Two Dissertations · §492 · John Davenant

Cap. VI Arg. 12: third — singulars as singularly loved; Aquinas on election and dilection

Third: to their denial that election reaches singulars as singulars, we reply we do not claim the decree regards singulars merely as singulars, but as singularly loved by God from mere gratuitous goodwill. So Aquinas (ST 1.23.4): predestination of some to eternal salvation presupposes that God wills their salvation. That involves dilection and election — dilection insofar as he wills them the good of eternal salvation; election insofar as he wills that good to some before others. And dilection is presupposed to election.

Latin

Tertio, ad id quod responsum est negando, electionem sese extendere ad singulares personas qua singulares, regerimus, Nos haud affirmare hoc decretum respicere singulares qua singulares, sed qua singulariter Deo ex mera gratuita benevolentia dilectos. Vide Thomas, part. 1. qu. 23. art. 4: Praedestinatio aliquorum in salutem aeternam praesupponit, quod Deus illorum velit salutem. Ad quod pertinet electio et dilectio: Dilectio, in quantum vult iis hoc bonum salutis aeternae; Electio, in quantum hoc bonum aliquibus prae aliis vult. Et haec dilectio praesupponitur electioni.

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John Davenant argues from Scripture that Christ's death is a remedy offered to every person, so that anyone who hears the Gospel may be called to believe, and then opens a second dissertation on predestination.

John Davenant (1572–1641) was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, bishop of Salisbury from 1621, and England's leading delegate to the Synod of Dort. A Reformed theologian of the moderate school, he defended universal atonement language within a Calvinist frame.

The Two Dissertations (1650) press two theses: that Christ died sufficiently for all, and that God sincerely calls all who hear the gospel — against the novel claim that Christ died only for the elect in every sense. They are Davenant's mature statement of the hypothetical-universalist position that divided English Calvinists.

This volume covers the opening of the first dissertation through the close of chapter 3, with the theses on the extent of Christ's death.

Date1572–1641 AD (Bishop of Salisbury; 1650 Cambridge imprint)

The 1683 reprint was not used as base text. No modern English was copied.

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