Post by Brother Ben on Mar 27, 2008 16:52:46 GMT -5
This actually all started centuries before there were men named Calvin and Arminus. No, early in Catholic history there was a young theologian by the name Augustine of Hippo. He was converted to Christ from a life of terrible sin.
As he grew in "his" understanding of scripture, he came in contact with a man named Pelagius. Pelagius taught that man was not born in sin and that man was basically good. He believed if a man was to cooperate with the grace of God through obedience he could obtain and keep his salvation. This salvation was contingent upon his continued faith and obedience.
Augustine, being a defender in the infant days of Catholicism, immediated set out to totally dash this mans "heretical" teaching. He said, no, man is not good, he is in fact so utterly apart from God that he cannot even do anything to merit salvation, nor approach God. Augustines approach to this was to teach 180 degrees opposite of what Pelagius taught in order to set his teaching out for all to see as heresy.
Many centuries later, Calvin, Luther, and Zwingli picked up on the writings of Augustine, brushed them off, and the Reformation was on its way (this is the Ben Smith OSV, over-simplified version.) As church history teaches us there were already men God was calling out and changing through the verities of the Bible. One such man was Menno Simons. He did not come to the same conclusion Calvin did, nor did Simons' predecessors.
In 1610, just one year after the death of James Arminius (a Dutch seminary professor) five articles of faith based on his teachings were drawn up by his followers. The Arminians, as his followers came to be called, presented these five doctrines to the State of Holland in the form of a "Remonstrance" (i.e., a protest) . The Arminian party insisted that the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism (the official expression of the doctrinal position of the Churches of Holland) be changed to conform to the doctrinal views contained in the Remonstrance. The Arminians objected to those doctrines upheld in both the Catechism and the Confession relating to divine sovereignty, human inability, unconditional election or predestination, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. It was in connection with these matters that they wanted the official standards of the Church of Holland revised.
B. The "Five Points" of Arminianism
Roger Nicole summarizes the five articles contained in the Remonstrance as follows:
"I. God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief.
II. Christ died for all men and for every man, although only believers are saved.
III. Man is so depraved that divine grace is necessary unto faith or any good deed.
IV. This grace may be resisted.
V. Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the faith is a point which needs further investigation." [1]
The last article was later altered so as to definitely teach the possibility of the truly regenerate believer's losing his faith and thus losing his salvation. Arminians however have not been in agreement on this point - some have held that all who are regenerated by the Spirit of God are eternally secure and can never perish. (Taken from the article, 'A Brief Survey of the Origin and Contents of the "Five Points" of Calvinism,' by David N. Steele & Curtis C. Thomas
In Holland the Mennonites came into close and friendly contact with the Arminian movement, both in its Remonstrant organized form, and its Collegiant form. The seminary that the Remonstrants established in 1634 furnished Mennonites the opportunity for a theological training for the ministry before the establishment of the Amsterdam seminary in 1735. Relations between the two groups have always been friendly. When in 1619 the Dutch government prohibited church services of the Remonstrants and banished their leaders, owing to the lack of preachers a movement originated in favor of the lay sermon, which found organized expression in the society of Collegiants sometimes called Rijnsburgers, because they had their chief center at Rijnsburg near Leiden. Members of the Reformed, Remonstrant and Mennonite groups could join a local Collegiant society without forfeiting membership in their own denomination. Since many of the Mennonite ideas, such as adult baptism, rejection of war, simplicity in clothing and life, practical Christian love, etc., were shared by the Collegiants, the contact between the two groups was close, intimate and continuous. Through this channel also the Mennonites became more familiar with Arminian ideas. Dutch Mennonitism in the late 19th century adopted a modernistic Unitarian theology that went far beyond historical Arminianism. However, the Mennonites of West Prussia, Russia, South Germany, France, Switzerland and North America remained on an evangelical Arminian basis, not because they adopted an official Arminian terminology, but because in essence this was what they have always held from the beginning. So far as is known the writings of Arminius and of the Arminians were never read to any extent by the Mennonites outside of Holland, who remained basically readers of the Bible and of Menno Simons. Taken from the The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
As you can see, Mennonitism and other forms of Anabaptism were already in existence when Arminus actually came along, but he penned the essence of what they believed in the area of salvation. The Mennonites did not adopt all of Arminus' theology because he was more Protestant than the anabaptists.
Modern Anabaptist movements, i.e., Mennonite, Amish, German Baptists, Hutterites, etc., have many differences in the way they live out their faith, but all in one way or another are basically Arminian in their theology of salvation. It must be said that the Arminian interpretation is consistent with Evangelical faith, but many have a hard time being open enough to appreciate brethren who see things differently. This is a sad chapter in the Christian walk.
