The Canons of Dort
FIRST HEAD OF
DOCTRINE
Divine Election
and Reprobation
Article 1
As all men have
sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of
eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them
all to perish, and delivering them over to condemnation on
account of sin, according to the words of the apostle, Romans
3:19, "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may
become guilty before God." And verse 23: "for all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God." And Romans 6:23: "for the
wages of sin is death."
Article 2
But in this the
love of God was manifested, that he sent his only begotten Son
into the world, that whosoever believes on him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. I John 4:9. John 3:16.
Article 3
And that men may be
brought to believe, God mercifully sends the messengers of these
most joyful tidings, to whom he will and at what time he
pleaseth; by whose ministry men are called to repentance and
faith in Christ crucified. Romans 10:14, 15: "How then shall
they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent?"
Article 4
The wrath of God
abides upon those who believe not this gospel. But such as
receive it, and embrace Jesus the Saviour by a true and living
faith, are by him delivered from the wrath of God, and from
destruction, and have the gift of eternal life conferred upon
them.
Article 5
The cause or guilt
of this unbelief as well as of all other sins, is no wise in
God, but in man himself; whereas faith in Jesus Christ, and
salvation through him is the free gift of God, as it is written:
"By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God," Ephesians 2:8. "And unto you
it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
him," etc. Philippians 1:29.
Article 6
That some receive
the gift of faith from God, and others do not receive it
proceeds from God's eternal decree, "For known unto God are all
his works from the beginning of the world," Acts 15:18. "Who
worketh all things after the counsel of his will," Ephesians
1:11. According to which decree, he graciously softens the
hearts of the elect, however obstinate, and inclines them to
believe, while he leaves the non-elect in his just judgment to
their own wickedness and obduracy. And herein is especially
displayed the profound, and merciful, and at the same time the
righteous discrimination between men, equally involved in ruin;
or that decree of election and reprobation, revealed in the Word
of God, which though men of perverse, impure and unstable minds
wrest to their own destruction, yet to holy and pious souls
affords unspeakable consolation.
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Article 7
Election is the
unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of
the world, he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign
good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human
race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their
primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a
certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from
eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the
foundation of Salvation.
This elect number,
though by nature neither better nor more deserving than the
others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath
decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually
to call and draw them to his communion by his Word and Spirit,
to bestow upon them true faith, justification and
sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the
fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the
demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of his glorious
grace; as it is written: "According as he hath chosen us in him,
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and
without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved,"
Ephesians 1:4,5,6. And elsewhere: "Whom he did predestinate,
them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified;
and whom he justified, them he also glorified," Romans 8:30.
Article 8
There are not
various decrees of election, but one and the same decree
respecting all those, who shall be saved, both under the Old and
New Testament: since the scripture declares the good pleasure,
purpose and counsel of the divine will to be one, according to
which he hath chosen us from eternity, both to grace and glory,
to salvation and the way of salvation, which he hath ordained
that we should walk therein.
Article 9
This election was
not founded upon foreseen faith, and the obedience of faith,
holiness, or any other good quality of disposition in man, as
the pre-requisite, cause or condition on which it depended; but
men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness,
etc., therefore election is the fountain of every saving good;
from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of
salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and
effects, according to that of the apostle: "He hath chosen us
(not because we were) but that we should be holy, and without
blame, before him in love," Ephesians 1:4.
Article 10
The good pleasure
of God is the sole cause of this gracious election; which doth
not consist herein, that out of all possible qualities and
actions of men God has chosen some as a condition of salvation;
but that he was pleased out of the common mass of sinners to
adopt some certain persons as a peculiar people to himself, as
it is written, "For the children being not yet born neither
having done any good or evil," etc., it was said (namely to
Rebecca): "the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated," Romans 9:11,12,13.
"And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," Acts
13:48.
Article 11
And as God himself
is most wise, unchangeable, omniscient and omnipotent, so the
election made by him can neither be interrupted nor changed,
recalled or annulled; neither can the elect be cast away, nor
their number diminished.
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Article 12
The elect in due
time, though in various degrees and in different measures,
attain the assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable
election, not by inquisitively prying into the secret and deep
things of God, but by observing in themselves with a spiritual
joy and holy pleasure, the infallible fruits of election pointed
out in the Word of God - such as a true faith in Christ, filial
fear, a godly sorrow for sin, a hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, etc.
