The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 57 – Section 58
SECT. LVII.
I have done with my Preface, adding, Courteous Reader, but one Advertiſement about my Manuſcript Copies, out of which I have extracted and compiled my Synodicon.
It is more than twenty Years ago that I met with ſome Collections out of the Manuſcript Acts of theſe National Synods. That great Learning, deep Wiſdom, and ſound Godlineſs I obſerved in them, inflamed my deſires and affections after the Originals. Accordingly, when as the Miniſters were baniſhed France, and about 150 of them came unto London, I made it my buſineſs to learn of them ſome News of theſe Acts. But I may ſpeak it truly, that the far greater part of theſe Reverend Confeſſors did with much regret inform me, that they feared they were loſt irrecoverably. For the firſt thing the Intendants did, when they viſited their Churches, was to ſeize upon all Papers, Writings, Acts, Deeds, Books, and whatſoever belonged unto their Conſiſtories, Colloquies, and Synods; yea, and this they did alſo unto particular Miniſters; thus robbing them of their well-furniſh'd Libraries, and of all their Manuſcripts. I mingled my Griefs with theirs for this Peculate. But yet did not give over my ſearch. No ſooner did I hear of any new Miniſter arrived, but I inſinuated my ſelf into his Acquaintance, and renewed my Inquiry, tho' frequently to my ſore diſſatisfaction. And having given over all hopes of ever ſeeing this Jewel, one day, about two years and a half ſince, as I was in company with about ſix or ſeven of theſe worthy and reverend Refugees, bemoaning the great loſs their Churches had ſuſtained in this cruel Perſecution, and particularly in the loſs of thoſe Acts of their famous National Synods,*Monſieur Foren, Paſtor of the Church of Sion in the Province of Brittain. A Miniſter, who was a meer ſtranger to me, and whom I had never ſeen before, being but then newly arrived, told me he could give me ſome intelligence of them, and demanding my Name and Houſe, he did the next day honour me with a viſit, and preſented me with what I had longed for many Years ſo ardently, and ſought for far and near exceeding diligently. This Copy was very large, and contained near a Ream of Paper, tolerably well written; yet it had ſuffered by the wet in ſome places, and Letters and ſome Sentences were defaced, ſo that I have been five hours together to ſpell out the ſence of five lines; which I am confident I have hit upon at laſt: being exceeding careful not to corrupt or pervert the ſence of theſe venerable Councils. The Grandfather of this worthy Miniſter had been deputed once and again by his Province as their Repreſentative unto their National Synods, and his godly Father had took the care to examine and collation this Copy by and with ſeveral other Copies; and this Copy was atteſted by ſeveral of the Deputies unto ſeveral of theſe National Synods, as by Mr. Quinſon, Mr. Launay, Mr. Blondell, Mr. Grauvier, Mr. Bollenat, Mr. de Bordage, Mr. de la Muſſe, Mr. Bernard the Bailiff of Chaſtillion upon the Loign, and Mr. Guillemot. So that I reckon it is as good as an Original.
When I had proceeded in my Work as far as the Synod of Alez, I was at a great loſs for one Act, which was quoted in my Copy, and muſt of neceſſity be inſerted to make the ſence perfect, and to prevent a ſad chaſm; this put me upon a new Inquiry. The Book to which I was referr'd was rare, it could not be eaſily got in London, tho' I had conſulted ſome ſcores of Bookſellers, nor in the Bodleian Library. Whil'ſt I was again regretting my loſs, one of the Miniſters of the ancient French Church of London tells me they had in their Conſiſtory a Manuſcript Copy of the National Synods, and accordingly giveth me the ſight of five Folios, four very fairly written, well bound in Vellom, but wretchedly ſpell'd, and ill pointed; theſe four were a compleat Body of theſe Acts, and had ſome more Acts than my firſt Copy, and yet wanted a great many more which were in mine. The fifth was only an imperfect Copy of the twenty firſt Synods. I borrowed theſe five Manuſcripts of that Conſiſtory, and compared them with my firſt, and ſupplied my defects out of them, tho' it put me upon a new travail. But my labour was a pleaſure to me.
When I had proceeded as far as the Synod of Alanſon, and ſo had but two more to finiſh, that reverend and ancient Miniſter of Chriſt, Monſieur Miſſon, who had been Paſtor of the Church of Niort, ſends unto me another Manuſcript in Folio fairly written, (tho' impaired much by the Rain, or Salt Water) of the Acts of theſe Synods. But it was imperfect, ending at the firſt Synod of Charenton, ſo that it contained only the Hiſtory of the twenty four firſt National Synods. However, this I examined and compared with my firſt and beſt Copy, and found that in the order of the Acts it did harmoniouſly agree with it, tho' it fell wonderfully ſhort in the materials, as being exceeding defective and lame in number, quantity, and quality of the Acts, and I found it exactly to agree with that fifth Volume, which contained the twenty firſt Synods. So that I had no help nor aſſiſtance by it, but only ſatisfaction to my Curioſity, and labour for my pains.
