it In all the Prophecies of the Old and New Testament he almost every where finds the Reign of Christ and that of Anti-Christ which is opposite thereto He has dispos'd the oeconomy of the Old and New Testament after a way not known before and such as had not yet been Establish'd by any Doctor He is the first that has discover'd and taught the difference there is between the Government of the Church before the Law and that under the Law and that after the Law He affirms That before the Law the Promise took place during which time of the Promise the Church was free That to the Promise God had added the Law which having been at first represented in the Decalogue contains only an abridgment of the Covenant of Grace and the Commandments of Faith Repentance and the Gratitude we owe to God as it appears by the sence of the Preface and of all the Commandements in particular He adds That after the worshipping of the Golden Calf God to Chastize his people for the Idolatry which they had committed had given them a Law consisting of Ceremonial and Carnal Commandements which were not good having impos'd upon them a Yoke by the Establishment of his Ordinances and Ceremonies Whence it comes that the Law had been made in appearance a Covenant of Works promising life to those who should obey his Commandments and denouncing malediction and death against those who should transgress them It is also another persuasion of his That the Commandement concerning the observation of the Sabbath-Day was one of those Ceremonial and Carnal Commandements which have been abrogated by Jesus Christ During all the time before Jesus Christ had paid the Father the price of our Redemption he affirms That all the Faithful were sav'd by the Security which Jesus Christ had given for us That the forgiving of Sins did not take place otherwise than by a connivance of Grace in as much as They were only under the Promise the payment or satisfaction having not been yet made by Jesus Christ That the Law being added as an obligation did reproach the People with their sins and put them into a mindfulness thereof by the Sacrifices and that it is upon that score that the Ancient people were under servitude and in fear of death till such time as Jesus Christ having by his Blood paid the Ransom of our Sins the Obligation which was in force against them being cancell'd we have fully and perfectly obtain'd the pardon of our sins He is of Opinion in fine That there is to spring up in the World a Reign of Jesus Christ which will abolish the reign of Antichrist and that when they who shall have corrupted the Earth shall be destroy'd the Church shall be in a happy condition in the World And when there shall be a restauration of the Reign of Jesus Christ before the End of the World and that after the Conversion of the Jews and of all Nations the Catholick Church shall scatter the rayes of its meridian light and glory into all Parts of the World He believes Her to be the Celestial Hierusalem which is describ'd in the Revelation the Emblem whereof represents to us the condition of the Church such as she ought to be in her greatest Splendour upon Earth and not that which is to triumph in Heaven I thought my self oblig'd to give you an account of the particular Sentiments of this Divine because he has a great number of followers as also for this Reason That Voetius and des Marets condemn his Opinions as Heretical nay indeed represent him as a Socinian in many things They affirm That he is an Innovator and give him the title of Scripturarius as if it were a great crime to be closely addicted to the Scripture and to make it the most important of our Studies There are many other Divines especially such as have studied under the Professors whom I have before named who obstinately oppose his Sentiments and endeavour to persecute and to procure the condemnation of all his Disciples It is not requisite that I should give you any account of the Roman Catholicks it being notorious to all the World what their Sentiments are You know also what the Opinions of the Lutherans are The famous Confession which they made at Ausbourg in the Year 1530 has made a sufficient discovery of them to all the World True it is that most of their Doctors have Opinions very different from their first Confession They are divided amongst themselves upon the score of very disconsonant Sentiments But as that diversity is found only in those of them who are in Germany I shall say nothing of it They who are in this Country keep closely enough to the Sentiment of their first Doctor Only observe here in what they differ from those who are in Germany Denmark and Sweden They do not use Auricular Confession Thâ—y have neither Images nor Altars in their Churches Their Ministers wear no Sacerdotal habits They have not the several Orders of Priests Deacons Arch-Deacons and Superintendents or Bishops as they have in most other Parts The Arminians took their denomination from Arminius their first Doctor who was a famous Professor in the University of Leyden They would rather be called Remonstrants by