Canons of Dort

God’s Sovereign Choice

The theme of comfort has followed us from the Belgic Confession through the Heidelberg Catechism. Although the Canons of Dort (CD) are less doctrinally comprehensive, we will once again recognize the theme of comfort underlying the teachings.

By the end of the 16th century, the Dutch Reformed church in the Netherlands enjoyed a significant level of government support and privilege. There were still, however, many theological issues that needed sorting out. In general, this period was characterized by Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed churches drawing tighter theological boundaries to better distinguish what they did and did not believe. This led to controversy not just between groups but within them.

The CD arose out of controversy with the followers of Jacob Arminius. Arminius had challenged his colleagues’ views of predestination on several points. After his death, Arminius’s followers, the Remonstrants, argued that election and reprobation were based on human choice foreseen by God, rather than on God’s sovereign choice grounded in grace. They also taught that believers could lose God’s grace and fall from salvation. The government organized the Synod of Dort to deal with the matter. The synod met in 154 sessions from November 1618 to May 1619 in Dordrecht. The outcome was the CD.

The intention of the CD is to clarify Reformed teaching in the face of the Remonstrant challenges. The focus is on God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in election. The CD is divided into five doctrinal points of dispute. Point one teaches God’s election of some and passing over of others. All have sinned and deserve eternal death. By grace, God grants some faith in Christ solely by his good pleasure, not because of any foresight of faith or because of anything humans have done. This teaching is intended to give God’s people comfort. The fruits of salvation offer assurance of election.

The second point of doctrine is particular atonement. While we might have learned it as “limited” atonement, “particular” better reflects the teaching that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all, and that thus the gospel must be preached to all. Atonement is also, however, efficient only for the elect. In other words, Christ’s work is applied effectively only to the elect, and thus only the elect will accept God’s call to faith and enjoy the benefits of union with Christ.

The third and fourth main points of doctrine, total depravity and irresistible grace, are placed together. Total depravity does not teach that humans are as bad as they could be. Rather, it teaches that sin has corrupted every part of us such that humans are slaves to sin, unable to do anything to redeem ourselves. Apart from Christ, we are unable to do saving good. Nonetheless, God grants his people grace not for the potential to believe, but so that they will indeed believe. In other words, grace is not so much irresistible, but transformational.

The fifth head of doctrine teaches that as believers cooperate with the Holy Spirit throughout their lives, they will persevere in their faith, and the Spirit will work through God’s Word to preserve them. This should not be an excuse for spiritual laziness, but an incentive to holy living with the assurance that the God who called us is faithful (1 Thess. 5:4).

Like the other two confessions, the CD points believers to comfort. This does not mean we have no questions. Part of faith seeking understanding is wondering about God and his ways in the world. Many times our wondering leaves us facing deep mystery. That is what we would expect from an infinite God. But the Reformed tradition, framed by these confessions, does not leave us without hope. Just the opposite. God’s sovereignty and grace assure that we are firmly held in his hands and that the judge of all the earth will do right (Gen. 18:24).