“That does seem to teach that there are two classes,” said Ernest.
“But it says,” continued Ernest, “that this number is so fixed and certain that it can neither be increased nor diminished.”
“There is surely no difficulty in that,” said the Doctor. “It is a mathematical fact, and would be true, if the Scriptures said nothing about it. Leaving predestination entirely out of the question, that would be true. For on the Day of Judgment, when the destiny of every human being is settled, there will be a certain number saved, and a certain number lost. Now, can the number be increased or diminished? I never could see why anybody should object to that clause, when it is true according to the doctrine of every religious denomination in the world.”
“Well,” said Ernest laughing, “here is more of this hard doctrine.”
“Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works--”
“Yes,” exclaimed Ernest, breaking off suddenly, “there it is--without any foresight of faith or good works--saved arbitrarily.”
Again the Doctor gazed at Ernest in surprise. “My young friend,” said the Doctor, with an amused expression, “you do not pause, for a moment, to reflect what the paragraph does really mean, but you at once jump to unauthorized conclusions.”
“I have read it _verbatim_,” replied Ernest.
“But you did not read it all. You have read just as our opposers do who give garbled extracts from the Confession, and then draw the most absurd inferences. You stopped in the middle of the sentence. Read it all.”
“Without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto.”
“The meaning,” said the Doctor, “is that God did not choose His people on account of their faith and good works. Faith itself is the gift of God. All men are in a state of guilt by nature. How, then, could the Lord fore-see faith and good works in any of them, growing out of their evil natures? How could they possibly perform good works without a regenerated heart?”