Special Feature: the Synod of Dort 1618-1619
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The Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
FALL 2019 volume 6 issue 1 3 FROM RUTHERFORD HALL Dr. Barry J. York 4 FOUR CENTURIES AGO: AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE SYNOD OF DORT Dr. David G. Whitla 16 THE FIRST HEADING: DIVINE ELECTION AND REPROBATION Rev. Thomas G. Reid, Jr. 25 THE SECOND HEADING - CHRIST’S DEATH AND HUMAN REDEMPTION THROUGH IT: LIMITED ATONEMENT AT THE SYNOD OF DORDT AND SOME CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGICAL DEBATES Dr. Richard C. Gamble 33 THE THIRD HEADING: HUMAN CORRUPTION Rev. Keith A. Evans 39 THE FOURTH HEADING: “BOTH DELIGHTFUL AND POWERFUL” THE DOCTRINE OF IRRESISTIBLE GRACE IN THE CANONS OF DORT Dr. C. J. Williams 47 THE FIFTH HEADING: THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS Dr. Barry J. York STUDY UNDER PASTORS The theological journal of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary Description Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal is the online theological journal of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal is provided freely by RPTS faculty and other scholars to encourage the theological growth of the church in the historic, creedal, Reformed faith. Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal is published biannually online at the RPTS website in html and pdf. Readers are free to use the journal and circulate articles in written, visual, or digital form, but we respectfully request that the content be unaltered and the source be acknowledged by the following statement. “Used by permission. Article first appeared in Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal, the online theological journal of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (rpts.edu).” e d i t o r s General Editor: Senior Editor: Assistant Editor: Contributing Editors: Barry York Richard Gamble Jay Dharan Tom Reid [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] C. -
E of the National Synod of Dordrecht, the Tendency for W Many 1S to Associate That Name with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands During the Early 17Th Century
hen m~ntion is ma?e of the national Synod of Dordrecht, the tendency for W many 1s to associate that name with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands during the early 17th century. To do so is certainly not incorrect, but it should be borne in mind that that Synod was in certain respects unique so far as the assemblies of Reformed churches are concerned. Unlike any of the other great Reformed assemblies, it gathered together representatives of virtually all of the Reformed churches in Europe. In that respect it stands alone and deserves a pecu liar place in the history of the Reformed churches. The divines who met at Dordt on the 13th November 1618 constituted a remark able array of talent and background. The ranks of those who attended at Dort included fifty-six ministers and ruling elders from the Dutch churches, five Professors of Theology, and twenty-six foreign divines, as well as eighteen political commissioners who were not members of the Synod but who were to supervise the proceedings and report to the States-General. The foreign divines included repre sentatives from the Reformed churches of Great Britain, the Palatinate, Hessia, Switzerland, Wetteravia, Geneva, Bremen, and Emden. Delegates from France were also invited, but were prevented from. attending by their king. Consequently, this Synod was unlike any other within the Reformed church world. As a Synod, it has enjoyed high praise. Richard Baxter places this Synod on the same footing as the Westminster Assembly of Divines. Speaking of the Westminster Assembly, Baxter observes: "The Divines there Congregate were Men of Eminent Learning and Godliness, and Ministerial Abilities and Fidelity: and . -
THE SYNOD of DORT Many Reformed Churches Around the World Commemorate the Great Protestant Reformation Which Begun in Germany on October 31St 1517
THE SYNOD OF DORT Many Reformed Churches around the world commemorate the Great Protestant Reformation which begun in Germany on October 31st 1517. On that providential day, Martin Luther nailed his famed 95 Theses on the door of the castle church of Wittenberg. In no time, without Luther's knowledge, this paper was copied, and reproduced in great numbers with the recently invented printing machine. It was then distributed throughout Europe. This paper was to be used by our Sovereign Lord to ignite the Reformation which saw the release of the true Church of Christ from the yoke and bondage of Rome. Almost five hundred years have gone by since then. Today, there are countless technically Protestant churches (i.e. can trace back to the Reformation in terms of historical links) around the world. But there are few which still remember the rich heritage of the Reformers. In fact, a great number of churches which claim to be Protestant have, in fact, gone back to Rome by way of doctrine and practice, and some even make it their business to oppose the Reformers and their heirs. I am convinced that one of the chief reasons for this state of affair in the Protestant Church is a contemptuous attitude towards past creeds and confessions and the historical battles against heresies. When, for example, there are fundamentalistic defenders of the faith teaching in Bible Colleges, who have not so much as heard of the Canons of Dort or the Synod of Dort, but would lash out at hyper-Calvinism, then you know that something is seriously wrong within the camp. -
