Prolonged and heated controversy on the high doctrines of Predestination and Freewill led to many appeals being made to the States-General and to the Estates of Holland to convene a Synod to settle the disputed questions, but neither of these bodies in the midst of the negotiations for the truce was willing to complicate matters by taking a step that could not fail to accentuate existing discords.

Six months after the truce was signed Arminius died.

The quarrel, however, was only to grow more embittered.
Johannes Uyttenbogaert took the leadership of the Arminians, and finally, after consultation with Oldenbarneveldt, he called together a convention of Arminian preachers and laymen at Gouda (June, 1610).

They drew up for presentation to the Estates a petition, known as the _Remonstratie,_ consisting of five articles, in which they defined the points wherein they differed from the orthodox Calvinist doctrines on the subjects of predestination, election and grace.

The Gomarists on their part drew up a _Contra-Remonstratie_ containing seven articles, and they declined to submit to any decision on matters of doctrine, save from a purely Church Synod.