# First Official *Contest* at A Puritan's Mind for the PB



## C. Matthew McMahon (Apr 14, 2006)

*First Official *Contest* at A Puritan\'s Mind for the PB*

Okay ladies and gentleman.....

The First Official A Puritan's Mind Book Contest!

I want to put out a contest for the benefit of posting a new article at A Puritan's Mind. I've researched a bit, but can't seem to find the "official" first usage of the acronym TULIP. We all talk about how we love the doctrines of grace in the theological formulation TULIP - but who came up with it? I want to write an historical article on its beginnings.

Now, we know Dordt came up with the five points. BUT, where was the first usage documented of the acronym T.U.L.I.P.? Who came up with it? Was it a clever preacher? Was it a university theologian? It HAS to be documented somewhere. I can't find it. Can you? 

Here is the challange:

The first person to find a cited source, a legitimate source, will win the prize of any books you want from RHB up to $200. 

So, whoever finds this source, will get with me, and we'll place an order at Reformation Heritage Books for whatever you choose, up to $200. 

Let's have some fun!

{In the voice of John Cleese from the first scene of *Rat Race*} - Okay then everybody....Go..........begin..........off you go!


EDIT:

There are no rules here. If you want to call your theological professor, librarian assistant, the Library of Congress, go for it!

First person to cite the answer wins.

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by C. Matthew McMahon]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 14, 2006)




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## MeanieCalvinist (Apr 14, 2006)

What a great idea!


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## NaphtaliPress (Apr 14, 2006)

Is there pre 19th century usage? I would guess without checking that it is 19th century (English or American obviously). Do any 18th century authors use it like Toplady? Or earlier like a Puritan? As a mnemonic device it could have originated informally in catechism classes so it may not be something that started in academia.


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## crhoades (Apr 14, 2006)

the Dutch love Tulips...think they came up with it?


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## Arch2k (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by crhoades_
> the Dutch love Tulips...think they came up with it?



I have heard Curt Daniels mention's that the tulip is emblematic of the Netherlands, and probably originated there. 

Guess I should keep that to myself.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by crhoades_
> the Dutch love Tulips...think they came up with it?



I mentioned in the other thread that the English word tulip has an etymology that dates back to 1578. So it was a relatively new word in English parlance during the time the Counter-Remonstrants prepared their articles in response to the five Arminian articles.

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 14, 2006)

> The Synod of Dort closed in May 1619. The Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism were officially adopted and the Canons of Dort were issued. The Canons of Dort appeared under four articles and contained the five points of Calvinism, the third and fourth being combined. We know them by the acronym TULIP.



THE ORIGIN OF TULIP

unfortunately, these people seem to be Arminians...



> There is no certainty as to the origin of the acronym 'TULIP...



WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF 'TULIP'?

this site appears to be Calvinistic....


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## crhoades (Apr 14, 2006)

From my pastor:

As I understand it, no one knows with certainty the exact person, group, or date first using this acronym. So, unnless someone has concrete doucmentation on the matter, it remains something of a mystery. Obviously, it is of English origin, although appropriate enough, given the Tulip industry in Holland, where Dort was held. We can say with a fair amount of accuracy that the term did not become popular until the late 1800's-early1900's at the earliest, as Dabney and his contemporaries never mentioned TULIP, but instead wrote on the five points of Calvinism in the order they were given by the statement of Dort. TULIP actually rearranges that order, if you will check it with the documents of Dort.


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## MeanieCalvinist (Apr 14, 2006)

I do know this about TULIP..... There sure are a lot of sites misrepresenting it.... Like that is a surprise. . 



It originated by one of the decendants of Adam, I know this much. 
Just wanted to be of assistance to all who are searching.



[Edited on 4-14-2006 by MeanieCalvinist]

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by MeanieCalvinist]


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Apr 14, 2006)

Just a note - 

I am looking for the first use of TULIP cited. It does not matter to me what century it was first used in so long as we can date it authentically.

Remember - I don't know the answer to this, so the first cited post that seems credible could win.


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## turmeric (Apr 14, 2006)

This isn't what you're looking for but it's hilarious!

http://www.tenth.org/wowdir/wow1999-03-28.html


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## biblelighthouse (Apr 14, 2006)

This doesn't answer your question, but it may help lead us to the answer, as far as a date is concerned . . .


In the Companion Encyclopedia of Archaeology edited by Graeme Barker, I found some interesting (though inconclusive) info:



> from pg. 662:
> 
> Holland in the seventeenth century was 'the most formidable capitalism the world had yet seen' (Schama 1987: 323). From a region threatened with inundation by the sea, Holland had amassed an Empire and had come to dominate much of world trade (for the archaeology of this trade, see Gawronski 1990). The fruits of this trade produced what Simon Schama has called an 'Embarrassment of Riches': Dutch society in the seventeenth century was phenominally wealthy. At the same time *Calvinism was the most pervasive and powerful religious belief.* The Dutch therefore faced the dilemma produced by the accumulation of wealth and the damnation which was the promised consequence of the building up of worldly goods.
> 
> One of the strangest, and at the same time most illuminating, episodes of Dutch history in this 'Golden Age' occurred *between 1636 and 1637 and has been called 'the great tulip mania'* (Schama 1987: 350). Tulips originated in Turkey, and in the early decades of the seventeenth century their production and trade were in the hands of specialists. By the 1630s the market had expanded, and by 1634 the desirability of the tulip, especially rare varieties, had grown so rapidly that what we would call 'futures trading' had begun to take place. By 1637 the inevitable collapse took place. . .




