Canons of Dort - Conclusion
And this is the plain, simple, and natural explication of the orthodox doctrine concerning The Five Articles controverted in united provinces of the Low Countries; as also the rejection of those errors, wherewith the Churches of the said Netherlands have for a time been much troubled. Which their determination the Synod holdeth to be taken out of the God’s word, and agreeable to the Confessions of the Reformed Churches. Whereby it manifestly appeareth, with how small truth, equity, and charity, some (whom such dealings least beseemed) have laboured to beat into the people’s head:
That the doctrine of the Reformed Churches, concerning Predestination, and the points thereon appendant, doth, of its own bent and inclination, call off men’s minds from all religion and piety: that it is the cushion which the devil layeth under our flesh; the very castle of Satan, out of which he layeth watch for all, woundeth most men, and striketh dead very many with the darts, as well of despair as of security:
That this doctrine maketh God the author of sin, unjust, tyrant, an hypocrite; and that it is nothing else but a patched composure of Stoicism, Manicheism, Libertinism, Turcism:
That it maketh men carnally secure, as being thereby persuaded that the elect, live they how they list, must needs be saved, therefore may on God’s name run through all the outrageous villinies in the world: and contrariwise, that it booteth not the reprobates for their salvation, though they should sincerely perform all the good works which any saint hath done:
That by it we are taught, that God, out of his own absolute will, and mere purpose, without any respect at all of sin, hath foreordained and created the far greatest part of men in the world to be damned for ever:
That, as election is the fountain and original cause of faith and good works, so in like manner reprobation is the cause of infidelity and wickedness:
That many of the children of the faithful are, in their infancy, without any guilt at all, taken from their mother’s breasts, and tyrannously cast headlong into hell-fire: so that neither the sacrament of baptism, nor the prayers of the Church at their baptizing, can at all avail them:
And many other obloquies of this strain, which the Reformed Churches not only do not admit, but also detest with all their heart.
Wherefore this Synod, holden at Dort, requesteth, and in the name of the Lord abjureth, all, whosoever in godly zeal call upon the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ, that they would be please to judge of the doctrine of the Reformed Churches, not out of calumnies raked up here and there, no, nor out of private tenets of some, whether old or new, doctors, and those oftentimes either sinisterly cited, or corrupted and strained to a sense never intended by the authores; but out of the published Confessions of the Churches themselves, and (for these points) out of this Declaration of orthodox doctrine, agreed upon and enacted by the joint consent of all and every members of this whole Synod.
And as for rash and slanderous traducers, the Synod earnestly advertiseth them to look unto it, and consider how heavy an account they are to give unto God, that bear false witness against so many Churches, and so many Church Confessions, trouble the consciences of the weak, and labour to draw the society of truly believers into suspicion with many.
Lastly, this Synod exhorteth all their fellow-ministers of the Gospel to have a pious and religious care in the handling of this doctrine, whether in schools or pulpits; and whensoever they undertake it by word or pen, discreetly to accommodate the same to the advancement of God’s glory, to the promoting of holiness of life, and to the comforting of afflicted and affrighted souls: to frame, not only their judgment, but also their style of speech, by the square of the scriptures, and suitably to the analogy of faith: lastly, to forbear all such phrases, or manner of speech, as pass the bounds set out unto us of the right meaning of the holy scriptures, and withal give wayward wranglers just occasion of traducing or slandering the doctrine of the Reformed Churches.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, sitting at the right hand of his Father, bestoweth gifts to men, sanctify us in his truth; bring back into the way of truth those that are gone astray; stop the mouths of those that slander sound doctrine; and endue the faithful ministers of his word with the Spirit of wisdom and discretion; that all they utter may tend to the glory of God, and the edification of their hearers! Amen.
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