ART. IX.

It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Christ offered therein, nor of God, who calls men by the gofpel, and confers upon them various gifts, that those who are called by the miniftry of the word, refufe to come, and be converted, the fault lies in themselves; fome of whom when called regardless of their danger reject the word of life; others, though they receive it, fuffer it not to make a lasting impreffion on their heart; therefore, their joy, arifing only from a temporary faith, foon vanishes and they fall away; while others choak the feed of the word by perplexing cafes, and the pleafures of this world, and produce no fruit. This our Saviour teaches in the parable of the fower. Matt. 13.

ART. X.

But that others who are called by the gofpel, obey the call, and are converted, is not to be ascribed to the proper exercise of free will, whereby one diftinguishes himself above others, equally furnished with grace fufficient for faith and converfion, as the proud herefy of Pelagius maintains; but it must be wholly to God, who as he hath chofen his own from eternity in Chrift, fo he confers upon them faith and

repentance, refcues them from the power of darknefs, and tranflates them into the kingdom of his own Son. that they may fhew forth the praises of him, who hath called them out of darkness into this marvellous light; and may glory not in themselves, but in the Lord, according to the teftimony of the Apoitles in various places.

ART. XI.

But when God accomplishes his good pleasure in the elect, or works in them true converfion, he not only causes the gofpel to be externally preached to them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by his holy fpirit, that they may rightly understand and difcern the things of the fpirit of God; but by the efficacy of the fame regenerating fpirit, pervades the inmost receffes of the man; he opens the closed, and foftens the hardened heart, and circumcifes that which was uncircumcifed, infufes new qualities into the will, which though heretofore dead, he quickens, from being evil, difobedient, and refractory; he renders it good, obedient and pliable; actuates and ftrengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions.

ART. XII.

And this is the regeneration fo highly celebrated in fcripture, and denominated a new creation; a refurrection from the dead; a making alive, which God works in us without our aid. But this is no wife effected merely by the external preaching of the gofpel, by moral fuafion, or fuch a mode of operation, that after God has performed his part, it ftill remains in the power of man to be regenerated or not; to be converted, or to continue unconverted; but it is evidently a fupernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, aftonishing, myfterious and ineffable; not inferior in efficacy to creation, or the refurrection from the dead, as the fcripture infpired by the author of this work declares; fo that all in whofe hearts God works in this marvellous manner, are certainly, infallibly and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. Whereupon the will thus renewed is not only actuated and influenced by God, but in confequence of this influence, becomes itself active, Wherefore alfo, man is himself rightly faid to believe and repent, by virtue of that grace received.

ART. XII,

The manner of this operation canno comprehended by believers in this

standing which they reft fatisfied with knowing and experiencing that by this grace of God, they are enabled to believe with the heart, and love their Saviour,

ART. XIV.

Faith is therefore to be confidered as the gift of God, not on account of its being offered by God to man, to be accepted or rejected at his pleasure ; but because it is in reality conferred, breathed, and infufed into him; nor even because God beftows the power or ability to believe, and then expects that man fhould by the exercife of his own free will, confent to the terms of falvation, and actually be. Tieve in Chrift; but because he who works in man both to will and to do, and indeed all things in all, produces both the will to believe, and the act of believing alfo.

ART. XV,

God is under no obligation to confer this grace upon any; for how can he be indebted to man, who had no previous gift to bestow, as a foundation for fuch recompenfe? Nay, who has nothing of his own but fin and falfhood? He therefore who becomes the subject of this grace, owes eternal gratitude to God, and gives him thanks for ever. Whoever is not made partaker thereof, is either altogether re

gardless of thefe fpiritual gifts, and fatisfied with his own condition; or, is in no apprehenfion of danger, and vainly boasts the poffeffion of that which he has not. With refpect to thofe, profeffion of faith, and live

who make an external regular lives, we are

bound after the example of the Apoftle to judge and speak of them in the most favourable manner.

For

the fecret receffes of the heart, are unknown to us. And as to others, who have not yet been called, it is our duty to pray for them to God, who calls the things that are not, as if they were. But we are in no, wife to conduct ourselves towards them with: haughtiness, as if we had made ourselves to differ..

ART. XVI.

But as man by the fall did not ceafe to be a crea tare, endowed with understanding and will, nor did fin which pervaded the whole race of mankind,. deprive him of the human nature, but brought upon him depravity, and fpiritual death; fo alfo this grace of regeneration, does not heat men as fenfelefs ftocks and blocks, nor takes away their will and its properties, neither does violence thereto; but fpiritually quickens, heals, corrects, and at the fame time fweetly and powerfully bends it: that where carnal rebellion and refiftance formerly prevailed, a ready and fincere fpiritual obedience begins to reign; in