Died for believers as to application; Heidelberg confession; no absolute exclusion
And in this way it is not badly asserted that God through the death of Christ has been so far reconciled to the whole human race that He wills His grace and reconciliation in Christ to be offered faithfully and seriously in common to all, even though by nature they are children of wrath (2 Cor. 5:20). And so there is absolutely no one among all humans for whom Christ did not make satisfaction, as Prosper truly answered the Pelagians on the articles falsely imposed on Augustine. Therefore the death of Christ in itself, without consideration of faith, pertains to all humans whatsoever, even sinners, enemies of Christ, and the ungodly; but the saving application of its fruit can be attributed to none except the believer, since faith is its instrumental cause.
He died not for all, but for believers alone, as to the actual communication and application of the merit of His death, because it does not benefit all with full act, nor do all humans thus become real partakers of it, but only those who embrace it with true faith. The chief foundations of this assertion are that Christ laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:15), for friends (John 15:13), that He might gather the scattered children of God (John 11:52), purify for Himself a people as His possession (Titus 2:14), redeemed the church with His blood (Acts 20:28), and gave Himself for the church (Eph. 5:25).
They assert only this: that Christ did not die, nor obtain and merit any reconciliation, for unbelievers insofar as they harden themselves in their unbelief and impenitence and persevere to the end. Those who do not believe, therefore, are excluded from it not because of any defect of the new grace of paternal mercy or of Christ's satisfaction and merit, but because of their own unbelief.
Latin
Atque hunc in modum non male asseritur, Deum per mortem Christi toti humano generi eatenus reconciliatum esse, ut omnibus communiter, quamvis natura sint filii irae, nihilominus gratiam suam & reconciliationem in Christo fideliter ac serio offerri velit, 2 Cor. 5:20. Atque ita nullus omnino est ex omnibus hominibus, pro quo Christus non satisfecerit, sicut vere respondit Prosper Pelagianis ad articulos Augustino falso impositos. Quare mors Christi in se, sine fidei consideratione, ad omnes omnino homines, etiam peccatores, inimicos Christi & impios pertinet: fructus vero illius salutaris applicatio nulli nisi fideli tribui potest, quippe cuius instrumentalis causa fides est. Non pro omnibus, sed pro solis credentibus mortuus sit, quantum ad actualem communicationem & applicationem meriti mortis ipsius, quia non omnibus actu pleno prodest, neque eius omnes homines sic reipsa participes fiunt, sed soli illi qui vera fide amplectuntur. Hujus assertionis fundamenta sunt potissima, quod Christus vitam suam posuerit pro ovibus suis, Joh. 10:15; pro amicis, Joh. 15:13; ut filios Dei dispersos colligeret, Joh. 11:52; ut purificaret sibi populum in peculium, Tit. 2:14; ecclesiam sanguine suo redemit, Act. 20:28; pro ecclesia se tradidit, Eph. 5:25. Hoc duntaxat asserunt, Christum non esse mortuum neque ullam reconciliationem impetravisse ac promeruisse infidelibus, quatenus in infidelitate & impenitentia sua obfirmant & in finem perseverant. Qui igitur non credunt, ii, non quidem ob defectum novae gratiae paternae miserationis aut satisfactionis & meriti Christi, sed ob incredulitatem propriam, ab ea excluduntur.