The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 25 (Castres) · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. Care taken for a poor perſecuted Church.
25. THere were Letters from the Church of La Mote Mauravel, in the Province of Lower Guienne, ſent unto this Synod; and being read, together with their Memoirs, we were informed of a cruel Perſecution raiſed againſt the ſaid Church by the Lords Cardinal of Sourdis, and Biſhop of Maillezais. Whereupon, the Lord Commiſſioner was humbly deſired to write unto his Majeſty, and the Miniſters of State, on the behalf of that poor diſtreſſed Church. And Letters were alſo ordered to be written, out of hand, unto the Lord Duke of Eſperon, earneſtly to entreat his Grace, that by his Authority, his Majeſty's Edicts, and the Publick Peace might be preſerved. And our general Deputies at Court ſhall addreſs themſelves unto his Majeſty, that, according to his uſual Clemency, and Royal Goodneſs, he would be pleaſed to ſtop the Torrent of this Perſecution, and to exert his Juſtice, and puniſh the Infractors and Violators of his Royal Ordinances, and to curb and reſtrain their Fury, who dare, in a time of open Peace, to deprive his Majeſty's Subjects of the Benefit and Protection of his Edicts, of the Exerciſe of their Religion, and of the Safety of their Lives. And the ſaid Church of La Mote ſhall be immediately adviſed to keep and ſecure the poſſeſſion of their Temple, and Religious Worſhip, and to ſeek and get into their Poſſeſſion, all neceſſary Titles, Evidences and Proofs of their Right unto their Temple;1626. The 25th Synod. and to bring thoſe Evidences, and Acts of Prohibitions that have been ſerved upon them by the Officers of the ſaid Lord Cardinal, and all other Proofs of their Exceſſes and actual Outrages againſt their Members unto this City, that ſo they may, with all diligence, be diſpatched unto the Lord des Loges, Advocate in his Majeſty's Council, who will uſe all needful Means, on behalf of our Churches, that their Adverſaries may be proſecuted and puniſhed.
26. Mouſieur de la Motte, Paſtor of the Church du Gua in Vivaretz, did, both by word of Mouth, and written Acts which he produced, declare and prove his great Loſſes and Perſecutions ſuſtained during the laſt Troubles. The Council gave him good aſſurance, that in the Dividend of our Churches Moneys, there ſhould be a particular care taken for his Relief and Comfort.
27. The Synod compaſſionating the ſad Eſtate of Monſieur du Bois, a Publick Notary, living in the City of Pouzin, ordered that three hundred Livers ſhould be paid him out of the Maſs of Moneys, which will be allotted unto the Province of Vivaretz. And whereas the Church of Paris lent him already, in his great Neceſſities, one hundred Livers, they be deſired, out of pure Chriſtian Charity, freely to forgive him that Sum.
28. The Synod taking into conſideration the Complaint of the Widow of Monſieur Roſſel deceaſed, and the great Loſſes ſuffered by the Church of Bedarioux, decreed, that the Province of Lower Languedoc, ſhould pay her in the Stipend allowed her for the Year of her Widowhood, and diſcharge that poor Church from the paiment thereof, and take ſpecial care that this Widow have ſome ſettled Maintenance for the future. Moreover, an Order was granted, that becauſe her Neceſſities at preſent were very ſore and preſſing, ſhe ſhould receive fifty Livers, which the Lord of Candall is intreated to advance before-hand, out of the Moneys accruing unto the aforeſaid Province, whoſe Receiver ſhall be obliged to allow it him on his Account.
29. The Synod accepting his Offers, promiſed its beſt Aſſiſtance unto the Reverend Monſieur le Faucheur, Paſtor of the Church in Monpellier, and prayed him to take heart unto himſelf, and couragiouſly to imploy thoſe excellent Talents and Graces (the Lord had bleſs'd him with) in the Refutation of thoſe Heaps of Sophiſm's piled up by the Cardinal of Perron, in his huge Volume of the Euchariſt, that ſo the Church of God may be edified by ſo laudable and profitable a Work, and the ſorry ſophiſtical Wranglings of the Enemies of God's Truth may be check'd and repreſt.
30. There was granted threeſcore and twelve Livers unto the Sieurs Maurice, de Bloy, de Matrimont, and Collan, to defray the Charges of their Journey unto Montauban, which is eighteen Livers apiece.
31. Monſier Caper was ordered to pay unto Mr. Moynier, Paſtor of the Church of Bourniquett, immediately, ſeven-ſcore Livers in conſideration of his great Loſſes: and this is not intended as a diminution of that Relief which the Synod hath reſerved for him, when it comes to divide the Monies deſtinated to the ſupport and maintenance of our Churches in the Higher Languedoc. And the Synod of that Province is charged to communicate unto his neceſſitous Family, as they are bound by the Laws of Chriſtian Charity, for its Subſiſtence.
32. An hundred Livers were aſſigned unto Monſieur Baylin, Paſtor of the Church of Villemur, and to be paid him out of the cleareſt Monies which belong unto the Churches: And farther it was voted, that when the Dividend ſhould be made of thoſe Monies, there ſhall be a ſpecial regard had unto the Neceſſities both of the ſaid Church and Paſtor.
33. The Sieurs Crubel and Montanier, Paſtors of the Churches at Bias and La Corbaride, declared and proved before the Synod, by authentick Evidences and Memoirs, the utter impoſſibility of their Reſidence on their Churches, becauſe of the diſmal and deplorable Condition to which they be reduced. Whereupon Licenſe was given them to reſide at Montauban, until ſuch time as it ſhould pleaſe God to bleſs thoſe diſtreſſed Churches with Ability for their Reſettlement among them; and the next Provincial Synod ſhall take ſpecial care that it may be effected.
