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religion_n	king_n	prince_n	queen_n	3,203	5	6.8163	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85896	The generall and particular acts and articles of the late national synod of the reformed Churches of France, assembled by the permission of the King at Charenton neare Paris, beginning the 26th of December, 1644. Where by the present estate of those churches, as also their doctrine and discipline may be knowne. With divers other remarkable passages, and letters from the King and Q. Regent of France, to the said synod, and of the synod to their Majesties, and other great personages. Never before printed either in French or English, and now faithfully translated out of a written French copy. Whereunto is added a formulary of baptisme for those who from paganisme, Judaisme, and Mahumetisme, are converted to the Christian faith; as also of those Anabaptists who have not bin baptised before, composed in the nationall synod set forth at Charenton in the yeare 1645. and now faithfully Englished.	Eglises réformées de France. Synode national (1644-1645 : Charenton-le-Pont); Anne, Queen, consort of Louis XIII, King of France, 1601-1666.; France. Sovereign (1643-1715 : Louis XIV)	1646 (1646)	Wing G488; Thomason E361_5; ESTC R201205	74,805	110

THE GENERALL And Particular ACTS and ARTICLES Of the Late NATIONAL SYNOD Of the Reformed Churches of France Assembled by the Permission of the King at Charenton neare Paris beginning the 26th of December 1644. Whereby the present estate of those Churches as also their Doctrine and Discipline may be knowne With divers other Remarkable Passages and Letters from the King and Q. Regent of France to the said Synod and of the Synod to their Majesties and other great Personages Never before printed either in French or English and now faithfully translated out of a written French Copy Whereunto is Added a formulary of Baptisme for those who from Paganisme Judaisme and Mahumetisme are converted to the Christian Faith As also of those Anabaptists who have not bin Baptised before composed in the Nationall Synod set forth at Charenton in the yeare 1645. and now faithfully Englished LONDON Printed by T. W. for G. Emerson and are to be sold at the Swan in little Britaine and at the blacke Beare in Pater-noster Row 1646. The Stationer to the Reader THe Church hath been under a threefold oppression first violent under persecuting Emperours 2. Fraudulent under insinuating Hereticks 3. Violent and fraudulent both under the Romish Antichrist every one worse then other This last the most pernicious and perillous as in whom the force and fraude of both the former were combined in one The first was grievous to the body but could not touch the soule the second destroyed the soule though it spared the body the third spared neither but by Impostures lies and a thousand falshoods entangled the soule in damnable errours and upon the bodies of Christians what savage cruelties they have exercised is as incredible to be beleeved as impossible to be exprest They have persecuted poore Christians with fire and water with fire to consume their bodies and bones to ashes With water to consume their very ashes if it were possible to nothing Of this the Church of France hath had most sad and long experience For the persecutions of the Protestants in France How many Edicts Proscriptions Proclamations for their utter destruction are still witnesses thereof What combination of Princes what Armies raised Townes burnt who le Countries depopulated Witnesse that of Merindol and Chabriers private murders publick Massacres as that of Paris wherein were most bloudily cut off very many thousands what cruelties have been exercised for number incredible for fury unsufferable had they not been inspired and supported by the divine power What lingring torments were invented to make them dye piecemeale ut sentiant se mori among many other one is most memorable of a Frier that tooke a poore Protestant filled his bootes full of grease set him upon a forme with his legs hanging over a soft fire and so broyled him to death with many more too tedious to mention here And yet for all these cruell sufferings they have kept the faith and obtained a good report they have been bettered by it like gold that comes the purer out of the fire they have been the cleaner for winnowing the clearer for scowring Tortores nisi habeat Ecclesia non haberet fidos Doctores And certainly this Church though it hath been under many cloudes yet such lights have still broke out in it that the world hath not seene the like And as God hath still moved the hearts of their Princes to give them some intermission of suffering so now a permission of doing even to assemble at Charenton for setling of that Religion whereof their chiefe Princes are enemies If God will restore his Temple Cyrus a heathen King shall grant a Commission for building of it In this Synod there are many things remarkable first the goodnesse of God in moving the hearts of the King and Queen Regent towards them 2. Their loyalty againe in their humble submission to their