The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 12 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of Provincial Synods.
CANON I. IN all Provinces the Paſtors and Elders of every Church ſhall meet together once or twice a year, if it can be done; which is left unto the prudence and diſcretion of the Synod.
CAN. II. Miniſters ſhall bring with them one or two Elders at the moſt, choſen out of their Conſiſtory: And the ſaid Miniſters ſhall bring with them their Commiſſions. But if a Paſtor come alone without an Elder, or an Elder without a Paſtor, there ſhall be no regard had of their Memoirs. And this Canon ſhall be obſerved in all Eccleſiaſtical Aſſemblies. If they cannot appear, they ſhall excuſe themſelves by Letters (on which the Brethren then and there preſent ſhall paſs judgment,) and ſend their Memoirs ſubſcribed by one Paſtor and Elder. Such as having no lawful excuſe ſhall yet forbear their appearance at Colloquies and Provincial Synods, ſhall be cenſured, and the ſaid Colloquies and Provincial Synods may judge definitively of their fact, and diſpoſe of their perſons.
CAN. III. Churches which have many Paſtors ſhall depute them by turns unto Colloquies and Synods.
CAN. IV. Miniſters and Elders, which are deputed unto Colloquies and Provincial Synods, ſhall have their expences defrayed out of the common ſtock of their Churches.
CAN. V. Thoſe Churches which refuſe means unto their Miniſters for their appearance at Colloquies and Synods, ſhall be admoniſhed of this their duty, that they exhibit to them; and in caſe of failure in it, ſo that Miniſters are inforced to come unto them upon their own charges, after two or three admonitions, they ſhall be deprived of their Miniſtry, and the charges of thoſe Miniſters ſhall be defrayed by thoſe Churches unto which they are ſent, and in which they now ſerve; ſaving always their power of proſecuting that ungrateful Church; which proſecution ſhall be managed according to the judgment and direction of the Provincial Synod.
CAN. VI. If a difference fall out betwixt a Church, and its Paſtor, and in order to its compoſing the ſaid Church hath been twice adviſed of the day when, and place where the Synod and Colloquy do meet, and refuſeth to appear, notwithſtanding the abſence of one Party, yet the Synod or Colloquy ſhall have power to proceed to judgment.
CAN. VII. In all Synods Provincial and National, one of the Paſtors by common conſent, and a low voice, ſhall be choſen Preſident, and one or two Scribes. His Office ſhall be to guide and moderate the whole action, to give notice of the places, days and hours at which the Aſſemblies ſhall meet, to begin the Synodical Seſſions, to propoſe and offer matters that are to be deliberated, to gather the particular Suffrages of all the Members, to declare the greateſt number, and to pronounce the Concluſion. Item, He ſhall ſee that every one do ſpeak in due order, and without Confuſion; He ſhall ſilence the Contentious, and in caſe of Diſobedience, he ſhall command them out of the Synod, that Conſultation may be held about their Cenſure. He ſhall make all the Remonſtrances, and Anſwers unto them who demand Counſel, or ſend Letters unto the Synod. Moreover he ſhall preſide at thoſe Cenſures which ſhall be made in the cloſe of the whole Action, and all by the advice of the whole Aſſembly, and not otherwiſe. His Office ſhall expire together with the Synod, and the next Synod hath full Liberty to chuſe him again or another. And all Moderators of Colloquy ſhall be governed by this ſelf-ſame Canon.
CAN. VIII. Elders that are Deputies of Churches ſhall have an equal power of Voting with the Paſtors, and the Elders of that place where the Synod ſhall aſſemble may be preſent, and propound matters in their turn. Yet notwithſtanding two only of them ſhall have power of Voting, to avoid all Confuſion.
CAN. IX. Whatever hath been decreed by Provincial Synods for the Government of the Churches in their Province, ſhall be brought up unto the National Synod.
