On  the  continent,  the  people  ran  after  the  word  of
God  and  princes  followed,  and  the  people  had  much  to
do  in  the  matter  of  ecclesiastical  organization.  They
secured  much  of  the  popular  element  in  their  Church
constitutions,  as  well  as  of  simplicity  in  public  wor-
ship. Calvin  prepared  a  system  of  ecclesiastical  regu-
lations for  the  Church  of  Geneva,  and  he  sought  for
"  such  as  the  word  of  God  prescribes,  and  such  as  was
adopted  in  the  early  Church."  This,  he  concluded,  is
the  Presbyterian  system,  which  he  accordingly  estab-
lished in  Geneva,  and  which  was  soon  carried  into
France,  Holland,  Scotland  and  other  countries.  In  the
Netherlands,  the  Reformation  spread  among  the  people,


GOVERNMENT  AND  DISCIPLINE.  173

but  public  assemblies  and  Synods  could  not  be  held
for  some  time  on  account  of  the  persecuting  measures
of  Charles  V.  and  Philip  II.  But  we  have  reason  to
believe  that  very  early,  many  congregations  were  formed
after  the  Genevan  model  and  also  that  conventions  of
their  ministers  and  elders  were  secretly  held  from  time
to  time.  By  the  Synod  of  Antwerp  held  in  150G,  the
Belgic  confession  of  faith  was  adopted,  whereby  minis-
ters, elders  and  deacons  are  recognized  as  the  officers
in  the  Church.  In  1568,  a  Synod  of  the  "  Churches  of
the  Netherlands  which  sit  under  the  Cross,  and  are
scattered  within  and  without  the  Netherlands"  was
held  at  Wesel  on  the  Rhine  because  of  the  troubles  in
the  Netherlands,  and  because  this  city  was  a  notable
place  of  refuge  for  the  persecuted  adherents  of  the
Reformed  doctrine.  Of  this  Synod,  Petrus  Dathenus
was  president,  as  we  infer  from  the  fact  that  his  name
heads  the  list  of  subscribers  to  its  proceedings.  B3-
this  Synod,  a  system  of  Church  polity  was  provisionally
adopted,  which  is  the  basis  of  our  present  constitution.
