THE SPEECH OF SIR DVDLY CARLTON LORD AMBASSADOR FOR THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, MADE IN THE ASSEMBLY of the Lords the Estates General of the united Provinces of the Low Countries.  
Being assembled at the HAGUE.  
TOUCHING THE DISCORD AND TROUBLES OF THE Church and POLICY, caused by the Schismatical Doctrine of ARMINIUS.  
Exhibited the 6. of October. 1617. Set forth by Authority.  
LONDON, Printed by William jones, for Nathaniel Browne, and are to be sold at the great North door of Saint Paul's Church. 1618.   

THE SPEECH OF SIR DVDLY CARLTON LORD AMBASSADOR FOR the King of Great BRITAIN; made in the Assembly of the Lords the Estates General of the united Provinces of the Low Countries: Being assembled at the Hague. TOUCHING THE DISCORD AND TROUBLES OF THE CHURCH and policy, caused by the Schismatical Doctrine of ARMINIUS.  
MY LORDS,  
I HAVE here presented myself in your Assembly to discharge myself touching the duty I bear towards God, towards the King my Master, and towards your Lordships. The apprehension of the public calamity which always accompanieth Schism within the Church, and Faction in the State do give me too much subject and cause for it. And there being no more cause to dissemble, how that in the space of few years, men have approached by degrees to the one, & do at this present proceed with full pace to the other of these precipices. It were to forget the charge which I have on the one part of his Majesty in the quality of his Ambassador, and the Oath which I have made to your Lordships as Counsellor of this estate, and the conjunct Interest of the one with the other, if I should not contribute all that which depends of me, to search and know exactly the original, progress and present state of this evil, to the end we may be able to apply thereunto the Remedy which is most necessary.  
It is the Rule of Hypocrates Desperatis non adhibere Medicinam. But (God be thanked for it,) we are not as yet come to so bad estate, although (to speak freely that which is true of this matter) we are so near to it, seeing how the mischief goes forward, growing every day worse and worse, that the Remedy will be fruitless if it be delayed any longer.  
Now for to seek the Original of this evil any further back than the time of Arminius Professor at Leyden, were to disguise the fact. Some others before him it may be have had the same scruples, and the same troubles in their consciences upon those high points of Predestination and the Dependences of it; But the Church hath still continued in her peace and quiet; in such sort that the fountain and spring of the alteration which since his time some have endeavoured to introduce into the true and ancient Doctrine which you have always professed, and is received and authorized by the common consent of all the reformed Churches (howsoever some particular men have had an opinion a part touching the said points) ought to be attributed to Arminius and to none other.  
Out of the Ashes and Cinders of Arminius are sprung certain others, who having wedded his particular opinions during his life, have gone about to introduce them by cunning force into the public Churches after his death. And not able to effectuate their purpose by the ordinary ways of Classes, and synodal Congregations they directed themselves to my Lords the Estates of the Province.  
After that, followed the change of the name of an Arminian into a Remonstrant; his opposite, (which seeks to maintain the Doctrine in the ancient purity) baptized himself with the name of Contre-Remonstrant: But by many instances, Counter-instances, Propositions, Answers, Replies, Diligences and crafty subtleties the said Remonstrant at last obtains his cause against the poor Contre-Remonstrant; gets (in his favour) a Resolution of my Lords the Estates of Holland, by the plurality of voices, though against the liking and advice of many good & great Towns. Triumpheth over him in Concionibus, and under colour of five points (which have not as yet passed a lawful examination) insinuates many others among the people; stames invectives against the Reformed Religion, and the most famous and reverend Teachers of it; In many places changeth the Pastors and Ancients to set into their rooms such others as might be at his devotion; proceeds with such rigour as well in the Towns as in the Country as he gives occasion to revive in these Provinces, on one side the hateful name of the Inquisition, and of the other side the deplorable words of Churches wailing and lamenting; of Churches persecuted; covering himself always with the title of the Authority public as the only man that performed obedience to the Magistrate. And giving the Contre-Remonstrant (who gins to lose his patience, and to separate himself from the body, in Consequence of this unhappy separation of souls) the reproach of schismatic and one mutinous and tumultuary. Hine Spargere voces in vulgum ambiguas what was meant to the Magistrate. Et quaerere Conscius Arma for his defence. Men Armed themselves in the particular Towns & the example passeth into the Provinces.  
Thus you have in few words the beginning and progress of our evil. The present estate of it is an actual Separation (if not a Schism within the Church; jealousy (not to call it faction) in the estate; Animosities and alterations between the Magistrates, sourness and hatred amongst the people: Contempt of the Ordinances of the Sovereign Courts of justice. Confusion among the soldiers, being bound by divers Oaths: rumour and tumult between the people and the soldiers newly levied and ill disciplined, which is come already even to the shedding of innocent blood, and of that, there hath followed fear terror and a general amazement. All this within the Country. From abroad all we understand of it are the mockeries and scoffs of our Enemies, and the displeasure and extreme sorrow of our Friends.  
