did very sharply reprove and censure the said Province for acting contrary to that Canon made at Alex and forbiddeth all Ministers so much as to intermeddle with that Receipt and the Deputies of the said Province immediately upon their return home are charged to give notice of this present Ordinance unto them and if any one of them for the future dare violate it this Assembly declareth him from this very instant suspended the Sacred Ministry which suspension shall continue upon him till the sitting of the next National Synod before which he shall appear in Person to give an account of his Actions And the Moderators of Colloquies and Synods are commanded to exert all their Power that this Canon be observed or else they shall answer for it in their own private Capacities 8. The Province of Burgundy moved that for the future no Church nor Minister might be admitted to bring in any Proposal or Petition unto the National Synod but by the way of the Provincial Synods and the Deputies of their Provinces This Assembly accepted and approved of the motion as agreeing with the Sentiments and Canons of former Synods and made it into a Canon 9. The Province of Dolphiny requesting of this Synod that some certain Persons might be selected to collect out of the Writings of the Fathers such passages as will be of use in that Controversie of Church-History This Synod because there have been published a vast number of Books on this Subject and a multitude of Collections already made by divers of our Orthodox Divines doth not judge it needful to imploy any one particularly on such a Task But yet withal it exhorts all them to whom God hath given those Abilities that they would improve them so as to frame and compose a faithful
it necessary to make a Deputation unto His Majesty and voted the Sieurs de Bouteroue and de Baleines to carry their most Humble Petitions unto His Majesty who were charged with Letters and Instructions unto His Majesty and to the Chief Ministers of State CHAP. VII A Copy of the Councils Letter sent unto the King SIR The Synods Letter sent unto the King THE Sence and Experience we have of Your Majesties Royal Bounty unto our Churches and of their great Sufferings notwithstanding this your goodness through the Non-Execution of your Edicts in the Provinces of your Kingdom do compell us to depute unto Your Majesty the Sieurs Bouteroue and de Baleines to lay at Your Majesties feet together with the sincere protestations of our inviolable fidelity unto Your Majesties Service our most humble acknowledgments and thanks for your gracious favours and our just and necessary requests for the relief and comforting of our poor Churches We humbly trust that Your Majesty will be pleased to give them a favourable audience and to grant us our most Humble Petitions and to accept of the Devout and most hearty Prayers of many Thousands of Godly Persons for Your Majesties Prosperity who whilst they lie groaning under the most insupportable pressures in the World do notwithstanding live in a profound Obedience unto Your Majesties Authority And from the bottom of our Souls and with the greatest ardency imaginable we supplicate the Throne of Grace to bless and preserve Your Majesties Most Sacred Person and to augment and continue the happyness of Your Majesties Reign and Government being alwayes Most Dread Soveraign From Castres Septemb. 1626. Your most Humble most Faithful and most Obedient Subjects and Servants The Pastors and Elders of the Reformed Churches of France Assembled in their National Synod at Castres and for them all Chauve Moderator Bouteroue Assessor Blondel and Petit Scribes CHAP. VIII THE Eight and Twentieth day of October The Sieurs Bouteroue and de Baleines Deputies unto the King returned with Letters from His Majesty and the Lord d' Herbaut Secretary of State and reported that they had a very favourable Reception from His Majesty and Ministers of State and that having presented their Address unto the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council they had obtained a Command unto the Parliament of Thoulouse to take away the Modifications put by the said Parliament upon the last Edict of Peace and were promised that Commissioners should be sent into the Provinces of Xaintonge the Higher and Lower Languedoc Rochell and the Land of Aunix to see that the Edict be duely executed They were also assured that the Assignations formerly given unto the Lord of Candal should be made good and valid and that they had an order for twelve hundred Livres to defray the Charges of their Journey besides the Summ of Ten Thousand Livres granted by His Majesty unto this Council to pay their Charges But as for the restoring of Monsieur du Moulin to the Church of Paris and a License for holding of a General Assembly His Majesty was utterly averse unto it and would in no wise yield thereunto and we should know more of his mind upon this Article and of his good intentions as to the nomination of our General Deputies by his Commissioner the Lord Galland Thanks were given unto our good God that he had granted us to find favour with the King and the Deputies also which were sent unto His Majesty had the thanks of the Council and were commended for their Conduct and Dexterity which was so acceptable unto the King and Lords of His Majesties Council and approved by this Assembly A Copy of the Kings Letter unto this National Synod DEAR and Well-beloved we received the Letters by the Sieurs Bouteroue and de Baleines your Deputies and understood from their Mouths and your Address presented to us what they were ordered by you to declare unto us Whereunto we have by word of Mouth and Writing given those favourable Answers which shall be related to you by those your Deputies to which we shall add with a willing mind the Effects or our Grace and Royal favour upon all occasions that may occur for the Weal and General happyness of Our Subjects of your Religion and of you all joyutly and severally as we also promise our selves that you will keep you within those bounds of Fidelity and Obedience which good and Loyal Subjects owe unto their King and that you will verifie by your actions the words of your aforesaid Deputies as we exhort you so to do and moreover to give credence unto the Lord Galland our Counsellor in our Council of State in all things whatsoever that he shall offer to you as from us Given at St. German in Laye this Fourteenth of October 1626. Signed Louis and a little lower Philippeaux And the Superscription was thus directed To Our Dear and Well-Beloved the Deputies of the P. Reformed Religion Assembled by our License in a National Synod in our City of Castres CHAP. IX A Copy of the Lord Herbaut's Letter unto this Council SIRS YOUR Deputies were favourably received by His Majesty and His Majesty heard with very great satisfaction those Assurances from their Mouths of your Fidelity and sincere intentions to the Publick Peace and Tranquillity When His Majesty granted it unto you it was with a full purpose inviolably to keep it with you and farther to give you with the injoyment thereof all other matters accorded to you by his Edicts What remains but that on your part you contribute whatever His Majesty might expect from your Prudence and Conduct and to measure by what is past that the duration and firm settlement of your Repose doth principally depend on your Obedience yielding unto his Majesty what is due unto him and is necessary for your well-being And you may believe that in so doing his Gracious Favours will be multiplyed upon you dayly and that I shall be ready to serve you in all good Offices with His Majesty that you may resent the comfortable Effects thereof according as you have deserved them In the mean while I rest Sirs Your most Humble and Affectionate Servant Philippeaux The Superscription was To my Lords My Lords the Deputies Assembled by His Majesties permission in a National Synod at Castres CHAP. X. Amore ample Declaration of the Kings Will upon several points demanded by the Deputies WHEN as the Letter of His Majesty but now recited was read My Lord Galland the Kings Commissioner declared that for the reasons given by His Majesty unto the Deputies and according to the import of the Articles answered by the Council he could not consent unto the return of Monsieur du Moulin nor for divers Considerations noted in those Articles now read could he at present give way for the meeting of a General Politick Assembly His Majesty reserving the grant thereof when as there shall be need of it and his Affairs of State may
Journey which he took at the command of this Synod 40. There were sixty Livers paid the Lords Taby and Languett who were ordered to cite Monsieur Noguier unto this Synod and to hear and examine Witnesses 41. This Synod honouring the Memory of Monsieur Daneau heretofore a very famous Minister of Christ Pastor and Professor of Divinity in the Church and University of Bearn and desiring to preserve his Works from the Grave of Oblivion intreateth his worthy Son to gather them into one Volume and to publish them and the Charges of their Impression shall be born by this Synod They be in one Volume in Folio 42. Sixty Livers were ordered to be paid unto the Sieurs Mizaubin and Grenouilleau Commissioners appointed by this Synod to visit the Churches of Soules and Labour to defray the Expences of their Journey of which they shall give an Accompt unto the Province of Lower Guyenne And in case this Sum be not sufficient for the clearing their necessary Charges in that their Journey then the Province shall supply the rest and bring it in upon Accompt unto the next National Synod 43. This Synod approved that the Lord of Eragny Deputy for the Province of Normandy should use all necessary means for getting a place ascertained where the Professors of the Reformed Religion may worship God in the Bailywick of Chaumont in the Territory of Vexin and the said Place being obtained and named the Church of that Bailywick shall be incorporated with the Isle of France provided that the Quarter of Gisors do yield their Consent and be the lesser Part of the Church of Sancourt and in case the two Provinces of Normandy and the Isle of France cannot agree about it they shall submit unto the Judgment of the Neighbour Synod CHAP. XXX A Donative to Monsieur Chamier 44. MOnsieur Chamier Pastor of Montlimard presenting unto this Council the very learned Works of his most Reverend Father which he published at the desire of several former National Synods The Council judging it equitable to testify that great respect and honour they ever had for his Father of blessed Memory and to give some acknowledgment of the Churches Debt and Thankfulness for the many and eminent Services he had once rendered them and these his incomparable Labours now dedicated to it do offer the Sum of three hundred Livers presently to be given him by Mr. Cooper out of the general Stock of the Churches And further there shall two free Portions more be distributed to him out of the Dividend which will befal the Province of Dolphiny and shall be paid in unto the said Monsieur Chamier betwixt this and the next National Synod 45. This Synod considering the long-continued Sufferings of the Sieur Constant during his Imprisonment in the Clink of the Common Goal of Bourdeaux and the great Expences he must needs have been at for the getting his Enlargement voted and decreed That out of the general Stock of Monies belonging to all our Churches there shall be drawn out three free Portions and delivered to him 1616. The 25th Synod betwixt this and the next National Synod by the Lord of Candall 46. Monsieur Belliot petitioning the Synod to have compassion on him because of his many and great Necessities sore Afflictions and Losses which he hath sustained during his long Imprisonment in Bourdeaux There was a Portion and half free of all Charges and Taxes whatsoever ordered to be paid him by the Lord of Candall until the next National Synod 47. The Sieurs Petit and Duranty Deputies from the Church of Nismes made their Addresses unto this Synod That it would be pleased to grant them Monsieur Baux Pastor of the Church of Mazamet to be their Minister After hearing the Provincial Deputies of Lower Languedoc on the one hand who joined with the said Gentlemen in their Demand and on the other hand the Deputies of Mazamet aforesaid Monsieur Baux himself and other Deputies of the Higher Languedoc who opposed their Petition A Vote past that this Business should be carried back unto the next Synod of Higher Languedoc which is ordered to provide for the Church of Mazawet and to grant the Church of Nismes effectually their Request 48. The said Sieurs Petit and Duranty did farther petition this National Synod That by their Authority Monsieur Chambrun who was removed unto the City of Orange by the National Synod of Alez might be restored back again unto the Church of Nismes But the Synod answered That the said Deputies should apply themselves unto the Church of Orange and in case of their refusal then unto the Colloquy of Baronniers in Dolphiny and so to get their Petition answered according to their Hearts desire 49. The Church of Vsez deputed the Sieur L' Exque with Letters unto this Council petitioning that Monsieur Buez Pastor in the Church of Cournon-Terrail might be conferr'd upon them for their Pastor The said Church was ordered to apply it self unto the next Synod of Lower Languedoc which is injoined to dispose the said Buez to comply with the Desire of the Church of Vsez because of its great Importance and for that there is very great and good Reason the said Synod should yield unto their Requests 50. The Synod being informed by the Deputies of Burgundy that the Church of Paillac was at present unprovided and considering its great Importance ordereth that Monsieur Repasseau a Pastor now at Liberty shall be sent unto that Church to serve them as their own Pastor and notice hereof shall be given them by Letters signed by the Officers of this National Synod 51. The Lord of Quelus presenting Letters from the Church of Anduze petitioning that Monsieur Vinay Pastor of the Church of Annonay might be given them for their Pastor After that the said Vinay and the Deputies of the Province of Vivaretz and Sevennes had been heard their Petition was remanded back unto the next Synod of Vivaretz who were intreated to have a particular respect both to the Person of the said Monsieur Vinay and his Preservation and the great Importance of the said Church that so as the Welfare of that Church on the one hand and Christian Charity on the other required that worthy Minister might be treated with all possible Respect and Kindness 52. The next Synod of Lower Languedoc which is charged to call Monsieur Ressent to account for his Actings shall be informed that the Sieur Mercurin declared in this Council that the said Ressent sent him against his will unto the Commissioners Crubellier and Chambrun and abusing of his easiness and good Nature never declared to him the Contents of the Letter of Credit he sent by him insomuch that when he came unto Vouert and Orange he was constrained to make up his Errand from what he could recollect of Discourses past betwixt him and the said Ressent 53. The Colloquy of Ambrun is ordered to judg finally in that Difference betwixt the Church of Cisteron and the Sieur
