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NOVEMBER
 

13, 867 --Italy. Pope Nicholas I dies today. He has succeeded in making the Pope and not the Emperor the recognized head of the "Church."

13, 1564 --Italy. Pope Pius IV passes an oath of obedience in which he enjoins the clergy to declare, "I acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church the Mother and Mistress of all churches, and I promise and swear true obedience to the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and the vicar of Christ."

13, 1618 --Holland. The States General of Holland convenes a council in the city of Dort consisting of eighty-four members and eighteen secular commissioners. There are twenty-seven delegates from Germany, the Palatinate, Switzerland, and England. In one hundred and fifty-four sessions spanning seven months, the last of which convening on May 9, 1619, the council will end having unanimously stricken down as unscriptural the "Five Points of Arminianism," which have been presented by the Remonstrants, and five points which will become known as "Calvinism" will be adopted.
     Mr. James Packer observes of the Arminian theological system that it "stemmed from two philosophical principles: first, that Divine Sovereignty is incompatible with human responsibility; and second, that ability limits obligation . . .. From these principles the Arminians drew two deductions: first, that since the Bible regards faith as a free and responsible act, it cannot be caused by God, but is exercised independently of Him; and second, that since the Bible regards faith as obligatory on the part of all who hear the Gospel, ability to believe must be universal. Hence they maintained that 1.) Man is not so completely corrupted by sin that he cannot savingly believe the Gospel when it is put to him, nor 2.) Is he ever so completely controlled by God that he cannot reject it. 3.) God's election of those who shall be saved is prompted by His foreseeing that they will of their own accord believe. 4.) Christ's death did not insure the salvation of anyone for it did not secure the gift of faith to anyone; but rather created the possibility of salvation for everyone if they believe. 5.) It rests with believers to keep themselves in a state of
grace by keeping up their faith; those who fail here fall away and are lost."
     The Remonstrants submitted their "Five Points" to the Church of Holland in 1610 in opposition to the Heidelberg Catechism. This Council of Deft after carefully weighing the Scriptures will decide in favor of doctrines that they believe to be the summary of Biblical teaching. These are named in honor of John Calvin whom they believed has expounded the Gospel better than any man excluding the inspired writers. Also known as the "Doctrines of Grace", they affirm that whereas Arminianism taught "Free Will" or "Human Ability", the Bible taught "Total Inability" or "Total Depravity " --that by nature, man was "dead in trespasses and sins", "having no hope" and therefore was both helpless and hopeless. (Ephesians 2:1, 12)
     Secondly, that where as these "Remonstrants" taught "Conditional Election", the Scriptures nevertheless taught "Unconditional Election" --that men are Predestinated "according to the good pleasure of His will;" that God makes known unto us "the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself." (Ephesians 1:5,9)
      Thirdly, that whereas Arminianism taught a "Universal Redemption" or "General Atonement" the Word of God taught "Particular Redemption" or "Limited Atonement" --that Christ "loved the Church and gave Himself for it"; that as the angel assured Joseph, "Thou shalt call His name 'Jesus': for He shall save His people from their sins." (Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 1:21)
       Fourthly, that whereas Arminianism taught "The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually Resisted", God's Word taught "The Effectual Call of the Sprit" or "Irresistible Grace" --that God makes men willing "to do His good pleasure;" (Philippians 2:13), that God is Almighty and "He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, 'What doest Thou?'" (Daniel 4:55)
       Fifthly, that where the Remonstrants taught "Falling From Grace", the Bible nevertheless taught the "Perseverance of the Saints" or the "Preservation of the Saints" --that God is "the Author and Finisher of our faith"; that "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ; and that He "preserveth the way of His saints."
  (Hebrews 2:12; Philippians 1:6; Proverbs 2:8)
      The Synod of Dort only reaffirmed what the Scriptures taught: that "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord;" that "Salvation is of the Lord." (Psalm 3:8; Jonah 2:9)


 

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