DOCTRINE DE LA PREDESTINATION

SELON LES NOTIONS DU CALVINISME

par

Loraine Boettner

 

Texte numérisé et mise en pages par

Jean leDuc et Alexandre Cousinier

Février 2024

 

***

 

Chapter 1

Introduction

 

Chapter 2

Statement of the Doctrine

 

Chapter 3

God Has a Plan

SCRIPTURE PROOF

1. God's plan is eternal:

2. God's plan is unchangeable:

3. The divine plan includes the future acts of men:

4. The divine plan Includes the fortuitous events or chance happenings:

5. Some events are recorded as fixed or inevitably certain:

6. Even the sinful acts of men are included in the plan and are overruled for good.

 

Chapter 4

The Sovereignty of God

SCRIPTURE PROOF

 

Chapter 5

The Providence of God

SCRIPTURE PROOF

 

Chapter 6

The Foreknowledge of God

 

Chapter 7

The Outline of Systems

 

Chapter 8

The Scriptures Are the Final Authority by Which Systems Are to Be Judged

 

Chapter 9

A Warning Against Undue Speculation

The Five Points of Calvinism

 

Chapter 10

Total Inability

2. THE EXTENT AND EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN

3. THE DEFECTS IN MAN'S COMMON VIRTUES

4. THE FALL OF MAN

5. THE REPRESENTATIVE PRINCIPLE

6. THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD

7. SCRIPTURE PROOF

 

Chapter 11

Unconditional Election

1. STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE

2. PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE

FURTHER SCRIPTURE PROOF

3. PROOF FROM REASON

4. FAITH AND GOOD WORKS ARE THE FRUITS AND PROOF, NOT THE BASIS, OF ELECTION

5. REPROBATION

Comments by Calvin, Luther, and Warfield

Proof from Scripture

The Doctrine of Reprobation is Based on the Doctrine of Original Sin; No Injustice is Done to the Non-elect

State of the Heathens

Purposes of the Decree of Reprobation

Arminians Center Attack on This Doctrine

Under No Obligation to Explain All These Things

6. INFRALAPSARIANISM AND SUPRALAPSARIANISM

7. MANY ARE CHOSEN

8. A REDEEMED WORLD OR RACE

Zechariah 9:10.

9. THE VASTNESS OF THE REDEEMED MULTITUDE

10. THE WORLD IS GROWING BETTER

11. INFANT SALVATION

12. SUMMARY OF THE REFORMED DOCTRINE OF ELECTION

 

Chapter 12

Limited Atonement

1. STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE

2. THE INFINITE VALUE OF CHRIST'S ATONEMENT

3. THE ATONEMENT IS LIMITED IN PURPOSE AND APPLICATION

4. CHRIST'S WORK AS A PERFECT FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW

5. A RANSOM

6. THE DIVINE PURPOSE IN CHRIST'S SACRIFICE

7. THE EXCLUSION OF THE NON-ELECT

8. THE ARGUMENT FROM THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

9. CERTAIN BENEFITS WHICH EXTEND TO MANKIND IN GENERAL

 

Chapter 13

Efficacious Grace

1. TEACHING OF THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION

2. NECESSITY FOR THE CHANGE

3. AN INWARD CHANGE WROUGHT BY SUPERNATURAL POWER

4. THE EFFECT PRODUCED IN THE SOUL

5. THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST'S WORK EVANGELICALISM

6. THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF UNIVERSAL GRACE

7. NO VIOLATION OF MAN'S FREE AGENCY

8. COMMON GRACE

 

Chapter 14

The Perseverance of the Saints

1. STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE

2. OUR PERSEVERANCE NOT DEPENDENT ON OUR OWN GOOD WORKS BUT ON GOD'S GRACE

3. THOUGH TRULY SAVED THE CHRISTIAN MAY TEMPORARILY BACKSLIDE AND COMMIT SIN

4. AN OUTWARD PROFESSION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS NOT ALWAYS A PROOF THAT THE PERSON IS A TRUE CHRISTIAN

5. ARMINIAN SENSE OF INSECURITY

6. PURPOSE OF THE SCRIPTURE WARNINGS AGAINST APOSTASY

7. SCRIPTURE PROOF

 

Chapter 15

Objection 1. It Is Fatalism

 

Chapter 16

Objection 2. It Is Inconsistent with the Free Agency and Moral Responsibility of Man

1. THE PROBLEM OF MAN’S FREE AGENCY

2. THIS OBJECTION BEARS EQUALLY AGAINST FOREKNOWLEDGE

3. CERTAINTY IS CONSISTENT WITH FREE AGENCY

4. MAN'S NATURAL WILL IS ENSLAVED TO EVIL

5. GOD CONTROLS THE MINDS OF MEN AND GIVES HIS PEOPLE THE WILL TO COME

6. THE WAY IN WHICH THE WILL IS DETERMINED

7. SCRIPTURE PROOF

FURTHER SCRIPTURE PROOF

 

