On Calling

Subsections

Call in General Revelation
Effectual Call
Irresistible Grace
Gospel Call as God’s Desire, Wish & Pleasure
Is an Aspect of God’s Will Ineffectual?
Compatibility of Irresistible & Resistible Grace
Reformed vs. Aquinas

Order of Contents

Articles 22+
Books 2
Quotes 3

Rutherford’s Assertions
Effectual Calling: When? 6
Calling’s End vs. God’s 2
Outward Calling Universal? 2
Extraordinary Saving Call 10+
Latin 5

Articles

Anthology of the Post-Reformation

Heppe, Heinrich – ch. 20, ‘Calling’ in Reformed Dogmatics ed. Ernst Bizer, tr. G.T. Thomson (1861; Wipf & Stock, 2007), pp. 510-43

Heppe (1820–1879) was a German reformed theologian.

1500’s

Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places… (d. 1562; London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 3

2. ‘Of the Calling of God & of his Grace’ 44

‘Of Grace’ 47
‘How Grace & Works are unto Eternal Life’ 52

Calvin, John – 24. ‘Election confirmed by the Calling of God. The Reprobate bring upon themselves the righteous destruction to which they are doomed’ in Institutes of the Christian Religion tr. Henry Beveridge (1559; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845), vol. 2, bk. 3, pp. 579-606

Beza, Theodore

A Brief & Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith made in Form of a Confession (London, 1565), ch. 4

28. How the Holy Ghost is served with the exterior preaching of the Gospel to create faith in the hearts of the elect and to harden the reprobate

pp. 79-81 in A Book of Christian Questions & Answers… (London, 1574)

Viret, Pierre – A Christian Instruction… (d. 1571; London: Veale, 1573)

The Sum of the Principal Points of the Christian Faith

23. Of the Mean by the which God gives Faith to Men, & of the Manifestation of the Word of God and of the True use of the same 21

A Familiar Exposition of the Principal Points of the Catechism, and of the Christian Doctrine, made in Form of Dialogue

6th Dialogue: Of the Creation & of the Providence & Predestination of God, & of the Vocation of Man

Of the Vocation of the elect, and of the degrees whereby God brings them to salvation
Of the Outward & Inward Vocation
Of the Effects of the Inward and outward vocation, and whereunto they serve
Of the Cause of unbelief, and of Faith
Of the Renewing of man, and of the gift of faith
Of the Causes of Election & Reprobation

Prime, John – ‘Of Election, Vocation & Reprobation’ in A Fruitful & Brief Discourse in Two Books: the One of Nature, the Other of Grace, with Convenient Answer to the Enemies of Grace, upon Incident Occasions Offered by the Late Rhemish Notes in their New Translation of the New Testament, & Others (London, 1583), bk. 2

Prime (c.1549-1596) was a reformed Anglican clergyman and Oxford scholar.

Finch, Henry – The Sacred Doctrine of Divinity gathered out of the Word of God… (Middelburg: 1589), bk. 3

6. Of Calling
7. Of Knowledge
10. Of the Light of the Spirit

Finch (d. 1625) was an English lawyer and politician.

Rollock, Robert – 1. ‘Of our Effectual Calling’ in A Treatise of Effectual Calling (1603) in Select Works of Robert Rollock… (d. 1599; Edinburgh, 1849), vol. 1, pp. 29-33

1600’s

Perkins, William – A Golden Chain (Cambridge: Legat, 1600)

36. Concerning the First Degree of the Declaration of God’s Love
…
54. Concerning a New Devised Doctrine of Predestination taught by some New & Late Divines,4.[Error:] God’s calling to the knowledge of the Gospel is universal, yea of all men and every singular person without exception

Walaeus, Antonius – Theological Theses on the Efficacious Vocation of the Sinner to Salvation trans. AI (Leiden: Marcus, 1620) 7 pp.

Ames, William – ch. 26, ‘Calling’ in The Marrow of Theology tr. John D. Eusden (1623; Baker, 1997), bk. 1, pp. 157-60

Ames (1576-1633) was an English, puritan, congregationalist, minister, philosopher and controversialist. He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the reformed and the Arminians. Voet highly commended Ames’s Marrow for learning theology.

Polyander, Johannes – 30. ‘On the Calling of People to Salvation’ in Synopsis of a Purer Theology: Latin Text & English Translation Buy (1625; Brill, 2016), vol. 2, pp. 208-28

Wolleb, Johannes – Abridgment of Christian Divinity (1626) in ed. John Beardslee, Reformed Dogmatics: J. Wollebius, G. Voetius & F. Turretin (Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), bk. 1

20. ‘The Common Call to the State of Grace’, pp. 115-17
28. ‘Special Calling’, pp. 157-61

Wolleb (1589–1629) was a Swiss reformed theologian. He was a student of Amandus Polanus.

Wendelin, Marcus Friedrich – Christian Theology 3rd ed. (1634)

Gospel-Offer & Covenant of Grace Outline
Gospel-Offer & Covenant of Grace

Wendelin (1584-1652)

Ward, Samuel – ‘The Grace of Conversion Determines the Will’ in Theological Determinations in Works of Samuel Ward… ed. Seth Ward (d. 1643; Gallibrand, 1658), pp. 169-74

Ward (1572–1643) was an English academic and a master at the University of Cambridge. He served as one of the delegates from the Church of England to the Synod of Dort.

“But our [Reformed] theologians and very many of the Pontificists, both Jesuits and Dominicans, follow a different opinion, and deservedly; for it is certain that the human will is so efficaciously moved and prevented by divine grace that it is infallibly determined to the act of conversion. But whether this determination of the will by grace happens through moral but efficacious persuasions alone [on the intellect, with the will necessarily following], or also through a physical and immediate inclination of the will (which I deem more probable), is not something we should now discuss.” – p. 171

Ambrose, Isaac – The Doctrine & Directions but more especially the Practice & Behavior of a Man in the act of the New Birth… (London: 1650)

5. The Call on Gods part for the Soul to close with & to rely on Christ

. Section 1, Man’s answer for Soul to close with & rely on Christ

. Section 2, A sight of Christ, or of mercy in Christ

. Section 3, Hope in Christ

. Section 4, A Desire after Christ

. Section 5, A Love of Christ

. Section 6, A Relying on Christ

Leigh, Edward – ch. 2. Of Effectual Vocation in A System or Body of Divinity… (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 7, pp. 489-91

Hoornbeek, Johannes – ‘Of the Calling of Man’ in Institutes of Theology, gathered out of the Best Authors (Leiden: Moyard, 1658), trans. AI Latin at Confessionally Reformed Theology

Hoornbeek (1617-1666). This systematic largely replaced the Leiden Synopsis (1625) in seminaries in the Netherlands. It is wholly comprised of choice, extended quotes from previous, standard reformed authors.

Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr. (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 15^th Topic

1. ‘What is calling and of how many kinds? Also, how do external and internal calling differ?’ 501

2. ‘Are the reprobate, who partake of the external calling, called with the design and intention on God’s part that they should become partakers of salvation? And, this being denied, does it follow that God does not deal seriously with them, but hypocritically and falsely; or that He can be accused of any injustice? We deny.’ 504

3. ‘Is sufficient, subjective and internal grace given to each and every one? We deny against the Romanists, Socinians and Arminians.’ 510

4. ‘Is effectual calling so denominated from the event (or from congruity) or from the supernatural operation of grace itself? The former we deny; the latter we affirm against the Romanists and Arminians.’ 517

5. ‘Whether in the first moment of conversion man is merely passive or whether his will cooperates in some measure with the grace of God. The former we affirm and deny the latter against all Synergists.’ 542

6. ‘Whether efficacious grace operates only by a certain moral suasion which man is able either to receive or to reject. Or whether it operates by an invincible and omnipotent suasion which the will of man cannot resist. The former we deny; the latter we affirm against the Romanists and Arminians.’ 546

van Mastricht, Peter – ch. 2, ‘The Calling of Those to be Redeemed’ in Theoretical Practical Theology (2nd ed. 1698; RHB), vol. 5, pt. 1, bk. 6

Heidegger, Johann H. – 21. ‘On the Grace of Calling’ in The Concise Marrow of Theology tr. Casey Carmichael in Classic Reformed Theology, vol. 4 (1697; RHB, 2019), pp. 145-53

1700’s

à Brakel, Wilhelmus – ch. 30, ‘The External & Internal Call’ in The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 2 ed. Joel Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout Buy (1700; RHB, 1992/1999), pp. 191-233

a Brakel (1635-1711) was a contemporary of Voet and Witsius and a major representative of the Dutch Further Reformation.

de Moor, Bernard – Continuous Commentary on John Marck’s Didactic-Elenctic Compendium of Christian Theology Buy (1761-1772), ch. 2, Scripture

Theological Disputation on Eph. 5:14, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

1800’s

Vos, Geerhardus – ch. 2, ‘Regeneration & Calling’ in Reformed Dogmatics tr: Richard Gaffin 1 vol. ed. Buy (1896; Lexham Press, 2020), vol. 4, ‘Soteriology’, pp. 639-68

2000’s

McGraw, Ryan M. – “A Review of Jonathan Hoglund, Called by Triune Grace: Divine Rhetoric and the Effectual Call” in Journal of Reformed Theology 12, no. 1 (2018), pp. 70–72

Books

1500’s

Rollock, Robert – A Treatise of Effectual Calling (1603) ToC in Select Works of Robert Rollock… (d. 1599; Edinburgh, 1849), vol. 1, pp. 29-288

1600’s

Love, Christopher – A Treatise of Effectual Calling & Election in 16 Sermons on 2 Peter 1:10, wherein a Christian may discern whether yet he be effectually called and elected and what course he ought to take that he may attain the assurance thereof (1655) 218 pp. Index

Quotes

Order of

Ball
Spanheim
Voet

1600’s

John Ball

A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace… (London: 1645), ch. 3, ‘Of the Covenant of Grace in General’, p. 24

“Externally this covenant is made with every member of the Church, even with the parents and their children, so many as hear and embrace the promises of salvation, and give and dedicate their children unto God according to his direction; for the sacraments—what are they but seals of the covenant?

But savingly, effectually, and in a special manner it is made only with them who are partakers of the benefits promised. And as the covenant is made outwardly or effectually, so some are the people of God externally, others internally and in truth. For they are the people of God with whom God has contracted a covenant, and who in like manner have sworn to the words of the covenant, God stipulating and the people receiving the condition; which is done two ways:

[1] for either the covenant is made extrinsically, God by some sensible token gathering the people, and the people embracing the condition in the same manner, and so an external consociation of God and the people is made;

[2] or the covenant is entered after an invisible manner, by the intervention of the Spirit, and that with so great efficacy that the condition of the covenant [faith] is received after an invisible manner, and so an internal consociation of God and the people is made up.”

Friedrich Spanheim, Sr.

Disputationum Theologicarum Miscellaneorum Pars Prima (d. 1649; Geneva: Chouët, 1652), ‘Miscellaneous Theological Disputation’, trans. AI by Roman Prestarri at Confessionally Reformed Theology Latin

“24. Applicatory works of grace are either external or internal.

