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

to loathe the Book (as had happened): and if it were found so, to give them satisfaction. I relate no particulars, because of the respect I always have for church assemblies, especially those of which I am myself a member, and under which I stand. Now it is meanwhile known, that as soon as my Book, The Enchanted World, came to light, or rather was barely read, the world was disenchanted of that evil rumor that had preceded it. Everyone was eager to have it. It was reprinted two or three times from the beginning before it was even finished being printed once. Furthermore, it was mostly people who had never read it, or who would not even read it because of a prejudice they had taken up, or who did not understand it well when reading, by whom the first rumors were still heard. The Synod regional church assembly meanwhile meets at Edam, while I am in negotiations with the Church Council local governing body of the church. They are summoned there, and I am too. I certainly heard their address, finding myself among the bystanders; but I was not allowed to be present when they related their dealings held with me from time to time, both before and after. These were then approved, and I was asked if I would pursue my appeal there. To which I said, no. I was questioned for three hours before noon and another three hours in the afternoon, before the full assembly, about many passages extracted from my Book which were judged offensive. I thought I clearly perceived from the faces of the surrounding Ministers preachers, of whom there were many, that they generally found satisfaction in my answers; and some also expressed it with words. Therefore I comforted myself in this unusual and uncomfortable examination, that it would nevertheless do good to open the eyes of those who had heard so much evil of the Book, and had never read or seen it. But the Synod assembly gave the judgment against me, and likewise loathed my Book. However, it sent me back again to the Church Council, and from there to the Classis regional governing body between a council and a synod, to settle the matter with me: and if it came to the Classis, that four members from the Synod would be present. I went as I had come: from Church Council and Classis to the Synod; from the Synod back