The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 12 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 7
CHAP. V. Of the Conſiſtory.Chap V. Of Conſiſtories.
CANON I. IN every Church there ſhall be a Conſiſtory made up of thoſe who govern it, to-wit of its Paſtors and Elders, and in this Aſſembly as well as in all other Church-Aſſemblies, the Paſtors are of right to be Preſidents.
CAN. II. Whereas our Churches, by reaſon of the preſent diſtreſs, have hitherto moſt happily employed Deacons in their Government, and that they have diſcharged at the ſame time the Elder's Office; ſuch as for the future ſhall be ſo elected or continued, ſhall have together with the Paſtors and Elders, the Government of the Church, and therefore ſhall commonly appear with them at the Conſiſtory, and at Colloquies and Synods, provided they be ſent by their Conſiſtory.
CAN. III. In thoſe places where the exerciſe of our Religion is not yet eſtabliſhed, the faithful ſhall be exhorted by the Colloquies to chuſe unto themſelves Elders and Deacons, and to embrace our Church-Diſcipline. And in the ſaid Colloquies it ſhall be adviſed to what Church they may moſt conveniently join themſelves, and for the better maintenance of their Miniſter, from which they ſhall not depart, without having firſt communicated it unto the ſaid Colloquies.
CAN. IV. There ſhall be but one Conſiſtory in a Church, nor ſhall any other Council be allowed or eſtabliſhed for Church-affairs as diſtinct from the Conſiſtory, and if there be any ſuch it ſhall be immediately ſuppreſſed. Nevertheleſs the Conſiſtory may call at certain times unto it ſelf ſuch Members of the Church as it ſhall think fit, when affairs ſo require it: But yet Eccleſiaſtical buſineſs ſhall not be handled any where elſe but in thoſe places where the Conſiſtories do uſually meet and aſſemble.
CAN. V. A Conſiſtory is at liberty to receive into it the Father and Son, or two Brothers, unleſs there ſhould ariſe an inconvenience by it; of which the Colloquy or Provincial Synod ſhall take cogniſance.
CAN. VI. It is left unto the prudence of Conſiſtories to call their Propoſans into it, although they have no office in the Church, but not without very great cauſes and conſiderations, and upon good experience had of their prudence. And the ſaid Propoſans ſhall be preſent, not to give their Suffrages when as affairs are debated, but to prepare and fit them for the Government of the Church againſt ſuch time as God ſhall call them to it. Moreover it is left to the diſcretion of Paſtors to make tryal of their ſufficiency by demanding their advice, which yet ſhall not be done but with much prudence and judgment, and upon their promiſe of concealing all matters, which they had heard diſcuſſed.
CAN. VII. The Civil Magiſtrate may be called unto the Office of an Elder in the Conſiſtory, provided that his Exerciſe of one Office do not hinder the diſcharge of the other, and that it be not in any wiſe prejudicial to the Church.
CAN. VIII. The Churches Government ſhall be regulated according to the Diſcipline, made and decreed by our National Synods, nor ſhall any Church or Province make any Ordinance, which ſhall not be for ſubſtance conformable to the general Canons of our Diſcipline. To this end the Canons of our Church-Diſcipline ſhall be read in Conſiſtory, at leaſt before the Celebration of the Lord's Supper, and all Elders and Deacons ſhall be exhorted to keep a Copy of it by them for their private reading and meditation at their leiſure.
CAN. IX. The Cogniſance of Scandals, and power of paſſing Sentence on them belongeth unto the Aſſembly of Paſtors and Elders, and there ſhall be no Exceptions made againſt full Conſiſtories, no nor againſt the greater part of them. Nevertheleſs Exceptions made againſt the minor part of the ſaid Conſiſtories, whether they be particular Paſtors or Elders ſhall be valid, and admitted by the Conſiſtory, which being once judged, they ſhall proceed farther notwithſtanding an Appeal be interpoſed upon the admiſſion or rejection of thoſe Exceptions aforeſaid.
