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Disputation LIV

On the Holy Councils

Godlycke Stellinghen, vande Heylighe Concilien

Draft. This translation has not had its final review. Arminius's Latin is lost; the English is made from a Dutch translation, so quote it with care.
PresidingJacobus Arminius
RespondentG. Wirtzeus de Bergomo
Date1608 (the print gives the year only; the day date 5 Sept 1608 is from the edition's register of respondents and Stanglin, who takes it from Reael's preface to the Verclaringhe, fol. 004r; not read from this witness)
Text printed fromJohannes Lydius, Dry Tractaetgens vande Ordre int beroepen ende beleydinge der jaerlijcsche Synoden (t'Amsterdam: Jan Evertsz. Cloppenburch, 1610), pp. 9–24 (half-title p. 9; text pp. 11–24)
WitnessNo copy of Arminius's Latin text of this disputation is known. This English is translated from the Dutch translation by Johannes Lydius, printed in 1610, which is the only form in which the disputation survives. It is therefore two translations removed from what Arminius wrote, and no reading in it can be checked against his own words. Witness: the Leiden copy, UL Sem. Rem. 2324 (Google scan, 1-bit JBIG2 at 600 ppi), the same copy Stanglin cites; Stanglin's text is edited from this same Lydius print and is NOT an independent witness. Translator: Johannes Lydius (named). Latin original: lost (Petit 1936; Stanglin). Removes: three (Arminius's lost Latin → Lydius's Dutch → English). State: sole witness. The Dutch half-title gives the respondent as 'G. VVIRTZEVS de BERGOMO' and the date as '1608' only; the day date 5 Sept 1608 (the edition's register of respondents; Stanglin, from Reael's preface to the Verclaringhe) is not printed here and is unverified from this witness. One printed reading may reverse the argument: Thesis XV, 'Maer soo en is den Paus met sijne Cardinalen Ergo', where the syllogism needs 'is' and the print has the negative 'en'; translated as printed and marked [sic]. Readings in heavily inked lines are marked ‹›; where the plate could not show letters, a small number of readings were taken from Stanglin 2010's transcription of the same Lydius print (a second reader of this print, not a witness) and are listed in the transcription notes.
Headnote

Occasion. No copy of Arminius's Latin text of this disputation is known. This English is translated from the Dutch translation by Johannes Lydius, printed in 1610, which is the only form in which the disputation survives. It is therefore two translations removed from what Arminius wrote, and no reading in it can be checked against his own words. The Dutch half-title names the respondent as G. Wirtzeus de Bergomo and dates the theses 1608. Lydius, minister at Oudewater, printed them first of the "three little tracts" on calling and conducting synods that make up his volume.

Authorship. By the convention of the Leiden faculty the theses are the presiding professor's; the student defended them. Stanglin argues the case for Arminius's authorship of the disputations at length, and it is his argument, not ours.

The doctrinal move. A preface places the council among the guards God sets over a Church he leaves exposed to strife. The theses then clear the word (I), set aside civil councils (II), justify the name "holy" (III), and give the definition (IV). After two schemes of division (V) the argument climbs the orders one by one: diocesan (VI), provincial (VII), national (VIII), then the council of the whole earth (X–XII). Limits are set along the way (IX). The right to convoke is left "arbitrary", and the Papists are faulted for giving it to a patriarch (VIII). After a word on the council's fruit (XIII), the second half changes method. Each thesis takes one disputed question, states the Papist position, and answers it with numbered reasons (Ten eersten, Ten tweeden …) drawn from Scripture, the ancient councils and the canonists. The questions are: who convokes (XIV–XV), who may sit and vote (XVI), who presides and with what office (XVII–XIX), whether the Pope is above the council (XX), and whether councils can err (XXI). XXII then grants the lawful council its authority, and makes that authority hang on Scripture.

Where it is answered. In the same volume. Lydius, "door den oversetter" (title page), prints Een corte ontdeckinghe der grove fauten begrepen inde Godlijcke stellinghen vande Concilien D. D. Iacobi Armini straight after the theses (p. 25 ff., PDF p. 33). Thesis 20 was partly translated again in Lijsbet Reael's preface to the Verclaringhe and in Gomarus's Proeve. Neither is collated here. No answer by Wesley has been identified.

Preface

Dutch

Onse Heere Iesus, heeft het huys des alghemeenen gheloofs, op de vyantlijcke gront ghestift, ende en weert oock niet de ghestadighe stryt, recht ofte hy wilde, dat het selve onderworpen ware de draeyinghe van het Fatum / dat is, Gods ordinantie daer men niet teghen doen can, op dat haer cracht door de ghestadighe quellinghe ghesterckt werde, daer en tusschen soo versiet de ghenadighe Godt haer met wachte, die voor haer welvaren sorghe, onder welcke het Concilium uytsteeckt, als een teghenwoordighe Medecijn, van beyder fortuyne, een solaes in teghenspoet, ende steunsel in voorspoet, van welckers toebereydinghe, dewyle inde werelt grooten twist is, soo sal onse ghetrouwicheyt met naersticheyt ondersoecken, wat wy ghevoelen moeten, naer het uytwysen vande rechte Boecken.

English

Our Lord Jesus founded the house of the universal faith on hostile ground, and does not ward off from it even continual strife, just as if he willed that it should be subject to the turning of Fatum, that is, God's ordinance, against which one can do nothing, so that its strength might be made strong by continual affliction. Meanwhile, the gracious God provides it with guards who take care for its welfare. Among these the Concilium stands out, as a present medicine for either fortune, a solace in adversity and a support in prosperity. And since there is great dispute in the world about how it is to be prepared, our faithfulness shall diligently inquire what we ought to hold, according to the showing of the right Books.

"That is, God's ordinance, against which one can do nothing" glosses Fatum*. The gloss may be Lydius's own, and it is a theological one: it makes pagan fate into divine ordinance. From the Dutch alone there is no telling whether the Latin glossed the word or Lydius did.*

Thesis I

Dutch

HEt woordt Concilium is de Latijnsche niet onbekent / maer bekender byde Kercke / ende alsoo Festus seyt / het comt a consulendo, dat is / van raedt gheven / om dat de Roomsche cracht het Concilium inghestelt hadde / om raet int ghemeen te nemen. In de heylighe schriften des Ouden ende des Nieuwen Testaments / comt het dickmaels voort / zijn macht verandert somwijlen na de aert des landes / ghemeynlijck beteecken het in verscheyden plaetsen de hooghe aensittinghen der Propheten Apostolen / Paeusen / Priesteren ende Ouderlinghen / by de sommighe doch weynighe meent het een vergaderinghe des ganschen volckes / weyniger / een tsamenlopinghe der Godloosen / de meynichste de Kercke. Wy moeten uyt het ghestadich ghebruyck der latijnscher tale/ den oorspronck des woorts / ende schriften der Godsaliger menschen ghevoelen/ dat het Concilium eyghentlijck niet anders en is/ als een doorluchtighe Colegie vande voorneemste mannen / dewelcke tot sulckes verweckt zijnde/ de sorghe bevolen is.

English

The word Concilium is not unknown to the Latin tongue, but it is better known in the Church. As Festus says, it comes a consulendo, that is, from giving counsel, because the Roman power had instituted the Council in order to take counsel in common. In the holy writings of the Old and the New Testament it occurs often. Its force sometimes changes with the character of the country; commonly, in various places, it signifies the high sessions of the Prophets, Apostles, Popes, Priests and Elders. With some, though few, it means an assembly of the whole people; with fewer, a concourse of the ungodly; with the most, the Church. From the constant usage of the Latin tongue, from the origin of the word, and from the writings of godly men, we must hold that the Council is properly nothing other than an illustrious college of the foremost men, who, raised up for such a thing, have had the care of it committed to them.

Thesis II

Dutch

Naer de verscheydenheyt der saecken/ in de welcke alle delibratie der menschen wert bestedet/ so werden ons twee soorten van Concilien voorghestelt in de iaertijtds boecken / Geestelijcke ende Wereltlijcke / de eene is de aertsche / de andere de Hemelsche Republijke toegheeygent. De scherpsinnighe sorghe der sterffelijckheyt die middelt daerse mach / op dat haer broosheyt haer uyt strecke boven de menschelijcke mate. Als dese ghemerckt hadde / de daverende beweginghe der republijcke/heeft haer versekert door de Concilien/ op welckers schouderen datse steunen soude in vermoetheyt / ende door welckers wachte sy bloeyen soude in voorspoet. Maer dit is eens anders kooren / uyt welcke ick mijn seyne met voor bedachten raet sal houden. Dit heeft my alleen ghedacht / in het verby gaen aen te raecken / dat de Stadt Godts wentelt met de vloeden des werelts / dewelcke daerom van Gode versien is met de heylighe Concilien / welcke alleen dese onse nachtwake neerstich sal ondersoecken.

English

According to the diversity of the matters on which all the deliberation of men is spent, two sorts of Councils are set before us in the annals, spiritual and worldly: the one is assigned to the earthly commonwealth, the other to the heavenly. The shrewd care of mortality finds means where it can, so that its frailty may reach beyond the human measure. Having noticed the tottering motion of the commonwealth, it made itself secure by Councils, on whose shoulders it might lean in weariness and by whose watch it might flourish in prosperity. But this is another man's corn, and I shall keep my sickle out of it of set purpose. I have thought it enough only to touch in passing on this: that the City of God is rolled about with the floods of the world, and for that reason has been provided by God with the holy Councils, which alone this our night-watch shall diligently examine.

Thesis III

Dutch

Ick werde door veel argumenten beweecht / om de selve met de glorieuse Keyseren / ende salighe Outvaderen / heylich te noemen/ dit eene sy in plaetse van alle / dat dese benaminghe rechtelijck tot het inghewant doorsien zijnde / toont met opghetoghen seylen/ alle het gheene dat aldaer blincket. Sy werden heylich ghenoemt / soo is hy den Autheur / diet ghemoet moet vereeren / ende die alleen heylich is / de eeuwighe Godt. Laet dan verre wech ghedaen zijn de ydelheden des menschelijcken tijts ; laet wijcken die niet oprecht van herten zijn / de onvroome / overdadighe / luye / gierighe / die seer naer eere ende hoocheyt staen / heylich werden sy genoemt /soo laet dan hastelijc wech sluppen schandelijcke kivagie / lust tot twist / opgheblasentheyt van woorden/liefde tot partischap ende alle blinde affecten / op dat de waerheyt vrouwe blyve van het velt / ende door swacke menschelijcke bystant geholpen zijnde/winne/regeere/ ende ghebiede.

