A copy OF THE LETTER, Of the national Synod of the Reformed Churches of FRANCE. Represented to the Kings Majesty.  
TOGETHER, With the Complaint made to his majesty, concerning divers Aggrievances, at CAMPEIGNE the 16. of September, 1631. by the two Deputies of the said Synod, Mr. AMIRAVLT Minister, and Mr. DE VILARS Gentleman.  
WITH The Answer and the Letter of his Majesty returned to the Synod.  
LONDON, Printed for NATH: butter, and NICH: BOVRNE. 1631.   

THE copy OF THE CONtents of a Letter written from PARIS, the 3. of October, 1631. Concerning the Synod of the Reformed Churches.  
TO leave other things, I pass to acquaint you with our national synod, and what hath happened in that Assembly, worthy of Observation.  
In the beginning and entrance of the national synod convocated at Paris, the 1. of September, the Commissary Mr. Galland, in the Kings behalf declared, that his Maj. prohibited three of the Deputies of that Assembly to take any place in the same Synod, to wit: M. Banage one of the Pastors or Ministers deputyed for the Province of Normandy, M. Berault Pastor and Professor at Montauban, and M Bouterove, Pastor and Minister of the Church of Grenoble. Mons. Bouterove being happily arrived at the beginning, and before the rest at Paris, for some necessary affairs, had received the said prohibition. M. Basnage before ever he departed out of Normandy, was commanded not to remove thence in 6. Weekes.  
As for M. Berault, being newly arrived at Paris, at the first entrance of the Synod, and having but taken his place in the Synod, the Commissary caused him to depart, in a rude manner.  
The cause or subject of the interdiction of the said Mr. Berault, was openly declared by the Commissary: As namely, that during the last troubles, he had composed or written some book, wherein he laboured to prove that the Ministers themselves might go to Warres, fight and  shed blood. Which the Kings council finding to be very bad, had condemned the same book, and therefore would have the Synod to give Iudgment, and pass their Verdict concerning the same, which they have done, and condemned the same Proposition, as a Doctrine not agreeable to our belief.  
As for the cause of the Interdiction of the other two, as I believe, the Commissary spoken nothing at all: because they were not there present, and had not need to make them depart, for they had received their prohibition before hand from the King himself. Onely I have heard something concerning M. Bouterove, that the cause of his Interdiction was, because he had written a book, in which he had( speaking generally concerning the Church of Rome) shewed that the same Church doth hold divers maxims dangerous and pernicious to the superior powers, which I am persuaded would not have been so heinously taken, if he had onely applied his affirmation to some of the Romish Church, as namely the Iesuites, and not set it down generally. But it was his general affirmation, which brought him that prejudice.  
As for M. Basnage, I know not of any particular cause that hath been alleged against him, neither have I heard of any, only we may suspect that he is opposed because he was in the last Assembly at Rochel, others believe, that the Commissary hath something against him, who indeed is all in all in the carriage of these affairs. For since he was in that Assembly, he hath been deputed to the other Synod national at Charenton, which was held 6. or 7. yeares a go, neither was there then any thing objected against him, or any difficulty made.  
I did forget to tell you, concerning the said M. Berault, how that the Commissary did declare more; as namely, that the King did forbid him the Professorship in Theology. As also he said that his may. did forbid M. Salbert( who was formerly Minister at Rochel) to execute any ministerial function in his kingdom. The reason is, because he had solicited foreign Princes to make war against him. nevertheless his may. permits him graciously to live in his kingdom, as a particular man.  
He says further, that his may. prohibits hereafter any strange Ministers to be received here, comprehending under the name of strangers, those who are of Countries allied to his may. and those towns that are under his protection. Permitting nevertheless, those that are already in charge, to continue without controlment. Declared also, that it was his may. will and pleasure, that our provincial Synod should hence forward be held at 2. certain moneths of the year,& in 2. places of every Province, which he doth allow us to choose. The nomination of the Deputies general which was made here within our politic Assemblies, and since by our national Synods, as the same was practised in the last Synod of Castres, hath this time been onely done by the Commissary himself, so that the Synod was not permitted to deliberate in that. And the said Commissary declared, that it was the Kings pleasure, that the marquis De Clermont should continue the charge which he hath exercised, ever since the Synod of Castres, and that the son of the said Commissary should be adjoined to the said marquis for a second Deputy, so that Deputies are given to the Churches, without their deputation.  