Less than 20 years after Dordt, the Dutch people had an odd economic boom of "tulip mania".

I wonder . . .





[Edited on 4-14-2006 by biblelighthouse]


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## MeanieCalvinist (Apr 14, 2006)

Interesting reading anyway: _The Gospel in A Tulip_

Here's the link:

http://www.geocentricity.com/publications/tulip.html

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by MeanieCalvinist]

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by C. Matthew McMahon]


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## matthew11v25 (Apr 14, 2006)

MAN!!! A simple google wont work for this one. I called Dr. Godfrey only to find out I wasnt the first call (he did not know). Spoke to a number of people...no one knows. Its out there...some where


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 14, 2006)

My guess so far is that it's probably a recent innovation, maybe early 1900's? I don't recall the Hodges, Spurgeon, Warfeild, Machen, etal ever referring to it. 

Does anyone know the Dutch word for Tulip?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> Does anyone know the Dutch word for Tulip?



_Tulp_ -- although c. 1578 the English word derived from the Dutch or German _tulpe_ (see more on the etymology here).


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 14, 2006)

I would also add, that it may be impossible to find it in a scholarly source too, since it is used for laymen and lay writing. Berkhof doesn't mention it either. The earliest reference I've found so far was 1976. But the author speaks as if it's been around for a while.


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## ANT (Apr 14, 2006)

I've got a small book/booklet (30 to 40 pgs.) at home that specifically covers the origins of the acronym T.U.L.I.P ....

When I get home I'll look it up ...


































Just Kidding .... 
I Wanted to make everybody sweat


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 14, 2006)




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## Pilgrim (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> I would also add, that it may be impossible to find it in a scholarly source too, since it is used for laymen and lay writing. Berkhof doesn't mention it either. The earliest reference I've found so far was 1976. But the author speaks as if it's been around for a while.



More recent writers mention it as if it's been around for a while. But apparently became popular sometime in the 20th century. I also checked Berkhof and found no mention of it in a couple of his works. But it's likely that some writers don't mention TULIP specifically because they are looking to make their points directly from the Bible and not get into historic theology, and also perhaps the acrostic doesn't fit the way they organized their argument.

I'm thinking it was probably a clever preacher or teacher since TULIP is a memory device. 

[Edited on 4-15-2006 by Pilgrim]


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 14, 2006)

Maybe????

Lorraine Boetner:
"The Five Points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P; T, Total Inability; U- Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible Grace; and P, Perserverance of the Saints." pg. 60, _The Reformed Doctrine of Predistination_, @ 1932. 

He doesn't cite or quote anyone regarding this acronym. So maybe he's the culprit? This book has been pretty popular over the years.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> Maybe????
> 
> Lorraine Boetner:
> ...



If anything, Boettner's book has certainly served to popularize TULIP over the years. He had come to my mind as well, but I don't have that particular book.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 14, 2006)

Says here that "Dabney wrote before the familar TULIP formula was made popular": http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/dabney/5points.htm

I saw an article where Spurgeon is quoted referencing the five points, but I don't know that it's the TULIP formula.

[Edited on 4-15-2006 by Pilgrim]


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## JJF (Apr 14, 2006)

Does it have to be in the form "tulip" or can all the parts be there? For example (assuming my edition uses the terms which Shedd orginally used), Shedd uses all the terms (spread throughout his systematic) except for perseverance of the saints. His systematic was first published in 1888, so that tells me (if the words were unchanged by the editor) either he invented them or he knew of their use from somewhere earlier.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 14, 2006)

I checked for references to TULIP in Alfred Nevin's _Encylcopedia of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America_ (1884) and N.S. McFetridge's _Calvinism in History_ (1882) -- _nada_.

[Edited on 4-15-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## Pilgrim (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> Maybe????
> 
> Lorraine Boetner:
> ...



It has been recently noted on the PB that Boettner didn't cite his sources properly in his book on Romanism, so unless we can find something predating his book, it's hard to say whether TULIP originated with him or not, although there's no doubt that his book served to popularize it since it has been used to introduce Calvinism to many.

[Edited on 4-15-2006 by Pilgrim]


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## turmeric (Apr 14, 2006)

*I didn\'t find it but look at what I did find*

http://www.prca.org/standard_bearer/volume74/1997oct15.html

From the article "The Poisonous Petals of the Arminian LILAC"
Rev. Charles J. Terpstra

It was, I believe, the late Dr. John Gerstner who invented the acronym LILAC to summarize the five points of the Arminians. He did this because the tulip flower has been the symbol of the five points of Calvinism. The two "flowers" look like this:


T - Total Depravity 
U - Unconditional Election 
L - Limited Atonement
I - Irresistible Grace 
P - Perseverance of Saints

L - Limited Depravity
I - I Choose Christ
L - Limitless Atonement
A - Arrestible Grace
C - Carnal Security


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## JJF (Apr 14, 2006)

On page 363 of Warfield's "Calvin and Calvinism," he mentions absolute predestination, particular redemption, total depravity, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. In parentheses, he writes, "Canons of the Synod of Dort." Warfield's acronym is APTIP. This is interesting if nothing else.

