AG STUDY GUIDE FINAL - The Forerunner

Reformation and returned to the semi-Pelagian view of Rome.
In 1610, one year after Arminius’ death, his follower’s drafted five articles of faith based
upon his teachings. These five points of what came to be called Arminianism stood in
contradistinction to what the Church of Holland had been teaching since the
Reformation. These five articles, also called the “Remonstrants” or “protests”, were then
presented to the Reformed Church. The Arminian party insisted that the Church’s
statements of faith, the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism, be adapted to
conform to the five points of Arminianism.
In November of 1618, a national Synod, or council, was convened in the city of Dort for
the purpose of examining the views of the Arminian party. Eighty-four members and
eighteen civil commissioners, including twenty-seven delegates from Germany,
Switzerland, England and elsewhere were in attendance. From the first day until the
Synod’s close in May of 1619, some 154 sessions were held. The result was an
overwhelming rejection of the five points of Arminianism. Since the Arminian attack
had been so focused and severe, the men who were part of the Synod believed a mere
rejection of the five points of Arminianism would be insufficient to stem the tide of
error. They therefore responded to each of the five points in turn, formulating what has
come to be called the “Five Points of Calvinism”.
Dr. Thomas Nettles – What the Synod of Dort did was to reaffirm the confessional
statement that already existed in the Dutch Reformed Church. And they reaffirmed it in
light of the particular objections that the Remonstrants had brought against it. It is
known today as the “Five Points of Calvinism”. But Calvin didn’t sit down one day and
say, “I am going to write my theology in five points,” and then write out these five
points. But the reason that they came out as five distinct points was because it was in
response to the objections of the Arminians or the Remonstrants.
Dr. J.I. Packer, author of the classic work “Knowing God” summarized the Arminian
position as put forth by the Remonstrants.
1) Man is never so completely corrupted by sin that he cannot savingly believe the Gospel
when it is put before him;
2) Man is never so completely controlled by God that he cannot reject God’s grace;
3) Election is a result of God, looking down through the corridors of time, foreseeing that
a sinner will accept Christ. Therefore, God elects those who first elect Him;
4) Christ’s death did not ensure the salvation of anyone, for it did not secure the gift of
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