25. External ones are both calling through the Word, partly of Law, partly of gospel, and the sealing of those called through sacraments.

26. Calling through Law is prior, and that partly imperative of obedience, partly declarative of sanction, both promissory and comminatory.

27. Calling through gospel is posterior, and is imperative, first of repentance, afterward of faith.

28. Some acts of faith are as it were generic, another as it were specific, of which the latter is not required except with the former being posited.

29. Calling through nature to God the Creator is broader; calling through the Word to God the redeemer is stricter.

30. Universal calling to salvation neither was, nor is, nor will be.

31. That hope of special mercy is shown in nature, or that this is the instrument of gospel-calling, is false, nor can this be said without nature being established as a herald of grace.

32. Internal applicatory works of grace are partly the effectual calling of man, partly justification of the one called, partly sanctification of the one justified, partly glorification of the one sanctified.

33. Effectual calling consists in the production of faith, nor is it made only through illumination of the intellect, but also through the efficacious motion of the heart.

34. Its object are the elect alone, although not all, such as are those who are intercepted by precipitous death before all use of reason. Its instrument is neither the voice of nature, nor the word of the Law, but of the gospel.

35. Justification both presupposes and accompanies effectual calling with indivisible connection.”

Gisbert Voet

Disputation 29, ‘On Regeneration’, pt. 1 (1639) tr. AI by Roman Prestarri in Select Theological Disputations (1655), vol. 2, p. 432 ff. Latin at Confessionally Reformed Theology

“II. Moral actions of God, whose efficiency is metaphorical and are by way of object, by which He objectively moves and intelligibly instructs the elect (namely, adults or those using reason), by setting forth and offering the goods acquired, adjudicated, and assigned by Christ the Redeemer, and thus inviting to the acceptance of them, which happens through the contracting of the covenant. And such a moral action is of one single species, called Calling—calling, I say, to the contracting of the covenant of grace: so that I may distinguish it from the Calling which demands the performance of the law and summons all men to the obedience due to God from the right which He has over rational creatures. Which we also concede is directed to all the reprobate; but we deny that it can properly be called salvific, or a calling to salvation.

III. Real actions operating really or physically (as the more recent speak), and producing a real and inhering change in the subject, are those by which God makes the elect participants of real possession of goods and inhering gifts. And they are: Regeneration; Beatification in the state of grace; Beatification of the soul after this life; Resurrection to glory; Final glorification. Of these, the three latter pertain to the future life; the two former to the present life.”

Rutherford’s Assertions

Christ Dying & Drawing Sinners to Himself… (London: 1647), pp. 272-318

“A second question is, How far the Law can draw a sinner to Christ? Antinomians tell us of a legal drawing and conversion, and of an evangelic drawing; the legal drawing they say is ours [that of the reformed]; the latter theirs.

Assertion 1. The difference between the letter of the Law and the Gospel is not in the manner of working, for the letter of either Law or Gospel is alike ineffectual and fruitless to draw any to Christ. Christ preached the Gospel to hard-hearted Pharisees; it moved them not. Moses preached the Law and the curses thereof to the stiffnecked Jews and they were as little humbled. Sounds and syllables of ten hells, of twenty heavens and Gospels, without the Spirit’s working, are alike fruitless. And we grant the Law is a sleepy keeper of a captive sinner; he may either steal away from his keeper or if he be awed with his keeper, he is not kept from any spiritual, internal breach of the Law, nor moved thereby to sincere and spiritual walking.

But the difference between Law and Gospel is not in the internal manner of working, but in two other things:

1. In the matter contained in Law and Gospel: because nature is refractory to violence and the Law can do nothing but curse sinners; therefore it can draw no man to Christ. The Gospel again contains sweet and glorious promises of giving a new heart to the elect, of admitting to the Prince of peace laden and broken-hearted mourners in Zion and in conferring on them a free imputed righteousness; and this is in itself a taking-way, but without the Gospel-spirit [it is] utterly ineffectual.

2. To the Gospel there is a Spirit added, which works as God does with an omnipotent pull; and this Spirit does also use the Law to prepare and humble; though this be by a higher power than goes along with the Law as the Law.

Assertion 2. The Gospel-love of Christ frees a captive from under the Law as a curser and delivers him over to the Law as to a pedagogue to lead him to Christ and as to an instructer to rule and lead him when he is come to Christ. Love is the immediate and nearest lord; Law the mediate and remote lord. Love bids the man do all for Christ; the Law now of itself, because of our sinfulness, is a bitter and sour thing; but now the Law is dipped in Christ’s Gospel-love and is sugared and honeyed and evangelized with free grace and receives a new form from Christ, and is become sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb to draw and persuade: and all the Law is made a new commandment of love and a Gospel-yoke, sweet and easy; but still the Law obliges justified men to obedience, not only for the matter of it, but for the supreme authority of the Lawgiver; now Christ, who came to fulfill, not to dissolve the Law, does not remove this authority, but adds a new bond of obligation from the tie of redemption in Jesus Christ, and:

[1.] we are freed from the curse of the Law;
2. The rigid exaction of obedience, every way perfect;
3. The seeking of life and justification by the Law.

Assertion 3. There be two things in the Law:

1. The authority and power to command, direct, and regulate the creature to an end, in acts of righteousness and holiness.

2. A secondary authority, to punish eternally the breakers of the Law and to reward those that obey. These are two different things: suppose Adam had never sinned: the Law had been the Law; and suppose Adam had never obeyed: the Law also should have been the Law; and in the former case there should have been no punishment, in the latter no reward.

Antinomians confound these two. Mr. Town says:

‘It cannot be said that my spirit does that voluntarily which the command of the Law binds and forces unto. It is one thing for a man at his own free liberty to keep the King’s highway of the Law and another to keep it by pales and ditches, that he cannot without danger go out of it.’

It cannot be denied but that the Gospel both charges or awes us to believe in Christ and to bring forth good fruits worthy of Christ except we would be hewn down and cast into the fire; and also that grace works faith and to will and to do, and so voluntary obedience and obligation of a command may as well consist as bearing Christ’s yoke and soul-rest; yea, and delight and joy unspeakable and glorious may be and are in one regenerate person.

Crisp and his followers are far wide, for Christ died freely out of extreme love and yet He died out of a command laid on Him, to lay down his life for his sheep though no penal power was above Christ’s head to punish Him if He should not die, Jn. 10:18. Nor was there need of any power to force Him subpena [under penalty], or to awe Him if He should not obey; so do angels, with wings of most exact willingness, obey God, yet are they under the authority of a Law and command, but yet under no compelling punishment, Ps. 103:20-21; 104:4.

So in the saints love has changed the chains, not the subjection. Love has made the Law silken cords; and whereas corrupt will was a wicked landlord, and lust a lawless tyrant, and the Law had a dominion over the sinner in regard of the curse. Now the Spirit leads the will under the same commanding power of the Lawgiver, frees the sinner from the curse and turns forcing and cursing power in[to] fetters of love, so that the Spirit draws the will sweetly to obey the same Lord, the same law, only Christ has taken the rod out of the Law’s hand and the rod was broken and spent on his own back.

The feud between the Law and the sinner is not so irreconcilable, as the Antinomians conceive, so as it cannot be removed, except the Law be destroyed, and the sinners freewill loosed from law. It stands in blessing and cursing; salvation and damnation: that are effects of the Law as observed or violated. Now, Christ was made a curse and condemned to die for the sinner; all the rest of the Law remains:

[1.] It is most false that Mr. Town says, To justify and condemn are as proper and essential to the Law as to command.

2. It is false that we are freed from active obedience to the Moral Law because Christ came under active obedience to the Moral Law; for the Law required obedience out of love. Antinomians cannot say that we are freed from obedience out of love, for it is clear Antinomians will have us obliged by no Law to love our brother, to abstain from worldly lusts that war against the soul, but in so doing we must seek to be justified by the works of the Law.

This consequence we deny. To keep one ceremony of Moses draws a bill on us of debt to keep all the Ceremonial Law, because now it’s unlawful in any sort. But to do the duties of the Moral Law, as by Christ we are enabled, lays no such debt on us, but testifies our thankfulness to Christ as to our Husband and Redeemer.

The other considerable thing here, is the way and manner of Christ’s drawing.

Assertion 1. The particular exact knowledge of the Lord’s manner of drawing of sinners may be unknown to many that are drawn.

1. In the very works of nature the growing of bones in the womb is a mystery; far more the way of the Spirit, Eccl. 11:5, ‘Know ye the balancing of the clouds?’ Job could not answer this. And who knows how the Lord patched together a piece of red clay and made it a fit shape to receive an heavenly and immortal spirit? and at what window the soul came in?

2. How God with one key of omnipotency has opened so many millions of doors since the Creation, and has drawn so many to Him, must be a mystery. There be many sundry locks, and many various turnings and throwings of the same key, and but one key.

1. Some Christ draws by the heart, as Lydia, Matthew: Love sweetly and softly blows up the door, and the King is within doors in the floor of the house before they be aware. Others Christ trails and drags by violence, rather by the hair of the head, than by the heart, as the jailor, Acts 16 and Saul, Acts 9, who are plunged over ears in hell, and pulled above water by the hair of the head: sure thousands do wear a crown of glory before the throne, who were never at making of themselves away by killing themselves, as the Jailor was.

A third sort know they are drawn, but how, or when, or the mathematical point of time, they know not: some are full of the Holy Ghost from the womb, as John the Baptist. Ye must not cast off all, nor must Saints say they are none of Christ’s, because they cannot tell you histories and wonders of themselves, and of their own conversion: some are drawn by miracles, some without miracles; the word of God is the Road-way…

Assertion 2. There be two ordinary ways of God in drawing sinners: one moral, by words; another physical and real, by strong hand.

Which may be cleared thus: Fancy, led with some gilding of apparent or seeming good, as hope of food, does allure and draw the bird to the grin; and sometime pleasure, as a glass, and the singing of the fowler: So is fish drawn to nibble at the angle and lines cast out, hoping to get food. Now this is like moral drawing in men; and all this is but objective, working on the fancy. But when the foot and wing of the bird is entangled with the net, and the fish hath swallowed down the bait, and an instrument of death under it, now the fowler draws the bird, and the fisher the fish, a far other way, even by real violence. The Physician makes the sick child thirsty, then allures him to drink physic, under the notion of drink to quench his thirst: this is moral drawing of the child by wiles. But when the child hath drunk, the drink works not by wiles, or morally, but naturally, without freedom, and whether the child will or no, it purges head and stomach.

That there is a moral working by the Word in the drawing of sinners to Christ, though most evident, yet must be proved against Antinomians and Enthusiasts…

1. The prophets allege this for their warrant, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ Therefore, you must believe it. And One more and greater than all the prophets, but I say so Christ, God equal with the Father, speaks.