The Synod hath sent to the King to salute his Majesty, and offer him all submission and obedience, and to put up their supplication, and to make divers complaints to him. To this end they have deputed M. Amirault, Pastor of the Church of Sanmur, and De Villars, a Gentleman of Dauphine. Who among the rest, had charge to require of his Maj. that those who were in the beginning and entrance of the Synod excluded, might again be admitted. That his Maj. would be pleased to permit Mons. Salberi the free exercise of his ministry, and to Mons. Berault, forgetting all that is past. And that also he would give them leave to receive those Ministers and Pastors seated within the County towns which are under his protection, as Geneva and Sedan. And that he would command that freedom and liberty of exercise might be restored almost to 80 or 100. Churches, where the same is debarred in divers Provinces. And that there may be a ceasing of all those harsh and violent proceedings against many Ministers, who have been ill used, and very hardly dealt withal, onely for preaching of those points of Doctrine, which are permitted and allowed to bee preached by his Edicts. And that the Minister of one place may not be forbidden or hindered to preach in another place, as in many places they are debarred from this liberty. When they have occasion to pass through this or that town, or Village, being thereunto required. Nor to debar the Minister of one Church, to preach in all Churches by Order.  
For in some kind Ministers are prohibited to preach in divers places, and those whose charge extends to many, are confined and limited onely to one place. Also that his Majesty would be pleased to cause many Protestants who are most miserable kept and made galley-slaves, ever since the last troubles, to be delivered. For notwithstanding that his Majesty so graciously hath granted an abolition of all that is past by his Letters Patents, and granted a general peace to all his Subjects, these nevertheless are not restored to liberty. This is all that I can remember concerning the complaints made to his Majesty.  
The Answer given them was this. That they should be answered and resolved when their Synod should bee broken up, but not before. Onely monsieur Basnage and Berault, were permitted to enter into the Assembly of the Synod, but not Mons. Bonteroue.  
This is all I can impart to you, concerning the present affairs of the Synod: At return of the Deputies I shall be able better to inform you.   

Copy of the Letter of the national Synod of the Reformed Churches of France, presented to the Kings majesty.  
sovereign,  
Being here assembled together, through the gracious permission of your majesty: it hath been our first and chiefest care,( after the lifting up of our hands to heaven, in thanksgiving, for that it hath pleased Almighty God to cause us to find favour in the sight of your Maj.) to render our most humble and hearty thankes to your majesty, as to his lively Image. Trusting that as the same God doth not only hear the humble Prayers of his Children, but also doth receive their Complaints, and doth remedy their priefe and sorrows, so also your majesty will imitate him in the same: and will together with the humble testification of our duty, receive the supplications of your poor Subjects, afflicted in divers manner of ways. Who using no other but innocent means, have no other refuge but to your may. bounty, nor no other confidence but to your royal Clemency. Be your majesty therefore graciously pleased to permit the Lord Amyrant, and De Villars; to cast down themselves at your feet, to renew unto your may. the sincere Protestations of our most humble fidelity, subiection, and service, and to acquaint you with the infractions and breaches of your royal Edicts, made almost in all the Provinces of your kingdom. in the mean while we do not onely in our own name, but also in the name of many thousands of souls, which make profession of our Religion, and for whose sake we are here assembled, under your royal and Fatherly goodness, continue our humble Supplications to Almighty God, for the prosperity of your Sacred person, the maintenance and affirmation of your sceptre, the managing of your State, triumph and Victory of your arms, and the Benediction of your royal Bed, As being always  
sovereign, The most humble, most obedient, and faithful Subjects and Servants of your Maj. The Deputies at the national Synod assembled at Charenton. And in the name of all the rest, 

Mestresat, Moderator.  
Iamet, Adioyn'd.  
Blondell, secretary.  
Armet, secretary.     

THE COMPLAINT MADE TO THE French King at Campeigne, the 16. of September, 1631. by Mr. AMYRANT Minister, and Mr. DE VILLARS Gentleman: Both of them Deputed of the Synod of the Reformed Churches.  
