and, after a full and voluntary explanation of his sentiments on the disputed points, received fresh testimonials of his ortho

on some sacred questions, on which probably I should under other circumstances have never thought at all. For I confess this to the glory of God, that I have been excited by their books to a more correct understanding of some things, than I had ever previously been. But I account it the duty of a man who is capable of gratitude, to acknowledge the benefit, which God bestows, whose hand soever it may be by which it is conveyed; as I also think, it is the part of a prudent man, to attend to what is said and not to him who says it. But, on the contrary, it has always been found that those who have thought this liberty to read and prove all things should be entirely discontinued, have been themselves desirous of domineering over the faith of other men, and of commanding their consciences. Wherefore, since I am firmly of opinion, that your sentiments and mine co-incide on this point, I cannot persuade myself, that you will hereafter be so offended with this my ingenuousness, as to indulge the suspicion of my holding the same sentiments with those heretics, because of some similarity in the in the phrases employed.

"To the SECOND objection, which is somewhat more specious, I reply, that on this subject I never invented any new hypotheses; but that I have always, and (I think) on very just grounds, defended those which had the approbation of St. Augustine and others. But how happens it, that the same judgment should not be passed upon all of us who are concerned in the same cause? For no one has yet been found, who urged it as an objection against St. Augustine and the Schoolmen, that they prepared a way for Arianism by acknowledging God's absolute power [capability] to forgive sins without [exacting] punishment, if such be his pleasure. Might not the same danger arise from such an assertion at that time, as this of which we are now afraid? Besides, I do not recollect to have read in the writings of those heretics that mode of argumentation, which is deduced from the non-absolute necessity of satisfaction, to deny the Divinity of Christ. But, on the contrary, I know that no argument is urged by them with greater force against the satisfaction of Christ, than that which is drawn from his Deity: For they say Christ has neither satisfied [Divine Justice] nor could satisfy it, if he be the true and eternal God; since no one can yield a 'satisfaction to himself, or can pay to himself any debt; and it is always necessary, ⚫ that he who has to appease another, must be a different person from that other.' Nor is it possible to give a solid answer to this argument, except by having recourse to the free will of God, and to his gracious appointment: As may be seen from the first defence of Junius, towards the conclusion."

Vorstius added a number of other arguments and copious quotations in this large Apology: The preceding extracts, however, will suffice to shew the tendency of his remarks and the frankness of his character. In a private letter to Tossanus and Paræus, about the same time, he says: "I openly condemn the errors of Socinus and of others respecting the person and the office of Christ, and others of a similar description: And I peruse their writings with no other design than that with which you usually read them. Yet if from that perusal, any thing has adhered to my discourse or style which is in the least abhorrent to the Holy Scriptures, let that be [considered as] neither spoken nor written. But I call God to witness, that I have done nothing in a perverse spirit; nothing which can justly offend the true church of Christ, as such; and nothing which is repugnant to the oath which I have taken. For the true church of Christ and its pastors grant free permission to every one to investigate the truth, to prove the spirits, and, after due proof has been had, to embrace that at length in religion, especially in those abstruse questions, which each of them may have found to be most consonant to the word of God and to right reason. The true church of Christ does not [jactat] publish any consent beyond the word of God; nor does it bind any person to the hypotheses of men, however excellent; nor does it urge any thing in the matter of faith which is not God himself and his word. These observations are ex

doxy. In the year 1602, the famous Du Plessis Mornay, and the Church at Saumur, invited him to become Professor of Divinity in that University. In 1606, Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse, made Vorstius a similar tempting offer of the Divinity Professorship at Marpurg, to the acceptance of which he was also solicited by some of the ablest and most learned of the contemporary Divines.* He was also invited to that of Hanau. Such was his reputation throughout Germany, for many years after the explanation of his sentiments at Heidelberg, which circumstance was no secret to the divines of Saumur or to the Prince of Hesse! But the Count of Bentheim, fully aware of his great merits, would not dispense with his services. He appointed him one of the ministers of Steinfurt, a commissioner (in conjunction with others) to take cogni

ceedingly familiar to you, and have frequently been explained in an accurate and prolix manner against the Papists and the Ubiquitarians, [the Lutherans,] who are the lords over other men's faith, and who inculcate even to disgust, the Church, consent, concord, and other things of the same kind. Put therefore, I beseech you, the same law into force towards me, which you have yourselves prescribed to others towards you. You will speedily despatch the business with me, if you will rescue me, from what you conceive to be an error, by sure testimonies and arguments; or if you be not able to do that, calmly to bear with me as dissenting from your opinion. I do not know, that I have taken any other oath, than one about delivering the truth from the word of God and the Augsburgh Confession, so far as this Confession agrees with the Scriptures, and about cultivating an agreement with the brethren. But the latter clause ought of necessity to be received with this exception- so far as those brethren hold no sentiments contrary to the truth:' For it would otherwise be a conspiracy against God and his Christ, rather than a fraternal consent in Christ. Recollect, I beseech you, honoured men, what are those stratagems of the devil, by which he has frequently cast down the greatest men through the semblance of zeal and piety. Beware that this old impostor does not impose on you. For I am not attached either to Socinus or to my own speculations; but I heartily embrace the word of God and the truth which it contains." In his spirited yet affectionate reply to his friend Pezelius, he explains very satisfactorily his conversation with Du Moulin, and the rest of the particulars which had been mentioned to his disparagement. He also says very justly, "The unpleasant rumour which has been generally circulated concerning me, depends only on mere suspicions; as in reality can be evidently proved to any one, from what I have discussed both in my discourses and my writings on the eternal Divinity of Jesus Christ and on his saving office. Such great offence have I given to some persons by that ingenuousness which I think ought to be used on every religious subject," &c.