Contraria inter se posita magis elucescunt, we see then, before the time of Arminius what was the estate of these Provinces: union in the Church and Estate; good correspondence between the Magistrates; Christian love and charity among the people; the Sovereign Courts of justice respected; the soldiers (the servants of your Lordships) in peace with all the world except your Enemies; all cheerfulness, all rejoicing, all acknowledgement of the blessing of GOD, which hath appeared miraculously in the defence of his cause, in the sight and notice of all the world in your prosperity; whereat the Enemies of this estate, have remained dismayed and amazed, and the friends of it greatly comforted.  
For the present now that every one sees so clearly quantum dimiss a petitis praestant, let the Remonstrant take in good part the Remonstrance that followeth, and let him (if he please) serve himself thereof, Mature redeat repetatque relicta. But if the Doctrine of Arminius be so far spread and multiplied as there be no more time to give back, but that it behoveth to pass further to a decision, which of the two opinions is more conform and agreeing to the truth of the Word of God; or at the least what sort of Christian toleration may be permitted without scandal in the Church, who shall be a competent judge in this matter?  
To carry this authority to the temporal Magistrate, giving to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, were to lean and incline too much of that side, and to take from God that which is Gods.  
Wherefore to proceed with due regard as well towards them to whom God hath given authority over our bodies, as of those that have the cure and charge of our souls, that which in such occurrences is always practised, and whereunto within Christendom at all times men have had recourse. It is a Nationall Synod; I say Nationall, because the evil being passed from Province to Province, a Provincial Synod is not sufficient, but only for so much as it serveth for a preparative to the Nationall Synod. This is the Remedy which is found good by the greatest part of the Provinces, and that which is recommended to you by the King my Master.  
As for the Provinces, I will not play the busy-body in aliena Republica, therein to judge how much every Province in particular aught in such occasions to yield to the public. But whilst in this business men stand to dispute the right of Sovereignty of every Province apart, let them not forget the Oath by which they are consolidated and closed up into one body which is the Union of Vtrecht grounded upon Religion. And although they seek to evade and escape by show of one Article which is, That every Province hath its power a part in matter of Religion, This aught to be understood sound for the maintenance of the pure & sincere Religion, and not for the authorisation and allowance of new and strange opinions; And principally in this Province where we are at this present, in the contemplation whereof it is to be presumed that Article was inserted for the better upholding of the Reformed Religion in his purity without being exposed to the will and pleasure of the other Provinces which at that time were not reduced to such an Union of the Church as they enjoy at this present.  
But as the points of honour and Sovereignty are nice and delicate if that respect hindereth the consent of the Provinces there is no place on the behalf of his Majesty, who giveth you the same counsel as the most sound and wholesome, Where there is no pretension, there is no prejudice.  
His Majesty foresaw and foretold (some years past) by his Letters and Ministers upon the occasion of Vorstius the evils which trouble you at this time; and by other Letters he represented to you the little fruit which would spring of it in suffering the choice points of Predestination to be carried into the chair and Pulpits, which were too high and to dark for the capacity of the common people. In the one and the other occasion his Majesty hath witnessed the sincerity of his affection giving his warnings for the zeal he carrieth to the glory of God, and to the duty of the common Alliance which hath for the foot and foundation the common safety settled especially upon the Unity of Religion. And although his wholesome advises and prayers were not received with that respect which was due to his good intentions, but rather were entertained with most sinister interpretations, having been drawn into such sense and consequence as was clean contrary to his will, his Majesty notwithstanding was pleased for the third and last time (having then already begun his voyage towards Scotland) to solicit you again in that matter by a Letter of the 20. of March, That you would at last speedily heal the evil by the way of a Synod seeing you knew not how to prevent it by other remedies.  
Lo now his Majesty (God be thanked for it) is happily returned from his voyage; wherein (although the same hath been long, having lasted the space of six months) he hath not changed Coelum nec animum: during his absence I have forborn to solicit the answer of the said Letter, that I might not render myself importunate to your Lordships out of time and place. But the evil being grown to that dangerous estate as I have unfolded it; and having lately received a new charge to the same effect, and beholding at this present a full Assembly of worthy and wise personages busied (if I deceive not myself) about the matter of Religion, I know not how any longer to excuse myself, without praying you (My Lords) as I do with all earnestness) to make such Answer to the said Letter as may give testimony both of the respect your Lordships bear to the counsels of his Majesty, and of the care you have to the union of your Church & Estate.  
Exhibited in the Assembly of the Lords the Estates general of the united Provinces of the Low-Countries, the 6. day of October 1617. Stilo novo. And Signed DVDLY CARLTON.  
FINIS.