The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 339

XX. Its Course. "

No man

can come unto Me, ex-

cept the Father draw him."—

John

vi. 44.

From the preceding it is evident that preparatory grace is different in different persons: and that distinction must be made between the many regenerated in the first days of life, and the few bom again at a more advanced age. Of course, we refer only to the elect. In the non-elect saving grace does not operate; hence preparatory grace is altogether out of the question. The former are born, with few exceptions, in the Church. They do not enter the covenant of grace later on in life, but they belong to it from the first moment of their

existence' spring from the seed of the Church, and in turn contain in themselves the seed of the future Church. And for this reason the first germ of the new life is imparted to the seed of the Church

They

(which

is,

alas!

always mixed with much chaff) oftenest either be-

fore or soon after birth.

The Reformed Church was

so firmly settled in this doctrine that as the prevailing rule, believing that the seed of the Church (not the chaff of course) received the germ of life even before Baptism, wherefore it is actually sanctified in Christ already; and receives in Baptism the seal not upon something that IS yet to come, but upon that which is already present. Hence the liturgical question to the parents " Do you acknowledge that, altho your children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore are sub-

she dared establish

it

:

ject to

condemnation itself, yet that they are sanctified and therefore as members of His Church ought

in Christ

to be baptized?"

In subsequent

periods, less stedfast in the faith,

shunned

this doctrine, not sanctified." This they

knowing what

interpreted to

members enant,

of the covenant they

and as such were

men have

make of the words " are mean that as children of to

were counted ^^ belonging to the coventitled to baptism. But the earnest and

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