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 punishment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist 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 resisted 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 cloasing part of this article, their followers uniformly maintained, "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 a 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.

Arminius, James, whose real name in Low Dutch was James Harmann, a famous Protestant divine, from whom the modern sect of Arminians (see the preceding article) take their name, was born at Oude water, in Holland, in 1560. He was ordained minister at Amsterdam on the 11th of August 1588; where he soon distinguished himself by his sermons, which were remarkable for their solidity and learning, and gained him universal applause; but Martin Lydia, professor of divinity at Franeker, judging him a fit person to refute a writing in which Beza's doctrine of predestination had been attacked by some ministers of Delft, Arminius at his entreaties undertook the task; but upon thoroughly examining the reasons on both sides, he came into the opinions he proposed to destroy, and afterwards went still farther than the ministers of Delft had done. In 1600, he opposed those who maintained that ministers should subscribe the confession and catechism every year. In 1602, a pestilential disease raged at Amsterdam, during which he acted with the greatest resolution and courage, in afflicting the poor, and comforting the sick; and Lucas Trelatius and Francis Junius dying of that disease at Leyden, the curators of that university chose Arminius professor of divinity there, and he was afterwards made doctor of divinity. Disputes upon grace were soon after kindled in that university; and he was at length engaged in a new contest, occasioned by a disputation of his concerning the divinity of the Son. These contests, his continual labour, and the concern of seeing his reputation blasted by a multitude of flanders in relation to his opinions, impaired his health, and threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died on the 19th of October 1609. Arminius was esteemed an excellent preacher; his voice was low, but very agreeable; and his pronunciation admirable; he was easy and affable to persons of all ranks, and facetious in his conversation amongst his friends. His great desire was, that Christians would bear with one another in all controversies which did not affect the fundamentals of their religion; and when they persecuted each other for points of indifference, it gave him the utmost dissatisfaction. The curators of the university of Leyden had so great a regard for him, that they settled a pension upon his wife and children. He left several works, viz. 1. Disputationes de diversis Christianae religionis capitibus. 2. Orationes, itemque tradatus insigniores aliquot. 3. Examen modelli libelli Gulielmi Perkinii de praedestinationis modo et ordine, itemque de amplitudine gratiae divinae. 4. Analytis capitinis noni ad Romanos. 5. Differtatio de vers et genuino senfu capitis septimi epistolae ad Romanos. 6. A mica collatio cum D. Francisci Junii de praedestinatione, per literas habita. 7. Epistola ad Hippolytum à collibus."

Armireo, a town of Macedonia, in European Turkey; situated on the gulf of Velo. E. Long. 23° 40', N. Lat. 38° 34'.