providence, is to prompt us to greatly increased exertion to send the gospel to those who are perishing for lack of knowledo-e.
Why is the Gospel addressed to all Men?
As all men are not saved, the question arises, Why should the call be addressed to all ? or, What is the design of God in making the call of the gospel universal and indiscriminate ? The answer to this question will be determined by the views taken of other related points of Christian doctrine. If we adopt tiie Pelagian hypothesis that God limits Himself by the creation of free agents ; that such agents must from their nature be exempt from absolute control ; then the relation to God in this matter is analogous to that of one finite spirit to another. He can instruct, argue, and endeavour to persuade. More than this free agency does not admit. Men as rational, voluntary beings, must be left to deter- mine for themselves, whether they will return to God in the way of his appointment, or continue in their rebellion. The call of the gospel to them is intended to bring them to repentance. This is an end which God sincerely desires to accomplish, and which He does all He can to effect. He cannot do more than the preaching of the gospel accomplishes, without doing violence to the freedom of voluntary agents.
The Lutherans admit total depravity, and the entire inability of men since the fall to do anything spiritually good ; but they hold that the Word of God has an inherent, supernatural, and divine power, which would infallibly secure the spiritual resurrection of the spiritually dead, were it not wilfully neglected, or wickedly resisted. The call of the gospel is, therefore, addressed to all men with the same intention on the part of God. He not only desires, as an event in itself well pleasing in his sight, that all may repent and believe, but that is the end which He purposes to accomplish. Its accomplishment is hindered, in all cases of failure, by the vol- untary resistance of men. While, therefore, they attribute the conversion of men to the efficacious grace of God, and not to the cooperation or will of the subjects of that grace, they deny that grace is " irresistible." The fact that one man is converted under the call of the gospel and not another, that one accepts and an- other rejects the offered mercy, is not to be referred to anything in the purpose of God, or to the nature of the influence of which the hearers of the gospel are the subjects, but solely to the fact that one does, and the other does not resist that influence. The Lutheran doctrine is thus clearly stated by Quenstedt : "Voca-
660 PAET in. Ch. XIV. — vocation.
tio est actus gratiae applicatricis Spiritus Sancti, quo is benignis- siinam Dei erga universum genus humanum lapsura voluntatem per externam Verbi praedicationem, in se semper sufficientem ac effica- cem, manifestat, et bona per Redemtoris meritum parta, omnibus in universum hominibus ofFert, ea seria intentione, ut omnes per Christum salvi fiant et aeterna vita donentur." And again : '• Forma vocationis consistit in seria atque ex Dei intentione sem- per sufficiente, semperque efficaci voluntatis divinse manifestatioiie
ac beneficiorum per Christum acquisitorum oblatione Nulla
enim vocatio Dei sive ex se et intrinseca sua qualitate, sive ex Dei intentione est inefficax, ut nee possit nee debeat efFectuin salutarem producere, sed omnis efficax est licet, quo minus effectum suum consequatur, ab hominibus obicem ponentibus, impediatur, atque ita inefficax fit vitio malae obstinatseque hominum voluntatis." ^ Tlie objections to this view are obvious.
1. It proceeds on the assumption that events in time do not cor- respond to the purpose of God. This is not only inconsistent with the divine perfection, but contrary to the express declarations of Scripture, which teaches that God works all things according to the counsel of his own w^ill. He foreordains whatever comes to pass.
2. It supposes either that God has no purpose as to the futuri- tion of events, or that his " serious intentions " may fail of being accomplished. This is obviously incompatible with the nature of an infinite Being.
3. It not only assumes that the purpose of God ma}^ fail, but also that it may be effectually resisted ; that events may occur which it is his purpose or intention should not occur. How then can it be said that God governs the world ; or, that He does his pleasure in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth ?
4. It assumes without proof, and contrary to Scripture and ex- perience, that the Word of God as read or spoken by men, has an inherent, supernatural, life-giving power, adequate to raise the spiritually dead. Whereas the Scriptures constantly teach that the efficacy of the truth is due to the attending influence of the Holy Spirit, ah extra incidens ; that the Word is effectual only when at- tended by this demonstration of the Spirit, and that without it, it is foolishness to the Greek and an offence to the Jew ; that Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but that God only can give the in- crease.
I Byatema Theologicum, in. v. 1. 15 and 10, edit. Leipzig, 1715, p. 669; pp. 666, 667