[Edited on 16-4-06 by JJF]


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## ANT (Apr 15, 2006)

I've looked through at least 50 articles .... Nada, zip, zero!


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## turmeric (Apr 15, 2006)

My guess...some 20th Century seminary professor used it in class and it took off. That's why we can't find it, it's in someone's lesson plan somewhere. Post-Warfield, pre-Gerstner.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 15, 2006)

I've found several instances of Spurgeon expositions of the Five Points in familiar order, including here but he generally uses Human Depravity for Total Depravity, etc. 

Other writers of this era, including A.A. Hodge generally seem to use the WCF term effectual calling instead of TULIP's irresistible grace.


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Apr 15, 2006)

Wow, lots of god stuff thus far!

The prize yet awaits!


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## youthevang (Apr 15, 2006)

This may not be the answer but I found them interesting.



> Now if we take all those first capital letters and make an acrostic to help us remember the five points we come up with A G J A T. "Agjat." Several hundred years ago some English speaking Calvinists tried to come up with an acrostic for these five points; and they hit upon T U L I P, which is a lot easier to remember. TULIP is also appropriate because these five points were first outlined in 1618 at the Synod of Dordt, in Holland (home of the tulip flower).



From Calvinism Made Simple




> They are only known as that because some students of Calvin came up with the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. which roughly defines the "doctrines of grace."



From Sermon Audio


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 15, 2006)

> _Originally posted by turmeric_
> 
> It was, I believe, the late Dr. John Gerstner who invented the acronym LILAC to summarize the five points of the Arminians. He did this because the tulip flower has been the symbol of the five points of Calvinism



We all know that the Calvinist flower is the TULIP. But how many of you knew that the Arminian flower is the DAISY?

"œHe loves me"¦ He loves me not"¦ He loves me"¦ He loves me not"¦"


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 16, 2006)

I've got another lead, but it will have to wait until I get to the library. 

So far Boettner in 1932 is the earliest?


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> I've got another lead, but it will have to wait until I get to the library.
> 
> So far Boettner in 1932 is the earliest?



No one has posted anything here suggesting they have found an explicit use of TULIP earlier. Someone said that Shedd uses 4 of the 5 terms, which suggests that he may have been familiar with the acrostic.


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 16, 2006)

aha! i may have it!



> In 1610 the followers of Arminius published their "Remonstrance," in which cardinal points of Calvinism were questioned. The Remonstrants grounded God's election in his foresight of faith, taught that Christ died for the salvation of all men, said that grace could be resisted, and declared that perseverance was not necessarily guaranteed to all. The Canons of Dort repudiated these positions and bequeathed to the Reformed church a specific view on the issues. *The tulip-clad fields of Holland provided the Reformed church with the acrostic which has helped many to recall the central theses of Calvinism.*



from:

TULIPs or ROSES



[Edited on 4-17-2006 by fivepointcalvinist]


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## NaphtaliPress (Apr 16, 2006)

Anyone check SERMONS ON THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM by WILLIAM PARKS? Originally preached 1856 and often reprinted and still in print. I don't have the work.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> Anyone check SERMONS ON THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM by WILLIAM PARKS? Originally preached 1856 and often reprinted and still in print. I don't have the work.



I seem to recall Spurgeon referencing the Five Points but not mentioning TULIP explicitly. The substance was there, but particular redemption is used instead of limited atonement, etc.


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## NaphtaliPress (Apr 16, 2006)

I think Warfield does the same thing in his article on Calvinism in his Shorter Writings.


> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> ...


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by fivepointcalvinist_
> aha! i may have it!
> 
> 
> ...



If you can quote the source for this place, you win: "The tulip-clad fields of Holland provided the Reformed church with the acrostic which has helped many to recall the central theses of Calvinism."

Where did the Reformed Church in Holland say this? Do you have a source for it?


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by fivepointcalvinist_
> ...



im hurrying!!!


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by fivepointcalvinist_
> ...



Did the Reformed Church in Holland say this? When the author refers to the "Reformed Church" I took it to mean the Reformed Church in general, not specifically Dutch Reformed, although I could be wrong. The quote is from a book review in the OPC magazine and the book reviewed is one in which Timothy George comes up with ROSES as a substitute for TULIP. Perhaps the tulips in Holland gave whoever formulated TULIP the idea for it.

[Edited on 4-17-2006 by Pilgrim]


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## turmeric (Apr 16, 2006)

Who first used the terms "Limited Atonement" instead of "Particular Atonement" and "irresistible Grace" instead of "Efficacious Grace"? If you don't have those particular (no pun intended) words, you don't have the acrostic. In fact, people don't like to use different phrases without apology because it messes up the acrostic. So there's the clue possibly.


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## Semper Fidelis (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by turmeric_
> http://www.prca.org/standard_bearer/volume74/1997oct15.html
> 
> From the article "The Poisonous Petals of the Arminian LILAC"
> ...


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 16, 2006)

I thought it was interesting that Boettner didn't use Total Depravity but Total Inability. I wonder who introduced Total Depravity.....


