11
Feb

William Bucanus (d. 1603) on Faith as Assurance

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism   in Faith and Assurance

Bucanus:

1)

What is the form of justifying faith?

Trust in the mercy of God through Christ, or hupo_sa_?1 a firm confidence, and pl____ia a full persuasion of the grace of God the father towards us, whereby any man does as it were with fil concourse, strive toward the mark. William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 300.2

2)

How prove you that certainty belongs unto faith?

1. John 3:2, The faithful know themselves to be the sons of God, but being rather confirmed in the persuasion of the truth of God by the Holy Ghost, then taught by any demonstration of reason.

2. By the consideration of the truth of the promises and power of God. For Psal. 18:21: “The word of the Lord is a tried shield to all that trust in him.” And Rom. 4:20: “Abraham did not doubt the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, and gave glory to God, bring fully assured that he which had promised also able to do it.

3. Pl_____ia3 is always attributed to faith in the Scriptures, which sets before us the goodness of God most manifestly without all manner of doubting [Rom 4:21.] so also is parresian and pepoithesei Ephes. 3:12, “By faith we have parresian boldness or freedom, and entrace en pepoithesei with confidence by faith in him.”

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Bucanus:

1) Why is it necessary that Christ should be both God and man in the one and the same person?

4. That the work of redemption performed in the flesh of the Son might become a sufficient price for sin, whereby God, that infinite good, was offended. For although certain actions do properly proceed from the divine nature, and some are done by the human, yet all of them do equally receive their price and worthiness from the divine nature. So the flesh of Christ has power to quicken, because it is the flesh of that person who is God: the obedience of the man Christ does justify, because it is the obedience of that person who is God: the blood of Christ redeems the church, because it is the blood of God, Act. 20:28. William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 20.

2) What was the end of Christ’s death and passion?

The chief end is the glorification of God for his justice and mercy. But the next end is the redemption and eternal salvation of mankind, Joh. 3:14, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lift upon the cross, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And Rom. 4:25. “He died for our sins,” namely to make satisfaction for them.

Unto whom is the death and passion of Christ profitable?

Although he might have been a sufficient price for the sins for all men, yet actually and effectually he died for his elect only, who receive him and believe him, Matt. 1:21. “He will deliver his people from their sins.” Joh. 10:15. “I lay down my life for my sheep.” and Chap. 17:19 “I sanctify myself,” for otherwise it would follow that Christ died profit, and to no purpose in regard of many, and that the efficacy of Christ’s death could be made void by men. William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 235.

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WILLIAM BUCANUS

Served as professor of theology at Lausanne from 1591 to 1603. He was called to teach at the new academy at Samur in 1603 but died before he could accept the post. His major dogmatic work is the Institutiones theologicae su locorum communium christianae religionis (1602):- Source, Richard Muller, Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatcs (first edition).

[Note: Some marginal references from the copy I have cannot be read. I have included the references I can read.]

Love to mankind:

1) “What is Christ?”

He is the only begotten Son of God (Joh. 1:14), who of his mere love towards mankind ((Tit. 3:4-5), did create unto himself of the seed (Heb. 2:16) of the Virgin Mary (Luk. 1:31), being sanctified by the Holy Ghost (Luk. 1:35), and by creating did assume (Heb. 2;16), and did personally and inseparably for ever unite a true human body (Heb. 2:14), endued with a reasonable (Matt. 26:38), soul. And so being true God, became true man like to us in all things (heb. 1:17&c), sin only accepted. William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 14.

2) 2. The infinite mercy of God who would rather have his son to die a most shameful death, then destroy mankind created by himself.

3.. The exceeding humility of the eternal son of God, the Lord of all things who was debased and cast down lower than all creatures, by which humiliation he testified his love toward mankind, in suffering so great things for the redemption thereof. William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 237.

Unlimited Redemption:

1) Whether was neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost incarnate, but the Son?

1.Because it was meet that the world should be redeemed, and all things restored by him, by whom all things were created, or that man should be redeemed from death by him, by whom he was first created, and should have been brought unto life eternal if he had not sinned.

2. It would have been inconvenient, that there should be two sons, one in the divine nature, another in the human nature.

3. It was the eternal decree of the Father, whereby he purposed to save mankind by the Son (Heb. 2:10).

William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Our of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 18.

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29
Aug

Bucanus on Divine Permission of Sin

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism   in Divine Permission of Sin

Bucanus:

Is the execution of reprobation, or the appointing of wicked means subject to the decree of God, as faith and other means of salvation as to the decree of election?

It is, and it is not: because the decree of God is said to be two-fold, simple in some respect: the decree is called simple, when God wills and approves somewhat simply, whereof himself is truly, properly, and principally the efficient cause in his own time: from whence also the decree may be called effective, of which sort is they decree of the salvation, as of creation, effectual calling, faith, justification, and sanctification. Whereupon God, Hos 13:9. Thy salvation is of me. Moreover God is the Author and cause of the substance (that I may so speak) of all the actions and qualities, both good and evil. For the action is one thing by itself, the faulty quality of the action is another.

But the decree in respect is when God discerns, and will permit somewhat to be done, and that also in his due time: but he does not truly effect it himself, but suffers it to be done of wicked instruments, not as though he beheld the affairs of men negligently and from a far, but as the ruler of all. For Paul affirms that God provoked Pharaoh, and whom he wills he can harden, Rom. 9. 17,18. for God is not a negligent God, neither were God omnipotent, if against this will he should suffer any thing. Whereupon also this may be called a Decree of permission, of government, or of dispensation. And of this sort is the Decree of all evil means, which tend to destruction, as of the fall of man, his hardening, and the like: for they come not to pass without the will and knowledge of God, because by this means Atheism or Epicurism must necessarily follow, but of all these man’s will is chief, purchasing God’s wrath, hereupon is that rightly said. Thy destruction is of thyself O Israel. Hos 3:9. And nevertheless they are subject to the Decree, because though not by the decree, yet for the decree, and not without the decree they come to pass, and whereof the deficient, but not the efficient cause is surely purposed in God. For as God creates faith in them that believe; so, when God left the will, sin came upon mankind. As the Sun makes the day of itself, and with his own light, when it rises and shines, and the night likewise, but by the retiring of his light and the shadow of the earth. Furthermore it is no decree of a sufferance of malice, in that it is malice, but in that it has a purpose of goodness. For if we consider the decree of God, the very evil (though bred in itself) has a purpose of good: for what God has determined to suffer, and what he permits, he does it for some good end, as for the evidence of his glory and justice. Wherefore in respect of God, who in determining to suffer and in permitting does always behold a good end, the darkness helps forward the light, and the malice which proceeds wholly from the evil instrument is converted to good, as the punishment of sin, and the mean of God’s glory, as that paradox of Augustine might be verified. That it is good also there should be evils for else God would not suffer evils to be: but he suffers them not as against his will, but as willing, and as the same father says truly and wisely: that which is contrary to the will of God, comes not to pass against his will.

William Bucanus, Institutions of Christian Religion, Framed Out of God’s Word, and the Writings of the Best Divines, Methodically Handled by Questions and Answers, Fit For All Such as Desirous to Know, or Practice the Will of God, trans., by Robert Hill (Printed in London by George Snowden, 1606), 443-444.

[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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