"4. These* views will abundantly explain tb« va- rious passages in whidi the term caUmg occnis in the epistles: 'Even us whom he hath ecJied, not of the Jews only, but also of the GentQes' (Rom. ix, 24); that is, whom he hath made members of his Cburdi through fkith. ' But unto them which are caUed, boUi Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God;' the wisdom and efficacy of the Gos- pel being, of course, acknowledged in their very pro- fession ot Christ, 4n opposition to those to whom the preaching of ' Christ crucified* was * a 8tumbling4)lock' and ' foolishness* (1 Cor. i, 24). 'Is any man called (brought to acknowledge Christ, and to become a mem- ber of his Church), 'being circumcised? let him not become undrcumcised. Is any caUed in micircnm- cision ? let him not be circumcised' (1 Cor. vH, 18). 'That ye walk worthy of the voeaiion wherewith ye are called. There is one body and one Spirit, even ss ye are called in one hope of your calling' (Eph. iv, 1, 4). 'That ye would walk wt)rthy of God, who hath coiled you to his kingdom and glory' <1 Thess. ii, 12). 'Through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ* (2 Thess. ii, 18, 14). 'Who hath saved us and called us" with a holy caHing; not according to our works, bat according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savioar Jesus Christ' (2 Tim. i, 9, 10). On this passage we may remark that the ' calling' and the * purpose' men- tioned in it must of necessity be interpreted to refer to the establishment of the Church on the principle of faith, so that it might include men of all nations ; and not, as formerly, be restricted to natural descent fbr penanal Section and a purpose of effectual personal call- ing could not have been hidden till manifested by the ' appearing of Christ,' since every instance of true con- version to God in any age prior to the appearing of Christ would be as much a manifestation of et^nal election, and an instance of personal effectual calling, according to the Calvinistic scheme, as it was after the appearance of Christ. The apostle is speaking of a purpose of God, which was kept secret till revealed by the Christian system ; and from various other parallel passages we learn that this secret, this ' mystery,' as he often calls it, was the union of the Jews and Gen- tiles in 'one body,' or Church, by Mtb,
"6. In none of these passages is the doctrine of the exclusive calling of a set number of men contained ; and the Synod of Dort, as though they felt this, only attempt to infer the doctrine from a text already quoted, but which we will now more fnUy notice; ' Whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glorified' (Rom. viii, 80). Tbia is the text on which the Calvinists chiefly rest their doctrine of effectual calling; and tracing it, as they say, through its steps and links, they conclude that a set and determinate number of persons having been predestinated unto salvation, this set number only are called effectually^ then justified, and finally glorified. But this passage was evidently nothing to the purpose,
CALLENBERG
CALLIRRHOE
BiileM it bad gpolkeii of a set and detenninate nnmber of men as predestJBatad and called, independent of any ooBiideration of their fidth and obedience, whidi nnm- btr, at being determinate, woold, by oonaequence, ex- elode tibe rest. The context dedarea tliat thoee who are foreknown, and predeetinated to eternal glory, are tne beUerera, tlioee who 'Ioyc Ctod,' as stated in a sabeeqaent Terse ; ibr of soch only the apostle speaks; and when he adds, 'Moreorer, whom he did predesti- nate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he dso Justified, and whcon he justified, them he also glorified,* he shows in paiticnlar how the divine por- pese to glorify believers is carried into effect throngfa all its stages. The great instroment of bringing men to *k)ve God* is tlie Gospel; they are, therefore, call- ed, invited by it, to this state and benefit ; the calling being obeyed, they ure justified; and being jostified, aadcofitinning in tliat state of grace, tiiey are plorijied. Nothing, however, is here said to fkvor the condosion that many others who were eaOed by the Gospel, but refiiMd, mi^ not liave been Justified and glorified as wdl as they ; nothing to distinguish this idling into ccminoa and effectual ; and the very guilt which those are evtry where represented as contracting who de- spised the Gospel calling shows that they reject a grace vfaieh is sufident, and sincerely intended, to save them.**— Watson, /fwtfMet, ii, 862 sq. ; Heraog, Jieal- &iafUopAdi6,ii,10^; Nitxsch, OrMCfioAe Ze^, § 141 ; Wairen, Sjftiemat, Theologie^ p. 147.
III. kcaatoths fmttitbrj of the Gospel is regarded by Christians generally as proceeding fh)m God ; and the Church of England, the Protestant Episcopal Chnrdi, and tlie Metliodist Episcopal Church, require of candidates for ordination an express profession that they trust they are so moved of the Holy Ghost. See MnnsTBT.