The issue of the struggle would depend upon the political colour of the town magistracies.

Barneveld instinctively felt that Maurice, being now resolved that the Synod should be held, would lose no time in making a revolution in all the towns through the power he held or could plausibly usurp.

Such a course would, in his opinion, lead directly to an unconstitutional and violent subversion of the sovereign rights of each province, to the advantage of the central government.

A religious creed would be forced upon Holland and perhaps upon two other provinces which was repugnant to a considerable majority of the people.

And this would be done by a majority vote of the States-General, on a matter over which, by the 13th Article of the fundamental compact--the Union of Utrecht--the States-General had no control, each province having reserved the disposition of religious affairs to itself.