Soveraigne Princes their obedience to them and praiers for them though of a contrary Religion In the Acts of this Synod observe first their wisdome and moderation in Discipline 2. Their piety and purity in Doctrine but our approbation can adde nothing to their worth If any shall question what need of such frequent Assemblies as many there be that move such questions let him heare what Saint Paul sayes It is necessary that heresies be amongst us Therefore as necessary are often Assemblies of Pastours of the Church Necessitatem hanc furor haereticus imponit and this made the Apostles themselves call a Synod Acts 15. It seemes two dangerous Sects were now like to trouble that Church against whom care is taken in this Synod viz. the Anabaptist and the Independent The first the most pestilent sect that sprang up of late times and could never catch many Disciples in a cleare water did not the latter trouble these streams But the reverend Pastours have put in sufficient caution against them both and God grant their neighbours may follow their worthy president Concerning differencies about matters of indifferency the most antient and true bond of unity is not one discipline one ceremony one policy but one God one Faith one Baptisme and so one Church Una erit consortio aeternitatis and ad colendum unum Deum tota est instituta God grant one thing more sit una vinculo charitatis And that we may all keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace In the name of God Acts of the Nationall Synod of the Reformed Churches of France assembled by the Permission of the King at Charenton neare Paris the 26th of December and dayes following 1644. AFter the opening of the Assembly performed by a Prayer pronounced by Sieur Drelincourt Pastour of the Church of Paris Monsieur the Marquess of Cleremont deputed Generall exhibited the Breuets dispatched by the Commandement of the King for the calling togethe● of them the tenour whereof followeth This day being the twelfth of the Moneth of February 1644. the King being at Paris upon the most humble Petition made unto him by his Subjects of the Pretended reformed Religion to permit them the Convocation and Assembly of a Nationall Synod for that there hath bin none since that of Alenzou in the year 1637 His Majesty with the advise of the Queen Regent his most honoured Lady Mother desiring to gratifie and favourably to treate his said Subjects hath permitted them and doth permit them the calling together of a Nationall Synod in the moneth of December next at Charenton with charge that therein they treate onely of such affaires as are permitted them by their Edicts and that the Commissary appointed by his Majestie shall assist in the said Synod as hath been accustomed In witnesse whereof his Majestie hath commanded mee to expedite this present Declaration which he hath signed with his own hand LOUIS There appeared in the said Assembly with their Letters of trust which were read by Sieur le Cog Ancient of the Church of Paris assisting at the Table with Sieur Calliart Ancient chosen to

have deserved blame in having recourse to his Majestie against the prohibition made by Monsieur the Intendant in the name of his Majestie directly against his intention which he hath vouchsafed to publish by his Declaration 8. Eighthly that the town of Vsez is not culpable of any Contravention be it to the Edict or to any particular Capitulation neither needed any permission to use that which was never taken from it by any former Prohibition The Bell of which there is complaint made to his Majestie having bin placed in the steeple of the Temple ever since the foundation and continued there till that a little before the Capitulation the steeple menaced ruine and was likely to fall whereupon the be●l was carried into one of the corners of the building whence after the Capitulation and the steeple repaired it hath been put again into his former place 9. Ninthly that in all the Provinces there neither is nor hath been any Preaching but in places permitted by the Edicts which confirme the Churches in their possession and entire enjoying of them for fourescore yeares and more from which they hold it hard●r for them to depart then to suffer death 10. Tenthly that in none of the Churches of the same Provinces the fathers and mothers which send their children unto the Colledges of Jesuits have bin suspended from the Sacraments but according to the Discipline permitted by the Edicts in which they of the Religion may observe in this particular which regards the peace of their consciences and the education of their children being bound to take an especiall care of their Instruction in the obedience of God and of their King and to detest all evill impressions which have so often obliged France to griefe sorrow and teares so that they cannot be culpable of the Infraction of the Edict seeing the Sorbone the most ancient University of Europe and the first of this Kingdome have at this day by publike accusations and in the face of the Parliaments complained by processe in publike Judicature of the society of the Jesuits as corrupters of the