or Dordrecht, a city of Holland, which held the first rank in the assembly of the states. It is seated in a small island formed by the rivers Meuse, Merse, Rhine, and Linghe. The Meuse, on which it stands, gives it a good harbour, and separates it from the islands of Isselmonde and Abias. It is divided from Beyerland by a canal. The harbour is very commodious for the merchandises which come down the Rhine and the Meuse, which keep it in a flourishing condition. Its strength consists in being surrounded with water. Its walls are old, and defended by round towers. It is very rich, and well built with brick, and had formerly the exclusive right of coining money. It is at present the staple town for wines, particularly Rhenish. It was detached from the main land in 1421, on the 17th of November, by a flood occasioned by the breaking down of the dike, which overwhelmed 70 villages, and about 100,000 persons. However, by time and the industry of the inhabitants, a great part of the land is recovered. It has two principal canals, namely, the New and Old Haven, by which heavy loaded vessels may enter into the city. Over the Old Haven is a large bridge well built with brick.

Dort was almost reduced to ashes in the year 1457; there being then consumed 2000 houses, with the halls, hospital, and church of Notre Dame: but they are now well provided with fire engines and watchmen to prevent the like disaster. This city is famous for the meeting of the clergy called the Synod of Dort, in which the Calvinists obtained a sentence against the Arminians, who were called the Remonstrants. The dispute between the contending parties occasioned strange disorders, skirmishes and murders, in most of the principal cities. Those ministers who would not subscribe to the decree of the synod were banished, of whom there were above 100. E. Long. 4° 36'. N. Lat. 51° 39'. Synod of Dort, a national synod, summoned by authority of the states-general, the provinces of Holland, Utrecht, and Overijssel excepted, and held at Dort in 1618. The most eminent divines of the United Provinces, and deputies from the churches of England, Scotland, Switzerland, Bremen, Hesse, and the Palatinate, assembled on this occasion, in order to decide the controversy between the Gomarists or Calvinists, and Arminians; the latter of whom were declared corrupters of the true religion. But the authority of this synod was far from being universally acknowledged either in Holland or in England. The provinces of Friesland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Groningen, could not be persuaded to adopt their decisions; and they were opposed by the authority of Archbishop Laud and King James I. in England. The reformed churches in France, though at first disposed to give a favourable reception to the doctrines of this famous synod, in process of time espoused doctrines very different from those of the Gomarists; and the churches of Brandenburgh and Bremen would not suffer their doctors to be tied down to the opinions and tenets of the Dutch divines. The liberty of private judgment with respect to the doctrine of predestination and grace, which the spirit that prevailed among the divines of Dort seemed so much adapted to discourage and suppress, acquired new vigour in consequence of the arbitrary proceedings of this assembly.