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by fivepointcalvinist_
> ...



 i have emailed the author for his reference. will get back in the am...


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 17, 2006)

got a response back from the author:



> Dear Matthew,
> 
> My reference is simply to the Synod of Dordt, held in Holland from 1618-19 and which addressed the
> Arminian controversy. Whether someone at Dordt came up with the acrostic TULIP I'm not so sure, but it was certainly out of the Canons of Dordt that the main emphases of Reformed theology came.
> ...





[Edited on 4-17-2006 by fivepointcalvinist]


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 17, 2006)

thought this was interesting:



> In the beginning of the 17th century, the tulip was starting to be used as a garden decoration in addition to its medicinal use. It soon gained major popularity as a trading product, especially in Holland. The interest in the flower was huge and bulbs sold for unbelievably high prices. Botanists began to hybridize the flower. They soon found ways of making the tulip even more decorative and tempting. Hybrids and mutations of the flower were seen as rarities and a sign of high status. In the months of late 1636 to early 1637, there was a complete "œTulipmania" in the Netherlands. Some varieties could cost more than an Amsterdam house at that time. Even ordinary men took part in the business. They saw how much money the upper class made in the commodity and thought it was an easy way of getting lots of money with no risk. The bulbs were usually sold by weight while they were still in the ground. This trade in un-sprouted flowers came to be called "œwind trade".


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 17, 2006)

i think its implied that at the synod itself, those present were inspired by the concurrent fascination/interest in tulips. i think its reasonable to say that the acrostic was a concensus rather than something proposed by one man...


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## matthew11v25 (Apr 17, 2006)

I thought the acrostic TULIP was developed atleast after the Canons of Dordt were translated into english.

found this reference:



> TULIP is a device developed (in North America) for remembering the fundamental doctrines concerning salvation discussed and declared at the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619)



by Arie Leder


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## matthew11v25 (Apr 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by fivepointcalvinist_
> i think its implied that at the synod itself, those present were inspired by the concurrent fascination/interest in tulips. i think its reasonable to say that the acrostic was a concensus rather than something proposed by one man...



Though it may have been established like a consensus, I am guessing that someone still came up with the original idea. I may be wrong, but that is my thought.


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## fivepointcalvinist (Apr 27, 2006)

well i will definitely concede to the fact that the acronym was likely originated in an english speaking culture. why? tulip the flower in dutch is translated t-u-l-p. no irresistible grace!


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## Puritan Sailor (Apr 27, 2006)

Looks like I'm still in the lead


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## polemic_turtle (Apr 27, 2006)

boy, I give up! I probably earned near that today working, so I'll just give up for now and order myself something nice.

Like Turrentin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology for $75 from Walmart.com


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## Bladestunner316 (Apr 28, 2006)

weird at wallmart??


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## MeanieCalvinist (May 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by polemic_turtle_
> boy, I give up! I probably earned near that today working, so I'll just give up for now and order myself something nice.
> 
> Like Turrentin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology for $75 from Walmart.com




Great idea... what a great deal on the set!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by MeanieCalvinist_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by polemic_turtle_
> ...



 Wow, that's a remarkable price! Wal-Mart?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 22, 2006)

So is the contest over? Did Patrick get the prize? What's the official verdict? Inquiring minds would like to know.


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Jun 22, 2006)

We don't have the frist source for TULIP yet. Still open if you want to try! I have still been unable to locate it.


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## youthevang (Jun 22, 2006)

Below is one references that I found.

"1610 - Long after Calvin's death, Dutch Calvinist's debate Arminians (believers in free will) in Dort; the Calvinist's develop the acronym TULIP to describe Calvin's theology."


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Jun 22, 2006)

That's not a source though.

A source would be a footnote from a book around 1625-50 (somewhere in there) that explains the "who, what, when, where, why, how" of TULIP via Dordt.

The kind of quote you have is the same kind of quote I write in my own papers.

I hope that makes sense.


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## caddy (Jun 22, 2006)

Good one! Had me going

I've scoured the I-NET, emailed numerous Blog sites, even spoke with John Frame who said he would circulate to RTS faculty for any clues.

It remains a mystery!




> _Originally posted by ANT_
> I've got a small book/booklet (30 to 40 pgs.) at home that specifically covers the origins of the acronym T.U.L.I.P ....
> 
> When I get home I'll look it up ...
> ...


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## fivepointcalvinist (Jun 22, 2006)

its likely we will never find out...


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## gregbed (Jun 22, 2006)

In a BibSac article by Earle Cairns:
Boettner sums up in this manner: "œThe five points of Calvinism may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word tulip: total inability (depravity of all human beings resulting from Adam´s sin), unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints."24 
Dallas Theological Seminary, Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 106, 106:116 (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1949; 2002).

As a historian, I would think Cairns would have noted an earlier source if he knew of one.

I betting on Puritan Sailor. I thought if it's too late to get the right answer, I could make some money by setting up a pool. I promise to buy books with the proceeds.


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## caddy (Jun 22, 2006)

That was the ONE book that got me thinking on the absolute truthfulness of Reformed theology just a few years ago.




> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> ...


