The Five Articles of the Remonstrants (Jacob Arminias)

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The Five Articles of the Remonstrants, 1610

The Articles of the Remonstrants given below, though published by his
followers a year after his death, expresses the views of Arminius and
his followers:
Article 1

That God, by an eternal and unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ his
Son, before the foundation of the world, hath determined, out of the
fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ’s sake, and
through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall
believe on this his son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and
obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the
other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under
wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from Christ, according to the
word of the Gospel in John 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” and according to other
passages of Scripture also.

Article 2

That agreeably thereunto, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, died
for all men and for every man, so that he has obtained for them all,
by his death on the cross, redemption and the forgiveness of sins; yet
that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins except the
believer, according to the word of the Gospel of John 3:16, “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And
in the First Epistle of John 2:2: “And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world.”

Article 3

That man has not saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his
free will, inasmuch as he, in the state of apostasy and sin, can of an
by himself neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good
(such as saving Faith eminently is); but that it is needful that he be
born again of God in Christ, through his Holy Spirit, and renewed in
understanding, incli9nation, or will, and all his powers, in order
that he may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly
good, according to the Word of Christ, John 15:5, “Without me ye can
do nothing.”

Article 4

That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and
accomplishment of all good, even to this extent, that the regenerate
man himself, without prevenient or assisting, awakening, following and
cooperative grace, can nei ther think, will, nor do good, nor
withstand any temptations to evil; so that all good deeds or
movements, that can be conceived, must be ascribed to the grace of God
in Christ. but respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is
not irresistible; inas much as it is written con cerning many, that
they have resisted the Holy Ghost. Acts 7, and else where in many
places.

Article 5

That those who are in corporated into Christ by true faith, and have
thereby become partakers of his life-giving Spirit, have thereby full
power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own flesh,
and to win the victory; it being well un derstood that it is ever
through the assisting grace of the Holy Ghost; and that Jesus Christ
assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends to them
his hand, and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire his
help, and are not inactive, keeps them from falling, so that they, by
no craft or power of Satan, can be misled nor plucked out of Christ’s
hands, according to the Word of Christ, John 10:28: “Neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand.” But whether they are capable, through
negligence, of forsaking again the first beginning of their life in
Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away
from the holy doctrine which was deliv ered them, of losing a good
conscience, of be coming devoid of grace, that must be more
particularly determined out of the Holy Scripture, be fore we
ourselves can teach it with the full persuasion of our mind.

These Articles, thus set forth and taught, the Remonstrants deem
agreeable to the Word of God, tending to edification, and, as regards
this argument, sufficient for salvation, so that it is not necessary
or edifying to rise higher or to descend deeper.