Chapter 17

Objection 3. It Makes God the Author of Sin

1. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

2. INSTANCES IN WHICH SIN HAS BEEN OVERRULED FOR GOOD

3. THE FALL OF ADAM WAS INCLUDED IN THE DIVINE PLAN

4. THE RESULT OF ADAM'S FALL

5. THE FORCES OF EVIL ARE UNDER GOD'S PERFECT CONTROL

6. SINFUL ACTS OCCUR ONLY BY DIVINE PERMISSION

7. SCRIPTURE PROOF

8. COMMENTS BY SMITH AND HODGE

9. GOD'S GRACE IS MORE DEEPLY APPRECIATED AFTER THE PERSON HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF SIN

10. CALVINISM OFFERS A MORE SATISFACTORY SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF EVIL THAN DOES ANY OTHER SYSTEM

 

Chapter 18

Objection 4. It Discourages All Motives to Exertion

1. THE MEANS AS WELL AS THE ENDS ARE FOREORDAINED

2. PRACTICAL RESULTS

 

Chapter 19

Objection 5. It Represents God As a Respecter of Persons

1. DIFFICULTIES FACED BY ALL SYSTEMS

2. GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS

3. GOD PLAINLY DOES NOT TREAT ALL PEOPLE ALIKE; HE GIVES TO SOME WHAT HE WITHHOLDS FROM OTHERS

4. GOD'S PARTIALITY IS PARTLY EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT HE IS SOVEREIGN AND THAT HIS GIFTS ARE OF GRACE

 

Chapter 20

Objection 6. It is Unfavorable to Good Morality

1. THE MEANS AS WELL AS THE ENDS ARE FOREORDAINED

2. LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US IS THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE AND ONLY PERMANENT BASIS FOR MORALITY

3. THE PRACTICAL FRUITS OF CALVINISM IN HISTORY ARE ITS BEST VINDICATION

 

Chapter 21

Objection 7. It Precludes a Sincere Offer of the Gospel to the Non-Elect

1. THE SAME OBJECTION APPLIES AGAINST GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE

2. THE OFFER IS SINCERELY MADE

 

Chapter 22

Objection 8. It Contradicts the Universalistic Scripture Passages

1. THE TERMS "WISH," "WILL," AND "ALL"

2. THE GOSPEL IS FOR JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE

3. THE TERM "WORLD" IS USED IN VARIOUS SENSES

4. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

Chapter 23

Salvation by Grace

1. MAN'S ILL-DESERT

2. GOD MAY GIVE OR WITHHOLD GRACE AS HE PLEASES

3. SALVATION NOT TO BE EARNED BY MAN

4. SCRIPTURE TEACHING

5. FURTHER REMARKS

 

Chapter 24

Personal Assurance That One Is Among the Elect

1. BASIS FOR ASSURANCE

2. SCRIPTURE TEACHING

3. CONCLUSION

 

Chapter 25

Predestination in the Physical World

1. THE UNIFORMITY OF NATURAL LAW

2. COMMENTS BY NOTED SCIENTISTS AND THEOLOGIANS

3. THE CALVINISTIC SYSTEM ALONE HARMONIZES WITH MODERN SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY

 

Chapter 26

A Comparison with the Mohammedan Doctrine of Predestination

1. ELEMENTS WHICH THE TWO DOCTRINES HAVE IN COMMON

3. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE NOT DERIVED FROM MOHAMMEDANISM

4. THE TWO DOCTRINES CONTRASTED

 

Chapter 27

The Practical Importance of the Doctrine

1. INFLUENCE OF THE DOCTRINE IN DAILY LIVING

2. A SOURCE OF SECURITY AND COURAGE

3. CALVINISTIC EMPHASIS ON THE DIVINE AGENCY IN MAN'S SALVATION

4. ONLY CALVINISM WILL STAND ALL TESTS

5. THESE DOCTRINES NOT UNREASONABLE WHEN UNDERSTOOD

6. THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY AND THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION

7. THESE DOCTRINES SHOULD BE PUBLICLY TAUGHT AND PREACHED

8. ORDINATION VOWS AND THE MINISTER’S OBLIGATION

9. THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS TRULY BROAD AND TOLERANT

 

Chapter 28

Calvinism in History

1. BEFORE THE REFORMATION

2. THE REFORMATION

3. CALVINISM IN ENGLAND

4. CALVINISM IN SCOTLAND

5. CALVINISM IN FRANCE

6. CALVINISM IN HOLLAND

7. CALVINISM IN AMERICA

8. CALVINISM AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

9. CALVINISM AND EDUCATION

10. JOHN CALVIN

11. CONCLUSION