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.

3. Of Censures.

1. As it cannot be avoided, but that in the purest Churches on Earth, there will sometimes Offences and Scandals arise by reason of Hypo∣crisie and prevailing Corruption; so Christ hath made it the duty of every Church to reform it self by Spiritual Remedies, appointed by him, to be applied in all such Cases; viz. Admonition and Excommuni∣cation.

2. Admonition being the Rebuking of an Offending Member in Or∣der to Conviction, is in case of private Offences to be performed accor∣ding to the Rule in Matth. 18. ver. 15, 16, 17. and in case of Publick Offences openly before the Church, as the Honour of the Gospel, and nature of the Scandal shall require: And if either of the Admonitions take place for the Recovery of the fallen Person, all farther proceedings in a way of Censure are thereon to cease, and Satisfaction to be declared accordingly.

3. When all due means are used, according to the Order of the Gospel, for the restoring an Offending and Scandalous Brother, and he not∣withstanding remains impenitent, the Censure of Excommunication is to be proceeded unto; wherein the Pastor and other Elders (if there be such) are to lead, and go before the Church; and the Brotherhood to give their consent, in a way of Obedience unto Christ, and unto the El∣ders, as over them in the Lord.

4. It may sometimes come to pass, that a Church Member not other∣wise Scandalous, may sinfully withdraw, and divide himself from the Communion of the Church to which he belongeth: In which case when all due means for the reducing him prove ineffectual, he having hereby cut himself off from that Churches Communion, the Church may justly esteem and declare it self discharged of any further inspection over him.