2. Rom. 10:17, ‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’ Verse 14, ‘How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?’ It’s true, the Word, the works of God, are not the principal object of faith, nor objectum quod; faith rests only on God and the Lord Jesus, Jn. 14:1; 1 Thess. 1:8; ‘Your faith toward God,’ 1 Pet. 1:21; Dt. 1:32; Jn. 3:12; Gen. 15:6; Dan. 6:23; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 2:16; 2 Tim. 1:12. The Word, promises and prophets and apostles are all creatures and but media fidei, the means of saving faith: they are objectum quo, Jn. 5:46; Ps. 106:12; Ex. 4:8; Ps. 78:7, of themselves they are dead letters, and dead things and cannot without the Spirit produce faith…

3. The searching of the Scriptures is life eternal, the only way to find Christ, Jn. 5:39; Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:21; Isa. 8:20.

4. Gen. 9:27, God shall persuade Japheth (by the Scriptures preached) and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Acts 16:14, God’s opening of the heart and Lydia’s hearing and attending to the Word that Paul spoke go together.

5. The way of Enthusiasts, in rejecting both Law and Gospel and all the written Word of God, is because there is no light in them. Some immediate sense of God and working of the Holy Ghost on the soul of the child of God, witnessing to me in particular, that I am the child of God, I deny not, and that my name expressly is not in Scripture, is as true; but this testimony excludes not the Scripture, as if the searching thereof were no safe way of finding Christ, as they blasphemously say:

1. Because this Enthusiasm, excludes the only revealed rule, by which we try the Spirits, and we are forbidden to presume above that which is written, 1 Cor. 4:16, and Enthusiasts have acted murders and much wickedness under this notion of inspirations of the Spirit.

2. Because if the matter of that which is revealed be not according to the written Word (Now after the Scriptrue is signed by Christ’s own hand, Rev. 22:18), I see not what we are to believe of these inspirations. What extraordinary impulsions and prophetical instincts have been in holy men, and such as God has raised to reform his Churches can be no rule to us.

3. If there be any mark of Scriptural sanctification that does not agree to Scripture, the rule of righteousness, though found in a person not mentioned in Scripture, it’s a delusion.

4. It’s all the reason in the world that a sinner be drawn to Christ. For Christ is the most rational object that is, He being the wisdom of God. And man is led and taken with reason. Christ is a convincing thing and invincibly binds reason: so the forlorne Son, before he return to his Father, argues… and the wise merchant must discourse, Mt. 13:45-46… So Mt. 9:21, the diseased woman has heart-logic within herself… and the unjust steward cast syllogisms thus… Yea, a fool’s paradise, a wedge of gold, is a strong reason, Prov. 7:21… Faith is the deepest and soundest understanding, the gold, the flower of reason…

Assertion 3. In words and oratory there is no power to make the blind see and the dead live. Will ye preach heaven, and Christ seven times and let angels preach above a dead man’s grave, ye do just nothing. But Christ’s Word is more than a Word. Jn. 4:10… when Christ speaks as Christ, He speaks pounds and talent-weights, Lk. 24:32… There be coals of fire and fire-brands in Christ’s words. Christ is quick of understanding, to know what word is the fittest key, to shoot the iron bar that keeps the heart closed; He opens seals on the heart with authority; violence may break up sealed letters, but it may be unjustly done; but authority can open kings’ seals justly.

Christ not only teaches how to love, or modum rei [the mode of the thing], but He teaches love itself: He draws a lump of love out of his own heart and casts it in the sinner’s heart; the Spirit persuades God, Gal. 1:10, then He must persuade Christ and persuade heaven: this is more than to speak persuasive words of God and Christ; it is to cast Christ in at the ear and in the bottom of the heart with words. Men open things that they may be plain to the understanding, Christ opens the faculty itself to understand. The sun gives light, but cannot create eyes to see…

Assertion 4. One general is inseparable from Christ’s drawing, that for the manner of drawing He does it out of mere free love. The principle of drawing on Christ’s part is great love. Eph. 2:4… And it is an expression of the extreme desire that Christ has of an union with us and how feign He would have the company of sinners: So we difference between [1.] inviting or calling, yea, or leading, and [2.] drawing; in calling and leading Christ leaves more to our will, whether we will come or refuse, but in drawing there is more of violence, less of will.

3. In drawing there is love-sickness and lovely pain in Christ’s ravishings.

1. When Christ cannot obtain and win the consent and good-liking of the sinner to his love He ravishes and with strong hand draws the sinner to Himself, when invitations do not the business and He knocks and we will not open, then a more powerful work must follow. Cant. 5:4. ‘My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.’ Christ drives such as will not be led.

2. And these who will not be invited He must draw them rather than want [lack] them: He draws with compassion as being overcome with love, for his bowels are moved for Ephraim, Jer. 31; He draws while his arms bleed.

3. And does not only knock, but He stands and knocks, Rev. 3:20. His standing notes his importunity of mercy, how gladly He would be in, and He uses this as an argument to move his spouse, out of humanity, to pity Him and give Him one night’s lodging in the soul, Cant. 5:2, ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.’…

4. Not only is drawing an expression of his love of union with sinners, for He bears the sinner; He translates the sinner… I should wish no higher happiness out of heaven than to be carried in the circle of Christ’s arms and to lie with the lambs in his bosom and be warmed with the heart-love that comes out of his breast…

Christ now above five thousand years has been carrying tired lambs up to heaven, in ones and twos, and is not yet wearied of bringing up his many children to glory and will not rest till there be not one lamb of all the flock out of that great and capacious fold… Christ’s love is not so loose in griping as to miss any He intends to put in his bosom.

5. The particular way of love’s drawing is lovely and sweetly, and with strong allurements.

1. Redemption is a sweet word to a captive, but redemption by Law is not so sweet as redemption by love…

2. Drawing by free and strong love is an easy work, and so is it easy to be drawn; because all works of love are easy, as the act of marrying is no great pain…

3. The way of love’s working through delight is sweet to the drawn soul, when Christ hands the heart, and the love of Christ’s soft fingers grasps about the soul, how alluring and captivating is Christ; when he comes in to the heart, his fingers drop pure myrrh… a sea of love is nothing, it has a bottom; a heaven of love is nothing, it has a brim; but infinite love has no bounds.

4. Love draws strongly and irresistibly: Christ never wooed a soul with his free love but He wins the love and heart… Great heaven is but an house full of millions of vanquished captives that Christ’s love followed and over-took, and subdued…

[1.] None speak like Christ, none breathe like Him; Mirrhe, aloes, and cinnamon, all the perfumes, all the trees of frankincense, all the powders of the merchants, that Assyria or Egypt, or what countries else ever had, are but short and poor shadows to Him…

2. For beauty He has no match amongst men; because He is fairer than all the sons of men. Christ has a most goodly face….

3. For the sweetness and excellency of nature, he’s God equal with the Father…

4. For greatness of majesty.

5. For lowliness of tender love.

6. For freeness of grace.

7. For glory diffused through all his attributes.

8. For sovereignty and absoluteness of power, etc. who is like to our Lord Jesus?

9. For sweetness and loveliness of relations; the only begotten Son of God, no relation like this: The Creator of the ends of the earth, the Savior, the good Shepherd, the Redeemer, the great Bishop of our souls, the Angel of the Covenant, the head of the body the Church, and of principalities and powers, the King of Ages, the Prince of peace, of the Kings of the earth; the living Ark of heaven, the Song of Angels and glorified Saints, but they cannot outsing Him…

To all these drawing powers in Christ… we may add a strong drawing argument, from the condition of the glorified in heaven… But Christ draws by offering a more enduring city: That Christ can give and promises heaven to his followers is a strong argument, and draws powerfully…

…
Assertion 5. Christ draws with three sorts of general arguments in this moral way:

The first is taken from pleasure: This is the beauty that is in God:

1. That is in a communion with God.

2. The delectation we have in God as love-worthy to the understanding. For the drawing beauty of God, a word: 1. Of God’s beauty. 2. Of God’s beauty in Christ. 3. Of the relative beauty of God in Christ to men and angels.
…

There is a second drawing motive in Christ, and this is from gain, which is eminently in Christ.

1. The drawn soul has bread by the covenant of grace, his yearly rent is written in the New Testament, Christ is his rental book and heritage. Isa. 33:16…

2. It should draw us in the own kind to Christ, in regard, Christ is more than gain. Prov. 3:14. Wisdom’s merchandise is better than silver, and her gain then fine gold. Verse 15, She is more precious than rubies…

3. Being drawn to Christ makes all yours; when ye are hungry, all the bread of the earth is your Father’s: when ye are in a ship, ye are in Christ’s Father’s waters; when ye travel in summer, ye see your Redeemer’s fields… not in possession, but in a choicer free-holding, in free heritage, Ps. 37:11…

4. All you have, a morsel of green herbs, a bed of straw, want, hunger, wealth, are guilded and watered with Christ.

The third drawing thing in Christ is honor:

[1.] The Church is a princess daughter, Cant. 7:1, a King’s daughter, Ps. 45:13, a queen in gold of Ophir, Ps. 45:9…

2. Consider what God makes them. ‘To him that lays hold on my Covenant saith the Lord,’ Isa. 56:5, ‘I will give within my house, and my walls, a name.’…

3. The Lord who knows the weight of things, angels and men, esteems highly of them. Cant. 5:2, ‘My Sister, my Love, my Dove.’ The spouse must in Christ’s heart have an high respect…

4. Christ so honors them that He professes he desires a communion with them. Cant. 4:8, ‘Come with Me from Lebanon, my Spouse.’ Jn. 14:23, ‘The Father and I will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’…
…

Assertion 6. The other particular manner of drawing sinners to Christ is real, in which we are to consider these two:

1. God’s fit application of his drawing of the will.
2. His irresistible pull of omnipotency.

In the former way of working, I desire that notice be taken (for doctrines’ cause, rather than for art of logical method) of these four ways:

1. God works by measure and proportion.
2. By condescension.
3. By fit internal application.
4. By external, providential accommodation of outward means.

1. In works of omnipotency without God, we see He keeps proportion with that which He works upon: When God waters the earth, He opens not all the windows of heaven, as He did in the deluge, to pour on mountains and valleys all his waters in one heap; for He should then not refresh, but drown the earth…

It may be a question, though the omnipotent power of God move the will invincibly and irresistibly, whether Omnipotency puts forth all its strength on the will, or, whether the will be able to bear the swing of Omnipotency in its full strength? If the fowler should apply all his force and strength to catch the bird alive, he should strangle and kill it. Divines say that Christ’s dominion in turning the will is, Dominium forte, sed suave, ‘strong, but sweet and alluring’: No wonder, if He carry the lambs in his bosom, Isa. 40:11, the warmness and heat of his bosom must sweetly allure the will. Drive a chariot as swiftly as an eagle flies, and ye fire and break the wheels: Knock crystal glasses with hammers, as if ye were cleaving wood, and ye can make no vessels of them. This is not to deny that God’s omnipotent power must turn the will, but to show how sweetly he leads the inclinations.

2. The Lord by wiles and art works upon the will, Hos. 2:14, ‘I will allure her and bring her to the wilderness, and speak to her heart.’… but He speaks all reason, according to the temper and natural frame of the heart, to convince and persuade that there is more reason in turning to God than that the wit or engine of man can speak against it. Grace is pia fraus, ‘a holy deceit’, that ere the soul be aware, it is catched: and though that be spoken of Christ, Cant. 6:12, ‘Ere ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab’, yet it has truth in this, that:

1. No unconverted man intends to be converted till God convert him, because spiritual intention is a vital act of the soul living to God: No living man can put forth a vital act of life till the Lord be pleased to give him a new life.