manners of youth committed to their trust by their doctrine as contrary to good pollicy as true Theology As for the Prohibition to send their Schollers hereafter destinated to the study of Theology to Geneva Switzerland Holland c. Seeing that Geneva hath these fifty yeares and more been in speciall protection of the Crowne of France and that it hath alwayes followed her Interests And that those other Estates are in a●lyance with the same Crowne and maintaine t emselves in it as much or more inviolably then any other Estates of Christendome that by sending their youth into France to fashion their manners and to instruct them in good learning they thereby give good testimony that they are no enemies to the Estate nor of the forme or order by which it is governed that some of them which at this present serve in the Churches of this Kingdome and have studied in all or in part with strangers in forraigne Countries have withdrawne themselves from the obedience due unto his Majesty neither have shewed any dislike or aversion against Monarchy unto which the French Nation have subjected themselves these 2200 yeares from the Father to the Son and seeing his Majesty thinkes it no● fitting to prohibit them which are students in Philosophie Law or Physick to travell into other strange Countreys yea Common-wealths as that of Venice where many on all parts of France render themselves by a great confluence to study in all Faculties His Majesty is most humbly intreated to leave the Churches in their liberty Accorded by the Kings his Predecessors to all his Subjects without distinction of Religion The Assembly have named Sieurs Vincent and Chebrole Pastours and the Sieurs de Pamieur and of Clesse Ancients to present without delay at the feet of their Majesties their most humble submissions and thankes and have charged them with Letters to the King the Queen Regent the Duke of Orleans the Prince Cardinall Mazarin the Chancellour the surintendents the Comptrollers generall and Monsieur de le Villiers Secretary of Estate A Copie of the Letter written to the King SIR NO sooner was our Assembly convened and that wee turned our selves towards God to obtain his benediction on the same our first thoughts have been to acquit our selves of our duty towards your Majestie who is his lively Image having sent for this purpose Sieur Vincent and Chebrole c. to lay downe at your feet our submissions and homages as likewise to render unto you most humble thankes for the singular favour we have received from your Majestie in that you were pleased to give unto us the liberty to Assemble our selves in this place where we labour with zeale to confirme our selves in the service of God and in the obedience we owe to your Majestie and in this glorious proximity of your sacred Person and of so many Jntelligences which inviron it The knowledge wee have that your Majesty observes us and that wee are as well under your inspection as under your power is unto us a strong encouragement to doe well and to persevere in the fidelity which is hereditary unto us and which we are most willing to transmit to our Posterity But since the principall ayme of this deputation is for this end that they w●tnesse unto your Majesty the triumphant joy of all the Church s and the unspeakable satisfaction we have in our soules to see him justly raised upon the Throne whom we have demanded of God with so much instance and importunity with the multiplication of so many prayers in our Ecclesiasticall Assemblies Wee doubt not Sir but God hath drawne you out of his treasures and that out of his abundant Grace hath given you to France to bring about the golden Age and to be the most glorious Instrument of his most exquisite favour such as wee never had before for that it hath pleased him to accompany your first entrance into the Kingdome with marvellous successe and unexpected Victories which have rendered your Majesty formidable to your enemies but made your owne people to consider you as a pretious bud of infinite prosperity which the providence of God hath reserved unto France under your Government Wee promise Sir that as with other of your people wee have reaped the fruit which God hath dispensed unto us by your hands in like manner as well as they wee will endeavour to make our selves worthy by the most signall examples of our fidelity and that we have neither lives goods nor honours which wee will not Consecrate with chearfulnesse to the seruice of your Majesty so often as the honour of your Commandements shall call us thereunto this is the Posture Sir in the which wee desire to live and dye being not onely by birth and obligation but by sincere and Ardent affections of your Majesty Sir the most humble most obedient most faithfull subjects and servants the Pastours and ●ncients