Among others, the celebrated Martinius, who was then joint Professor with the famous Piscator at Herborn, and who soon afterwards became Professor of Divinity and Minister in the city of Bremen, makes the following observation on the difficulty which we fallible mortals feel in consequence of our ignorance of future events :-" Of all those who have given valid proofs of their fitness to teach in illustrious Colleges, you would have been the only one that could have maintained the authority of that University, and could have speedily restored it to its former celebrity. But as I understand from yourself, it has seemed good to God, the Over-ruler of our counsels, otherwise to dispose of this matter: For He alone knows where our labours may be expended in the most profitable manner for the edification of his kingdom. Indeed, those very reasons which appear to us most specious, are not always agreeable to his judgments."

zance of matrimonial causes, and the examiner of young candidates for the ministry, and to assist at Synods and Visitations; and "an extraordinary stipend was allowed to him, as a reward for his exemplary conduct in the discharge of these several offices." He remained in that useful station and quiet retreat till the year 1610, when he accepted the invitation to Leyden, as the successor of Arminius; and repaired to that city with his family, possessed of the most ample testimonials of his orthodoxy and prudent conduct. His call to that University had the sanction not only of the States of Holland, but of Prince Maurice himself, who gave particular orders to the deputies that repaired to Steinfurt, (one of whom was Uitenbogardt, and the other the benevolent Zeystius, advocate of Leyden,) to press Vorstius, in his name, to accede to their urgent intreaties, and fill the vacant Theological chair. Several of the most eminent divines of the Calvinistic party, both in the United Provinces and in Germany,

The following extract from Uitenbogaert's letter to John Narsius, 31st December, 1612, is important for more reasons than that of shewing the high character given by Fontanus and Schultetus to Vorstius :-" I have hitherto neither held nor taught any other sentiments about the person and office of our Saviour, and their concomitants, than those which always have been and now are taught on the same points from God's word, by the Universal Church of Christ. To this fact, I hope, my colleagues will bear me witness, as well as both my French and Dutch hearers, and that Christ whom I serve in spirit. I add, and I add with truth, that I do not know a single Remonstrant who either maintains or teaches any other sentiments: If there be any such, 1 declare before God, that is a circumstance with which I am unacquainted. I wonder therefore whence this calumny has arisen: Is it from the vocation of Vorstius? But he is not yet convicted of that heresy: And were he fully convicted of it, he received his call, not as a Socinian, but as a Divine of the Reformed Church; this is abundantly proved by my letter to him, which was published by the magistrates of Leyden. But that he was then accounted such an one, that is, a divine of the purer Reformation, is evident to all men, and therefore to your Fontanus, who indeed had a better opportunity than I of being well acquainted with him, and who at that time bore an exalted testimony before Zeystius. I am likewise in possession of a letter, addressed to me by the very famous Schultetus of Heidelberg, in which he congratulatee us on this call as though it had been accepted; and says, that he believes there is no man equal in ability to Vorstius to render our University illustrious: And yet who entertains any doubt, that this person is most averse to Socinianism?

"But why am I so solicitous about the occasion, the cause, and the author of this calumny? I have no doubt, that the devil himself has put it forth, that he may by this dark and black cloud obstruct the lights of truth and innocency. For, I confess, nothing could have been invented of greater detriment to the cause in which we are engaged, than to infuse a persuasion into those who are ignorant of things, that it is the intention of the Remonstrants, under the pretext of these Five Points, to introduce destructive heresies, which are so injurious to the Son of God, as to have been long ago condemned, proscribed, and exploded, and the propagators of them considered in the judgment of some persons as deserving to be burnt alive. But, I ask you, What service is rendered to their own cause, and thus to the whole of the Reformed Church, by this black stain with which they asperse us their brethren and fellowministers? By such slanders they do no good at all: The only probable result of such conduct is, to fill all things with suspicions; to infuse poison into friendship; to violate charity; to shake or overthrow the consciences of the weak; to expose the

