All Articles For The Voice Of Our Fathers

Having noticed what was the occasion for this article, and having given our attention to the general lines thereof, we may now give our attention to the details of its contents. 

REJECTION OF ERRORS 

Article 8.

In their explanation of this relation between the work of God’s grace in regeneration and the use of the gospel, the seed of regeneration and the food of the soul, the fathers begin by making a very, apt comparison between the natural and the spiritual in regard to the use of means: “As the almighty operation of God, whereby He produces and sustains this our natural life, does not exclude, but requires the use of means, by which God of his infinite wisdom and goodness bas willed to exercise this his power, so also the before mentioned supernatural operation of...

The meaning of the Arminian doctrine that is here opposed is in itself quite clear, and is in need of little exposition. It is a plain and simple contradiction of the Scriptural and Reformed truth concerning man’s total depravity: “The unregenerate man is not really nor utterly dead in sin, nor destitute of all powers unto spiritual good.” This is the main proposition here, the key to the Arminian thought.

The fathers mention in this article three causes for the inability of the converted Christian to persevere in that grace of conversion, namely: the remains of indwelling sin, the attacks of the world, and the attacks of Satan.  As to the first, we can be brief. The preceding articles of this chapter have already dealt with this subject of the old nature of the Christian, We need not repeat what is stated in those articles.  But the fathers here mention two other factors. And concerning these we must offer a few words of explanation. 

Already at this juncture we may point out partially the practical significance of this confession. In the first place, what we have observed in our previous installment should caution us against simply identifying the claimed discoveries and proofs and conclusions of natural science with God’s revelation of Himself in the book of the creation and preservation and government of the universe. This is often done, or at least suggested. In the controversy concerning the harmony of science and Scripture, it is sometimes claimed or implied that the findings of the scientist constitute the testimony of so-called “general revelation.” In other...

Article 5. Who teach: That the, corrupt and natural man can so well use the common grace (by which they understand the light of nature), or the gifts still left him after the fall, that he Can gradually gain by their good use a greater, viz., the evangelical or saving grace and salvation itself. And that in this way God on his part shows himself ready to reveal Christ unto all men, since he applies to all sufficiently and efficiently the means necessary to conversion. For the experience of all ages and the Scriptures do both testify that this is...

We must still investigate the significance of this article in as far as it touches on the common grace question. As we said before, this is the only place where our Reformed confessions use the term common grace. And this, of course, at once attracts the attention. As we also indicated previously, it must at once be granted that in this article the matter of common grace enters in rather incidentally. The article as such deals not with the common grace doctrine, but with the general grace doctrine of the Arminians.