had been made to the churches more than two years before, in the conference held between Arminius and Gomarus, (namely, that the conference being ended, the judgment of this cause should he committed and reserved to a provincial or national synod,) should here also be renewed.

It was agreed upon that this order of proceeding should be observed by them; that each party should comprise in writing the arguments of its own opinion; concerning which a conference should then be instituted by word of mouth. Before they came to the examination of the articles, the pastors, who we before said had been deputed by the classes, exhibited an answer to the suppliant writing (libellum) of the Remonstrants, a copy of which they had procured a little before the conference; in which they shewed that the Remonstrants had most unfaithfully (pessima fide) set forth the opinion of the reformed churches, and had feigned in addition to it (adfinxisse) many things as calumnies: and that they had not openly avowed their own (opinion), or set forth all the articles concerning which there was a controversy. And, seeing there were more controverted heads, besides those which were explained in these five articles, they humbly prayed, that, by the authority of the illustrious the States, it might be enjoined on the Remonstrants, that they should likewise roundly and openly declare themselves concerning all the rest. Therefore, when the first article of the Remonstrants was about to be discussed, (or canvassed, excutiendus,) in which it is stated, that God had from eternity decreed to 'save persevering believers,' which no Christian

denies; and this article was proposed by them, as that which contained the doctrine concerning God's eternal election; the Remonstrants were asked, (in addition) to the declaration of their opinion, as expressed in this article, to explain these two things: first, Whether they would maintain that this article contained the whole decree of predestination; secondly, Whether they thought, that this faith and perseverance in the faith were causes and conditions which preceded election unto salvation, or fruits which spring from election, and follow after it. After they had shifted about for some time, they answered at length, to the first indeed, that they acknowledged no other predestination to salvation, than that which had been expressed by them in the first article; and to the second, that faith in the consideration and view of God was prior to election to salvation; and that it did not follow in the manner of any fruit. They then proposed in return seven other questions, as well concerning election, as reprobation, to which they desired an answer to be given by the pastors deputed from the classes. These, as they did not belong to the state of the controversy concerning the first article, and moreover were most of them mutilated and intricate, were proposed by them, that by this method they might draw them from the principal point of the controversy, and the right manner of treating it into doubtful disputations (ambages).1 The pastors, having shewn by a libel (libellum) to the illustrious the States this unjust way of pro

1

A common method among many controversialists, expressively called, throwing dust in men's eyes.'

ceeding, did not indeed intreat that they might not manifest their own opinion concerning reprobation; as the Remonstrants had too often iniquitously (improbè) objected to the same persons; but declared expressly their opinion, as far as they thought might suffice for the peace and edification of the churches, not only by word of mouth, but also in writing: That indeed when they state the eternal decree concerning the election of individual persons, they at the same time state the eternal decree concerning the reprobation or rejection of certain individual persons; because it could not be, that there should be election, but there must moreover be, at the same time, a certain reprobation or dereliction: yet rashly to canvass all these difficult questions concerning this article, was nothing else than to fill the church with useless disputations and contentions not profitable, and to disturb its peace: That this their declaration, suppliantly expressed in this libel, ought to suffice all men of moderate dispositions and lovers of peace; namely, that it was indeed believed and taught by them, that God condemned no one, yea, neither had he decreed to condemn any one, unless justly for his own proper sins.1

It therefore pleased the illustrious the States, that, leaving these thorny questions, they should come to the discussion of the articles. The pas

''That God, by an absolute decree had elected to salvation a very small number of men, without any regard to their faith ' and obedience whatever; and secluded from saving grace all 'the rest of mankind, and appointed them by the same decree to eternal damnation, without any regard to their infidelity or 'impenitency.-Tilenus's first Article of the Synod of Dort!

tors deputed by the churches proposed in writing their reasons, on account of which they disapproved of each of these articles. The Remonstrants also, on the other side, exhibited in writing their own arguments, by which they thought that each of them might be confirmed. About these reasons and arguments, disputations were held by speaking, in the full convention of the illustrious the States. The part of collocutor, in the name of those deputed by the churches, was sustained by Festus Hommius; in the name of the Remonstrants, at first by Adrian Borrius, and then by Nicolas Grevinchovius, John Arnoldi, and Simon Episcopius, succeeding each other by turns.

While the pastors were occupied in this conference, Conr. Vorstius had returned out of Westphalia into Holland, whom the illustrious the States appointed to be heard in a full convention, all the collocutors being present. When they were come together, he made a prolix oration, in which he endeavoured to clear himself from the errors objected to him. Then the collocutors were asked, whether they had any considerations, on account of which they judged that the calling of Vorstius to the professorship of theology in the university of Leyden should be hindered. The Remonstrants expressly declared, that they had nothing against Vorstius; neither had they detected any thing in his writings, which was repugnant to truth and piety. The other pastors exhibited in writing their reasons, for which they Among the persecuted ecclesiastics was the famous Vorstius, who by his religious sentiments, which differed but little 'from the Socinian system, had rendered the Arminians parti'cularly odious.' Mosheim, vol. v. p. 445.

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judged that this vocation would be exceedingly mischievous and disgraceful to the churches of Holland: and they shewed from a book of Socinus, concerning the authority of the sacred scriptures, edited by Vorstius himself, and interpolated; and also from that which Vorstius himself had very lately written and published concerning God and the divine attributes, his principal errors, concerning which there was held during some days a conference between him and Festus Hommius, in the convention of the illustrious the States, in the presence of the collocutors. This having been finished, the pastors on each side were again asked by the illustrious the States, sincerely, and uninfluenced by any passions, (affectibus) to declare, whether Vorstius by his answers seemed to have satisfied them. The Remonstrants answered, that full satisfaction had been given to them by Vorstius; and they moreover judged, that it would be very useful to the churches and to the university if his vocation proceeded. The rest of the pastors declared in writing, that the answers of Vorstius were so far from having moved them from their former opinion, that by them they were the more confirmed in that opinion; and that his vocation could not be forwarded, but with the extreme detriment of the churches and of the university, and the manifest danger of still greater disturbance; to which, that they might not rashly expose the churches by this vocation, they submissively conjured (or obtested) the illustrious the States, that, dismissing Vorstius, they might return to the conference concerning the five articles of the Remonstrants: