been with David It was not some light touch to rase only the surface and skin of the heart but like a sword it pierced deep into him To teach us one lesson that actions spotted though but with the least suspicion of sin ought nor carelesly to be past by or slightly glanced at but we ought to be deeply apprehensive of them and bestow greatest care and consideration upon them The third part of our Text containeth the cause of Davids remorse in the last words Because he cut off Sauls skirt in the two former parts we had to do with greatness there was 1. a great Person and 2. great Remorse can we in this third part find out any great cause or reason of this so to make all parts proportionable Certainly he that shall attentively read and weigh these first words of my Text and know the story might think that David had committed some notable error as some great oppression or some cruell slaughter or some such royall sin which none but Kings and great men can commit But beloved this my Text seems to be like the Windows in Solomons Temple broad within but narrow without or like a Pyramide large and spatious at the Basis and ground of it but small and sharp at the top The Person and Remorse which are the Ground and subject of my Text both are great and large but the cause which is the very crown and top of all that is very small yea peradventure none at all For whether it be that my self accustomed to greater sins and now grown old in them have lost all sense of small and petty errours or whether indeed there be no errour at all in this action of David but only some fancy some jealousy arising out of that Godly and carefull watch he kept over all his wayes or whatsoever else it was that caused this scruple or remorse in David it is a very hard matter to discover and yet notwithstanding that we may make more open pass unto such Doctrines as I shall raise out of these words let us a little scan and consider what it was in this action that made David thus strangely scrupulous And first of all was it for that he had toucht and taken that which was none of his own and therefore might seem to fall within compass of the Law against injury and purloyning This seems not probable for when afterwards in the like case he came upon Saul as he was sleeping in the Camp and took from him the Spere and the pot of Water which stood at his head we do not read that his heart smote him and yet he took what was none of his Or 2ly was it that he did wrong and dishonour Saul in mangling his garment Indeed the Jews have a tradition that this was the sin of which David was here so sensible And therefore say they whereas we read in the first of Kings that when David grew old they covered him with clothes but he gat no heat this was the punishment of his sin committed against Saul God so providing that garments should not be serviceable to him who had offended in wronging Sauls garments But this I must let go as a fable Or 3ly was it that he had unadvisedly given way to some disloyal thought and at first resolved to revenge himself on Saul having him at the advantage though afterward he repented Indeed St. Chrysostome thinks so and therefore on those words at the latter end of the verse next before my Text And David arose he notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See you â—â—ot saith he what a tempest of rage and anger begins to rise in him for he supposeth him to arise in heat and fury with a resolution for blood but it pleased God in the way to make him relent and change the purpose of revenge into the Action of cutting off his skirt and that this smiting of Davids heart was nothing else but his repenting himself for giving over hasty entertainment to such a rebellious thought But beloved who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Davids thoughts were known only to God and himself Since therefore God gives not this as a reason of Davids remorse but another thing far be it from me that I should wrong David so far as to burden him with that with which none but God can charge him I rather chuse to follow St. Basils rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the Scriptures be understood as they lye The Scripture tells us Davids heart smote him because he cut of the skirt of Sauls garment and not because he had conceiv'd against Saul any thought of blood But what cause then shall we give of Davids remorse none other Beloved but that Religious and carefull jealousie which still he had over his own thoughts which made him pietatis affectu etiam quae tuta sunt formidare Hieron To suspect all things be they never so safe and never to think himself secure from the contagion of sin It was with David as it is wont to be with men that are often troubled with sicknesses and diseases suspicionibus inquietantur medicisque jam sani manum porrigunt omnem calorem corporis sui calumniantur Senec. Disquiet themselves with every little alteration in their Bodies repair to the Physician when they are well and think every heat to be an Ague fit Horum corpus non est parum sanum sed sanitati parum assuevit these men are not sick but they do not know what it is to be in health In the same state is David he had been often infected with Spirituall weakness and disease and therefore he suspects every motion of his heart and takes every thought to be a temptation Hujus animus non erat parum sanus sed sanitati parum assuevit his Soul was not sick of any sin but he did not know what it was to be in Spirituall health For us and for our use hath the Holy Ghost registred this example of scruple and tenderness of conscience Let us returne to our selves and see what lessons we may learn hence for our behoof Men usually are either grown old in sin therefore their eyesight is decayed they cannot eaâ—â—ly see and discerne smaller sins or else as Hagar in the Book of Genesis laid Ismael afar off from her that she might not be griev'd with the sight of him so we labour to lay our sins far out of kenn that the memory and sight of them might not exasperate and trouble us For the cure of both these infirmityes I have borrowed out of the Lords treasury a Spectacle or Optick Glass which if we use it will restore our decayed eyesight and quicken and make us read our sins in the smallest print and let themâ—â—ly never so farr from us yet will it present them unto us in their true quantity and greatness Towards the better use of which Spirituall Glasse one lesson would I especially commend unto you to be perpetually Jealous
and suspicious of your thoughts and to be quick-sented easily to trace the footing of sin to be easily sensible of it when we think our selves to have done amiss a lesson naturally arising as I take it out of Davids example commended unto us in this place Now how absolutely behoofefull it is for us to hold a perpetuall Watch over our hearts and be jealous of such thoughts as spring out of them it will appear by these Reasons First because that sin is of such a â—â—ly insinuating nature that it will privily creep in and closely cleave to our thoughts and intents though we perceive it not For as waters though of themselves most pure will relish and â—â—avour of the Earth and soyl through which they passe So thoughts in themselves good passing through the corrupt and evill ground of our hearts cannot but receive some tincture some dye some relish from them When David had an intent to build God an house he doubtless conceived no otherwise of this his intent then of a religious and honourable purpose and in outward appearance there was no cause why he should doubt of Gods acceptance yet we see this purpose of his misliked by God and rejected and the reason given quia vir sanguinum es tu because thou art a man of blood How shâ—â—ll we then secure our selves of any thought if such an intent as this so â—â—avouring of Zeal of Sanctification of love unto the glory of God have such a flaw in it as makes it unprofitable and how necessary is it that we bring all our immaginations and intents to the fire and to the refining pot so throughly to try them bring them to their highest point of purity perfection Be it peradventure that the action be in it self good if it be lyable to any suspicion of evill it is enough to blast it It is the Holy Ghosts rule given by the blessed Apostle that we abstain from all shew and appearance of evill that we refrain as much as possible from all such actions as are capable of misconstruction What is more lawfull then for the labourer to â—â—ave his hire then for those that labour in the Gospell to live by the Gospell Yet we see St. Paul refused this Liberty and chose rather to work with his own hands only for this reason because he would not give occasion to any that would misinterpret his Action to live at others cost feed on the sweat of others brows What befalls Princes many times and great Persons that have abused their Authority the people rise and suppress them deface their statues forbid their coyn put away all things that bear any memory of them So seems our blessed Apostle to deal hereâ—â—look what actions they be which bear any inscription any image title any shew or spot of sin these hath he thought good even to banish quiâ—â—e prohibit Our prophane stories tell us that when Julius Caesar had divorc'd his wife being asked why he did so since nothing was brought against her to prove her dishonest his answer was that she that will be Wife of Caesar must not only be free from dishonesty but from all suspicion of it Beloved St. Paul tells the Corinthians that he had espoused them unto one Husband that he might deliver them as a chast Virgin unto Christ. And God every where in Scripture compairs his Church unto an espoused wife himself unto an Husband a Husband far more jealous then ever Caesar was How carefull then must that Soul be that intends to Marry it self to such a jealous Husband to abstain not only from all pollution of sin but from all suspicion of it Last of all it is Tertullians speech Quanto facilius illicita timebit qui etiam licita verebitur It is wisdom sometimes to suspect and shun things that are lawfull For there are many actions in themselves good which yet to many men become occasions of sin and scandall For it is with our Actions as it is with our meats drinks As divers meats fiâ—â— not divers constitutions of Body so all Actions accord not well with all Tempers of mind As therfore what Dish it is we easily Surfeit of though it be otherwise good it is wisdome totally to abstain from so look what actions they be in which we â—â—ind our selves prone to sin it is good spirituall Physick to use abstinence quite to leave them For if our Savior command us to pluck out our eyes and pare off our hands if once they become unto us cause of sin how much more then must we prune away all inward thoughts all outward circumstances which become occasion of offence unto us A 2d reason why I would perswade you to entertain a jealousie of all your thoughts and actions is a naturall overcharitable affection which I see to be in most men unto their own wayes and which is stâ—â—ange the worse they are the more are we naturally enclined to favour them The Reason is because the worse they are the more they are our own When question was sometime made Why good hearbs grow so sparingly and with great labour and pains where as weeds grow apace without any culture and tilling it is was answered that the earth was a naturall Mother to the one to the other she was a Step-Mother the one she brought forth of her self to the other she was constrain'd Beloved it is with our hearts as it is with the Earth the naturall fruit of them is weeds and evill thoughts unto them our hearts are as mothers injusta virescunt they spring up in us of themselves without any care or manuring but as for good thoughts if they be found in our hearts they are not naturall they are set there by a high hand they are there by a kind of spirituall inoculation and grafting as men graffe Apples and kind fruits upon Thornes and Crabs No mervail then if like choice herbs and fruits they grow so tenderly and need so