Synod of Dordt

The Council for the National Synod of the Reformed Church, summoned by the States General of the Netherlands,[1] met in the city of Dordrecht, Holland, between 1618-1619 to respond to and settle the controversy instigated by Arminius.  The Remonstrants sat at the discussion table and participated fully in the proceedings, not as members but as defendants.[2]  This National Assembly of the Dutch Reformed Church had invited voting members of the reformed churches from eight other nations.

This convocation may be considered among the most interesting events of the seventeenth century.  The Synod of Dordt had a class of importance peculiar to itself and was, on the whole, pre-eminent.  Nor was it simply a meeting of chosen divines from one nation; this was a convention of churches from the Calvinistic world, brought together to bear testimony against Arminianism, viewed as a rising and obtrusive error.  The purpose of the Synod was to determine whether the opinions of Arminius could be reconciled with the teaching of the Confession adopted by the Belgic churches.  All the Reformed churches of Europe at that time had a deep interest in this matter because, at bottom, they knew this was and is a Gospel issue.

The Synod convened on 13^th November, 1618 and consisted of 39 pastors and 18 ruling elders from the Belgic churches, five professors from the universities of Holland, 19 delegates from the Reformed churches in Germany and Switzerland, and five professors and bishops from Great Britain.  Berkhof adds that there were 18 political delegates to this august assembly.[3]  Dr John Davenant (1572-1641) was one of the five Church of England theological representatives at the Synod.  He had been appointed by King James I, and was arguably the most influential of the English delegates to the Synod.  Davenant's important role at Dordt being recognised, he seems to have sympathised in part with the French theologian Moise Amyraut (1596-1664).  Representatives from Brandenburg and from the French churches were also invited but did not attend.[4]  The Synod was thus constituted of 86 voting members in all.  There were 154 formal sessions and many informal sessions held during the six months duration of the Synod to consider these matters.  The last session at the Synod was held on 9^th May, 1619.  This was most representative body of reformed churches that ever met.

The Synod of Dordt examined in great detail the ‘five points’ which the Remonstrants had advanced, and compared that teaching with the testimony of Scripture.  They concluded that these “five points” could not be reconciled with the teaching of Scripture, so unanimously and uncompromisingly rejected them.  The situation arrived at, namely a mere rejection of the Remonstrants’ five propositions, was not deemed to be satisfactory or sufficient, so the Dordt commissioners set forth the true teaching of the Scriptures, of reformation teaching, and of Calvin, regarding those matters which had been contested.  This positive exposition of biblical truth, conjoined with negative propositions which exposed and rejected Arminianism, were set out in clear and precise terms.  When completed, they arrived at what many now know as The Five Points of Calvinism, and were adopted as the official teaching of the churches represented.  These were contested by about two hundred Dutch Arminian clergymen who were then banished for a short time.  When Prince Maurice died in 1625, he was succeeded by his more tolerant brother who restored to the Arminian party the right to build churches and schools in every town in Holland.  The Churches also adopted the Belgic Confession and Heidelberg Catechism at this time. 

These were the deliberations of the first ecumenical council, made up of some of the ablest Gospel-focused theologians of the day, thus removing the theological uncertainty that had engulfed the churches of the Netherlands and churches further afield, and threatened the reformed faith.

This controversy was purely theological, but because of the close association of Church and State it became unavoidably entangled in political issues, which shook the whole country. The Reformed Churches in France, Germany, Switzerland, England, and Scotland were deeply interested in this matter, and sided, generally, with the Calvinistic party; the Lutherans, on the other hand,  sympathised to some extent with the Arminian cause.

So right from 1619, the gauntlet was unavoidably thrown down that would ensure the continuation of controversy surrounding this doctrine.  The general level of agreement amongst the representative church bodies, however, promised a potential absence of controversy around such a central Gospel doctrine, but this did not materialise.  Had there been less theological polarisation in the preceding years, this controversy might not have developed and the church spared much hurt and damage.

