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Show -..m.,_»c,.,~. '9 J~ao-::o- . ,meWm-rmvz~www ~ :2; ! CASE IN POINT. 4,2 43 CASE IN POINT. who had been fo often amufed, they debated among themfclves, whether it was convenient they {hauld pro~ peed in that manner in this conference ? OPINIONS. Some were for agreeing with the ad- vice and method of the Spaniards herein; for the rules of order did require that they fhould firlt treat of things paft, then to come, efpecially fince the former might prove an impediment to the other; neither could they fully treat ofa reconciliation, without thofe impediments were firft removed and taken away ; and therefore they ought End to treat of this. Others oppofed this, faying, it fignified nothing to obferve this method, without they arrived, by the obfer~ vance thereof, at a jult and the deligned end; which if they did fupprfe was not to be attained to, to what purpofe. {houln they have {0 many deliberations and a]tereations about other matters? and what would the confequcnce be elfe, but the preterit lofmg of the prefent opportunities, which otherwife might have been i i better improved 3 Liberty of confcience, in matters of religion, was the end they aimed at, and it fignilied nothing to talk of other matters, or to have all the reft granted to them, without this; and therefore they were in the firl't place, to afk the Spanifh deputies, whether they had power to reconcile all differences with the fafety of their religion, and liberty of confcienee? if fo, all things might be treated of in order. Neither could they then doubt but all things mutt terminate Well; but if otherwil'e, it liq~ nifted nothing to ti‘anfaét all other matters in order, tbr opportunities in the mean time would be loft, and no.3 thing at lai'c done by that Congrel‘t, which they had had ‘ ‘ fufficient experience of already. RESOLU'I‘ION. This lat} opinion they agreed to, as the belt and moft advifable to follow: and therefore they afked in the firf‘c place, before they would enter upon any other matters, whether the Spanifh deputies had power to allow of liberty of confcience? EVENT. Hereupon they came prefently to know, that they were not empowered to do that, and there; fore fore the Dutch deputies departed forthwith, that to they might not be impedited by the protraéting of time, but make ufe of other occalions that prefented themfelves av gainf'c the Spaniards, and affert the liberty of their rec 1 ion. JUDGMENT. By how much the feldomer good opportunities ofl'er themfelves, {0 much the more the are to be minded; but enemies and adverfaries for the moft part endeavour to fpoil them, under a pretence of offering peace, and fpinning out their debates to a great length. \Vhat is to be done in this cafe? Certainly achriflian fearce ought to refufe meetings offered him to treat of a peace. And while a peace is treated of, either all ails of hofiility are to ceafe till the peace is made; or if they have otherwife agreed on‘t, they are, in order to prevent the lofmg of time and opportunities by dilatory debates and coni'ultations, to demand to be informed by the deputies of the adverfe party, whether they have power to grant thofe things which we think to be wholly out due, and which we neither will not can be without; and laftly, without which the granting of all the reft will fignify nothing: but if they have no fuch power, why {hould not they at the very begin-a ning of their meeting leave them, as perfons infignih- cant to their purpofe, and rather noxious to them than otherwife. In this cafe it is the higheft prudence, and much time and divers opportunities maybe gained, by fifting out at firf'c what is like to become of the main thing for which the allbmbly was appointed. And here: in the Dutch afled very cautioufly and advifedly. |