the Louvre hoping that his Majesty will so far condescend as to approve of the Obedience of our Churches and hereafter to resertle them in the practice of their ancient and accustomed Order CHAP. IX Monsieur Beraud admitted as Deputy to sit and act in the Synod 22. THE three and twentieth day of September the Sieur Beraud Pastor of the Church of Montauban and Professor of Divinity in that University came unto the Synod petitioning that he might be restored and take his place in it according to his Majesty's Intention expressed in his Letters written to the Lord Commissioner who directing his Speech unto the said Dr. Beraud told him That his Actions and Writings had formerly given unto his Majesty very many and just Reasons of being dissatisfied with him and great occasion of Scandal and Complaint against those of the Reformed Religion For which cause his Majesty by his Writ of the sixteenth of August last had excluded him out of the Synod and destin'd his Abode and Ministry somewhere else than at Montauban But his Majesty having a favourable Respect unto the Petition of the Synod had of his special Grace restored him unto his Church and permitted him to assist the remainder of its Sessions as a Member of it in this Synod because he hoped that he would as he now commanded him to govern himself in all his Actions and Writings with a Moderation well-befitting his Profession Whereupon the said Dr. Beraud took his place in quality of Deputy for the Province of Higher Languedoc and Guyenne according to that Commission he had received from his Province 23. The Lords Clermont and Galland who were nominated unto the Office of General Deputies for the time coming were intreated to carry unto his Majesty the Act of their Election by this Assembly and it s most humble Petition both for the restoration of the Sieur de Bouteroue and the paiment of the Monies designed to defray the Expences of this Synod and to procure an Answer unto that Branch of our Cahier concerning the Monies granted us by his Majesty's Liberality that so the Dividend may be made before our departure And the Lord Commissioner was also intreated to accompany the Petitions of the Synod with his Lordship's Letters and by his Mediation to facilitate their Acceptance and the getting of a Decree upon them CHAP. X. A Copy of the second Letter written by the Synod unto his Majesty To the KING SIRE WE had no sooner knowledg of your Majesty's Intentions about the Election of our General Deputies who are to reside near your Majesty's Person but we immediately concurr'd with the Lord Galland your Majesty's Commissioner in this Assembly and we nominated to the exercise of this Office the Lord Marquess of Clermont and the Lord Galland eldest Son of the Lord Commissioner who were no sooner chosen than we commissionated them to wait upon your Majesty and to present and tender together with the sincerest Protestations of our most inviolable Fidelities and immoveable Resolutions to live and die in that Devotion which we all owe unto your Majesty's Service our most humble and thankful acknowledgments for the favourable Promise vouchsafed us to defray the Charges of this Assembly as also our most humble Petitions That it would please your Royal Goodness in which only next unto and after our God lieth all our Consolation And 't is our hope that you will continue your Royal Benefits unto us as to your dutiful and most faithful Subjects and that you will always under this Quality shroud us with the Sacred Covert of your Majesty's Protection Wherefore with all reverence we beseech your Majesty to give them a favourable Audience as well for the present in this our Request that you would daign to shower down upon our Churches the Streams of your Majesty's Liberality and Bounty which we have formerly enjoyed as also that hereafter in all those Remonstrances and Petitions which our urgent and extraordinary Necessities shall oblige us to make unto you we may experience the natural Inclination of your Majesty to cherish and comfort your People and we shall always study and zealously endeavour to render our selves worthy of the Fruits and Effects thereof by all Acts of Duty Obedience and imaginable Submissions Which give us Sire to hope that you will not refuse to cast the Eyes of your Compassions upon our Miseries and to open your Ears to the groanings of thousands of Souls who under all their Grievances and Oppressions suffered by them do yet notwithstanding breath nothing else but a most profound Obedience and unshaken Loyalty unto your Majesty And this makes us the more devout and zealous in our Addresses unto the Throne of the King of Kings ardently and most importunately beseeching him for the preservation of your Majesty's most Sacred Person for his Benediction on all your Designs and Vndertakings for the Glory of your Crown for the Fidelity of your People and for the long Continuance of your Reign because Sire we are From Charenton Sept. 23. 1631. Your Majesty's most humble and most obedient and most faithful Subjects and Servants The Deputies of the National Synod assembled by your Permission at Charenton and for them all Mestrezat Moderator Jamett Assessor D. Blondell Scribe Armett Scribe of the Synod CHAP. XI The General Deputies make Report of their Audience and the King's Answer to that Letter 1. THE fourth Day of October the Lords General Deputies being returned and making Report of their kind Reception from the Ministers of State who also informed them that his Majesty had granted sixteen thousand Livers for defraying the Expences of this Synod and that he permitted Monsieur Bouteroue to take his Place with the other Deputies in the Synod and that his Majesty did judg meet that this Synod should break up of its own Accord as soon as possible it could and that after their Departure the Cahier presented by the Sieurs Amyraud and de Villars should have a favourable Answer and that without Delay And the Lord Commissioner added that his Majesty expressed in his Letters written to him his singular Satisfaction in the Synod to which he granted three Days more for the perfecting and strengthning of their remaining Affairs and that they should be no sooner separated but he would answer their Cahiers and that in the most favourable manner particularly in what relates unto the Maintenance of the Ministers that the Choice of Deputiâ—â— was very acceptable to him though they could not enter upon their Office till after the Separation and Departure of this Synod Upon which the Assembly having returned their most hearty Thanks unto the Lords Deputies aforesaid for their singular Affection and Diligence in promoting the Weal of our Churches They intreated the Lord Commissioner to continue his wonted good Offices unto the Churches and by his daily Intercession for them with his Majesty to be more and more useful and beneficial to them And inasmuch as he was near his Majesty and
Causes over to the Provinces to be finally decided by them CHAP. XX. General Matters Article 1. IT having been reported in this Assembly that the Magistrates in divers Places have commanded the Professors of our Religion to hang their Houses and light out Candles on that Festival that goes by the Name of the Holy Sacrament and that several Persons thrô a deplorable Infirmity have so much forgotten themselves as to observe an Ordinance which obliges their Consciences to yield unto the Creature that self-same Honour which is due unto the Creator This Assembly wanting Words with which it may express its just Grief and Resentment for such an inexcusable Cowardliness doth adjure the Consciences of those Persons who have fallen into Sins so repugnant unto true Piety by the Fear of the Living God by the Zeal of his Glory by the Bowels of his Mercy in the Son of his dearest Love and by that special Care the Faithful ought to have of their Salvation that they would revive their Zeal and shew themselves Loyal Followers of the Faith and Constancy of their Fathers and testify by their Perseverance in Well-doing the Sincerity and Soundness of their Repentance and of their Affection to the Service of God Moreover the Consistory of those Places where such Scandals do fall out is injoined to rebuke them with an holy Vigour who give such an evil Example and all Synods are to proceed against them with all Ecclesiastical Censures and if they be Pastors and Elders who by their Connivance and Dissimulation have or for the future may favour such Offenders they shall not only be suspended but deposed also from their Offices CHAP. XXI An Act for a Publick National Fast 2. FOrasmuch as after a most desolating Drought which hath reduced the greatest part of the Provinces of this Kingdom to an extream Famine the Hand of God lifted up against us is not yet called back but continueth to visit his People by contagious and mortal Diseases which have overspread the whole Land and are every day more and more growing upon us This National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France assembled by his Majesty's Permission at Charenton acknowledging that the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven and poured but upon the Face of the Earth because of the Ungodliness of Men and of the Impenitency and Hardness of their Hearts to prevent the dreadful Judgment of this great and righteous Judg who resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace unto the Humble and to turn away the Floods of his Vengeance and to excite the Bowels of his fatherly Compassions and to impetrate from his Divine Bounty the continuance of his gracious Favours for the Prosperity and Repose both of Church and State doth exhort all the Faithful to bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance and to cast off the unfruitful Works of Darkness and to return unto the Lord with broken humble and contrite Hearts And to this purpose it ordaineth That a Fart shall be celebrated in all the Churches of this Kingdom the first Day of January next following which shall be signified by the publick reading of this present Act. 3. Forasmuch as divers Provinces have craved Advice how we shall proceed against those Persons who occasion scandalous Reports prejudicial to the Peace of the Church and may hereafter propound Terms of Accommodation by mingling and blending of both Religions into one This Assembly recommendeth unto all the Churches the observation of that Canon which was made two and thirty Years ago in the National Synod of Montpellier whose Tenour followeth Syn. Montpel gen mat v. Forasmuch as 't is the Duty of all the Faithful heartily to desire the Reunion of all the Subjects of this Kingdom into the Vnity of Paith for the greater Glory of God for the Salvation of millions Souls and the singular Repose of the Common-wealth yet because of our Sins this being a Matter rather of our Desires than Hopes and that under this Pretext divers profane Persons do openly attempt to blend and mingle both Religions together All Ministers shall admonish seriously their Flocks not in the least to hearken unto any such Notions it being utterly impossible that the Temple of God should hold Communion with Idols as also for that such Wretches design only by this Trick to debauch easy credulous Souls from the Belief and Profession of the Gospel And whoever attempts such a Reconciliation be it either by Word or Writing shall be most severely censured CHAP. XXII An Act in favour of the Lutheran Brethren 4. THE Province of Burgundy demanding Whether the Faithful of the Augustane Confession might be permitted to contract Marriages in our Churches and to present Children in our Churches unto Baptism without a precedaneous abjuration of those Opinions held by them contrary to the Belief of our Churches This Synod declareth That inasmuch as the Churches of the Confession of Ausbourg do agree with the other Reformed Churches in the principal and fundamental Points of the True Religion and that there is neither Superstition nor Idolatry in their Worship the Faithful of the said Confession who with a Spirit of Love and Peaceableness do join themselves to the Communion of our Churches in this Kingdom may be without any abjuration at all made by them admitted unto the Lord's Table with us and as Sureties may present Children unto Baptism they promising the Consistory that they will never sollicit them either directly or indirectly to transgress the Doctrine believed and professed in our Churches but will be content to instruct and educate them in those Points and Articles which are in common between us and them and wherein both the Lutherans and we are unanimously agreed 5. If any Persons shall be hereafter deputed unto the Court by the National Synods during their sitting they shall be accountable for all Monies received by them for the defraying their Expenses whether those Sums do arise from their respective Churches or from his Majesty's Liberality that so whatever good Monies come in clearly unto the Churches being remitted into their common Stock may be disbursed to their common Profit and Advantage by Order of these Synods 6. Whereas contrary to his Majesty's Royal Word given unto the Deputies of the National Synod of Charenton in the Year 1623 That Strangers employed in the Service of the Churches of this Kingdom should be continued those Reverend and Learned Pastors Mr. Martinius and S. Sharpius are commanded to depart the Province of Dolphiny The Lord Commissioner is intreated immediately to issue out Letters Patents that may effectually hinder the execution of those new Orders and that all Foreigners received into the Ministry among us both before that time and since may not in any wise be molested or obstructed in performance of the Duties of their Charge and Calling 7. The Lord Commissioner declaring that it was his Maiesty's Intention that for the future our National Synods should beheld in this Place and nowhere else This Assembly in
