THE REFORMED FAITH IN THE MODERN WORLD

It appears to be assumed in some quarters that a real Calvinist is out of place in today’s world. The average church member or minister is inclined to regard a person who declares his belief in predestination with a glance of amused tolerance. It seems incredible that in an age of enlightenment like the present there can exist such an intellectual curiosity as a believer in the doctrines of grace. Indeed, many people do not even know what predestination and election are, to say nothing of seriously examining the case for Calvinism. They think of it only as an historical movement in the days of the Reformation to be classed with such ideas as a flat earth or the sun moving round the world, or as one of the fantastic systems of thought maintained by certain individuals before the era of modern science. The fact that the confessions of the Reformed Church set forth the Calvinistic system of doctrine means little or nothing to such people, if indeed they are not ignorant of it.

Ministers know, of course, that the Calvinistic doctrines are taught in these confessions of faith, to which they subscribed at the time of their ordination, but many refuse to have their minds “fettered” by such binding things as creeds and the mere circumstance that the particular confession to which they have subscribed contains the Calvinistic system of theology means little to them. They regard that confession as the expression of the seventeenth century in a form that was useful to Christians of that age but which has become merely a symbol to the modern Church. They therefore take upon themselves the solemn obligations of the Gospel ministry very lightly, having rendered mere lip service to the creed that they profess to accept.

Strange as it may seem to some, there are still many of us who believe these very truths that have been so widely discarded and who believe, moreover, that Calvinism should be taught and propagated as the only true system of divinity derived from the sacred Scriptures. No doubt we shall be charged with intolerance for claiming that it is the only system of divinity taught in the Bible; indeed, we shall be regarded as obscurantists for believing any system of doctrine simply because it is taught in the Bible.

We are aware, of course, that others claim that their theological systems are derived from the Bible, but while respecting their sincerity and good intentions we nevertheless feel that they are mistaken in their exegesis. It is significant, to say the least, that many modern scholars who are not hampered by any reverence for the authority of Scripture nor by any belief in the doctrines contained therein, frankly admit that exegetically Calvinism alone is the system of theology taught in the Bible. It is equally noteworthy that a French scholar who was ignorant of historical Calvinism after a personal study of the teachings of the Bible recently thought he had discovered a new system of doctrine only to find he had rediscovered Calvinism! If Calvinism is the only system of doctrine taught in the Bible, then certainly we cannot be justly charged with intolerance for endeavouring to teach and propagate it as such.

It is common knowledge that a large number of professing Christians no longer accept doctrines simply because they are taught in the Bible. A man would indeed have to be blind and deaf and dumb in these days to be ignorant of the so-called “findings” of modern critical scholarship. Having weighed these “findings” carefully we reject them entirely and with us are scholars just as learned as the destructive critics but with no naturalistic prejudices, who after exhaustive investigation have shown that there is not one shred of evidence to discredit either the history or the teachings of the Old and New Testaments.

We are acquainted with the discoveries of “modern science” and know that large claims are made for various theories of evolution even though they conflict with the plain teaching of Holy Scripture. Many of us have investigated these theories and believe them to be false. In the course of our study we have never discovered one assured fact of science which conflicts with the teachings of the Bible rightly interpreted.

But while we believe that Calvinism is the only system of doctrine taught in the Bible and accept it as true because we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, we nevertheless maintain that it can be defended intellectually and that it is indeed the only type of Christianity that can be consistently and successfully defended against the anti-Christian paganism in the modern world.

In making statements like these it must, of course, be borne in mind that the writer does not deny that one may be a Christian without being a Calvinist. It is possible for a man to be ignorant regarding many truths taught in the Bible and yet to be trusting in the vicarious sacrifice of Christ on Calvary and resting on Him alone for salvation. In fact, we may go so far as to admit that it is possible that some men may be Christians whose beliefs on these points are, to say the least, hazy. Such men may be more orthodox in their hearts than in their heads. Calvinism, however, we regard as the only true type of Christianity, and in so regarding it we mean that the system of doctrines which Calvinism embraces is the only true system based on the teachings of the whole Bible. Though one can be a Christian without believing explicitly the entire system of truth taught in the Bible, his Christianity will be of a more or less imperfect type according as he departs from biblical Christianity to a greater or less degree. A blind, deaf and dumb man may know something of the world about him through his remaining senses, but his knowledge will be very imperfect and probably inaccurate. Similarly a Christian who never knows the deeper teachings of the Bible which Calvinism embodies, will be a very imperfect Christian and it is the privilege of those who know the whole truth to attempt to lead him into the full storehouse of the riches of true Christianity.

