Archive for the ‘Sufficient for All, Efficient for the Elect’ Category

7
Aug

Nicholas Byfield (1579-1622) on the Sufficiency of Christ Death For All

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

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Byfield,

Thirdly, this point serves for consolation, and that many ways. First, against this fear of our own weakness, “It is not our Father’s will that one of the little ones should perish” [Mat. 18:14]; “None is able to take them out of his hand” [John 10:29]. Secondly, against our doubts about prayer, “Whatsoever you ask the Father in Christ’s name shall be given you” John 16:23]. Thirdly, against all the troubles of this world, if he has been a Father of Mercy, to forgive your sins, and give you grace, he will be a Father of Glory, to crown you in a better world in the inheritance of his Sons [Ephes. 1:17].

Who has made us fit.] Doct. We are neither naturally happy, nor universally so, not naturally, for we are made fit, not born so, not universally, for he has made [us] fit, not all men. Christ died for his sheep only [John 10], for his Church only [Ephes. 1], not for the World [John 17]. And therefore when the Scripture says, Christ died for all men, we must understand it, first, in respect of the sufficiency of his death, not in respect of the efficiency of it. Secondly, in respect of the common oblation of the benefits of his death externally in the Gospel unto all. Thirdly, as his death extends to all the Elect: for all, that is, for the Elect. Fourthly, for all, that is, for all that are saved, so that none that are justified and saved, are so, but by the virtue of his death. Fifthly, for all, that is for all indefinitely, for all sorts of men, not for every man of every sort. Lastly, he died for all, that is not for the Jews only, but for the Gentiles also.

Nicolas Byfield, An Exposition Vpon the Epistle to the Colossians (Printed by E.G. For Nathaniel Bvtter, and are to be sould at his Shop at the signe of the pide-bull in Pauls Church-yard, neare to S. Austins Gate, 1617), 99.

Holland:

Christ certainly has not redeemed all; for then having satisfied offended justice, what should hinder their salvation? Application? “He that freely grave his Son, how shall he not freely give us all things,” even application?–You will say, all fell, therefore, Christ must redeem all; nay, rather as all fell, so all by Christ shall be quickened by resurrection. Christ paid, indeed, a sufficiency price for the world, but not efficient: he redeemed the elect only; now all are not ordained or elected to life, for then all would have been prayed for, John 17:9, and all would believe, “for as many as were ordained to eternal life believed,” Acts 13:48. But we see few believe and persevere to the end; yet all Christ’s do and shall believe; increase of them is daily seen; every lost groat1 shall be found; nothing can hinder, they (when built) are built upon a sure foundation, “Christ the rock; the gates of hell,” that is, hell’s strength and policy shall not prevail against them. “No weapon formed against them shall prosper,” Isa. 54, ver. ult. “Christ’s the builder, the Word and Spirit,” the means which cannot fail. If God send his word, great shall be the company of them hat praise him, even in this sense–the building as it shall go forward, so it will last, since the foundation Christ cannot shrink. Christ assures us his blood was shed (not for all) “but for many for the remission of sins,” those who loves, those he will continue “to love to the end,” according to the text, “whom he loves, he loves to the end.”

Hezekiah Holland, A Christian Looking-Glasse: Or a Glimps of Christ’s Unchangably Everlasting Love (London: Printed by T.R. & E.M. for George Calvert, at the Half-moon in Watling-street, neer Pauls stump, 1649), 13-15. [Some spelling modernized; marginal comments not included; footnote mine; and underlining mine.]

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1[An English silver coin worth four pence, used from the 14th to the 17th century.]

17
May

William Lyford (1598-1653) on the Sufficiency of Christ’s Death

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

[notes below]

Lyford:

Now because the Scriptures speaking of redemption, purchased by Christ’s death, do sometimes express it in most large terms, as 1 Tim. 2:6, “Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all;” and so Heb. 2:9, that, “He by the grace of God should taste death for every man”: Here is “all” and “every many”; and that place 1 John 2:2, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” Sometimes again, the Scripture speaks of redemption in a more limited manner, as that Christ laid down his life “for is friends,” John 15:13, for his his sheep, John 10:15, for his Church, Eph. 5:25, “Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it,” &c.

