Part 1. CHAPTER XX.
James Dodson
Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only, such as unbelief final, which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel. That Christ died not for all without exception. The unwarrantableness of that Doctrine, how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance, how not.
It may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is only against the Gospel, such as final unbelief: If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only, then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered, for where no death is threatened, none is explicitly due, and where it is not so due to the sinner, nor should have been execute upon him, there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him, For the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin, but final unbelief and rebellion (and for that Christ never died) therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel, nor suffered that which is nowhere threatened. But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand. Its true that Christ suffered not for final unbelief, it being the proper sin of some reprobates, to wit, of such as hear the Gospel, Joh. 8:21, 24; 2 Thes. 1:7, 8. But it seems against all Scripture that Christ should die for these, for whose sins he dies not:
Christ suffers not for some sins of reprobates, and not for others.
And so that 1. Christ should half and part the sins of the Reprobate, and the Scripture, I judge shall not admit that Christ bare in his own body, on the tree, some sins of the Reprobate, to wit, all their sins against the Law, absolutely, or conditionally, and he that bears not either absolutely, or conditionally their other sins against the Gospel, to wit, their final unbelief and rebellion, for Christ was wounded and bruised for the transgressions and iniquities of these for whom he died; He must then have been wounded for some of their transgressions, and not wounded for other of their transgressions. And so the sins of the Reprobates, are divided between Christ’s satisfaction upon the Cross, and their own satisfaction in Hell: But he suffered (one may say) conditionally only for the Reprobates sins against the Law upon the Cross, if they believe, not otherwise?
Ans. The same real satisfaction conditionally that he performed on the Cross, for the Elect, the same (say the Authors) he performed for the Reprobate, conditionally, if either believe, but because the one believes, it is accepted for payment for them, and the other believes not, it is not accepted for them.
2. As there is a satisfaction performed for some sins, not for all, not for final unbelief, that sin then must be in the same case with the sin of the fallen Angels, there is no sacrifice for it, nor is Christ’s death applicable by divine ordination to purge men from final unbelief more then to purge Devils from any sins they commit.
CHRIST cannot buy all from their vain conversation conditionally, for the condition cannot be shown in Scripture.
3. The same incorruptible price of the blood of the Lamb that is given to ransom all from wrath, Matth. 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6. conditionally, is given to buy all, for whom Christ died, from their vain conversation, also, 1 Pet. 1:18. that is to merit faith to them conditionally. Shew us the condition of the one more than the other. If a condition cannot be shown, Christ must have paid the price of blood upon the Cross, for some upon intention, for others upon another unlike intention.
For whom Christ died, for their unbelief & final vain conversation he died also.
4. If Christ died for all, not because they did will and believe, but that they might will and believe; and if Jesus suffered without the Camp, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, Heb. 13:12; Heb. 10:10. That he might wash them from their sins, and make them Kings and Priests to God, Rev. 1:5, 6. That they might offer up themselves holy living sacrifices to him, Rom 12:1. upon a great design of love, to cleanse them with the washing of water by the Word, and present them a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5:26, 27. If he gave himself for them, that they should live to righteousness, being dead to sins, 1 Pet. 2:24. That they might be delivered from the present evil world, Gal. 1:4. If Christ gave himself for these, for whom he died, that he might redeem them from all iniquity, and might purify them to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2:14. Then did he die to redeem all men from iniquity, even from final unbelief the great iniquity, and from the vain conversation of final unbelief, and that they might be dead to sins, especially the sin of final unbelief: Except it be said that Christ gave a price to buy faith to all Reprobate and Elect, and to redeem them from final unbelief, if all would be willing. But to commit to their free-will the efficacy of Redemption, which Prosper saith, maketh the will of God valid and effectual, and unvalid and weak, according as the will of man:[1] which [John] Davenantius, Bishop of Salisbury (if that opus posthumum [posthumous work] have been written by him in his riper years, and revised by himself) justly censures as the boil of Pelagian Doctrine, which Faustus Rhegiensis did covertly teach: The Lord (saith he) redeems such as are willing, being a rewarder of their good or evil wills.[2]
Christ’s death is not a remedy applicable by the Gospel-Covenant, to all and every one of mankind, so they actually believe.
