How did the religious dispute over predestination become a political conflict in the Dutch Republic?

The religious dispute over predestination became a political conflict in the Dutch Republic because it became inextricably linked to the struggle for power between the province of Holland and the centralizing authority of the States General, as well as the rivalry between the House of Orange and the provincial regents.12

The theological divide pitted the strict Gomarists—who sought a church independent of civil authority—against the Arminians (or Remonstrants), who were supported by Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the majority of Holland’s towns. Oldenbarnevelt’s faction argued that the church should be subordinate to the government to ensure tolerance and stability.12

Conversely, the Gomarists demanded a "national" synod to establish a church triumphant, effectively challenging the authority of the provincial governments. When Oldenbarnevelt blocked this synod, the religious tension escalated into a constitutional crisis. Maurice of Nassau eventually exploited this division, using the support of the Gomarist-leaning States General to suppress Oldenbarnevelt’s party, leading to the latter's execution and the formal condemnation of Arminianism at the Synod of Dort.12