[w.  m.  w.]


ARMINIANISM  is  a  general  term  used
to  cover  the  whole  High  Church  and  Lati-
tudinarian  reaction  against  the  intellec-
tual tyranny  of  Calvinism  (q.v.).  Jacobus
Arminius  (or  Hermann)  (1560-1609)  studied
theology  in  Leiden.  There  he  was  greatly
influenced  by  Koornhert,  who  argued  for
toleration  in  religion  against  the  rigid
uniformity  imposed  by  the  ministers.  After
some  time  spent  at  Geneva  he  became  an
important  preacher  in  Amsterdam,  and  1603
succeeded  Eranz  Junius  aa  Theological
Professor  at  Leiden.  On  being  appointed
to  refute  Koornhert,  who  had  attacked  the
doctrine  of  divine  decrees,  Arminius  examined
the  whole  matter,  and  developed  his  position
in  the  direction  of  free  will.  His  system
;  was  developed  by  his  successor,  Simon
'  Episcopius.  Its  chief  points  are  the  denial
of  irresistible  grace  and  the  necessary  final
perseverance  of  the  elect.  While  not  denying
!  the  sovereignty  of  God,  from  which  the  whole
Calvinistic  scheme  was  deduced  by  rigid
a  priori  reasoning,  Arminius  postulated  that
strong  belief  in  the  self-hmitation  of  God's
power,  involved  in  the  creation  of  free  beings.
He  was  violently  opposed  by  his  colleague,
Gomarus,  and  1610  a  number  of  Dutch
ministers,  known  as  '  Remonstrants,'  pre-
sented a  list  of  articles  formulating  their
dissent  from  Calvinistic  orthodoxy.  They
secured  an  edict  of  the  States- General  in
favour  of  the  toleration  of  both  opposing
views  in  1614.  This,  however,  only  served  to
bring  the  matter  into  the  party  quarrels
between  the  partisans  of  the  house  of  Orange
and  those  of  the  bourgeois  and  republican
ideals  of  Amsterdam.  In  1617  Prince
Maurice  of  Orange  imprisoned  the  Arminian
leaders,  Oldenbarnevelt  and  Grotius,  and
summoned  the  famous  synod  of  Dort  to
decide  the  controversy.  -This  synod  was  at-
tended by  representatives  of  foreign  churches,
including  some  English  clergy  sent  by  James  I.
