The Book of Confessions - The Presbyterian Leader

their minds, spiritually and savingly, to understand the things of God, (251) taking away their
heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; (252) renewing their wills, and by his
almighty power determining them to that which is good; (253) and effectually drawing them to
Jesus Christ; (254) yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace. (255)
2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all
foreseen in man, (256) who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by
the Holy Spirit, (257) he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered
and conveyed in it. (258)
3. (259) Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the
Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect persons
who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. (260)
4. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may
have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to Christ, and therefore
cannot be saved: (261) much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any
other way whatsoever, (262) (263) be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to
the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess; and to assert and maintain that
they may (264) is without warrant of the Word of God. (265)
CHAPTER XIII/CHAPTER XI - Of Justification
1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: (266) not by infusing
righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their
persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake
alone; not (267) by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience
to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto
them, (268) they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they
have not of themselves, it is the gift of God. (269)
2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument
of justification; (270) yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all
other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. (271)
3. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus
justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's justice in their
behalf. (272) Yet inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, (273) and his obedience and
satisfaction accepted in their stead, (274) and both freely, not for anything in them, their
justification is only of free grace; (275) that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be
glorified in the justification of sinners. (276)
Copyright © 1996 by the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (USA)