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. IV. Observations made on reading the Acts of the Synod of Gergeau.

1. THE Town and Church of St. John d' Angely desiring that the Decree of the National Synod of Gergeau might be disanul'd, and that Monsieur d' Amours might be restored to them; This Assembly doth ratify that Decree of the aforesaid Synod, and ordaineth farther, that the said d' Amours shall remain with the Church of Chastelheraut, and chargeth the Pro∣vince of Xaintonge to provide out of hand another Pastor for the Church of St. John.

2. Monsieur de Bargemont petitioning by Letters, that the Censure in∣flicted on him by the Synod of Gergeau might be reverst, and razed out of the Acts of the said Synod. This Assembly replied, that they were very de∣sirous that the said de Bergemont would clear up his Innocency, and justify himself fully before the World, and therefore did ordain him to produce the Evidences of his Innocency and Integrity, before the next Provincial Synod of Poictou, that it may be thence transmitted unto the next National Synod, and then all requisite care should be taken about the razing of the aforesaid Censure.

3. Upon the difference between the five Colloquies of Xaintonge and that of Aunix, This Assembly judgeth, that it is but just and reasonable that the Colloquy of Aunix should bear a fourth part of the Charges of the Provinces of Xaintonge, notwithstanding the determination of the Provincial Synod of Poictou to the contrary.

4. The appeal brought by the Church of Beaune and Vannés from the De∣cree of the Provincial Synod of Burgundy, past in favour of Monsieur Ma∣nissier, is made null and void, because the said Church appeared not to pro∣secute it.

5. That debate on behalf of Monsieur Claudius Jobart concerning Festivals, and which had been inserted among the appeals in the Synod of Gergeau, shall be transfer'd unto the head of particular matters in the said Synod, the aforesaid Jobart protesting that he never brought any appeal against the Pro∣vince of Burgundy.

6. The Church of Orleans complaining that it was oppressed by a De∣cree of the Synod of Gergeau, which had adjudged unto the Church of Ger∣geau the Moneys granted by his Majesty, which belonged to it till the meet∣ing of this present Assembly. This Assembly considering all circumstances, finds no reason to alter the Decree of the aforesaid Synod. And for time coming ordaineth that the Provincial Synod shall do in it as they think fit.

7. Upon the difference between the Synods of Poictou and Xaintonge about the Churches of Montignac, Marsillac, and Villefagnon; The Churches of Montignac and Marsillac, are adjudged unto the Province of Poictou: and that of Villefagnon is left to its o••n choice to which of the Provinces it will be Incorporated; but being once Incorporated, the said Church shall not at its pleasure depart from it. And this their choice once made shall be notified unto the next Synod of both the Provinces. However the Province of Xaintonge shall retain their right in the Minister of Marsillac.

8. Letters shall be written to the Pastors and Professors in the Church of Geneva, intreating them not to send our young Students in Divinity to Preach, and Administer the Sacraments in Country Villages before Ordina∣tion; principally the Students who are hereafter to be employed in the Churches of this Kingdom; because it's contrary to our Discipline, and to the Practice and Custom of the Primitive Church, and for that we feel al∣ready the inconveniences hereof.

9. If Deacons of the Church of Bearne in Switzerland should come into this Kingdom, and have not been first duely examined and ordained by im∣position of hands, or have not had elsewhere any Pastoral charge, and should yet notwithstanding, as they have done in other places take upon them to exercise the Ministerial office, to Preach the Word, to administer the Sacra∣ments, as the Mode of some Forraign Churches is so to do; they shall first subject themselves to a new examination here, and be received into the Mini∣stry among us, in that very self same manner as Proposans are, who never were Ordained. And for other persons, who were duely examined, and to whom the right hand of Fellowship hath been given in Forreign Churches, and are now called to a Pastoral Charge in some one of our Churches in this Kingdom, they shall be admitted by the Provincial Synods according to the manner prescribed by our Discipline.

10. The Church of Paris shall be censured for not revising that Book styled Apparatus ad fidem Catholicam, not the others, as they were injoined by the last Synod at Gergeau: And that Church which is charged to call the next National Synod, is now by this appointed to review and examine those books.

11. The differences fallen out between the Synods of Higher Languedoc, and Lower Guyenne concerning the Churches of Montagnac, Leyrac and some others, and which had been dismissed by the last Synod of Gergeau unto the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge, and by that of Xaintonge to the decision of this Assembly, shall be thus determined; Full power is again given unto the said Synod of Xaintonge to perform that Article of the National Synod of Gergeau; and to this purpose the said Province of Xaintonge shall take care that notice be given unto the said Provinces of the time and place of their next Synod.

12. In pursuance of that Decree of the national Synod of Gergeau: the Province of Normandy shall give full satisfaction unto Monsieur Vatablé, for whom nothing at all hath been yet done.