Now hardly can these eschew this Pelagianism who teach, that the death of Christ is an universal salve applicable, by the decree of God, to save all and every one of mankind, Christian and Pagan, so they actually believe: For it cannot be said, that Christ hath died to make all mankind savable, upon condition of actual faith to receive Christ preached: for so Infants, to whom Christ preached is in no tolerable sense applicable, that way, by any ordination of God, if they actually believe, shall be no parts of the world, & they must be excluded from Baptism. And it cannot be said that this argument shall militate against us: for we do not defend such a conditional applicability of Christ upon condition of faith actual in preached Christ even to infants in the Visible Church, yet we teach they are in Covenant with God, and so God hath his decree of election to Glory and Redemption in Christ, among infants as among aged professours.
2. There is a providential, and to many thousands of Pagans, who never heard, nor could hear of Christ, an invincible impediment, and so Christ is not applicable by God’s decree to them, upon condition of actual believing, Rom. 10:14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? It seems to me physically impossible, that there is such a thing as the Indians worship Satan under such a name and in such rites, if I never heard of the Indians, or of their God, or their worship: So neither can they worship Christ in a Gospel-way, who never heard of him. Its impossible to believe a non ens [non-being], Christ offered in the Gospel is very nothing and so not applicable to thousands by any decree of God.
This is false, that God hath decreed that Christ in the preached Gospel, and salvation may be offered to all and everyone, old & young, of all and every nation in all generations, upon condition of actual believing.
3. This is not written in Scripture. God hath decreed that Christ be Preached and life be offered actually to all and every one of all and every Nation under Heaven, and this opinion saith that Christ died and satisfied offended Justice for the sins of all and every one of all and every Nation under heaven, except for final unbelief. The Antecedent is clear by Scripture and experience. God fulfills his decrees irresistibly: But he never sent the Preached Gospel to as many as these Authors say he died for. Nor can they themselves teach any such thing: Nor is this true, God hath decreed that Christ in the Preached Gospel and salvation may be offered to all and every one, old and young, of all and every Nation, in all Generations, upon condition of actual believing. And yet for all these, without exception, Christ died, say they. For not to say, God never decreed that such may be offered to infants of Pagans, for whom they say Christ died. To make a thing that physically is possible, the object of a decree of God, we must say that God hath decreed to give the gift of tongues to all Professours and Pastours to speak to all and every Nation in their own Language, and to make an offer of Christ: For there be many Nations, who never heard of Christ, and understand not writing or any of the commonest Latin and Greek, and there is not any such decree revealed in the word, and we cannot but know such gifts of Tongues are not bestowed on men, and without this it is physically impossible to communicate the Gospel. It shall not help to say that Christians should travel to all Countries and learn their Tongues, that so they may communicate the Gospel; and it is their sin they do not so. And therefore God hath decreed that the Gospel may be offered and Christ applicable.
Ans. 1. What shall become of the aged, and of multitudes, for whom Christ died, who must die in Paganism, before Christians can be so mixed and learn the Tongues of all Nations under Heaven?
2. Did ever the Apostles to whom the Lord gave the gift of the tongues, go to this Nation and not to this, but by the call of the Spirit, to Macedonia, not to Bithynia, Act. 16? Is there no call of God now required for spreading of the Gospel? Some Nations would kill them, some would persecute Christians to death and not receive them: in the meantime, many for whom Christ died, perish.
3. Show from Scripture that it is the duty of Christians to mix themselves with all Nations, and to learn their Language, and that they sin in not doing so. Nor let it be said, into what Nation soever I come, I may say, if thou believe in Christ thou shalt be saved.
