The Judgment of the Extent of Christs Death, Letter 1
The Judgement of the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland, of the true Intent and Extent of Christs death, and satisfaction upon the Crosse. Written in Answer to the request of a Friend, March 3. 1617.
The true Intent and Extent of Christs Death, and Satisfaction upon the Crosse.
THe all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ, made for the sinnes of the whole World. The true intent and extent, is Lubricus locus to be handled, and hath, and doth now much trouble the Church: this question hath been moved sub iisdem terminis quibus nunc, and hath received contrary resolutions; the reason is, that in the two extremities of opinions held in this matter, there is somewhat true, and somewhat false; The one extremity extends the benefit of Christs satisfaction too farre, as if hereby, God, for his part, were actually reconciled to all mankind, and did really discharge every man from all his sins, and that the reason why all men do not reap the fruit of this benefit, is the want of that faith whereby they ought to have believed, that God in this sort did love them: Whence it would follow, that God should forgive a man his sins, and justifie him before he believed, whereas the Elect themselves, before their effectuall vocation are said to be without Christ, and without hope, and to be utter strangers from the Covenants of Promise, Ephes. 2. 2.
2. The other extremity contracts the riches of Christs satisfaction into too narrow a room; as if none had any kind of interest therein, but such as were elected before the foundation of the World; howsoever by the Gospel, every one be charged to receive the same: whereby it would follow, that a man should be bound in conscience to believe that which is untrue, and charged to take that wherewith he hath nothing to do.
Both extremities then, drawing with them unavoidable absurdities: The Word of God (by hearing whereof, faith is begotten, Eph. 1. 13.) must be sought uuto by a middle course, to avoyd these extremities.
For finding out this middle course, we must, in the matter of our Redemption, carefully put a distinction betwixt the satisfaction of Christ absolutely considered, and the application thereof to every one in particular: The former was once done for all, The other is still in doing: The former brings with it sufficiency abundant, to discharge the whole debt; the other addes to it efficacy. The satisfaction of Christ, onelyonly makes the sinnes of mankind fit for pardon, which without it, could not well be; the injury done to Gods Majesty being so great, that it could not stand with his honour to put it up without amends made. The particular application makes the sins of those to whom that mercy is vouchsafed to be actually pardoned: for, as all sins are mortal, in regard of the stipend due thereunto by the Law, but all do not actually bring forth death, because the gracious Promises of the Gospel stayeth the execution: even so all the sinnes of mankind, are become venial, in respect of the price paid by Christ to his Father (so farre, that in shewing mercy upon all, if so it were his pleasure, his justice should be no loser,) but all do not obtain actual remission, because most offenders do not take out, nor plead their pardon as they ought to do. If Christ had not assumed our Nature, and therein made satisfaction for the injury offered to the divine Majesty, God would not have come unto a Treaty of peace with us, more than with the fallen Angels, whose nature the Sonne did not assume: But this way being made, God holds out unto us the golden Scepter of his Word, and thereby, not onelyonly signifieth his pleasure of admitting us unto his presence, and accepting of our submission, which is a wonderful Grace, but also sends an Embassage unto us, and entreats us that we would be reconciled unto him, 2 Cor. 5. 20.
Hence, we inferre against the first extremity, that by the vertue of this blessed Oblation, God is made placable unto our nature (which he never will be unto the Angelical nature offending) but not actually appeased with any, untill he hath received his son, and put on the Lord Jesus. As also against the latter extremity, that all men may be truly said to have interest in the merits of Christ, as in a Common, though all do not enjoy the benefit thereof; because they have no will to take it.
The well-spring of life is set open unto all (Apoc. 22. 17.) Whosoeever will, let him take of the water of life freely, but many have nothing to draw with; and the Well is deep, Faith is the vessel whereby we draw all vertue from Christ, and the Apostle tells us, That Faith is not of all, (2 Thes. 3. 2.) Now the means of getting this Faith is the hearing of the word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation (Ephes. 1. 13.) which ministreth this general ground for every one to build his Faith upon.
Syllogisme. What Christ hath prepared for thee, and the Gospel offereth unto thee, that oughtest thou with all thankfulnesse to accept, and apply to the comfort of thy own Soul.
But Christ by his death and obedience hath provided a sufficient remedy for the taking away of all thy sinnes, and the Gospel offereth the same unto thee. Therefore thou oughtest to accept, and apply the same to the comfort of thine own Soul.
Now this Gospel of salvation many do not hear at all, being destitute of the Ministery of the Word; and many hearing do not believe, or lightly regard it; and many that do believe the truth thereof, are so wedded to their sinnes, that they have no desire to bee divorced from them, and therefore they refuse to accept the gratious offer that is made unto them. And yet notwithstanding their refusal on their part, we may truly say, That good things were provided for them on Christs part, and a rich price was put into the hands of a Foole, howsoever he had no heart to use it (Prov. 17. 16.)
