[Sidenote:  History of Arminianism.]

If we believe the celebrated Jurieu[045], Arminianism even in its Socinian form, abounded, in less than a century, after the death of Arminius, in the United Provinces, and among the Hugonots of the adjacent part of France.  By his account, the dispersion of the French Hugonots, in consequence of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, revealed to the terrified reformers of the original school, the alarming secret of the preponderance of Socinianism in the reformed church.  Its members, according to Jurieu, being no longer under the controul of the civil power, spread their Socinian principles every where, with the utmost activity and success:  even in England, Jurieu professed to discover the effect of their exertions.  He mentions that in 1698, thirty-four French refugee ministers residing in London addressed a letter to the synod, then sitting at Amsterdam, in which they declared, that Socinianism had spread so rapidly, that, if the ecclesiastical assemblies supplied no means for checking their growth, or used palliatives only, the mischief would be incurable.

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  XII.]

This charge, however, the Arminians have indignantly rejected.  A writer in the Bibliotheque Germanique[046] relates, that

“the celebrated Anthony Collins called on M. Le Clerc of Amsterdam:  He was accompanied by some Frenchmen, of the fraternity of those, who think freely.  They expected to find the religious opinions of Le Clerc in unison with their own, but, they were surprised to find the strong stand which he made in favour of revelation.  He proved to them, with great strength of argument, the truth of the Christian religion.  Jesus Christ, he told them, was born among the Jews; still, it was not the Jewish religion which he taught; neither was it the religion of the Pagan neighbourhood; but, a religion infinitely superior to both.  One sees in it the most striking marks of divinity.  The Christians, who followed, were incapable of imagining any thing so beautiful.  Add to this, that the Christian religion is so excellently calculated for the good of society, that, if we did not derive so great a present from heaven, the good and safety of men would absolutely demand from them an equivalent.”

Throughout the conversation, M. Le Clerc reproached the Deists strongly, for the hatred, which they shewed to Christianity.  He proved, that, by banishing it from the world,

“they would overturn whatever was most holy and respectable among men; break asunder the surest bonds of humanity; teach men to shake off the yoke of law; deprive them of their strongest incitement to virtue, and bereave them of their best comfort.  What,” (he asked them) “do you substitute in its place?  Can you flatter yourself, that you will discover something better?  You expect, no doubt, that men will erect statues to you, for your exertions to deprive them of their religion!  Permit me to tell you, that the part you act makes you odious and despicable in the eyes of all honest men.”

He finished the conversation by requesting Mr. Collins to bring him no more such visitors.