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. XXII. An Act in favour of the Lutheran Brethren.

4. THE Province of Burgundy demanding, Whether the Faithful of the Augustane Confession might be permitted to contract Marriages in our Churches, and to present Children in our Churches un∣to Baptism, without a precedaneous abjuration of those Opinions held by them, contrary to the Belief of our Churches? This Synod declareth, That inasmuch as the Churches of the Confession of Ausbourg do agree with the other Reformed Churches, in the principal and fundamental Points of the True Religion, and that there is neither Superstition nor Idolatry in their Worship, the Faithful of the said Confession, who with a Spirit of Love and Peaceableness do join themselves to the Communion of our Churches in this Kingdom, may be, without any abjuration at all made by them, admitted unto the Lord's Table with us; and as Sure∣ties may present Children unto Baptism, they promising the Consistory, that they will never sollicit them, either directly or indirectly, to trans∣gress the Doctrine believed and professed in our Churches, but will be content to instruct and educate them in those Points and Articles which are in common between us and them, and wherein both the Lutherans and we are unanimously agreed.

5. If any Persons shall be hereafter deputed unto the Court by the Na∣tional Synods, during their sitting, they shall be accountable for all Mo∣nies received by them for the defraying their Expenses, whether those Sums do arise from their respective Churches, or from his Majesty's Li∣berality; that so whatever good Monies come in clearly unto the Chur∣ches, being remitted into their common Stock, may be disbursed to their common Profit and Advantage by Order of these Synods.

6. Whereas, contrary to his Majesty's Royal Word given unto the Deputies of the National Synod of Charenton, in the Year 1623, That Strangers employed in the Service of the Churches of this Kingdom, should be continued: those Reverend and Learned Pastors, Mr. Martinius, and S. Sharpius are commanded to depart the Province of Dolphiny. The Lord Commissioner is intreated immediately to issue out Letters Patents, that may effectually hinder the execution of those new Orders, and that all Foreigners received into the Ministry among us, both before that time and since, may not in any wise be molested or obstructed, in performance of the Duties of their Charge and Calling.

7. The Lord Commissioner declaring, that it was his Maiesty's Inten∣tion, that for the future our National Synods should beheld in this Place, and nowhere else; This Assembly in all humility submitting to his Ma∣jesty's good Pleasure, and hoping that he will be graciously pleased to permit our ancient establish'd Order to take place, doth earnestly intreat the Lord Commissioner to present our most humble Petitions unto his Ma∣jesty, that he would be pleased to grant, that our next National Synod may be held at the end of three Years, in the Town of A••anson in the Province of Normandy.

8. Hereafter no Monies belonging unto the Churches shall be diverted to the printing of any Books, unless such as shall be written by express Order of our National Synods.

9. The Deputies unto this Synod having been on their Journey hither put unto extraordinary Expences, by reason of the Contagion which reigneth universally in all parts of the Kingdom; this Assembly exhorts all the Provinces to have respect unto it, and therefore have rated the Charges of every day's Travel, going and coming, at an hundred Sous, which is eight Shillings and eight Pence per diem.

10. The Province, of Burgundy having made report of the deplorable Necessities whereunto the Ministers and Pastors of Churches in the Col∣loquy of Gex are reduced, for want of the Monies granted heretofore by his Majesty's Bounty for their Maintenance, not one of their People con∣tributing any thing towards their Subsistence: This Assembly touched with a just Resentment of such base Ingratitude, doth injoin all the Churches of that Colloquy to return unto their Duty, and maintain their own Pastors, or else they shall be deprived of the Ministry of the Blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus; and this according to the 34th Canon in the first Chapter of our Discipline.

11. Whenas the Lords General-Deputies shall assist in Person in these National Synods, they shall take place above all the Deputies of the Pro∣vinces.

12. The Synod enjoineth all the Provinces to distribute, with their won∣ted Charity, those supernumerary Portions attributed to them, that they may redound unto the Benefit of the poorer Churches, and of the more necessitous Ministers.