the said Lord Chabassier had decreed That the Censure justly pronounced against Mr. Poujade Minister in the Church of St. Hippolyte should be razed out of the Acts of the Provincial Synod held at Alez ordaineth That the said Censure shall be again inserted into the Body of the Acts of the said Synod and that the Contents of this Ordinance may be ratified and become more valid all Pastors who extraordinarily assist any vacant Churches are enjoined to rest satisfied with the defraying of the Charges of their Journey and sojourning in it as hath been hitherto constantly practised in all the Provinces and they be strictly and expresly forbidden to exact so much as one Farthing from any one of those Churches because they receive their Maintenance and Sallaries from their own particular Churches unto which they stand related And whereas the said Poujade hath appealed from the Synodical Decree made at Anduze this Assembly declareth That the said Synod had most just occasion to charge the Consistories of Sauve and Manobles to watch over the Deportments of the Consistory of Nismes and the said Consistories shall be assisted and strengthned if need be with the Presence of the Neighbour-Pastors and they be authorized to cite the said Poujade before them that he may give in Answer unto all Articles which shall be brought against him and to prosecute him according to the nature of the Facts whereof he shall be found guilty even unto Deposition from the Sacred Ministry and it shall be denounced to him that in case he refuse to appear before the said Consistory that he is now this very instant suspended his Ministerial Function 19. In explaining the Sense of that Judgment past upon Monsieur Deschamps above in the fourth Article of Appeals this Assembly declares That Ministers and Elders may concert among themselves in Consistory such Matters as they shall esteem and think to be most needful for the admission or exclusion of any Pastor of a Church but they may not come to any final Resolution till they have first of all consulted with the Heads of Families duly called and Members of that Church which Resolution of them all shall be determined by plurality of Suffrages according to the Order observed in all well-regulated Assemblies and under the direction of the Consistory 20. The Assembly received the Appeal of the Faithful of Boisgency and disannulled the Sentence of Suspension from the Lord's Table pronounc'd against them by the Synod Berry because the Church of Mer whereunto they had joined themselves is well able to subsist of it self without any Relief or Assistance from them And farther it doth ordain That the said Inhabitants shall have the Priviledg of taxing themselves to all Church-Rates and Charges and out of that Tax whatever it be that they do or shall promise to pay annually unto the Church of Mer there shall be deducted the Sum of fifty Livers which shall go to the discharging of the Arrears of Wages owing by the said Inhabitants of Boisgency unto Monsieur Guerin who was formerly their Pastor till the whole Debt be paid according to the Accompt stated and concluded the 18th day of April in the Year 1632 unless there shoul be a necessity of revising it 21. Although the Appeal brought in by the Inhabitants of St. Roman and of Val Francesque be not receivable yet the Assembly out of special Favour took cognizance thereof and decreed That Letters should be writ unto them exhorting them to mutual Peace and Union in the Worship of God and the Ordinances of Religion with those of Val Francesque 22. Monsieur Pejus was heard declaring his Grievances and petitioning for his Re-establishment in the Church of Mer and for payment of his Arrears due unto him from the said Church James Martincau deputed by divers Members of the same Church adhered to his Demands There was heard on behalf of the Church of Mer the Lord de la Bordechabin sent by the Consistory as also the Provincial Deputies of Berry The Acts of the Provincial Synods from which the Appeal was formed were seen and perused the Judgments of the Commissioners sent by the Church of Mer and Boisgency the Letters of Monsieur Jurieu resigning his Ministry to the Disposal of the Synod the Memoirs of the Church of Mer representing the Poverty whereunto they be at present reduced and sundry other Considerations which yet did not in the least reflect upon the Honour of Mr. Pejus's Ministry and other Memoirs from divers Heads of Families who desire he may be settled again among them and the Letters and Memoirs from the Church of Argenton petitioning that he may be absolutely given to them for their Pastor After which the Synod rejecting all the Appeals and confirming the judicial Sentences of the Province of Berry decreed That the Censures pronounced against Monsieur Pejus should be razed out of the Body of the Acts of those Synods and that his Ministry is now granted unto the Church of Argenton and exhorteth the Church or Mer aforesaid and the Province to give him all Satisfaction or to provide better for him and all Caballings of particular Members in the Church of Mer are interdicted them and forbidden And whereas the said Monsieur Pejus claimeth Arrears of Wages owing to him forasmuch as the Church of Mer protesteth that by Reason of their deep Poverty for these five Years last past they are utterly disabled from maintaining two Pastors and that they express and restify a more than ordinary Respect and Affection to Monsieur Jurieu and that the Province being obliged by this their Protestation had provided for him for the present till they could do more and better for him and till such time as the matter of his Appeal was determined had lent him unto the Church of Boisgency which had exhibited to him as great and good a Maintenance as he could have had from the Church of Mer and by his Refusal of such a comfortable Imployment he had thereby deprived himself of that Assistance and Relief they had so charitably procured him his Petition was rejected 23. Letters being read from James de Valleroux Lord of la Gayerie and the Acts produced by him and the Censures denounced against him by the Consistory of Vertueil Colloquy of Augoumois and Synod of Xaintonge the Synod approving of those Censures râ—jected his Appeal 24. Mr. Daniel Loquet heretofore Elder and Reader in the Church of Barbezieux having sent neither Letters nor Memoirs to defend his Appeal from the Sentence of the Synod of Xaintonge the said Appeal was declared null But afterwards the Letters of the said Loquet before the Synod broke up were presented to it who dismissed his Cause to be finally judged by the Consistory of Bourdeaux 25. None appearing on behalf of the Church of Vangeau to maintain their Appeal opposing the sending of Monsieur Twiscard by the Province of Berry unto the Church of Chamerolles and Bandaroy it was declared null 26. The Appeal
of Monsieur Hommeau who was designed by the Synod of Anjou to be Pastor unto the Church of Lassay in the County of Maine it was declared null 27. Mrs. Judyth Guyot the Wife of Mr. Laverdan appealing from the Judgment pronounced against her by the Commissioners of the Synod of Burgundy and not appearing to maintain her Appeal the Assembly declared it null and void 28. Whereas some private Persons in the Church of St. Foy had appealed from the Colloquy of Lower Agenois who opposed the re-establishing of Mr. Duvall in his Office of Elder decreed by the Synod of Lower Guyenne their Appeal was declared null 29. The Synod of Sevennes having censured Monsieur du Mas and the Church of Ganges having appealed from that Judgment but not appearing to defend their Appeal it was declared null 30. Monsieur de Monbonoux and other Inhabitants of the Town of Anduze appealing from a Judgment given by the Synod of Lower Languedoc against Monsieur Arnaud their Pastor their Appeal was declared null 31. Monsieur Talaisac appealing from a Judgment denounced against Monsieur Preudhomme Pastor of the Church of Cournontaeuail his Appeal was declared null 32. Although the Province of Normandy had sufficient reason to set Monsieur Marchant at Liberty and to bestow his Ministry upon the Church of Gisors yet nevertheless because of the importunate Petition of the Church of Athis of Laselle and les Voutes and for that they have all jointly promised to give full and intire Satisfaction unto the said le Marchant and for that he expresseth a great Inclination to continue his Service unto the said Church of Athis the Assembly leaving it to the Care of the Colloquy of Roven to provide for the Church of Gisors ordaineth That the said Monsieur le Marchant shall be settled again in that of Athis and its annexed Congregations who shall make him a full and compleat Paiment of all Arrears of Sallary due unto him And in Default hereof the next Synod shall execute upon them that Judgment formerly denounced against them 33. On Sight and Perusal of the Acts of the Synod of Dolphiny as also of the Letters and Memoirs of Monsieur Aymin Pastor in the Church of Die this Assembly judging his Appeals frivolous declared on the first that the Province of Dolphiny had very prudently judged that they ought not to be troubled about Sollicitings made in the Years sixteen hundred thirty three and thirty four for the Maintenance of the University of Die that he ought not to have tarried at Paris after the Revocation of the Powers given for those Sollicitings and that he ought now to be accountable to the Council of the University of Die who imployed him and in case he were aggrieved then should he have carried his Complaint to the Consistory of Lyons who were commissionated to judg finally of this Affair And on the second that he hath well deserved the severest Censures for not acquiescing in the Judgment of his Province which is exhorted to oblige him and all others to a personal Residence with their Flocks on Pain of having all Church-Censures inflicted on them and in no wise to suffer the Monies destinated by the Churches for the Maintenance of the University of Die to be diverted contrary to the Intention of the Donors unto other Uses 34. The Memoirs of Monsieur de la Fitte Pastor of the Church of Pau and of de Mirau Elder in the Church of Bourdeaux and the Letters and Memoirs of the Lords de la Peyrette and du Bois private Members of the said Church of Bourdeaux were all read and their Appeal also from the Judgment of the Province of Lower Guyenne which was reported by the Deputies of that Synod Whereupon the Assembly declared that the Appellants had not any Grievance at all upon them and that their Appeal was therefore groundless and rejected CHAP. XV. General Matters 1637. The 27th Synod Article 1. * THE Assembly leaveth the Provinces at full Liberty to keep their ancient Customs observed by them in singing that Prayer at the End of the ten Commandments and which is usually recited by some kneeling by others standing and by others sitting according to the settled establish'd Order in every Church not judging it in any-wise reasonable to oblige them all unto one only Form in a Matter which of its own Nature is indifferent Article 2. The Province of Berry requesting it this Assembly ordaineth that for the future when the Question shall be moved about furnishing our Universities with Professors in Divinity that Province in which the University lieth destitute of a Professor shall invite the four next adjoining Provinces to depute at their own Charges some of their Pastors who may assist in Person at the Examen of the Candidate for the vacant Professor's Chair Article 3. The Demand of the Province of Poictou was granted that whoso should hereafter transgress the 16th Article in the 14th Chapter of our Discipline and the particular Canons enacted in the Province where he resideth about publishing of Books shall be suspended from the Ministry Article 4. However Men may have a Right to buy or keep Slaves and this be not condemned by the Word of God nor is it abolished by the Preaching of the Gospel in the far greatest part of Europe and though there hath been insensibly brought in a Custom to the contrary and that Merchants purchase and dispose of them as of their proper Goods and Chattels especially such as traffick on the Coasts of Africk and the Indies where this Commerce is permitted do buy from the Barbarians either by way of Exchange of Goods or for ready Money Men and Women-Slaves who being once in their Power and Possession they do again openly sell in the Market or truck them away unto others This Assembly confirming that Canon made on this Occasion by the Provincial Synod of Normandy doth exhort the Faithful not to abuse this their Liberty contrary to the Rules of Christian Charity nor to transfer these poor Infidels unto other Hands besides those of Christians who may deal kindly and humanely with them and above all may take special Care of their precious immortal Souls and see them instructed in the Christian Religion Article 5. The Province of Lower Languedoc desiring it all the Provinces are informed to take heed that the 9th Article in the 1st Chapter of our Discipline be not transgressed which forbids the ordaining of any Proposan without a Title or assigning him to some particular Church Article 6. The Deputies of Lower Languedoc being expresly charged thereunto by their Province did represent that although the Churches of this Kingdom had in all their Sermons Prayers and Thanksgivings publick and private given evident Proof to the whole World of that Fidelity and most sincere Obedience which his Majesty's natural-born Subjects of the Reformed Religion were obliged to yield unto his Majesty yet nevertheless the sworn Enemies of our Religion do never cease railing
