Scott:

But what is the general purport of this commission? Let us hear the word of God: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”–”His blood is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” John i. 29, iii. 16–20. 1 Tim. i. 15, ii. 5, 6. Had the penmen of the Scriptures been as scrupulously careful to prevent even the appearance of deviating from exact systematical consistency, as many moderns are, they would never have thus expressed themselves.–For my part I dare not use any of the above-mentioned arts of criticism, to narrow the obvious sense of these and similar texts: and as I nope this day, previously to receiving and administering the Lord’s Supper, to use the following terms in solemn prayer, Christ “by his own oblation of himself once offered, made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world;”¹ I would no more contradict this solemn profession from the pulpit, than I would preach against the seventeenth article respecting predestination.–The compilers of our Liturgy evidently thought both true, and consistent with each other; and I am happy to coincide in sentiment with these venerable characters.² It will appear that none but the elect can eventually be benefitted by the death of Christ; yet there is a sense, of vast importance, in which it may be properly said, and the Holy Spirit hath expressly said, that “his blood is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.”

The principal, though not the only object of Christ’s appearing in human nature, and living so many years a holy sufferer, and dying in unknown agonies on the cross, was to ” bring in everlasting righteousness, and to make propitiation for iniquity;” as preparatory to his mediatory office in heaven, and his intercession for sinners. The perfection of his arduous obedience, and the intenseness of his complicated sufferings, were doubtless of indispensable necessity, and of vast efficacy, in this plan of redemption: yet it was the union of the Deity with the Man Christ Jesus, in one mysterious person, which stamped its full value on this sacrifice for sin. But can any man, who believes the real Deity of Christ, hesitate to pronounce it an infinite random? Infinite honor was given to the divine law by his obedience, and infinite satisfaction made to divine justice by his atoning sacrifice.³ And through this infinite sufficiency, that hindrance, which arose from the perfect holiness and righteousness of God, and the inconceivable demerit of sin, is once for all entirely removed; so that it would be no impeachment of the purity of the divine character, no deduction from the honor of the law, and no abatement of the horror and hatred which we ought to conceive against sin; should God through Christ pardon all the sinners who now live, or who ever shall live, on earth.

Thomas Scott, ‘The Doctrines of Election and Final Perseverance,” in The Theological Works of the Rev. Thomas Scott, (Edinburgh: Peter Brown and Thomas Nelson, 1830), 143-144. [Some spelling modernized; footnote values modernized; italics original; and underlining mine.]

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The Witness of Men…:

49. Calvin, who died AD. 1564, writes:–

“But if we respond not to the call, the supper shall not be lost, which was prepared for us, but God will furnish himself with other guests.” Harm. P., 188.

‘For although in the world nothing is found worthy of God, yet he shows himself propitious to the whole world, when without exception he calls all to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than the entrance into life.”–In John 3:15,16.

“For although Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and is offered equally to all in the benignity of God, yet all do not lay hold of him.”–Ad Rom. 5:18.

“But the fuller and richer sense will be, that God was in Christ, then that by his intercession he reconciled the world to himself.”–Ad 2 Cor. 5:19.

“When therefore he wished the benefit of his death to be common, they do him injury who, by any opinion of their own, keep any man from the hope of salvation.”–Ad 1 Tim. 2:5.

‘This therefore is a marvelous love to the human race, that he wished all to be saved, and is prepared to gather into salvation those perishing of their own accord. And the order here is to be noted, that God is prepared to receive all to repentance, lest any one should perish.”–Ad 2 Pet. 3:9.

‘He is to be considered as an expiatory victim, by which God is pacified to the world.” Opusc. P., 872.

“And both are hear [in John 3:15, 16] distinctly delivered to us–viz, that faith in Christ is saving to all, and that Christ therefore brought life, because the celestial Father did not wish the human race, whom he loved, to perish.”–Ad John 3:15,16.

“He uses a note of universality both that he may invited all to a participation of life, and that he may cut off excuse from unbelievers. To the same pertains the term world, which he uses before.”–Idem.

“In wounding a weak conscience the price of the blood of Christ is dissipated.”–Ad Rom. 14:15.

“Not only let the general reflection come into the mind that the world was redeemed by the blood of Christ, but let each, for himself think that his own sins were expiated.”–Ad Mark 14:24.

“When John says ‘the sin of the world,’ he extends this favor [of sin being taken away by the Lamb of God] to the WHOLE HUMAN RACE.”–Ad John 1:29.

“Redemption was acquired by the blood of Christ; for, by the sacrifice of his death all the sins of the world were expiated.”–Ad Col. 1:14.

