Majesties strict charge That before the Synodical resolution concerning Christ's death and the application of it to us we stand upon it to have those conclusions couched in manner and terms as near as possibly may be to those which were used in the Primitive Church by the Fathers of that time against the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians and not in any new phrase of the Modern age and that the same may be as agreeable to the Confessions of the Church of England and other Reformed Churches and with as little distast and umbrage to the Lutheran Churches as may be What hitherto we have resolved concerning this Article may appear by our Theses long since subscribed by every of us and publickly among the rest read in the Synod a Copy whereof we now send humbly submitting the same and all other our actions to your Graces judgment and Authority To every of them as in all other of the rest of the Articles are annexed our brief Explications which we now spare to trouble your Grace withall intending at our return to exhibit to His Majesty and to your Grace an intire Copy of our whole judgment of the five Articles as it was read in the Synod unless your Grace command us to send over the same before In our avouching and declaring in this and other Articles some fruits of Christ's death not comprised in the Decree of Election but afforded more generally yet confined to the Visible Church as viz. true and spiritual Graces accompanying the Gospel and conferred upon some non-electi we gain ground of the Remonstrants and thereby easily repell not only their instances of Apostasie but also their odious imputation of illusion in the general propounding of the Evangelical Promises as we are ready more clearly to demonstrate Nor do we with the Remonstrants leave at large the benefit of our Saviour's death as only propounded loosely to all ex aequo and to be applied by the arbitrary act of man's will but we expresly avouch for the behoof of the Elect a special intention both in Christ's offering and God the Father accepting and from that intention a particular application of that sacrifice by conferring Faith and other Gifts infallibly bringing the Elect to Salvation And that our care in advancing this Doctrine might be the more remarkable we in these our Theses have set in the fore-front our Propositions concerning God's special Intention Our Synodical Proceedings whereof we now send your Grace a brief narration continued to our former having passed through all our Collegiate Iudgments of the Five Articles do shew rather an essential consent in substance than a conspiring identity in every consectary which we hope will approve even to our Adversaries the sincerity of our hearts and argue that we seek rather the Truth of God than the Triumph of men So continuing our dayly prayers for the peace of God's Church our most Religious King's prosperity and your Graces preservation we humbly crave pardon and remain Dort this 21. of March 1619. Stil nov Your Graces most humble to be commanded George Landaven John Davenant Samuel Ward Thomas Goad Walter Balcanquall Doctour Davenant touching the Second Article discussed at the conference at the Haghe of the Extent of Redemption 1. WE undoubtedly hold these two ensuing Propositions which are the two first which we have exhibited and in which we had the consent of the Foreign Divines 1. Ex speciali amore intentione tum Dei Patris tum ipsius Christi mortuus est Christus pro Electis ut illis remissionem peccatorum salutem aeternam reipsâ obtineret infallibiliter conferret 2. Ex hoc eodem amore per propter meritum Intercessionem Christi dantur iisdem Electis fides perseverantia caeteraque omnia per quae conditio Foederis impletur beneficium promissum i. e. vita aeterna infallibiliter obtinetur 2. But we hold also these two ensuing Propositions which we have also exhibited and were in like manner approved by the Exteri 1. Deus lapsi humani generis miseratus misit Filium suum qui seipsum dedit pretium Redemptionis pro peccatis totius mundi Which Proposition is equi-pollent to the express Article of the Church of England set forth by Authority Anno 1562. Oblatio Christi semel facta perfecta est Redemptio propitiatio satisfactio pro omnibus peccatis totius mundi tam originalibus quà m actualibus Art xxxi which also is delivered totidem verbis in the Consecratory Prayer before the Receiving of the Holy Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer 2. In hoc merito mortis Christi fundatur universale Promissum Evangelicum juxta quod omnes in Christum credentes remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam reipsâ consequantur According to these two last Propositions we do hold that our Blessed Saviour by God's Appointment did offer up himself to the Blessed Trinity for the Redemption of mankind and by this Oblation once made did found confirm and ratifie the Evangelical Covenant which may and ought to be preached seriously to all mankind without exception Quicunque credit salvabitur si tu crederes salvaberis And moreover we hold this ensuing Proposition which we also have exhibited and which was in like sort approved as the rest 3. In Ecclesia uti juxta hoc Promissum Evangelii salus omnibus offertur ea est administratio gratiae suae quae sufficit ad convincendos omnes impoenitentes incredulos quod suâ culpâ voluntariâ vel neglectu vel contemptu Evangelii perierint beneficia oblata amiserint And according to this we hold that there are sundry initial preparations tending to Conversion merited by Christ and dispensed in the preaching of the Gospel and wrought by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of many that never attain to true Regeneration or Justification such are