2. That spiritual love alluring the soul works by such art as cannot be resisted: Hence, conversion and being drawn to Christ, is termed by the name of ‘charming’, even as turning off Christ is a bewitching, or killing with an evil eye, as we say, Gal. 3:1. And so being drawn to God is called ‘a charming’. And the wicked are rebuked for this, Ps. 58:4-5, that being strangers to God, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear and will not hearken to the voice of charmers (or singers, who sing as witches and enchanters do) charming wisely… Conversion to God is to be allured, bewitched, overcome with the art of heaven that changes the heart… Christ lays out the wit, the art and the wiles of free grace to charm the sinner, but the sinner stops his ear: there is need of the witchcraft of heaven to do this. The love of Christ and his tongue is a great enchantress, Eze. 16:8, ‘I said unto thee, when thou wast dying in thy blood, Live.’

3. Christ knows how to apply Himself internally to the will. Suppose one were to persuade a stiff and inexorable man, and knew what argument would win his heart, he would use that. The will is like a great curious engine of a waterwork, consisting of an hundred wheels, of which one being moved, it moves all the ninety-nine beside; because this is the master wheel, that stirs all the rest. Now the Lord knows how to reach down his hand to the bottom of the elective faculty, and that wheel being moved, without more ado, it draws all the affections as subordinate wheels. If the key be not so fitted in the work, wards and turnings of it as to remove the cross-bar, it cannot open the door. Omnipotency of grace is so framed and accommodated by infinite wisdom as that it can shoot aside the dissenting power without any violence and get open the door. If freewill be the workmanship of God, as we must confess, it is a needless arguing of Arminians and Jesuits to say that free will is essentially a power absolutely loosed from predeterminating providence…

4. Christ in external means accommodates Himself so, in the revealing of Himself, as He thinks good.

1. In accommodating his influence with his Word.
2. With externals of providence.

The breathings of the Holy Ghost go so along with the Word as the Word and the Spirit are united, as if they were one agent; as sweet smells are carried through the air to the nose. The Word is the chariot, the vehiculum, the horse; the Spirit the rider; the Word the arrow, the Spirit steels and sharpens the arrow…

It is the same Christ in all his loveliness and sweetness that is preached in the Word and conveyed to the soul; not God or Christ as abstracted from the Word, as Enthusiasts dream. And though the preacher add a ministerial spirit to the word, to cause Felix tremble, yet he is not master of the saving and converting Spirit…

In externals of providence God chooses:

1. Means.
2. Time.
3. Disposition.
4. Anticipation of the sinner’s intention.
5. Fit words.

1. In means. God appears to Moses, acquainted with mountains and woods, in a bush which burnt with fire; to the wisemen, skilled in the motions of the heaven, in a new star; to Peter a fisher, in a draught of fishes.

2. He sets a time and takes the sinner in his month, Jer. 2:24, in his time of love, Eze. 16:8, when he is ripe, like the first ripe in the fig-tree, Hos. 9:10.

3. Often He chooses in the furnace, Hos. 5, last verse, ‘I will return to my place… till they make defection,’ or be guilty; for the most part man is not guilty in his own eyes while he be as Manasseh was in the briars; the fire melting the silver portrait of a horse causes it [to] lose the figure of head, feet, legs and turns all in liquid white water, and then the metal is ready to receive a far other shape, of a man or any other thing, the man is ductile and bowable, and impartial, when God seals and stamps the rod; he is not so wedded to himself as before; it may be also that mercies and great deliverances, and favors melt the man, and bring him to some gracious capacity to be wrought on by Christ.

4. Christ anticipates the current of the heart and intention. When Saul is on a banquet of blood, Christ out-runs him and turns him; all men are converted, contrary to their intentions, thousands are in a channel and current of high provocations, and they are in the fury of swelling over the banks, and Christ gets before them to turn the current to another channel. Christ is swift…

5. There is one golden word (and God is in the word) one good word that is fit, and dexterous, hic et nunc, Prov. 25:11, ‘A word fitly spoken,’… a word spoken on his wheels, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Sure Christ’s words to a sinner ripe for conversion moves on wheels, that is, in such order as two wheels in one cart, they answer most friendly one to another in their motion because Christ observeth due circumstances of time, place, person, congruency with the will and disposition, as Hos. 2:14 and Solomon’s Eccl. 12:10, ‘The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words,’… Christ was greater than Solomon and is a higher preacher than he, and seeks out words to the heart that burn the heart, Lk. 24:32… Every key is not proportioned to every lock, nor every word fit to open the heart.

But though Christ speak to men in the grammar of their own heart and calling, I am far from defending the congruous vocation of Jesuits, once maintained by Arminius and his disciples at the conference at Hague, but now for shame forsaken by Arminians. For the Jesuits take this way, asking the question:

How comes it to pass that of two men equally called and drawn to Christ, and as they dream (but it is but a dream) affected and instructed with habitual and prevening grace of four degrees, the one man believes and is converted, the other believes not, but resists the calling of God. They answer:

Christ calls and draws the one man when He foresees he is better disposed and shall obey, as his freewill being in good blood after sleep and a good banquet and fitter to weigh reasons and compare the way of godliness with the other way: and He calls the other, though both in regard of grace and nature, equal to him that is converted, when He foresees he is in that order of providence and accidental indisposition of sadness, sleepiness, hunger and extrinsical dispositions of mind that he shall certainly resist, and both these callings are ordered and regulated by the two absolute decrees of election and reprobation from eternity.

The Arminians answer right down: the one is converted because he wills and consents, whereas he might, if it pleased him, dissent and refuse the calling of God; and the other is not converted because he will not be converted but refuses, whereas he has as much grace as the other, and may, if he will, draw the actual cooperaton of grace (the habitual he has equally in as large a measure as the other) and be converted and believe; nor is there any cause of this disparity in the man converted and the man not converted in God in his decree, in his free grace, but in the will of the one and the not-willing of the other.

Our divines say:

1. There never were two men equal in all degrees as touching the measure and ounces of habitual, saving, internal grace; yea, that the never-converted man had never any such grace.

2. That the culpable and moral cause why the one is not converted rather than the other is his actual resistance and corruption of nature, never cured by saving grace; but the adequate, physical and only separating cause is:

1. The decree of free election drawing the one effectually, not the other.

2. Habitual saving grace, seconded with the Lord’s efficacious actual working in the one, and the Lord’s denying of habitual and actual grace to the other; not because the will of the creature casts the balance, but because the Lord has mercy on the one, because He will, and leaves the other to his own hardness, because He will, and that the separating cause is not from the running, willing and sweating of the one, and the not-running and not-willing of the other, but from the free unhired, independent, absolute grace of Christ.

But the Jesuits congruous calling we utterly reject:

1. Because this is the Pelagian way, sacrilegiously robbing the grace of God, for the Lord foresees this man placed in such circumstances and course of providence will believe, the other will not, because he will do so, and the other will not do so; and both the placing of the one in such an opportunity and his willing believing, and the other man’s nilling, not believing, is in order before the foreknowledge and far more before the decree of God and his actual grace; and therefore free-will is the cause why the one is converted, not the other: for both had equal habitual grace and the one is not to give thanks for his conversion comparatively more than the non-converted, but to thank his own free-will.

2. The object of their fancy of their new middle science [knowledge], is a foreseen providence of the conversion of all that are willing to be converted, and voluntary perseverance in grace, and the non-conversion and final impenitency of all the wicked that are willing to refuse Christ; and these two go before the prescience, before the decrees of election and reprobation, so as God is necessitated to choose these and no other; and to pass by these, and no other whatever has a future being before any decree of God, cannot by any decree be altered or otherwise disposed of, then it is to be: So the Lord in all things decreed, and that come to pass contingently, must have nothing but an after-consent and an after-will to approve them, when they were now all future before his decree: this is to spoil God of all freewill, free decrees, liberty and sovereignty in his decrees and that men’s freewill may be free and independent, to lay God’s freedom of election and reprobation under the creatures’ feet.

3. Jesuits dream that Christ cannot conquer the will to a free consent, except he lie in wait to catch the man when He has been at a fat banquet after cups, has slept well, is merry, and when He sees the man is in a good blood, then He draws and invites and so catches the man; and when He sees the reprobate in a contrary ill blood, though he seriously will and intend their salvation and gave his Son to die for them, yet then He draws when He foresees they by the dominion of freewill shall refuse, and He draws neither after nor before, but at the time when He knows freewill is under such an ill hour as it freely came under, without any act of God’s providence and free decree, and in the which the called and drawn man shall certainly spit on Christ and resist the calling of God.

But this resolves heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, into such good or ill humors and orders of providence as a banquet, no banquet, a crabbed disposition or a merry; whereas grace, which by an omnipotent and insuperable power removes the stony heart can more easily remove these humors and win the consent when the man is decreed for glory, and besides that all men unconverted and in their own element of corrupt nature are ill to speak to and in a sinful blood of resisting, except Christ tread upon their iron neck and subdue it and He spreads the skirts of his love over Jerusalem at the worst, Eze. 16:6, 8. Scripture is silent of such a manner of drawing and the grace of Christ and his decree lies under no such hazard or lottery as such imaginary dispositions of good humors, thousands being brought in to Christ in chains, in saddest afflictions: Nor is grace being a plant of heaven, a flower that grows out of such clay ground.

Assertion 7. Christ draws by such a power… that it is not in the power of man to resist Him.

1. He draws by the pull of that same arm and power by which He commanded light to shine out of darkness, 2 Cor. 4:6, by which He raised the dead out of the graves, Eph. 1:18-19, by the exceeding greatness of his power and the mighty power by which He raised Christ from the death. Arminians answer: this was omnipotency of working miracles, but what was it to the salvation of the Ephesians and to the hope of their glory to know with opened eyes such a power as Judas knew? and can the dead choose but be quickened and come out of the grave when God raises them, Jn. 5:25. Thatvaga necessitas, ‘the strong moral necessity’ talked of by Jesuits, when strong moral motives work, is a dream there, for it may come short; a man quickened in the grave and put to his feet as Lazarus was, of necessity must come out; he will not lie down in the grave again and kill himself. A man starving for hunger when meat is set before him on any terms he desires, if he be in his right wits will necessarily eat and not kill himself; but the necessity of saving souls in the tender and loving mind of God in Christ is much stronger, and if we consider the corruption of will, this fanciedvaging necessity cannot so bow the will, but it is necessary that corrupt will dissent rather than consent to Christ.

2. God takes away all resisting and the vicious and wicked power of resisting; He removes the stony heart, opens blind eyes, removes the veil that is over the heart in hearing or reading the Scriptures, Eze. 36:26; 2 Cor. •:16-17; Dt. 30:6; Col. 2:11, takes the man’s sword and armor from him, cuts off his arms, so as he cannot fight or resist you. It is true, Christ takes not from David, Abraham, prophet, apostle or from any men or angels that are to be saved the natural created power of nilling and willing,purum[Greek] posse nolle, Christo trahente, but He takes away the moral wicked and godless power, hic et nunc, and vicious and corrupt disposition of resisting.

