the favourite of the same body, was similarly tainted by heretical notions; or at least that his teaching had some kind of tendency to unworthy ideas of the Divine Being: while, on the other hand, the intimate friendship subsisting between James and the Prince of Orange impelled him to assist in the depression of a party, who, by the admixture of the political elements to which we have before adverted, had become in a great degree identified with the opposition to that house. a deputation But in what way soever the English monarch was who sends incited, whether by the strength of these causes, or of of Divines. others which have been suggested by different writers', he answered the earnest solicitations of the States by sending a private deputation of divines to the national synod of Dort. These were George Carleton, bishop of Llandaff, afterwards of Chichester; Joseph Hall, at that time dean of Worcester, and afterwards the distinguished bishop of Exeter and Norwich; John Davenant, Margaret Professor at Cambridge, and afterwards bishop of Salisbury; and Samuel Ward, master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and archdeacon of Taunton3. With the exception of Their characCarleton, who was always reputed a most rigid Calvinist, these divines may be classed with the more moderate of the party who opposed the system of Arminius, and with respect to the benefits of infant baptism, or the actual reception of grace by many, who did not afterwards persevere1, the opinions of question the absolute perfections of the Divine attributes. Ibid. 1 Collier, II. 716. 2 Whatever this synod may signify in some place we have nothing to do with it. The English that appeared there were no other than four courtdivines; their commission and instruction were only from the King... they had no delegation from the bishops and by con sequence were no representatives 3 They were joined in the Hales's Letters from the ter, tions. Ward and Davenant had been drawn exclusively from Hippo, in contradistinction to Geneva. They were on this account well fitted to carry out the intention of the King, by advocating those principles in the and instruc- synod, which might tend to the mitigation of the heat on both sides,' and dissuade the Contra-remonstrants in particular from 'delivering in the pulpit to the people those things for ordinary doctrines which are the highest points of schools'.' It is moreover asserted that the King instructed them to lay special emphasis upon the doctrine of universal redemption, -a tenet which pursued in its just consequences is sufficient to overthrow the whole Calvinian system of the five points?.' asserts that the efficacy of bap- 1 See the Royal Instructions, 2 Dr Waterland, Works II. 348. Oxf. 1843. This question was first handled by Balcanqual, the Scotch deputy of King James, (Hales, Letters, 74), and from his own correspondence (Ibid. 2) we learn that Davenant and Ward agreed in maintaining that Christ died for all particular men,' while Carleton and Goade persisted in the belief that He died 'only for the elect, who consist of all sorts of men.' The Calvinistic limitation prevailed for a while (Ibid. 4); but the following extract from a subsequent letter of the same divine, April 14, implies that the English theologians had afterwards returned to the question: "The deputies appointed by the synod have taken pains, I must needs confess, to give our Colledge all satisfaction; besides the second Article [on the extent of Christ's death], some of our Colledge have been earnest to have this proposition out: "Infideles damnabuntur non solum of the Synod. On the arrival of the deputies at Dort the busi- Proceedings ness of the meeting was begun, though the representatives of Arminianism did not arrive till the fourth of the following month'. The president, elected at the outset, was Bogermann, one of the sternest of the Contra-remonstrant party, who had openly stated his opinion that all who refused the Calvinistic dogmas should be punished by the civil sword. The assessors and secretaries who were appointed at his wish, had been trained in the same rigid school, so that when Episcopius and his party saluted the synod at the meeting of December the 7th, it was not difficult to foresee that the cause which they expressed themselves willing to defend, had been virtually predetermined. If any doubts existed on this point, they were dispelled by a circumstance which happened on the morrow; for two of the Arminian deputies from Utrecht, who had taken their places with the other members of the synod, were now ordered to renounce that character, and to associate in future with the thirteen others who had been formally cited3 as delinquents. In vain did Episcopius urge them to discuss the controverted questions publicly and seriatim: his appeal to the Scriptures and to solid reason1,' was met ob infidelitatem, sed etiam ob for three months, writes (Dec. omnia alia peccata sua tam ori- 6, 1618, stylo novo): 'The armies ginale quam actualia:" because have been in sight one of anthey say that from thence may other and have had some parley.' be inferred that original sin is Letters, 23. not remitted to all who are baptized, which opinion hath been by more then one councel condemned as heretical: They have, therefore, at their request put it out, 34: cf. Sententia Theologorum Magnæ Britanniæ de Articulo secundo, Acta Synod. Dordrecht. Part II. 100-106. 