Illuminatio Notitia dogmatum sidei Fides Dogmatica Sensus peccati Timor poenae Cogitatio de liberatione Spes veniae c. An evident example whereof may be seen in them that sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. VI. X. And consequently we hold that the whole merit of Christ is not confined to the Elect only as some here do hold and was held in Colloq Hag. by the Contra-Remonstrants The Reasons which move us to hold these three latter Assertions are 1. WE make no doubt but this Doctrine of the Extent of Christ's Redemption is the undoubted Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and most consonant to Antiquity Fathers and Councils to whom our Church will have all Preachers to have special respect in doctrinal points lib. quorund Canon Discip. Eccles Anglic. Edit 1571. cap. de Concionatoribus 2. First The Church of England besides the places alledged deliver the first of the three last Article touching the Vniversality of Redemption as in our Confession set forth Anno 1562. Art 2 7 15. and elsewhere in the Communion Book and Homilies 2. For the Vniversality of the promises of the
this weakness of the flesh is no prejudice at all to the strength of a Christian for though the flesh be weak yet the spirit is strong and so much our Saviour tells us too and why then do we not follow the stronger part Si spiritus carne fortior quia generosior nostra culpa infirmiora sectamur saith Tertullian If the spirit be stronger then the flesh what madness is it in us to make choice of and follow the weaker side Nulla fides unquam miseros elegit amicos Which of you is so improvident as in a faction to make choice of that side which he sees to be the weakest and which he knows must fall Again this weakness of a Christian is onely outward within what he is the words of my Text do sufficiently shew Socrates outwardly was a man of deformed shape but he was one of an excellent spirit and therefore Alcibiades in Plato compares him to an Apothecary's box which without had painted upon it an Ape or a Satyre or some deformed thing but within was full of sweet and precious oyntment Thus Beloved it is with a Christian whatsoever outward deformity he seems to have howsoever he seems to be nothing but rags without yet he is totus purpureus all scarlet and glorious within I have said Ye are gods saith the Scripture the Magistrate is wont to ingross and impropriate this Scripture to himself because sitting in place of Authority for execution of Justice he carries some resemblance of God but to whom can this Scripture better belong then to the Christian man For the magistrate indeed carries some shew of God without but many times within is full of corruption and weakness the Christian carries a shew of weakness without but within is full of God and Christ. The second thing which I told you we learn't was a Lesson teaching us not to be puft up with opinion and conceit of our own outward strength and glory for if any man because of this shall begin to think of himself above what he ought let him know that he may say of his exceeding strength no otherwise then the man in the Book of Kings spake when his ax was fallen into the water Alas Master it was but lent Those that build houses make Anticks which seem to hold up the beams whereas indeed as St. Paul tells the Olive-branch Thou bearest not the root but the root thee So is it true in them they hear not up the house the house bears up them Beloved seem we never so strong yet we are but Anticks the strength by which the house of Christ doth stand it is not ours it is Christ's who by that power by which he is able to subdue all things to himself doth sustain both himself and us Luke XVIII 1. And he spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint MY Text is like the Temple at Hierusalem it is the House of Prayer wherein we may learn many special points of the skill and practise of it Now as that Temple had two parts First the Fore-front the Porch the walk before it and secondly the Temple it self So have these words likewise two parts First there are words which stand before like a Porch or Walk and they are these And he spake a parable unto them Secondly here are words like unto the Temple it self that men ought always to pray and not to faint If you please before we enter into the Temple or speak of these words That men ought always to pray let us stay and entertain our selves a little in the Porch and see what matter of meditation it will yeild And he spake a Parable unto them c. to instruct and teach the ignorant no method no way so speedy and effectual as by Parables and Fables Strabo gives the reason of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For man is a creature naturally desirous to know but it is according to the Proverb as the Cat desires fish loath to touch the water loath to take the pains to learn knowledge is indeed a thing very pleasant but to learn is a thing harsh and tedious above all the things in the world The Book which St. Iohn eats in the tenth of the Apocalyps was in his mouth sweet as honey but bitter in his belly Beloved those Librorum helluones students that like St. Iohn eat up whole Volumes these find the contrary for in the mouth in the perusal◠their Books are harsh and unpleasant but in the stomach when they are understood and digested then are they delightful and pleasurable Yet one thing by the providence of God our nature hath which makes this rough way to learn more plain and easie it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common experience shews we are all very desirous to hear narrations and reports either pleasant or strange wise men therefore and God himself which is wiser then men being to train up mankind Genus indocile