CAN. X. That Cuſtom uſed in divers places of inquiring into, and paſſing a general Cenſure upon offences in popular Aſſemblies before Men and Women, foraſmuch as it is condemned by the word of God, the Churches are exhorted to diſuſe it, and in point of Cenſure to acquieſce in that order eſtabliſhed by the Diſcipline.
CAN. XI. Elders ſhall be adviſed not to report the faults of any unto the Conſiſtory, unleſs they have good Evidence and proof of them, and when they do it, it ſhall be done with ſingular Charity; and no Perſon ſhall be called into the Conſiſtory without a ſufficient cauſe or occaſion for ſo doing.
CAN. XII. All poſſible care ſhall be taken, that thoſe formalities and terms which are uſed in Courts of Law, may be avoided in the exerciſe of Church-Diſcipline.
CAN. XIII. The faithful may be exhorted, yea and charged in the name of God by the Conſiſtories to tell the Truth, foraſmuch as it doth not in the leaſt derogate from the authority of the Civil Magiſtrate: nor ſhall they uſe any of thoſe accuſtomed formalities in the taking of Oaths before the Magiſtrate.
CAN. XIV. When differences ariſe, the contending Parties ſhall be exhorted by the Conſiſtories to agree among themſelves in a friendly manner. Yet Conſiſtories ſhall not appoint them any Arbitrators, nor deport themſelves as if they were Arbitrators. But and if any Members of the ſaid Conſiſtories ſhall be choſen Arbitrators, it ſhall be as they are private Perſons, and only in their own names.
CAN. XV. Beſides thoſe Admonitions given by the Conſiſtories, if there be a neceſſity of inflicting greater puniſhment or cenſures upon Offendors, it ſhall be either Suſpenſion or Privation for a time from the Lords Table, or elſe Excommunication or cutting off from the Church. And Conſiſtories ſhall be adviſed to manage both the one and other with ſingular Prudence, and to diſtinguiſh well betwixt them, as alſo to weigh and examine very prudently thoſe faults and ſcandals with their circumſtances, that are brought before them, that ſo Cenſures and Judgment may be given according as is meet and requiſite.
CAN. XVI. Suſpenſion from the Lords Table ſhall be uſed for the greater humbling of Offenders, and for quickning them to a moſt lively ſenſe of their offences. This Suſpenſion ſhall not be publiſhed unto the People, nor its Cauſe, nor alſo the re-admiſſion of the Delinquent, unleſs they had been Hereticks, Deſpiſers of God, Rebels againſt the Conſiſtory, or Traytors to the Church. Theſe alſo ſhall be ſuſpended who have been attainted of Crimes deſerving Corporal puniſhment, and cauſing grievous ſcandal to the Church; Item, thoſe who contrary to the Remonſtrances made them were married by a Popiſh Prieſt, and Fathers and Mothers that ſo marry their Children, and Tutors, Guardians, and others in the ſtead of Parents, that do in the ſame manner marry their Orphan-Pupils, and thoſe alſo who ſhall carry them to a Popiſh Prieſt, by him to be baptized, or repreſent another at ſuch a Baptiſm. It being needful that ſuch perſons, although they begin viſibly to repent, ſhould be immediately ſuſpended, and for a time deprived of the Lord's Supper, and that their ſuſpenſion be declared unto the people, that ſo they may be more deeply humbled, and induced unto Repentance, as alſo that the Church may be diſcharged of all ſhame and blame, and to terrify others, and learn them by this example not to be guilty of ſuch ſinful miſcarriages.
CAN. XVII. If by ſuch ſuſpenſions Sinners be not reformed, but abide obſtinate and impenitent, after long forbearance, and frequent admonitions and earneſt ſollicitations of them to it, they ſhall then be proceeded againſt with publick Admonitions, made before the Congregation by the Paſtor, on three Lord's days following, and for their greater ſhame, if it be thought needful, they ſhall be mentioned by name, and the whole Church ſhall be deſired to intreat God for them, and to endeavour by all means to bring them unto Repentance, and an acknowledgment of their ſins, to prevent their being cut off by Excommunication, unto which we cannot proceed without a World of regret and grief. And if after all this there be no Converſion on the Sinners part, but that they perſiſt in their hardneſs and obſtinacy, on the fourth Sabbath, the Paſtor ſhall publickly declare to the whole Congregation, that the ſaid ſcandalous and obdurate Sinners, nameing them particularly, are no longer owned by us for Church-Members, but in the name, and by the authority of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and of his Church, are cut off from it. And this ſhall be the Form of Excommunication. See the Acts of the ſecond National Synod of Paris in the year 1565. Canon the Second.