Maeil Elder in the Church of Dieppe being chosen by the common Votes of the Pastors Elders and Heads of Families there and sent unto the Deputies of the Province of Normandy to move and intreat them to request that Mr. Texier who was freed from the Church of Mauvesin in the Province of Higher Languedoc might be given to them absolutely and the said Lords Deputies having introduced him into the Assembly to make his Demand in which also they joined with him After that Mr. Texier had been heard on the one part declaring how that for the Ingratitude of his Church he accepted of the Call given him by the Church of Dieppe upon Condition that his Province should judg it reasonable to set him at Liberty and with Design to oblige his Church by the Authority of the National Church to give him a full Satisfaction and on the other part the Deputies of Higher Languedoc complained that they were not in due time and place acquainted with his Intention and requesting that the Right of their Province might be intirely secured it having many Churches to be supplied which were destitute of Pastors and particularly the Church of Mauvesin which had sufficiently assured the said Texier that he should be paid the Arrears of his Wages The Assembly decreed that he should apply himself unto his Synod which is exhorted to see that he be fully satisfied and in case he be set free from his Church and that he cannot be commodiously provided for within his Province that then leave shall be given him to depart where he best liketh 3. The Assembly conserving to the Province of Berry the Right they have hitherto had over the Church of la Selle ordaineth that as long as it shall be supplied by the Pastors of the Isle of France it shall be under the Jurisdiction of the said Province which shall continue their Contributions towards the Subsistence of the Colledg of Chastillon 4. Forasmuch as the Assembly is not now in Possession of any Fund out of which those who have Recourse unto it might be relieved by its Charities Monsieur Falquet whose Necessities are very great is recommended unto the Province of Berry to be assisted and comforted by them either by allowing him some certain Portion out of their Alms or by recommending his afflicted Condition to be relieved by the more rich and populous Churches 5. The Deputies of the Province of Vivaretz relating the extream Poverty whereunto Monsieur Zuccond a Pastor emeritus hath been for several Years last past reduced by reason of his great Sicknesses Losses Expences and Imprisonments suffered from the Lord of Chanal and la Motte and that the precedent National Synods had in Consideration of his great Afflictions granted him a free Portion out of the Monies of his Majesty's Liberality and requested this Assembly that they would be pleased to vouchsafe him some sensible Tokens of their Charity and Compassion Answer was made them that forasmuch as the Churches had no Monies at all of their own nor now to be disposed by them the said Province was exhorted to take care of him for his comfortable Subsistence and Relief from among themselves 6. Whereas the Province of Sevennes had formed a Complaint against Monsieur James Pasquier Pastor in the Church of St. John de Breuil this Affair was turned over to the Judgment of the Province of Higher Languedoc 7. The Deputies of Bearn requesting that the Divisions which have been judged and condemned in the Church of Morlas maybe totally and effectually remedied and that there may be an End put unto the Complaints brought in by Monsieur Fabas against his Province and sundry particular Persons on the one hand and of divers others against him on the other that therefore some Deputies may be sent with an express Charge to take Knowledg of and give a final Judgment on all those Articles which could not possibly be examined or clearly inspected into in this Place and at so great a Distance The Assembly accepting the Offer of the Deputies of the Province of Bearn promising to bear their Charges who should to this Purpose be sent unto them did nominate the Sieurs Ferrand and Charles Pastors and Charron an Elder to receive the Information drawn up at the Request of Monsieur Rival by the Lord D'abbadie the Decrees past in Parliament against the Lords D'abbadie Rival and others who by Order of their Colloquy had admitted unto Communion at the Lord's Table some particular Persons of Morlas and generally all Papers whatsoever which have given Birth and Fewel unto this Fewd and Contention that so they may proceed to a final Judgment on the remaining Matters yet under Debate and Controversy And they shall bring in their Accompt hereof unto the next National Synod 8. To regulate the Pretensions of the Churches of Alanson St. Aignan and Mans about the Donative given for their Benefit by the Lady de la Harangere and destined to the Maintenance of some poor Scholars This Assembly ordaineth that according to the Tenor of the said Legacy the Administration of the Monies arising from it ought to be left in the Hands of the Church of Alanson and those two other Churches shall agree with it about the choice of him to whom the Pension shall be exhibited and that the first of these three Churches which shall be unprovided may proceed to receive and imploy him and that the Son of Monsieur Vignier Pastor of the Church of Mans who hath already received some Fruits of the aforesaid Pension shall injoy it and be preferred before all others in the Injoyment of it 9. Forasmuch as the Sieur de la Milletiere hath sent unto the Pastors deputed by the Provinces the first Part of a Book written by him intituled Les Moyens de la Paix Chrestienne en la Reunion des Catholiques Evangeliques sur les differends de la Religion divisé en quatre parties and the Title of the first Volume La Refutation de la procedure de Monsieur Daillé en son Examen and Letters also in which he asserts that he is moved hereunto by the sole Spirit of God for to reconcile the Differences in Religion He takes for granted that what he hath offered or may hereafter offer will be received without any Contradiction by all the Churches and presupposeth that all our first Reformers and their Successors were abused and do abuse themselves through a Misunderstanding which cannot be discovered but by them who shall admit his new conceited Lights And whereas he hath been too long even for the space of three Years tolerated and that the Church of Paris hath used all Endeavours to reduce him unto his Duty and that in the Articles contained in his first Script he hath designedly concealed his Opinions though under the very Phrases used by the Doctors of the Romish Religion and with which they are accustomed to express their own Sentiments and that in the second which he hath sent abroad
Amyraud and Testard Messieurs and most Honoured Fathers and Brethren UNderstanding from good Hands That my Pains and Labour in the Defence of the Truth is very much blamed by persons of a contrary Perswasion I believed that as that Treatise Composed by me through the occasion of these new Controversies was submitted unto your Judgment so it was my Duty to undertake my own Justification and to wipe off those Reproaches wherewith I had been aspersed They say that I might have done well not to have medled with this Quarrel and that I am a Fellow who love to be embroyl'd and to fish in troubled Waters and who do presumptuously take upon me to prescribe my own private Notions as infallible Oracles You know Sirs that Messieurs Amyraud and Testard have kindled this fire which hath caused all this noise and hubbub and that 't is they who have fill'd all our Churches with those Books which in a very ill hour do remove the antient bounds by their new fangled Doctrines about the most important points of our Religion and that Monsieur Amyraud hath sent forth his Book of Predestination without ever submitting it to be examined by his Province or so much as waiting for its Approbation by them and that since that time contrary to the Advice of two Provinces and contrary to the Promise made by him unto Messieurs Vincent and du Soul he hath caused some certain Sermons of his containing the very self-same Doctrine to be Printed It was a long time before I stirred hoping that this Commotion would have calmed of it self and have found none to approve it But being well informed That this Distemper grew worse and worse and that this Sparkle might cause a great Conflagration I feared lest my Silence on such an urgent occasion might be interpreted for want of Zeal unto the Truth and be taken for an Approbation of their Errors I have none nor will I have any Quarrels with the Persons of those Gentlemen but only with their Doctrines It cannot be but ill resented that they should be permitted to Publish unto the World from the Press a new Doctrine and that it should be a Crime in me to Refute it in Manuscript I went about this Work with a great deal of Grief having nothing that lay heavier upon my heart or was more contrary to my Temper than to contend with my Brethren in the Work of the Lord especially now that my Age calls for Repose and that I am daily waiting for my Dissolution But I saw the Evil to be so great and its consequences so dangerous that I counted my self bound in Conscience to defend the Cause of God and to endeavour to discover the very bottom of the Imposture and the hidden Nature of it I very well know that your Assembly is made up of Persons of clearer and more piercing Judgments than my self nor would I be so presumptuous as to take upon me to be your Teacher but in what I have done I have satisfaction from my own Conscience nor durst I be wanting in my Duty unto God and the defence of his Cause But these Gentlemen who complain of me were not contented to keep within these Limits For besides the Printed Books wherein they have spread abroad their Doctrine they have now very lately Published a Treatise against me under the Name of Monsieur Vignier a Copy of which was sent unto the Provincial Synod of the Isle of France And I do not question but that they have disperst them elsewhere far and near I am also advised That Messieurs Amyraud and Testard do complain very much of a little Script of mine dictated not in the Publick School but in my private Chamber unto some few Scholars wherein I have changed their Names one of them into Greek and the other into Latin which I did out of fear lest if it should fall into the hands of any of the Romish Church they might understand my Discourse and learn out the Persons with whom I disputed of which little Treatise I never Communicated a Copy unto any one And understanding that these Gentlemen take this exchange of their Names in ill part I have Composed another more ample and exact than the former unto which I have set their Names that so I might give them content You be too Prudent not to observe that these Gentlemen do play at Tarriers with you and whilst they amuse you with Triftes their design is to take you off from diving into the bottom of their Doctrines and to divert you with idle Stories of my Practice and Custom instead of maintaining their own Cause 'T is but a small matter to change a French Name into Latin if compared with what they have done in changing the very Nature of God of the Law and of the Gospel I am informed that they make great out-cries for that in certain Letters written by me to Monsieur de la Millitierre I told him they endeavoured to make a new Religion a Hotch-potch of Popery and Cameronianism But let me not be misapprehended 't was never in my thoughts to charge the Doctrine of Monsieur Cameron who is now at rest with Heresy or that he intended to Model out a new Religion I only spake the Sence and Intention of de la Milletierre and the mark at which he aimed For he endeavours from the Doctrine of Monsieur Cameron to frame a new Religion and never speaks of him but as of an Oracle as of a most incomparable Person When we say that the Lutherans are equally bent both against Popery and Calvinism we do not thereby understand that Calvin was the Author of a new Religion I Honour the Memory of Monsieur Cameron and when there was need I defended it But yet I am truly of that mind That he had done very well if he had never over-turned the Order of God's Decrees as they were Explained and Asserted by the Synod of Dort and Approved by all the Reformed Churches of Europe and particularly by three National Synods at home which he had never done if he had soberly and seriously considered the consequences of his own Tanents For this new Method of his is that very Foundation upon which the Arminians have built all their Doctrines Nor can any one deny it but that one third part at least of all Cameron's Works is spent in the Confutation of Calvin Beza and the rest of our most Famous Doctors Yet notwithstanding these his Blemishes we are not to despise those Gifts and Graces God had so plentifully bestowed upon him and when I read his Works I cannot find that Doctrine which is now vented by those who boast themselves to be his Disciples and Followers and cover themselves with the Shield of his Authority I cannot find where he saith That the distinct knowledge of Jesus Christ is not necessary to Salvation nor that he saith That Jesus Chrict died equally and alike for all Men nor doth he Teach That the Reprobates may
