The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 25 (Castres) · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
ON reading the Seventeenth Article of General Matters of the laſt National Synod, divers Deputies related, how that it was generally believed in their Provinces, that the ſaid Synod contrary to the Cuſtom of our Churches had Treated and Debated of State-Matters. Whereupon this Aſſembly informed them, that it was never the intention of that National Synod to have meddled with an Affair of that Nature, the Cogniſance and Deciſion of which had been alwayes left unto Political Aſſemblies, which were called by His Majeſties Writt expreſly to that end, and farther that the Synod in doing what it did was wholly to teſtifie its Obedience unto His Majeſties Will, notified to them by the Lord Commiſſioner Galland, and confirm'd by the very Letters of His Majeſty, declaring abſolutely and preciſely His Command and Pleaſure therein. Moreover, ſhould not our Paſtors have yielded that Obedience, they might all of them have been branded for pragmaticalneſs, and taking upon them the cogniſance of Matters Foreign to their profeſſion, which they never once deſired, every one of the Paſtors proteſting for himſelf, that they wiſhed from their Souls never for the future to be called unto ſuch Aſſemblies, whatever Advantages might thereby accrew unto them for His Majeſty, And the Judgment paſt in this caſe by the Synod of Alez in the firſt Article of General Matters is an Ample Teſtimony that they were prejudged againſt it long before.
12. Whereas the Sieurs Guidon and d' Huyſſeau. had received Letters of Attorney to proſecute Monſieur Palot, and they were not revoked, but upon condition that the Lord Malat ſhould be aſſociated with them, which the ſaid Lord Malat would not yield unto, now that the ſaid Act of Revocation may not be conſtrued in a ſiniſter Sence, as if the aforeſaid Sieurs Guydon and d' Huyſſeau had been deficient either in diligence or faithfulneſs, who contrariwiſe for thoſe ſelf-ſame Vertues have deſerved exceeding well of our Churches. This Synod declareth, that it would have been a ſingular ſatisfaction to it in caſe the ſaid Sieur Malat might have been induc'd to undertake the proſecution of that Affair which was joyntly committed to him, and the aforementioned Sieurs Guydon and d' Huyſſeau, who were not only alwayes exempted from all Defaults, but alſo from the very Suſpicion thereof, and that all kind of Teſtimonials and Thankfulneſs is due and owing them for their Capacity, Carefulneſs, Diligence, Integrity, and Singular Love and Zeal unto the Weal and Happyneſs of our Churches, nor cannot in the leaſt be refuſed them. Wherefore this preſent Order paſſed for their diſcharge ſhall be inſerted into the Acts of this Synod, that it may be carried into all the Provinces, that ſo none may plead or pretend his Ignorance, and Unacquaintedneſs with the intentions of this preſent, and of the laſt immediately preceding Synod.
Monſieur Palot of St Antonine preſented a Petition unto this Aſſembly on behalf of his Brother Palot, that it would be pleaſed to cauſe all proceſſes commenc't againſt him by the Lord Malat to ceaſe, and that Arbitrators might be choſen on both ſides with full power to determine the differences betwixt him and the Churches of this Kingdom. Letters alſo from the Lord Malat were read, informing it of the great progreſs he had made in the Suit againſt him. Whereupon the Synod finding the Complaints and Requeſts of the ſaid Palot to be unreaſonable, and that from their former Experience, they could only conclude them done on purpoſe to gain and ſpin out time, and to elude if poſſible the Proſecutions already begun, it voted Thanks to be given unto the Lord Malat for his care and pains, and that he be intreated to continue his Travel and Diligence in this Affair; and the like thanks were ordered unto Monſieur Arnault for his ſingular Affection to the Weal of our Churches; and the Lord Commiſſioner Galland was alſo earneſtly deſired to befriend our Churches with his kind Aſſiſtance at Court; and to ſpeak for us unto the Kings Majeſty, that His Gracious Majeſty would be pleaſed to ordain that Juſtice might be done us.
