Synodicon in Gallia reformata, or, The acts, decisions, decrees, and canons of those famous national councils of the reformed churches in France being I. a most faithful and impartial history of the rise, growth, perfection and decay of the reformation in that kingdom, with its fatal catastrophe upon the revocation of the Edict of Nants in the year 1685 : II. the confession of faith and discipline of those churches : III. a collection of speeches, letters, sacred politicks, cases of conscience, and controversies in divinity, determined and resolved by those grave assemblies : IV. many excellent expedients for preventing and healing schisms in the churches and for re-uniting the dismembred body of divided Protestants : V. the laws, government, and maintenance of their colleges, universities and ministers, together with their exercise of discipline upon delinquent ministers and church-members : VI. a record of very many illustrious events of divine providence relating to those churches : the whole collected and composed out of original manuscript acts of those renowned synods : a work never be extant in any language.

CHAP. VI. Appeals.

1. AN Appeal being brought by the Church of St. Fulgent, from the Sentence given out against them, in the Provincial Synod of Poictou, held at Touars, which had ordained, that Monsieur de la Beguadiere, should continue with the Church of Montague. This Assembly having seen the Memoirs of the said Church of St. Fulgent, produced by the Provincial De∣puties of Brittain, and heard the said de la Begaudiere speak for himself, judg∣eth that the Appeal ought not to be admitted, and confirmeth the Decree of the said Provincial Synod of Touars, yet it doth also ordain, that the Pro∣vince of Poictou ought to consider the necessity of that Church of St. Ful∣gent, lest it should be at last dissipated for want of a Pastor.

2. The Church of Rochefoucault,* 1.1 appealing from a Decree of the Provin∣cial Synod of Xaintonge, held at Rochel, which had ordained, that the Col∣ledge there established should be transferr'd unto the Town of Pons, and the City and Church of St. John d' Angely appealing from the said Ordinance, and demanding that the Colledge might be fixed with them. This Assem∣bly judgeth that the said Province ought not to have made the said Tran∣slation, and therefore confirmeth unto the Church of Rochefoucault the Col∣ledge until the sitting of the next National Synod, when, in case it shall appear, that the said Colledge hath not been well-maintained, nor the youth duly educated and instructed; The said Synod may remove it unto that place where they conceive it will be most beneficial to the Church and Pro∣vince: and the Church of St. John d' Angely, are exhorted to erect of them∣selves a Colledge, since God hath blessed them with means and ability for so doing, and the National Synod taking notice of their duty in this parti∣cular, shall give them such Incouragement as in its wisdom shall be judged needful.

3.* 1.2 Monsieur Beauchamp Pastor of the Church of Belin, appealed from the judgment of the Province of Brittain, and his Appeal was received, al∣though his affair were of that kind, which might be decided finally by the

Neighbour Province. This Synod therefore amending the Judgment of the aforesaid Province, ordaineth, That Supplicatory Letters shall be written unto the Lord Duke of Rohan, that the Intendant of his Houshold do per∣form the Agreement which was made with the said Monsieur Beauchamp; and in case it be not done, that then the Province shall see him satisfied; because that during these four years wherein the said Sieur Beauchamp hath officiated as Minister in the Family of the said Lord Duke, the Province received that portion of Moneys from the Kings Bounty, which belonged to the said Monsieur Beauchamp.

* 1.34. The Sieur Mahaut had his Appeal admitted against the Judgment of the Province of Brittain, although he was freed from it, and set in the Ca∣talogue of Pastors to be disposed of and provided for by this National Sy∣nod; and in case before the breaking up of this Assembly he be not pre∣sented unto a Church, he shall be wholly at his own Liberty, to dispose of himself in any Province of this Kingdom, where God shall be pleased to call him. And the Lord of Candal is requested to retain in his hands a por∣tion belonging unto Ministers to be paid into that Province where ever he shall be imployed as a Pastor. And for as much as the Province of Brittain hath received in his name the moneys granted us from his Majesty's Bounty, they shall make him restitution, and reimburse him all the arrears of his portion free of all Costs, Taxes, and Charges whatsoever, deducting only what he hath received of that money from the time in which he quitted the Church of La Mussaye until now.

