The Canons of Dort may be seen as incorporating a simple theme of the gospel upon which one builds in ever widening concentric circles. The theme is the sovereign grace of God and His free election without regard to persons. The sovereign decision of God is enhanced and exalted in His equally free decision to pass by other persons, leaving them in the ruin in which they plunged themselves, and ultimately pronouncing condemnation upon them due to their own hardness of heart and wilful disobedience. The second head of doctrine elaborates on this theme.