a subject dull of hearing and hardly drawn to learn have from time to time wrought upon this humour upon this part of our disposition and mitigated sugred as it were the unpleasantness of a difficult and hard lesson with the sweetness of some delightful Parable or Fable And S. Chrysostom tells us of a Physician who finding his Patient to abhor Physick but infinitely long for Wine heating an earthen cup in the fire and quenching it in Wine put his potion therein that so the sick person being deceived with the smell of Wine might unawares drink of the Physick or that I may better draw my comparison from Scripture as when Iacob meant to be welcome to his father Isaac he put on his brother Esau's apparel and so got access So beloved wise men when they meant either to instruct the ignorant or to reprove offenders to procure their welcom and make their way more passable have been wont for the most part as it were to clothe their lesson or reproof in a Parable or to serve it in a dish savouring of wine that so Iacob might be admitted under Esau's coat that the smell of the pleasantness of Wine might draw down the wholesomeness of Physick Great and singular have been those effects which this kind of teaching by parables hath wrought in men by informing their ignorance reproving their errour working patience of reproof opening the understanding moving the affections and other sovereign commodities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for this cause not onely our Poets and prophane Authours but whole Cities and men which gave Laws to Common-wealths have made especial choice of this course Yea our Saviour Christ himself hath filled the Gospels with Parables made them like a Divine and Christian AEsop's Fables because he found it to be exceeding profitable For first of all it is the plainest and most familiar way and above all other stoops to the capacity of the learner as being drawn either from Trees or Beasts or from some ordinary common
which they are made vanishes and dies But Beloved prayer is a strange thing it can never want matter It will be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è quolibet out of any matter upon any occasion whatsoever whatsoever you do wheresoever you are doth minister occasion of some kind of prayer either of thanksgiving unto God for his goodness or of praising and admiring his greatness or of petitioning to him in case of want or distress or bewailing some sin or neglect committed Is it the consideration of God's benefits that will move us to thankfulness Then certainly our thankfulness ought to be perpetual there is no person so mean no soul so poor and distressed and miserable but if he search narrowly he shall find some blessing for which he ows thankfulness unto God If nothing else yet his very misery and distress is a singular blessing if he use it to that end for which it was sent Is it the consideration of distress and affliction and some degree of the curse of God upon us that will stir our devotion Indeed this is it with most men that kindles the fire of prayer in our hearts Men for the most part are like unto the unslak'd Lime which never heats till you throw water upon it so they never grow warm in devotion till somewhat contrary to their wishes and disposition begins to afflict them then certainly our petitions to God ought never to cease For never was there man in any moment of his life entirely happy either in body goods or good name every man hath some part of affliction Blessing and cursing though they seem to be enemies and contrary one to another yet are never severed but go hand in hand together Some men have more of one some of another but there is no man but hath some part of both wherefore as it seems not onely prayer in general but all kind all sort of prayer ought to be continual Prayer must not be as it were of one threed we must blend and temper together all kind of prayer our praise or thanks our sorrow and make our prayer like Ioseph's party-coloured coat like a beautiful garment of sundry colours So then as fire goes not out so long as it hath matter to feed on so what shall be able to interrupt our devotion which hath so great and everlasting store of matter to continue it Secondly many things in the world are necessarily intermitted because they are tied to place or times all places all times are not convenient for them but in case of prayer it is otherwise it seeks no place it attends no time it is not necessary we should come to the Church or expect a Sabbath or an Holy-day for prayer indeed especially was the Sabbath ordained yet prayer it self is Sabbathless and admits no rest no intermission at all If our hands be clean we must as our Apostle commands us lift them up every where at all times and make every place a Church every day a Sabbath every hour Canonical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As you go to the market as you stand in the streets as you walk in the feilds in all these places ye may pray as well and with as good acceptance as in the Church for you your selves are temples of the holy Ghost if the grace of God be in you more precious then any of those which are made with hands The Church of Rome hath made a part of her Breviary or common-prayer-Common-prayer-book which she calls Itinerarium Clericorum and it is a set form of prayer which Clergy-men ought to use when they set out in a journey and are upon their way why she calls it Itinerarium Clericorum and impropriates it unto the Clergy I know not she might for ought I see have called it Itinerarium Laicorum The Itinerary of the Laity since it is a duty belonging unto them as well as to the Minister Yet thus much the example of that Church teaches that no place no