Hardy:

Dual Aspect of the death of Christ:

1) In regard of Christ, the certain continuance of all the true members of the church depends upon the energy of his death, and the efficacy of his intercession.

[l.] Though the design of Christ’s death was in some respect general, namely, to purchase a possibility of salvation for all upon the conditions of faith and repentance, yet I doubt not to assert, that besides this there was a particular design of his death, which was to purchase a certainty of salvation by faith and repentance for some, to wit, the elect, this being the most rational way of reconciling those scriptures which do enlarge Christ’s death to the whole world, with those that restrain it to his church. Indeed, if there be not some who shall be actually saved by Christ’s death, his death will be in vain. If there be not some for whom Christ hath purchased more than a possibility of salvation upon condition, it is possible none should be actually saved by it, especially if (as those who deny this peculiar intention affirm) the performing of the condition depends so on the liberty of our will, that notwithstanding the influence of grace a man may choose or refuse to do it; for then it is as possible that every man may not believe as that he may, and consequently it is possible no man may be saved by Christ’s death, and so Christ’s death in vain, as to that which was its primary end, and consequently his intention frustrated. It remaineth, then, that as Christ intended his death to be sufficient for all, so that it might be efficient to some, in order to which it was necessary that for those persons he should purchase grace, yea, not only grace, but perseverance in grace till they come to glory. Nathanael Hardy, The First General Epistle of St John the Apostle, Unfolded and Applied (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1865), 312 . [underlining mine.]

Christ sustained and equivalent satisfaction:

1) This punishment thus inflicted on Christ, is a plenary satisfaction to God’s justice. It is true, this word satisfaction is not formally expressed in Scripture, yet there are equivalent phrases. Such, among others, is that phrase so often used of redeeming; and as if the Holy Ghost would prevent that Socinian exposition of (redimere pro aliquo modo liberare) redeeming, as if it were only in a large sense no more than delivering, it is St Paul’s express phrase, ‘Ye are bought with a price,’ 1 Cor. vi. 20; and that this price may appear to be of full value, it is opposed to,
and advanced above, corrupt gold and silver by the apostle Peter, 1 Peter i, 18, 19. Nor is it any infringement to the merit of this price and worth of this satisfaction, that the suffering of Christ was not every way the same that we should have undergone, since it is all one whether the debt be paid in the same coin or no, so it be to the full value. Christ sufffered the punishment of our sins, as Calovius well observeth, [Vide Calov. Sociniania. Prot.], though not secundum identitatem omnimodam, yet per aquivalentiam, the same in every respect, yet equivalent to it. Indeed, what satisfaction could justice demand more than infinite; and the sufiering of an infinite person could not be less. Nathanael Hardy, The First General Epistle of St John the Apostle, Unfolded and Applied (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1865), 114. [Footnotes cited inline, italics original, underlining mine.]

Sins of the world:

1) Finally, when secure sinners hear of the infinite merit of Christ’s blood, how satisfactory it is for the sins of the whole world, and therefore much more of a particular person, they are willing to persuade themselves of an interest in that blood, and thereby of reconciliation and fellowship with God, not considering what our apostle saith in the very next verse, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin; but it is only those who walk in the light. Nathanael Hardy, The First General Epistle of St John the Apostle, Unfolded and Applied (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1865), 61.

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[Note: Davenant was the leader of the English delegation to Dort. For a brief comment on Davenant’s Dortian orthodoxy, see Richard Muller’s comments here and here.]

Davenant:

Unlimited Expiation:

1) That the Apostle here lays down what be calls reconciliation procured from God through the mediation of Christ, as a common benefit for the whole world. And indeed to haw reconciled the world generally can mean nothing else than to have ordained and granted to the world that universal remedy or propitiatory sacrifice of the death of Christ, which is applicable to all. Secondly, It is proper to observe, in what sense God is said actually to have reconciled the world to himself by the merit of the offering of Christ, namely, because the sacrifice of Christ being made, he will not impute their trespasses unto them; that is, He will not require from any man that he should make satisfaction for his own sins, that being impossible; nor, further, will he punish any one for his sins who shall make use of this propitiatory sacrifice. And lastly, it is to be remarked, that this reconciliation, this not imputing of sins, of which the Apostle speaks, is considered as performed on the part of God and Christ, as soon as Christ is understood to have laid down his life for the sins of the world. But on the part of sinful men there remains the Ministry of the Gospel, by which it is made known to men; there remains that the Gospel should be believed, before men are brought as it were into the actual possession of this grace. Davenant, Dissertation on the Death of Christ, 347-348.

