Hitherto Arminius had been a supporter of the Cal vinistic school ; but the period now arrived when his doc trinal views were to undergo a very important revolu tion. And it is worthy of particular notice, that the con victions, which a long and laborious course of theologi cal study had failed to produce, were occasioned by an inquiry which he entered upon to serve a temporary and an opposite purpose. He was requested by Martin Ly dius, professor of divinity at Franeker, to answer a work, in which the supralapsarian scheme of predestination was opposed by some ministers of Delft. While em ployed in the investigations necessary for that purpose, he became a convert to the doctrine he had undertaken to refute, and even carried it farther than those by whom it had been maintained. lie condemned the notion of absolute decrees, and particular election, as unscriptu ral, irrational, and dangerous ; and held, that Christ died, not for a select number, but for all men without excep tion ; and that none have been chosen to eternal life, ex cept those who God foresaw would believe and obey the gospel. This change in the sentiments of Arminius, which took place in t591, gave great offence, as might have been expected, to the followers of Calvin, who re garded him not merely as a broacher of erroneous opi nions, but as an apostate from that system in which he had been strictly educated, and which he was bound, by many considerations, to defend. At Amsterdam, par ticularly, where he was officiating, he was vehemently accused of departing from the received doctrine, and threatened with the most injurious treatment. But he remained firm amidst these discouragements, and was saved by the interposition of the authority of the ma gistrates.
After being minister in Amsterdam for fifteen years, during which he had given uncommon satisfaction as a preacher, and acquired universal respect as a man and as a citizen, he was promoted to the divinity chair at Leyden, as successor to Francis Junius, in 1603. In that important situation, he felt it to be his duty to make a more public profession of his principles than he had hitherto done, and to improve the opportunity which his new academical appointment afforded him of teaching them to others. To this line of conduct, which was bold and dangerous, he was determined by several circum stances. His attachment to truth, and his zeal for its propagation, were sufficient of themselves to make him avow his hostility to any prevalent error of a serious and important kind, whatever the consequences might be to his reputation or his interests. But, besides the dic tates of conscience, which he was disposed to obey at all hazards, he was influenced by a persuasion, that there were many persons of learning and eminence equally disgusted with himself at the doctrine which he had ab jured ; and also, that the Belgic doctors were under no obligation to maintain the creed of Calvin, either from their own confession of Faith, or from any existing pub lic law. Actuated and encouraged by these considera tions, he proceeded to attack the doctrine of absolute decrees with the utmost freedom, and to inculcate on his pupils, and all who came within the reach of his instruc tions, a more enlarged and comfortable view of the di vine mercy than had been generally entertained : And many, convinced by his reasonings, or glad to find such a bold and able supporter of what they had already be lieved in secret, openly embraced the system which he taught, and became his avowed lollowers. He experi
enced a very keen and powerful opposition from his col league, Francis Gomar, who was atartm;d at the hetero doxy of his tenets, and laboured strenuously to arrest their progress, and to expose, if not to destroy, their au thor. The disputes grew so hot at last in the university, that the States appointed conlerences to be held between him and his adversaries, which produced no other effect, however, than that of confirming the opinions, and in flaming the zeal of the combatants. Nor was the con troversy confined to the university of Leyden. It raged over all Holland, where Calvinism was the prevailing system, and where, of course, Arminius had to contend with a multitude of enemies. The interests of religion, and the peace of the community, being threatened by the violent and growing debate which his new opinions had occasioned, he was several times summoned to the Hague, to give an account of his doctrine. But it had proceeded too far, it had excited too general an interest, it nail too much involved the character and roused the passions of the contending parties, to terminate by' such an interference. Arminius himself, however, was soon removed from it. The disagreeable nature of the con test, his anxiety about its progress and final result, the intense application and unceasing labour which it cost him, and his distress at finding his reputation calumniat ed in consequence of what he deemed an avowal of the truth, brought on a complication of distempers, of which he died October 19, 1609.
By all, except the bigotted few, who are so much at tached to the doctrines of election and reprobation as to think a belief in them necessary to salvation, Arminius has ever been regarded as a man of unaffected piety and upright conduct, of principles and of character that were truly Christian, and fully justified the hopes of immor tality which supported him through life, and consoled him at death. His learning was considerable ; his un derstanding was at once solid and acute ; his discourses from the pulpit were impressive, eloquent, and useful ; his labours as a minister, and as a professor of divinity, were faithful and productive ; his private life was ani mated with the spirit, and adorned with the grace, of the religion which he taught ; and his writings, which are more excellent than numerous, though in many places deformed by that scholastic jargon which charac terised his age, and in some by a coarseness and bitter ness of invective, which, in his case, excites more re gret than surprise, are distinguished by a great deal of accurate thinking, by distinct views of the subjects he discusses, and by a simple and perspicuous style. A 3110"C particular account of Arminius may be found by consulting Brandt's History of his Life, and Bertius' Funeral Oration on him. His works, which are usually comprised in one volume, consist of, I. Disputationes de diversis Christiana Religionis capitibus ; 2. Orationes, itemque Teactutus insigniores aliquot ; 3. Examen Mo destum Libelli Pcrkiusii, de Predestinationis modo et online, itemyue de Amplitudine Gratin Divine ; 4. Analysis Ca/zitis ix. ad Romanos ; 5. Dissertatio de veto et genuino sensu Cap. vii. Epist. ad Rom. ; 6. Arnica Collatio cum D. Franc. Junin de Predr.stinatione, per litcras habita ; 7. EPistola ad Hilzitolytum a Collibus.