• Charles Buck's Theological Dictionary

    55 Molinists

    MOLINISTS A sect in the Romish church who follow the doctrine and sentiments of the Jesuit Molina, relating to sufficient and efficacious grace. He taught that the operations of divine grace were entirely consistent with the freedom of the human will; and introduced a new kind of hypothesis to remove the difficulties attending the doctrines of predestination and liberty, and to reconcile the jarring opinions of Augustines, Thomists, Semi-Pelagians, and other contentious divines. He affirmed that the decree of predestination to eternal glory was founded upon a previous knowledge and consideration of the merits of the elect; that the grace, from whose operation these merits are derived, is not efficacious by its own intrinsic power only, but also by the consent of our own will,…

  • Charles Buck's Theological Dictionary

    54 Sublapsarians

    SUBLAPSARIANS Those who hold that God permitted the first man to fall into transgression without absolutely predetermining his fall; or that the decree of predestination regards man as fallen, by an abuse of that freedom which Adam had, into a state in which all were to be left to necessary and unavoidable ruin, who were not exempted from it by predestination.

  • Charles Buck's Theological Dictionary

    53 Supralapsarians

    SUPRALAPSARIANS Persons who hold that God, without any regard to the good or evil works of men, has resolved, by an eternal decree, supra lapsum, antecedently to any knowledge of the fall of Adam, and independently of it, to save some and reject others: or, in other words, that God intended to glorify his justice in the condemnation of some, as well as his mercy in the salvation of others; and, for that purpose, decreed that Adam, should necessarily fall. Dr. Gill gives us the following account of Supralapsarianism.--The question which he proposes to discuss, is, "Whether men were considered in the mind of God in the decree of election as fallen or unfallen, as in the corrupt mass through the fall, or in the…

  • Jared Smith On Various Issues

    Is Hyper-Calvinism A False Gospel?

    Based on the false dichotomy between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man, Low and Moderate Calvinists misrepresent High (Hyper) Calvinism as that form of doctrine which is unorthodox, killing a love for souls, eliminating the need for evangelism and undermining the purpose of prayer. Such are the charges set forth by Roy Hargrave as the reasons why he abhors the Hyper-Calvinists. However, are these assertions true? Is Hyper-Calvinism unorthodox? Does Hyper-Calvinism kill a love for souls? Does Hyper-Calvinism eliminate the need for evangelism? Does Hyper-Calvinism undermine the purpose of prayer? In this study, Jared Smith responds to these charges, setting forth an argument that not only are Hyper-Calvinists orthodox, but they alone nurture an authentic love for souls, fulfill the great work…

  • Jared Smith On Various Issues

    What Is Hyper-Calvinism?

    What Is Hyper-Calvinism? This same question appears as the title for an article written by Ronald Hanko for the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA). You may view the full article here. Hanko admits that his group (PRCA) is often maliciously charged with being hyper-Calvinists, because it rejects the well-meant offer of the gospel. However, he argues the historic definition for hyper-Calvinism[1] is restricted to those who deny the doctrine of duty-faith, rather than those who reject the free-offer. He writes, “Historically, the name has been applied to those who deny that the command of the gospel to repent and believe must be preached to all who hear the gospel.” He goes on to explain: “A hyper-Calvinist (historically and doctrinally) is…one who believes rightly in…