in another place he represents the church speaking after this manner to Christ, "How should I not love thee, who hast so loved me, though so black, as to lay down thy life, UTEρ тшv проßатшv, for the sheep which thou feedest? Two passages are cited out of this author by Monsieur Daille †, as on the side of the general scheme; the first is this; "The will of God is the salvation of men;" which nobody will gainsay, for certain it is, that it is owing to the good-will of God that any of the sons of men are saved; and no man would be saved God not willing his salvation. The other is this, where he makes Christ to speak thus §, "Through the first fruits which I have assumed, I bring in myself all human nature to God the Father." But Gregory, in the place referred to, is showing in what sense Christ is called the first-born, and the first-born from the dead; and observes, that the human nature which he assumed was the first fruits of all human nature, and that in his resurrection he was the first fruits of them that slept; and suggests, that not only the resurrection of Christ is a pledge, but a kind of a representation of the general resurrection; which is what he means when he says, "that Christ brought all human nature in himself to the Father, his human nature being the first fruits of the whole." There is another passage in Gregory, which upon first sight may be thought to favour the doctrine of general redemption more than either of these; where he says, "that redemption signifies a return from captivity; God gave himself a ransom for those who are held under death by him that has the power of death, and seeing all were in the custody of death, he redeems all from thence by his ransom, so that not one is left under the power of death, after the redemption of every one is made; for it is not possible that any one should be under the power of death; death itself being no more; wherefore the whole world, according to its situation, being divided into four parts, no part of it remairs without the divine redemption ;" and yet, I apprehend, he means no more than this, that as all mankind are subject to a corporal death, and are under the power of it, so they shall be delivered from it, or be raised from the dead in virtue of Christ's ransom; which as a benefit arising from Christ's death, some allow to all mankind, who yet are not in the general scheme, SECTION XXVI. PACIANUS BARCINONENSIS vel BARCILONENSIS. A. D. 380. PACIANUS, bishop of Barcelona in Spain, died in a very advanced age, under the emperor Theodosius T, and before A. D. 391. He wrote many little pieces, in one** of which stands this passage, produced by M. Daille in favour of universal redemption; "No artificer," says he, despises his own works, or thinks with himself, that they are faults 66 Gregor. Nyss. in Cant. homil. 2, p. 498. † Page 798, 799. Greg. Nyss. de Orat. Dominic. orat. 4, p. 741. § Greg. Nyss. contra Eunom. 1. 1, vol. ii. p. 25. Hieron. Catalog. Script. Eccl. s. 116. Ibid. in Psalm c. 8, p. 279, 280. **Pacian. contr. Novat. ep. 3, p. 112. which he has made; and hence dost thou think, that Christ suffered for sinners, but that he was unwilling to lose what he hath made?" But he does not say, that Christ died for all sinners, and for all that he has made, but for sinners, who being made by him, he was very unwilling to lose. Besides, he intimates in other places, that they are the spiritual seed and offspring of Christ, the church, and particular persons, who are redeemed by Christ, and whom he justifies and saves. Adam's sin," says he*, "passed upon the whole kind, as says the apostle, Rom. v. 12, and so hath come upon all men, therefore the righteousness of Christ must needs, in genus transeat, 'pass upon the kind or offspring;' and as he by sin lost his offspring, so Christ by righteousness genus suum omne vivificat, quickens all his own kind or offspring." This the apostle urges in Rom. v. 19, 21. Some will say, but the sin of Adam deservedly passed to his posterity, because they were born of him; et nunquid nos a Christo geniti sumus, and are not we born of Christ, that we might be saved for his sake?" Again+, "I will yet," says he, "speak more plainly; the latter people, the poor, the mean, the humble, and modest soul, the soul delivered by Christ, is an image of the church; hanc venit Dominus salvam facere, this the Lord came to save,' this he hath not left in hell; this is the sheep which is carried on his shoulders." And in another place ‡, having mentioned Rom. v. 9, We shall be saved from wrath, adds, "from wrath, indeed, which is due to sinners;" for if he did not suffer the Gentile people to die, multo magis redemptum non patietur extingui, nec abjiciet quos magno redemit, "much more he will not suffer him that is redeemed to be destroyed, nor will he cast away those whom he has redeemed with a great price, for neither is the loss of servants light to him." I take no notice of Monsieur Daille's citations from the sermons of Zeno Veronensis, because no mention is made of them by the ancients, they were not extant before A. D. 1508, some things in them cannot agree with the times of the emperor Galienus, under whom Zeno suffered, and, for the major part, are a collection out of divers authors who lived almost two hundred years after his time §, and therefore do not come under our consideration. SECTION XXVII. HILARIUS DIACONUS. A. D. 380. HILARY the Deacon, or whoever is the author of the Commentaries on the epistles of the apostle Paul, commonly ascribed to Ambrose, has furnished Monsieur Daille | with numerous instances, urged by him, in favour of the general scheme; though the most that can be made of them is, that God wills that all men should be saved, and that Christ died for all conditionally, sub conditione fidei, “provided they Pacian. de Baptismo, p. 121. Ibid. contr. Novat. ep. 3, p. 107. Ibid. P. 105. § Vide Rivet. Critici Sacra, 1. 