"effectual calling," he declares that this calling is twofold:
"Leonard.—How does God call or draw men?
"John.—In two ways, inwardly and outwardly. The outward drawing takes place by the public proclamation of his holy gospel, which Christ commanded to be preached to every creature, and is now made known everywhere. The inward drawing is wrought by God, who enlightens the soul within, so that it understands the undeniable truth, and is so thoroughly convinced by the Spirit and the preached word, as to confess from the conscience that these things must be so, and cannot be otherwise."[1]
Of this calling through the word Hübmaier makes much in all his writings, believing evidently that it is the chief means by which God has appointed men to be saved. Hence the importance, in his estimation, of the preaching of a "pure, true, clean gospel," words that flow from his pen so often as to become a sort of formula.
The result of this calling, of this hearing the word, is faith,
- ↑ Table of Christian Doctrine, Op. 11; Hoschek, ii., 266.