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## caddy (Jun 23, 2006)

Puritan Salior didn't snag this ?


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 25, 2006)

Greg (doulosChristou) just sent me this quote:

"Ever since the appearance of Lorraine Boettner's magisterial The Reformed Doctrine of Presestination, it has been customary to refer to the five points according to the acrostic TULIP."

Steele, David N., Curtis C. Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented, 2nd ed. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing) 2004, p. xiv.


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## fivepointcalvinist (Jun 25, 2006)

if thats not a winner i dont know what is...


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## Pilgrim (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> Greg (doulosChristou) just sent me this quote:
> 
> "Ever since the appearance of Lorraine Boettner's magisterial The Reformed Doctrine of Presestination, it has been customary to refer to the five points according to the acrostic TULIP."
> ...



in my opinion that's probably as definitive as it's going to get. If Boettner didn't invent TULIP, his work certainly served to popularize its use. And no one has found a clear use of it prior to Boettner's work.


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Jun 25, 2006)

Boettner did not invent TULIP. Popularization....mmmmm.....aahhhh. Yeah maybe. I can't see that Boettner came "up" with TULIP.

Maybe there is no definitive answer. But it sure seems strange that we use it so "evidently" and it doesn't have a concise beginning. I mean, "tulips" "five petals intertwined" Dutch" Synod IN Dordt." Seems strange that there are no histroy books that say "Rev. "x" came up with the term.


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## fivepointcalvinist (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> ...



it appears as though the implication is that boettner did invent the acrostic, and did not simply popularize it. "ever since" implies that something came after; i dont see how he could have not suggested its use. like i noted in a previous post, dutch speaking calvinists at the time of Dordt would not have spelled tulip t-u-l-i-p, it would have been spelled t-u-l-p. also it is impossible that the dutch words could have been total, unconditional, limited, irresistible and perseverance as they are all clearly english words. only someone who spoke english could have came up with the acrostic. since no sources pre-date boettners work in use of this acronym, i think its fairly safe to say he should receive credit for its beginning. hard to prove otherwise...

[Edited on 6-25-2006 by fivepointcalvinist]


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 25, 2006)

I browsed through the RTS Reformed Theology section. There are several "Reformed Faith" type books even from Boettner's time and they didn't use the acrostic. I actually think that the acrostic makes too narrow a definition since the Reformed Faith includes much more than the 5 points. But before Boettner, the Reformed Faith was considered much broader than the TULIP.


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## Me Died Blue (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> I browsed through the RTS Reformed Theology section. There are several "Reformed Faith" type books even from Boettner's time and they didn't use the acrostic.



That in particular seems especially relevant to the issue of him coining the acronym rather than merely popularizing it, since even his _contemporaries_ apparently didn't refer to it.



> _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> I actually think that the acrostic makes too narrow a definition since the Reformed Faith includes much more than the 5 points. But before Boettner, the Reformed Faith was considered much broader than the TULIP.



But that's really not a problem attached to the formulation and use of the acrostic, since whatever potential problems of abuse and narrowness may lie in it (and I agree there are such problems) would likewise have lay in the five points as defined at Dordt long before the acrostic. In other words, it seems that "But before Dordt" would more consistently fit at the beginning of your last sentence than "But before Boettner" does. Even so, while the acrostic doesn't _inherently_ or _directly_ narrow things any more than the Canons of Dordt themselves do, if you're simply saying that the acrostic's extended _popularization_ of the five-point system and mindset made further room for _exploitation_ of those potential problems of narrowness, I see that point and agree.

 Anyway, back to the topic...


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> Boettner did not invent TULIP. Popularization....mmmmm.....aahhhh. Yeah maybe. I can't see that Boettner came "up" with TULIP.
> 
> Maybe there is no definitive answer. But it sure seems strange that we use it so "evidently" and it doesn't have a concise beginning. I mean, "tulips" "five petals intertwined" Dutch" Synod IN Dordt." Seems strange that there are no histroy books that say "Rev. "x" came up with the term.



I read some unpublished syllubi from CW Hodge , who was the Systematics professor at Princeton when Boettner went there. Hodge didn't use it. If Boettner got it from somewhere else then he doesn't reference it which would be a scholarly no-no.


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## fivepointcalvinist (Jun 25, 2006)

> also it is impossible that the dutch words could have been total, unconditional, limited, irresistible and perseverance as they are all clearly english words.



English = Dutch translation

total = Het totaal

unconditional = Onvoorwaardelijk

limited = Beperkte

irresistible = Onweerstaanbaar

perseverance = De volharding

clearly displays the fact that a dutchman could not have come up with the acrostic...


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## Pilgrim (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> ...



See this thread on Boettner and documentation.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 25, 2006)

Perhaps some research in Boettner's other writings may yield some clues? Or if there are any unpublished papers that might help which may have some sort of reference that the book does not. Also, if Boettner's libarary was preserved, or at least a list of the books he owned, that might give some leads to any possible earlier writings. Looking at the Hodge was a good idea; maybe there are some other MSS like that to pursue? Not by me of course; I've done my time on this sort of thing trying to track down the source of the term Regulative Principle of Worship, for which see my musings in The Confessional Presbyterian 1 and the newly arrived CPJ 2.