English

I am moved by many arguments to call them holy, together with the glorious Emperors and the blessed Fathers. Let this one stand in place of all: that this name, rightly looked through to its inward parts, shows with sails hoisted all that shines there. They are called holy because He is their Author whom the mind must honour, and who alone is holy, the eternal God. Let the vanities of human time, then, be put far away; let those withdraw who are not upright of heart, the impious, the intemperate, the idle, the covetous, who strive hard after honour and high place. Holy they are called: so let shameful wrangling, love of strife, puffed-up words, love of faction, and all blind affections quickly slip away, that truth may remain mistress of the field and, helped by weak human aid, may win, reign, and command.

Thesis IV

Dutch

Dese dinghen alsoo alleenlijck met het opperste vande lippen aengheroert hebbende / soo is een yder geneycht / ende blijckelijck sonder eenighe omweghen / vande heylighe Concilien dit oordeel te gheven / dat hoe zijn wettelijcke ende vrye by een komsten/der gheleerde ende Godsalighe Mannen / inde welcke / sachtsinnich / pertinentelijck / ende inde vreese Godts/ met vergelijckinghe der stemmen / na dat de redenen ondersocht zijn / de ghemeynten met ghemeyn consent verclaert wert / wat de heylige Schriftuere uyt spreke vande saken tot de Religie behoorende.

English

Having thus touched these things only with the tip of the lips, everyone is inclined, plainly and without any circumlocution, to give this judgment of the holy Councils: that they are lawful and free meetings of learned and godly men, in which, gently, pertinently, and in the fear of God, with comparison of the votes, after the reasons have been examined, it is declared to the congregations with common consent what the holy Scripture pronounces concerning the matters belonging to religion.

Thesis V

Dutch

By de voorneemste Theologis / wert haer deylinghe dryerhande bevonden. De eerste stelt de Prophetische ende de Apostolische Concilien / welckers authoriteyt niet mach wederstaen werden / sy gae met de Godlijcke schrift ghelijcks tredes / de andere der Bisschoppen / die namaels ghevolghet zijn / welcke niet vremt is/ datse als van minder merck zijnde / somwijlen met den nevel der dwalinghen zijn verwert. De laetste seyt / de sommighe wettelijck te zijn / als die inden name Christi vergadert werden / die ander daerenteghen onwettelijcke. De laeste dienen voornemelijck tot ons propoost ende voornemen ende wert uyt den heylighen Augustino ghenomen / waer door de Concilien op dese maniere onderscheyden werden / dat de sommighe zijn van Provincien / de sommighe van Natien / de sommighe des gheheelen aertbodems.

English

Among the foremost Theologians their division is found to be threefold. The first sets the Prophetic and Apostolic Councils, whose authority may not be withstood, for it goes with equal step with the divine Scripture; and the others, those of the Bishops, which followed afterwards, and which, being of less mark, have (it is no wonder) sometimes been confused with the mist of errors. The last says that some are lawful, as those which are gathered in the name of Christ, and the others, on the contrary, unlawful. The last serves chiefly our purpose and intention, and it is taken from Saint Augustine: by it the Councils are distinguished in this manner, that some are of Provinces, some of Nations, some of the whole earth.

Thesis VI

Dutch

Eer ick nu met een cort in een ghedronghen voet / door elckes loope / soo achte ick datmen de vierde soorte hier by moet voeghen / uyt de vierde Synode van Toledo / by den heylighen Augustinum wert hier van gheen mentie ghemaeckt. Men weet uyt het twaelffste boeck Eusebij / int twee en twintichste Capittel datse ooc in oude tijden ghebruyckelijck zijn gheweest. Sy werden beschreven vergaderinghen der gheleerde ende der Ouderlinghen van een plaetse ofte Bisdom / in welcke een Bisschop presideert / hier toe inghestelt / op datse inde selve / de gheresene twisten vant leven ende leere ondersoecken ende oordeelen / na dat den heylighen Gheest inde Schriftuere sprekende vereyscht. Soo danich is gheweest dat eerwaerdich ende eedel Concili / vant welcke staet Actorum 15 ofte t'ghene van welcke ghesproken wert Acto. 21. in de sake vande Godlijcke Paulo. Op dese maniere achte ick dat uyt de oude schriften blijckt dat de Godt vruchtighe Dienstknechten Godts gheoordeelt / de sententie uytghesproken ende na haer vermoghen uytgevoert hebben tot Alexandrien / om den Gods lasteraer Arrio door de alghemeyne Synode van Nicea / ende tot Antiochien vande Godlosen Samosateno. Hier en boven soo moet men hier aenmercken / dat men niet behoort te brenghen tot de hogher orden Concilien / t'welck door de leger can ende moet neder gheleyt werden / maer sijn de saken anders gheleghen / soo gaet men vryelijck vande eerste / door de middelste tot de uyterste / door den wech / welcke de waerheydt thoont by Mattheum int 19. Capittel.

English

Before I now run through each of them at a short and compressed pace, I judge that a fourth sort must be added here, from the fourth Synod of Toledo; Saint Augustine makes no mention of it. It is known from the twelfth book of Eusebius, in the twenty-second chapter, that these too were in use in ancient times. They are described as assemblies of the learned and of the Elders of one place or diocese, in which a Bishop presides, appointed to this, so that in them they may examine and judge the disputes that have arisen about life and doctrine, as the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture requires. Of such a kind was that venerable and noble Council of which Acts 15 speaks, or that of which mention is made in Acts 21, in the matter of the godly Paul. In this manner, I judge, it is plain from the ancient writings that the God-fearing servants of God judged, pronounced sentence, and according to their power carried it out: at Alexandria, concerning the blasphemer Arius, by the general Synod of Nicaea; and at Antioch, concerning the ungodly Samosatenus. Furthermore, one must note here that what can and must be settled by the lower Councils ought not to be brought to those of higher order. But if matters lie otherwise, one proceeds freely from the first, through the middle, to the uttermost, by the way which the truth shows in Matthew, in the 19th chapter.

Thesis VII

Dutch

De Provinciale Synoden gaen een hooghe pas / soo ten aensien vande menighte der bysitteren / soo oock door de groote macht om te richten. Van dese spreeckt Eusebius in sijn vijfde boeck in't veertiende Capittel. De gheloovighe (seyt hy) door Asien quamen in veel plaetsen van Asien/ dickmaels om dese oorsake (te weten de ketterye Montani) by een / ende ondersochten de nieuw ghebooren leeringhen ende verclaerdense ongheweyet te zijn/ ende die ketterie verwerpende worpen syse uyt de ghemeynte / ende dedense in den ban. Het zijn dan by eencomsten der gheloovighen [ het sy dat het Bisschoppen zijn/ ofte andere/ welcke de verdienste haerder deught/ ende liefde Gods waerdich gemaeckt heeft om dese by gevoeght te werden ] uyt eene provincie vergadert / om naerstelijck aen te mercken die dinghen die sy achten nuttelijck ende nodich te zijn tot de oeffeninghe der leere / ende der gantscher Kerckelijcke Politien oprechticheyt/ vrede/ verbeteringhe / ende bescherminghe der Kercken. Het heeft eertydts een ghewoonlijcke instellinghe gheweest / sodanighe Synoden te houden door een ordinare Wet/ welcke de Magistraet geapprobeert hadde / alsmen sien mach uyt den vierden Canon van't Concilij van Nicenen / waer in besloten wert/ dat jaerlijckx twee mael in elcke Provincie een Concilij der Bisschoppen by een come. Daerom soo wast die vande hooftstat gheoorloft de selve te beroepen/ ende in de selve te presydeeren/ofte eenigh ander Bisschop / welcke die sorghe extraordinaris is opgeleyt. Ten tyde des outvaderen / is gheen soorte van Concilien soo seer als dese onderhouden/ soo overmidts datse haestelijck by een gheroepen costen werden/ soo oock om dat sy verstonden / dat de moeyten in hare Kercken geresen / niet sonder groote schade sulcken langhen tijdt uyt ghestelt werden / tot dat de Nationale Synoden / ofte de alghemeyne werden beschreven. Hierom soo is in het Concilij van Constantinopolen bestemt / dat soo yetwes in eenighe Provincie opreês / door t'Concilie der selver Provincie soude gheeyndighet werden. Welcke besluyt den Keyser Theodosius mede goedt ghevonden heeft/ alsoo Socrates ghetuyghet in sijn vijfde boeck / in't achtste Capittel.

English

The Provincial Synods go at a higher pace, both in regard of the number of the assessors and through their great power to judge. Of these Eusebius speaks in his fifth book, in the fourteenth chapter: "The faithful (he says) throughout Asia came together often, in many places of Asia, for this cause (namely, the heresy of Montanus), and examined the newly born teachings and declared them profane; and, rejecting that heresy, they cast them out of the congregation and put them under the ban." They are, then, meetings of the faithful [whether they be Bishops, or others whom the merit of their virtue and the love of God has made worthy to be joined to these] gathered out of one province, to take diligent note of those things which they judge useful and necessary for the exercise of doctrine; for the uprightness of the whole ecclesiastical polity; and for the peace, amendment, and protection of the Churches. It was formerly a customary institution to hold such Synods by an ordinary law which the Magistrate had approved, as may be seen from the fourth Canon of the Council of Nicaea, in which it was decreed that a Council of the Bishops should meet twice yearly in each Province. For that reason it was permitted to the bishop of the chief city to convoke it and to preside in it, or to some other Bishop on whom that care was laid extraordinarily. In the time of the Fathers no sort of Council was kept up so much as this one: both because they could be called together quickly, and because they understood that troubles which had arisen in their Churches could not, without great harm, be put off for so long a time, until the National Synods or the general ones were summoned. For this reason it was determined in the Council of Constantinople that if anything arose in any Province, it should be ended by the Council of that same Province. The Emperor Theodosius also approved this decree, as Socrates testifies in his fifth book, in the eighth chapter.

Thesis VIII

Dutch

De Nationale Synoden / inder daet excelenter / door 't geruchte vermaerder / zijn vergaderingen der Bisschoppen ende andere gheloovighen/ van een volck ofte Natie / dewelcke om de noodtwendicheden die voorhanden zijn / by een gheroepen sijnde / met ghemeynen raedt hare Kercken versien / ende heylsame wetten maken voor hare Natie / wechnemen t'ghene met de Godtsalicheyt strydet / op datse niet min vroom bevonden werden / inde Religie des onsterfelijcken Godts / als suyver in leven ende manieren teghen aller aenstoot. Soo der inde gheheele Natie eenighe moyte ghevallen is / diemoet tot desen raedt ghebracht werden / als tot der selvigher Natie oppersten scheydsman / in de verschillen des geloofs / welcke de saken ondersoeckt/ ende oordelt uyt de eewige wetten der heyliger schrifture. Sulck een was het eerste Concilij van Carthago / int Iaer 250. het tweede van Cartago int jaer 421. Men vraghet / by wie alhier geweest zy / ende alsnoch stae de macht om deselve te beroepen / ende het recht om in de selve te presideren. Ick salt met een woordt segghen / dat dit gheheel gheweest zy Arbitrarium dat is / staende als noch ongedetermineert / daerom doet dit de Prince selve ofte een ander Opper-magistraet/ofte die ghene / die door toelatinghe van de Prince / ofte mede stemminge van de gantsche Collegie het selve toeghelaten wert te doen. Daerom soo dwalen de Papisten dit geheel sonder onderscheyt den Patriarch ofte Primaedt toeschryvende.

