Synod of Dort

Synod of Dort 1618 to 1619 – primarily here I’m gonna focus on the Calvinists opponents The Arminians (not Armenians like The Kardashians) since we’ll be spending so much time reviewing Calvinist theology in the coming weeks. **Remember right from the start that much like the week we spent on John Calvin there was NOT a Medieval separation of Church & State, so aberration from Orthodox doctrine was not a Religious debate but an execution-able offense.

The Five Articles of Remonstrance were theological propositions advanced in 1610 by followers of Jacobus Arminius, in disagreement with interpretations of the teaching of John Calvin & Theodore Beza in the Dutch Reformed Church.             

The Five Articles of Remonstrance were subject to review by the Dutch National Synod held in Dordrecht. Their decision, known as the Canons of Dort, opposed the Remonstrance with Five Heads of Doctrine; each in answer to one of the Articles of the Remonstrance. It was this response, which gave rise to what has since become known as the Five Points of Calvinism or TULIP.

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What did the Remonstrance believe?

“Conditional Election” – C.E. states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation on their own, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God.

                  **Just a quick historical note – Semi-Pelagians thought that the beginning of faith is an act of free will, but later growing in faith - was the work of God. This was deemed a heresy in the Second Council of Orange in 529. ** There is very little difference between Arminianism & Semi-Pelagianism

“Universal Atonement” Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect – whomever they are. While U.A. is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith. 

“Mostly Totally depraved” In general, Arminians believe there is an “intermediate” state between total depravity and salvation. In this state, made possible by prevenient grace, the sinner is being drawn to Christ and has the God-given ability to choose or reject salvation.

“God’s Limited Free-Will (& Man’s Free-Will to Resist Grace)” Irresistible grace argues that when God calls a person to salvation, that person will inevitably come to salvation. Resistible grace states that God calls all to salvation, but that most people resist and reject this call.

“Conditional Salvation” C.S. is the view that a believer in Christ can, of his/her own free will, turn away from Christ and thereby lose salvation. Note - many Arminians today deny "conditional salvation" and instead hold to "eternal security" like Calvinists.

Events:

The synod consisted of 39 pastors and 18 Elders from the Belgic churches, 5 professors from the universities of Holland, 19 delegates from the Reformed churches in Germany and Switzerland, and 5 professors and bishops from Great Britain. France was also invited but did not attend. The Synod was thus constituted of 86 voting members in all. There were 154 formal sessions and many side conferences held during the six months that the Synod met to consider these matters.

Quote #1 - **The purpose of the Synod was to settle the controversy over Arminianism. It was subsequently alleged that the outcome had already been decided. According to Frederick Calder, "condemnation [of the Remonstrant doctrines] was determined before the national synod met."^[5] On the other hand, beyond the condemnation of the Arminians, the theological formulations of the Canons of the Synod by no means gave support to all the Calvinists wanted. The more extreme views of Dutch Calvinists were moderated in the detailed debates.

Simon Episcopius (1583–1643) was spokesman of the 14 Remonstrants who were summoned before the Synod in 1618. At the opening of the synod, Episcopius asked to speak.

Quote # 2 - "Episcopius [...] insisted on being permitted to begin with a refutation of the Calvinistic doctrines, especially that of reprobation, hoping that, by placing his objections to this doctrine in front of all the rest, he might excite such prejudice against the other articles of the system, as to secure the popular voice in his favor. The Synod, however, very properly, reminded him [...] that, as the Remonstrants were accused of departing from the Reformed faith, they were bound first to justify themselves, by giving Scriptural proof in support of their opinions. The Arminians would not submit to this plan of procedure because it destroyed their whole scheme of argument [...] and were thus compelled to withdraw. Upon their departure, the Synod proceeded without them."^[9]

What was the outcome?
The Synod concluded with a rejection of the Arminian views, and set forth the Reformed doctrine on each point, namely: TULIP.  
The thirteen Remonstrant ministers, including Episcopius, had been charged to remain in Dort until further instruction. The Remonstrant ministers who had been present were summoned by the lay-commissioners of the synod and directed to abstain from ministerial activities such as preaching, exhorting, administering the sacraments, and visiting the sick. Furthermore, Episcopius was commanded not to write letters or books promoting the doctrines of the Remonstrants.
On July 5, they were called to the States-General assembly where they were requested to sign The Act of Cessation, the legalization of the order to desist from the ministry. When they refused to sign it, they were sentenced as "disturbers of the public peace" and ordered to leave the United Provinces. However, in the 18th century, Arminian theology spread to England where it became integral to the theology of the Methodist churches.

Then followed the political condemnation of the statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt who had been the protector of the Remonstrants. For the crime of general perturbation in the state of the nation, both in Church and State (treason), he was beheaded on 13 May 1619, only four days after the final meeting of the Synod. The jurist Hugo Grotius was given a life sentence in prison; but he escaped with the help of his wife.

 Quote # 3 - "The victory of orthodoxy was obscured by the succeeding deposition of about two hundred Arminian clergymen, and by the preceding though independent arrest of the political leaders of the Remonstrants, at the instigation of Maurice. Grotius was condemned by the States-General to perpetual imprisonment, but escaped through the ingenuity of his wife (1621). Van Olden Barneveldt was unjustly condemned to death for alleged high-treason, and beheaded at the Hague (May 14, 1619). His sons took revenge in a fruitless attempt against the life of Prince Maurice." (Schaff, Creeds, Vol. I, 514)

 Quote # 4 - “The Synod gave a very close examination to the ‘five points’, which had been advanced by the Remonstrants, and compared the teaching in them with the testimony of Scripture. Failing to reconcile that teaching with the Word of God, . . . they unanimously rejected them. They felt however, that a mere rejection was not sufficient. It remained for them to set forth the true Calvinistic teaching in relationship to those matters, which had been called into question. This they preceded to do, embodying the Calvinistic position in five chapters which have ever since been known as the five points of Calvinism." (Steel and Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism, P&R Publishing, 1963, p. 14, quoting Ben A. Warburton, Calvinism, p. 61.)

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Quote: Me & Spurgeon on Conversion – often from our limited POV we think we became a Christian when we came to God.  However when this issue is viewed in light of Scripture: any True Christian will see what the Scriptures say: ‘The Election is from the Lord (Ephesians 1); the Call is from the Lord (Romans 8); the Coming to Christ is from the Lord (John 6); the Conversion is from the Lord (John 3); & the Faith & Repentance are from the Lord (Ephesians 3 & 2 Timothy 2).  And we finally learn the extent of His Grace & Mercy & Worth of Worship lies in the fact that the whole of Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9, Psalms 37:39, Revelation 7:10)’.

From Charles Spurgeon:

“One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher’s sermon, for I did not believe it.  The thought struck me, how did you come to be a Christian?  I sought the Lord.  But how did you come to seek the Lord?  The truth flashed across my mind in a moment – I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous Influence in my mind to make me see my need of Him.  I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, how did I come to pray?  I was Induced to pray by reading the Scriptures.  How did I come to read the Scriptures?  I did read them, but what led me to do so?  Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the Doctrines of Grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, ‘I ascribe my change wholly to God.’”