Scholastic Discourse Johannes Maccovius (1588–1644) on Theological and Philosophical Distinctions and Rules
Scholastic Discourse Johannes Maccovius (1588–1644) on Theological and Philosophical Distinctions and Rules Publicaties van het Instituut voor Reformatieonderzoek Publications of the Institute for Reformation Research Editor William den Boer PIRef 4 Instituut voor Reformatieonderzoek Apeldoorn 2009 Scholastic Discourse Johannes Maccovius (1588–1644) on Theological and Philosophical Distinctions and Rules Willem J. van Asselt Michael D. Bell Gert van den Brink Rein Ferwerda Instituut voor Reformatieonderzoek Apeldoorn 2009 © Instituut voor Reformatieonderzoek Apeldoorn 2009 (Theologische Universiteit Apeldoorn) ISBN 978-90-79771-05-9 NUR 704 On the cover: University of Franeker, ca. 1700, in: Andries Schoemaker, ‘Be- schrijving van Friesland’. Ms 998 Tresoar, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands Printed by: Drukkerij Verloop, Alblasserdam, The Netherlands Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieën, opnamen, of enige andere manier, zonder vooraf- gaande schriftelijke toestemming van de uitgever. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recor- ding or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Preface One of the best ways to acquaint oneself with an unfamiliar (or even suppos- edly familiar) view is to allow its advocates to speak for themselves. This book by Johannes Maccovius (1588-1644) does just that; it presents a new critical Latin edition and an English translation of his seminal work on theological and philosophical distinctions. During most of the seventeenth century it was used as a classroom book at Reformed universities and academies from England to Transylvania. -
Canons of Dort
Canons of Dort (DOWNLOAD THIS DOCUMENT) The third of our Doctrinal Standards is the Canons of Dort, also called the Five Articles Against the Remonstrants. These are statements of doctrine adopted by the great Reformed Synod of Dortrecht in 1618-1619. This Synod had a truly international character, since it was composed not only of the delegates of the Reformed Church of the Netherlands but also of twenty-seven delegates from foreign countries. The Synod of Dortrecht was held in view of the serious disturbance in the Reformed Church by the rise and spread of Arminianism. Arminius, a theological professor at the University of Leyden, departed from the Reformed faith in his teaching concerning five important points. He taught conditional election on the ground of foreseen faith, universal atonement, partial depravity, resistible grace, and the possibility of a lapse from grace. These views were rejected by the Synod, and the opposite views were embodied in what is now called the Canons of Dort or the Five Articles Against the Remonstrants. In these Canons the Synod set forth the Reformed doctrine on these points, namely, unconditional election, limited atonement, total depravity, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. Each of the Canons consists of a positive and a negative part, the former being an exposition of the Reformed doctrine on the subject, and the latter a repudiation of the corresponding Arminian error. Although in form there are only four chapters, occasioned by the combination of the third and fourth heads of doctrine into one, we speak properly of five Canons, and the third chapter is always designated as Chapter III-IV. -
The Canons of Dordt As a Missional Document
Volume 48 Number 1 Article 1 September 2019 The Canons of Dordt as a Missional Document Lyle Bierma Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Bierma, Lyle (2019) "The Canons of Dordt as a Missional Document," Pro Rege: Vol. 48: No. 1, 1 - 6. Available at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege/vol48/iss1/1 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pro Rege by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Editor’s Note: Dr. Lyle Bierma presented this paper at the Prodigal Love of God Conference, sponsored by Dordt University and co-sponsored by the Lilly Fellowship Program as a regional conference, April 2019, at Dordt University, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Canons of Dort. In the subsequent articles, Dordt and Dort will be used interchangeably. The Canons of Dordt as a Missional Document of Dordt as a missional document nicely brings together my professional and non-professional in- terests. The confessions of the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries, including the so-called Three Forms of Unity of the Dutch Reformed tradition, have sometimes been criticized for not addressing the missional or evangelistic nature and task of the church.2 One counterexample to this claim, of course, is a line in Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 86: Q. … Why then should we do good works? A. -
