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. XXVII. A Copy of the Bill of Grievances presented unto His Majesty, by the Sieurs, Ferr and, Pastor of the Church of Bourdeaux, Gigord, Pastor of the Church of Montpellier, and De Cerisy, an El∣der Deputed by the National Synod of Alanson, May the 7th. 1637. unto the King.

SIRE.

THe Deputies of Your Subjects of the Reformed Religion, Assem∣bled by Your Majesty's Permission, in a National Synod at Alanson, do most Humbly Petition, That according to Your wonted Goodness and Justice continued to them, You would be pleased to vouchsafe us the enjoyment of Your Edicts, and Declarations of Peace, which have to their very great prejudice been broken and violated in every Article, and particularly in divers places of Your Kingdom; nor can we get our Da∣mages repaired, nor Your Edicts, or Declarations executed; although Your Majesty had granted it for the greater part of them, in those An∣swers made by Your Gracious Majesty, unto our most Humble Bill of Grievances, which we tender'd to Your Majesty in the year One Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Five.

1. And although that by the Edicts of Peace, and the Answers made by Your Majesty unto our Bills of Grievances in the year 1625. You were pleased to Grant Your Petitioners, That the Exercise of our Religion should be restored in all those places in which it had been settled by the Edict of Nantes, and was in actual being in the year 1620. and that to this purpose, Commissioners had been appointed to see unto its performance; yet nevertheless, we could never get their Commission executed, no not in those places hereafter mentioned in our Bill of Grievances, tho' they were expressed by name in it, viz. Gergeau, Bourgueil, Surgeres, Le Poire, Lu••on, Beret, Coulorges, Les Reaux, St. Malxier, Belleville, Argenton, Beaumont, Letoure, Figeac, Cadenac, Cressol, Foix, Belestat, Lassegue, Lombais, Arligat, Senerat, Bousse, Villefort, Moulaur, Vande∣mian, Villeman, Poussan, Gignac, St. Paragoire, St. Gilles, Geneirac, Bagnals, Digne, Forqualquier, Monfort, Bourbon, L'auriac, and Autun; In all which places Your Majesty is most humbly Petitioned, to cause that Your Will be punctually performed according to Your Answer made and declared upon our Bill of Grievances, and as it is also most expresly and plainly Promised us by the 5th. and 6th. Articles of Your Edict at Nismes, in the Month of July, 1629. Your Majesty then Enacting a Speedy and Real Restitution of the Exercise of our Religion in those places before-mentioned.

2. And whereas the Exercise of our Religion hath been removed by the Wickedness and Violence of those Troublesome times, which have interven'd ever since the year 1626, from divers other places, where it was formerly Established, and that according to the Edicts, as at Virtuell, Teré, La Jarrie, Lalea, L'hommeau, Nievil, Marsilly, Rieux, Le Cha∣steau St. Pié, St. Denis, Le Chasteau D'Oleron, La Flotte, St. Martin, Ards, Loie, and other places of the Isles of Oleron and Ré, Les Herbiers, Moun∣tagu, La Chaume, Louzac, Mortaigne, Saujon, L'Isle Bouchard, Le Croisil, Mazin, Mont de Marsan, Saux in Condomois, Gavandan, Millanén Albret, St. Leger, St. Bazille, Coutras, Florensac, Pamiers, Puymirol, Ribauté,

Combas, Aubenas, Valz, Mirabel, Véllenefue of Berg, Dijon, Burg in Bresse, Paray le Moineau, Corbigny, Navarreins, Benejat, and Ossins; Your Majesty is most Humbly Petitioned, to give Order, That the Exer∣cise of our Religion may be restored immediately without delay, and that You would be pleased to prohibit all disturbing of us Your Subjects, who do profess it, for the future.

3. And forasmuch as it hath been a perpetual practice in our Churches, for divers Pastors of this Your Kingdom to Exercise their Ministry, as still they do, in several Neighbour places, where the free Exercise of our Religion hath been Established by Your Edicts, and this by the Authority of Colloquies and Synods; and for some times of late, even in the very presence of Commissioners nominated by Your Majesty to assist perso∣nally at them, who never made any Opposition against it. We do most Humbly Petition Your Majesty, That we may be left in the free Possession of this our Practice, which was never forbidden by any Edicts of Your Majesty's Royal Predecessors, nor of Your Own; and that all Prohibi∣tions to the contrary may be revoked, whether made unto us by those Commissioners, who have of late assisted in our Provincial and National Synods, or Decreed in the late Extraordinary Sessions by the new Judges, or by Your Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council, where none of our Religion could ever be admitted to Declare and Defend our Right.

