The Synod of Dort Begins,
November 13, 1618
by Bill Potter
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the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century had swept across
Europe, various countries were able to stabilize their borders
and establish their new-found faith, although political and
social contention persisted. Romanist heresies within
Protestantism continued to challenge the Church, and the
theologians’ and pastors’ need to systematize biblical doctrine
continued well into the next century. Reformed confessions
emerged to define what Protestant Christians believed. In the
Netherlands, which had adopted a strong Calvinist theology in
the “Belgic Confession of Faith” of 1561 (which had been
primarily written by Dutch pastor Guido de Bres), challenges
arose which caused disruption in the churches. James Arminius, a
Dutch pastor and University professor presented the greatest
theological challenge since the expulsion of the Roman Church.

Theodore Beza (1519–1605)
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Arminius was a highly respected theologian and pastor in the
Reformed Church of the Netherlands. He was noted for his
“activity, intelligence, wit, and obliging deportment”. He was
sent to the University in Geneva, where he sat under Theodore
Beza, Calvin’s successor. Of independent mind and possessed of
an insubordinate disposition, he developed theological views
that differed from his professors, and he embarked behind the
scenes to lead fellow students away from the Genevan orthodoxy.
He was sent home. After travelling in Italy for ten months, he
returned to Holland where he was greeted with great acclaim and
a request to answer a tract by Dutch pastors who opposed the
Reformed view of predestination. He ended up accepting the
argument of the dissenters. In a series of sermons from his
church pulpit, on the Book of Romans, he publicly abandoned the
position of the Belgic churches.
Although Arminius was rebuked by his Classis (presbytery), he
continued to teach behind the scenes. His “learning, smooth
address, and insinuating eloquence” won over a number of
dissidents to take a stand against certain established
Protestant doctrines. Some of his many friends were able to
massage the volatile situation and Arminius was able to retain
his preaching position. Every attempt to get Arminius into open
theological debate was rebuffed through evasion, excuses, and
subterfuge. As Samuel Miller of Princeton so succinctly
observed, “the commencement of every heresy which has arisen in
the Christian church” began with “a want of candor and integrity
on the part of a man otherwise respectable . . . it is never
frank and open”.

An allegorical depiction of the theological debate between
“Remonstrants”—as followers of the teachings of Arminius called
themselves— and their Dutch Reformed opponents. The Dutch
Reformed side of the scale is heavier, but only on account of
the extra weight added by a sword, representing the external
influence of the state.

Johannes Wtenbogaert (1557-1644) became leader of the
“Remonstrants” after the death of James Arminius in 1609
and drew up the document known as the Five Articles of
Remonstrance in 1610. The point-by-point rebuttal to
this document was issued in the Canons of Dort of
1618-19, the substance of which has come to be referred
to as the Five Points of Calvinism.
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Because the Reformed Church was a state church, the politicians
took a hand in the controversy and the Estates General called
for Arminius and his companions, in 1609, to appear before them
and explain his unorthodox theology. Before they could meet,
Arminius died. His followers took the doctrines he had
expounded, and continued preaching and teaching them in the
universities and the churches, creating an uproar in the
churches, and even dividing the national legislature. The
Arminians drew up their doctrinal aberrations in a document
known as the Remonstrance. The Church and
State finally called a great Synod at the City of Dort beginning
on November 13, 1618, to state for all the church what the Bible
teaches concerning the doctrines under attack by the Arminians.

The Synod of Dort, with Arminians seated at a table in the
center

Title page of the Canons of Dort
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Holland invited scholars from all the Reformed countries to
participate also. The “divines” sat in solemn ecclesiastical
deliberations, and prayer and preaching, meeting one hundred
eighty times. They concluded the assembly on May 29, 1619,
having examined every aspect of the Remonstrance,
and interviewed the Arminian pastors. The Synod produced the Canons
of Dort, addressing each point of the Arminians’ beliefs
regarding the doctrine of salvation. [See article
here to compare the Arminian and the Calvinist
positions on these theological points.]

The Kloveniersdoelen, location of the Synod of Dort
assembly, before its demolition in 1857
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The international Synod unanimously condemned
the Arminians’ arguments, and the Canons of Dort helped
inform future Calvinist Confessions on the continent and in the
United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the Arminian beliefs continued to
spread wherever the Reformation succeeded, and eventually
permeated Protestant thinking in England and America, especially
among denominations who rejected the Reformed Confessions. Men
seem to have a compulsion to declare their independence from God
in all things, including their own salvation. That does not
change the fact that changing the hearts of the elect, and
giving them the gift of Faith through His Grace, is solely an
activity of the Sovereign God, who is not confined by the whims
of His created image-bearers.


For a nice summary of the Synod of Dort, see A
Place Like Heaven: An Introduction to the Synod of Dort,
by Samuel Miller.

Image Credits: 1 James
Arminius (Wikipedia.org) 2 Theodore
Beza (Wikipedia.org) 3 Remonstrants
(Wikipedia.org) 4 Johannes
Wtenbogaert (Wikipedia.org) 5 Synod
of Dort Assembly (Wikipedia.org) 6 Kloveniersdoelen
(Wikipedia.org) 7 Canons
of Dort Title Page (Wikipedia.org)
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