However, I hope we have an environment here that allows some flexibility on these issues without denying fudamentals, i.e.,
1. The virgin birth
2. The deity of Christ
3. Salvation by grace through faith
4. The blood atonement, etc.
As he grew in "his" understanding of scripture, he came in contact with a man named Pelagius. Pelagius taught that man was not born in sin and that man was basically good. He believed if a man was to cooperate with the grace of God through obedience he could obtain and keep his salvation. This salvation was contingent upon his continued faith and obedience.
Augustine, being a defender in the infant days of Catholicism, immediated set out to totally dash this mans "heretical" teaching. He said, no, man is not good, he is in fact so utterly apart from God that he cannot even do anything to merit salvation, nor approach God. Augustines approach to this was to teach 180 degrees opposite of what Pelagius taught in order to set his teaching out for all to see as heresy.
Many centuries later, Calvin, Luther, and Zwingli picked up on the writings of Augustine, brushed them off, and the Reformation was on its way (this is the Ben Smith OSV, over-simplified version.) As church history teaches us there were already men God was calling out and changing through the verities of the Bible. One such man was Menno Simons. He did not come to the same conclusion Calvin did, nor did Simons' predecessors.
The Protest of the Arminian Party
In 1610, just one year after the death of James Arminius (a Dutch seminary professor) five articles of faith based on his teachings were drawn up by his followers. The Arminians, as his followers came to be called, presented these five doctrines to the State of Holland in the form of a "Remonstrance" (i.e., a protest) . The Arminian party insisted that the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism (the official expression of the doctrinal position of the Churches of Holland) be changed to conform to the doctrinal views contained in the Remonstrance. The Arminians objected to those doctrines upheld in both the Catechism and the Confession relating to divine sovereignty, human inability, unconditional election or predestination, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. It was in connection with these matters that they wanted the official standards of the Church of Holland revised.
B. The "Five Points" of Arminianism
Roger Nicole summarizes the five articles contained in the Remonstrance as follows:
"I. God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief.
II. Christ died for all men and for every man, although only believers are saved.
III. Man is so depraved that divine grace is necessary unto faith or any good deed.
IV. This grace may be resisted.
V. Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the faith is a point which needs further investigation." [1]
The last article was later altered so as to definitely teach the possibility of the truly regenerate believer's losing his faith and thus losing his salvation. Arminians however have not been in agreement on this point - some have held that all who are regenerated by the Spirit of God are eternally secure and can never perish. (Taken from the article, 'A Brief Survey of the Origin and Contents of the "Five Points" of Calvinism,' by David N. Steele & Curtis C. Thomas
In Holland the Mennonites came into close and friendly contact with the Arminian movement, both in its Remonstrant organized form, and its Collegiant form. The seminary that the Remonstrants established in 1634 furnished Mennonites the opportunity for a theological training for the ministry before the establishment of the Amsterdam seminary in 1735. Relations between the two groups have always been friendly. When in 1619 the Dutch government prohibited church services of the Remonstrants and banished their leaders, owing to the lack of preachers a movement originated in favor of the lay sermon, which found organized expression in the society of Collegiants sometimes called Rijnsburgers, because they had their chief center at Rijnsburg near Leiden. Members of the Reformed, Remonstrant and Mennonite groups could join a local Collegiant society without forfeiting membership in their own denomination. Since many of the Mennonite ideas, such as adult baptism, rejection of war, simplicity in clothing and life, practical Christian love, etc., were shared by the Collegiants, the contact between the two groups was close, intimate and continuous. Through this channel also the Mennonites became more familiar with Arminian ideas. Dutch Mennonitism in the late 19th century adopted a modernistic Unitarian theology that went far beyond historical Arminianism. However, the Mennonites of West Prussia, Russia, South Germany, France, Switzerland and North America remained on an evangelical Arminian basis, not because they adopted an official Arminian terminology, but because in essence this was what they have always held from the beginning. So far as is known the writings of Arminius and of the Arminians were never read to any extent by the Mennonites outside of Holland, who remained basically readers of the Bible and of Menno Simons. Taken from the The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
As you can see, Mennonitism and other forms of Anabaptism were already in existence when Arminus actually came along, but he penned the essence of what they believed in the area of salvation. The Mennonites did not adopt all of Arminus' theology because he was more Protestant than the anabaptists.
Modern Anabaptist movements, i.e., Mennonite, Amish, German Baptists, Hutterites, etc., have many differences in the way they live out their faith, but all in one way or another are basically Arminian in their theology of salvation. It must be said that the Arminian interpretation is consistent with Evangelical faith, but many have a hard time being open enough to appreciate brethren who see things differently. This is a sad chapter in the Christian walk.
However, I hope we have an environment here that allows some flexibility on these issues without denying fudamentals, i.e.,
1. The virgin birth
2. The deity of Christ
3. Salvation by grace through faith
4. The blood atonement, etc.
There are probably some here who struggle with those feelings. 
Now on the other hand I am neither Calvinists or Armenian and I and my family have been called or labeled Calvinists by our Armenian Mennonite brethren, because we believe a truly born again person has eternal life.
