The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 27 (Alençon) · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Particular Matters.
1. THE Sieur de la Fite Solon, Paſtor of the Church of Bayon, having preſented the firſt part of a Book of Metaphyſicks compoſed by him, and dedicated unto this Aſſembly, after they were examined about it, who had been commiſſionated thereunto by the Synod of Lower Guyenne, this Aſſembly ordered, that it ſhould be again peruſed by ſome of its Members, who having made their Report, the ſaid Sieur de la Fite was praiſed and incouraged to employ thoſe Gifts wherewith God had indowed him, for the Illuſtration of the Truth: and the Sum of three hundred Livers was voted to be given him, which the Lord du Candall ſhould pay him upon his Debet, and the Monies ſo paid ſhould be charged to the Accompt of the Churches.
2. Monſieur Maeil, Elder in the Church of Dieppe, being choſen by the common Votes of the Paſtors, Elders and Heads of Families there, and ſent unto the Deputies of the Province of Normandy, to move and intreat them to requeſt that Mr. Texier, who was freed from the Church of Mauveſin in the Province of Higher Languedoc, might be given to them abſolutely, and the ſaid Lords Deputies having introduced him into the Aſſembly to make his Demand, in which alſo they joined with him. After that Mr. Texier had been heard on the one part, declaring, how that for the Ingratitude of his Church he accepted of the Call given him by the Church of Dieppe, upon Condition that his Province ſhould judg it reaſonable to ſet him at Liberty, and with Deſign to oblige his Church by the Authority of the National Church to give him a full Satisfaction; and on the other part, the Deputies of Higher Languedoc complained that they were not in due time and place acquainted with his Intention, and requeſting that the Right of their Province might be intirely ſecured, it having many Churches to be ſupplied, which were deſtitute of Paſtors, and particularly the Church of Mauveſin, which had ſufficiently aſſured the ſaid Texier that he ſhould be paid the Arrears of his Wages: The Aſſembly decreed, that he ſhould apply himſelf unto his Synod, which is exhorted to ſee that he be fully ſatisfied, and in caſe he be ſet free from his Church, and that he cannot be commodiouſly provided for within his Province, that then leave ſhall be given him to depart where he beſt liketh.
3. The Aſſembly conſerving to the Province of Berry the Right they have hitherto had over the Church of la Selle, ordaineth, that as long as it ſhall be ſupplied by the Paſtors of the Iſle of France, it ſhall be under the Juriſdiction of the ſaid Province, which ſhall continue their Contributions towards the Subſiſtence of the Colledg of Chaſtillon.
4. Foraſmuch as the Aſſembly is not now in Poſſeſſion of any Fund, out of which thoſe who have Recourſe unto it, might be relieved by its Charities; Monſieur Falquet, whoſe Neceſſities are very great, is recommended unto the Province of Berry, to be aſſiſted and comforted by them, either by allowing him ſome certain Portion out of their Alms, or by recommending his afflicted Condition to be relieved by the more rich and populous Churches.
5. The Deputies of the Province of Vivaretz relating the extream Poverty whereunto Monſieur Zuccond, a Paſtor emeritus, hath been for ſeveral Years laſt paſt reduced by reaſon of his great Sickneſſes, Loſſes, Expences, and Impriſonments, ſuffered from the Lord of Chanal and la Motte; and that the precedent National Synods had in Conſideration of his great Afflictions granted him a free Portion out of the Monies of his Majeſty's Liberality, and requeſted this Aſſembly that they would be pleaſed to vouchſafe him ſome ſenſible Tokens of their Charity and Compaſſion: Anſwer was made them, that foraſmuch as the Churches had no Monies at all of their own, nor now to be diſpoſed by them, the ſaid Province was exhorted to take care of him, for his comfortable Subſiſtence and Relief from among themſelves.
6. Whereas the Province of Sevennes had formed a Complaint againſt Monſieur James Paſquier, Paſtor in the Church of St. John de Breuil, this Affair was turned over to the Judgment of the Province of Higher Languedoc.
