Twee brieven [...] aan Everhardus vander Hooght

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orthodox truth, says vander Hooght; but how can that be, since they were not of the Peace, which the Scripture inseparably pairs with Truth: For it says, love truth and peace original: "hebt de waarheid en den vrede lief," referencing Zechariah 8:19. I do not understand what kind of truth it is that those love who hate peace: as they are the principal followers and champions of that irregular, uncontrollable, and slanderous Koelman Jacobus Koelman, a Dutch minister deposed for his radical views on church and state.

Whether it was the multitude of business that caused that delay in the Kerkenraad Consistory is unknown to me: but the weight of the matters, which you add to it, could alone be the reason for it. Regarding this, you might well have mentioned here, if only you had known it, what I wrote at that time from Friesland regarding this: which indeed arrived too late for that meeting due to a misdelivery; yet it was read the following Thursday, and simply recorded in the books that a letter from me had been read.

But I am amazed when I read further that, according to your words, there were members in the Consistory who were held in suspicion of having too great an affection, not for my Doctrine, but for my Person. May God never let it be true that the person of Bekker, who has been a member of the Amsterdam Consistory for so long and is best known through God's grace, should be so hated that to be well-disposed toward him could bring someone under suspicion. Or could it be because some, through too great an affection for his person, sought to excuse him in the matter? But no, they testified otherwise there, as even those who most loathed the matter and gave their vote to depose him (wishing first to suspend him from service for some time, as the usual step toward that), most of all testified that they loved him, and had special reasons to love him; extolling his praise and virtues at great length. It is far from being the case, as you write, that affection for my person could make someone suspicious to the Consistory.

You also say further that these Brothers as well as others loathed my Book. But that was already done 9 months previously