Die voorgaande is dan die duidelike, eenvoudige, openhartige verklaring van die regsinnige leer aangaande die Vyf Artikels waaroor in Nederland verskil van mening is. Tegelykertyd is dit die verwerping van die dwalings waardeur die Nederlandse kerke ‘n tyd lank in beroering was. Die Sinode oordeel dat hierdie uiteensetting en verwerping uit die Woord van God geneem is en met die belydenisse van die Gereformeerde Kerke ooreenstem.
Hieruit blyk dit duidelik dat mense vir wie dit allermins betaamlik was, in stryd met alle waarheid, eerlikheid en liefde die volk die volgende wou wysmaak:
- dat hierdie leer ‘n oorkussing van die duiwel en die sondige natuur en ‘n vesting van die Satan is, waaruit hy vir alle mense hinderlae opstel, die meeste verwond en baie met pyle óf van wanhoop óf van sorgeloosheid dodelik tref;
- dat hierdie leer God tot outeur van die sonde maak, ‘n onregverdige, ‘n tiran en ‘n huigelaar, en dat dit niks as die herleefde leer van die Stoïsyne, Manigeërs, Libertyne en Moslems is nie;
- dat hierdie leer die mense sorgloos maak en dat hulle hulle daardeur verbeel dat, op watter wyse hulle ook al leef, dit nie die saligheid van die uitverkorenes verhinder nie en dat hulle gevolglik sonder kommer allerhande afskuwelike sondes kan doen;
- dat dit die verworpenes nie tot saligheid strek nie, selfs al sou hulle inderdaad ook al die werke van die gelowiges verrig;
- dat volgens hierdie leer God enkel en alleen deur sy wilsbesluit, sonder oorweging of inagneming van enige sonde van enig-iemand, die grootste deel van die wêreld vir die ewige verderf voorbeskik en geskep het;
- dat, net soos die verkiesing die fontein en die oorsaak van die geloof en die goeie werke is, die verwerping ook so die oorsaak van die ongeloof en goddeloosheid is;
- dat baie onskuldige kinders van gelowiges van die moederbors weggeruk en op wreedaardige wyse in die hel gegooi word, sonder dat die bloed van Christus of hulle doop of die gebede van die kerk by hulle doop vir hulle tot voordeel kan wees.
En watter baie ander soortgelyke bewerings is daar nie wat die Gereformeerde Kerke nie alleen nie aanvaar nie, maar ook van ganser harte verfoei!
Daarom doen hierdie Sinode van Dordrecht in die Naam van die Here ‘n beroep op almal wat die Naam van ons Verlosser Jesus Christus gelowig aanroep, om die geloof van die Gereformeerde Kerke nie te beoordeel op grond van:
- hier en daar saamgeroepte lasteringe, of
- persoonlike uitsprake van verskeie ouer of jonger leraars,
nie. Hierdie uitsprake word dikwels slegs met kwade bedoelings aangehaal of vermink en tot ‘n verkeerde betekenis verdraai. Hulle moet eerder op grond van die openbare belydenisse van genoemde Gereformeerde Kerke oordeel, en op grond van hierdie uiteensetting van die regsinnige leer wat met algemene instemming van almal saam en van elke lid van die hele Sinode afsonderlik vasgestel is.
Vervolgens vermaan die Sinode hierdie lasteraars ernstig dat hulle moet besef watter swaar oordeel van God hulle oor hulleself bring as hulle:
- teen soveel kerke en teen die belydenisse van soveel kerke valse getuienis gee,
- die gewetens van die swakkeres in beroering bring, en
- naarstiglik streef om by baie mense die gemeenskap van die ware gelowiges verdag te maak.
Ten slotte doen hierdie Sinode ‘n beroep op alle mededienaars in die evangelie van Christus om hulle in die behandeling van hierdie leer in die skole en in die kerke vroom en gelowig te gedra. Hulle moet hierdie leer sowel mondeling as skriftelik:
- tot eer van die Naam van God,
- tot heiligmaking van die lewe, en
- tot troos van die verslae harte
uitleg.