Ans. 1. You can not say that, except you Preach the Gospel to them. For they are not obliged to believe upon one sentence, and if you Preach the Gospel to the Nation, God hath some chosen ones there, and it is no more a Pagan-Nation.
2. You are to say to any one by your way (thou art obliged to believe that Christ satisfied for all thy sins, and for the sins of the whole world) but that is a lie which you teach Pagans as a principle of the Gospel.
3. Its false that I may say and Preach truly such a thing to every Nation, and all in it.
That there be two intentions in God in dying for all without exception, hath no warrant in scripture.
4. Nor is it physically possible that Christians can so speak to all and every old and young. Also all is indeed referred to the free-will, except the Authors say that God doth insuperably determine the will of the Elect to believe, and the places speak of the efficacious redemption of the Elect only: But so God had two intentions in Christ’s dying, one general to render all mankind savable; another special, actually to save the Elect.
But 1. who can believe multiplied intentions in God of half redemption from wrath, and of whole redemption from both vain conversation and wrath upon their bare word, when the Scripture saith Christ in suffering without the Camp, suffered for the world of Jew and Gentiles, that he might sanctify them he died for?
2. What warrant to separate these two conjoined by God, to wit, that CHRIST should bear on the Crosse the sins of reprobate, and not intend that they should die to sin, and be redeemed, but not from all iniquity: be loved and washen, and not made Kings and Priests to God? That Christ should be wounded for the transgressions of many, and yet the chastisement of his peace not be upon them?
The dying for all and everyone cannot be conditional.
3. The dying for all and every one cannot be conditional, in so far as the condition is referred to dying, to wit, if they believe; for so believing must go before dying, either really, which is manifestly false: for multitudes for whom Christ died had neither being nor believing, when he died for them; Or in the prescience of God, and that destroys their principles: for so Christ cannot have died for all and every one, foreseeing that all and every one would believe: for he never foresaw that the Reprobate should believe. Then must the condition of dying or Redeeming, or of paying the ransom of His blood (these being all one) be referred to God’s accepting of Christ’s death for so many or for all, if they should believe. And the same way the Argument is as formerly: For God accepteth the paid ransom for all and everyone, if they all really believe, or if they all and everyone be foreseen of God, to believe before the Lord’s accepting of them. Both are false, as is evident, and so they say in the issue what we say, and contradict themselves, to wit, that believers, and only believers, are these for whom Christ died.
The promises are so made to all within the Visible Church as all are in Covenant conditional.
We before said, the promises are conditionally to all within the Visible Church, but so as the condition relates only to the benefit promised, we shall have remission and life, if we believe, but not otherwise: But now the Covenant-promise, which is accepted of, and assented unto by Professors, in their very profession in themselves or their parents, is absolutely made to all within the Visible Church, and they are Covenant-was engaged and say, and profess they are the Lord’s people, and they take him, and no other, for their God, whether they obey and believe, or no: for a people, not right in heart, may bind themselves in Covenant with God, Deut. 29:10, 11, 12, 13, 14. compared with 21, 22, 23; Deut. 31:27; Josh. 24:22. compared with Judg. 2:12, 13. So God absolutely intends to save all for whom Christ dies, and by his death intends to give a price to redeem them from hell and from unbelief, or their vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1:18. from all iniquity, Tit. 2:14. from this present evil world, Gal. 1:14. Ergo, from final unbelief the greatest iniquity of a present evil world. But here the case widely varies, upon no condition, that we can read in holy Scripture, gave Christ a price, a ransom of blood to redeem men from unbelief and from all iniquity, this price must be absolutely given, and grace purchased to all whose sins Christ did bear in the Cross that they may believe, that they may be sanctified, Heb. 13:12; 1 Pet. 2:24.
The unbelief of justified persons is against the Covenant of Grace, and diverse other sins beside final unbelief, are the causes of condemnation.