CAN. X. Foraſmuch as divers Perſons, who that they may decline or delay the effect of Church Cenſures, paſſed on them for their offences, do appeal from one Eccleſiaſtical Aſſembly unto another, yea and unto the National Synod alſo, which is by this means more incumbred about the deciſion of their matters than of any thing elſe; It is now ordered, that for time to come, whatſoever differences may fall out within the Precincts of any Province, ſhall be definitively judged, and without Appeal, by the Synod of that Province, unleſs it be the Caſe of Suſpenſion, or Depoſing of Paſtors, Elders and Deacons, or the removal of Paſtors from one Province unto another; Item, The changing of a Church in one Colloquy, and joining it unto another; as alſo whatſoever may concern the Doctrine of the Sacraments, or the whole Body of our Diſcipline. In all which Caſes there ſhall be a gradual proceſs obſerved, till they come from the Colloquy to the Provincial, and from the Provincial to the National Synod, that then and there it may receive its laſt and final judgment.
CAN. XI. If a difference fall out betwixt the Synods of two Provinces, they ſhall pitch upon a third to reconcile them.
CAN. XII. The Synods in every Province ſhall keep a Regiſter of the Widows and Children of thoſe Miniſters, who died in the ſervice of their Churches, that ſo they may be holpen and maintained by the common ſtock and joint charges of all the Provinces, if their neceſſities do ſo require it. And in caſe a Province prove ungrateful, its Deputy ſhall make report thereof unto the National Synod, that proviſion may be made for them by its authority.
CAN. XIII. The Deputies of Churches ſhall not depart from the Synod without leave, and they ſhall carry home with them the Synodical Decrees.
CAN. XIV. The authority of a Provincial is ſubordinate unto that of National Synods. According to the Governments ſhall the Orders which refer unto Colloquies and Provincial Synods, be regulated, without exalting one above another.
CAN. XV. At preſent the Provincial Synods ſhall be thus diſtributed. 1. The Iſle of France, the Land of Chartres, Picardy, Champagne and Brie. 2. Normandy. 3. Brittaine. 4. Orleans, Bleſois, Dunois, Nivernois, Berry, Bourbonnois, & la Marche. 5. Touraine, Anjou, Loudunois, Le Maine, Vandôme, and the Perche. 6. The Higher and Lower Poictou. 7. Xaintonge, Aunix, the City and Government of Rochel, and Augoulmois. 8. The Lower Guienne, Perigord, Gaſcony, and Limouſin. 9. The Higher and Lower Vivaretz, together with Vellay, and Forest. 10. Lower Languedoc, to wit, Niſmes, Ʋſez, Montpellier, and as far as Beziers incluſively. 11. The reſt of Languedoc, the Higher Guienne, Tholouſe, Carcaſſonne, Quercy, Rovergue, Armagnac, and the Ʋpper Avergne. 12. Burgundy, Lyonnois, Beaujolois, Breſſe, the neither Avergne, and Gex. 13. Provence. 14. Dolphiny, and Principality of Orange. 15. The Churches in the Soveraignty of Bearn. 16. The Sevennes and Guevaudan.
CAN. XVI. If it ſhould ſo fall out, that for the conveniency of a Church it ſhould be divided into two or more, or that more Churches ſhould be united into one, this ſhall be done by a Provincial Synod, of which alſo the National ſhall be adviſed.
CAN. XVII. If a Miniſter be deputed by his Provincial Synod to go unto the Synod or Colloquy of another Province, about ſome common affairs, he ſhall have his Conſultive Vote in it, and not only for that particular buſineſs about which he came, but alſo in all matters tranſacted during that Seſſions, excepting always matters of his own private concern. N.B. The two laſt Editions of the Diſcipline do make but 16. Canons in this Chapter, and add the 16th unto the 15th Canon of the diſtribution of the Provinces, as if it were a branch or member of it. But the matter being diverſe from it, and my Editions of Quevilly and Paris, in the Year 1663. making 17. I have therefore kept unto them.