occasion excludes Prayer We read in our Books that one of the Ethnick Emperours was much taken when he saw a woman going in the streets with a vessel of water on her head her child at her girdle her spindle in her hand twisting her threed as she went he thought it a wonderful portion of diligence thus to employ all paces and times indifferently Beloved if it be thus with bodily labour how much more should it be so with the labour of the soul which is far more easie and needs not the help of any bodily instrument to act it And how welcome a spectacle will it be think you unto the great King of Heaven and Earth when he shall see that no time no occasion is able to interrupt the labour of our devotion Is it the time of Feasting and Jollity which seems to prescribe against prayer Indeed prayer is a grave and sober action and seems not to stand with sport and merriment yet notwithstanding it is of so pliable a nature that it will accommodate and fit it self even to feasts and sportings We read in the Book of Daniel that when Belshazzar made his great and last Feast to his Princes and Lords that they were merry and drank wine in bowls and praised the gods of gold and silver of brass and of iron of wood and of stone Beloved shall Ethnick feasts find room for their idolatrous worship and praise of their golden brazen wooden gods and shall not our Christian Feasts yeild some place for the praise of the true God of Heaven and Earth Last of all is it time of sleep that seems to give a vacation and otium to prayer Beloved sleep is no part of our life we are not accountable for things done or not done then Tertullian tells us that an unclean dream shall no more condemn us then a dream of Martyrdom shall crown us and the Casuists do teach that loose dreams in the night shall never be laid to our charge if they be not occasioned by lewd thoughts in the day for they are Cogitationes injectae non aenatae they are not thoughts springing out but cast into our hearts by the Devil upon his score shall they go and we shall not reckon for them So then though sleep partake not of our devotion yet this hinders not the continualness of it Aristotle tells us that men who sleep perceive not any part of time to have passed because they tie the last moment of their watching with the first moment of their awaking as having no sense of what past betwixt and so account of it as one continued time Beloved if we do with our devotion as we do with our time if we shut up the last instant of our watching with a prayer and resume that prayer at the first instant of our waking we have made it one continued prayer without interruption Thirdly and last of all the greatest reason why many businesses of the world cannot be acted perpetually is because they must give
me not no Church either Ancient or Modern ever gave When it was objected what if they were in danger of death their answer was that the want of Baptism would not prejudice them with God except we would determine as the Papists do that Baptism is necessary to salvation Which is as much to undervalue the necessity of Baptism as the Church of Rome doth over-value it Here followed a recitation of all that had been done since the business of the Catechism had been set on foot amongst the rest was registred the exceptions of the Remonstrants of Vtrecht and it was added atque iis est à Praeside satisfactum Those of Vtrecht excepted against that word satisfactum they had said they an answer given them but no satisfaction For they persisted in their former opinion and forthwith that word was altered Here was a doubt moved whether it were not fit that some of the especial Reasons brought by the Synod in the Question of the Baptism of Infants should not be added to the Decree It was answered That Reasons were obnoxious to cavil and exceptions and it was not for the Authority of the Synod to Reason but to Decree After this the Praeses signified to the Synod that the time prefixt for the appearance of the Remonstrants was now expiring and yet nothing was signified concerning their appearance neither to the Secular President nor Ecclesiastical Wherefore naming them all he thought good to cite them to appear It was answer'd by those of Vtrecht that they did provide and would shortly be forth coming In the mean while to take up the time Mr. Praeses thought good to commend to the Synod the consideration redress of those abuses which were in Printing Every man was suffered to print what he listed whence came abundance of blasphemous heretical obscene and scandalous Pamphlets Many here delivered their opinions others required farther time to think of it The English first thought fit that the States General should be requested to take the care of this into their hands That there should be Censors to approve all such Books as should go to the Press That no man should print but such as were known to be of the Reformed Religion Unto this advice divers things were added by others as that there should be a set number of Printers that they should be sworn that there should be certain Laws prescribed unto them that they should print no Heretical Books especially the Books of David Georgius H. Nicolaus Socinus that no Libels no unlawful Pictures either obscene or made to any mans disgrace should be permitted that no Book should be Printed without the names of the Author Printer Place except the Synod or the Magistrates did in some cases otherwise think good that there should be care that the Correctors for the Press were good Scholars and many other things of the like nature Then were there read certain Canons made in some Synods before concerning this business Theodatus of Geneva told us that in his travails at Venice he had observed that there