urned out and banished the Ministers who had distinguished themselves
by their zeal for Arminianism, such as Vorstius, Utengobard, and
Episcopius. Ledenberg, Secretary of Utrecht, hearing of these violences,
was so terrified, that he made away with himself in prison.

FOOTNOTES:

[83] Du Maurier says the three prisoners were arrested the 22d of
August; others assure us it was the 24th. La Neuville, Le Clerc. But it
is evident from what Grotius says himself, Ep. 104, that it was the
29th.

[84] Le Clerc.

[85] Mercure Francois, an. 1617.

X. The warmest opposers of a National Synod being disabled from giving
any further obstruction, the States-General proceeded to the holding of
it. The States of Holland, who in May, 1618, had renewed their protest
against the convocation of a National Synod, frightened by the violences
exercised against the three illustrious prisoners, at last gave their
consent; and it met at Dort.

It was opened on the fifteenth of November, 1618, in the name of the
States-General, who assisted at it by their Deputies; and was composed
of about seventy Contra-Remonstrants, with only fourteen Arminians. John
Bogerman, Minister of Leewarden in Friesland, was chosen President, and
had with him four assessors; all five declared enemies of the Arminians.
On the tenth of December the Remonstrants brought in a long Writing,
containing their reasons for not acknowledging the Synod, as being an
illegal assembly where the parties made themselves Judges, contrary to
the laws of equity and the Canons of the Church. They further shewed,
that most of those who composed the pretended synod were guilty of the
schism complained of; that it was publickly notorious they were their
declared enemies, and consequently incompetent judges. They afterwards
proposed twelve conditions, without which they could not acknowledge the
authority of the Synod, nor submit to any of its decisions. This paper
put the Synod into a very ill humour. Next day the Arminians giving in
a protest, it was censured, and a decree of the Deputies of the
States-General ordered that the Synod should proceed, without regarding
the protest.

The Arminians wanted to leave Dort; but an order from the States-General
obliged them to stay. Their five articles were condemned; and Episcopius
and the other Arminian ministers deposed, and declared guilty of
corrupting religion, breaking the unity of the Church, and occasioning
great scandal. The Synod