Cap. 4 Mem. 2: Elect-only offer objection fails — conditional truth needs a universal pact
But there remains in the second place that which has more scruple: whether this Evangelical covenant, If you have believed, you will be saved, which we have shown stabilized through Christ’s death, pertains by Divine ordination to the whole human race, or only to singular and certain persons. We defend it as firmed with the whole human race. Which can stand clear. First, from the mandate and promise of Christ himself sending his Apostles into the whole world after death endured and overcome (Mark 16:15–16): He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who has believed and been baptized will be saved; but he who has not believed will be condemned. On which words of promise the most learned Calvin rightly annotated that this promise was joined on, which would allure the whole human race to faith. It is therefore understood as stabilized with the whole human race. For a promise has no force of alluring to any action except those to whom it is presupposed as made.
Second, the same is plain from the practice of the Apostles and of all Evangelical Ministers conforming to Christ’s mandate and promise. For these, with no respect had to nation or predestination, boldly promise remission of sins under the condition of faith to all and each whom it is given them to meet; by this very deed they acknowledge the covenant concerning remission of sins through faith in Christ’s blood to be universal. For a conditioned pact cannot seriously be proposed to them, and the annexed benefit promised to them under condition, to whom by the will of the one making the pact the pact itself does not extend. For example: if some king should enter this pact with certain persons, that he is willing to pardon them a crime of offended majesty if as suppliants they seek pardon from him; it would not thence be lawful for any of the King’s servants to go to the prison and announce promiscuously to all that pardon is to be obtained from the King if only they have cast themselves as suppliants at his knees — because this pact does not look to those alone whom the Royal good pleasure willed included? Likewise neither would it be lawful for God’s Ministers to promise promiscuously to all under the condition of faith remission and salvation, unless it were certain to them that by God’s will this conditioned pact was entered and stabilized with all. But this the Apostles did; this we do: therefore we acknowledge this pact firmed with all and each, that is, with the whole human race.
Latin
Sed fortasse dixerit aliquis, Utcunque hoc pactum sanguine Christi stabilitum non ad omnes homines promiscue, sed ad solos electos pertineat, potest tamen proponi et offerri omnibus remissio et salus sub hypothesi fidei, quia certum est solos electos perseveranter credituris: ac proinde nemo non-electorum poterit unquam causari hoc foedus conditionatum ex parte Dei fuisse falsum quoad ipsum aut violatum. Verum haec responsio nullius momenti est. Nam veritas cujuscunque propositionis conditionalis concipienda est ante positionem conditionis: imo licet conditio nunquam in actum ventura sit, tamen veritas propositionis conditionalis rite institutae debet consistere. Hic itaque propositio sive promissio conditionalis, Si credideris, peccata tibi remittentur, quoad Cainum aut Judam falsa est, nisi detur verum fundamentum connexionis, si contingeret eos credere. Nec quicquam refert ad veritatem conditionatae propositionis, sive illi sint credituri sive non credituri; cum in tali propositione spectetur ratio connexionis, non veritas aut falsitas partium separatarum. Si Petrus Christum abnegaverit, vitam aeternam obtinebit, est falsa propositio propter connexionis imbecillitatem, et tamen utraque pars separata vera fuit. Si Petrus non crediderit, non obtinebit vitam aeternam, est vera propositio, et tamen utraque pars seorsim sumta falsa fuit: Nam et credidit Petrus, et obtinuit vitam aeternam. Pari igitur ratione hoc conditionale pronunciatum, Si credideris, remissionem peccatorum et vitam aeternam obtinebis, esset falsum quoad quemvis non-electum, licet supponatur nunquam crediturus, si desit antecedanea ratio et causa connexionis: deest autem, nisi pactum illud conditionale cum omnibus et singulis hominibus stabilitum asseratur. Non enim sequitur, Deus in morte Christi sanciit foedus de servandis per fidem omnibus electis: Ergo si Cain crediderit, servabitur. Foedus itaque illud conditionatum cum toto humano genere stabilitur.