The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 1 – Introduction 2
AN INTRODUCTION UNTO THESE COUNCILS.
THE CONTENTS OF THE INTRODUCTION.
The State of Religion in France before the Reformation, Section 1. The Dawn of it in the Preaching of Waldo, 2. And of his Diſciples, 3. Perſecutions raiſed against them, and by whom. 4. The glorious Out-breaking of the Reformation, how and by what Inſtruments in that Kingdom, 5. The Growth and Progreſs of it. Churches gathered. Pure Worſhip inſtituted. Bible tranſlated into the Mother-Tongue, 6. New Perſecutions excited. The first National Synod, 7. Confeſſion of Faith compoſed, and preſented to the King, 8. The Confeſſion it ſelf, in 40 Articles, 9. Remarks upon the Confeſſion, 10. Diſcipline deſigned, 11. The whole Body of the Diſcipline of thoſe Reformed Churches in fourteen diſtinct Chapters, 12. Remarks upon the Diſcipline. And Apology for thoſe Churches. Two thouſand one hundred and fifty Reformed Churches in France in the Year 1571. They had more than 200000 Martyrs in ten Years time, 13. The Acme and Perfection of the Reformation. Religion at a ſtand for 22 Years, from the 1572, to the Year 1594. When Henry the Fourth last revolted then began the Reformation to loſe ground in France. French Miniſters Latitudinarians and Accommodators, who, and for what; but condemned by their National Synods, 14. The Edict of Nantes with all its Articles. The ſecret Articles of that Edict, 15. The Preſident du Thou, and the Lord of Calignon ſpend three Years in drawing up this Edict, 16. Obſervation and Infractions of the Edict. Miſery of the Reformed after the death of Henry the Fourth, 17. The Edict of Niſmes granted to the D. of of Rohan, and the whole Body of the Proteſtants, 18. Reflections upon this Edict, and its Non-obſervation. A Declaration of this preſent King Louis the Fourteenth, confirming all the former Edicts of Pacification, with Acknowledgment of the great Services and Merits of the Reformed, 19. The true Cauſes of their Ruin, the great Services they had done the King in his greatest needs, 20. The various Methods uſed for the deſtruction of the Proteſtants in France. 21. Law Suits in many Articles and Caſes, 22. Great Oppreſſions by fiery Zealots, 23. Proteſtants ruined by perjur'd Papiſts, 24. Incouragements given to Popiſh Prieſts and Miſſioners. The Cheaters cheated, 25. The miſerable condition of ſick Proteſtants, 26. The cruel Oppreſſions of a French Gentleman, 27. A General Inundation of Criminal Proceſſes. Falſe Witneſſes against Proteſtant Miniſters, 28. The Reformed deprived of all Offices. Orders for it, 29. New Converts freed from paying of Debts. Proteſtants may not diſpoſe of their Eſtates, 30. Violations of the Edict by corrupt Expoſitions of it, 31. The Schools of the Reformed, their Colleges and Ʋniverſities ſuppreſs'd, 32. New Laws made which were a torment to them. Thoſe Laws ſpecified and enumerated, 33. Proteſtants may not receive into their Temples any revolted unto Popery. Seats in their Temples for the Roman Catholicks, 34. Multitudes foreſeeing the approaching Storm, quit the Kingdom, 35. The Proteſtants ruined by the Verbal Declarations of their King. His Letter to the Duke of Brandenburg, 36. Juggling Tricks uſed to miſchief the Reformed, 37. Five most notable ones, 38. The Mob ſtirred up by Decrees to deſire their extirpation, by venomous Libels, 39. The care and endeavours of the Reformed for their own preſervation, yet ineffectual, 40. Perſecutions of the Proteſtants by Dragoons, 41. In Berne, their horrible Cruelties to fright the Reformed into Popery, 42. A Specimen of thoſe Cruelties, 43. The barbarous uſage of the Nobles and Commons of the Reformed in France: Several memorable Relations of it, 44. The Martyrdom of Monſieur Homel, 45. The Intendants, Biſhops, Prieſts, and Miſſioners, Ring-leaders in perſecution. A Form of Abjuration propounded and to be ſigned by the Proteſtants, 46. A Letter from Metz, giving an account of their ſad eſtate there in that City, 47. A Letter from Geneva, relating the doleful eſtate of the poor Refugees in that City, 48. Conſultations at Court for the total extirpation of the Reformed Religion, 49. The Edict repealing that of Nantes, 50. The wretched eſtate of the exiled Paſtors, 51. And of the remaining Proteſtants in that Kingdom, 52. Treacherous dealing with poor Miniſters. A Letter about it, 53. The Pope's Congratulatory Letter to the King, 54. A Paſtoral Letter to the Brethren groaning under Babyloniſh Captivity and Tyranny, 55. Remarks upon the Manuſcript Copies out of which this Synodicon was extracted and compoſed, 56. A Catalogue and Order and Time of the National Synods, 57.
