In the mean while, all pious men, and lovers of their country and of religion, bewailed and wept over this most wretched calamity of the churches: and when they could not in their mind perceive, whither at length these tumults were about to grow, unless a remedy should be speedily applied; because this had not hitherto been practicable by public authority, they began seriously to think, whether by some other way this evil might at least be stopped, if it could not be taken away. In the first place the most illustrious the count of Nassau, William Lewis, the Governor of Friesland, according to his extraordinary affection toward the churches and the republic, privately admonished as well Utenbogardus on the one side, as Festus Hommius on the other; that, seeing the state of the republic itself grievously assaulted by these ecclesiastical contentions, they should look well to it, in a friendly and brotherly manner between themselves, to see whether some honourable way might not be found out, of composing this most deplorable dissension, and of coming to an agreement. Festus declared, that, if the Remonstrants differed from the rest of the pastors in no other articles than those five concerning predestination, and the topics annexed to it, he thought that a way might be found out, in which some peace might be established between the parties, until the whole controversy should be settled by a national synod. But, because there were weighty reasons on account of which the churches believed, that most of the Remonstrants dissented from the doctrine of the Belgic churches in more articles, and those of greater importance;

and it could not be, (fieri,) that, under the pretext of these five articles, they should permit or suffer the most grievous errors to be brought into the same (churches;) there did not seem any hope of entering into agreement with the Remonstrants, unless they would sincerely (or unreservedly, sincerè,) declare, that, except in these five articles, they thought with the reformed Belgic churches on all the heads of doctrine. 1 Utenbogardus being interrogated as to these things answered, that, as far as he himself was concerned, he had nothing, beyond these five articles, in which he dissented; and that he would be always ready to declare sincerely his own opinion; nor did he doubt, but that the most of the Remonstrants would do the same: and that he did not wish for any thing more than that, for this cause, a conference might be instituted among some pastors of a more moderate disposition. And when he had repeated the same declaration privately to Festus at Leyda, it was agreed between them, that each of them should procure among his own friends, three pastors to be deputed on each side, who might in a friendly man

'As predestination, and the doctrines immediately and evidently connected with it, are more readily rendered odious in the view of mankind in general, than the other peculiar doctrines of Christianity; at that time, as well as at present, it was the policy of those whose real and declared views were opposed to others of these doctrines, to hold out to the public, and to rulers especially, that the whole dispute, or difference, was about election and reprobation: while in refuting these articles they take in a much wider compass. But an obnoxious word will do a great deal of execution on those who have not time or heart to examine the matter deeply.

ner confer together, and seriously consider among themselves concerning a convenient way of peace, which afterwards might be communicated to the churches, and approved by them.

Feb. 27, A. D. 1513. When the illustrious the States of Holland understood that these counsels were privately agitated, they approved this their earnest endeavour, and commanded in the public name, that this conference should be held as soon as it could be done. Soon after there met together for this cause in the city of Delpht, on the part of the Remonstrants, John Utenbogardus, Adrian Borrius, and Nicolas Grevinchovius; on the part of the rest of the pastors, John Beccius, John Bogardus, and Festus Hommius. After that the illustrious the States had, by their delegates, exhorted them seriously, that laying aside all resentments and evil affections they would bend the whole energy of their capacity, that some way of peace among themselves might be

found; and had declared that this would be at the same time acceptable to God, and to the churches, and to all pious men, and particularly to themselves the illustrious the States; and when each of these pastors had testified that they came together with a mind most earnestly desirous of peace, and that they would bring thither all things which could proceed from them, in order to conciliate peace, an amicable conference was held by them. In this the Remonstrants declared, that they were not able to shew any other way of peace except a mutual toleration, as they called it: namely, that it should be freely permitted to each party to teach publicly his own opinion con

cerning those five articles; and they asked of the rest of the pastors, to declare whether they thought their opinion, expressed in these five articles, such as to be tolerated or not. If they thought that it was not to be tolerated, it was not necessary that any further deliberation should be had concerning the way of peace; as truly in their judgment no method then would remain of entering into peace. The rest of the pastors answered, that this appeared to them the safest and most advantageous way of peace; that seeing they were each of them pastors of the reformed Belgic churches, and were desirous of being considered as such, each party should submit its own cause to the lawful decision of the Belgic churches; and that each should for that end and purpose seriously and sincerely labour, that a national synod of the reformed churches should be called together as speedily as might be, even, if it could be done, in the next summer, by the authority of the illustrious and High Mightinesses the States General; in which, the whole cause having been. lawfully examined and discussed, it might either be determined which doctrine, as agreeable to the word of God, ought thenceforth to be taught in the churches; or that the plan of a toleration might be entered into, by the suffrages of all the churches, of that kind which might appear proper to be instituted from the word of God. That they were ready to subject themselves to the judgment of the synod, if the Remonstrants were willing to do the same; thus peace might be accomplished: but that a toleration, such as they had hitherto used, and such as they seemed to request,

being circumscribed by no laws, could not promote the peace of the churches; but if they would suffer it to be circumscribed with fair (or honourable) conditions, they were ready to confer with them concerning the same (conditions); provided they would assure the churches, by a sincere and open declaration, that they thought differently from these reformed churches in no other heads of doctrine except these five articles. But, since the illustrious the States, two years before, (Dec. 3, 1611.) had by name expressed six heads of doctrine, concerning which they forbad it to be taught, otherwise than it had been hitherto delivered to the Belgic churches; namely, concerning the perfect satisfaction of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, the justification of man before God, saving faith, original sin, the assurance (or certitude) of salvation, and concerning the perfection of man in this life; they in the first place demanded, that they would declare concerning these articles, that they embraced the opinion expressed in the Confession and Catechism of these churches, which they the other pastors had comprised from the same in certain written theses; and that they rejected the contrary opinion proposed in certain anti-theses, from the writings of Arminius, Bertius, Vorstius, Venator,

The demands of the Arminians were moderate; they re'quired no more than a bare toleration of their religious senti'ments; and some of the first men in the republic, such as Olden Barneveldt, Grotius, Hoogerberts, and several others, looked upon this demand as just and reasonable.' Mosheim, vol. v. p. 442. This toleration was offered to them in the conference ' holden at the Hague in 1611, provided they would renounce 'the errors of Socinianism.' Note by Maclaine.