English

The National Synods, in deed more excellent and by report more renowned, are assemblies of the Bishops and other faithful of one people or Nation. Called together on account of the necessities at hand, they provide for their Churches with common counsel, make wholesome laws for their Nation, and take away whatever contends with godliness, so that they may be found no less devout in the Religion of the immortal God than pure in life and manners against all offence. If any trouble has befallen the whole Nation, it must be brought to this council as to the supreme arbiter of that Nation in the differences of faith, which examines the matters and judges out of the eternal laws of the holy Scripture. Such was the first Council of Carthage, in the year 250; the second of Carthage, in the year 421. It is asked with whom the power to convoke them, and the right to preside in them, has lain, and still lies. I will say it in a word: this has been wholly Arbitrarium, that is, still undetermined. Therefore the Prince himself does this, or another supreme magistrate, or whoever is permitted to do it by leave of the Prince or by the concurring vote of the whole College. The Papists therefore err in ascribing this wholly, without distinction, to the Patriarch or Primate.

The thesis a reader of 1608 would stop on. The right to convoke a national synod was the live question between the Remonstrants and their opponents. The thesis calls that right Arbitrarium*, still undetermined, and names the Prince or another supreme magistrate first. Lydius's volume exists to argue that question (its title: the "order in calling and conducting" synods), and his refutation follows on p. 25. The Latin word is kept in roman type in the Dutch, so this one term at least is very probably Arminius's own.*

Thesis IX

Dutch

Maer hier moet men vlytelijck betrachten / dat alle de voorschrevene Concilien/ met groten nudt der kercken ghehouden werden / soo om te betuyghen onse over een cominghe in't heylighe geloove/ende tot vorderinge vande authoriteyt des heylighen Godsdienstes / ende rechte administratie van't huys Gods , als oock tot vermydinghe der erghernissen / ende datter somwylen sodanighe tyden ons overvallen datse gheheelijck van nooden zijn. Dit hadde de Keyser Licinius ghemerckt / als hy der Kercken onderganck dreyghende alle andere laghe vergeefs gheleyt hebbende / dese Wet publiceerde / dat de Bisschoppen gheensins by een comen mochten / ghelijck als Eusebius verhaelt in het eerste Boeck van het leven Constantini / int vier en veertichste Capittel. De macht van alle is een bepaelde macht / ten is oock niet recht ofte behoorlijck yetwes voor te schryven / eenighe vergaderinghen der gheloovighen. Het Stichse vermach veel / by de onderdanen der selver iurisdictie/ het Provinciale noch meer binnen zijn grensen / het Nationale aldermeest / in censueren der manieren / Kerckelijcke oordelen / verbeteringhe van ghebreecken / bestraffinghe der onghehoorsame / ende verbiedinghe der ghemeynschap der hertneckighe. Hier en tusschen alle t'gheene dat sy onderlegghen tot onderrichtinghe ende stellinghe haerder ghemeenten/ oock daer de Christenen hare vryheyt hebben / moetense altijt sien / op de eenicheyt / op datse de liefde niet en verliesen. Laetse dan alsoo verbeteren / daert haer gheoorloft is / datse de andere gheen offencie en gheven. Inde Statuyten des alghemeynen gheloofs / welcke van alle aenghenomen ende geapprobeert zijn/ moetense niet vernieuwen/niet by doen/niet afnemen / want dat soude wesen de algemeenheyt te veroordelen.

English

But here one must diligently consider that all the aforesaid Councils were held to the great profit of the Church: both to witness our agreement in the holy faith, and to further the authority of holy divine worship and the right administration of the house of God, and also to avoid scandals; and that times sometimes overtake us in which they are wholly necessary. The Emperor Licinius had noticed this when, threatening the Church with ruin and having laid every other snare in vain, he published this Law: that the Bishops might in no way come together, as Eusebius relates in the first Book of the life of Constantine, in the forty-fourth chapter. The power of all of them is a limited power; nor is it right or proper to prescribe anything to any assemblies of the faithful. The diocesan council can do much among the subjects of its own jurisdiction; the Provincial still more within its bounds; the National most of all: in censures of manners, ecclesiastical judgments, the amendment of faults, the punishment of the disobedient, and the forbidding of communion to the obstinate. Meanwhile, in all that they lay down for the instruction and ordering of their congregations, even where Christians have their liberty, they must always look to unity, so that they do not lose love. Let them, then, so amend where it is permitted them that they give no offence to others. In the Statutes of the universal faith, which have been received and approved by all, they must not innovate, not add, not take away; for that would be to condemn universality.

Thesis X

Dutch

Nu presenteert hem my / het Concily des gheheelen aertbodems welckers naem heerlijck / gheloove singulier ende uytnemende/ende authoriteyt de aensienlijckste is / het punt ende wit mijns voornemens. Haer ware ende oprechte beschryvinghe / wert dese ghehouden : Een vergaderinghe aller gheloovighen. Maer dewijl die natie verstroyt is / over al dat bewoont wert onder den Hemel /ende in veel hoopen volcks verdeylt / door de Zee ende aerde / soo is niet moghelijck dat soo groot ende menichvoudich sy is / datse in een plaetse by een come / daerom is besloten ghenoech te zijn / soo uyt elcke kercke/ ofte oock uyt elck Lantschap maer eenighe ghesonden werden / die teghenwoordich zijn / tot naerstighe aenmerckinghe / vande saecken der algemeyner Kercke / daer na by de hare rapporterende / dat die alghemeyne vergaderinghe des Christelijcken Aertbodems / versterckt / ondersocht / ende bevesticht heeft.

English

Now there presents itself to me the Council of the whole earth, whose name is glorious, whose credit is singular and eminent, and whose authority is the most considerable: the point and mark of my purpose. Its true and right description is held to be this: An assembly of all the faithful. But since that nation is scattered over all that is inhabited under Heaven, and divided into many companies of people by sea and land, it is not possible, so great and manifold as it is, that it should come together in one place. It has therefore been resolved to be enough if only some are sent out of each church, or out of each country, to be present for the diligent consideration of the matters of the universal Church, and afterwards to report to their own what that general assembly of the Christian earth has strengthened, examined, and confirmed.

Thesis XI

Dutch

Sulck een vergaderinghe moet ende kan de Kercke Godts vant Oosten ende t'Westen instellen. Sy kan naer het recht dat haer verleent is / door de heylighe mannen / Propheten / Apostelen/ jae door Godt onsen Salichmaecker / twelck een teken is / dat sy dit uytghedruckt hebben uyt de secreetkassen der Godthydt / nochte dat het niet en sy een werck van eenich mensche bedacht / twelcke de uytcomste soo dickmaels bewesen heeft Gode aenghenaem te zijn / ende de authoriteyt des Meesters bevestighet / daer en boven op hem nemende / dat het gheschieden soude / dat waer twee ofte dry in zijnen name vergadert zijn / dat hy met zijnen gheest de selve bywesen soude. De useringhe van Ioodtsche ende Apostolische Kercke / die dit met Godt beproeft heeft / maeckt dit claer. Datse oock moet / is even ghereet te bewijsen / sy wert ghenoemt een columne der waerheyt/ een ghetrouwe bewaerster vande schat die by haer nederghesett is / dat is des alghemeynen gheloofs / de welcke indient gheviel datse pericliteerde/ ofte ghesuerdesemt wiert door de bedenckselen der dertele verstanden / soo ist haer ampt / haer daerteghen te stellen/ de hare by een te roepen / ende so de waerheyt niet anders/ vande besmettinghen kan beschermt werden / te beroepen de hulpe des Aertbodems.

English

Such an assembly the Church of God, of the East and of the West, must and can institute. She can, according to the right granted her by the holy men, Prophets, Apostles, yea by God our Saviour. This is a sign that they drew it out of the secret coffers of the Godhead, and that it is not a work devised by any man; the outcome has so often shown it to be acceptable to God, and the authority of the Master has confirmed it, he having moreover taken it upon himself that it should come to pass, where two or three are gathered in his name, that he would be present with them by his spirit. The practice of the Jewish and Apostolic Church, which has proved this with God, makes it clear. That she also must is just as readily proved. She is called a pillar of the truth, a faithful keeper of the treasure laid up with her, that is, of the universal faith. If it should happen that this faith were imperilled, or leavened by the devisings of wanton understandings, it is her office to set herself against it, to call her own together, and, if the truth can be protected from contaminations in no other way, to call upon the help of the whole earth.

Thesis XII

Dutch

Hoe nuttelijck ende nootelijck dat het nu sy / die vergaderingen gheensins achter te laten / leeren de ondervindingen der tyden. Inde Synode van Nicea / van Constantinopolen / van Ephesen ende dierghelijck / is dat eerwaerdich gheloove der Christenen door de Hemelsche hulpe vast blyven staen teghen de Goddeloose godtslasteraers ende verstoorders. Daer ontbreken oock gheen argumenten vande saecke / want tot nederlegginghe vanden verschillen der Religie / tot wechneminghe vande abuysen die inde kercke zijn inghevoeret / tot stellinghe vande senuwen der discipline / tot hulpe der vreede ende eenicheydt / tot versterckinghe der swacken / tot vervaringhe der vyanden / en can niet crachtigher bedacht werden / dan in soodanighe by eencomste der gheloovigen Gods / een alderheylichste conspiratie ofte t'samenspanninge. Hier werden de ketterien verweesen / de Ketters overtuycht/ door het tweesnijdende swaert des woorts Gods / ende so sy teghen de waerheyt stout zijn/ so werden sy afghesneden vande eenicheyt des lichaems / op dat die also veroordeelt is / inder waerheyt vremt sy van Christo / ende uyt alle zijne ghemeynte uytghestoten. Een monsterken van sulck eene t'samencomste / heeft Godt selve ghestelt in zijn uytverkooren volck/ op dat de ordinantie vande kerckelijcke ende merckelijcke regeringhe / sonder alle corruptelen ende vervalschinghen bewaert ende behouden blyve / Deut. 15. Op dat oock de boosheden opghehoopt zijde / sonder ende niet en souden wassen / ende een oneyndelijcke licentie van opinien ende Gods-diensten ingevoert de overhant souden neemen/ so heeft hy niet alleen gewilt/ dat het gheheele lichaem des volcks/ drymael des Iaers tot den Tempel Salomonis tot Ierusalem by een soude komen/ op datse inde Godsdienst ende leere een eenparighe t'samenstemminge souden behouden/ maer heeft oock het Synedrion van twe en tseventich Ouderlinghen / ende dat tweerhande inghestelt / het Kerckelijcke / ende Politique/ So hebben oock de Ioden uyt haer twaelf gheslachten / altijt eenighe voorsichtighe uytvercooren ghehadt / welckers ampt was / dat soo inde leere ende Ceremonien eenighe swaricheydt voorviele / onder t'heylighe ende onheylighe t'onderscheyden was / tusschen t'suyvere ende onsuyvere t'oordeelen / soo een Coninck ofte Priester over het gheheele volck te verkiesen was ende dierghelijck / die alsdan een alghemeynen Synodum beroepende t'samen comen souden / waer van men siet Exod. 19. 4. Nume. 11/ 2. Paralip. 19.

