a religious sect, or party, which arose in Holland, by a separation from the Calvinists. They followed the doctrine of Arminius (see the next article); who, thinking the doctrine of Calvin, with regard to free-will, predestination, and grace, too severe, began to express his doubts concerning them in the year 1591; and upon farther enquiry adopted sentiments more nearly resembling those of the Lutherans than of the Calvinists. After his appointment to the theological chair at Leyden, he thought it his duty to avow and vindicate the principles which he had embraced; and the freedom with which he published and defended them exposed him to the resentment of those that adhered to the theological system of Geneva, which then prevailed in Holland; but his principal opponent was Gomar, his colleague. The controversy which was thus begun, became more general after the death of Arminius, in the year 1609, and threatened to involve the United Provinces in civil discord. The Arminian tenets gained ground under the mild and favourable treatment of the magistrates of Holland, and were adopted by several persons of merit and distinction. The Calvinists, or Gomarists, as they were now called, appealed to a national synod; accordingly the synod of Dort was convened by order of the States General, in 1618, and was composed of ecclesiastical deputies from the United Provinces, as well as from the reformed churches of England, Hesse, Bremen, Switzerland, and the Palatinate. The principal advocate in favour of the Arminians was Episcopius, who, at that time, was professor of divinity at Leyden. It was first pro-posed posed to discuss the principal subjects in dispute, and that the Arminians should be allowed to state and vindicate the grounds on which their opinions were founded: but some difference arising as to the proper mode of conducting the debate, the Arminians were excluded from the assembly; their case was tried in their absence; and they were pronounced guilty of pestilential errors, and condemned as corrupters of the true religion. In consequence of this decision, they were treated with great severity; they were deprived of all their posts and employments; their ministers were silenced, and their congregations were suppressed. However, after the death of Prince Maurice, who had been a violent partisan in favour of the Gomarists, in the year 1625, the Arminian exiles were restored to their former reputation and tranquillity; and under the toleration of the state, they erected churches and founded a college at Amsterdam, appointing Episcopius to be the first theological professor. The Arminian system has very much prevailed in England since the time of archbishop Laud, and its votaries in other countries are very numerous.

The distinguishing tenets of the Arminians may be comprised in the following five articles; relating to predestination, universal redemption, the corruption of man, conversion, and perseverance.

1. With respect to the first, they maintained, "That God, from all eternity, determined to bestow salvation on those who he foretold would persevere unto the end in their faith in Christ Jesus; and to inflict everlasting punishments on those who should continue in their unbelief, and refuse unto the end his divine succours: so that election was conditional, and reprobation in like manner the result of foreseen infidelity and persevering wickedness."

2. On the second point the Arminians taught, "That Jesus Christ, by his sufferings and death, made an atonement for the sins of all mankind in general, and of every individual in particular; that, however, none but those who believe in him can be partakers of their divine benefit."

3. On the third article, they held, "That true faith cannot proceed from the exercise of our natural faculties and powers, nor from the force and operation of free will; since man, in consequence of his natural corruption, is incapable either of thinking or doing any good thing; and that therefore it is necessary, in order to his conversion and salvation, that he be regenerated and renewed by the operation of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ."

4. "That this divine grace, or energy of the Holy Ghost, begins and perfects every thing that can be called good in man, and consequently all good works are to be attributed to God alone; that, nevertheless, this grace is offered to all, and does not force men to act against their inclination, but may be refused and rendered ineffectual by the perverse will of the impenitent sinner." Some modern Arminians interpret this and the last article with a greater latitude.

5. "That God gives to the truly faithful, who are regenerated by his grace, the means of preserving themselves in this state;" and though the first Arminians made some doubt with respect to the closing part of this article, their followers uniformly maintain,

"that the regenerate may lose true justifying faith, forfeit their state of grace, and die in their sins."

The modern system of Arminianism likewise, founded on a comprehensive plan projected by Arminius himself, as appears from a passage in his last will, extends the limits of the Christian church, and relaxes the bonds of fraternal communion in such a manner, that Christians of all sects and denominations, whatever their sentiments and opinions may be, papists excepted, may be formed into one religious body, and live together in brotherly love and concord. But, in order to avoid the reproach of being altogether unconnected by any common principles, Episcopius drew up a confession of faith, expressed for the most part in words and phrases of Holy Scripture, which the Arminians have generally adopted, though not enjoined upon them by any authoritative obligation. The Arminians are also called Remonstrants, from an humble petition entitled their Remonstrance, which, in the year 1610, they addressed to the States of Holland. Their principal writers are Arminius, Episcopius, Vorstius, Grotius, Curcellaeus, Limborch, Le Clerc, and Wetstein; not to mention many others of more modern date.