3. God lays bonds on Himself by 1. Promise, 2. Covenant. 3, Oath, to circumcise the heart of his chosen ones, Dt. 30:6, to put his Law in their inward parts, Jer. 31:32-33, to give them one heart to fear God forever, not to depart from God, Jer. 32:39-40; Heb. 8:6-7, etc. to bless them, Heb. 6:16-18; Gen. 22:16-17; Ps. 89:33-37; Heb. 1:5-6. We cannot imagine that God will keep Covenant, promise and oath upon a condition and with a reserve that we give Him leave so to do; that is as much as the Creator will be faithful if the creature will be faithful: And there is nothing glorious in the Gospel and Second Covenant above the Law and First Covenant if God promise not to remove the power of resisting, for if God do not promise to work our obedience absolutely, without any condition depending on our free will, then must freewill be so absolutely indifferent as it can suspend God from fulfilling his oath. Now the Law had a promise of life, ‘If ye do this, ye live’ eternally, but God neither did work nor was tied by the tenor of that Covenant to work in us to do, to will, to continue, to abide in all written in the Law of God to the end, and therefore it was a broken Covenant. Nor can Arminians make the Covenant, Gospel-promise and oath of God so conditional as the Law of works or as the promise of giving the holy land to the seed of Abraham upon condition of faith, because many could not enter in because of unbelief, except Arminians and Jesuits prove:

1. That all that entered in to the holy land, young and old, did believe and were elected to salvation, redeemed and saved, as Caleb and Joshua were, as all that enter in to the true promised land are believers; otherwise they die, are condemned and can never see God, Jn 3:18, 36, v. 16; 11:26 and 5:24; Mk. 16:16; Acts 15:11; 11:17-18, but the former is most evidently false in the history of Joshua and Judges: multitudes entered in who never believed, as multitudes entered not in who believed, as Moses and many others. And therefore from this, that many entered not in because of unbelief, the Arminians shall never prove that as God makes a promise of life eternal that believers infallibly and only shall be saved and unbelievers excluded; so God made a covenant and promise that all these of Abraham’s seed infallibly, and all these only should enter into the holy land who should believe as did Caleb and Joshua. I put all Arminians and Papists and patrons of universal atonement to prove any such covenant or promise.

2. Let Arminians prove that faith and a new heart was promised to all Abraham’s seed who were to enter into the holy land, as it is promised to all the elect who are saved, and to enter in the Kingdom of Heaven, Eze. 36:26; Jer. 31:32, 3•; 32:39-40.

3. That the promise of eternal rest in heaven was typified by conversion to Christ and conversion upon condition of faith, as they say, but without ground; the holy land was promised to all Abraham’s seed upon condition of faith, the like we say to all other conditional promises of God made in Scripture, that are as the legs of the lame unequally paralleled with the Covenant of Grace. Because this is the only answer adversaries can give, though it be as a parable in a fool’s mouth, let it be considered:

Argument 1. The difference between the First Covenant which was broken, Jer. 31:32-34, and the better Covenant which is everlasting and cannot be broken, Jer. 31:35-37 and 32:39-40; Isa. 54:10-11; Isa. 59:19-20; Heb. 8:6-7, etc. is expressly holden forth to make the new Covenant better than the Old; but it’s close removed, for both are broken Covenants by this reasoning.

Argument 2. When God promises the removing of an old and stony heart and to give a new hear, He promises to take away resisting in us, for nothing can resist Christ’s drawing but the stony and old heart.

Argument 3. The apostle’s reason, Heb. 6:13-16, of the Lord’s two immutable things, his oath and promise, is that we might have strong consolation and hope: Now this makes undeniably the consolation, though never so strong, the hope never so sure, to depend on our free will, if the sinner brue well, he drinks well; if he resist not grace, as he may, or accept it as God’s freewill thinks good, he is tutor and lord of his own hope and consolation. Christ cannot help him to determine his will, if so be he be a bad husband of his own nilling and willing: let him see to it.

Argument 4. It must be in him that wills and runs and deserves well, as on the separating cause that saves or damns, not in God that shows mercy; by this vain arguing of fast and loose freewill, doing and undoing all at its pleasure, let Christ do his best.

Argument [sic] 4. Whom God predestinates, them He also calls and glorifies as all the predestinated are indeclinably called and glorified, Rom. 8:30; Acts 13:48; 1 Pet. 1:2. Now by this multitudes should be predestinate who are never called and glorified, if they have it in their free and independent choice to resist the drawing of Christ.

Argument 5. God (as Augustine says) has a greater dominion over our wills than we have over them ourselves, as He is more Master of the beings, so of the operations (that are created beings) than the creature is, and so He must use the creatures’ operations at his own pleasure, otherwise He has made a creature free-will which is without the sphere of his own power, whereas the freest will of a King, the most Sovereign and Independent on earth, must run in his channel, Prov. 21:1.

Argument 6. Christ’s Lordship and Princedom through his resurrection is in turning of hearts, Acts 5:31; Rom. 11:23. Grace is stronger than devils, sin, hell and death, Rom. 14:4; Eph. 3:20; Jude 24; 1 Jn. 2:14; 1 Jn. 4:4.

Argument 7. If it must lie at our door more than Christ’s to apply the purchased redemption and actually to be saved, then:

[1.] We share more, if not large, equally with Christ in the work of our salvation; nor can the Church pray, ‘Draw me: we shall run’; why should we pray for that which is in our own power, says Augustine, for we are drawn and may not run.

2. Why should Peter give thanks rather than Judas, or another Peter: both were equally drawn; freewill lost the day to the one and wins it to the other.

3. Christ must but play an after-game and can do nothing, though with his soul He would save, but as freewill has first done, so must it be.

4. Nor am I to trust to omnipotency of grace for conversion, for if I husband well nature’s ability, the crop is my own.

5. I may engage the influence of free grace to follow me and grace leads not, draws not my will: I draw free grace.

Argument 8. If free will be Lord Carver of the sinners being drawn to Christ, then the making good of the articles of the bargain and covenant between the Father and the Son must depend on man’s freewill. Now:

1. Know, the covenant between the Father and the Son is expressed first by simple prophesy or promise. The Father passes the word of a King: Christ shall be his firstborn, the flower of the family, an ensign of the people; nothing can stand good if the free will of gentiles refuse to come under this Prince’s royal standard. The Father prophecies and promises, Ps. 72:8, ‘Christ shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.’ Ps. 89:25, ‘The Lord shall set his hand in the sea and his right hand in the rivers; He shall call God his Father, his God, the Rock of his salvation.’ Now there must be a condition in this royal charter, in Christ’smagna charta, nothing can be done even when Christ goes up to a mountain and lifts up his royal ensign and standard of love and cries, ‘All mine, come hither,’ and when the people flock in about Him, except freewill, as independent as God say ‘Amen;’ and yet it far rather may say, ‘Nay,’ and refuse the bargain.

2. The Father bargains by asking and giving, Ps. 2:8, ‘Ask of Me and I will give Thee.’ Christ must be an heir by man’s will, not by his Father’s goodness; if Christ’s suits and demands, ‘Father, give Me the ends of the earth and Britain for my inheritance,’ depend upon such an absolute aye and no of man’s freewill as may cast the bargain, whereas our consent was not sought nor were we called to the counsel when the Father bargained to make us over to his Son.

3. The Father bargains by way of work and hire or wages to give a seed to his Son, Isa. 53:10, ‘When He shall make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed;’ this is not a bare sight of his seed, but it’s an enjoying of them, ‘He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.’ We cannot say, ‘It depends on men that Christ speed well in having a numerous seed and that wages be paid to Christ for his sore work of laying down his life to save his people,’ except we be more playmaker than God in this covenant.

Argument 9. The Scripture right down determines this controversy: Rom. 9, ‘No man hath resisted his will; and it is not in him that willeth.’ Augustine uses three adverbs in the Lord’s manner of turning the heart: Omnipotenter, indeclinabiliter, insuperabiliter; ‘Omnipotently, indeclinably and without short-coming.’”

When the Lord Effectually Calls Persons, or that Ordinarily, in Life

Order of

Articles 3
Quotes 6

Articles

1600’s

Davenant, John – Baptismal Regeneration & the Final Perseverance of the Saints. A letter of… Davenant… to Dr. Samuel Ward… tr. J. Allport (d. 1641; London: Macintosh, 1864), pt. 1

3. The Papal writers do not acknowledge as an article of Faith that habits of faith or love are imparted to infants in baptism, nor do they teach as an article of Faith that any are made holy formally by inherent habitual righteousness and holiness 8

4. Protestant authors do not allow that justifying faith, or love uniting to God, or regenerating grace, which restores all the powers of the soul, is infused into infants at the time of baptism 9

5. The Fathers do not acknowledge either actual or habitual faith and love to be bestowed upon infants in baptism. They teach, moreover, that conversion or the creation of the new heart, which is properly called regeneration, is produced only in those who are arrived at that time of life when there is the capability of exercising reason 11-14

Quotes

Order of

Beza
Davenant
Spanheim
Ambrose
Holtzfus
Alexander

1500’s

Theodore Beza

Colloquy of Montbeliard in John Davenant, Baptismal Regeneration & the Final Perseverance of the Saints. A letter of… Davenant… to Dr. Samuel Ward… tr. J. Allport (d. 1641; London: Macintosh, 1864), p. 10

“The power of the Spirit abolishing the old man, does not commence from the very moment of baptism, but when faith begins.”

“[We think it absurd to say] that infants are renewed before they can become acquainted with and apprehend Christ by faith.”

1600’s

John Davenant

Baptismal Regeneration & the Final Perseverance of the Saints. A letter of… Davenant… to Dr. Samuel Ward… tr. J. Allport (d. 1641; London: Macintosh, 1864), pt. 1, proposition 4, p. 10

“Nor do I know any one of our [Reformed] divines who would pronounce that the regeneration which exists in the creation of qualities (which we call sanctification—the Papal writer’s formal justification) is produced at the very moment of baptism.

Nay, they all refer this regeneration or spiritual nativity to the period of adult age, in which true and living faith is implanted in the heart of a baptized person from the immortal seed of the Word, and by the operation of the Spirit.”

Friedrich Spanheim

‘Disputation on Justification’ in Disputationum Theologicarum Miscellaneorum Pars Prima (Geneva: Chovet, 1652), trans. AI by Roman Prestarri at Confessionally Reformed Theology

“12. The object of justification is sinful man, elected by destination and already called in execution at a capable age, Rom. VIII.29 — who is antecedently and objectively ungodly, yet consequently and terminatively endowed with faith and through it ingrafted into Christ, Rom. III.26.”