It is of interest to note that the resultant five points of clarification arrived at by the Dordt Synod had embedded within them a universal understanding of the atonement.  

The relevant portion is article three of the second main head of doctrine, and reads,

This death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sins, of infinite value and worth, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world.

The portion is referenced Heb.9:26, 28; 10:14; and 1 Jn.2:2.

This positive universal atonement statement, referenced 1 Jn.2:2, is denied by the high orthodox, as represented by Stewart,[5] who states, in defiance of the clear universal aspect in Dordt’s understanding of the atonement, that Dordt recognises the particularistic element of the atonement.  If it is true that Dordt only recognises the ‘particular’ element in the atonement, it leaves the sufficiency of Christ’s death to atone for the sins of the whole world quite redundant.  If there was no universal aspect in the atonement, then that phrase is quite inexplicable.  It is then for those who reject this statement by ignoring or denying it to explain in what sense Christ is said to have made an atonement of such infinite value and sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. 

The truth lies easily with each viewpoint, namely, that Christ in His death made atonement that is sufficient for the sins of the whole world but efficient only for the elect.  It is sufficient to save the entire human race, and every repentant sinner who trusts Christ alone will be saved.  This reformation paradigm, contested by some reformed theologians, best fits all the Scriptural data.  It endorses the position that because the fallen human mind is limited in its ability to understand the divine Mind in all its details, God has made known what He wanted men to know.  The atonement is limited in its application – it is applied only to those who believe in Christ; the atonement is unlimited so far as its availability and sufficiency are concerned.   This alone does justice to the Scripture data. 

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[1]    Berkhof, L 1969:151.

[2]    Ibid. 152.

[3]    Ibid.

[4]   The two French church representatives were the eirenic Pierre du Moulin of Charenton, and the   

       ‘Huguenot Pope’, du Plessis Mornay.

[5]    http://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/canonsofdordt.htm  Accessed 25/11/12. 

The Enemy Within.

"Ahab begins by sparing his enemy (1 Kgs 20:31-34) and will end by destroying his people (v.42).  Dr D. R. Davis (p.291) sums up Ahab's reign very well and foretells exactly how it will all pan out.

In the spiritual life, great care has to be taken on a daily basis NOT to allow the enemy to get a foothold in our lives.  If we sow to the flesh we will, from the flesh reap destruction.  There is an inevitability about how we live, for to live is to sow.  The moment we allow the enemy of our souls house-room in our lives, at that moment he begins to control us.  Indeed, the very best place for any enemy to destroy his enemy is from the inside. 

The case of Northern Ireland is a prime example of this principle being worked out.  Our politicians have welcomed the enemy of our country (the IRA) into the very government and legislative centre of our country, and these people (the IRA) are working steadily to dismantle everything we regard as dear to us, not least our link with Great Britain in the United Kingdom.  The enemy is working from the inside, and what is very sad and indeed inexcusable is the fact that most of those who are there are prepared to tolerate this cancer and pretend it does not exist.  No one wants to take decisive action to rid our land of its enemies.  No surgery will be performed to remove the cancer from the government and the land.

Ahab was the political leader of Israel.  Political leaders have an awesome responsibility to do what is right in the eyes of God.  Ahab's policy stands as a clear example and warning of what happens when we depart from God's revealed word.  Leadership is a responsible role.  When leadership goes wrong, the people are destroyed.  Look how many countries are in deepest turmoil because of a failure in leadership.  Spare the enemy and you'll destroy the people.

Church leaders occupy a similar position in principle.  You can always tell when the church has been left without leadership - its members do that which is right in their own eyes.  When the church welcomes the enemies of Christ into leadership, ought we to be surprised when they say publicly that they support same-sex marriages?  When the church elects as leaders/elders those whose language is appalling as well as those who are well-known womanisers, then you know the enemy is at large within her ranks.  Where the church does what it pleases in defiance of the Word of God, and allows the enemies of the Gospel to hold leadership roles in her, the people will be destroyed.  Spare the enemy and you'll destroy the people.

We must learn from this and take the spiritual lesson with utmost seriousness.  The enemy will come to us uninvited, and his presence with us will be unwelcome.  That is how he works.  But never let it be said that we welcomed the enemy into our lives.  That would be spiritual suicide.  It is easier to let him in than it is to drive him out again.  So keep the door of your heart and mind locked to the devil.  Give him 'not an inch.'  Drive him from you by the power of the Spirit of God.  Plead the fact that you are covered by the precious blood of Christ.  Put on the whole armour of God so that you will be able to withstand him when the evil day comes (Eph.6:10-18).  And that 'evil day' that Paul writes about is the day when Satan attacks your soul and mind and body.  Spare the enemy and you'll destroy yourself.

Stand fast, dear friends.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  He's a defeated enemy, and you can remind him of that fact.  And rejoice.

Christmas - The Mass of Christ.

The word Christmas is essentially a Roman Catholic word and has been rejected in the main by Protestants.    This is the day when most protestants become Catholics.

Most people think it means the birth of Christ when in fact it mean the death of Christ.  The word mass means a death sacrifice.

So when we wish each other a 'Merry Christmas,' we are asking that they have an enjoyable 'death sacrifice' of Christ. It is really a making fun of the Saviour's death on Calvary for the sins of the world.  May we even be laughing at the Saviour's blood which was shed for the human race.

The pervasive influence of Romanism on Protestant thinking and practice is difficult to miss.  However, we chose not to see it or believe what you have just read.

So may I wish all my loyal readers a most blessed time as you mark the birth of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son.  Worship Him on His official birthday (when He was born we just do not know).  Remember to point to Him as you bear witness to Him and give Him your heart as a gift.

There Was No Inn

The Christmas story is known and loved by many people.  But there is as much myth as fact surrounding this unique story in the minds of many, and the church has contributed to many of these fallacies.

One of these is the invention of an inn and consequently an innkeeper which the work of the translators contributed to.  Luke wrote about a guest chamber, which was also shared with the family's animals.  Bethlehem was too small to have an inn or hostel.  If there was no inn, then there was no innkeeper.  Yet this myth has been peddled for generations, and is still being promoted today by the church.  I heard on the radio this morning that a Presbyterian minister was to play the part of the (non-existent) innkeeper, thus perpetuating the myth.

However, let's get back to the central point.  The Son of God and Saviour of the world was born in Bethlehem of Judea, born to very poor 'parents,' and in poverty-stricken circumstances.  He came, not just to live but eventually to die as the world's sin-bearer so that we might be saved.  It's sad that poor translation work gets in the way of the truth of the Gospel.

The truth is that the atonement required the incarnation.  For sin to be borne away, the Saviour had to be born; it is this that we remember and celebrate at Christmas.

Divine Suddenness and Divine Sovereignty

"Suddenness is the wrapping paper in which sovereignty sometimes arrives."  So wrote Dr Dale Ralph Davis in his commentary on 1 Kings (p.273).

When trials come to us suddenly, we often respond, "Well, that's all I need now." Plans are altered.  Careers shattered.  Families devastated.  Lives threatened.

Yet for the Christian, God, in His sovereignty, arrives with us in ways that are guaranteed to get our attention. We are made to think, to ponder, to ask questions, even at times to doubt.  But it also drives us on our knees in prayer to the only One Who can hear and help us.

Someone very wisely said, "When trouble drives us to our knees before God, it does more good than harm."  How true.  And how delightful it was to hear **** saying yesterday that she never thought she would ever find herself thanking God for her cancer.  Why is this?  Because it has brought her to a closeness to Christ that she never had before.  She thanks God for working in her in this way, for the spiritual benefits she has received are innumerable.  She spoke of the peace that she enjoys everyday – the peace of God.  For her, peace and joy are linked intimately with Christ and her relationship with Him.  This is as it should be.

It is when we are facing trouble that we get to know God best of all.  "When trouble puts us on our backs, the only way we can look is up."  This has been the indescribable joy that we have experienced over these past months – the joy and delight in being able to come into the presence of the holy and loving God, and to talk to Him.  Looking up to the Lord as our only Helper has been deeply satisfying.  And do you know what it has done for us?  It has created in us an independence of circumstances and people that has given us the greatest freedom we have ever known.  Just think what heaven will be like if we can have a foretaste of it here and now!

God is sovereign, and we cannot understand why He does some things, nay, many things.  We have to "walk by faith not by sight" if we are to make any sense of what happens to us.  Knowing that God knows the end for the beginning is the greatest comfort to us.  When we cannot see where we are going, how good it is to walk with Someone Who does.

You have known the suddenness of divine intrusions into your life.  So have we.  It can change everything.  New priorities are set.  The truly important things get top place.  Everything else is put way down the list.  And God gets top place.

And it is then that God comes into His own and we see things about Him that were there all the time, but we did not stop long enough to see them.  How we impoverish ourselves by not staying long enough in His gracious presence.  How we deprive our lives by only ‘filling up’ for a moment.  To hear **** singing (privately, I must add) those lovely words, “And I shall see Him face to face, And tell the story, ‘Saved by grace.’”  Just think what hearing this does to one’s soul.  To hear that deep personal assurance of salvation coming from a believer’s heart, is wonderful.  To know that she knows where she is going when the Lord calls her, is the greatest comfort imaginable.  It is “to be absent from the body but present with the Lord.”

Stop, sit, wait, meditate, think, ruminate, drink it all in.  That's what God is calling His people to do.  To give Him priority in their lives.  And when we do that, God blesses in ways that we could never imagine.

All praise must go to the Lord for his numerous and wonderful answers to your prayers.  Having just had her second chemotherapy last Wednesday, and knowing now what to expect, she is in brilliant form.  The last three days have been really good, with only the most minor of annoyances (and I’m not talking about me!!!).  Her mouth is a bit sore and food tastes different from what it ought to be; but apart from that she is very well.

Now, this cannot be put down to **** or to me or even to you.  But it can and must be put down to the Lord’s graciousness to her in answer to your prayers.  Friends, never doubt that God answers your prayers.  He does.  She dreaded the sickness that often accompanies chemo, and she has not had any.  Yes, she has tablets to take to control sickness, and in answer to your prayers, God has made them very effective.  We prayed that the Lord would send ‘sweetness’ along with the chemo – and He did that too.  And why?  Because that’s just the kind of God He is. 

God Is No Man’s Debtor

God is no man’s debtor, and He richly rewards those who diligently seek him.  It is a blessed thing just to be in His presence in prayer, to look on His Face and to behold His glory.  It is the greatest sweetness to meet with Christ on earth; what must it be like to be with Him in heaven forever?  To experience the sweetness of our Saviour is not to be missed, and the Lord sometimes has to bring His children into uninvited situations where they experience that spiritual sweetness in their own hearts.  Just to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings is the nearest thing to heaven on earth.  To know that deep, deep contentment with all that God has brought in our lives is far above rubies.  An old Puritan preacher wrote a book entitled, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment; and it is a rare jewel.  But to taste something of it is something to be coveted above wealth. 

And that’s what Christ has done for us.  And He can do the same for you, if you ask Him.  But let me add this caveat: Be careful what you ask God for, for you might just get it.

The Pat Finucane Killing - The Inside Story

Truth is an important commodity that we in Northern Ireland have dispensed with in a bid to appear to be PC, committed to Equality, fairness, justice, etc.

I met Sean O'Callaghan in London in 2000.  He was in the Southern Command of the IRA and carried out many murders in Northern Ireland.  He now sees things very differently, and is prepared to write and speak about what he knows, to be profound annoyance of the IRA.

