DORT, Si con OF. The largest and most im portant legislative council ever held by the Re formed Churches, the confessional outcome of which, the 'Canons of the Synod of Dort,' have binding doctrinal force upon the Reformed Dutch Churches. It was convened on November 13. 161S, dissolved Slay 9, 1619, and held 154 formal sessions. The language of the synod was Latin. Its expenses. amounting to over 100,000 guilders, were borne by the States-General of holland. which convened it and invited all branches of the Reformed Church to participate. It consisted of S4 clerical and IS secular delegates. Of these, 5S were Dutch, England sent S, the Palatinate and Ilesse 7. Switzerland 7, Bremen 3 delegates. Those appointed by Brandenburg were excused on account of age: those hy the National Synod of France were forbidden by the King to leave the country. The sessions were public, and well at tended. The ostensible object of the gathering was to compose doctrinal differences in the Church; its praetkal outcome yeas the condemna tion of Arminianisin as represented by the Re monstrants, defended by Barneveldt, Grotius, and most eloquently by Simon Episeopius; but op posed by the Government, headed by the Stadt holder, Prince Alaurice of Nassau. The entire
Dutch delegation were orthodox; Utrecht alone sent Arminian delegates, and they were not al lowed to sit. The synod listened to thearguments of the Ilemonstrants, but ‘vas uninfluenced by them. On Slay 5, 1619, it was voted, Hesse and England alone dissenting, that the Arminians should be ex cluded by the synods and classes from their eccle siastical places. This drastic order was subsequent ly ruthlessly executed. The canons adopted are rigorously Calvinistic, and cover the famous live points: (1) Divine Predestination; (2) Death of Christ [limited atonement]; (3) Corruption of Man; (4) Irresistible Grace; (5) Perseverance of the Saints. The Belgic Confession and the Heidel berg Catechism were also adopted. and a revision of the Dutch Bible from the Ilebrew and Greek was ordered. The closing of the Synod of Dort was followed within a few days by the execution of Barneveldt, the victim of the jealousy and ha tred of Maurice of Nassau. Consult Schaff, Creeds of Christendom vol. i.; and for text. id., vol. iii. (New York, 1SS4). See ARMINIUS; COMARUS.