The Form of Excommunication to be uſed in the Reformed Churches of France, decreed by the Synod of Alez, 1620. and incorporated with the Canons of Church Diſcipline, by the National Synod of Charenton, Obſervation the 11. upon the Synod of Alez.
Dear Brethren,
THis is the fourth time that we declare unto you, that N. N. for ſundry Sins and Scandals committed in the Church of God, and for his Impenitency, and contempt of all Admonitions which have been given from the word of God, was ſuſpended the holy Supper of the Lord, which Suſpenſion and its Cauſes have been notified to you, that you might join your Prayers with ours, that the Great God would be intreated to mollify his hard heart, and touch him with ſincere Repentance, and draw him out of the way of Perdition. But although we have ſo long born with him, prayed, exhorted, and adjured him to return unto God, and have eſſayed all means to bring him unto Repentance, yet nevertheleſs he perſiſteth in his impenitency, and with a moſt hardned obſtinacy rebelleth againſt God, and trampleth under foot his Word, and the Diſcipline eſtabliſhed in his Houſe; and boaſting of his Sin, hath cauſed a great deal of trouble for a long time unto his Church, and the moſt holy name of our God to be blaſphemed. Wherefore we Miniſters of the Word and Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath armed with ſpiritual Weapons, mighty through God to throw down the ſtrong holds which do oppoſe themſelves againſt him; to whom the Eternal Son of God hath given power of binding and looſing upon Earth, declaring, that what we ſhall bind in Earth ſhall be bound in Heaven, and being willing throughly to purge the Houſe of God, and to free his Church of Scandal, and by pronouncing Anathema againſt the wicked one, to glorify the name of our God: In the Name, and by the Authority of our Lord Jeſus, by the advice and authority of the Paſtors and Elders aſſembled in Colloquy, and of the Conſiſtory of this Church, we have cut off, and do cut off the ſaid N. N. from the Communion of the Church of God, We do Excommunicate and deprive him of the Fellowſhip of Saints, that ſo he may be unto you as a Pagan or Publican, and that among true Believers he may be an Anathema and Execration. Let his Company be reputed Contagious! and let his Example poſſeſs your Souls with aſtoniſhment, and cauſe you to tremble under the mighty hand of God! And this Sentence the Son of God will ratify and make effectual, until ſuch time as the Sinner being confounded and abaſed before God, ſhall glorify him by his Converſion, and being delivered from the Bonds of Satan, to whom he is inſlaved, he may mourn for his Sin with Repentance unto Life. Let's pray God, moſt dearly Beloved Brethren, that he would daign to compaſſionate this moſt miſerable Sinner, and that this dreadful Sentence which with very great regret, and ſorrow of heart we have pronounced againſt him by the authority of the Son of God, may contribute unto his humiliation, and bring back into the way of Life and Salvation a Soul which is wandered and ſtrayed from it! Amen!
Curſed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently. Amen! If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be Anathema Maranatha! Amen
CAN. XVIII. Henceforward all Sentences of Excommunication, confirmed by the Provincial Synod, ſhall be of full power and valid; as alſo all Sentences of Suſpenſion from the Lord's Supper made by the Conſiſtory, which were not declared unto the People, ſhall hold good, although the Perſon ſuſpended had entered his Appeal unto the Colloquy or Provincial Synod.