Article 13
The sense and
certainty of this election afford to the children of God
additional matter for daily humiliation before him, for adoring
the depth of his mercies, for cleansing themselves, and
rendering grateful returns of ardent love to him, who first
manifested so great love towards them. The consideration of this
doctrine of election is so far from encouraging remissness in
the observance of the divine commands, or from sinking men in
carnal security, that these, in the just judgment of God, are
the usual effects of rash presumption, or of idle and wanton
trifling with the grace of election, in those who refuse to walk
in the ways of the elect.
Article 14
As the doctrine of
divine election by the most wise counsel of God, was declared by
the prophets, by Christ himself, and by the apostles, and is
clearly revealed in the Scriptures, both of the Old and New
Testament, so it is still to be published in due time and place
in the Church of God, for which it was peculiarly designed,
provided it be done with reverence, in the spirit of discretion
and piety, for the glory of God's most holy name, and for
enlivening and comforting his people, without vainly attempting
to investigate the secret ways of the Most High. Acts 20:27;
Romans 11:33,34; 12:3; Hebrews 6:17,18.
Article 15
What peculiarly
tends to illustrate and recommend to us the eternal and
unmerited grace of election, is the express testimony of sacred
Scripture, that not all, but some only are elected, while others
are passed by in the eternal election of God; whom God, out of
his sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchangeable good
pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which
they have willfully plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon
them saving faith and the grace of conversion; but leaving them
in his just judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the
declaration of his justice, to condemn and punish them forever,
not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all their
other sins. And this is the decree of reprobation which by no
means makes God the author of sin (the very thought of which is
blasphemy), but declares him to be an awful, irreprehensible,
and righteous judge and avenger thereof.
Article 16
Those who do not
yet experience a lively faith in Christ, an assured confidence
of soul, peace of conscience, an earnest endeavour after filial
obedience, and glorying in God through Christ, efficaciously
wrought in them, and do nevertheless persist in the use of the
means which God hath appointed for working these graces in us,
ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to
rank themselves among the reprobate, but diligently to persevere
in the use of means, and with ardent desires, devoutly and
humbly to wait for a season of richer grace. Much less cause
have they to be terrified by the doctrine of reprobation, who,
though they seriously desire to be turned to God, to please him
only, and to be delivered from the body of death, cannot yet
reach that measure of holiness and faith to which they aspire;
since a merciful God has promised that he will not quench the
smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed. But this doctrine is
justly terrible to those, who, regardless of God and of the
Saviour Jesus Christ, have wholly given themselves up to the
cares of the world, and the pleasures of the flesh, so long as
they are not seriously converted to God.
Article 17
Since we are to
judge of the will of God from his Word, which testifies that the
children of believers are holy, not by nature, but in virtue of
the covenant of grace, in which they, together with the parents,
are comprehended, godly parents have no reason to doubt of the
election and salvation of their children, whom it pleaseth God
to call out of this life in their infancy.
Article 18
To those who murmur
at the free grace of election, and just severity of reprobation,
we answer with the apostle: "Nay, but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God?" Romans 9:20, and quote the language of
our Saviour: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my
own?" Matthew 20:15. And therefore with holy adoration of these
mysteries, we exclaim in the words of the apostle: "O the depths
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his
counselor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be
recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to
him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. - Amen."
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Rejection of Errors
The true doctrine
concerning Election and Reprobation having been explained, the
Synod rejects the errors of those:
Paragraph 1
Who teach: That the
will of God to save those who would believe and would persevere
in faith and in the obedience of faith, is the whole and entire
decree of election unto salvation, and that nothing else
concerning this decree has been revealed in God's Word.
For these deceive
the simple and plainly contradict the Scriptures, which declare
that God will not only save those who will believe, but that he
has also from eternity chosen certain particular persons to whom
above others he in time will grant both faith in Christ and
perseverance; as it written: "I manifested thy name unto the men
whom thou gavest me out of the world," John 17:6. "And as many
as were ordained to eternal life believed," Acts 13:48. And:
"Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love,"
Ephesians 1:4.
Paragraph 2
Who teach: That
there are various kinds of election of God unto eternal life:
the one general and indefinite, the other particular and
definite; and that the latter in turn is either incomplete,
revocable, non-decisive and conditional, or complete,
irrevocable, decisive and absolute. Likewise: that there is one
election unto faith, and another unto salvation, so that
election can be unto justifying faith, without being a decisive
election unto salvation. For this is a fancy of men's minds,
invented regardless of the Scriptures, whereby the doctrine of
election is corrupted, and this golden chain of our salvation is
broken: "And whom he foreordained, them he also called; and whom
he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them
he also glorified," Romans 8:30.
