But Barneveld, under the modest title of Advocate of one province, had been in reality president and prime minister of the whole commonwealth.

He had himself been the union and the sovereignty.

It was not wonderful that so imperious a nature objected to transfer its powers to the Church, to the States-General, or to Maurice.
Moreover, when nationality assumed the unlovely form of rigid religious uniformity; when Union meant an exclusive self-governed Church enthroned above the State, responsible to no civic authority and no human law, the boldest patriot might shiver at emerging from provincialism..