Nodige bedenkingen op de niewe beweegingen, onlangs verwekt door den circulairen brief en andere middelen, tegen den auteur van 't boek de betoverde weereld

care, to continue their begun handling concerning it. Seeing that with the Classis, which meets only once a month, it would take a long time before I reached an end there; as they had to start from the beginning: so I could easily foresee that the bad-mouthing would last so much longer; and consequently increase even more. Even if the Classis itself did not intend that, it was I nevertheless who felt where the shoe pinched me. If I then remained silent, I would have to submit to the judgment of the Classis: and when then would my Book ever reach the public; and people be freed from that foul delusion of its contents and of my opinion? Even if the Classis had proceeded with the greatest speed to examine the work, and had found it in a state to be published or brought it to that state: who would say that it was the same Book about which people had spoken so ill; and that I had truly taught such evil things in the first printing (which was almost no longer seen) as had been alleged. There was then no other means, without the stain of disobedience, to ward off that unavoidable inconvenience, than that I appealed to the Synod; before which time the Book can be completely printed. Of this I gave notice to the Church Council at the first meeting; whose task it was no longer to examine the Book, after it had already been loathed by them and was now left to the Classis: in which not a single one of them contradicted me; so that I thought I was free from that offer to let the printing stand still, upon such an occasion and such a condition which was entirely changed. original: "Qui tacet consentire videtur, & minima circumstantia variat jus." He who is silent is seen to consent, and the smallest circumstance changes the law. To this was added that all the members of the Church Council had undertaken to read the Book through: which could not have happened before the loathing, because of the shortness of time and the lack of copies of the first printing; therefore it was necessary that the second printing be hurried, to help them to books. For I, moreover, notwithstanding the judgment already passed, showed myself ready to enter into discussion with the Brothers over such pieces as they had encountered therein, worthy of