much care and cherishing As therefore Parents though their own children be very deformed yet love them more then others though more beautifull so corrupt and evill thoughts are naturally dearer unto us then good because we are as Mothers unto them to the rest we are but Stepdames Two notable Fruits there are of this overcharitableness to our own actions First a willingness that we have to flatter to deceive and abuse our own selves by pretences and excuses There is a plain a downright and as it were a Countrey reprobate one that sees his sin and cares not much to excuse it and is content to go on and as it were in simplicity to cast himself away There is a more witty more refined and as it were a Gentlemanlike reprobate one that strives to smooth and guild over his sin to deceive others and himself with excuses and apologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Basil speaks to take great pains and with the expense of a great deal of wit
exceeding foolish to this sense or rather none-sense 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 in making ready some writings for the Synod concerning the five Articles which were imposed on them by the commandement of the Delegats 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 and tenebricosum scriptum 5. Because it was full of false spellings and writing and therefore they thought it was but negligently stubbered 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 practise of the Belgick Church their own consistory Classis and Provincial Synod being skipped over they were immediately accused before the Synod yet notwithstanding after they had done with all they had to say upon the five Articles they promise that they will give in their answer to this bill of accusations but upon this condition which I beseech your L. to observe that first the Synod would declare them to be free from these false and malitious slanders wherewith they the rest of their brethren Remonstrants cited to the Synod had been most injuriously and falsely charged in that Session of the Synod in which they were dismissed by the President with this elogium to wit that they had refused to go on in the Synodical action that they had showen themselves unworthy with whom the Synod should have any further dealing and that as they had begun this business and continued it with lying and equivocations so now they had ended it But yet that notwithstanding of all this they were contented to go on in this action before the Colledge of the Delegats of the Estates General but not before the Synod These long letters being read next was read an answer to these letters penned by the deputies of the reformed Church of Camps to whom the President had given these letters that they might answer them they did meet particularly with every thing alledged in the other letters which was needless and therefore I omit all their answers save only to that one thing which seemed to require one that was that against the custome of their Church they were immediately brought before the Synod to which it was answered that both the consistory and Classis of Camps were altogether Remonstrantical and that therefore they were both of them such as ought rather to be abrogated then appealed unto but for their Provincial Synod they wondered with what face they durst affirm they had not been cited thither since that Synod had dealt with them oftner then once though to no purpose Next was read a supplication penned and subscribed by Acronius in name of the Reformed Church of Camps in which they relate how Fâ—â—skulius one of the two suspended at Camps while he was rehearsing unto his flock the sentence of his own suspension that he had stirred up the people ad tumultuariam infamam next they humbly beseech the Synod that now for the two suspended their sentence of suspension might be ratified by the Synod and for the other two here present at Dort to wit Mathisius and Gosuinus since they had refused to give in their answer at the time appointed that the Synod would pronounce the like sentence of suspension against them the President propounded this to the Synod whether they thought it fit that the sentence already given against the former two should be ratified and that the other two should be cited to give in their answer to the bill of accusations within fourteen days in which if they failed the like sentence of suspension should be given against them which had been given against their Colleagues the whole Synod approved it and so it was decreed We beginning to go on in reading the Collegial judgements but my L. of Landaffe according as we at home had deliberated among our selves desired leave to speak which being granted he spake to this purpose D Gomarus in the forenoon delivered that this question whether homo lapsus be subjectum Praedestinationis had not been determined by the confession of the Church of France and as I and my Colleagues conceived he delivered the like for the confession of the Church of England and therefore I do entreat D. Gomarus in my own name and the name of my Colleagues to declare before the Synod whether he did say so or not D. Gomarus with good modesty answered that indeed he did say so but he protested it was not out of any evil meaning but only to shew that as other Churches so the Church of England had left that undetermined since the words of the confession determined no farther of the subject then quosdam ex humano genere my Lord of Landaffe replied that he himself and the rest of his Colleagues could not chuse but think themselves by that speech touched for temerity or ignorance for since they in their judgement had delivered the contrary for homo lapsus it was as much to say as that they had delivered that in the Synod which was not according to the judgement of the Church of England but to let the Synod know that they had said nothing in their judgement which was not the judgement of their Church they desired the Synod to hear the words of their confession so D. Goad read publickly the 17. Article of the confession where the words are quosdam ex humano genere in exitio et maledicto which last words Gomarus had left out Gomarus answered that if he had understood the words of the confession amiss he would submit himself to the judgement of the Synod The President told Gomarus roundly enough that it was free for every member of the Synod to deliver his own judgement concerning any point or question but that men ought to be very careful that they do not rashly meddle with the judgements of other Churches My L. of Landaffe desired further leave to adde this Since all the forraign Divines without exception and likewise all the Belgick professors except Gomarus had already delivered their judgements for homo lapsus and that