13. The Article of the Synod of Gergeau being read, which ordered Let∣ters to be written unto the Duke de Lesdiguieres about the 17000 Crowns, being Moneys of the Churches of Lower Languedoc: We have thought fit that both the Articles of the Synods of Monpellier and Gergeau, relating to this matter be razed out; Provided that the Deputies of Languedoc have first of all the sight and perusal of those Acquittances pretended to by his Lordship.

14. Whereas differences have sprung up between the two Provinces of the upper and neither Languedoc about the Churches of Cormes and St. John du Brueil. The Decree made in the Synod of Gergeau for their determination is now again confirmed by this present Assembly, and they be censured, who did not according to their duty put in execution the said Decree; And therefore the Deputies of both these Provinces shall give notice unto those Churches to appear in the Colloquies and Provincial Synods of the Nether Languedoc.

15. John Mussidan Bordaires presented his humble Petition unto this Sy∣nod, requesting that his name might be blotted out of the Catalogue of Va∣grants, into which it was inserted by the last Synod of Gergeau, and that he might be permitted to make a Proposition from some text of the Holy Scrip∣ture, in order to his re-admission into the Ministry. This Assembly having received several relations from divers of our brethren concerning his insuf∣ficiency for so great and weighty a Calling, did advise him to lay by all hopes and thoughts of re-entring into this Sacred Office, because the Lord did not think him fitly qualified for it, nor would own or accept of his ser∣vice in it: But that he might not be totally disheartned, the Province, whereunto he retires himself, is intreated to assist him with their Charities, and to employ him as a Schoolmaster in the teaching of youth.

16. The Synod willing to express their affectionate respects to Monsieur Berger, and intending as the former Synod of Gergeau to seal and testify their great love and care for him, and for his better subsistence (the Deputies of the Provinces of Orleans and Berry having informed us of his deplorable con∣dition.) It doth ordain that over and above the two Portions assigned him from the Kings Money in the late dividend at Gergeau, two other Portions shall be added towards his relief by the Province of Berry.

17. The Pastors and Professors in the Church of Geneva having read, ac∣cording to the desire of the late Synod at Gergeau, the book of the Lord du Plessis upon the Eucharist, and given a very honourable testimony to it: This National Synod doth render unto his Lordship their hearty thanks for his great zeal and affection to the truth of God, and for his worthy labours in the defence thereof, and orders that it be printed out of hand, believing that the Lord will give his blessing to it.

18. The difference between the Provinces of Vivaretz and of both the Lan∣guedoc's concerning Moneys assessed by these latter upon that of Vivaretz shall be finally determined, and to this purpose the Decree made in the late Synod of Gergeau is now ratified, because the Brethren of Vivaretz have brought no∣thing against it, but what had been answered over and over. And this Ar∣ticle shall be in full force as to those 3000 Crowns which had been raised by those Provinces before the Synod of Gergeau.

19. Master Gabriel Raoul presented himself personally before this Synod, humbly desiring his re-admission into the sacred Ministry from which he had been deposed by the Provincial Synod of the Lower Guyenne held at Aymet, which Sentence was ratified by the Ministers assembled at St. Foy, with the Authority of the National Synod of Montauban in the year 1594. After that the said Raoul had been patiently and for a long time heard speaking what he could in his own defence, and that the Acts of the said Synod of Aymet had been reviewed, as those also of the Pastors assembled at St. Foy, declaring the enormous crimes whereof the said Raoul was guilty, and after reading the Certificates of several Colloquies, Churches and Godly persons, una∣nimously proclaiming him a person utterly unworthy of Imployment in the Gospel-Ministry, as also that Act of the National Synod of Saumur confirm∣ing his deposal. This Assembly ratified those Judicial Sentences past upon him by the foregoing Synods, and declared the said Raoul utterly unworthy of ever being re-admitted into the sacred Ministry; and farther adviseth him to humble himself deeply before the Lord in a most bitter Repentance for his hainous offences, and for time to come to live Holily and Christianly in a private and secular life, and to betake himself to the practice of Physick in some Church of Christ. In the mean while all the Papers relating to his deposal, and the Certificates given him by several of his Friends, Mini∣sters of the Gospel, shall be deposited, with the Church of St. Foy, to be forth∣coming upon all occasions. And whereas he begged an Attestation from this Assembly, we declare that none other can or shall be given him than what is expressed in the very words of this Act. And the Province where∣unto he shall retire for Habitation and Imployment, is required to take no∣tice what use and benefit he shall make of the good Counsels that have been here given him, and what his after Conversation is, and accordingly to give in their Opinion whether he be fit or no to be received as a private Member into Communion with our Churches.

Notes

• Proposans may not Preach nor Administer the Sacra∣ment with∣out Impositi∣on of hands. See Act. 6. of the 3d. Synod of Rochel.
• Of the Dea∣cons of Bearne com∣ing into France, and exercising the Ministry.
• See the Sy∣nod of Mont∣pel. partic. matt. 17. And the Sy∣nod of Ger∣geau, partic matt. 5.
• The favour∣able Opi∣nion of the Book of the Eucharist writ by the Lord du Plessis.
• Nismes.