7. The Deputies of Bearn requeſting that the Diviſions which have been judged and condemned in the Church of Morlas, maybe totally and effectually remedied, and that there may be an End put unto the Complaints brought in by Monſieur Fabas againſt his Province, and ſundry particular Perſons on the one hand, and of divers others againſt him on the other; that therefore ſome Deputies may be ſent with an expreſs Charge to take Knowledg of, and give a final Judgment on all thoſe Articles which could not poſſibly be examined, or clearly inſpected into in this Place, and at ſo great a Diſtance: The Aſſembly accepting the Offer of the Deputies of the Province of Bearn, promiſing to bear their Charges who ſhould to this Purpoſe be ſent unto them, did nominate the Sieurs Ferrand and Charles Paſtors, and Charron an Elder, to receive the Information drawn up at the Requeſt of Monſieur Rival, by the Lord D'abbadie, the Decrees paſt in Parliament againſt the Lords D'abbadie, Rival, and others, who by Order of their Colloquy had admitted unto Communion at the Lord's Table ſome particular Perſons of Morlas, and generally all Papers whatſoever, which have given Birth and Fewel unto this Fewd and Contention, that ſo they may proceed to a final Judgment on the remaining Matters yet under Debate and Controverſy: And they ſhall bring in their Accompt hereof unto the next National Synod.
8. To regulate the Pretenſions of the Churches of Alanſon, St. Aignan and Mans, about the Donative given for their Benefit by the Lady de la Harangere, and deſtined to the Maintenance of ſome poor Scholars; This Aſſembly ordaineth, that according to the Tenor of the ſaid Legacy, the Adminiſtration of the Monies ariſing from it, ought to be left in the Hands of the Church of Alanſon, and thoſe two other Churches ſhall agree with it about the choice of him to whom the Penſion ſhall be exhibited; and that the firſt of theſe three Churches which ſhall be unprovided, may proceed to receive and imploy him; and that the Son of Monſieur Vignier, Paſtor of the Church of Mans, who hath already received ſome Fruits of the aforeſaid Penſion, ſhall injoy it, and be preferred before all others in the Injoyment of it.
9. Foraſmuch as the Sieur de la Milletiere hath ſent unto the Paſtors deputed by the Provinces, the firſt Part of a Book written by him, intituled, Les Moyens de la Paix Chreſtienne en la Reunion des Catholiques & Evangeliques ſur les differends de la Religion diviſé en quatre parties; and the Title of the firſt Volume, La Refutation de la procedure de Monſieur Daillé en ſon Examen; and Letters alſo, in which he aſſerts that he is moved hereunto by the ſole Spirit of God for to reconcile the Differences in Religion. He takes for granted that what he hath offered, or may hereafter offer, will be received without any Contradiction by all the Churches, and preſuppoſeth that all our firſt Reformers and their Succeſſors were abuſed, and do abuſe themſelves through a Miſunderſtanding, which cannot be diſcovered but by them who ſhall admit his new conceited Lights. And whereas he hath been too long, even for the ſpace of three Years, tolerated; and that the Church of Paris hath uſed all Endeavours to reduce him unto his Duty; and that in the Articles contained in his firſt Script, he hath deſignedly concealed his Opinions, though under the very Phraſes uſed by the Doctors of the Romiſh Religion, and with which they are accuſtomed to expreſs their own Sentiments; and that in the ſecond, which he hath ſent abroad into the World, under Pretence of producing Methods of Reconciliation, he hath inſinuated divers Novelties, which are of no Concern at all to our preſent Controverſies, and ſided with the Church of Rome. And whereas Monſieur Daillé, who was expreſly ordered to refute him, hath uſed him with a great deal of Equity, and ſingular Moderation, for which he is generally approved. And foraſmuch as in his third Book he endeavours might and main to overthrow the Orthodox Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith, betraying the Cauſe unto the Champions of Merits, and of Juſtification by Works: The Aſſembly ordaineth, that Letters ſhall be written him to acquaint him with the Unreaſonableneſs and Injuſtice of his Preſumption, and the Unprofitableneſs of his Deſign, and to threaten him, that unleſs he do quit and abandon it, and contain himſelf within the Bounds of his Vocation, and make Declaration of it within ſix Months unto the Conſiſtory of Paris, he ſhall be cut off from all Communion with our Reformed Churches.