About the ſame time my Honoured Friend Monſieur Baignoux, Paſtor of the Church of Poictiers, ſends me two Originals, one of the ſecond National Synod of Charenton, Anno 1631. the other of the Synod of Alanſon, 1637. And that ancient and learned Miniſter of St. Quentin, Monſieur Meſlayer, I think the ſame Week brought me a very fair Manuſcript exactly agreeing with my two beſt Copies of the laſt National Synod of Loudun. Theſe were the principal materials out of which I have compoſed my Synodicon.
One thing I obſerved, that theſe Copies did differ much in the order and placing of their Acts. This hath much perplext me, eſpecially when I reviſed what I had done, and compared it with the other Copies. But I have leſt out nothing.
I have been extreamly puzled to adjuſt their Accompts. It hath been the moſt laborious toyl to me. But I found by comparing one Copy with another, that I was rolling Siſyphus's his Stone, for the difficulties always occurred, and the differences and diſagreements among my Manuſcripts, through the negligence of the Tranſcribers, were implacable and irreconcileable; whereupon I even left them as I found them, lamenting my expence of time to ſo little, indeed to no purpoſe at all. The National Synods may not be blamed for this. For nothing was more accurate and exact, nothing more regular and orderly than their Synodical Acts. But, as I ſaid, the Copyiſts, were guilty of a moſt ſupine negligence.
I have obſerved a moſt ſtrict and Cordial Union between the French and Dutch Churches, in Faith and Diſcipline: this was firſt ſigned in the firſt National Synod of Vitré. See Canons the 1, 2, 3, 4. And they ſent their Deputies reciprocally to their National Synods for ſome time. And when as Monſieur Chamier, Du Moulin, Chauve, and Rivet, were on their way to the Synod of Dort, in the year 1618. they were frighted back again by a Prohibition iſſued out againſt them by the King then Reigning, Louis XIII.
Theſe National Synods paid a very great deference unto the Church, Paſtors and Profeſſors of Geneva, and embraced their Councils. See that Letter which they ſent unto the National Synod of Tonneins, which was moſt kindly accepted, and all their advice practiſed.
The firſt Appeal that was ever brought before them was by the Prince of Condé, a Prince of the Blood, and of a very great and haughty Spirit, but not above that grave Aſſembly of St. Foy. See Synod of St. Foy. Appeal the firſt.
When I had finiſhed my Work, and delivered it into the Bookſellers hands, who undertook the Printing of it, They earneſtly deſired me, for the eaſe and benefit of the Readers, to divide it into Chapters, and to prefix the Contents of each Synod to it. This was a new trouble created to me by my two Friends; but to ſatisfy their importunity, I have divided it accordingly, and I hope it may anſwer, in ſome meaſure, your expectation.
The Fathers in theſe Councils were not willing that the body of their National Synodical Acts ſhould be publiſhed; ſee the Synod of St. Maixant, Particular Matters, 26. And when as Monſieur Piotet had collected them into due order, yet they cared not to have them divulged. The time was not come as then, but now it is. I have detained thee, good Reader, too long in the Porch: the Door is now open, and both Leaves are unfolded, you may go in and read them, there is none to hinder you.
SECT. LVIII.
There were nine and twenty National Synods celebrated by theſe Churches within the ſpace of one hundred Years; they met in this order, and at the times and places mentioned in this enſuing Catalogue.
1. At Paris, May 25. 1559.
2. At Poictiers, March 20. 1560.
3. At Orleans, April 25. 1562.
4. At Lyons, Aug. 10. 1563.
5. The 2d at Paris, Octob. 21. 1565.
6. At Vertuil, Septemb. 1. 1567.
7. At Rochel, April 2. 1571.
8. At Niſmes, May 8. 1572.
9. At St. Foy, Feb. 2. 1578.
10. At Figeac, Aug. 2. 1579.
11. The 2d at Rochel, June 28. 1581.
12. At Vitré, May 26. 1583.
13. At Montauban, June 15. 1594.
14. At Saumur, May 13. 1596.
15. At Montpellier, May 26. 1598.
16. At Gergeau, May 9. 1601.
17. At Gap, May 18. 1603.
18. The 3d of Rochel, March 1. 1607.
19. At St. Maixant, May 26. 1609.
20. At Privas, May 23. 1612.
21. At Tonneins, May 2. 1614.
22. The 2d of Vitré, May 18. 1617.
23. At Alez, Octob. 1. 1620.
24. At Charenton, Septemb. 1. 1623.
25. At Caſtres, Septemb. 15. 1626.
26. The 2d of Charenton, 1631.
27. At Alanſon, May 27. 1637.
28. The 3d of Charenton, 1654.
29. At Loudun, Novemb. 10. 1659.
The next National Synod was appointed to be held in the City of Niſmes; but when that will be, Peloni Palmoni, the wonderful Numberer, can only and moſt certainly inform us.
THE ACTS, DECISIONS, and DECREES OF THE Firſt National Synod OF THE Reformed Churches of Chriſt, IN The KINGDOM of FRANCE, HELD At PARIS, in the Year of our LORD, 1559.
The Contents of the Acts in this Synod.
Chap. I. The Lord of Callonges, Miniſter in the Church of Paris, Moderator. Eleven Churches ſend their Deputies to the Synod.
Chap. II. General Matters. The first Draught of the Church-Diſcipline, in Forty Canons.
Chap. III. Particular Matters. Twenty Five Caſes of Conſcience reſolved.