A Curious History

of Ecumenical Pastor,) so as not to appear that they were attacking his person directly, the ninth article was drafted in these somewhat obscure terms; The company, having maturely considered the content of the instructions from the Church of The Hague regarding the person of Mr. de Labadie, and immediately added the following words, which spoke of an entirely different matter, solely with the intention of not offending the aforementioned Sir in the slightest (because it had already been learned that his "Most Reverend Fatherhood" original: "sa paternité Reverendisſime." A sarcastic reference to Labadie’s former status as a Jesuit priest and his perceived self-importance. was extremely delicate and sensitive regarding anything concerning him) and having learned from the deputies of Naarden that there is a good prospect of establishing a Church of our language in Deventer, has found it appropriate to order a ClassisA regional governing body in the Reformed Church, composed of ministers and elders from a specific area. for the 29th of September in the city of Amsterdam, composed of, etc. In order to act in accordance with the instructions given to the said Classis.

More was done in this same Synod by a subsequent article: by virtue of the eighteenth article of the previous Synod, a Classis having been ordered at Vlissingen to examine his callingThe formal invitation and authorization for a minister to serve a specific congregation.; the Synod of Heusden approved what had been done there, adding however that it would have much wished that Mr. de Labadie had been present in person (meaning at Heusden) to sign the confession of faith there, and to effectively submit himself to the orders and discipline of our Churches; seeing particu-

larly, the article says, that it seems (this word was used to soften the offensiveness of the matter, for at heart the thing was only too well proven) that it seems the said Sir has contravened them by Sermons that he has delivered in some Churches of these Provinces, preaching against the doctrines that are received and established there; (and it was then that he was running about the Churches, thrusting himself into pulpits, and delivering those factious sermons that have caused such a stir) This is why this company, says the article, which according to its power desires to remedy this evil as promptly as possible, as it is also required to do by the instruction of the Church of The Hague, enjoins the said Mr. de Labadie to appear at the Classis mentioned in the preceding article, (which was that of Amsterdam) in order to do there what this Company would have desired him to do had he come, and to answer the questions that will be put to him on behalf of this Company, which has notified him of the content of this article by a letter written to him, as well as to the Synodical Church of Zeeland. This article, which aimed only at preventing disorders, so mortally offended our Mr. de Labadie that he wanted to have redress for it in several subsequent Synods, as if he had been blameless; and though he had preached extravagantly and acted thoughtlessly when he ran through the Churches to seduce the people rather than to instruct them, he had not been...