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. V. Observations on Reading of our Church-Discipline.

• Article 1. THE Deputies of the Province of Orleans and Berry having noted it, it was ordered that after these words in the close of the fourth Article in the first Chapter (His ordination being com∣pleatly finished in that Church whereunto he is sent) the following words shall be razed (then there shall be Deputed three Ministers to Present him unto the People) in lieu of which these shall be substituted: Which shall be informed. of his Election by Act and Letters from that Synod or Colloquy, carried and read unto them by a Pastor or Elder.
• Art. 2. The 5th. Article shall begin with these words, He whose Election is declared and published to the Church shall make a Proposition &c.
• Art. 3. The 7th. Article shall not begin with these words (when Ministers are to be ordained) but with these following, All which as before having been ob∣served, two Pastors, Deputed expresly by the Synod or Colloquy to ordain by imposi∣tion of hands, the Minister Elect, being come unto the Church, He of them who is to Preach, shall treat of the nature and manner of ordination &c.
• Art. 4. Whereas the Deputies of Burgundy moved about the sence of the 7th. Article, as to the hand of fellowship, and of the newly Elected Pastors presence at the Acts of Colloquies and Synods after his Election▪ This As∣sembly judgeth that the hand of fellowship ought not to be given him but immediately after his ordination, and that this is the sence of that Article, and tho he may be permitted entrance into the Colloquy or Synod, yet shall he not be admitted to give his decisive suffrage the first Sessions after his Or∣dination.
• Art. 5. In expounding the 19th. Article of the same Chapter, this Canon was made, That none of the Pastors Ministring in the Houses of Princes and great Lords should be chosen Deputies unto our National Synods, unless it were for that particular Province unto which their Church and Consistory is joyned at the very instant time of their Deputation.
• Art. 6. The Deputies of the Isle of France insisting for a change of some words, which their Provincial Synod judged needful to be altered in the 47th. Article of the same Chapter: This Assembly thought it inconvenient to make any alteration.
• Art. 7. The Deputies of Vivaretz demanding that in the second Article of the 7th. Chapter the number of Elders which are to be sent unto Synods or Colloquies might be reduced to the same with that of Pastors; and that one Elder only might be Commissionated with the Pastor: The Assembly ordained that there should be nothing changed in it.
• Art. 8. As to what hath been observed by the Province of the Isle of France on the 5th. Article of the 8th. Chapter, this Assembly ordains that the Article shall not be changed, but these words following shall be added to it, Saving always their power to prosecute that ungratefull Church, ac∣cording to the Judgment of the Provincial Synod.
• Art. 9. On the 5th. Article of the 3d. Chapter after these words, They shall herein follow the Common form, there shall be these added: And they shall suffer none other books to be read but the Canonical books of the old and new Testament.
• Art. 10. In the 2d. of Article the 11th. Chapter, instead of these words that he were chosen Doctor, it were best, so that all Ambiguities may be re∣moved, to read both Doctor and Minister.
• Art. 11. The Province of Berry remonstrating by their Deputies that the 5th. Article of the 13th. Chapter had been changed at Privas without the

• Consent of the Provinces, and demanding that it might stand as it had been couched by the Synod of Gergeau; which also was demanded by the Pro∣vince of Lower Languedoc and Sevennes. This Assembly ordained, that the Article should remain in that very form as it was framed by the National Synod of Privas.
• Art. 12. At the request of the Deputies of the Isle of France, this Assem∣bly considering the 32d. Article of the 13th. Chapter, treating of Monks and Priests revolting from the truth of the Gospel, which they had once em∣braced, and returning like Swine to Wallow in the Mire of Idolatry, doth Judge meet and fit for the removing of all Ambiguities, that these follow∣ing words should be added to it, viz. Chaunting Masses, and entring again into their Cloysters.
• Art. 13. The Deputies of Higher Languedoc moved, that because of the great advantage would accrew unto us by Monitories gotten out of their Ecclesiastical Courts against those of the Church of Rome, especially in com∣pelling them to confess the truth, it would be very convenient for us to al∣low the demanding of them, and that the 11th. Article of the 14th. Chap∣ter might be razed out. But this Assembly ordained that the article should abide in its full force, and nothing at all to be changed in it.
• Art. 14. Altho the Deputies of Sevennes demanded it, yet this Assembly did not conceive that the 32th. Article in the same Chapter concerning Du∣els needed any further explication, wherefore it shall continue as it is, the words being very clear and plain, and their sence obvious to any common Understanding, and their exact and careful observation of this Canon is recommended unto all the Consistories.

  Our Church Discipline being read, the Assembly approved of it in all its Articles, and all the Deputies Promised, and Sware for themselves, and their Churches and Provinces, that they would observe it in their own per∣sons, and use their best endeavours that it should be most carefully observ∣ed in their respective Churches and Provinces.

Notes

• St. Maixant Observat. 2.
• See Syn. of Rechel obs. 4.
• St. Maixant Obser. 4.
• Orltans Art. 3.
• 1 Par. 22
• Vert••eil 26.
• 1 Paris. P. M. 17. Do not evil that good may come, lest the end should be de∣struction.
• Montpellier, p. m. 16.