Netherlands politically was a string of small fiefdoms where the Lords ruled their own territories independently. They were supposed to be under the protection of the Roman Empire though the fiefs and the crown were always against each other to maintain their freedom and authority. Soon after the posting of 95 Theses, Charles V, the King of France as protector of the Provinces declared Luther as a heretic. He was sentenced to be burnt at the stakes. But Martin escaped and took refuge in Germany. Rebellion broke out all over Netherlands on this issue unleashing the infamous Inquisition. Over a million Netherlanders were martyred - burned, strangled, beheaded or buried alive; tortured or their properties confiscated. It became a means of making money for the crown. Their offence ran from the simple reading the Scriptures, refusing to adore icons or the elements of Eucharist. When Phillip II, the son ofCharles V took over reigns, this tyranny continued with double vigor. The Protestant forces joined forces and in 1579 formed a federation under William of Orange and declared themselves independent. Hence the feud between the Roman and Protestant continued as a political necessity. When we consider the infights and persecutions of Catholics against Protestants and Protestants against Catholicas and against supposed herectics in both fields we should remember this political background.

Thus during the formative period of Protestantism Calvin's theology became standard. Though there were other groups, Luther, Calvin and Zwigli were the ones who gave the impact against Roman theology. These churches came be known as the Reformed Church of Switzerland. French Protestants known as Huguenots and German Protestants under Hess, Bremen and Palatinate were also strongly Calvinistic. The Church of Scotland and the Puritans of England were strongly Calvinistic. Church of England was predominantly Calvinistic, until the reign of King Charles. These expansions were essentially due to the unceasing efforts of Calvin in training and sending missionaries into unreached areas within the Catholic territory on a war basis. Calvin died in 1564. Though theologically Calvinsm do not have the incentive for evangelization, evangelization was a life and death matter - a matter of survival and existence of the period for them. Bring people to their faith or perish was the dictum.

In 1603 Arminius accepted a professorship in the Leyden University, As a professor his voice was heard. His theology stood in contrast to that of Calvin and the now strong institutionalized churches found it as a threat to their theology. This made him an enemy of Franciscans Gomarus. Gomarus was not only a Calvinist he was a supralapsarian (supralapsarianism believes that even the fall of Adam was decreed) 1607 an assembly was convened at Hague to decide how to handle this controversy. In 1608, Arminius, and Gomorus, his chief opponent, appeared before the Supreme Court of the Hague, which, having heard their statements, decided that the points on which they differed were of little importance and unessential to religion.

In 1608 Arminius called for a national debate. In his Declaration of Sentiments (1608) Arminius gave twenty arguments against supralapsarianism. As time went on the issue became a national issue verging on to civil war. We should remember that in those days the nation was more or less identified with the Church. The separation of church and State was not in effect. He made a defense of his position before the Ruling Body of the Netherlands in 1609. But Arminius died before he could stand before the synod at the age of 45 on October 19, 1609. (Which some people construed as a decree of God.)

Simon Episcopius who succeeded Arminius in the chair at the University of Leyden took up the case. Gomarus and his associate took up a move to remove all Arminians from teaching positions. The Arminians published their defense in 1610 as The Remonstrance, which was signed by forty-six pastors of the National Church. The most distinguished Remonstrant Theologians included in the group were Episcopius, Curcellaeus, Limborch, Le Clerc, Wetstein, and Grotius. In this document they presented five major points of disagreement with Calvin. This generated a nationwide movement, which practically threatened to split the national church

Thus, on November 11 of 1617 the States convened the synod to resolve the Arminian/Calvinist controversy. The synod was called to deal primarily with three problems confronting the Church: 1) Erastianism, the control of the church by the state; 2) anticonfessional humanism which were based on Hellenistic morality than biblical absolutes, whose two leading proponents were Erasmus and Coornheert (or Koornheert); and 3) the positions of the Arminians as outlined in The Remonstrance of 1610. It lasted for over seven months from November 1618 to May 1619. It consisted of pastors, elders, and theological professors from the churches of Holland, and deputies from the churches of England Scotland, Hesse, Bremen, the Palatinate and Switzerland. The French delegations were prevented from attending because of an interdict of their king. The foreign delegates present were nineteen Presbyterians from Reformed churches on the Continent, and one from Scotland, and four Episcopalians from the church of England headed by the bishop of Llandaff.

Contrary to the expectations of the Remonstrants they were treated as heretics and were expected to defend themselves instead of the synod being a forum of discussion. Though the supporters of Arminianism tried to reason with the synod to get involved in a study and open discussion it failed. Arminianism was declared a heresy. Remonstants were expelled from Dordt and more than two hundred Arminian ministers were excommunicated eighty were exiled and 15 arrested and charged with heresy. The Canons of the Synod came to be known as Calvinism.

A period of persecution followed until 1632 and when the persecution could not put out the theology from the face of Europe an edict of tolerance was extended in 1795.