I HAVE here presented my selfe in your Assembly to discharge my selfe touching the dutie I beare towards God , towards the King my Master , and towards your Lordships . The apprehension of the publike calamitie which alwaies accompanieth Schisme within the Church , and Faction in the State doe giue mee too much subiect and cause for it . And there being no more cause to dissemble , how that in the space of few yeeres , men haue approached by degrees to the one , & doe at this present proceede with full pace to the other of these precipices . It were to forget the charge which I haue on the one part of his Maiestie in the qualitie of his Ambassadour , and the Oath which I haue made to your Lordships as Counsellor of this estate , and the coniunct Interest of the one with the other , if I should not contribute all that which depends of mee , to search and know exactly the originall , progresse and present state of this euill , to the end we may be able to apply therevnto the Remedy which is most necessarie .

It is the Rule of Hippocrates Desperatis non adhibere Medicinam . But ( God bee thanked for it , ) wee are not as yet come to so bad estate , although ( to speake freely that which is true of this matter ) wee are so neare to it , seeing how the mischiefe goes forward , growing euery day worse and worse , that the Remedy will bee fruitlesse if it be delayed any longer .

Now for to seeke the Originall of this euill any further backe then the time of Arminius Professor at Leyden , were to disguise the fact . Some others before him it may be haue had the same scruples , and the same troubles in their consciences vpon those high points of Predestination and the Dependences of it ; But the Church hath still continued in her peace and quiet ; in such sort that the fountaine and spring of the alteration which since his time some haue endeauoured to introduce into the true and ancient Doctrine which you haue alwayes professed , and is receiued and authorized by the common consent of all the reformed Churches ( howsoeuer some particular men haue had an opinion a part touching the said points ) ought to bee attributed to Arminius and to none other .

Out of the Ashes and Cinders of Arminius are sprung certaine others , who hauing wedded his particular opinions during his life , haue gone about to introduce them by cunning force into the publike Churches after his death . And not able to effectuate their purpose by the ordinarie wayes of Classes , and Synodall Congregations they directed themselues to my Lords the Estates of the Prouince .

After that , followed the change of the name of an Arminian into a Remonstrant ; his opposite , ( which seekes to maintaine the Doctrine in the ancient puritie ) baptised himselfe with the name of Contre-Remonstrant : But by many instances , Counter-instances , Propositions , Answeres , Replyes , Diligences and craftie subtilties the said Remonstrant at last obtaines his cause against the poore Contre-Remonstrant ; gets ( in his fauour ) a Resolution of my Lords the Estates of Holland , by the pluralitie of voices , though against the liking and aduice of many good & great Townes . Triumpheth ouer him in Concionibus , and vnder coulour of fiue points ( which haue not as yet passed a lawfull examination ) insinuates many others among the people ; stames Inuectiues against the Reformed Religion , and the most famous and reuerend Teachers of it ; In many places changeth the Pastors and Ancients to set into their roomes such others as might be at his deuotion ; proceedes with such rigour as well in the Townes as in the Countrie as hee giues occasion to reuiue in these Prouinces , on one side the hatefull name of the Inquisition , and of the other side the deplorable words of Churches wayling and lamenting ; of Churches persecuted ; couering himselfe alwayes with the title of the Authoritie publike as the onely man that performed obedience to the Magistrate . And giuing the Contre-Remonstrant ( who begins to loose his patience , and to separate himselfe from the body , in Consequence of this vnhappie separation of soules ) the reproch of Schismatique and one mutinous and tumultuarie . Hine Spargere voces in vulgum ambiguas what was meant to the Magistrate . Et quaerere Conscius Arma for his defence . Men Armed themselues in the particular Towns & the example passeth into the Prouinces .

Thus you haue in few words the beginning and progresse of our euill . The present estate of it is an actuall Separation ( if not a Schisme within the Church ; Iealousie ( not to call it faction ) in the estate ; Animosities and alterations betweene the Magistrates , sowernesse and hatred amongst the people : Contempt of the Ordinances of the Soueraigne Courts of Iustice . Confusion among the souldiers , being bound by diuers Oathes : rumor and tumult betweene the people and the souldiers newly leuied and ill disciplined , which is come already euen to the shedding of innocent bloud , and of that , there hath followed feare terrour and a generall amazement . All this within the Countrey . From abroad all we vnderstand of it are the mockeries and scoffes of our Enemies , and the displeasure and extreame sorrow of our Friends .

