ARMINIANS

Those who hold the tenets of Arm in i us a Protestant divine, born in Holland in the year 1560. The} are thus summed up:— 1st. God from all eternity determined to save all who he foresaw would persevere in the faith, and to condemn at. who should continue in unbelief. 2d. Christ atoned for the sins of all mankind, but thost Dnly who believe partake of the benefit of that atonement 3d. Man is of himself incapable of true faith; therefore regeneration by the Holy Spirit, given of God through Christ. is nece ary. 4th. All good works are to be attribute i to the grace oi the Holy Spirit, which, however, does not force a mail against his own inclination. 5th. God gives to the truly faithful the means of continuing such. With respect to the po ibility of a defection from this state of grace, Arm in i us and his immediate fol lowers expre ed themselves undecidedly: but it can « afterwards to be considered a part of the character of Arm in i an ism to affirm the po ibility. The a erters of these opinions in Holland were vehemently attacked by the Calvin is tic party, which was pie valentat the time; and in 1610 the Arminians addre ed a petition to the States of Holland for protection, from which they derived the name of Remonstrants. In the yea i 1618, nine years after the death of Arm in i us, the synod of Dort was convened by the States General, and a hearing given to both parties. The Arm in i an opinions were defended by Episcopius, divinity profe or at Leyden; but hia side complained that they were unfairly treated, and the conditions of the discu ion violated to their prejudice. They were condemned by the Synod, and treated in consequence with great severity, being forbidden to exercise the ministry in public: many of them fled to Antwerp, France, and other quarters. From this period their opinions underwent a considerable change; and the articles above stated, which seem a little different from the tenets of the Luther ans, began to be so explained as almost to do away entirely with the idea of the nece ity of succour from the Holy Spirit. From hence they proceeded to reject many mutters of faith, and to simplify materially the articles requisite for salvation. They proposed to draw up such a comprehensive and liberal scheme as should embrace all Christians, with the exclu sion of the Romanists. They considered it sufficient that a man should receive the Holy Scriptures as the rule oi faith, and allowed each individual to interpret them for himself, only adding thereunto the nece ity of moral duties and good works. The Papists were excluded on the score of morality, as admitting the lawfulne of persecution. There is no longer any particular sect to which the name Arm in i an is exclusively applied; but the opinions above stated are adopted in England by one branch of the Methodists, who follow therein the views of their founder Wesley, and by many individuals of the church of England, and other denominations. The articles of the English church have been represented by different parties as inclining both to Arm in i an ism and Calvin ism; and Whilby, and Taylor, bishop of Norwich, are among the most famous of her friends who have maintained the Arm in i an lencts. [s. 102]