The Synod of Dort

Jacobus Arminius taught theology at the university of Leiden (Arminius, Public Disputations, dedication). He told the States of Holland that he disapproved of the doctrine of predestination taught in the Dutch churches and in the university; in his own account God first appointed Christ as mediator, then decreed to receive those who repent and believe, and chose particular persons on the ground of his foreknowledge of who would believe and persevere by grace (Arminius, Declaration of Sentiments, On Predestination, 5). His opponent Franciscus Gomarus, he reports, said that with such opinions he would not dare to appear before his Maker (Arminius, Declaration of Sentiments, opening address).

In 1610 his followers, who took the name Remonstrants, set out their position in five articles: God has determined to save those who by the grace of the Holy Spirit believe in Christ and persevere; Christ died “for all men and for every man”, though only the believer enjoys forgiveness; man has no saving faith of himself and must be born again by the Spirit; grace is the beginning, continuance and accomplishment of all good, but it is “not irresistible”; believers are given power to win the victory, but whether they can fall away again must be determined more fully from Scripture (Remonstrance (1610) art. 1–5).

The States General called a national synod at Dordrecht, with delegates from Great Britain, several German states, Switzerland and Geneva (Canons of Dort preface) (Canons of Dort subscriptions). When the Remonstrant ministers it had summoned appeared, their spokesman, Simon Episcopius, said that they had come to hold a conference; they were told that the synod was not a party against them and that this was no conference (Hales, Letters from the Synod of Dort, letter of 6 December 1618 (Works 3, pp. 46–47)). After weeks of dispute the president dismissed them, and Episcopius went out saying that God would judge (Hales, Letters from the Synod of Dort, letter of 5/15 January 1619 (Works 3, pp. 122–124)). The synod then judged their teaching from their writings (Canons of Dort preface).

Its Canons take the five points in the same order: election is God’s unchangeable purpose and is “not founded upon foreseen faith”; others are passed by, a decree that “by no means makes God the author of sin” (Canons of Dort 1.7, 1.9, 1.15). Christ’s death is “abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world”, yet God willed that it should effectually redeem “all those, and those only” who were chosen (Canons of Dort 2.3, 2.8). Regeneration is God’s work “without our aid”, yet it does not treat people “as senseless stocks and blocks” (Canons of Dort 3–4.12, 3–4.16). God does not let the converted fall away totally and finally (Canons of Dort 5.6, 5.8). The conclusion calls it slander to say that this doctrine makes God the author of sin, or teaches that he predestined the greater part of the world to damnation without regard to any sin (Canons of Dort conclusion). Gomarus signed among the professors (Canons of Dort subscriptions).

The synod deposed the ministers it had cited until they should repent, and barred from the ministry anyone who refused to subscribe; the States General confirmed its judgment (Canons of Dort sentence on the Remonstrants and approval of the States General). Philip Schaff noted in 1877 that the Canons were in force in the Reformed Church in America beside the Heidelberg Catechism (Canons of Dort editor’s note before the English text).