[Footnote 027: The words of the former are remarkable: "The errors of public actions, if they be not very gross, are with less inconvenience tolerated than amended. For the danger of alteration, of disgracing and disabling authority, makes that the fortune of such proceeding admits of no redress; but being howsoever well or ill done, they must ever after be upheld. The most partial spectator of our synodal acts cannot but confess, that, in the late discussion of the Remonstrants, with so much choler and heat, there was a great oversight committed, and that,--whether we respect our common profession of Christianity, 'quæ nil nisi justum suadet et lene,' or the quality of this people, apt to mutiny by reason of long liberty, and not having learned to be imperiously commanded,--in which argument the clergy should not have read their first lesson. The synod, therefore, to whom it is not now _in integro_ to go back and rectify what is amiss, without disparagement, must now go forward and leave events to God, and for the countenance of their actions do the best they may." Letter to Sir Dudley Carleton, 11 January 1619.] [Footnote 028: _Nichol's Calvinism and Arminianism compared_, Vol. II. p.592] [Footnote 029: _Decline and Fall_, Ch. LIV. towards the end.] [Footnote 030: The writers who have given an account of the Synod of Dort are mentioned by Fabricius, Bib. Græca, Vol. XI. p. 723. Some useful observations upon the proceedings of the Synod may be found in "Mr. Nichols's _Calvinism and Arminianism compared_." It is much to be wished that the promised continuation of this work should speedily make its appearance. But no work upon this famous Synod deserves more attention than "_Johannis Halesii, Historia Concilii Dordraceni, J. Laur. Moshemius Theol. Doct. et P.P.C. ex Anglico Sermone latine vertit, variis observationibus et Vitâ Halesii ausit. Accessit ejusdem de auctoritate Concilii Dordraceni Paci Sacræ noxii, Consultatio. Hamburgi_, 8vo." M. Le Clere's criticism on this work (_Bibliotheque ancienne et moderne_ Vol. 23, art. 4.) contains much valuable information upon the Synod, and a summary of the life and writings of Mr. Hales.--Des Maizeaux published a curious account of them in 1719.] [Footnote 031: Pfaffii Hist. Literaria, vol. ii. p. 303.] [Footnote 032: Burigni's Life of Grotius, lib. ii. sect. 12.] [Footnote 033: Cent XVII, sect. 2, Part 2 (Note Y.)] [Footnote 034: Mr. James Nicholls's Calvinism and Arminianism compared. Vol. i. p. 597, 600, 634, 636.] [Footnote 035: See Mr. Dugald Stewart's first Dissertation, sect. III.] [Footnote 036: See Joannis Christopheri Locheri Dissertatio Epistolica Historiam libelli Grotiani _De Veritate Religionis Christianæ_ complectens, 1725, in quarto; and the Journal de Scavans for the year 1724.] [Footnote 037: See Nichols's Calvinism and Arminianism compared, vol. i. p. 289.]