Canons of Dort
What is so important about the Canons of Dort?
The Canons of Dort are statements of doctrine adopted by the Reformed Synod of Dort which met from November 1618 through May of 1619 in the town of Dordrecht in the Netherlands (Dort is the English name for the Dutch Dordrecht). This synod had an international flavor as it was not only composed of delegates of the Reformed churches of the Netherlands but also attended by twenty-seven representatives of foreign churches. All in all, the Synod met in 154 sessions over those seven months. The leader of the Synod for the Reformed position was Johannes Bogerman. The leader of the opposition position was led by Simon Episopius.
The Synod of Dort convened because of serious disturbances of unbiblical doctrines taught by followers of Jacob Arminius who had been a theological professor at Leiden University and had many followers. Arminius was deceased at this point but continued to have a great influence on the church. The opponents questioned the Reformed understanding of Biblical doctrine. Those who were following the doctrines taught by Arminius presented their views on five major points of doctrine in a document called the Remonstrance of 1610.
Those in opposition to the Reformed position held to these 5 doctrines:
1. Conditional election on the ground of foreseen faith,
2. Universal atonement,
3. Partial depravity,
4. Resistible grace and
5. One could fall from grace losing one’s salvation.
These views (which would become known as Arminianism were the absolute opposite of what Augustine and the early church fathers taught from Scripture concerning salvation. The Synod of Dort opposed the views of Arminius and laid out the Reformed doctrine on the debated points in what is now known as the Canons of Dort.
The reason we often hear about the T U L I P, is because the Reformed theologians answered the 5 objections of the opponents with their own five doctrinal points.
They are as follows:
1. Unconditional Election,
2. Particular Atonement,
3. Total Depravity,
4. Irresistible Grace and
5. Perseverance of the Saints
In reality the Reformed position is vastly more comprehensive than these simple five points that for many are the essence of Calvinism. The five points the Reformers put together were to demonstrate the Biblical doctrines of salvation and to show that the five points of complaint against Reformed theology, proposed by Simon Episopius (a follower of Jacob Arminius) is heretical. The followers of Arminius, and his doctrinal positions, rejected the traditional Confession of faith of the Reformed churches. This Arminian heresy proved destruction to the true Gospel given by Jesus and the apostles and had already divided the Dutch Reformed Church into two camps.
The meetings of Dort concluded that the views of the opponents were heretical and put forth the five major doctrines of Reformed theology mentioned above and known today by the acrostic T U L I P. These 5 points were never intended to be a comprehensive explanation of Reformed theology doctrine but only addressed the five major points that were under attack by the opponents.
The Dort findings are significant because it was the first time the doctrines of Reformed Theology were published and the teachings of Jacob Arminius declared heretical by the church. The rising importance of the Reformed churches, and of Calvin, belongs to the second phase of the Protestant Reformation when evangelical churches began to form after Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Calvin’s Reformed view of theology became the theology of Scotland, the Netherlands, and parts of Germany and was influential in France, Hungary, Transylvania and Poland.
The two views of Arminianism and Calvinism, have been a major debate that goes back nearly 500 years and continues today. Does the Bible teach Reformed or Arminian doctrine? Which is it to be, the free will of man or the sovereign decree of God? At the heart of the debate is one central question: what is the ultimate determining factor in salvation: God’s sovereignty or man’s free will?
Those who lean toward Reformed theology refer to man’s depravity as Total Depravity or Total Inability. Reformists believe that the depravity of man, as a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, renders man totally unable to come to God. Sinful man is dead in sin, slaves of sin, in persistent rebellion against God and enemies of God. Left to themselves, people are unable to move towards God.
Those who lean to the Arminian view see biblical theology for salvation outlined in the opposing doctrine’s (3rd point). They argued for what they called “Natural Inability” which is similar to the Calvinistic doctrine. But in (4th point), they proposed God’s remedy for this inability was something called “prevenient grace”. This is a special grace from God dispensed to all mankind which overcomes man’s natural inability. So, man is naturally unable to come to God, but because of God’s prevenient grace all people can now freely choose God.
Keep studying the Bible and let God’s Word be the only source for your doctrine and practice. God is still Sovereign and His Word remains eternally inerrant.
Canons of Dort
If you would like to read through the Canons of Dort (highly recommend) click the link below!
