One of the issues with the narrative that TULIP accurately summarizes what happened at the Synod of Dort is the first letter, T. The Reformed asserted “total depravity” because the Remonstrants didn’t, right? The original Remonstrance of 1610 said in its third article: That man does not have saving faith of himself nor by the […]

Dr. W. Robert Godfrey is Assistant Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Broomall, Trinity Christian Reformed Church. In this first article, Dr. Godfrey writes about “the theological climate which gave birth to the Canons.” In a second article, he plans to consider the Synod […]

Everywhere in today’s world the Christian church is facing, with a new sense of urgency, the question of its calling. It confesses to having received the gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. This, so the church acknowledges, must be presented and passed on. Such communication is its calling. Communication by the church, however, is […]

The Synod of Dort convened on November 13, 1618. It was, however, January 18, 1619, before they addressed themselves to the intricate problems posed by the five articles of the Remonstrants. One big reason for this long delay was the subtle strategy of Episcopius. As a clever parliamentarian he wanted to formulate the problems to be discussed. He wanted to […]