it like the Prophets of God with quietness and moderation and not in the violence of passion as if we were possest rather then inspir'd Again what equity or indifferency can we look for in the carriage of that cause that falls into the handling of these men Quis conferre duces meminit qui pendere causas Quâ stetit inde favet what man overtaken with passion remembers impartially to compare cause with cause and right with right Quâ stetit inde favet on what cause he happens that is he resolute to maintain ut gladiator in arenam as a Fencer to the Stage so comes he to write not upon conscience of quarrel but because he proposes to contend yea so potently hath this humor prevail'd with men that have undertaken to maintain a faction that it hath broken out to the tempting of God and the dishonour of Martyrdom Two Fryers in Florence in the action of Savonoralla voluntarily in the open view of the City offer'd to enter the fire so to put an end to the controversie that he might be judged to have the right who like one of the three children in Babylon should pass untouch't through the fire But I hasten to visit one weak person more and so an end He whom we now are to visit is a man weak through heretical and erring Faith now whether or no we have any receit for him it may be doubtful For S. Paul advises us to avoid the man that is a maker of Sects knowing him to be damned yet if as we spake of not admitting to us the notorious sinner no not to eat so we teach of this that it is delivered respectively to the weaker sort as justly for the same reasons we may do we shall have a Recipe here for the man that erres in faith and rejoyceth in making of Sects which we shall the better do if we can but gently draw him on to a moderation to think of his conceits only as of opinions for it is not the variety of opinions but our own perverse wills who think it meet that all should be conceited as our selves are which hath so inconvenienced the Church were we not so ready to anathematize each other where we concur not in opinion we might in hearts be united though in our tongues we were divided and that with singular profit to all sides It is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and not Identitie of conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the hands of Christians I will give you one instance in which at this day our Churches are at variance The will of God and his manner of proceeding in predestination is undiscernable and shall so remain until that day wherein all knowledge shall be made perfect yet some there are who with probability of Scripture teach that the true cause of the final miscarriage of them that perish is that original corruption that befell them at the beginning increased through the neglect or refusal of grace offered Others with no less favourable countenance of Scripture make the cause of reprobation only the will of God determining freely of his own work as himself pleases without respect to any second cause whatsoever Were we not ambitiously minded familiam ducere every one to be Lord of a Sect each of these tenents might be profitably taught and heard and matter of singular exhortation drawn from either for on the one part doubtless it is a pious and religious intent to endeavour to free God from all imputation of unnecessary rigour his justice from seeming unjustice incongruity on the other side it is a noble resolution so to humble our selves under the hand of Almighty God as that we can with patience hear yea think it an honour that so base creatures as our selves should become the instruments of the glory of so great a majesty whether it be by eternal life or by eternal death though for no other reason but for Gods good will and pleasure sake The authors of these conceits might both freely if peaceably speak their mindes and both singularly profit the Church for since it is impossible where Scripture is ambiguous that all conceits should run alike it remains that we seek out a way not so much to establish an unity of opinion in the mindes of all which I take to be a thing likewise impossible as to provide that multiplicity of conceit trouble not the Churches peace A better way my conceit cannot reach unto then that we would be willing to think that these things which with some shew of probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but our opinions for this peremptory manner of setting down our own conclusions under this high commanding form of necessary truths is generally one of the greatest causes which keeps the Churches this day so far asunder when as a gracious receiving of each other by mutual forbearance in this kinde might peradventure in time bring them nearer together This peradventure may some man say may content us in case of opinion indifferent out of which no great inconvenience by necessary and evident proof is concluded but what Recipe have we for him that is fallen into some known and desperate Heresie Even the same with the former And therefore anciently Heretical and Orthodox Christians many times even in publick holy exercise converst together without offence It 's noted in the Ecclesiastick stories that the Arrians and Right believers so communicated together in holy prayers that you could not distinguish them till they came to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gloria