reason of the Book which they presented to the States-General in the Year 1611. to which they had given the Title of Remonstrance and which comprehended the principal Articles of their Belief You know the Five remarkable Points upon which they were condemn'd by the Synod of Dort held in the Year 1618 in which were present some Divines of your Cantons as also out of several Countries professing the Reformed Religion as England Germany and other placâ—s After the death of Arminius and in the time of Vorstius and of Episcopius a most Eminent Doctor amongst them they adopted many Errours of the Socinians Nay most of them have deserted the Opinion of their first Master upon the Point of Predestination and Eternal Election Arminius had taught That God had Elected the Faithful by the prevision of their Faith And Episcopius is of Opinion That God has not Elected any one from all Eternity but that he does Elect the Faithful in time when they actually Believe He speaks only in very doubtful and ambiguous terms of the Prescience of God which was the great Fortress in which Arminius secur'd himself These same Arminians of the present time believe That the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in One only Essence is not necessary to Salvation That there is not any Precept in the Scripture by which we are commanded to adore the Holy Ghost nor any Example or Indication by which it appears that the Holy Ghost has been ador'd That Jesus Christ is not a God equal to the Father That Faith in Jesus Christ by which we are saved hath not been commanded nor took any place under the Old Covenant Most of them do make it their study to avoid that Expression
which it declares a Resolution to profess it and not to permit in its Territories the Exercise of any other Religion when instead of a sincere Accomplishment of what had been resolved by its Decree it is so far from performing of any thing of it that it acts dâ—rectly to contrary thereto I do not imagine you will pretend That State to be of our Religion by Virtue of a Decree which it makes and never did put in Execution You will tell me That the States-General are of our Religion because they affirm it and make a publick Profession thereof And I on the other side maintain that That is not sufficient for their assuming a name which they do not deserve since they destroy the external Profession they make of it by a Practice quite opposite and very odious to all those of the Religion If they permitted in their Country but one or two Religions whose Sentiments were not much different from ours and that in some of the less principal and lesser important Points there would be no great Cause for men to wonder at it It might be urged That Prudence and Charity oblig'd them to have some Complyance for Christians who as to the principal Part retain the ground-work of Faith though they have not received such Illuminations from God as might create a Belief of all our Mysteries But is there any thing in the World so surprizing as our finding That the States give an unlimited liberty to all Sorts of Religions insomuch That in the very Province of Holland there are more discover'd and acknowledg'd Sects than there are in all the other Parts of Europe and that there is not any Master-Heretick who has a mind to frame a nâ—w Sect but is there kindly received to teach and propagate his Religion and to make a publick Profession thereof Some Years since John Labadie the Apostate having been depos'd and excommunicated by the Walloon-Churches of this Country addressed himself to the Heer Van Beuninghen desiring to be taken into his Protection Van Beuninghen makes him this Answer That as long as he was willing to continue in the Communion of the Walloon-Churches he was oblig'd to submit to their Ordinances and Discipline but that if he would frame a new Sect he should participate of the Protection which the States granted to all sorts of Religions I do not question but you know the said person and are doubtless able to judge That it was not out of any Scruple of Conscience that he thought it not convenient to establish his Sect in this Countrey He had amongst his Devotes the Illustrious Gentlewoman Mrs. Mary de Schurmans and other young Ladies of more than ordinary quality but being in some Fear That their Relations might get them out of his Society which began to be cry'd down and to appear very scandalous he thought it his better way to settle himself elsewhere with his sanctified Company of both Sexes whom he took along with him Had he thought it convenient to make his Abode in this Country he would have augmented the Number of Sects which have their Establishment here and made some Additions to the Religions which have a publick Liberty in these parts But though this Liberty of Conscience is of so great a Latitude as I have told you yet I am in some suspense whether you know it to be so comprehensive as to extend to the countenancing and protecting of those Hereticks whom you would sentence to death if they were amongst you This I am satified you know That above a hundred