▁and ▁C athol ics ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁union , ▁and , ▁for ▁him , ▁the ▁Union ▁was ▁a ▁defeat . ▁In ▁practice , ▁Catholic ▁services ▁in ▁all ▁provinces ▁were ▁quickly ▁forb idden , ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Re formed ▁Church ▁became ▁the ▁" public " ▁or ▁" priv ile ged " ▁church ▁in ▁the ▁Republic . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Republic , ▁any ▁person ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁hold ▁public ▁office ▁had ▁to ▁conform ▁to ▁the ▁Re formed ▁Church ▁and ▁take ▁an ▁o ath ▁to ▁this ▁effect . ▁The ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁different ▁relig ions ▁or ▁denomin ations ▁were ▁per sec uted ▁dep ended ▁much ▁on ▁the ▁time ▁period ▁and ▁regional ▁or ▁city ▁leaders . ▁In ▁the ▁beginning , ▁this ▁was ▁especially ▁focused ▁on ▁Roman ▁C athol ics , ▁being ▁the ▁religion ▁of ▁the ▁enemy . ▁In ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁Le iden , ▁for ▁instance , ▁people ▁opening ▁their ▁homes ▁to ▁services ▁could ▁be ▁f ined ▁ 2 0 0 ▁gu ild ers ▁( a ▁year ' s ▁w age ▁for ▁a ▁sk illed ▁tr ades man ) ▁and ▁b anned ▁from ▁the ▁city . ▁Through out ▁this , ▁however , ▁personal ▁freedom ▁of ▁religion ▁existed ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁factor — al ong ▁with ▁economic ▁reasons — in ▁causing ▁large ▁imm igration ▁of ▁religious ▁refuge es ▁from ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Europe . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Republic , ▁controvers y ▁arose ▁within ▁the ▁Re formed ▁Church , ▁mainly ▁around ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁pred est ination . ▁This ▁has ▁become ▁known