speratus said:
Effectual Call and Regeneration come first and are considered divine activities. Is the inner character change and responsiveness part of regeneration or does that come later on the chart? If not, how can it be considered purely divine?
Regeneration changes the entire disposition of the soul; enmity > amiable. The infallible and effectual result of regeneration is the "responsiveness"; i.e., it infallibly leads to conversion, etc.
Next comes repentance unto life/faith in Jesus Christ which are considered human activities. But Westminster says faith is gift?
Again, there is no contradiction here between the article/chart and the WCF. As I stated in reply to your first question, regeneration allows one to be responsive to the conviction of the Spirit and to be effectually drawn to Christ, in Whom the "born anew" sinner believes. God the Spirit doesn't experience these elements of regeneration, but effects them. Man experiences the effects of conviction, the pain of being guilty before God, under judgment for sins, hatred of sin, love of God, the necessity and sufficiency of believing on Christ, reconciliation to God through Him, etc., etc. And it is man who through his
recreated will, having been moved and determined by this new knowledge and emotive experience, repents and believes. (Eph 2:1-9) The man's repentance and faith doesn't contribute in any way to justification. It is simply the necessary
means by which a sinner secures justification, both of which are gifts given by God to the elect and them alone.
You then ask:
Finally Justification occurs logically and causally last although Westminster makes clear "not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them." So, if there was human activity before justification, how can it not be causal?
You have totally confused this matter by quoting the WCF's statement on "Effectual Calling" (Chapter X:II) and trying to apply it to the matter of justification. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/hairout.gif" alt="" /> Westminster is simply and clearly stating that this effectual calling (regeneration and drawing) is of God's own will and free grace which was "
not from anything at all foreseen in man,". The Confession goes on to say that man, in this effectual calling "
is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit,". It goes on to say exactly what I have written above concerning the active participation of the regenerated sinner, i.e., actual repenting of sins and believing upon Christ unto justification. I hope you now understand this doctrine in at least a factual way. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />
And lastly you wrote:
Samuel Hopkins article was helpful in identifying the source of my confusion. I think in terms of the Holy Spirit giving His gifts of regeneration, faith, justification, enlightenment, etc. immediately through the Word when and where He pleases. Hopkins also speaks of immediate regeneration but without the immediate Word. Other gifts follow human activity so I wonder how Calvinists keep justification purely monergistic.
I'm sorry to say that you have totally misconstrued what Hopkins wrote in this section IV, "This change is wrought by the Spirit of God immediately; that is, it is not effected by any medium or means whatsoever." Hopkins had already established that it is through the means of the Word that the Spirit most always works. And then he established quite succinctly that regeneration occurs
immediately as opposed to
progressively. And now in this section he writes that this regeneration of the soul does not depend upon any outside means, including the Word of God, i.e., the Word of God, whether read or spoken has no efficacy to effect regeneration; i.e., it is solely the independent work of the Holy Spirit Himself. It is only AFTER a sinner is regenerated that the Word of God is able to be comprehended and attended to. In fact, Hopkins goes to great length to explain why the Word of God cannot be a
means to effect regeneration. Can you understand this?
In His Grace,
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