34. The Churches of Soulés and La Bour, being at a vaſt diſtance from the other Churches of this Kingdom, whereby our National Synods have had little knowledg of their Eſtate and Wants, and of that Relief which hath by this and former National Synods been miniſtred to them. The Sieurs Mizaubin and Grenouilleau, are ordered to travel thither immediately upon the breaking up of this Aſſembly, and as Viſitors appointed by this Synod, to inſpect their Condition, and to inquire into thoſe Differences between the Sieurs Buſthonoby and Guillemin, and to compoſe them, and to make report of the Neceſſities of thoſe Churches, they being now incorporated with the Synod of Lower Guienne, unto it; and they ſhall take care that thoſe Churches do, by their Deputies, appear at their Synodical Meetings, and bring in an Accompt of their diſpoſal of thoſe Monies which have been formerly, and may hereafter be allotted them. And that Synod is charged to concern it ſelf for the well-being of thoſe Churches.
35. The Province of Sevennes having advanced a thouſand Livers before-hand for the Churches of Auvergne, did requeſt this Aſſembly, that they might be reimburſed. A Decree paſt, that the ſaid Province proving thoſe Disburſments, they ſhould be repaid accordingly out of the Monies granted by the laſt National Synod unto thoſe Churches.
36. Monſieur Paulet informing this Synod with how great Violence he was forced, and driven away from his Church of Vezenobre, it was immediately voted, that his Cauſe ſhould be particularly recommended unto the Lords our General Deputies; and that when the distribution of Monies ſhall be made in the cloſe of this Seſſions, all care and reſpect ſhould be had unto his Neceſſities.
37. The Lord and Lady of Dangeau, complaining that the Synod of the Iſle of France, had forbidden the particular recommending of them unto God, in the Publick Prayers made by the Church of Chartres, meeting at the Bridg of Tranchefetus, although they had been formerly made for the Lord and Lady of that Place. And the Deputies of the Iſle of France having declared the Reaſons of that Prohibition, and juſtified it by the Acts of two ſeveral Synods; thô they had alſo condemned the omiſſion of thoſe aforeſaid Prayers, and that they would have ordained their re-uſage, were it not for thoſe many Oppoſitions they had encountred in it. The Synod decreed, That the Paſtor of the Church of Chartres, ſhall mention in his Prayers, and pray particularly by Name for the ſaid Lord and Lady, according to the Intention of the Synods of that Province.
38. The Sieur Codur writ Letters of Excuſe, which were read in this Synod; as alſo the Acts of the laſt National and Provincial Synods of Lower Languedoc, concerning the removal of his Miniſtry out of the Province of Sevennes. Whereupon it was decreed, that the Province ſhould be cenſured for their over-much Indulgence to the ſaid Codur, and judged, that the Gloſs put upon the Canon of the Synod of Charenton by one of its Deputies, was not in any wiſe to be admitted, becauſe it directly contradicted the Intention of that Synod. And it doth now forbid the ſaid Codur to exerciſe his Miniſtry, either in the Provinces of Lower Languedoc or Sevennes; and interdicts the Synods of thoſe Provinces, the granting him any Licenſe for ſo doing, on pain of cenſuring the Moderators of thoſe Synods in their private Capacities. Moreover, the ſaid Codur is once again commanded to obey the Canon of the National Synod of Charenton, and to retire himſelf into the Province of Dolphiny, that there he may be provided of a Church: And in caſe he refuſe Obedience unto this Order, the Synod of that Province is now impowred with full Authority to proceed againſt him, according to the utmoſt rigour and ſeverity of our Diſcipline.
39. There were ſix-ſcore Livers ordered to the Lord of La Beguadiere, for defraying the Charges of his Journey; which he took at the command of this Synod.
40. There were ſixty Livers paid the Lords Taby and Languett, who were ordered to cite Monſieur Noguier unto this Synod, and to hear and examine Witneſſes.
41. This Synod honouring the Memory of Monſieur Daneau, heretofore a very famous Miniſter of Chriſt, Paſtor and Profeſſor of Divinity in the Church and Univerſity of Bearn; and deſiring to preſerve his Works from the Grave of Oblivion, intreateth his worthy Son to gather them into one Volume, and to publiſh them, and the Charges of their Impreſſion ſhall be born by this Synod. They be in one Volume in Folio.
42. Sixty Livers were ordered to be paid unto the Sieurs Mizaubin and Grenouilleau, (Commiſſioners appointed by this Synod to viſit the Churches of Soules and Labour) to defray the Expences of their Journey, of which they ſhall give an Accompt unto the Province of Lower Guyenne: And in caſe this Sum be not ſufficient for the clearing their neceſſary Charges in that their Journey, then the Province ſhall ſupply the reſt, and bring it in upon Accompt unto the next National Synod.
43. This Synod approved, that the Lord of Eragny, Deputy for the Province of Normandy, ſhould uſe all neceſſary means for getting a place aſcertained, where the Profeſſors of the Reformed Religion may worſhip God in the Bailywick of Chaumont, in the Territory of Vexin; and the ſaid Place being obtained and named, the Church of that Bailywick ſhall be incorporated with the Iſle of France, provided that the Quarter of Giſors do yield their Conſent, and be the leſſer Part of the Church of Sancourt; and in caſe the two Provinces of Normandy, and the Iſle of France, cannot agree about it, they ſhall ſubmit unto the Judgment of the Neighbour Synod.