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. IX. The King's Letter to the Synod.

* 1.1THE 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 ap∣plause 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 acknow∣ledge 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 Settle∣ment 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 29th of May, 1617.

• LOUYS.
• Phelippeaux.

2. The Deputies of Xaintonge demanded a Decree,* 2.1 that no Colloquy might hence forward separate any particular Congregation which was annexed, to conjoin it unto another, without the previous advice and au∣thority 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 pub∣lick Prayers, as they shall find to be most expedient.* 2.2 And whereas Com∣plaints 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* 2.3 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,* 2.4 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 Provin∣ces to consider of a Proposal made by several great Persons both at home and abroad,* 2.5 touching the most proper means of entertaining a good Cor∣respondence with all Orthodox Churches, and to procure a good Union in Doctrine betwixt us and them, and to invite over, unto the same Commu∣nication, even those that are of a different perswasion from us. All the Pro∣vinces declared what had been done by them as to this matter. This Assem∣bly did thereupon judge expedient, that we should make a little halt, till such time as those, who had first made these Overtures, did prosecute this affair with more vigour. And in the mean while, Monsieur Rivett, Pastor of the Church of Touars, Chauves, Pastor of the Church in Sommieres, Cha∣mier, Pastor and Professor in the Church and University of Montalban, and du Moulin, Pastor of the Church of Paris, are nominated a Committee, and to consult of such a project as will best conduce to the accomplishing of this design. After which (in case they be summon'd and called forth unto this work) they shall all meet together at Saumur, and conjointly with the Lord du Plessis, and the Pastors and Professors of Divinity in that Church and University deliberate about it; and shall draw put a Plot of it, which shall be sent into every Province, there to be perused and debated by their Synods, that so their Deputies may come prepared for it unto the next Na∣tional Synod.

7. Whereas divers Provinces had charged their Deputies to demand of this Assembly a National Fast to be celebrated in all the Churches of this Kingdom:* 2.6 Now for that it hath pleased God to turn away his wrath from us, and to give us manifest tokens of his goodness, it was not judged expe∣dient at this time to proclaim a General Fast, but (according to the Canons of our National Synods) that Province whose right it is to Convene the next National Synod, is ordered to consult with our Lords the General De∣puties about it, who are intreated (that in case any emergent Providence doth summon the Churches to sanctify an extraordinary Fast) to confer with the Consistory of Paris about it, and to acquaint the said Province there∣with, whose Synod being assembled, and resolving on it, they shall give notice of the time for its Celebration unto all the other Provinces.* 2.7

8. The Deputies of the Churches in the Principality of Bearn, gave in their reasons, wherefore they had not accepted that priviledge of calling this present National Synod, which was at their request granted them by

the last held at Tonneins, and on those terms and condition mentioned in the Article of the said Synod. This Assembly did not now ••••dge it reason∣able that those Churches should be subject to the Discipline of our Churches in this Kingdom, or that for the present they should immed••••••••y depend on our National Synods.* 2.8 But nevertheless they shall give in their final re∣solutions, what they intend to do, unto the next National Synod, and in case they be of the same mind then as they are now, this Assembly decla∣reth, that their Deputies may have the priviledge of sitting and voting in our National Synods, upon this Condition, that they shall first ask leave of the Provinces to give in their Suffrages in such Cases as concern the Churches of this Kingdom.

9. It was told in this Assembly how much the Church of Sancerre was oppressed by the Earl of Marans, one of whose men had but a few days since assassinated a very Eminent Member of that Church. It was imme∣diately judged necessary to write unto his Majesty about it, and that the Lord of Bertreville, our General Deputy, should deliver with his own hands unto the King this our Letter, and most humbly Petition his Majesty, that Sancerre may be kept up as one of our Cautionary Towns, by his su∣pream Authority, and that the Inhabitants thereof may injoy peace and quietness, since it hath pleased God to give it unto the rest of his Majesty's Subjects, and our General Deputies shall be very urgent for it.

10. That Canon of our Church-Discipline binding Ministers to a perso∣nal residence on their Churches shall be most exactly observed by all the Provinces.* 2.9 And whereas this hath been broken by too many, and princi∣pally in the Higher Languedoc, divers of their Pastors living at Montauban, and not with their flocks, every one of these are injoined to depart from thence with their Families unto those places where their Churches are ga∣thered, and this at the farthest within three months after that this Canon of the present Synod shall have been signified to them, and the Consistory of the Church of Montauban is ordered to give notice thereof unto all these Non-Residents inhabiting their City. And in case they refuse to yield obe∣dience unto it, we declare them from this very instant suspended the holy Ministry. And Colloquies and Synods shall immediately upon such suspen∣sion provide a supply of Pastors for those vacant Churches, who shall ob∣lige themselves personally to reside among them. And the said Consistory of Montauban shall notify unto the Churches the suspension of their Pastors, and that they have full power to chuse and call in any other according to the Canons of our Church-Discipline. And the next National Synod shall be informed by the Provinces of their duty in this particular.