2. Sins of Thomas, refusing to believe the resurrection of Christ, and of Peter denying the Lord before men, and the Gospel-sins of believers, after they are justified, and are enlightened, must be sins against the Covenant of Grace, as well as against the Law. And the denying of Christ before men hath a sad threatening of everlasting death, Matth. 10:32; Mar. 8:38. annexed to it, if they repent not. And shall these within the Visible Church, who receive not Christ, be in a harder condition then Sodom and Gomorrah, Matth. 10:14, 15. if no sins against the Gospel be punished with eternal death but only unbelief? Yea the Scripture saith such as live in the Visible Church and are in Covenant with God, not only for final unbelief are condemned, but because they are unrighteous, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, 1 Cor. 6:9. whoremongers, unclean, covetous persons, Eph. 5:5, 6. murderers, sorcerers, dogs, liars, Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15. for all their ungodly deeds and hard speeches, Jude v. 15; 2 Pet. 2:17. for all disobedience, 1 Cor. 4:5; Matth. 12:36, 37. they are everlastingly punished. And if Christ have suffered on the Crosse for all the sins of the Reprobate, how are they judged and condemned for these sins, as the Scripture saith? And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief: or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief, where as Sodom, Gomorrah, Mat. 10:15. the men of Nineveh, Mat. 12:41. Tyrus and Sidon, Mat. 11:21. and such as have sinned without the Law, Rom. 2:12, 13, 14:15. are freed of Gospel-guiltiness, and condemned for sins against the Law, and yet this same way saith that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all, even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel, never engaged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ, yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree, and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant, if they shall believe. Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace, of which many of them never heard, and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy, gluttony, parricide, for the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin but to final unbelief, say they.
All sins against the Gospel, even final unbelief, are also against the Law and against God Redeemer, Immanuel.
There are not any sins committed against the Gospel, but they are also sins against the Law: because God incarnate and Immanuel is God, and leaves not off to be God consubstantial with the Father, because he assumes the nature of man. Then as the first Command obligeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, when God shall reveal that Command, and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt, and so if the first Command oblige us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatenings of God, revealed and to be revealed, because the Lord is God, then must Christ God Redeemer and Immanuel be believed by this Command, and so final unbelief and final despising of Christ God Redeemer is as directly against the first Command (and so not a sin only threatned and forbidden in the Gospel) as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God Redeemer; For the believing & final believing, and unbelief and unbelief, continuing to the end, differ in the accident of duration, not in nature and essence, As a Rose that grows for a month only, and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three months. Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed, μακάριος εἶ Mat. 16:17. in the present, for believing in the present: for he should not have been blessed to the end: as Solon said of his blessed man,[3] And this cannot but subvert our faith, crush the peace, hope, consolation of weak Believers, to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance is absolutely made, Jer. 31:31, 35; Jer. 32:39, 40; Isai. 54:10; Isai. 59:20, 21; Joh. 4:14; Joh. 10:27, 28.
2. If there be as formal a transgression of the first Command in final unbelief, as in unbelief simply considered, and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates. Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them, he must so also bear the sins of final rebellion and unbelief? And shall we believe that Christ paid a satisfactory ransom of blood upon the cross for the yesterday’s unbelief of Judas, and not for the day’s unbelief?
How the Covenant of Grace is everlasting & yet broken by men.
If it be said, No man can break the Gospel-Covenant, for it is an everlasting Covenant.
Ans. Its an everlasting Covenant, but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel, especially they so professing to be his, do truly break the Covenant: but they so break it, as it leaves not off to be the Covenant of life both to the breakers, if they repent and believe, and to others: for so is the nature of this Covenant, and so it is everlasting, but the Covenant of Works if once broken, ceases to be a Covenant of life forever, because the nature of it is, to admit of no repentance at all.
The Law commands repentance but not with a promise of life, or as a way to life.
Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourn and be humbled, and confess?