5. The Church of St. Martyn appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Se∣vennes, which had separated it from the Churches of Brenons and La Mo∣louze. This Assembly approved of that their Decree, but yet injoineth the said Province to take care that the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ be con∣stantly kept up in the Church of St. Martyn, and that they do give them all necessary supplies out of the monies of his Majesties Bounty assigned unto the said Province.

6. Monsieur Clemenceau Pastor of the Church of Poictiers, appealing from the Synod of Poictou, which in prejudice to the Colloquy of Higher Poictou had ordered 50 l. to be taken out of the 150 Livers, assigned by the said Colloquy to the Son of the said Sieur Clemenceau, and given unto the Son of Monsieur de Faure, Pastor of the Church of Aubenas: This Assembly ratifying the judgment of the said Colloquy reverseth that of the Synod, which is injoined out of their own stock, attributed to them, to raise fifty Livers for the young le Favre.

* 1.47. The Church of Niort appealing from the Judgment of the Province of Poictou, which refused to allow them their charges which they had dis∣bursed in getting a supply during the absence of Monsieur Chauffepied their Pastor, who was sent unto the last political Assembly. This Synod declares that this affair is of that kind which ought to be finally determined by a Neighbour Province: but yet for some weighty reasons and motives it doth at present accept of their Appeal, and amending the Decree of that Pro∣vincial Synod, ordaineth that the Canon made in the National Synod of Tonneins be put in Execution; and whereas the said Church of Niort have been at needless Expences in seeking Ministers to supply them abroad, with∣out the Province, all their Costs and Charges shall be limited and restrained to the sum of two hundred Livers, to be payed them out of the monies al∣lotted unto the said Province, nor shall Monsieur Chauffepied be at all obli∣ged to make any restitution out of the monies given him for his pains and travel unto the said General Assembly.

8. The Church of Chastelheraut appealing from a judgment of the Pro∣vince of Poictou, their Appeal was admitted, notwithstanding it had been decreed otherwise in former National Synods. Though still the Pro∣vinces

be exhorted to conform themselves unto their Orders, of else they shall be remanded back re infectâ, who ever bring unto these Assemblies matters which may and ought to be judged in a Neighbour Province; and therefore amending the Sentence of the Synod of Poictou, it ordaineth, that whereas the Church of Chastelheraut had exhibited an hundred Livers to∣wards the maintenance of a certain Fellow named Pichon, formerly a Fran∣ciscan Fryar, the Province of Poictou shall reimburse the said Church the sum of fifty Livers.

9. Monsieur Paul Bonnet formerly Pastor in the Church of Saujon,* 1.5 ap∣pealing from the judgment of the Colloquy of the Isles, and since from that of the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge, which had ratified the Sentence of the said Colloquy, by vertue whereof he was suspended the holy Ministry, until such time as he had fully cleared himself from that crime whereof he was impeached and accused. This Assembly having heard the Deputies of that Province, and the Arguments and grounds of their proceedings against him, and the said Bonnet speak in his own defence; approved the Decrees both of the Synod and Colloquy, and ordained that his suspension should be continued until the next meeting of the Provincial Synod of Poictou, which will be about six months hence: and at present doth Commissionate the Sieurs Chesneau Pastor of the Church of S. Maixant, and Papin Pastor of the Church of St. Hermin, to take with them each an Elder, either from their own or the Neighbour Churches at their own choice, and to pass over unto those places at the charges of the Province of Xaintonge, where the Crimes of which he stands accused, were committed, and they shall make strict and particular inquiry into the truth of them, and make re∣port thereof unto the said Provincial Synod, who shall judge finally by au∣thority from this Assembly of the whole affair, either by aggravating his Censure in Case he be found guilty, or by restoring the said Bonnet, if in∣nocent, unto the holy Ministry, which yet he shall never any more exercise within the said Province of Xaintonge; and till this judgment be executed, the said Bonnet shall be received into Communion with us at the Lord's Table, but in another Church than that of Saujon. And that portion of moneys given us by his Majesty, and received under his name by the Pro∣vince of Xaintonge, shall be detained by the Receiver of the said Province, to be restored to him free of all Taxes and Costs from the time of his de∣prival, in case he be declared innocent, absolv'd, and justified; but and if he be found guilty, the said Province shall be responsible for it in their ac∣counts unto the next National Synod. And whereas the Church of Saujon demands reimbursement of costs expended by them during Bonnets ab∣sence, they be remanded back unto the said Province of Poictou, who shall judge definitively herein, and the next Synod of Xaintonge shall come to an account with the Church of Saujon, and pay them all their charges which are in justice due unto them, without expecting the Declaration of that fi∣nal Judgment, which was before mentioned.

