Irreconcilable Systems

To recapitulate. If I am Arminian, I must deny Predestination and I must hold:

1st. That our race possesses a free will to do that which is good.

2nd. That justification comes by a meritorious faith— i.e. by a faith of my own, and which merits.

3rd. That if the faith is my own and from me, I may lose it, and there is no certain assurance.

If I am a Calvinist I assert, on the other hand, Predestination—then:

lst. Man fallen has no free will to do what is pleasing to God.

2nd. Justification is by faith, which is “the gift of God”.

3rd. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” on God’s part—or my part. Once a believer always a believer. “My sheep shall never perish.”

The battle, then, is seen to range around the first point. “Down with predestination!” is the cry of all the enemies of Evangelical truth. “Get that doctrine out and we will agree.”

“Yes,” is our answer, “Get that out and you get all out.”

But why contend it?

Because we are set of God to contend it …

Because the battle of truth is the battle of lie.

Better die than lie, or run from a lie because we fear to face it.

“We ought to set ourselves,” says Calvin in his sermon on Hymenaeus and Philetus, “We ought to set ourselves against perversions of the truth and to rebuke them sharply. For if we wink at them and let them pass, we give them our support. And then we may boast as we please about being Christians, but there are more devils among us than Christians if we countenance falsehood.”

“Therefore,” goes on the Reformer, “therefore, let us look well to the doctrine entrusted to us, and if we see wicked persons trying to infect the Church of God, to darken the doctrine or to destroy it, let us endeavour to bring their works to light that everyone may behold them, and thereby be enabled to shun them. If we attend not to these things we are traitors to God and have no zeal for His honour, nor for the salvation of His Church. We must be the out and out enemies of wickedness, if we will serve God. It is not enough for us to refrain ourselves from wrong and sin, but we must condemn these as much as possible that they may not gain influence or get the upper hand.”

These trumpet tones of Calvin tell us how men spoke and felt to whom God’s truth was dear, in times that tried men’s souls.

My brother, do men, of this day, class thee along with the Puritans? Then:

“Bear the honour well, right noble is

Thine ancestry; and if thro’ following Him,

Who bore thy sin, the world should frown,

Lift up thy head—fear not,

For He who made thee His,

Will give thee courage, honour, influence,

And that true victory which ever crowns

His free-born sons.”

[The above article, by the one-time Pastor of the First Reformed Church of Orange, New Jersey, is taken from a former S.G.R. pamphlet.]

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