The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 12 · Chapter 2 – Chapter 4
CHAP. II. Of Schools.
CANON I. THE Churches ſhall do their utmoſt endeavour to erect Schools, and to take care of the inſtruction of their Youth.
CAN. II. Regents and Maſters of Schools ſhall ſubſcribe the Confeſſion of Faith and Church-Diſcipline, and the Towns and Churches ſhall nor admit any one into this Office without the conſent of the Conſiſtory of that place.
CAN. III. Doctors and Profeſſors in Divinity ſhall be choſen by the Synod of that Province in which our Univerſities do lie, and they ſhall be Examined, not only in Lectures made by them upon the authentick Edition of the Greek and Hebrew Texts of the Old and New Teſtament, which ſhall be given them, but alſo by a diſputation of one or more days, as upon advice taken ſhall be judged beſt; and being found. Perſons of ſufficient abilities, if they are not Paſtors, the right hand of Fellowſhip ſhall be given them, they having firſt promiſed, that they will with all faithfulneſs and diligence diſcharge their duty, and handle the holy Scriptures with all purity, according to the Analogy of Faith, and the Confeſſion of our Churches,Chap. II. Of Schooh. which together with our Church Diſcipline ſhall be ſubſcribed by them.
CAN. IV. That our Churches may be always furniſhed with a ſufficient number of Paſtors, and of other Perſons fit to govern them, and to preach the Word of God unto them, they ſhall be adviſed to chuſe thoſe Scholars who be already well advanced in good Learning, and be of the moſt promiſing hopeful Parts, and to maintain ſuch in the Univerſities, that they may be there prepared and fitted for the Work of the Miniſtry, ever preferring the Children of poor Miniſters, if ingenious, before all others; of which the Colloquies ſhall take a moſt eſpecial care. Kings, Princes, and Lords ſhall be exhorted and petitioned particularly to mind this important Affair, and to lay by ſome part and portion of their Revenues towards their maintenance, and the richer Churches ſhall do the like. Colloquies and Provincial Synods ſhall as they ſee meet notifie and ſollicit this Affair, and take the beſt courſes that matters of ſo great neceſſity may be ſucceſsful; and if ſingle Churches cannot do it, their Neighbours ſhall joyn with them, that one poor Scholar at the leaſt may be maintained in every Colloquy; and rather than this deſign ſhould miſcarry, the fifth Penny of all our Charities ſhall be ſet apart, if it may conveniently be done to be imployed in this ſervice.
CAN. V. A Propoſition out of the Word of God ſhall be made by the Scholars of every Church, as time and place may conveniently bear it; at which Exerciſes Paſtors ſhall be preſent to preſide and order the ſaid Propoſans. N. B. There were general Statutes made for the Ʋniverſities of the Reformed Churches of France, in the National Synod of Alez. By whom they were drawn up, is now out of my mind: but thoſe for the Ʋniverſity of Montauban were compoſed by Monſieur Beraud the Father, who was the firſt Divinity-Profeſſor in it. Thoſe for the Ʋniverſity of Die in Dolphiny were compoſed by the great Chamier; which I have lying by me, written with his own hand, and which I ſhall publiſh, if the Lord lend me life, in his Icon.
CHAP. III. Of Elders and Deacons.
CANON I. IN thoſe places where the Order of our Diſcipline is not yet ſet up, Elders and Deacons ſhall be choſen by the joynt Suffrages of Paſtors and People; but where it hath been already eſtabliſhed, the power of chuſing them, and that with pertinent Prayers unto the occaſion, ſhall reſide in the Conſiſtory together with the Paſtors, and they ſhall be nominated with an audible Voice in the ſaid Conſiſtory, that they may know in what buſineſſes they are to be employed. If they conſent, they ſhall on two Lord's days following be declared to the People, that ſo their conſent alſo may be obtained; and if on the third Sabbath there be no oppoſition made, they ſhall be then publickly received with ſolemn Prayers, ſtanding upright before the Pulpit, and be thus ordained unto their Offices, they ſubſcribing our Confeſſion of Faith and Church-Diſcipline; but if there fall out any oppoſition, it ſhall be determined in the Conſiſtory, and in caſe it cannot be there compoſed,Chap III. Of Elders and Deacons. it ſhall be wholly remitted to the Colloquy, or Provincial Synod.
CAN. II. Henceforward, if it may be poſſibly avoided, none ſhall be choſen Elders or Deacons of the Church, whoſe Wives are not of the true Religion, according to the Apoſtles Canon. Yet notwithſtanding, that the Church may not be deprived of the Labours of ſeveral worthy perſons, who in the days of their ignorance eſpouſed Women of a contrary Religion, they ſhall be tolerated, becauſe of the preſent neceſſity: provided that they do produce good evidence of their ſerious endeavours for inſtructing of their Wives in that Faith and true Worſhip of God practiſed in our Churches.
