to all necessity, or any fixed and certain connection with some
previous ground or reason of their existence. Calvinists, on the
other hand, contend that a power in the will to determine its own
determinations, is either unmeaning, or supposes, contrary to the
first principles of philosophy, something to arise without a cause;
that the idea of the soul exerting an act of choice or preference,
while, at the same time, the will is in a perfect equilibrium, or
state of indifference, is full of absurdity and self-contradiction;
and that, as nothing can ever come to pass without a cause, the acts
of the will are never contingent, or without necessity—understanding
by necessity, a necessity of consequence, or an infallible
connection with something foregoing. According to Calvinists, the
liberty of a moral agent consists in the power of acting according
to a choice; and those actions are free which are performed without
any external compulsion or restraint, in consequence of the
determinations of his own mind. "The necessity of man's willing and
acting in conformity to his apprehensions and disposition, is, in
their opinion, fully consistent with all the liberty which can
belong to a rational nature. The infinite Being necessarily wills
and acts according to the absolute perfection of his nature, yet
with the highest liberty. Angels necessarily will and act according
to the perfection of their natures, yet with full liberty; for this
sort of necessity is so far from interfering with liberty of will,
that the perfection of the will's liberty lies in such a necessity.
The very essence of its liberty lies in acting consciously, choosing
or refusing without any external compulsion or constraint, but
according to inward principles of rational apprehension and natural
disposition."

SECTION 2. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to
will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God; but yet
mutably, so that he might fall from it.

SECTION 3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all
ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as
a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in
sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to
prepare himself thereunto.

SECTION 4. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the
state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and
by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which
is spiritually good; yet so as that, by reason of his remaining
corruption, he does not perfectly nor only will that which is good,
but does also will that which is evil.

SECTION 5. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to
do good alone in the state of glory only.

Exposition of 9.2–9.5

The human will is not a distinct agent, but only a power of the
rational soul. It is essential to a soul to have a moral
disposition, good or bad, or a mixture of both; and, according to
what is the prevailing moral disposition of the soul, must be the
moral actings of the will. Hence there is a great difference in
regard to the freedom of the will in the different states of man. In
the state of innocence, the natural inclination of man's will was
only to good; but it was liable to change through the power of
temptation, and therefore free to choose evil. In his natural
corrupt state, man freely chooses evil, without any compulsion or
constraint on his will; and he cannot do otherwise, being under the
bondage of sin. In the state of grace, he has a free will partly to
good and partly to evil. In this state there is a mixture of two
opposite moral dispositions, and as sometimes the one, and sometimes
the other, prevails, so the will sometimes chooses that which is
good, and sometimes that which is evil. In the state of glory, the
blessed freely choose what is good; and, being confirmed in a state
of perfect holiness, they can only will what is good.

The important truth laid down in the third section concerning man's
inability, in his fallen state, to will or do that which is
spiritually good, claims some further notice. It has been opposed by
various sects. The Pelagians maintained "that mankind are capable of
repentance and amendment, and of arriving to the highest degrees of
piety and virtue by the use of their natural faculties and powers."
The Semi-Pelagians, though they allowed that assisting grace is
necessary to enable a man to continue in a course of religious
duties, yet they held "that inward preventing grace was not
necessary to form in the soul the first beginnings of true
repentance and amendment; that every man was capable of producing
these by the mere power of his natural faculties; as also of
exercising faith in Christ, and forming the purposes of a holy and
sincere obedience." The Arminians, in words, ascribe the conversion
of the sinner to the grace of God; yet they ultimately resolve it
into the free-will of man. In opposition to these various forms of
error, our Confession asserts that man, in his natural corrupt
state, "has lost all ability of will to any spiritual good
accompanying salvation," and that "a natural man is not able, by his
own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto."
This may be confirmed,—1. By the representations given in Scripture
of the natural condition of mankind sinners. They are said to be
"dead in trespasses and sins;" to be not only blind, but "darkness"
itself; to be "the servants of sin;" to be "enemies of God," who are
not, and cannot be, subject to his law.—Ephesians 2:1; 5:8; Romans
6:17; Colossians 1:21; Romans 8:7. 2. The Scripture contains
explicit declarations of man's inability to exercise faith in
Christ, or to do anything spiritually good.—John 6:44; 15:5. 3. God
claims the conversion of sinners as his own work, which he promises
to accomplish.—Ezekiel 11:19, 20; 36:26, 27; Jeremiah 31:33. 4. The
conversion of sinners is uniformly ascribed to the efficacy of
divine grace.—Acts 16:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:6. 5. The conversion of
the soul is described in Scripture by such figurative terms as imply
that it is a divine work. It is called a creation,—Ephesians 2:10; a
resurrection,—John 5:21; a new birth,—John 1:13. 6. If the sinner
could convert himself, then he would have something of which he
might boast—something which he had not received.—1 Corinthians 1:29,
30; 4:7. 7. The increase of Christians in faith and holiness is
spoken of as the work of God; which must more strongly imply that
the first beginnings of it is to be ascribed to him.—Philippians
1:6; 2:13; Hebrews 13:20, 21. We only add, that man's incapacity of
willing or doing that which is spiritually good, being a moral
inability, is not inconsistent with his responsibility.



10. Of Effectual Calling

SECTION 1. All those whom God has predestined unto life, and those
only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually
to call, 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;
enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the
things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto
them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty
power determining them to that which is good, and effectually
drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being
made willing by His grace.

SECTION 2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace
alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man; who is altogether
passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy
Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace
the grace offered and conveyed in it.

