The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 24 (1st Charenton) · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
17 THE Lord of Galland required that for the future no Paſtors might be deputed unto Political Aſſemblies, declaring it to be His Majeſties Pleaſure, expreſly notified in his Letters written unto this Synod. Whereupon it was unanimouſly voted, that His Majeſties Command ſhould be abſolutely obeyed; and as it was injoyned ſo His Majeſties Letter ſhould be inſerted into the Acts of this Synod, the tenour whereof is as followeth.
By the KING.
Truſty and well-beloved,
we have heretofore made known unto you what was our intention concerning Foreigners being Miniſters in the Reformed Churches of this our Kingdom, and in particular about thoſe Two Scotchmen, the Sieurs Primroſe and Cameron lately Miniſters in our City of Bourdeaux. And whereas in your laſt ſent unto us you ſtarted ſome difficulties about it, we do now once again declare it to you that it is our Will and Purpoſe that the ſaid Primroſe and Cameron ſhall neither of them in any wiſe he imployed in the Publick Offices of Miniſters in the Churches, or of Miniſters and Profeſſors in the Churches and Univerſities of the Reformed Religion in France, not ſo much becauſe of their Birth as Foreigners, but for reaſons concerning our Service. Moreover you ſhall again move them, That in obedience to our Command formerly notified to you, no Miniſters ſhall b e deputed unto Political Aſſemblies, and they ſhould of themſelves have made a Canon againſt it, becauſe their Miniſterial Calling is quite of another Nature, and ſuch Deputations muſt needs diſtract and hinder them, if they do not wholly take them off from the Occupations and Duties of their Spiritual Function. And in ca▪e they ſhould make any difficulty to comply with our Will herein, you ſhall give them to underſtand that they will enforce us to take ſome other courſe with them, either by a Publick Declaration againſt them, or elſe by thoſe very Warrants which ſhall be iſſued forth in Our Name and Authority for the holding of thoſe Aſſemblies. However its not our mind to exclude the Miniſters of thoſe places where thoſe Aſſemblies do meet from ſitting in them. And let this our intention be inſerted into the Regiſter of your Aſſembly, that ſo none may pretend ignorance in caſe of their failure and tranſgreſſion. For ſuch is our Will and Pleaſure.
Given at St, Germans in Laye this 25th. of September, One Thouſand Six Hundred and Twenty Three. Signed Lewes, and below L' Omenie. And on the Superſcription thus, To Our Truſty and Beloved Counſellor in Our Council of State and Privy Council, and Attorney General for our Dominion of Navarre, The Lord Galland Our Commiſſioner unto the Synod of Charenton.
18. The Synod being informed that the Publick Notary who received the Letters of Attorney given unto the Sieurs Durant, Meſtrezat, Maſſocos, Biggot, and de L' Aunay had through inadvertency omitted the1 Revocation of the Letters of Attorney formerly granted by the preceding National Synods for the recovery of the Arrears owing to our Churches by Monſieur Palott, it hath declared, as it now doth and will again declare if need be, that all former Letters of Attorney granted unto any Perſons whatſoever by the former National Synods, are revoked, and we do will that they be eſteemed null, invalid, and of none effect.
19. The Aſſembly being deſirous that the ſucceeding National Synods may have a particular knowledge of the number of Paſtors imployed in the Churches of this Kingdom, it doth ordain, that there ſhall be now written a Roll and Catalogue of the Names end Sirnames both of Miniſters in Actual Service in every Province, and of their Churches, as alſo of Miniſters diſcharged and Emeriti, and of all vacant Churches; which Catalogue ſhall be attached to the Original Acts of this Synod, and kept by that Province whoſe Priviledge it vvill be to convocate the next National Synod: And this ſhall alvvay be continued in all ſubſequent National Synods. And all the Provinces are injoyned to bring vvith them the Names and Surnames of every Miniſter in actual Service to vvhom a Dividend is allotted; and that this may be done the more carefully and effectually, they ſhall bring vvith them the Acts of their Provincial Synods ſubſcribed and atteſted by the reſpective Moderators.
20. The Sieurs Cottiby Paſtor, and du Bois St. Martyn an Elder, vvho vvere deputed unto His Majeſty from this Aſſembly moſt humbly to petition His Majeſty that Monſieur du Moulin Paſtor of the Church of Paris might have His Majeſties Gracious Leave to return into this Kingdom, and be reſtored unto his Flock, and to the Exerciſe of his Miniſtry, and that the Sieurs Primroſe und Cameron might alſo be reſtored unto the Church of Bourdeaux, and Church and Univerſity of Saumur, vvhereof they vvere Paſtors and Profeſſors; Thoſe being novv returned from Court, they reported, that His Majeſty received them vvith His vvonted Candor and Goodneſs, and having given them Audience, he did by the Lord Chancellor tell them that His Majeſty had Graciouſly received their Meſſage, but commanded him to acquaint them, that for divers good reaſons (vvhichwhich if they vvere knovvn to us, vvould very vvell ſatisfie us, His Majeſty could not permit that the ſaid Miniſters, du Moulin, Primroſe, and Cameron ſhould live in His Kingdom; and that ſince from His Majeſties ovvn Mouth and Writing, they underſtood his Will, it vvas his pleaſure that they ſhould make no Replies. Hovvever becauſe of their moſt humble petition, His Majeſty would permit thoſe Miniſters to reſide within His Kingdom, but on this condition, That they ſhould neither be imployed in the Paſtoral or Profeſſors Office. But in time Matters might be better ordered to their contentment.