Contraria inter se posita magis elucescunt , wee see then , before the time of Arminius what was the estate of these Prouinces : vnion in the Church and Estate ; good correspondence betweene the Magistrates ; Christian loue and charitie among the people ; the Soueraigne Courts of Iustice respected ; the souldiers ( the seruants of your Lordships ) in peace with all the world except your Enemies ; all cheerefulnesse , all reioycing , all acknowledgement of the blessing of GOD , which hath appeared miraculously in the defence of his cause , in the sight and notice of all the world in your prosperitie ; whereat the Enemies of this estate , haue remained dismayed and amazed , and the friends of it greatly comforted .

For the present now that euery one sees so cleerely quantum dimiss a petitis praestant , let the Remonstrant take in good part the Remonstrance that followeth , and let him ( if he please ) serue himselfe thereof , Mature redeat repetatque relicta . But if the Doctrine of Arminius be so farre spread and multiplyed as there be no more time to giue back , but that it behooueth to passe further to a decision , which of the two opinions is more conforme and agreeing to the truth of the Word of God ; or at the least what sort of Christian toleration may be permitted without scandall in the Church , who shall be a competent Iudge in this matter ?

To carry this authoritie to the temporall Magistrate , giuing to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar , were to leane and incline too much of that side , and to take from God that which is Gods .

Wherefore to proceede with due regard as well towards them to whom God hath giuen authoritie ouer our bodies , as of those that haue the cure and charge of our soules , that which in such occurrences is alwayes practised , and wherevnto within Christendome at all times men haue had recourse . It is a Nationall Synode ; I say Nationall , because the euill being passed from Prouince to Prouince , a Prouinciall Synode is not sufficient , but onely for so much as it serueth for a preparatiue to the Nationall Synode . This is the Remedy which is found good by the greatest part of the Prouinces , and that which is recommended to you by the King my Master .

As for the Prouinces , I will not play the busie-body in aliena Republica , therin to Iudge how much euery Prouince in particular ought in such occasions to yeeld to the publike . But whilest in this busines men stand to dispute the right of Soueraigntie of euery Prouince apart , let them not forget the Oath by which they are consolidated and closed vp into one body which is the Vnion of Vtrecht grounded vpon Religion . And although they seeke to euade and escape by shew of one Article which is , That euery Prouince hath its power a part in matter of Religion , This ought to bee vnderstood soundly for the maintenance of the pure & sincere Religion , and not for the authorisation and allowance of new and strange opinions ; And principally in this Prouince where wee are at this present , in the contemplation whereof it is to be presumed that Article was inserted for the better vpholding of the Reformed Religion in his puritie without being exposed to the will and pleasure of the other Prouinces which at that time were not reduced to such an Vnion of the Church as they enioy at this present .

But as the points of honour and Soueraigntie are nice and delicate if that respect hindreth the consent of the Prouinces there is no place on the behalfe of his Maiestie , who giueth you the same counsell as the most sound and wholesome , Where there is no pretension , there is no preiudice .

His Maiestie foresaw and foretold ( some yeeres past ) by his Letters and Ministers vpon the occasion of Vorstius the euils which trouble you at this time ; and by other Letters he represented to you the little fruit which would spring of it in suffering the choise points of Predestination to be caried into the chaire and Pulpits , which were too high and to darke for the capacitie of the common people . In the one and the other occasion his Maiestie hath witnessed the sincerity of his affection giuing his warnings for the zeale he carrieth to the glory of God , and to the dutie of the common Alliance which hath for the foote and foundation the common safety settled especially vpon the Vnity of Religion . And although his wholesome aduises and prayers were not receiued with that respect which was due to his good intentions , but rather were entertained with most sinister interpretations , hauing beene drawne into such sence and consequence as was cleane contrarie to his will , his Maiestie notwithstanding was pleased for the third and last time ( hauing then already begun his voyage towards Scotland ) to sollicite you againe in that matter by a Letter of the 20. of March , That you would at last speedily heale the euill by the way of a Synode seeing you knew not how to preuent it by other remedies .

Loe now his Maiestie ( God be thanked for it ) is happily returned from his voyage ; wherein ( although the same hath beene long , hauing lasted the space of sixe monethes ) hee hath not changed Coelum nec animum : during his absence I haue forborne to sollicite the answere of the said Letter , that I might not render my selfe importunate to your Lordships out of time and place . But the euill being growen to that dangerous estate as I haue vnfolded it ; and hauing lately receiued a new charge to the same effect , and beholding at this present a full Assembly of worthy and wise personages busied ( if I deceiue not my selfe ) about the matter of Religion , I know not how any longer to excuse my selfe , without praying you ( My Lords ) as I doe with all earnestnes ) to make such Answere to the said Letter as may giue testimonie both of the respect your Lordships beare to the counsels of his Maiestie , and of the care you haue to the vnion of your Church & Estate .