assist for to number the Voyces for every Province two Ministers and two Ancients of the principall Churches To manage the businesse as President Sieur Drelincourt Pastour and Cog Ancient of the Church of Paris after whom Caliart Ancient of the Church of Alenzon joyned with Monsieur the generall Deputy gathered the suffrages of them which were deputed in this Assembly which was carried by a Ticket in writing by every one of them for the nomination first of a Moderator secondly of an Assistant and afterward of Secretaries one after the other By a plurality of Voyces they made choyce to conduct the Action of Sieur Garrisoles for Adjunct and Seigneur Besuag● and for Secretaries Sieur Blondel and Cog all which tooke their places one after the other as they were c●osen Immediatly after the nomination of Moderator Adjunct and Secretaries Monsieur de Cumon the Kings Counsellour in his Councell of estate in his Court of Parliament of Paris Commissary deputed of his Majestie for to assist on his part in this Assembly presented the Patents of his Majesty containing his Commission which being read there were Acts made of them and Registred according to their forme and tenour A Copy of his Majesties Patents LOuis by the grace of God King of France and Navarre to Our beloved and trustie Counsellour in our Councell of State in our Court of the Parliament of Paris Sieur de Cumon health We have permitted our Subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion to hold in the Bourg of Charenton neare Paris the twenty sixth of the moneth of December next a Nationall Synod composed of all the Deputies of the Provinces of our Kingdome to Treat of affaires concerning their said Religion and being to make choyce of a sufficient personage whose fidelity is well knowne unto us to assist on our part in quality of a Commissary in the said Assembly knowing the Services you have rendered unto us in divers honourable imployments Wee have committed to your trust of the which you have worthily acquitted your selfe w● have thought that We could not make a better choice then of your Person upon the assurances Wee take that you will continue unto us the testimony of your affection unto our said service For this cause with the advise of the Queen Regent our most honoured Lady and Mother wee have committed unto you and deputed you Wee doe commit and depute you by these Presents signed with One hand for to transport your selfe to assist on our part in the Synod assembled in the Town of Charenton there to propose and resolve what We shall command according to the charge and Instructions given unto you taking care they speake then of no other businesses and affaires then such as are under the quality and condition of such matters or things which ought to be handled in such Assemblies and a●● permitted by the Edicts and if they undertake to doe any thing to the contrary you shall hinder them and shall interpose our Authority or shall speedily give advise that remedy may be taken to prevent such inconveniences as may arise or as Wee shall thinke most fitting to doe for this Wee give you Power Commission and especiall commandement by these presents Given at Paris the 28th of November in the yeare of Grace 1644. and of our Raigne the second signed in the originall LOUIS And underneath Philippeaux After the Reading of his Majesties Patents Monsieur the Commissary spake SIRS As I hold it a great honour to bee commanded by the King for to assist in your Synod and to let you know his will and pleasure in like manner it as great joy and contentment to me to behold this Illustrious Assembly chosen out of a●l the Provinces of this Kingdome that I may be able to tell you I have expresse charge and commandement from the King and the Queen his Mother to assure you of their good will and protection for you and for all your Churches and the entire execution of the Edicts of Pacification so long as you shall continue within the tearmes of Respects subjection and fidelity which you owe to their Majesties which are the higher powers which God hath establisht over you having given unto them that soveraigne Authority and left you as sharers of the glory of obedience unto which you are obliged by your birth the sense of your own consciences the favour you continually receive from their Majesties and by all sorts of considerations both generall and particular After the lamentable accident which deprived us of our King Louis the Just of most glorious memorie there was no man which beleeved not that the end of his life would have been the end of our happinesse But God which loveth France and hath so often raised it from falling suffered not this losse to beget mournfull consequences The Sun sets not but to rise againe and to make us to observe the first day of the Kingdome of Grace Wee haue seen for the beginning of our good and welfare his Majestie holding his Bed or chamber of Iustice accompanied with the Princes of the Blood and of all the great ones and the Queen declared Regent of this Kingdome by the suffrages and solemne Arrests of Parliaments Soone after their Majesties open'd their treasures of Mercy and Clemency they did write to all sorts of persons any way Interessed reconciled many particu●ars to the State gave libertie to prisoners permission to them that were absent to returne to their own houses to them which were accused to pursue their Iustification Replaced all the Innocent in their places of charge