the salvation of all men. So that all Augustinians can join with the Synod of Dort in saying, " No man perishes for want of an atonement."
If the Atonement he limited in Design, it must he restricted in
the Offer.
There is still another ground on which it is urged that Augus- tinians cannot consistently preach the gospel to every creature. Augustinians teach, it is urged, that the work of Christ is a satis- faction to divine justice. From this it follows that justice cannot condemn those for whose sins it has been satisfied. It cannot demand that satisfaction twice, first from the substitute and then from the sinner himself. This would be manifestly unjust, far worse than demanding no punishment at all. From this it is inferred that the satisfaction or righteousness of Christ, if the ground on which a sinner may be forgiven, is the ground on which he must be forgiven. It is not the ground on which he may be foi-given, unless it is the ground on which he must be forgiven. If the atonement be limited in design it must be limited in its nature, and if limited in its nature it must be limited in its offer. This objection again arises from confounding a pecuniary and a judicial satisfaction between which Augustinians are so careful to discriminate. This distinction has already been presented on a previous page (470). There is no grace in accepting a pecuni- ary satisfaction. It cannot be refused. It ipso facto liberates. The moment the debt is paid the debtor is free ; and that without any condition. Nothing of this is true in the case of judicial satis- faction. If a substitute be provided and accepted it is a matter of grace. His satisfaction does not ipso /acto. liberate. It may accrue to the benefit of those for whom it is made at once or at a remote period ; completely or gradually; on conditions or unconditionally; or it may never benefit them at all unless the condition on which its application is suspended be performed. These facts are uni- versally admitted by those who hold that the work of Christ was a true and perfect satisfaction to divine justice. The application of its benefits is determined by the covenant between the Father and the Son. Those for whom it was specially rendered are not justi- fied from eternity ; they are not born in a justified state ; they are by nature, or birth, the children of wrath even as others. To be the children of wrath is to be justly exposed to divine wrath. They remain in this state of exposure until they belieye, and should they die (unless in infancy) before they believe they would inevitably
558 PART m. Ch. YIIL — for whom did CHRIST DIE?
perish notwithstanding the satisfaction made for tlieir sins. It is the stipulations of the covenant which forbid such a result. Such being the nature of the judicial satisfaction rendered by Christ to the law, under which all men are placed, it may be sincerely oifered to all men with the assurance tiiat if they believe it shall accrue to their salvation. His work being specially designed for the salvation of his own people, renders, through the conditions of the covenant, that event certain ; but this is perfectly consistent with its being made the ground of the general offer of the gospel. Lutherans and Reformed agree entirely, as before stated, in their views of the nature of the satisfaction of Christ, and consequently, so far as that point is concerned, there is the same foundation for the general offer of the gospel according to either scheme. What the Reformed or Augustinians hold about election does not affect the nature of the atonement. That remains the same whether designed for the elect or for all mankind. It does not derive its nature from the secret purpose of God as to its application.
Certain Passages of Scripture considered.
Admitting, however, that the Augustinian doctrine that Christ died specially for his own people does account for the general offer of the gospel, how is it to be reconciled with those passages which, in one form or another, teach that He died for all men ? In answer to this question, it may be remarked in the first place that Augus- tinians do not deny that Christ died for all men. What they deny is that He died equally, and with the same design, for all men. He died for all, that He might arrest the immediate execution of the penaltv of the law upon the whole of our apostate race ; that He might secure for men the innumerable blessings attending their state on earth, which, in one important sense, is a state of proba- tion ; and tiiat He inio;ht lay the foundation for the offer of pardon and reconciliation with God, on condition of faith and repentance. These are the universally admitted consequences of his satisfaction, and tiierefore they all come within its design. By this dispensation it is rendered manifest to every intelligent mind in heaven and upon earth, and to the finally impenitent themselves, that the per- dition of those that perish is their own fault. They will not come to Christ that they may have life. They refuse to have Him to reicrn over them. He calls but they will not answer. He says, " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Every human being who does come is saved. This is what is meant when it is said, or implied in Scripture, that Christ gave Himself