Official participation in the Synod of Dort, held in 1618–9 in Dordrecht in the Netherlands, consisted of different groups: Dutch ministers, church elders, and theologians; representatives of churches outside the Dutch Republic; and Dutch lay politicians. There were 14 Remonstrants who were summoned, in effect as defendants. There were also some observers, who had no voting status. Listings are usually given according to a traditional ordering for the provinces that begins with Gelderland; for the provincial synods Holland was divided into two, North and South. In the sources both Latinised names and spelling variants occur. Lists of those nominated to participate in some capacity differ from those who signed the final Acts of the Synod. Figures vary a little, but one total given is for 102 official participants.Martin Mulsow, Jan Rohls, Socinianism and Arminianism: Antitrinitarians, Calvinists, and cultural exchange in seventeenth-century Europe (2005), p. 38; Google Books. The outcome of the Synod was the most significant single event in the Calvinist-Arminian debate.
The Dutch members of the Synod were divided up by provincial synods (for the clerics and elders as delegates), or by provinces (for the lay members). Allowing for Holland as exception, the delegates were divided into ten "colleges": one for each of seven provinces, plus Drenthe; one for theological faculties; and one for the Walloon churches.Israel p. 460.
Dutch delegates
Dutch theologians NameInstitutionCommentsJohannes PolyanderUniversity of LeidenEditor of the canons.Franciscus GomarusUniversity of GroningenAntonius ThysiusUniversity of HarderwijkAntonius WalaeusMiddelburg Latin schoolSibrandus LubbertusUniversity of FranekerHis attendance was delayed.Methodist Review, Volume 10 (1828) p. 438; Google Books
Delegates from Dutch provincial synods NameProvinceCommentsGulielmus StephaniGelderlandPastor from Arnhem.Ellardus a Mehen, Eilardus van Mehen (Moenius) (1570 – c. 1639)GelderlandPastor from Harderwijk.Johannes BouilletGelderlandFrom Warnsveld, signatory.Sebastian Damman (1578 or 1580–1640)Damman, SebastianGelderlandSecretary to the Synod, and minister from Zutphen.Jacobus Verheyden (Verheiden) Graviensis (fl. 1590)GelderlandElder from Nijmegen; brother of Willem Verheiden.Henricus van HelGelderlandElder of ZutphenFestus HommiusSouth HollandScribe.Gisbertus VoetiusSouth HollandMinister of HeusdenBalthasar LydiusSouth HollandPastor in DortHenricus ArnoldiSouth HollandPreacher at DelftArnoldus Musius (Arnoldus Muys van Holij)South HollandElder of the Church of DortJoannes de Laet (Johannes Latius)South HollandElder of the Church of LeydenJacobus TriglandiusNorth HollandMinister of the Church of AmsterdamJacobus Rolandus Article Dordrechter Synode in Gerhard Krause, Gerhard Müller (editors), Theologische Realenzyklopädie: Volume 9 (1993), p. 143; Google BooksNorth HollandMinister of the Church of AmsterdamAbrahamus à DooreslaerNorth HollandMinister of the Church of EnkhuizenSamuel BartholdusNorth HollandPastor of MonnickendamTheodorus Heyngius (Dirk Heinsius)North HollandElder of the Church of AmsterdamDominicus van HeemskercNorth HollandElder of AmsterdamGodefridus Corneliszoon Udemans (Godefridus Udemannus)ZeelandPastor of ZierikzeeHermannus FaukeliusZeelandAssessor.Cornelius RegiusZeelandPastor of TergooseLambertus de RyckZeelandPastor of Bergen up ZoonJosias VosbergiusZeelandElder of the Church of MiddelburgAdrianus HofferusZeelandElder of the Church of ZierikzeeJohannes Dibbets (Dibbetzius)Utrecht (the province was split between Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants)Minister of Dordrecht, delegate for the provincial synod of Utrecht; Counter-Remonstrant position.Arnoldus OortcampiusUtrechtMinister of Amersfoort; Counter-Remonstrant