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.

SECT. XXIX.

But they did not stop here, they proceed farther, To deprive the Re∣formed of all Offices and Employments, and in general of all means of gaining a Livelyhood. An infinite number of Protestants being dispersed in all parts of the Kingdom, it could not be but that many Families of them must subsist by serving the publick, either in Offices, Arts, Trades, or one Faculty or other, according to their Education and Callings. Henry the Fourth was so much convinced of the necessity and justice of this very thing, that he made it an express Article, and perhaps the most distinct and formal one of all the rest, which are contained in his Edict: and therefore the Persecutors thought themselves obliged to use their utmost endeavours to elude and evacuate it. Here then they began with Arts, and Trades; which under several pretences, they rendred almost inaccessible unto the Protestants, by the many difficulties they met with in attaining to their Mastership in them, and by the excessive expences they must be at to be received therein. For every Candidate (who would set up his Trade) was forced to this effect, to commence and carry on tedious Law-Suits, under the weight of which they sunk, and were over-whelmed, they being in no wise able to hold out the prosecution of them. But this not being suffici∣ent enough to ruine them, out cometh a Declaration in the Year 1669. by

which they be reduced to one third in those Towns where the Protestants were the greatest number of Inhabitants; and they were forbidden to re∣ceive any of the Religion into their company till this diminution was made. Thus at one stroke, one dash of the King's Pen, all Pretenders are totally ex∣cluded.

Some time after they drive all the Reformed from the Consulships; and other municipal Offices in Cities. Which was in effect to deprive them of all knowledge of their proper Affairs and Interests, and wholly to invest the Catholicks with them.

In 1680. The King issued out an Order, depriving them in general of all kind of Offices and Employs whatsoever from the greatest to the mean∣est. They were rendred uncapable of serving in the Custom houses, in the Guards, Treasury, or Post-Office, of being Messengers, Coach-men, or Wag∣goners, or any thing of this nature.

In the Year 1681. By a Decree of Council, all Notaries, Attorneys, Solicitors and Serjeants professing the Reformed Religion were rendred utterly uncapable of these Imployments in any part of the Kingdom.

In the Year 1682. All Lords, Gentlemen of the Reformed Religion, were ordered to discharge their Officers and Servants of the said Religion, and not to make use of them in any case; and this upon no other reason than this, because they were Protestants.

In the Year 1683. All Officers belonging to the King's Houshold, and those of the Princes of the Blood, were also rendred uncapable of holding their Places. The Counsellors, and other Officers in the Courts of Aids, and Chambers of Accounts; and those in County Courts, Bailywicks, in the Courts Royal, of the Admiralty, in the Provost's and Marshals Court, in the Treasury, Excise, and all Offices of the Toll, and such like busi∣nesses, were ordered to leave their Places, that the Catholicks might enjoy them.

In the Year 1684. All Secretaries belonging to the King, and great Of∣ficers of France, whether Real or Honorary ones, yea, and their very Wi∣dows, were deprived by a Revocation of all their Priviledges of what nature soever they were. They also deprived all those that had purchased any Priviledges for exercising any Professions, as Merchants, Surgeons, Apothe∣caries, Vintners, and all others without exception.

Yea, they proceeded to this excess, that they would not suffer any Mid∣wives of the Reformed Religion to do their Office, and expresly ordained for the future, That the Protestant Women when they were in Travel should receive assistance from none but Roman Catholicks. It cannot be express'd how many particular Persons and Families they reduced every where by these strange and unheard of methods to ruine and misery.