The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Synod 23 (Alès) · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Obſervations on the Church-Diſcipline.
St. Maixant Obſervat. 2.1 ALL*Two other Copies read, our Provinces. our Churches are Exhorted to govern themſelves in the Election, Examination, and Ordination of their Paſtors according to that Order preſcribed in the Fourth Cannon of the Firſt Chapter: And whereas the Provinces of both the Languedocs and Sevennes have uſually begun with an examin, they ſhall henceforward conform themſelves punctually to that Article.
2. The Province of Anjou mooved, whether a Solemn Faſt ought not to be obſerved at the Ordination of Miniſters. A Decree paſt that nothing ſhould be innovated in this matter, but the former Cuſtoms ſhould be retained; only if there was a particular neceſſity for it, the Third Canon in the Tenth Chapter of our Diſcipline ſhall be moſt exactly followed.1 Paris Act. 34. Orleans Act. 5.
3. Upon the Ninth Canon of the Firſt Chapter the ſaid Province of Anjou demanded, what is the Duty of that Church or Province which hath a Propoſan every way fit for Employment in the Holy Miniſtry, and hath not a vacant Congregation for him, and he is earneſtly importuned by ſome other Church or Province to be lent unto them. This Aſſembly ordaineth that the Canon ſhall be moſt exactly obſerved, That no Propoſan ſhall be lent or ſent without aſſigning him to ſome particular Church to which he ſhall ſtand related as their Paſtor. And it his own Church or Province cannot imploy the ſaid Propoſan, they may out of their Charity grant him unto that Church or Province, which deſires him of them; where he ſhall be fixed as their own peculiar Miniſter.
4. The Provinces are Exhorted to make inquiry in their Synods whether the Eleventh Canon be obſerved or tranſgreſſed;Ste Foy. Act. 7. that ſo the Tranſgreſſors of it may be cenſured according to the former Decrees of our National Synods.
5. Catechiſing being a moſt neceſſary and proſitable Ordinance,Ste Foy. Act. 7. all the Provinces are injoyned to ſee the Twelfth Canon more carefully obſerved in their Churches than it hath been formerly; and the Provinces ſhall give in an account hereof unto the next National Synod.
6. This enſuing Cannon made by the Synod of Privas ſhall be read in all Conſiſtories, that ſo the ſcandals given by Paſtors Tranſgreſſors of it may be prevented for the future; and all Conſiſtories ſhall give in an account thereof unto Colloquies, and Colloquies unto Provincial Synods, and Provincial Synods unto the National.
7. Reading the*In the Diſcipline Printed at Queville 1663. It is the 19. Act. in 3. other Copies that I have 'tis the 20. Act. Eighteenth Canon in the Firſt Chapter of our Diſcipline, which enjoyned Miniſters†See in the the Acts of the Synod of Privas, Obſervat. 2. upon the Diſciplie. to exhort their People unto all Modeſty in their Faſhions and Habits, and they themſelves to go before them in a good Example they, their Wives, Children and Families refraining all bravery in Apparel; Many Complaints were brought in againſt divers Miniſters, whoſe Wives and Children tranſgreſſed this Holy Canon, and were exceeding vain in their Habits, faſhioning themſelves according to the World, and were very much eſtranged from that Modeſty commanded and expected from them and all theirs. This Aſſembly deſirous to remedy ſuch a growing and notorious ſcandal, doth give expreſs charge unto all Moderators of Colloquies and Provincial Synods to correct and reform theſe Exceſſes by Cenſures and ſevere Reprehenſions, and by the Authority of this Aſſembly to ſuſpend the Refractory from the Sacred Miniſtry, until ſuch time as they have removed all matters of offence. And that this Canon may be the better obſerved, Licenſe is given unto all private Perſons according to our Diſcipline to inform the Conſiſtories of the aforeſaid Exceſſes, and to demand their Reformation. Which being denied, they may addreſs themſelves unto the Colloquies for Cenſures againſt theſe Offenders,In the Diſcipline printed at Queville 16. It is the 20. In the latter Editions it is the 21. Act. and all thoſe who ſhall abett or countenance them in ſuch their ſcandalous miſcarriages.