was a Colledge of sundry persons secular and spiritual to whose care was committed all the business of Printing He thought it fit there should be such Colledges here erected When all had spoken that would the Praeses told them that Adrian Smoutius had written a little Book in the Belgick Tongue unto the Synod and sent the Copies of it to him to be distributed And so requesting them to take in good part the good will of the man for want of more business the Synod brake up At length are we coming to the main battel The Armies have been in sight one of another and have had some parly The manner was this Upon Thursday the 6. of Decem. stylo novo The Synod being set in the morning the Praeses signified that there had come unto him in the name of the Remonstrants these four H. Leo Niellius Matthisius and Pinakerus to give notice that the Remonstrants were ready according to their Citation but because they had but lately come unto the Town that yet convenient lodgings were not provided their papers books and stuff were confused therefore they required respite either till Saturday or at least Friday morning The President of the Politicks replyed that they should come and personally make appearance before the Synod and there propose their mind and if the Synod approved their causes they might be deferred Upon this were two of the Deputies of Vtrecht sent forth to give them warning to provide for their present appearance In the mean while till they came the Praeses thought fit that such as in the former Session delivered not themselves concerning the Reformation of abuses in Printing should now doe it Here was little delivered besides what was said the day before only some few particulars as that order should be taken to repress this longing humour in many men of coming to the Press that there should be no impression of the Bible at any time without leave had Forreign Books brought out of other Countries should not be distracted here without peculiar leave after their being perused by the Censurers to ease the Censurers that they might not be troubled with reading too great a multitude of unprofitable Books it was thought fit that the Books should first be brought to the Classes and what they approved should be brought to the Censurers c. In the men while the Remonstrants came all that were cited by Letters and were admitted into the Synod There is in the midst of the Synod-House a long Table set as it seems for them for it hath hitherto been void no man sitting at it here Chairs and Forms being set they were willed to sit down The Praeses told them that he had commended to the Synod their suit of being a little respited but it was the will of the Deputies for the States that they should come before the Synod and propose their cause themselves Episcopius standing up spake to this effect First he prayed God to give a blessing to this meeting and to pour into their minds such conceits as best fitted men come together for such ends then he signified that according to their Citation they were now come ad collationem instituendam concerning that cause which hitherto with a good Conscience they had maintain'd As for the point of delay true it is they spake to the Praeses concerning a respite until Saturday or Friday by reason of that great distraction of their Books and Papers and want of convenient lodging but not as a petition to be moved in that behalf unto the Synod but only as a thing which out of common equity they might have presumed on without acquainting the Synod with it For they were ready even at that present to begin the business they came for without any farther delay But this they left to the Deputies Secular and Ecclesiastical to determine of Then were they requested to withdraw a little into a chamber
so far set against the Remonstrants I wish not their persons as well as their opinions that I am afraid they will not like well of our Moderation For the Dismission of the Remonstrants since your Lordship is pleased to take notice of it I hope I may without offence say that it was such as certainly did the Synod much wrong On Friday when they seemed to yield then the Exteri Theologi could not be heard for the continuing of them in the Synod Nay the trick which was put upon them was a little too palpable For the Delegates had their Decree of Dismission written before they came into the Synod yet our voices were asked hoping it should have been answerable to their Decree but finding it was otherwise without so much as laying their heads together for consultation they published a Decree which they brought written with them into the Synod On Munday the late Acts of the Remonstrants incredible obstinacy being read the Theologi exteri gave suffrages for their dismission onely one to wit Steinius gave a bitter sentence their voices being asked only who are not above a third part of the Synod they were called in and dismist with such a powdering speech as I doubt not but your Lordship hath heard with grief enough I protest I am much afflicted when I think of it For if the Remonstrants should write that the President pronounced a sentence which was not the sentence of the Synod they should not lie The Civil Lawyers and Cannon of France who write much about the formalities omitted in the Council of Trent urge Exceptions of less moment than these so neither was there above a Third part of the voices asked ex quibus sententia ferri nequit neither was the sentence conceived in writt and approved by the Synod and the bitter words in the Sentence were not the words of any of the suffrages unless that some of them were spoken by one man only Your Lordships Censure of that Sentence is just and honourable Mr. Dean of Worcester at his going from hence