2, c. 19, p. 223, 224; and James's Corruption of the Fathers, par. 1, p. 26. Apolog. p. 787, &c. 66 believe," as appears even from several of the citations* made by him out of this writer. And sometimes Hilary expresses the sufficiency of the death and sacrifice of Christ for all; thus, on those words, and being made perfect, &c. he makes this note †, "It shows what gain is his passion quæ omnibus credentibus sufficit ad salutem sempiternam, which is sufficient for all believers to everlasting salvation." And in another place ‡, speaking of the offering of Christ once for all, he says, "This offering is once offered up, sed semper potens est abluere omnes credentes, but is always powerful, or is effectual to wash all believers,' and all that desire to be cleansed in it." And certain it is, that this writer thought that there are some who in a special sense are redeemed by Christ, otherwise he would not have said as he does, quotquot redempti sumus §, As many of us as are redeemed, are redeemed by this sacrifice." He observes, that the word all, signifies sometimes only a part of a people, either all the good or all the bad, and gives instances of it; and adds, semper enim duo populi in una plebe, for there are always two people in one commonalty." And elsewhere he affirms ¶, that "all do not obtain grace, nor are all justified by the faith of Christ." He represents those for whom Christ died, and that share in the benefits of his redemption, to be the children of God, believers in Christ, such as love him, and belong to his body. "He (the apostle) calls God our Father," he says**, because of the original of things, for from him are all things; but he calls Christ the Lord, because ejus sanguine redempti, 'being redeemed by his blood,' we are made the children of God." Again he says ++, "Christ is crucified for our sins, that destroying death, credentes sibi liberaret ab ea, he might deliver from it them that believe in him." Moreover, he observes 11. that" as to them that love him, redemptio venturus est Christus, Christ is to come as the redemption; so to them who love him not, let him be anathema, that is, let him hate and destroy them." Once more, "As Adam's sinning," he says§§" found death, and held it, so that all springing from him are dissolved; so likewise Christ not sinning, and hereby conquering death, hath procured life, omnibus qui sunt ex ejus corpore, for all who are of that body." SECTION XXVIII. AMBROSIUS MEDIOLANENSIS. A. D. 380. AMBROSE of Milain is very fruitful of expressions which seem to militate against the doctrine of special and particular redemption. Monsieur Daille |||| has collected a large number of them, which Dr. Whitby ¶¶ has given himself the trouble to number, and says, they are no less than twenty-eight; and I could help them to as many more of the same kind, and yet all of them will be but of little service * Vide Comment. in Rom. p. 259; in 1 Tim. p. 574; et in Heb. p. 650. Ibid. p. 651, 652. ** Ibid. p. 239. § Ibid. p. 643. In Rom. p. 257. 11 Postscript to Discourse, &c. p. 571; + In Heb. p. 632. Ibid. p. 271, 272. §§ Ib. p. 402. ed. 2. 547. to their cause, when it is observed, that Ambrose, by all for whom Christ died, and whom he redeemed, means all sorts of men, and not every individual: "If," says he *, "it is related of Ulysses, that the binding him fast to the tree, delivered him from danger, how much more must it be said, what is really fact, that is, that to-day the tree of the cross hath delivered omne genus hominum, all kind of men,' from the danger of death." And a little aftert, "The Lord Christ hung upon the cross that he might deliver omne genus hominum, 'all kind of men,' from the shipwreck of the world." And when he says that Christ died for, and redeemed the world, such phrases are easily accounted for, since it is abundantly evident that by the world he frequently means the church. Having mentioned those words in Psalm xxiv. 1, The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein; he adds, "which the Greeks call OLKOVμεvη, because it is inhabited by Christ, as he says, Wherefore I will dwell in them; therefore, what is okovμem, the world? nisi sancta ecclesia, but the holy church, the temple of God, and habitation of Christ." And in another place he says, "The church is called both heaven and the world, because it hath saints comparable to angels and archangels; also it hath the greatest part earthly; it is called likewise orbis terrarum, the world, which