The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 29 (Loudun) · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
AFter reading his Majeſty's Letters Patents, the Lord Commiſſioner made this enſuing Speech unto the Aſſembly.
A Copy of the Lord Commiſſioners Speech.
Sirs,
ALthough my many Defects, of which I am very conſcious, and my great Age might have well deterr'd me from accepting of this Commiſſion, with which it hath pleaſed his Majeſty to grace and honour me, and from coming hither, and declaring his Will and Pleaſure unto this eminent Aſſembly, made up of the moſt able and conſiderable Perſons of the Kingdom, choſen out of the Body of the Profeſſors of our Religion; yet nevertheleſs I can boldly ſpeak it, that according to that Inclination which God hath given me for ſerving the King, and the Publick, unto which I have applied my ſelf along time, I did not in the leaſt heſitate on this Occaſion, but did over-look all other Conſiderations, hoping for Supplies from the Supreme Goodneſs to enable me to the performance of my Duty, and from yours alſo, that you will be readily diſpoſed to facilitate what is deſired of you. And hence it is that I conceive with Joy a good iſſue of our Affairs even now, when as I begin to ſpeak unto you from his Majeſty; and you alſo have already took notice of it, in that Grant vouchſafed you for your Aſſembling in this place, according to your requeſt, which is a moſt remarkable effect of his Majeſty's eſpecial Favour to you, which the good Providence of God hath now inſpired into him for you, after ſo many other ſignal Acts of his Royal Bounty you have formerly received from him, for which I do not in the leaſt ſuſpect or queſtion your Gratitude and Duty, nor the ſenſe of that Obligation which lieth upon you on many Accounts of yielding to him all Obedience, according to the revealed Will of God, who is the Sole and Sovereign Lord of all Men, and of all things whatſoever. And when I thus ſpeak of his Majeſty, you know very well that we muſt underſtand all Perſons acting by Authority from him, according to the ſame revealed Will of Almighty God; and the matter being ſo notorious, we cannot but obſerve it in this place, even that kindness and Juſtice you have upon many and ſundry occaſions had proof and ſenſible experience of from the Hands of his Majeſty's firſt, and Principal Miniſter of State, his Eminency the Lord Cardinal Mazarin. Nor need I enlarge on this Subject; only let me add but one Reflection of my own about this laſt Favour, the Convocation of this Synod, which you believed to be at this time ſo needful for you, you ſtand highly indebted unto his Eminency for it, and the beſt and chiefeſt Fruit you can gather from its Conſultations and Reſolutions will be this, to be more united among your ſelves, and to maintain in Peace and Concord the whole Body of thoſe of our Religion, who are repreſented by you, and to terminate and pacifie thoſe Differences and Diſſentions which are among you: For ſith they are produced through the Vice and Weakneſs of our Humane Nature and State, and begin in the nobleſt Parts, where the whole Body receiveth an alteration, we may very much fear a Diſſipation, if only topiual Remedies be applied; for theſe alone do ſeldom operate, or contribute but a little to the Union and Conſervation of the whole. And whereas all Aſſemblies of whit kind ſoever do depend upon his Majeſty, who, as ſupreme Lord, hath a Right and Juriſdiction over all Perſons and Actions, and to ordain even in and about matters concerning the Church, which was always conſider'd as a Part of the State; His Majeſty was therefore pleaſed to vouchſafe you this Synod, ſo earneſtly deſired by you, that you might regulate paſt matters, and re-eſtabliſh among you that Order which you ought to keep for the future; and the rather, becauſe there be many years lapſed ſince you had an Aſſembly of this nature.
