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. VII. Observations on Reading of the Discipline.

THE Deputies of the Province of Xaintonge, demanded that a longer time than Two Years of Probation might be allotted unto Priests and Monks (who have renounced their Superstitions and Idolatries, and joyned themselves unto our Communion) before they were admitted into the Holy Ministry, because of the many Scandals arising from their ill Conduct. The Assembly was of Opinion, that there needed no longer time of Probation than those Two years deter∣mined by the Second Canon, in the First Chapter of our Discipline. But that all Churches and Colloquies should be advised not to be pre∣cipitant nor over hasty in their seeking and receiving of such Per∣sons; but yet to get as full and evident Proofs of their Sincerity as they shall judge necessary, till the time prescribed by our Discipline be expired, which is the least that in Reason or Prudence can be de∣manded.

2. The Provinces of Xaintonge and Poictou demanding that this As∣sembly would take some order to prevent those Inconveniences which may fall out in the examination of Proposans in Fortified Consistories. A Decree was made, that the Canons in the Second Article of the First Chapter of our Discipline, and the Acts of the National Synods held at Charenton, in the Year 1631, shall be exactly observed; and that our Proposans as long as God giveth us means and opportunity, shall be examined in Colloquies and Synods, and no where else, unless it be up∣on very great and considerable Grounds and Reasons, and in case of urgent and indispensable Necessity, for which the Churches shall be ac∣countable unto the Provincial Synods, and these unto the National; and what hath been done in this matter by the Consistories of Paris and Saumur, is approved of, as being conformable unto those afore∣mentioned Canons.

3. The Deputies of Provinces of Sevennes and Lower Lauguedoc, proposed op the Fifth Article of the First Chapter of our Discipline, that the Age of Students in Divinity might be certainly fixed, before they be by Ordination received into the Holy Ministry; that so the many inconveniencies which have been observed in divers Places through the heats and inexperience of their Youth, may be prevented. This As∣sembly did not judge meet to make any change in the Canon of our Discipline: But doth seriously advise, all the Provinces to admit none unto examination, unless such Persons of whose Piety, Gravity and

Prudence they have good and sufficient Testimonials, which shall not be given them by Pastors and Professors, but with very great Cir∣cumspection.

4. That Order in the Seventh Article of the First Chapter of our Discipline, about the manner of Imposing Hands in Ordination, shall be observed in all the Churches; and such as do not yield an intire Con∣formity thereunto, shall be censured.

5. The Province of Sevennes complained of that of Languedoc, for transgressing the Ninth Article in the First Chapter of our Discipline, they having admitted Persons into the Ministry, without assigning them any particular Flock, or taking care before-hand to secure a Mainte∣nance for those Ministers in those Places whereunto they send them. This Assembly judgeth the said Province of Lower Languedoc to be blame-worthy, and ordaineth that the said Canon be most exactly ob∣served by all the Provinces; and an account hereof shall be rendered unto the National Synod.

6. The Province of Berry petitioned this Assembly to exert its Authority, that all Preachers of the Gospel might be obliged to contain themselves within the bounds of that Simplicity recommended by the Apostle, and to banish from their Sermons, whatever may fa∣vour of the vanities and affectations of the Writers of this Age. The Assembly answered, that in their Judgment there could not be a more Holy nor Judicious Decree framed than that Twelfth Canon in the First Chapter of our Discipline, nor than those Canons of the Synods of Gap, Rochel, St. Maixant, Privas, Thonneins and Castres, the exact Ob∣servation of which is recommended unto all Pastors; and all Consi∣stories, Colloquies and Synods are injoyned to have a strict and watch∣ful Eye over those who do transgress them; and to employ against them those Remonstrances and Censures which they shall judge need∣ful; that so the Sacred Depositum of Truth being Religiously preserv'd in the midst of us, the Gospel may be Preached in such a manner as well becometh it's most excellent Majesty.

