The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 22 (2nd Vitré) · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. A Speech made unto the King by the Deputies of the National Synod of the Reformed Churches in France, together with his Majeſty's Anſwer to it, the 27th of May, 1617.
THE National Synod held at Vitré, in the Province of Brittain, having deputed unto his Majeſty Meſſieurs Peter Heſperian, Paſtor of the Church of St. Foy in the Lower Guienne; Denis de Bouteroue, Paſtor of the Church at Grenoble in Dolphiny; Albert de Mars, Eſq Lord of Balene, Elder of the Church at Maringues in the Ʋpper Auvergne, and William Gerard Eſq Lord of Mouſſac, Elder in the Church of Mouſſac, and Province of Lower Languedoc: they were admitted into his Majeſty's preſence the 27th day of the ſame Month, and the ſaid Mr. Heſperian did expreſs himſelf in theſe words unto the King.
SIRE,
THere be now proſtrate at your Majeſty's Feet, in our Perſons, all your Subjects profeſſing the Reformed Religion, repreſented by the National Synod, Aſſembled by your gracious Permiſſion, and under your Royal Authority, in your City of Vitré, who have deputed us unto your Majeſty, to teſtify unto your Majeſty the extraordinary joys and thankfullneſs of your ſaid Subjects, both to our God and your Majeſty, for that the Kingdom is in Peace, your Authority in great Splendour, and your Sacred Perſon at full Liberty; and this by that wiſe and generous reſolution, which you have undertook and executed by a just puniſhment of the grand Diſturber of your Kingdom, and Oppreſſor of your Authority, and which was worſt of all, of one, who had expoſed your Sacred Perſon to the moſt imminent and apparent dangers.
This Action of your Majeſty was altogether extraordinary, it was an Enterprise purely divine and miraculous; for it turned in a moment the ſtorm into a calm, Wars into Peace, our frights into aſſurance, our perils into ſecurity, and tyranny into a moſt rightful and righteous Government. At this inſtant, as if your Sacred Majeſty were now come unto the Crown, France knoweth that it hath a King, and the whole World, That the King of France is most worthy to reign and govern.
At this inſtant that your Majeſty holds the Reins of Government in your own hands, all your Subjects do render that moſt humble obedience and ſubjection which is due unto you, and particularly thoſe of the Reformed Religion, who are moſt ready and willing to hazard and adventure their Eſtates, their Honours, and their very Lives for your Majeſty's Service.
And in truth, Sire, this Aſſembly which hath deputed us unto your Majeſty, was no ſooner formed, but that it did moſt ſolemnly protest and ſwear, as we alſo are charged in the name and behalf of all the Churches Reformed in your Kingdom now to protest and ſwear, that we will never depart from that moſt humble obedience, and moſt faithful ſervice, which as your true, liege, and natural born Subjects, is our bounden duty unto your Majeſty.
And we feel and know, that we are indiſpenſably obliged to it by thoſe numberleſs favours and benefits, which we received from Henry the Great, our late King, and your Majeſties Father of moſt glorious Memory, and by thoſe continued to us by your Majeſty, and which we hope ſhall be ſtill vouchſafed us, becauſe we believe that the maintenance of your Authority is our Security, and the firmneſs of your Crown that of our repoſe and ſafety. But yet there is another Bond and Obligation ſtronger than all theſe upon us, even that of our Conſcience and Religion, which from the divinely inſpired Scriptures are taught and instructed to ſubject our ſelves unto the higher Powers, and that to reſiſt them is to reſist the Ordinance of God, who we know hath exalted your Majeſty unto the Throne, put the Crown upon your Head, the Scepter into your Hand, and all Heroick Vertues into your Royal Heart. And therefore, Sire, next and after our God, we do acknowledge your Majesty to be our only Soveraign: And 'tis an Article of our Creed, that there is no middle Power between God and the Kings. 'Tis with us reputed a moſt damnable Hereſy to call this truth in question, and to turn it into diſputation is a capital Crime to be puniſhed by the Judges. This Leſſon, Sire, we learnt of our Predeceſſors; this we believe and publiſh in all places, and this Doctrine we preach from our Pulpits in our Churches, and teach from the Preſs unto the World; and we will live in it, Sire, that our Posterity after us may learn and practiſe it by our Example.
Therefore is it, that we hope your Majeſty, crediting and conſiding in our immoveable Loyalty, will be pleaſed to continue to us the benefits of your Edicts, and that your Royal Ears will be open to our Complaints and Grievances, and that holding the Ballance ſteady and right, you will do us upon all occaſions right and juſtice: By which your Majeſty will the more confirm us in our unchangeable purpoſe and reſolution to live and die in the quality of your moſt humble, moſt faithful, and moſt obedient Subjects and Servants.
Monſieur Heſperian having finiſhed his Speech, his Majeſty returned this Anſwer: Do you continue to ſerve me faithfully, and you may be well aſſured, that I will be a good and kind King unto you, and that I will preſerve you according to my Edicts. And taking from him the Letter which the Synod had written him, he gave it to Monſieur de Pontchartrain, commanding him to read it, and return an Anſwer to it.
Printed by Abraham Saugrain living in St. James his Street, over againſt the three Sawcers, according to the Licence given the 16th of June 1617. and Signed by H. de Meſmes.