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. III. The Lord Galland's Speech to the Synod.

23. THE aforesaid Letters Patents having been read by the Lord Galland, his Majesty's Commissioner, he made this Speech un∣to the Synod.

That the King having buried in the Grave of Oblivion all former Actions, which had fallen out in the last Troubles to the great Affliction of the Kingdom, his Majesty gave him in charge to assure his Subjects of the Religion of his Royal Affection and good Will towards them; and that whilst they continued within the Bounds of Duty, and ab∣stained from all bitter Reflections against the Government, and Repose of the Publick, and from all Intelligences and Correspondencies, either with Natives or Foreigners, and were sorely addicted to the Service of his Majesty, they should experience the Kindnesses of a good Fa∣ther, and of a good King in his Majesty, and injoy the free Exercise of their Religion, and the Liberty of calling and holding their Synods Provincial and National. But whereas in divers Years last past, the Orders given by him, and accepted of by his said Subjects, have been differently interpreted; His Majesty desireth by reviving them, to take away for the future all Grounds of Misconstruction and Misunder∣standing.

24. Therefore in the first Place, His Majesty requireth, that whereas Commissioners were established in all Synodical Assemblies, both Natio∣nal and Provincial, by his Letters Patents in the Year 1623, founded upon the Practice observed in the Primitive Church, and the Govern∣ment of the best-ordered Kingdoms, there shall be an intire and absolute Obedience yielded hereunto by his said Subjects of the Reformed Reli∣gion, and that they do refrain and forbear all Protestations and Remon∣strances to the contrary.

25. In the second Place, By those aforesaid Orders, and agreeable to the Laws of the Kingdom, it was decreed and enacted, That no Strangers should be admitted into the Pastoral Office in any of the Churches which are reserved for natural French-men and Ancients of the Kingdom, in bar of whom, and to whose Prejudice divers Strangers have been received. Wherefore his said Majesty renewing his Ordi∣nance

aforesaid, doth inhibit his said Subjects to admit into the Ministry any one except a French-man born; and as for others who have been admitted since the Year 1623, contrary to it, his Majesty promiseth to dispense with them, provided Application be made unto him for that Grace. And whereas some have made Exceptions against this his gene∣ral Resolution, on behalf of those Ministers, who are born in those Kingdoms and Common-wealths, or Cities, which are the Allies of his Majesty, or under his Royal Protection, the said Lord Commissioner declared, That by Strangers we were to understand all sorts of Persons without Exception, who were not born in the Kingdom, or out of his Majesty's Dominions and Government, although they were Natives of such Kingdoms, Common-wealths and Cities as were his Majesty's Allies, or under his Protection.

26. In the third Place, All Ministers are forbidden to depart the Kingdom without his Majesty's Licence; and particularly Monsieur Salbert, Minister in the Church of Rochel, hath not only gone out of the Kingdom without his Majesty's Permission, but in Contempt of his Royal Authority. Wherefore the said Prohibitions are once more reite∣rated and reimposed, and the said Salbert is injoined by his Majesty to reside in that Place appointed him, and he is expresly forbidden all Ex∣ercise of his Ministry, either in publick or private; nor may this Natio∣nal Synod put him upon the Roll of Ministers to be presented by it unto vacant Churches.

27. In the fourth Place, By the National Synods of Charenton and Castres, all Ministers were expresly forbidding to intermeddle with State-Matters; yet notwithstanding Monsieur Beraud, Minister of Montau∣ban, and Professor of Divinity in that University, did not only inter∣meddle with State, but military Affairs, and was so bold as to main∣tain by a Book, which he read unto his Auditory, That Ministers have a Call to bear Arms, and to shed Blood; which is a Doctrine quite con∣trary to the Word of God, the Decrees of Councils, and the Laws of the Kingdom, and the more dangerous in this Doctor, because he in∣stils these his wicked Notions into the tender Minds of Youth com∣mitted to his Charge and Education; and 'tis much to be feared that he will continue to poison them by such or the like Instructions, which are foreign and contrary to the publick Peace and Tranquillity. And therefore the said Manuscript is judged unworthy of publick View, as being cross to the Word of God: And his Majesty hath ordered its Sup∣pression, forbidding all Printers and Booksellers either to print or sell it, and commandeth all the Members of this present National Synod, to censure and condemn both it and its Author.