years ago your Canton and the Republick of Geneva condemned Michael Servetus and Scipio Gentilis to be buâ—nt alive for the erroneous Opinions they held concerning the Trinity The principal Errours upon which they were Indicted are much the same or at least are not more dangerous than those which the Socinians maintain upon the same Mystery of Christian Religion Do you not then wonder at the extraordinary difference there is between the Conduct observ'd by your Canton and the Republick of Geneva towards those two ancient Hereticks and that which the States observe in reference to the Socinians who propagate the same Heresies or others that are equally pernicious Geneva and your Canton could not endure the one Servetus and the other Gentilis and pass'd their judgment that they both deserv'd death The States-General do without any Scruple suffer a great number of Socinians most of whom are born and brought up amongst them and never had the least thought of doing them any harm upon the score of their Religion Your Canton and the City of Geneva would have thought themselves guilty of a great Crime against God if they had not by death taken off these two Hereticks who hâ—ld such strange Errours against the Divinity of Jesus Christ But the States-General would think they had committed a great Sin against God if they should put any of the Socinians to death whatever their Errours may be Your Cantons and the City of Geneva thought themselves obâ—ig'd in Conscience out of their zeal for the Glory of God and Christian Religion to take all the Courses imaginable for the smothering of those Heresies which are so destructive to our Principal Mysteries The States-General have on the contrary done all that lay in their Power to countenance and to improve them Not many years ago the Books of the Socinians were very scarce Amongst those which had come forth into the World as they had been printed in very remote places and but very few Copies had been taken off so were there not any to be had but at very dear Rates nay most of them were not to be had at all The States-General have out of their special Favour and Indulgence and out of an unparallel'd tenderness of Conscience found out a Remedy for that inconvenience To satisfy the Socinians and those who were desirous to become their Proselytes they have permitted the works of Four of their principal Doctors to be printed at Amsterdam to wit those of Socinus Crellius Slichtingius and Wolfogenius At this very time there is publickly sold at Amsterdam that Library of the Socinians in Eight Volumes in folio which costs but a hundred Guilders Not many years since two hundred Pistols would not have purchased one part of those Works which at present may be had altogether for less than ten True it is That not long since there was burnt at Amsterdam a certain book of the Socinians but it was done no doubt upon the very Intreaty of William Bleau for whom it had been printed Not many dayes after that publick Execution he publickly expos'd the very same Book to sale and the more to recommend the sale of it and to enhaunce the Price of it he had got an Advertisement put into the Title-Page that it was the very same Book which had been by Order of the States condemn'd to be publickly burnt by the hand of the common Executioner I question not but you
of the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ Episcopius in the mean time affirms That Jesus Christ has by his Passion and Death so far satisfy'd God as to render him Propitious to all Mankind and ready henceforwards to receive all men into his Communion provided they by Faith embrace that Propitiation of Jesus Christ So that God being no longer displeas'd there is no Enmity remaining but what proceeds from Men refusing to entertain the grace of Jesus Christ They very earnestly press the Toleration of all the Opinions of those who profess Christian Religion maintaining That all Christians agree in the most Important and such as they call the most Essential and Fundamental Points of Religion That it has not been hitherto decided by an Infallible Judgment who they are amongst the Christians who have embrac'd the Truest and Purest Religion and such as is most conformable to the Word of God That to the effect all may be mutually united to make up one and the same Body or Church and that they ought to love one another as Brethren and not to have any enmity or animosity one against another upon the score of their dissenting in some Points of Religion especially such as are not of the most considerable That men ought not to force any one to condemn and renounce his own Sentiments or to approve and follow those of another They say That heretofore amongst the Jews the Pharisees the Sadduces and the Esseni of whom the Sects were very different and had most dangerous Opinions were however tolerated by the Jews and all receiv'd into the Temple to present theiâ— Sacrifices and Prayers to God and to perform all the other Functions of Religion If Arminius were to come into the World again certainly he would not own most of those