4. And whereas Your Majesty was pleased in consideration of our Bill of Grievances presented to Your Majesty in the year 1625, to or∣dain that the Churches and the Yards (wherein we bury our Dead, which have been taken away from those of our Religion in these following places, Lunel, Sommieres, Florensac, Le Vigan, Mazillargues, Villemur, St. Antonia, and Puymirol) should be restored, and that they should be permitted to re-build their Temples in the same places, which had been accorded us by the Edict; none of which Ordinances of Your Majesty, have been in the least Executed; yea, since this, it hath so fallen out, that the Churches and Church-yards of Vitte Goudon, of Castres, St. Affrick, St. Gelais, Valz, Vallon, Aubenas, St. Estienne in Forest, Senes, and divers other places in Aunix, the Isle of Ré, and Province of Burgundy, have been forcibly taken away and detained from us, and the Building of our Temples, at La Motte of Argues and Caumont, is quite obstructed; we therefore do most humbly beseech Your Majesty to continue unto us that Royal Favour You had before Granted us by Your Edicts, and by Your Gracious Promise upon the Reading of our aforesaid Bill of Grievances, and that You would according to it Ordain, that the aforesaid Churches and Church-yards may be rendered and restored in all those places before∣mentioned, and that Your Majesty would be pleased to forbid all Trou∣bling of us in the Re-buildng and Re-establishing of them, and parti∣cularly at Aubenas, where the Inhabitants are constrained to bury their Dead in the wide Fields, and they will not suffer any more than three persons to accompany the poor Corps unto that uncouth Grave neither.

5. Your most Humble Subjects of the Religion in the Town of Alan∣son, according to the 9th. and 10th Articles of the Edict, and the Or∣dinance of your Commissioners Deputed for its Execution, ratified by Decree of the Council, July the 4th. 1603, having Built their Temple in the said Town above Thirty years ago, are yet notwithstanding, troubled and disturbed, partly by the Clergy, and partly by the Roman Catholick Inhabitants there, who have caused them to be cited before the Lord Tiersaux, who forbids them to continue the Preaching of God's Holy Word in that Town, and the Suburbs thereof; as also, that they shall not bury their Dead in the Church-yard of St. Blazy, nor in

the Suburbs of the said Town; and although Your Majesty was pleased at their earnest Petition, to cause the said Prosecution to cease, by a De∣cree of Your Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council, Dated the 13th. of May last; yet notwithstanding, they are again Prosecuted by a new Summons to appear before Your Privy-Council; from which appearance Your Majesty is most Humbly Petitioned to discharge them, and to for∣bid all persons for the future, to trouble or disquiet them in the Posses∣sion of their said Temple, or place of Burying.

6. And whereas the Lords, Millette and de Brosses, Commissioners appointed by Your Majesty, for Executing the said Edict in the Baily∣wick of Gex, had ordained places of Burial for those of the said Religion in that Bailywick, unto which Ordinance the Lord Bishop of the Dio∣cess, and the Roman Catholick Inhabitants there, did give their free and full Consent, which also was confirmed by a Decree of Your Majesty's Privy-Council, December the 13th. 1612. yet nevertheless, the Lord Machant, Intendant of Justice in the Province of Burgundy, without once hearing any of the Parties concerned, hath by his own private Orders of the 15th. of March, 1636. and by some others of another Date, not only Deprived them of the Burying-place, but also will not so much as allow those of the Reformed Religion in that Bailywick, to share in any of the Common Moneys or Hospitals thereof. Wherefore we most Hum∣bly beseech Your Majesty to cause those Orders of the said Lord Machant to surcease, and to be disannull'd, and to Ordain, that Your aforesaid Subjects in the Bailywick of Gex, may be supported in the Possession of their Burying-place, and in the Ancient enjoyment of their Common Moneys, and Common Hospitals, and of all other Privileges contained in the Edict.

7. In divers places of Your Kingdom Your Subjects of the Reformed Religion, are forced and compelled to act many things contrary to the Li∣berty of their Consciences, granted them by Your Edicts; particularly to hang out Tapistry before their Houses, or to adorn them with some kind of Ornaments on some peculiar Holy Days, although the Third Article of the particular ones in the Edict of Nantes, doth only oblige them to suffer that it be done by others, and that too by the Authority of the Local Officers; nor are they bound to contribute any thing there∣unto. However, your poor Subjects, for refusing to do thus against their Consciences, are condemned in very great Fines at Rennes and Vitre, by a Decree of the Parliament of Brittaine; and the same was lately Ordered in a Judicial Sentence given by the Privy-Council, and signified to the Attorney of the Exchequer at Claye. Wherefore Your Majesty is most Humbly beseeched to Maintain and Preserve Your Subjects of our Reli∣gion in the Liberty of their Consciences as to these matters, according to your Edicts, and to discharge them of all Fines and Sums of Money, to the payment whereof, they have been condemned on this account.