Sirs, It is moſt certain, that your Enemies who deſign your diminution and ruin, could never meet with a more favourable means and opportunity to attempt it, than by maintaining and fomenting your Diviſions and Diſſentions; for theſe will bring you into Confuſion: So that you have good reaſon to admire the Benignity and Juſtice of his Majeſty, aſſiſted with his Eminency's Counſel in giving you his Protection, that by means of his Royal Power, ſo much needed by you, you may be maintained in all Liberty, and enabled to deliberate and decree in thoſe Points of Doctrin and Diſciplin relating to your Religion; altho his Majeſty do not in the leaſt wiſe approve of it, becauſe of its great difference from that of which he makes Profeſſion, as alſo doth not the far greateſt part of his People, who are his Subjects: So that in caſe they ſhould take that advantage they have to abuſe you any way, you have not, in theſe circumſtances under which you are now fallen through paſt Diſorders, any other means for your Subſiſtence, but his Sovereign Authority; which only, ſince you have loſt thoſe Forces and Fortreſſes in which you formerly confided, can keep you ſafe; and, if you will be contented, happy. Beſides, you know it by good experience, that there is nothing more expedient, or advantagious to you, than an entire Submiſſion unto his Majeſty's Commands, and next and immediately after God, that you ſhould depend upon the King's Sovereignty; nor is any thing more juſt and reaſonable when you put them both together; for on the one hand, you have his Majeſty's Power and Good Will; and on the other, you have your Duty and Profit inſeparably joyned together. And there is yet ſomething more cogent in the preſent Juncture of Affairs; for ſith the Divine Grace hath Crowned both King and Kingdom with ſo many Victories, God ſheweth you the beginnings of that Peace, which above all other things you have ſo very much deſired, and ſo ardently prayed for, and from which you may hope to participate in thoſe abundant Bleſſings that are likely to flow in upon the Nation. And his Majeſty alſo on his part may hope, that all his Subjects, in thankfulneſs for this great Benefit, will be the more Affectionately engaged unto bis Service, and yield more chearful Obedience to him, as they be all obliged by their Birth; but you, Sirs, more than all of them, becauſe of thoſe particular Priviledges, which have been granted to you on this Occurrence.
I am expreſly charged in the firſt Article of my Inſtructions from his Majeſty, to aſſure you, that he will preſerve you in the full enjoyment of thoſe Priviledges which have been conferred upon you; he declaring this to be his Intention, that he will carry a Fatherly Affection towards his Subjects of the Reformed Religion, and continue unto them the effects of his wonted kindneſſes, and that he will maintain, and cauſe inviolably to be maintained, his Edicts of Pacification. believeth, that you will perſevere in that reſpect and Duty, whereunto you are obliged. And that you may obtain thoſe Favours which his Majeſty hath promiſed you, his Majeſty commanded me to tell you, that immediately upon the Death of the Lord D' Arzillieres, who exerciſed the Office of General Deputy, he appointed the Lord of Ruvigny to ſucceed him, and to take care of your Concerns at Court, having an entire Confidence in him, that he will ſerve him well; and believing alſo that you will, as you ought, confide in him, it being for your own good. Yet his Majeſty would not conſtrain you by mere neceſſity to have recourſe unto him always, if you have any Arguments of ſufficient ſtrength to exempt you, and which his Majeſty may accept and approve of. And father, his Majeſty charged me to acquaint you, that it was his Will, that you ſhould not in any of your National Synods make a Demand of a Political Aſſembly for the Election of a Deputy Commiſſioner. On which Head I am particularly charged, that in caſe any ſuch Motion ſhould offer to be made by the Deputies, immediately to ſuppreſs it, and not ſuffer it to be debated nor reſolved: And although his Majeſty hath good Grounds to believe that you are well content with his Nomination of the Lord Ruvigny, becauſe of thoſe Good Offices he hath already done you, as his Majeſty is with all his other Employments until now; yet am I ordered to declare unto you, that you be left at your Liberty to deliberate about the Confirmation of him in this Office of General Deputy, that ſo after your Debate upon it, his Majeſty may provide at he ſhall think good: And if you ſhould allow of him, and deſire hiſ Confirmation in this Office, his Majeſty will be very well pleaſed, hoping that he will continue to acquit himſelf worthily in it, that ſo being approved by you, he may owe his eſtabliſhment purely to your Conſent.
And whereas in the laſt National Synod his Majeſty had declared it to be his Will, that no Deputy General ſhould aſſiſt in it; becauſe no Perſon can be admitted a Member of it, unleſs he be firſt choſen, and deputed by a Provincial Synod; and if he was admitted in quality of General Depute, he muſt be there to debate of …ecular Aff…airs, none of which kind and nature are, or ought to be handled in ſuch an Aſſembly. Beſides, there be not now a days any Political or mixt Aſſemblies; yet nevertheleſs his Majeſty, our of mere reſpect to the Lord of Ruvigny, doth allow him to uſe that Priviledge, which hath been ever enjoyed by his Predeceſſors in this Office, and that he may come unto and vote in it at his Pleaſure.
Moreover, that ſuch matters as have in theſe Aſſemblies been heretofore repreſented by his Majeſty, may be better executed, according to his Majeſty's Intentions, and alſo whatever he may order hereafter, I am, according to his Orders given me, in the firſt place to forbid you, that you do not on any account whatſoever treat in this Synod of any Secular or State-matters, or of Juſtice directly or indirectly, but only of Church Diſcipline and of Reformation of Manners. And to this purpoſe, that no Aſſembly be hold, Little or Great, by Day or by Night, but in my Preſence; and that no Perſons be appointed as a Council in the Provinces, in prejudice to thoſe Prohibitions made by the Edict in the Month of November, 1622. and that no General Faſts ſhall be proclaimed by the Provincial Synods.