Maybe it would be worthwhile to ask Curtis if he knows more? Dr. Bacon has run into him on mission trips to Burma (of all places); so he may have some contact info. I can ask him when he returns from Brazil. He is speaking at the Puritan Project there along with O. Palmer Robertson.


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 25, 2006)

Does anyone know if Boettner has any children still alive?


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> ...



Patrick - exactly. Listing things in that way is a "no no" without documentation.

If he had documented it, then we would have already had a winner!

I think the Dutch quotes of fivepointcalvinist may be of help. But I don't read dutch and can't research that. Maybe someone knows who could?


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 25, 2006)

Dr. Beeke? In fact, he may the one who just might know the answer.


> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> ...


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by C. Matthew McMahon_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Puritan Sailor_
> ...


If Boettner made it up, what would there be to document? He would be the primary source.


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## MW (Jun 25, 2006)

Do I remember correctly that Dr. Boettner ordered his filing cabinet to be burned after his decease? Imagine trying to accomplish that in today's virtual world.

I think Chris is on the right track. Some of the lesser known works quoted in the RDP would be a good place to start. Also, one might try a journal like "The Presbyterian," where articles were written on a more popular level.


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## Pilgrim (Jun 25, 2006)

According to the PCA Historical Center, Boettner directed that most of his papers be destroyed.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 25, 2006)

Mmmh. Don't just hate that?


> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> According to the PCA Historical Center, Boettner directed that most of his papers be destroyed.


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 26, 2006)

Did some more searching today. Found a lot of books on Reformed Theology from the early to mid 1900's but none except Boettner so far used TULIP (or ever referenced it). There were some references to the "Five Points" but they were often presented in a different order than TULIP and used more precise terminology. Steele and Thomas's book in 1963 (in their 2nd edition they indicate Boettner started it, as noted above) was the next book chronologically I could find which used the acronym. It almost seems like the other scholars were ignoring Boettner before then since I found very few references at all to him. WJ Seaton wrote a pamphlet called the "Five Points..." points published by Banner of Truth in 1970 using TULIP. Palmer came out with the 5 points in 1972 using TULIP. IN 1976, the PRC put out a little book called the "Five Points..." by Hanko, Hoeksema, and Van Baren which was structured in 5 chapters using TULIP. And Duane Spencer actual named his little book TULIP: The Five Points... in 1979. So it would appear the common use of TULIP didn't take off until around the 70's or early 80's (at least in printed material). That would lead me to conclude pending further evidence, that Boettner made up TULIP, and it took a while for it to catch on, almost 30 years. Interestingly, Boettner wrote a little treatise called the Reformed Faith in 1983 but used Steel and Thomas's little TULIP comparison chart to conclude it. Plus, I didn't find any acronyms or memory aids used in the books before Boettner. 

[Edited on 6-26-2006 by Puritan Sailor]


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## Civbert (Jun 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by gregbed_
> In a BibSac article by Earle Cairns:
> Boettner sums up in this manner: "œThe five points of Calvinism may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word tulip: total inability (depravity of all human beings resulting from Adam´s sin), unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints."24
> Dallas Theological Seminary, Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 106, 106:116 (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1949; 2002).
> ...



This Boettner quote seems to show that Boettner invented TULIP.

Consider, the first person who used TULIP would not reference an earlier source. But also, it does not seem likely that the first person would say "by the way, I just invented this acronym". However, he might phrase it ""œThe five points of Calvinism may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word tulip ..." That reads to me as the way someone who has never heard the acronym might phrase it, sort of as a suggestion for people (such as seminary students) who wanted to memorize some key doctrines - by giving a mnemonic to help them. 

gregbed, it looks like the quote has a footnote "24". I assume it's some document written by Boettner. What does footnote 24 say?


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 26, 2006)

The next time I go to the Library I'm going to try to track down the book reviews cited in Boettner's 1969 reprint to see if they shed any light on the issue.


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## CDM (Jun 27, 2006)

> _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> Mmmh. Don't just hate that?
> 
> 
> ...



I wonder why he wanted his writings to be destroyed?


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 27, 2006)

It was certainly his prerogative. Maybe there was private correspondence, or study papers he did not want preserved? John Murray wanted the same, or at least that his private and MS unpublished papers not be published. Banner of Truth and his wife disagreed with that. 


> _Originally posted by mangum_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> ...


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## ChristopherPaul (Jun 27, 2006)

This thread has been very fascinating.

It appears that most of us have been operating with the presupposition that the TULIP acrostic is as old as Dort´s conclusion. But from what is being brought to light, the acrostic is very young.

I am curious what terms were used to describe the five points other than T.U.L.I.P. before the acrostic was popularized? Or what order were the points other than what we know today? Is it not common for most teachers today to qualify the terms of the acrostic stating that they are not the best terms to use? The terms only remain because of how conveniently they spell TULIP, no?

I just listened to the first of John Pipers ten TULIP seminars where he gave a brief history of Calvinism. He mentioned the acronym in a light hearted manner saying that it is a shear act of providence that five Dutch points translated into English and put into logical order would form an acrostic of a Dutch flower consisting of five pedals. Piper mentioned that he too looked for the first use of the acrostic and could not find an answer.

