“Still it must be said, that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is the only mean which God makes use of for making men wise unto salvation. And his sovereignty appears not a little in the conveyance of his word to nations and particular persons. The gospel is called a testimony exhibited in his own times” (Sandeman).
The dolts of Westminster must demur from the Scriptural testimony of Romans 10:13-17 because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20):
“The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts; and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word” (WCF 14.1; emphasis mine–CD)
In other words, for the cavalier men of Westminster Abbey Romans 1:16 and Romans 10:14-15 is ORDINARILY TRUE. And it’s not ALWAYS the case, but only ORDINARILY the case that those who are ignorant of God’s righteousness are seeking to establish their own righteousness. Evidently there are EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCES in which people are able to submit to a righteousness they are ignorant of (cf. Romans 10:1-4).
“Now it shines in one region, and leaves another in darkness: then it takes its residence in the latter, and forsakes the former; and thus takes its course through all nations in different ages, as the lightning shining from under one part of heaven to the other. Wherever God purposes to save men of any nation, thither he sends his gospel in his proper time. Paul and Silas essayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not. And they were directed by a heavenly vision to go into Macedonia, where the word of the Lord had free course and was glorified. Paul met with great opposition when he came to Corinth, but the Lord encouraged him to continue there: For (said he) I have much people in this city” (Sandeman).
Certain learned triflers of God’s Word would say that the word of the Lord ORDINARILY has free course and is glorified in the hearts of His people — a brazen assertion that is diametrically opposed to the redemptive glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ:
“Because it is God who said, Out of darkness Light shall shine, who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Agrammatos 