Being a Confessional Church C a L V I N Th E O L O G I C a L Se M I N a R Y from the President Foru M Cornelius Plantinga, Jr
C ALVIN THEOLOGI C AL SEMINARY FORUM S PRING 2008 Being a Confessional Church C ALVIN THEOLOGI C AL SEMINARY from the president FORUM Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Providing Theological Leadership for the Church Volume 15, Number 2 Spring 2008 Dear Brothers and Sisters, REFLECTIONS ON We Calvinists have always wanted reform according to the Word of God. That’s BeinG A confessionAL CHUrcH the first thing “Reformed” means. We want a straightedge to guide reforms, espe- cially because sin has twisted our thinking. We want an outside word, an inspired 3 and infallible word, which defines “good” and “evil” not by human opinions, Why Be a Confessional Church? but by the wisdom of God. We want a picture of the kingdom of God so we can by Lyle D. Bierma see how life is supposed to go and then judge how life needs to be reformed in 5 order to go that way. We want the same Holy Spirit who had originally inspired Theology That Sings: A Discussion Scripture to inspire us when we take Scripture in hand to read or preach it. That’s on the Confessions Today why there’s a “prayer for illumination” not right before the sermon, but right before the reading of Scripture. We know that unless the Holy Spirit breathes 9 through Scripture all over again as it’s read, we might not hear it the right way With Integrity of Heart and Spirit and we might not believe it. by Henry De Moor But in thinking about applying Scripture to life, the Reformers faced a 11 problem, namely, that it’s hard to guide a program of reform by reference to the Is It Time for a New Confession? whole Bible, which is very large, or by reference to a single verse from it, which is by Kathy Smith very small. -
April 2016 Issue of the Protestant Re- Formed Theological Journal
Editor’s Notes You hold in your hand the April 2016 issue of the Protestant Re- formed Theological Journal. Included in this issue are three articles and a number of book reviews, some of them rather extensive. We are confident that you will find the contents of this issue worth the time you spend in reading—well worth the time. Few doctrines of the faith are more precious to the Reformed be- liever than the doctrine of God’s everlasting covenant of grace. Few books of the Bible are dearer to the saints than the book of Psalms. Prof. Dykstra puts those two together in the first of two articles on “God’s Covenant of Grace in the Psalms.” You will find his article both instructive and edifying. The Reverend Joshua Engelsma, pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa contributes a very worthwhile article on Jo- hannes Bogerman. Bogerman was the man chosen to be president of the great Synod of Dordt, 1618-’19. The article not only traces the life and public ministry of Bogerman, but demonstrates clearly the direct influence that he had on the formulation of the articles in the First Head of doctrine in the Canons of Dordt. This is an especially appropriate article as the Reformed churches around the world prepare to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dordt in 2018-’19. The Protestant Reformed Seminary is planning to hold a conference to commemorate this very significant anniversary. We will keep our readers informed of the specifics of the conference as they are arranged. -
'Dimittimini, Exite'
Seite 1 von 13 ‘Dimittimini, exite’ Debating Civil and Ecclesiastical Power in the Dutch Republic 1. Dordrecht, Monday 14 January 1619. ‘You are cast away, go! You have started with lies, you have ended with lies. Dimittimini, exite’. The end was bitter and dramatic. The chairman of the Synod of Dort, Johannes Bogerman, lost his patience. Roaring, as some reports put it, he ordered Simon Episcopius, who had just, in equally outspoken terms, accused Bogerman of committing acts of slavery, to leave. Episcopius and his fellow Arminians left. As usual the two great --indeed massive-- seventeenth century accounts of the Synod, those of Johannes Uytenbogaert on the Arminian and of Jacobus Trigland on the orthodox Calvinist side, differ strongly in their account and appreciation of what happened at the Synod of Dort1. But they agreed Dort marked a schism; Dutch Reformed Protestantism had split apart. In almost all 57 fateful sessions of the synod which had started on 13 November 1618 the debate had been bitter, though invariably participants asked for moderation, temperance and sobriety. The Synod vacillated between the bitterness of intense theological dispute and a longing for religious peace, between the relentless quest for truth and the thirst for toleration. For over ten years Dutch Reformed Protestants had been arguing, with increasing intensity and rancour. Divisions and issues were manifold with those, such as Simon 1 See Johannes Uytenbogaert, Kerckelicke Historie, Rotterdam, 1647, pp. 1135-1136 and Jacobus Trigland, Kerckelycke Geschiedenissen, begrypende de swaere en Bekommerlijcke Geschillen, in de Vereenigde Nederlanden voorgevallen met derselver Beslissinge, Leiden, 1650, p 1137. -
Belhar Confession Report
