Why did many Calvinist preachers support the Gomarists or Counter-Remonstrants?

Many Calvinist preachers supported the Gomarists (or Counter-Remonstrants) because they viewed the Dutch revolt against Spain as a struggle fought specifically for the sake of the Reformed religion in its most uncompromising, strict dogmatic form.1

While political leaders like Johan van Oldenbarnevelt favored a more latitudinarian approach to ensure national unity and religious tolerance, these preachers believed that strict Calvinism was the essential "cement" that held the Netherlands together. They advocated for a national synod to establish a church modeled after Geneva, which would be independent of civil authorities and empowered to judge the legitimacy of those in government.1

In contrast, the Gomarists upheld a rigid theology, including the doctrine of predestination, and opposed the more moderate views of the Arminians, who sought to soften these strict dogmas. Ultimately, the Gomarists' insistence on theological purity and their desire for an autonomous, dominant church placed them in direct opposition to the political authorities of Holland.213