This calling is an act of the grace of God in
Christ by which he calls men dead in sin and lost in Adam through the
preaching of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, to union with
Christ and to the salvation obtained in him. In it, the two terms
"from which' (a quo) and "to which (ad quem) are to be
considered. The term 'from which' (terminus a quo) is the state of sin
and condemnation in which we lie (Eph. 2:1); darkness (Eph. 5:8; 1 Pet.
2:9); the world (Jn. 15:19); and the things which are behind (to wit,
earthly and mundane, Phil. 3:13). The term "to which' (terminus ad
quem) is union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:9); holiness (Rom 1-7; 1 Cor. 1:2;
1 Thess. 4-7); marvelous light (I Pet. 2:9); the kingdom of God (1
Thess. 2:12); eternal glory in Christ (1 Pet. 5:10); eternal life (I
Tim. 6:12). Hence it is at one time called a "holy calling" (2
Tim. 1:9), not only by reason of the principle (because God the author
of calling is holy, 1 Pet. 1:15), but also by reason of the end (because
it tends to holiness).
Are the reprobate, who partake of
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 rarely; or that he can be accused
of any injustice? We deny.
This question lies between us and
the Lutherans, the Arminians and the patrons of universal grace, who (to
support the universality of calling, at least as to the preaching of the
gospel in the visible church) hold that as many as are called by the
word are called by God with the intention of their salvation. For
otherwise God would trifle with men and not deal seriously but
hypocritically with them, offering them grace which, nevertheless, he is
unwilling to bestow.
Now although we do not deny that
the reprobate (who live in external communion with the church) are
called by God through the gospel; still we do deny that they are called
with the intention that they should be made actual partakers of
salvation (which God knew would never be the case because in his decree
he had ordained otherwise concerning them). Nor ought we on this account
to think that God can be charged with hypocrisy or dissimulation, but
that he always acts most seriously and sincerely.
To make this more distinct, we
must remark: (1) the external call is extended to the reprobate as well
as to the elect; but in a different manner-to the elect primarily and
directly. For their sake alone the ministry of the gospel was instituted
to collect the church and increase the mystical body of Christ (Eph.
4:12). They being taken out of the world, preaching would no longer be
necessary because the word of God cannot return unto him void (Is.
55:11). But to the reprobate, it is extended secondarily and indirectly
because, since they are mingled with the elect (known only to God, 2
Tim. 2:19), the call cannot be addressed to men indiscriminately without
the reprobate as well as the elect sharing in it (in order that the end
ordained by God may be obtained); as a fisherman in casting his net
intends only to catch good fish, but indirectly closes in his net the
bad also mixed with the good.
(2) The end of 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 and the end of the work).
Although each is conjoined in the elect, yet in others they are
separated (as in the legal proclamation, the end of the thing is life by
the law, but the end of God after man's fall cannot be the happiness of
man, which through sin has become impossible to him by the law; rather
the conviction of mans weakness and leading of him to Christ is the end
of the law; so 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).
Further, that end on the part of God is either
common to all the called or special with respect to the elect or the
reprobate. And as to the common, we ought not to doubt that it is the
demonstration of the mode and way of salvation.