Thursday and part of the Day following When the said de la Milletiere importunately demanding that now in his turn he might oppose and produce the Arguments in defence of his Opinions confirmed as he pretended by the Council of Trent tho this was far wide from what he at first requested yet was it freely granted him And he having continued Writing till Evening and for that it was needful he should be answered Monsieur Amyraud spent a great part of the Fryday night and of the Saturday Morning in making a Reply unto him Whereupon the said de la Milletiere finding that the time allotted him was expired the Fryday Evening he came and demanded a longer time for continuing the Conference Which the Synod did once more refuse him especially because that he had fully opened his Intentions and in formal Words declared that by that Writing subscribed with his own Hand he never promised to submit his Doctrin but Himself and Person to the Judgment of the Assembly who taking as in truth they could not but take this distinction such an one as it was in any other Sense than a notorious Scorn of their Just and Charitable Endeavours for his Eternal Welfare They told him plainly that neither they nor any of their Commissioners would waste a moment more of their precious time about him and adjured him by the Mouth of the Sieur Garrissoles their Moderator to give Glory unto God and to relinquish his most impious Designs and added farther that they did as the National Synod of Alanson had done before them declare that for divers Years past he was not to be reputed a Member of our Reformed Churches After which the said de la Milletiere demanded a Copy of the Conference collation'd with the Original and Sign'd by Monsieur Amyraud and the Two other Commissioners that he might make such Reflections on it as he thought best which was readily accorded him by the Synod But before the said Copy was finished on Monday the 23d of January the said de la Milletiere accompanied with one de Nardeau Huisser des Eaux Forests de France Overseer of the Waters and Forests of France living at Paris came unto Charenton and applying himself to Monsieur Blondel one of the Scribes delivered to him by the Hands of the said Nardeau an Act subscribed with his own Hand summoning the Synod to cause the said Conference began at Charenton by their Commissioners whom he all accused but especially Monsieur Amyraud of Ignorance and False Dealing to be continued in Paris And Secondly in case of Refusal that then they consign unto them the Acts signed by the said Commissioners that he might examine them at his leisure and pleasure Which said Summons being brought in and reported to the Synod by Monsieur Blondel a Vote past that Copies of those Acts Collationed and Subscribed by the said Commissioners and by Monsieur Amyraud should be delivered unto the said de la Milletiere according to his desire And that Monsieur Amyraud should be in readiness to refute him in case he should attempt as he threatned to make any further opposition by his Scribbles against that sound and saving Doctrin of Justification professed in all the Protestant Churches And whereas by these last actings of his the said de la Milletiere hath discovered himself to be immovably fixed in his Designs of impugning the Truth professed in all the Churches of this Kingdom which he now treateth as his avowed Adversaries and that for these Twelve Years last past notwithstanding all Admonitions and Remonstrances made him he hath wholly estranged himself from our Communion altho he hath frequently assisted at the Sermons which have been during all that time and still are Preached at Charenton This Synod confirming the Decree of the last National Synod held at Alanson in the Year 1637. doth now ordain that on the next Lord's Day being the Nine and Twentieth of this Instant January after the Morning Sermon is ended and before the last Prayer is poured out before God the said Sieur de la Milletiere shall be denounced by the Pastor from the Polpit in the Face of the whole publick Assembly an Excommunicate Person and cut off from the Body of our Reformed Churches and not at all to be reputed a Member of them A Copy of the Act of Excommunication to be Published the 29th of January 1645. against the Sieur De la Milletiere Most dear Brethren YOV have seen with very much Regret how Theophilus Brachet Sieur de la Milletiere hath made it his business for several Years by his Publick Writings to combat the Faith professed in all our Churches and you have been a long time grieved in your Souls for his scandalous Actings and Proceedings which are directly contrary to the bounden Duty of a Person educated from his Cradle in the knowledge and profession of the True Religion now utterly despised by him He had rather abound in his own Sense and suffer himself to be seduced by his own Prejudices than yield the least tittle of Deference and Respect unto those Remonstrances and Admonitions which the Christian Charity of the Consistory of this Church did in the first place make him and which were again and again repeated to him by the express Order of the National Synod of Alanson held in the Year 1637. and with this particular Clause That in case he did not return unto himself and give Glory unto God within the space of Six Months by renouncing of his corrupt Opinions and desisting from his sinful Practices that he should be no more owned nor acknowledged for a Member of our Reformed Churches those just and needful Admonitions having wrought no Impressions upon his Heart nor hitherto produced their long desired and much expected Fruit and Effect but that he is since the more hardened obstinate and inexcusable The National Synod of the Reformed Churches in this Kingdom which is now breaking up in this place desirous to apply a proper Remedy to so long a continued Scandal and as much as in it lieth to procure your Edification doth now ratisie and confirm that Decree of the former Assembly held at Alanson and declareth to you by our Mouth that the said Sieur De la Milletiere who hath been for Ten Years together suspended from the Lord's Table and Communion with the Church of God in that most holy Sacrament and hath been ever since the Year 1638. cut off from the Number of the Faithful of our Confession ought not any longer to be reckon'd or reputed by you as a Member of the Reformed Amen This very Act was accordingly pronounced at the Close of the Morning Sermon upon the Lord's Day January 29. 1645. by Mr. Theophilus Rossel Pastor of the Church of Xaintes in the Church of Charenton before that great and numerous Congregation ARTICLE II. The Petition of Monsieur du Mais upon the account of his Services unto the Churches of Auvergne is dismissed over to the Province
as a mark of their Esteem and Favour by this very Synod But being invited to the Profession of History in the Illustrious School of Amsterdam he left his Native Country accepted of the Employment and died in that City 2. Monsieur Drelincourt Pastor of the Church of Paris a very learned and holy Man of God of him and his Works I say more in my Icones 3. Monsieur Basnage He was in high Esteem with their Churches he hath a very Learned Son now living in Exile at Rotterdam 4. Monsieur de L' Angle a most eloquent Preacher His Son is one of the Prebends of Westminster 5. Monsieur Vincent Pastor of the Church of Rochel the Jesuits called him Two Thousand He perpetually mawl'd them in the Pulpit 6. Monsieur Jurieu his Son is that worthy Pastor of the French Church and Professor of Divinity at Rotterdam 7. Monsieur Garrissoles the Moderator was a Person of Eminent Learning and Piety When all the other Professors in the University of Montauban quitted it for want of their Stipends he alone continued in the Discharge of the Duties of his Professoral Office doing his Work faithfully and painfully trusting God for his Wages 8. Monsieur de Croy was nominated by this National Synod to the Professors Chair of Divinity in the University of Nisms Mr. Amyraut had a very great Esteem for him and Dedicated his Treatise De Libero Hominis Arbitrio unto him The End of the Twenty Eighth Synod THE Acts Decisions and Decrees Made and Done in the XXIX National Synod OF The Reformed Churches OF FRANCE Held in The Town of Loudun and Province of Anjou The Tenth Day of November 1659. The CONTENTS of the Synod of Loudun Chap. I. THE Kings's Writ for calling the National Synod Names of the Deputies Election of Synodical Officers Chap. II. The Kings Letters Patents to Monsieur de Magdelaine to be his Commissioner in the Synod Chap. III. The Lord Commissioners Speech to the Synod Chap. IV. The Moderators Answer to that Speech Chap. V. The Marquiss of Ruvigny sworn General Deputy 2. His Commission from the King unto that Office 3. A Limitation of his Votes 4. Deputies from the Synod to the King 5. The Synods Letters to the King Queen and his Eminency the Cardinal Mazarin 6. Return of the Deputies from the Court unto the Synod with the King and Cardinals Letters 7. Three Persons presented to the King out of which One to be prick'd by him for another General Deputy 8. Letters from Foreign Churches to the Synod but not suffered to be answered 9. Another Letter of the Synod unto the King and Cardinal Chap. VI. Notes upon the Confession of Faith Chap. VII Observations upon the Discipline 1. Churches not to be too hasty in admitting Converted Priests into the Ministry 2. Proposans must be examined in Colloquies and Synods 4. Imposition of Hands in Ordination The Discipline sworn Chap. VIII Observations upon the Synod of Charenton 1. About Seats in the Temples 2. A Canon about Catechising 4. A Pragmatical Minister censured 6. An incestuous Couple not to be admitted to the Lord's Table till Six Months after their Separation 11. The Canons about the Imputation of Adam's Sin not to be altered Chap. IX Of Appeals The Case of a poor Minister 6. A Minister impeached in the Synod for practising Physick 10. An Intricate Appeal 18. The Business of Mr. Morus 21. The Business of Mr. D'Hysseau and Amyraut Chap. X. General Matters An Act against the Profanation of the Lords Day 4. A Canon against Duels 6. An Observation about the Lutherans 8. Whether the Lord's Supper may be administred upon a Working Day 9. The Consistory of the Church of Paris are to take care of a more correct Edition of the Bible Psalms Liturgy and Catechism 13. Baptism of Infants not to be delayed 1â— Errors to be confuted in the Latin Tongue 17. No Sermons to be Printed without Approbation 21. Method for Voting in the National Synod 23. Complaints against Mr. Daille and Amyraut about their Writings 24. Articles of Peace extracted out of the Acts of N. Ss. of Alanson and Charenton 25. Manner of determining Appeals 25. An Act against Blasphemy 26. Care taken to preserve the Annexed Congregations a kind of Daughter Churches 27. The Generosity Self-denial and great Affection to the Churches of Mr. Loride des Gallnieres 28. Chap. XI Particular Matters Orders about the Election of a Proposan to a Pension 11. Care had of a Worthy Minister 14 15. Of a Ministers Widow 21. Of another Minister 22. Of a Learned Lawyer writing in Defence of the Truth against Cardinal Baronius his Annals 27. About an accused Minister 29. Chap. XII Of Vniversities The Corruptions got amongst Students in the V niversities corrected and reformed 2. Excessive Rates for Lodging and Commons in those Vniversity Towns retrenched and redressed 3. Prizes given unto Scholars in the Vniversity of Die 4. Provinces censured for their neglect of the V niversities 7 8. Care of Professor's Widows 9 10. Chap. XIII Accounts of the Lord du Candal Chap. XIV An Act for the National Fast Chap. XV. A Dividend of Sixteen Thousand Livres Chap. XVI The Roll of Deposed and Apostate Ministers Chap. XVII An Act for Taxing the Expences of the Deputies Chap. XVIII An Act for calling the next National Synod Chap. XIX An Act for the Validity of all Acts which shall be Delivered and Signed Chap. XX. Commissions given by the Synod executed and the Commissioners Speeches unto the Vniversity and Consistory of Saumur Chap. XXI A Letter to Martyn the Apostate Chap. XXII Remarks upon the Deputies unto the Synod Chap. XXIII Catalogue of the Churches and Ministers The Synod of Loudun 1659. The 29th Synod SYNOD XXIX In the Name of God Amen The Acts of the National Synod of the Reformed Churches of France Assembled by his Majesties Permission in the Town of Loudun the Tenth Day of November One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Nine and continued Sitting full Two Months viz. till the Tenth Day of January 1660. CHAP. I. MOnsieur Desloges Pastor of the Church of Loudun opened the Synod with Prayer the next day after their Meeting viz. the Eleventh of November and then the Lord Marquiss of Ruvigny who was General Deputy of the Churches presented his Majesties Writ for calling this Synod the Tenour of which is as followeth This Sixth Day of September One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Nine the King being at Burdeaux upon the most humble Petition of his Subjects of the P. R. Religion tendered unto his Majesty that he would be pleased to permit them to Call and Assemble a National Synod because there had not been one held since that of Charenton in the Year 1644. His Majesty being willing to gratify and treat favourably those his said Subjects he hath permitted and doth permit them to convocate a National Synod on the Tenth Day of May next in his Town of Loudun but on this condition that there shall
