Since you asked for the opinions of those who disagree: Traill’s writing is simply a pack of fallacious and unscriptural lies, which sadly constitute a major portion of the mainstream Calvinist apologetic. Arminian theology does not of necessity lead to Romans Catholicism, nor is it derived from the teachings of Pelagius, but rather from the scriptural record.

showering them with programs and excitement

This is perhap one of the greatest of deceptions. We want to belong, to be part of and feel contributory. It makes us feel good about ourselves. It is so subtle. We have heard it, “get involved, find your place in ministry” and forget that even the gift of ministry is given only to some:

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,

let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

or ministry, let us use it in our ministering

Some how we have forgotten what the old guys called vocation. For some, being a mother, or a father, employed in the field or factory is what God has called them to. We forget particularity and the administration of the Holy Spirit and his choosing and distributing gifts according to his purpose. We take spiritual inventories, express a “priesthood of the believer” doctrine that levels the playing field and does not make proper distinctions. Is it any wonder then that we must have programs and excitements so that people feel attached to the ministry. Martin Lloyd-Jones perspective on the term ministry is important. He says and as far as I can tell he is correct, that whenever the definite article appears with ministry it is speaking of the offices of the church but when it does not it is not. In other words to say that everyone has a ministry obscures the diversity of the body, and though some are gifted to minister, not all are given the ministry. Today we have feet doing the smelling and noses running, it keeps people busy, and distracted and consequently undiscerning. Pragmaticism forces us to provide tools of practice when the reality is that we have been given freedom so that we no longer have to work at ministering before the alter. Since the High Priest has entered into the Holy of Holies it is the Sabbath, everyday, a day of rest. What that means is where ever we are, and whatever we are doing is now acceptable before the Lord. We do not have to worship in Jerusalem or on this mountain, nor perform specific tasks (sacrifices), have a ministry, rather the Father seeks those who will worship in Spirit and in Truth. Like Adam who was give the Garden to tend, we are give lives to live each according to its kind. That should be freeing, for now we no longer have to perform. But what we find is churches becoming traps rather than places of discipleship. No one imagines going to college as a teacher, but to be taught. We go to school to learn profession. Unfortunately, the church is now leading the way in equalizing, as Mike Horton has correctly observed, what we have created is a body of self-feeders.

“If I embrace Calvinism, I can only look at my fellow humans with contempt, with disgust, and even with hatred.”

Well you could if you were God and be justified in doing so as Jesus did, “You are of your Father the devil.” But, you and I are murderers of God, at least in our hearts, for we hate him before he creates in us a heart of love as Ezekial says. And Jesus said that hate is the same in man as murder. Man does not have the right to hate, he has no righteousness in him by which he can judge another as worthy of condemnation. The fact that you do not list mercy is most telling. You see, God shows his love in this, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And it is not that we loved him first, indeed it is impossible for us to do so, but that he first loved us and sent his only Son that those who are believing in him would not perish. Jesus is also very clear that the only ones who will come to him are those who the Father gives him. So, on one hand it makes sense that you do not accept the doctrines of Grace. You have no concept of what grace is and therefore cannot see how it is extended to us who are unworthy and how then we are enable to offer it to the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Like Brenda said…

The reality is that this is the perspective of God:

the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

What should be noted is that this is after the flood. The simple lesson from Noah’s time is that before the flood everyone was without a single thing worth saving, and after the flood, when there is only eight people, that remains unchanged. The only thing that saved Noah and his family was the favor with which God graced them. The next chapter disallows us to impute to Noah any noble character, the man was depraved, a drunkard, and his sin is laid bare for all the world to see. From his loins springs forth all the sin of all the generations that follow. If man had nothing that was worth saving, and only deserving of the loathing of God before and after the flood how is it that you would say that man has anything in him worth any appreciation by God?

But here is where you get it wrong. We are not worthy to judge our brother in the flesh for we are just as they are, totally depraved. When the holiness of God is revealed to us, that is, when we are born-again, we finally get a glimpse of the heart of man which is deceitful above all things. It is not cause for us to hate our equals, but to have compassion and long for mercy to be shown to them for it is right judgement, mercy and humility that God requires, all of which is a gift to us in regeneration just as it was a gift to Adam in the generation. But those who love the darkness will not come into the light so that their deeds will be exposed for the evil that they are. The righteous, however, come into the light so that it might be exposed that the things that they have done have been worked by the providence of God. That works in us humility, part of the grace which is given in regeneration. What you are hoping to see in others is merely what you want to be found in yourself. Unrighteous men suppress the truth in unrighteousness, excusing themselves by some image that they create in their evil thoughts. That is self-justification. Like the Pharisee, you wish to say I am glad that I am not like this sinner when indeed you are. We are justified by faith and that in Jesus Christ and not by any self-redeeming factor within us. It is his righteousness and none of our own to which we look. As Nathan said, you believe in your good works, the idol of your heart, your self-image, and not the God of Scripture. Your problem is your pride and: a haughty spirit goes before a fall and pride goes before destruction. Take care, then, if you think you stand on your own merit.

