The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 28 (3rd Charenton) · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Return of the Deputies with the Kings Anſwer.
8. ON Thurſday the Fifth of January, the Sieurs Vincent, Chabrol, de Panieure, and de Cleſſes, returned unto the Synod with Letters from his Majeſty, and acquainted us with that favourable Audience and Reception they had from the King, the Queen Regent, his Royal Highneſs the Duke of Orleans, the Lord Cardinal, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Treaſurer, the Comptroller, and from the Secretary de la Ʋrilliere. Which obliged all the Churches to bleſs God for the good Succeſs of their Deputation, and ſeemeth to promiſe us a ſpeedy Redreſs of our Grievances; yet nevertheleſs, according to our Bounden Duty, all the Churches are enjoyned to offer up their moſt Ardent Prayers unto God for their Majeſties Preſervation in Health and Life; for his Royal Highneſs the Duke of Orleans; and for our Lords the Miniſters of State. And whereas the ſaid Deputies had not the Honour of Waiting upon the Prince, he being then out of Town, the Synod ordred them immediately to return to Paris, as ſoon as they had News of his Arrival, and to deliver him his Letters; and to aſſure his Highneſs that our Churches were his moſt Humble Servants.
A Copy of the King's Letter unto the Synod.
By the King.
Dear and Well-beloved,
9. WE have Received your Letters of the Eight and Twentieth Day of the laſt Month, and understand by them to our great Contentment, and by your Deputies, the Good and Sincere Intentions of your Aſſembly, (held by our Permiſſion at Charenton,) to continue in that inviolable Fidelity and Obedience to us, which is your indiſpenſable Duty; the which hath given all deſirable Satisfaction, both to us, and to our moſt Honoured Lady and Mother, the Queen Regent: Wherefore we were willing you ſhould be informed by this our Letter; and we exhort you to perſiſt in this your Reſolution; and that you would upon all Occaſions, render us the undeniable Tokens of it by your good Conduct, and by your ſtrict Obſervance of thoſe Orders we have preſcribed you, about the holding if your National Synod, and on all other occurrences whatſoever, which may offer themſelves for upholding the publicly Tranquillity of this Kingdom. And thus performing your Duty to us, as we truſt you will, you may be aſſured, that you ſhall receive from our Bounty, and from that of our moſt Honoured Lady and Mother the Queen Regent, all ſort of Protection, and favourable Entertainment, and ſhall be ſupported and preſerved under the benefit of our Edicts; your Enjoyment of which, in all Liberty and Safety, under our Reign, as during that of our moſt Honoured Lord and Father the late King, will be a ſingular Pleaſure and Delight unto us: Of which your Deputies who are now returning to you from us, will give you a more full and particular Knowledge.
Given at Paris, thisFourth Day of January, 1645. Signed in the Original, Louis. And a little lower, Phelippeaux. The Superſcription was, To our Dear and Well-beloved, the Paſtor's and Elders, Deputies of the pretended Reformed Religion, Aſſembled by our Permiſſion in a National Synod at Charenton.
10. On Tueſday the Tenth Day of January, the Aſſembly being informed that his Highneſs the Prince was arrived, immediately diſpatched the Sieurs Vincent, Chabrol, Panieure, and de Cleſle unto Paris, and to pay their Reverence unto his Highneſs; who returning the next day, made Report how Kindly they were received by his Highneſs; who graciouſly Offered his beſt Services for the Maintenance of the Edict made in favour of the Churches; which was a moſt particular Joy unto the whole Aſſembly, and obliging us to Hope well from the Favour of that great Lord.
11. The Letters written by the Paſtors and Profeſſors of Geneva, from their Church and Univerſity, to Congratulate the good effects of the laſt National Synod, and the Convocation of this now Sitting; as alſo another particular, one from Monſieur Diodati, about the Edition of his French Tranſlation of the Holy Bible; and one from Dr. Andrew Rivet, Paſtor and Profeſſor of Divinity at Leyden, then reſiding at the Hague, in the Court of his Highneſs the Prince of Orange, and from the Three Profeſſors of Divinity, in the aforeſaid Univerſity of Leyden, concerning the Conformity of Doctrin, Taught and Profeſſed in the Churches of the Low Countries, to and with that Preached and Confeſſed in the Churches of this Kingdom, were all delivered unto the Lord Commiſſioner Sealed, who having firſt Opened and Peruſed them, permitted the Reading of them; but then immediately retained the Originals to be ſent unto the King, and in his Name declared, that it was his Majeſties Will and Pleaſure, that no Anſwer ſhould be returned unto them by the Synod; which was Obeyed accordingly.
12. The Lord Marqueſs of Clermont having exerciſed the Office of General Deputy for the Churches ever ſince the Year 1627, did now Petition his Majeſty to be Diſcharged by reaſon of his Indiſpoſition, and his Majeſty having granted him his Requeſt, and appointed the Lord Baron of Argiliers to Succeed him, and Ordered the Lord Commiſsioner to acquaint the Synod with it, and with his gracious Intentions for the Weal of the Churches. The Synod was filled with great Joy, for that his Majeſty had Committed this Important Truſt of our General Deputy, unto ſo well an accompliſh'd Perſon, whoſe Noble Birth, Vertue and Piety, did every way qualify him for it. But it having been ever ſince the Year 1631. cuſtomary for the Churches to preſent Six Perſons unto the Ring, Three out of the Nobility, and Three others of the Commonalty, out of which number his Majeſty might prick and chuſe any Two, who were beſt pleaſing to him; and that now this Office of Solliciting at Court the Affairs of our poor Churches is devolved upon one Perſon only, who may be diſabled from attending it by Sickneſt, or ſome other Accidents, which may intervene and hinder it; the Aſſembly yielding a profound Deference, a moſt entire Submiſſion and Obedience unto his Majeſty's declared Will and Pleaſure, did yet notwithſtanding moſt humbly Petition his Majeſty to grant us the Reſtitution of our ancient Practice, approved by the Kings his Predeceſſors, that another Perſon from among the Commons might be conſtituted in caſe of the Lord Baron of Argilier's Sickneſs, or of any other Impediment that might happen on his Part, to take the care of, and ſollicit the Affairs of our Churches.