I guess like the Ark of the Covenant, the origin just vanished or the acrostic just fell from the sky like manna.


[Edited on 6-27-2006 by ChristopherPaul]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 27, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> This thread has been very fascinating.
> 
> It appears that most of us have been operating with the presupposition that the TULIP acrostic is as old as Dort´s conclusion. But from what is being brought to light, the acrostic is very young.
> ...



I agree: it's been very fascinating to research something that most of us have taken for granted. Apparently, Boettner made a lasting impression upon the Reformed church with his acrostic, and yet has not received the credit due him, if indeed he originated it. 

The fact that pinpointing this source has been so elusive is remarkable and intriguing. I went down a rabbit trail, it seems, by noting that the word 'tulip' had just entered the English language a few decades before Dordt, and also learning about Holland's tulip craze soon after Dordt. I assumed that an English Puritan had taken advantage of that to coin an acronym. 

But as I read the original remonstance and canons of Dordt, as well as various Puritan writings, and 19th century sources, including Dabney's _Five Points of Calvinism_, and early 20th century resources, it became apparent that the term was coined much more recently. 

I think Patrick is right on the money with his nomination, and barring any further developments, I think the prize should go to him. And I am grateful for this contest to make us think about something so profound and so simple as a TULIP.

[Edited on 6-27-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## ChristopherPaul (Jun 27, 2006)

I see that Dort's order was ULTIP:

(U) - Divine Election and Reprobation
(L) - Christ's Death and Human Redemption Through It
(T) - Human Corruption
(I) - Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs
(P) - The Perseverance of the Saints

Did any one find earlier uses of the current order?

Boettner was not the first to use the current order was he?


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## toddpedlar (Jun 27, 2006)

In thinking this question over, I've come to the conclusion that it really has to be a fairly late innovation, given the American tendency to mnemonicize everything... it seems to me, at least, to be uniquely American. 

At any rate, perusing Hodge & Warfield & Shedd yielded nothing, so all I have is from my copy of Boettner's Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, where it does sound like Boettner's coining something (p.60): 

"The Five Points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P; T, Total Inability; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible (Efficacious) Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints." 

Nowhere else in my library can I find anything that sounds this clear - everyone seems simply to cite TULIP as a mnemonic, but here Boettner seems to be introducing something.... circa 1932.

Todd


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## toddpedlar (Jun 27, 2006)

> _Originally posted by toddpedlar_
> In thinking this question over, I've come to the conclusion that it really has to be a fairly late innovation, given the American tendency to mnemonicize everything... it seems to me, at least, to be uniquely American.
> 
> At any rate, perusing Hodge & Warfield & Shedd yielded nothing, so all I have is from my copy of Boettner's Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, where it does sound like Boettner's coining something (p.60):
> ...



DOH! Oh well. Patrick clearly has this citation down already... this is what happens when you don't read the PB often enough  I've seriously scoured everything I have, though, and nothing comes as close as sounding like an originating statement than Boettner's.

Todd


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 27, 2006)

Don't stay away so long Todd.


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## ChristopherPaul (Nov 2, 2006)

So whatever happened with this? Did Patrick win?


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## Puritan Sailor (Nov 3, 2006)

ChristopherPaul said:


> So whatever happened with this? Did Patrick win?



Not yet.


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## bookslover (Nov 4, 2006)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Mmmh. Don't just hate that?



The same is true of Robert Leighton, of "Commentary on 1 Peter" fame. He spent the last ten years of his life living with his sister. He instructed her that, after his death, all of his papers and manuscripts were to be burned. Fortunately, cooler and wiser heads prevailed, and his papers were finally published, over time, in 3 or 4 volumes - but not since the 19th century now. 

Without those wiser and cooler heads, we would not have his valuable commentary on 1 Peter, which one of the 12 million John Browns in Scotland went ga-ga over when writing his own huge commentary on that book. He states quite frankly at the outset that he leaned quite heavily on Leighton's book when writing his own.


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## bwana-asafiwe (Nov 7, 2006)

Patrick,
I had the opportunity to look through a large (private) theological library this past weekend. He had a number of Theological works from the first part of the 20th century and about a dozen book on "the five points of calvinism." I searched through as many as I could and all of them prior to Boettner (1932) spoke of "the five points of calvinism." I could only find the term Tulip after Boettner's time.

One of the books I found, _The Five Points of Calvinism_ (1972), makes an unqualified statement about "T-U-L-I-P" that sounds similar to that of Boettner. I quote...


> \"One easy way to remember [the truths of sovereing grace] is by the memory-crutch T-U-L-I-P; Total depravity, Unconditional election...\"


Just like Boettner, he didn't credit anyone else with devising the acronym.

This has been a fun search. Good find Patrick!


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Nov 18, 2006)

I just can't see Boettner making up TULIP.

Netherlands, 5 points, Dutch country, 1618. I can't see how somoene does not have a reference until 300 years later.


