I 94 A Pl 65-15^v

PETITION,

SUBMITTED

To the Most Honorable Lords, the Burgomasters

and City Council of the city of UTRECHT,

The undersigned Teachers and Deacons of the united Flemish and High German Anabaptists original: "Doops-gesinden" here, respectfully make known: That their Petitioners, alongside the other brothers, were presented with a certain project by the Commissioners, for the purpose that both parties would declare their positions in writing regarding it. Since this project mentioned in Article 3 a certain order for the settlement of disputes devised by a few in what they call the "Covenant of Unity," the Petitioners judged that the aforementioned Commissioners only took note of the passage regarding the aforementioned covenant to the extent that, in the event of any arising difference, the advice and counsel of impartial outsiders would be heard, leaving the Petitioners to further advantage of the aforementioned covenant, and without being obliged to separate themselves from the other united Flemish and High German Anabaptist congregations.

However, as the Petitioners feared that their dissenting brothers might interpret this quite differently, they added these words to their submission before the Commissioners while declaring their compliance: "with the understanding that it is not your Honorable intent to make the Petitioners sign the aforementioned covenant or to cause them to separate from the Society of the united Flemish, Frisian, and High German Anabaptists." The Commissioners wished for these same words to be removed, as the Petitioners conceded that the aforementioned covenant was not being imposed upon them by the said project, and it seemed to be an unnecessary precaution; The following lines are struck through in the original text: "The Commissioners raising difficulties, without the aforementioned removal, to introduce the written submission of the Petitioners to your Honorable body." But because the Petitioners found shortly thereafter, both in their church meetings and outside them, that the dissenting brothers misinterpreted the nature of the aforementioned precaution, as if the Petitioners had thereby accepted the aforementioned covenant and should be subject to those outsiders who had signed the same covenant—of which the Petitioners had nevertheless submitted their objections in writing to the well-regarded Commissioners, and which were inserted in the last session—and since what was spoken verbally might in time fade from memory, and the Petitioners might be suspected by the ignorant of not having declared themselves with all sincerity, the Petitioners very humbly request that it might please your Honorable body that, for the affirmation of the Petitioners' sincerity and the satisfaction of their conscience, the precaution contained in the above-mentioned crossed-out words might be restored and permitted in their aforementioned written submission. In doing so, etc.

GORIS van ALDENDORP.
ARENT van HEUVEN.
JOHANNES ANDRIES.
WILLEM VAN MAURICK.
LODOWYCK TERWE.

CORNELIS CORNELISZ.
ISAACK HOFKENS.
GERRIT van HENGELAER.
JEREMIAS AMARANTHI.
JAN van GELDER.
FRANS ANDRIES VAN AKEN.

Ruling on the above-stated Petition.

Extract from the Resolution of the Honorable CITY COUNCIL of the City of Utrecht,

On the petition of Goris van Aldendorp and others, Teachers and Deacons of the Mennonite congregation, the CITY COUNCIL has determined that the Petitioners shall have to acquiesce that is, to agree and remain satisfied in the respective Resolutions of the 12th of June and the 3rd of July, both recently decided upon the disputes of the Mennonites.

Sk 1998

Truth-loving reader,

Since Goris van Aldendorp and others have had this above-stated petition of theirs printed without the ruling given upon it by the Honorable City Council, and have thus circulated the same among their own people here as well as in other places, in the appearance as if they were not bound to the previous Resolution of the Honorable City Council of the 12th of June and the 3rd of July of this year, we have therefore deemed it necessary to have the same petition reprinted herein with the Ruling of the Honorable City Council given upon it, to the end that everyone may clearly see that they are explicitly bound to the aforementioned Resolution and their signature, prout jacet as it stands, or as it lies.