Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1969-02-01 / 2. szám

Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper

Founded in 1900

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD—UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

THE SYNOD OF DORT

The Synod of Dort (1618-1619) was more than a meeting of the theologians of a single nation, in this case the Netherlands. It was a convention of the whole Calvinistic world, and the only such ever held. Its 350th anniversary (1968-1969) ought to be remembered, therefore, both for its unique character as a truly ecumenical Reformed synod, and for its lasting accomplishments. The Synod settled a question which was agitating all the Reformed Churches of Europe at the time and which is still with us today, namely, Arminianism.

Arminianism, in simplest terms, is the doctrine that gives to man rather than to God the last word about his salvation. Although in its more Biblical forms it allows that Christ died for our sins and that the assistance of divine grace is required for man to accept and receive the benefits of His sin-atoning death, nevertheless it always allows to man a veto to grace. He can refuse it, or reject it after he has once received it, so that man and his free will become the center of religious interest rather than God and His sovereignty. Because of its man-centeredness, Arminianism becomes (as church history shows) a fertile seed-bed for every kind of humanistic heresy and is in the background of much of the theological vagaries of the present day.

Arminianism did not originate in the 17th Century. Semi-Pelagianism, its lineal ancestor, appeared in the 5th Century and gradually came to prevail in the Roman Catholic Church despite the original victory of the great Augustine who would have opposed it mightily. It had reappeared in the Reformed Churches in the 16th Century, but being without strong support, it gradually disappeared once again. With the appearance of Jacob Arminius, however, it was popularized and gained acceptance in the highest theological, political and social circles, hence the Synod and its far-reaching decisions.

Arminius (or, Harmensen) was born in Oudwater, South Holland, in 1560. He was educated at Utrecht, Marburg, Leyden and Geneva. He was a most acceptable preacher, and in 1588 was elected one of the ministers of the great city of Amsterdam. His spirit, however, was a restless one, and he soon began to speak and write in opposition to the Calvinistic doctrines of Predestination and Election taught in the Heidelberg Catechism and in the church’s Confession of Faith. He gained support from a number of ministers and leading laymen, and in 1602 he was elected a Professor of Theology at the University of Leyden. His election was strongly opposed

by the more orthodox party and was only approved after Arminius promised to teach nothing contrary to the received doctrines of the Dutch churches. This he appeared to do, but in time it became known that he was secretly instructing his students in his own peculiar views in spite of his public conformity to the Confession of Faith. He also found all sorts of excuses why he should not explain himself and his conduct before a synod of the church. The great 19th Century Princeton church historian, Prof. Samuel Miller, remarks in this connection:

“When heresy arises in an evangelical body, it is never frank and open. It always begins by skulking and assuming a disguise. Its advocates, when together, speak of great improvements and congratulate one another on having gone greatly beyond the old dead orthodoxy. When taxed with deviations from the received faith, however, they complain of the unreasonableness of their accusers, since they differ only in words. They deny their real tenets, evade examination or inquiry, declaim against their accusers as merciless bigots and heresy-hunters, and strive as long as they can to agree with the most orthodox of their neighbors, until the time when, partly from inability any longer to cover up their sentiments, and partly because they feel strong enough to come out in the open, they at length avow their real purpose.”

In just this way Arminius was able to avoid being called to account until his premature death on October 19, 1609.

The followers of Arminius did not disappear when he died, but formed themselves into a party and as such presented to the States-General (the Dutch parliament) an address containing five points called the Remonstrance, from which they afterwards received the name of Remonstrants. The object of this paper was to gain the favor of the government and immunity from the church discipline to which they felt themselves exposed. The States-General heard the Arminians-Remonstrants with some sympathy, refused to call a National Synod to decide the questions of doctrine which were involved and even persecuted some orthodox pastors who opposed the Arminians too strongly. The Dutch Reformed Church, accordingly, was rapidly being moved from its position as a confessional church to become an inclusive church in which truth and error would have the same rights and privileges.

At this juncture, however, Maurice, the Prince of