Appendix C The Belhar Confession: What the CRC Can Do with This Gift I. Introduction Synod 2007 mandated the Interchurch Relations Committee (IRC) to study and assess the Belhar Confession and to present recommendations concerning it to Synod 2009. This report is in response to that mandate, and the IRC is pleased to bring these recommendations for discussion. In addition to extensive discussion within the IRC itself, this report reflects the contributions of all who were invited to participate in fourteen focus groups conducted during the first six months of 2008. The IRC has also benefited from materials provided by the Reformed Church in America and from First Seattle CRC. The level of interest in the CRC about the discussion of the Belhar Confession has been encouraging and gratifying. A summary of the focus group responses follows: -- The participants were unanimous in the conviction that the CRC should develop a meaningful response to the Belhar Confession. -- A few of the participants suggested that it would be adequate for the CRC to receive the Belhar Confession “as information and with appreciation.” -- A number of the participants suggested that the Belhar Confession should be adopted as the “fourth confession” and become part of the confessional basis of the CRC. -- There was a broad consensus that synod will need to be very conscious of the impact of any decision made concerning the Belhar Confession an impact both within the CRC as well as with respect to the CRC’s ecumenical partners. -- There are no overriding theological issues in the Belhar Confession that would prevent the CRC from adopting or strongly endorsing it. -
The Westminster Shorter Catechism and Barriers to Catholicity
Westminster Shorter Catechism and Barriers to Catholicity By Rich Lusk The Westminster Shorter Catechism is rightly cherished as one of the greatest catechetical documents of the Reformation era. It has served — and continues to serve — as a handy compendium of biblical religion. Countless generations of children have grown up on its truths, nurtured into long lives of fruitful service in the kingdom by its elegance and order. It is a monument of Reformed scholarship. It is theologically mature, competent, logical, and clear. It reflects a stunning theological consensus, attained against all odds, in the mid- seventeenth century. It is unrivalled in terms of a providing a technical statement of the Reformed faith. Nevertheless, the Catechism can serve as a barrier to Reformed catholicity. The Shorter Catechism essentially reduces the biblical story to a set of propositions. It treats theology in a highly analytic way, as a matter of defining terms (e.g., “What is justification?”, “What is sanctification?”, etc.). The Bible is pressed through a logical grid, rather than taken on its own terms (e.g., “God” is defined by a list of attributes rather than identified by his narrative actions). Biblical concepts are, on the whole, abstracted from history and experience (as comparison with the Nicene Creed bears out). Biblical typology, that is, a promise and fulfillment scheme of reading Scripture, is screened out in the Catechism to make way for a systematic arrangement of theological topics. This kind of scholastic approach can have its place. But it must be kept in mind that it is significantly different in form and function from the Bible’s own way of communicating truth. -
Theatre of Truth: Performing Public Religious Disputation in Seventeenth-Century Europe
Theatre of Truth: Performing Public Religious Disputation in Seventeenth-Century Europe by David Lorne Robinson A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree History University of Toronto © Copyright by David Lorne Robinson 2020 Theatre of Truth: Performing Public Religious Disputation in Seventeenth-Century Europe David Lorne Robinson Doctor of Philosophy History University of Toronto 2020 Abstract This dissertation examines the practice of public religious disputation in early seventeenth- century Europe. It takes a transnational approach, examining disputations in France, England, and the Low Countries between 1598 and 1625. This approach highlights the ways in which common social and political circumstances created a climate for frequent disputations, but also how religious controversy was communicated across political boundaries. It argues that these debates were part of a wider culture of performance and became especially prevalent in religiously-divided communities where performances of religious unity like Corpus Christi processions had become contested. These disputations took the practice of academic disputation, still well regarded by both Catholics and Protestants as an effective method of inquiry, and relocated it in the homes of lay hosts. The lay audience thereby became active participants in the performance, debating clergy and performing their own religious identity. Disputations then became the subject of a more public debate as rumours about them spread and clerics exploited oral and manuscript communications networks and printing presses to vaunt their victories and denigrate their opponents, making use of negative stereotypes to solidify religious divisions. State actors, seeing the utility of disputation in shaping public opinion, also sought to organize disputations in an effort to legitimize their religious policies.