English

How useful and necessary it now is in no way to neglect those assemblies, the experience of the times teaches. In the Synods of Nicaea, of Constantinople, of Ephesus and the like, that venerable faith of the Christians has by heavenly help remained standing firm against the ungodly blasphemers and disturbers. Nor are arguments from the matter itself lacking. For settling the differences of religion, for removing the abuses brought into the Church, for setting the sinews of discipline, for the help of peace and unity, for strengthening the weak, for terrifying enemies, nothing more powerful can be devised than a most holy conspiracy, or banding-together, in such a meeting of the faithful of God. Here heresies are condemned and heretics convicted by the two-edged sword of the word of God; and if they are stubborn against the truth, they are cut off from the unity of the body, so that he who is thus condemned may in truth be a stranger to Christ, and cast out of all his congregation. God himself set a pattern of such a coming-together in his chosen people, so that the ordinance of the ecclesiastical and notable government might be kept and preserved without any corruptions and falsifications, Deut. 15. And so that wickednesses, once heaped up, should not grow without end, and an endless licence of opinions and worships, once brought in, should not get the upper hand, he not only willed that the whole body of the people should come together three times a year at the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, so that they might keep a unanimous accord in worship and doctrine, but he also instituted the Sanhedrin of seventy-two Elders, and that of two kinds, the ecclesiastical and the political. So also the Jews always had, out of their twelve tribes, some prudent chosen men. Their office was this: if any difficulty arose in doctrine and ceremonies, if a distinction was to be made between holy and unholy, or a judgment between clean and unclean, if a King or Priest was to be chosen over the whole people, and the like, they were then to call a general Synod and come together. Of this one sees Exod. 19. 4. Nume. 11 / 2. Paralip. 19.

Thesis XIII

Dutch

Hoe hooghe is dit nu oock te achten / dat de knechten Godts / in sulck een by een comste / uyt het aensien van malcanderen / uyt de t'samenspraecken over ende weder over / een groote vrucht der vreuchde ende vertroostinghe verkrijghen. Hierom heeft Constantinus niet aenghenamer gheweest / als dat hy de excellente mannen ende alderheylichste Bisschoppen / inde Synode vergadert / met zijn ooghen mochte aenschouwen. Hoe hooghe zijn oock te houden die t'samenspraken der Bisschoppen / die onderlinghe vergaderinghen / de ondersoeckinghen vande voortganck ende aenwysinghe des Christelijcken gheloofs ? Voorwaer / een Concili der gheleerde ende heylighe menschen / is niet alleen een voorbeelt der Hemelscher ghemeente / maer oock een gedachtenisse ende pant der Goddelijcker beloftenisse vande onderhoudinge der kercken. Dit woort en is niet gheheel te verwerpen / alsmen seyt / het Concili is een representerende kercke / alst maer wettelijck / inde name Christi / sonder vooroordeel / oproer / scheuringhe / by een comt.

English

How highly, now, is this also to be esteemed: that the servants of God, in such a meeting, from the sight of one another and from conversations back and forth, obtain a great fruit of joy and consolation. For this reason nothing has been more agreeable to Constantine than that he might behold with his own eyes the excellent men and most holy Bishops gathered in the Synod. How highly, too, are those conversations of the Bishops to be held, those mutual assemblies, those examinations of the progress and the showing of the Christian faith? Truly, a Council of learned and holy men is not only a pattern of the Heavenly congregation, but also a remembrance and pledge of the divine promise of the preservation of the church. This word is not wholly to be rejected, when one says: the Council is a representative church, provided only that it come together lawfully, in the name of Christ, without prejudice, sedition, or schism.

Thesis XIV

Dutch

Door wiens authoriteyt datse moeten vergadert werden en is niet min in twyfel ghetoghen / de gheheele Pausche natie / roept tot heesheyt toe voor den Paus / maer te vergheefs. Wy eyschen redenen waer mede bewesen werdt dat dit behoorlijck zy / dewelcke ghemerckt zy niet vinden conen / soo is ons haer trouwe met reden suspeckt / ende siet wy gevense / waer door wy beweeght werden / dat de authoriteyt om Concilien te vergaderen / stae by de ordinarische Overicheyt. Dit betuyghen de exemplen aller tyden. Door hare authoriteyt / hebben inde volcken Gods / de Synoden beroepen / Moyses / Iosua / de Richteren / David / Salomon / Asa / Iosaphat / Ioas / Zorobabel ende dierghelijcke. Daerna door de authoriteyt der Roomscher Keyseren / zijn t'samen gheroepen gheweest / soo de generale / als particuliere Synoden / als het Niceensche van Constantino den grooten / teghen Arrium / ontrent het jaer Christi dryhondert vijfentwintich / het Constantinopolitaensche / vande grote Theodosio / teghen de Macedonianen die den heylighen Gheest bestreden int jaer dryhondert een entachtentich / het Concilij van Ephesen van Theodosio de jonghe / teghen Nestorium Anno vierhondert een ender‹t›ich. Het Calcedonische vanden Keyser Martiano teghen Eutichem Anno vierhondert een envijftich. Het Constantinopolitaensche dat oock het vijfde ghenoemt werdt / vanden Keyser Iustiniano / tegen Anthemium Theodorum / Severum ende dierghelijcke / dewelcke staende hielden / dat Maria alleen een mensche ghebaert hadde. Daer en boven / dat het recht om de Concilien by een te roepen / by de Keyseren stae / dat en lochenen oock de uytleggers van het Canonickse recht niet / als de Cardinael Zabarella / Marcilius van Padua / den Cardinael Iacobatius. Ten tweeden / Godt heeft de Overicheyt dese sorge bevolen / datse besorghen dat haer onderdanen rechtelijck inde leere onderwesen werden / ende soo om deselvighe eenighen twist vallet / datse deselve / uyt den ghegheven woorde Gods / der Propheten ende der Apostelen schriften neder legghen. Ten derden / om dat de onderdanen / onder welcke oock zijn de herders der Kercken niet en vermoghen / sonder ofte teghen wille vande Overicheyt uyt het eene landt tot het ander roepen soodanighe / die sy willen tot publijcke vergaderinghen. Ten vierden / dewijle sulck een Synodus niet en can dienen tot oprechtinghe van eenicheyt der Kercken / so het consent der Overicheyt / ende de wille om deselve besluyten te beschermen / daer niet by en come.

English

By whose authority they must be gathered has been drawn into no less doubt. The whole papal nation cries out for the Pope until it is hoarse, but in vain. We demand reasons by which it may be proved that this is fitting; and since they cannot find them, their good faith is with reason suspect to us. And see, we give them, the reasons by which we are moved to hold that the authority to gather Councils lies with the ordinary magistracy. The examples of all times testify to this. By their authority, among the peoples of God, Moses, Joshua, the Judges, David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Zerubbabel and the like convoked the Synods. Afterwards, by the authority of the Roman Emperors, both the general and the particular Synods were called together: as that of Nicaea by Constantine the Great, against Arius, about the year of Christ three hundred and twenty-five; that of Constantinople by the great Theodosius, against the Macedonians, who fought against the Holy Spirit, in the year three hundred and eighty-one; the Council of Ephesus by Theodosius the younger, against Nestorius, Anno four hundred and ‹thirty›-one; that of Chalcedon by the Emperor Marcian, against Eutyches, Anno four hundred and fifty-one; that of Constantinople, which is also called the fifth, by the Emperor Justinian, against Anthemius, Theodore, Severus and the like, who maintained that Mary had borne only a man. Moreover, that the right to call the Councils together lies with the Emperors is not denied even by the interpreters of the Canon law, such as Cardinal Zabarella, Marsilius of Padua, and Cardinal Jacobatius. Secondly, God has committed this care to the magistracy: that they see to it that their subjects are rightly instructed in doctrine, and so, if any dispute arises about it, that they settle it out of the given word of God, the writings of the Prophets and of the Apostles. Thirdly, because the subjects, among whom are also the shepherds of the Churches, cannot, without or against the will of the magistracy, call from one land to another such persons as they wish to public assemblies. Fourthly, because such a Synodus cannot serve for the establishing of the unity of the Churches, if the consent of the magistracy, and the will to protect its decisions, is not added to it.

Thesis XV

Dutch

Daerom soo verclaren wy stoutelijck / dat den Paus van Romen / het recht ende de authoriteyt om Concilien te vergaderen gheensins toecomt / dat hy oock gheen soodanich recht en heeft / noch door het Goddelijcke noch door het menschelijcke recht / noch door d'oude Canones / nocht d'exemplen vande suyvere Kercke noch oock door de ghewoonte. Ten tweeden / die dienaren ende toehoorders van andere Kercken / sijn sijne iurisdictie gheensins onderonderworpen / t'welcke nochtans vereyst werdt in die gheene die de beroepinghe doet / te weten dat hy eenich recht hebbe over de gheroepene in die saken / om welcke de roepinghe gheschiet. Ten derden / Daer zijn eertijts veel Concilien sonder de authoriteyt van Roomsche Bisschop ghehouden / als / het Niceensche / het Constantinopolitaensche / ende dat van Ephesen / de drie voornaemste Concilien ende die vande meeste authoriteyt zijn / alle ghehouden int afwesen van den Bisschop van Roomen. Ten vierden / de reden staen 't niet toe / dat hy het recht der beroepinghe hebbe / die het andere deel is / vande twisters. Maer soo en is den Paus met sijne Cardinalen Ergo. Hier by soo comt de belydenisse van den Paus Leo / een welsprekende ende eerlijck man / die in sijne sentbrieven dit doorgaens den Keyser toeschrijvet / als inde derthienste en twaelfste Sendtbrief. Op een ander plaetse spreeckt hy den Teodosium alsoo aen : Alle Priesters versoecken met suchten ende tranen / uwe sachtmoedicheyt / dat u believe binnen Italien een alghemeyne Synode te doen houden. Epist. 20. Ten vijfden / Ambrosius schrijft in het Concilij van Aquilien alsoo : Wy zijn tot de Stadt van Aquilien by malcanderen ghecomen / naer het bevel des Keysers. Soo nu yemant de tyden met de tyden verghelijcket / hy sal hem verwonderen dat de Pausen alsoo verandert zijn / dat die ghene dit voormaels de Keyseren versochten / alsnu de selvighe ghebieden / oock op hare necke treden / ende alles drayen nae haer believen.