13. As the Synod was drawing up a Bill of the Churches Grievances, and particularly of the Infractions of the Edict in all the Provinces, both before and ſince its Convocation, the Lord Commiſſioner informed them, That though it was his Majeſty's Pleaſure this Aſſembly ſhould not in the leaſt deliberate of any State-matters publickly, yet he would not hinder them from drawing up ſuch a Bill, by a ſelect Committee choſen thereunto, who might do it in private, out of the Memoirs with which the reſpective Deputies were charged by their Provincial Synods at their Departure, or that ſince their Arrival at this Town, they might have received either from the Churches, or from particular Perſons, who were concerned, and had notified thoſe Wrongs that were done them by Letters. Whereupon the Synod did plenarily ſubmit unto this Order preſcribed them by the Lord Commiſſioner.
14. The Lord Commiſſioner acquainting the Synod, how that the Lord de la Vrilliere, Principal Secretary of State, had aſſured him, that the Decree for remanding all Cauſes concerning the Profeſſors of our Religion unto the Courts of the Edict was diſpatched, and that a Fund of 16000 Livres for defraying the Expences of this Aſſembly was alſo aſſigned, he had the moſt humble and hearty Thanks of the Aſſembly rendred to him; and he was farther intreated to continue more and more to do all good Offices unto the Churches, and to get expedited a Decree of Superſedeas, which may ſtop the Violence of our Ill-Wiſhers, and may ſecure us ſome Repoſe, till ſuch time as his Lordſhip the General Deputy do take into his Hands the management of our Affairs, which was readily granted by the Lord Commiſſioner.
15. The Sieurs de L' Angle and Cottiby Paſtors were joyned in Commiſſion with the Sieurs de Morande and Pellue, to preſent unto their Majeſties the Bills of our Churches Grievances; and they had Letters alſo to the King, and the Queen Regent, to my Lord the Duke of Orleans, to my Lord Chancellor, to my Lord High Treaſurer, and to my Lord Emery Comptroller General, and to the Lord de la Ʋrilliere Secretary of State.
And this Committee are ordered to give the moſt hearty Thanks of all the Churches unto the Lord Marquiſs of Clemont, and to aſſure him of our perpetual Gratitude, arid that we ſhall always remember the great Care and Pains he took for us during his Office of General Deputy, and that we will never be wanting in our Prayers unto God for him, and his beſt Bleſſings upon him. And the ſaid Committee were ordered to receive the Sum of 1600 Livres aſſigned by his Majeſty for the defraying our Synodical Charges.
After that this Committee ſhall have paid their Duties in the Name of this whole Aſſembly to both their Majeſties, and their moſt Honourable Privy Council, the Sieurs of Morande and Pellue ſhall remain at Paris, waiting the coming of the Lord General Deputy, and Salute his Lordſhip from the Aſſembly, and conſign unto him the Conduct of our Affairs; and in the mean while they ſhall employ themſelves wholly in ſolliciting the ſpeedy Diſpatch of thoſe which are moſt urgent, and admit of no Delay. And in caſe his Lordſhip our General Deputy do not come to Paris within a Fortnight, they ſhall tarry there till he do. And it being in no wiſe juſt or equitable that they ſhould lie there upon their own Charges, the Aſſembly granteth, that out of the Sum of 1600 Livres aſſigned by his Majeſty for defraying of out Expences, they ſhall draw out for their own Service the Sum of Two Hundred Livres, but with this Proviſo, That in caſe the Lord General Deputy ſhall come to Town within the Fortnight, that then they pay in the ſaid Two Hundred Livres to the Conſiſtory of the Church of Paris, who are to diſpoſe of it towards the Redemption of our poor Captives in Barbary; and in caſe they ſhould be neceſſitated to ſojourn there any longer time than the Fortnight, the Remainder of the Monies allowed them for their Expences, in their Hands, ſhall be conſcientiouſly reſtored by them.
16. The Lord Marquis of Clermont, who was intruſted with thoſe Aſſignations made unto our Churches out of certain Offices belonging to the Commiſſioners of real Seiſures, having brought them by Mr. Cooper unto this Aſſembly, an Order paſſed, that the Sieurs de L' Angle and Cottiby, Joynt Deputies, with the Sieurs Morande and Pellue, or any of them, who ſhould remain at Paris to receive the Lord General Deputy, ſhould remit them into his Hands, and intreat his Lordſhip to deal in them, and compound on ſuch Terms, as he, together with the Conſiſtory of Paris, ſhall judge to be leaſt diſadvantagious unto the Churches.
Moreover the foreſaid Committee are empowred by this Synod to give whatever Acquittances or Diſcharges may be meet and neceſſary on thoſe Accompts, which were formerly brought in by the Lord of Candall, whether ariſing from the Debets of Acquittances, which may or ſhall be produced, or from thoſe of Commiſſioners for real Seiſures, which were uſed in Repriſal, and left in the Hands of the Lord Marquis of Clermont. And as for what is clearly owing unto the ſaid Lord of Candall upon his laſt Accompt, in caſe Satisfaction may be given him out of any other part of Repriſal, the ſaid Committee are ordered and empowred to ſee it done.
The Lord General Deputy upon his Arrival ſhall, according to Order and Cuſtom, take the uſual Oath, which ſhall be adminiſtred to him by the Conſiſtory of the Church of Paris.