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. VI. Particular MATTERS.* 1.1

I. THE Deputies of the Province of Gascony, Perigord, and Limousin, desiring that the Churches of Coudonnois and Landers might be joyn∣ed to the Provincial Synod of Agenois, Perigord and Limousin; and being opposed herein by the Remonstrances of the Deputies from the Province of Higher Guyenne, and most especially by the Pastor of the Church of Lectoure, Mr. Bernard Ennis, in the name and behalf of the Colloquy of Armagnac: After mature consultation, it was resolved, That the Synods of the Higher Guyenne and Gascogny should remain as they are in their present establishment; not but that in time coming, and in case necessity so require it, there may be made an alteration, and the Churches of Armagnac which are now divided from their Colloquy, shall reader an Account unto the next National Synod of their separation from it, till which they shall remain incorporated with it.

II. The Churches of Augoumois shall be joyned to the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge and Aunix, for the perfecting a sixth Colloquy, according to the equal division of those said Churches.

III. The Church of Bergerac shall be sharply censured by Letters from this Assembly; for that by theirs to us they professed a Resolution not to subject themselves to the fourth Article of the tenth Chapter pf our Discipline.

IV. Those of the Isle of France shall be severely censured, for proposing to this Assembly, a politick Union with those of the Romish Gallican Church, in defence of the Liberties of the Gallican Church against the Pope: And Letters shall be dispatch'd unto those fore-mentioned Persons, to acquaint them, that their Proposition was judged utterly unworthy our consultation, and they shall be farther censured for demanding competent Judges both of the one and other Religion, to decide the Points in controversie between us; as also for de∣manding, that neither National nor Provincial Synods be conven'd, unless on very great and weighty occasions, and that very rarely.

5. The Church of Aymet complaining, That Monsieur Balarand their Pa∣stor absented himself from them, and was setled in the Church of Castres, without any lawful dismission from them. After that the Provincial Depu∣ties of Gascony had been heard, as also the said Monsieur Balarand, and the Petition of the ancient Deputy from the City and Church of Castres, and after reading the Act of Dismission given unto the said Balarand by those of the Church of Aymet, subscribed by those self-same Persons, who have now written to those of the City of Castres, and yet some of them have since sign∣ed a Revocation of that Grant; this Synod doth assign the said Monsieur Balarand unto the Church of Castres, to be their ordinary Pastor, but on these conditions, First, That the Church of Aymet be provided of an able Pastor within six Months, or sooner, it may be, by the Colloquy of Perigord, or Synod of Gascony, at the sole Charges of the aforesaid Church of Castres, according to the offers made by Monsieur Bassol their Deputy. Secondly, That the Judge of Castres do cause all Prosecutions to cease against Monsieur de la Garime, and Monsieur de la Grange for having deposed Master Gaspar Olaxa, who was ejected by Authority of the Colloquy of Albigeois, and the Provin∣cial Synod held at Montaban. And in case our Advice concerning the said de la Garime, and la Grange, be not entirely observed, this National Synod doth declare, That those of the Church of Castres on whom it was incum∣bent to effect it, shall be censured, even with suspension from the Lord's Table; and farther, that they be utterly unworthy of ever enjoying the

Ministry of their Pastor Monsieur Balarand, and the Colloquy of Albigeois are ordered from us to meet in any other place than the City of Castres, and to see to it, that this our present Decree be effectually observed, and that the said Monsieur Balarand be transferr'd from the City of Castres, and to see to it, that this our present Decree be effectually observed, and that the said Monsieur Balarand be transferr'd from the City of Castres to serve in some other Church elsewhere.

VI. The Province of Higher Guyenne having complained of the wicked Conversations, and scandalous Lives of Master Gravel, and Vieux Banque, it was decreed, That the Ministers of Upper Quercy shall summon the said Graver, and Vieuxbanque, to appear without delay, in two Months time per∣sonally in this City of Montauban, where the Minister of the Upper Quercy producing sufficient Evidence, that they had summon'd the said Graver and Vieuxbanque to appear, together with the Information of the Crimes char∣ged on them, which if clearly proved on them, the Ministers of this City and Colloquy, by the Authority of this National Synod shall suspend or de∣pose them, as they see cause from the Ministry, and in case of their non-appearance, they shall be immediately suspended, and this their Suspension published in the Churches.

VII. The Province of Tourain, Anjou, and Main, craving Advice how to dispose of Monsieur Le Bloy, Minister of St. Aignan, this Synod doth ordain, That the said Le Bloy shall continue in the said Church, provided that with∣in six Months the said Church do give him full satisfaction in paying him the Salary they had promised him, and in cause of failure therein, he shall be consigned unto the Church of Preuilly, according to the Order of the Provincial Synod of Touraine.

VIII. Whereas the Church of* 1.2 Bourinquet doth inform us, That their Pa∣stor Monsieur De la Finer is removed from them by the Pastors of the Pro∣vince commissionated by this present Synod to inspect that Affair, who have thereby left them totally destitute without a Minister, this Assembly doth or∣dain, That the said Sieur de la Finer shall abide with his Church, exercising all the Duties of his Office, until such time as they be provided of another, and the Colloquy of Lower Quercy shall take that Task upon them, and the said Sieur de la Finer shall be presently paid all his Arrears, and that said Church of Bourinquet shall supply all his Wants for the future, and in case of non-performance on their part, then the said Sieur de la Finer shall be free and fully discharged from them.

IX. This Assembly, at the Request of the Deputies of Lower Languedoc, doth think meet, That our Brother Monsieur Boulet do stand related unto Condoignac and Vergessers, but with this Condition, that he exercise his Mi∣nistry in his former Church, until such time as they be provided of ano∣ther.