7. Upon the Twentieth Article of the First Chapter of our Discipline, This Synod Ordained, That the Canon of the National Synod of Pri∣vas, which injoyneth Pastors to exhort their People to observe Mo∣desty in their Habits, and to go before them in their own Persons and Families as the best Patterns and Examples, shall be most strictly obser∣ved: And there being made great Complaints of several Pastors, whose Wives and Children have transgressed this Canon by their vain Con∣formity to the World in the new fangled Fashions of their Habits, con∣trary to Christian Modesty: All Moderators of Colloquies and Synods are expresly charged and commanded to reform these Excesses by Censures and the severest Reprehensions. And it is farther Decreed, that these Re∣fractory Ministers shall be suspended their Office, till such time as they have removed the Scandal; and that a stricter Watch than ever may be kept over these Excesses, all private Persons are permitted according to the method prescribed in our Discipline, to inform their Consistories of them, and to demand a Reformation of them, which being refu∣sed, they shall apply themselves unto their Colloquies, that Censures may be issued out against them, and against all Supporters and Abetters of them: And this Canon shall be Religiously observed and read in all Consistories.

8. The Provincial Deputies of Dolphiny, complained upon the First Article in the Third Chapter of our Discipline, That some certain Persons when they were to be received into the Elder's Office, refu∣sed to stand up in the Face of the Church, although this be required

by the said Article, and demanded whether this part of the Order ob∣served in the Reception of our Elders should be dispensed with in fa∣vour of any Persons, and these in particular should injoy their Liber∣ty. This Assembly injoyneth, that the Contents of this Canon be fully observed by all sorts of Persons whatsoever without distinction; and the Province of Dolphiny is censured, for that it suffered it to be vio∣lated.

9. At the request of the Deputies of Lower Languedoc, upon the same first Article of the Third Chapter of our Discipline, it was decreed, That those Persons should be chosen into the Elders Office, who resided within the Bounds of that particular Church which did Elect them, and who were numbered among their actual Members, if it were possible to be done; but in case any Difficulties should occur on this occasion, they were to be decided by the Colloquy or Synod upon which that said Church hath dependance.

10. The Assembly being informed how little care is taken for put∣ting in Execution the Thirty Third Article of the Fifth Chapter of our Discipline, doth injoyn all Provinces and particular Churches to do it more carefully for the future, and to keep an exact Record of those Memorable Events concerning our Religion, and to send them unto the Colloquies and Synods by some careful Hand, that they may be delivered unto that Person who is appointed to Collect and Compile them into a just Volume. And that Order made in the National Sy∣nod of Vitre, 1617, is now again revived, and all the Provinces are injoyned in their respective Synods, to nominate one particular Pa∣stor, to whom the account of those remarkable Providences may be directed.

11. The Provincial Deputies of Lower Languedoc, moved upon Reading the Second Article of the Eighth Chapter of our Discipline, that a Rule might be made for the future, that no Church in any Pro∣vince, at least in theirs, should send any more than One Elder with a Pastor, unto the Provincial Synod: But this Assembly did not think meet to make any Alteration in the said Article, neither with respect to that particular Province, nor any other of the Provinces: As also that one and the same Church, however it be composed of divers Quarters, and annexed Congregations, may not depute unto those Synods more than One or Two Elders.

12. The Deputies of the Province of Xaintonge demanding what course they might take with those who had Espoused the Neice, or the Great Grand Neice of their Deceased Wise, and yet demanded to be recei∣ved into Communion at the Lord's Table. This Assembly adviseth, that they direct and govern themselves in this Affair by the Eleventh Canon of the Thirteenth Chapter of our Discipline, and the Decrees of the National Synods of Vitre, and of the Second and Third of Charenton, who have declared such Marriage to be Incestuous; and all Pastors are forbidden to bless and solemnize the Marriages in those prohibited degrees upon any pretext whatsoever; and all Con∣sistories are injoyned (without medling with the validity of those Mar∣riages, or their effects, the cognizance whereof doth properly belong unto the Magistrate) to declare unto such as be in that Estate, that they cannot be admitted to partake of the pledges and tokens of the Re∣mission of their Sins as long as they cohabit together; moreover all Colloquies and Synods are to exert their Authority, that this present Canon be duly observed.

13. In the next Edition of our Church Discipline care shall be taken that Printers do insert the Province of Bearn in the number of those, which do make up the National Synod.

The Church Discipline being read, all the Deputies of the Provinces did promise for themselves, and on behalf of their respective Synods whom they represented, that they would observe it themselves, and see that it should be exactly observed in their Provinces.