Sermon Tone Analysis

The Canons of Dort       "The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrinein Dispute in the Netherlands" is popularly known as the Canons of Dort.

Itconsists of statements of doctrine adopted by the great Synod of Dort whichmet in the city of Dordrecht in 1618-19.

Although this was a national synod ofthe Reformed churches of the Netherlands, it had an international character,since it was composed not only of Dutch delegates but also of twenty-sixdelegates from eight foreign countries.

The Synod of Dort was held in order to settle a serious controversy inthe Dutch churches initiated by the rise of Arminianism.

Jacob Arminius, atheological professor at Leiden University, questioned the teaching of Calvinand his followers on a number of important points.

After Arminius's death, hisown followers presented their views on five of these points in theRemonstrance of 1610.

In this document or in later more explicit writings, theArminians taught election based on foreseen faith, universal atonement,partial depravity, resistible grace, and the possibility of a lapse fromgrace.

In the Canons the Synod of Dort rejected these views and set forth theReformed doctrine on these points, namely, unconditional election, limitedatonement, total depravity, irresistible grace, and the perseverance ofsaints.

The Canons have a special character because of their original purpose asa judicial decision on the doctrinal points in dispute during the Arminiancontroversy.

The original preface called them a "judgment, in which both thetrue view, agreeing with God's Word, concerning the aforesaid five points ofdoctrine is explained, and the false view, disagreeing with God's Word, isrejected."

The Canons also have a limited character in that they do not coverthe whole range of doctrine, but focus on the five points of doctrine indispute.

Each of the main points consists of a positive and a negative part, theformer being an exposition of the Reformed doctrine on the subject, the lattera repudiation of the corresponding errors.

Each of the errors being rejectedis shaded in gray.

Although in form there are only four points, we speakproperly of five points, because the Canons were structured to correspond tothe five articles of the 1610 Remonstrance.

Main Points 3 and 4 were combinedinto one, always designated as Main Point III~/IV.

This translation of the Canons, based on the only extant Latinmanuscript among those signed at the Synod of Dort, was adopted by the 1986Synod of the Christian Reformed Church.

The biblical quotations aretranslations from the original Latin and so do not always correspond tocurrent versions.

Though not in the original text, subheadings have been addedto the positive articles and to the conclusion in order to facilitate study ofthe Canons.

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                  The Canons of Dort                                                                       Formally Titled     The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine                         in Dispute in the Netherlands                                                              The First Main Point of Doctrine                                                               Divine Election and Reprobation                                                        The Judgment Concerning Divine Predestination       Which the Synod Declares to Be in Agreement with the Word of God                and Accepted Till Now in the Reformed Churches,                         Set Forth in Several Articles  Article 1: God's Right to Condemn All People      Since all people have sinned in Adam and have come under the sentence ofthe curse and eternal death, God would have done no one an injustice if it hadbeen his will to leave the entire human race in sin and under the curse, andto condemn them on account of their sin.

As the apostle says: "The whole worldis liable to the condemnation of God" (Rom.

3:19), "All have sinned and aredeprived of the glory of God" (Rom.

3:23), and "The wages of sin is death"(Rom.

6:23).~*__________

~*All quotations from Scripture are translations of the original Latinmanuscript.—————

Article 2: The Manifestation of God's Love      But this is how God showed his love: he sent his only begotten Son intothe world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternallife.

Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel      In order that people may be brought to faith, God mercifully sendsproclaimers of this very joyful message to the people he wishes and at thetime he wishes.

By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith inChrist crucified.

For "how shall they believe in him of whom they have notheard?

And how shall they hear without someone preaching?

And how shall theypreach unless they have been sent?" (Rom.

10:14-15).

Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel      God's anger remains on those who do not believe this gospel.

But thosewho do accept it and embrace Jesus the Savior with a true and living faith aredelivered through him from God's anger and from destruction, and receive thegift of eternal life.

Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith      The cause or blame for this unbelief, as well as for all other sins, isnot at all in God, but in man.

Faith in Jesus Christ, however, and salvationthrough him is a free gift of God.

As Scripture says, "It is by grace you havebeen saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is a gift of God"(Eph.

2:8).

Likewise: "It has been freely given to you to believe in Christ"(Phil.

1:29).

Article 6: God's Eternal Decision      The fact that some receive from God the gift of faith within time, andthat others do not, stems from his eternal decision.

For "all his works areknown to God from eternity" (Acts 15:18; Eph.

1:11).

In accordance with thisdecision he graciously softens the hearts, however hard, of his chosen onesand inclines them to believe, but by his just judgment he leaves in theirwickedness and hardness of heart those who have not been chosen.

And in thisespecially is disclosed to us his act—unfathomable, and as merciful as it isjust—of distinguishing between people equally lost.

This is the well-knowndecision of election and reprobation revealed in God's Word.

This decision thewicked, impure, and unstable distort to their own ruin, but it provides holyand godly souls with comfort beyond words.