8. By the Second Article of particular matters of the Edict of Nantes, and by Your Majesty's Answer to the Fourth Article of the Bill of Grievances Presented to You by Your Subjects of the Reformed Reli∣gion, in July, 1625. it was expresly declared, That none of them should be compelled to contribute towards the Repair, or Building of Churches, Chappels, or Priests Houses, nor to the buying of Coapes and Surplices, Ornaments of Mass-Priests, Lights, Founding of Bells, Holy Bread, Rights of Fraternities, nor to the Rent of Houses for Priests, or Religious persons to dwell in, or such like matters; yet notwithstanding John Ozier of Harsleur, hath been Condemned by a Decree of the Parliament of Normandy, to pay unto a Fraternity: As also by another such Decree of the Parliament of Bourdeaux, contrary to that of the

Court of Agen, the Heirs of Charles Motty inhabiting in the City of Bourdeaux have been compelled to pay yearly Contributions unto the Fraternity of the Trade of the Deceased; And those of the Church of St. Ambroise, to pay for the Rent of that House, where the Divine Service after the Mode of the Romish Catholick Church is Solemnized, and those of Souve and Peyrols in the Sevennes, by an Order only of the Praesidial Court of Nismes, and those of Séynes in Provence, to the Building of the Vicaridge Houses and Churches there. Your Majesty is therefore most Humbly Petitioned, to Maintain and Preserve Your Petitioners in. the Liberty of their Consciences, and to Abrogate and Disannul according to the Edicts, those Condemnatory Decrees issued out against them on this account.

9. By the 18th. Article of the Edict of Nantes, all persons, of whatsoever Quality they be, are forbidden to entice, or to take away by force, Children from their Parents, professing our Religion, that they may be Baptized or Confirmed in the Romish Catholick Church, on pain of being punished exemplarily. And yet notwithstanding in divers quarters of your Kingdom Children are violently and by main force ravish'd and taken away from their poor afflicted Parents, to be Baptized and Educated against their Wills in the Religion of the Romish Church; and particularly the Daughter of one Redon an Apothecary, living at Mayniers, and the Child of Giles Connan, being but two years and eight months old, was by the Nuns of Antrigues enticed away from her Mother, and by downright violence de∣tained in their Nunnery, notwithstanding all her cries and importunities to recover her. Wherefore Your Majesty is most Humbly Petitioned, to cause that Your Subjects of the said Reformed Religion, may enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences with security, according as it hath been granted them even in this point by Your Edicts, and to cause the Violaters of them to be punished according to Law.

10. By the 13th. Article of the Edict of Nantes, and by the 38 of particular Matters, the Professors of our Religion are permitted to have publick Schools in those Towns and Places where the Exercise of our Religion is allowed. Yet notwithstanding, in divers places where their Schools and Colleges be established according to these very Articles, of the Edict of Nantes, they be disturbed in their Possession of them, yea, notwithstanding that Explication given of them by Your Majesty, in Your Answer to our Bill of Complaint, Presented to You by our Depu∣ties, Approved and Accepted by Your Self, July the 13th. 1621, where∣in Your Majesty did expresly declare, That by the Edict it is permitted to those of the said Religion, to establish Colleges in those Towns and Places where they enjoy the Exercise of their Religion; and Your Majesty did Grant the very self-same Privileges unto these our Colleges, which are enjoyed by the Colleges Erected, Received, and Approved in this Kingdom. Wherefore Your Majesty is most Humbly Petitioned, to for∣bid all persons whatsoever, the interrupting or disturbing those of our Re∣ligion in the Possession and Enjoyment of those Schools, Colleges, and Universities aforesaid, which Your Majesty had formerly Granted by Your Letters Patents, and Decrees of Council unto the Towns of Nerac and Coignac, and other places, notwithstanding all Judgments, Orders, and Decrees, and other matters contrary thereunto. And Your Majesty is most Humbly beseeched, that they may be all Abrogated and Disannull'd.