is founded upon the seas, and prepared upon the rivers. Moreover, as the world (the church) says, Look not upon me, because I am black." And a little after |, Is not the earth the Lord's, and the fulness thereof? Et vere orbis terrarum in ecclesia, and verily the world in the church ;' in which not only Jew, nor Greek, nor Barbarian, nor Scythian, nor bond, nor free, but we are all one in Christ." Moreover, Ambrose very frequently observes, that it is the church for whom Christ suffered and died, and which is redeemed by his blood. "The domestic Jews, bought with a price," he says, are the Gentiles who have believed, quia pretio sanguinis Christi redempta est ecclesia, for by the price of Christ's blood is the church redeemed." And in another place he says **, " Seeing Christ suffered for the church, and the church is the body of Christ, faith does not seem to be exercised on Christ by them (meaning schismatics), by whom his passion is made void, and his body pulled asunder." elsewhere++, speaking of the same sort of persons, he says, "They alone are they who would dissolve the grace of Christ, who tear in pieces the members of the church, propter quam passus est Dominus Jesus, for which the Lord Jesus suffered." Again he observes, that "by the woman the heavenly mystery is fulfilled, being prefigured in her the grace of the church, propter quam Christus descendit, for which Christ descended,' and has finished that eternal work of man's redemption." Add to all this, that remarkable expression of his, "If Christ," says he §§, "died for all, yet he suffered for us in an especial manner; quia pro ecclesia passus est, because he suffered for the church." Besides, 66 And * Serm. 50, in Feria 6, Hebdom. Sanct. p. 70. + Serm. 53, in Feria 6, Hebdom. Sanct. p. 71. Enarrat. in Psalm xlviii. p. 823. § Ib. in Psalm. cxviii. Lamed, p. 980. || Ib. p. 981. **De Obitu Satyr. p. 316. De Institut. Virg. c. 4, p. 419. §§ In Luc. 1. 6, p. 102. ¶ De Abraham. 1. 2, c. 11, p. 267. †† De Pœnitent. 1. 2, c. 4, p. 405. this father makes use of such epithets and descriptive characters, when he is speaking of the persons for whom Christ became incarnate, and whom he redeemed, as can by no means be applied to all the individuals of human nature, such as believers, repenting sinners, Christ's servants, and his own Christian people; thus he explains those words in Isaiah ix. 6, "To us a child is born; nobis qui credimus, 'to us who believe; not to the Jews, who have not believed; to us, not to heretics; to us, not to the Manichees." On these words, My people shall return hither, he has this note †, "What is hither? that is, to me, to my equity and righteousness, and to my worship; and he shall fulfil the days of his life; both which you may so understand, that the people truly shall be redeemed, qui crediderit in eo, which shall believe in him.” And in another place he says, "The cross of the Lord is a precipice to unbelievers, sed vita credentibus, but life to them that believe." Again §, "The cross is a reproach to the perfidious, but to the believer grace, to the believer redemption, to the believer the resurrection; because Christ has suffered for us." Once more, "Christ is salvation to them that believe, but punishment to unbelievers ;" yea, he says ¶T, "If thou dost not believe, non descendit tibi, non tibi passus est, he did not come down for thee, he did not suffer for thee." Elsewhere he observes **, that "the passion of the Lord is profitable to all, and gives redemption to sinners, quos flagitii pœnituit admissi, who repent of sin committed." Again he says tt, "Be not the servant of the serpent, the enemy and the adversary, but serve the Lord alone, who in his own love hath redeemed thee, quia ipse est suorum redemptio servulorum, for he himself is the redemption of his servants." And in another place, speaking of the man that was healed at the pool of Bethesda, he says "Then one was cured, not all are healed, or without doubt, unus solus populus Christianus, one Christian people only." Once more §§, "The Lord Jesus was alone when he redeemed the world, for not a legate, nor a messenger, but the Lord himself alone, saved his own people." He represents the intercession of the Spirit, and the sufferings of Christ, to be for the same persons |||: the Spirit intercedes for the saints, because the Spirit maketh intercession for us, pro quibus enim Christus passus est, for whom Christ suffered,' and whom he hath cleansed by his own blood, for them the Spirit intercedes;" which cannot be said of all men. Moreover, he intimates, as though he thought it impossible that any one should be damned for whom Christ died, and whom he has redeemed by his blood; his words are these ¶¶; "Can he damn thee, quem redemit a morte, 'whom he has redeemed from death,' for whom he offered himself, whose life he knows is the reward of his own death?" Moreover, many of his general expressions may be understood of the sufficiency of Christ's blood to *Enarrat. in Psalm i. p. 663; et de Fide, 1. 3, c. 4, De Initiand. c. 4, p. 346. ( **De Pœnitent. 1. 1, c. 15, p. 399. + Enarrat. in Psalm xliii. p. 792; et in Psalm xlviii. p. 826. Ibid. 1. 5, ep. 40, p. 290. p. 312. |