13. The Consistory of the Church of Paris is ordered to administer the accustomed Oaths unto the Lords General-Deputies, immediately upon their being accepted by his Majesty, and to keep by them a Copy of their Warrant.

14. The Lord Commissioner remonstrated, that through the Preroga∣tives of Precedency claimed in the Churches of Noblemens Houses, divers Quarrels had arisen, and several Murders had been committed: therefore his Majesty hath ordained, That in such Places where the Publick Wor∣ship of God, according to our Religion, is exercised, the Proprietors of those Houses may not, under colour of that Propriety, pretend to any Place of sitting than is otherwise due unto them, by reason of the Digni∣ty of their Birth, or the Honour of their Offices; and forbids all Mini∣sters to pray for them in Publick by their particular Names or Qualities. Whereupon his Lordship the Commissioner being intreated, that after we had prayed for his Majesty, it might be lawful for us, in general terms, to pray for those Lords, under whose Justice the Church of that Place was gathered: He replied, that he would in no wise hinder it.

15. The Deputies for the Province of Sevennes, may receive their part of the Monies granted us by his Majesty's great Liberality for the defraying of our necessary Expences in this Synod, without their having recourse unto the Lord of Candall's Deputy for it, provided that they be accountable for that Sum so received unto their Province. And all the other Provincial Deputies may likewise do the same if they please.

16. After many and divers Delays and Shiftings, this Assembly being at last come to a Treaty with Sir John Palot, Counsellor and Secretary to the King, about the Monies claimed by the Pastors of the Reformed Churches in this Kingdom, from him the said Palot; for which a Suit was brought against him before his Majesty's most honourable Privy-Council, and divers preparatory Decrees had out against him: This As∣sembly hath commissionated and deputed the Lords, Marquess of Cler∣mont

and Galland, General-Deputies of our Churches; the Lord of Can∣dall Receiver-General of the Monies granted by his Majesty's great Boun∣ty unto these Churches; the Lords Banage and de Champvernon, Pastors; De Maschelieres, Dupuy, Gilbert and Beraud, Elders; and have given them full Power to treat with the said Sir J. Palot, about the Monies so claimed by our Pastors, on such Conditions and Clauses as they shall judg most advantagious unto our Pastors aforesaid, and to sign Contracts and Articles of Agreement before Publick Notaries; this Assembly promi∣sing, that they will stand to, approve and ratify whatever shall be so de∣termined by the said Lords Commissioners.

17. This tenth day of October, in the presence of the said Lords Com∣missioners before-named by this Assembly, to treat with the before-named Sieur Palot, upon the Suit commenc'd against him for Monies claimed by our Churches from him. After that the Contract pass'd by the said Lords was read in the Assembly, it was agreed to, approved, and signed by the Moderator, Assessor, and Scribes thereof. And there having been a thousand Livers promised unto the Lord Malat by a separate Act, and with which he remained fully satisfied, he was duly discharged of those Powers formerly given him for prosecution of the said Palot; and lie shall deliver into the Hands of the Lords General-Deputies, all the Papers, Decrees, and Memoirs in his custody concerning this Affair.

18. The Lord of Candall having received from the said Sir John Pa∣lot the Sum of eight thousand Livers, in pursuance of the Agreement made with him, the said Sum shall be paid out in that manner as hath been ordered by this Assembly: Nor may the Deputies of the Provinces lay any Claim or Pretence whatsoever of Right to the receiving of the said Monies.

19. This Assembly authorized the Consistory of the Church of Paris, to treat with the Lord Mallet, and to discharge him from all Prosecutions of the Sieur Palot, and to satisfy him for his past Travel and Pains, to the Sum of thousand Livers, which shall be paid him by the Lord of Candall; and this in full of all Demands, Debts, Dues, or Pretensions whatsoever, either for himself, or his late deceased Uncle the Lord Mal∣let, the said Mallet bringing in an Inventory unto the Lords General-De∣puties, and depositing it with them, of all Papers, Decrees, and Me∣moirs in his keeping, concerning this Affair.