Moreover, It being his Majeſty's deſire that all his Subjects ſhould live in Peace, a Bleſſing ſo very needful for them, and recommended to them by his Edicts of Pacification, which he will have moſt ſtrictly obſerved, all Miniſters are enjoyned to keep themſelves in all their publick Diſcourſes within the bounds of Moderation, and to give no juſt cauſe of complaint of their Conduct; and they be all expreſly forbidden in their Sermons or Books, to mention the Word Antichriſt, when as they ſpeak of the Pope, nor to ſtyle the Catholicks Idolater…, nor to treat the Catholick Religion with any ſcandalous or injurious Term…, ſuch as the Abuſe and Deceits of Satan, and other ſuch like, which are to be found in your Confeſſion of Faith. His Majeſty not being able to ſuffer that ſuch Words ſhould be Sworn in this Synod; and you be all in this matter, which lieth ſo near his Heart, invited to teſtifie that reſpect and obedience, which you would always render unto whatſoever ſhall be propounded and ordained by him.
Moreover, he forbids your reception of Foreigners into the Miniſtry and Paſtoral Office among you, or their Admiſſion into your Synod…, or that you ſo much as ſpeak of their Matters and Reſtoration, who have been diſpoſſeſſed and ejected out of their Churches by vertue of the Decrees of Parliament, and of his Majeſty's Letters, nor that any Stranger be received. And to this purpoſe it is his Will, that …n all Atteſtations given unto Scholars and Propoſans, or Miniſters that are to be received, there ſhall be inſerted the place of their Birth.
And to prevent that Averſion for Monarchy, which is contracted by them who follow their Studies in Foreign States and Commonwealths, ſuch as Geneva, Switzerland, England and Holland, there ſhall be a Canon expreſly made to this purpoſe, and ſhall be accordingly obſerved▪ That ſuch Perſon as have ſtudied in any of thoſe Foreign Univerſities, and offer themſelves to be ordained, or to be admitted▪ Paſtors of any Church, ſhall not at all be admitted. And if you ſhall make ſuch non as this, his Majeſty aſſureth you, that you will not only do a thing which will be very pleaſing to him, but which alſo ſhall redound, very much unto your Advantage.
And it is his Majeſty's Will, that no Letters ſhall be read to open Aſſembly, till they have been firſt communicated to me, and that I have been acquainted with their Contents, and that I ſuffer none to be read, which come from any Foreigner.
Furthermore, His Majeſty enjoyneth all Paſtors and Miniſters to preach the Commandments of God, and that Obedience which People owe unto their King; and that it is utterly unlawful for them to revolt, or take up Arms againſt their Soveraign upon any cauſe or occaſion whatſoever, upon which Subject there ſhall be one Sermon at leaſt made and preached in my Hearing in one of the Seſſions of this Synod. And you be alſo farther forbidden, from ever uſing hereafter in your Pulpit-Diſcourſes theſe Words, Scourges, Perſecution, or other▪ ſuch like Expreſſions, which are apt to ſtir up the Minds of his Majeſty's Subjects unto Sedition, and to alienate their Affections from his Majeſty, who is moſt deſirous to maintain and preſerve them in Tranquility. And to prevent thoſe Diſorders which are cauſed by Books publiſhed to the World, 'tis his Majeſty's Pleaſure, that no Books treating of the Proteſtant Reformed Religion, whether Printed within or without the Kingdom, ſhall be vended by any Bookſeller or others, till they have been firſt approved by two Miniſters of this Kingdom.