English

Therefore we declare boldly that the right and the authority to gather Councils in no way belongs to the Pope of Rome; that he has no such right either, neither by divine nor by human right, nor by the old Canones, nor by the examples of the pure Church, nor yet by custom. Secondly, the ministers and hearers of other Churches are in no way subject to his jurisdiction; which is nevertheless required in him who makes the convocation, namely, that he have some right over those convoked in the matters for which the convocation takes place. Thirdly, many Councils were formerly held without the authority of the Roman Bishop, such as that of Nicaea, that of Constantinople, and that of Ephesus, the three chief Councils and those of the greatest authority: all held in the absence of the Bishop of Rome. Fourthly, reason does not allow that he who is the other part of the disputants should have the right of convocation. But the Pope with his Cardinals is not so [sic: "is so"?]. Ergo. To this is added the confession of Pope Leo, an eloquent and honourable man, who in his letters constantly ascribes this to the Emperor, as in the thirteenth and twelfth Letter. In another place he addresses Theodosius thus: "All Priests entreat your gentleness with sighs and tears that it may please you to have a general Synod held within Italy." Epist. 20. Fifthly, Ambrose writes thus in the Council of Aquileia: "We have come together to the City of Aquileia at the command of the Emperor." If now anyone compares the times with the times, he will marvel that the Popes have so changed, that they who formerly petitioned the Emperors now command them, even tread on their necks, and turn everything according to their pleasure.

Thesis XVI

Dutch

Nu moetmen overlegghen / hoedanighe datmen tot de Concilien roepen ende toelaten moedt. Bellarminus meent / dat de Prelaten alleen dit haer toeeyghenen moeten / dat sy van de Kerckelijcke verschillen opsicht ende oordeel moghen nemen / uytsluytende de leecken / ende sooder eenighe by zijn dese leytse diensten op / de sommighe / datse de Concilien beschermen / dat alles binnen ende buyten in ruste zy / de andere / datse knechten sijn / ende wachters. Wy daerentegen segghen dat niet de Prelaten alleen het recht hebben van besluyten / nochte datse alleen tot de Concilien mogen toeghelaten werden / maer oock alle Legaten van Kercken / die het Evanghelium Christi belyden / oock der gener die buyten zijn / ende dat niet alleen vande eene maer oock vande andere verschelende syde / welckers sake verhandelt werdt / het zy dat het leecken zijn (die door uytnemende gaven / ende verstandt der Goddelijcker leere niet minder / maer meerder zijn dan de dienaren) ofte Bisschoppen / alst maer sijn gheleerde / Godsalighe / seedighe / voorsichtige mannen / liefhebbers der waerheyt / bequaem tot de disputatie van de verschillende sake. Dese alle te ghelijck / moetmen tot de conferentie ende uytsprake der sententie / toelaten / met gelijcke macht als de andere Iae men moet meer gheloove gheven / een slecht leeck / die wel ervaren is inde heylighe Schriftuere dan den Paus. Ten eersten / om dat een alghemeyn Concilij representeert de gantsche Kercke / daerom so moeten aldaer sommighe wesen / uyt alle soorten ende ordre van menschen' Ten tweeden. Om dat niet alleen Princen / Ouderlinghen / Raets-heeren / Richteren ende andere leecken / niet alleen inde heylige Concilien gheweest zijn / maer oock de vonnis ghesproken hebben / als blijckt uyt de oude Historien / daerom soo en hebben de Bisschoppen inde Concilien de decisive stemme alleen niet.

English

Now one must consider what sort of persons one must call to the Councils and admit. Bellarmine holds that the Prelates alone must claim this for themselves, that they may take oversight and judgment of ecclesiastical differences, excluding the laymen; and if any laymen are present, he lays these services on them: on some, that they protect the Councils, so that all may be at rest within and without; on the others, that they be servants and watchmen. We, on the contrary, say that not the Prelates alone have the right of decision, nor that they alone may be admitted to the Councils, but also all delegates of Churches that confess the Gospel of Christ, even of those who are outside; and that not only of the one side but also of the other, differing side whose cause is being handled; whether they be laymen (who in excellent gifts and in understanding of divine doctrine are not less but greater than the ministers) or Bishops, provided only they are learned, godly, modest, prudent men, lovers of the truth, fit for the disputation of the matter in difference. All these alike one must admit to the conference and to the pronouncing of the sentence, with equal power as the others. Yea, one must give more credit to a plain layman who is well versed in the holy Scripture than to the Pope. Firstly, because a general Council represents the whole Church, therefore some must be there out of all sorts and orders of men. Secondly: because not only Princes, Elders, Councillors, Judges and other laymen have not only been in the holy Councils, but have also pronounced the sentence, as appears from the old Histories; therefore the Bishops in the Councils do not alone have the decisive vote.

Thesis XVII

Dutch

Dewyle het nodich is / dat inde Concilien een presideere / als een leyder die de ordre de hant biede / ende de goede administratie / op de vergaderinghe niet gheacht werde een rott der ongheschickte boeven / in de welcke een yeder meester is / niemant gehoor geeft / soo wert met recht ende vruchtelijck ghevraghet / wie die moet aengheboden werden. Den Roomschen hoop zijn hier de oude knechten / segghende dat dit den Paus toecome / dat hy alleen / met recht inde alghemeyne Synoden / moet presideren / ofte die zijn plaetse bewaert. Ons en behaecht dat ghedicht niet / maer wy segghen / overeencomende met de Schriftuere ende alle de outheyt / dat den Paus nae geen / t'zy Godlijck / ofte menschelijck schijn van recht / hem dit conne toeeyghenen / t'ghene alle hystorien ghetuyghen / dat de Keyseren Coninghen / ende Princen rechtelijck toebehoordt. Daerom soo den Keyser teghenwoordich is, wy segghen dat hy de opperste is, ende dat hy daerom door hem selven Presideren mach, ofte dat selue een ander bevelen, ende een ander in zyn plaetse stellen, t'sy dan een Bisschop ofte een die inde politike regheringhe sy gheweest, ofte dese geheele saecke den Synodo betrouwen / ende in haer vrije willekeur stellen / dat die ghene die tot den Synodum comen / gheoorloft sy te kiesen een soodanighen opsiender als sy willen. Nu soo lesen wy nerghens / dat dit in eenighe oude Concilien den Paus van Roomen sy toegheschreven. In het Concili van Nicenen heeft men alsoo des Paus niet ghedachtich gheweest / in welcke Hosias den Bisschop van Corduba heeft gepresideert. In het Constantinopolitaensche heeft hy oock niet geweest / noch door hem selven noch door andere legaten / soo verre ister af dat hy ghepresideert soude hebben. Maer den Nectarius presideerde Bisschop van nieu Romen- Daerom besluyten wy dat den Roomschen Bisschop gheen voordeel en heeft / ende dat hy noch door hen selven / noch door een ander / door zijn recht / over de alghemeyne Concilien moghe seggen hebben / ten sy dat hem sulckes de ordinantie vande grootmachtighe Prince / ofte toestemminghe vande gheheele vergaderinghe toestae.

English

Since it is necessary that someone preside in the Councils, as a leader who lends a hand to order and to good administration, so that the assembly be not taken for a gang of disorderly knaves, in which everyone is master and no one gives a hearing, it is rightly and profitably asked to whom this must be offered. The Roman crowd are here the old servants, saying that it belongs to the Pope that he alone must by right preside in the general Synods, or whoever keeps his place. That fiction does not please us; but we say, in agreement with the Scripture and with all antiquity, that the Pope can claim this for himself by no show of right, whether divine or human, which all histories testify belongs rightly to the Emperors, Kings, and Princes. Therefore, when the Emperor is present, we say that he is the highest, and that he may therefore Preside himself, or command it to another and put another in his place, whether a Bishop or one who has been in the civil government, or entrust this whole matter to the Synod and put it at their free discretion, so that those who come to the Synod be permitted to choose such an overseer as they will. Now we read nowhere that this was ascribed to the Pope of Rome in any old Councils. In the Council of Nicaea, thus, the Pope was not thought of; in it Hosius, the Bishop of Córdoba, presided. In that of Constantinople he was not present either, neither in person nor by other legates, so far is it from his having presided. But Nectarius, Bishop of new Rome, presided. Therefore we conclude that the Roman Bishop has no advantage, and that neither in person nor through another, by his own right, may he have any say over the general Councils, unless the ordinance of the most mighty Prince, or the consent of the whole assembly, grant it to him.

Thesis XVIII

Dutch

Het ampt der ghener die in de Concilien presideeren is dit / datse governeeren ende modereeren de gantsche actie vant Concilij / als wetbewaerders / datse den tijdt om by een te comen aensegghen / de vergaderinge t'samen roepen / voorstellende t'gene datter te doen is / de stemmen afvragen / en vergaderen notarissen daer by neme / dat sy oock int eynde nae de andere haer stemme gheven, met hetselve recht als de andere. Want de Presides en sijn gheen richteren vande Concilien / maer hebben haer te onderwerpen / een yeder vande assessoren / het sy dat zy Princen zijn ofte Keyseren / want zy hier niet en sijn in haer vierscharen. Hier uyt soo spruyt / t geene dat Constantinus seyde / tot de Vader in het Concilij van Nicenen vergadert / als een uyt u lieden / ben ick int midden van u lieden gheseten / het Concilij soude oock ydel wesen / soo men het oordeel de Presidibus alleen betroude. Ten tweeden / daerom comt het Concilij by een / dat het oordeel over alle niet en gheschiede van weynige. Ten derden / dewyle also de authoriteyt vande Preside grooter soude ghestelt werden / als de Synodi / t'welcke seker ongherijmt soude wesen.

