Curious History of the Life of Jean de Labadie

...jointly with his Consistory, and Mr. du Moulin, claimant to the said position, despite this so solemn settlement in which even the States of Zeeland had intervened, and by which Mr. du Moulin had been recognized as Pastor of the Church of Middelburg. It was learned there that Labadie, on his own authority, had suspended Mr. du Moulin from the Holy Supper, instead of referring this important matter to the Synod that was imminent; but the Synod declared the said suspension null and void, and ordered a ClassisA regional assembly of ministers and elders that oversees a group of local churches. in Middelburg for October 10 of the same year, which was to remedy all these disorders. It was learned there that Labadie, contrary to the sixth article of the settlement made at Vlissingen and against ecclesiastical discipline (besides his book The Herald which he had already published long ago), had published various theological treatises which contained several dangerous and erroneous doctrines. These tended toward IndependentismThe belief that each local congregation should be autonomous, rejecting the oversight of a central church hierarchy. and toward EnthusiasmIn this era, "Enthusiasm" was a negative term for those claiming to receive direct, private revelations from the Holy Spirit, often seen as a threat to the authority of the Bible and the Church., according to the opinion of the Synod, which the Synod condemned. It was learned there by the unanimous report of the examiners that his book The Herald contained doctrine contrary to the Holy Scriptures, pernicious to religion, and dangerous to the State; as a consequence of this report, this book was also condemned along with the others by the Synod. It was learned there again by the unanimous report of the exami-

-ners that the book of our very dear brother Mr. Wolzogue Louis Wolzogue (1630–1690), a philosophy and theology professor who became a primary intellectual opponent of Labadie., so outrageously attacked by Labadie, had been found Orthodox; but it was learned at the same time that Labadie was not satisfied with this, and demanded that other examiners be joined to the first ones to examine it more thoroughly. This was granted to him by a very special indulgence. These examiners, after an exact review of the book, having again unanimously declared it Orthodox, seemed to have sufficiently protected it; but the Church of Middelburg, or rather Labadie, subsequently showing that he was not absolutely satisfied with this declaration and desiring that all the deputies of the Synod, both Elders and Pastors, take notice of their remarks—so that, as their deputies said through the mouth of Labadie, the judgment made of it would be a Synodal judgment—the Synod, through a very special and unprecedented kindness (to remove any pretext for quibbling from a spirit that asked for nothing better than to divide a body which by the grace of God has always been so perfectly united), gave in to this demand, without setting any precedent for the future. The examination of the book was therefore done in full Synod and occupied four consecutive sessions, until finally it was found, by an admirable conduct of the providence of God, that after all the accusations brought by Labadie, and all the clarifi-