decrees enjoined by authority: That it was purposed by them, that the true Christian religion, the exercise of which had flourished during fifty years in these regions, should be preserved; they judged also that even the least change would be pernicious to the republic, unless it had been first maturely examined by a lawful synod; and further, they could not assent to the different propositions and acts made from the year 1611, to the eighteenth of March of this year 1616, nor to this last proposition; neither were they willing, that under the name of the city of Amsterdam, (it being no feeble member of that convention of the States,) any decrees should be established, much less authoritatively carried into execution, or any thing decreed against those who professed the reformed religion, unless controversies, and changes in religion, and in ecclesiastical affairs, had been first examined and discussed in lawful synods, by the authority of the illustrious the States. But neither were they willing that pastors, who were attached to the opinion of the reformed religion defended by the Contra-Remonstrants, should in the mean time on that account either be suspended or removed from their ministerial offices because they declared that they could not conscientiously cultivate ecclesiastical unity with the Remonstrants: neither that the churches which followed the same opinion, should, under the pretext of schism, or because according to conscience, they were reluctant to attend on the sermons of the Remonstrants, be hindered in the exercise of divine worship. And all these things they determined, until, by the authority of the illustrious

the States, a lawful synod should be convened, in which these controversies might be duly examined and discussed. Thus the labour and endeavour of the Remonstrants, and of those who favoured them, were in vain; especially because the magistrates of the most ample city of Dort, of Enchuse, of Edamen, and of Purmerend, publicly approved this determination of the Senate of Amsterdam.1

About this time, the pastors of Camp in Overyssel, having embraced the opinion of the Remonstrants, by the assistance of the magistracy, cast out of the ministry their most learned colleague, and most tenacious of sound doctrine William Stephanus, because he opposed their attempts; and by pamphlets published, and by public sermons full of calumnies, they endeavoured to bring the reformed religion into the hatred of the common people.

March, A. D. 1617. When, on account of these innovations in doctrine, and the disturbances of the churches, and of the state which followed, they saw that they were rendered more and more odious; they presented a second Remonstrance to the illustrious the States, in which, with incredible impudence, they endeavour to remove from themselves the crime of innovation, and to fasten the same on those pastors, who most constantly remained in the received doctrine of these churches.2

As no intimation is here given of molesting the Remonstrants, either pastors or churches, but merely of preventing the Contra-Remonstrants from being molested, till a synod were held; this decision of the Senate of Amsterdam contains more of the spirit of toleration, than any thing which we have yet met with.

Either this whole narrative is false throughout, or this

And the rest of the pastors presented likewise to the illustrious the States a copious and solid answer to it. But, whereas these long continued controversies had already brought not into the churches only, but the republic likewise, so great a mass of difficulties, perturbations, and confusions, that all who loved the safety of the federated provinces, or of the reformed churches which are in them, or who favoured the same, understood, that the remedy of these evils could no longer be deferred without the manifest danger of the state and of the churches; and yet the illustrious the States had not been able hitherto to agree as to the kind of remedy: James I. the most powerful and Serene king of Great Britain, out of his singular and sincere affection towards these regions and churches, thought, that the illustrious and most powerful the States General should be admonished by letters, no longer to suffer this gangrene to feed upon the body of the republic; but that they should, as soon as possible, proceed to meet these unhappy contentions, divisions, schisms, and factions, which threatened manifest danger to the state. And at the same time he conjured them, that they would restore to its original purity, all errors having been extirpated, the true and ancient reformed doctrine, which they had always professed, which had been confirmed by the common

attempt was made with consummate effrontery: not indeed ' incredible,' because other innovators, both ancient and modern, have endeavoured, and with success, to fasten the charge of innovation on those, who most steadily abode by the doctrine of articles, &c., subscribed by all parties. But nothing is incredible, of which several undeniable instances may be adduced.

consent of all the reformed churches, and which had been always the foundation and bond of that most strict friendship and conjunction, which had so long flourished between his kingdoms and these provinces; and which he judged, might be done, of all means the most advantageously, by a national synod, to be called together by their authority. For indeed this was the ordinary, legitimate, and most efficacious remedy, which had been had recourse to in every age, in evils of this kind among Christians. But moreover the most illustrious Maurice, prince of Orange, the governor of federated Belgium, as often before this, so now did not desist daily, in a most solemn and weighty manner, to obtest, as well the illustrious and most powerful the States General, and also the illustrious the States of Holland and West Friesland, that, in proportion as the safety of the republic and the churches was dear to them, so they would give diligent endeavours, that a remedy as soon as possible might be applied to these most grievous evils. For this purpose he also commanded, and pressed upon them, the convocation of a national synod, as the most ordinary and the safest remedy.

The illustrious the States of Zealand also, by the most noble and ample men, D. Malderæus, Brouwerus, Potterus, and Bonifacius Junius, solemnly warned and intreated the illustrious the orders of Holland and West Friesland, in their convention, that, seeing the contentions and dissentions grew more and more grievous every day, with the greatest danger of the republic; and many remedies had hitherto been tried in vain ;

that they would agree to the convoking of a national synod, as the ordinary remedy, proposed by the Holy Spirit for evils of this kind, and always had recourse to by Christians. Then likewise the illustrious the States of Guelderland, Friesland, Groningen, and the Omelands, requested the like thing by their deputies of the same the illustrious the States (General).

But, when the Remonstrants saw that the convoking of a national synod was recommended with so great earnestness by kings and princes, and the neighbouring and federated republics, yea, and also by the principal cities of Holland and West Friesland; and when they feared lest the States of Holland and West Friesland, of whom many of their own accord inclined to it, and promoted this business diligently, should at length be moved to this consent; and so, that at some time an account must be rendered

It has, I believe, been generally supposed, that the Synod of Dort was convened by a faction or party, and for party ends and purposes; but it seems undeniable, that it became the general and almost universal opinion of the different States in the confederated provinces, that such a national Synod, as the Contra-Remonstrants always had urgently requested, was become absolutely and indispensably needful; and that the Remonstrants and their party could no longer resist this generally prevailing sentiment. Indeed nothing can be more clear, than that all parties, except the zealous Remonstrants, regarded a national Synod as the proper and only effectual way of terminating the controversial disturbances; and not only sanctioned by the example of Christians in every age, but enjoined by God himself. How far they were warranted in this sentiment, constitutes a distinct question. The Synod of Dort however should not be judged by our modern opinions, but by the general opinion of that age. The reasons why the Remonstrants dissented from that opinion are very evident.