Fathers

Two Dissertations · §10

Cap. 2 ultima ratio: As under the covenant of nature, so under grace salvation is obtainable for all — Cap. 2 closes

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The last reason is drawn from a comparison of the twofold covenant, and according to it of the twofold ordination of human beings unto salvation. As therefore in the covenant of nature, which is understood as made with Adam in the very creation, salvation was obtainable for Adam and all his posterity under the condition of obedience to be rendered to the law of nature and to the express command of God, so in the covenant of grace, which was sanctioned in the blood of the Mediator, salvation is understood as obtainable for all human beings also under the condition published in the Gospel — namely, faith in this Mediator who satisfied for the sins of the human race. Further, as in the first covenant God, who ordained salvation as obtainable for Adam and his posterity, nevertheless did not predestine that either Adam himself or any of his posterity should in fact be saved through that covenant, so God, who in the second covenant ordained salvation as obtainable for all under the condition of faith, nevertheless did not predestine to give this faith to each and every person who would infallibly obtain salvation.

Yet lest the blood of the Son of God should flow away, and by the fault of human choice the same should happen in the second covenant that had happened in the first — namely, that no one should enjoy its benefit — God stirred within himself a higher and more secret counsel, and decreed out of mere and special mercy to give to some that they both can and will fulfill the aforesaid condition of faith, indeed that they in fact fulfill it infallibly. Now just as he would be injurious to God who should deny that salvation was ordained by God as obtainable for Adam and his posterity under the covenant of nature, even though according to that covenant no one was made partaker of salvation, so he is more injurious to Christ who denies that his death was ordained by God as a remedy of salvation applicable to all under the condition of the new covenant, even though many do not obtain salvation from it. God himself gave to the world this remedy applicable to each and every person: let the world grant God the liberty of applying it or not applying it, as shall seem good to his wisdom, mercy, and justice. Those who think of the death of Christ in this way do not take out of the midst that common philanthropy of God which Scripture testifies; and yet they at the same time maintain that as many as are saved by the merit of Christ’s death have been saved by special and unmerited grace, and that as many as are not saved have perished by their own unbelief or at least by their own fault. It is superfluous to heap up more reasons for corroborating our opinion. What is customarily objected on the contrary side let us now hear.

Latin

Ultima ratio petitur ex collatione duplicis foederis, et secundum illud, duplicis ordinationis hominum ad salutem. Sicut igitur in foedere naturae, quod cum Adamo in ipsa creatione pactum intelligitur, salus fuit Adamo et omnibus ejus posteris parabilis, sub conditione obedientiae legi naturae et expresso Dei mandato praestandae, sic in foedere gratiae, quod in Mediatoris sanguine sancitum est, salus etiam omnibus hominibus parabilis intelligitur sub conditione in Evangelio publicata, scilicet, fidei in hunc mediatorem, qui satisfecit pro peccatis humani generis. Porro, sicut in primo foedere Deus, qui ordinavit salutem ut parabilem Adamo et posteris ejus, non tamen praedestinavit ut vel ipse Adamus, vel ullus ex posteris ejus per illud foedus reapse salvaretur, ita Deus, qui in secundo foedere ordinavit salutem ut omnibus parabilem sub conditione fidei, non tamen praedestinavit fidem hanc dare omnibus et singulis, qui infallibiliter salutem consequerentur. Ne tamen difflueret sanguis Filii Dei, et vitio humani arbitrii idem eveniret in secundo foedere quod eveniret in primo, nempe, ut ejus beneficio nemo frueretur, agitavit Deus apud se altius et secretius consilium, atque statuit ex mera et speciali misericordia quibusdam donare ut praedictam fidei conditionem et possint et velint implere, imo ut de facto infallibiliter impleant. Jam vero sicuti injurius esset in Deum, qui negaret salutem fuisse a Deo ordinatam, ut parabilem Adamo et posteris ejus sub foedere naturae, quamvis juxta illud foedus nemo fuit factus salutis compos, ita in Christum magis injurius est, qui negat mortem ejus a Deo fuisse ordinatam, ut remedium salutis sub conditione foederis novi applicabile omnibus, quamvis multi inde salutem non consequantur. Ipse Deus dedit mundo hoc remedium omnibus et singulis applicabile: concedat mundus Deo libertatem illud applicandi vel non applicandi, prout ejus sapientiae, misericordiae ac justitiae visum fuerit. Qui hoc modo de morte Christi sentiunt, illam communem Dei philanthropian, quam Scriptura testatur, non e medio tollunt: et tamen simul tuentur, quotquot merito mortis Christi servantur, speciali et immerita gratia fuisse servatos; quotquot non servantur, propria infidelitate aut saltem culpa periisse. Plures rationes ad corroborandam sententiam nostram congerere superflue. Quod in contrarium objici solet jam audiamus.