not being able to suffer that such Words should be Sworn in this Synod and you be all in this matter which lieth so near his Heart invited to testifie that respect and obedience which you would always render unto whatsoever shall be propounded and ordained by him Moreover he forbids your reception of Foreigners into the Ministry and Pastoral Office among you or their Admission into your Synodâ— or that you so much as speak of their Matters and Restoration who have been dispossessed and ejected out of their Churches by vertue of the Decrees of Parliament and of his Majesty's Letters nor that any Stranger be received And to this purpose it is his Will that â—n all Attestations given unto Scholars and Proposans or Ministers that are to be received there shall be inserted the place of their Birth And to prevent that Aversion for Monarchy which is contracted by them who follow their Studies in Foreign States and Commonwealths such as Geneva Switzerland England and Holland there shall be a Canon expresly made to this purpose and shall be accordingly observed That such Person as have studied in any of those Foreign Universities and offer themselves to be ordained or to be admitted Pastors of any Church shall not at all be admitted And if you shall make such non as this his Majesty assureth you that you will not only do a thing which will be very pleasing to him but which also shall redound very much unto your Advantage And it is his Majesty's Will that no Letters shall be read to open Assembly till they have been first communicated to me and that I have been acquainted with their Contents and that I suffer none to be read which come from any Foreigner Furthermore His Majesty enjoyneth all Pastors and Ministers to preach the Commandments of God and that Obedience which People owe unto their King and that it is utterly unlawful for them to revolt or take up Arms against their Soveraign upon any cause or occasion whatsoever upon which Subject there shall be one Sermon at least made and preached in my Hearing in one of the Sessions of this Synod And you be also farther forbidden from ever using hereafter in your Pulpit-Discourses these Words Scourges Persecution or other such like Expressions which are apt to stir up the Minds of his Majesty's Subjects unto Sedition and to alienate their Affections from his Majesty who is most desirous to maintain and preserve them in Tranquility And to prevent those Disorders which are caused by Books published to the World 't is his Majesty's Pleasure that no Books treating of the Protestant Reformed Religion whether Printed within or without the Kingdom shall be vended by any Bookseller or others till they have been first approved by two Ministers of this Kingdom Moreover his Majesty giveth you to understand that 't is his pleasure that none of the Deputies shall speak of the Infraction of the Edicts and leave those other ways which are permitted them to have such Infractions if any redressed Synods have heretofore done so but this shall not for it is no Judge of these matters Here matters of Doctrin and Church-Discipline only are to be handled And whereas 't is usual for these Synodical Assemblies to complain of their Grievances the King commands me to tell you that he hath far greater cause to complain of the Infractions and Transgressions of his Edicts committed by his Subjects of the Pr. Reformed Religion in contempt of them for they have dared to proceed unto that high Excess of Insolence even since his Majesty began his Reign as to set up Preachings again in Languedoc where they had been suppressed and not only in that Province but elsewhere also and that in an open presumptuous manner against the Publick Peace and the general Laws of the Kingdom which do impartially forbid the Subjects of the one or other Religion to carve out unto themselves Satisfaction and Justice although they were wronged and had the right on their side yea and they have also in divers places by their meer private Authority set up again Preachings besides those which were allowed and appointed by the Commissioners for Executing the Edict of Nantes particularly in such places where the Ecclesiasticks are Lords of the Mannor which is a grievous violation of the Edict Moreover your Ministers do notoriously transgress it by excomunicating such Parents as send their Children to study in Catholick Colledges and have written * * * * * * You have a Specimen of this in a Letter writ by an unknown Person to one Martyn an Apostate Minister which is added to the end of this Synod scurrilously and injuriously of those who have become Converts unto the Roman Catholick Religion Moreover there is a practice among you of diverting the Poor's Mony and Legacies given to Pious uses by employing those Sums towards the Maintenance of your Ministers and to the defraying of Synodical Expences and Reparation of your Temples which Methods and Courses are contrary to those prescribed by the Forty Third Article of particular matters in the Edict of Nants which His Majesty will have observed Upon all which Actions and others of the like nature done in prejudice of his Majesties Authority and the publick Tranquility of whose Preservation his Majesty is so careful he declareth that being the common Father of his People he neither can nor ought to suffer his Edicts to be thus violated and therefore giveth Notice unto his Subjects of the P. R. Religion that they reform these their Miscarriages and you are to exhort them to it and that they demean themselves better for the future that so his Majesty may have no just occasion of offence which he will certainly take at such enterprises as these are and the non-observation of his Edicts And he would believe that you willfully satisfie him on your part and in case you so do his Majesty assureth you of his Royal Protection and of all acts of Kindnesses that you can possibly desire of him for your satisfaction Finally his Majesty having considered that National Synods cannot be held without very great Expences nor without putting such as take long Journeys hither to a World of trouble and whereas many matters and businesses which are reserv'd for these general Assemblies may be terminated with more ease and less Charges in the Provincial Synods which his Majesty permits to be held once every Year for the Conveniency and Discipline of the Churches of the Protestant Reformed Religion for these considerations his Majesty thought good to propound by me unto you Sirs that for time to come you should give all power unto Provincial Synods for knowing regulating and terminating of affairs which may fall out in all the Provinces of this Kingdom the cognizance whereof did only formerly belong unto these National Synods which his Majesty is resolv'd shall never be held any more but when as he thinks meet And to conclude there is a matter of
great importance which is fitting you should be acquainted with now at the beginning of this Synod that so it may be the better ordered and ended the sooner I received in my Letters very lately an Express and particular Order concerning some certain Articles and Orders of which I before spake viz. That there is an Abuse committed by the Provinces in sending and communicating by their Deputies Letters from Strangers This his Majesty declareth to be contrary to his Edicts and prejudicial to the publick Peace and his own Service Wherefore I am commanded to be very careful and to provide herein that among your deliberations none other matters be debated but such as ought of right to be so by all the Deputies of the Provinces of this Kingdom and those Matters only which concern the Provinces and that you neither receive any Letters from nor hold any Correspondency with Strangers in any way or manner or for any cause or business whatsoever and you be most strictly forbidden to receive any Writings of what quality soever coming from Foreign Countries and not under his Majesties Jurisdiction nor may any one dare during the sitting of this Synod to publish or spread them abroad in this Town of Loudun And in case such a thing should happen and that such Papers are found I am injoyned immediately to suppress them and to proceed rigorously against such as vend or distribute them as is meet I should and to inflict such Penalties as I shall judge fit And farther I am most expresly and directly commanded to do what in me lieth for the shortning and speedy ending of this Synod Which Order I received in the last Dispatch that came unto this Town CHAP. IV. The Answer of Monsieur Daille the Moderator of the Synod unto the Speech of the Lord Commissioner AS soon as my Lord Commissioner had ended his Speech Monsieur Daille who was Moderator of the Synod made this Answer following in the Name of the whole Assembly unto his Lordship My Lord THE long interruption of these Holy Assemblies have made us but too sensible of their singular usefulness and how needful they be unto our Churches And this hath augmented our Joys to see that God hath at last touched the Heart of his Majesty our Sovereign Lord with that goodness as to grant us this present Synod And without doubt My Lord you observed Yesterday upon Reading the Letters of Commission from the respective Provincial Synods how deeply they were affected with the Mercy for they could not refrain the Expressions of their Sense and Resentment of it even in their Dispatches We therefore having received this singular favour from his Majesty do own and acknowledge it to be a mere and pure Act of his Grace and Clemency and take it as a Pledge and Earnest of his Majesties Good Will unto us and sincere purposes of keeping inviolate his Edicts Unto this his Majesty hath added another and more especial favour in pitching upon your Lordship to represent his Person in this Assembly even you my Lord who for Piety and Integrity for Faith and Vertue are renowned not only in our Churches but in the World it self In so much that the worst and greatest Adversaries of our Religion being won with the luster of that Justice and Uprightness which have ever shined forth in your Administration of that high Dignity and Office possessed by you these many Years in the first and chiefest Parliament of France do desire and continually demand that your Lordship may be their Judge and Reporter of their Causes and do account themselves happy in case they can obtain it Certainly my Lord his Majesty could never have made a more advantagious Choice for us and we render your Lordships our most humble Thanks that overlooking your great Age your many and weighty Affairs the tedious incommodities of Travel and of the Season of the Year your Lordship hath accepted of this Commission and closed with this opportunity which the good Providence of God hath put into your Hands for the Service of his Majesty and for doing all good Offices to our poor Churches which God knoweth have great need of so Fast and Faithful a Friend as your Lordship near his Majesty We need you my Lord and we intreat your Lordship that you would be pleased to testifie it with all Efficacy imaginable unto his Majesty and to his Ministers the Innocency the Simplicity of our Conduct that the Jealousies which our Ill-Wishers do suggest unto him against these our Assemblies may be abated and removed Our National Synods are in no wise prejudicial to his Majesties Service yea the very contrary is true for their first and principal use is to confirm us the more stedfastly in our Religion the First and most Illustrious Article whereof you know my Lord for you have been educated in it from your Infancy is the belief of the Sovereign Authority of Kings over all Persons whatsoever without Exception in their Dominions and of that indispensable Obligation lying upon all their Subjects to yield them in all things all Honour Service and Obedience not only out of Fear but for Conscience sake and such an intire and profound Submission that their respects are extended and performed unto all Officers acting by and under them and their Order and in whose Employments and Ministry there shineth forth any Beam of Royal Authority This Doctrin the Holy Apostles learnt us to be subject unto Kings and those who be Commissionated by them This Doctrin we received from the Primitive Christians that the King is next and under God and that there is no middle power intervening between God's and hiâ— and after that Service we owe unto our God there is none more Sacred or inviolable than his In the very first Sessions of this Synod your Lordship shall see every one of us subscribe this Holy Creed just as we have expounded it in our common and publick Confession and we trust that God will so enable us by his Grace that we shall more and more justifie the Confession we now make of it by a most constant and inviolable Fidelity in his Majesties Service And in the mean while we shall offer up our most ardent Prayers unto our God for the Health of his Majesty's most Sacred Person for the Prosperity of his Family for the happy Success of his Designs and for the Peace and Glory of the Kingdom But my Lord forasmuch as by the Orders of your Commission your Lordship hath presented to us divers points and of very great importance we beseech your Lordship to give way unto this Assembly to consider of them distinctly that our Answers may be returned with that Humility and Reverence which is owing by us unto the Will and Pleasure of his Majesty our Dread Sovereign And afterwards the Deputies did by the Mouth of their said Moderator add as followeth My Lord WE do acknowledge in the First place that it was a most signal effect of his Majesty's
