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.VIII. His Majesties Proclamation of Pardon.

BEFORE we proceed unto General matters, we shall first exhibit his Majesties Letters Pattents, concerning their Pardon, who have held Provincial Political Assemblies since that National one, which was convened at Saumur in the year, 1611.

LOUIS by the Grace of God King of France and Navarre,

To our Beloved and Trusty Counsellors sitting in our Court of Parliament and of the Edict, Greeting.

When God called us to the Government of this Kingdom, to Wear the Crown, and weild the Scepter of our Ancestors, we took up a fixed resolution to follow that form and order in management of State Affairs, which was Established by the Deceased King our most Honoured Lord and Father, whom God absolve; Believing that we could not better secure the Kingdom which he had left us, than by imitating his example, who had raised it from the deepest desolation to the highest Pinnacle of Glory. And we have met with that success and happiness herein, that none of our Subjects have had any the least occasion to complain of us; For we have took such an effectual course in the Administration of our Government, that we have given general satisfaction unto all Persons whom God hath Subjected to us, and particularly unto those of the Pretended Reformed Religion: for we have not only graciously answered their Petitions and Bills of Grievances, which they had presented to us, but we have also sent divers Persons of Quality into all the Provinces of this Kingdom with Commissions and Authority to see the Edict of Nantes executed in all its Articles, and particular Orders, and other Priviledges Granted and Accorded in the Reign of our Deceased Lord and Father to them, and in all other cases whatsoever in which it might be executed, that so by this means we might free them from all fears and apprehensions of troubles; which have been formerly the grounds and pretences used by those our said Subjects for holding extraordinary Assemblies without our Royal Permission, and would have made others of a different perswasion to suspect and grow jealous of them. Where∣fore we being most desirous to provide against those evils, and to preserve that Peace, Union, and good correspondence most Happily Established and kept up by the Edict and its exact observation, we do by and with the Advice and Consent, and in the presence of the Queen Regent, our most Honoured Lady and Mother, and of the Princes of our Blood, and with the Princes and Officers of our Crown, and being fully assured of the good Will in general of our said Subjects, of their zeal and fidelity to our service, and designing to deal favourably with them, We have of our mere and special Grace, Plenary Power, and Royal Authority remitted and abolished, we do remit and abolish by these Presents their offence committed by them who have called, or assisted in person at those Assemblies aforesaid, which have been held without our Permission in sundry Provinces of this Kingdom, and also of all matters fore-passed, or done in Consequence of them, and we will that they be all fully acquitted, cleared, and discharged from them; and we expresly forbid our Attorney general and his Substitutes in any wise to make any Inquiry, Suit, or Prosecution for them. Yet nevertheless that we may prevent for the future the Li∣centious calling of such Assemblies forbidden by the Edicts, and special Orders

made on these accounts by the Late King our most Honoured Lord and Father, in the Obedience of which 'tis our Will and Pleasure that those our said Subjects shall continue, and in pursuance of the eighty second Article of the Edict of Nantes, and of the Ordinance of the fifteenth of March, 1606. at also of that Answer given the nineteenth of August next following unto their Bill of Grievances presented by the General Deputies of the said Religion, the Extracts of which are fastned unto these Presents under the Seal of our Chancery, We have prohibited, and do prohibit and forbid all those our said Subjects of the said Religion for the future to make any Congregations or Assemblies for treating or debating of holding any pub∣lick Assemblies, without having first got our Royal License and Permission expresly to this purpose, upon pain of being punished at breakers of our Edicts, and Disturbers of the publick Peace; However we do give them full Liberty of holding their Consi∣stories, Colloquies, and Provincial and National Synods, at hath been formerly granted to them, but with this condition, that they admit none other persons into them but Ministers and Elders to treat of their Doctrine and Church-Discipline, upon pain of losing their Priviledge to hold these Assemblies, and on all Moderators of an∣swering for it in their private and personal Capacities. And we do command that these our present Letters Pattents be read, and recorded, and that you cause those our said Subjects to enjoy the benefit of their contents, and farther that you see them exactly and punctually observed in the whole extent of your Jurisdiction, without permitting or suffering them in the least to be transgressed. Moreover we com∣mand and enjoin all Governors and Lieutenant Generals, Particular Governors, and their Lieutenants in the Governments of our Provinces, and Cities of their Ju∣risdiction, and the Mayors, Bayliffs, Sheriffs, and Consuls of them to see that they be very carefully kept and observed: And the first of our Beloved and Faith∣ful Counsellors, and Master of the Ordinary Requests of our Houshold, and Coun∣sellors in our Court of Parliament in those places, and others our Justices and Offi∣cers to make informations of those transgressions aforesaid, and to give us speedy advice of it; and in the mean while to proceed against such at shall be found Delin∣quents according to due course of Law, and the Tenour of our Edicts and Ordinan∣ces For such is our Will and Pleasure. Given at Paris the 24th day of April in the year of Grace, 1612. and of our Reign the Second.

Signed LOUIS, And a little Lower by the King in his Council. De Lomenie. And Sealed with Yellow Wax, the great Seal appendant at the bottom with a single Thread.