X. THE REVISION OF THE DUTCH CONFESSION AND THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

But, beside these things, I had some annotations to make on the Confession of the Dutch Churches and on the Heidelberg Catechism; but they will be discussed most appropriately in our Synod, which at the first opportunity we hope to obtain through your consent, or rather by means of your summons. This is the sole request which I prefer to your Mightinesses,that I may be permitted to offer a few brief remarks on a certain clause, subject to which their High Mightinesses the States General gave their consent to the convening of a National Synod in this province, [Holland,] and the substance of which was, that in such Synod the Confession and Catechism of the Dutch Churches should be subjected to examination.

This clause has given great umbrage to many persons, not only because they account it unnecessary, but likewise unjust, to subject the Confession and Catechism to examination. They also suppose, that I and a certain individual of great reputation, are the persons who prevailed with the States-General to have such a clause inserted. But it is by no means true, that the revision of the Confession and Catechism is unnecessary and unjust, or that we were the instigators of their High Mightinesses in this affair. With regard to the last of these two suppositions, so far were we from having any concern with the origin of that clause, that, eleven or twelve years ago, at the pressing importunity of the Churches that prayed for a National Synod, the States of South Holland and West Friezland at last judged it proper to consent to it by their decree, on no other condition than that in such Synod the Confession of the Dutch Churches should be subjected to examination. Yet we, at that time, neither endeavoured by our advice, nor by our influence, to promote any such measure. But if we had with all our might made the attempt, we should have been doing nothing but what was compatible with our official duties; because it is obviously agreeable to reason as well as to equity, and quite necessary in the present posture of affairs, that such a measure should be adopted :*

* The following extract from BRANDT'S History, will elucidate the fact to which Arminius alludes, and which had been falsely attributed to him and Uitenbogardt: "In the United Provinces, the clergy had formerly resolved to hold a National Synod every three years: for which purpose they now [1596] asked permission of the States General, who gave an absolute refusal to their request: For they had not then forgotten what had transpired in preceding Synods. After repeated solicitations, however, they at length returned this

FIRST. That it may openly appear to all the world that we render to the word of God alone such due and suitable honour, as to determine it to be beyond (or rather above) all disputes, too great to be the subject of any exception, and worthy of all acceptation.

SECONDLY. Because these pamphlets are writings that proceed from men, and may on that account contain within them some portion of error, it is therefore proper to institute a lawful enquiry, that is, in a national Synod, whether or not there be any thing in those productions which requires amendment.

1. The first enquiry may be, Whether these human writings are accordant in every part with the word of God, with regard to the words themselves, the construction of the sentences, and the correct meaning.

2. Whether they contain whatever is necessary to be believed unto salvation,—so that salvation is, according to this rule, not denied to those things to which it appertains.*

answer to the clergy, that as the Deputies of the States General had received 'no instructions on this subject, the Churches must present this their petition 6 and the reasons on which it was founded, to the particular States of each 'province.' After the Clergy of Holland had received this communication, they made a regular application to the States of their province, who, on the 23d of December, acquiesced in the prayer of their petition, but with this proviso That the Belgic Confession shall be revised, in the fear of God, by the National Synod; and that the best mode of settling, maintaiying and increasing peace and unity in the Churches of the Low Countries shall be an object of consideration, and in it the late troubles shall be composed. For in several ecclesiastical disputes, the Clergy had reproached each other with opposing the National Confession: Some of them had declared, that they were 'bound by that Confession only so far as it was agreeable to the word of God, ' and that, as it contained some topics that were either equivocal or contradictory, it could not be a fixed rule of doctrine.' The States of Holland therefore endeavoured to stifle those seeds of discord by means of a good revision; and their resolution was not opposed by any of the ministers at that period. But, because the rest of provinces continued to withhold their assent to the convening of a National Synod, although the clergy urged it with great importunity, and since the permission of Holland could extend no farther in this matter than to one vote among many, the meeting of a National Synod was for several succeeding years prevented, especially by the refusal of the province of Utrecht."

This refusal on the part of the States General, and the subsequent consent of the States of Holland with their appended proviso, occurred seven years prior to the elevation of Arminius to the Professorship at Leyden,—a period when, as a private and unostentatious pastor, he possessed no such influence as is here attributed to him.-Respecting the troubles which were to be composed at that National Synod, consult the note, page 538.

