Page:On the Revision of the Confession of Faith.djvu/44

36 that some infants, dying in infancy, are non-elect and exclude the opposite opinion. Those who believe that all those who die in infancy are elect, have also standing-ground here. The statement is colorless, and only fails clearly to assert that all that die in infancy are elect—leaving that to private opinion, while its purpose is only to assert that whoever of the elect die in infancy are saved nevertheless, even though incapable of the outward call of the Word. It is important to observe (what is often overlooked) that we are reading now the chapter on "Effectual Calling," and the subject under treatment is God's elect,—how they are brought to actual participation in salvation. God's elect, (say Sections 1 and 2,) and they only, are saved, by being effectually called "by His Word and Spirit." God's elect, (Section 3 goes on to say,) who die in infancy, or are otherwise incapable of being called by the Word, are nevertheless saved by the inward call of the Spirit. The point, then, is not how many infants are elect, but what becomes of God's elect if they die in infancy? They are saved, says the Confession in answer to this question, while the former question it does not raise, and, of course, does not answer. If we raise that question, then, it is left for us to answer it; and for all that the Confession says, we may answer it any way we choose. Nothing is implied; the ground is free. When it is proposed to revise the statement so as to make it assert that all that die in infancy are elect, then, (1) it is proposed to break in upon the beautiful, logical ordering of the matter of the