After the death of Maurice (1625) the sever ity of the laws against Arminianism was re laxed, and Episcopius was allowed to return from his exile. The closing years of his life were spent in teaching theology at the new Re monstrant college in Amsterdam (founded in 1630). His successor here was a French theo logian, Courcelles, who died in 1659. There fol lowed in turn three eminent Arminian scholars, Limbo•ch (died 1712), Le Cleve (died 1736), and Wetstein (died 17541. Wetstein is noted for his contribution to the cause of biblical criti cism, especially for his work upon the text of the New Testament. Arminianism has contin ued in Holland down to our own time, though without any large numerical following. There are Remonstrant churches in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The movement put forth its best energy in the period of controversy, upon which, as has frequently been remarked, it seems to have thriven better than upon peace. In this respect it shares the fate of most movements that are based upon protests against some real or fancied grievance. During the Eighteenth Cen tury,. not a few Arminians went over to the Socinian or Arian position, discarding more and more of the Reformed system of belief. But. aside from this radicalism, the Arminian infio ence has been widespread. It passed over into Eng land, and, from the time of Archbishop Laud, controlled the theology of the Established Church, leaving Calvinism to the non-Conformists. It
took on new life in the time of Wesley, and, with some modifications, became the theology of Meth odism. It is substantially the faith of many Protestants. of other names. who suppose them selves to lie Calvinistic. Indeed, it would be a mistake to think of Arminianism as an isolated phenomenon. for it is akin to the teaching of some of the early Greek theologians, to the semi Pelagianism of the Fifth Century, and to some imputed views of Erasmus. Protestants in gen eral shared in the controversy on the doctrines of Arminianism, and all opponents of Calvinism are still often characterized as Arminians.
Consult: The Works of Arminins, English' translation, reprinted from the English edition (Buffalo. 1853, 2 vols.) ; Calder, -Memoirs of Episcopius (New York, 18371 ; Scott. The .s'ynod of Dart (Philadelphia, 1541) : Schaff. Creedc. of Christendom. especially, vol. i., 508-23, and vol. iii., 545-97 (New York, 1877) : Motley, John of Barnereld (New York, 1874) ; Blok. History of the People of the Netherhinds, part iii., English translation by Putnam (New York. 19(I0) ; Dres bach, Die protestantisehen Sekten der Ilegenicart (Barmen. 1S8S). See also DOBT, SYNOD OF.