10. The Church of Belin having appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Brittain, which had ordained the said Church to reimburse Monsieur de la Place Pastor of the Church of Sion, a certain sum of moneys owing by them unto Monsieur Aveline his Father-in-Law deceased: The whole busi∣ness was dismissed over to the Consistory of this Church of Vitré, because it was not of that nature or moment as to be brought hither, or determined by these Assemblies.

11. The Appeal of the Church of Beziers from a Decree of the Synod of Lower Languedoc, which had refused to give them two supernumerary por∣tions, is rejected; because the said Church neither sent any Memoirs about it, nor any one to report the true Causes of their said Appeal.

12. The Appeal of the Church of Genouillac from a Judgment of the

Synod of Lower Languedoc is also rejected and declared null, because they sent not any Memoir about it: and the Reverend and Learned Monsieur De Croy is confirmed in the Pastoral Office of the Church of Beziers.

13. Whereas the Lord of Soubeyran, Consul of the City of Aimargues, and certain Inhabitants of the said City have appealed unto this present Assem∣bly from the Synod of Lower Languedoc, which had confirmed Monsieur Bou∣let in the Pastoral Office of their Church, and had refused to restore unto them Monsieur Laurent; neither of those persons having appeared for them, nor having sent any Memoirs unto the National Synod, they were declared to be fallen from their Appeal, and to have lost all benefit and advantage by it; and the Judgment of the Provincial Synod was now ratified, and the rather, because the Elder of the said Church yielded his consent unto it in the name of the Consistory, and farther declared, that the Ministry of the said Monsieur Boulet was exceeding edifying and successful, and very ac∣ceptable unto the whole Church. Wherefore the Colloquy of Nismes is charged to pursue the opposers of Monsieur Boulet's Ministry and settle∣ment there, with all Church-Censures.

14. The Church of Privas appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Viva∣retz,* 1.6 which had transferr'd their Colledge, setled in their Town, and con∣firmed by the National Synod there in the year 1612. unto the Churches of Aubenas and Annonay: but they not appearing about it, nor sending any Memoirs unto this Assembly, the said Appeal was laid by until the next National Synod.

15. Another Appeal of the same Church of Privas, which was brought in from a Judgment of the Synod of Vivaretz, that had injoined them to pay unto the Widow of Monsieur Valeton deceased, the remainder of his Wages due unto him, as also what he had disbursed out of his own pocket for their service, was declared null, and the Judgment of that Synod ra∣tified.

16. The Judgment of the Synod of Burgundy declaring, that the Church of Mascon could not lay any claim of right unto the Ministry of Monsieur de la Coste, Pastor of the Church of Dijon, was approved, and the Appeal of the Church of Mascon made void, and the said Sieur de la Coste is confirm∣ed in his Ministry to the Church of Dijon.

17. Monsieur de St. Stephens presented Memoirs from the Church of Cailla, appealing from a Decree of the Synod of Lower Languedoc, and offer∣ing several reasons for their Appeal, demonstrating the singular benefit their Church would receive by the Ministry of Monsieur de Gassaigne, and petitioned this Assembly to bestow him upon them; and to remove the Sieur Terond unto the service of some other Church. The Deputies of the said Province having been heard speaking for it; the Appeal of the Church of Cailla was judged not receivable, and Monsieur Terond was confirmed in his Ministry among them upon those conditions expressed in their Syno∣dical Decree, and the said Judgment is the rather confirmed, because the Church of Manacelles will not consent that the said de Gaissaigne their Pastor should be taken from them.

