God’s Grace to Elect Infants and the Incompetent (Chapter 10, Paragraph 3)

“Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit…”

This statement speaks to one of the most tender and difficult pastoral concerns: what happens to infants who die? The confession answers with hope. Elect infants—those chosen by God according to His sovereign will—are saved.

“…who works when, and where, and how He pleases…”

God’s Spirit is not bound by human means. He can regenerate the soul of an infant without gospel preaching or conscious faith, according to His good pleasure. John 3:8 reminds us that the Spirit moves like the wind—sovereign, invisible, unstoppable.

“…so also are all elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.”

This refers to individuals who, due to mental disability or extreme physical condition, cannot comprehend or respond to the outward call of the gospel. The Confession does not presume to know the full number or method but affirms that if they are elect, God saves them sovereignly.

This paragraph does not teach universal salvation for all infants or for all the mentally impaired—it affirms the salvation of the elect among them. The emphasis remains on God’s sovereign choice and the Spirit’s secret, saving work.

It also does not deny the normal means of salvation—namely, the preaching of the Word and faith in Christ. But it reminds us that God is not limited by those means when they are inaccessible to the individual.

This affirms a compassionate and biblically faithful view: God is both sovereign and good.

Application for the Believer:

Trust God’s character when facing what you cannot fully understand. Whether grieving the death of a little one or caring for someone with lifelong cognitive disability, rest in this: God is merciful, wise, and just. He knows His elect and saves them perfectly. Though we may not see how, we know He is able to redeem even where our hands are tied. Let this truth comfort your heart and strengthen your trust in God’s sovereignty. And let it increase your worship—He is the God who reaches where no preacher can, and gives life where human understanding cannot go.