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. IX.* 1.1 Of National Synods.

• CANON I. NAtional Synods shall be held once every year, if it can possibly be done; and this Order shall be observed for its assembling, That in the closing up of every National Synod a Province shall be chosen, which shall be intrusted with the power of calling the next, and shall be charged to acquaint all the other Provinces with the day and place of its meeting.
• CAN. II. If difficult cases should be moved in any one of the Provinces, it shall give notice of it unto that Province, which is charged to assemble the Na∣tional Synod, and having ordered the time and place of its meeting, the other Provinces shall be acquainted with it, that so they may come unto the Synod ready and well-prepared for a Decision.
• CAN. III. And forasmuch as at this time it is very difficult and dangerous to assem∣ble the National Synod in a great number of Ministers and Elders: It is thought good for the present, and till such difficulties can be removed, that the Brethren assembled in every Provincial Synod, shall chuse out only two Ministers and Elders, who are Persons of great experience in Church-affairs, to be sent in the name of the whole Province, and these Deputies shall come with ample and sufficient powers, and furnished with good memorials, sub∣scribed by the Moderator and Scribes of the Provincial Synod; and lest any of the Deputies should fail, three or four Pastors more, and as many Elders shall be nominated by the Provincial Synods: that so if the first na∣med Persons should be by any accident hindered from taking their journey, yet others may be at hand to supply their places in the National Synod.

  N.B. That in all Letters of Commission signed by the Provinces to their De∣puties unto the National Synods, there was this Clause of submission to be inserted, viz. We promise before God to submit our selves unto all that shall be con∣cluded and resolved on in your holy Assembly, and to obey, and perform it to the best of our power; being well perswaded, that God presideth in the midst of you, and guideth you by his holy Spirit into all truth and equity by the Rule of his Word, for the weal and benefit of his Church, and the glory of his great Name. Which also we beg of him most ardently in our daily Prayers. See the Acts of the National Synod of Vitré, 1617. in that Canon next after the Catalogue of the Deputies.

• CAN. IV. Provincial Synods shall not limit any certain time for the return of the Ministers and Elders whom they had deputed unto the National Synod: but they shall suffer them to tarry at the said Synod so long as there shall be need of their presence and attendance in it, and these Deputies shall have all their expences born and defrayed out of the common stock of the whole Province.
• CAN. V. The Articles of our Confession of Faith, and the Canons of our Church-Discipline, shall be all read at the opening of every National Synod.
• ...

• ... CAN. VI. And that the National Synod may not be busied about Questions already determined in the Acts of former National Synods, The Provincial Depu∣ties shall be advised to peruse the Acts of former National Synods before they prepare their Memoirs, and they shall see that nothing be transmitted but what is of common and general concern to all the Churches, and which meriteth the decision of a National Synod.
• CAN. VII. All Ecclesiastical matters may be finally decided and resolved by the Na∣tional Synod, the Provinces having been in the first place informed of them, if possible, by that Province which had the charge of assembling the Na∣tional Synod.
• CAN. VIII. The Decisions shall be only made by the Provincial Deputies; but and if there be in the National Synod other Ministers besides the Deputies, they may propound their judgments as to what may be done, but they shall nei∣ther have consultive nor decisive Votes.

  N.B. This Canon is in three Editions, in that of 1653. in that of 1666. and in that 1676. but in those of Paris, and Quevilly, 1663. it is omitted.

• CAN. IX. Those that appeal from Provincial Synods unto the National, shall be bound to be present in Person at it, or else they shall send unto it most am∣ple Memoirs, with a lawful excuse for their absence: And on default hereof the Sentence of the Provincial Synod shall be ratified. The same course shall be taken with Appeals from Consistories unto Colloquies, and from Colloquies unto the Provincial Synods.
• CAN. X. The Provincial Deputies shall not depart from the National Synod with∣out carrying home with them the Synodical Decrees, subscribed by the Pre∣sident and Scribe: and a month after their return they shall give notice thereof unto the Colloquies of their Province, that so they may send for the Acts of the said Synod, and this at the sole charge of the said Colloquies.
• CAN. XI. And that Synodical Acts may be preserved, and that they may be of use and service in after times for the determining of Controversies which may be propounded for resolution unto our National Synods; The said Acts both for the time past and to come, and all others which concern those Sy∣nods, as also the Canons of Church-Discipline, and the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in this Kingdom, shall be left in custody with the Provincial Deputies, who are appointed to call the next National Sy∣nod, and that Province shall be obliged to bring them unto the Synod.
• CAN. XII. Before the breaking up of National Synods there shall be an amicable and fraternal Censure of all the Deputies, Ministers and Elders, about those matters only which had been managed during its Sessions, and whatever did in general respect their Provinces. And the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be Celebrated and partaken by them in testimony of their Cordial Union. Provided always that this holy Sacrament shall be Com∣municated in with that very Church in which they held their Synodical

• Assembly, and for this purpose the said Church shall be admonished to pre∣pare themselves for it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. IX. Of National Synods.