8. In thoſe Copies of the Nineteenth Canon, where towards the end of it are theſe words, To make but one and the ſelf-ſame Church and Conſiſtory, thoſe words one and the ſelf-ſame Conſiſtory ſhall be blotted out.
9. Upon the Fiftieth Canon there was this Obſervation. Foraſmuch as through the corruption of the Age in which we live it may ſo fall out, That a Miniſter depoſed in one Colloquie or Province may intrude himſelf into another, and take upon him to preach the Word, before the Meeting of the National Synod, by which all the Churches in this Kingdom may be adviſed of the ſaid depoſed Perſon. This Aſſembly doth Exhort all Paſtors, and Conſiſtories not eaſily to admit any Stranger from another Province into the Pulpits, unleſs they be very well acquainted with him. And as for Apoſtates, the Paſtors of the adjoyning Churches in which they revolted live, ſhall give ſpeedy and publick notice of theſe Apoſtates, that ſo none of our Churches or Miniſters may be ſurprized by them.
10. On the Second Canon of the Third Chapter,Ste Foy Act 9. the Provinces of the higher and lower Languedoc were particularly enjoyned to obſerve the ſaid Canon more carefully for the future.
11. The Second Canon of the Second Chapter ſhall be thus worded, Regents and School-Maſters ſhall ſubſcribe our Confeſſion of Faith and Church-Diſcipline, and no Towns nor Churches ſhall admit of any one without the conſent of the Conſiſtory of that place.
12. On the Fifth Canon of the Fifth Chapter a Queſtion was moved by the Province of Provence, Whether a Perſon that was never called to the Office of an Elder might warrantably read the Word of God, and the Common-Prayers unto the Church in the Miniſters abſence, eſpecially in leſſer Churches, which have no Conſiſtories, nor any Perſons fit to read. This Aſſembly judgeth that the Conſiſtory hath full liberty to chooſe any one whom it conceiveth meet to read the Scriptures and Prayers, although he be not in the Elderſhip, provided he be of ſufficient years and unblameable Life, and that he have ſubſcribed the Confeſſion of our Faith, and Church-Diſcipline.
13. At the req…eſt of the Province of Sevennes to theſe words in the Sixteenth Canon of the Fifth Chapter, Fathers and Mothers who marry their Children, ſhall be added theſe following, Tutors, Guardians, and all other Perſons inſtead of Parents who diſpoſe of their Orphans and Minors in Marriage.
14. Theſe words as much as may be ſhall be raſed out of the Ninth Canon of the Twelfth Chapter. And in all the Provinces Paſtors ſhall be obliged to adminiſter the Cup as well as the Bread unto every individual Communicant without diſtinction of Perſons, as alſo they ſhall uſe meet words in the Adminiſtration of both the Elements to quicken the Hearts and Spirits of the Communicants at the Lords Table. And expreſs Order is given to all Provincial Synods that they take ſpecial care that Paſtors do not in the leaſt tranſgreſs this Canon.
15. On the Third Canon of the Thirteenth Chapter, the Province of Normandy deſired, That all the Churches of this Kingdom would conform themſelves to their Cuſtom, That Eſpouſals before Marriage ſhould be Celebrated by Miniſters with Prayers and Exhortations to the betroathed Perſons to prepare them for that Holy Eſtate whereunto they be called. The Aſſembly though it praiſeth and approveth of this their practice, and of them that obſerve it, yet did not judge meet to oblige all Perſons neceſſarily thereunto, but leave the faithful unto their liberty.
