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. I.

MOnsieur Desloges Pastor of the Church of Loudun, opened the Synod with Prayer the next day after their Meeting, viz. the Eleventh of November; and then the Lord Marquiss of Ru∣vigny, who was General Deputy of the Churches, presented his Majesties Writ for calling this Synod, the Tenour of which is as fol∣loweth.

This Sixth Day of September, One Thousand, Six Hundred, Fifty and Nine, the King being at Burdeaux, upon the most humble Petition of his Subjects of the P. R. Religion, tendered unto his Majesty, that he would be pleased to permit them to Call and Assemble a National Synod, because there had not been one held since that of Charenton, in the Year 1644. His Majesty being willing to gratify and treat favoura∣bly those his said Subjects, he hath permitted, and doth permit them to convocate a National Synod on the Tenth Day of May next, in his Town of Loudun; but on this condition, that there shall be none other Affairs debated in it, than such as are warranted by the Edicts, and that a Commissioner whom his Majesty shall be pleased to appoint, do assist in Person in the said Synod, as hath always been practised. In testimony hereof his Majesty hath commanded me to expedite this present Writ, which he was pleased to sign with his own Hand, and caused to be conntersigned by me his Counsellor, and Secretary of his Commandments, and of his Treasury.

Signed LOƲIS. And a little Lower, PHELIPPEAƲX.

There appeared in the said Assembly with Letters of Commission from the Provinces, which were read by the Sieur Des Loges, and the Sieur de Fresnay Elder of the Church of Loudun, and the Sieur de M••••son••als, these Persons following.

1. For the Province of Normandy the Sieurs John Manimilian de L' Angle, Pastor of the Church of Rouan, and Samuel Boschart, Pastor of the Church of Caen, accompanied with the Sieurs Daniel Guesdon, Elder of the Church of Rouan, and Peter de la Musse, Esq Lord des Roquettes, El∣der of the Church of Caen.

2. For the Province of Higher Guienne, and Higher Languedoc, the Sieurs John Louis Joussauld, Pastor of the Church of Castres, and Theo∣philus Arbussy, Pastor of the Church of Milhaut, accompanied with the Sieurs John de Besnes, Esq Lord of Laseron, Elder of the Church de Be∣raux, and Master John Brassart, Advocate in Parliament, and Elder in the Church of Montauban.

3. For the Province of Burgundy, the Sieurs Amedeus de Chandieu Pastor of the Church at Pont de Velles, and Peter Mussard, Pastor of the Church of Lyon, accompanied with Master Samuel Gentis (D'anthial) Advocate in Parliament, Elder in the Church of Chaalons, and Master Phillebert de Sage, Advocate also in Parliament, Elder in the Church of Autan.

4. For the Province of Lower Languedoc, the Sieurs David Eu∣stache, and Isaac de Bourdieu Pastor in the Church of Montpellier, accompanied with the Noble Francis de Toulonge, Lord of Foissac, Elder in the Church of Ʋsez, and Master Philip Besse, Doctor of the Civil Laws, Advocate, and Elder in the Church of Be∣ziers.

5. For the Province of Orleans and Berry, the Sieurs John Per••••ult, Pa∣stor of the Church of Orleans, and John Taby, Minister of the Gospel, and Pastor of the Church de la Charite, accompanied with the Noble Denis Papin, Counsellor to his Majesty, and Receiver General for the Demeans of the County of Blois, and Master Paul Tonnois, Lord of Champs, Advocate in Parliament, Elders in the Church of Or∣leans.

6. For the Province of Sevennes, the Sieurs Henry B••udan, Pastor of the Church de la Salle, and Stephen Broche, Lord of Mejannes, Pastor of the Church of St. Hippolite, accompanied with Edward de Charlot, Esq Lord and Baron of S. John de Gardonenque, Elder in the Church of the same Place, and Peter de Gallieres, Esq Lord of Pont d' Arti, Elder in the Church of Merveil.

7. For the Province of Brittain, the Sieur Isaac Guitton, Pastor of the Church of Sion, accompanied with Monsieur John de la Rochelle, Lord of Mornay, Elder in the Church of Roche Bernard.