Letters were read from the Lords Marbaut, de Maſſanes, Bigot, and de Launay, Commiſſioners named by the laſt National Synod to treat on behalf of all our Churches with Perſons capable of bringing the Sieur Palot to give us ſome reaſonable ſatisfaction. And alſo Monſieur Meſtrezat another of thoſe Commiſſioners made report, of what had been done herein as we…l by himſelf as by thoſe others joyned in Commiſſion with him. Whereupon all their Actions were ratified and approved.
In reading that Act of the Synod of Charenton containing His Majeſties Anſwer unto the Sieurs Cottiby and du Bois Saint Martyn Deputed by the ſaid Synod unto His Majeſty, in which hope was given unto the Churches, that the Prohibition iſſued out againſt Monſieur du Moulin ſhould be taken away, and that he ſhould be reſtored unto his Miniſtry in this Kingdom. And a Letter to this ſelf-ſame purpoſe from the Church of Paris alſo, requeſting our Interceſſion with His Majeſty, that he would be Graciouſly pleaſed to grant unto the Churches the injoyment of their hopes. The Deputies of the Iſle of France joyned with them in this their requeſt. Whereupon it was reſolved, that His Majeſty ſhould be moſt humbly petitioned to grant leave unto the ſaid Monſieur du Moulin to return into France, and to the Exerciſe of his Paſtoral Office in his aforeſaid Church, and the ſaid Monſieur du Moulin ſhall be required by Letters from this Synod to joyn vvith the Churches in their Petition for his return and re-ſettlement in France, and that he ſhall addreſs himſelf alſo by a particular Petition of his ovvn unto His Majeſty, that he may be reſtored unto his Charge, vvherein by the Bleſſing of God he had ſuch eminent ſucceſs, that ſo if it may be, His Majeſty by ſo many importunate Petitioners may be prevailed vvith to grant us our deſires.
The Provincial Deputies of Lower Guyenne and Poictou being heard, it was voted that the Churches of Rochechouart and Limoges ſhould continue joyned unto the Province of Lower Guyenne, as they have been heretofore: notwithſtanding that they were ſeparated from it by a Decree of the laſt National Synod, becauſe they cannot ſubſiſt if they be divided, nor can the Church of Limoges be united unto Poictou without too much enfeebling the Colloquy of Limouſin.
Maiſter Peter Guillemin Paſtor in the Church of La Bour preſented his Petition unto this Aſſembly, that the Summ of Three Hundred Livres granted the ſaid Church by the former National Synods may be continued, and that the Summ of Threeſcore Livres more might be beſtowed upon them for the breeding of a young Scholar, who may be hereafter capable of ſerving the ſaid Church, and to preach in their Language, and that His Majeſty may be petitioned, that He would grant according to His Edicts Two Places more for Religious Worſhip unto the Faithful of the ſaid Countrey of Labour. It was voted that this Petition in all its Parts and Members ſhould be fulfilled, on this Condition, that the Scholar to be maintained by them be preſented unto the next Synod of Lower Guyenne, and that the ſaid Province of the Lower Guyenne do yield an accompt of the ſaid Summ of Sixty Livres unto the next National Synod, as alſo of the Three Hundred Livres granted unto the ſaid Church of La Bour, and the Paſtor there ſhall be obliged for the future to aſſiſt in Perſon at the Provincial Synods of Lower Guyenne.
After the laſt Canon was voted, This Aſſembly recollected that heretofore the National Synod of Tonneins had granted unto Monſieur Buſthonoby Paſtor of the Churches in Soules the Summ of Three Hundred Livres to defray the Charges of Printing ſome certain Books in the Biſcayan Language, and that ſince by a Decree of the Synod of Vitre the Province of Lower Guyenne was reimburſt the ſaid Summ, which they had beforehand advanced to that purpoſe. Whereupon Order was given unto the ſaid Province to call in its next Synod the aforeſaid Monſieur Buſthonoby to an accompt how he did imploy and diſpoſe of the ſaid Moneys, and to bring in that Accompt unto the next National Synod.