I’m not the most generous person as it is, I hate to admit: to embrace this theology would be to encourage what I thought would be the least noble aspects of my character.

There are many Christians who in all sincerity come to Christ only to later reject the faith in whole or in part.

Sincerity does not save, first of all. And Scripture is clear that those who come to Christ can never finally fall away. John is explicit in stating that for those who go out it is manifested that they never were of us, that is Christian. And though we cannot judge the final dispostition of such as we observe, we can judge their doctrine as either being anti-Christian, or Christianity compromised, and we can judge their actions, both of which are required for the discipline of the church. As to Templeton, who knows, and who cares. Paul did not care who Peter was, he judged his doctrine as being one with those who were actually teaching it simply by the fiat of Peter’s actions.

Billy Graham made heretical statements. His position in the Lord is only known to the Lord. Our responsibility is to judge his doctrine. Templeton and Graham stand before the Lord and are judged, as all of us are, as Jesus said, for every word that does not work. Templeton was a Presbyterian, but not a Calvinist for he was a humanistic modernist. What we know is that scientism such as that which Templeton exalted above the revelation of Scripture can not produce any final answers where Scripture does. Perhaps Templeton was saved but it is hard to reconcile that with the rejection of the Word as the most perfect revelation:

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man (science and philoosophy cannot produce it, my emphasis), but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

. If the Holy Spirit can be wrong, then Templeton possibly was right.

It is not Calvinism, but Arminianism (not all are explicit in the possibililty but all contain such possibililty because of their free-will doctrine) that potentially slams the door. Calvinism holds this:

Those whom God has accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, from which source he still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraved upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.

This is founded upon what does not exist in Arminianism/Romanism, namely that grace in the Calvinistic sense is entirely, efficaciously sufficent by providing all means for the comfort and salvation of the saints, nothing excepted, even the willing is provided by him. That is unlike Arminianisms which must allow for the libertarian free-will of the individual without qualification, and thus making it actually possible for the door to be closed permanently. You’ve got your theologies backwards.

I don’t deny that one can so erode their own conscience that choosing the good or their own salvation can be near impossible.

And here you enunciate the classical Arminian doctrine of reprobation. This is Pelagian/Semi-Pelagian, and heresy. It asssumes that conscience is somehow, to some measure, clean to begin with. It assumes that some good is resident and inherent in man, where what Scripture says is that we have been given the mind of Christ, a clean conscience, a righteousness which is from above, not from below. We have a righteousness that is conceived of the Spirit and not of the flesh. Jesus was quite explicit that flesh can only give birth to flesh. The Spirit is life, and that eternal, it is a reward given in Christ in whom alone abides eternal life. The Father has caused us to be made alive by that Spirit. The Spirit is not resident in all men from conception is it? No. Can the Spirit corrupt? Not at all. What God has done is to give us that treasure which cannot be stolen nor can it deteriorate, for the mind of Christ never denies the will of his Father. Depravity means that even though man is able to do some earthly good, he cannot do any heavenly good. The requirement for entrance into God’s favor is perfection. An impossibillity for the Arminian seeing that his flesh is the source of his choices and it is always corrupted by some measure.

You see then, it is your Arminianism that cannot grant the peace that passes understanding. We stand by the grace of God, you by the power of your own. You end up with only the peace which the world offers and which contains no hope whatsoever.

It would seem a Calvinist would not leave the door open for someone like Templeton to ever be able to recant or repent. Their high stature and subsequent fall might seem to them a glaring indication of their reprobation, whereas a non-Calvinist might recognize the ebbs and tides of religious faith and suggest that Templeton could still at least come to Christ as he neared death. The door, in other words, is still open, if even just a crack.

Of course, all souls must ultimately “choose” the dark or the light. I don’t deny that one can so erode their own conscience that choosing the good or their own salvation can be near impossible. I’m also not denying the reality of Hell, but simply that God, if He is good, must logically will that all people do what is right and just. To suggest that God “wills what He does not will” is incoherent, and nonsense is not made coherent just because “God can” is appended to it (just as I think it absurd that God would use “chaos” in pure evolutionary terms to construct man).

The heart of the Calvinist message is despair: your doom is sealed, and you can’t hope to escape the flames. Beg and plead all you want, but God is ultimately going to destroy you.

That tells me that you don’t understand the Calvinist position very well. For, of course, no sinner who comes to Christ will ever be turned away. The fact of scripture is that natural men hate God, would never come to Him, and even in the face of eternal punishment would never seek to be in His holy presence.