patri which the Arrians used with some difference from other Christians But those were times quorum lectionem habemus virtutem non habemus we read of them in our books but we have lost the practise of their patience Some prejudice was done unto the Church by those who first began to intermingle with publick Ecclesiastical duties things respective unto private conceits For those Christian offices in the Church ought as much as possibly they may be common unto all and not to descend to the differences of particular opinions Severity against and separation from heretical companies took its beginning from the Hereticks themselves and if we search the stories we shall finde that the Church did not at their first arising thrust them from her themselves went out and as for severity that which the Donatists sometimes spake in their own defence Illam esse veram Ecclesiam quae prosecutionem patitur non quae facit she was the true Church not which raised but which suffered persecution was de facto true for a great space For when heresies and schismes first arose in the Church all kind of violence were used by the erring factions but the Church seem'd not for a long time to have known any use of a sword but only of a buckler and when she began to use the sword some of her best and chiefest Captains much misliked it The first law
upon sleight occasions to put their wives away Because he saw that otherwise their exorbitant lusts would not be bounded within these limits which he in Paradise in the beginning had ser. And it is observed of the wise men which had the managing and bringing up of Nero the Emperor that they suffered him to practice his lusts upon Acte one of his Mothers Chamber-maids Ne in stupra foeminarum illustrium perrumperet si ill â libidine prohiberetur Least if he were forbidden that he should turn his lust upon some of the Noble Women permission and toleration warrants not the goodness of any action But as Caiphas said better one man die then all the people perish so they that first permitted Duels seem to have thought better one or two mutinous persons and disorderly die in their folly then the whole Common-Wealth be put into tumult and combustion yet even by these men it was never so promiscuously tolerated that every hasty couple upon the venting of a little choler should presently draw their swords but it was a publick or solemn action done by order with inspection either of the Prince himself or of some other Magistrate appointed to order it Now certainly there can be no very great reason for that action which was thus begun by Cain and continued only by Goths and Vandals and meer Barbarisme Yet that we may a little better acquaint our selves with the quality of it Let us a little examine the causes and pretences which are brought by them who call for trial by single combat The causes are usually two First disdain to seem to do or suffer any thing for fear of death Secondly point of Honour and not to suffer any contumely and indignity especially if it bring with it disreputation and note of cowardise For the first disdain to fear death I must confess I have often wondered with my self how men durst die so ventrously except they were sure they died well In aliis rebus siquid erratum est potest post modum corrigi in other things which are learnt by practising if we mistak we may amend it for the errour of a former Action may be corrected in the next We learn then by erring and men come at length not to erre by having often erred But no man learns to die by practising it We die but once and a fault committed then can never afterward be amended quia poena statim sequitur errorem because the punishment immediately follows upon the errour To die is an action of that moment that we ought to be very well advised when we come to it ab hoc momento pendet aeternitas you may not look back upon the opinion of honour and reputation which remains behinde you but rather look forward upon that infinite space of Eternity either of bliss or bale which besalls us immediately after our last breath To be loath to die upon every slight occasion is not a necessary sign of fear and cowardise He that knew what life is and the true use of it had he many lives to spare yet would he be loth to part with one of them upon better terms then those our books tell us that Aristippus a Philosopher being at Sea in a dangerous Tempest and bewraying some fear when the weather was cleared up a desperate Ruffian came and upbraided him with it and tells him that it was ashame that he professing wisedome should be afraid of his life whereas himselfe having had no such education exprest no agony or dread at all To whom the Phylosopher replied there was some difference between them two I know saith he my life may be profitable many ways and therefore am I loth to loose it but because of your life you know little profit little good can be made you care not how easily you part with it Beloved it may be justly suspected that they who esteem thus lightly of their lives are but worthless and unprofitable men our own experience tells us that men who are prodigal of their money in Taverns and Ordinaries are close handed enough when either pious uses or necessary and publick expence requires their liberality I have not heard that prodigals ever built Churches So these men that are so prodigal of their lives in base quarrels peradventure would be cowardly enough if either publick service or religion did call for their help I scarcely believe any of them would die Martyrs if the times so required it Beloved I do not go about to perswade any man to fear death but not to contemn life life is the greatest blessing God gives in this world and did men know the worth of it they would never so rashly venture the loss of it but now lightly prizing both their own and others blood they are easily moved to shed it as fools are easily won to part with jewels because they know not how to value them We must deal with our lives as we do with our money we must not be covetous of