who bear his Name to be his Disciples And yet there are some amongst them who have not added any thing to his Sentiments But they all agree in this point That all Christians ought to be Tolerated either that all-together they might make up but one and the same Church or that every one may be allow'd the liberty of his Religion The Brownists have many great Assemblies in the Low-Countries They are a sort of people separated from the English Church and from all the other Reformed Churches which they think to be corrupted not as to the Doctrinal Points of Faith concurring in that respect with those of the Reformed Religion of Holland Germany and other places but as to the Form of Government They equally condemn Episcopal Government and that of the Presbyterians by Consistories Classes and Synods They will not joyn with our Churches for this reason as they say that they are not assur'd of the Conversion and Probity of the Members whereof they consist because they therein suffer Sinners with whom men ought not to communicate and that in the participation of the Sacraments the good contract impurity in the Communion of the wicked They condemn the benediction of the Marriages which are celebrated in Churches by the Ministers maintaining That being a Political Contract the confirmation of it depends on the Civil Magistrate They would not have their Children to be baptiz'd who are not Members of the Church or are not as careful as they ought to be of the Children that have been baptiz'd They reject all Forms of Prayers nay they affirm That the Prayer which our Lord has taught us ought not to be recited as a Prayer but that it was given us to be the Rule and Model by which we ought to frame all those which we present to God They reject the Use of Bells and Churches especially such as they say had been Consecrated to Idolatry The Independents are a brood of the Brownists John Robinson an English man is the Father of all those who are in this Country They believe That every Church or as they call it every particular Congregation has in it self radically and essentially whatever is for its conduct and government and all Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction That such a Church or Congregation is not subject either to one or more Churches or to their Deputies or Assemblies or Synods or to any Bishop Or that any one Church or Assembly has any power over any other Church whatsoever That every particular Church ought to manage its own affairs without any dependence on any other and hence it comes that such as follow these Sâ—ntiments have the denomination of Independents And though they do not think there is any necessity of assembling Synods yet they affirm That if any be assembled there ought to be a consideration of their resolutions as of the counsels of wise and prudent men whereto a certain submission is due and not as definitions and establishments requiring conformity and obedience They are willing to acknowledge that one or more Churches may be assistant to another Church as to advice and admonition nay that they may reprove it if there be any offence yet not upon the account of any superiour authority which has any power of Excommunication but as a Sister-Church declaring That she cannot have any communion with such a Church as hath offended and does not demean her self according to the Rules and Commandements of Jesus Christ And these are the Particular Sentiments of the Independents in reference to the Government of the Church Their very Name had render'd them very odious even to the Protestants but the Confession of Faith which their Brethren of England publish'd when they assembled at London in the Year 1651. has made it appear That they have not otherwise any particular sentiment as to matter of Doctrine but that in reference to that they concurre in all things with those of the Reformed Religion I have hitherto given you an account of but Three or Four different Religions or rather Persuasions but this Letter being come to a considerable Length I will adjourn what I have to say of the other Sects of this Countrey to the next opportunity I shall have to write to you remaining in the mean time Reverend Sâ—r Your most humble c. The Third LETTER Reverend Sir I Am now according to my promise to give you an account of all the different Sects or Religions which are in this Country They who in other places are called Anabaptists are known in these Provinces by the denomination of Mennonites and have deriv'd that Name from Menno a Man born at a Village of Friezland in the Year 1496. Not that the said Menno was the first Father of the Anabaptists in this Country but that he having rejected the Enthusiasmes and Revelations of the Primitive Anabaptists and their Opinions concerning the new Reign of Jesus Christ which they pretended to establish upon Earth by force of Arms has broach'd certain new doctrines which his Followers have embrac'd and persisted in to this day Their Tenets are these That the New Testament only and not the Old ought to be the Rule of our Faith That in speaking of