§ 114. CALVINISM EXAMINED. 577
tion to any other than the secret counsel of God, which is also asserted just before in the context, ' that God raised up Pharaoh, and whom he will he hardeneth.' Whence it follows, that the cause of hardening is the secret counsel of God. This, however, I maintain, which is observed by Augustin, that when God turns wolves into sheep, he renovates them by more powerful grace to conquer their obstinacy; and therefore the obstinate are not converted, because God exerts not that mightier grace, of which he is not destitute if he chose to display it." ^
Paul's Teaching of the Extent of Redemption.
Whatever view we may take of these hard passages, we should remember that the ninth chapter of Romans is only a part of Paul's philosophy of history, unfolded in chapters 9-11. While the ninth chapter sets forth the divine sovereignty, the tenth chapter asserts the human responsibility, and the eleventh looks forward to the future solution of the dark problem, namely, the conversion of the fulness of the Gentiles and the salvation of all Israel (11 : 25). And he winds up the whole discussion with the glorious sentence : " God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon alV (32). This is the key for the understanding, not only of this section, but of the whole Epistle to the Romans.^
1 Inst. III. ch. XXII. 1. In his Com. on Rom. 9.22, 23, he ignores this distinction and explains KaTripTia;ueva, " given up and appointed to destruction, made and formed for this end" (devota et destinata exitio : sunt enim vasa ircv, id est in hoc facta et for mat a, ut documenta sint vindictce et furoris Dei). This is the extreme suprahipsarian exposition. But other Reformed exegetes fully acknowledge the difference of pliraseology. It was pressed by those members of tiie Westminster Assembly who sympathized with the hypothetical universalism of the Sauniur school of Cameron and Amyrauld. "The nonelect," said Dr. Arrowsmith, "are said to be fitted to that destruction which their sins bring upon them, but not by God." See Mitchell, Minutes of the Westminster Assemhlij, pp. 152 sqq. ; Schaff, Creeds, I. 770 sq.
2 " Das game Summarium und der herrliche Schlussstein des ganzen bisherigen Brieftheils." Weiss in the 6th ed. of Meyer on Romans (p. 555). Godet :
578 THE REFORMATION IN FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
And this is in harmony with the whole spirit and aim of this Epistle. It is easier to make it prove a system of conditional universalism than a system of dualistic particularism. The very theme, 1 : 16, declares that the gospel is a power of God for the salvation, not of a particular class, but of "every one" that believeth. In drawing a parallel between the first and the second Adam (5 : 12-21), he represents the effect of the latter as equal in extent, and greater in intensity than the effect of the former ; while in the Calvinistic system it would be less. We have no right to limit "■ the many " (o( TToWoi) and the "all" {'7rdvTe<;') in one clause, and to take it literally in the other. " If, by the trespass of the one [Adam], death reigned through the one, much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. So, then, as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation ; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men th justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the many [i.e. all] were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many \^air\ be made righteous " (5 : 17-19).^ The same parallel, without any restriction, is more briefly expressed in the passage (1 Cor. 15 : 21) : " As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive " ; and in a different form in Rom. 11 : 32 and Gal. 3 : 22, already quoted.
" C'est ici comme le point Jinal appose a tout ce qui precede ; ce dernier mot rend compte de tout le plan de Dieu, dont les phases prinapales viennent d'etre esquissees. The 'iva tovs ndvTas (Jews and Gentiles) teaches not, indeed, the forced acceptance of mercy by all, but, at all events, the universality of the divine purpose and intention. Meyer sees in this passage a conclusive exegetical argument against a decretum reprobationis.
1 Unfortunately the A. V. obliterates the force of the parallel in the fifth chapter of Romans by neglecting the definite article before voWoi. "The many" of the original is opposed to "the one," and is equivalent to "all"; while "many" would be opposed to "few." The Revised Version of 1881 corrects these mistakes.