Exposition of 10.1–10.2

There is an external call of the gospel, whereby all who hear it are
called to the fellowship of Christ, and to receive a full salvation
in him, without money and without price.—Isaiah 55:1. This call is
not confined to the elect, nor restricted to those who are sensible
of their sins, and feel their need of a Savior, or who possess some
good qualifications to distinguish them from others, but it is
addressed to mankind sinners as such, without distinction, and
without exception. All who come under the general denomination of
men, whatever be their character and state, have this call directed
to them: "To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of
men." Proverbs 8:4. "Look unto me, and be you saved, all the ends of
the earth"—sinners of every nation, of every rank, and
condition.—Isaiah 45:22. To reconcile the unlimited call of the
gospel with the doctrines of particular election and a definite
atonement, seems to exceed the efforts of the human mind. But though
we cannot discover the principle which reconciles them, the
doctrines themselves are clearly taught in the Word of God; and are,
therefore, to be received with unhesitating confidence. That the
call of the gospel is indefinite and universal, that God is sincere
in addressing this call to all to whom the gospel comes, and that
none who comply with the call shall be disappointed; these are
unquestionable truths. But the outward call by the Word is of itself
ineffectual. Though all without exception are thus called, yet
multitudes refuse to hearken, and in this respect "many are called,
but few are chosen;" that is, few are determined effectually to
embrace the call. But there is also an internal call, in which the
Holy Spirit accompanies the external call with power and efficacy
upon the soul; and this call is always effectual. This effectual
work of the Spirit is termed a CALLING, because men are naturally at
a distance from Christ, and are hereby brought into fellowship with
him. They are called "out of that state of sin and death in which
they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ"—out of
darkness into marvelous light—out of the world that lies in
wickedness into the family of God—from a state of bondage into a
state of glorious liberty—from a state of sin unto holiness and from
a state of wrath unto the hope of eternal glory. Concerning this
calling we are here taught,—

1. That the elect alone are partakers of it: "All those whom God has
predestined unto life, and those only, he is pleased effectually to
call." The subjects of this work are said to be "called according to
God's purpose," and "whom he did predestine, them he also called."
Romans 8:28, 30; 2 Timothy 1:9. Those who dispense the Word know not
who are included in "the election of grace," and must, therefore,
address the calls and invitations of the gospel to men
indiscriminately. They draw the bow at a venture, but the Lord, who
"knows them that are his," directs the arrow, so as to cause it to
strike home to the hearts of those whom he "has chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world."

2. That this calling is under the direction of the sovereign will
and pleasure of God as to the time of it. He is pleased to call his
elect "in his appointed and accepted time." Some are called into the
vineyard at the third hour, some at the sixth, some at the ninth,
and some even at the eleventh hour of the day. Some, like good
Obadiah, have feared the Lord from their youth; others, like Saul of
Tarsus, have been born, as it were, out of due time. There is also a
diversity with respect to the manner of this calling. Some, like
Lydia, have been secretly and sweetly allured to the Savior, and
could hardly declare the time or manner in which the happy change
began; others, like the Philippian jailer, have for a season
suffered the terrors of the Lord, and been made to cry out,
trembling and astonished, "What shall I do to be saved!"—Acts 16.

3. That this calling is effected by the Word and Spirit. The Word is
usually the outward means employed, and the Holy Spirit is always
the efficient agent, in calling men into the kingdom of grace. If,
in any instance, the call of the gospel proves successful, it is not
owing to the piety or persuasive eloquence of those who dispense the
gospel (1 Corinthians 3:7); neither is it on account of one making a
better use than another of his own free will (Romans 9:16); it is
solely to be ascribed to the power of the Divine Spirit accompanying
the outward call of the Word.—1 Thessalonians 1:5. By means of the
law, the Spirit convinces them of their sinfulness, shows them the
danger to which they are exposed, and discovers to them the utter
insufficiency of their own works of righteousness as the ground of
their hope and trust for acceptance before God. By means of the
gospel, he enlightens their minds in the knowledge of
Christ—discovers to them the glory of his person, the perfection of
his righteousness, the suitableness of his offices, and the fullness
of his grace; shows them his ability to save to the uttermost, his
suitableness to their condition, and his willingness to receive all
that come to him. He also takes away their heart of stone, and gives
unto them an heart of flesh—renews their wills, and effectually
determines and enables them to embrace Christ as their own Savior.

4. That in this calling no violence is offered to the will. While
the Spirit effectually draws sinners to Christ, he deals with them
in a way agreeable to their rational nature, "so as they come most
freely, being made willing by his grace." The liberty of the will is
not invaded, for that would destroy its very nature; but its
obstinacy is overcome, its perverseness taken away, and the whole
soul powerfully, yet sweetly, attracted to the Savior. The
compliance of the soul is voluntary, while the energy of the Spirit
is efficient and almighty: "Your people shall be willing in the day
of your power." Psalm 110:3.

5. That in this calling the operations of the Holy Spirit are
invincible. As Arminians and others maintain that God gives
sufficient grace to all men, upon the due improvement of which they
may be saved, if it is not their own fault, so they also hold that
there are no operations of the Spirit in conversion which do not
leave the sinner in such a state as that he may either comply with
them or not. It is obvious that this opinion makes the success of
the Spirit's work to depend on the sinner's free will, so that those
who do actually obey the call of the gospel are not more indebted to
God than those who reject it, but may take praise to themselves for
having made a better use of their power, in direct opposition to
Scripture, which declares that "it is not of him that wills, but of
God that shows mercy." We admit that there are common operations of
the Spirit which do not issue in the conversion of the sinner; but
we maintain that the special operations of the Spirit overcome all
opposition, and effectually determine the sinner to embrace Jesus
Christ as he is offered in the gospel. If the special operations of
the Spirit not invincible, but might be effectually resisted, then
it would be uncertain whether any would believe or not, and
consequently possible that all which Christ had done and suffered in
the work of redemption might have been done and suffered in vain.

6. That this calling proceeds