About this text

John Davenant — Dissertationes duae from the 1650 Cambridge Latin. Honest partial through De praedestinatione Cap. 1 subject tip; Cap. 1 mid-Thesis and remainder remain; De praedestinatione Cap. 1 Prolegomena IV distinguishing conditions tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Variae (Pelagian opening) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Scholastici / Vasquez Arg. 1 tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 2 praescientia tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 3 (1 Cor. 2:9) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 4 (2 Tim. 2:21) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 5 (1 Tim. 2:4) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 6 (James 2:5) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 7 (Apoc. 3:11) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 1 (common inefficacious will) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 2 (Vasquez physical vs moral media) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 3 (king/prize / victory foresight) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 4 (optimum modus / crown of justice) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 5 (acceptor personarum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 6 (misericordia/congruitas) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 7 (equal disposition) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 8 (few saved / major part) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 9 (Stephen / glory from others' sins) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 10 (mere beneplacitum / Predestinati) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III reprobation ratio (foresight of sin) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 12 (efficacious election / free choice) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 13 (hortation/prayer) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 14 (decree/execution conformity) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arminianorum open tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 1 Sol tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 7 (τρόπος; Rom. 9:22) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 8 (ordo exsecutionis) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 9 (Christus fundamentum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 1 (amor ad salutem) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 2 (actualis vitae datio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 3 (qualis existens) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 4 (justitiae satisfactio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 5 (natura vitae aeternae) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 6 (Christus a decreto) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 7 (Evangelium invertitur) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 8 (arcana/revelata) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI (Orthodoxa sententia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 2 (gratia specialis) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 3 (Scripturae) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 4 (vocatio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 5 (adjutorium) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 7 (inconveniens) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 8 (perseverantia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 9 (unica ratio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 10 (abyssus) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 11 (efficacia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 12 (segregativum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 13 (pura gratia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VII open (reprobatio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VII Junius trifariam tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VIII open (adversariorum) tip; Cap. VIII peccata-causa tip; Cap. VIII fewer-reprobates tip; Cap. VIII Argentina tip; Cap. VIII dives-misericordia tip; Cap. VIII Corvinus tip into Cap. IX; Cap. IX Ab Adae tip; Cap. IX Ab Adae Christus omnibus+Minor tip; Cap. IX Arg. 3 Sol tip; Cap. IX vocatione Evangelica tip; Cap. IX vocatione Sol cont. tip; Cap. IX Arg. 6 Sol cont. tip.

English follows locked 1650 Cambridge Latin of De morte Christi Cap. 1-6 opening (origin + Thesis 1 + Cap. 2 Rat. 1-ultima + Cap. 3 Satisfit through Obj. 17 + Cap. 4 Thesis 2 tip through Mem. 1 close + Cap. 4 Mem. 2 through Mem. 3 tip + Cap. 4 Mem. 3 possible-faith through Thesis 2 close + Cap. 5 Thesis 3 tip through Mem. 2 Scripture close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Rat. 1-4 + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Fathers tip + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Huberiana objections tip through Obj. 3 Solut close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 elect-from-eternity objections tip through Obj. 3 Solut close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Scripture elect objections tip through Cap. 5 thesis close + Cap. 6 opening tip through Arg. 1 close before Arg. 2), reconstructed from the Internet Archive PDF (pdftotext + tesseract) of the Roger Daniel folio with DjVu OCR check. The 1683 reprint was not used as copy-text. No modern English was copied.

Witnesses

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