2 He had before this time translated into Dutch the notorious Treatise of Beza, 'De Hæreticis a civili magistratu puniendis.' 3 Hales, ubi sup. 26. seqq. A third deputy from Utrecht, 'professed to submit himself to the judgment of the synod, if they shall decide according to his conscience,' 33. 4 Ibid. 39. It was conceded the Armin ians. by a demand of the president for unquestioning submission to the terms imposed by himself and the synod, and when the Remonstrants with an air of defiance protested against an authority which they deemed Expulsion of imperious and unjust, they were eventually dismissed the assembly, deprived of their ecclesiastical appointments, and banished out of the territory of the Dutch republic. How sad must have been the feelings which this spectacle excited in the breast of the future Bp Hall! He did not however stay to see the end of the proceedings1, for the failure of his health induced him to solicit a recall from his royal master, and his place was very speedily supplied by Dr Thomas Goade, who had distinguished himself as one of the prosecuModeration tors of Barrett more than twenty years before. Time had in some measure softened the acerbity of his spirit, and it is satisfactory to observe that throughout the whole course of the discussions, from the opening of the synod to its close, the conduct of the English theologians, more especially of Davenant and Ward, was always on the side of Christian moderation, as well as of Christian truth. When they finally returned to their own country2 in April, 1619, they left a salutary of the English. by the synod that the Remon- 1 He had preached in the among other means of reconciliation a full discussion of Rom. ix. by the two contending parties: Agite ergo, viri judices, si me auditis, jubete, ut pars utraque litigantium, brevem, claram, apertamque sine fuco sine ambagibus, illius loci paraphrasin, sancta Synodo, fraterna manu, exhibeat.' Acta Synodi Dordrecht. 46. 2 Balcanqual's last letter is dated 25 of April stylo loci.' The Synod itself closed May 9, 1619, with the 154th Session. Guerike, II. 522. advice. admonition in the ears of their over-zealous colleagues: Their parting 'If questions happen to arise which the reformed Churches have not hitherto decided, and if they are discussed by learned and holy men, without any detriment to the faith, it is not seemly in grave and moderate divines to obtrude upon all others their own way of thinking. In such a case all is well, provided only the diversity of opinions break not the bond of peace among the clergy, nor be the means of disseminating faction. We suggest, moreover, that of those things which are established on the sure foundation of the Word of God, there are some, which ought not to be promiscuously inculcated upon all, but touched in the proper time and place with tenderness and judgment. One of them is the sublime mystery of predestination, sweet indeed and most full of comfort, but to them who are rooted in the faith, and exercised in holy living; for to such only will it prove an unfailing bulwark in the midst of the grievous struggles of the conscience. But truly when the imprudence of certain preachers exposes this profound inquiry to men who have not learned as they ought the first principles of religion, and whose mind is still rioting in carnal affections, it follows as the necessary consequence that while they dispute on the mysteries of predestination, they are abandoning the salutary Gospel, and while they dream of nothing else but predestination unto life, they enter not on the way everlasting as it is marked out for the predestined. Still greater need of caution is there in approaching the mystery of reprobation, not only that it may be handled sparingly and prudently, but also that in the expounding of it the horrible and unscriptural opinions be avoided which lead rather to desperation than to the edification of the people, and which are now one of the most grievous scandals in some of the reformed Churches. Finally, let us so think of the most precious merit of Christ's death that we spurn not the opinions of the Early Church, nor the Confessions of the Reformed Communions, and what is of the highest moment, |