The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 21 (Tonneins) · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. An Act for the Meeting of the General Mixt Aſſembly.
THE Lord of Rouvray our General Deputy having ſent unto this Synod his Majeſties writ bearing date the 22d. day of this preſent month, by which at the requeſt of this National Synod the time of meeting for the next National General Aſſembly is put off till the a 25th. of Auguſt, but without any change of place: This Aſſembly judging the City of Grenoble to be a very inconvenient place becauſe of its great diſtance, and for being the Reſidence of a Parliament, and for divers other great and weighty reaſons, ordered that Letters ſhould be written unto the Lord Marſhal Duke de Leſdiguieres, and preſented to him by the Deputies of Burgundy and Dolphiny, who alſo by word of mouth ſhould humbly intreat his excellency, not only to take in good part the change of the place of meeting, which all the Deputies convened at this Synod have unanimouſly deſired, and hold neceſſary, but alſo that he would be pleaſed to joyn with them in their humble requeſt, and Petition unto their Majeſties by the Lords our General Deputies, who ſhall preſent unto them Letters from this Aſſembly, in which with all humbleneſs it ſhall be declared that the late King of moſt happy Memory did uſually make choice of the moſt meet and convenient places for the holding of thoſe Aſſemblies. And the ſaid Lords Deputies ſhall uſe their utmoſt care and diligence to give notice and information of the ſucceſs of this their undertaking, before the 15th of July, or ſooner, if may be, unto the Provincial Aſſemblies, in caſe of refuſal. This Aſſembly adviſeth alſo that it would be expedient that they ſend each of them one Deputy choſen out of their whole Body, to reiterate with all ſubmiſſions and reverence their moſt humble Petitions unto their Majeſties and by conjoyned Supplications to obtain this change from them.
Moreover the Lords General Deputies are moſt expreſly charged to proſecute their complaints of that grievous Outrage Committed by the Lieutenant in the Government of Guiſe againſt Monſieur Sigart Paſtor of the Church of Levall, and to deſire that juſtice may have its due Courſe upon that Officer, they corroborating by word of mouth what hath been written unto their Majeſties from this Aſſembly about it. They be alſo exhorted, according to the Canon made at Privas, moſt humbly to petition their Majeſties that we may be exempted from that neceſſity (which is now more eagerly and violently preſt upon us than ever, yea and with greater ſeverity, rigour and exaction than heretofore and againſt that Liberty of Conſcience, which hath been ſo often promiſed us) of ſtyling our ſelves, of the pretended Reformed Religion; we rather chooſing to ſuffer all kind of torments, than to be compelled with our own mouths to condemn our own moſt holy and true Religion.
Moreover they be exhorted to aſſiſt the Church of Dijon; whoſe place of Meeting for Religious Worſhip is removed four long Leagues diſtant from that City, although by the Edict they may have their Temple in the Suburbs. And yet this poor Church hath been fruſtrated of its expectations, and earneſt requeſts, after ten years Proſecution and Attendance at Court for if.
They ſhall alſo complain of the Commiſſioners that were ſent into Burgundy to ſee the Edict of Nants executed, for that they refuſed to hear the Petitions tendered them for reſtoring the exerciſe of our Religion in ſeven antient Baily wicks, and in the Cities of St. John, de Laune, and de Noyers, where the Word of God had been duly and conſtantly Preached in the years 1576, and 1577.
And they ſhall favour and ſtand by that oppoſition made by thoſe of our Religion in Vivaretz againſt the Petition preſented to the Council by the Judge of the Lower Vivaretz, who would of his own head and authority bring into the Royal Courts of Villeneuve, of Berg and Annonay, Cauſes determinable in the Provoſts Court, which is expreſly contrary to that Article of the Edict, declaring, that the Judgment of Declinators, and Exceptions againſt the Juriſdictions of a Court, ſhall only appertain to the Mixt Chambers of the Edict, or to other Courts, at the choice of the Profeſſors of our Religion.
They ſhall complain alſo of letting decay the Fortifications of Clermont in the Lower Languedoc, one of our Cautionary Towns, and given us as a pledge and hoſtage for our ſecurity: The Papiſts in the mean while fortifying the Town againſt the Caſtle.
They are alſo intreated to be careful of that buſineſs of Monſieur de la Garde, Governour of Tonneins, who being ſummoned, and brought before His Majeſty and Council, after a world of difficulty, was diſmiſſed over to the Chamber of Grenoble; from whence the Jeſuits, and other Clergy of the Romiſh Church would fain remove it back again to Paris. And they ſhall uſe all means poſſible to prevent it.
Latter end of May, 1614. Subſcribed by
Gigord, Moderator.
Gardeſy, Aſſeſſor.
Andrew Rivett and Scribes.
D. Maltrett Scribes.