Arminianism in the Church of England facts for kids

Arminianism was a set of beliefs that caused a lot of arguments within the Church of England in the early 1600s, especially when King Charles I was ruling. A main idea of Arminianism was that it disagreed with predestination. Predestination was the belief that God had already decided who would go to heaven or hell before they were born.

The Puritans, a group who wanted to make the Church of England simpler, strongly opposed Arminianism. King James I of England also didn't like it. He even sent people to a big meeting called the Synod of Dort (1618–1619) where they helped write rules that went against Arminianism. However, his son, King Charles I, supported Arminianism. This led to serious political fights in England. Much later, in the 1700s, the Methodists started their own church. Their beliefs, called Wesleyan–Arminian theology, were similar to some Arminian ideas.

What was English Arminianism?

The word "Arminianism" comes from Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch religious thinker. He and his followers, called Remonstrants, wanted to change some parts of Reformed theology (also known as Calvinism).

In England, "Arminianism" meant more than just theological ideas. It also included:

• How the church was organized and run.
• Rules about church behavior and discipline.
• Details of church services and liturgy (how worship is done).
• Specific church ceremonies and rituals.

The Puritans, who were against the ideas of Laudianism (the policies of Archbishop William Laud), saw Arminianism as a way for the central government to gain more power over church leaders.

Even though "Arminian" was a common word used in debates back then, historians still discuss exactly what English Arminianism meant. The Synod of Dort in 1619 largely ended the political power of Dutch Arminianism. After this, Arminian ideas in England were seen in different ways. Some historians believe they were new and challenged the standard Calvinist views in the Church of England. Others think they were a return to the original ideas of the Elizabethan Settlement (the religious rules set by Queen Elizabeth I). The exact meaning of the Thirty-Nine Articles (the Church of England's main beliefs) regarding these theological debates remained unclear for many years.

Big arguments happened within the Church of England, especially around Bishop William Laud. King Charles I supported Laud. These arguments were about both church matters and who controlled the Church. This control issue was very important to the Puritan members of Parliament, who strongly campaigned against Arminianism.

Early Anti-Calvinist Ideas

The Church of England under Queen Elizabeth I generally accepted Calvinist views. Any big arguments about religious ideas were usually local. The main tension was about how the church should be run.

Predestination Debates

Peter Baro was a French Calvinist who believed in conditional predestination. This idea suggested that God's choice of who goes to heaven depended on a person's faith. This caused a debate at Cambridge University. John Whitgift, a powerful church leader, stepped in. This led to the creation of the Lambeth Articles in 1595. These articles clarified the Church of England's Calvinist theological beliefs. They did not, however, discuss church ceremonies or rules.

One person who disagreed was Richard Thomson. But at this time, it was hard to publish anti-Calvinist ideas. Thomson was not allowed to print his work on grace and justification in the 1590s.

King James I's Time

At the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, John Rainolds wanted the Lambeth Articles to be used to explain the Thirty-Nine Articles. But this idea was rejected, and the issue remained unsettled. Under King James I, opposing Arminianism became the official policy. Any views against Calvinism were censored.

Richard Bancroft, the first Archbishop of Canterbury chosen by James, worked to stop Puritans who didn't follow the church rules. However, George Abbot, who became Archbishop in 1610, was a strong Calvinist. He agreed with King James that Arminianism in the Netherlands should be opposed. This led to the important Synod of Dort, which was an international meeting of Reformed churches.

From 1603 to 1625, Arminianism grew as a religious group in the Netherlands. It became involved in high-level politics and was eventually defeated. During the same time in England, Arminian ideas existed but were not openly discussed in writing because anti-Calvinist books were censored. So, English Arminianism didn't have a clear form until 1624.

Where Arminian Ideas Took Hold

Some church leaders from around 1600 are now called "proto-Arminian" by historians. These include important bishops like Lancelot Andrewes, Thomas Dove, and John Overall.

George Abbot suspected William Laud of being anti-Calvinist early in Laud's career. Abbot tried to stop Laud from becoming President of St John's College, Oxford. But Laud had supporters in a group that would later be known as the "Durham House" faction, led by Richard Neile. King James eventually allowed Laud's election to stand. Some other college leaders also knew a lot about Dutch Arminian writings, such as Jerome Beale, Samuel Brooke, and Matthew Wren.

The Synod of Dort and International Conflict

Opponents of Conrad Vorstius, who took over from Arminius, talked with George Abbot. King James wrote a pamphlet against Vorstius in 1612. Abbot also had anti-Arminian books written by Sebastian Benefield and his brother Robert Abbot. Abbot was cold towards Hugo Grotius, a leading Dutch Arminian thinker, when Grotius visited in 1613. King James chose to support the French Calvinist Pierre Du Moulin to unite French Protestants. Du Moulin was against the Arminian Daniel Tilenus. King James succeeded in his aims at the synod in Alès in 1620.

The old debates from Queen Elizabeth's time came up again, especially with the open religious conflicts in the Netherlands. In 1613, Antonius Thysius published Scripta Anglicana, a collection of papers from the Cambridge debates of the 1590s involving Peter Baro. This book was meant to show that the Church of England's official beliefs did not support the Remonstrants' (Arminians') claims. It included works by many important thinkers. Johannes Arnoldi Corvinus then argued against this interpretation. He pointed out that King James I had refused to give the Lambeth Articles the same status as the Thirty-Nine Articles. Thomson's Diatriba, which had similar arguments to some Arminian ideas, was also finally published in 1616.

King James I wanted to bring Protestants together. He supported the Synod of Dort (1618) by sending a group of learned delegates and approved its decisions. He was willing to say that Remonstrant (Arminian) teaching was a return to Pelagianism (an old Christian belief that stressed human free will over God's grace). However, James also wanted the Synod's decisions to end the debate on specific theological points, especially about predestination. For England, he gave instructions through George Abbot in 1622. These suggested limiting preaching on these topics and taking a moderate approach.

Charles I's Church Leaders and Arminianism

The first time an Englishman was accused of being an Arminian was in 1624. Within a few years, the accusation of Arminianism was often used against a group of theologians now known as the Caroline divines. A more accurate name for a key group was the Durham House group.

Arminianism and Laudianism

Laudianism was the plan of William Laud, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633. He wanted to change the Church of England's worship, rules, and organization. Historians have found it hard to say that Laudianism was simply the work of an Arminian group in the Church of England. However, during the church arguments under Charles I, this was a very common accusation.

Liberal Arminianism

A "liberal" type of Arminianism, different from Laudianism, appeared in the 1630s. This was among a group of thinkers around Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland. Because some church leaders from this group later became important bishops after 1660 (like Gilbert Sheldon), this type of Arminianism is seen as important for the Church of England's long-term traditions.

Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity

Richard Hooker, a writer from an earlier time, was used by Laud's supporters to back up their arguments, especially with the king. His book Ecclesiastical Polity offered ideas on justification (how people are made right with God) that were less focused on the individual than Calvinist ideas. These were adopted by John Cosin in his book Collection of Private Devotions. However, many modern scholars now see Hooker as a theologian who was part of the main Reformed tradition.

Arminianism and Absolute Monarchy

David Owen from Anglesey was one "proto-Arminian" who supported the divine right of kings (the idea that a king's power comes directly from God). He also believed Hooker's works supported this idea. His writings were reprinted twenty years after his death in 1623. Of the two most well-known churchmen who supported King Charles I's strong royal power, Robert Sibthorpe had Arminian connections. Roger Maynwaring did not.