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assertions of a similar kind. And when called upon to give proofs of what he had thus publicly advanced, he merely referred to the testimony of the publications already alluded to, in vindication of his statements. Shameful and wanton as was such conduct of this wholesale libeller, whose insults formerly tended to hurry Arminius to an early grave, it was only the prelude to fouler attacks upon the character and opinions of the subject of these memoirs.

CHAPTER VI.

In the year 1613, a circumstance occurred to Episcopius, with which we should not be disposed to trouble the reader, were it not that it may serve to show the state of party feeling in Holland at the time it took place. Being solicited by his brother Egbert to stand sponsor, or witness, at the baptism of his first child, but apprehending that, if he concurred with his request, he might be annoyed by Plancius, the minister of Amsterdam, who has before been named as the violent opposer of Arminianism, and of those who had embraced it, he therefore deemed it proper to decline attending at the ceremony. That he had just grounds for believing that this might be the case, a statement of the following fact, as it took place with Uitenbogaerdt, will sufficiently prove. This gentleman being present as a witness on the occasion of the baptism of his son's child, the minister, Plancius, instead of putting the question to the father and Uitenbogaerdt, according to the formulary drawn up for that purpose in the synod of 1586, which asks "whether they did not acknowledge the doctrine contained in the Old and New Testaments, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and accordingly taught in the Christian Church, to be the complete doctrine of salvation?" artfully changed the question so as to ask them "if they did not acknowledge that the doctrine there taught, and contained in the Old and New Testaments, and in the articles of the Christian faith, was the true and perfect doctrine of salvation?" Uitenbogaerdt, not aware of this piece of trickery, answered, Yes.

Scarcely had he got out of the church before he found out his mistake, inasmuch as he was laughed at and taunted as he passed through the streets, as being an apostate Remonstrant, by Plancius' friends, who, instead of being checked by the age, the talents, and the station of this distinguished minister, seemed, on the contrary, to enjoy the gross pleasure that this artifice had afforded them of making him the butt of their indecent jokes and mockery. This venerable man complained to this clergyman of his conduct, as he also did to the magistrates, the latter of whom engaged to prevent any thing of the kind occurring in future.

It cannot be matter of surprise that Episcopius should feel reluctant to place himself in a situation which would render him liable to similar attempts at deception; and he could not be persuaded to comply with the request of his brother till the latter promised him that the baptism should be deferred till Plancius' turn for preaching had passed, and Heyden's should commence, who was considered a more amiable man than the former, and had always made use of the formulary as it stood in the book, which ought to be used on the occasion. The way ap pearing tolerably clear, he finally consented to be present at the ceremony, and went to the church for that purpose. After the sermon they approached the font; and though Heyden must have been aware that the magistrates had declared that the alteration of the formulary by Plancius, in the case of Uitenbogaerdt, should not be allowed again, yet he could not resist the inclination he felt to tease the young Remonstrant professor, seeing that he had him, as he thought, in his power; and at once playing the part of Plancius, he asked him "whether he did not own all that was contained in the Old and New Testaments, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and what was taught there, to be the true and perfect doctrine of salvation?" After all that had been said in favour of Heyden, and of his using the formulary without varying it, Episcopius was not so put off his guard by it as to be insensible of the change he had made, and therefore, intending to avoid the dilemma into which Uitenbogaerdt had fallen, took care to answer in a loud tone, "Yes!-but as it is expressed in the formulary, that has the word accordingly

inserted in it." So said his brother and some gentlemen who were standing by, whom they did not know; adding that they would bear witness anywhere and everywhere to his answer. This was too much for Heyden, who, being defeated in his design, kindled into anger, and began to use the most abusive language, calling him a bold, presumptuous, and impudent fellow. Episcopius merely replied, "that if he were not satisfied with the answer he had given, he would withdraw, and not assist at the baptism." The ceremony, however, was completed, and he bowed courteously to Heyden and five other ministers who were present on the occasion, but they refused to return the compliment. These gentlemen, it appears, had promised themselves a treat, for such an assembly of them, it is remarked, was quite unusual in the church; but being grievously disappointed at Episcopius' answer, they did not know how to suppress their chagrin and mortification. Their conduct, however, acted as a signal to the people of their disapprobation of him, and following the hint, they furiously assailed him in the church with the most violent and insulting language; even the dog-whipper seized hold of him, which was witnessed by these ministers without their interference; and though he returned to the place where they were standing, for the purpose of justifying himself, they only treated him with scorn. Indeed," says he, in writing to Uitenbogaerdt, and giving an account of this affair, "when I went to them to vindicate myself, and endeavour to induce them to allay the excitement, I found them in such a temper that after they had heard me they treated me as rudely as the people had done, who, if they had known what had passed between us, would have used us much worse than they did; but, as it was, they saw enough to satisfy them that they had the ministers on their side, in the treatment they showed to me and my friends, and they fell upon us more furiously than before, and began to prepare to stone us as we got into the streets; and I can only attribute it to the special interference of the restraining power of God that we were not seriously hurt, if not actually murdered, by this infuriated people."

