The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 26 (2nd Charenton) · Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XV. Obſervations on Reading the Church-Diſcipline.
1. THE Provinces of Anjou, Xaintonge, and Lower Guyenne, requeſting that the 4th Article of the 1ſt Chapter might be explained; This Aſſembly decreed, that the ſaid Article ſhould be thus expreſſed: A Miniſter of the Goſpel (unleſs in times of Difficulty, and caſes of very great Neceſſity, in which he may be choſen by three Paſtors together, with the Conſiſtory of that Place) ſhall not be admitted into this Holy Office, &c So that thoſe Lines from the Verb are unto the Adjective national, muſt be taken away. And Conſiſtories are required not to forſake the wonted Order, particularly that of calling in divers Paſtors from one and the ſame Church, to ordain their Miniſters, unleſs they ſhould be enforced by an extream Neceſſity to do otherwiſe: of which, as of all other extraordinary Occurrences, they ſhall render an Account unto the Provincial, and the Provincial unto the National Synods. And as to what hath been done in the Province of Anjou, this Aſſembly doth confirm it, without allowing of it as a Precedent for the future.
2. In caſe of Difficulties that a Church be conſtrained to have Recourſe unto an Univerſity or Neighbour Province, to be provided of a Paſtor, it ſhall not for the future ſerve it ſelf of this Expedient, nor may the Neighbour-Province or Univerſity grant that Church its Demand, unleſs there be an unanimous Conſent of all the Churches of the ſame Colloquy, which they ſhall notify by their Letters, approving the Choice of the elected Paſtor.
3. On the 33d Article of the 1ſt Chapter, and 8th Obſervation of the National Synod of Rochel (the 18th in order, held in the Year 1607.) on the Diſcipline, by which at the Requeſt of the Province of Dolphiny, the ſaid Article had been explained: The Aſſembly gave leave unto Provincial Synods to extend the Loan of Paſtors unto the term of a full Year, notwithſtanding the Churches from whence thoſe Paſtors were borrowed, had entred their Appeal againſt it.
4. Upon the 4th Article of the 2d Chapter, the Province of Poictou was adviſed to obſerve that Canon framed by the 24th National Synod, held at Charenton in the Year 1623, which had ordained, That the Children of Miniſters ſhould not he preferred (unto the Penſions) unleſs caeterus paribus, they were equal in Merits with the other Competitors.
5. After thoſe Words in the 8th Article of the 5th Chapter (As alſo all Sentences of Suſpenſion) thoſe ſhall be added, which were given by the Conſiſtory, and were not declared before the Congregation, ſhall be binding, although the ſuſpended Perſon had made his Appeal either to a Colloquy or Provincial Synod.
6. In Obedience to thoſe Remonſtrances made by his Lordſhip the Lord Commiſſioner, the Provinces are exhorted to come prepared to the next National Synod, in which it will be debated, whether any thing ſhall be changed in the 19th and 20th Articles of the 5th Chapter before mentioned.
7. The Word Gypſys (the French call them Bohemians) ſhall be razed out of the eleventh Chapter, becauſe the two others do ſufficiently explain it.
8. Thoſe Words (as alſo the Names of Office, ſuch as Baptiſt, Angel, Apoſtle) ſhall be ſtruck out of the 4th Article of the fore-mentioned 11th Chapter, as being uſeleſs, and now not practiſed in the Churches.
9. The Deputies of Xaintonge upon that ſame Article, reporting that divers Perſons, according to the Cuſtom of the Country, did give Names unto Children in Baptiſm, which occaſioned ridiculous Raillery and fooliſh Jeſting, and that it would be needful to redreſs it: The Synod gave Liberty unto that Province to uſe ſuch Means as they judged beſt and moſt expedient to effect it.
10. The Lord Commiſſioner remonſtrated on the 18th Article of the ſame 11th Chapter, that the Regiſter of Baptiſms, Marriages, and Interments of the Members of all the Churches ſhould be yearly brought into thoſe Courts of Judicature, whereunto our reſpective Churches do belong: The Synod unanimouſly concurred with his Lordſhip, and injoined all the Provinces to ſee that it be accordingly obſerved and performed.
