The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 26 (2nd Charenton) · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. The Lord Galland the King's Commiſſioner. The King's Writ for calling the Synod. Deputies Names. Election of Synodical Officers.
Article 1. AT the opening of this Aſſembly, the Lord Galland, Counſellor to his Majeſty in his moſt honourable Privy Council, and Council of State, and Attorney General for his Dominion of Navarre, appeared in Perſon as Commiſſioner deputed by his Majeſty unto it, and preſented his Majeſty's Warrant, ſigned with his Sign Manual for the convocating of it.
2.
This 29th Day of January, in the Year of our Lord 1631.
The King being at Paris, upon the moſt humble Petition of his Subjects of the pret. Reformed Religion, that they might be permitted to meet and aſſemble in a National Synod, there not having been one held ſince that of Caſtres, in the Year 1626. His Majeſty being very willing to gratify thoſe his Subjects aforeſaid, and to give them ſome Marks of his Royal Favour, hath granted and permitted, and doth grant and permit unto thoſe his aforeſaid Subjects, the Power and Priviledg of holding a National Synod the firſt Day of September next at Charenton near Paris, but with this Condition, that none other Matters ſhall be debated in it, but ſuch as are allowed them by his Majeſty's Edicts; and that the Lord Galland, Counſellor to his Majeſty in his Privy Council, and Council of State, and Attorney General for his Houſe of Navarre, ſhall aſſiſt perſonally in the ſaid Synod as his Majeſty's Commiſſioner, as hath been accuſtomed and practiſed heretofore. In Teſtimony whereof his Majeſty hath commanded me to iſſue out this preſent Writ, which he was pleaſed to ſign with his own Hand, and commanded it to be counterſigned by me his Counſellor and Secretary of Eſtate, and of his Commandments, and of his Treaſury.
Signed in the Original, LOƲIS. And a little lower, Phillippeaux.
3. There appeared on Behalf of the Churches in the ſeveral Provinces of this Kingdom, the Paſtors and Elders, whoſe Names are hereafter mentioned. For the Province of Burgundy, the Sieurs Peter Boullenat Paſtor of the Church of Vaux, and Alexander Rouph Paſtor of the Church of Lyons, together with the Lords Timothy Armet, Advocate in the Privy Council, Elder in the Church of Conches, and Lazarus du Puy, Counſellor for the King, in the Preſidial Court of Bourg, and Elder of the Church gathered in that Town.
4. For the Province of Provence, the Sieurs Paul Maurice, Paſtor of the Church at Aiguires, and Peter de Peyre Lord of Retardet, Elder in the ſame Church.
5. For the Province of Orleans and Berry, the Sieurs Daniel Jamett, Paſtor the Church of Gien upon the Loir, and James L'amy Paſtor of the Church of Chaſteaudun, accompanied with Maſter Claudius Bernard, Elder in the Church of Chaſtillon upon the Loir, and Bailiff of the ſaid Town; and Henry du Four, Doctor of Phyſick, Elder in the Church of Blois.
6. For the Province of Poictou, the Sieurs Iſaac de Cuville, Paſtor of the Church in Couhé, and John le Maſſon, Paſtor of the Church of Civray, together with the Lords René de Lauvrignac, Eſq Lord of Miauvray, Elder of the Church of St. Maixant, and Giles Begaut Lord of la Begaudiere, Elder in the Church of Montague.
7. For the Province of Xaintonge, the Lords William Rivet Lord of Champrernown, Paſtor of the Church of Taillebourg, and Peter Richer Lord of Vaudelincourt, Paſtor of the Church of Marennes, accompanied with the Lords Denys Paſquett Eſq Lord of Large Baſton, Elder in the Church of Angouleſme, and Charles Conſtant, Comptroller for his Majeſty in the Election of St. John d'Angely, and Elder of the Church in that City.
8. For the Province of Brittain, the Sieurs Joſua de la Place, Paſtor of the Church of Nantes, aſſembling for Religious Worſhip at Suffé, without an Elder; for the Lords Daniel de la Touſche, Lord of la Ravardiere, Elder in the Church of Ploer, and Daniel Chaſtaigner Lord of la Grolliere, Elder in the Church of Vielle vigne, who was ſubſtituted in his Place, did both ſend their Letters of Requeſt, that they might be diſpenſed with for their non-Attendance at the Synod, and their Excuſes were admitted and accepted.