and Government and Confirmed the conduct and leading of the armies unto Monsieur the Duke of Orleans who hath made all men to wonder at his orderly proceedings in the siege of Gravelin who in the sight of his Enemie tooke that important place which shall serve as a monument unto posterity of his valour and generosity Wee may adde to this his valorous successe the victory of Rocroy the taking of Theonvile Spire Wormes Mayence Phillipsbourg the defeat of the Bavarians army after they were forced into their Trenches These great and signall advantages followed with sundry others have rendered the name of our King August and venerable unto all Nations and his power formidable to his enemies which have been constrained to confesse it is not to be paralel'd and that the Heaven apparently blesseth and favoureth his Armies and Designes We see likewise that at the same time the fire of a strange war spreads it selfe on all sides about us France enjoyeth within it selfe an assured peace reposing it selfe upon the continuall cares and travels of the Queen Regent whom we may call by just title the Mother of the Country and the Mother of Armies and upon the wise and prudent Counsells of Monsieur the Duke of Orleans and Monsieur the Prince and Monsieur the Cardinall Mazarin upon the perfect union and Intelligence which is between them and upon the fidelity and experience of Messieurs the

Ministers of Estate which makes us hope to see in our dayes the generall Peace which sha●l be the perfection of our hapinesse Besides the considerations which are common to all Frenchmen there are other particulars which concerne men of your profession Remember you that upon the entrance of this Kings raigne their Majesties have beene pleased to make a Declaration which confirmes all former Edicts permits you the exercise of your Religion the libertie of your consciences the safetie of your Persons Goods and of your Churches which subsist happily under the shadow of their Royall powers and bounty Observe that by their singular favour you have in the midst of you Dukes Pairs Marshalls of France Generalls of Armies Magistrates Governours of soveraigne Courts and that as yet to this day their Majesties for a witnesse of the confidence they have of your fidelity have granted you this Assembly at the very gates of the Capitoll or principall City of this Kingdome in the sight of all France and of the great people of Paris so different in manners and humours which will be Witnesses and Judges of your actions After all this Sirs I perswade my selfe you will all with a generall consent ayme at this principall end the glory of God the service of the King the good and welfare of your Churches and that in all your words and actions you will bring that prudent moderation and humility which can be desired of good and faithfull subjects which will be a powerfull meanes to draw upon you and upon the Provinces which have deputed you the gracious favour of their Majesties especially when all the world shall observe that ye breath nothing more then that respect and obedience ye owe unto them And to the end all things may be done according to the order prescribed me Their Majesties have commanded me to tell you that all Ministers which are strangers are to be excluded your Synod and that none may assist there which is not deputed by a Provinciall Synod and that during the time it is holden you may not have communication with strangers or other suspected persons but to abide in that place attending the affaires for which ye are called and because your Assemblies doe not constitute a body Politique their Majesties have forbidden you to treat in your Synod of any secular affaires of State or Justice nor to speake any thing in the Re-establishing of Ministers which are strangers and have been Dispossessed by vertue of the Arrests of Parliaments and Letters signed by his Majestie nor to propose there any complaints of pretended infractions of the Edicts seeing you have Chembre iniparties so called in the French and other Courts of Justice established by Edicts to doe you Justice and to repaire the Contraventions unto the Edicts if any shall happen for the which you may procure Remedy before the Counsell of the King and there present your requests according to the accustomed manner your Synod having no power to judge in such matters so that you are to treat onely of your doctrine and Ecclesiasticall Discipline They have forbidden you likewise to nominate any Pastours or other extraordinarie Deputies to receive Letters or to make Answer to them which shall be addressed unto them from their severall Provinces to provide for their affaires during the time that there is a Synod for that by the Edict of the moneth of December 1622. and other subsequent Declarations such Counsells and Counsellors of the Provinces are expresly forbidden Their Majesties also forbid you to print any bookes in any place whatsoever making mention of your Religion without Attestation of two Ministers of this Kingdome under paine of Confiscation of them and not to send forth any Excommunication against Ministers and