Article 7: Election      Election [or choosing] is God's unchangeable purpose by which he did thefollowing:             Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to      the free good pleasure of his will, he chose in Christ to salvation a      definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which      had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and      ruin.

Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the      others, but lay with them in the common misery.

He did this in Christ,      whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all      those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation.

And so he decided to give the chosen ones to Christ to be saved,      and to call and draw them effectively into Christ's fellowship through      his Word and Spirit.

In other words, he decided to grant them true faith      in Christ, to justify them, to sanctify them, and finally, after      powerfully preserving them in the fellowship of his Son, to glorify      them.

God did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to the praise of theriches of his glorious grace.

As Scripture says, "God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of theworld, so that we should be holy and blameless before him with love; hepredestined us whom he adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, inhimself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of hisglorious grace, by which he freely made us pleasing to himself in his beloved"(Eph.

1:4-6).

And elsewhere, "Those whom he predestined, he also called; andthose whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he alsoglorified" (Rom.

8:30).

Article 8: A Single Decision of Election      This election is not of many kinds; it is one and the same election forall who were to be saved in the Old and the New Testament.

For Scripturedeclares that there is a single good pleasure, purpose, and plan of God'swill, by which he chose us from eternity both to grace and to glory, both tosalvation and to the way of salvation, which he prepared in advance for us towalk in.

Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith      This same election took place, not on the basis of foreseen faith, ofthe obedience of faith, of holiness, or of any other good quality anddisposition, as though it were based on a prerequisite cause or condition inthe person to be chosen, but rather for the purpose of faith, of the obedienceof faith, of holiness, and so on.

Accordingly, election is the source of eachof the benefits of salvation.

Faith, holiness, and the other saving gifts, andat last eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits andeffects.

As the apostle says, "He chose us" (not because we were, but) "sothat we should be holy and blameless before him in love" (Eph.

1:4).

Article 10: Election Based on God's Good Pleasure      But the cause of this undeserved election is exclusively the goodpleasure of God.

This does not involve his choosing certain human qualities oractions from among all those possible as a condition of salvation, but ratherinvolves his adopting certain particular persons from among the common mass ofsinners as his own possession.

As Scripture says, "When the children were notyet born, and had done nothing either good or bad..., she" (Rebecca)" wastold, "The older will serve the younger."

As it is written, "Jacob I loved,but Esau I hated"" (Rom.

9:11-13).

Also, "All who were appointed for eternallife believed" (Acts 13:48).

Article 11: Election Unchangeable      Just as God himself is most wise, unchangeable, all-knowing, andalmighty, so the election made by him can neither be suspended nor altered,revoked, or annulled; neither can his chosen ones be cast off, nor theirnumber reduced.

Article 12: The Assurance of Election      Assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election to salvationis given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differingmeasure.

Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden anddeep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy andholy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God's Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow fortheir sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.

Article 13: The Fruit of This Assurance      In their awareness and assurance of this election God's children dailyfind greater cause to humble themselves before God, to adore the fathomlessdepth of his mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to give fervent love inreturn to him who first so greatly loved them.

This is far from saying thatthis teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it, make God's childrenlax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.

By God's justjudgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted thegrace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwillingto walk in the ways of the chosen.

Article 14: Teaching Election Properly      Just as, by God's wise plan, this teaching concerning divine electionhas been proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, inOld and New Testament times, and has subsequently been committed to writing inthe Holy Scriptures, so also today in God's church, for which it wasspecifically intended, this teaching must be set forth—with a spirit ofdiscretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place,without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.

This must bedone for the glory of God's most holy name, and for the lively comfort of hispeople.

Article 15: Reprobation      Moreover, Holy Scripture most especially highlights this eternal andundeserved grace of our election and brings it out more clearly for us, inthat it further bears witness that not all people have been chosen but thatsome have not been chosen or have been passed by in God's eternal election—those, that is, concerning whom God, on the basis of his entirely free, mostjust, irreproachable, and unchangeable good pleasure, made the followingdecision:             to leave them in the common misery into which, by their own fault,      they have plunged themselves;            not to grant them saving faith and the grace of conversion;            but finally to condemn and eternally punish them (having been left      in their own ways and under his just judgment), not only for their      unbelief but also for all their other sins, in order to display his      justice.

And this is the decision of reprobation, which does not at all make Godthe author of sin (a blasphemous thought!) but rather its fearful,irreproachable, just judge and avenger.

Article 16: Responses to the Teaching of Reprobation      Those who do not yet actively experience within themselves a livingfaith in Christ or an assured confidence of heart, peace of conscience, a zealfor childlike obedience, and a glorying in God through Christ, but whonevertheless use the means by which God has promised to work these things inus—such people ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor tocount themselves among the reprobate; rather they ought to continue diligentlyin the use of the means, to desire fervently a time of more abundant grace,and to wait for it in reverence and humility.