Hulle moet, in ooreenstemming met die Skrif, nie alleen na die reël van die geloof dink nie, maar ook praat. Eindelik moet hulle hulle weerhou van alle uitsprake wat die voorgeskrewe perke van die ware strekking van die Heilige Skrif oorskry. Sulke uitsprake kan aan die skaamtelose dwaalleraars ‘n gegronde rede gee om die leer van die Gereformeerde Kerke sleg te maak of te belaster.
Slotgebed:
Mag die Seun van God, Jesus Christus, wat aan die regterhand van die Vader sit en aan die mense gawes gee, ons in die waarheid heilig. Mag Hy hulle wat dwaal, tot die waarheid lei en die lasteraars van die gesonde leer die mond snoer. Mag Hy die getroue dienaars van sy Woord die Gees van wysheid en onderskeiding gee, sodat al hulle uitsprake tot eer van God en tot opbouing van hoorders mag strek.
Amen.
The foregoing is the clear, simple, and candid declaration of the orthodox doctrine concerning the Five Articles about which there was disagreement in the Netherlands. At the same time it is the rejection of the errors by which the Dutch churches had been disturbed for some time. The Synod judges that this exposition and rejection has been derived from the Word of God and is in agreement with the confessions of the Reformed Churches.
From this it is evident that those for whom such conduct was most unbecoming have, contrary to all truth, honesty, and love, wished to make the people believe:
- that this doctrine is a pillow of the devil and the sinful nature, and a stronghold of Satan, from which he lies in wait for all men, wounds most of them, and fatally strikes many with the arrows of either despair or carelessness;
- that this doctrine makes God the author of sin, unjust, a tyrant, and a hypocrite, and that it is nothing but a revival of the doctrines of the Stoics, Manichaeans, Libertines, and Muslims;
- that this doctrine makes people careless and causes them to imagine that, in whatever way they may live, it will not hinder the salvation of the elect, and that therefore they may without concern commit all kinds of abominable sins;
- that it does not avail the reprobate unto salvation, even if they should indeed perform all the works of the believers;
- that according to this doctrine God, by a mere act of His will, without any regard to or consideration of any sin of anyone, has predestined and created the greatest part of the world for eternal perdition;
- that in the same manner in which election is the fountain and cause of faith and good works, reprobation is also the cause of unbelief and ungodliness;
- that many innocent children of believers are snatched from their mothers’ breasts and cruelly cast into hell, so that neither the blood of Christ, nor their baptism, nor the prayers of the Church at their baptism can be of any benefit to them.
And there are many other similar assertions which the Reformed Churches not only do not accept, but also detest with their whole heart!
Therefore this Synod of Dort, in the Name of the Lord, appeals to all who devoutly call upon the Name of our Saviour Jesus Christ not to judge the faith of the Reformed Churches on the basis of:
- slanders gathered here and there, or
- personal statements of various older or younger teachers,
These statements are often quoted only with evil intent or are corrupted and twisted to a wrong meaning. Rather, they should judge on the basis of the public confessions of the said Reformed Churches, and on the basis of this exposition of the orthodox doctrine which has been established with the general agreement of all together and of each individual member of the whole Synod.
Furthermore, the Synod earnestly warns these slanderers that they should consider what a heavy judgment of God they bring upon themselves if they:
- bear false witness against so many churches and against the confessions of so many churches,
- disturb the consciences of the weak, and
- strive diligently to make the fellowship of the true believers suspect in the eyes of many people.
Finally, this Synod appeals to all fellow ministers of the gospel of Christ to conduct themselves piously and faithfully in the treatment of this doctrine in the schools and in the churches. They should expound this doctrine, both orally and in writing:
- to the glory of the Name of God,
- to the holiness of life, and
- to the comfort of afflicted hearts.
They must, in accordance with Scripture, not only think according to the rule of faith, but also speak. Finally, they must abstain from all those utterances which exceed the prescribed limits of the true sense of the Holy Scriptures. Such utterances may give the shameless false teachers a just cause to disparage or slander the doctrine of the Reformed Churches.
Closing Prayer:
May the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father and gives gifts to men, sanctify us in the truth. May He lead those who err into the truth and silence the slanderers of sound doctrine. May He give the faithful servants of His Word the Spirit of wisdom and discretion, so that all their utterances may tend to the glory of God and the edification of their hearers.
Amen.