The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Synod 23 (Alès) · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. FORM of EXCOMMUNICATION.
2. Pa…is 2. 2. Vitre. 2. Obſerva… upon the Diſcipline.21 THE Province of Poictou requeſted that there might be another Form of Excommunication framed, of a larger Nature than that in our Diſcipline, becauſe the horrible Corruptions of the Age we live in do indiſpenſably need it, and call upon us loudly to put it in Execution. Whereupon this Form following was drawn up,
See the Excommunicat. … J…emy Fer…er in the …nd of the Synod of T…nei…s.My Brethren, This is the Fourth time that we declare unto you that N. N. hath been ſuſpended the Lords Table for that hainous Crime of N. committed by him, to the great ſcandal of the Church of God, and yet he continues impenitent and rejecteth all Counſels and Admonitions that have been given him, which ſuſpenſion and its cauſes we have fully notified unto you, that you might joyn your Prayers with ours unto the great God to ſoften his ſtony heart, and to move him unto Repentance, and to bring him out of the high and broad way of deſtruction. But notwithſtanding our Indulgence to him, and long ſuffering and forbearance of him, although we have prayed, intreated, threatned and adjured him to break off his ſinful courſes, and to return unto the Lord, and tryed all means to bring him unto Repentance. he yet perſiſteth in his Ungodlineſs and Impenitency, and is more obſtinate and hardned in his Rebellions againſt God, and tramples under foot his Holy Word, and ſcorneth that Diſcipline which God hath ſet up in his Church, boaſting himſelf of his Sin, and cauſeth unto the Church for a very long time a world of grief and trouble, and the Holy and Effectual Name of Jehovah our God to be blaſphemed. Wherefore we Miniſters of the Word and Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath armed with Spiritual Weapons, Mighty through God to deſtroy the ſtrong holds of Sin, which oppoſe and exhalt themſelves againſt him, and to whom the Eternal Son of God hath given an ample Power of binding and looſing in Earth, declaring that what we ſhall do here below he will ratifie and make it good in Heaven, we being willing to purge and cleanſe the Houſe of God, and to free the Church from all Reproach and Scandal, and to glorifie the Name of God by pronouncing an Anathema. upon the Wicked and Godleſs Sinner; We do in the Name and by the Authority of our Lord Jeſus, and by and with the Advice of the Paſtors and Elders aſſembled in the Colloquy at N. and of the Conſiſtory of the Church of N, We have, and do cut off the ſaid N. from the Communion of the Church, we do Excommunicate him, and caſt him out of the Society of Gods Saints, that he may be reputed by you as a Publican and Pagan, and that among the faithful he may be an Anathema and Execration. Let his Company be lookt upon as contagious and plaguy, and his Example poſſeſs your Souls with terror and horror, and make you tremble under the Mighty Hand of God, and know that 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God. And this our Sentence of Excommunication the Son of God himſelf will ratifie, and may he ſucceed and proſper it in ſuch an effectual manner, that this proud Sinner being aſhamed and confounded before God, may give Glory to him by his Converſion, and that being deliver'd from the power of the Devil, who hath hitherto kept him in Chains and Bondage he may be ſorry for his Sin with a Godly ſorrow, and turn from it with a repentance unto life never to be repented of. Let us my well-beloved Brethren call upon our God, that he would be pleaſed to yearn with the bowels of his compaſſion upon this vile and miſerable Creature, and that this horrible Sentence which to our very great regret and grief we pronounce againſt him, by and with the Authority of the Son of God, may ſerve to abaſe and humble him, and to reduce him into the way of Life and Salvation, who hath wandred and ſtrayd as a loſt Sheep in the crooked paths of deſtruction, Amen! Amen! Curſed is he who doth the Work of the Lord negligently. Amen! If any one love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be Anathema, Maranatha. Amen!
22. The Province of Xaintonge craved advice, what courſe we might take with them, who take out from the Courts of Parliament Prohibitions againſt the Orders and Cenſures of the Church as if they were intolerable abuſes. This Aſſembly injoyneth all Synods, Colloquies, and Conſiſtories to procede againſt ſuch Perſons as Rebels againſt the Diſcipline of our Church, and to inflict upon them the laſt and heavieſt cenſure of Excommunication provided they have firſt endeavoured by the ways of Love and Kindneſs, and Grave Religious Counſels to reduce ſuch Perſons unto their Duty, and to ſubject them unto our Church Orders.