In his last “Will,” written a few days before his death, he most distinctly and unequivocally declared that “the blood of the Great Redeemer was shed for the sins of the WHOLE HUMAN RACE.” 278. [Italics original; content in brackets original.]

“The Atonement of Christ,” in Biblical Notes and Queries, (Edinburgh: George Adam Young & Co., 1869), 278. [Note: As far as I can determine, I see no named author for this article.]

Waterman:

NOTE from the 5th line at the foot of page 215.

Some of the professed friends, as well as the avowed enemies of Calvin, hare been anxious to establish the point, that Calvin limited the atonement of Christ to the sins of the elect alone. Calvin’s opinion however was, that the atonement of Christ was for Sins, as he deliberately says in his Will, That the blood of the exalted Redeemer war shed for the sins of the human race.–He is no less explicit in his Commentaries–Rom. v. 18–Nam etsi passus est Christus pro paccatis totius mundi, atque omnibas indifferente Dei benignitate offertur, non tamen omnes apprehendunt. “For although Christ SUFFERED FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD, and by the benevolence of God it is indifferently offered to all, yet all do not receive him. Opera Calvini, vol. 7.

Elijah Waterman, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of John Calvin (Hartford: Printed by Hale & Hosmer, 1813), 410-411.

Credit to Tony for the find

Williams:

1) 24 Having endeavored to explain and illustrate what I presumed to call “the harmonizing principle,” in reference to the great topic of redemption, I will now advert to his Lordship’s declarations on the subject. It is asserted, in the first. place, that the doctrine of universal redemption–was directly opposed a by CALVIN. His Lordship I hope will excuse me for asserting, in return, that this eminent reformer did not ‘directly’ oppose the doctrine of universal redemption, in the sense now explained, as far as I have been able to collect by a frequent search into his voluminous writings. He admitted a universal price of redemption; but he had reasons innumerable against the notion of an actual redemption of all men from sin and misery. . He maintained that the remedy was universal, and that it was universally proposed to mankind, according to God’s rectoral design; by it not that it was the sovereign design of God by it to make mankind universally and indiscriminately submissive, and compliant with. the terms on which the blessings resulting from it were to be enjoyed. Had this been his design, not one of the human race could perish; for “who hath resisted his will?” If God were to design this, and to exert his power on the heart accordingly, who could prevent him? What CALVIN’S ill digested reprobating decree implied indirectly, is another consideration.

25 CALVIN, however, certainly did ‘oppose’ his Lordship’s notion of universal redemption,–which we now proceed to examine. The explanatory clauses, indicating what wag intended by the phrase “universal redemption,” are these: ‘ namely, that the benefits of Christ’s passion extend to the whole human race;’ or, ‘that every man is enabled to attain salvation through the merits of Christ.’ If by ‘the benefits’ be meant all the benefits, what Calvinist, ancient or modern, ever denied it? But if by ‘the benefits’ be meant all the benefits of Christ’s passion, surely his Lordship will not deliberately maintain it, as it is ‘ directly opposed,’ by obvious innumerable facts. For instance, a clean heart, a right spirit, justification, adoption, divine love shed abroad in the heart, being kept by divine power through faith unto salvation, an introduction to the heavenly Jerusalem, a glorious resurrection, and eternal life–all these are benefits of Christ’s passion; but are they extended to ‘the whole human race?’ If it be said that they are extended conditionally, proposed objectively, or in such a manner that all may obtain them, were it it for their own fault; this I have already admitted. But such is the present state of mankind, that were there no absolute, as well as conditional benefits, it is possible, that not one human being would in fact be finally saved. With his Lordship’s notion of free will as going before, and turning the balance in every instance, while human nature is “inclined to evil,” even in his’ own sense of this phrase, where lies the probability, much less the certainty, of the final salvation of any individual? It is of no use to contend, that God will assist mankind IF they will faithfully employ the powers and talents with which they are entrusted, without producing the evidence of probability, at least, that they WILL do this. But was it worthy of divine wisdom to prepare a kingdom of eternal glory on the precarious basis of free will exclusively,–on a bare peradventure that some would surmount their native depravity, and thus prepare the way for obtaining efficacious grace? That mankind ought to improve their powers and means, is one thing; but that any will do so, without the internal, efficacious grace of Christ ‘going before to give them a good will,’ is quite another. Edward Williams, A Defence of Modern Calvinism: Containing an Examination of the Bishop of Lincoln’s Work, Entitled a “Refutation of Calvinism,” (London: Printed for and sold by James Black, 1812), 192-194. [Some spelling Americanized; underlining mine.]

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