8. For the Province of Poictou, the Sieurs Stephen le Blois, Pastor of the Church of Fontenay le Compte, and John Chabrol, Pastor of the Church of Thouars, accompanied with Sir Peter Prevost, Knight, Lord of La Ja∣veliere, Elder in the Church of Chantonnay and Puybelliard, and Charles Pre∣vost, Esq Lord of La Simonie Elder in the Church of Champagne and Mouton.

9. For the Province of Provence, the Sieurs John Bernard, Pastor of the Church de Velots and Marvelle, and John Morius Esq Lord of Espasson and of La Bastide, Elder in the Church of Manosque.

10. For the Province of Anjou Touraine, Le Maine, Loudunois, Van∣dosme, and the Greater Perche, the Sieurs Moyses Amyraud, Pastor and Professor of Divinity in the Church and University of Saumur, and James de Brissac Lord des Loges Pastor of the Church of Loudun, accompanied

with the Sieurs Daniel de Goyett, Doctor of Physick, Elder in the Church of Angiers, and Master Stephen des Landes, President in the Extraordinary Assizes of Vaudomois, and Elder in the Church of Van∣dome.

11. For the Province of the Isle of France, Brie, Picardy, Champagne, and the County of Chartres, the Sieurs John Daille, Pastor of the Church of Paris, and Benjamin Tricotell, Pastor of the Church of Calais, ac∣companied with Master Thierry de Marolles, Advocate in Parliament, and Judg in the Praesidial Court of Vitry, Elder of the Church in that Town, and Peter Loride Lord of Galiniers, Advocate in his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council, and Elder in the Church of Paris.

12. For the Province of Xaintonge, Aunix, and Augoulmois; the Sieurs John Gommarc, Pastor in the Church of Vertueil, and Isaac Marchand, Pastor in the Church of St. John d' Angely, accompanied with John de Morell, Esq Lord of Thiac, of Vigier, and of Salle, and Francis Lacons, Esq Lord of Courelles, and Elder in the Church of Cognac.

13. For the Province of Dolphiny, the Sieurs Adrian Chamier, Pastor of the Church of Montlimard, and Alexander Dize, Pastor of the Church of Grenoble, accompanied with Master Francis Goudran, Ad∣vocate in the Parliament of Grenoble, and Elder in the Church of Gre∣noble.

14. For the Province of Lower Guienne, the Sieurs John Riccotier, Mi∣nister of Bourdeaux, and Jeremiah Viguier, Pastor of the Church of Ne∣rac, accompanied with Master Jacob Maysonnais, Advocate in Parlia∣ment, and Elder in the Church of Bourdeax, and with Sir James de Laumont, Knight, Marquess of Baisse Caumont, Elder in the Church of Nerac.

15. For the Province of Bearn, the Sieur Arnald de Cazamajore, Pa∣stor of the Church of Olleron.

16. For the Province of Vivaretz, Velay and Forrest, the Sieurs Isaac Homel, (he Died a most constant Faithful Martyr) Pastor of the Church of Sajon and Valance, and Peter January, Pastor of the Church at La Gorse, accompanied with Sir James D' Arlande, Kt. Lord of Mirabel, and Elder in the Church of Villeneufve de Bergues, and with Master Timothy Baruil, Doctor of the Civil Laws, Advocate, and Elder in the Church of Privas.

The Provinces of Bearn and Dolphiny, shall inquire into the Causes why the Sieurs de Labadie, Elder in the Church of Luibeite, and De∣puty for the Province of Bearn, and de Montelar, Elder in the Church of Beaufort, Deputy for the Province of Dolphiny, have absented themselves from this Assembly, and shall give an Account thereof unto the next National Synod.

The said Sieurs des Loges, and du Fresnay, Elder of the Church in Loudun, did, together with the Lord Marquess of Rouvigny, General Deputy, gather the Suffrages of all the Deputies in this Assembly, in Two Bills in Writing, (each of them having One,) for the Election of the Moderator, Assessor, and Scribes; and there were chosen by plu∣rality of Votes the Sieur Daille for Moderator, the Sieur de L' Angle Assessor, and the Sieurs Des Loges, Pastor, and de Loride an Elder, for Scribes of the Synod; who being Chosen, did all of them take their Places accordingly.