it desire life for no other use but to live as covetous persons desire mony only to have it neither must we be prodigal of life and trifle it away upon every occasion but we must be liberal of our lives know upon what occasion to spare upon what occasion to spend them To know where and when and in what cases to offer our selves to die is a thing of greater skill then a great part of them suppose who pretend themselves most forward to do it Nam impetu quodam instinctu currere ad mortem cum multis commune est For brutishly to run upon and hasten unto death is a thing that many men can do and we see that bruit beasts many times will run upon the spears of such as pursue them Sed deliberare causas expendere utque suaserit ratio vitae mortisque consilium suscipere vel ponere ingentis animi est but wisely to look into and weigh every occasion and as judgement and true discretion shall direct so to entertain a resolution either of life or death this were true fortitude and magnanimity And indeed this prodigality and contempt of life is the greatest ground of this quarrellous and fighting humour Qui suam vitam contempsit dominus est alienae There is a kinde of men who because they contemn their own lives make themselves Lords and Commanders of other mens easily provoking others to venture their blood because they care not how they loose their own Few places of great resort are without these men and they are the greatest occasioners of bloodshed you may quickly know them There are few quarrels wherein they are not either principalls or seconds or some way or another will have a part in them Might there be publick order taken for the restraint of such men that make a practice of quarrelling and because they contemne their own lives carry themselves so insolently and imperiously towards others It will prevent much mischief and free the Land of much
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 Decemb. 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 fower 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 requir'd respite either till Saterday 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 mindes and if the Synod approved their causes they might be deferr'd Upon this were two of the Deputies of Utrecht 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 do 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 Countreys 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 improfitable 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 mean 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 poure into their mindes 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 Saterday 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 further 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 near the Synod House and immediately was it proposed unto the Synod what time was to be set for to begin The time prefixt was the morrow after Jo. Polyander took hold of those words ad collationem and told the Synod that it was fit the Remonstrants were told the end of their coming and the manner of proceeding which should be taken with them that they might know what they were to look for and so provide They were to be inform'd that they came not to conference neither did the Synod profess it self an adverse party against them Conferences had been heretofore held to no purpose They ought to have heeded the words of the Letters by which they were cited They were called not to conference but to propose their Opinions with their Reasons and leave it to the Synod to judge of them The Synod would be a Judge and not a party Then were they call'd in again and all this was told them Episcopius answered that for the word Collatio he stood not on it and how they would carry themselves it should appear the day following Mean while one thing they would request of the Synod that is that Grevinchovius and Goulartius should be sent for to the Synod as Patrons of this cause That they had this last week exhibited a Supplication to the States General to this purpose and receav'd this answer that they should put this matter to the Synod and if the Synod thought it fit to be granted they would not be against it Neither did they propose this to seek delayes For they were ready whilst these men should be sent for to proceed to the action Only they thought fit that to maintain their cause they should be sent for who could best do it Then were they again dismist and one was sent to them to call for their Supplication to the Lords and the Lords Answer To this they return'd that the Lords gave this answer not in writing but by word of mouth and for the copy of their Supplication they called not for it any more Then was the thing proposed unto the Synod and the Secular Deputies replyed that they would return their answer on the morrow and the same was the answer of the Synod Mr. Praeses thought that Grevinchovius might be admitted salvis censuris Ecclesiasticis yet notwithstanding he thought good to acquaint the Synod with the quality of this man and thereupon he produced the Act of the Provincial Synod of South Holland wherein it was witnessed that the Synod because he did refuse to appear when they cited him and because of many blasphemies in his Book and of many reproachful speeches against the Magistrates and against the Ministers had suspended him ab omni munere Ecclesiastico From this Grevinchovius had not appealed to the National Synod and therefore it was in the power of the Synod to do what they thought fit Then were the Remonstrants again call'd in and it was signifyed unto them that on the morrow they should understand the will of the Synod concerning their motion made and so were they again dismist and the Session ended the Praeses having first premised that all other things yet depending as the Decree concerning the Proponentes together with the Remedies concerning the abuses in Printing and what else soever must be deferr'd and the business in hand alone attended My Lord Bishop was desirous that Mr. Carleton should stay this day to see the coming of