liable unto condemnation: so likewise the righteousness of one so far took place on the behalf of all men, that all men may obtain the justification of life thereby.” By this time I suppose Bucer hath said enough, both to assert the interpretation of the Scripture in hand, that hath been given, as also the universality of redemption by Christ.
The said Scripture calls for the sense and exposition asserted, with such a loud and distinct voice, that Gualter also (another divine of the same rank and quality with the former) could not but hearken to it. “As by the offence of one,” saith he, completing the apostle’s sentence, and rendering his sense therein, “condemnation was propagated unto all men; so also, by the righteousness of one, justification of life was propagated…unto all men.” Again thus, “As by the offence of one Adam, the judgment or guilt came upon all men to condemnation; so also by the righteousness of one Jesus Christ, the gift or benefit of God, abounded unto all men to justification of life.”
Any man that shall read with a single eye what Calvin himself hath written upon the said contexture of Scriptures, cannot judge him an adversary to the premised exposition. “Paul,” saith he, upon verse 15, “simply teacheth that the amplitude,” or compass, “of the grace purchased by Christ, is greater than of the condemnnation contracted by the first man.” Not long after, “The sum of all comes to this, that Christ overcomes Adam: the righteousness of Christ vanquisheth Adam’s sin: Adam’s malediction,” or curse, “is overwhelmed with Christ’s grace: the death which proceeded from Adam is swallowed up by that life which comes from Christ.”
Doubtless if the curse brought upon men by Adam prevails and remains still untaken off upon far the greatest part of men, it is not overwhelmed within the grace of Christ: nor is the death which proceeded from him swallowed up by the life of Christ, if still it reigns and magnifies itself over and against far greater numbers of men than the life itself of Christ preserves or delivers from it. Upon verse 18, he presenteth his thoughts in these words, “He,” Paul, “makes grace common unto all men, because it is exposed unto,” or laid within the reach of, “all men: not because it is in the reality of it extended unto all men,” i. e. not because it is accepted or received by all men, as the words following plainly show: “For,” saith he, “though Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and through the goodness or bounty of God be offered unto all men, yet all men do no take, or lay hold on him.” So that if Calvin would but quit himself like a man, and stand his own ground, he would remonstrate as stoutly as Corvine, or Arminius himself.
1. See more about this in Chap. I.
2. Divine Authority of the Scriptures, p. 184, 185, 332, 333.
3. Dr. Twisse, Vindicia Gratie, &c. p. 171.
4. Twissus, ubi supra.
5. Aqu. Sum. part I, qu. 19, Art. 12. in Cor.
The third sort, or consort of Scriptures, mentioned in Chap. I, as clearly asserting the Doctrine hitherto maintained, argued, and managed to the same point.
WE shall not need, I conceive, to insist upon a particular examination of these Scriptures, one by one, (the method observed by us in handling the two former parts) because they are more apparently uniform and consenting in their respective importances than the previous passages examined. In which respect, a clear and thorough discussion of any one of them, or a diligent poising of the common tendency and import of them all, will be sufficient to evince their respective compliances with the cause in hand. The prospect of these texts is this. “And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” John vi. 37; “He that believeth on me, shall never thirst.” ver. 35; “He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.” Mark xvi. 16; “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish…” &c. John iii. 16; “That through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.” Acts x. 43; “Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned…” &c. Rom. iii. 22, 23; to omit very many others of like tenor and import.
In all these Scriptures, with their fellows, evident it is that salvation is held forth and promised by God unto all, without exception, that shall believe; yea, that it is offered and promised unto all men, upon the condition of believing, whether they believe or no. So that, upon such declarations of the gracious and good pleasure of God towards the universality of men as these, the ministers of the gospel, or any other men, may with truth, and ought of duty upon occasion, say to every particular soul of man under heaven, “If thou believest thou shalt be saved,” even as Paul saith that he preached Christ, “warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colos. i. 28. Yea, this apostle, saith, that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent,” Acts xvii. 30. Now if the gospel, or God in the gospel, offereth salvation unto all men, without exception, and insureth it accordingly upon their believing, certainly he hath it to bestow upon them, in case they do believe. Otherwise he should offer or promise that unto them which he hath not for them, nor is able to confer upon them, though they should believe.
If he hath salvation for them, or to bestow upon them upon their believing, he must have it in Christ: because he hath no other treasury or storehouse of salvation, but only Christ.1 “Neither is there salvation in any other,” &c. Acts iv. 12. If God hath salvation in Christ for all men, Christ must needs have bought and purchased it for them with his blood, inasmuch as there is no salvation, no not in Christ himself, without or otherwise than by remission of sins; nor any remission of sins in or by him, without shedding of blood. Therefore all those Scriptures, wherein God promiseth and ascertaineth salvation unto all men, without exception, upon their believing, are pregnant with this truth, that Christ laid down his life for the salvation of all and every man.
If it be here replied and said, but though God in the gospel offers salvation unto all men, and promiseth salvation unto all men upon condition of their believing respectively, yet knowing certainly beforehand that none will believe, but only such and such by name, as viz. those for whom there is salvation purchased by Christ, he may upon a sufficient ground, and with security enough, promise salvation unto all men upon condition they will believe, I answer,
Though God, by means of the certainty of such his knowledge, may, without danger of failing in point of promise-keeping, or of being taken at his word to his dishonour, promise salvation unto all men, without exception, upon the terms specified, though it should be supposed that Christ hath not purchased salvation for all men; yet upon such a supposition as this, he cannot, either with honour or otherwise, or within truth make any such offer or promise. Not with honour; because for a man generally and certainly known to be worth but only one thousand pounds in estate, to offer or promise a hundred thousand pounds to any man that shall be willing to serve him, or to do such or such a courtesy for him, though he knew certainly that no man would accept his offer in either of these kinds, yet would such an offer or promise be a disparagement to him in the sight of wise and understanding men, yea, render him little other than ridiculous?
In like manner, it being supposed by our antagonists in the cause now under plea, that God hath declared it unto all the world in his gospel, that Christ hath died but for a few men, in comparison, and, consequently, that himself hath salvation only for a few, in case he should promise salvation unto all men without exception, upon what account, service, or condition soever, must needs turn to dishonour in the highest unto him, and represent him unto his creature extremely unlike to himself. Suppose the devil had certainly known, as very possibly