CAN. III. The Elder's Office is together with the Paſtors, to overſee the Church, to gather and keep up the ſolemn Aſſemblies, and to take care that the Members in communion do perſonally appear at thoſe holy Congregations, to make report of Scandals and Offences in Conſiſtory, and with the Paſtors to take cognizance, and paſs cenſures on them. In general, it is to have the ſame care with them in all concerns about the Order, Maintenance, and Government of the Church. Moreover, in every Church there ſhall be reſerved in Writing a Breviate of the particulars belonging unto their Office, according as the circumſtances of time and place may call for it.
CAN. IV. The Deacon's Office is to collect and diſtribute, by the advice of the Conſiſtory, Moneys unto the Poor, Sick, and Priſoners, and to viſit, and take care of them.
CAN. V. It doth not belong unto the Deacon's Office to Preach the Word of God, nor to Adminiſter the Sacraments; yet becauſe of our preſent diſtreſs, the Conſiſtory may chuſe certain Elders and Deacons to catechize the reſpective Families of the Church, as alſo in the Paſtor's abſence, Elders are permitted on Week-days, if choſen thereunto by the Conſiſtory, to Pray publickly with the Church, and therein they ſhall uſe the ordinary form, and in reading of the Scriptures, none other but the Canonical Books of the Old and New Teſtament ſhall be read. And whereas in divers Provinces it hath been a cuſtom for Deacons to catechize in publick, the Inconveniences which have already, and may hereafter happen from it, being well conſidered, the Churches are exhorted, where this cuſtom is not introduc'd, not at all to admit it, and thoſe in which it hath took place to forſake it, and to endeavour, that the ſaid Deacons, if of competent abilities, do enter as ſoon as may be into the Miniſtry.
CAN. VI. Elders and Deacons may be preſent at Propoſitions of the Word of God, which are made by Miniſters, beſides their ordinary Sermons, or by Scholars that are Propoſans, and at thoſe Cenſures which ſhall be paſt upon them, and ſhall give their judgment of theſe Exerciſes: but the deciſive judgment in point of Doctrine is principally reſerved unto Paſtors, Miniſters, and Doctors of Divinity, who be duly called into that Office.
CAN. VII. The Office of Elders and Deacons, as it is now in uſe among us, is not perpetual; yet becauſe changes are not incommodious, they ſhall be exhorted to continue in their Offices as long as they can, and they ſhall not lay them down without having firſt obtained leave from their Churches.
CAN. VIII. Neither Elders nor Deacons ſhall claim any primacy or juriſdiction over one another, whether in nomination unto the People, or in precedency,Chap IV. Of The Office of a Deacon. or in order of voting, or in any matters depending upon their Offices.
CAN. IX. Elders and Deacons ſhall be depoſed for thoſe very crimes and cauſes for which the Miniſters of God's Word are: and if being condemned by the Conſiſtory, they ſhould make an Appeal, they ſhall yet notwithſtanding continue ſuſpended from their Offices, until ſuch times as the Colloquy or Provincial Synod ſhall have decided their affair.
CAN. X. Elders and Deacons being depoſed, ſhall not be reſtored in any other manner or form than is uſed in the re-admiſſion of depoſed Miniſters.
CHAP. IV. Of the Deaconſhip, or Office of diſpenſing the Churches Charities unto the Poor.
CANON I. MOneys belonging unto the Poor ſhall not be diſpenſed by any other hands than thoſe of the Deacons, by and with the advice and conſent of the Conſiſtory.
CAN. II. It is very requiſite, that one or two Miniſters be always preſent at the ordinary diſtributions, but moſt eſpecially at paſſing of accompts.
CAN. III. The People ſhall be informed of the days of Accompt, that ſo they may have liberty all of them, if they pleaſe to ſee the making of them up, as well for their diſcharge, who have the handling of thoſe Moneys, as for notifying unto all the Neceſſities of the Church and Poor, and alſo that thereby they may be excited to more liberal Contributions.
CAN. IV. To prevent thoſe Diſorders which daily fall out by reaſon of Certificates given unto the Poor, every Church ſhall endeavour to maintain its own: and in caſe any one be conſtrained through the urgency of his affairs to travel, Miniſters ſhall examine with the greateſt care in their Conſiſtories the juſt cauſes of his Journey, and thereupon ſhall give him Letters directed unto the next Church, lying in the ſtraight way by which he muſt go, ſpecifying his Name, Age, Stature, Hair, and the Place whither, and the Cauſe of his Travel, and the Aſſiſtance which was given him; nor ſhall the Date of the Day and Year be omitted; which Letters the Church he is directed to, ſhall keep by it, and give him others unto the next; and all Certificates formerly given ſhall be torn in pieces.