CAN. XIX. Such as have abandon'd the profeſſion of our holy Religion, and adhere unto Idolatry, if they perſevere in this their Apoſtaſie, after ſerious endeavours uſed to bring them back again unto the Church, they ſhall be publickly denounced Apoſtates, to wit, thoſe who have of late times revolted; unleſs the Conſiſtory do judg, that by ſuch a nomination, ſome great and conſiderable danger may redound unto the Church, in which caſe nothing ſhall be done without conſulting the Provincial Synod. And as for thoſe, who have long ſince revolted, the Execution of this denunciation is remitted to the prudence of the Colloquy.
CAN. XX. In publick Sins, that is to ſay, ſuch as are really committed, and known to a great number of People, this Delinquent ſhall be reſtored by a publick acknowledgment of his offence, although he had been puniſhed by the Sentence of the Civil Magiſtrate.
CAN. XXI. Foraſmuch as Whoredome carries with it a brand of Infamy, eſpecially upon Women, the Confeſſion and Penance for ſuch Scandals is wholly left unto the prudence of Conſiſtories.
CAN. XXII. Publick Penance ſhall be undergone in Perſon, and the Delinquent ſhall give an open teſtimony of his Repentance.
CAN. XXIII. The Delinquent who was ſuſpended the Lord's Table by the Conſiſtory, although that ſuſpenſion was concealed from the People, ſhall demand his reſtoration from the Conſiſtory, and he giving evident tokens of his Repentance, he ſhall be reſtored without undergoing any publick Penance.
CAN. XXIV. But he whoſe Suſpenſion had been declared unto the People, producing Evidences of his Repentance before the Conſiſtory by the fruits of good works, and ſufficient Teſtimonies, ſhall be publickly reconciled unto the Church, upon the acknowledgment of his offence.
CAN. XXV. Thoſe who for their obſtinacy and hardneſs in their ſins ſhall have been out off from the Church, may not ſuddenly be reſtored unto their ſtate, and reconciled unto the Church, but upon good and long tryal had of their Repentance they ſhall be heard in Conſiſtory, and if they Petition to be received unto the Churches Peace, they doing Penance for their offences, there ſhall be notice given of it unto the Congregation to ſtir them up to ſeek and praiſe God, and after ſome time they ſhall be preſented unto the whole Church to confeſs their former Treſpaſſes and Rebellions, and begging pardon of God and his Church, they ſhall be in this manner reconciled with joy, publick Prayers and Thankſgiving.
CAN. XXVI. If the Members of a Church have fallen into Idolatry, and thereupon removed their Habitation unto another place, in which their offence is not known, they ſhall only make acknowledgment of their Fall before the Conſiſtory, but with this Proviſo, that if they return unto the ſaid Church where they had offended, they ſhall do publick Penance for it. However it is left unto the diſcretion of the Conſiſtory to deal otherwiſe with them, if they judge it to be more expedient for the Churches edifying. The ſame judgment ſhall be made of all other ſins deſerving publick Penance.
CAN. XXVII. All Sins acknowledged and repaired ſhall be razed out of the Conſiſtorial Books, excepting thoſe which drawing Rebellion with them had been cenſured by Suſpenſion from the Lord's Table, or Excommunication out of the Church.
CAN. XXVIII. Conſiſtories ſhall not give in evidence unto the Civil Magiſtrate, neither by inſtrument in writing, nor any other way; nor ſhall particular Members of the Conſiſtories reveal unto any Perſon the Confeſſions of Penitents, who voluntarily, and of their own accord, or by admonitions made them, ſhall have confeſſed their offences to them, unleſs it be in caſe of High Treaſon.
CAN. XXIX. Such Perſons ſhall be proſecuted with all Church-Cenſures, yea and Excommunicated, who profeſſing the Reformed Religion, do appeal the Paſtors, Elders, or the whole Conſiſtory before the Civil Magiſtrate, by that means to enforce them to give in Evidence againſt Delinquents, who confeſſed their faults unto them.
CAN. XXX. Crimes ſecretly declared unto Miniſters by Perſons demanding their advice and comfort, Miniſters are forbidden to diſcover them unto the Civil Magiſtrate, leſt reproach ſhould thereby redound upon the Miniſtry, and Sinners be hindred from coming unto Repentance, and making a free Confeſſion of their Sins. And this ſhall be a ſtanding Rule for all Crimes revealed to them, unleſs in Caſe of High Treaſon.
