The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 10 – Section 12
Sect. 10. This was the Confeſſion which was owned in their Firſt National Synod hold at Paris in the Year 1559. and preſented unto Francis the Second King of France, firſt at Amboiſe, in behalf of all the Profeſſors of the Reformed Religion in that Kingdom, afterwards to Charles the Ninth, at the Conference of Poiſſy. It was a ſecond time preſented to the ſaid King; and at length publiſhed by the Paſtors of the French Churches, with a Preface to all other Evangelical Paſtors, in the Year 1566. It was alſo moſt ſolemnly ſigned and ratified in the National Synod held the firſt time at Rochell, 1571. the Year before the Bartholomean Maſſacre, by Jane Queen of Navarre, Henry Prince of Berne, Henry de Bourbon Prince of Condé, Lowis Count of Naſſaw, and Sir Gaſpard de Colligni Lord High Admiral of France. Monſieur Chamier writ that Apologetical Preface which begins with theſe words Combien que nos ſachions, &c. for that other which is prefixt to it in the Bible-Confeſſion, and begins with theſe words, au Roy, & Sire, was done by the Reverend Mr. Calvin, who firſt drew up the Confeſſion it ſelf
One thing I muſt adviſe the Reader of, that there is a very great difference in the Number and Matter of theſe Articles, which came not only in at firſt by the Printers, but by the various Copies which were tranſcribed with Emendations, Additions and Alterations, from the reſpective National Synods. The beſt Copy that I have met with, is that in the Harmony of Confeſſions, tranſlated into Engliſh and Printed by Thomas at Cambridge, in the Year 1586. The Confeſſion which is commonly added to the End of the Bible, and bound up with it, and with the French Pſalm-Books, conſiſts of Forty diſtinct Articles. Yet there is an Edition of it by Juſtus Livius a Printer of Leyden, and dedicated to the States-General of the Netherlands, which hath Monſieur Chamier's Preface, and is diſtinguiſhed into Thirty five Articles, in the Year 1616. I have conſulted and compared ſeveral Printed Editions of the Confeſſion, as that of Hawtyn of Rochell, in the Year 1616. (and he was Printer to the National Synods) which exactly agreed with ſeveral others printed ſince, and with the Latin Edition in the Corpus & Syntagma Confeſſionum, printed by Chouet at Geneva in the Year 1654. And at Geneva was kept one of the three Parchment Originals of this Confeſſion, as the other two were reſerved, one at Paw in Berne, and the third in the Archives of the City of Rochell: and, unleſs my Memory fail me, there is one of theſe Originals in the City of Leyden in Holland, and in the Cuſtody of the French Church there. But I will not be peremptory.
Sect. 11. The next thing which was done by this firſt National Synod was a Draught of their Church-Diſcipline. The Canons of which at firſt were but a few; yet they did in three and twenty Synods alter, add, amend, augment and meliorate their firſt Plat-form, 'till they had brought it to that compleat Form and Syſtem of Articles, which was the eſtabliſhed Order for the Conduct and Government of all their Churches. I have heard very many of their moſt grave, learned and judicious Divines magnifie it as a Maſter-Piece. In truth their pious Reformers ſaw a great neceſſity of reviving and reſtoring the ancient Diſcipline; and therefore at the ſame time that ſound Doctrine, and pure Scripture-Worſhip was introduc'd into their Churches, they did alſo ſet up Diſcipline; and that it might be effectually practiſed, they did, in the Synod of Orleans (the ſixteenth Article of General Matters) ordain, That the Canons of Church-Diſcipline ſhould be read in the Conſiſtories of the Reformed Churches in France. on thoſe Days when as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was adminiſtred; and all Paſtors, Elders and Deacons, all Moderators, Aſſeſſors, Scribes and Deputies of their Synods National and Provincial, and all Members of Colloquies, were expreſly injoined, according to their ſolemn Promiſes when they were firſt received into their reſpective Offices, to ſee that it was diligently, faithfully and vigorouſly executed. And O! that the Generation which ſucceeded the firſt Reformers had not lax'd the Reins, how happy might they have been! In the Morning of the Reformation, they were fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an Army with Banners. The greateſt Princes of France ſubmitted their necks to this golden Yoke of Chriſt. A National Synod was formidable to the moſt daring Sinner. Their Diſcipline duly and prudently managed, preſerved the Purity of Doctrine, Worſhip and Morals among them. And now I ſhall preſent it to me Reader.