Isaac Ambrose

War with Devils… (d. 1663), pp. 52-54

“Then he [Satan] begins his strongest batteries, or main temptations, when we are first entering into a renewed state: Now this is most usual in the days of our youth. Thus many of our worthies observe, Mr. [Thomas] Ford, speaking of young people, faith, Amongst the usually the stream of converting grace most runs. It may be in some grace is wrought very early, even in childhood, but ordinarily ’tis after they come under catechising, and are more adult.

And Mr. Burges thus, Conversion does not only belong to the old, but to the young; yea, commonly conversion is sooner wrought upon the younger sort of people; for they have not resisted the grace of God so much, they have not provoked God to give them up to their own heart’s lusts, and desires, as many ages persons have; so then let young ones hearken to sermons, let them attend to what the ministers of God exhort. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth; and it is good to bear the yoke in they youth; it is good to feel the bitterness of sin betimes, Eccl. 12:1; Lam. 3:27.

And Vortier thus, The Lord can convert and bring home to himself at all times, in middle age, in old age, at the very last, as the thief upon the cross; yet the time of effectual calling is more ordinary in the time of youth. Some have observed the time of effectual calling to be between the years of eighteen and thirty, most commonly. And I believe that most saints experience, that the Lord wrought upon them in their younger days. Marriages are most in younger times, so are spiritual contracts in Jesus Christ. David was good when young, Daniel a young prophet; Timothy a young preacher, Samuel began with God betimes, Abijah good when a child, so was Josiah.

Hammers thus, Those who in their infancy were considered as parts of their parents, and so by virtue of their parents’ membership enjoyed the ordinance of baptism; when once grown up to maturity and ripeness of years, they are to be looked upon and considered in themselves, and no longer as in their parents, and therefore as being in a capacity so to do, they ought now to take hold of the covenant for themselves, and to render a personal account of their faith. It pleases God, that many do so even very early; which agrees with the former opinion, that some are regenerated after they come under catechizing.

It was the use of the Jews, as Mr. Buxtorf reports, that so soon as their circumcised children were able to speak, they taught them some select places of Scripture, and so proceeding on by degrees at thirteen years of age, they were called filii praecepti, sons of the precept; and then they were to receive the passover, as says Mr. Weem, and to observe the 613 precepts, which comprehended in them the sum of the Mosaical law, and Jewish religion, and then they themselves were accounted guilty and liable to punishment, both divine and human, if they did transgress the law, whereas before their faults were imputed to their fathers, of whom the punishment was exacted…

I hope, I may say of Gentiles as well as Jews, that conversion is sometimes very early, even as early as at thirteen years of age, though it be not ordinary. And oh! how good is it for a man to bear the yoke in his youth, seeing it must be born at one time or other? The burden of sin at that age will be the lighter, the flowing of heavenly affections will be the sweeter, the removal of sin, in all likehood will be sooner, at least the surer; God having engaged Himself that ‘they that seek Him early shall find Him,’ Prov. 8:17. Satan knows all this very well, and therefore he sets a stricter watch on youth…”

Barthold Holtzfus

‘Theological Dissertation on Sin & its Distinctions’ (Frankfurt: Schwartz, 1712), ch. 2, ‘On Original Sin’, pp. 17-18 Holtzfus was a German reformed theologian, and a hypothetical universalist respecting the atonement.

§48. The Protestants [respecting the salvation of infants]:

1. Agree that this stain is in itself meritorious of eternal death and damnable, but does not always actually damn.

2. They deny the Limbo of Infants. Some, however, agree with Augustine thus far, that they feel the infants of infidels are damned, from 1 Cor. 5:12-13.

[3.] Others believe that all infants are damned [as they did not reach, and were not ordained to salvation through actual faith].

[4.] Others, that judgment should not be precipitated, believe that all infants, even of infidels, are saved. Such are Zwingli in Declaration on Original Sin to Urbanus Rhegius, tome 2, Opera, p. 120; Franciscus Junius in Collation on Nature & Grace contra Puccius, Reason 18, p. 331; J. Bergius in Der Wille Gottes, ch. 19, §1, 5, ff., pp. 213-25; G. J. Vossius in History of Pelagianism, bk. 2, pt. 2, th. 4 & pt. 3, th. 4; Ludovicus Crocius in Twelve Dissertations, VI, §3, ff., pp. 282-85, and also Dissertation XI, §53, pp. 685-86; Daille in Apology for the Two Synods, pt. 3, pp. 464-67 & pt. 4, pp. 636-39; Jaquelot in Examination of the Theology of Bayle, pt. 2, §1, p. 201.”

1800’s

A.A. Alexander

Thoughts on Religious Experience (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1841), pp. 26-27

“The reason why it is believed, that regeneration does not usually accompany baptism, is simply because no evidences of spiritual life appear in baptized children more than in those which remain unbaptized.

The education of children should proceed on the principle that they are in an unregenerate state, until evidences of piety clearly appear, in which case, they should be sedulously cherished and nurtured. These are Christ’s lambs — ” little ones, who believe in Him” whom none should offend or mislead upon the peril of a terrible punishment. But though the religious education of children should proceed on the ground that they are destitute of grace, it ought ever to be used as a means of grace. Every lesson, therefore, should be accompanied with the lifting up of the heart of the instructer to God for a blessing on the means. “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.”

Although the grace of God may be communicated to a human soul, at any period of its existence, in this world; yet the fact manifestly is, that very few are renewed before the exercise of reason commences; and not many, in early childhood. Most persons, with whom we have been acquainted, grew up without giving any decisive evidence of a change of heart. Though religiously educated, yet they have evinced a want [lack] of love to God, and an aversion to spiritual things.”

The End of Calling vs. the End of God

Quotes

Paul Barth, with Francis Junius

‘Reformed Scholasticism: Distinguishing Ends’ (2016) at Purely Presbyterian

“The Latin term finis means end or goal, and refers to the final cause of something, “the ultimate purpose for which a thing is made or an act is performed.” (Muller, Dictionary, p. 61) The term operis means work or action. The term operantis means working or acting, referring to the one performing the action.

Finis operis, the end of the act, is the inherent goal or natural result of an act in itself. The end is so intrinsic to the act that it cannot be done without the end necessarily following it.

Finis operantis, the end of acting, is the willed intention of the person who acts.

Franciscus Junius uses different terms, the natural end and the willed end, to explain the same concept:

“Nature very plainly teaches this order of distinguishing ends. For in all situations and actions something both of nature and of will always is maintained, such that it is aimed toward some end. Nature resolutely places this one end before itself; will selects it in a mutable fashion. Now indeed, of those things which are accomplished only by the instinct of nature apart from some motion of the will, the reasoning is such that these never stray or are in and of themselves alienated from the end that nature has established. They customarily are aimed toward several ends, according to the principles by which they are governed.

So it happens that individual things arising from nature pursue a natural end, while those arising from will pursue a willed end, whether one that has been carefully considered or one that has not. They pursue the considered end by a proper ordering of nature and will acting in harmony. But they pursue the unconsidered end when an improper confusion of these has occurred. (Junius, Treatise on True Theology, p. 206)”

Francis Turretin

Institutes of Elenctic Theology (P&R), vol. 2, p. 504

“The end of [external] calling can be considered in two ways: either on the part of God or on the part of the thing (which is called the end of the worker [finis operantis] and the end of the work [finis operis]). Although each is conjoined in the elect, yet in others they are separated…

in the gospel call, the end of the thing is the salvation of man because by its nature it tends to the bringing of him to salvation by faith and repentance; but not at once with respect to all the called is it the end of God, but only of those to whom he decreed to give faith and salvation.”

Is the Gospel’s Outward Calling Universal? No, it is Indefinite

Quotes

Order of

Beza
Spanheim

1500’s

Theodore Beza

A Book of Christian Questions & Answers… (London, 1574), p. 79

“Question: But surely the calling and promise are universal.

Answer: Understand them to be indefinite (yea and that in respect of certain circumstances of which I have spoken) and thou shalt think the rightlier… Or else see, how very reason of necessity confutes that universal calling. For if ye mean it of the calling by the preaching of the Word: it is not true that all men are, or ever were, yea or ever shall be called so severally hereafter.”

1600’s

Friedrich Spanheim, Sr.

“29. Calling through nature to God the Creator is broader; calling through the Word to God the redeemer is stricter.

30. Universal calling to salvation neither was, nor is, nor will be.

31. That hope of special mercy is shown in nature, or that this is the instrument of gospel-calling, is false, nor can this be said without nature being established as a herald of grace.”

‘Miscellaneous Theological Disputation exhibiting a Theological Compendium’ in Disputationum Theologicarum Miscellaneorum Pars Prima (d. 1649; Geneva: Chouët, 1652), trans. AI by Roman Prestarri at Confessionally Reformed Theology Latin

“3. The revelation alone exhibited in the sphere of nature cannot be salutary, nor has any mortal through it alone either been led to salvation or been able to be led.

4. To those therefore to whom the grace of superior revelation in the sphere of grace after sin introduced into the world has not been made, salvation was never destined by God: for the wise one does not will the end for him to whom he by no means grants the necessary means, without which it cannot come to pass that he should attain the end, when those can be had only by his giving.

5. And since the sphere of nature exhibits only τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ [the knowledge of God], by no means indeed σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν μυστηρίῳ [the wisdom of God in mystery], that is, the Gospel, and doctrine concerning Christ the Savior and faith in him, who, without knowledge of Him who alone is the way, can come to life?

6. Therefore the revelation alone exhibited to sinners in the sphere of grace through God’s word can be salutary, which reveals both the actual expiation of sin, and the mode of it, and Him through whom it is expiated, and the means of applying that expiation to us.”

On an Extraordinary, Effectual Call to Salvation apart from the Ordinary Means

Order of

Westminster
General 1
Infants 5
Adults 3

Westminster

Confession of Faith

On an Extraordinary Call in General

Quote

1600’s

Anthony Walaeus

Theological Theses on the Efficacious Vocation of the Sinner to Salvation trans. AI (Leiden: Marcus, 1620), p. 3

“XII. As an instrument, He uses his word (Rom. 10:16), and that of both the Law and the Gospel, in different ways: by the former, indeed, preparing the way for the efficacy of vocation (Gal. 3:24), and by the latter, perfecting the same in the called (Rom. 1:16).

XIII. This is also sometimes extraordinary, and God acts beyond the accustomed manner, so that what He is accustomed to effect together with the Word, He produces without its help or assistance, administering the matter by the revelation and efficacy of his Spirit alone (Acts 9:3-6).”

Infants

Quotes

Order of

Gerson
Calvin
Ball
Spanheim
Baxter

1400’s

Jean Gerson

pt. 21, p. 146 in John Davenant, John, Baptismal Regeneration & the Final Perseverance of the Saints. A letter of… Davenant… to Dr. Samuel Ward… tr. J. Allport (d. 1641; London: Macintosh, 1864), p. 10

“If the soul of a baptised infant leave the body immediately after baptism, that God, in the very moment of separation, infused faith and the other virtues into it.”

1500’s

John Calvin

Institutes of the Christian Religion trans. Henry Beveridge (1559; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845), vol. 3, bk. 4, ch. 16, sect. 21, p. 370

“If those on whom the Lord has bestowed his election, after receiving the sign of regeneration, depart this life before they become adults, he, by the incomprehensible energy of his Spirit, renews them in the way which he alone sees to be expedient.

