of their doctrine and actions before the ecclesias tical tribunals; in order to avoid this, they at first proposed a new way of settling the controversies namely, that a few persons, both political and ecclesiastical, of a certain and equal number, should be chosen by the illustrious the states of Holland and West Friesland, who, having communicated counsels with each other, might devise some method of peace and concord, which, having been approved by the illustrious the States, might then be prescribed to the churches. But when this did not succeed, (because the more prudent easily foresaw from whom, and of what kind of persons, this convention would be instituted, and what was to be expected from it; and besides, that it was unprecedented in the churches, and very little suited for taking away ecclesiastical controversies in things pertaining to doctrine;) they thought that the most extreme measures must be tried, rather than be reduced to this necessity; and accordingly recourse was had to the most desperate counsels. For some of the chief persons, (or nobles, proceribus) were persuaded by them, that the calling of a national synod, which was then pleaded for, was adverse to the majesty and liberty of the provinces: for that each province possessed the supreme right of determining about religion, as it should seem good to it: that it was an unworthy thing to subject this their liberty to the judgment of other provinces; (and) that this right of majesty was to be defended by all means, even by arms. By these and similar arguments, the minds of the more imprudent were so stirred up, that the rulers of some cities, having made a conspiracy, decreed to levy soldiers, who should

be bound by oath, neither to the most powerful the States General, nor to the illustrious the Prince of Orange, the Commander in chief of the army, but to themselves alone, for the defence of the cause of the Remonstrants, and of their own authority; which for the sake of the same (cause) they had exposed to danger. This was done at Utrecht, in which city the most powerful the States General had a garrison sufficiently strong against tumults and seditions; at Haarlem, Leyda, Rotterdam, as also Gouda, Schookhove, Horn, and other places; the Remonstrants instigating the magistrates of the cities to this, as may be clearly proved by divers of their letters, which afterwards came into (the) hands (of the States). And thus the dissentions of the Remonstrants would have brought these flourishing provinces into the danger of a civil war, if this madness had not been early repressed by the singular prudence of the most powerful the States General, and by the vigilance and fortitude of mind, never to be sufficiently celebrated (deprædicanda) of the illustrious the prince of Orange.

The most powerful the States General, when they saw that by this method the provinces were

'How far the subsequent proceedings against the Remonstrants are to be considered simply as religious persecution, may well be questioned, when such seditious, if not treasonable practices, were proved against them from their own letters. It seems evident from this history, that recourse to arms, in the first instance at least, was had by the party of the Remonstrants, and in opposition to existing laws. This is not generally understood. The rights of conscience, and the toleration arising from the recognition of it, seem to have been equally unthought of by both parties.

brought into extreme danger, judged that the calling of a national synod must no longer be delayed, but be hastened at the earliest opportunity; especially when that most illustrious man, Dudley Carleton, the ambassador of the most Serene King of Great Britain, by a very weighty and prudent speech, had earnestly stirred up their Illustrious Highnesses to the same. This oration the Remonstrants afterwards were not afraid publicly to revile, in a most impudent and most calumniating pamphlet, to which they gave the title of Bilanx, (the balance,) sparing with a slanderous tongue no order of men, not the most powerful the States, not the Prince of Orange, yea, not even the most Serene the King of Great Britain. This pamphlet, the most powerful the States General condemned by a public edict as scandalous and seditious; offering a large reward, if any one could point out the author. Afterwards Jo. Casimirus Junius, the son of the most celebrated Francis Junius, not unlike his father, (haud degener,) copiously refuted Therefore the illustrious and most powerful the States, decreed the convoking of a national synod, at length in the name of the Lord, to be held on the first day of May in the following year; and at the same time, they enacted some laws, according to which they willed as well that the convocation should be instituted, as the synod itself held. But, because the Remonstrants did not appear greatly to regard the judgment of the Belgic churches, and had always endeavoured to persuade the people, that they did not dissent from the opinion of the reformed churches; it seemed good also, to their Illustrious Mightinesses,

the same.

to invite, from all the reformed churches of the neighbouring kingdoms, principalities, and republics, some theologians, distinguished for piety, learning, and prudence, that they might support by their judgments and counsels the deputies of the Belgic churches; and that so these controversies, having been examined and throughly discussed, as it were by the common judgment of all the reformed churches, might be composed so much the more certainly, happily, safely, and with the greater benefit.

Dec. 11, 1617. This decree having been made, the Remonstrants began in a wonderful manner to make disturbances, and proposed various other projects (conceptibus) by those who were attached to their cause, in endeavouring to overturn it and render it of no effect in Holland indeed, they themselves, by their favourers, demanded a provincial synod, against which a little while ago they had entertained so strong an aversion (tantopere abhorruerant). And, because measures had been devised for calling foreign theologians to the national synod, they thought that to this provincial synod, if so it seemed good, some foreign theologians might be (invited). But it was answered, that indeed a provincial synod had formerly been demanded by the churches of Holland, when no hope appeared of obtaining a national synod, and when the controversies were confined within the boundaries of the churches of Holland alone: but now, because the calling of a national synod had been decreed, and the evil had diffused itself through all the provinces, so that it could not be taken away by the synod of one province, it was

at this time altogether unreasonable to think of a provincial synod, for the composing of these controversies. Because, in like manner as it behoved particular synods, in each of the provinces, to precede the national synod; so in Holland also, both North and South, particular synods would precede. Yet the Remonstrants, by their favourers, pressed eagerly and urged such a synod: either because they thought that it would less obstruct their cause, as they had in Holland so many great men and even pastors favouring them; or that they might by this tergiversation absolutely hinder the calling of the national synod. But, when they themselves saw, that this demand was too unjust for them easily to persuade (the granting of) it; they fled to a new exception, and desired (or proposed) that this cause should be deferred (or reserved) to a general council (œcumenicam). But it was answered them, That it was most uncertain, whether or when a general council could be called yet that these evils required a present remedy, and that this national (synod) about to be called by the most illustrious and most powerful the States General, would be as it were an ecumenical and general (council); as deputies from almost all the reformed churches would be present at it. If they should account themselves aggrieved by the judgment of such a synod, it would always be entire and lawful to them to appeal from this national to a general council; provided only, that in the mean time they obeyed the judgment of the national synod. By these evasions and subterfuges they effected, that the letters of convocation were for some little time delayed; and it was necessary