English

The office of those who preside in the Councils is this: that they govern and moderate the whole action of the Council, as keepers of the law; that they announce the time for coming together, call the assembly together, set forth what is to be done, ask for the votes, and assemble notaries and take them on; that they also, at the end, after the others, give their vote, with the same right as the others. For the presidents are not judges of the Councils, but each of them has to submit himself as one of the assessors, whether they be Princes or Emperors, for here they are not in their own tribunals. From this springs what Constantine said to the Fathers gathered in the Council of Nicaea: as one of you I am seated in the midst of you. The Council would also be vain if the judgment were entrusted to the presidents alone. Secondly, the Council comes together for this, that the judgment over all may not be made by a few. Thirdly, because thus the authority of the president would be set greater than that of the Synod, which would certainly be absurd.

Thesis XIX

Dutch

Alwast oock dat de Princen ende ordinarische Magistraten Heydens waren, soo en can t'selve gheen beletsel sijn, waerom sy de Concilien niet en souden moghen te samen roepen ende inde selve presideren/ op dat hier oock uyt blijcke het recht der Christelijcke Princen over de Concilien. T'gheene dat ick segghe dat blyckt daer uyt / dat de gheloovighe haer dickmaels hebben ghepresenteert te disputeeren voor een Godloose Overicheyt / ende een Heydensche rechter. So heeft den Bisschop Archelaus met Mane ghedisputeert / by den doorluchtighen Marcellum / verkiesende tot richters die de vraghe souden ondertasten / Mercippum die in sijn uyterlijcke leere een Bisschop was / Claudium den Medecijn ende Sophist / Egialium den Grammaticum / ende nae vele dispute is Manes overwonnen / ende naer het vonnis deser presidenten / behielt de waerheyt de overhandt. Epiphan. lib. 2. Tom. 2. inde ses envijftichste ketterye. Op deselve maniere heeft Athanazius ghestreden met Ario / inde teghenwoordicheyt van den Heydenschen richter Probus / die uyt den naem vanden Keyser presideerde. Victor verhaelt inde boecken die hy gheschreven heeft van de vervolginghe in Africa / dat den Bisschop Eughenius ende de andere Catholijcken hebben begheert voor den Coninck Hunderijck (niet teghenstaende hy een Arriaen was) met Cyrillo den oversten der Arrianen ende de andere Arrianen te disputeren / ten ware de Arrianen t'selve hadden afgheslaghen.

English

Even if the Princes and ordinary Magistrates were heathens, that can be no hindrance why they should not be permitted to call the Councils together and to preside in them, so that from this too the right of Christian Princes over the Councils may appear. What I say is plain from this: that the faithful have often offered themselves to dispute before an ungodly magistracy and a heathen judge. So Bishop Archelaus disputed with Manes before the illustrious Marcellus, choosing as judges, who should examine the question, Mercippus, who in his outward learning was a Bishop, Claudius the Physician and Sophist, and Egialius the Grammarian; and after much disputing Manes was overcome, and by the verdict of these presidents the truth kept the upper hand. Epiphan. lib. 2. Tom. 2., in the fifty-sixth heresy. In the same manner Athanasius contended with Arius in the presence of the heathen judge Probus, who presided in the name of the Emperor. Victor relates, in the books he wrote on the persecution in Africa, that Bishop Eugenius and the other Catholics desired to dispute before King Huneric (notwithstanding that he was an Arian) with Cyril, the chief of the Arians, and with the other Arians, had not the Arians refused it.

Thesis XX

Dutch

Dewyle dat wy bewesen hebben / dat den Paus van Romen inde modereringhe der Concilien / gheensins te stellen sy boven de andere Bisschoppen soo canmen lichtelijcken oordelen van de andere Controversie / dewelcke met dese verknocht ende verbonden is te weten ofte den Paus sy boven de Concilien. Het is by na lachghelijck om te ondersoecken / dat soo nae by is / om te vinden / maer de draywint van Kerckrovighe hoverdye / ende opgheblasene necke der vermetenheyt / heeft in controversie ghetoghen t'ghene dat onghetwyfelt is. De panleckers der Pausen houden niet op teghent kakelen dat haer Patroon boven alle Concilie uytsteke / soo dat het van hem gheen oordeel spreken can / in alle saken / ten zy hy hem selven van het top der Apostolischer hoocheydt nedersette / ende dat van selven / ende de Synode macht gheve vande sake te ondersoecken / ende dat hy met het ghegheven vonnisse spotten moghe. Welckes alles wy segghen / voor Gode vervloeckt / ende de menschen foyelijck te wesen / ende dat hy sy onder de Concilien bewysen wy alsoo. Ten eersten / uyt het achtienste Capittel van den heylighen Mattheo. Soo u broeder in u sondighet etc. seght het de Kercke. Soo Petrus ghesonden wert tot de Kercke als tot de opperste ende hoochste vierschare / ende werdt gheboden tot deselve de misdaet ende feylen van andere te brenghen / soo volght dat de Kercke meerder sy als Petrus ofte yemant anders / maer dat eerste is waer. Ergo etc. De Consequentie die gaet vast / uyt de bekentenisse der teghenpartye / wandt dese segghen dat de kercke in het Concilium ghepresenteert werdt / soo dan de Kercke boven den Paus is / soo is oock het Concilij / ende in het Concilij is de Kercke niet in den eenighen Paus: Den paus is onsen broeder / te ware dat hy met ons niet en bade / Onse Vader die daer zijt etc. Ghelijck als Ioannes Gerson spreeckt / Ten tweeden / den Paus can sondighen / ende daerom veroordeelt werden / ghelijck in het Concilij van Constans geschiet is / t'welcke den Paus Ioannem afghestelt heeft / ende Martinum in sijn plaetse aenghenomen / besluytende daer en boven dat de Paus onder het Concilium soude staen. Ten derden, Den Paus is een lidt der Kerken / daerom soo hyse verghift / soo moet hy afgesneden werden / na de leere Christi / inde naturelijcke wet ghefondeert by den heylighen Mattheum in't neghentienste capittel. Ten vierden / den Paus soude sonder straffe dertel ende hoverdich zijn / soo hy door het Concilij niet en soude connen afghestelt ende verstooten werden. Ten vijfden, Den Goddelijcken Paulus die heeft Petro int aenghesicht wederstaen ende gheseyt dat hy niet recht en wandelde. Ende hadde Petrus vande dwalinghe niet willen afstaen / hy soude vande kercke veroordeelt hebben gheweest / Soo can dan oock den Paus door den Theologischen Doctoor / die in het predickampt Paulo is ghesuceedeert, ghestraft werden. De kercke is de moeder der geloovigen, van welcke de Paus een soone is, welcke van beyden meer eere toecomt is blijckelijck.

English

Since we have proved that the Pope of Rome is in no way to be set above the other Bishops in the moderating of the Councils, one can easily judge of the other Controversy, which is joined and bound up with this one: namely, whether the Pope is above the Councils. It is almost laughable to examine what lies so near to hand to find; but the whirlwind of church-robbing pride, and the puffed-up neck of presumption, has drawn into controversy what is undoubted. The Popes' pan-lickers do not cease cackling that their Patron excels above every Council, so that it can pronounce no judgment on him in any matter, unless he set himself down from the top of the Apostolic height, and that of himself, and give the Synod power to examine the matter; and that he may mock at the sentence given. All of which we say is accursed before God and ridiculous to men; and that he is under the Councils we prove thus. Firstly, from the eighteenth Chapter of Saint Matthew: "If thy brother sin against thee, etc., tell it unto the Church." If Peter is sent to the Church as to the uppermost and highest tribunal, and is commanded to bring to it the misdeeds and failings of others, it follows that the Church is greater than Peter or anyone else. But the first is true. Ergo, etc. The Consequence holds fast from the admission of the opposing party, for these say that the church is presented in the Concilium. So then, if the Church is above the Pope, so is the Council also; and in the Council is the Church, not in the one Pope: The pope is our brother, unless he did not pray with us "Our Father which art" etc., as Joannes Gerson says. Secondly, the Pope can sin, and therefore be condemned, as happened in the Council of Constance, which deposed Pope John and received Martin in his place, concluding moreover that the Pope should stand under the Concilium. Thirdly, the Pope is a member of the Church; therefore, if he poisons it, he must be cut off, according to the doctrine of Christ, founded in the natural law, in Saint Matthew in the nineteenth chapter. Fourthly, the Pope would be wanton and haughty without punishment if he could not be deposed and cast out by the Council. Fifthly, the divine Paul withstood Peter to his face and said that he did not walk rightly. And had Peter not been willing to leave his error, he would have been condemned by the church. So then the Pope too can be punished by the Theological Doctor who has succeeded Paul in the preaching office. The church is the mother of the faithful, of which the Pope is a son; which of the two is due more honour is plain.

Thesis XX is the one thesis of this disputation with a second witness. It was translated again, in whole or in part, in Lijsbet Reael's preface to the Verclaringhe ("Tot den lezer") and in Gomarus's Proeve . Neither is collated here: the collation belongs to a later layer. The Verclaringhe is on disk as PDF.pdf; the Proeve is not. Until that is done, no reading in this thesis has been checked against either.

Thesis XXI

Dutch

De swaerste vrage / welcke is vant gheloof ende authoriteyt der Concilien is noch overich. Want dewijl de Kercke soo dickmaels Concilien ghehouden heeft / ende tot de selue alst de noot vereyste / haer toevlucht ghenomen heeft / soo can ghevraget werden ofte / alle het ghene datse besluyt / gheloofselijck sy / ende daerom sonder onderscheyt ofte ondersoeckinge sy aen te nemen / even ofte se in haer besluyten niet en connen dwalen. Hier comen wy met de Papisten niet over een / dewelcke al ist datse toestaen / datter veel Godloose Concilien zijn gheweest / in welcke de waerheyt is verslaghen gheweest / ghelijck het Concili van Seleuco / Ariminen ende het tweede van Ephesen gheweest is / soo willen sy nochtans niet bekennen dat die Concilien / t'sy particuliere ofte alghemeyne / die vande Paeus vergadert zijn ende bevestiget / dwalen / faelgeren / glibberen / ende bedrogen connen werden int gheloove / ofte inde manieren / alle cracht des Concili vanden Paus seer crachtelijck deriverende. Maer wy houden staende / dat alle Concilien / uytghenomen de Prophetische ende Apostolische dwalen connen / inde leere ende in de manieren / wanneerse vande schriften der Propheten ende Apostolen afwijcken. Ten eersten, Om dat de Propheten ende Apostelen alleen niet dwalen connen / t'welcken het Canonijcsche recht oock bekent / want inde Decreten van Gratiano Part. 1. dist. 9. cap. 9. wert uyt Augustini 19 Sentbrief tot Hieronimum dit verhaelt. Ick hebbe geleert dese eere ende lof / alleen de schrijvers die nu Canonijckse genoemt werden / toe te eyghenen / dat ick derf gelooven dat niemant van haer int schrijven hebbe gaefaelgeert. Ten tweeden. Dewyle veele Concilien konnen voortgebracht werden / die schrickelijck gedwaelt hebben / als het tweede Concili van Ephesien / in welcke meer dan 300 Bisschoppen zijn gewerst. Het wert van den Paus Leo genaemt een t'samenrottinghe der moordenaren / in welcke Flavianus den Bisschop van Constantinopolen is verwesen ende ghedoodet gheweest. Oock heeft ghedwaelt het Niceensche ende andere aensienlijcke.

