C O P Y

The Honorable Synod, held under the government of your Honorable Mightinesses in this year 1661 within Leeuwarden, has seen fit to instruct its deputies to request various points from your Honorable Mightinesses, as they are described hereafter.

As it is observed that the harmful poison of the Socinians original: "Sosynianen"; followers of Laelius and Faustus Socinus, who denied the divinity of Christ and other orthodox doctrines. is creeping more and more among the Mennonites original: "Menisten"; a Christian Anabaptist denomination., it is very humbly requested of your Honorable Mightinesses that, in order to suppress this harmful sect, which is increasing greatly not only here in our province but also in other provinces, your Honorable Mightinesses may be pleased to command all book printers and booksellers that they shall every month deliver to their respective magistrates a register of books which they have in their possession or which they still have under the press.

That every Bishop term for a leader/elder in Mennonite congregations. among the Mennonites, or any teacher of the same, who now exists or might yet come, shall make a declaration to their magistrates, in the presence of the ministers of that place, that they hold and accept these following points as truthful.

First. Whether they believe, confess, and teach that Christ is eternal God, one in being with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and that He possesses all the essential attributes that the Father has, such as being Almighty, existing in reality from eternity, before the foundation of the world, omniscient, and omnipresent, and whatever other such attributes there may be. In short: whether He is God of Himself, or whether the Father made Him God.

II. Whether Christ, just as He is, God from eternity of one being with the Father, and having become human in time, has taken upon Himself the punishment that we had earned, and in our stead has paid down to the last penny, and thus has satisfied God’s justice; whether we are accepted into grace by God solely for His merits; or whether He has only been an example to us in which we must follow Him? If the first is true, whether this also applies to unbaptized children?

III. Whether the unbaptized children of the Believers, dying, shall be saved and come into the Kingdom of Heaven? (That is to say) whether they arrive in that dwelling place that Christ has ordained for His Believers, or whether there is a third place for children?

IV. Whether the Godless also, after they have been awakened and judged, shall suffer: the eternal, everlasting pain, without ceasing, and always dying without ever being dead?

V. Whether they shall suffer this punishment with the same body that they have had here in this life, or whether another body shall be given in its place that has done no evil?

VI. Whether the preaching office is necessary, and that certain persons may be chosen for it; and that this service and calling is legitimate and divine, or whether everyone who merely has gifts may preach and administer the Sacraments?

VII. Whether water baptism according to God’s ordinance must be received by every Christian until the end of the world, or whether it is an indifferent matter referring to adiaphora matters not essential to salvation. that one may do or omit without sin?

VIII. That they shall be obliged to renew this declaration as often as the honorable magistrate pleases.

IX. That they unanimously promise and accept not to tolerate among them anyone whom they know to be infected with any Socinian error.

As that godless sect of the Quakers lets itself be found in these united provinces, and has also revealed itself here in Friesland, your Honorable Mightinesses are very humbly requested to watch against them in time, so that those devilish errors might not spread further.

Whereupon the churches, not only of this province but also the corresponding ones, await the good resolution of your Honorable Mightinesses. Doing so, etc.