1600’s

John Ball

A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace… (London: 1645), ch. 6, ‘Of the Covenant of Grace as it was made and manifested to Abraham’, p. 92

“4. In this expression of ‘the Covenant,’ the spiritual good things promised therein are limited to Abraham and to his seed.

But all infants whatsoever are not comprehended under the seed of Abraham. To say many thousands are excluded from the seals and outward administration of the Covenant, when yet everyone is partaker of the good promised in the Covenant, is to speak of ourselves, and not according to the Word of God.

We will not tie the grace of God to outward means: but ordinarily we cannot affirm they pertain to the Covenant of Grace, and obtain the highest blessings promised therein, whom God does not vouchsafe so much as outwardly to receive into Covenant.”

Spanheim, Sr., Friedrich

“33. Effectual calling consists in the production of faith…

Richard Baxter

A Christian Directory... (London: 1673), Question 42, ‘But the great question is, How the Holy Ghost is given to infants in baptism?…’, p. 819

“3. We are much in the dark concerning the degree of infants’ glory: And therefore we can as little know what degree of grace is necessary to prepare them for their glory.

4. It is certain that infants before they are glorified, shall have all that grace that is prerequisite to their preparation and fruition.”

Adults

Order of

Articles 4
Quotes 4
History 1

Articles

1500’s

Zwingli, Ulrich

Christianae Fidei Expositio, ad Chiristianum Regem

Opera, vol. 2, p. 371

1600’s

Baxter, Richard

Christian Directory… (London: White, 1673), pt. 3, Ecclesiastical

Question 156, ‘Must we believe that Moses’ Law did ever bind other nations, or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them, or belonged to them? or that the Jews were all God’s Visible Church on earth? [No]’, p. 905

Question 157, ‘Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches now, that they are only advanced above the rest of the world as the Jews were, but not the only people that are saved? [Yes]’, pp. 906-7

sect. 81-94, pp. 47-51 in Richard Baxter’s Catholic Theology... (London: White, 1675), pt. 2, ‘Of God’s Government’, sect. 5, ‘Of the Gift & Works of the Holy Ghost’

Baxter cites for Early Church precedent Clement and Alexander.

1900’s

Engelder, Th. – ‘Some Remarks on the Question of the Salvation of the Heathen’ in Concordia Theological Monthly, vol. 16, art. 78 (Dec. 1945), pp. 823-42

Engelder is against the salvation of the heathen, but he quotes many for it, including within Romanism and Lutheranism. Luther was against it. Engelder gives some attention to 1 Pet. 3:19 and many commentators on it.

Quotes

Order of

Voet
Baxter
Henry
Bavinck

1600’s

Gisbert Voet

Disputation 30, ‘On Regeneration’, pt. 2 (1639) tr. AI by Roman Prestarri in Select Theological Disputations (1655), vol. 2, pp. 447ff. Latin at Confessionally Reformed Theology

“III. Whether there can be regeneration of adults without antecedent or conjoined external calling through the Word externally set forth; and whether de facto there has been such?

Response: The former is not to be denied. To the latter we say that ordinarily it does not happen, according to Rom. 10:15, 17; 1 Cor. 1 [1:21]; 2 [2:4-5], 21 [This should be different], compared with Ps. 147 [vv. 19-20]; Eph. 2:11–12.

Nor do I see any example adduced after the new covenant was established.

Concerning Abraham, it can be said that he had in his paternal family the external Word handed down from hand to hand through the patriarchs.

Concerning Adam and Eve, it can be said that they were the first in whom God established the church after the fall, from whom thenceforth the church was propagated through the external Word.

Nor is it certain that their first conversion was accomplished without some Word sounding externally (although in an extraordinary manner, because it was necessary first to establish the order and to begin from them).”

Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter’s Catholic Theology… (1675), Preface, pp. 5-6

“2. And as to the last edition of the Covenant of Grace by Christ [in the New Testament]:

1. The tenor of it extends to all; as is visible Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Jn. 3:16.

2. And Christ has made it the office of his ministers by his commission to promulgate and offer it to all.

3. And whereas providence concurs not to the universal execution, we must all confess, that Christ came not to put the world into a worse condition than He found them in. If He did any no good by his incarnation, He would do them no harm. Therefore they that never hear the Gospel, are still under the first edition of the Covenant made with Adam and Noah, so far as it is unaltered. I add that word [“so far as it is unaltered”], because, that so far as the promise was to give salvation by the Messiah hereafter to be incarnate, none is now bound to expect his future incarnation, because it is past. But the same benefits that were due to believers before Christs incarnation, are due since upon the true performance of so much of the condition as is still in force, and not repealed.

…
4. And also, that more was required then, to be known particularly by the Jews that had the Scripture and tradition to acquaint them with the Messiah to come, than of the rest of the world, that had not those distinct discoveries, nor Abraham’s promises made known unto them: And how much Gen. 3:15 might cause them to understand, we may conjecture by the words. At least this much was required of all, that they believe that their sin deserves punishment and misery, and yet that God of his abundant mercy, by his wisdom securing his truth and justice, will pardon sin and grant salvation to all that truly believe and trust in that his wisdom and mercy, and repent of their sins, and unfeignedly give up themselves to God as their merciful Redeemer. Thus far we are agreed about the grace of the Covenant.”

A Paraphrase on the New Testament… (London: Simmons, 1685), Acts, ch. 10, v. 34

“34. I do by this instance more fully than before perceive that God respects not men for their country sake, or any common worldly privileges, but for their real goodness, and whatever nation a man be of, if he so sincerely believe in God and his mercy, as to fear and serve Him, or to work righteousness or truly obey his laws, he shall be mercifully accepted by Him, who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

A Treatise of Knowledge & Love… (London: Parkhurst, 1689), pt. 2, ch. 14, pp. 265-69

“Question 1. If so much knowledge will save a man as helps him to love God as God, may not heathens or infidels at least be saved? For they know that there is one God who is infinitely good and perfect, and more amiable than all the world, and the great benefactor of man, and of the whole creation: So that there is no goodness but what is in Him, or from Him, and through Him, and finally to Him: And man’s will is made to love apprehended good, and follows the last practical act of the intellect, at least where there is no competitor, but omnimoda ratio boni. And all men know that God is not only best in Himself, but good, yea best to them, because that all they have is from Him: and they have daily experience of pardoning grace contrary to their commerit. It seems therefore that they may love God as God.

Answer:

1. To cause a man to love God as God, there is necessary both objective revelation of God’s amiableness, and such subjective grace which consists in a right disposition of the soul.

2. Objective revelation is considered as sufficient either to well disposed, or to an ill disposed soul.

3. This right disposition consists both in the abatement of men’s inclinations to contrary (sensual) objects, and in the inclining them to that which is divine and spiritual.

And now I answer:

1. It cannot be denied but that so much of God’s amiableness or goodness is revealed to infidels that have not the Gospel, by the means mentioned in the objection, as is sufficient to bring men under an obligation to love God as God, and to leave them unexcusable that do not.

2. Therefore to such the impossibility is not physical, but moral.

3. And there is in that objective revelation, so much sufficiency, as that if the soul itself were sanctified and well disposed, it might love God upon such revelation. (Which [Moses] Amyraldus has largely proved.)

4. But to an unholy and undisposed soul no objective revelation is sufficient without the Spirit’s help and operations.

5. Only the Spirit of Christ the Mediator, as given by and from Him, does thus operate on souls, as savingly to renew them. (Of all this I have discoursed more largely in my Catholic Theology, and the applied Epitome.)

6. Whether ever the Spirit of Christ does thus operate on any that hear not of Christ’s incarnation, must be known either by the Scripture or by experience.

[1.] By the Scripture I am not able to prove the universal negative, though it’s easy to prove sanctification incomparably more common in the Church, than on those without, if any there have it. The case of infants and of the Churches, and the world before Christ’s incarnation, must here come into consideration.

2. And by experience no man can prove the negative; because no man has experience what is in the hearts of all the persons in the world.”

Question 2. May a Papist or a heretic by his knowledge be a lover of God as God?

Answer: What is said to the former question is here to be reviewed. And further:

1. A Papist and such heretic as positively holds all the essentials of Christianity, and sees not the opposition of his false opinions hereto, and holds Christianity more practically than those false opinions, may be saved in that state, for he is a lover of God: But no other Papists or heretics can be saved but by a true conversion.

2. There is a sufficiency in the doctrine of Christianity which they hold, to save them, as to objective sufficiency. And that God gives not subjective grace (of sanctification) to any such, notwithstanding their errors, is a thing that no man can prove, nor any sober charitable Christian easily believe: And experience of the piety of many makes it utterly improbable, though we know not certainly the heart of another.

There are many murmurings against me in this city (behind my back: for never one man of them to my remembrance to this day, did ever use any charitable endeavor to my face to convince me of my supposed error) as one that holds that a Papist may be saved, yea, that we are not certain that none in the world are saved besides Christians; and the sectaries whisper me to one another to be like Origen, a person in these dangerous opinions, forsaken of God, in comparison of them: What really I assert about these questions, I have here briefly hinted, but more largely opened in my Catholick Theology:

But I will confess that I find no inclination in my soul to desire that their doctrine may prove true, who hide the glorified love of God, and would contract his mercy and man’s salvation into so narrow a room as to make it hardly discernable by man, and the Church to be next to no Church, and a Savior to save so very few, as seem scarce considerable among the rest that are left remediless. And who would make us believe that the way appointed to bring men to the love of God is to believe that He has elected that particular person, and left almost all the world (many score or hundreds to one) unredeemed, and without any promise or possibility of salvation:

I am sure that the Covenant of Innocency [of Works] is ceased; and I am sure that all the world was brought under a Law of Grace made after the fall to Adam and Noah: and that this Law is still in force to those that have not the more perfect edition in the Gospel. And that Christ came not to bring the world that never hear of Him, nor can do, into a worse condition than Jews and Gentiles were in before: nor has He repealed that Law of Grace which He before made them; nor has God changed that gracious Name which he proclaimed even to Moses, Ex. 34:6-7.

And I am sure that Abraham, the father of the faithful, conjectured once, even when God told him that Sodom was ripe for destruction, that yet there might be fifty righteous persons in it; by which we may conjecture what he thought of all the world (read Mal. 1:14 with all the old translations in the polyglot Bible, and consider it). And I know that in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of Him [Acts 10:35]; and that he that comes to God must believe that God is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and therefore without faith none can please God:

And that men shall be judged by that same law which they were under and obliged by, whatever it be. And they that have sinned under the Law (of Moses) shall be judged by it; and they that sinned without that Law shall be judged without it. And I know that God is love itself and infinitely good; and will show us his goodness in such glorious effects to all eternity as shall satisfy us and fill us with joyful praise:

And as for the Papists, I know that they are seduced by a worldly clergy, and that by consequence many of the errors in that Church do subvert the fundamentals; and so do many errors of the antinomians and others among us that are taken for religious persons; yea and as notoriously as any doctrines of the Popish councils do: But I know that as a logical faith or orthodoxness, which consists in holding right notions and words, deceives thousands that have no sound belief of the things themselves expressed by these words; So also logical errors about words, notions and sentences, may in unskilful men consist with a sound belief of the things which must necessarily be believed. And that Christ and grace may be thankfully received by many that have false names and notions, and sayings about Christ and grace. And I know the great power of education and converse, and what advantage an opinion has even with the upright, which is commonly extolled by learned, godly, religious men, especially if by almost all.

