ARMENIANS

Those who hold the tenets of Arm in i us, a Protestant divine, born in Holland in the year 1.560. They are thus summed up: — 1st. God from all eternity determined to save all who he foresaw would persevere in the faith, and to condemn all who should continue in unbelief. 2d. Christ atoned for the sins of all mankind, but those only 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 attributed to the grace of the Holy Spirit, which, however, does not force a man against his own inclination. 5th. God gives to the truly faithful the means of continumg such. With respect to the po ibility of a defection from this state of grace, Arm in i us and Ins immediate followers expre ed themselves undecidedly; but it came afterwards to be considered a part of the character of Arm in i an ism to affirm the po ibility. The a ertors of these opinions in Holland were vehemently attacked by the Calvin is tic party, which was prevalent at the time; and in 1<J10 the Arminians addre ed a petition to the States of Holland for protection, from which they derived the name of Remonstrants. In the year 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 jjrofe or at Leyden; but his side complained that they were unfairly treated, and the conditions of the discu ion violated to their prejudice. They were condemned by the Svnod, [s. 101]