Distinction

Now that you have may have your senses exercised to discern good and evil, truth and error in this point, you must distinguish between the sufficiency and efficiency of Christ’s death; we do say, that Christ died sufficiently for all, but not effectually for all, for that would be an absurd manner of speech. But thus we say, that the death of Christ is that one only, and perfect sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for sins, in which God is well pleased with man, and by which God intended to save all that come unto him, and it is in itself of infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient to take away the sins of the whole world. And if any perish, It is not through the weakness and insufficiency of that sacrifice, but through their own unbelief, by man’s own default it proves ineffectual unto the salvation of man. This common sovereign medicine of souls made of Christ’s blood, must be embraced and applied, else it avails not. It is effectual only to them that believe.

How redemption
is universal

According to the first branch of this distinction, we teach that redemption by Christ’s death, is universal in three respects.

First, for the price and merit of it: In Christ’s sacrifice there is merit enough for all the sins that ever were, or shall be committed, yea, if there were ten thousand worlds to be redeemed, they needed no other price, no other satisfaction to please God, God is fully contented with this one of his Son. For it being the death of the eternal Son of God, it is of infinite value above all the souls, and above all the sins of the sons of men, it is an universal remedy.

Secondly, it is general and universal for the promise and offer of it, upon the all-sufficient, and merit of Christ’s death is grounded a universal promise of salvation, according to which all that believe I him do actually receive remission of sins, and life everlasting [Rom. 3:25.]. The promise of life in Christ’s death is universal to all men. The gospel is to be preached to every creature, so that there is no man living that may not lay hold on that offer, no man is forbidden to come in, and take of the water of life freely, that has a mind to it. Rev. 22:17, “Whosoever will, let him come and drink of the water of life freely.” You cannot wish a larger promise, nor an easier condition, “whosoever will let him come.” There is none excluded, but such as will not come in, nor acknowledge him, nor deny themselves, and their own righteousness, their carnal reason and sweet contentments for his sake. Why then do men cavil at the doctrine of redemption, as if it were not large enough? It is too straight and narrow to take in Episcopius, or Corvinus, or any of the Arminian subscribers? No. Do they know any man in the world, to whom the offer of salvation may not be freely and truly made? No, not one (the finally impenitent, and wilful condemners of Christ only excepted). Whose cause then do they so hotly plead? Let every one that is athirst, come, let everyone that is grieved with sin, come. Let everyone that longs for salvation, come, and she shall find rest to his soul. He shall find Christ to be his God and his mighty redeemer. He shall feel the virtue and efficacy of Christ’s death.

Thirdly, redemption is general or universal, in respect of the means, sincerely calling all men unto fellowship with Christ, and of God’s grace in him (namely) the Word and sacraments [Acts 17:30, 1 Tim. 2:4.]. The manner of administration of this grace in the death of Christ is universal and complete, so that if there were a thousand worlds more to be saved, they needed no other gospel, no other sacraments, no other means to convert them, no new law to make them partakers of remission of sins by the death of Christ. And these are seen and known of all men, easy to be understood, preached, and published, not in a corner, but on the housetop, to all nations, “there sound is gone forth into all lands.” Our commission is, “Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature,” Mar. 16:16. “It is the power of God to salvation, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile,” Rom. 1:16. And it is also real and sincere, for in the gospel there is nothing false or dissembled: Whatsoever is offered or promised to men, the same shall be made good to them b God the author of the gospel. We offer salvation to all that will receive it, and it is sealed unto them that by the sacraments, and it shall be made good unto them that receive it in truth. We do not promise mercy and life to any that continue in their sins, that stand off from Christ, but to as many as receive him, they shall the sons of God. And our word is true, it shall be made good unto you. The Lord says not in vain to any man, “Come unto me and I will ease you,” yea, so full and sufficient is this calling and preaching of life by the gospel, that they which hear it, and obey it not, are Autokatakritos, self-condemned, they must condemn themselves for their own obstinacy and contempt. If they be not converted by he means, they will be forced to confess, “Thou Lord would have healed and gathered us, but we would not.”

William Lyford, The Plain Mans Senses Exercised (London: Printed for Richard Royton at the Angel in Ivie-lane, 1655), 259-262. [Some spelling modernized; some reformatting; marginal headers and references cited inline; and underlining mine.]

Credit to Tony for the find.

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Wollebius:

XXIII. While Christ’s passion is minimized by the foregoing errors, those who teach that he died for all human beings [pro omnibus et singulis] broaden the object of his passion more than is allowable.

