Canons of Dordt, Head I: Of divine predestination
Douglas Kuiper provides a scholarly exposition of the first head of the Canons of Dort, explaining the Reformed doctrine of divine predestination and the specific Arminian errors that the Synod rejected, particularly regarding reprobation and the nature of God's eternal decrees. The article defends the Reformed position by demonstrating the logical relationship between election and reprobation, and shows why the Reformers found the Arminian alternative theologically incoherent. This resource is valuable for understanding both the historical Arminian controversy and the classical Reformed articulation of predestination.
The first head of doctrine in the Canons of Dordt sets forth the Reformed teaching regarding divine predestination, and exposes some errors regarding that doctrine. I will explain the Arminian error that our Reformed fathers rejected, summarize the positive teaching of the first head, and evaluate the Reformed response. Unless otherwise noted, every article of the Canons to which I refer is found in Head I. The Arminian error: Reprobation Simon Episcopius, the Arminians' spokesman at the...
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