Primary Sources
Reports on the Condition of the Church in the Province of Utrecht, 1606
In 1606 the government of Utrecht convened a synod to examine the condition of religion and receive reports from each parish. Below is a sampling of these reports, taken from Leiden University's website on the Dutch Revolt.
Montfoort: The minister reported the sorry state of the church there as a result of the manifold activities conducted by the Roman church there; that there is still no organised church; that he administers the Supper twice a year, has few communicants, to wit only thirty in number; that previously 300 would attend (sometimes 500 or 600 on feast-days), but now only 100 because a certain priest, called Heer Hinderick, coming there from Utrecht, impedes the progress of the gospel by holding mass, preaching, baptising etc.; that the magistrate looks after poor relief, the school is middling: though the schoolmaster is of the Reformed religion, he uses books of all sorts.
Amerongen: The minister reported that his church was in a dismal state because (although a fair number attended, often between 100 and 150) there are few, indeed no communicants; that the church also, as regards its external condition, suffered from having been very badly ruined as a result of destruction inflicted by soldiers who had marched through. [He] complained that the congregation also leaves the church when baptism is administered before the public prayer and general blessing; that the superstitions associated with St. Cunerus Day are very detrimental to the religion; that the sexton only comes to church now and then; that he cannot lead the singing and also refuses to give any undertaking to do so; also believes that the schoolmaster teaches from books of all sorts, whatever comes to hand.
Rhenen: The minister there reported the reasonable condition of his church, though he complained that the services on Sunday were impeded by the buying and selling at the market, which was held then. Many of the children were not baptised in the church and since no one afterwards had any knowledge of the same baptism, great confusion might arise later. He also complained that some sort of private school was held in the monastery to the detriment of the Christian religion. He declared that he had not presented these complaints in order to invoke the help of their noble lordships, the States, but only to demonstrate the present condition of the church there, since he intended to seek such [assistance] from his own magistracy, who had also given him an undertaking to remedy [matters] (which has also happened with other towns).
Zeist: The minister reported that his church is in a fair state, but he complained about two hindrances; in the first place, since there is no bell, there is much heavy drinking during the service; the tavern-keepers say that they do not know the time and the taverns remain open during the services. Secondly, [he] also complained about a certain priest from Wijk, who did great disservice hereabouts. Reported further that he had three communicants at Christmas and forty at Easter and hoped to choose elders; that he himself taught there at the request of the inhabitants; that also certain endowments, belonging to the school, are kept back by a knight; for this reason a letter might be written to his grace Van Beverwijk in order to obtain in this way a schoolmaster of their own.
Mijdrecht: The minister reported the good state of his church so that he, despite many having died from the plague, still has 120 communicants. Said that he holds the Supper every ten weeks, not only on feast-days. Related also that he also preaches the Catechism on Sunday afternoon, except during the harvest, that he also preaches during the week on Wednesday during the winter. Also said that he sometimes gives three sermons on Sunday, in the early morning at Mijdrecht, at 9 o' clock at Thamen and in the afternoon the Catechism in the school midway between the two [villages]. Concerning poor relief he said that alms are collected on Sundays by some of the deacons and distributed by them to the poor, although in his time accounts had never been presented. Complained about a certain priest to whom the farmers often went for baptisms etc. He also complained about some papist gatherings at Waverveen to which many from his [village] had gone. Also complained that on the most recent day of prayer the Catholics held a childbed feast, and when they were drunk, scoffed at the day of prayer. Also complained that the school is not well endowed and that there is some guild of pot-companions, from whose income the schoolmaster's pay could certainly be increased. [He complained] that a crucifix stands in his village, where many superstitions are also conducted with the tying on of garters.2 Also said that women who are pregnant only want to carry those who have died in childbirth in the superstitious belief that they would have an easier labour: [he asked] whether it might not be better if women were excluded all together from burials. He also warned that people there had tried to withhold the bodies of those who had been killed and murdered, taking [these] off to the churchyard as if it were an immunity in order to prevent the officer from [starting] legal proceedings [against those responsible].
Wilnis: The minister told of the mean state of his church, having few (only four) communicants; the Supper is administered three times a year. He related that he combined with the other churches in the vicinity to hold the Supper in turn. He complained about the sexton and schoolmaster because he teaches from all sorts of books. He reported that thirty or forty come to [church]. He showed some document which contained certain grievances, for instance, that a certain blind priest lives in Wilnis, who is fetched on all sides to [perform] baptisms and also baptises children at his house. He also first celebrates mass for, and gives the sacrament to, women who are about to bed in childbirth; before Easter the people go to him for confession and to receive the sacrament. He is, moreover, a drunkard and accuses their Noble lordships, the States, of violence, when he happened to be dismissed from his office, and he also boasted about his scandalous lechery. [He] complained in the same document that they open the church, outside the proper services, for women coming from childbirth. These process outside and inside the church with superstitious Paternosters and Hail Marys etc. They commit various superstitions when they bury the dead, placing the dead body in front of the grave, praying over it on their knees, and then sticking crosses in the earth. On Corpus Christi Day there is a public pilgrimage round the church and a large number are dressed in wool and go barefoot. [He also reported that] those who go to church are mocked; that all sorts of books are used in the school and that many live together without having been married, etc.
Study Questions
What does this document tell you about the condition of the Dutch Church in 1606?
Which Dutch Church do you suppose is meant? Catholic? Protestant? If Protestant, which kind?
What were the major needs or complaints of the parishes?
Would you say that the Dutch were highly religious? Why or why not, based on this document?
Does the document tell you anything about social relations, economic conditions, political conditions?