English

The weightiest question, which concerns the credit and authority of the Councils, still remains. For since the Church has so often held Councils, and has taken refuge in them when need required, it may be asked whether all that they decide is worthy of belief, and is therefore to be received without distinction or examination, as if they could not err in their decisions. Here we do not agree with the Papists, who, although they grant that there have been many ungodly Councils in which the truth was struck down, as the Council of Seleucia, that of Rimini, and the second of Ephesus were, will nevertheless not admit that those Councils, whether particular or general, which are gathered and confirmed by the Pope, can err, fail, slip, and be deceived in faith or in manners; for they derive all the force of the Council, very forcefully, from the Pope. But we maintain that all Councils, except the Prophetic and Apostolic, can err in doctrine and in manners, when they depart from the writings of the Prophets and Apostles. Firstly, because the Prophets and Apostles alone cannot err, which the Canon law also acknowledges; for in the Decrees of Gratian, Part. 1. dist. 9. cap. 9., this is related out of Augustine's 19th Letter to Jerome: "I have learned to give this honour and praise only to the writers who are now called Canonical, so that I dare believe that none of them has erred in writing." Secondly: since many Councils can be brought forward which have erred dreadfully, as the second Council of Ephesus, in which more than 300 Bishops were present. It was named by Pope Leo a banding-together of murderers, in which Flavian, the Bishop of Constantinople, was condemned and put to death. The Nicene, too, and other considerable ones have erred.

Thesis XXII

Dutch

Nochtans bekennen wy van selfs / dat de authoriteyt van een Wettelijck Concilij / seer heylsaem sy inde Kercke. Maer op dat het wettelijck zy soo wert voor eerst vereyscht / dat het vergadert werde in den name Christi / dat is / om de waerheyt Christi aen den dach te brenghen / uyt Christi woort inde schriften der Propheten ende der Apostelen begrepen. Want dit is het verbont / dat Godt eertijdts met de Levytische Priesters heeft ghemaeckt / datse souden leeren uyt sijnen mondt. Malach. 2. Cap, ende mede is dit de wet die oock de Apostelen is opgheleyt / by den heylighen Mattheum int acht entwintighste capittel haer leerende alles te onderhouden dat ick u gheboden hebbe. Soo hanget de authoriteyt vande Concilien / uyt de authoriteyt der Schriftuere / niet uyt den Paus. Soose binnen dese palen blijft / soose den heylighen Geest den oppersten richter der Concilien volghet / die inde schrifuere spreket / noch ter slincker noch ter rechter hant en wycke / soo dwaeltse noch int gheloove noch inde manieren. Sooder haestelijck een niewe dwalinghe opstaet / die wederleyt moet zijn / ofte een nieuw licht van den hemel schijne / welcke aenghenomen moet wesen / soo salse de ghemeenschap der heylighen voorlichten met een hemels verstant / als een eerwaerdighe raedt ende Stadt Gods. Maer soose yet tegen de leere des heyligen Geests die inde Canonische boecken begrepen is besluyte / soo houde ick hetselve met den heyligen Hieronimo voor onrecht.

English

Nevertheless we confess of ourselves that the authority of a Lawful Council is very wholesome in the Church. But in order that it be lawful, it is required first that it be gathered in the name of Christ: that is, to bring the truth of Christ to light out of Christ's word contained in the writings of the Prophets and of the Apostles. For this is the covenant which God formerly made with the Levitical Priests, that they should teach out of his mouth, Malach. 2. Cap.; and this too is the law that was laid upon the Apostles, in Saint Matthew in the twenty-eighth chapter, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. So the authority of the Councils hangs on the authority of the Scripture, not on the Pope. If it stays within these bounds, if it follows the Holy Spirit, the supreme judge of the Councils, who speaks in the scripture, and turns aside neither to the left hand nor to the right, then it errs neither in faith nor in manners. If a new error should suddenly arise that must be refuted, or a new light shine from heaven that must be received, it shall enlighten the communion of saints with a heavenly understanding, as a venerable council and City of God. But if it decides anything against the doctrine of the Holy Spirit contained in the Canonical books, I hold that, with Saint Jerome, for unjust.

Dutch

Danck sy u Heere Iesu.

English

Thanks be to thee, Lord Jesus.

