On December 6 accordingly, a body of twelve leading Remonstrants with Simon Episcopius at their head took their seats at a table facing the assembly.

Episcopius made a long harangue in Latin occupying nine sessions.

His eloquence was, however, wasted on a court that had already prejudged the cause for which he pleaded.

After much wrangling and many recriminations Bogerman ordered the Remonstrants to withdraw.

They did so only to meet in an "anti-synod" at Rotterdam at which the authority of the Dordrecht assembly to pronounce decisions on matters of faith was denied.
Meanwhile the Contra-Remonstrant divines at Dordrecht during many weary sessions proceeded to draw up a series of canons defining the true Reformed doctrine and condemning utterly, as false and heretical, the five points set forth in the Remonstrance.