The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 21 (Tonneins) · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of Colledges and Ʋniverſities.
1. MOnſieur Joly, one of the Paſtors of the Church of Montauban, made report in this Aſſembly, that for divers months laſt paſt he hath took upon him the profeſſion of the Hebrew Language, and for the benefit of the Univerſity, and the aſſiſtance of Moniſeur Tenant, he deſires to continue in it, requeſting that the hundred Livers remaining of the four hundred aſſigned unto Profeſſors of the holy Language, might be granted him, Monſieur Tenant receiving only three hundred of thoſe four. The Council of the Univerſity having joyned with the ſaid Joly in his Petition, this Aſſembly granted them their demand, and exhorted the ſaid Monſieur Joly to acquit himſelf worthily of this his new Employment, which he alſo promiſed.
See above 12. obſ. upon thè former Syn.2. Monſieur Elias Alba, Mayor of Bergerac, having on behalf of the Corporation of the ſaid Town performed the Condition propoſed to them by this Synod, and brought an Act of the Town-houſe dated the twelfth day of this month, by which the whole Bench and Common-Council of that Town aſſembled together, do give him full power to declare, that upon our Order for payment, of the ſum of 1500 Livers out of the Moneys granted by His Majeſty unto the Churches of this Kingdom, they would yield up their whole Right in the King's Writ of Grant of the ſaid ſum unto the diſpoſal of this holy Synod, which alſo is moſt humbly petitioned by them to give them the Grant thereof for the maintenance of their Colledge. This Aſſembly commending their ſubmiſſion unto the Ordinance of our Churches, and in conſideration of their Importunity, and for the benefit of their Colledge doth grant unto them the ſum of twelve hundred Livers, including in them the four hundred which had been before granted them;See St. Maix. p. m. 2. which ſum ſhall be paid them after the uſual manner out of our Church-Moneys, and gives them free and full power to recover the portions of their Paſtors, which were ſtopt in the hands of the Receiver of the Province of Lower Guyenne; and recommends unto their Chriſtian Charity the Sieur Conſtantin, one of the Regents of their Colledge.
3. Monſieur Joly, one of the Paſtors of the Church of Millan, deputed by the Colloquy of Rouargue, demanding a ſufficient Fund for erecting a School at Millan aforeſaid, and at the Church of Eſſene, received this anſwer that at preſent we could not erect any new Colledges, and that the Church of Eſſene ſhould receive their portion as ſoon as they had a Paſtor in actual ſervice with them.
4.Privas. Art 17. of Univerſities., The Univerſity of Montauban deſiring that the Moneys, for which by their Account brought in and audited at the Synod of Privas, they ſtood indebted, might be forgiven them; this Aſſembly judgeth, that it's utterly unfit to make any alteration in that Decree of Privas.
5. Monſieur Gigord, Paſtor and Profeſſor in the Church and Univerſity of Montpellier, reported unto this Aſſembly, that the ſums received by him, and not allowed by the Synod of Privas, were razed out of the Books, becauſe being at that time abſent, he was never heard, and making it appear by acts and atteſtations, that he ſerved three quarters of the years 1598, 1599, and 1600, contrary to what had been alledged, and taken up in prejudice againſt him. This Aſſembly allowed him the wages he had received for that whole time, amounting to nineteen hundred and five and twenty Livers; and as for the other ſums of the enſuing years, amounting unto eighteen hundred and ſixty Livers; this Aſſembly thankfully acknowledging his paſt labours, and the excellent gifts which God hath beſtowed upon him, as alſo his readineſs and willingneſs to continue in the ſervice of his Church, it doth frankly liberate and diſcharge him from all manner of reſtitution of the ſaid ſum, which was generouſly given him by the joynt and unanimous conſent of all the Deputies, yea, and after that thoſe of the Lower Languedoc and Sevennes were gone out of the Synod, in obedience to its Order.
6.Privas, of Colledges, Art. 13. A difficulty was raiſed by the Committee for inſpecting the Accompts of Univerſities and Colledges, becauſe the Provinces divided thoſe very Moneys among themſelves in divers places, though it had been given them for their Colledges; the Decree of Privas not being expreſs to the contrary; this Aſſembly ordained, that ſuch Provinces, as could conveniently do it, ſhould joyn Stocks together, and compleat one Colledge only, leaving unto the reſt, which could not do otherwiſe their liberty of parting them into two only, but not into more, and that they would add of their own as much as they could poſſibly ſpare, that ſo they might claim of right the name and reputation of a Colledge.