position.Lambertus CanterusUtrechtElder of Utrecht; Counter-Remonstrant position.Isaacus FredericiUtrechtMinister of Utrecht; Remonstrant position.Samuel NaeranusUtrechtMinister of Amersfoort; Remonstrant position.Stephanus van HelsdingenUtrechtElder of Utrecht; Remonstrant position.Johannes BogermanFrieslandChairman.Florentius JohannesFrieslandChurch of SneekPhilippus Danielis EilshemiusFrieslandPastor of HarlingenKempo Harinxma à DoniaFriesland (NB different lists are not compatible for this province, when it comes to the elders; one of those subscribing to the Canons did not present credentials initially).Elder of Leeuwarden. Subscriber.Schaff, p. 485; Google Books.Meinardus ab IdzerdaFrieslandElder of Leeuwarden. Not a subscriber.Johannes vander SandeFrieslandElder of Leeuwarden. Not a subscriber.Tacitus ab AysmaFrieslandElder of the Churches of Buirgirt, Hichtum, and Hartwardt, Subscriber.Casparus SibeliusOverijsselPastor at DeventerHermannus WiferdingOverijsselMinister at Swoll.Hieronymus VogeliusOverijsselPastor at Hasselt.Iohannes LangiusOverijsselPreacher at Vollenhove.Wilhelmus à Broickhuysenten DoerneOverijsselElder.Johannes à LauwickOverijsselElder.Cornelius (Cornelis) HilleniusGroningenMinister of GroningenGeorgius PlaciusGroningenMinister of AppingedamWolfgangus AgricolaGroningenMinister of BedumJohannes LolingiusGroningenMinister of NoordbroekEgbertus HalbesGroningenElder of GroningenJohannes RuffelaertGroningenElder of StedumThemo ab AsschebergDrenthePastor of MeppelenPatroclus RomelingiusDrenthePastor of RhvineDaniel ColoniusWalloon churchesMinister of LeidenJohannes de la CroixWalloon churchesMinister of HaarlemJohannes DoucherWalloon churchesMinister of VlissingenJeremias de PoursWalloon churchesMinister of MiddelburgEverardus BeckerWalloon churchesElder of MiddelburgPetrus du PontWalloon churchesElder of Amsterdam
Dutch lay commissioners Jacob de Witt (treasurer)
The commissioners by province were: Gelderland and Zutphen: Martinus Gregorius, Hendrik van Essen. Holland and West Friesland: Walrave de Brederode, Hugo Muys van Holy, Jacobus Boelens, Gerardus van Nieuburg, Rochus van Honaert, Nicholaas Krombout. Zealand: Symon Scotte, Jacobus van Kampe. Utrecht: Frederik van Zuylen, van Nieuveld, Willem Herteveld. Friesland: Ernestus van Aylva, Ernestus ad Harinksma. Overijssel: Hendrik van Haagen, Johannes van Hemerde. Groningen: Hieronimus Ysbrants, Efaart Jacob Clant, Daniel Heinsius.
Of these Gregorius, van Honaert, Krombout, and Ysbrands were doctors of both laws. Staatkundige historie van Holland: Benevens de Maandelijksche Nederlandsche Mercurius (1774) Volumes 36-39 p. 13–5; Google Books. The list of commissioners later signing the Acts of the Synod is somewhat different.
Remonstrants A number of prominent Remonstrant ministers were cited to appear before the Synod, around 10% of the 200 identified Remonstrants at that time in the Dutch Reformed Church. Of those, a number were deprived of their church posts before the proceedings, which formed the latter part of the political and religious struggle that had been triggered in 1618, and which came to a head after the Synod closed. Only three Remonstrants were among the delegates (from Utrecht, two ministers and a church elder). Simon Episcopius emerged as leader of the group of Remonstrants who were summoned. His efforts to secure participation in the debates of the Synod for the group failed after extensive procedural discussion; the summoned Remonstrants were, however, required to remain in Dordrecht. With one exception they refused to subscribe to the required declaration at the end of the Synod, were expelled from the Church, and banished. In total around 70 Remonstrant ministers were banished in the aftermath of the Synod.