From what has been said above it will be realised why those of us who believe that Calvinism is the sole true system of doctrine taught in the Bible have so little enthusiasm for union movements with churches holding other systems of doctrine. We should be delighted to unite with them upon a doctrinal basis that acknowledged Calvinism as the true theology, but we believe that anything short or that would be surrendering vital truth, while any statement of belief vague enough to embrace both Calvinists and those holding other systems of doctrine would involve throwing overboard all the fruits of the Reformation and be sowing the seeds of discord for the future. Only those people who either do not believe that Calvinism is true to Scripture or who do not believe that the system of dogmatics taught in the Bible is therefore true and should be propagated, could be willing to throw away those truths bought at such a terrible price by our martyred forefathers.

Now we must admit at once that the idea of propagating and teaching Calvinism is foreign to the trend of present-day Christian thought. We are told that we should teach and emphasize only those doctrines which are common to all evangelical churches, and when we attempt to teach pure Calvinism we are regarded as narrow-minded and bigoted. Alas! a paganism far more pagan than that which flourished in the age of Augustine or Paul is so rampant in our modern civilization that its influence has extended to the Christian churches themselves. The paganism of the ancient Roman world asserted that man was perfectly capable of saving himself, but at least it believed that man needed saving and offered sacrifices to the gods accordingly. The modern pagan does not feel that he needs saving at all. The teaching of Calvinism that “salvation is of the Lord” and that man cannot be saved unless God does all the saving, is diametrically opposed to this whole trend of thought. The pagan idea that man does not require salvation or at least that he can save himself, has so permeated modern thought through newspapers, magazines, and books as well as through the teachings of many professors in colleges and universities, that the mental atmosphere of the Church itself has become saturated with it. Many Calvinists have fallen into the habit of apologizing for their beliefs, and in councils and general assemblies of the Churches they have relegated their faith to the background for so long that today it almost requires the courage of a Luther or a Knox to proclaim it from the pulpit or platform. This to a large extent accounts for the popularity of those systems of doctrine which, while ascribing part at least of our salvation to God, leave man to complete the work of saving his soul by his own efforts …Catechetical instruction is no longer given to the rising generation. Most of the seminaries have ceased to teach pure Calvinism and many who are personally Calvinists, to prevent an open breach with the Church, have either fallen into the habit of keeping quiet about the doctrines of grace or of thinking that after all they do not matter very much.

The present writer would join issue with this attitude. Nothing is more needful at the present time than a re-discovery of the doctrines of free and sovereign grace which lie at the centre of the Calvinistic system. The Chusch today needs more than anything else a new Reformation which will sweep away the tawdry schemes of self-salvation and get back to the biblical teaching concerning the almighty grace of God. Not only is Calvinism true; it is the only effective defence against modern paganism. In discarding Calvinism the Church is neglecting the only weapon which can give it victory in the conflict with the forces of unbelief. There is no rational defence against paganism except Calvinism and no logical position which can be successfully defended if that be abandoned, for once the Church starts attributing the tiniest portion of our salvation to man it has started down an inclined plane on which there is no stable equilibrium this side of thoroughgoing Pelagianism or paganism. Humanly speaking the Church is doomed to ignominious failure unless it returns to the Calvinistic position.

Let no one raise a cry of intolerance because we seek to propagate these doctrines in which we believe with all our hearts. We present them as the truth with all confidence that eventually the truth, though crushed to earth for a time, will rise again triumphant. The Reformed Faith may seem to have fallen on evil days, but this is not the first time in history that error has appeared triumphant in the Church and it is always darkest before the dawn. We trust God’s plan for His Church and we know that in His own good time He will cause true religion to triumph. Meanwhile let us take courage from the thought that there is still “a remnant according to the election of grace”. All over the world men and women still love the doctrines of the Reformed Faith commonly called “Calvinism”. Our task is to teach and propagate these blessed truths at every opportunity, trusting God to send blessing on our efforts. Let us stop apologizing for our belief and begin as never before to defend and propagate it in a world that needs the message we have to bring. Let us pray God that the time may soon come when another reformation may bring the Church to renewed confession of the doctrines of free and sovereign grace.!

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