CAN. XXXI. If one or more of the People ſtir up Contention, and do thereby break the Churches Union in any point of Doctrine, or of Diſcipline, or about the form of Catechiſing, or Adminiſtration of the Sacraments, or of publick Prayers, or the Celebration of Marriage, and that private admonitions have not been effectual remedies to appeaſe them; the Conſiſtory of that place ſhall immediately endeavour to compoſe and pacify the whole affair without noiſe, and with all ſweetneſs from the word of God; and in caſe the Diſſenters do not acquieſce therein, the Conſiſtory of that Church ſhall intreat the Colloquy to aſſemble at ſuch a time and place as will be moſt convenient, they having firſt ingaged the ſaid Diſſenters in expreſs terms, and upon record to promiſe, that they will not ſpread their Opinions in any manner or way till the meeting of the ſaid Colloquy, upon pain of being Cenſured as Schiſmaticks, excepting always freedom of Conference with Paſtors and Elders, in caſe they have not been inſtructed. And if the ſaid Diſſenters ſhall refuſe to give the ſaid Promiſes, they ſhall be cenſured for Rebels according to our Diſcipline. And the Colloquy being met ſhall proceed as was before appointed them. And if the ſaid Diſſenters, having been patiently heard and confuted, be fully ſatisfied, the whole ſhall be regiſtred, unleſs the Provincial Synod be requeſted to aſſemble, extraordinary neceſſity ſo requiring it, at ſuch time and place as the ſaid Colloquy ſhall judge moſt convenient, after that the Promiſes before-mentioned ſhall have been again repeated by the ſaid Diſſenters: The Synod being aſſembled ſhall firſt adviſe and conſider with great and mature deliberation of the matter, places, time and perſons, whether it will be expedient that a Conference ſhould be held with the ſaid Diſſenters publickly before the People, and with open Doors, and that Audience be given unto any there preſent to ſpeak or not: However the Deciſion of the Points in Controverſy ſhall not be left unto any other Judges beſides the Delegates of the Provinces, according to the known Canon of our Diſcipline. And if the ſaid Diſſenters refuſe to conform, they ſhall then ingage in the ſame Promiſes as before, and be diſmiſſed over to the ordinary National Synod; or if neceſſity ſo require, that it muſt be extraordinarily aſſembled, they ſhall be heard in it with all holy freedom,Chap. VI. Of the Ʋnion of Churches. and there it ſhall be finally and intirely determined by the word of God; unto which if they refuſe to yield full obedience, and in expreſs terms to diſclaim their recorded Errors, they ſhall be cut off by Excommunication from the Body of our Church.
CAN. XXXII. A Paſtor or Elder breaking the Churches Union, or ſtirring up Contention about any point of Doctrine, or of the Diſcipline, which he had ſubſcribed, or about the Form of Catechiſing, or Adminiſtration of the Sacraments, or of our Common-Prayers, and Celebration of Marriage, and not conforming to the determination of the Colloquy, he ſhall be then ſuſpended from his Office, and be farther proſecuted by the Provincial, or National Synod.
CAN. XXXIII. In every Church there ſhall be kept Memorials of all notable and remarkable paſſages relating to Religion, and in every Colloquy a Miniſter ſhall be appointed to receive them, who ſhall carry them unto the Provincial, and thence unto the National Synod.
CHAP. VI Of the Union of Churches.
CANON I. NO Church ſhall claim any Primacy or Juriſdiction over another, nor one Province over another.
CAN. II. No Church ſhall aſſume unto it ſelf a power of undertaking buſineſs of great conſequence, in which the intereſt or damage of other Churches ſhall be compriſed, without the advice and conſent of the Provincial Synod, if it may poſſibly be Convened. And in caſe the affair be urgent, it ſhall at leaſt be Communicated by Letters unto ſome other Churches in the Province, and they ſhall receive and take their advice about it.