18. The Appeal of the Church de la Mote from the Judgment of the Province of Poictou was not received, because the matter of it might be fi∣nally determined at home in their own Province, and for that the Church had not sent any person nor Memoirs to maintain and prosecute this their Appeal.

19. Samuel du Fresnay, Student in Divinity, appealed from the Decree of the Synod of Normandy held at Falaise in Aprill sixteen hundred and six∣teen, by which he was suspended the Lord's Supper; and because they had ordained his suspension to be published unto the Congregation, and lastly for that they had threatned him with Excommunication out of the Church,

for Errors in point of Doctrine maintained by him quite contrary to his promise made of abjuring them, and that he would never any more vend and utter them, cither by word or writing. He appearing personally in this Assembly, was heard speak for himself, as also the Deputies of the Pro∣vince on behalf of their Synod: And this affair after a full hearing of both the Parties being found to be of very great Importance, the Sieurs Josion, Montdenys, Courant, Chambrun, and Chamvernon, Pastors, were Commission∣ated to examine the said du Fresnay, and to inform him of the matters re∣ported, and to bring in their report of the whole unto this Assembly. Since that, the said Commissioners having inform'd us, that they had heard, and convinced him by the word of God, of Errors against the Article of Christ's last coming unto judgment, this Synod did give him another hearing, and convicted him of that, and divers other opinions, shaking the very foun∣dation of our Christian Doctrine, and he obstinately persisting in those his Errors, and refusing to give glory unto God by abjuring of them: This Assembly approving all former actings and proceedings against him, and of that Sentence past upon him in the Synod of Normandy, and as yet res∣piting their own judgment concerning him, do give him the space of four days seriously to consider of those Instructions which have been now affor∣ded him: and that time expired, the said Du Fresné presented himself be∣fore us, and did by word of mouth, and under his own hand-writing de∣clare, that he renounced all those aforesaid Erroneous Tenents asserted by him, and that he was very much displeased with himself to have believed and published them, and that he desireth to live and die in the purity of God's holy word taught in the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom. Upon which Declaration the Synod praised God for his acceptance of them, and their poor indeavours, and received the said du Fresné unto the Peace of the Church, and did immediately take off his Consure, and ordered all his Writings, which were brought hither, together with his Retractation, should be deposited in the hands of Monsieur Rivet our Moderator and Pa∣stor of the Church of Touars; and though it doth not deprive him of his hopes to continue his studies in Divinity, yet it doth not judge expedient that he be called out unto the Ministry till the sitting of the next National Synod, in which he shall produce good and valuable Attestations from the places and Universities in which he shall make his abode, how much he hath profited by those Instructions given him, and in case he ratify his pre∣sent protestations made in this Assembly (who are Ear-Witnesses of them) by his after actions and Conversation, then we do ordain, that out of the common Fund of the Churches moneys, the Lord du Candal, our Receivor General, shall put into the hands of the Consistory of the Church of Sau∣mur, the sum of two hundred Livers, to defray his expences in that City, and for every year henceforward the sum of one hundred and fifty Livers, until the sitting of the next National Synod, and this for to support and in∣courage him in his Studies, either at Geneva, Saumur, or any other of our Universities in this Kingdom.

20. The Appeal of Monsieur de Bedaride, from a Decree of the Provin∣cial Synod of Dolphiny, is dismissed over unto the next Synod of Lower Lan∣guedoc, unto which the Sieurs Bedaride, and Maurice, who was formerly Pastor of the Church of Orange, and at present of that of Aiguieres in Pro∣vence, shall give their personal presence, that they may be heard on those matters they have to offer, and that Synod shall, by the Authority of this Assembly, make a final determination of that affair, as also of that Com∣plaint of Monsieur Julian the Elder against Monsieur Maurice; and those several Parties shall not be suffered in any wise to produce any Processes but what are purely Ecclesiastical.