others which shall change their Religion nor to use any reproachfull words against them by writing or otherwise nor to receive for the time to come any Minister which is a stranger appointing you for this end to put in the attestations of the Proposants and Ministers to understand or to be enformed of the place of their birth They forbid also the Provinciall Synods to summon generall Fasts And for the better assurance of publike tranquility his Majestie enjoynes the Ministers to preach unto his Subjects following the commandement of God the obedience which they owe unto him and that upon no occasion whatsoever it is lawfull for them to take Armes against their Soveraigne And hee forbids them in their Sermons and Writings to give the termes of scourgings Martyrdome and persecution of their Religion under the name of the Church of God or otherwise as likewise to use the word of Antichrist and of Idolatrie and other offensive words in speaking of the Pope of them which are of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Church of the Sacraments and Ceremonies therein upon paine of Interdiction It is forbidden them likewise to make Collections from house to house to gather money of the poore in regard of mens last Wills and Testaments or to sue any in any Court of Justice for Salary or payment of wages in regard of the charges of their Colloques Synods Reparations and garnishing of their Temples In this his Majestie is pleased that the Article 44 in the Edict of Nants be particularly observed and executed and for that their Majestie are adverti●ed you send your children to study and to bee brought up in learning at Genevas in Switzerland Holland c. which are Nations Common-wealthes a verse to Monarchy which may stretch their Precepts to politique and secular affaires a matter of great consequence and may produce dangerous effects for the prevention hereof their Majesties desire that amongst the Articles of Proposants you make one expresse to bee practised for time to come within all your Provinces that no Proposant or Theologue shall be received into the Ministrie if they have studied in these Countreys and Estates And they have commanded me to assure you that upon your conforming to their Intentions in an affaire so important you shall doe a thing very acceptable unto them and advantagious for them of your Religion I have charge also to let you understand that their Majesties are d●spleased that against the Amnestye so much recommended by the Edicts In the Calenders of the Psalmes imprinted at Geneva 1635 these termes are inserted that on the f●fteenth of March 1545 was Assembled the detestable Counsell of Trent and many other like things that in the twenty fourth Article of the Confession of your Faith the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion is represented with the name of Abuse and deceipt of Satan Purgatory with the title of Illusion and the Shop from whence monasticall vowes Pilgrimages and other things doe arise and in the 28 Article you use these wo●ds Wee condemne the Assemblies of Poperie where all Superstitious and Idolatry have their Vogue Their Majesties not being able to suffer that such words should be affirmed upon Oath in a Nationall Synod of their Kingdome holding them

scandalous and injurious unto that Religion and Church of which his Majesty held it an honour to be stiled the eldest sonne and against him whom hee acknowledgeth to be the chiefe calling him holy Father and with whom he hath Alliance and amity for these reasons their Majesties desire that in a thing they take so much to heart you will manifest and make known the respect and obedience which you will render unto that which by them is propounded unto you Moreover I will adde this that their Majesties have commanded mee to tell you that they have just cause to complain against you for that since his Raigne they of your Religion have undertaken to re-establish Preaching in Languedoc and elsewhere by an open violent way contrary to the publike Assurance and the generall Lawes of the Kingdome which forbid equally unto the Subjects both of the one and the other Religion to doe right unto themselves as in other things so more especially as likewise in the enterprise of Vsez where they placed Bels in their Temple without permission and leave and against the termes of their Capitulation of the City of Monpellier Their Majesties are displeased that they of your Religion in Languedoc have enterprised to renue the deputation in the Court of Monpellier Nismes and Vsez suppressed long since in the year 1632. out of the Capitulation of the foresaid City and that Seiurs Reyzobs and Faraier deputed themselves without the consent of a Provinciall Synod and that they parted against the leave of his Majestie and that they have established Preaching by private Authoritie in sundry places besides the places designed by the Commissioners of his Majestie in execution of the Edicts of Names and contrary to the same Edicts have continued preaching in those places where the Lords are Ecclesiasticks as their Majesties have beene informed And besides all this