The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 28 (3rd Charenton) · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. General Matters.
ARTICLE 1. IF any Paſtors being removed from their Churches by Ordinance of their Provincial Synods, ſhall endeavour to obſtruct the Execution of that Ordinance, by entring of their Appeals unto the National Synod, and thereby as much as in them lieth, promote Diſorders and Confuſions in the Houſe of God, and render our Diſcipline uſeleſs, and the Cure of the Church remedileſs: This Aſſembly decreeth, that the ſaid Appellants ſhall be ſubject to the Judgment of their Neighbour Provinces, which ſhall firſt hold their Synod; and that Provincial Synod ſhall take Cognizance of their Appeal, and give Sentence in it till the meeting of the next National Synod.
ARTICLE 2. This Aſſembly forbiddeth all the Provinces to Cauſe their Young Scholars make Oath, that they will never quit the Service of thoſe Churches and Provinces in which they ſhall be firſt admitted unto the Miniſtry of the Goſpel; becauſe this is prejudicial to the Rights of our National Synods, and very much impedeth the common Edification of the Churches.
ARTICLE 3. It being moved by the Deputies of the Iſle of France, all the Churches are enjoyned to conſerve moſt Charily the Acts of Settlements made in the Years 1599, and 1600, by thoſe Lords Commiſſioners, who were deputed by his Majeſty King Henry the Fourth, to execute the Edict, and to give notice thereof in all Places where it hath not been obſerved; and to take a moſt ſpecial care of all their Deeds, Acts and Evidences which prove the Exerciſe of our Religion in thoſe Places, where it was in the Years 1576, and 1577, and 1596, and 1597.
ARTICLE 4. When as Paſtors and Elders for the Conſcientious Diſcharge of their Duties, ſhall be Proſecuted at Law, provided they have acted therein according to the Canons of our Diſcipline, and the Rules of the Edict, the Churches are bound to ſee them indemnified; and in caſe their particular Church be overburden'd, the other Churches of that Colloquy and Province, ought in Conſcience to help bear the Charges with them. Wherefore this Aſſembly cannot but judge thoſe Churches guilty of a moſt inexcuſable ingratitude, who have forſook their Paſtors and Elders, leaving them to ſhift for themſelves, when as they have been Sued at Law, and Impriſoned for following the Duties of their Places and Callings.
ARTICLE 5. At the Requeſt or the Province of Sevennes, this Aſſembly explained the Firſt Article of General Matters, paſſed in the National Synod of St. Maixant, and did thereupon declare, that no particular Church could ſeek after a Paſtor, till it have firſt obtained permiſſion from their Colloquy, or Provincial Synod; and when as they have procured him, they may not effectually ſettle him, without the Conſent of the whole body of that Synod, or of the Neighbouring Paſtors, 'till ſuch time as the Synod ſhall be agreed, and approve thereof.
ARTICLE 6. The Province of Lower Guynne, moved that all the Churches might be injoyned to conform unto their Cuſtom, who as ſoon as they come into the Temple, humbling themſelves upon their Knees, do each of them privately by themſelves, offer up a ſhort Prayer unto God, craving in it his gracious aſſiſtance, in hearing of the Word Preached. But it was the Judgment of this Aſſembly, that no Canon ſhould be made about a matter in itſelf indifferent; and that the Churches ſhould be left at liberty to uſe their own ancient Cuſtoms; and they be all exhorted reſpectively to ſeek after thoſe things which will make for their Edification, and to avoid and ſhun all kind of Oſtentation, Affectation, and Superſtition.
ARTICLE 7. The Maritime Provinces making great Complaints of the vaſt number of Captives detained in Algier, Tunis, Salle, and other Places of Barbary and Morocco, and of their ſad and woful Condition, and that they do indiſpenſably need the Charitable Aſſiſtance of all the Faithful, to redeem them out of Miſery: This Synod adjureth by the Bowels of Compaſſion of the Living God, and by that Fellow-feeling which all Members of our Lord Jeſus ought to have of one anothers Straits and Neceſſities, all the provinces, and all the Churches, and every particular Individual Profeſſor of our Religion, to yearn with Bowels of Pity over the Affliction of theſe our poor Brethren, and to contribute liberally towards their Redemption; and the Alms which ſhall be Collected to this purpoſe from the Provinces of Xaintonge, Poictou, Lower Guyenne, Bearn, Higher Languedoc, ſhall be paid into the Conſiſtory of Rochell; and thoſe Alms which ſhall be Collected from the Provinces of Lower Languedoc, Sevennes, Vivaretz, Dolphiny, and Burgundy, ſhall be paid into the Conſiſtory of Lions; and thoſe Alms which ſhall be Collected from the Provinces of Normandy, Brittain, Anjou, Berry, and the Iſle of France, ſhall be paid into the Conſiſtory of Paris; and every Province ſhall ſend unto the Conſiſtory of Paris, a Liſt of their Captives, and an Account of their Alms; that ſo theſe Monies may be employed in the Redemption of thoſe Captives, who are Natives of Provinces before any others, and after them as a Supplement of Charity for others alſo: That ſo this whole work of Love may redound to the Glory of God, the common Edification, and particular Conſolation of theſe our Poor Afflicted Brethren.