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This circumstance, which happened on the second of April, excited the attention of the magistrates of Amster

dam, who, on the following day, summoned Episcopius before them, not with the most kindly feelings, in order that they might make inquiries into this affair, supposing him to have been the occasion of the late tumult. This was done in all probability at the suggestion of the Amsterdam ministers, who were so much opposed to him, and with the design of bringing upon him the displeasure of those gentlemen who had hitherto been his friends and patrons. When he appeared in their presence he was charged by them "as having acted very imprudently in going to the baptism of his brother's child, after he knew what had happened to Uitenbogaerdt in the same circumstances, inasmuch as he might have supposed that something of a similar kind would occur to him, and therefore he ought to have gone to the minister, and requested him to use such a formulary as he could have answered to without any scruples; or when thus interrogated, it had been better if he had been silent, than, by replying as he did, be the occasion of so much tumult."

To these remarks Episcopius said that "he certainly thought that there would not have been a recurrence of what took place in the case of Uitenbogaerdt for the following reasons:-First, because Plancius had been reproved for it both by the magistrates and the consistory, which must have been known to Heyden; and secondly, that as Heyden was not considered to be so captious in his temper as Plancius, he had therefore waited till it was his turn to officiate at the public service, the more especially as, since the affair of Uitenbogaerdt, he had invariably used the formulary as it stood in the books appointed to be used on the occasion." On the second point he observed, "Suppose I had been silent, how could they have proceeded with the baptism? Besides, my silence would have been interpreted into approval. The fact is, gentlemen, I could but do as I did; for had I not spoken, then they would say of me what they do of Uitenbogaerdt, whom they call a dumb dog, and one who dare not speak his sentiments, when an opportunity is offered to him for that purpose. And, indeed, I am not certain that the same "Be tumult had not taken place if I had been silent." it so," it was replied, "but one thing is certain, that the way in which you did answer was the cause of its taking

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place." "True," said Episcopius, "but that was occasioned by Heyden's not admitting that he meant his question to be in accordance with the printed formulary." "But pray," said a burgomaster, "ought you to expect others to accommodate their sentiments to yours? or alterations to be made to please you?" "Sir," said Episcopius, "I ask for none, because I want none; I only require that changes and novelties may not be imposed upon me. I do not wish Heyden to do any thing against his conscience; but by the same rule he ought to respect mine, and to have presented the question as it was agreed upon in the synod of 1586, and printed and placed in the pulpit for general use on such occasions." As several of the burgomasters still insisted that he ought to have been silent, he said, "Gentlemen, since you continue to assert that I ought to have been silent, I beg leave to ask your honours whether you consider the answer I returned to Heyden's question in the character of a crime, or whether a more reasonable or Christian reply could have been given, than that which admitted the doctrine taught there as a Reformed Church to be true, so far as it was in accordance with the word of God; and as this was my meaning, why should an answer implying this be considered as offensive and wrong? And I would farther state, that I do admit that doctrines are taught there which, in my judgment, are not in accordance with truth; nevertheless, I do not wish it to be understood that I intended to assert, or insinuate by my answer, that the fundamentals of Christianity are not taught in that Church: and answer the question, as it was proposed to me, I could not with satisfaction to my conscience, without such a limitation." "But," said one of the burgomasters, "if you had no objection to what was contained in the catechism or doctrine of the Church, you would have found no difficulty in giving your answer to the question in the affirmative." To this Episcopius replied, "Sir, I have given no man reason to say that I have any objection to the catechism; my answer did not regard what is contained in it, but what is taught in that Church; and surely I may demur at the particular opinions of any man or number of men, without disavowing the catechism or fundamental doctrines of our holy religion. There is an

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