In four editions of the works of Arminius, I find the last clause of this sentence substituted for the last of that which succeeds it, obviously to the injury of the consequences naturally to be deduced. But in the early edition of 1613, each of these clauses stands as in the present translation.

3. Whether it [the Rule of these Formularies] does not contain far too many particulars, and embrace several that are not necessary to be believed unto salvation,-so that salvation is consequently attributed to those things to which it does not belong.*

* Erasmus says, "Truth does not stand in need of many words; and that is best remembered which is related with the greatest conciseness. Never was the Cbristian faith more plain or pure, than when the world was contented with the single and concise symbol of the Apostles or of Apostelic men." In one of his letters, he advises his cotemporaries "only to enjoin those articles which are plainly expressed in the sacred scriptures, or those without which we cannot attain to salvation. For this purpose but few things are necessary; and the fewer and more simple they are, the more readily will they be admitted." Of this opinion were several eminent men beside Erasmus and our author. In answer to Cardinal Perron, Casaubon says, in the name of King James the First of England, "The articles of our faith, and whatever is necessary to be believed unto salvation, ought to be sought in the scriptures alone; and no dependence should be placed on human anthority, however great it might be, but only on the word of God, in which he has revealed his will to us by the Holy Spirit. The Primitive Fathers and Churches, therefore, acted aright in drawing their creeds from the Holy Scriptures; but in relation to the framing of new articles, they had no authority."-Mark Antony de Dominis, the Archbishop of Spalatro, declares: "Those long and tedious Confessions which contain the decision of many theological controversies, can neither be proposed nor embraced as symbols, rules, and formularies of faith. For those which began to be published in nearly all the Reformed Churches in order to terminate the differences that had arisen in one or other particular Church, are, notwithstanding their intention, and always will be, the principal causes of schism. Who is so dull and stupid as to submit his judgment or conscience to the doctrines of particular teachers, from whom he can receive no certainty of faith?" This Archbishop owned, that the most pacific plan would be, to draw up a short Confession of fundamental and necessary matters, with the general concurrence of all the orthodox Eastern and Western Churches.-In the reasons given for their opinions at the famous Preparatory Convention, held at the Hague in 1607, Arminius, and the three members who voted with him, gave this advice: "Let there only be composed such a Confession as comprehends nothing except those simple points which are necessary to salvation, which have been already determined in General Councils, and which are conceived in plain and scriptural words and phrases,—and then we may rest assured no one would be hasty in opposing it or in making alterations."-The elder Du Moulin says, in his reply to Perron: "The sum of religion consists of two branches,—to do well, and to believe aright: We find the substance of the first in the law of God, and of the second in the Symbol or Apostles' Creed. Many persons have attained to salvation with even less knowledge than this: Jonah did not preach so much to the Ninevites, and yet the Lord Jesus bears testimony to their conversion."-David Paræus, in his Irenicum, divides the foundation of our faith and salvation into four principal parts: The first is, the Ten Commandments; the second, the Apostles' Creed; the third, the Lord's Prayer; and the fourth, the Sacraments. He then adds, "Those who receive and faithfully practise these things, will undoubtedly be saved, although they may never have heard of other matters about which Divines dispute." -Bishop Hall says, in his book on Moderation, "I know no book so necessary as that De Paucitate Credendorum, that is, of the small number of things we are obliged to believe; and there is no article so necessary as that, We need not believe more than the Symbol of the Apostles."-The celebrated

4. Whether certain words and forms of speech are not employed in them, which are capable of being understood in different ways and furnishing occasion for litigation and dispute. Thus, for example, in the Fourteenth Article of the Confession, we read the following words, "Nothing is done