ARTICLE 8. The Provinces of the Iſle of France and Anjou moving it: All thoſe Churches who injoy the priviledge of a Printing Preſs, are ſtrictly charged, that they do not ſuffer any Alteration to be made either in the Tranſlation of the Bible, or Book of Pſalms, or in the Text of the Confeſſion of Faith, Liturgy, and Catechiſm, without an expreſs Order from that Conſiſtory, which is authoriſed thereunto by the Provincial Synod.
ARTICLE 9. Upon report made by certain Deputies of the Maritime Provinces, that there do arrive unto them from other Countries ſome Perſons going by the Name of Independents, and ſo called, for that they teach every particular Church ſhould of right be governed by its own Laws, without any Dependency or Subordination unto any Perſon whatſoever in Eccleſiaſtical Matters, and without being obliged to own or acknowledge the authority of Colloquies or Synods in matters of Diſcipline and Order, and that they ſettle their Dwellings in this Kingdom: A thing of great and dangerous conſequence, if not in time carefully prevented. Now this Aſſembly fearing leſt the Contagion of this Poyſon ſhould diffuſe it ſelf inſenſibly, and bring in with it a World of Diſorders and Confuſions upon us; and judging the ſaid Sect of Independentiſm not only prejudicial to the Church of God, (becauſe as much as in it lieth, it doth uſher in Confuſion, and openeth a Door to all kinds of Singularities, Irregularities and Extravagancies, and barreth the uſe of thoſe means, which would moſt effectually prevent them,) but alſo is very dangerous unto the Civil State; for in caſe it ſhould prevail and gain Ground among us, it would form as many Religions, as there be Pariſhes and diſtinct particular Aſſemblies among us. All the Provinces are therefore enjoyned, but more eſpecially thoſe which border upon the Sea, to be exceeding careful, that this Evil do not get footing in the Churches of this Kingdom; that ſo Peace and Uniformity in Religion and Diſcipline may be preſerv'd Inviolably, and nothing may be innovated or changed among us, which may in any wiſe derogate from that Duty and Service we owe unto God and the King. N. B. whether the Perſons thus qualified by this Reverend Aſſembly came from the Old or New England, I cannot tell; at this time 'tis certain the Diviſions about Church Diſcipline flew very high here at Home, to the great hinderance of Reformation, and the letting in upon us a Deluge of Sects and Peſtilential Hereſies, the ſight of which grieved the Hearts of all that truly feared God, and exaſperated very many Eminent Divines and Miniſters againſt the Congregational Brethren; which terminated in a moſt lamentable Schiſm, and of above Forty Years continuance. But it pleaſed God at laſt to have Compaſſion upon us, and to touch the Hearts of the Godly Miniſters of the Presbyterian and Independent Perſuaſion with a deep ſenſe of this great Evil, in ſeparating ſo long one from the other. Whereupon ſeveral Learned and Pious Paſtors of Churches in the City of London of both ways met together divers times, and Conferred each with other about the healing of this Breach; and having frequent Conſultations about it, and poured out many Mighty and Fervent Prayers unto the God of Grace and Peace to aſſiſt, direct and proſper them in it, upon Fryday the Sixth Day of March, 1690, according to our Computation, moſt of the Diſſenting N.C. Miniſters in the City, and many others from the Adjacent parts of it, met together, and there was then read unto them the Heads of Agreement prepared by the Committee, and which had been ſeen and peruſed by many of them before; and their Aſſent unto them being demanded, it was readily accorded, and afterwards near an Hundred gave in their Names unto this Union. This Example was taking and leading to all other the N. C. Miniſters of England, who in many of their reſpective Counties had their Meetings to compoſe this Difference, and by the Bleſſing of God upon thoſe their Endeavours, it was alſo upon the ſight and conſideration of the Printed Heads of Agreement among the United Miniſters in London, effected, whereof Notice was ſent up unto the Brethren here in London. When the London Miniſters firſt ſigned this Union, they agreed unanimouſly to bury in the Grave of Oblivion thoſe Two Names of Diſtinction, viz. Presbyterian and Independent; and to communicate theſe Articles of Union unto all Members in Communion with them in their particular Churches the Lords day come Sevennight after, and that they would at the next Meeting acquaint the United Brethren what Entertainment and Acceptance the Reading of it had with their reſpective Aſſemblies; which was done accordingly, and to general ſatisfaction. And becauſe the Reader of the Acts of this Third National Synod of the Reformed Churches in France held at Charenton, may not have ſeen, and may be deſirous to ſee what this Syncretiſm was between thoſe Brethren in England, I have here inſerted them from my own Manuſcript and printed Copies.