11. The Lords Carlincas and de Lagett, Commissioners Deputed by Your Majesty, to divide the Colleges of Languedoc, which are of Royal Foundation, not being contented to have satisfied the Tenor of their Commission, they would also take Cognizance of the Theological Uni∣versity

of Nismes, maintained by those of the Reformed Religion: And it so happened, that the Lord of Carlincas a Roman Catholick, hath by a Decree of his own, interdicted it, without so much as hearing any of the Parties concerned; and on the contrary, the Lord of Lagett hath Judged and Decreed, That it ought to subsist according to the Edicts: All which Orders and Decrees having been sent unto Your Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council; although we had not the least notice, nor inti∣mation of it, there is a Decree issued forth simply without any Restriction, confirming the Decree of the Lord Carlincas, to the Prejudice of that Liberty granted us by Your Edicts. Your Majesty is most Humbly Pe∣titioned to cause the said Decree to be Vacated and Repealed, and in Fa∣vour of Your Subjects of the Reformed Religion at Nismes, to Ordain, That their Theological University may stand upon the same Grounds with that of Montauban, both being of the same nature, and this accor∣ding to a Decree of Your Council pass'd on their behalf.

12. By Your Majesty's Edicts, and as it is always practised in the Exe∣cution of them; yea, and by Your Answer to the Third Article of our Bill of Grievances presented to Your Majesty in July, 1625. all Pro∣fessors of our Religion; yea, and our Ministers themselves were allowed to dwell and inhabit in any part of your Kingdom. Yet notwithstanding now-a-days, our Ministers cannot be permitted to dwell in divers places, as in Aubenas, Mezin, Saux, Villefranque, Corbigny, and other places, from which our said Ministers have been driven away, which is contrary to your Edicts. Your Majesty therefore is most Humbly Petitioned, to ordain according to your Edicts that our Ministers aforesaid, and all others of our Religion may be suffered to dwell and inhabit freely and quietly in all places of Your Majesty's Dominion.

13. And divers others, tho' not Ministers, are, meerly out of hatred to their Religion, every day vexed and afflicted, as in Your Towns of Bourg, Aubenas, La Voute, Chaalons in Burgundy, and in sundry other places, from whence poor Tradesmen are partly by Threats and partly by actual Violence offered to them, driven away, directly contrary to the Authority and the very Letter, and plain words of Your Edicts. And Your Majesty is most Humbly Requested to Order, That they may enjoy the benefit of them, and to enjoyn Magistrates and all other persons, to observe on their behalf, the first of the Particular Articles of the Edict of Nantes.

14. By the 45. Article of Particular Matters in the Edict of Nantes, and by a Decree of your Council, Dated July the 17th, 1624. and by Your Majesty's Answer to the Bill of Complaints of Your said Subjects, July the 23d. 1621. and April the 12th. 1622. the Ministers of our Religion were exempted from Watching, Warding, Rounds, Lodging of Souldiers, Assessing and Collecting of Taxes, and from payment of their Quota to them, or any other Impositions whatsoever on the account of their Houshold Goods, Pensions, or Salaries. Yet notwithstanding, in divers places of Your Kingdom, they be Assessed to Watch and Ward, to the Billetting of Souldiers, to pay Forest Money for their Lands there, al∣though they have none at all in their hands, but Lett them out to Far∣mers, who pay those very Taxes for them; yea, also in very many places they do compel them and extort from them round Sums for the Payment of Taxes due by the Parishes, and in case of Failure or Omission, their Houshold Goods are Distrain'd, and their Persons Seized and Imprisoned, and amerced in great Fines; as particularly the Minister of Previlly hath been thus misused. Your Majesty is most Humbly Petitioned, to grant them the enjoyment of those Immunities and Exemptions which have been accorded them by your Edicts, Declarations, and Answers to out

Bills of Grievances, and to forbid all Persons to trouble them; and that the Assessors, Collectors, and Receivers of Taxes may not extort from them any Payments, the Taxes only excepted for those Immovables en∣joyed by them.

15. And whereas there be yet detained many Captives in Your Galleys, who have been there many years, and for none other account than the past troubles, Your Majesty is most Humbly Requested, to cause them to be set at Liberty, and to extend unto them the same Clemency Your Majesty vouchsafed unto others in the year 1613, by Your Answer to the 5th. Article of our Bill of Grievances, which was then presented by Your Subjects of the Reformed Religion, unto Your Majesty.