with the Remembrance of his service to your Lordship desired me to signifie to your Lordship that he could not possibly meet with Deodatus The Remonstrants as Heinsius but now told me have sent a very virulent and bitter writing to Mr. Bogarmanne it may be now we shall hear of it at the Synod whither we are going so with the remembrance of my humblest Duty and service to your Lordship and your worthy Lady I must conclude a Petitioner that your Lordship would ever be pleased to reckon among your true observers Dort this 13 of Febr. 1618. Your very dutiful and faithful Servant W. Belcanqual Right Honourable and my very good Lord IT hath pleased the Synod at length finally to discharge themselves of the Remonstrants and to proceed according as they had projected by gathering their opinions out of their Books The manner of their dismission was this Upon Munday the 1 4 4 of Ianuary the Commissioners being set the Praeses Politicus made a short speech to this purpose That they had hitherto laboured as much as in them lay to have the Decree of the Estates to be kept and to bring the Remonstrants to some reasonable resolution And for this purpose had upon Saturday last in the afternoon covented them and advised them to give up their opinions quietly orderly freely and to refute the contrary as much as they thought fit reserving alwayes to the Synod Authority to judge of what was convenient what was sufficient without which it could be no Synod That they had undertaken in their behalf that the Synod should so mannage the business that they should have no just cause to complain But all this labour was lost neither would they be brought to relinquish their former plea for in a writing exhibited unto them they signified so much in effect in which writing they referred themselves to such conditions as had been by them partly scripto partly viva voce formerly required Wherefore they thought fit that it should be proposed to the Synod to judge whether or no there had not been sufficient order taken to give contentment to the Remonstrants if at least any thing could content them Yet they thought it convenient once more to call the Remonstrants before them to see whether they would leave their holdfast and submit to the Synod If no then they should without any farther delay proceed to judge of their opinions by collecting them out of their Writings This was the sum of that speech The writing mentioned by the Praeses Politicus in his speech was then read first in Dutch then in Latin in which the Remonstrants declared that they would submit themselves to the Synod upon such conditions as had been formerly required otherwise no. After this was the Synod requested to deliver their opinions whether order sufficient to content the Remonstrants had not been taken It was judged generally that more could not be granted them than had already been which was they thought abundantly sufficient Sâ—ultetus did in brief give as it were a History or rather an Inventory of the Remonstrants behaviour since their first appearance before the Synod and shewed how contumeliously they had handled it how they had contemned the Decrees of the Seculars and of the Synod that they had abused them with lyes deceitful speeches c. And concluded that it was unfit the Synod should farther condescend unto them When the Forreigners had spoken it was thought sufficient neither did the Praeses proceed to ask the judgement of the Provincials knowing belike before what it was The Remonstrants then being called in the Praeses signified to them that upon Friday Morning they had given good hope of peaceable dealing and at least in shew seemed to forgoe such conditions as they had formerly claimed he was now in the name of the Synod to require them to answer Categorically yea or no an voluit simpliciter sine conditione parere Decreto Ordinum Synodi ita simpliciter venire in rem praesentem The Remonstrants for answer require that they may be permitted to road a short writing which they had conceived it was answered that it needed not there was no more required but their yea or no but they persisted in their proposal the Writing was taken and delivered to the Seculars to be perused and they commanded to withdraw Their writing was read wherein having signified how welcome the moderation held by the Forreigners lately was unto them whereas they were injoyned to obey the Synodical Decree or look for punishment their answer was that it could not stand with their Conscience to promise Obedience to all Synodical Decrees since many of them stood not with common Equity and as for Mulct and punishment they left it to the Discretion of those to whose Government they were subject they would provide their patience That they intend not to contest with the Synod concerning order that they
by himself at the latter end of this Session the first three their judgements began to be read but by that time two pages were read the hour was passed and so the rest of it was continued till the next occasion only my Lord I must tell you that so much as was read giveth us little hope of agreement among them for whereas other Colleges had taken it as granted only that homo lapsus was subjectum Praedestinationis they in these two pages did only dispute by many arguments against Gomarus his opinion and proved that largely which others had only taken as a ground their arguments Gomarus I see him note what difference shall further happen in their judgements your L. shall understand by my next Sessio 107. eodem die post meridiem This Session was publick all auditours being admitted in which D. Deodatus did at great length handle these two questions 1. Quantum differat fides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu