Canons of Dort - Chapter II
Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires
God is not only most merciful, but most just also. Now his justice requires (as he hath revealed himself in his word (Exod 34:6-7
) that our sins, committed against his infinite Majesty, be punished (Rom 5:16; Gal 3:10) not with temporal pains only, but eternal also, and those both of body and soul: which punishments we cannot escape, unless God’s justice be satisfied.
Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ
But seeing we ourselves cannot make satisfaction, and free ourselves from the wrath of God, God of his infinite mercy hath given his only-begotten Son to become a surety for us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8): who, that he might satisfy for us, was made sin (2 Cor 5:21), and a curse upon the cross for us, or in our stead (Gal 3:13).
Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death
The death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sins (Heb 9:26, 28; 10:14), of infinite price and value, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
Article 4: Why His Death Has Infinite Value
And therefore is this death of so great value and price, because the person which suffered it is not only a true and perfectly holy man (Heb 4:15; 7:26); but the only-begotten Son of God also (1 John 4:9), of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Ghost: such an one as it behoved our Saviour to be. Again, because his death was joined with a feeling of God’s wrath, and of curse (Matt 27:46) which we had deserved by our sins.
Article 5: The Universal Proclamation of the Gospel
Furthermore it is the promise of the Gospel, that whosoever believes in Christ crucified, should not perish, but have life everlasting (John 3:16); which promise, together with the injunction of repentance and faith (Acts 2:38; 16:31), ought promiscuously, and without distinction, to be declared and published to all men and people (1 Cor 1:23; Matt 28:19), to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.
Article 6: Why Some Do Not Believe
But forasmuch as many, being called by the Gospel, do not repent, nor believe in Christ, but perish in their infidelity (Matt 22:14; Ps 95:11); this comes not to pass through any defect or insufficiency in the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross, but by their own proper fault (Heb 4:6).
Article 7: Why Others Do Believe
But as many as truly believe, and are freed by Christ’s death from their sins, and saved from destruction; they by God’s grace alone (which he owes no man (Eph 2:8-9), given unto them from eternity in Christ, obtain this benefit (2 Cor 5:18).
Article 8: The Efficacy of the Death of Christ
For this was the most free counsel, gracious will, and intention of God the Father, that the lively and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should manifest itself in all the elect (John 17:9), for the bestowing upon them only of justifying faith, and bringing them infallibly by it unto eternal life (Eph 5:25-27). That is, God willed, that Christ by the blood of his cross (whereby he was to establish a new covenant (Luke 22:20; Heb 8:6) should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language (Rev 5:9), all them, and them only, who from eternity were elected unto salvation, and given to him by the Father, that he should bestow faith on them (Phil 1:2, 9) (which, as also the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death), that by his blood he should cleanse them from all sins (1 John 1:7) both original and actual, as well committed after as before they believed, and finally should present them before him in glory (John 10:28), without all spot or blemish (Eph 5:27).
Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Counsel
This counsel, proceeding from his eternal love toward the elect, (the gates of hell bootlessly resisting it (Matt 16:18) hath from the beginning of the world to this present time been mightily fulfilled, and hereafter also shall be fulfilled; so that the elect in their times must be gathered into one (John 11:52), and there must always be some Church of believers (1 Kgs 19:18) founded in the blood of Christ, which should constantly love, steadfastly worship, and here and for ever and ever praise him her Saviour, who laid down his life upon the cross for her, as the bridegroom for his bride (Eph 5:25).
A Rejection of Errors
The Synod, having delivered the orthodox doctrine, rejecteth the errors of them:
Who teach, That God the Father ordained his Son unto the death of the cross without any certain and determinate counsel of saving any particular man expressly; so that its necessity, profit, and dignity, might have remained whole and sound, and perfect, in every respect complete, and entire, to the impetration of Christ’s death, although the obtained redemption had never actually been applied to any particular person. For this assertion is reproachful unto the wisdom of God the Father, and the merit of Jesus Christ; and contrary to the scripture, where our Saviour Christ saith: I lay down my life for the sheep: and I know them (John 10:15, 27). And the Prophet Isaiah speaks thus of our Saviour: When he shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand (Isa 53:10). Lastly, it overthrows the article of faith; namely that, wherein we believe that there is a Church.
Who teach: That this was not the end of Christ’s death, that he might establish a new covenant of grace by his blood; but that he might only procure unto his Father the bare right of making again with men any covenant whatsoever, whether of grace, or of works. For this thwarteth the scripture, which teaches that Christ is made the Surety and Mediator of a better, that is, a new covenant: and that the testament is confirmed when men are dead (Heb 7:22; 9:15, 17).
Who teach: That Christ by his satisfaction did not certainly merit for any man salvation itself, and faith by which this satisfaction of Christ may be effectually applied unto salvation: but only, that he purchased to his Father a power, or a resolution, to enter a new match with mankind, and to prescribe them what new conditions soever he pleased; the performance of which conditions should depend upon man’s free-will: and that therefore it might fall out that either no man, or every man, might fulfil them.For these esteem too basely of Christ’s death, in no wise acknowledging the chiefest and most excellent fruit and benefit thereby, and call up again the Pelagian error out of hell.
Who teach: That the new covenant of grace, which God the Father, by the mediation of Christ’s death, made with men, doth not consist herein, viz. that we are justified before God, and saved by faith, insomuch as it apprehends the merit of Christ: but herein, viz. that God (the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated) reputes faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, for perfect obedience of the law, and graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternal life. For these contradict the scripture, All are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood (Rom 3:24-25). And, with the wicked Socinus, they bring in an uncouth and strange justification of man before God, contrary to the consent of the whole Church.
Who teach: That all men are received into the state of reconciliation and grace of the covenant, so that no body shall be condemned for original sin, nor, in respect of it, be liable unto death or damnation; but that all are acquitted, and freed from the guilt of that sin. For this opinion is contrary to the scripture, which affirms, that we are by nature children of wrath (Eph 2:3).
Who employ the distinction of impetration and application, to the end that they may infuse this opposition into unskilful and unwary wits, namely, that God, as much as concerns him, would confer upon all men equally those benefits, which are procured by Christ’s death: and whereas some, rather than others, are made partakers of forgiveness of sins, and life eternal, that this diversity depends upon their own free-will, applying itself unto grace indifferently offered; but not upon the singular gift of mercy, effectually working in them rather than others, that they may apply this grace unto themselves.For they, whilst they bear the world in hand that they propound this distinction with a sound meaning, go about to make people drink of the poisonous cup of Pelagianism.
Who teach, That Christ neither could, nor ought to die, neither did die, for those, whom God dearly loved, and chose unto eternal life, seeing such stood in no need of Christ’s death. For they contradict the apostle, who saith, Christ loved me, and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20). In like manner, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s chosen? It is God that justifieth: who shall condemn? it is Christ which is dead (Rom 8:33-34), to wit, for them. And our Saviour averring: I lay down my life for my sheep (John 10:15). And, This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you: greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:12-13).