Moreover, his Majeſty giveth you to underſtand, that 'tis his pleaſure that none of the Deputies ſhall ſpeak of the Infraction of the Edicts, and leave thoſe other ways, which are permitted them to have ſuch Infractions, if any, redreſſed. Synods have heretofore done ſo, but this ſhall not, for it is no Judge of theſe matters. Here matters of Doctrin and Church-Diſcipline only are to be handled. And whereas 'tis uſual for theſe Synodical Aſſemblies to complain of their Grievances, the King commands me to tell you, that he hath far greater cauſe to complain of the Infractions and Tranſgreſſions of his Edicts, committed by his Subjects of the Pr. Reformed Religion in contempt of them; for they have dared to proceed unto that high Exceſs of Inſolence even ſince his Majeſty began his Reign, as to ſet up Preachings again in Languedoc, where they▪ had been ſuppreſſed; and not only in that Province, but elſewhere alſo, and that in an open & preſumptuous manner againſt the Publick Peace, and the general Laws of the Kingdom, which do impartially forbid the Subjects of the one or other Religion to carve out unto themſelves Satisfaction and Juſtice, although they were wronged, and had the right on their ſide; yea, and they have alſo in divers places by their meer private Authority ſet up again Preachings, beſides thoſe which were allowed and appointed by the Commiſſioners for Executing the Edict of Nantes, particularly in ſuch places where the Eccleſiaſticks are Lords of the Mannor, which is a grievous violation of the Edict. Moreover your Miniſters do notoriouſly tranſgreſs it, by excomunicating ſuch Parents as ſend their Children to ſtudy in Catholick Colledges, and have written*You have a Specimen of this in a Letter writ by an unknown Perſon, to one Martyn an Apoſtate Miniſter, which is added to the end of this Synod. ſcurrilouſly and injuriouſly of thoſe who have become Converts unto the Roman Catholick Religion. Moreover there is a practice among you of diverting the Poor's Mony, and Legacies given to Pious uſes, by employing thoſe Sums towards the Maintenance of your Miniſters, and to the defraying of Synodical Expences, and Reparation of your Temples, which Methods and Courſes are contrary to thoſe preſcribed by the Forty Third Article of particular matters in the Edict of Nants, which His Majeſty will have obſerved. Upon all which Actions, and others of the like nature done in prejudice of his Majeſties Authority, and the publick Tranquility, of whoſe Preſervation his Majeſty is ſo careful, he declareth, that being the common Father of his People, he neither can nor ought to ſuffer his Edicts to be thus violated; and therefore giveth Notice unto his Subjects of the P. R. Religion, that they reform theſe their Miſcarriages; and you are to exhort them to it, and that they demean themſelves better for the future; that ſo his Majeſty may have no juſt occaſion of offence, which he will certainly take at ſuch enterpriſes as theſe are, and the non-obſervation of his Edicts: And he would believe that you willfully ſatisfie him on your part, and in caſe you ſo do, his Majeſty aſſureth you of his Royal Protection, and of all acts of Kindneſſes, that you can poſſibly deſire of him for your ſatisfaction. Finally, his Majeſty having conſidered that National Synods cannot be held without very great Expences, nor without putting ſuch as take long Journeys hither, to a World of trouble; and whereas many matters and buſineſſes which are reſerv'd for theſe general Aſſemblies, may be terminated with more eaſe and leſs Charges in the Provincial Synods, which his Majeſty permits to be held once every Year, for the Conveniency and Diſcipline of the Churches of the Proteſtant Reformed Religion; for theſe conſiderations his Majeſty thought good to propound by me unto you Sirs, that for time to come, you ſhould give all power unto Provincial Synods, for knowing, regulating and terminating of affairs, which may fall out in all the Provinces of this Kingdom, the cognizance whereof did only formerly belong unto theſe National Synods, which his Majeſty is reſolv'd ſhall never be held any more but when as he thinks meet.
And to conclude, there is a matter of great importance, which is fitting you ſhould be acquainted with now at the beginning of this Synod, that ſo it may be the better ordered, and ended the ſooner. I received in my Letters very lately an Expreſs and particular Order concerning ſome certain Articles and Orders of which I before ſpake, viz. That there is an Abuſe committed by the Provinces, in ſending and communicating by their Deputies Letters from Strangers. This his Majeſty declareth to be contrary to his Edicts, and prejudicial to the publick Peace, and his own Service. Wherefore I am commanded to be very careful, and to provide herein, that among your deliberations, none other matters be debated but ſuch as ought of right to be ſo by all the Deputies of the Provinces of this Kingdom, and thoſe Matters only which concern the Provinces; and that you neither receive any Letters from, nor hold any Correſpondency with Strangers in any way or manner, or for any cauſe or buſineſs whatſoever; and you be moſt ſtrictly forbidden to receive any Writings of what quality ſoever coming from Foreign Countries, and not under his Majeſties Juriſdiction; nor may any one dare during the ſitting of this Synod, to publiſh or ſpread them abroad in this Town of Loudun. And in caſe ſuch a thing ſhould happen, and that ſuch Papers are found, I am injoyned immediately to ſuppreſs them, and to proceed rigorouſly againſt ſuch as vend or diſtribute them, as is meet I ſhould, and to inflict ſuch Penalties as I ſhall judge fit. And farther, I am moſt expreſly and directly commanded to do what in me lieth for the ſhortning and ſpeedy ending of this Synod: Which Order I received in the laſt Diſpatch that came unto this Town.