Cap. 4 Mem. 2: Death endured for all by the Evangelical covenant founded in the blood
Christ’s death, by reason of the Evangelical covenant stabilized with all human beings through it, is affirmed as truly endured for all human beings, and Christ in the same respect is asserted to have died sufficiently for all. We designate that pact of which we made mention before: If you have believed, you will be saved; or, Whoever has believed will be saved (Romans 10:9). That this pact concerning granting remission of sins, and concerning human beings to be saved by faith, has been sanctioned by the blood and death of the Son of God, first appears from the sacred Scriptures. In the institution of the Lord’s Supper Christ himself says (Luke 22:20): This cup is that new testament in my blood, which is poured out for you. As if he had said, The wine is a symbol of the Lord’s blood, by which blood that new covenant concerning remission of sins and our justification by faith is sanctioned and stabilized. And the Apostle (Hebrews 9:22): Without shedding of blood there is no remission. That covenant therefore entered with human beings, by which God bound himself to remit the sins of believers, has its firmness in Christ’s death. The same Apostle (Romans 3:25) teaches that God set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, for declaring his righteousness through the remission of sins that were before. In Christ’s blood or death, then, this Evangelical covenant is founded, according to which by faith remission of sins, justification, and eternal salvation are conferred on human beings.
Not to be long in a matter clear enough: since this conditioned promise, If you have believed, you will be saved, flows from God’s gracious affection toward human beings, it cannot have its foundation elsewhere than in the death and merit of Christ the Mediator, in whom all God’s free promises are Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). For the act of faith itself is not of such worth that by its own dignity or merit it could obtain from God remission of sins and salvation; but the death and blood of the Son of God are of such worth that by their merit and power they can justify and save any believer according to the tenor of the Evangelical covenant. Through Christ’s death, therefore, this covenant has been stabilized.
Latin
Christi mors ratione foederis Evangelici, cum omnibus hominibus per eam stabiliti, pro omnibus hominibus vere tolerata affirmatur, et Christus eodem respectu pro omnibus sufficienter mortuus asseritur. Pactum autem illud designamus cujus mentionem ante fecimus, Si credideris, salvus eris; vel, Quisquis crediderit salvus erit: Rom. x. 9. Quod hoc pactum de remissione peccatorum gratificanda, et de hominibus per fidem servandis, sit sanguine et morte Filii Dei sancitum, primo patet ex sacris Scripturis. In coenae Dominicae institutione inquit Christus ipse, Luc. xxii. 20, Hoc poculum est novum illud testamentum in sanguine meo, qui pro vobis effunditur. Quasi dixisset, Vinum est symbolum sanguinis Dominici, quo sanguine novum illud foedus de remissione peccatorum et justificatione nostra per fidem sancitur et stabilitur. Et Apostolus, Heb. ix. 22, Absque effusione sanguinis non est remissio. Foedus igitur illud cum hominibus initum, quo Deus se obstrinxit ad remittenda peccata credentium, habet in morte Christi suam firmitatem. Idem Apostolus, Rom. iii. 25, docet Deum proposuisse ut Christus esset placamentum per fidem in sanguine ipsius, ad declarandam justitiam suam per remissionem praecedentium peccatorum. In sanguine igitur sive morte Christi fundatum est hoc foedus Evangelicum, juxta quod per fidem remissio peccatorum, justificatio et salus aeterna hominibus confertur. Ne multus sim in re satis perspicua, cum hoc promissum conditionatum, Si credideris, salvus eris, ex gratioso Dei affectu in homines dimanet, non potest alibi suum fundamentum habere quam in morte et merito Christi Mediatoris, in quo omnes Dei promissiones gratuitae sunt Etiam et Amen, 2 Cor. i. 20. Neque enim tanti est ipse actus fidei ut possit sua dignitate aut suo merito a Deo impetrare remissionem peccatorum et salutem; sed tanti est mors et sanguis Filii Dei ut possit suo merito et virtute quemvis fidelem justificare et servare juxta tenorem foederis Evangelici. Per mortem igitur Christi hoc foedus stabilitum est. Sed restat secundo in loco illud quod plus habet scrupuli, Utrum scilicet hoc foedus Evangelicum, Si credideris, salvus eris, quod per mortem Christi stabilitum ostendimus, ad totum humanum genus, aut ad singulares solummodo et ad certas quasdam personas, ex Divina ordinatione pertineat. Nos cum toto humano genere firmatum defendimus. Quod constare potest. 1. Ex mandato et promisso ipsius Christi post mortem toleratam et devictam Apostolos suos in totum mundum mittentis, Marc. xvi. 15, 16. Dixit eis, Euntes in mundum universum praedicate evangelium omni creaturae. Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, servabitur: qui vero non crediderit, condemnabitur. In quae verba promissionis recte annotavit doctissimus Calvinus, Hanc promissionem fuisse adjunctam, quae totum humanum genus ad fidem alliceret. Cum toto igitur humano genere stabilita intelligitur. Promissio enim nullam habet vim alliciendi ad actionem quamlibet nisi eos quibus facta praesupponitur. 2. Idem liquet ex praxi Apostolorum, et omnium Ministrorum Evangelicorum, Christi mandato et promisso conformi. Nam hi nullo habito respectu nationis aut praedestinationis omnibus et singulis, quos datur convenire, audacter remissionem peccatorum sub fidei conditione pollicentur, hoc ipso facto agnoscunt foedus de remissione peccatorum per fidem in sanguine Christi sancitum esse universale. Nam pactum conditionatum non potest serio illis proponi, et beneficium annexum sub conditione illis promitti, ad quos ex voluntate paciscentis ipsum pactum non extenditur. Exempli causa, si rex aliquis cum quibusdam certis personis hoc pactum ineat, Velle se illis admissum laesae majestatis crimen condonare, si supplices ab illo veniam petant; non inde liceret cuivis e famulis Regiis carcerem adire, et omnibus promiscue nuntiare veniam a Rege obtinendam, si modo ad genua ejus se supplices demiserint: quia hoc pactum non spectat ad eos solos quos Regium beneplacitum inclusos voluit? Perinde neque Dei Ministris liceret promiscue omnibus sub conditione fidei remissionem et salutem promittere, nisi certo illis constaret, ex voluntate Dei hoc pactum conditionatum cum omnibus initum et stabilitum. At hoc fecerunt Apostoli, hoc nos facimus: ergo agnoscimus hoc pactum cum omnibus et singulis, idest, cum toto humano genere, firmatum.
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
- Copy-text Locked Latin, De morte Christi Cap. 1-5 densify through Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Fathers tip (Daniel 1650) (Latin)
- Print Facsimile Internet Archive PDF of the 1650 Cambridge folio (Latin)
- Checked print Internet Archive DjVu OCR of the 1650 Cambridge folio (Latin)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.