2) He who by undergoing death by the ordination of God sustained the punishment due not only to the sins of certain individual persons, but of the whole human race; His passion, by virtue of the same ordination, is applicable not only to certain definite persons, but to every individual of the human race. But Christ by dying sustained the punishment due to the sins of the world: Therefore, he willed that his death should be, as it were, an universal cause of salvation applicable to all. He who denies the major, is bound to shew why God willed that his Son should bear the sins of the human race, if he was unwilling to appoint in his death a cause at least applicable to the human race, although the application world not follow in many. Davenant, Dissertation on the Death of Christ, 354.

3) Now let us descend to the minor, in which it is affirmed, that Christ sustained the punishment due to the sins of the human race. Thus the Scriptures speak, All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity, of us all. Isaiah liii. 6. Thus the Fathers speak, The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the ransom of the whole world, from which they are excluded, who, either being delighted with their captivity are unwilling to be redeemed, or after redemption have rerurned to the same slavery. Prosper ad Capit. Gallor. sent. super. 9. Davenant, Dissertation on the Death of Christ, 355.

4) The last argument is taken from a comparison of the twofold covenant, and according to it, of a twofold ordination of men to salvation. As, therefore, in the covenant of nature, that is, the agreement with Adam at the time of creation, salvation was procurable by Adam and all his posterity under the condition of obedience to be paid to the law of nature, and to the express commandment of God; so in the covenant of grace, which was confirmed by the blood of the Mediator, salvation is also understood to be procurable for all men under the condition published in the Gospel, that is, of faith in this Mediator, who hath made satisfaction for the sins of the human race. Davenant, Dissertation on the Death of Christ, 364.

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Marlorate:

Christ came for the salvation of the whole world:

1) 44. And he sayde vnto them. These are the wordes which I spake vnto you whylest I was yet wyth you, that all muste needes bee fulfylled which were written of mee in the law of Moises, and in the prophets and in the Psalmes.

R. [Brentius] After that our Saviour Christ had proved by manifest and evident signs to his Disciples, that he was resen from death to life, he proceeds to set forth that which was th emost necessary of all others to enlarge the Borders of his Kingdom, and to set forth the glory of his majesty on Earth.

For Christ came not into this world to profit the nation of the Jews only, but that he might be salvation to the whole world. Christ rose again from death, not that this one Jew or that may have life, but that the happiness of everlasting life might be offered to all nations. A. [Marlorate] For so it was prophesied before I have given the all light to the Gentiles, that thou may be my salvation to the whole world.

R. [Brentius] And there is not a more convenient Instrument whereby these things may be revealed to the whole world, and to all nations then the preaching of the gospel [Esai. 49.6.]. Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike and Ecclesiastical Exposition of the Holy Gospel after S. Marke and Lvke, trans Thomas Timme (Imprinted at London in the Fleetesteate neare, unto S. Dunstanes Church, by Thomas Marsh, 1583), Luke 24:44; p., 334.

Christ died for the salvation of all mankind:

1) Therefore works do not justify, that is to say, they do not make us the more acceptable unto God: the which works can be nothing else but sin, condemning, if so be they be wrought before thou be purified, and regenerated by the Spirit of God: because that an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. But the Lord describing his judgment, says (after the manner of men): that every man shall be judged, according to his works: even as we commonly are wont to judge.