Junius, who was the predecessor of Arminius in the Divinity Chair at Leyden, says, "However, in this at least we all agree-we allow the scriptures to be the word which proceeded from God: Upon this common foundation we ought to do so much for the present and future good of Christendom, as to try whether by our agreement in this one fundamental point we might not proceed much further, and, by being charitably inclined towards each other, might not bear one with another in matters of ignorance and error, since we are all learners in the same school of Christ."-The younger Du Mouliu, in his tract on the Peace of the Soul, says: "Instead of enquiring about the points on which we differ, we should act far better in considering those on which we agree, and in giving God thanks for them. If any one should bring us intelligence, that a great kingdom or country had been discovered in Terra Australi Incognita, and that the Holy Scriptures, the Apostles' Creed or the twelve Articles of our belief, and the Four First Councils were there received, -it would undoubtedly give us no small satisfaction; and those people would be very dear to us, though they might differ from us in several points of doctrine raised upon this common foundation. Why, therefore, should we not bear with our friends and neighbours, with our own countrymen, who are at agreement with us in such a number of fundamentals ?"-Dr. Pierce says, in vindication of Bishop Davenant: "That reverend Bishop in his famous Epistle to Duræus, (which was one of the last, if not the very last thing he wrote, and that not long before his death,) affirmeth, that nothing is fundamental which is not comprehended in the Apostles' Creed. Amongst these he reckons the redemption of mankind in general, as really different from God's peculiar people; which he therefore does distinguish into two several articles. And this is one of those articles which he alledgeth as an expedient to reconcile the Protestant Churches. Which whosoever shall deny, is pronounced by the Bishop to deserve an excommunication, and to be a Christian only in name." He afterwards adds, "Bishop Davenaut, in his Pacificatory to Duræus, saith, that nothing belongs to the catholic and fundamental faith in these points of Free-will and Predestination, but this one thing—that all good is from God's grace, and all evil from ourselves.' He saith too, that the word CALVINIST is rather a sign of a faction, than a badge of brotherly 'union;' and sets down theses of God's decrees, which are flatly contradictory to many Anti-Remonstrants, if not to all."

These are the opinions of many great men who were either the cotemporaries or the predecessors of Arminius, all of whom seem to have been heartily tired of the endless disputes which were fomented in those days respecting points that the various parties deemed fundamental, or necessary to be believed unto salvation. Some of them had been members of the Synod of Dort, and at the close of life evidently felt certain compunctious visitings of conscience for having assisted at the formation of such a multitude of new articles of belief. When the errors of Popery were discarded, each of the Protestant communities (with the exception of the immense body of the Lutherans,) drew up its own peculiar Confession of Faith; in consequence of which, there was soon a perplexing variety. Some of them, it is seen, (page 646,) were afterwards altered; and, among the rest, the Dutch Confession. The zealots, therefore, had not a shadow of reason for opposing the revision of the Confession and the Catechism, both of which, when compared with our own invaluable Catechism and Articles, appear capable of being much amended.

without God's ordination," [or appointment]: If by the word "ordination" is signified, "that God appoints things of any kind to be done," this mode of enunciation is erroneous, and it follows as a consequence from it, that God is the author of sin. But if it signify, that "whatever it be that is done, God ordains it to a good end," the terms in which it is conceived are in that case correct.

5. Whether things utterly repugnant to each other may not be discovered in them. For instance, A certain individual who is highly honoured in the Church, addressed a letter to John Piscator, Professor of Divinity in the University of Herborn in Nassau, and in it he exhorted him to confine himself within the opinion of the Heidelberg Catechism on the doctrine of Justification. For this purpose he cited three passages, which he considered to be at variance with Piscator's sentiments. But the learned Professor replied, that he confined himself completely within the doctrinal boundaries of the Catechism; and then quoted out of that formulary ten or eleven passages as proofs of his sentiments. But I solemnly declare, I do not perceive by what method these several passages can possibly be reconciled with each other.

6. Whether every thing in these writings is digested in that due order in which the scripture requires them to be placed.

7. Whether all things are disposed in a manner the most suitable and convenient for preserving peace and unity with the rest of the Reformed Churches.

THIRDLY. The Third Reason is, because a National Synod is held for the purpose of discovering whether all things in the Church are in a proper state or right condition. One of the chief duties which appertains to such an assembly, is, the examination of doctrine, whether it be that which is admitted by unanimous consent, or that for which particular divines

contend.

FOURTHLY. The Fourth Reason is, because an examination of this description will obtain for these writings a greater degree of authority, when after a mature and rigid examination they shall be found to agree with the word of God, or shall be made conformable to it in a still greater measure. Such an examination will also excite within the minds of men a greater value for Christian ministers, when they perceive that these sacred functionaries hold in the highest estimation that truth which is revealed in Scripture, and that their attachment to it is so great as to induce them to spare no labour in order to render their VOL. I. TT