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.

SECT. LIV.

With some of the Ministers they dealt very treacherously, fawning upon them with kind words and counterfeit civilities, wheedling them into a good opinion of those respects and loves they never had nor intended for them. This proved a great and dangerous Snare to two worthy Ministers, among others, as will appear from this following Letter, written to an eminent French Minister in London, from Paris, October 19. 1685.

From Paris, Octob. 19. 1685.

Monsieur, my most honoured Brother,

SInce you are owner of so much goodness as to interest your self like a kind Brother in those Affairs which particularly concern us, and for∣asmuch as we can avow our Affections for you, to be great and sincere, and our fellow-feeling of all your Sufferings to be real and very sensible, it is but just, that when our Brother Du — gives you an Account of the state of our Family, we should also at the same time acquaint you with that of our Consciences.

You may then understand, my most dear Brother, that no sooner was the King's Declaration published, which abolishing the Edict of Nants, ob∣liged all the Ministers within a Fortnight's time to depart the Kingdom, but Monsieur — and my self went immediately to seek and take pla∣ces for our selves and Families in the Brussel's Coach, as my Brother — went to that of Calais. But two or three days after, being informed, that neither our Wives nor Children should have the liberty of leaving the King∣dom with us, and that we should meet with an hundred difficulties in our

departure, and that we must needs have Certificates from our Intendants, which was utterly impossible for us to procure in that short time was now left us, we, together with divers others, went and waited upon Monsieur de la Renie, who is the Judge and Civil Magistrate of this City, who gave us a Certificate according to the King's Edict, which yet in the issue was useless and unprofitable.

Monsieur de la Renie, being particularly acquainted with Monsieur — treated us with a great deal of civility, and desired us seriously to reflect upon that perplexed condition into which we and our Families were plun∣ged, and that we would examine our selves whether with a good Con∣science we might not tarry in the Kingdom, and whether our presence would not also contribute to the consolation of a multitude of gracious Souls groaning under the pressures of their Afflictions, who had been abandon'd by their fugitive Pastours, according to the general Complaints brought in against them from all quarters.

Hereupon we drew up several Projects. I formed mine, Monsieur — framed his, and they were both so contrived, that any one might easily judge we should never be suffer'd on those terms to live in the Kingdom. And, to speak the truth, they were not approved by my Brother Du — who drew up another, the Copy whereof we now send you; but we must confess, most dear Brother, that we have found it to be of dread∣ful consequence, and most dangerously insnaring to us. But Du — ha∣ving resolutely maintained, that we had no other way left us of abiding in the Kingdom than by signing this Writing, and if we would not, yet he himself would alone in his own person present it to my Lord Bishop of Meaux, we did at length sign it, Monsieur — and my self, tho' with extreme repugnancy, and with this very restriction, that Du — should retrieve it out of the hands of the Bishop of Meaux, as soon as he had read it, which Du — solemnly promised us he would do.

My Lord Bishop perus'd our Writing, and having told Du — that he conceiv'd the King would never grant us what we desired in it, we be∣liev'd our selves oblig'd all three jointly to take our leaves of the Bishop, and of Monsieur de la Renie, because we were two days after to avoid the Kingdom. My Lord Bishop of Meaux dismist us very civilly. But Mon∣sieur de la Renie made us a long discourse about our Writing given in to the Bishop of Meaux, and that Conference which our Brother had with him, telling us, among other passages, that the King took notice of our Mea∣sures; that he had approved and praised them; that he had a better opi∣nion of us by far, than of a great many others who had yet gone beyond us; but that the King desired us to continue our Conferences with the Bishop of Meaux, and that the King having learnt our intention of going to Foun∣tainbleau, that we might wait upon the Bishop of Meaux, (which was a truth) had the kindness for us as to order him to come to Paris; and if after our Conferences ended with my Lord Bishop of Meaux, we could not with a good Conscience hold Communion with the Church of Rome, he would then give us, when ever we should desire it, a Licence for our selves and Families to depart the Kingdom, and that finally my Lord of Meaux would charily preserve our Writing, which had been presented unto his Ma∣jesty.

We all three accepted the Proposals. And had several Conferences with the Bishop of Meaux. But this very day we are urged to come to a Reso∣lution, and upon our refusal of signing the new Formulary, we are plainly told, That it is ill done of us to recoil after that of our own accord we had advanced so far; and they farther tell us, That our own Writing obligeth us to far greater matters than the new Formulary; and that we declare in the very beginning of it, That, of all Evils, Disunion is the greatest, and

that by this our Confession, neither Transubstantiation, nor any of those other Points debated by us, could be a bar to our Re-union, and that in ef∣fect we do formally re-unite ourselves by our very Writing, and that by sub∣mitting our selves to the Conduct of Bishops, and of their pitiful Curates, we do subject our selves to the whole Ecclesiastical Discipline; and that we intreating the Higher Powers, who went unto Mass, to believe our Senti∣ments to be the same with theirs, who desired the Cup, we were engaged at the same time to do as they did, even to wait for that Reformation which was universally desired, and which the King incessantly pursued, as having resolv'd, that the Cup should be delivered unto the People in the Sacrament. And thus they boast we are caught by our own Writing, which was left imprudently enough in the hands of my Lord Bishop of Meaux, and which they say also at the same time is in the King's. This is the truth of our present Estate, and for which, we conjure you, most dear Brother, to send us as soon as possible your advice, lest, &c.

WE, whose Names are here-under written, being fully perswaded, that among Christians there cannot be a greater mischief than to be divided one from another, especially when as the providence of God has made us all Subjects to our King, who is the most glorious Monarch in the whole World, and being unmeasurably grieved, that we are bound to depart his Kingdom, and to subject our selves unto the authority of strangers, whom we can never own for our Soveraign Lawful Princes, Do declare, That from this very day we can promise my Lord, the Bishop of Meaux, that we will subject our selves to the Sermons and Even-Songs used in the Catholick Church, thereby giving a sensible demonstration of our Union with the Archbishops, Bishops and Curates of France; We also intreat, That we may be absolutely believed to be in the same Sentiments with the Higher Powers, who, in conformity to the Liberties of the Galli∣can Church, gave in divers Articles (as our Historians relate) to my Lord Cardinal de Joyeuse, concerning the Council of Trent; and until such time as they may be established by the King's Authority, and signed by the most Reverend Clergy of France, in the sence of the second Article of the last Edict, verified in Parliament the 22d of this instant October, we most humbly beseech his Majesty to grant us the liberty of abiding within his Kingdom, in quality of poor private persons, we calling God to witness, by our Oaths, That we will do nothing against his Majesty's Declarations, but contrariwise, we shall endeavour by our example to keep the People within those bounds of Fidelity and Obedience, which we all owe unto the King and our Superiours.

I suppose those Articles were the same, which had been demanded by the Cardinal of Lorrain, and the other French Ambassadours in the Coun∣cil of Trent, as they be mentioned by De Mezeray, in his 3d Tome, p. 1470. viz.

That an Ecclesiastick Person should hold but one Benefice; That the Mass being finished, Prayers might be celebrated in the Vulgar Tongue; That the People might Communicate in both kinds; That all Pastors should be capable; and obliged to Preach and Catechise; That the abuse crept in among the Common People in the Worshipping of Images might be removed.