THE INTRODUCTION.
SECTION I. The State of Religion in France before the Reformation.
EƲrope a little before the Reformation was univerſally over-run with Idolatry, Superſtition, Ignorance, and Prophaneneſs. The greater part of the Prieſts ſaid not, Where is the Lord? and they who ſhould have taught the Law of God, knew him not. The Paſtors alſo tranſgreſſed againſt him, and the Prophets Propheſied by Baal. There was like People like Prieſt, ſottiſh, brutiſh, and debauched.
Sect. 2. In this woful eſtate the Sovereign Mercy of God brake forth, as the Sun out of a dark Cloud in a moſt illuſtrious manner upon the Kingdom of France, viſiting it in the firſt place, and before all the Nations of Europe, with the ſaving knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt the Day-ſpring from on high. The verity and purity of Chriſtian Doctrine (God's great Ordinance to recover ſinful Nations from their Antichriſtian pollutions) is Preached and publiſhed unto it. Angels as it were from Heaven, holy Men and Meſſengers of God, came flying with the little Book of Life in their hands (not as a Sealed Viſion, dark and unintelligible, but open, plain, clear, and eaſy to be underſtood) into the Cities, and Towns of that Kingdom, and call aloud unto the Inhabitants thereof to repent of all their abominations, to turn from all their Idols, Superſtitious, and irreligious practices, and to fear and ſerve God only through Jeſus Chriſt the alone Mediator betwixt God and Man. This was done at firſt by that famous Trumpet of Reformation the bleſſed Waldo of Lions, who being a Neighbour to the Vaudois, received the holy Bible, and Doctrine of Eternal Life and Salvation from them, in the year 1160. It having been conſerved in their Valleys times immemorial, yea, ſaid Fryar Reynerius, from the very days of the Apoſtles.
Sect. 3. But he was not alone in this Miniſtry: The Lord raiſed up, and Commiſſionated many other Worthies to labour in his Vineyard, and to gather in his great Harveſt of precious Souls, for the Fields were already white, and longing for the Harveſt, 'Tis true they had a moſt unkind uſage, and cruel Entertainment from the Popiſh Prieſts and Prelates, and from the greater part of the Antichriſtian World. For theſe wiſe Men among the People, that had skill and underſtanding in the Viſions of God, and inſtructed many, yet, did, according to the Scripture-Prophecy, fall by the Sword, and by Flame, by Captivity, and by ſpoil many days; among whom the moſt renowned were Joſeph a Diſciple of Waldo, who Preached in Dolphiny, Henry and Eperon who Preached in Languedoc, Arnold Hor who Preached in Albigois, and Lollard (by whoſe name the Profeſſors of the Goſpel were ſo called here in England) theſe as they lived zealous Preachers, ſo they died moſt faithful Martyrs, ſealing the Truth of Chriſt with their Hearts Blood, as did alſo many thouſands of their Followers.