9. For the Province of Lower Guyenne, the Sieurs James de Berdoline Paſtor of the Church of Duras, and Charles d'Aubus Paſtor of the Church of Nerac, accompanied with the Lords John de Mazilieres, Advocate in the High Court of Parliament of Bourdeaux, Lord of Grave, and Elder in the Church of Nerac; the Lord John Aymé de Friginet, Advocate alſo in the ſame Parliament, and Elder of the Church of Bergerac, was choſen, but fell ſick, and therefore was excuſed; and in his ſtead there appeared Iſaac de Geneſte, Lord of la Tour, Advocate in the ſame Parliament, and Elder in the Church of la Sauvetat, who was ſubſtituted by the Suffrages of the Provincial Synod in his ſtead.
10. For the Province of Vivaretz, the Sieur Daniel Richard, Paſtor of the Church of Cheilar, and Louis Santel, Advocate and Elder of the ſame Church. The Province excuſed it self for ſending but two Deputies, and their Excuſes were admitted for this time; and they were injoined for the future never to omit the Clauſe of Submiſſion, which was not ſound in their Letters of Deputation, tendred by them unto the Council.
11. For the Province of Sevennes, the Sieurs Moſes Blaſehon, Paſtor of the Church of St. Andrew de Valborgne; and Antony Vincent, Paſtor of the Church of Merneys; together with Stephen de Billanges, Lord of Blanqfort, and Elder in the Church of Vigan; and Claudius d'Airebeldoze Eſq Lord of Clairan, Elder in the Church of Canoblet.
12. For the Province of Anjou, the Sieurs Matthew Cottiere, Paſtor of the Church of Tours; and Moſes Amyraud, Paſtor of the Church of Sanmur, and Profeſſor of Divinity in that Univerſity; together with the Sieurs Philip Niett, Counſellor of the King, and Warden of his Majeſty's Salt-garners in the ſaid City of Saumur, and Elder of the Church there; and Joſiah Poize, Advocate in Parliament, Elder of the Church at Previlly.
13. For the Province of Dolphiny, the Sieur Peter Pittard, Paſtor of the Church of Alben; with the Sieur Francis de Montauban de Rambault Eſq Lord of Villars, Elder in the Church of Gap; and the Sieur Stephen Gilbert Advocate, Elder in the Church of Die; the Sieur Denis de Bouteroue, Paſtor of the Church of Greenoble, though choſen, …id not appear, becauſe of his Majeſty's Prohibition, yet afterwards he obtained leave to aſſiſt in this Council, as will appear by its Acts and Records.
14. For the Province of Lower Languedoc, the Sieurs Michael le Faucheur, Paſtor of the Cuurch of Montpellier, and John de Croy, Paſtor of the Church of Bezieres, together with the Sieurs Peter Cheyron, Advocate and Elder in the Church of Niſmes, and Andrew Bruneau Advocate and Elder in the Church of Bagnols.
15. For the Province of Higher Languedoc, the Sieur Timothy Delon, Paſtor of the Church of Montauban; with the Sieurs Peter de Villette, Lord de la Jongniere, Elder in the Church of St. Antonine; and Paul Conſtans Counſellor for the King, and Elder in the Church of Montaubon; Maſter Peter Beraud, Paſtor of the aforeſaid Church of Montauban, and Profeſſor of Divinity in that Univerſity, did not appear at firſt, becauſe of his Majeſty's Prohibition, but afterward, when it was taken off, he did accordingly take his Place in this Council.
16. For the Province and Principality of Bearn there appeared the Sieurs Peter Labadie, Paſtor of the Church of Pau; and John de Pommerade, Advocate in the Parliament of Navarre, Elder of the Church in Morlas.