The has heard the Finucane side of the story, as well as that propounded by their republican friends.  Now it is time to hear the other side of the story - the truth about Pat Finucane, LLB.

Why am I publishing this particular story now?  First of all, it is big news in Northern Ireland  the Irish Republic and throughout the rest of the UK.  Second, this murder was wrong and indefensible. and third, very few people have yet heard the inside track of Pat Finucane's activities.

So I want to share with my readers, through this website that is growing in popularity, another side of the Finucane story that will help put the entire event into proper context.  Truth is important to the Finucane family and its supporters, so let us have the whole truth.

You might be interested in this paper.

This from the former Head of PIRAs Southern Command, Sean O'Callaghan:

I knew Pat Finucane reasonably well. I first met him in 1980 at a high-level IRA finance meeting in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. The meeting took place in a private room above a public house. Also present were Gerry Adams, the now-dead Tom Cahill, Pat Doherty (now the MP for West Tyrone) and several others.

Adams and Finucane arrived together in the morning and left at lunchtime. Did Finucane introduce himself as a member of the IRA? No. Did anyone present describe him as such? No. It was, however, exclusively an IRA meeting and quite clearly, without doubt, understood to be so by all present. That is the evidence of my own eyes and ears and I stand by it today as I did yesterday and as I will tomorrow.

Of course Finucane should not have been murdered, and if it is proved that anyone played a role in that murder they should pay the price. But he was not the blameless, innocent "human rights" lawyer beloved of nationalist Ireland and the quasi-liberal chattering classes in the United Kingdom.

He came to visit me several times in Crumlin Road prison in Belfast, where he spent much of his working life acting as a trusted conduit between the IRA prisoners and the leadership on the outside. Finucane wanted to represent me, but expressed no interest in my legal position. All he wanted to know was what I had told the police, and there is no doubt in my mind as an individual that he was acting as an IRA member and exploiting his own legal position for the benefit of that organisation.

When an IRA member was arrested, the first person to gain access to him was usually a solicitor. The organisation on the outside was often desperate to discover if the prisoner had made any statements incriminating himself or others, had provided information on arms dumps or future IRA operations or even had been turned by the security forces.

This was where an individual solicitor such as Finucane was invaluable to the organisation. He was different to many other lawyers who held strong political views. The renowned Belfast solicitor Paddy McCrory was undoubtedly a staunch republican, but he was a constitutionalist who demanded the highest standards from the state and never believed that the law was a weapon to be exploited by a terrorist organisation.

Pat Finucane was first and foremost an IRA volunteer, and he exploited his position ruthlessly to wage his war on the state. In Crumlin Road, I once explained to him that I had admitted the attempted murder of a UVF member from Portadown and went into some detail.

When I finished he looked at me with contempt on his face: "And after all that, you missed him." Hardly what you would expect to hear from a peace-loving man who believed in the primacy of law. The last occasion I met him was in Crumlin Road about 27 hours before he was murdered: I was, in fact, the last prisoner he spoke to.

Pat Finucane was an effective agent for the IRA. Who knows what "punishments" were exacted by the IRA as a result of his activities? Finucane did end up being murdered, but not because being a member of the IRA was immediately punishable by murder or execution - unlike being a member of the RUC , the Army, the judiciary, a civilian worker at a security force base or an agent for the state.

Strange old "troubles"; a very strange "dirty war". To anybody who has involved himself in Northern Ireland, none of this should come as any surprise. How Pat Finucane would laugh at his continuing effectiveness.
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I guess that you did not know this side to the story, but now you do.  This changes the way you see things, and helps to promote the fuller truth about this man who is deemed to be a human rights lawyer, but whose human rights, it seems, were only for IRA terrorists.

God's law clearly says, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER.  It is not your right to do so.  No murderer has eternal life in him, says Jesus Christ.