Therefore I make no doubt but God has many among the Papists and the Antinomians (to name no others) who are truly godly, though they logically or notionally hold such errors as if practically held would be their damnation, and if the consequents were known and held: Much more when thousands of the common people, hold not the errors of the Church which they abide in.

And it shall not be my way of persuading my own soul or others to love God, by first persuading them that He loves but few besides them. And when such have narrowed God’s love and mercy to all save their own party, and made themselves easily believe that He will damn the rest of the world, even such as are desirous to please God as they are, they have but prepared a snare for their own consciences, which may perhaps, when it is awakened, as easily believe that He will damn themselves. Let us give all diligence to make our own calling and election sure, and leave others to the righteous God, to whose judgment they and we must stand or fall. Who art thou that judgest anothers servant [Rom. 14]?

As the [Mosaic] Covenant of Peculiarity was made only with the Israelites, though the Common Law of Grace (made to Adam and Noah) was in force to other nations of the world; So the more excellent Covenant of Peculiarity is since Christ’s incarnation made only with the Christian Church, though the foresaid Common Law of Grace be not repealed to all others: Nor can it be said that they sin not against a Law of Grace; or mercy leading to repentance.

And as the Covenant of Peculiarity was not repealed to the ten [Northern] tribes (though the benefits were much forfeited by their violation), but God had still thousands among them in Elijah’s time that bowed not the knee to Baal, and such as Obadiah to hide the prophets; though yet the Jews were the more orthodox: Even so though the Reformed Churches, as the two tribes, stick closer to the truth, the kingdoms where Popery prevails, have yet many thousands that God will save; and notwithstanding their errors and corrupt additions, they have the same articles of Faith and Baptismal Covenant as we.

And if any man think himself the wiser or the happier man than I, for holding the contrary, and thinking so many are hated of God more than I do (and consequently rendering Him less lovely to them), I envy not such the honor nor comfort of their wisdom.”

1700’s

Matthew Henry

Commentary on Acts, ch. 10, v. 35, “But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.”

“1. God never did, nor ever will, justify and save a wicked Jew that lived and died impenitent, though he was of the seed of Abraham, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and had all the honour and advantages that attended circumcision. He does and will render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; and of the Jew first, whose privileges and professions, instead of screening him from the judgment of God, will but aggravate his guilt and condemnation. See Rom. 2:3, 8–9, 17. Though God has favoured the Jews, above other nations, with the dignities of visible church-membership, yet He will not therefore accept of any particular persons of that dignity, if they allow themselves in immoralities contradictory to their profession; and particularly in persecution, which was now, more than any other, the national sin of the Jews.

2. He never did, nor ever will, reject or refuse an honest Gentile, who, though he has not the privileges and advantages that the Jews have, yet, like Cornelius, fears God, and worships Him, and works righteousness, that is, is just and charitable towards all men, who lives up to the light he has, both in a sincere devotion and in a regular conversation. Whatever nation he is of, though ever so far remote from kindred to the seed of Abraham, though ever so despicable, nay, though in ever so ill a name, that shall be no prejudice to him. God judges of men by their hearts, not by their country or parentage; and, wherever He finds an upright man, He will be found an upright God, Ps. 18:25.

Observe, Fearing God, and working righteousness, must go together; for, as righteousness towards men is a branch of true religion, so religion towards God is a branch of universal righteousness. Godliness and honesty must go together, and neither will excuse for the want of the other. But, where these are predominant, no doubt is to be made of acceptance with God.

Not that any man, since the fall, can obtain the favour of God otherwise than through the mediation of Jesus Christ, and by the grace of God in Him; but those that have not the knowledge of Him, and therefore cannot have an explicit regard to Him, may yet receive grace from God for his sake, to fear God and to work righteousness; and wherever God gives grace to do so, as He did to Cornelius, He will, through Christ, accept the work of his own hands. Now:

(1) This was always a truth, before Peter perceived it, that God respecteth no man’s person; it was the fixed rule of judgment from the beginning: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And, if not well, sin, and the punishment of it, lie at the door, Gen. 4:7. God will not ask in the great day what country men were of, but what they were, what they did, and how they stood affected towards Him and towards their neighbors; and, if men’s personal characters received neither advantage nor disadvantage from the great difference that existed between Jews and Gentiles, much less from any less difference of sentiments and practices that may happen to be among Christians themselves, as those about meats and days, Rom. 14:1-23. It is certain the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and he that in these things serveth Christ is accepted of God, and ought to be approved of men; for dare we reject those whom God doth not?

(2) Yet now it was made more clear than it had been; this great truth had been darkened by the covenant of peculiarity made with Israel, and the badges of distinction put upon them; the ceremonial law was a wall of partition between them and other nations; it is true that in it God favoured that nation (Rom. 3:1–2; 9:4), and thence particular persons among them were ready to infer that they were sure of God’s acceptance, though they lived as they listed, and that no Gentile could possibly be accepted of God. God had said a great deal by the prophets to prevent and rectify this mistake, but now at length he does it effectually, by abolishing the covenant of peculiarity, repealing the ceremonial law, and so setting the matter at large, and placing both Jew and Gentile upon the same level before God; and Peter is here made to perceive it, by comparing the vision which he had with that which Cornelius had. Now in Christ Jesus, it is plain, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision,Gal. 5:6; Col. 3:11.”

1800’s

Herman Bavinck

Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 4, pp. 726-27

“In light of Scripture, both with regard to the salvation of pagans and that of children who die in infancy, we cannot get beyond abstaining from a firm judgment, in either a positive or a negative sense. Deserving of note, however, is that in the face of these serious questions Reformed theology is in a much more favorable position than any other. For in this connection, all other churches can entertain a more temperate judgment only if they reconsider their doctrine of the absolute necessity of the means of grace or infringe upon that of the accursedness of sin. But the Reformed refused to establish the measure of grace needed for a human being still to be united with God, though subject to many errors and sins, or to determine the extent of the knowledge indispensably necessary to salvation. Furthermore, they maintained that the means of grace are not absolutely necessary for salvation and that also apart from the Word and sacraments God can regenerate persons for eternal life.

Thus, in the Second Helvetic Confession, article 1, we read: “At the same time we recognize that God can illuminate whom and when he will, even without the external ministry, for that is in his power”…And the Westminster Confession states (in ch. X, §3) that “elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who works when, and where, and how he pleases”, and that this applies also to “all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.” Reuter, accordingly, after explaining Augustine’s teaching on this point, correctly states:

“One could in fact defend the paradox that it is precisely the particularistic doctrine of predestination that makes possible those universalistic-sounding phrases.”

In fact, even the universalistic passages of Scripture cited above come most nearly and most beautifully into their own in Reformed theology. For these texts are certainly not intended universalistically in the sense that all humans or even all creatures are saved, nor are they so understood by any Christian church. All churches without exception confess that there is not only a heaven but also a hell. At most, therefore, there is a difference of opinion about the number of those who are saved and of those who are lost. But that is not something one can argue about inasmuch as that number is known only to God. When Jesus was asked: “Lord, will only a few be saved?” he only replied: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many… will try to enter but will not be able” (Luke 13:24). Directly important to us is only that we have no need to know the number of the elect.

In any case, it is a fact that in Reformed theology the number of the elect need not, for any reason or in any respect, be deemed smaller than in any other theology. In fact, at bottom the Reformed confessions are more magnanimous and broader in outlook than any other Christian confession. It locates the ultimate and most profound source of salvation solely in God’s good pleasure, in his eternal compassion, in his unfathomable mercy, in the unsearchable riches of his grace, grace that is both omnipotent and free. Aside from it, where could we find a firmer and broader foundation for the salvation of a sinful and lost human race? However troubling it may be that many fall away, still in Christ the believing community, the human race, the world, is saved. The organism of creation is restored. The wicked perish from the earth (Ps. 104:35); they are cast out (John 12:31; 15:6; Rev. 22:15). Still, all things in heaven and earth are gathered up in Christ (Eph. 1:10). All things are created through him and for him (Col. 1:16).”

History

Whole of Church History

Mwashinga, Christopher – ‘Historical Background’ in The Salvation of the Unevangelized: a Comparative Analysis of the views of Clark H. Pinnock [Inclusivist] & Millard J. Erickson [Agnostic] PhD diss. (Andrews University, 2025), pp. 15-51

Mwashinga lists as:

Exclusivists: Tertullian, Cyprian, Council of Florence (1438-1445), Luther, Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Robert Gundry, Francis Chan.

Inclusivists: Clement, Origin, Gregory of Nyssa, John Wesley, Augustus Strong, C.S. Lewis, Karl Rahner, Henri de Lubac, Vatican II, Clark H. Pinnock, Daniel Strange, Rob Bell.

Pluralists: John Hick, Paul Knitter.

Latin Articles

1600’s

Alsted, Henry – ch. 20, ‘Calling’ in Distinctions through Universal Theology, taken out of the Canon of the Sacred Letters & Classical Theologians (Frankfurt: 1626), pp. 91-94

Wendelin, Marcus Friedrich – Christian Theology (Hanau, 1634; 2nd ed., Amsterdam, 1657), bk. 1, ‘Knowledge of God’

ch. 19, ‘Of the Instrumental Causes & Parts of the [Gospel] Offer, where is of the Gospel, Calling & Covenant’, pp. 314-25

ch. 21, ‘Of the [Gospel] Offer & of the Covenant in the Old [Testament]’, pp. 341-53

ch. 22, ‘Of the Gospel in Specific, so called, [& the Offer in the NT] & of Baptism’, pp. 353-79

ch. 24, ‘Of the Reception of the Mediator, & of Justifying Faith’, pp. 448-81

Voet, Gisbert

Syllabus of Theological Problems (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 2, tract 3 Abbr.

Of Calling
Of the Calling & Conversion of the Heathens

Select Theological Disputations (Utrecht: Waesberg, 1655), vol. 2

38. ‘Of Gentilism & the Calling of the Gentiles’, pp. 579-601
39. ‘Same’, pt. 2, pp. 601-21
40.‘Same’, pt. 3, pp. 621-59

Wettstein, Gernler & Buxtorf – A Syllabus of Controversies in Religion which come between the Orthodox Churches & whatever other Adversaries, for material for the regular disputations… customarily held in the theological school of the academy at Basil (Basil, 1662)

12. External Calling, where is of the Gospel & the Sacraments in General, pp. 41-45

15. Internal Calling & Faith, pp. 54-56

Related Pages

On God’s Revealed Will

On the Affections of God

Conversion

The Common Operations of the Spirit

Irresistible Grace

Compatibility of Irresistible & Resistible Grace

Puritans on God’s Tender Spirit

Order of Salvation