rather because your Majesty hath superadded another favour to your former which is indeed inlinked with it to wit your gracious permission of us to proceed to the Election of a General Deputy according to the priviledg granted us by the Kings your Predecessors But Sire you having with your own Royal Hand conferr'd upon us the Lord Marquess of Ruvigny we were so well provided for that we most humbly beseech your Majesty to continue him unto us in this Office This is Sire what the Sieurs Eustache and de Mirabel are charged to deliver unto your Majesty and whom pre have nominated to lay at your Feet our Homages Submissions and most sincere protestations of our inviolable Fidelity together with our continual Prayers unto the Throne of Grace for the Preservation of your Majesties most Sacred Person for the Prosperity of this Kingdom for the Establishing of Peace and for the happy accomplishment of your Marriage as being Sire Of your Majesty The most Humble the most Obedient and most Faithful Subjects and Servants the Pastors and Elders Assembled by your Majesties Permission in a National Synod at Loudun and for all of them Moderator Daille Assessor J. M. de Langle Scribes John de Brissac Loride des Galinieres A Copy of the Letter written unto the Queen Madam WHen as during the King's Minority the Supream Government of this Kingdom was put into your Hands those of our Religion who live dispersed in all parts of the Kingdom have received so many marks and Evidences of your Majesties Goodness and Protection that the Remembrance thereof will be perpetually engraven upon our Hearts in the deepest sense of gratitude and acknowledgments And since his Majesty our Sovereign Lord was declared Major of Years to Govern and his Vertues have out-run his Years your Majesty Madam hath so assisted him with your good Counsels that we all know and confess that you contributed most of all to maintain us in our Repose and in the injoyment of those Priviledges which were given us by the Edicts of our Princes And now the late Grant of our Assembling in this National Synod is in part the fruit of those good Inclinations your Majesty hath for us wherewith we are so deeply affected that we cannot forbear the Expressions of our Thankfulness And therefore Madam we have given in charge unto our Deputies whom we have sent unto the King to wait also upon your Majesty and to assure you not only of your sincere Dutifulness unto your Majesty wit are here assembled but also of all those Persons who have deputed us and are represented by us and that the remembrance of your Benefits shall never be blotted out of our Souls And we most humbly Petition your Majesty that you will be pleased always to ingage us unto Thankfulness by continuing to us the Fruits of your Royal Goodness and that you would daign to inrich us with the occasions of our incessant publishing your Praises that as we now do so we may always wrestle with our God for the showring down of his best Blessings from Heaven upon your Majesty and he will hear us Madam for we cry unto him daily that you may have length of Days an uninterrupted Prosperity that your Glorious Designs of settling Peace in France and a perpetual Peace between the Two Crowns which have been so long at variance may be at last atchieved The great God Madam will bless your Care and Labours in getting a Spouse for our King which may briâ—◠〈◊〉 a Posteâ—â—â— like unto that your Majesty hath given unto the late King his Father and which may be the genuine and worthy Offspring of so many Royal Monarchs from whose Blood they be descended and to whom the Empire of France and Spain may be subjected And to say no more Madam our God will give your Majesty to see that by our inviolable Fidelity and Obedience unto your Commands there are none among the Subjects of this most populous Kingdom who are more than our selves Madam Of your Majesty The most Humble and the most Obedient Subjects and Servants the Pastors and Elders assembled in a National Synod of Loudun and in the Name of all Moderator Daille Assessor J. M. de L'Angle Scribes John de Brissac Lorile des Galinieres A Copy of the Letter written unto his Eminency My Lord ALthough that next and after God it is of his Majesty's Grace and Favour that we enjoy this Priviledg of meeting together in a National Synod yet also are we principally obliged unto the Goodness of your Eminency and to the Wisdom of your Counsels For besides that this great Kingdom is governed by them and that 't is by the Cares of this important Ministry committed by his Majesty unto your Eminency that our Churches do enjoy the Protection of his Edicts as we have been informed by my Lord de Magdelaine his Majesty's Commissioner in our Assembly and by your Letters written to the Lord Marquess of Ruvigny our General Deputy of your Eminency's most favourable Inclinations for us in this Occurrenc Therefore my Lord no sooner were we met together but we poured out our Souls in the presence of the Lord Jesus our Saviour and rendred him our most Solemn Sacrifice of Thanksgiving that he had at length inclined his Majesty's Heart to grant us what we had so ardently desired and our very next Thought was to depute some of our Body unto his Majesty with the most humble Thanks of our Hearts and then also unto your Eminency to testifie our Gratitude unto you We have therefore my Lord given in charge to the Sieurs Eustache and Mirabel sent by us unto Court to throw themselves in our stead at his Majesty's Feet to wait also upon your Eminency as from its and to assure your Eminency that all the Churches of this Kingdom who have deputed us unto this Synod will retain an everlasting remembrance of this your Favour together with in inviolable resolution of giving you the undoubted Evidences of our Sense and Resentment of it by our uncorruptible Fidelity in his Majesty's Service and in a most respectful Obedience unto those Orders we shall receive from him by the Mediation of your most excellent Ministry Moreover we do hope my Lord that your Eminency will give a favourable Audience unto our Deputies in those most humble Requests they have to tender to you for us and that you would be pleased to obtain of his Majesty that we may sensibly feel the benign Influences of his Goodness and Royal Protection and that you would daign always to accept those Requests which shall be presented to you by the Lord Marquess of Ruvigny whom his Majesty hath permitted and his commendable Qualities and Services have obliged us to confirm in his Office of General Deputy and that we may not be denied those Gratifications which these our National Assemblies have always received from our Kings and which even your Eminency its self hath procured for us All our Churches my
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
repent rouze up thy self out of thy Spiritual Lethargy Awake then and give Glory unto God the God of Heaven and Earth and he will raise thee up again tho thou art fallen Call upon him for who knoweth but that he may have Compassion on thee He hath not forsaken thee but thou hast forsaken him and thou canst tell in what place thou shookst Hands with him Don't consult with Flesh and Blood go seek and find him out in the beginning of thy Sin that yet he may recover thee His Gifts and Callings are without Repentance Thou hast quitted the Pastoral Office to be a wandring Sheep a Sheep wandring after the Voice of a Stranger However thou knowest what the great Shepherd saith by St. John on this occasion make use of it to thy best advantage and if thou canst not be a Pastor yet at least become a Sheep of Christ's Fold In the mean while my dear Friend I will humbly beseech God from the bottom of my Soul and with all my Heart that he would recover thee from this thy most dangerous Malady by some proper and most effectual Remedy For I know him by good Experience to be the best Physician and that he can purge out of thee all thine Errors all Humane Considerations and corroborate the good infeebled in thee through the perverseness of the former that he can again enlighten thee ingraft thee into Christ tho thou hast broken thy self off from him and give Rest unto thy Soul in the Bosom of the Church Militant that so in the Church Triumphant thou mayst enjoy those everlasting Blessings which he hath prepared for them who persevere unto the end And I being filled with Joy at thy Recovery will take thee by the Hand and we will go together into the House of our God there to render him according to our poor Abilities that Sacrifice of Thanksgiving which is his Due and our Duty Now then under this Quality and with this Hope I subscribe my self Dear Friend Excuse if my Superscription do omit these Titles which once thou hadst and I am ignorant of what thou now bearest Thy Humble Servant Aide de Dieu Help of God A Monsieur Monsieur Martin at his House in Montoire CHAP. XXII Remarks upon the Deputies 1. MR. Boschart Pastor of the Church of Caen a Man of vast Learning and reputed one of the most able Scholars in all France His Hierozoicon and Phaleg proclaim his Worth to the whole World Christina Queen of Sweedland invited him into that Kingdom and he was for some time a Professor in the University there 2. Peter de la Musse Here is a Marquess of that Name in London a faithful Confessor for Christ having forsaken his Estate are embraced the Cross rather than part with his Religion and his God and I think the same Deputy 3. Monsieur Mussard Minister in the Church of Lyons but a Native of Geneva he married Mr. Beza's Granchild By a Trick of the Jesuits which he told me he was outed of the Church of Lyons The Cardinal of Villeroy Archbishop of that City and Diocess had an esteem and value for him For he was a Person of great Worth an excellent Scholar and a most eloquent Preacher The French Church of London invited him over to their Service and he died in the Pastoral Office of it There be Printed of his Works a Volume of Sermons in French in Quarto 2. Historia Deorum satidicorum 4 to And 3. Les Conformites des Ceremonies Modernes avec les anciennes His Modesty made him not put his Name to his Works But he himself told me he was the Author of them Les Conformites doth speak English for I have seen the Translation in a Booksellers Shop 4. Monsieur de Bourdieu Pastor of Montpellier this reverend and ancient Servant of the Lord Jesus resides in London and Preacheth tho 95 Years old 5. Monsieur Guitton Pastor of the Church of Sion fled here upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes into England and was some time in London but since for want of Employment left the Kingdom and retired I think into the Netherlands 6. Monsieur Amyraud the Famous Professor of Saumur His Learned Writings are well known I shall say more of him God willing in my Icones 7. Monsieur Daille Pastor of the Church of Paris A most Learned and Eloquent Preacher My Worthy and Reverend Friend Mr. Soreton an eminent Nonconformist Minister in Devon translated his Commentary upon the Colossians into English His Book of the Right Use of the Fathers was translated into English and highly valued He writ against Brachet Sieur de la Millitiere a Tool of Richlieu's to compound and reconcile if possible the Two Religions Millitiere at last turned Apostate He hath a most accurate Treatise De Imaginibus Apologie des Eglises Reformees and a great many other things of which and him I shall give an Account at large in my Icones 8. Monsieur Homel Pastor of the Church of Sojon a most pious and zealous Preacher he died a constant and Faithful Martyr His Execution was most barbarous being broken upon the Wheel and left under Torments for several Hours before his Inhuman Persecutors would give him the Coup de Grace as they call it the last Blow upon the Breast to put an end to his Torments But God filled him under his greatest Sufferings with the Consolations of his Spirit I have writ a larger Narrative of his Martyrdom and shall insert it into the Life of the Great Chamier for a Great Grandson of the Famous Chamier suffer'd about the same time unless my memory fail me with him FINIS