Our blessed Saviour, by that which he hath performed on his part, hath procured a Jubilee for the Sons of Adam; and his Gospel is his Trumpet, whereby he doth proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and preacheth the acceptable yeare of the Lord (Luke 4. 18, 19.) If for all this some are so well pleased with their Captivity that they desire no deliverance, that derogates nothing from the generality of the freedome annexed to that year. If one say to sinne his old Master, (Levites 25. 24. Exod. 21. 5. Deut, 15, 26:) I love thee, and will not go out free, he shall be bored for a slave, and serve for ever. But that slavish disposition of his, maketh the extent of the priviledge of that yeare not a whit the straiter, because he was included within the general Grant as well as others; howsoever, he was not disposed to take the benefit of it: The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a certain King that made a marriage of his Son, and sent his servants to those that were bidden to the Wedding with this message; Behold, I have prepared my Dinner; my Oxen, and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, Come to the Marriage, (verse 4.) If we look to the event. They they that were bidden made light of their entertainment, and went their wayes; one to his Farme, and another to his Merchandize. (verse 5.) but that neglect of theirs doth not falsify the word of the King (verse 4.) viz. That the Dinner was prepared, and these unworthy Guests were invited thereunto; For what, if some did not believe, shall their unbelief disannull the Faith, and truth of God? (Rom. 3. 3, 4.) God forbid; yea, let God be true, & every man a lyar, as it is written, that thou mayest be justified in thy sayings, and overcome when thou judgest. Let not the house of Israel say, the way of the Lord is unequall. For when he cometh to judge them, the inequality will be found on their side, and not on his. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equal, and your wayes unequal? saith the Lord, Ezek. 18. 29, 30.) The Lord is right in all his wayes, and holy in all his works. All the wayes of our God are mercy and truth; when we were in our sinnes it was of his infinite mercy that any way, or remedy should be prepared for our recovery. And when the remedy is prepared, we are never the nearer, except he be pleased of his free mercy to apply the same to us, that so the whole praise of our Redemption, from the beginning to the end thereof, may intirely be attributed to the riches of his grace, and nothing left to sinfull flesh wherein it may rejoyce.
The freeing of the Jewes from the Captivity of Babylon, was a Type of that great deliverance, which the Son of God hath wrought for us.
Cyrus, King of Fersia, who was Christus Domini (and herein but a shadow of Christus Dominus, the Authour of our Redemption) published his Proclamation in this manner; Who is amongst you of all his people, the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up, (2 Chron, 36. 23. and 1 Ezra 2.) Now it is true, they alone did follow this Calling, whose spirit God had raised to go up, (Ezra 1. 5.) But could they that remained still in Babylon, justly plead, That the Kings Grant was not large enough, or that they were excluded from going up by any clause contained therein? The matter of our Redemption purchased by our Saviour Christ lieth open to all, all are invited to it, none that hath a mind to accept of it, is excluded from it. The beautifull feet of those that preach the Gospell of peace, do bring glad tidings of good things to every house where they tread. The first part of their Message being this, Peace to this house, (Rom. 10. 15. Luke 10. 5. Luke 17.) But, unlesse God be pleased out of his abundant mercy to guide our feet into the way of peace, the Rebellion of our Nature is such, that that we run head-long to the wayes of destruction and misery, (Rom. 3. 16.) and the wayes of peace do we not know. They have not all obeyed the Gospel, Rom. 10. 16. all are not apt to entertain this Message of peace, and therefore, though Gods Ambassadours make a true tentender of it to all unto whom they are sent, yet their peace only resteth on the sons of peace, but if it meet with such as will not listen to the motion of it, their peace doth again return unto themselves, (Luke 10. 6.) The Proclamation of the Gospel runneth thus: Apoc. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come, for him this Grace is specially provided, because none but he will take the paines to come; But least we should think this should abridge the largenesse of the offer, a Quicunque vult, is immediately added, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely: yet withall this must bee yielded for a certain truth, that it is God who must work in us to will and to do, of his good pleasure; and though the call be never so loud and large, yet none can come except the father draw him, (John 6. 46.) For the universality of the satisfaction derogates nothing from the necessity of the speciall Grace in the application: neither doth the speciality of the one any wayes abridge the generality of the other. Indeed Christ our Saviour saith (Joh. 17. 6.) I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given me: but the consequence hereby inferred may well be excepted against, viz. He prayed not for the world, Therefore, He payed not for the world; Because the latter is an Act of his satisfaction, the former of his Intercession: which being divers parts of his Priest-hood are distinguishable one from another, by sundry differences. This his satisfaction doth properly give contentment to Gods justice, in such sort as formerly hath been declared: His Intercession doth solicit Gods mercy. The first containes the preparation of the remedy necessary for mans salvation; The second brings with it an application, of the same. And consequently the one may well appertain to the common nature, which the son assumed, when the other is a speciall Priviledge vouchsafed to such particular persons onelyonly, as the father hath given him. And therefore we may safely conclude out of all these premisses, That the Lamb of God offering himselfe a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world, Intended by giveing sufficient satisfaction to Gods Justice, to make the nature of man, which he assumed, a fit subject for mercy, and to prepare a medicine for the sinnes of the whole world; which should be denied to none that intended to take the benefit of it: Howsoever he intended not by applying this all-sufficient remedy unto every person in particular to make it effectual unto the salvation of all, or to procure thereby actual Pardon for the sins of the whole world. So, in one respect hee may be said to have died for all, and in another respect not to have died for all; yet so as in respect of his mercy he may be counted a kind of universal cause of the restoring of our Nature, as Adam was of the depraving of it; For as far as I can discerne, he rightly hits the naile on the head that determineth the point in this manner.
Thom, Contra Gentiles, lib. 4o. 55.
Mors Christi est quasi quaedam uuiversalis causa salutis; si cut peccatum primi hominis fuit quasi universalis causa damnationis. Oportet autem universalem causam applicari ad unumquodque s…ecialiter, ut effectum universalis causae participet. Effectus igitur peccati primi parentis pervenit ad unumquemque per carnis originem; effectus autem mortis Christi pertingit ad ad unumquemque per spiritualem regenerationem per quam Christo homo quodammodo conjungitur & incorporatur.