earl40
Puritan Board Professor
As Tim cited the example of John the Baptist, I would also add the Apostle Paul:
Acts 9:3-6
The dead were raised also at that time. Extraordinary things for extraordinary times.
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As Tim cited the example of John the Baptist, I would also add the Apostle Paul:
Acts 9:3-6
In Paul's case, Jesus spoke directly plus he sent a preacher, Ananias. One could argue that Paul's conversion actually took place on Straight Street in response to the visit of Ananias, not on the road to Damascus. In fact, I think this likely. So the example of Paul does not work so well. You still make other valid points, though.As Tim cited the example of John the Baptist, I would also add the Apostle Paul:
Acts 9:3-6
It seems to me that any personal appearing either in person or dream or vision or voice from heaven of Jesus to the man on the island to reveal the way of salvation, as was the way of conversion of the apostles and prophets in scripture, is explicitly contrary to WCF 1.1
This is a valid point. However, this fact, to which I am not arguing against, brings us back again to how elect infants dying in infancy, come to faith.
I would say the Divines have the paragraph on infants and incapable (I.e. bodily handicapped beyond the ability to receive the word preached) precisely to deal with this question. They don’t come through the outward call, only the inward. They are the exceptions, and dealt with in WCF 10 precisely for that reason. The man on the Island is not to be found in WCF 10.3 but in 10.4. What is being posited in this thread is that the man on the island can receive the outward call miraculously (I.e. direct revelation), which WCF 1.1 denies.
My point is God can't be limited by our limitations. It is clear that Bible doesn't gives the mechanisms of inward calling but gave the evidences of it.We’re all trying to be faithful to the scriptures, @Ajay . Faithful doctrine doesn’t just consist in saying God can do whatever he pleases.
Paragraph 3 explicitly deals with those who receive the inward call but are incapable of receiving the outward call.
but chapter 1 says the necessary knowledge of the way of salvation only comes by means of the scriptures.
This is the most disturbing thread I came across the Puritan Board.
It seems like some brothers here want to explain the doctrine of regeneration in a way that they enter in the council of God's mind and figured out all the mechanism involved in the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit.
When the first promise was made to Adam and Eve, How much of Christ's person and work is revealed to them inorder to be saved. Abel, Enoch and all the Old Testament saints
......even before the law of God given to Israel
that no one can be saved apart from the Word of God.
but our perception of regeneracy in an infant is so fallible, and the confession of a babe so small, we cannot possibly perceive objectively speaking the nature of their regeneracy. It may be that after catechetical upbringing from infancy, that they not only have an intellectual knowledge of God and Christ, their sin, and the preciousness of Jesus
Scott,Jerrod,
We are not speaking in regards to the distinction between Regeneration or conversion, But of infants regenerated and converted, dying in infancy.