approved of the call of this eminent man, and congratulated him on what was then supposed to be a felicitous event. But some of the most violent of the Contra-remonstrants thought this a most desirable opportunity to injure Arminianism, by opposing the call of Vorstius: Their first effort went only to revive the former slanders about his Socinianism, which had been completely disproved before the Heidelberg Professors in 1599. Some of the young men who had been educated under him at Steinfurt, re-published one of Socinus's treatises in Friezland: The book was condemned to be publicly burnt as heretical; and the familiar letters of some of the Steinfurt students, who had settled in a few of the Dutch States, contained many incautious expressions in praise of what they called "the liberal principles" of Vorstius. It was easy for such men as Sybrands Lubbertus, Peter Plancius, and Festus Hommius, to transfer this fault from the pupils to the master himself; which they did to great effect, and yet with manifest exaggeration. A circular Epistle, containing extracts from the students' letters and highly-coloured statements of trifling facts, was addressed to several foreign Universities, the chief men in which were known to hold sentiments opposed to those of Arminius.-See page 215.

But all these machinations, spiteful and unchristian as several of them were, would have availed little, had not Vorstius himself furnished the most destructive weapons against himself. This he did in his notorious treatise De Deo, seu Disputationes decem de Natura et Attributis Dei, diverso tempore Steinfarti publice habita, which was printed at Steinfurt in 1610. To those who have an accurate acquaintance with the science of Metaphysics, (and this is a kind of knowledge which is rarely possessed even by those who are great braggarts on the subject,) it is unnecessary to remark, that many things may be written metaphysically concerning the Deity, his attributes and other subjects, which it would be highly improper to enuntiate or discuss in the language of common life: In this view of the matter, his treatise might admit of much excuse, and actually did receive high commenda

whole ministry, and thus all our churches, to the scoff's and invectives of our enemies ; to arouse, to sharpen, and to furnish the wits of curious men, (whose ears itch for different things,) to inquire into the meaning of these latent heresies, and into the tenets which Socinianism maintains and propagates, to obtain and to read Socinian books, to begin to indulge doubts concerning things which have hitherto been most certain, and to instute among each other disputations and contests, to the great detriment of the public tranquillity, to the greater peril of their own salvation, and to the very great scandal of all good men ; and thus to disseminate and scatter abroad the very heresies which we wish to be buried: These are the results of their mode of advocating their cause, and this is their method of bringing good out of evil!" P

VOL. I.

tions from some of the most learned scholastics in Europe.* Poor Vorstius however, had the misfortune to be made a kind of theological scape-goat. Though it is seen, (p. 207,) that in the liberal dominions of the Counts of Bentheim, he was required only to adhere to the Augsburgh Confession, yet, till the year 1608, his predilections were completely Calvinistic;† and in reference to this point, Arminius gave him some advice in 1609, which I have quoted in page 580, and which Vorstius followed in 1610, when he published his Anti-Bellarminus contractus, seu brevis Refutatio quatuor tomorum Bellarmini. This able defence of Protestantism contained many things which were calculated to give umbrage to Archbishop Abbot, a most violent Calvinist, who at that time exercised supreme spiritual authority in England, and swayed the conscience of his royal master almost at his pleasure: It contained an avowal, in opposition to the allegations of the Jesuits in their Creed of the Calvinists, "that the sentiments of individual divines ought not to be charged upon the Protestant Church;" and the liberty of prophesying, which Vorstius had recommended in the Preface to his Refutation of Bellarmine, was one of the particular topics against which Winwood, the English Ambassador at the Hague, was instructed to complain to the States of Holland, and which he requested them, in the King's name, entirely to abrogate. For, how convenient soever the Archbishop afterwards found it, faintly to patronize this very principle, when his power was on the decline, his Calvinistic friends were in disgrace, and Arminianism was gradually rising; yet in 1610, it was a principle exceedingly obnoxious to him, and the existence of which even in another free country he could not endure, but commanded his creature Winwood to procure by most objectionable means the removal of his famous Predestinarian brother AMES, when the latter had found a comfortable asylum in the English Church at the Hague. (See page 453.)

Among these may be reckoned Martinius of Herborn, Goclenius of Marpurg, Meursius, Bertius, Baudius, and Coddæus of Leyden; James Duport of Saumur, &c.

+ Vorstius gave the first intimation of the change in his sentiments on Predestination, in the two books which he published in 1610,-his treatise De Deo and his AntiBellarminus. Old David Paræus in 1612 upbraided him with this change, which was indeed the chief cause of the storm that the Calvinists raised against him, and reminded him what a reverend and candid judgment he had evinced on that subject in 1597, soon after he went to Steinfurt. To that charge Vorstius replied, "I continued then to hold the more rigid opinion of Calvin on Predestination, although I had for some time previously entertained a degree of suspicion about it: But I still adhered to it for certain reasons,-lest I should seem to have changed my opinion on slight grounds, before I had sufficiently investigated the matter, and when I had only just entered on my public Professorship. Such a hasty transition would undoubtedly have produced no slight degree of scandal and danger."