Golden remains of the ever memorable Mr. John Hales ... with additions from the authours own copy, viz., sermons & miscellanies, also letters and expresses concerning the Synod of Dort (not before printed), from an authentick hand.

My very good Lord,

WHat stir we have had about the making of our Canons your Lordship shall understand by Letters from our whole College: if we had not written a common Letter, and then your Lordship should have taken some particular notice of the con∣tents of mine, the rest of my Colleagues must needs have suspect∣ed that your Lordship had had intelligence from me; And there∣fore I did presently deal with my Lord and the rest of our So∣ciety, that they would write a common Letter to your Lordship concerning the particular passages of this troublesome business. These three things I may say in it; First, that the President would take upon him more than ever any President did, to make Canons and ••ass them by placet or non placet, and then he hath so many of the Provincials at command to pass what he will; I cannot, I consess, yet see, how it can consist with the dignity of any, much more of some of the Members of the Synod, that the President should dictate Canons and the rest especially a Bishop write after him; so that he maketh the Canons, and the whole Synod are called non ad consilium, sed tantum consensum. Next I think, my Lord, that if the Synod had wanted but two men which are of it, we had wanted a great deal of contention, which I perceive will not forsake the Synod, so long as they are in it; I mean Si∣brandus & Gomarus; they keep their fits of madness by course; the last fit before this came to Gomarus his turn, and this day Sibran∣dus flew out, but with such Raving and sierceness of countenance, such unheard bitterness against our College, as I desire no other re∣venge

on him than the very speaking of the words, which while they were in his mouth were checked by both Presidents Politick and Ecclesiastical; Dr. Davenant who is a very moderate man, would have answered him much against my will, & no man could blame him, for Sibrandus his words against our College, if they had come from a wise man his lips, had been above the strength of patience; I was glad the President gave not way to Dr. Dave∣nants speech, which notwithstanding I am sure would have been full of discretion; and for Sibrandus I blame him and Gomarus no more for these extasies, than I do a stone for going downward, since it is both their natural constitution. Thirdly, if your Lord∣ships care do not now most of all shew it self for procuring of good counsel to be sent hither for the constitution of the Canons, we are like to make the Synod a thing to be laughed at in after ages. The President and his Provincials have no care of the credit of strangers, nor of that account which we must yield at our re∣turn unto all men that shall be pleased to call for it; their Canons they would have them so full charged with Catechetical specula∣tions, as they will be ready to burst; and I perceive it plainly that there is never a Contra-Remonstrant Minister in the Synod, that hath delivered any Doctrine which hath been excepted a∣gainst by the Remonstrants, but they would have it in by head and shoulders in some Canon, that so they might have some∣thing to show for that which they have said: God his good∣ness towards his Church, and your Lordships vigilant con∣stancy in perfecting this good course, which you were so careful to procure, I hope will teach us to overcome all these difficul∣ties.

In my last letter I wrote as I suspect, that the Palatines inveigh∣ed against some things delivered by Dr. Ward in the third and fourth Articles; If I had so, I was mistaken, I should have said the second Article. We shall have no more Sessions till all be agreed upon in private Colleges; and therefore I thought to have come over to have done my duty to your Lordship this Easter, but I understand by a Letter from Sir Thomas Iermyn that my Lord Hayes had warning to make himself ready for his Em∣bassage against the tenth of Marcb; I think he will come by the Hague; if I understand of his coming I must likewise do my du∣ty to him, and I can hardly make two journies; and so with

my humblest service for your Lordships kind invitation, and for all the rest of your Lordships most undeserved favours to a stranger, which since my fortune is not likely ever to give me leave to requite, I must take leave to acknowldge, and with my best prayers for your Lordships and my Ladies happiness, I take my leave and am as I ever shall be

Dordrecht this 25. of March.

Your Lordships in all true respect and service, Walter Balcanqual.