OF EFFECTUAL CALLING

Paragraph 1. Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased in His appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call,¹ by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ;² enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God;³ taking away their heart of stone, and giving to them a heart of flesh;⁴ renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ;⁵ yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.⁶

¹ Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10,11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14

² Ephesians 2:1-6

³ Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17,18

⁴ Ezekiel 36:26

⁵ Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19

⁶ Psalm 110:3; Song of Songs 1:4

Paragraph 2. This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature,⁷ being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit;⁸ he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.⁹

⁷ 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8

⁸ 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25

⁹ Ephesians 1:19,20

*Paragraph 3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit;¹⁰ who works when, and where, and how He pleases;¹¹ so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.

¹⁰ John 3:3,6

¹¹ John 3:8

Paragraph 4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit,¹² yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:¹³ much less can men that do not receive the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.¹⁴

¹² Matthew 22:14; John 13:20,21; Hebrews 6:4,5

¹³ John 6:44,65; 1 John 2:24,25

¹⁴ Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3

*Editor’s Notes:

Chapter 10 and Paragraph 3 states the following:

“Elect Infants dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth: so also are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the Ministry of the Word.”

The Proof texts which are given are from the Gospel of John and Chapter 3

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Very clearly, these verses speak of the Spirit’s work in salvation and the new birth. We agree that the Spirit works when, where and how He pleases. Nowhere, though, do these verses mention salvation for “elect infants” or “other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the Ministry of the Word”.

Are there no other Bible verses to support the confession’s statement?

Because this paragraph cannot be proven biblically, we prefer that it not be in a confession of faith. Let us be silent concerning those things whereof God Himself has not spoken lest we be found adding to His words.