16. By the 34. and 51. Articles of the said Edict, it was Ordained, that the Courts of the Edict should Judge Soveraignly, and without Ap∣peal from them unto any other Court whatsoever, of all Processes then in being, or that might be moved in time to come, and in which those of our Religion are Parties; yea, and in what concerns the Execution, or Inexecution, or Infraction of the Edicts; yet notwithstanding, sundry Praesidial Courts, as that of Bourg in Bresse, and the Intendant of Justice there do every day attempt, and actually do give Judgment, without admitting of any Appeal from them; as also the Parliaments of Aix and Rennes, do Issue out their Decrees directly contrary to the Letter of the Edict, and in such matters as the Cognizance whereof is interdicted them, and reserved only to Your Mix'd Courts. Your Majesty is most Humbly Requested, to Abrogate and Revoke all those Judgments and Decrees so incompetently given forth by those aforesaid Praesidial Courts, Intendants, and Parliaments, to the prejudice of Your Edicts, and parti∣cularly that Decree of the Parliament of Aix, against the Book written by Monsieur Gaillard, Intituled, Le Proselite Evangelique, and against his Per∣son, and to remand back the matters of Fact contained in them to the Courts of the Edict, who ought of right only to take Cognizance, and Judge of them, with a Prohibition unto all other Judges, nor to intermeddle with any matters properly belonging to your Majesty's Courts of the Edicts.

17. Although that by the 17th. Article of the Edict of Nantes, Con∣firmed by all subsequent Edicts of your Majesty, those who do, or shall make Profession of our Reformed Religion, are declared to be capable of Exercising all Trades, of Holding and Enjoying all Dignities, Offices, and Publick Employments whatsoever; yet nevertheless, they be Excluded in divers parts of your Kingdom, from all publick Charges, Offices, and Dignities, they cannot be received unto the Degree of Doctors, nor In∣corporated into the Colleges of the Faculty of Physick, nor admitted to the Practice thereof, nor to be Masters of those Trades wherein they have served their Apprenticeship; nor may they perform the Functions of those very Offices whereunto they were Privileged by their Patents; Our Publick Notaries and Attorneys of Bailywicks, having been inter∣dicted the Exercise of their Callings by a Decree of your Council, April 28. 1637. Wherefore your Majesty is most Humbly Requested, that their Profession of the Protestant Religion, may not be made a Crime, and that whilst they adventure their Lives and Fortunes in your Majesty's Service, equally with your other Subjects, they may not be deprived of the benefit of your Edicts: And we Humbly beseech your Majesty to Or∣dain, that they may be for the future, indifferently admitted unto all Char∣ges, Dignities, and Masterships of Trades, and that such as have a Patent for them, may be maintained in the full and free enjoyment of their re∣spective Functions, and that your Majesty would be pleased to Abrogate and Revoke all Decrees and Judgments given to the contrary.

18. In the year 1617. by the Edict of Restauration, made in Favour of the Reformed Churches of Bearn, Confirmed by Your Warrant for the Peace of Monpellier, Your Majesty was pleased to maintain those Churches aforesaid of Bearn, in the Liberty and full Enjoyment both of their Doctrine and Discipline, without Changing or Innovating of any Article or Canon in either of them; yet nevertheless, Your Court of Parliament of Navarre, in prejudice of their Liberty of Ordaining and Deposing, of Continuing, or Removing their Pastors from those Churches unto others, where they be sent by their Synods, doth forbid them to Proclame or Celebrate any Fasts without its permission, or to make Appeals in matters purely Ecclesiastical elsewhere than unto the said Parliament, or to Toll any Bell at any time for the Convocation of our Church Assemblies in that Province, as is evident from the Decrees of the said Parliament. Wherefore Your Majesty is most Humbly Requested to con∣tinue unto those Churches their Liberty granted them in those matters, and to forbid the said Parliament of Navarre, from intermeddling with such things for the suture; and that You would be pleased to Abrogate and Disannul all those Decrees which have been made on this occasion.

19. Your Majesty was pleased by all Your former Declarations made in favour of Your said Subjects, to promise the continuance of that Bounty granted them by the late King Henry the Great, of Glorious and Im∣mortal Memory, and divers times since Confirmed by Your Majesty for the Maintenance of our Ministers and Universities, which was in Com∣pensation of the Tythes paid by Your Subjects aforesaid, unto the Popish Parish Curates. Yet nevertheless, for divers years last part, they have been totally deprived of this Liberality. And whereas several Assignments were made them for the former years, there is yet remaining due unto them a very considerable Sum: And although this Favour hath been again and again Promised, and was Granted to them in the year 1629. whenas the Towns of the Lower Languedoc submitted themselves to Your Majesty's Authority, and the said Promise was since confirmed by Your Majesty's Answer at Montauban, to our Bill of Grievances we then tendered You; yet nevertheless, those very Assignations given them for the year 1627. have been revoked, nor have there been any given them for the following years; therefore Your Majesty is most Humbly intreated, in pursuance of Your Royal Promises, to continue unto Your Subjects aforesaid, the enjoyments of those former Favours and Liberalities, and to ordain, and cause them to be paid all Arrears due for the years past, and to continue them for the future.

The End of the Bill of Grievances.