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53 - Advice of the prince of Orange as to which course to take in the critical situation in which the Netherlands find themselves, 7 February 1583

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2012

E. H. Kossman
Affiliation:
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
A. F. Mellink
Affiliation:
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
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Summary

This advice was drawn up by the prince at the request of the magistracy of the town of Antwerp and presented in February 1583 to the States General there assembled. The prince discusses three possibilities after the failure of the duke of Anjou's attack on Antwerp on 17 January: (a) reconciliation with the king of Spain, (b) reconciliation with Anjou, (c) carrying on the war on their own.

Religion can perhaps, if God helps us, be better maintained by negotiating with His Highness, the duke of Anjou, than otherwise, for it is very much to be feared that, if we do not negotiate, several churches in the small towns (which we cannot abandon without offending God) and perhaps also in large towns will be in danger because of our inability to help them. And if the towns which are in the duke's power, are turned over to the enemies, the exercise of the true religion will undoubtedly be totally forbidden there. This would be, of course, a very great loss for the churches of God.

If some people say that negotiations with a prince who is not wholly of the true religion are inadmissible, I confess that I am not a great enough theologian to be able to solve this problem. Yet I see that no churches in Christendom have raised objections to such dealings. Christendom have raised objections to such dealings.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1975

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