17. For the Province of Normandy, the Sieurs Abdias de Mondenis, Paſtor in the Church of Dieppe; together with Laurence le Fevre, Advocate in the Parliament of Normandy, and Elder in the Church of Rouan; and John Cardell Lord of Marettes, Counſellor of the King, and his Comptroller in the Election of Alencon, and Elder of the Church in the ſame Place: and the Sieur Benjamin Baſnage, Paſtor of the Church of Quarentin, though choſen, yet did not at firſt appear, becauſe of his Majeſty's Prohibition; but as ſoon as it was taken off, he came and took his Place in the Synod, as will appear in the following Acts.
18.. For the Province of the Iſle of France, the Sieurs John Meſtrezat, Paſtor of the Church of Paris, and David Blondell, Paſtor of the Church of Rouſſy; together with the Sieurs John de Gravelles Eſq Lord of Banterne, Elder in the Church of Houdan; and Charles Mayland Advocate, Elder in the Church of Montdidier.
19. The fifteenth Day of September, the Lord Marqueſs of Clermont, General Deputy for the Churches of this Kingdom unto his Majeſty, came according to the uſual Order of theſe National Synods, and took his Place in it, having Precedency given him according to his Degree and Quality, and as it was afterward decreed in the eleventh Article of General Matters.
20. Prayers having been offered up unto God, Monſieur Meſtrezat, Paſtor of the Church of Paris, was by Plurality of Votes choſen Moderator; and Monſieur Jamet Aſſeſſor; and Monſieur Blondel Paſtor, and Monſieur Armet an Elder, Scribes of the Synod.
CHAP. II. The King's Letters Patents.
21. AS ſoon as the Officers of the Synod were choſen, his Majeſty's Letters Patents were read, a true Copy whereof is here inſerted.
22.
Louis by the Grace of God King of France and Navarre, to our beloved and truſty Counſellor in our Privy Council and Council of State and Attorney General for our House of Navarre, the Lord Galland, Greeting:
We having given leave unto our Subjects profeſſing the pret. Reformed Religion, to hold a National Synod at Charenton, near our City of Paris, the firſt Day of September next, in which the Deputies of all the Provinces in this our Kingdom ſhall meet, and conſult about Matters concerning their Religion; and we being to chooſe a Perſon ſufficiently qualified, and of approved Loyalty, who may be preſent in the ſaid Council as our Repreſentative and Commiſſioner, and calling to Mind the many Services you have done us in ſundry and very weighty Imployments, with which we have intruſted you both at home and abroad, within and without the Kingdom, all which you have moſt worthily diſcharged; yea, and in thoſe very National Synods which we have permitted to be convocated by our Subjects of the ſaid Reformed Religion at Charenton aforeſaid, in the Year 1623, and in our City of Caſtres, in the Province of Albigeois, in the Year 1626. We therefore conceived we could not make a better choice than of your ſelf, being well ſatisfied that you will continue to give us the Proofs and Teſtimonies of your Affection to our Service. For theſe Cauſes we have commiſſionated and deputed, and we do commiſſionate and depute you, the ſaid Lord Galland, by theſe our preſent Letters Patents ſigned with our own Hand unto the ſaid Synod, and order you forthwith to tranſport your ſelf unto the ſaid Synod in the Town of Charenton, and therein to aſſiſt in Perſon as our Repreſentative, and to propoſe and reſolve on ſuch Matters as have been commanded you, according to the Memoirs and Inſtructions we have delivered into your Hands; taking ſpecial Care that none other Buſineſſes be then or there treated and debated, but ſuch as of right ought to be conſulted and determined on in thoſe Aſſemblies, and which are permitted by our Edicts: and in caſe they ſhould attempt any thing contrary thereunto, you ſhall hinder it, and by Interpoſal of our Authority, ſuppreſs and ſtifle it, and ſpeedily give us Notice and Advice thereof, that we may immediately apply ſuch Remedies as will be moſt needful. And for doing hereof, we do now impower you by this our Commiſſion and ſpecial Commandment, in theſe our preſent Letters Patents; For ſuch is our Will and Pleaſure.
Given at Monceaux the ſixteenth Day of Auguſt, in the Year of Grace, one thouſand ſix hundred thirty one, and of our Reign the two and twentieth. Signed in the Original, LOƲIS. And a little lower, by the King, Phelippeaux. And ſealed with the great Seal in yellow Wax.