תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

of Holland and West Friezland, of whom many of their own accord inclined to it, and promoted this business diligently, should at length be moved to this consent; and so, that at some time, an account must be rendered of their doctrine and actions before the ecclesiastical tribunals; in order to avoid this, they at first proposed a new way of settling the controversies: namely, that a few persons, both political and ecclesiastical, of a certain and equal number, should be chosen by the Illustrious the States of Holland and West Friezland, who, having communicated counsels with each other, might devise some method of peace and concord, which, having been approved by the Illustrious the States, might then be prescribed to the churches. But when this did not succeed, (because the more prudent easily foresaw, from whom, and of what kind of persons, this convention would be instituted, and what was to be expected from it; and besides, that it was unprecedented in the churches, and very little suited for taking away ecclesiastical controversies in things pertaining to doctrine,) they thought that the most extreme measures must be tried, rather than be reduced to this necessity; and accordingly recourse was had to the most desperate counsels. For some of the chief persons (or nobles, proceribus) were persuaded by them, that the calling of a national Synod, which was then pleaded for, was adverse to the majesty and liberty of the provinces: for that each province possessed the supreme right of determining about religion, as it should seem good to it: that it was an unworthy thing to subject this their liberty to the judgment of other provinces; (and) that this right of majesty was to be defended by all means, even by arms. By these and similar arguments, the minds of the more imprudent were so stirred up, that the rulers of some cities, having made a conspiracy, decreed to levy soldiers, who should be bound by oath, neither to the most powerful the States General, nor to the Illustrious the Prince of Orange, the Commander in chief of the army, but to themselves alone, for the defence of the cause of the Remonstrants, and of their own authority; which for the sake of the same (cause) they had exposed to danger. This was done at Utrecht, in which city the most powerful the States General had a garrison sufficiently strong against tumults and seditions; at Harlem, Leyda, Rotterdam, as also Gouda, Schookhove, Horn, and other places; the Remonstrants instigating the magistrates of the cities to this, as may be clearly proved by divers of their letters, which afterwards

came into (the) hands (of the States.) And thus the dissentions of the Remonstrants would have brought these flourishing provinces into the danger of a civil war, if this madness had not been early repressed, by the singular prudence of the most powerful the States General, and by the vigilance and fortitude of mind, never to be sufficiently celebrated (depredicanda) of the Illustrious the Prince of Orange.*

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

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

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

Dec. 11, 1617.] This decree having been made, the Remonstrants began in a wonderful manner to make disturb ances, and proposed various other projects (conceptibus) by those who were attached to their cause, in endeavoring to overturn it and render it of no effect; in Holland indeed, they themselves, by their favorers, demanded a provincial Synod, against which a little while ago they had entertained so strong an aversion, (tantopere abhorruerant.) And because measures had been devised for calling foreign theologians to the national Synod, they thought that to this provincial Synod, if so it seemed good, some foreign theologians might be (invited.) But it was answered, that indeed a provincial Synod had formerly been demanded by the churches of Holland, when no hope appeared of obtaining a national Synod, and when the controversies were confined within the boundaries of the churches of Holland alone; but now, because the calling of a national Synod had been decreed, and the evil had diffused itself through all the provinces, so that it could not be taken away by the Synod of one province, it was at this time altogether unreasonable to think of a provincial Synod, for the composing of these controversies. Because, in like manner, as it behoved particular Synods, in each of the provinces, to precede the national Synod; so in Holland also, both North and South (Holland) particular Synods would precede. Yet the Remonstrants, by their favorers, pressed eagerly and urged such a Synod; either, because they thought, that it would less obstruct their cause, as they had in Holland so many great men and even pastors favoring them; or that they might by this tergiversation absolutely hinder the calling of the national Synod. But when they themselves saw, that this demand was too unjust for them easily to persuade (the granting of) it; they fled to a new exception, and desired (or proposed) that this case should be deferred, (or reserved) to a general council (œcumenicam.) But it was answered them,