21. Master Paul Maurice Pastor of the Church of Aiguieres in Provence,

appealed from a Decree of the Synod of Dolphiny, which had disannull'd the promise made by the Colloquy of Valentinois unto the said Maurice, for receiving his Son into the Catalogue of Scholars, Pensioners in the said Colloquy. This Assembly ordaineth that the Canon made by the Province of Dolphiny, about the reception of Scholars Pensioners, shall for the future be observed, and the Son of the said Maurice shall have the reversion of the next Pension for a young Scholar, in whatsoever Colloquy of the said Pro∣vince it becomes Vacant.

22. The appeal of the Church of Breau and Aulais, from the Decree of the Provincial Synod of Sevennes, is declared null, and the judgment of the said Synod is confirmed.

23. The Church of Quissac appealing from the Synod of Sevennes, their Appeal is declared null, because they sent no Memoirs concerning it unto this Assembly: and therefore the judicial Sentence of the said Synod was ordered to be put in Execution.

24. The Church of Rochecouart was heard in their Appeal from the De∣cree of the Synod of Poictou, and the Deputies of that Church were told, that the Synodical Decree against them was confirmed, and the Pastors of Rochebeaucourt and Vertueil, and Monsieur Peterin an Elder deputed unto this Assembly from the Province of Xaintonge, were ordered out of hand to go unto the said Church of Rochecouart, and to use their best endeavour to appease the differences in it, and to reunite its divided Members, and to desire Monsieur Fourgaud, their Pastor, to devest himself of the burden of his Pastoral Office in it, we granting him, in consideration of his great and con∣tinual Maladies, that he shall be Emeritus, and only preach unto them, when his own conveniencies and health may permit him.

25. That Appeal of the Church of Tours, from the judgment of the Pro∣vince of Anjou, was dismissed over to the Synod of Poictou, who shall put a final Period to it, by the Authority of this Assembly.

26. The Appeal of the Church of Ʋsez, from the judgment of the Sy∣nod of Lower Languedoc, is declared null, and the Ministry of Monsieur Fauchet is confirm'd in the Church and University of Nismes.

27. The Church of Aulais appealed from a judgment of the Synod of Se∣vennes, and sent Letters and Memoirs about it unto this Assembly, which accepted of their Appeal against the Decree of the said Synod, and declared, That the Church of* 1.7 Brunize shall be for the future annext unto that of Aulais, according to their own desire, and request, unto this Assembly, by their Letters written to us.

28. Monsieur Banconis, Pastor of the Church of Tonneins, appealed from the judgment of the Synod of Lower Guyenne, for that they had dis∣missed Monsieur Marmett from being their Minister, and had fixed him in the Pastoral Charge of the Church, gathered in the House of that most Il∣lustrious Prince the Lord Duke of Rohan. But this Assembly declared, that the Appeal ought not to be admitted by them, because that very Synod hath full power finally to determine of this affair, and doth therefore ratify this Synodical Decree.

29. The Sieur Colinet, Pastor of the Church of Paray, having appealed from the judgment of the Synod of Burgundy, which had ordained, that he and Monsieur Gravier his Collegue, should serve the Church of Bourbon, their Appeal was declared null and void, because he neither sent Letters nor Memoirs about it unto this Assembly.

30. The Sieurs Charon, la Fosse, and Gillet, appealing from the Synod of Lower Guyenne, for restoring Monsieur de Puch unto his Office of Elder in the Church of Bergerac, were never to be regarded in their Appeal; because they had not sent any Memoirs or Letters concerning it unto this As∣sembly.

