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c. The Parable of the Sower is sometimes urged in favor of the idea that regeneration takes
place through the Word. The seed in this parable is the word of the kingdom. The argument is
that the life is in the seed and comes forth out of the seed. Consequently, the new life comes
forth out of the seed of the Word of God. But, in the first place, this is over-shooting the mark,
for it will hardly do to say that the Spirit or the principle of the new life is shut up in the Word,
just as the living germ is shut up in the seed. This reminds one somewhat of the Lutheran
conception of calling, according to which the Spirit is in the Word so that the call would always
be effective, if man did not put a stumbling-block in the way. And, in the second place, this is
pressing a point which is not at all in the tertium comparationis. The Saviour wants to explain in
this parable how it comes about that the seed of the Word bears fruit in some cases, and not in
others. It bears fruit only in those cases in which it falls in good ground, in hearts so prepared
that they understand the truth.
4. THE RELEVANT TEACHINGS OF OUR CONFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
The following passages
come into consideration here: Conf. Belg., Articles XXIV and XXXV; Heid. Cat., Q. 54; Canons of
Dort, III and IV, Articles 11,12,17; and, finally, the Conclusions of Utrecht, adopted by our
Church in 1908. From these passages it is perfectly evident that our confessional writings speak
of regeneration in a broad sense, as including both the origin of the new life and its
manifestation in conversion. We are even told that faith regenerates the sinner.[Conf. Belg.,
Art. XXIV.] There are passages which seem to say that the Word of God is instrumental in the
work of regeneration.[Conf. Belg., Art XXIV, and especially Art. XXVI; Canons of Dort III and IV,
Articles 12,17.] Yet they are couched in such language that it still remains doubtful, whether
they actually teach that the principle of the new life is implanted in the soul by the
instrumentality of the Word. They fail to discriminate carefully between the various elements
which we distinguish in regeneration. In the Conclusions of Utrecht we read: “As far as the third
point, that of immediate regeneration, is concerned, Synod declares that this expression can be
used in a good sense, in so far as our churches have always confessed, over against the
Lutheran and the Roman Catholic Church, that regeneration is not effected through the Word
or the Sacraments as such, but by the almighty regenerating work of the Holy Spirit; that this
regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, however, may not in that sense be divorced from the
preaching of the Word, as if both were separated from each other; for, although our Confession
teaches that we need not be in doubt respecting the salvation of our children which die in
infancy, though they have not heard the preaching of the gospel, and our confessional
standards nowhere express themselves as to the manner in which regeneration is effected in
the case of these and other children, — yet it is, on the other hand, certain that the gospel is a
power of God unto salvation for every one who believes, and that in the case of adults the
regenerating work of the Holy Spirit accompanies the preaching of the gospel.”[The following
Reformed theologians teach immediate regeneration; Synopsis Puriosis Theologie (of the