said Auditory shall be expresly charged That if any one of them do know any impediment for which his Ordination who shall be then mentioned by his Name may not be compleated or why he may not be accepted that they do then come and give notice of it unto the Consistory which shall patiently hear the Reasons of both Parties that so they may proceed to Judgment The Peoples silence shall be taken for a full consent But in case contention should arise and the afore-named Elect be pleasing to the Consistory but not unto the People or to the major part of them his reception shall be deferred and the whole shall be remitted unto the Colloquy or Provincial Synod which shall take cognizance both of the justification of the before-named elect Minister and of his reception And although the said Elect should be then and there justified yet shall he not be given as Pastor unto that People against their will nor to the discontentment of the greatest part of them nor shall the Pastor be imposed against his will upon that Church and the difference shall be terminated by order as above at the Costs and Charges of the Church that shall have demanded him CAN. VII Who so consenteth to be chosen unto the Sacred Ministry ought to accept of the Office with which he shall be invested and in case of his refusal he shall be solicited thereunto by fitting Exhortations but he shall in no wise be constrained CAN. VIII The Election of Ministers shall be confirmed by Prayers and Imposition of Hands always avoiding all Superstition and according to this ensuing form The Form of Ordination usually observed in the Churches of France at the Reception of their Ministers All things before-mentioned having been observed two Pastors deputed by the Synod or Colloquy to lay their Hands upon the Minister elect being come into that Church one of them who preacheth the Sermon shall discourse briefly of the Institution and Excellency of the Ministry alledging Testimonies pertinent to this occasion from holy Writ such as Ephes 4.11 12. Luke 10.16 John 20.21 22. 1 Cor. 4.1 2. 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. 1 Tim. 3.8 or others of the like nature admonishing every one to see to it that both Minister and People do perform their respective Duties The Minister to acquit himself of his Charge the more carefully because he knoweth it to be precious and excellent in the sight of God and the People with all humility and reverence to receive the Word of God which shall be declared by him who is now sent unto them Then shall be read in the hearing of the whole Congregation what is written in 1 Tim. 3. and 1 Tit. where the Apostle teacheth what kind of Man a Minister should be And that it may please God to vouchsafe Grace unto this elect person to acquit himself worthily and faithfully of his holy Calling a short Prayer shall be conceived to this purpose in which the said Pastor shall insert these or the like words O Lord God we beseech thee to endow with the Gifts and Graces of thy holy Spirit this thy Servant lawfully chosen according to that Order established in thy Church and abundantly to enrich him with all Abilities needful for his acceptable performance of the Duties of his Office to the Glory of thy holy Name the Edification of thy Church and his own Salvation whom we now dedicate and consecrate unto thee by this our Ministry And then the Minister that prayeth standing upright below the Pulpit shall lay his Hands upon his Head for whom Prayer is now made he being humbly on his knees And the new Pastor arising the two Deputies sent from the Colloquy or Synod shall give him before the People the right hand of fellowship And this Form and the above-mentioned Canon shall be unanimously observed in all the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom CAN. IX Our Confession of Faith and Church-Discipline shall be subscribed by such as are chosen in the Ministry both into the Churches in which they shall be ordained and in those unto which they shall be sent CAN. X. No Ministers shall be ordained without appointing them unto a particular Flock and they shall be the peculiar Pastors of those Churches unto which they be assigned And no Church shall pretend right unto any Minister by vertue of a particular promise made by him without the authority of the Colloquy or Provincial Synod CAN. XI Such as shall be chosen unto the Ministry of the Gospel must know that they be in that Office for term of life unless they be lawfully discharged upon good and certain considerations and that by the Provincial Synod CAN. XII The principal Duty of Ministers is to Preach the Gospel and to declare the Will of God unto their People and they shall be exhorted to forbear all strange ways of teaching which have no tendency to edification and they shall conform themselves to the simplicity and common stile of God's Spirit taking heed that there be nothing in their Sermons prejudicial to the Authority of holy Scripture and they shall never Preach without having for foundation of their discourse a Text of holy Scripture which they shall ordinarily follow and they shall handle and expound as much of that Text as they can forbearing all needless Enlargements all tedious and unseasonable Digressions all superfluous heapings up of Scripture-Quotations and vain recitals of various and different Expositions They shall very rarely alledge the Writings of the Fathers nor at any time prophane Histories and Authors that so they may reserve unto the Scripture intirely its own Authority Moreover they shall not handle any Doctrine in a scholastick way of Disputation nor with a mixture of Languages In one word they shall avoid whatsoever may serve for ostentation or in any wise occasion doubts or scruples And that this Canon may be more carefully observed and practised Consistories Colloquies and Synods shall put to their helping hand CAN. XIII Churches are admonished to use more frequently the Ordinance of Catechising and Ministers are to treat and expound it by short plain and familiar Questions and Answers accommodating themselves unto the capacity of the meanest People without expatiating themselves into common places Yea all Ministers shall endeavour to catechize every one in their Flocks once or twice a Year and shall exhort them to conform themselves thereunto very carefully CAN. XIV Ministers and their Families shall actually reside on their Churches on pain of being deposed from their Sacred Ministerial Office CAN. XV. Those Persons to whom God hath given Talents and Abilities for Writing are advised to use them in a modest manner suitable to the Majesty of God's Word and therefore consequently they shall not write after a ridiculous or injurious rate and in their ordinary Sermons they shall express this self-same modesty and gravity And they who are endowed with gifts for writing shall he chosen by the Provinces and if it happen that any Books
be published against the true Religion they shall be sent unto them that they may be answered And there shall be a Colloquy in each Province appointed unto this peculiar business carefully to peruse all Manuscripts before they be Printed and what is published and to disperse the Copies CAN. XVI No Minister shall claim or exercise any Primacy or Jurisdiction over another CAN. XVII Ministers shall preside by turns in their Consistories that so none may claim a Superiority over his Fellow and none of them shall give any Testimony in matters of importance without having first Communicated unto his Brethren and Collegues in the Ministry CAN. XVIII That Custom used in some places of deputing certain Ministers from the Provincial Synods to visit the Churches shall be for time to come totally suppressed and abolished That order which hath been used until now being sufficient enough for taking cognisance of Scandals And this manner of erecting new Offices and Employments is condemned because of its dangerous consequence as also all names of superiority are rejected such as Elders of Synods Super-intendents and the like And all Advertisements for assembling Colloquies or Synods or concerning any businesses which depend upon them shall be directed unto the Church and not to any particular Minister in it And if accidentally they have been so superscribed and for some certain Considerations addressed unto any one of the Ministers or Elders they who have received them shall present them unto the Consistory that so advice and deliberation may be taken of them CAN. XIX No Minister together with the holy Ministry shall be a Practitioner in Law or Physick yet out of Charity he may give Counsel and assistance to the poor of his Flock and of his Neighbourhood provided always that he be not thereby diverted from his Calling nor derive any gain from his practice unless in times of trouble and persecution and when he cannot exercise his Calling in his Church and cannot be maintained by it And those who shall thus employ themselves in Law or Physick or in any other Worldly distracting business shall be exhorted wholly to forbear it and totally to devote themselves unto the duties of their Calling as Ministers and to the study of the Scriptures And all Colloquies and Synods are admonished to proceed according to the Canons of our Discipline against the refractory and such as be willfully disobedient as also against those who spend so much of their time in teaching youth that it is an hinderance to them in the principal duties of their Ministerial Office And all Consistories Colloquies and Provincial Synods shall have a most especial care and regard that this Canon be punctually observed and to suspend such as do transgress it from their exercise of the Ministry CAN. XX. Ministers shall exhort their People to be modest in their Apparel they themselves also giving in this particular a good example unto the World by their own their Wives and their Children's forbearing all bravery in their Habits CAN. XXI Princes and great Lords following the Court that would have a Church erected in their Houses shall be desired to chuse their Ministers out of those Churches which be duly reformed and can spare them a Pastor and of whose lawful Call unto the sacred Ministry they may be well assured and this with the good will and consent of the Colloquies or Synods These shall in the first place subscribe the Confession of Faith of the Churches in this Kingdom and our Ecclesiastical Discipline And that the Preaching of the Gospel may be the more successful they shall be every one of them desired to constitute in their Families a Consistory composed of the Minister and of the best approved persons for Godliness in their said Family who shall be chosen Elders and Deacons by which Consistory all Vices and Scandals in that Family shall be suppressed and the common Discipline of our Churches shall be maintained Moreover if it be possible for them they shall personally appear at Provincial Synods To which purpose Powers shall be given unto the Church that convocates the Synod of that Province to call them to it And the said Ministers by name or some one or other of them according as they shall be deputed by the rest shall make their personal Appearance at the National Synods in company with their Elders who may inform the Synod of their Lives and Conversations And if several of them meet together none shall claim any preheminency or jurisdiction over his Brethren according to that Canon of our Discipline made on this behalf And when as the said Princes and Lords shall sojourn in their Houses or other places in which a Church is already constituted that all divisions may be avoided they shall be desired to conjoin the Church of their Families together with the Church of that place to make but one Church as shall be advised in an amicable Conference with the Ministers of both Churches that so what may be most expedient may be followed CAN. XXII It shall not be lawful for the Pastor to desert his Flock without leave first had and obtained from the Colloquy and Provincial Synod of that Church to which he was first given CAN. XXIII Deserters of the Sacred Ministry shall be finally Excommunicated by the Provincial Synod unless they do repent and return again unto their Charge which God had committed to them CAN. XXIV Ministers shall not be Vagrants nor have liberty to intrude themselves of their own Authority into any place which best pleaseth them CAN. XXV The Minister of one Church shall not preach in another without the consent of its Minister unless he were absent in which case the Consistory shall authorize him and if through persecution or any troubles the Flock should be dissipated the strange Minister shall endeavour to assemble the Elders and Deacons which if it cannot be done yet nevertheless he may warrantably preach that so the dispersed Flock may be reunited CAN. XXVI That Minister who intrudeth himself into a Church although he get the People's Approbation yet shall he not be approved of by the Neighbour Ministers or any others but the cognisance of his Case shall be devolved upon the Colloquy or Provincial Synod CAN. XXVII Ministers shall not be sent unto other Churches without authentick Letters or some other sufficient Testimonials from those places from whence they last came which shall be put into the Consistories hands of that Church whereunto they be sent and there carefully to be preserved CAN. XXVIII No Minister who reports himself forsaken of his Church of persecuted shall thereupon be received by another Church until he have first produced valid Certificates of his holy and unblameable Conversation unto the Colloquy or Synod and the whole Affair shall be remitted to the prudence and discretion of the Colloquy or Provincial Synod CAN. XXIX When as a Minister who hath orderly obtained his Licence of departure from that Church in which he last served
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
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