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. XII. A Remonstrance of the Lord of Angoulins on behalf of the Mayor, Sheriffs, and City of Rochell.

WHEN as the Council had thus decreed in pursuance of His Majesties Pleasure, that they would proceed unto an Election of General Deputies to reside near His Majesty, the Lord of Angoulins one of the Sheriffs of the City of Rochell, Elder of the Church there, and Deputy for the Province of Xaintonge, remonstrated that in all such Actions the Lords, Mayor, Sheriffs, and free Burgesses of the said City had in all times the Priviledge of a Province, and their Deputies did ever appear in Person in all general Politick Assemblies, and in National Synods also, when as the General Deputies were to be chosen, and he pe∣titioned the Council that he might be granted his Vote in the said Election, not only in his Quality as Deputy of the Province of Xaintonge, but also in that his particular quality, as Deputy of the said Lords, the Mayor, Sheriffs, and free Burgesses of the said City, according as he was commissionated with full powers so to do by the said Lords, which he produced, and were Signed by Gachot Secretary of their Council, the Fourteenth day of the last October. The Deputies of the Province of Xaintonge were heard hereupon, who declared that the said Lord of Angoulins being one of their Colleagues, and Deputy together with them, might as such have his voice in the said Election, or otherwise their Province would sustain a very considerable prejudice, if one of its Deputies should be excluded from giving his suffrage in the said Election. The Synod doing right unto the said Petitioner the Lord of Angoulins, and not judging it reasonable that a single Person should have a double Vote in such an Occurrence as this, decreed, that the said Lord of Angoulins should only have one single Voice in the said Election, but however it should be left unto his own choice to take what quality he pleased whether of Deputy for the Province of Xaintonge, or of the City of Rochell only. And the said Lord of Angoulins did at that in∣stant, though it should not be drawn in consequence, nor made a pre∣cedent for the future, nor prejudice the Rights and Priviledges of the said Town and Province, declare that he choose to give his Vote in qua∣lity of Deputy for the said City of Rochell. And this present Act was granted him, that he had made the said Declaration.

Forasmuch as there be divers defaults in the Letters of Commission brought by the Deputies of some Provinces; They shall be all exhorted by their Deputies to see that Canon of the Synod of Tonneins executed, which had ordered that the Names and Surnames of all Deputies should be expresly inserted into them: As also to take special heed that all Let∣ters of Commission and Memoirs be in no wise Signed by the Persons Deputed unto the National Synods, nor by those who are substituted in their stead in case of Sickness or Death, or any the like accident, but by the Officers of the Provincial Synods as Moderators, Assessors, and Scribes.

In pursuance of the Canon made in the Synod or Privas, The Pro∣vinces are injoyned, to see that the Deputies of every Church do make Oath that they shall not give their Votes nor Suffrages unto such as brigue their Elections and Deputations unto our National Synods.