THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 113 



vessels that had been ordered from Baltimore disturbed 

 all the calculation of the commanding-general. He de- 

 scribed rather humorously the suffering and inconvenience. 

 February 5, the fleet started up Pamlico Sound for Roa- 

 noke Island ; an account of the action in capturing both the 

 Island and afterwards Newberne, showing all the difficul- 

 ties that the Union forces had to contend with and of the 

 great importance to the Union cause, of the successful ter- 

 mination of the expedition. 



Monday, March 9, 1891. Mr. Shebnah Rich delivered 

 a lecture on the "Synod of Dort." He said the religious 

 council known as the "Synod of Dort," was called in 1618 

 by Prince Maurice and the estates of Holland to settle dif- 

 ferences of religious opinions that had sprung up in the 

 Protestant churches between the Calvinists and Armini- 

 ans. We well know that Constantine, ironically styled 

 the "Great Christian Emperor," directed the first Nician 

 Council; he banished Arius and elevated Athanasius; he 

 set our lessons in theology. Back of the "Synod of Dort" 

 were two central figures, Calvin and Arminius. 



The doctrine of Calvin briefly stated was, "Some men 

 shall be saved, do what they will, and the rest damned, do 

 what they can." The early Christians borrowed the faith 

 from the Pagan religions, which were honeycombed with 

 fatalism. Bitter controversies culminated in the "Synod of 

 Dort," which met in November, 1618. In political phrase 

 it was a packed assembly, the state commissioners controll- 

 ing the deputies and the divines. The Synod was in ses- 

 sion over six months. At the one hundred and forty-fourth 

 sitting the decision against the Remonstrants was read in 

 Latin ; those who would not subscribe to their own condem- 

 nation were banished without the privilege of seeing their 

 wives and friends. 



