That act of faith is not in the power of a natural, carnal, sensual, and sinful man. No one can perform this act except through the grace of God.

That act of faith is not in the power of a natural, carnal, sensual, and sinful man. No one can perform this act except through the grace of God.

- Jacobus Arminius
Complete Works of Arminius, Volume 2

Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), was a Dutch Reformed theologian and professor of theology at the University of Leiden. He is most noted for his departure from the Reformed theology of the Belgic Confession resulting in what became the Calvinist-Arminian controversy addressed at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619).

Arminius is best known as the founder of the anti-Calvinistic school in Protestant theology that bears his name -- Arminianism. In attempting to defend Calvinistic predestination against the onslaughts of Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert, Arminius began to doubt and changed his own view. He became a professor of theology at Leiden (sometimes Leyden) in 1603 and died there on October 19, 1609. The theology of Arminianism was not fully developed during Arminius' time, but was systematized after his death and formalized in the _Five Articles of Remonstrance_ in 1610. The works of Arminius (in Latin) were published at Leiden in 1629, and at Frankfort in 1631 and 1635. After his death, at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), his teaching was condemned by the State church. Later, however, Arminianism received official "toleration" by the State and has since continued in various forms within Protestantism.