FOREWORD
"A Triple Breach" is controversy. Protestant Reformed churchman and theologian Herman Hoeksema exposes the "Three Points of Common Grace," adopted by the Christian Reformed Church in 1924, as appendages to the Reformed confessions rather than interpretations of the confessions, and as departures from these confessions, rather than developments of the confessions. Hoeksema's analysis and argument are incisive and compelling. His charge of Pelagianism and Arminianism has never been answered.
"A Triple Breach" is theology - Reformed theology. In the brief compass of a popular booklet, the author sets forth and defends such essential doctrines as particular, sovereign grace; the total depravity of unregenerated man; the organic development of sin in the race; the nature of good works; the antithesis; and more. Like all good theology, this work rests on solid interpretation of a number of passages of Scripture, as well as appeal to and explanations of the creeds.
"A Triple Breach" is evangelism. As he states in his preface, originally it was Hoeksema's prayer "that our God may use this booklet as an instrument in His hands to open the eyes of many for the errors and dangers of the three points and to strengthen their hearts in the truth of His Word." At the time of this reprint (1992), the need for this enlightenment in the Christian Reformed Church is, if anything, even greater than it was when the booklet was first published. The evils of universal grace and of openness to the wicked world are rampant and well-developed in that church. These are the fruits of her doctrine of common grace. Hoeksema prophesied these fruits long ago, as the republishing of "A Triple Breach" will make plain to every reader.
But the un-Reformed teachings of common grace - the preaching of the gospel as grace to all, a restraint of sin in the unregenerated by the Spirit, the doing of good works by unbelievers are by this time embraced and promoted by much of the Reformed and Presbyterian church-world. There is need, therefore, desperate need, for the clarion call of this booklet to be sounded to Reformed and Presbyterian people worldwide, a call to return to sound, consistent, creedal Reformed orthodoxy.
"A Triple Breach" is also church history. It tells who the Protestant Reformed Churches are, whence they came, and why. It is valuable instruction of the members of these churches, what great truths they are privileged to maintain and develop.
"A Triple Breach" has long been out of print. Under the blessing of the Spirit of truth, its reprinting by the Evangelism Committee of the Southwest Protestant Reformed Church will serve the good purposes not only of evangelism but also of controversy, theology, and church history.
Prof. David J. Engelsma Protestant Reformed Seminary
Grandville, Michigan
PREFACE
For us it was a matter of conscience, when in 1924 we refused to declare ourselves to be in conformity with the three points of doctrine, adopted in the same year by the Synod of the Christian Reformed Churches, and also refused to refrain from making propaganda against these points in the Churches, even though on account of this refusal the Christian Reformed Churches expelled us from their fellowship.
And that it was a question of conscience with them that thus dissented and were expelled from the Churches has been amply corroborated by the history of the Protestant Reformed Churches since 1924.
Before God and our conscience it was not only impossible for us to subscribe to three doctrinal declarations whose tenets were, according to our firm conviction, in conflict with the Word of God and the Reformed Standards; but we also considered it our calling to expose before the Churches the error of the three points and warn our Reformed people against their dangerous tendencies and influence.
When, therefore, Classis Grand Rapids East, in spite of our efforts to prevent a separation, left us no other alternative than either to sign the three points and promise not to oppose their doctrine openly, or to be deposed from our office of minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Churches, we chose the latter for the simple reason that before God and our conscience we could do nothing else.
Of this choice we never repented.
The more we make a thorough study of the doctrinal implications of the three points and of the arguments in their defense, adduced by leaders of the Christian Reformed Churches, the firmer our conviction becomes, that they are, indeed, deviations from the truth that have a far reaching effect and threaten to undermine the very foundations of the Reformed truth.
This conviction on our part may explain the publication of this booklet. It contains chiefly, with a few alterations, a quaternion of lectures on the three points, delivered by us in different parts of our country.
With, the prayer that our God may use this booklet as an instrument in His hands to open the eyes of many for the errors and dangers of the three points and to strengthen their hearts in the truth of His Word, we offer it to the interested reader.
Rev. Herman Hoeksema
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