A DISSERTATION DEATH OF CHRIST, Ac. &t VOL. II. X 2 : . A DISSERTATION ON THE DEATH OF CHRIST, AS TO ITS EXTENT AND SPECIAL BENEFITS CONTAINING A SHORT HISTORY OF PELAGIANLSM, AND SHEWING THE AGREEMENT OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ON GENERAL REDEMPTION, ELECTION, AND PKEDESTIN ATION, WITH THE PllIMITIVE FATHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, AND ABOVE ALL, WITH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. BY THE RIGHT REVEREND JOHN DAVENANT, D.D. DEPUTY TO THE SYNOD OF DORT. &c. &c. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and belieceth on him, inay have everlasting life, and 1 will raise him up at the last day. John vi. 39, 40- Ipse est {ut ait Apostolus) salvfifor omnium homiunm, maxime fiilelium. Qu/e Sen- tentia si tranquillo consideretur intuitu, totam Controversiam dirimit. Prosper De Vocat. Gentium, lib. 2, cap. 3 1 MDCCCXXXII. KIND READER.* It is not of much consequence to know whether the Author delivered this Dissertation to his audi- tors in the Public School, before he was sent to the Synod of Dort by His Majesty the King of Great Britain, or immediately after his return ; whichever it might be, the work certainly shews that hQ was a man of great genius, and most acute judgment, a Doctor who was truly an ornament to the School and the Professor's Chair, which indeed he left vacant to the great loss and grief of the University, when he was promoted to the Bishopric of the Church of Salisbury. It is to be attributed to the iniquity of the times, that this Dissertation did not come to light sooner, for then under the pretext of restraining the itching- desire of some, who it was exclaimed exposed nothing else scarcely to the people, but the most profound decrees of God, and especially of Repro- bation, to the great prejudice of piety, some per- sons obtained from theKing a prohibition, that no * This Address is taken from an Edition of the Dissertatio de 3forte Christi published in 12mo. in 1683, and is the substance of a much longer one (as far as applicable to this piece) prefacing the Edition published in folio in 1050, together with the Dissertatio de Predestinatione et lieproba- tione. Vide Life, &c. Vol. I. p. xlviii. 3!4 one should publish any thing in writing or preach- ing on the questions controverted between the Cal- vinists and the Remonstrants. These knotty and thorny questions. Whether the death of" Christ is a universal remedy, that is, ap- plicable to all, or whether it is a particular remedy, destined for the elect alone ; whether there is an election of some persons to glory, and on the con- trary, a preterition of others ; whether election is from the mere good pleasure of God, or only from merits foreseen and conditionally : these knotty points, I say, no one hath explained better than this Author. Therefore, take and read him, and I am much deceived indeed, if you will not confess that he has satisfied you. Why should I say more ? To give you a foretaste, you have here, in Chap. 1 : An historical and not unacceptable nar- rative of the rise and origin of the question which is to be discussed concerning the death of Christ, and its intended latitude or extent. Then, in Chap. 2 : A Thesis concerning the death of Christ as a universal cause of salvation applicable to all men is confirmed by arguments. In Chap. 3 : It is vindicated from the objections of adversaries. In Chap. 4 : You will find a most lucid explanation of the distinction, for all men sufficiently, for the elect alone effectually, &c. I omit the other Chapters, which you will under- stand better by reading the work itself. Another Tract is added, which was written on occasion of a Controversy which arose among the Reformed Divines of France, 0?i the gracious and saving iiill of Gcd towards sinful men. The opinion 315 of the Divines of England was desired on that question, because it seemed likely to contribute not a little towards establishing peace. In the Appendix, therefore, is the opinion of Dr. Davenant on that Galliean Controversy, which having been written with his own hand, and presented by his Nephew to the Most Rev. Archbishop of Armagh, we have taken care to place at the end of the book. Enjoy them. Candid Reader, and farewell. A DISSERTATION DEATH OF CHRIST. CHAP. I. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CONTROVERSY. IT is truly a matter of grief and exceedingly to be de- plored, that either from the misfortune or the disord,er of our age, it almost always happens, that those mysteries of our religion, which were promulgated for the peace and comfort of mankind, should be turned into materials for nothing but contention and dispute. Who could ever have thought that the death of Christ, which was destined to secure peace and destroy enmity, as the Apostle speaks, Ephes. ii. 14, 17, and Coloss. i. 20, 21, could have been so fruitful in the production of strife ? But this seems to arise from the innate curiosity of men, who are more anx- ious to scrutinize the secret councils of God, than to em- brace the benefits openly offered to them. Hence it comes to pass that from too much altercation on the points, For whom did Christ die, and for ivhom did He 7iot die ? little is thought by mankind individually of applying to ourselves the death of Christ, by a true and lively faith, for the salvation of our own souls. It is my intention in treating of this sub- ject to endeavour rather to appease strife than to excite it anew. Since, therefore, it is conceded by those who ex- tend the death of Christ to all mankind generally, that as to its beneficial reception it is applied only to certain per- sons in particular ; and since on the other hand, those who 318 A DISSERTATION ON THE DEATH OF CHRIST. restrain it to the elect alone, confess notwithstanding that its benefits extend to all that are called, yea, to all men if they would believe ; both sides seem to acknowledge a twofold consideration of the death of Christ. For by both of them it is regarded as an universal cause of salvation applicable to all mankind individually if they should believe, and as a special cause of salvation applied effec- tually to certain persons in particular who have believed. If I should treat of the death of Christ under this twofold view, it will perhaps appear that in sonie things which are contested with eagerness, there are rather various modes of speaking than different opinions. I shall commence therefore with certain short and perspicuous propositions, first, those which are brought forward concerning the death of Christ as an universal cause of salvation applicable to all mankind ; and then I shall add other propositions on the death of Christ as a special cause of salvation applied efficaciously to certain persons, or at least infallibly to be applied in God's own time. Nor do I intend to enter into any contest, but to give a plain and calm exposition of the whole subject ; nut intending to engage with any dis- putant; unless he should oppose us in such a manner that we could not otherwise open the way to the discovery of the truth, than by contending with him. But before I bring forward the above-mentioned propositions, I shall premise some things concerning the origin of this contro- versy, and the sentiments of the Fathers respecting it, and other similar matters, which may seem necessary to the thorough understanding of the history of this controversy. For as in order to the cure of diseases it is of primary im- portance to be well acquainted with their origin and causes; so likewise in order to settle controversies, it is an essential advantage thoroughly to understand on what occasion they arose, by whom they were contested, in what manner and how far they were agitated by the an- tients. Let us therefore apply ourselves to a concise elu- cidation of this business. I think then it may be truly affirmed, that before the dispute between Augustine and Pelagius, there was no Chup.'\. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CONTROVERSY. 319 question concerning the death of Christ, whether it was to be extended to all mankind, or to be confined only to the elect. For the Fathers, when speaking of the death of Christ, describe it to us as undertaken and endured for the redemption of the human race; and not a word (that I know of) occurs among them of the exclusion of any persons by the decree of God ; they agree that it is ac- tually beneficial to those only who believe, yet they every where confess that Christ died in behalf of all mankind. Thus Clemens Alexandrinus (Pedag. cap. 11) says. That Christ freely brings and bestows salvation to the whole human race. And of the same opinion is Origen, lib. 5, contra Celsum, Jesus is declared to have come into the world for the sake of all who ever icere sinners, that they might leave their sins, and give themselves up to God. With whom agrees Primasius* on I Tim. ii. on the words Who gave himself a ransom for all : he says, For all men indeed, the bloud of Christ has been shed, but it is benefcial only to those tha} be- lieve.