The Articles of the Synod of Dort, and Its Rejection of Errors; With the History of Events Which Made Way for That Synod, as Published by the Authority of the States-General and the Documents Confirming Its Decisions (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE PREFACE. TO, THE REFORMED CHURCHES OF CHRIST, WHICH THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THOSE CONTROVERSIES IN BELGIUM, FOR THE REMOVAL OP WHICH THIS SYNOD WAS ESPECIALLY HELD, ABE BRIEFLY AND FAITHFULLY RELATED. INTRODUCTION TO THIS PREFACE. BY THE AUTHOR. In perusing this preface, and the history contained in it, the reader should especially recollect, that it was drawn up and published by the authority and with the sanction of the States General, and the Prince of Orange, as well as by that of the Synod itself; and that, in every part of it, the actb, or public records in which the events recorded were registered, are referred to, with the exact dates of each transaction. No history can therefore be attested as authentic, in a more satisfactory and unexceptionable manner: for, whatever degree of coloring prejudices or partiality may be supposed to have given to the narration; it can hardly be conceived, that collective bodies, and individuals filling up such conspicuous and exalted stations, would expressly attest any thing directly false; and then appeal to authorities, by which the falsehood of their statement might at any time be detected and exposed. It should also be remembered, that prejudices and partiality would be as likely to color the account given to the world, and transmitted to posterity by the opposite side; while the very circumstances, in which they were placed, would render it impracticable for them to substantiate the authenticity of their narrative in the same manner. Yet, contrary to all rules of a sober and unbiassed judgment, the unauthenticated histories of the Remonstrants concerning the Synod of Dort have, almost exclusively, been noticed and credited by posterity, especially in this country, to the neglect of the authentic records. In giv...