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

brought; that also the Classis handled it in the presence of the synodal men; and that they have finished it; having not only judged therein, but also executed the sentence. Now when something has been answered in such a manner in a Synod, one is accustomed to proceed in the reading: as such a case is then finished, there and as it ought to be; and order demanding that one pass over to the following things, which were handled the year before, to see as before if anything occurs therein where one thing or another might still need to be done.

But now I have also seen it happen that someone made something to say on some point that was held to be finished. That must then be spoken of. If that should now also happen; (for certain I know that it will indeed happen) what shall they then find to say? That the Classis did not finish it within the appointed time; that the appointees of the Synod were not present at the final handling; that the Consistory protested that some members, some Consistories, Classes, Synods, are not satisfied in those dealings. Yet all this is outside of me: I now plead for the Classis. Not that they need me for that; but because those who take this up against me, thereby set themselves against the Classis itself. The Classis has done more and longer work to finish this case than the Synod could foresee would be necessary for it. Have they then done too much? Is that their fault? How then can one want them to do even more? That demands still more time. The Synod itself did not see from one day to the next when they would have finished. They gave the charge last Wednesday to examine my Book; and wanted to hear me on it on Thursday, and nonetheless close the entire handling before the afternoon. But they found longer work with me alone, that entire day; and would have remained busy even longer if the time had permitted. And they might have stopped because their intention was not to finish the case. Also this was only, as said, to question me; not to convince me, as the work thereafter was mostly that of the Classis. That convincing was not to be done so easily or hastily. Had the Classis