sovereign,  
YOur most humble Subjects and servants the Deputies assembled in the national Synod at Charenton, acknowledging with thankfulness, the freedom and liberty which they do enjoy by your majesties gracious permission: Come now in our persons to bend their knees and humbly to bow themselves before your Majesty, to do you homage and reverence. With all the sensibleness of your favour, and so much thankfulness as the spirit of man is capable of. O sovereign they cannot but admire the providence of God, who hath bent and inclined your royal heart towards them,& also towards those which they have sent from all parts of your kingdom, and your Majesties clemency, who hath pursued and followed these kind and favourable inclinations, after so many and lamentable desolations, granting them the gracious sight of the favourable face of their sovereign, and being present to the eyes of all France, to treat upon matters concerning their Religion, and to care the most humble supplications which they make to your majesty. This favour, dear sovereign, they are more sensible of, than they can sufficiently meditate on, or verbally express. Yea, the same gracious favour, hath reduced us unto those duties, which both Nature and Conscience hath so strictly tied us, and which devoir and obedience is so particularly recommended unto us, by the same Religion which we profess and teach: namely, to worship your Maj. as being the lively Image of God amongst us. And to keep your Commandement( after those in Theology) inviolable, and with all obedience and conscience, to depend wholly on your authority, and to have no other but your fatherly care and providence, for our defence and protection. As likewise to pray God from the intimate and sincere desires of our hearts, for the conservation and prosperity of your sacred person, the peace and greatness of your state, the glory of your crown and name, and the happy and good success of all your magnanimous enterprizes; and to exhort and instigate all your Subiects, which are of the same profession with us, freely to spend their lives, and spill their blood for the service of your Maj. upon all occasions. To this end, we come to request your Maj. to assure yourself that they all have a cordial devotion, and entire resolution to this effect.  
But, O sovereign, as your goodness& clemency doth excite& strengthen in us these good intentions, and motions, so likewise doth the same yield the boldness to complain before your gracious Maj. in all profound humility, that these good effects of your Maj gracious pleasure towards us, are in divers places hindered and stayed by evil oppositions. For notwithstanding your Maj. hath by solemn declarations from time to time confirmed his Edicts for the freedom and liberty of the exercise of our Religion, nevertheless within this 3. yeares the same liberty hath utterly been taken away, beyond the former disputations, In Xaintonge in 24. places, in Sevennes in 19. In lower languedoc in 20. in Vivarets in 29. and likewise in many places more, which as yet have not obtained their re-establishment. As for the remainder of our Churches, in the use of the benefits of your Edicts, a great part of the same will utterly be lost in a moment, if those arrests given in your Maj. own council, for the prohibiting of Ministers to preach in places remote from their own habitations and abode, be put in execution.  
In the year 1623. we were forbidden by your majesty from thence forward to receive any Ministers that were strangers born. unto which we have with great respect and submission willingly obeied. But now this prohibition, as by your Maj. Commissaries extended even to those places which are within your Maj. own protection. Which formerly hath not been so, and which unto us seems a very strange restraint of our ancient liberties, and unto those Countries, a testimony of the diminution of your Maj. good will towards them.  
But O sovereign, here is that which is worse, namely that notwithstanding by your Maj. own Edicts, liberty be granted unto us, to preach the doctrine of our belief, nevertheless many of our Ministers are extremely prosecuted by Proctors general, in the Parliament of Toulouse and bourdeaux, and especially for this cause, namely for preaching that which by your Maj. permission, and your predecessor before you, long since, hath been preached publicly in your kingdom.  
Neither are the Ministers only those that do taste of,& are experienced with the malice born to our Religion, but all the rest are equally sensible thereof. For so far is it from thence, that any of our Religion is admitted unto any eminent charge within your Parliaments, that the very mean Proctors are quiter rejected. Yea in the inferior places, the very Sergeants are repulsed. In the universities the Dignity& title of a Dr. is refused, be it either to those that desire to proceed in physic or other profession. In your common Cities and towns, freedom is denied unto them in the meanest and poorest Mechanich Trades. Notwithstanding that your Maj. Edicts in these things, afford all your subjects an equal condition.  
As for the liberty which it hath pleased your Majesty to use towards us a long time, and the continuation of the which, we have always hoped for, and especially we expected as much at Castres, as also verified to us by many grants which have so favourably accompanied your Maj. merciful grace towards us; there have many yeares passed in the which we have seen no effects at all of the same. Thus is the testimony of your Maj. gracious favour and good will toward, cut off and obscured. And so presently we are deprived of that just and reasonable recompense, which was granted unto us( by your late Father of glorious and immortal memory) for the tithes which we do pay unto the Clergy.  
And whereas our Synods are so conducent and profitable for our subsistence, and notwithstanding the same, be so openly tolerated by your Majesties own Edicts, nevertheless, we do meet with abundance of opposition and contradiction. The Lords, the Governours of your Provinces, either refusing, or otherwise delaying the nomination of the Commissaries.  