Paragraph 3
Who teach: That the
good pleasure and purpose of God, of which Scripture makes
mention in the doctrine of election, does not consist in this,
that God chose certain persons rather than others, but in this
that he chose out of all possible conditions (among which are
also the works of the law), or out of the whole order of things,
the act of faith which from its very nature is undeserving, as
well as its incomplete obedience, as a condition of salvation,
and that he would graciously consider this in itself as a
complete obedience and count it worthy of the reward of eternal
life. For by this injurious error the pleasure of God and the
merits of Christ are made of none effect, and men are drawn away
by useless questions from the truth of gracious justification
and from the simplicity of Scripture, and this declaration of
the Apostle is charged as untrue: "Who saved us, and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before times eternal." 2 Timothy 1:9.
Paragraph 4
Who teach: that in
the election unto faith this condition is beforehand demanded,
namely, that man should use the light of nature aright, be
pious, humble, meek, and fit for eternal life, as if on these
things election were in any way dependent. For this savors of
the teaching of Pelagius, and is opposed to the doctrine of the
apostle, when he writes: "Among whom we also all once lived in
the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest;
but God being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and
raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in heavenly
places, in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show
the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness towards us in
Christ Jesus; for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works,
that no man should glory," Ephesians 2:3-9.
Paragraph 5
Who teach: That the
incomplete and non-decisive election of particular persons to
salvation occurred because of a foreseen faith, conversion,
holiness, godliness, which either began or continued for some
time; but that the complete and decisive election occurred
because of foreseen perseverance unto the end in faith,
conversion, holiness and godliness; and that this is the
gracious and evangelical worthiness, for the sake of which he
who is chosen, is more worthy than he who is not chosen; and
that therefore faith, the obedience of faith, holiness,
godliness and perseverance are not fruits of the unchangeable
election unto glory, but are conditions, which, being required
beforehand, were foreseen as being met by those who will be
fully elected, and are causes without which the unchangeable
election to glory does not occur.
This is repugnant
to the entire Scripture, which constantly inculcates this and
similar declarations: Election is not out of works, but of him
that calleth. Romans 9:11. "As many as were ordained to eternal
life believed," Acts 13:48. "He chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy," Ephesians 1:4.
"Ye did not choose me, but I chose you," John 15:16. "But if it
be of grace, it is no more of works," Romans 11:6. "Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son," I John 4:10.
Paragraph 6
Who teach: That not
every election unto salvation is unchangeable, but that some of
the elect, any decree of God notwithstanding, can yet perish and
do indeed perish. By which gross error they make God to be
changeable, and destroy the comfort which the godly obtain out
of the firmness of their election, and contradict the Holy
Scripture, which teaches, that the elect can not be lead astray,
Matthew 24:24; that Christ does not lose those whom the Father
gave him, John 6:39; and that God hath also glorified those whom
he foreordained, called and justified. Romans 8:30.
Paragraph 7
Who teach: That
there is in this life no fruit and no consciousness of the
unchangeable election to glory, nor any certainty, except that
which depends on a changeable and uncertain condition. For not
only is it absurd to speak of an uncertain certainty, but also
contrary to the experience of the saints, who by virtue of the
consciousness of their election rejoice with the Apostle and
praise this favour of God, Ephesians 1; who according to Christ's
admonition rejoice with his disciples that their names are
written in heaven, Luke 10:20; who also place the consciousness
of their election over against the fiery darts of the devil,
asking: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?"
Romans 8:33.
Paragraph 8
Who teach: That
God, simply by virtue of his righteous will, did not decide
either to leave anyone in the fall of Adam and in the common
state of sin and condemnation, or to pass anyone by in the
communication of grace which is necessary for faith and
conversion. For this is firmly decreed: "He hath mercy on whom
he will, and whom he will he hardeneth," Romans 9:18. And also
this: "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given," Matthew 13:11.
Likewise: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that thou didst hide these things from the wise and
understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes; yea, Father,
for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight," Matthew 11:25,26.
Paragraph 9
Who teach: That the
reason why God sends the gospel to one people rather than to
another is not merely and solely the good pleasure of God, but
rather the fact that one people is better and worthier than
another to whom the gospel is not communicated. For this Moses
denies, addressing the people of Israel as follows: "Behold unto
Jehovah thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the
earth, with all that is therein. Only Jehovah had a delight in
thy fathers to love him, and he chose their seed after them,
even you above all peoples, as at this day," Deuteronomy
10:14,15. And Christ said: "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto
thee, Bethsaida! for if the might works had been done in Tyre
and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long
ago in sackcloth and ashes," Matthew 11:21.