11. Upon the Remonſtrance of the Lord Commiſſioner, inſtead of thoſe Words at the cloſe of the firſt Article of the 13th Chapter, Shall give ſuch Advice unto the Parties as may be convenient, there ſhall be inſerted (according to the Intentions of the Synod of Vertueil, in the Year 1567, and of Montauban in the Year 1594) theſe Words, The Conſiſtory ſhall adviſe the Parties to apply themſelves unto the Civil Magiſtrate.
12. Theſe Words (Nevertheleſs, the Parties ſhall be exhorted not to depart from the Words and Promiſes de futuro, without great and lawful Cauſes) ſhall be inſerted into the fifth Article of the ſame 13th Chapter, and the Clauſe beginning thus (All Promiſes) ſhall be razed.
13. At the Requeſt of the Lord Commiſſioner, this Clauſe was added to the end of the 13th Article of the 13th Chapter, Ʋnleſs that ſuch a Marriage were authorized by the Civil Magiſtrate.
14. Upon the Remonſtrance of the Province of Xaintonge, the Synod decreed, That ſuch as in conformity to the 18th Article of the ſame 13th Chapter, did cauſe their Banes to be publiſhed in the Temples of the Popiſh Religion, ſhould carry a Certificate of their being of the Reformed Religion, unto that Church which was neareſt the Place of their Abode, and where their Banes alſo ſhall be proclaimed; that ſo all Surprizals may be prevented.
15. Theſe following Words ſhall cloſe up the 22d Article of the ſame 13th Chapter, Ʋnleſs the Magiſtrate hath interpoſed with his Judicial Sentence to the contrary.
16. Upon the 2d and 11th Articles of the 14th Chapter, the Synod approved of that Sentence given by the Provincial Synod of Xaintonge, which judged that the Faithful ought not to deſire their Parties of the contrary Religion to ſwear by the Te igitur and Croſs.
17. The Aſſembly not being able to add or change any thing in the 4th Article of the 14th Chapter, giveth Licence unto the Province of Normandy to eſtabliſh for its own particular Service ſuch Orders as it ſhall judg moſt fitting for the Edification of the Churches in their Diviſion.
18. The Lord Commiſſioner requiring, that for the future no Book might be publiſhed till it had been firſt examined by Divines appointed unto that very purpoſe; this Aſſembly did thereupon ordain, That the 16th Article of the ſaid 14th Chapter of the Diſcipline, ſhall be couched in theſe Terms; Miniſters, nor any other Members of theſe our Reformed Churches, may not cauſe any Books concerning Religion, which are either made by themſelves or any others, to be printed or publiſhed, till ſuch time as they have firſt communicated the Manuſcript Copy unto the Colloquy, or, if Occaſion ſo require, unto the Provincial Synod; and in caſe the Matter be urgent, unto the Ʋniverſities, or unto two Paſtors nominated by the Synod, who ſhall give an Atteſtation under their own Hands, that they have examined the ſaid Manuſcript.
19. The Lord Commiſſioner acquainted the Synod, that his Majeſty had ſent him divers Books and Treatiſes on ſeveral Subjects, fraught with injurious and intolerable Expreſſions, and therefore required that they ſhould be cenſured according to their Deſerts. Whereupon, the Synod requeſted the ſaid Lord Commiſſioner, that thoſe Books might not be at all look'd into, becauſe they were printed many Years ago, and the greater part of them, when their Authors were enforced to it by the bitter Provocations of others profeſſing a contrary Religion. And the Synod having, together with his Lordſhip, took all poſſible care in the foregoing Canons to prevent the printing of all offenſive Books for the future, the Provinces ſhall uſe all poſſible Care and Circumſpection, that his Majeſty ſhould not have any the leaſt occaſion to complain of us. With which Anſwer his Lordſhip remained ſatisfied, and judged it not meet that any particular Cenſure ſhould be applied unto thoſe Books, as he had at firſt demanded.
20. The whole Book of Church-Diſcipline having been read over, the Deputies of the Provinces did, in their own Names, and in theirs who had commiſſionated them, ſign it, promiſing ſolemnly that they would obſerve it, and ſee it exactly obſerved by their reſpective Provinces.
CHAP. XVI.
Obſervations made in reading the Acts of the 25th National Synod held at Caſtres in the Year 1626.