Theological Theses · §2419 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Testard's universal grace: salvation made possible for all

Thesis XXX. In his view, then, universal or general grace is the benefit of God by which salvation is offered to all people and so made possible for each and every one of them: they can be saved if they will, and it is due to themselves alone that they do not obtain salvation.

For he holds that God provided Christ as Redeemer for all, and that by his death the sins of all people were expiated in such a way that, on God's side, nothing further prevents anyone who turns from sin and is converted to God from sharing in salvation and being freed from perdition, since Christ's death made full satisfaction to God's avenging justice for the sins of all.

Nor is that all. He holds that God calls all people to share in salvation in Christ: some by the explicit word of the Gospel, others by the voice of creation and by the many signs of God's kindness and patience that shine out in the works of nature and providence and invite people to repentance, and so to salvation.

Latin

XXX. Itaque ex ejus mente, gratia universalis sive generalis est illud Dei beneficium quo salus omnibus hominibus offertur, & ita illis omnibus & singulis possibilis redditur, ut salvari possint, si velint, & per ipsos tantum stet quominus salutem adipiscantur. Censet enim Deum omnibus Christum Redemptorem parasse, & morte ejus sic expiata fuisse omnium hominum peccata, ut ex parte Dei nihil amplius obstet quominus quicunque a peccato recedit, & ad Deum convertitur, salutis fiat compos, & liberetur a perditione: cum justitiae ejus vindicatrici pro peccatis omnium hominum abunde Christi morte satisfactum fuerit. Neque id tantum, sed Deum omnes homines vocare ad salutis in Christo participationem; alios quidem expresso Evangelii verbo, alios vero voce creaturarum, & variis benignitatis & patientiae divinae testimoniis, quae in operibus naturae & providentiae relucent, hominesque ad resipiscentiam, ac consequenter ad salutem invitant.

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