Kimedoncius:

The 8, Testimony,
Musculus.

The same thing I say of Musculus, whose judgment who so looked into, I know very well he will marvel at Huber’s wit, and at his desire and captious kind of speaking to pervert all things. These are his words: “That the grace of remission of sins is appointed for all mortal men,” [De remiss. pecc. q.2. Thes. 86.] This Huber catching at greedily, sets in his book in great letters: but maliciously altogether pulled away from the words following, wherein lies the meaning of that saying: to wit, that, “the grace of remission of sins is appointed for all mortal men, as far forth as the Gospel is to be preached to every creature, and the mercy of God is to be set forth to all.”  And so Musculus understands the sayings: “So God loved the world,” “Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole word: not that remission of sins by the grace of God befalls all, without difference of believers and unbelievers:” which is the opinion of the adversary, and not of Musculus. Nay thus he testifies openly: “If we consider them, who by the grace of God obtain remision of their sins, as of the elect: so of those also there is a small number in respect of the reprobates, whose sins he says are for ever retained.” Let the same man also be weighed, loco de Redemp. where he says: “We know that all men are not partakers of this redemption.” Again says he: “Men reprobate and desparately wicked recieve not redemption.” The contrary hereof  Huber with full mouth avouches, “that all by Christ are made partakers of redemption: that all receive it, but that the reprobates havin once received it do lose it again.”

Three reasons
of Musculus
why redemption
is universal.

Nevertheless, according to the reasons assigned of Musculus, this redemption is rightly termed universal. 1. Because it comes not to pass by the defect of grace, that many do perish, but by the defect of faith, seeing grace is prepared for all, to wit that do not refuse it, as all things were ready for the marriage. 2. Because all are called unto it. 3. Because so it is appointed for all, that no man without it can be redeemed. Where now he does understand this appointing otherwise than before: yet rightly, because albeit many are not redeemed nor justified, yet all by Christ are redeemed and justified, because no man is redeemed but by him. Of all which things plainly appears, that Musculus, as well as others, is against the adversary, and nothing at all on his side.

Iacob Kimedoncius, Of The Redemption of Mankind (London: Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Hvmfrey Lownes, 1598),  144-145.      [Some reformatting, some spelling modernized, marginal comments and citations included, underlining mine.]

[Notes: While Musculus does not directly speak of a conditonal predestination, the idea here flows from the same theological sentiment. All men are appointed to life by the revealed will and that through the call of the Gospel. Grace and remission of sins have been prepared for all. Regarding Huber (otherwise known as Huberus), he was a Universalist advocating that all men will finally be saved. Kimedoncius (as with Ursinus in his time) confronted this heresy. Huber for his part attempted to cite various orthodox Reformed and Lutheran theologians to sustain his argument. In this work, Kimedoncius seeks to demonstrate how Huber has misquoted the good men he cites.  For more from Musculus go here for the main file, and here for Marlorate’s numerous quotations from Musculus.]

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