Sect. 4. For to exterminate theſe Hereticks (as they were then ſtiled) Pope Innocent the Third publiſhed his Croiſados, granting plenary remiſſion of ſins to all Perſons that would go to this holy War, and deſtroy them. Great Kings, potent Princes, and noble Lords, are all invited, commanded and animated to perſecute them; and in caſe of neglect on their part, they themſelves are reputed Favourers and Upholders of them, and are expoſed to the Thunderbolts of Papal Excommunications, and to be deprived of their Crowns, Kingdoms, Dominions and Lives. Thus were the King of Arragon, the Counts of Tolouſe, Beziers, and Carcaſſone ſerved, who were all cut off by thoſe prodigious Armies muſtered up againſt them. They and many Myriads of their Subjects together with them, are moſt horribly butcher'd and deſtroyed by the Croiſado-Pilgrims.
Sect. 5. But notwithſtanding all the Croiſado's, Slaughters, Maſſacres, and moſt barbarous Perſecutions of the poor Albingenſes and Waldenſes, there was not a total extinction of the Truth, it was ſuppreſſed but not deſtroyed, as Fire buried under much Aſhes, it doth at length break out with the more vehement flame. Its Profeſſors were dead, but the Truth lived; it lay concealed in the hearts of the Children of theſe Martyrs, who groaned for a Reformation. There was a very great propenſity in all the Nations of Europe, but eſpecially of France unto it. The Papal Power had been crampt by the Pragmatical Sanction in that Kingdom. The Auguſt Parliament of Paris ſixed bounds unto it. The learned Sorboniſts had ſeveral of their Divines, who diſputed againſt and decried it. Lewes the Twelfth threatned to deſtroy Babylon. When Learning was revived, by Francis the Firſt, in that Kingdom, the Reformation had there its Reſurrection. Pious and good Men paſſionately deſired, and Preached up the neceſſity of it. William Briſſonnet, Biſhop of Meaux, promoted it in his Dioceſs. James Fabey born at Eſtaples in Picardy, a Man of great Learning, and of an Angelical Life, laboured hard in it. And in the dawn of the Reformation the Doctrine of the Goſpel was embraced by ſeveral Perſons of great Quality. Margaret of Valois, Queen of Navarre, and Siſter to the French King, was accuſed for it by the blood-thirſty Prelates unto her Royal Brother. She was indeed a Sanctuary unto God's Fugitives, a Covert to them from the ſtorm, an hiding place from the Tempeſt. In her Houſe Faber, now an hundred years old, after a moſt Heavenly Diſcourſe with the Queen at Supper, fell aſleep in the Lord. Luther, a Divine Herald, publiſheth the Goſpel in Germany; Zuinglius one year before him, and without any knowledge of him, or correſpondence with him, had thundered againſt Indulgences, and began the Reformation in Switzerland. A little while after, Mr. Calvin is called forth by God to be a glorious Inſtrument of it in France. *See the Author of Status Reipubl. & Relig. ſab Henr. 2. p 10. & 11. & ſub Carol… 9. p. 94.And the Lord owneth him, and his Fellow-Servants, notwithſtanding all the ſtorms of Popiſh rage and fury againſt them in this great work; Inſomuch that the whole Kingdom is inlightned and raviſhed with it, and many of the moſt eminent Counſellors in that Illuſtrious Senate the Parliament of Paris, do profeſs the Goſpel openly, and in the very preſence of their King Henry the Second, though to the loſs of Honour, Eſtate and Life. It was now got into the Court, and among Perſons of the higheſt Quality. Many Nobles, ſome Princes of the Blood dare eſpouſe its Cauſe. The Blood of the Martyrs proving the Seed of the Church, and as Iſrael of old, ſo now, the more the Profeſſors of the Goſpel are oppreſſed, and perſecuted, the more are they increaſed and multiplied.