fute. Meanwhile, on the lGth of September, 1590, he married Elizabeth Reael, daughter of Laurent Reael, a judge and senator of Amsterdam. In the course of his sermons at Amsterdam, Arminius commenced an exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, in which some of the new views which he had adopted found expression. In 1593 he published Lectures in Bom. IX, in which he questions the view of that chap- ter given bj' Calvin and Beza. Disputes arose, but the consistory of Amsterdam gave an audience to the contending parties, and ordered them to cease all con- troversy until a general synod could be summoned to determine the subject of the dispute. In 1G02 a pesti- lence raged at Amsterdam, during which Arminius showed the greatest courage and kindness in visiting the sick. The disease carried off two of the profess- ors of the University of Leyden, Lucas Trelcatins, the elder, and Francis Junius, professor of divinity. The curators of the university turned their eyes upon Ar- minius as a fit successor to Junius ; but it was only after repeated applications on the part of the universi- ty that the authorities of Amsterdam consented to give him permission to leave on the 15th of April, 1603. As he had been charged with holding Pelagian views, before he was finally appointed he held a conference with Francis Gomar, who was also professor of divin- ity at Leyden, and who became afterward his capital enemy, at the Hague, the Gth of May, 1603, and the result was that Gomar declared the charge that he was a Pelagian to be groundless. At the same time, not only the curators of the university, but Gomar him- self, were thoroughly aware that on the subject of pre- destination Arminius differed from the Genevan school. He underwent another examination, a private one, conducted by Gomar, for the degree of D.D., which he received 11th July, 1603. Arminius was the first on whom the University of Leyden conferred the degree of Doctor. Gne of the first observations of Arminius, after entering on the duties of his chair, was that the students were much more given to scholastic subtleties and disputations than to the thorough study of Scrip- ture. He determined to cure this evil. " With this view he reckoned nothing more important than to fore- close, as far as he could, -crabbed questions and the cumbrous mass of scholastic assertions, and to incul- cate on his disciples that divine wisdom which was drawn from the superlatively pure fountains of the Sa- cred Word, and was provided for the express purpose of guiding us to a life of virtue and happiness. From his first introduction into the academy it was his en- deavor to aim at this mark, and give a corresponding direction to his studies both public and private. But truly this laudable attempt was in no small degree thwarted, partly by the jealousy which some had con- ceived against him, and partly also by a certain in- veterate prejudice as to his heterodoxy, with which many ministers of religion had long been imbued, and under the impulse of which they stirred up his col- leagues against him. The first germs, indeed, of this budding jealousy betrayed themselves in the following year (1604) ; for when Arminius, who had undertaken the task of interpreting the Old Testament in particu- lar, proceeded also now and then to give a public expo- sition of certain portions of the New Testament, Gomar took this amiss, and began to allege that the right of ex- pounding the New Testament belonged solely to him, as Primarius Professor of Sacred Theology, for this title had been conceded to him by the Senatus Aca- demicus a short time prior to the arrival of Arminius. Nay, more ; happening to meet Arminius, he felt un- able to contain himself, and, in a burst of passion, broke out in these words : ' You have invaded my pro- fessorship.' Arminius replied that he did not mean to detract any thing whatever from the primacy of his colleague, and from the academic titles and privileges conferred upon him ; and that he had not done him the slightest injury, having obtained license from the
ARMINIANISM
414
ARMINIANISM
honorable curators to select themes of prelection at any time, not only from the Old Testament, but also from the New, provided he did not encroach on the particular subject in which Gomar might be engaged" (Brandt, Life o/Arminiua, ch.vii).
On the 7th of February, 1004, Arminius propounded certain theses on predestination, of which the sum was this: "Divine predestination is the decree of God in Christ by which he has decreed with himself from eternity to justify, adopt, and gift with eternal life, to the praise of his glorious grace, the faithful whom he has decreed to gift with faith. On the other hand, reprobation is the decree of the anger or severe will of God, by which he has determined from eternity, for the purpose of showing his anger and power, to con- demn to eternal death, as placed out of union with Christ, the unbelieving who, by their own fault and the just judgment of God, arc not to believe." On the last day of October Gomar openly attacked these positions, and from this day may be dated the tumults which ensued. In 1G05 Arminius was created rector magnificus of the University, which office he quitted February 8th, 160G. Meanwhile the disputes contin- ued. Festus Hommius, a minister of Leyden, Johan- nes Kuchlinus, rector of the Theological Faculty, and uncle of Arminius, were among his warmest adversa- ries. Deputies from the churches of all the provinces of Holland, and deputies from the Synod of Leyden, required from him a conference on the subject of his opinions. Preachers attacked him from the pulpit as a Pelagian, and worse than a Pelagian. A national synod was demanded to settle the disputes. On 22d May, 1G07, an assembly was held at the Hague, at which Arminius was present, to settle the manner in which the synod was to be held. In 1G08 Arminius and Uyttenbogaert applied to the States of Holland to convoke a synod, that these grave controversies might be settled. In the same year Arminius and Gomar held a conference before the Supreme Court of the Hague, which declared in its report that these two professors differed on points of little importance, and unessential to religion. Arminius gave in an ac- count of his opinions to the States at the Hague on the 30th of October, 1608. (See the Declaratio, in his works.) Before the proposed synod could be held Ar- minius died. The disease which carried him oil' at last had long lain latent. It broke out on the 7th of February, 1609, but he recovered so far as to resume the usual duties of his professorship, though still weak. At last he sunk under his disorder, and expired 10th October, 1600. His death was most painful ; and to bodily pain was added mental anguish at the misrep- resentations of his religions opinions and of his person- al character made by his embittered foes. The cura- tors of the University of Leyden allowed his wife and children a pension.