That it was most uncertain, whether or when a general council could be called; yet that these evils required a present remedy, and that this national (Synod) about to be called by the Illustrious and most powerful the States General, would 'be as it were an oecumenical and general (council;) when deputies from almost all the reformed churches would be present at the same. If they should account themselves aggrieved by the judgment of such a Synod, it would always be entire and lawful to them to appeal from this national to a general council; provided only, that in the mean time they obeyed the judgment of the national Synod. By these evasions and subterfuges they effected, that the letters of convocation were for some little time delayed; and it was necessary that the day appointed for the meeting should be changed and deferred.*

In the mean while that most Illustrious person, Dudley Carleton, in the convention of the Illustrious and most powerful the States General, publicly complained, that the honor of his master, the most Serene the King of Great Britain, had been very unworthily and impudently reviled, in the infamous libel (or pamphlet) Bilancis, which the Remonstrants, even after the edict of their Highnesses, had taken care should be printed again, having been translated into the French language; and having briefly and solidly refuted most of the objections of the Remonstrants, he explained to the Illustrious and most powerful the States General, what method the most powerful King of Great Britain was accustomed to employ, in settling controversies concerning religion or doctrine; which, because it agreed with the decree of the Illustrious the States General, it more and more confirmed their Illustrious Highnesses in this holy determination. The most ample also the Magistracy of the city of Amsterdam, having communicated counsel previously with the pastors of that church, and others called together for this cause, propounded in writing many and very weighty reasons, in the convention of the Illustrious the States of Holland and West Friezland, in which it was most evidently demonstrated, that these controversies could not be determined at this season by any other method, than by a national Synod; at the same time they most solidly answered

The conduct of the Remonstrants on this occasion, evidently resembled that of an accused person, who, instead of demanding a fair trial, objects to the authority of the court, challenges the jurymen, and endeavors to find out flaws in the indictment, and adopts every evasion to escape the trial, which can be suggested by his solicitor or counsel.

all the objections of the Remonstrants, and all their projects, concerning a provincial Synod, and also concerning a general council. Soon after likewise the most ample the Magistracy of the city of Enchusen, having exhibited many reasons, in writing also, approved the same. These reasons were afterwards made public; that it might be evident to all men, how unjustly the Remonstrants and their favorers acted, because they obstinately resisted the calling of a national Synod, by these new projects, and eluded (subterfugerent) its decision

The illustrious the States General, as they judged that this thing so entirely necessary, and for the most just and weighty causes already decreed, was not to be any longer delayed, on account of projects and shiftings of this kind; again decreed, that the convocation of a national Synod, without any delay or adjournment, should be immediately instituted; and they determine, that the city Dordrecht (or Dort) should be the place of its meeting; the day, the first of the next November. When some persons among the States of Holland and West Friezland, favoring the cause of the Remonstrants, opposed themselves to this decree, in the convention of the Illustrious and most powerful the States General, who complained, that an injury was done to the majesty, the right, and finally, the liberty of that province; the Illustrious and most powerful the States General, declared by public letters, that they did not purpose, by this convocation of a national Synod, that any thing should be taken away from, or lessened in the majesty, right, or liberty, of any province; but that this was the sincere intention of their Highnesses, that without any prejudice of any province, and even of the union and confederation, by the ordinary decision of a national Synod, the ecclesiastical controversies alone that had arisen concerning doctrine, which pertained to all the reformed Belgic churches, should lawfully be determined to the glory of God, and the peace of the republic and of the churches. They then addressed letters to the States of each of the provinces, in which they declared, that it had been determined by them, to call together, in the name of the Lord, from all the churches of these provinces a national Synod, on the first of November ensuing; that by this method the controversies which had arisen in the same churches, might be lawfully examined and settled in a beneficial manner, (truth being always preserved.) At the same time they admonished them, that as soon as they could, they would call a provincial Synod in their own provinces, after the accustomed manner; from which six pious and learned

« הקודםהמשך »