A Curious History

...ctober of the previous year; toward which the Church of Middelburg declared itself entirely inclined. To make this plan succeed, the Synod first sent deputies to Their Lordships the States of the Province of Zeeland, who were then assembled in Middelburg, to assure them of the good intention it had for peace; and the Synod learned through the mouth of their PensionaryA high-ranking legal and administrative official of a Dutch province or city who advised the government. that Commissioners had been appointed—one from each city in the Province—to handle this matter with the Deputies of the Synod. Finally, a settlement was drafted based on articles that were agreeable to both parties, and by virtue of these, a reconciliation was made with joy and satisfaction.

The summary of the articles was as follows: that Labadie would sign the revised Confession of Faith according to the new edition in two columns; that he would recognize the legitimate authority of the Synods and ClassesRegional governing bodies in the Reformed Church. over the ConsistoriesThe local council of elders and ministers in a single congregation. according to the ecclesiastical discipline of the Synod of Dordrecht The 1618–1619 national assembly that established the official doctrines of the Dutch Reformed Church.. That his offensive writings would be held as null and void, just as, on the other hand, the resolutions of the Synod against the Consistory of Middelburg and Mr. de Labadie would be, notably his suspension pronounced by the Classis of Middelburg on October 10, 1667. That he would neither preach nor distribute in writing or by word of mouth the doctrine of the glorious Reign of Jesus-Christ on earth This refers to Millenarianism, the belief in a future thousand-year earthly kingdom of Christ, which was considered heterodox by the established church.. That he would publish no treatise without the permission of the States of his provin-

ce, who would not grant it without the advice of the Synod. This Peace among the Brothers was a fine thing, if it could have been lasting; but this settlement was for this IndependentIn this context, a person who believes individual congregations should be autonomous, rejecting the hierarchical oversight of the established church. a spiderweb that he broke with ease. For soon after this storm had calmed, another accident occurred, which today serves as a famous pretext for Labadie to color his schism, since it is upon this that he primarily bases his separation from us. This was that his Church—or rather he himself—declared itself an accuser against the book of our very dear Brother, Mr. Wolzogue Ludwig Wolzogen (1633–1690), a Walloon theologian whose rationalist approach to Scripture often sparked controversy., claiming it contained several erroneous and scandalous propositions: Pelagian, Semi-Pelagian, Socinian, Arminian, and Papist, profane and blasphemous, against the Holy Scripture. These terms refer to various theological heresies involving the denial of original sin (Pelagian), the Trinity (Socinian), or strict predestination (Arminian). The Synod appointed examiners for the said book, with orders to deliver their remarks into the hands of the said Mr. Wolzogue, who then offered to respond to them at the next Synod. They likewise appointed examiners for Labadie's book, titled the Herald of the Great King Jesus, as well as for that of Mr. Hulsius which opposed it, and all of this was to be presented at the following Synod of Naarden.

But it was there that it was first learned that, on the occasion of the calling of Yvon as the second Pastor in place of Minutoli, the dissension had been rekindled between Labadie,