11. To obviate the Complaint made by several Provinces, how that their Commissioners having received their moneys from the Lord of Candal, do keep it in their own hands longer than they ought, denying many times that they have received any from him: The said Lord du Candal is desired, that either himself, or his Commissioners would be pleased to send a Copy of their Receipts, as soon as they be given him or them, unto such persons in every Province as shall be named to him for this purpose. That so the Pro∣vince may be certainly informed at what time, and to whom he paid in their moneys, and the poorer Churches may not be left unpaid and unpro∣vided for divers Months together, as they have been by the wickedness of those Receivers Commissionated by the Provinces upon the pretexts but now mentioned.

12. Forasmuch as divers Deputies in this Assembly declared that they brought not with them moneys enough to defray their Charges during this Session. The Deputy of the Lord du Candal being how in Town, was ordered to supply them, and that out of the Dividend belonging to their Provinces, for which sums so received by them, they shall be accountable unto their respective Provinces.

13. Whereas we are at present necessitated to be at unusual expences, in dispatches, deputations, and extraordinary businesses for the Churches, this Assembly requireth the Lord of Candal to pay in unto our Lords the General Deputies the sum of four hundred Livers at one intire payment,* 2.10 it being to be disposed by them as they shall have occasion between this and the next National Synod.

14. Several Deputies informed this Assembly how they were charged by their Provinces to request that some speedy course might be took with the Sieur Pallott,* 2.11 to compel him to make Restitution of those great sums owing by him unto the Churches, according as it appears from the Ac∣compts Examined by the Commissioners thereunto appointed. Farther, a certain Person offered himself to prosecute him at Law at his own charges, and to be accountable for the whole unto the next National Synod, and de∣manded none other recompence for his pains therein, than what the Synod should freely give him, and that too according to the profit redounding by this his service unto the Churches. The Assembly though it liked well of this offer, yet it gave Order to the Deputies of the Higher and Lower Lan∣guedoc, of Sevennes, of Dolphiny, of Burgundy, Vivaretz, Provence, and of the Isle of France, in their way homeward to their respective Provinces, that they should step in at Paris, and assemble the Consistory of that Church, and the Lords General Deputies, and confer all together of the best and most proper means whereby to induce the said Palot to make payment of those very great sums, whether it were by perswasions used to him, or by accepting of such a Composition as shall be offered by him, or by some others for him. And in case they cannot before their departure from Paris conclude the matter with him, through straits of time; They shall give Letters of Attorney unto the said Consistory, and to the General De∣puties, to treat with any person that shall make the most beneficial and ad∣vantagious offers for the Churches, according to the Articles and Agree∣ments inserted into their Letter of Attorney. And notice shall be given of what is done in this affair unto all the Provinces.

15. The Sieurs de la Nusse, Jolly, and Parris, Pastors, and St. Lazare, De la Buissiere, and de la Baterne, are constituted a Committee to Audit the Ac∣compts of our Colledges and Universities.

16. The Provincial Deputies of Dolphiny are charged to desire the Lord Mareschal of Lesdiguieres, to cause the Accompts of the Souldiers lying in Garrison in the Cautionary Towns of that Province, to be dispatcht out of hand unto the Lords General Deputies; who have never had any corres∣pondence with the said Lord Mareschal since they have been in office. But this present Article is rased out of the original.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Above Art. 5. after the Cata∣logue of Depu∣ties.
• * 2.1

  Nymes 11.
• * 2.2

  See Synod of Saumur. Art. 13. of. g. m.
• * 2.3

  This last Clause was ra∣sed out in the seventh Obs. of this Synod by that of Alez.
• * 2.4

  Tonneins g. m. 6.
• * 2.5

  Tonneins g. m. 19. Alez. Obs. 6. upon this Sy∣nod.
• * 2.6

  Gergeau. g. m. 13.
• * 2.7

  3 Rochel g. m. 9. and in the Roll. See at the Conclus. of Tonneins above Art. 3. after the Roll.
• * 2.8

  Privas p. m. 14. See the second Synod of Cha∣renton. 2 Obs. upon the Acts of the former National Sy∣nod.
• * 2.9

  1 Paris 12. Montauban g. m. 10. Alez. Obs. 8. on the Synod.
• * 2.10

  Alez. Obs. 15. on this Synod.
• * 2.11

  Gap at the Roll. Privas g. m. 17. Alez. g. m. 4.