7.2. Vitré, of Univerſities, Art. 10. As to thoſe demands and propoſals of the Univerſity of Montauban made by Monſieur Chamier, this Aſſembly ordained, that they ſhould draw out the ſum of three thouſand Livers freed from the payment of four Deniers in the Liver, due unto the Sieur de Viſſouze. But their demands of augmenting the Regents Salary, could not be granted them. For that the Corporation of Montauban ſtands obliged to them by an Act of the National Synod of St. Maixant, on pain of forfeiting their Priviledge of being an Univerſity, to add unto their Stipends. And as to the times of payment, which is at three Terms yearly, that depending upon an Order agreed upon by all the Churches with the Receiver General, it could not be altered, becauſe it is the fixed term for all Eccleſiaſtical Moneys. As to the Accompt; it's needleſs for any Receiver to travel on that ſcore to our National Synods, becauſe the Provincial Deputies may and ought to bring their Acquittances with them, and to be reſponſible for them.
8.Privas. Art. 19. of Univerſities. 2. V…tre, of Univerſ. 31. The Deputies of Dolphiny deſiring a certain ſum of Moneys to be paid yearly unto their Univerſity of Die: This Aſſembly over and above the 3000 Livers, which were paid them at once by an Order of the National Synod of Privas, doth give them 400 Livers more to be paid them annually as an augmentation to the maintenance of one Profeſſor.
St. Maixant. of Univerſ. 3. 2. Vitré, of Univerſ. 16.9. Whereas the National Synod of St. Maixant did grant, and that of Privas did continue it unto the Univerſity of Saumur; this Aſſembly doth alſo add unto it the ſum of ſix hundred Livers yearly to render their Colledge more accompliſht, and that it may be ſtockt ſufficiently with Regents, and all needful Officers. For which ſum the Province of Anjou ſhall be accountable, as for all other Univerſity-Moneys unto the next National Synod, and they are deſired to appoint ſuch a Receiver, as can diſcharge the truſt freely, or at the leaſt, that he be ſuch an one us will accept of an half-penny only in the Liver.
10. Monſieur Anglade, Paſtor of the Church at Pomport, 2. Vitré, p. m. 18.complained unto this Aſſembly, that the Province of Lower Languedoc was indebted to him for ſeveral years Arrearages of Salary, as Profeſſor of the Hebrew Language in the Univerſity of Niſmes: It was agreed upon between him and the Deputies of that Province, that the ſaid Province ſhould come unto an Accompt with him at the next Synod of Higher Languedoc and Guyenne, and ſhould give him ſatisfaction, in caſe they find themſelves indebted to him, as he ſaith they are from the very beginning of his Profeſſorſhip in the year 1603.
11. The demand of the Church of Viellevigne to have a School granted it, is diſmiſſed over to the Province of Brittany.
12. The Paſtors of the Colloquy of Gex reported by the Deputies of the Province of Burgundy, Privas g. m. 14.that contrary to what was ordained in the Provincial Synod held at Gex in May laſt, that the ſaid Town of Gex ſhould receive out of the Moneys aſſigned unto their Miniſters in the ſaid Colloquy, ſixty Livers towards the maintenance of their Colledge, and the ſaid Miniſters had freely acquieſced in it; yet nevertheleſs the Inhabitants of the ſaid Town making their Application unto the Council, had got an Order for two hundred and fifty Livers out of the ſaid Moneys, a matter of great prejudice unto the Miniſters of that Colloquy: This Aſſembly judgeth the ſaid Town worthy of a very grievous Cenſure, to have provided for themſelves in ſuch a manner as is contrary to the Diſcipline and Union of our Churches, and they be enjoyned, to take none other courſes for the eſtabliſhment of their Colledge, than ſuch as depend upon our Diſcipline, and that they have recourſe unto the Province of Burgundy for the ſixty Livers, aſſigned to their Colledge by vertue of an Ordinance of that Provincial Synod. And in caſe of Non-obedience unto this our Act, they ſhall be proceeded againſt by all Eccleſiaſtical Cenſures.
13. The Statutes framed for the conduct and government of our Univerſities,Gap, p. m. 18. Privas, of Univerſs. 2…. having been read in this Aſſembly, were approved, and Provincial Synods, Colloquies, Conſiſtories, and Academical Councils are all exhorted to have a ſpecial Eye, that they be carefully and punctually obſerved.