X. At the desire of the Magistrates of the City and Church of Rochel, as also of the whole Province of Xaintonge, this Assembly ordaineth, That Let∣ters be sent forthwith to the Syndics and Church of Geneva, earnestly intreat∣ing, that the Seignory and Consistory of that famous Church and City would be pleased to give up their Right in our honoured Brother Monsieur Rotan, for the Service of the Church of Rochel, because of his singular usefulness and fruitful Labours in that Church, and his great serviceableness in that Province, yea, and to all the Reformed Churches of France. Yet Rotan was afterward deeply suspected for prevaricating in Religion.

XI. Complaints being made by the Province of Xaintonge, against Master Esperient and Cahier, this Assembly orders, That the Province of Xaintonge do inform the Synod of Bearn about the said Esperient, because he belongs to it, that he may give satisfaction to them; and that the Sieur Cahier shall be written to in the Name of this Assembly, that he personally appear before

the Synod of Xaintonge, which is impower'd with full Authority by this pre∣sent Synod, to hear and judge of the whole Fact.

XII. The Province of Lower Languedoc demanding Advice about Mr. John Corneille, it is decreed, That the Province shall be sharply reproved for their so long suffering and sparing the said Corneille in his Errors and wicked Acti∣ons, and in particular the Magistrates and other Persons in the Church of O∣range, who prosecuted so vigorously his Restoration unto the Ministry. For which cause this Synod confirmeth the Deposition of the said Corneille, and ordains that he be silenced for ever, and that the Magistrate and Consistory of Orange be reproved for permitting him to pray publickly during his Suspen∣sion, as also we give warning that it is dangerous to employ him in the teach∣ing of Youth.

XIII. Sharp and Comminatory Letters shall be written unto the Col∣loquy of Auvergne, and to Monsieur De Montcassin, that if they do not satisfie and reimburse Monsieur Lambert his Expences, in getting the King's Orders for the maintenance of the afore-mentioned Ministers, this Synod on their refusal will proceed against them as Delinquents, and particularly against Monsieur Montcassin, because he became bound for the Payment of that Money, as appears by the very Act of the Provincial Synod held in this City of Montauban in the Year 1593: And in case they do not give sa∣tisfaction before the breaking up of this Assembly, Process shall be issued out against them, as we have written them.

XIV. Forasmuch as in the conclusion of this Synod the Colloquy of Higher Rouargue have returned no Answer to it, the••efore in pursuance of the Resolution before taken it is decreed, That Monsieur de Villette and Cha∣lais, when they return into their Province of Lower Languedoc, shall inter∣dict the Exercise of the Ministry in all the Churches of that Colloquy, and particularly Monsieur de Montcassin shall be suspended and silenced for not performing his Promise.

XV. Mr. William Benet acquainting this Assembly, That he had dischar∣ged his Duty in educating his Son Mark Antony in good Learning, in order to his being employed in the Ministry of the Gospel to his great comfort, and yet without his privity and consent his said Son had accepted of a Call unto the Church of Marvejoles in the Province of Lower Languedoc: After hearing what could be alledged for themselves by the Deputies of that Pro∣vince, as also the Plea of the said Mark Antony for himself, that he only accepted of that Call for a time, and with this express condition, That his Father were contented with it; this Assembly doth assign the said Mark Antony unto the Church of Villemure, in the Colloquy of Lower Quercy, to serve them as their own peculiar Pastor; yet on these Terms, that he shall assist the said Church of Maruejoles by the space of three Months, during which time the Colloquy of Givaudan, and the Province of Lower Languedoc, shall use their best endeavour to provide another Pastor for the Church of Maruejoles, which Church also is ordered to satisfie the said Mark Antony Bennet, within six Weeks of his Return, all his Arrerages, and the whole Stipend of the Quarter now current; and in case of failure here∣in by them, the said Bennet is left in full liberty to leave them immedi∣ately, and to betake himself to the Service of his own Church of Ville∣mure, he advising with his Colloquy, and they approving it, according to the Discipline.

XVI. Divers Provinces having consulted this Assembly what course they should take with those who challenge, and with those who accept the Chal∣lenge to fight a Duel, as also how to deal with the challenged, who killing their adverse Party, have since obtained His Majesties Pardon, or have been afterward legally justified and discharged, the Synod made this Decree, That

every such Person should be suspended the Lord's Table, and this their Su∣spension shall be out of hand published to the Congregation, and before ever they be re-admitted to the Churches Peace and Communion, they shall un∣dergo Publick Penance for those their Offences.

XVII. The Consuls and Elders in the Church of Montauban petitioned this Assembly, that during Monsieur Berault's absence, their Church might be supplied for that Year by Monsieur De la Nove, Minister of Beaufort in Anjou: Answer was given them, that according to our Discipline it could not be done, 'till such time as both the Church and Province to which he stood related, had been first acquainted with it. And therefore they should send Letters unto that Church and Province, and to the Lady Vaux, and to the Lord Du Plessis, intreating them, because of the great importance of the Church of Montauban, that they would be pleased either to grant, or at least to lend their Pastor Monsieur De Nove unto the Church of Montauban, during Monsieur Beraud's absence. And till that the Synod of Anjou have gratified the said Petitioners, the Colloquy of Lower Quercy shall take care, that the said Church of Montauban be not left destitute without a Pastor, but that they do from time to time send able Ministers unto them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1594. Synod XIII.
• * 1.2

  Two other Copies read Bracqu••t.