CAN. III. Churches and particular Members ſhall be adviſed, that, whatever perſecution may happen, to procure for themſelves a private peace and liberty, they do not depart from the Sacred Union of the whole Body of our Churches. And whoever acteth contrary to this Canon, ſhall have ſuch a Cenſure inflicted on him, as Colloquies and Synods ſhall judge expedient.
CAN. IV. Diſputes about Religion ſhall be ſo managed, that none of ours may be the Aggreſſors; and if they are ingaged in a verbal diſputation, they ſhall in no wiſe undertake it without laying down this for a Foundation-Rule, That the Holy Scripture is the ſole Judge of Controverſies, nor ſhall they yield the power of judgment and deciſion in points of Doctrine unto the writings of the Ancients; nor ſhall they enter upon any Diſputation, unleſs the conditions of it be firſt agreed on by Writings mutually and reſpectively ſigned and executed: Nor ſhall they attempt a publick Diſputation but with the advice of their Conſiſtory, and of a ſelect number of Paſtors, who for this purpoſe ſhall be choſen by the Colloquies or Provincial Synods. They ſhall not adventure upon any diſpute or general Conference,Chap. VII. Of Colloquies. without the advice of all the Churches aſſembled in a National Synod, upon pain, if Miniſters act otherwiſe, of being declared Apoſtates, and Deſerters of the Churches Union.
CAN. V. Churches ſhall be informed that our Eccleſiaſtical Aſſemblies of Colloquies and Synods, whether Provincial or National, are the Bands and Buttreſſes of their Concord and Union againſt Schiſms, Hereſies, and all other inconveniencies; that ſo they may diſcharge their duty in the uſe of means for the continuance and upholding of thoſe Eccleſiaſtical Aſſemblies. And in caſe any Churches, or particular Perſon, ſhould refuſe to contribute unto their expences who were obliged to be preſent in thoſe Aſſemblies, they ſhall be grievouſly cenſured, as Deſerters of that Holy Union, which ought to be kept up among us for our mutual preſervation. And all Miniſters who ſhall neglect the obſervation of this Canon, ſhall be moſt ſeverely cenſured by National and Provincial Synods. N.B. That the Editions of the Diſcipline at Paris and Ronan, in the Year 1663. have in the laſt line of this Canon [National] inſerted; but two other Editions of the Years 1666. at Geneva, and 1676. at Quevilly, do omit it, and have only [Provincial Synods.]
CHAP. VII. Of Colloquies.
CANON I. IN every Province the Churches ſhall be divided according to their number and conveniency of neighbour places into Colloquies or Claſſes. And this Diviſion ſhall be made by authority of the Provincial Synod. And the next adjoining Churches ſhall meet in Colloquies twice or four times a year, if it may be done, as of ancient times it hath been ordained. The appointment of time is left wholly to the prudence of Provinces, and unto theſe Colloquies the Miniſters accompanied each of them with an Elder from every Church, ſhall give their perſonal attendance.
CAN. II. And the proper buſineſs of ſuch Colloquies and Aſſemblies, ſhall be to conſult about compoſing differences and difficulties emerging in their Churches, according to the Canons of our Diſcipline; and in general to provide for whatſoever may be thought expedient and neceſſary to the weal and maintenance of our Churches.
CAN. III. And in theſe Colloquies Miniſters in their turns ſhall make a Propoſition from the Word of God, that ſo their care and diligence in the ſtudy of the Scripture, and their method and form of handling it, may be known.
CAN. IV. As Conſiſtories are ſubject and ſubordinate unto Colloquies, ſo are Colloquies unto the authority of Provincial Synods.
CAN. V. Chap. VIII. Of Provincial Synods.Colloquies and Synods ſhall conſult about the extent and bounds of thoſe places in which each Miniſter ſhall exerciſe his Miniſtry.
CAN. VI. In the cloſe of Colloquies there ſhall paſs a friendly and fraternal Cenſure upon Paſtors and Elders there preſent, in all matters of which it may be thought fit to admoniſh them.