Two Dissertations · §50 · John Davenant

Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Rat. 2: As Adam binds by generation, Christ saves by regeneration

Ratio 2. Second, the argument is drawn from the proportion between Adam, the author of death and condemnation, and Christ, the author of life and justification.

Just as Adam binds no one with the guilt of death, and subjects no one to the divine wrath and condemnation, unless that one becomes as it were his member by natural generation: so Christ frees no one from death, restores no one into divine grace, justifies and reconciles no one to God, unless that one becomes his member by supernatural regeneration.

But this does not happen before faith is inspired into our hearts: John 1:12–13: As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, namely to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, and so on, but of God.

No one therefore — whether among those passed by or among the elect — stands reconciled and justified before God by Christ’s death itself; but only then, when he is incorporated into Christ and through regeneration is set as it were as a member under this mystical Head, does he obtain the righteousness of Christ and peace with God.

Latin

Rat. 2. Secundo arguitur a proportione inter Adamum autorem mortis et condemnationis, et Christum autorem vitae et justificationis. Sicut igitur Adamus neminem constringit reatu mortis, neminem subdit irae Divinae et condemnationi, nisi fiat quasi membrum ejus per generationem naturalem; ita Christus neminem liberat a morte, neminem in gratiam Divinam restituit, justificat et Deo reconciliat, nisi fiat membrum ejus per regenerationem supernaturalem. At hoc non fit ante fidem inspiratam cordibus nostris: Johan. i. 12. 13. Quotquot eum exceperunt, dedit eis potestatem ut filii Dei fierent, nempe iis qui credunt in nomen ejus: Qui non ex sanguine, &c. sed ex Deo geniti sunt. Nemo igitur sive praeteritorum sive electorum ipsa Christi morte stat reconciliatus et justificatus coram Deo, sed tum demum, cum Christo incorporatur, et per regenerationem quasi membrum huic Capiti mystico supponitur, justitiam Christi et pacem apud Deum obtinet.

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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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