Chapter 2
CALVINISM
Man's words
"The chief doctrines that are the most closely associated with Calvinism are the famous five points. These may easily be remembered by the memory-crutch "tulip". For, each letter of the word "tulip" is the first letter of one of the five points. Thus the "t" of tulip stands for "total depravity"; the "u" of tulip stands for "unconditional election"; the "l" represents "limited atonement"; "i" equals "irresistible grace"; and the "p" indicates the "perseverance of the saints". It must be remembered, however, that this is not the heart of Calvinism. The heart of Calvinism is to be found in the sovereignty of God. One expression of this is the five points of Calvinism, which brings the sovereignty of God to the fore as does no other doctrine. But Calvinism must never be equated with these five points, for Calvinism is too rich to be restricted to that narrow field. It also embraces such other uniquely Reformed doctrines as the covenant of grace and the sovereignty of the spheres. This is the glorious faith which has come down to us from St. Augustine, Calvin, and the Reformed churches."
"All of these five points (of Calvinism) really hang together or fall together. If one is true, then the others are true. If one is false, then the others are false, too."
The Five Points of Calvinism, Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., Pages 11-12, 35
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"It remained for them (the 1618 Synod of Dordt) to set forth the true Calvinistic teaching in relationship to those matters which had been called into question. This they proceeded to do, embodying the Calvinistic position in five chapters which have ever since been known as 'the five points of Calvinism'".
Calvinism, B. A. Warburton, page 61
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"In these Canons the Synod (of Dordt) set forth the Reformed doctrine on these points, namely, unconditional election, limited atonement, total depravity, irrestible grace, and perseverance of the saints."
Introduction to the Canons of Dordt, Psalter Hymnal, page 44
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"By that transgression of Adam which had thus perverted the human race, the freedom of the human will was entirely lost. In that state wherein he was born, man was incapable of willing in a spiritual manner, the bent of his natural will lying only in the direction of that which is evil. Should man in this life will and do good, it must spring merely from the effects of Divine grace, that grace being an inward, secret and wonderful operation of God upon man. By preceeding grace, man comes into knowledge of his true condition before God, receives the gift of faith, is brought to knowledge of salvation, and is endowed with a capacity to seek and do good. He needs co-operating grace for the right performance of every individual good act, and as man can do nothing of a spiritual character apart from grace, so he can do nothing against it. That grace in operation is the irresistible power of God. And, seeing that man by nature possesses no merit at all in his standing before God, no respect can be had to any moral disposition existing in man as the ground of the imparting of grace, but God acts in accordance with His own free and sovereign will. This action on the part of God is in agreement with God's free and unconditional purposes to save out from the mass of mankind an election of grace. To those whom He thus predestinated unto salvation, God gives all the requisite means which shall ensure their salvation. The rest of mankind is left under the merited ruin of their own sin. As regards the work of salvation wrought out by Christ in His sufferings and death, that death was for the elect only.
This briefly summarizes Augustine's theology in those aspects which chiefly concern us at the present time. That we have in these principles enunciated by Augustine, the full embodiment of that teaching which men have chosen to call Calvinism, there can be no question."
Calvinism, B. A. Warburton, pages 38-39
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"The name CALVINISM was derived from the great French reformer, John Calvin (1509-1564), who had done so much in expounding and defending these views."
The Five Points of Calvinism, Steele and Thomas, page 15
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