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. XVI. An Act for the Meeting of the General Mixt Assembly.

THE Lord of Rouvray our General Deputy having sent unto this Synod his Majesties writ bearing date the 22d. day of this present month, by which at the request of this National Synod the time of meeting for the next National General Assembly is put off till the a 25th. of August, but with∣out any change of place: This Assembly judging the City of Grenoble to be a very inconvenient place because of its great distance, and for being the Residence of a Parliament, and for divers other great and weighty reasons, ordered that Letters should be written unto the Lord Marshal Duke de Les∣diguieres, and presented to him by the Deputies of Burgundy and Dolphiny, who also by word of mouth should humbly intreat his excellency, not only to take in good part the change of the place of meeting, which all the De∣puties convened at this Synod have unanimously desired, and hold necessary, but also that he would be pleased to joyn with them in their humble request, and Petition unto their Majesties by the Lords our General Deputies, who shall present unto them Letters from this Assembly, in which with all hum∣bleness it shall be declared that the late King of most happy Memory did usually make choice of the most meet and convenient places for the holding of those Assemblies. And the said Lords Deputies shall use their utmost care and diligence to give notice and information of the success of this their under∣taking, before the 15th of July, or sooner, if may be, unto the Provincial Assemblies, in case of refusal. This Assembly adviseth also that it would be expedient that they send each of them one Deputy chosen out of their whole Body, to reiterate with all submissions and reverence their most humble Peti∣tions unto their Majesties and by conjoyned Supplications to obtain this change from them.

Moreover the Lords General Deputies are most expresly charged to prose∣cute their complaints of that grievous Outrage Committed by the Lieutenant in the Government of Guise against Monsieur Sigart Pastor of the Church of Levall, and to desire that justice may have its due Course upon that Officer, they corroborating by word of mouth what hath been written unto their Majesties from this Assembly about it. They be also exhorted, accord∣ing to the Canon made at Privas, most humbly to petition their Majesties that we may be exempted from that necessity (which is now more eagerly and

violently prest upon us than ever, yea and with greater severity, rigour and ex∣action than heretofore and against that Liberty of Conscience, which hath been so often promised us) of styling our selves, of the pretended Reformed Religion; we rather choosing to suffer all kind of torments, than to be compelled with our own mouths to condemn our own most holy and true Religion.

Moreover they be exhorted to assist the Church of Dijon; whose place of Meeting for Religious Worship is removed four long Leagues distant from that City, although by the Edict they may have their Temple in the Suburbs. And yet this poor Church hath been frustrated of its expectations, and earnest re∣quests, after ten years Prosecution and Attendance at Court for if.

They shall also complain of the Commissioners that were sent into Burgundy to see the Edict of Nants executed, for that they refused to hear the Petitions ten∣dered them for restoring the exercise of our Religion in seven antient Baily wicks, and in the Cities of St. John, de Laune, and de Noyers, where the Word of God had been duly and constantly Preached in the years 1576, and 1577.

And they shall favour and stand by that opposition made by those of our Re∣ligion in Vivaretz against the Petition presented to the Council by the Judge of the Lower Vivaretz, who would of his own head and authority bring into the Royal Courts of Villeneuve, of Berg and Annonay, Causes determinable in the Provosts Court, which is expresly contrary to that Article of the Edict, declaring, that the Judgment of Declinators, and Exceptions against the Jurisdictions of a Court, shall only appertain to the Mixt Chambers of the Edict, or to other Courts, at the choice of the Professors of our Religion.

They shall complain also of letting decay the Fortifications of Clermont in the Lower Languedoc, one of our Cautionary Towns, and given us as a pledge and hostage for our security: The Papists in the mean while fortifying the Town against the Castle.

They are also intreated to be careful of that business of Monsieur de la Garde, Governour of Tonneins, who being summoned, and brought before His Majesty and Council, after a world of difficulty, was dismissed over to the Chamber of Grenoble; from whence the Jesuits, and other Clergy of the Romish Church would fain remove it back again to Paris. And they shall use all means possible to prevent it.

Latter end of May, 1614.

Subscribed by

• Gigord, Moderator.
• Gardesy, Assessor.
• Andrew Rivett and Scribes.
• D. Maltrett Scribes.