"Contrary to the thinking of some, holding to the doctrine of supralapsarianism does not make one a hyper-Calvinist. There has always been room in the Reformed faith for supralapsarianism. Although the Reformed confessions are infralapsarian, the Canons of Dordt deliberately so over against the strong plea of Gomarus for supralapsarianism, they do not condemn supralapsarianism as unreformed or hyper-Calvinistic.
Nor is one a hyper-Calvinist because he holds the doctrine of eternal justification and immediate regeneration. Sound Reformed theologians have both denied and affirmed these teachings.
Neither is it the case that hyper-Calvinism is a matter of a strong emphasis on God's eternal counsel and God's sovereignty in salvation. No true Calvinist ever lacked this strong emphasis.
But hyper-Calvinism is the denial that God in the preaching of the gospel calls everyone who hears the preaching to repent and believe. It is the denial that the church should call everyone in the preaching. It is the denial that the unregenerated have a duty to repent and believe. It manifests itself in the practice of the preacher's addressing the call of the gospel, 'repent and believe on Christ crucified,' only to those in his audience who show signs of regeneration and, thereby, of election, namely, some conviction of sin and some interest in salvation." -David Engelsma, Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel
No comments:
Post a Comment