1825.] 
churches in -France,’ at. first disposed 
favourably to receive the decisions of, 
this famous synod, in. process of time 
espoused doctrines differing much from 
those of the Gomarists, for so the Cal- 
vinists were then called, on account of 
Francis. Gomar, Leyden Divinity Pro- 
fessor, well known for his strong, and 
able defence of the principles and tenets 
of the Genevese professor (Calvin); and 
the churches of Brandenburgh and Bre- 
men would not consent to be tied down 
to rules and canons by the Dutch 
divines. The liberty of private judg- 
ment with respect to the controverted 
doctrines of Predestination and Grace, 
which it was thought the spirit of the 
Dordrecht divines was adapted to check 
and suppress, acquired new vigour, in 
consequence of the arbitrary proceed- 
ings of this assembly.* , The synod had 
scarcely. commenced its deliberations, 
when a dispute on the mode of proceed- 
ing drove the Arminian party away, and, 
personally, they took no further share in 
them. The deliberations, however, re- 
specting the doctrines of Arminius, were 
continued; they were condemned, and 
the upholders of them excommunicated : 
with how, much justice, let the reader 
judge. [It is recorded of King James, 
on another occasion, that he said, Ir 1s 
OUR CUSTOM TO HEAR BOTH SIDES.] 
The provinces of Friesland, Zealand, 
Utrecht, Guelderland and Groningen 
could not be persuaded to adopt its 
decisions, which were, in England, op- 
posed by King James and Archbishop 
Laud.+ | 
- A late, and, in some, respects, more 
satisfactory account, is thus given in 
Lingard’s History (vol. vi.) :— 
“The removal of the Professor (Vor- 
stius) did not restore tranquillity. The 
remonstrants gradually acquired the ascen- 
dancy, in the three provinces of Holland, 
Overyssel and Utrecht; the contra-remon- 
strants, in those of Guelderland, Zealand, 
Friesland and Groningen. Each party, 
true to the intolerant spirit of the age, was 
eager to employ the civil sword against its 
theological opponents, and the republic was 
in danger of being torn into fragments by 
the violence of men who could not agree 
on the speculative doctrines of predestina- 
tion and reprobation. James proposed to 
the states a national council, as the only 
remedy to the evil; and the suggestion 
was as eagerly accepted by one party, as it 
was haughtily rejected by the other. Both 
* Ency. Brit. 
+ Buck’s Theol. Dict. 
Monruty Mac, No. 414. 
Synod of Dort. 
129 
were supported in their obstinacy by the 
political views of their leaders, Barnevelt 
and Prince Maurice; of whom, the first 
was charged with a design of restoring the 
provinces to the Spanish crown; the other, 
with the project of raising himself to the 
sovereignty. After a long struggle, the 
command of the army gave the victory to 
Maurice;’ he successively changed the 
magistrates in the towns of Overyssel and 
Utrecht; and then ventured to arrest his 
great opponent, Barneyelt, with the two 
pensioners, Grotius and Hogerbets.{ From 
that moment, the hope of the Arminians 
vanished—the magistracy of Holland was 
reformed, and the synod was appointed to 
be held at Dort. The Calvinistic churches 
of Geneva and the Palatinate sent depu- 
ties; and James, who, as the original ad- 
viser of the measure, could not refuse his 
concurrence, commissioned two bishops 
and two theologians to attend as represen- 
tatives of the church of England; and a 
fifth, a Scotsman by birth, but a member of 
the establishment, as the representative of 
the kirk of Scotland. It was a. singular 
spectacle to behold the two prelates sitting 
as the colleagues of ministers who had not 
received ordination from the hands of 
bishops, and voting with men who held 
episcopacy to be the invention of Satan. 
They attended the debates, moderated the 
violence of the disputants, and’ subscribed 
to the canons, but with this exception, that 
they protested against the article which 
reduced to a level the different orders of 
the hierarchy. The decrees of the synod 
were ratified with the blood of Barneyelt, 
who, after a mock and secret trial, was 
Sacrificed, as a traitor, to the ambition of 
the prince; and with the more moderate 
sentence of perpetual imprisonment, pro- 
nounced on Grotius and Hogerbets: To 
satisfy the king of England, the synod con- 
demned the works. of Vorstius; and the 
reigning party in the States, to preserve 
the ascendancy, resolved to extirpate their 
oppanents. Seven hundred families of 
Arminians were driven into exile, and re- 
duced to beggary, by the political fanaticism 
of their brethren and countrymen,” 
I am sorry, Sir, that I have not been 
able more completely to satisfy your 
correspondent’s queries ; and more par- 
ticularly so, that none of your more able 
coadjutors have taken up the subject. 
Perhaps the above may be instrumental 
in drawing attention to it; in which 
hope, I will repeat Q.’s inquiries :—he 
seeks for particular information respect- 
ing Samuel Ward, Dr. Thomas Goad, 
and Walter Balcanqual; for which I 
shall, also, be thankful.—Your’s, &c. 
t In 1613, Grotius was elected pension-~ 
ary of Rotterdam. 
s 
