An Introduction

to

The Canons of Dort


Warning!

The Decision of the Synod of Dort will prove heavy going for those readers who are not used to studying Doctrine, but if they persist - they will be rewarded with a deeper grasp of the truths of the Christian faith.

You may find it an advantage to print the text, rather than attempting to read it on screen. Use File/Print from your browser - or of you wish to change the size of the text you may use Edit/Select all, then Copy and Paste into your own Word processor.

 

 

The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands is popularly known as the Canons of Dort also called the Five Articles Against the Remonstrants. The name "Remonstrants" refers to those who "formally protested" against the accepted teaching of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The word "Canon" means a Church decree, law or principle. A "Synod" is a Church council or meeting of leaders.

 

The Canons are statements of doctrine adopted by the great Reformed Synod of Dort, (i.e. the city of Dordrecht) 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 other countries including representatives from the Churches in England and Scotland. The Synod of Dort was held in view of the serious disturbance in the Reformed Churches caused by the rise and spread of "Arminianism".

Jacobus 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.

 

After Arminius's death, his own followers presented their views on five of these points in the Remonstrance of 1610.

 

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, invincible 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 have a special character because of their original purpose as a judicial decision on the doctrinal points in dispute during the Arminian controversy. The original preface called them a "judgment, in which both the true view, agreeing with God's Word, concerning the aforesaid five points of doctrine is explained, and the false view, disagreeing with God's Word, is rejected." The Canons also have a limited character in that they do not cover the whole range of doctrine, but focus on the five points of doctrine in dispute.

 

Whilst it is true that they relate only to what is known as "The Doctrines of Grace" each of these doctrines or teachings affects the basis of the Gospel of Salvation. The Bible teaches that Salvation is by grace ALONE, through faith ALONE in the finished work of Christ ALONE. The teachings of Arminius seriously undermines and perverts the Gospel to a point where it becomes "another gospel" which the apostle Paul so strongly condemns in his letter to the Galatians.

 

Such then is the importance of the "judgment" made by the Synod of Dort.

Frederick Serjeant

Grace Gospel Mission


Go to Canons of Dort Contents Page