Below is a list of the various creeds and confessions commonly appealed to in support of ...
(1) “Common Grace” (the
teaching that God loves or is favourably disposed toward, not just the
elect, but also the reprobate wicked … and that this love or favour (specifically
for the reprobate wicked) is shown in 1) His giving them all sorts of earthly
good things (rain, sunshine, food, air, friends, family, happiness, etc.), and 2)
various providential workings in their hearts and lives, whereby they are restrained
from committing certain outward sins and even operate in a functioning society—a
society in which they (the reprobate) even look out for and care for each other).
[NB. a view which essentially confuses grace and providence])
(2) the “well-meant gospel offer” (British term: “the free offer of the
gospel”) (the notion that God, out of a redemptive/salvific love for
all men, sends the gospel out to all men with the desire, will, wish, and intention
that all who outwardly hear the preaching be blessed by it. [NB. a
desire, will, wish or intention that is frustrated or ineffectual, for many
reject it and perish in unbelief])
(3)
the notion that fallen man is still in (or partially in) the image of God [NB. Whereas
man, at the Fall, lost that image—completely!]
(4) “Hypo-Calvinism” (the view that says man is not totally
depraved, but partially so—he didn’t die at the Fall, but he would have done,
had it not been for God’s intervention; a denial of sovereign, unconditional
reprobation [reprobation is conditional]; denial of limited atonement [Jesus
died for everyone!]; denial of irresistible grace [for the gospel proclamation,
which is itself “grace” is resisted by many])
(5) “Hyper-Calvinism” (the view that says unregenerate men
are not under any duty or responsibility to repent and believe in Jesus—only
those who have been regenerated or spiritually awakened are commanded to believe
and repent; the notion that the gospel is only to be proclaimed to “sensible
sinners”)
(6) Arminianism
And much more …
(Note: This list is regularly updated and added to. If you are
looking for some exegesis or a commentary on a specific Bible text not included
below, please contact me via Facebook or email [hutchingsmusic@gmail.com].
The list below is arranged in chronological order).
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East Friesian Confession (1528)
East Friesian
Confession (1528)—“… [despising] the offered grace of the gospel …”
Saxon Confession (1551)
The Saxon
Confession, written by Philip Melanchthon
French Confession of Faith (1559)
French
Confession, Article XIII—“… offered
and communicated to us in Jesus Christ …”
Belgic Confession (1561)
Belgic
Confession, Article 12—“… by the grace of God [some angels] remained steadfast …”
Belgic
Confession, Article 13—“… he so restrains the devil and all our enemies …”
Belgic
Confession, Article 14—“… and retained only a few remains
thereof [of his excellent gifts] …”
Belgic
Confession, Article 36—“… that the dissoluteness of men might
be restrained …”
Belgic
Confession, Article 36—“… that decency and good order, which
God hath established among men …”
Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
Heidelberg
Catechism: LD 3—“wholly incapable of doing any good,
and inclined to all wickedness”
Heidelberg
Catechism: LD 7—“that not only to others, but to
me also … freely given by God”
Heidelberg
Catechism: LD 15—“… the sins of all
mankind …”
Heidelberg
Catechism: LD 15—“... all the time that he lived on earth …”
Heidelberg
Catechism: LD 31—“… declared and publicly testified to
all and every believer …”
Second Helvetic Confession (1566)
Second Helvetic
(Swiss) Confession—Chapter 19
Bohemian Confession (1575)
The Bohemian
Confession (1575)
Canons of Dordt (1619)
Canons of Dordt,
I: 3—“… God mercifully
sends the messengers of these most joyful tidings …”
Canons of Dordt,
I: 5—“The cause or
guilt of this unbelief … is no wise in God, but in man himself”
Canons of Dordt,
II: 3—“… abundantly sufficient
…”
Canons of Dordt,
II: 5—“… declared and published to all without distinction …”
Canons of Dordt,
II: 6—“… many who are called by the gospel perish in unbelief …”
Canons of Dordt, III/IV: 1—“… became
wicked, rebellious, and obdurate in heart and will …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 3—“… incapable of saving
good …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 3—“… prone to evil
…”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 4—“… glimmerings of natural light …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 4—“… regard for virtue and order in society …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 7—“… they, to whom so great and so gracious a blessing is
communicated …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 8—“… unfeignedly [seriously] called …”
Canons of Dordt, III/IV: 8—“… God hath … declared …
what will be acceptable to him … that all … should come unto him …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 8—“… that those who are called should come unto him …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 8—“… comply with the invitation …”
Canons of Dordt, III/IV: 8—“… [He] promises eternal
life and rest to as many as shall come to him and believe on him …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 9—“It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Christ, nor of
God …”
Canons of Dordt, III/IV: 9—“… Christ offered therein …”
Canons of Dordt, III/IV: 9—“… and confers on them
various gifts …”
Canons of Dordt,
III/IV: 9—“… those who are called by the ministry of the word [but
who] refuse to come …”
Canons of Dordt,
“Conclusion”—“not
… in the same manner” (eodem modo)
The Directory for Public Worship (1645)
Directory for Public Worship—“... standing out against many
invitations and offers of grace in the gospel”
Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
Westminster Confession VI: 2—“... defiled in all the faculties and
parts of soul and body”
Westminster
Confession, VII: 3—“... wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation ...”
Westminster
Confession, VIII: 4—“... He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it ...”
Westminster
Confession, X: 2—“… the grace offered and conveyed in it …”
Westminster
Confession, X: 4—“… common operations of the Spirit …”
Westminster
Confession XVI: 7—“Works done by unregenerate men … things which God commands, and of good use …”
Westminster
Confession XX: 1—“a God, who … is good, and does good unto all”
Westminster Larger Catechism (1647)
Westminster
Larger Catechism, Q&A 67—“… the grace offered and conveyed therein …”
Westminster
Larger Catechism, Q&A 68—“… common operations of the Spirit …”
Westminster
Larger Catechism, Q&A 68—“… the grace offered to them …”
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)
Westminster
Shorter Catechism, Q&A 83—“… Some sins … are more heinous in the
sight of God than others …”
Westminster
Shorter Catechism, Q&A 86—“… Jesus Christ … offered to us in the gospel”
Minutes of the Westminster Assembly (1647)
Minutes, Session 753—“God’s
offer of [Christ] in His word to me as well as to any other man”
Minutes, Session 844—“…
from Christ some common favours redound to all mankind”
Minutes, Session 873—“the
Gospel … doth tender salvation by Christ to all”
The Sum of Saving Knowledge (1650)
Sum of Saving
Knowledge—“the Lord makes offer of grace to all
sinners, upon condition of faith in Jesus Christ”
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