The Canons of Dordt
Introduction
The Canons of Dordrecht, the third
of our "Forms of
Unity,"e (Heidelberg Catechism, Netherlands or Belgic
Confession of Faith, and The Canons of Dordt), are unique
among our confessions in more than one respect. They are
the only one of our confessions which was actually composed
by an ecclesiastical assembly, the Great Synod of 1618-1619.
born out of internal controversy in the Reformed Churches
of the Netherlands which was occasioned by the rise of the
Arminian heresy, the Canons are the expression of the Synod's
judgment concerning the Five Points of the Remonstrance.
This also explains the fact that the Canons are divided into
five chapters, maintaining the truths of sovereign predestination,
particular atonement, total depravity, irresistible grace,
and perseverance of saints. Because the Canons are an answer
to the Five Points of the Remonstrance, they set forth only
certain aspects of the truth rather than the whole body of
the truth, as do our other confessions. For this reason also
the Canons are referred to in our Formula of Subscription
as "the explanation of some points" of the doctrine
contained in the Heidelberg Catechism and the Confession
of Faith. There is attached to each chapter a Rejection of
Errors, which refutes various specific errors taught by the
Arminians, and does so on the basis of Scripture, so that
in our Canons the truth is defined negatively as well as
positively. The Canons represent a consensus of all the reformed
churches of that day. For all the Reformed churches participated
in the work of the Synod of Dordrecht; and when the Canons
were completed, the foreign delegates as well as the Dutch
delegates affirmed them by their signatures. A service of
thanksgiving to God followed upon the completion of the Canons,
a service at which it was thankfully remembered that the
Lord had preserved the Reformed Churches in the midst of
a life-and-death conflict, and had preserved for the churches
the truth that salvation is of the Lord alone.
Head of Doctrine: Index 1 2 3 4 5 Conclusion
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