The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 21 (Tonneins) · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. General Matters.
1. THE Province of Higher Languedoc and Guyenne propoſed that a moſt humble Petition might be tender'd by them unto their Majeſties, that they would be pleaſed to grant unto their Miniſters a full maintenance. This Synod is of opinion, that it were more proper for a Politick Provincial Aſſembly to make this requeſt, than for us which are but an Eccleſiaſtical.
2. The ſame Province moved another caſe: Whether Conſiſtories might be allowed to give in evidence unto the Civil Magiſtrate againſt inſolent and outragious perſons abuſing their Paſtors or Elders, who called them, according to the Duty of their Places before them. This anſwer was returned, that that Canon of our Diſcipline forbidding the diſcovery unto a Civil Judicature of matters tranſacted in the Conſiſtory ought not to be reſtrained to the ſole confeſſions of Crimes, but is to be underſtood in the moſt comprehenſive ſence of all things whatſoever, excepting only ſuch riots and outrages, whoſe fact being notorious, it may be lawful to inform the Magiſtrate of: But as for outragious words, of what kind ſoever they may be, Conſiſtories ſhall apply the cenſures of the Church to redreſs and reform them.
3. The Province of Higher Guyenne requeſted that there might be a particular Canon made for removing Elders from their office in the Churches,1614. The 21th Synod. and that the time of their coming in, and going out might be fixt and limited. This Aſſembly Judgeth that this matter ſhould be left to the prudence of Provincial Synods. But nevertheleſs it ordaineth that if an Elder be deputed unto a National Synod by his Province, he ſhall continue in his office, tho the term thereof be expired, until ſuch time as he have diſcharged the truſt repoſed in him, and ſhall have given an account unto the Province of thoſe affairs concredited to him, and diſpatched by him in that National Synod.
4. Foraſmuch as divers Provinces have remonſtrated that by Reaſon of the continuance and growth of ungodlineſs, we be daily threatned with the moſt dreadful Judgments of God, and that there is an indiſpenſable neceſſity of extraordinary prayers unto the throne of Grace for the proſperity of their Majeſties, and for imploring the good bleſſing of God upon the beginning and progreſs of the Kings perſonal Government, who will be very ſhortly declared Major, and that the publick weal of the State may be promoted, the Peace and Union of our Churches more firmly ſtabliſhed, that therefore we be called out to celebrate a publick Faſt in all the Churches of this Kingdom: This Aſſembly for theſe cauſes now-mentioned doth appoint the fourth day of this next September to be obſerved generally in all the Churches of this Kingdom as a day of Solemn Prayer, Humiliation and Faſting. And as for thoſe extraordinary Prayers which are uſed, 'tis left unto the Churches prudence where they be in uſe, either to continue them, or lay them down.
5. The Deputies of Berry demanding ſome alteration in that Canon of the National Synod of Rochell concerning Monks,3 Rochel g. m. 16. See St. Maixant, ob 4 upon the ſame Synod. who forſaking their Convents, were to be ſent back unto their reſpective Provinces: Becauſe it lays a very burdenſom charge upon the poor Churches, which are utterly unable to Support under it. This Aſſembly Judged it not their duty to make any change in that Canon; only it adviſeth the Provinces to be very circumſpect in their reception of ſuch perſons, and in the diſpenſation of their charities, leſt they become a charge unto the Provinces which do already need relief.
6. At the requeſt of the Provincial Deputies of Burgundy and Orleans, 2 Syn. of Vitré g. m. 38.our Lords the General Deputies are intreated and exhorted, and alſo by this Aſſembly, to get thoſe Letters Patents for exempting the Paſtors of our Churches from all taxes and other ſubſidies verified, they having been already granted: And the Deputies of the Provinces in this Synod are charged to carry back this ſame Petition unto their Mixt Provincial Aſſemblies, that ſo they may joyn their moſt humble requeſts with thoſe of the General Aſſembly; in caſe it be not done before the time of their meeting.
7. The Province of Dolphiny deſired that thoſe words Preſtre and Préſtriſe in the 5th. Section of our Catechiſm might be changed into thoſe of Sacrificateur and Sacrificateure, becauſe none queſtioned their ſence and meaning, and for that words were received by common uſage. The Aſſembly did not Judge it any wiſe convenient to alter theſe words.
8. At the requeſt of divers Provinces it was ordained that our National Synods ſhould not only not innovate any thing in the confeſſion of Faith, Catechiſm, Liturgy, and Diſcipline of our Churches, unleſs the matter had been firſt Propoſed by one or more Provinces, but alſo unleſs it were a thing of very great importance, nor ſhould that be reſolved on, till ſuch time as all the Provinces being duely informed of it, had firſt debated it at home in their reſpective Synods; and if it ſo happen that any of them ſhall have conſidered of it before the reſt, they may write their thoughts about it unto that Province, which is impowered to call the next National Synod; and, in caſe the matter be urgent, it ſhall be couched in the Letters of Summons, that ſo they may come prepared for it.
9. The Province of Dolphiny moved, whether if two or three Witneſſes were brought by an Informer to give in evidence againſt a Paſtor or Elder, they might be admitted, ſo that their teſtimony ſhould be of ſufficient force and vertue to condemn the accuſed, altho there be none other crime objected againſt them. This Aſſembly ſeeth no difficulty at all in the caſe.
10. The Province of Anjou requeſting it,1. Paris 27. this Synod injoineth all Conſiſtories in their choice of Elders, to cauſe ſuch perſons to be elected as are irreprehenſible, according to our Diſcipline, and carefully to obſerve that Canon about the qualities neceſſarily required in them who are called unto thoſe Offices. And all Colloquies and Provincial Synods are charged to put to their helping hand, that this Ordinance be duely kept and obſerved.
