A nine-article set of statutes for a new association of members of the General Consistory of the Dutch Reformed Congregation in Amsterdam. Beraad [Consultation] was a coalition within the Amsterdam Consistory that met in advance of consistory meetings to discuss a common line of action. Membership was open to anyone prepared to declare that he would “maintain the congregation for the gospel” in conflicts with the church authorities. The statutes imposed fines on those who missed meetings of Beraad and even upon those who arrived late. The statutes also required members to keep discussions secret when necessary. The statutes were not signed by Kuyper, but by the secretary of the eight-member commission that organized and led the association.

Eensgezindheid [Unanimity] (cf. 1873.04), a similar minority association of orthodox church officials in the General Consistory which had already existed for many years, was abolished after the founding of Beraad. While the purpose of Eensgezindheid had simply been to afford its members the opportunity to advise one another in advance about items that appeared on the agenda of the consistory, Beraad required its members to commit to common strategies and a united course of action in the meetings of the General Consistory. The question of 1872.06 functioned immediately as a test case for the association.