31. The Church of Maringues appealed from the judgment of the Pro∣vince of Burgundy, which had given Monsieur Chesneau their Pastor from them unto the Church of Soubize in Xaintonge; but they afterward dis∣claimed and quitted their Appeal, insisting only to be reimburst of their Charges expended by them in bringing the said Chesneau, and his Books, from Geneva to Maringues, and setling him among them; and also, that their other Expences in getting and setling among them Monsieur Tonnel instead of Monsieur Chesneau, according as the Lord des Brosses, Elder of the Church in Soubize, had offered, and stood bound for it unto the Synod of Burgundy, might be paid in unto them. This Assembly having seen the account of the said Charges amounting to the sum of two hundred and eight Livers, nineteen Sous; and that Article of the Synod of Burgundy re∣lating to it, hath ordained, that there shall be presently taken two hun∣dred and eight Livers, nineteen Sous, out of the moneys belonging to the Province of Xaintonge, and put into the hands of the Deputies of Burgundy, who also on their part shall pay unto the said Monsieur Chesneau, the Ar∣rears of his Salary due unto him, as appears by a Schedule now tendered by the Elders of the said Church of Maringues, and since granted, by him, unto a certain particular Friend of his; and the Province of Xaintonge may redemand the said sum from the Church of Soubize.

32. The Appeal of Monsieur Roussell from the Sentence of the Synod of Dolphiny, held at Nions in April 1617. obliging the said Roussell to live in that Province, was declared null, because he had neither sent any Letters or Memoires about it unto this Assembly.

33. The like Judgment was past upon the Appeal of Monsieur Videl, act∣ing for the Sieur Bouyer, from a Decree of the same Synod.

34. The Church of Vitré appealed from a Judgment of the Province of Brittain, by which an hundred Livers were taken out of the four hundred granted to their College, and given to the maintenance of a small School in the Church of Viellevigne. This Assembly ordaineth, that the sole right of having a College shall belong to the Church of Vitré, and they shall be fully paid their four hundred Livers.* 1.8 And the Province shall out of the su∣pernumerary Portions, attributed to it, assign an hundred Livers unto the Church of Viellevigne, and continue the payment thereof for the mainte∣nance of a School there. And whereas the College of Vitré hath not had any Exhibition to this very day, this Assembly will pass a special Order, which shall for the future be observed by the Province of Brittain, as to this concern.

35. The Sieur Soubyran, Consul of the City of Aimargues,* 1.9 together with divers Inhabitants thereof, Appealed unto this Assembly by Letters and Memoires, which were delivered by the Sieur Margaret, for that the Synod of Lower Languedoc had confirmed Monsieur Boulet in the Ministry and Pa∣storal Office of the said Church of Aymargues; and required that Monsieur Laurent, who had been removed from them by the said Synod might be re∣stored: On the other side the Consistory of the said Church petitioned by Letters and Memoires sent by the Sieur Tarascon one of their Elders; that the Judgment of the said Synod might be confirmed. After a serious De∣bate of the whole affair, and hearing the Deputies of Lower Languedoc; it was declared, that the Appeal of the Sieur Soubyran, and the other Syn∣dics with him, could not be approved, and that the judgment of the Synod should be fully executed, and the Ministry of Monsieur Laurent confirmed in the Church of Bernixy. And it being apparent by what hath been brought before this Assembly, that there be very great divisions in the Church of Aymargues, the Assembly ordered the Sieurs Josyon, Joly, and the Baron of Montbrun, and de la Viale, Deputies of the Higher Languedoc, as they return to their respective Churches to pass over unto Aymargues, and to use their

utmost care, diligence and prudence to heal their breaches, and to reunite the divided Members of that Church, and to procure and settle Peace in it, and to prosecute those contumacious Persons who rebel against the Go∣vernment of our Churches, and of that particular Church of Aimargues, with all Ecclesiastical Censures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tonneins p. m. 8.
• * 1.2

  Alez. Observ. upon this Sy∣nod.
• * 1.3

  This Mahaut afterward re∣volted.
• * 1.4

  Tonneins Ob∣serv. 7. on the former Synod.
• * 1.5

  Alez. Obs. 17. on this Synod.
• * 1.6

  Privas Art. 10. of Colledges.
• * 1.7

  Another Co∣py has B••••••ize, another B••••••ez, and another B••u••ezz.
• * 1.8

  Tonneins of U∣nivers. Art. 11.
• * 1.9

  Above Art. 13.