The English divines arrived at the Hague on the 5th November 1618:  they were immediately presented to the States General, and most honourably received.

[Sidenote:  The Synod of Dort.]

The King of France had permitted two Protestant theologians of his kingdom to attend the Synod; but afterwards revoked the permission.  The French Protestant churches had deputed to it, the celebrated Peter de Moulin and Andrew Rivet; but the King prohibited their attending it, under severe penalties.

After the election of the members was finally adjusted, the Synod appeared to be composed of about seventy Contra-Remonstrants and fourteen Arminians.

It was opened on the 13th of November 1618.  Two commissioners of the States placed themselves on the right side of the chimney of the room; the English divines were placed on the left; seats were kept vacant for the French; the third place was assigned to the deputies from the Palatinate; the fourth, to those from Hesse; the fifth, to the Swiss; the sixth to the Genevans; the seventh to the theologians from Bremen; and the eighth to those from Embden.  The professors of theology were placed immediately after the commissioners; then, the ministers and elders of the country.  By an arrangement, favoured by the States, thirty-six ministers and twenty elders were added to the five professors.  Of this the Remonstrants complained, on the just ground, that it evidently gave their adversaries an undue preponderance.

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  VI. 1618.]

The commissioners nominated the celebrated Daniel Heinsius secretary.  The Remonstrants objected to him; they admitted his extensive acquaintance with polite literature, and his elegant taste; but asserted, that he possessed no theological learning, and was prejudiced against them.  Episcopius was always considered to be at the head of the Remonstrants:  he has seldom been excelled in learning, eloquence, or power of argumentation.

No further business than arranging the forms of sitting and voting, was transacted at the first session of the Synod. At the second, the Synod constituted John Bogerman its president, and appointed two assessors and two secretaries:  all five were distinguished for their known hostility to the Remonstrants.  The appointment of Bogerman particularly offended them, as he openly avowed it to be his opinion that heretics should be punished by death; and had translated into the Dutch language the celebrated treatise of Beza, de haereticis a civili magistratu puniendis, in which this doctrine is explicitly maintained in its fullest extent.

[Sidenote:  The Synod of Dort.]

In the third session,—­the deputies from Geneva produced their commission:  it was expressed in terms decidedly hostile to the Remonstrants.

In the fourth session,—­the grand preliminary question,—­in what manner the Remonstrants were to be summoned,—­came under consideration.  After much argument, it was settled, by a great majority of voices, that “Episcopius and some other Remonstrants should within a fortnight, appear before the Synod, as the sovereign ecclesiastical tribunal of the United States.”