Transcription notes
  1. Page map (plate-read, running heads checked on every page used): printed p. N = PDF p. N+8. Title page p. [1] = PDF 9; verso = PDF 10; Lydius's dedication pp. 3–8 = PDF 11–16 (not Arminius, not translated: ); half-title Godlycke Stellinghen, vande Heylighe Concilien p. [9] = PDF 17; p. [10] blank = PDF 18; theses pp. 11–24 = PDF 19–32; Lydius's Een corte ontdeckinghe der grove fauten begrepen inde Godlijcke stellinghen vande Concilien D. D. Iacobi Armini begins p. 25 = PDF 33. Signatures seen: B ij (p. 11), B iij (p. 13), B iiij (p. 15), C (p. 17), C ij (p. 19), C iij (p. 21), C iiij (p. 23). The chunk covers Preface–Thesis XXII, pp. 11–24 (PDF 19–32). Transcribed and translated in two passes, Preface–XII (pp. 11–17, ending two-thirds down p. 17) and XIII–XXII (pp. 17–24), to the same conventions. Plates rendered at 600 dpi greyscale, cropped to the text block in strips of about 1000 px, read downsized; every inked or doubtful line re-cropped and read at native 600 dpi.
  2. Title page (PDF 9), read at 600 dpi: DRY TRACTAETGENS Vande Ordre int beroepen ende beleydinge der jaerlijcsche Synoden. The print reads "Ordre" and "beleydinge", agreeing with Bibliographia Arminiana n. 64 and the Google metadata, not with "Oorden … belydinge" in the edition's register of respondents and the edition's conventions Also jaerlijcsche (no k). Imprint: t'Amsterdam/ voor Jan Evertsz. Cloppenburch/ op 't Water/ inden vergulden Bybel, Anno 1610. The Latin original is stated on the title page ("upt de Latijnsche tale overgheset/ Door, IOANNEM LYDIUM M. F. Dienaer Jesu Christi tot Oudewater").
  3. Half-title (PDF 17), exact: GODLYCKE STELLINGHEN, VANDE Heylighe Concilien / Welcke Met aenblasinghe van den Grooten Godt / ende aent roer sittende / den seer beroemden Man / D.D. IACOBO ARMINIO, Professoor der Theologien / inde vrucht-bare Academie van Leyden / tot oeffeninghe / ende waerderinghe / Opentlijck aenslaet. G. VVIRTZEVS de BERGOMO. 1608. Respondent gate passed: Wirtzeus = Wirtzeus. Year only, no day date. Welcke and Opentlijck aenslaet are in a civilité-style fount; aenslaet is the least certain word on the page.
  4. ⚠ Black-letter control. Page p. 12 (PDF 20), 39 lines plus catchword, read twice: once from a 300 dpi render, and then from four 600 dpi strips without consulting the first reading. Word-level disagreements: 2 (haestelijc / hastelijc, III; gheholpen / geholpen, III). The 600 dpi reading was checked and adopted in both cases. Both are orthographic; neither changes a word. Readings uncertain in both passes, so not counted as disagreements: vermoetheyt and seyne (II), kivagie and sluppen (III), hoe zijn (IV). The threshold (more than ~5) was not reached, so transcription went ahead. ⚠ Caveat: both readings were made by the same reader. They are independent in render, not in reader, so this control catches misreadings caused by resolution, not a reader's settled habits with the fount.
  5. Transcription conventions applied. Spelling as printed; long s normalised; u/v as printed. In textura, initial v has a b-like form and is transcribed v. Virgules kept. The ÿ/ij glyph is transcribed ij. The y that looks like p in textura is transcribed y. Capital I/J is one glyph and is transcribed I. Line-end hyphens are joined silently. Expanded contractions: eñ → ende (I, XII, XVI, XXII); quamē → quamen (VII); Romē → Romen (XV); vā → van (XV); Prophetē → Propheten (XIV); disputeerē → disputeeren (XIX); ghebodē → gheboden (XX); dē → den (XXII); connē → connen (XXI); Magistratē → Magistraten (XIX).
  6. Type and italic. The Preface is set in roman, with Fatum and Concilium in black letter inside it. The theses are in black letter. Italic in the Dutch marks the other fount in each case: black letter inside the roman Preface, and roman inside the black-letter theses (Festus, a consulendo, I; Arbitrarium, VIII; Deut. 15., XII). The first Concilium in Thesis I is in a small civilité fount and is italicised on the same ground. Latin and proper names cut in black letter (Theologis, Actorum, Arrio, Synodum, Synedrion, extraordinaris) are not italicised. The first word of Thesis I has a decorated initial (H) and is printed HEt. The heading above it, DE EERSTE STELLINGHE, is not reproduced; the theses after it are numbered in roman capitals II, III, …. From XIV on, roman type inside the black letter becomes frequent and is italicised on the same ground: the enumerators Ten eersten, Ten tweeden, Ten derden, Ten vierden, Ten vijfden (most of them, XIV–XXI); references (Epiphan. lib. 2. Tom. 2., XIX; Malach. 2. Cap, XXII); and whole clauses: XVII Daerom soo den Keyser … sy gheweest,; XVIII dat sy oock int eynde … als de andere.; XIX Alwast oock … inde selve presideren/; XX Den paus is onsen broeder, Ten derden, Den Paus is een lidt der Kerken, den Paus, die in het predickampt Paulo is ghesuceedeert,, De kercke is de moeder … soone is,. The roman clauses punctuate with commas, not virgules, as printed. Why the compositor switched fount is not evident; the switch is recorded, not interpreted. Italic in the English follows the italic in the Dutch. The closing Danck sy u Heere Iesu. (p. 24) is in large roman; no FINIS is printed, and the catchword is EEN (the start of Lydius's Corte ontdeckinghe).
  7. No marginal references. This tract has no margin column. Scripture and patristic references are inline in the Dutch (Actorum 15, Acto. 21., Mattheum int 19. Capittel, Deut. 15., Exod. 19. 4. Nume. 11/ 2. Paralip. 19.). They are kept inline as printed, so there are no Marg. lines (a departure from Disputation XXXVI, forced by the print). None is harmonised. Probable numbering slips, left standing: Matth. 19 (the procedure of VI is Matt. 18:15–17); Deut. 15 (XII; the central court is Deut. 17); Eusebius "twelfth book" (VI; the Historia has ten); Nicaea "fourth Canon" (VII; the twice-yearly synods are canon 5); Leven Constantini I.44 (IX); Epiphanius "fifty-sixth heresy" (XIX; the Manichaeans are heresy 66); Matthew "nineteenth chapter" (XX, third reason); Leo's "thirteenth and twelfth" letters and Epist. 20. (XV). The council dates in XIV (325, 381, 431, 451) are as printed.
  8. ‹› readings, heavy inking. Every ‹› reading was read at native 600 dpi. Worst pages: p. 14 (PDF 22, lower half) and p. 18 (PDF 26, the whole page). Readings now resolved from Stanglin 2010 (see item 15), where the plate showed the word shape but not the letters, so the ‹› has been dropped ("illegible in plate; reading from Stanglin 2010", page as given): Preface rechte (p. 485); VIII Nationale, maken, onsterfelijcken, aenstoot, ghebracht, scheydsman (p. 489), geweest (p. 490; Stanglin reads it without h, and this reading replaces the earlier gheweest); XI dertele (p. 492; formerly ‹vertele›, "perverse"; now "wanton", d and v being hard to tell apart here); XII senuwen (p. 492); XIV de (formerly d‹e›), Nestorium, Anno (twice), vijfde ghenoemt, Anthemium, Theodorum, een envijftich (formerly ‹een ende› vijftich), dewijle (p. 494–495); XV Sendtbrief (p. 495); XIX voor (p. 498); XX ende (print p. 23, first line; Stanglin p. 500), dertel (formerly read wrevel from the shape vertel; "wanton", p. 500). Still ‹›: XIV een ender‹t›ich (431). The plate has a gap where the t should be. Stanglin's apparatus confirms that the print reads ender ich, and he also supplies the t only in angle brackets. The year "250" (VIII) is also heavily inked.
  9. Garbled but harmless, left as printed: Paeusen (I, apparently for Pausen, "Popes"; the letters P-a-e-u-s-e-n are clear at native resolution, and the word stands oddly in a list of biblical offices; cf. Paeus, XXI); beteecken het (I, for beteeckent het); hoe zijn (IV, for het zijn; the sense requires "they are"); delibratie (II); Republijke (II; u and n can't be told apart in this copy); outvaderen (VII; same u/n problem); Colegie (I); opreês (VII; the mark over the e is unclear); zijde (XII, for zijnde); ghelevt-type blur resolved as gheleyt (VI). De laetste … De laeste (V): the print calls both the second and the third scheme of division "the last". Translated as printed. Second half: onderonderworpen (XV, doubled across the line break); nocht d'exemplen (XV); vallet (XIV, for valt); neme (XVIII, for nemen); tot de Vader (XVIII, for Vaders); hen selven (XVII, for hem selven); Romen- (XVII, a hyphen where a stop is wanted); gaefaelgeert, gewerst (XXI, for ghefaelgeert, gheweest); achtienste (XX; the plate's letters look like achttenste, and Stanglin reads achtienste); niet alleen … niet alleen (XVI, doubled); als de andere Iae (XVI, no stop); menschen' (XVI, a raised mark for a stop); schrifuere (XXII); Schriftuere (XVII; Stanglin's apparatus suggests the print may read Schrftuere, which the downsized plate did not show); ghepresenteert (XX, where the sense is "represented"; rendered "presented", as printed). u/n confusions read as n where the word requires it, as in the first half: Concilien (XV, XVII; print Concileu, Concilieu), geen (XVII; print geeu), uyterlijcke (XIX; print nyterlijcke). In XVIII the plate shows authoritrpt, a c/r-type glyph blur, read as authoriteyt. The y that looks like p is read as y throughout (gheseyt, opgheleyt, Levytische, draywint, foyelijck, yet).
  10. Least secure readings. First half: seyne (II, "sickle": the word is clear but its form is odd); middelt (II, "finds means"). Stanglin reads both the same. Second half:
    • XV Maer soo en is den Paus met sijne Cardinalen Ergo. The plate reading is clear, and Stanglin reads the same. It stands as the minor premise of a syllogism ("he who is a party may not convoke; but the Pope is so; ergo"), and the negative en reverses it. Translated as printed, with [sic: "is so"?]; flagged in witness_note. It may be a question with the mark lost, which the print does not show.
    • XVII Den Roomschen hoop zijn hier de oude knechten: plate and Stanglin agree. The sense ("the Roman crowd are the same old servants here") is unclear, and it was translated literally.
    • XX teghent kakelen ("cackling"; Stanglin reads the same) and foyelijck ("ridiculous"; the glyph is p/y-ambiguous, the plate looks like fopelijck, and Stanglin reads foyelijck).
    • XXI Oock heeft ghedwaelt het Niceensche ("The Nicene, too, … have erred"). The reading is clear on the plate and in Stanglin, and it is striking; it is recorded here so that no one takes it for a misreading.
  11. Dutch–English term table (; Dutch first; → Latin term only where the glossary rendering was applied):
    Dutch English Note
    Kercke Church
    ampt (XI, XII, XVIII) office → officium; predickampt (XX) "preaching office"
    authoriteyt authority → authoritas
    macht power → potestas; in I, of a word's sense, "force"
    cracht (XXI) force → vis; crachtelijck "forcefully"
    iurisdictie jurisdiction
    Politien (VII) polity → politia
    gheloovighen the faithful → fideles
    Godloosen, Goddeloose the ungodly → impii
    onvroome (III) the impious kept apart from Godloosen
    gheloove, gheloof faith; "credit" in X, XVI and XXI the Dutch word is wider than fides; "credit" where it means repute or trust given
    gheloofselijck (XXI) worthy of belief
    deught virtue A3
    liefde love → charitas
    ghemeynschap, ghemeenschap communion → communio; ghemeenschap der heylighen (XXII) "communion of saints"
    verbont (XXII) covenant → foedus
    ghemeynte, ghemeenten, ghemeente congregation(s) not in glossary
    Concilie, Concilium, Concilij, Concili Council not in glossary
    Synode, Synodus, Synodi Synod not in glossary; Latin case forms in black letter kept in the Dutch
    vergaderinghe assembly → coetus not verifiable; kept to one English word
    by een komste meeting kept apart from vergaderinghe
    t'samencomste coming-together
    t'samenrottinghe (XXI) banding-together cf. t'samenspanninge (XII)
    t'samenspraecken (XIII) conversations
    Ouderlinghen Elders
    Outvaderen, Vader (XVIII) the Fathers
    Papisten the Papists distinct from Pontificii/Romanenses (A6)
    Pausche natie (XIV) the papal nation
    leere doctrine
    Godsdienst divine worship / worship
    Religie religion
    Godtsalicheyt godliness
    Godsalighe (XVI) godly → pii
    ketterye heresy
    ban ban
    Stichse (IX) diocesan from Sticht, "diocese"; cf. Bisdom (VI)
    aertbodem the earth
    Magistraet, Opper-magistraet Magistrate, supreme magistrate
    Overicheyt (XIV–XIX) the magistracy kept apart from Magistraet
    Prelaten (XVI) Prelates
    leecken, leeck (XVI) laymen, layman
    Legaten delegates (XVI, of churches); legates (XVII, of the Pope) one Dutch word, two English words by context
    dienaren (XV, XVI) ministers → minister
    herders (XIV) shepherds
    toehoorders (XV) hearers
    Presides, Presidibus, Preside, presidenten presidents Latin forms in black letter; not italicised
    assessoren (XVIII) assessors
    vierschare tribunal
    vonnis sentence (XVI, XX); verdict (XIX)
    stemme vote decisive stemme "decisive vote"
    Canonickse recht, Canonijcsche recht Canon law
    vrije willekeur (XVII) free discretion see below
    dertel, dertele (XI, XX) wanton
    ⭐ No vrije wille/vrijen wil occurs in the disputation. The nearest word is *vrije
    willekeur* (XVII: the emperor may "put it at their free discretion" that the synod choose its own
    president), split across pp. 20–21 (vrije wil- / willekeur). In polity willekeur is a
    discretion or by-law, and it is rendered so here. the edition's danger rule still applies: willekeur
    could stand for arbitrium, and the Latin is unrecoverable (LIV). "Free choice" was not
    used, because the glossary reserves it for liberum arbitrium as a faculty of the will, and
    nothing here concerns the will. Ratified 2026-09-17.
  12. Translator's visible hand: the gloss on Fatum (Preface; italic note). The doublets conspiratie ofte t'samenspanninge (XII), Patriarch ofte Primaedt (VIII), vergadert … by een, verknocht ende verbonden (XX), governeeren ende modereeren (XVIII) and dwalen / faelgeren / glibberen (XXI) are translated as they stand. Only the Fatum gloss plausibly adds sense.
  13. Condition. No manuscript annotation in pp. 11–24. There is heavy black-letter inking and speckle from the 1-bit JBIG2 scan, and show-through on p. 10. ⚠ JBIG2 symbol substitution can swap similar textura glyphs (u/n, c/t, b/v, d/v, p/y), and item 9's u/n cases may be of that kind.
  14. Thesis numbering. Theses I–XXII are numbered with no gaps or repeats. The XXI heading (p. 23) carries a stray mark after the stop (XXI.I or similar); XXII follows on p. 24, so it is not a second XXII. No thesis is lost. No thesis needs a second witness for publication; items 8 and 10 would benefit from one, and none exists, except for Thesis XX (italic note Reael's preface, Gomarus's Proeve, not collated).
  15. Stanglin 2010 used as a second reader (editorial decision, 2026-09-17). Stanglin, The Missing Public Disputations of Jacobus Arminius (Brill, 2010), in the section ending p. 504, prints Lydius's Dutch. ⛔ It is edited from this same 1610 print and is not a witness, a variant, or corroboration. It was consulted only after the plate was read, and only for ‹›, heavy-ink or odd words. It was not used for anything else, and his English was not looked at. Stanglin normalises the virgule to a comma and emends in places, with the print's reading in an apparatus; only the print's readings are used here. Resolved from Stanglin: 23 readings (10 in Preface–XII, 13 in XIII–XXII; listed in item 8), plus two glyph-ambiguous words confirmed (foyelijck, achtienste, item 9). Plate against Stanglin, plate kept: XX te ware (Stanglin ten ware); XVIII en vergaderen (Stanglin ende; no tilde visible on the plate); XV schrijft (Stanglin schrijeft); virgules throughout. Stanglin's emendations not followed (the print is kept): VII vierden Canon (he emends vijfden); XIX ses envijftichste (he emends ensestichste).