16. On the Fifth Canon of the ſame Chapter there was made this reflection. That whereas there is a great difference in divers Copies of our Church-Diſcipline, that Canon which was made by the National Synod of Privas ſhall be inſerted word for word into the Body of our Diſcipline, To witt, Henceforward all promiſes of Marriage and Eſpouſals ſhall be made by words de futuro, nor ſhall ſuch promiſes be reputed as firm and undiſſolvable as the words de Praeſenti, becauſe the words de praeſenti do not promiſe Marriage, but do effectually accompliſh it. Nevertheleſs thoſe words de futuro ſhall not be diſſolved without very great and lawful cauſe, Wherefore the Cuſtom of ſome certain Churches is condemned who celebrate Eſpouſals by the Miniſterial Benediction of their Paſtors with gift of Bodies by words de praeſenti: For by ſuch a Solemnity we cannot but account the Parties to be truly and actually Married, and that the Publication of Banes is thereby prepoſterous, done after Marriage, and another Solemnization of the Marriage, in Gods Church is needleſs. However we cannot diſapprove of Miniſters officiating at Eſpouſals, or that they ſhould pray for, and Exhort the Parties betroathed to mutual Love, Concord, Fidelity, and the Fear of God; but we would have them leave thoſe other Formalities, which ſerve only to render a Bond indiſſolvable, which oftentimes we be conſtrained afterwards to break by reaſon of Oppoſitions made at the Publication of the Banes, and for divers other Impediments which may happen. For this cauſe all the Churches ſhall hereafter utterly abandon that cuſtom of Solemnizing Eſpouſals in the Temple with thoſe Formalities reſembling Marriage, and they ſhall conform themſelves unto the other Churches of this Kingdom.
17. On the Sixteenth Canon of the Thirteenth Chapter, the Province of Anjou demanded, Whether we ſhould ſuffer the Banes of Strangers, as Germans, Scots, or any others to be publiſhed in our Churches, without having Certificates from their Country, which will be very difficult to obtain, and poſſibly may be counterfeit. This Aſſembly leaveth the matter wholly to the prudence of Conſiſtories, and to act therein as will be moſt expedient, ordaining however that if poſſible they ſhould get Certificates.
18. On the ſame Canon the Province of lower Guyenne requeſted that another might be made for the right ordering of Banes, which are moſtly attended with Titles full of vanity. Tins Aſſembly conceiving that ſuch an Ordinance would not take well with Perſons of Quality, doth therefore adviſe them to keep, as much as poſſibly they can within the bounds of Chriſtian Modeſty and Simplicity.
Above the 1. Synod of Rochell. Obſerv. 59.19. The Seventh Canon of the Fourteenth Chapter ſhall be couched in theſe words Neither Counſellors nor Attorneys at Law may plead in ſuch Cauſes as tend to the ſuppreſſion of the word of God preached, nor to the ſetting un of Maſs, nor in any wiſe ſhall they be ſuffered to give Counſel or Aſſiſtance unto the Romiſh Church-men in thoſe Cauſes which have a tendency directly or indirectly to the oppreſſion of the Church.
See Synod of Orleans. Act. 22.20. The Province of Normandy demanding that the Eleven Canon of this Fourteenth Chapter might be a little mollified, This Aſſembly ordained that it ſhould abide in its full and whole Power, according to what had bin decreed in the Synod of Tonneins.
21. On the Sixteenth Canon, Synods,Paris 1. Act. 29. Colloquies and Conſiſtories are Exhorted to watch over Miniſters and other Perſons, who ſhall publiſh their Works, and not firſt of all communicate them in Manuſcript to be peruſed and approved by the Divines thereunto appointed; and the Tranſgreſſors of this Canon ſhall be moſt ſeverely cenſured.
The Articles of our Diſcipline having been read and diligently conſidered were ſworne to by all the Paſtors and Elders Deputed unto this Aſſembly, both in their private and publick Capacities, and they promiſed for themſelves and Provinces to ſee them faithfully and carefully obſerved.