certaine Ministers have taken unto themselves that height of liberty as to preach in their Pulpits seditious words and have cut off from their Communion such Parents as have sent their children to the Colledges of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion Lastly they have given me in charge to ell you that all these are manifest Infractions unto the Edicts contrary to their duty to the prejudice of the King and the publike tranquillity the which his Majestie hath been so carefull to observe on his part as that hee neither can nor ought as a common Father of his people to suffer the like attempts hoping that for the time to come you will use greater circumspection in removing all just discontentments which may upon any occasion be offered These things heard the Deputies made answer by the mouth of Seigneur Garrisoles Moderator who acknowledging that by the mercifull bounty of Almighty God the prayers of the Churches were so blessed as that after the publike losse of France in the death of the late King of glorious and immortall memory and this sad Ecclipse of our Sunne which seemed to bee for ever buried in the blacke darknesse of uncomfortable griefe and irremediable confusion every man hath seen with incredible joy and admiration the happinesse and peace of the estate of France to appeare as a new bright starre out of the East which hath raised the hope of all his faithfull Subjects and of all Christendome possessed with wonder when they consider that the good hand of God hath not only elevated his Majestie as it were from the Cradle to his Fathers Throne whose birth was so long desired and at length by Gods wonderfull providence obtained by the joynt prayers and supplications of his people and particularly of the Churches but also put the Reines of this Empire into the hands of the Queene Regent a Princesse whose glorious birth seemes to serve for no other end but to place her vertues on the highest Theater o● Glory Secondly under the Auspitious happinesse of the continuall prosperity and succesfull victories thereof have so added to the reputation of this Crowne as that in despight of envy they have joyned hand in hand to second the just Armes of his Majesty imployed in the defence of the Estate the protection of his Al●ies the designes of his Royall Highnesse and other Chieftaines having every where encountred a successe as well happy as glorious insomuch as the first workes of employments from Royall Authority since his Majesties comming to the Crowne hath been the Declaration of the Edicts of Pacification the assurance of their sacred Majesties protection unto all the Churches in favour of which the Edicts have been first published the glorious approving of the services of two great men nourished in the bosome of their Communion and so raised above the pitch of envy as that the Staffe of Marshall of France with the conduct of Royall Armies have been put into their hands without discontentment of any person in the State and that their Majesties have been graciously pleased to receive their Supplications presented by Monsieur the Generall Deputy as that hee hath thought good to grant them the holding of this Assembly and to commit the care and inspection thereof to a person no lesse Illustrious by his vertues worthy of the highest esteeme then by his place of dignity in the first of Parliaments Being thus carryed with the sweet and pleasing violences of resentments of so many good deeds to open their hearts and mouthes in giving thankes unto their Majesties for their singular favours with their most Ardent prayers to God for the preservation of their Sacred persons benediction of the Kingdome the glory of the Crown under the comfortable shadow whereof the Churches enjoying a sweet rest shall never desire or thinke any thing but to practise faithfully and conscientiously the expresse commandement of our Saviour by St. Peter Feare God and honour the King with an intire and sincere obedience without any designe nor to admit in the body of their Nationall Synod contrary to ancient custome persons not deputed by the Provinces nor to foment any communication with strangers nor to take and receive any Letters comming from them nor to give an answer unto them unlesse such as the Commissary representing his Majesties person shall find expedient nor to make any politick deliberations and Rules nor to introduce into particular Churches for their Pastour any Ministers being strangers nor to establish any Counsells of the Province against the will of the King nor to suffer the violation of the rules taken in Nationall Synods according to the intention of his Majestie for the approbation of bookes which shall be published in print touching matters of Religion Nor to Excommunicate any of them which forsake their Churches and acknowledge not their Jurisdiction over them at the time they shall quit their Communion nor to vent any Sermons fraught with rayling and reproachfull termes injurious to the members of the Roman Church as well in generall as particular which may in any sort stirre up or animate the people to a tumultuous rising and