Twee brieven [...] aan Everhardus vander Hooght

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call pure Reformed, who show themselves so much more impure than the Fariſeen Pharisees were: who slandered our Lord, that he had fellowship with the sinners, whom they saw; whereas these charge me with the guilt of others, of which they see nothing.

I shall not mention more of those so pure Reformed, (you mean the Koelman-niſten followers of Jacobus Koelman, a strict Reformed minister known for his opposition to state interference in the church, who have signed the petition that they did not once understand, nor had even read the greater part themselves). One could get together at Niewendam, with much less effort than the Petition has cost, a much larger part, in proportion to your congregation compared to ours, who would want to sign for the tested truth against You: if one made it one's work and they were found angry enough for it; to yet enter into such a base deed, under many prayers to God, just as you speak of that book, and they also in the Petition, like the Fariſeen Pharisees, speak of themselves. Among these, however, I do not wish to have included pious souls, who have let themselves be led along in simplicity.

But of that Circulairen Brief Circular Letter, which you earnestly praise as so remarkable, it is so with me too. For on that circle, and how it may have been drawn, I have looked with attention: and found that the same is very defective and uneven; which I shall show once more elsewhere.

Your Honor speaks so of the unanimous voting of that Kerken-raad Consistory; of which I believe little: But do you also know well, Brother, whether they have even once unanimously read the Book, before they drew this circle, in order to storm the writer of the book de Betoverde Weereld The World Enchanted from all sides from these lines of circumvallatie original: "circumvallatie," a ring of fortifications built around a besieged place.

Besides this, you say, even more such Letters were also written out by those of Utrecht; as it is true: But for which they shall yet answer once, when the measure of this unregulated writing shall first be fulfilled.

It has been noted by more than you alone, that these circular letter writers must well understand each other among themselves, and together with the petition signers: As they all at one time came together to the Kerkenraad of Amſterdam, to increase the weight of the trade; and then to pretend, that the Church was troubled anew for my sake. By whom then? By lovers of the