Of course, if we take into consideration the magnitude and worthiness of the merit, we admit that it would suffice for the redemption of ten worlds; but if we take the plan of God and the intention of Christ into consideration, then it is false to say that Christ died for every person. For this reason others say that his death was sufficient for all, but not effective for all;1 that is, the merit of Christ, because of his worthiness, is sufficient for all, but it is not effective for all in its application, because Christ did not die with the intention that his. death be applied to all. Why should he die for those for whom he would not pray? But he told us that he did not pray for the world On. 17 :9). Those who oppose us argue from passages in which there is reference to the whole world, or to all men, [ Timothy 2:4 and 1 John 2:2, in which all men in general are named. But in I John 2:2 the meaning of "the whole world" is, by metonymy, "the elect scattered throughout the whole world," and in 1 Timothy 2: 4 "all men" means men of every sort, whether gentiles or Jews, kings or private citizens, and so not individuals in a class, but classes of individuals, as the words that follow make plain. The word "all" is used in the same sense in Genesis 6: 19 and Joel 2:28.5

1. The other aspect of Christ's satisfaction is the perfect righteousness which, by his conformity to the law and the perfect obedience which he performed, acquired for us the status of heirs of eternal life. 2. This righteousness is partly original and partly actual. 3. The original righteousness of Christ is the conformity to the law in which he was conceived and born.

Johannes Wollebius, Compendium Theolgiae Christianae trans. John W. Beardslee in Reformed Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1965), 105-106.

[Underlining mine.]

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Makemie:

And such as tread the middle path, hold an absolute redemption of God’s elect, and only a conditional salvation of the reprobate; they hold (1) A twofold manner of redemption on, which we have no ground for in the Scriptures all that are redeemed, being redeemed alike.

2. If so, the greatest part of mankind are left in as bad a state, as if they were not redeemed at all.

If we consider the merit of Christ’s crucifixion and death, materially in regard of its sufficiency, dignity, worth, and merit by reflecting on the person who suffered and died, and of the manner how he accomplished it, with faithfulness, and that most willingly and cheerfully, that it was no less price than the death of him, who was God, equal with God the Father, infinite value, and worth, merit, and dignity, and so not only a complete and sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, but was in itself a complete ransom, for the offenses of a thousand worlds. And so if we consider the sufficiency of his price and ransom, he died for all, he offered a sacrifice, and gave an atonement, that was enough for all, and he gave himself a ransom for all, and tasted death for every man. Further, we assert, and believe that all nations, kingdoms, tongues, and people were redeemed by Jesus Christ, so according to the school distinction, he died, for, generibus singulorum, for, all kinds of men, not singulis generum, nor for, every individual man and woman according to the John’s vision, Rev., 5:9, “For thou wast slain, and has redeemed, us to God, by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” so that all and every one that is or shall be redeemed, are redeemed by Jesus Christ, who is the only Savior, and “no name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, but by the name Jesus,” so he be the Savior of all. And this we dare most boldly and warrantably affirm, that Christ’s death is efficacious for the salvation of all, whom he died for, and not one these predestined to eternal life, shall perish, but be brought infallibly to glory, Rom. 8:30, “Whom he did predestinate them he also called, then he also glorified.” From which Scripture, none can be ignorant, unless they willfully stop, and blind the eyes of their understanding, what an inseparable connection is between the means, and the end, and all flowing from the everlasting purpose, and immutable predestination of God, and as many as Christ died for, shall be infallibly saved, and to whomsoever he has purchased salvation, to as many he has purchased the means and conditions of salvation, as faith, repentance, and all the holy graces of the Spirit of God, for says the Holy Spirit of God, as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; neither dare we believe such and ineffectual redemption, as Quakers hand in hand with Arminians, and Pelagians do hold, which only leaves man in a possibility of salvation, if the sinner will, but may be, the most of Christ’s redeemed ones, go to hell notwithstanding, while Christ says in John 17, speaks of his redeemed and ransomed ones, “as those select ones, whom the Father had given him out of the world, for whom that is the world, He would not so much as pray, for less die. And Keith himself owns in his malicious and uncharitable book, against New-England ministers, that there are those for whom it may be said, Christ died not. And so this must be the gentleman’s position, Christ died for all, and died not for all, which is a plain contradiction, and farewell Keith’s universal redemption, which if it had not vanished in contradiction, as uncomfortable, and ineffectual to the greatest number of redeemed ones.

Francis Makemia, An Answer to George Keith’s Libel (Boson:  Printed, by Benjamin Harris, at the sign of the Bible, over-against the Blew-Anchor, 1694), 48-50.

[Credit to Michael Lynch for the find.]

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