The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 27 (Alençon) · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. How follow the Synod's Replies and Anſwers unto the King's Propoſitions.
Article 13.
THE Commiſſioner having finiſhed his Diſcourſe, which was patiently and attentively heard by the Synod: The Synod by the Mouth of its Moderator did praiſe and bleſs God, with their moſt hearty and humble Thankſgivings, for his infinite Goodneſs and Mercy in hearing the Prayers of his poor Servants, and inclining the King's Heart to grant us this Meeting, and to promiſe us the Continuance of his Favours; and Thanks alſo were returned unto his Majeſty, for that according to his uſual and wonted Kindneſs he hath vouchſafed us new Expreſſions of his paternal Affection in his Letters and Writ for our Aſſembly; and in chooſing and ſending, and honouring us with ſuch a Perſon for his Commiſſioner, as is univerſally famed for his ſingular Integrity, Prudence and Piety. And the ſaid Lord Commiſſioner was moſt humbly intreated to aſſure his Majeſty, that as the Churches did never in Thought or Deed depart from that Obedience, Fidelity and Subjection, unto which by the Word of God they ſtood obliged, ſo for the future they will never aim at any other Mark than their Continuance in it, and daily give in new Evidences unto his Majeſty, and our Lords of his moſt honourable Privy-Council, of the Innocency of our Converſation.
15. And whereas divers Reports and Informations have been brought in againſt ſome Provincial Synods, and ſundry particular Perſons have been taxed for violating of his Majeſty's Ordinances, his Majeſty is moſt humbly intreated to conſider that the Synod of Niſmes is in no wiſe blame-worthy, for it never received any Letters from the Lords of Bearn: and as for our Reverend Brother Monſieur Rouſſelet, who is a Native of New-Caſtle, a City belonging to that Canton, and ſubject to thoſe Lords, he was invited by their Letters to return unto his own Country, and to exerciſe his Miniſtry there, and to accept of the Profeſſor's Place in Theology, then vacant in their Univerſity of Lauſanna; yet did he of his own Accord, as ſoon as he had received thoſe Letters of Call, produce and tender them unto his Majeſty's Commiſſioner then preſent in that Synod of Niſmes, and alſo unto ſeveral other Officers of his Majeſty, who all unanimouſly declared, that he did not in the leaſt Tittle or Punctilio decline from his Duty.
16. And although his Majeſty's Subjects in this Kingdom may reſolve what they pleaſe as to their own perſonal Forbearance of Communications and Correſpondence with Foreigners; yet ſith they cannot tie up their Hands, who live abroad out of his Majeſty's Dominions and Authority, from writing what they pleaſe, and ſending it where they pleaſe into this Kingdom: Yet that it may appear to the whole World, that our Churches do not court, nor are ambitious of their Familiarity, we promiſe before God for the future, that whatſoever Letters are addreſſed unto the Colloquies and Synods of this Kingdom, from any foreign Prince, State, City or Churches, or ever they be opened, ſhall be firſt of all delivered into the Hands of his Majeſty's Commiſſioners, that ſo by them, and from their own Mouths, his Majeſty may be fully informed of their Contents, that ſo all and every individual Perſon profeſſing the Reformed Religion, and in Communion with us here at home, may be diſcharged and acquitted from all imputation of Faction and Diſobedience whatſoever.
17. Moreover, whereas by our Diſcipline, Colloquies and Provincial Synods are obliged to take care that particular Churches, deſtitute of Paſtors, be provided for; and Cauſes of this nature are never tranſmitted to our National Synods, unleſs upon extraordinary Occaſions, and by way of Appeal. And whereas particular Churches are ſometimes neceſſitated to ſeek abroad out of their Provinces for a Supply of Paſtors, whenas they cannot be furniſhed at home; yet are theſe their Reſearches regulated by the Canons of our Diſcipline: And therefore it was in Obedience and conformity to them, that the Synods of Dolphiny and Sevennes did bring their Demands for the Churches of Montlimart and Anduze unto that of Niſmes, requeſting that the Sieurs Cregut and Arnaud might be conferr'd upon them for their Miniſters. Wherefore his Majeſty is moſt humbly petitioned to take it into his Royal Conſideration, that they have not in the leaſt ſwerved from, nor tranſgreſſed the Orders authoritatively impoſed by his Edicts. In the mean time, foraſmuch as the Churches cannot, without violating their own Diſcipline, and opening a large Gap unto infinite Diſorders and Confuſion, ſuffer that Colloquies and Provincial Synods ſhould attempt to preſcribe Laws unto one another; this Synod doth therefore forbid and interdict all ſuch Aſſemblies the making of any General Orders, whether for Days of Faſting, Humiliation and Prayer, or for any other Conſideration or Account whatſoever, excepting what ſhall be of concern and relating to their own Diſtrict and Diviſion.
18. Moreover, we do likewiſe acknowledg that that Reverence and Obedience, which is in all well-governed States the proper Duty of its Subjects, can never be too carefully recommended to the People; and on the other hand, that impious Licence of blaming the Publick Government, and Supream Authority, cannot be too ſeverely reproved and decried: This Synod doth in join all Paſtors in their Sermons and Exhortations to preſs it home upon the Conſciences of their Auditories, and particular Flocks, that they do not in any manner of wiſe, directly nor indirectly, depart from that Obedience, Fidelity and Reſpect, which are inviolably due unto his Majeſty, and to our Lords his Miniſters; but that they repoſe themſelves firmly on his Royal Word, truſting always in his Majeſty's Goodneſs, that he will hinder and prevent the Deſigns and Attempts of ill-minded Men, who would, contrary to the Tenour of his Edicts, perſecute his poor Subjects, becauſe they be of the Reformed Religion.
