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THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM
Robert L. Dabney
"The most conspicuous figure and the leading theological guide of the Southern Presbyterian Church, the most prolific theological writer that Church has as yet produced, and for a period of over forty years one of the most distinguished and probably the most impressive teacher of its candidates for the ministry." - B.B. Warfield
"The best teacher of theology in the United States, if not the world. " - A.A. Hodge
"R.L. Dabney was one of the nineteenth century's greatest theologians, in fact one of the top Reformed theologians of all time. His work is invariably exegetical and precise. I am very thankful to the folk at Solid Ground Christian Books for making Dabney's 'Five
Points of Calvinism' available. The book will prove useful for the explanation and defense of these foundational doctrines of grace." Joseph A. Pipa, Jr., Ph.D. President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
"Dabney was a towering figure in the 19th century American theological world. His exposition of the five points of Calvinism will enrich the reader's appreciation for the doctrines of grace, the glory of the Gospel, the accomplishment of the work of Christ and the security of the believer." - Ligon Duncan
"Dabney has been described as representing a moderate Calvinism. That does not mean, however, he was a man with little or no convictions. The Five Points of Calvinism is a good introduction to Dabney in 'moderation' and a better place for the novice to be trained in basic Calvinism. Abounding with Scripture and logical argumentation, this is another 'old book' that's useful for the Church today." - Dr. C.N. Willborn
"The object of this tract is simply to enable all honest inquirers after truth to understand just what those doctrines really are which people style the peculiar "doctrines of Presbyterians," and thus to enable honest minds to answer all objections and perversions. I do not write because of any lack in our church of existing treatises well adapted to our purpose; nor because I think anyone can now add anything really new to the argument. But our pastors and missionaries think that some additional good may come from another short discussion suitable for unprofessional readers.." - from the Author
Here is a cogent defense of Calvinism by Robert Lewis Dabney against the charge of the Arminian thought that the doctrine of eternal security promotes "unholy living".
Robert Lewis Dabney (March 5, 1820 - January 3, 1898) was known as one of the greatest Southern Presbyterian theologians of the nineteenth century. During the American Civil War, Dabney first served as as a Chaplain 18th Virginia Calvary Regiment he later served as a Chief of Staff to General Stonewall Jackson.
From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of Ecclesiastical History and then served from adjunct professor of Systematic Theology from 1859 to 1869 at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA. While serving as one of the first faculty members at the University of Texas in Austin, as a Professor of Mental and Moral philosophy, Dabney and R. K. Smoot, founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (now known as Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary).
In 1870 Dabney became the moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
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• Introduction
| Introduction |
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We Presbyterians care very little about the name Calvinism. We are not ashamed of it; but we are not bound to it. Some opponents seem to harbor the ridiculous notion that this set of doctrines was the new invention of the Frenchman John Calvin. They would represent us as in this thing followers of him instead of followers of the Bible. This is a stupid historical error. John Calvin no more invented these doctrines than he invented this world which God had created six thousand years before. We believe that he was a very gifted, learned, and, in the main, godly man, who still had his faults. He found substantially this system of doctrines just where we find them, in the faithful study of the Bible, Where we see them taught by all the prophets, apostles, and the Messiah himself, from Genesis to Revelation.
Calvin also found the same doctrines handed down by the best, most learned, most godly, uninspired church fathers, as Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, still running through the errors of popery. He wielded a wide influence over the Protestant churches; but the Westminster Assembly and the Presbyterian churches by no means adopted all Calvin's opinions. Like the Synod of Dort, we draw our doctrines, not from any mortal man or human philosophy, but from the Holy Ghost speaking in the Bible. Yet, we do find some inferior comfort in discovering these same doctrines of grace in the most learned and pious of all churches and ages; of the great fathers of Romanism, of Martin Luther, of Blaise Paschal, of the original Protestant churches, German, Swiss, French, Holland, English and Scotch, and far the largest part of the real scriptural churches of our own day. The object of this tract is simply to enable all honest inquirers after truth to understand just what those doctrines really are which people style the peculiar "doctrines of Presbyterians," and thus to enable honest minds to answer all objections and perversions. I do not write because of any lack in our church of existing treatises well adapted to our purpose; nor because I think anyone can now add anything really new to the argument. But our pastors and missionaries think that some additional good may come from another short discussion suitable for unprofessional readers. To such I would earnestly recommend two little books, Dr. Mathews's on the Divine Purpose, and Dr. Nathan Rice's God Sovereign and Man Free. For those who wish to investigate these doctrines more extensively there are, in addition to their Bible, the standard works in the English language on doctrinal divinity, such as Calvin's Institutes (translated), Witsius on the Covenants, Dr. William Cunningham's, of Edinburgh, Hill's and Dicks's Theologies, and in the United States those of Hedge, Dabney, and Shedd.