11. The Province of Xaintonge moving it, this Aſſembly ordained that ſuch Perſons who get themſelves preferred unto the Government of our cautionary Towns, or unto the office of Counſellors in the mixt Courts, or ſhall obtain any other places granted unto Gentlemen profeſſing our Religion, without taking the neceſſary atteſtations according to the Letter and import of the Kings Writ for Governours, and the particular Articles for Counſellors in Sovereign Courts, they ſhall be declared Deſertors of the Union of our Churches, and proſecuted with all Church-cenſures. And thoſe of our Religion which are in poſſeſſion ſhall be exhorted to keep ſtill poſſeſſion of thoſe places, and not to reſign them, but on this condition, nor conſent to their admiſſion and reception, who offer themſelves without ſuch a Teſtimonal. And as for thoſe other ways of complaints and remonſtrances to be made unto their Majeſties, of the notorious violations of our Priviledges, they ſhall be carried unto the next approaching Political Aſſemblies granted us by the Writ of their ſaid Majeſties. But for the preſent our Lords the General Deputies are charged to require that ſome other perſon duely qualified according to the above mentioned orders may be ſubſtituted in the place of the Sieur Berger, who is of late revolted from the truth. And if that particular Government, now become vacant by his Apoſtacy be not ſupplied before the next meeting of the general Aſſembly, notice ſhall be given unto them of it, that ſo they may proſecute it in the name of all the Provinces.
12. At the requeſt of the ſame Province of Xaintonge all Conſiſtories be injoined to take ſpecial heed that Commanders in our Cautionary Towns do not admit into their familiar converſe any debauched perſons who be guilty of crimes deſerving corporal puniſhment.
13. And whereas the ſame Province, hath deſired that we would frame another form of excommunication beſides that which is inſerted in our Diſcipline, we concur with them in their motion, and ſhall take care that it be done accordingly.
14. The Province of the Iſle of France requeſted that an order might paſs for our Readers to publiſh the Banes of Marriages out of their desks,3. Rochel. obſerv. 23. and not for Paſtors to do it from the Pulpit. But this matter was left to the prudence and liberty of Conſiſtories.
15. The aforeſaid Province of the Iſle of France demanding it, this Aſſembly ordained, that the Canons of former National Synods concerning Atteſtations ſhould be moſt ſtrictly obſerved, and whatſoever Conſiſtory preſumeth to give one in any other form ſhall be moſt ſeverely cenſured: And therefore all Officers into whoſe hands ſuch Atteſtations may fall are intreated to detain them, and to preſent them unto the Provincial Synods, or Colloquies, upon whom the Churches which have given them are dependant.
16. The Provinces of Xaintonge, the Higher and Lower Longuedoc, Privas, of Colledges, 23.2. Vitré, of Colledges, 1.and of the Iſle of France all moving that it would be expedients leſſen the number of our Univerſities in this Kingdom, and to reduce them unto two only, that ſo they might be rendered more compleat: This Aſſembly doth not judge meet to diminiſh their number, but adviſeth that the Profeſſors there employed do diſcharge their duty carefully and acquit themſelves of their Offices faithfully and moſt conſcientiouſly.
17. Provincial Synods,2. Paris 3. Colloquies, and Conſiſtories are expreſly forbidden to admit any Perſons unto the Lords Table, who directly maintain Idolatry, or breed up their Children in it, or have recourſe unto the Pope for Diſpenſations, that they may enjoy Benefices, or others under their name. And all ſuch are judged utterly unworthy of obtaining Teſtimonials from our Churches, whereby they may be advanced unto thoſe important Charges in our Cautionary Towns.
18. The Lord's General Deputies are ordered to give their Majeſties the moſt humble Thanks of this Aſſembly, for that they have been pleaſed to diſcharge our Churches of the Sous in the Liver, which was formerly taken for paying the Salaries of our General Deputies out of the Moneys granted us by their Liberality,Privas, p. m. 20. and they are with all humility earneſtly to requeſt them to eaſe us of paying three thouſand ſix hundred Livers, which have been extraordinarily given unto the Inhabitants of the Baylywick of Gex, by way of recompence for the loſs of their Churches Stock, whereof they were formerly in poſſeſſion, and that it may be paid them out of ſome other Fund than ours.
19. Relation being made that divers Perſons of eminent Note and Quality,2. Synod of Vitré, g. m. 34. both within and without the Kingdom, are deſigning how to bring the Orthodox Churches of France, England, Germany, Switzerland, the Low-Countreys, and Geneva, to a nearer Communication in ſome convenient place, by Deputies ſent from them all, that ſo there may be a more ſtrict and familiar Correſpondence in Doctrine effected and kept up among them; whereunto His Majeſty of Great Britain expreſſeth a very great inclination. It was reſolved, that thoſe excellent perſons who travail in this moſt pious Undertaking, ſhould have the Thanks of this Aſſembly, and be intreated to perſiſt in their laudable proſecutions of it. And in the mean while this Deſign ſhall be imparted by the Provinces unto ſuch as underſtand theſe matters, that ſo this Propoſal may be more ſeriouſly adviſed on in the next National Synod.
20. For as much as the pernicious Doctrine of the Jeſuits againſt the Lives, Eſtates, and Authority of Soveraign Princes is propagated, and moſt impudently publiſhed to the World by the chiefeſt of that Sect; Suarez having within a few months gone beyond all the Fellows of his Order, in a Book newly publiſhed by him: This Aſſembly deteſting that abominable Doctrine, together with its Authors, exhorts all the faithful of our Communion to abhor and execrate it, and all our Miniſters and Profeſſors are to Teach and Preach againſt it powerfully, and to batter it down with force of Arguments, and to defend at the ſame time conjoyntly together the Rights of God, and thoſe of the Higher Powers ordained by him.