DORT, Synod of, an assembly of the Reformed Dutch Church, with deputies from France, Switzerland, the Palatinate, Scotland, and England, called to decide the theological differences existing between the Arminians (or Remonstrants) and the Calvinists (or Counter Remonstrants), was held at Dort or Dordrecht in the years 1618 and 1619. During the life of Arminius a bitter controversy had sprung up between his followers and the strict Calvinists, led by Francis Gomar, his professorial colleague at Leyden; and, in order to decide their disputes, a synodical conference was proposed, but Arminius died before it could be held. At the conference held at the Hague in 1610, the Arminians addressed a remonstrance to the States-general in the form of five articles, which henceforth came to be known as the five points of Arminianism. This conference had no influence in reconciling the opposing parties, and another, held at Delft in the year 1613, was equally unsuccessful. In 1614, at the instance of the Armin Lan party, an edict was passed by the States-general, in which toleration of the opinions of both parties was declared, and further controversy forbidden; but this act only served, by rousing the jealousy of the Calvinists, to fan the controversial flame into greater fury. Gradually the dispute pervaded all classes of society, and in nearly all the towns both parties began to bold large meetings, and to indulge in threatening words and gestures, until finally, in Nov. 1617, Prince Maurice of Orange, in order finally to decide the controversy, called a synod which met at Dort in Nov. 1618 This synod was strictly national—called by the national authority to decide a national dispute, and not intended to have more than a national influence. The foreign deputies were invited to attend, only to assist by their advice in the settlement of a controversy which concerned the Netherland church alone, and which the Netherland church alone could decide. At the fourth sitting it was decided to cite Simon Episcopius and twelve other Remonstrants to appear within 14 days before the synod, to state and justify their doctrines. It was also agreed to allow the Arminian deputies to take part in the deliberations, only on condition that they forbore to consult with, or in any way assist, their cited brethren, but this they refused. During the interval between the citation and the appearance of the accused, the professorial members of the synod were instructed to prepare themselves to be able to coufute the Arminian errors, and the synod occupied itself with deliberations as to a new translation of the Bible, for which a commission was named, made arrangements regarding the teaching of catechisms, and granted permission to the missionaries of the East Indies to baptize such children of heathen parents as were admitted into their families. At the 25th sitting Eρiscoρius and the others cited appeared, when Episcopius surprised the deputies by a bold and outspoken defence of his views, and even went so far as to say that the synod, by excluding the Arminian deputies, could now only be regarded as a schismatic assembly. The Remonstrants were asked to file copious explanations of the five points in dispute, but objecting to the manner in which they were catechized, they were, at the 57th sitting, dismissed from the synod as convicted “liars and deceivers.” The synod then proceeded in their absence to judge them from their published writings, and came to the conclusion that as ecclesiastical rebels and trespassers they should be deprived of all their offices. The synodical decision in regard to the five points, and the sentence against the Remonstrants was, at the 144th sitting, read in Latin before a large audience in the great church. The Remonstrants were required to subscribe the condemnation, and many of them refusing were banished. The synod was concluded on 29th April 1619, by a magnificent banquet given by the chief magistrate of Dort.

Dortmund, the Throtmanni, Trutmanna, Trutmonia, Tremonia, and Trotmunde of early history, was already a town of some importance in the year 800. In 1005 it was the scene of an ecclesiastical council, and in 1016 and 1180 of inq>erial diets. The town was walled in the 12th century, and in 1387-88 successfully withstood the troops of the archbishop of Cologne, who besieged it for 21 months. About the middle of the 13th century it joined the Hanseatic League. At the close of the Thirty Years’ War the population had become reduced to 3000. In 1803 Dortmund lost its rights as a free town, and was annexed to Nassau. The French occupied it in 1806, and in 1808 it was made over by Napoleon to the grand duke of Berg, and became the chief town of the department of Ruhr. Through 'the cession of Westphalia by the king of the Netherlands, May 31, 1815, it became a Prussian town.