About the Canons of Dort
The Canons of Dort were adopted by the Synod of Dort in 1618–19. They explain and defend the Reformed understanding of salvation by God’s grace in response to the five points of the Remonstrants.
Their five doctrinal heads address election and reprobation; Christ’s death and redemption; human corruption; conversion to God; and the perseverance of the saints. The third and fourth heads are treated together, so the text has four main doctrinal divisions. Each is followed by a rejection of errors.
The Three Forms of Unity
The Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort are together known as the Three Forms of Unity. Many Reformed churches use them as a shared summary of the Christian faith, grounded in Scripture and always subject to its authority.
Each has a different purpose: the Belgic Confession sets out the faith in 37 articles; the Heidelberg Catechism teaches it through 129 questions and answers arranged into 52 Lord’s Days; and the Canons of Dort explain and defend the biblical teaching of salvation by God’s grace. Together, they help churches teach, confess, and live out their faith.
About this text edition
CRCA-published text. The Canons of Dort as published by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA). The wording and article headings follow that publication. Page layout and footnotes are adapted for the screen; personal pronouns referring to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are capitalised.
The complete text includes all 59 doctrinal articles, all 34 rejections of errors, and the conclusion. Article numbers restart within each head; rejection numbers restart in each corresponding section. The article headings follow the source; short labels for rejections help you find your place.
Personal pronouns referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are capitalised. Scripture links open the English Standard Version on Bible Gateway; that version may differ from the quotations within the text. See the source edition. This is an independent reading website, not an official publication of the CRCA.
All quotations from Scripture are translations of the original Latin manuscript
The PDF identifies the translation adopted by the 1986 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and accepted by the RCA Synod of 1991. It states that its translation is used by permission of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
Reading and finding your place
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