N. B. The Letter ſent him by the Synod bore Date the 6th of July, 1637. but La Millitiere did afterward revolt unto Popery, and died a Papiſt.
10. After the Lord Commiſſioner had opened the Letters of Mr. Diodati, Paſtor and Profeſſor in Theology at Geneva, the Aſſembly conſidering the Contents thereof, and having examined the French Tranſlation of the Books of Eccleſiaſtes, and of the Song of Songs, which had been notified to them by him, ordered that Letters ſhould be written unto the ſaid Mr. Diodati, and to repreſent unto him the Reaſons why we cannot depart from the Canon of the Synod held at Alez.
11. The Profeſſor Amyraud petitioned the Aſſembly, that they would be pleaſed to ordain that the Author of two Books, intituled Antidote, and Les Ombres d' Arminius; in which his Doctrine and Reputation were moſt odiouſly traduced, and the Memory of Monſieur Cameron deceaſed, is wickedly defamed, might be cited before them to anſwer for his Fact; And Monſieur de la Place, in the Name of the Univerſity of Saumur, joined with him in the ſame Petition. But foraſmuch as the Author of the ſaid Book is unknown and abſent, theſe two aforeſaid Profeſſors were adviſed to carry the Proofs they have of this Action unto the Synod of Poictou, which having condemned the Impreſſion of the Antidote, would do them Juſtice upon their Complaint.
12. Monſieur de Vinay having remonſtrated that the Province of Vivaretz had not ſatisfied nor made Payment of thoſe Monies advanced by the Church of Annonay, for the defraying of his Expences during his Deputation unto the National Synod of Caſtres, and demanding a Rule and Order for thoſe Charges the ſaid Church ſhould be now neceſſitated to be at on the ſame ſcore; Monſieur D'Hoſty joined with him in the ſaid Requeſt, on behalf of the Church of St. Fortunate. This Aſſembly confirming the Decree of the Synod of Tonneins, in the 7th Article of Obſervations upon the Diſcipline, ordaineth, That the ſaid Province of Vivaretz ſhould conform it ſelf thereunto, both for the preſent and what is paſt.
13. Whereas Monſieur Fabas hath been afflicted with Sickneſs all the time of his ſojourning in this City, the Aſſembly doth freely give him the Sum of an hundred Livers, to be taken out of the Debet of the Lord du Candall.
14. The Lord du Candall having offered to advance, for defraying the Expences of the Sieurs de l' Angle and Gigord deputed unto the Court, the Sum of three hundred Livers; he is intreated to allow them at the rate of an hundred Sous by the Day during the time of their Abode, which is limited unto one Month or more.
15. There ſhall be allowed in the Lord of Candall's Accompt, the Sum of four hundred and fifty Livers advanced by him unto the Sieurs Ferrand, Gigord and Cerizy, who were firſt deputed by this Aſſembly unto his Majeſty, for the defraying of their Expences in their Journey and Attendance at Court.
16. In caſe his Majeſty ſhould hereafter grant any Sum of Monies for the maintenance of our Miniſters, the Provinces of Lower Guyenne and Bearn ſhall agree together in the choice of one Scholar, who may be hereafter fit to ſerve in the Miniſtry in the Land of La Bour, and ſhall allow him yearly the Sum of one hundred Livers, and ſhall pay in unto Monſieur Guillemin the Sum of an hundred and fifty Livers, according to the Decree made by the laſt National Synod of Charenton.
17. Foraſmuch as the Profeſſors preſent in this Aſſembly, have proteſted, that they would inviolably obſerve the Canon framed in it, beginning with theſe Words, For the preſerving of, &c. The Deputies of Higher Languedoc and Anjou are charged to demand and receive the like Proteſtations from the other Profeſſors reſident in the Univerſities of Montauban and Saumur.