Ans. It doth. But it enjoins not repentance as a way of life, with a promise of life to the repenter, as the Law or as a Covenant of Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life, nor does the Law as a Covenant of Works command justifying faith and reliance upon God Redeemer, or Immanuel: but rather as the Law of Nature, or as the Law of thankfulness to a Ransoming and Redeeming God, the Law does this. Though in a special Covenant way the Gospel command faith in Christ.
How final unbelief is the only cause of condemnation and to whom, and how not.
Obj. But final unbelief as against God Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of Grace: He that believes not is condemned, as the man that rejects the only remedy of sin.
Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace, is too narrow to be the adequate cause of damnation, for many Pagans who never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant, but that of Works, are condemned not for not believing in him of whom they never heard, Rom. 10:14. nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace, but for breach of the Covenant of Works.
2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as perish within the Visible Church, as the willful refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease, is the cause of his death, but is the Moral cause. For the disease itself is the Physical cause, or the material cause of the man’s death. And without doubt, uncleanness, covetousness, sorcery, lying, idolatry, &c. and many the like sins, beside unbelief, are, 1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5, 6; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15; Jud. 6, 7, 8; 2 Pet. 2:17, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2 Thes. 2:9, 10; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4; 2 Pet. 2:2, 3, 4, 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professours, where as this way saith Christ did satisfy upon the Cross for all these sins, and the damned of visible professours suffer in hell only for final unbelief. And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law:
For whom Christ died, he died for their sins, and for all their sins.
And as strange that Christ should die for any, and not die for their sins, since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sins, Rom. 4:25 delivered from our sins, Christ is a propitiation for our sins, and (the same way) not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world; he died for sinners, Heb. 2:17. that he might make reconciliation for the sins of the people: that is, for the sinful people, or sinners, Heb. 9:28. so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: That is to bear the sins of the sinful many that he died for, Heb. 10:12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of God: that is, after he had offered a sacrifice for sinners. 1 Pet. 3:18. Christ once suffered for sin, that is, for sinners, 1 Cor. 15:3. I delivered unto you how Christ died for our sins, that is, for the persons of us sinners. 1 Joh. 3:5. He was manifested to take away our sins. 1 Joh. 4:10. Herein is love—that he sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Rev. 1:5. To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins—be glory. Gal. 1:4. He gave himself for our sins. Now it must not be asserted, but proven that in all these places where he is said to be a propitiation for the sins of the world; and hath taken away our sins, speaking (as these Authors say) of the whole Visible Church, and not of the elect only that Christ hath died and by his death hath taken away some sins, and hath suffered for some sins, and not for all sins, not for the final unbelief of sinners, if it be said, that we cannot teach that Christ suffered for final unbelief, we grant it: But then we say that Christ suffered not for final unbelievers and for the other sins of final unbelievers, since suffering for sins and for persons that are sinners, to bring them to God, 1 Pet. 3:18. are conjoined. And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5:19. Therefore there must be a pardoned and a justified world, and so a truly blessed world, as Paul and David teach, Psal. 32:1, 2; Rom. 4. and so a loved, John. 3:16. and chosen world followed with the separating love of God to man which saves some foolish ones and serving diverse lusts, and saves not others; and so there must be a love and mercy of predestination, amor εὐδοκίας [love of good will], not common to all the world; as is clear, Tit. 3:3, 4, 5; Eph. 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
There is a world reconciled to whom God imputes no sin, and therefore all the world of Pagans & Infidels cannot be such as Christ died for, and whose final unbelief he satisfied for.
We seek a warrant of God’s not imputing to this loved world their trespasses against the Law, and of his imputing to the same world the trespasses of rebellion and final unbelief: And how Christ’s blood, shed for persons, both reconciles them to God, and leaves them in wrath, imputes not their trespasses to them, and makes them blessed, as David says, Ps. 32:1. and imputes their final unbelief to them, and leaves them under a curse: Nor shall it help the mater to say that final unbelief may be considered as both against the Law, and as only forbidden in the Gospel. And in the former respect Christ hath suffered for it, not in the latter. For if the ἀνομία [lawlessness], the contrariety between final unbelief and the first Command, as it is a rebellion against God manifested in the flesh, be satisfied for by Christ on the cross; How can it condemn the person, as sure it doth? Joh. 3:18, 36; Joh. 8:21, 24. It cannot be said that Christ died for final unbelief, so we believe.
