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THE LIFE AND DEATH of JOHN OF BARNEVELD, ADVOCATE OF HOLLAND
By John Lothrop Motley, D.C.L., LL.D.
MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Volume 96
Life and Death of John of Barneveld, v10, 1618-19
Rancour between the Politico-Religious Parties—Spanish Intrigues
Inconsistency of James—Brewster and Robinson's Congregation at
Leyden—They decide to leave for America—Robinson's Farewell Sermon
and Prayer at Parting.
During this dark and mournful winter the internal dissensions and, as amatter of course, the foreign intrigues had become more dangerous thanever. While the man who for a whole generation had guided the policy ofthe Republic and had been its virtual chief magistrate lay hidden fromall men's sight, the troubles which he had sought to avert were notdiminished by his removal from the scene. The extreme or Gomarist partywhich had taken a pride in secret conventicles where they were in aminority, determined, as they said, to separate Christ from Belial and,meditating the triumph which they had at last secured, now drove theArminians from the great churches. Very soon it was impossible for theseheretics to enjoy the rights of public worship anywhere. But they werenot dismayed. The canons of Dordtrecht had not yet been fulminated.They avowed themselves ready to sacrifice worldly goods and life itselfin defence of the Five Points. In Rotterdam, notwithstanding a garrisonof fifteen companies, more than a thousand Remonstrants assembled onChristmas-day in the Exchange for want of a more appropriate place ofmeeting and sang the 112th Psalm in mighty chorus. A clergyman of theirpersuasion accidentally passing through the street was forcibly laidhands upon and obliged to preach to them, which he did with greatunction. The magistracy, where now the Contra-Remonstrants had thecontrol, forbade, under severe penalties, a repetition of such scenes.It was impossible not to be reminded of the days half a century before,when the early Reformers had met in the open fields or among the dunes,armed to the teeth, and with outlying pickets to warn the congregation ofthe approach of Red Rod and the functionaries of the Holy Inquisition.
In Schoonhoven the authorities attempted one Sunday by main force toinduct a Contra-Remonstrant into the pulpit from which a Remonstrant hadjust been expelled. The women of the place turned out with theirdistaffs and beat them from the field. The garrison was called out, andthere was a pitched battle in the streets between soldiers, policeofficers, and women, not much to the edification certainly of theSabbath-loving community on either side, the victory remaining with theladies.
In short it would be impossible to exaggerate the rancour felt betweenthe different politico-religious parties. All heed for the great war nowraging in the outside world between the hostile elements of Catholicismand Protestantism, embattled over an enormous space, was lost in the dinof conflict among the respective supporters of conditional andunconditional damnation within the pale of the Reformed Church. Theearthquake shaking Europe rolled unheeded, as it was of old said to havedone at Cannae, amid the fierce shock of