The controversy to which Arminianism had given rise, (See Anmixtus,) was carried on after the death of its founder, with the greatest eagerness, and produced the most bitter and deplorable dissensions. The Ar minians requested nothing more than a bare toleration. This moderate demand, at all times reasonable and just, was particularly so in Holland, which had thrown off the yoke of civil and spiritual despotism, and where the received confession of faith had not determined the questions under debate. It was strongly urged by Gro tins, Hoogerbeets, Olden, Barneveldt, and other per sons of respectability and influence. And Maurice, prince of Orange, and his mother the princess dowager, giving countenance to the claim, there was some pros pect of the Calvinists being persuaded to enter into pa cific measures, and to treat their dissenting brethren, with forbearance. Accordingly, in the year 1611, a conference between the contending parties was held at the Hague, on which occasion the toleration required was offered to the Arminians, provided they would re nounce the errors of Socinianism. Another conference was held at Delft, in 1613. And in 1614, the States of Holland promulgated an edict, exhorting the disputants to the exercise of mutual charity. But these, and other expedients employed for the same purpose, had not the desired effect. The Calvinists were more and more confirmed in the bad opinion which they had formed of the Arminians; and, fully convinced that the object of the latter was to destroy all religion, expressed great indignation at the magistrates, for endeavouring, by their authority, to promote a union with such adver saries. The conduct of the States was ably and elo quently defended by Grotius, in two treatises, entitled, " De Jure summarum potestatzim circa sacra," and Or dinum Hollandix, ac Itrestfrisix Pietas a multorum ca tumniis vindicata.
The hopes of success which the Arminians entertain ed from the indulgent manner in which they were treat ed by the civil authorities, were soon blasted by a mis understanding which had secretly subsisted for some time between the stadtholdcr and the principal magis trates, and at last broke forth into an open rupture. Maurice, being suspected of aiming at sovereign power, was firmly opposed by the leading persons in the go vernment, who had been the friends and patrons of the Arminians, and to whom, therefore, these adhered at this difficult crisis. On the other hand, the Gomarists, or Calvinists, attached themselves to Maurice, and in flamed the resentment which he had already, for va rious reasons, conceived against the Arminians. The prince was resolved, at once to ruin the minister who had ventured to oppose his schemes of usurpation, and to crush the Arminians, by whom they had been warm ly supported. For this purpose he got the leading men cast into prison. Barneveldt, whose long and faithful services deserved a better fate, died on the scaffold : and Grotius and Hoogerbeets, under pretexts more plausible than solid, were unjustly condemned to perpe tual imprisonment, from which, however, the former af terwards escaped, and fled into France. The crime of
the Arminians being of an ecclesiastical nature, it was thought proper to bring their cause before a national assembly of divines, by which it might be regularly and finally condemned.
Under the auspices of Maurice, therefore, and by the authority of the States general, a synod was convoked at Dort, in the year 1618. Before this meeting, which consisted of deputies from the United Provinces, from England, Scotland, Switzerland, and other places, the Arminians appeared with Episcopius at their head, to an swer to the accusations brought against them, of de parting from the established religion. For a full ac count of the proceedings of this synod, the reader may consult the 2d and 3d vol. of Brandt's History of the Re formation, and The Remains of Mr John Hales of Eaton, who was present at the meeting, and gives a simple nar rative of what he saw and heard. The conduct of the synod has been applauded by some, and condemned by others. On the one hand, it has been placed above eve ry other synod, since the apostolic age, for its temper, moderation, and sanctity ; on the other, it has been charged with injustice and cruelty, and burlesqued in such lines as these : Neal remarks, that it behaved as well as most assemblies of a similar kind have done, " who have pretended to establish articles for other men's faith, with penal sanc tions." This says very little for the synod of Dort ; though, perhaps, it is even more than can be said with truth. Martinius of Bremen seems to have spoken much more correctly, when he told his friends, " I be• lieve now what Gregory Nazianzen says, that he had ne ver seen any council attended with good effects, but that it always increased the evil rather than removed it. I declare as well as that father, that I will never set my foot in any synod again. 0 Dort ! Dort ! would to God that I had never seen thee !" The Arminians, it is pro bable, asked more indulgence than they had a right to expect ; but it is certain also, that the treatment which they received from the synod, was arbitrary, faithless, and oppressive. They were at length found guilty of heresy, and of hostility to their country and its religion. And the measures adopted against them, in consequence of this sentence, were of the most severe and rigorous kind. They were excommunicated ; they were driven from all their offices, civil and ecclesiastical; their mi nisters were prohibited from preaching ; and their con gregations were suppressed. Refusing to submit to the two last of these hard decrees, they were subjected to fines, imprisonments, and various other punishments. To avoid this tyrannical treatment, many of them retired to Antwerp, others to France, and a considerable num ber into Holstein, where they were kindly received by Frederick the duke, and where, in the form of a colony, they built for themselves a handsome town, naming it Frederickstadt, in compliment to their friend and pro tector. The history of this colony may be found in a work entitled, Epistolic Priestantium, et Eruditorum Vi rorum Ecclesiasticie, et Theologian, and published by Limborch and Hartsoeker.