Neither does he say, that every man shall receive according to his works, as though our works were the first cause of our salvation. For the special cause why we obtain everlasting life, is the voluntary & free will of God: and the second cause are the merits of Christ, for he died for salvation of all mankind: but this also is a free gift of good will of God. The third cause, our faith, by the which we embrace and receive this good will of God, and the merits of Christ. Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike and Ecclesiastical Exposition of the Holy Gospel after S. Mathew, gathered out of all the singular and approued Deuines (which the Lorde hath geuen to his Churche) by Augustine Marlorate. And translated out of Latine into Englishe, by Thomas Tymme, Minister, Sene and allowed according to the order appointed (Imprinted at London in Fletestreate near vnto S. Dunstones churche, by Thomas Marshe, 1570), Matt. 16:27; pp., 373-374. [Some spelling modernized.].

2) {Thou wente one of the twelue}

C. [Calvin] What fruit reprehensions bring forth, we here see The disciples are still & silent, nor for shame, but for true obedience sake. For they stand so much to the judgement of Christ, that after they knkow that the thing which displeased them, pleased him, they are quiet. Even so ought we do when we have recieved a fall, being taught not to be ashamed to rise from our error. On the contrary part we see what good reprehension does in the minds of obstinate: for the admonition of Christ did profit so little to turn the heart of Judas, or to make it better, that he went by & by void of care, to make a most wicked bargain with the enemies of Christ. But it was a wonderful & monstrous insensible dulness, that in the loss of the ointment that he thought he had gotten an honest excuse to so wicked a fact: & futher that he being admonished by the words of Christ, knew not what to do. The only mention of his burial had been enough to mollify and iron heart: when he might have gathered thereby that Christ offered himself a sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike and Ecclesiastical Exposition of the Holy Gospel after S. Mathew, gathered out of all the singular and approued Deuines (which the Lorde hath geuen to his Churche) by Augustine Marlorate. And translated out of Latine into Englishe, by Thomas Tymme, Minister, Sene and allowed according to the order appointed (Imprinted at London in Fletestreate near vnto S. Dunstones churche, by Thomas Marshe, 1570), Matt. 27:14, p., 625. [Some spelling modernized.]

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Thomas Cranmer

Expiation and Propitiation

Sacrifice for Sin:

1) But what sleights and shifts this writer doth use to wind the reader into his error, it is wonder to see, by devising to make two sacrifices of one will; the one by declaration, the other by execution; advice such as was never imagined before of no man, and meet to come out of a fantastical head. But I say precisely, that Christ offered himself never but once, because the scripture so precisely and so many times saith so; and having the same for my warrant, it maketh me the bolder to stand against you, that deny that thing which is so often times repeated in scripture. And where you say, that”there is no scripture whereupon we might conclude that Christ did in this mortal life, but in one particular moment of time, offer himself to the Father:” to what purpose you bring forth this moment of time I cannot tell, for I made no mention thereof, but of the day of his death; and the scripture saith plainly, that as it is ordained for every man to die but once, so Christ was offered but once; and saith further, that sin is not forgiven but by effusion of blood, and therefore if Christ had been offered many times, he should have died many times. And of any other offering of Christ’s body for sin, the scripture speaketh not. For although St Paul to the Philippians speaketh of the humiliation of Christ by his incarnation, and so to worldly miseries and afflictions, even unto death upon the cross; yet he calleth not every humiliation of Christ a sacrifice and oblation for remission of sin, but only his oblation upon Good Friday, which as it was our perfect redemption, so was it our perfect reconciliation, propitiation, and satisfaction for sin. And to what purpose you make here a long process of our sacrifices of obedience unto God’s commandments, I cannot devise. For I declare in my last book, that all our whole obedience unto God’s will and commandments is a sacrifice acceptable to God, but not a sacrifice propitiatory: for that sacrifice Christ only made, and by that his sacrifice all our sacrifices be acceptable to God, and without that none is acceptable to him. Thomas Cranmer, ‘Of the Presenceof Christ,” in Works, 1:86.

2) And here they run headlongs into the foulest and most heinous error that ever was imagined. For if they make every day the same oblation and sacrifice for sin that Christ himself made, and the oblation that he made was his death, and the effusion of his most precious blood upon the cross, for our redemption and price of our sins; then followeth it of necessity, that they every day slay Christ, and shed his blood, and so be they worse than the wicked Jews and Pharisees, which slew him and shed his blood but once. Thomas Cranmer, “Of the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ,” in Works 1:348.

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