Investigation and Answer

[They believe they] are well-suited for it: specifically, for speaking evil and making accusations; something every person is naturally capable of. Nevertheless, they may excuse themselves here with the added words of the Resolution; if the Commissaris Politijk a government official representing the state at church meetings, with whose advice they are charged to perform those duties, has judged this method of Request formal petition to be suitable for that purpose. Yet, though I do not know (as I said once at the beginning) nor am I investigating how that stands; I cannot easily suspect it, considering the modest judgment that His Honorable Excellency let be heard openly at that Synod of Edam, in the ears of the Correspondenten visiting representatives from other synods (of which I have knowledge). If the Deputies then took this duty upon themselves in this way: then it was done even less in accordance with the Resolution.

But if I am mistaken in this: and the presenting of the Petition to have the Book banned happened according to the Resolution: why then was the Resolution not followed? Why do they use a different language in the Petition than they read in the Resolution? Why do they speak so bitterly and so sharply; and from where have they fetched such bloody accusations, of which not a single word is to be found in the entire Acts of the Synod? Not a word, I say; and on the other hand, not a single word that stands in the Resolution is found in this Petition: so that, except for this bare name The World Bewitched original: "de Betoverde Weereld", it is in no way noticeable that they are speaking of the same Book against which they, as it were, according to the Resolution, have instituted this Petition as a very suitable duty. One has only to read the one against the other, to immediately come to see what I am saying: therefore, the Deputies of the Synod have not performed their duty according to the Resolution, and thus have performed no suitable duty at all.

But let us now see, if they may speak otherwise than their masters have put into their mouths: whether they may however say everything they want. For not at all satisfied with speaking in general as they see fit of my Book; they first clearly distinguish it into two that are now printed, and two that are yet to be printed: and then they have the heart to say that those both books (though primarily the second) are very offensive and harmful books. Thus making both books the subject of the most bitter accusations; those must necessarily be applied to both (though not equally). Therefore, it is up to them to prove that not only the second, but even the first Book, is not only generally considered a very offensive and harmful book; but also particularly, that I use such language therein regarding the H. Schrifture Holy Scripture, of the Nederlandsche Oversetters Dutch Translators, and of the Bedienaars des H. Euangeliums Ministers of the Holy Gospel; as if my intention and aim had been (I shudder while writing!) to entirely darken the luster of the Word of the Lord, to take away all belief in the new Dutch Translation among the people, and