The 14 Remonstrants banished by the Synod were:
Gelderland: Bernerus Wezekius, Henricus Hollingerus. South Holland: Simon Episcopius, Iohannes Arnoldi Corvinus, Bernardus Dwinglonius, Eduardus Popius, Theophilus Rickwaerdius. North Holland: Phillippus Pinakerus, Dominicus Sapma. Utrecht: Isaacus Frederici, Samuel Neranus. Overijssel: Thomas Goswinus, Assuerus Mathisius. Walloon churches: Carolus Niellius.
(These are the Latinised names as given, correcting two spellings.) Apart from the Utrecht representative ministers who were Remonstrants–Frederici and Naeranus–these clergy were therefore not full participants in the Synod at any point.
A baseline list of 13 names in Historie der Remonstranten (1774) by Jacobus Regenboog is of those Remonstrants who were summoned (and omitting the delegates Frederici and Naeranus from the Utrecht provincial synod):
Gelderland: Henricus Leo of Bommel, Vezekius of Egteld, Hollingerus of Grave. South Holland: Episcopius, Arnoldi and Dwinglo of Leiden, Poppius of Gouda, Rykewaard of Brielle. North Holland: Pynakker of Alkmaar, Sapma of Hoorn. Overijssel: Gozuinus and Mathisius of Kampen. Walloon churches: Niellius of Utrecht.Jacobus Regenboog, Historie der Remonstranten, kortelyk vervattende de geschiedenissen der Gereformeerde Christenen, die men Remonstranten noemt (1774), p. 13; Google Books.
It was Henricus Leo who was the sole Remonstrant of these summoned who signed the Act of Cessation (acte van stilstand) as required by the Synod, and escaped banishment.in note 17. His absence from the first list gives numbers that tally.
There is a longer listing in the works of John Hales of those Remonstrants who were cited by the Synod (21 names, but 20 if Joannes Arnoldi and Corvinus are duplicates); this list includes names of ministers who were by other means removed from their posts. The breakdown by provinces is: John Hales, Peter Gunning, John Pearson, Golden Remains, of the Ever Memorable Mr. John Hales (1688), p. 553; Google Books.
Gelderland: Leo, Wezekius, Holderingus. South Holland: Adrianus Bozzius, Nicolaus Grevinchovius, Episcopius, Arnoldi, Poppius, Rickwardus. North Holland: Joannes Geysteranus, Sapma. Overijssel: Goswinius, Mathisius. Walloon churches: Simon Goulartius, Niellius. Utrecht: Utenbogardus, Corvinus, Duinghonius, Pinakerus, Neranus, Friderici.
Goulartius (Simon Goulart the Younger of Geneva, 1575–1628) the Remonstrant was the son of Simon Goulart of Senlis (1543–1628).K. A. E. Enenkel, Jan L. de Jong, Jeanine Landtsheer, Alicia Montoya, Recreating Ancient History: episodes from the Greek and Roman past in the arts and literature of the Early Modern Period (2001), p. 226; Google Books. Though summoned he had already been dismissed from his post. Biografisch lexicon voor de geschiedenis van het Nederlands protestantisme
Foreign representatives There were 27 delegates who attended from outside the Dutch provinces.New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, article Dort, Synod of. Two replacements were made during the Synod.
Great Britain NameCommentGeorge Carleton (1559–1628)Bishop of Llandaff; he led the English delegation in objecting to article 31 of the Belgic Confession. Addressed as 'bishop' throughout the synod, and distinguished by his seat being provided with an episcopal canopy.Joseph Hall (1574–1657)Withdrew because of illness.Thomas Goad (1576–1638)Goad replaced Hall who became ill.John Davenant (1576–1641)Samuel Ward (1572–1643)Walter Balcanqual (1586–1645)Balcanqual was a priest of the Church of England, but officially was there as representative of the Church of Scotland.
Imperial delegates