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. 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 Reforma∣tion 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 vio∣lent, to deprive us of his Majesties Protection, and the Benefits of that Peace, which his Majesty was graciously pleased to grant equally and in∣differently unto all his Subjects: And forasmuch as the common sense of the most stupid Persons might have learn'd them, that those many dread∣ful 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 im∣proved 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 Refor∣mation 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 Devo∣tion 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 Reforma∣tion. And it doth further decree, that a solemn Day of Fasting and Sup∣plications shall be kept and observed in all the Churches of this Kingdom, the first Thursday in March next coming; because the Necessity of hum∣bling 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 Sin∣fulness, and a better and exacter ordering of our Actions and Conversa∣tions 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 acqui∣esce in its judicious Assignation of them. Whereupon the Council de∣creed, 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.