Chap. H. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 48 t confidered the remonf'crants [Arminian] exceptions againft the Paid con- Tcing)ames I. fefiion, and declared that they were of fuch a nature as to be capable of r6i8. being made againft all the confefions of other reformed churches. They did not pretend to pats any judgment upon the articles relating to their church government, but only maintained that their own church go- vernment was founded upon apoflolicalinflitution. Mr. John Hales of Eaton, chaplain to the Englifh ambafi'adorCarlton, fat Behaviour among the hearers for Tome weeks, and having taken minutes ofthe proceed-ofthe remora.. ings, tranfmitted them twice or thrice a week to his excellency at the Hales'r re- Hague. After his departure Dr. Balcanqual, the Scots commifiioner, and mains,p,5o7,. Dr. Ames carried on the correfpondence. Mr. Hales obferves, that the 512, 526, Remenfirants behaved on feveral occafions very imprudently, not only in 586, 587 the manner of their debates, but in declining the authority of the fynod, though fummoned by the civil magiftrate in the moft unexceptionable manner. The five points ofdifference between the ,Calvini/?s and Armi. nians, after a long hearing, were decided in favour of the former. After which the remonftrant minifters were difmifhed the affembly, and ba- nifhed the country within a limited time, except they fubmitted to the new confef ion ; on which" occafion fome very hard fpeeches were mu- tually exchanged, and appeals made to the final tribunal of God. When the opinion of the Britifhdivines was read, upon the extent of And of the Chrift's redemption, it was obferved that they omitted the received di- Englifh di- ftinétion between theJiifficiency and efficacy of it ; nor did they touch upon Brandt, the received limitation of thofe pafi'ages, which fpeaking ofChrift's dying 256. for the whole world, are ufually interpreted of the world of the eleti, Dr, Davenant and Tome of his brethren inclining to the doCrine of univerfal redemption. In all other points there was a perfeC harmony ; and even in this Balcanqualfays, king James and the archbifhopof Canterbury defired them to comply, though Heylin Pays, their inftruCions were not to oppofe the doCrine of univerfäl redemption. But Dr. Davenant and Ward were for a middle way between the two extremes : They maintained the cer- tainty ofthe falvation of the eletl, and that offers of pardon were lent not only to all who fhould believe and repent, but to all who heard the gofpel and that grace fuficient to convince and perfuade the impenitent (fo as to lay the blame of their condemnation upon themfelves) went along with thefe offers; that the redemption of Chrift and his merits were applicable to thefe, and confequently there was a poflibility of their falvation. How- ever, they complied with the fynod, and declared their confeßion in the main, agreeable to the word of God ; but this gave rife to a report fome yearsafter, that they had deferted the doctrine of the church of England; upon which bifhop Hall expreffed his concern to Dr. Davenant in thefe words, " I (hall live and die in the fuffrage of that fynod of Dort; and VoL. I. q
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