And
whereas many who are called by the gospel do not repent nor believe in Christ,
but perish in unbelief, this is not owing to any defect or insufficiency in the
sacrifice offered by Christ upon the cross, but is wholly to be imputed to
themselves (Canons of Dordt II, 6).
(I)
Rev.
Herman Hoeksema
It seems to me that some reason
from this article somewhere as follows:
1.
There are those called by the Gospel who perish in their unbelief.
2.
Hence not only the elect, but also the reprobate are called.
3.
Consequently they also were offered, well-meant, the salvation in Christ.
However, the serious mistake
that [is often made] here is that [the defender of the “well-meant offer” (hence,
WMO)] makes himself guilty of begging the
question. He assumes as an established fact the very thing that he must
prove.
He has to prove that the calling of the Gospel, as it comes to
the reprobate, (many are called few are chosen) is a well-meant offer of grace and salvation. But he tacitly assumes
that which he has to prove.
[Please note:] we do not differ
at all on the fact that many who are called
by the Gospel perish in their unbelief. Nor is there any question among us
concerning the established fact that the blame for their unbelief does not lie
in any lack in Christ, but in themselves. That is the entire content of the
article.
[In quoting this article for
support, many proceed] from the assumption
that the calling of the Gospel is an offer
of grace, well-meant and general. [But that is] exactly what [they have] to
prove. But [they] cannot prove that, for in the article immediately preceding
this one the Canons have just
described what must be understood by the calling. It is not a general “offer,”
but a particular promise with a
general demand to repent and believe. In the preaching of the Gospel, God
condemns the unbelief and wickedness and impenitence of the world. Therefore in
the calling of the Gospel He demands
of everyone faith and repentance. If they fail to do this the blame is to be
sought in them, in their depraved heart, not in Christ. If they do repent, the
reason for that is to be sought in eternal, elective grace, not in the person,
nor in any offer of the Gospel, but in efficacious, irresistible grace. To
those who by eternal grace obey this call to faith and repentance, God promises
eternal life. He does not “offer” it, He promises
it to them and will also surely bestow it upon them.
This is the truth in regard to
the calling. The calling is also a command to believe and repent. This aspect
of the calling was in the minds of the fathers when they wrote this article,
even more than the particular promise, as is evident from the manner in which
this calling is briefly described in this same article: “That men … do not
repent, nor believe in Christ.” The Gospel came with the demand to believe and repent. Many do not believe and repent. The
fault lies with them.
[Hopefully, the reader] will
now agree that this is the proper interpretation of this article of our Canons as also that there cannot be
found a semblance of evidence of a general, well-meant offer of grace and
salvation in this article of our confession.
---------------------------------------------------
(II)
More to
come! (DV)
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