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## BJClark (Nov 19, 2006)

I found this from Packer..

http://www.gospelpedlar.com/articles/Salvation/introessay.html

to John Owen's
The Death Of Death in the Death of Christ
By J.I. Packer



> The Synod of Dort was convened in 1618 to pronounce on this theology, and the "five points of Calvinism" represent its counter–affirmations. They stem from a very different principle--biblical principle that "salvation is of the Lord"; [2] and they may be summarized thus: (1.) Fallen man in his natural state lacks all power to believe the gospel, just as he lacks all power to believe the law, despite all external inducements that may be extended to him. (2.) God's election is a free, sovereign, unconditional choice of sinners, as sinners, to be redeemed by Christ, given faith and brought to glory. (3.) The redeeming work of Christ had as its end and goal the salvation of the elect. (4.) The work of the Holy Spirit in bringing men to faith never fails to achieve its object. (5.) Believers are kept in faith and grace by the unconquerable power of God till they come to glory. These five points are conveniently denoted by the mnemonic TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Preservation of the saints.





http://www.the-highway.com/Death.html


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## Puritan Sailor (Nov 19, 2006)

bwana-asafiwe said:


> Patrick,
> I had the opportunity to look through a large (private) theological library this past weekend. He had a number of Theological works from the first part of the 20th century and about a dozen book on "the five points of calvinism." I searched through as many as I could and all of them prior to Boettner (1932) spoke of "the five points of calvinism." I could only find the term Tulip after Boettner's time.



Yes, I did the same search here in the RTS library too. Lots of references to the 5 points, but no TULIP until Boettner. I found it interesting too that most of them dealt with the 5 points within a much broader category of thought. The Reformed Faith was not limited to the 5 points. I think because of Boettners scheme, which is really embraced in the popular literature in the 70's and 80's, we have inadvertantly lost some more important features of what makes the Reformed Faith truly distinctive, like covenant theology, which holds the 5 points together.


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## ChristopherPaul (Nov 22, 2006)

C. Matthew McMahon said:


> I just can't see Boettner making up TULIP.
> 
> Netherlands, 5 points, Dutch country, 1618. I can see how somoene does not have a reference until 300 years later.



I would agree with you IF the same terminology was used for all the five points prior to Boetttner. For all the five points to commonly be referred to by the T-U-L-I-P designations and not be associated with the acronym would be hard to believe, but from what I have seen, Boettner was also the first to use the modern terms for the five points, NOT just the acronym. It is also noteworthy that even the modern scholars, who use the common terms, qualify them since they are not the best terms to use, but use them out of convenience to make the acronym work.


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## bwana-asafiwe (Nov 22, 2006)

ChristopherPaul said:


> I would agree with you IF the same terminology was used for all the five points prior to Boetttner. For all the five points to commonly be referred to by the T-U-L-I-P designations and not be associated with the acronym would be hard to believe, but from what I have seen, Boettner was also the first to use the modern terms for the five points, NOT just the acronym. It is also noteworthy that even the modern scholars, who use the common terms, qualify them since they are not the best terms to use, but use them out of convenience to make the acronym work.


Well said. My research seems to have revealed the same thing.

I did find an editorial note to one of the sermons in Spurgeon's _Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit _that uses the acronym TULIP to introduce a series of sermons preached by various men on the Doctrines of Grace. See here.

I don't have a hard copy of the set, so I can't determine when this editorial note was written. Pre-Boettner or Post-Boettner? I may get to check this weekend. Does anyone have a copy?


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## Puritan Sailor (Nov 22, 2006)

I just looked up those sermons at the RTS library copy of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit printed in 1969. Those editorial comments containing TULIP are not included. The sermons begin with "The Rev. Charles Spurgeon took the chair...". The sermons also do not follow the order of TULIP, nor are the TULIP terms used to label the five points. My guess is the editor of the website added those comments to the sermons posted there. So we are back to Boettner.


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## bwana-asafiwe (Nov 22, 2006)

Puritan Sailor said:


> I just looked up those sermons at the RTS library copy of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit printed in 1969. Those editorial comments containing TULIP are not included. The sermons begin with "The Rev. Charles Spurgeon took the chair...". The sermons also do not follow the order of TULIP, nor are the TULIP terms used to label the five points. My guess is the editor of the website added those comments to the sermons posted there. So we are back to Boettner.



Interesting. Thanks for checking.


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## bwana-asafiwe (Nov 22, 2006)

*correction*

I just realized that the Spurgeon set I mentioned is listed as _Spurgeon's Sermons_, not the _Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit_.

I checked volume 7 of Spurgeon's Sermons a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't find this sermon. I'm not sure what I'm missing. Not there and not in the _MTP_. ??????????


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## bookslover (Nov 24, 2006)

bwana-asafiwe said:


> I just realized that the Spurgeon set I mentioned is listed as _Spurgeon's Sermons_, not the _Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit_.
> 
> I checked volume 7 of Spurgeon's Sermons a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't find this sermon. I'm not sure what I'm missing. Not there and not in the _MTP_. ??????????



Just wanted to let you know that I DID get you're response to my blogpost some time back. I didn't acknowledge your post at the time because answering emails to Blogger is...er...tricky (I think) and I'm not exactly a techno-geek.

Which explains why your blog looks niftier than mine does!

Anyway, just wanted to let you know...

Fine blog, by the way..


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## Bandguy (Jan 7, 2007)

Pilgrim said:


> I'm thinking it was probably a clever preacher or teacher since TULIP is a memory device.
> 
> [Edited on 4-15-2006 by Pilgrim]



Rick Warren!


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