ARMINIANS, in church history, a sect of christians which arose in Holland, by a separation from the Calvinists. They are great asserters of free-will. They speak very ambiguously of the prescience of God. They look on the doctrine of the Trinity as a point not necessary to salvation ; and many of them hold there is no precept in scripture, by which we are enjoined to adore the Holy Ghost ; and that Jesus is not equal to God the Father.
They take their name from Arminius, a disciple of Beza, whose tenets may be thus enumerated : 1. That God has not fixed the future state of mankind by an absolute unconditional decree ; but deter mined from all eternity to bestow salva tion on those, whom he foresaw would persevere to the end in their faith in Christ, and to inflict punishment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist to the end his divine assistance. 2. That Jesus Christ, by his death and sufferings, made an atonement for the sins of mankind in general, and for every individual in particular ; that, however, none but those who believe in him can be partakers of this divine benefit. 3. That
mankind are not totally depraved, and that depravity does not come upon them by virtue of Adam's being their public head, but that mortality and natural evil only are the direct consequences of his sin to posterity. 4. That there is no such a thing as irresistible grace in the con version of sinners: and 5. That those who are united to Christ by faith, may fall from their faith, and finally forfeit their state of grace. Dr. Whitby, an emi nent divine of the Church of England, has written a long defence of this doc trine ; to this may be noticed, Dr. Tay lor's " Key to the epistle to the Romans." Among the modern writers, Mr. John Wesley, and Mr. Fellowes, in his "Reli gion without Cant," and in his "Christian Philosophy," have ably advocated the cause of Arminianism.