On the other hand, those whoseriously desire to turn to God, to be pleasing to him alone, and to bedelivered from the body of death, but are not yet able to make such progressalong the way of godliness and faith as they would like—such people oughtmuch less to stand in fear of the teaching concerning reprobation, since ourmerciful God has promised that he will not snuff out a smoldering wick andthat he will not break a bruised reed.

However, those who have forgotten Godand their Savior Jesus Christ and have abandoned themselves wholly to thecares of the world and the pleasures of the flesh—such people have everyreason to stand in fear of this teaching, as long as they do not seriouslyturn to God.

Article 17: The Salvation of the Infants of Believers      Since we must make judgments about God's will from his Word, whichtestifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature but by virtueof the gracious covenant in which they together with their parents areincluded, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of theirchildren whom God calls out of this life in infancy.

Article 18: The Proper Attitude Toward Election and Reprobation      To those who complain about this grace of an undeserved election andabout the severity of a just reprobation, we reply with the words of theapostle, "Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" (Rom.

9:20), and with thewords of our Savior, "Have I no right to do what I want with my own?" (Matt.20:15).

We, however, with reverent adoration of these secret things, cry outwith the apostle: "Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and theknowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyondtracing out!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been hiscounselor?

Or who has first given to God, that God should repay him?

For fromhim and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever!Amen" (Rom.

11:33-36).

Rejection of the Errors by Which the Dutch Churches Have for Some TimeBeen Disturbed       Having set forth the orthodox teaching concerning election andreprobation, the Synod rejects the errors of those I      Who teach that the will of God to save those who would believe andpersevere in faith and in the obedience of faith is the whole and entiredecision of election to salvation, and that nothing else concerning thisdecision has been revealed in God's Word.

For they deceive the simple and plainly contradict Holy Scripture in itstestimony that God does not only wish to save those who would believe, butthat he has also from eternity chosen certain particular people to whom,rather than to others, he would within time grant faith in Christ andperseverance.

As Scripture says, "I have revealed your name to those whom yougave me" (John 17:6).

Likewise, "All who were appointed for eternal lifebelieved" (Acts 13:48), and "He chose us before the foundation of the world sothat we should be holy..." (Eph.

1:4).

II      Who teach that God's election to eternal life is of many kinds: onegeneral and indefinite, the other particular and definite; and the latter inturn either incomplete, revocable, nonperemptory (or conditional), or elsecomplete, irrevocable, and peremptory (or absolute).

Likewise, who teach thatthere is one election to faith and another to salvation, so that there can bean election to justifying faith apart from a peremptory election to salvation.

For this is an invention of the human brain, devised apart from theScriptures, which distorts the teaching concerning election and breaks up thisgolden chain of salvation: "Those whom he predestined, he also called; andthose whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he alsoglorified" (Rom.

8:30).

III      Who teach that God's good pleasure and purpose, which Scripture mentionsin its teaching of election, does not involve God's choosing certainparticular people rather than others, but involves God's choosing, out of allpossible conditions (including the works of the law) or out of the whole orderof things, the intrinsically unworthy act of faith, as well as the imperfectobedience of faith, to be a condition of salvation; and it involves hisgraciously wishing to count this as perfect obedience and to look upon it asworthy of the reward of eternal life.

For by this pernicious error the good pleasure of God and the merit ofChrist are robbed of their effectiveness and people are drawn away, byunprofitable inquiries, from the truth of undeserved justification and fromthe simplicity of the Scriptures.

It also gives the lie to these words of theapostle: "God called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of works, but invirtue of his own purpose and the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesusbefore the beginning of time" (2 Tim.

1:9).

IV      Who teach that in election to faith a prerequisite condition is that manshould rightly use the light of nature, be upright, unassuming, humble, anddisposed to eternal life, as though election depended to some extent on thesefactors.

For this smacks of Pelagius, and it clearly calls into question thewords of the apostle: "We lived at one time in the passions of our flesh,following the will of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature childrenof wrath, like everyone else.

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the greatlove with which he loved us, even when we were dead in transgressions, made usalive with Christ, by whose grace you have been saved.

And God raised us upwith him and seated us with him in heaven in Christ Jesus, in order that inthe coming ages we might show the surpassing riches of his grace, according tohis kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have beensaved, through faith (and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God) notby works, so that no one can boast" (Eph.

2:3-9).

V      Who teach that the incomplete and nonperemptory election of particularpersons to salvation occurred on the basis of a foreseen faith, repentance,holiness, and godliness, which has just begun or continued for some time; butthat complete and peremptory election occurred on the basis of a foreseenperseverance to the end in faith, repentance, holiness, and godliness.

Andthat this is the gracious and evangelical worthiness, on account of which theone who is chosen is more worthy than the one who is not chosen.

And thereforethat faith, the obedience of faith, holiness, godliness, and perseverance arenot fruits or effects of an unchangeable election to glory, but indispensableconditions and causes, which are prerequisite in those who are to be chosen inthe complete election, and which are foreseen as achieved in them.