As for that Synod Naitonal which now by your Gracious permission we are assembled at, give us leave to tell you, O sovereign, that after wee had waited 5. yeares, the same was interdicted and prohibited to M. Basnage, M. Bouterove, and Berault, who were deputed and thereunto, and who should neither have voice nor agreement there, but onely for your Maj. service. Lastly,( which indeed we cannot speak or express without fear and trembling,& which we hope will move your compassion) your Maj. hath granted a free pardon to so many others, yet above 2. hundred Protestants at this day, remaining in galleys and other flaveries, are kept in that miserable, ignominious, and woeful suffering. O lamenaable mishap, which returns us back to the wounds and suffering, for the cause of our Profession, and which will not yield unto our posterity the just cause of acknowledging those royal virtues in your Maj. but will diminish the splendour of the glory of your Maj. clemency.  
Wherefore( dear sovereign) we do must humbly entreat and supplicate your Maj. by the Authority which your laws ought to have amongst all your Subjects, by the constancy and firmness of your royal word, by the equity and Iustice which hath procured you a title more glorious than that of Alexander, or Caesar, by the Debonarith and meekness, which is as it were natural to your Maj. and in the which are engraven all the good actions of Princes, by your liberality; a virtue so worthy of a great King, and by the tenderness of your compassions, in the which humane Nature doth approach unto Divine, more than in any thing, that you would be pleased for the restauration of the poor dispersed Churches, to regrant the ancient vigour unto your Edicts, to revoke the stays and obstacles and arrests, which tear and rent them in pieces. To permit that we may receive into our ministry, those who are born in the stomachs and commonweals of your Maj. protection, to cause all prosecutions of your Proctors, general to cease against us, and to impose silence upon them, to open again unto us the entrance into our Trades and functions. And if so far we may find grace in the face of your Maj to grant unto us( in public charges and dignities) assignations and assurance for what is past, and order for the time to come, to ease by your authority, the stay and detainement of our Synods, Provincionall, and national, to restore unto those above mentioned, the place which their Deputation gave them, to give Charge and command, that the chains and shackles of those miserable Caitiffes which in so long space haue had no comfort or hope heretofore, but onely in the very thought and meditation of your Majesties clemency. And if it shall please your Maj. to receive our most humble request, and grant them, and give us the assurance of the same, by causing favourably and promptly answer to be given by the Lords of your council, to the end that with great contentment wee may carry back with us satisfaction to all those who have sent us, and may disperse the Ioy thereof into all the Provinces of your Majesties kingdom: Besides the acclamation of so many thousands which expect so good tidings, and the delight which will return back to your Majesties own heart. For having imitated God himself, who delights in the exercise of Iustice and Mercy, to whomsoever he is pleased to retain; your Majest. shall receive for recompense, the abundant benedictions from Heaven, which wee will draw down vpon your head by our ardent vows, and assiduall prayers. For as concerning the Affection which wee ought to have unto your Majesties service, although indeed by your Beneficence, you might augment and redouble our Obligations, yet wee dare boldly and humbly protest, that the same is come to that point.( O sovereign) that henceforward it is almost impossible that the same should be increased.  
And although heretofore wee have not in obedience been inferior to the best of your majesties Subiects, yet in time to come wee will surpass and abound more and more, to which end wee will add all our endeavours.  
This it is that wee your Most humble and most Obedient Servants had to declare unto your Sacred majesty.   

The Answer of his Majesty unto the former Complaint.  
I Haue heard and understood all that you have said. You may fully assure yourselves that I will maintain you in my Edicts. give me your Demonstration, and I will see it in my council.   

Here follows a Letter of his Majesty, written and sent to the Synod.  By the King. 
dear and well-beloved.  
Wee have seen by your Letter dated the third of this month, and understood by the mouth of our Deputies, and the relation which they have presented to us concerning the affairs of your present Synod, Convocated by our permission in that Place called Charenton. And because Wee have made your Deputies partly acquainted with our intention, and do more particularly charge Monsieur Galland with the same, wee will not be tedious or presize at this present. Onely thus much, that I desire you to put a full trust and confidence in what soever the said Monsieur Galland shall say unto you in Our behalf. Assuring you moreover, that as wee have very good satisfaction in the praceeding of your said Synod, and also of your Deputies, you shall receive ample proofs of our good will towardr you whensoever occasion shall be offered.  
Given at Monctaun, the 21. of September, 1631. Signed, LOWIS. Lower, PHELEPRAVX. And titled above thus. To our dear and well-beloved, the Deputies of the national Synod of those our Subiects which make profession of the Religion, pretended the reformed Religion, assembled by Our permission at Charenton.  
FINIS.