The Law & the Covenant of Grace do not, one & the same way command faith and forbid unbelief.
2. What special ἀνομία [lawlesssness] and repugnancy to the Law of God is there in final unbelief, that is not a repugnancy to the Covenant of Works and Grace both? And what repugnancy to the Covenant of Grace which is not also contrary to the Law? This I grant (which I desire the Reader carefully to observe) the Law and the Covenant of Grace do not one and the same way command faith, and forbid unbelief. I speak now of the Covenant of Works and of the Covenant of Grace as they are two Covenants specifically and formally different.
For 1. the Law as the Law commands 1. Faith in the superlative degree, as it doth all acts of obedience, and so doth it Gospel repentance. Because the Law commands all obedience most exact and perfect, and condemns faith in the positive degree, though sincere and lively, as sinfully deficient. The Gospel doth only require sincere faith, and condemneth not for the want of the degrees of faith most perfect, though the Law of thankfulness to the Ransom-payer (which Law is common to both Covenants) require that we believe in the highest degree, because Christ hath expressed to us the greatest love, Joh. 3:16, Joh. 15:13.
2. The Law as the Law requires faith not final only, but faith in Immanuel forever, and that we be born with the Image of God that we believe at all times, under the pain of damnation. But, the Covenant of Grace, because it admits of repentance, and holds forth the meekness, forbearance, and longanimity of Christ, is satisfied with faith at any time, or what hour of the day they shall be brought in.
3. The Law requires faith, with the promise of Law-life: The Covenant of Grace requires faith, promises grace to believe, with promise of a Gospel-life.
How the reprobate are under the Covenant of Works.
4. The Law requires not faith in Christ with sinners Covenant-ways as a work to be legally rewarded, for it finding all sinners, and all by nature, Covenant-breakers, cannot indent with them that have broken the Covenant, to promise life to them by tenor of the Covenant, which now ceaseth to be a Covenant of life, and cannot but condemn, and is now rendered impossible to justify and save, by reason of the weakness of the flesh, Rom. 8:3. All the reprobate then are this way under the Covenant of Works, that they are (as it were) possible Covenanters liable to suffer the vengeance of a broken Covenant, but not formally active Covenanters as Adam was. But if Christ suffer for final unbelief, as it is against the Law as the Law, how is it charged upon reprobates as a sin against the Gospel only? Since no wrong done to God redeemer can be anything but a sin against God, and a breach of the first Command. I deny not but final unbelief hath an aggravation that it is the nearest bar and iron gate between the sinner and the only Saviour of sinners, but yet the putting of such a bar is a sin against the Law. Neither can it be said that only final unbelief is the only meritorious cause of damnation to such as hear the Gospel. For beside final unbelief there is also a contrariety betwixt the murders, Sodomies, &c. of professours and the Law for which they suffer in hell eternally, Rev. 21:8. c. 18:7.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Prosper Carmi. de ingrat. c. 13. Ergo hominis valida arbitrio divina voluntas, aut etiam invalida est, &c.
[2] Joan. Davenantius. Episc. Salisburien. Dis. sert. de morte Christi. Impres. 1650. c. 1. pa. 6. Hoc enim est illud ulcus doctrine Pelagianae, quot Faustus Rhegiensis hisce verborum integumentis conatur occultare volentes Deus redemit, voluntatem remunerator [This is the boil of the Pelagian doctrine, how many times does Faustus of Rhegium use these covering words endeavoring to hide God redeems those who are willing, and rewards the will.].
[3] Dicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet. [No one should be called blessed before his death and his last funeral rites.]