temporaneorum à vera et justificante Regenitorum fide 2. Quousque conceditur Diabolo progredi in oppugnanda justificatorum fide he did very sweetly just as he useth to preach not as Doctours use to do in Schools This is all which is done this week for this day being Saturday we have no Session The last Sunday I in which I returned the Letter your L. was pleased to send me sent to your Lordship all which had passed the week before which I hope your Lordship had your Lordship seeth there are but ordinary passages yet in the Synod if there were any thing worthy of extraordinary note I should not fail with all diligence to give your Lordship notice of it in mean time with many thanks to your Lordship for all your Lordships courtesies and the remembrance of my humblest service to your L. and your worthy Lady I take my leave ever entreating your Lordship that I may be accounted by your Lordship as I am I doubt not but your Lordship hath seen this pamphlet yet if you have not here it is Dordrecht this 9. of March 1619. Your L. in all true respect and service Walter Balcanqual My very good Lord SUch things as have passed in our Synod since my last Letters unto your Lordship I here send your Lordship as briefly as I can I hope now at length towards the latter end of the next week we shall come to the making of the Canons Sessio 108. 11. Martii Stylo Novo Georgius Fabricius a Nassovian Divine substituted in the place of Dr. Bisterfield who died here was with the accustomed solemnity admitted into the Synod◠We go on in reading the judgement of the three Belgick professours which was very sound and of a just length it was subscribed by their three names Iohannes Polyander Antonius Thysius Anthonius Wallaeus and a little beneath that it was thus written Ego Sibrandus Lubertus hoc collegarum meorum judicium perlegi per omnia probo Gomarus his name was not at it but he presently rose and testified viva voce that he had read it and did in all things approve the judgement of his Colleagues excepting only that part of it which did determine hominem lapsum to be the object of Predestination which he said had not as yet been determined in the Belgick Churches in the French nor English Churches and many others Next was read the judgement of Dr. Sibrandus upon the same Article which differed nothing from that former of his Colleagues but that it was longer it was subscribed with his own name and a little beneath the former three Professors by their subscriptions testified that they had read it and did approve it Gomarus stood up and viva voce gave this same testimony to this judgement which he had given to the former making the same exceeption Next was Gomarus his judgement read upon the same Article he said nothing of that question of the object of Predestination whether it was homo lapsus or not which silence in that point being excepted his judgement in all points agreed with the former judgements of his Collegues it was only subscribed with his own name but D. Polyander did vivâ voce testifie in the name of himself his Colleagues that they did approve all things in Gomarus his judgement excepting only that opinion of the object the contrary whereof they professed themselves to hold the President instructed us concerning some particulars of the business of Camps and desired us against three of the clock in the afternoon to consult about it the particulars whereof your L. shall see in the next Session Sessio 109. eodem die post meridiem The president told us first that the time of fourteen days granted to the two suspended Ministers of Camps for their comparence was now passed and so that they contemned this favourable respite granted by the Synod and persisted in their contumacy Next that the other two Ministers of Camps who were here among the cited Remonstrants had been appointed by the Synod to give in within fourteen dayes an answer to the accusations layed against them by the Deputies of the Reformed-Church of Camps the Copy of which accusations at their own earnest request had been delivered to them by one of the servants of the Synod but that now in place of their answer which was expected they had sent to him a Letter which was read unto the Synod it had two great faults it was exceeding long exceeding foolish to this sence or rather non-sence they did show that they could not at the day appointed give in their answer to the accusations and why they could no more go on in this Synodical action which was commenced against them for many causes such as were first because they were wholly taken up making ready some writings for the Synod concerning the five Articles which were imposed on them by the commandment of the Delegates 2. Because the Copy of the accusations brought unto them by one of the Synod officers was not subscribed by the President nor by either of the Scribes of the Synod and therefore they thought it not an authentick Copy or of any Credit 3. Because crimes in it were objected to them both promiscuously and that laid to both their charge which only one of them had delivered and therefore their accusation was not exact according to form of law 4. That there were many things in it objected to them not warranted by any witness unless it were by some proofs taken out of their Colleague Foskculius late book which they christened with the name of stultum aud tenebricosum scriptum 5. Because it was full of false spellings and writing therefore they thought it was but negligently slubbered over for these and many more such causes as idle as these with which I hold it not fit to detain your L. though they might decline the judgement of the Synod especially since against the practice of the Belgick Church their own Consistory Classis and