19. And to the intent that our Churches may never be impeached of contributing unto any Alterations and Changes, whereby the Publick Peace ſhould be broken: This Aſſembly recommends unto all Paſtors an exacter Obſervation of our Eccleſiaſtical Diſcipline, and of the Stile of God's holy Word, and of our Confeſſion of Faith, than heretofore; and doth, according to our Canons in all theſe Articles, expreſly interdict and forbid them the utterance of any bitter Words or Expreſſions (whenever they declare their Faith and Hope) againſt any Perſon or Opinion whatſoever: And it doth alſo moſt humbly ſupplicate his Majeſty to interpoſe his Royal Authority, that thoſe of the Romiſh Religion, who do licentiouſly depart from their Duty, may be reduced to the Obedience of his Edicts; and that his poor Subjects of the Reformed Religion may not for the future, as they have been upon all Occaſions hitherto, be loaden with the moſt outragious and atrocious Abuſes and Reproaches. And we do farther recommend unto all our Churches, and their reſpective Members, the obſervation of our Diſcipline; and particularly, that no one do publiſh any Book till it have been firſt peruſed and examined, and approved by them who are commiſſionated thereunto; and that none take upon them to violate the Judicial Sentences of the Civil Magiſtrate concerning Divorces. And the Province of Sevennes hath and doth proteſt, that it had never any ſuch Deſign or Purpoſe for ſo doing.
20. And whereas there is a Crime imputed unto our Churches about the Reſidence of their Paſtors, and the Exerciſe of their Miniſtry, as if ſome of them had acted contrary to the tenth Article of January 1561, which yet is very falſe; for not one of them hath ever attempted to preach forcibly in any Place. Yea and ſecondly, that Edict of January was only proviſional, made for that time, and hath been ſince abrogated by the ſubſequent Edicts, particularly by the one and fortieth Article of that Edict made in the Year 1570, and by that of Nants made in the Year 1598; and which by his then Majeſty was declared to be a clear, plain, general and abſolute Law, by which it was his Will and Pleaſure that all his Subjects ſhould be governed. And thirdly, The Paſtors do not exerciſe the Duties of their Calling in any other Places beſides thoſe which are allowed them by the 78th, 79th, 80th, and 81ſt Articles of the Edict laſt mentioned. And fourthly, Our Lords of the Council, and the Parliaments, and the ſeveral Commiſſioners for the Execution of that Edict, have from the beginning made out Orders where and in what Places the publick Exerciſe of our Religion ſhould be eſtabliſhed and performed, and did always conſider that the moſt part of thoſe Places were but ſo many Quarters and Members of one and the ſame Church, ſerved by one and the ſame Paſtor. And fifthly, That the Paſtors never preach out of thoſe Quarters, unleſs in the caſe of Abſence, or Sickneſs, or of ſome other lawful hindrance of their Brethren. And laſtly, By the ſixth Article of the Edict of Nants, explained by the firſt of the ſecret and particular Articles, it is granted that our Miniſters may reſide in any Places of the Kingdom indifferently. Wherefore we moſt humbly petition that his Majeſty would maintain them in that Liberty granted them by his Edicts, and revoke all Orders and Decrees of his Privy-Council which are derogatory to them.
21. Moreover; foraſmuch as our Paſtors do not receive their Maintenance in a way of begging, nor from the Poors Box, nor from Legacies bequeathed to pious Uſes, and deſtinated for the Relief of the Poor, but only from a voluntary Contribution of their Flocks, or by an Aſſeſſment made upon them according to the forty fourth Article of Particular Matters, conformably to thoſe Agreements paſt between them and their Paſtors at their firſt coming: And that according to the Diſcipline, the fifth Penny of all Alms is particularly aſſigned to the maintenance of our Profeſſors, Regents, Scholars, and other ſuch like Perſons, whole Poverty renders them meet and proper Objects of thoſe Charities, without ever diverting the Monies of this natu them but according to the Order of Provincial or National Synods: His Majeſty is moſt humbly beſeeched to keep up in our Churches the Obſervation of this ancient Order, eſtabliſhed by the Diſcipline, and authorized by his Edicts, and whereof there was never any Complaint yet formed; and that he would be pleaſed to interdict his Officers the diſannulling or changing of Agreements paſt and made between the Paſtors and their Churches about their Salaries, when they firſt took upon them the Cure and Charge of their Souls.
22. And ſith what hath been done in the caſe of Mr. Petit, relateth to the Execution of this Order, and to the Canons of former National Synods, his Majeſty is moſt humbly requeſted to approve thereof.
23. Finally; foraſmuch as the Declaration made by the Synod of Niſmes is, neither as to its Subſtance nor Terms in which it is framed and expreſſed, any other Matter than the firſt Article of the eleventh Chapter of our Diſcipline, bottom'd upon our Confeſſion of Faith, Catechiſm, and other Expoſitions of the Belief of our Churches; and for that the Arguments produced on behalf of the Opus operatum, and the Deciſion made by the Church of Rome, (which is directly oppoſite unto our Faith aforeſaid) do formally condemn it; his Majeſty, having by his Edicts allowed of it, is moſt humbly intreated to grant that his Subjects of the Reformed Religion may ſtill enjoy, and be always ſecured in the full enjoyment of the Liberty of their Conſciences, according to his Sacred and Royal Promiſes, that ſo they may all unanimouſly, with one and the ſame Heart, and the ſelf-ſame Vows and Prayers, unanimouſly imploy themſelves in the Service of God, and of his Majeſty.