Summa summae S. Thomae sive compendium theologiae

This question follows upon the preceding one, and is raised likewise against Luther, Calvin, and Jansenius. For these, by denying that God wills all to be saved, consequently deny that Christ, who came into the world to do the will of the Father, died for all. We, on the contrary, who say that God wills all to be saved, consequently maintain that Christ died for all. It must be noted, therefore, 1°, that the question is not whether the death of Christ is a sufficient price for redeeming and saving all men. The heretics do not deny this. Indeed, in this sense Christ could be said to have died, not only for all men, but even for the angels, for the demons, and for possible men; because his death was of sufficient worth to redeem and save all these. But the question is whether Christ offered his death to God for absolutely all men, and willed, with a sincere will — antecedent, however — to benefit all for their eternal salvation, at least as regards the sufficiency of the means.

I said, for the eternal salvation of all; for Jansenius does not deny that Christ died for some of the reprobate, in this sense, that he offered his death to the Father only for the temporal spiritual salvation of certain of the reprobate, namely, of those who are justified for a time in view of the merits and death of Christ. In this he differs from the Calvinists and Lutherans.

[Note 2°. The error of Jansenius is reported in these terms, which make up his fifth condemned proposition: «It is Semi-Pelagian to say that Christ died, or shed his blood, for absolutely all men.» The censure of this proposition, made by Innocent X on the 31st of May, 1653, is expressed thus: «We declare it false, rash, scandalous; and, understood in the sense that Christ died only for the salvation of the predestined: impious, blasphemous, contumelious, derogatory to the divine piety, and heretical, and we condemn it as such.»]

I say: Christ died for absolutely all men in such a way that he encountered death by a true and sincere will, and offered it to the Father for the redemption and eternal salvation of all — antecedently indeed and sufficiently for the reprobate, consequently and efficaciously for the predestined.

Proof 1°, from the authority of Scripture. The Apostle everywhere asserts that Christ died for the redemption of absolutely all. Thus I Tim., II, 6: He gave himself a redemption for all. Likewise II Cor., V, 14 and 15, he proves that all died in the sin of Adam, because Christ died for all: If one, he says, died for all, then all died; and Christ died for all. But the Apostle's proof would be inept if Christ had not truly died for each and every one. Whence Augustine, book IV, Against Julian, ch. 4, says thus: «One, says the Apostle, died for all; therefore all died: showing that it could not have come to pass that he should die, except for the dead. For from this he proved that all were dead, because one died for all. I press it, I urge it, I thrust it upon the one who refuses... One died for all. Therefore all died. See that he wished it to be a consequence, that all should be understood to be dead, if he died for all.»

They answer 1°, the Jansenists, that by these authorities it is signified that Christ died for all in an accommodated sense, that is, for the classes of individuals, not distributively for the individuals within the classes, or that he died for all in this sense, that he took on a nature and cause common to all.

But on the contrary: 1° The words of Scripture are to be understood in their proper and obvious sense, where nothing compels recourse to an improper one. But here nothing compels these universal terms, all, all men, to be restricted to only certain ones. 2° This solution openly contradicts the texts that follow: I Tim., IV, 10: We hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of the faithful; I Cor., VIII, 11: The weak brother, for whom Christ died, shall perish by thy knowledge; II Cor., V, 15: Christ died for all, just as it also contradicts the texts of Augustine cited and others to be cited below, by which it is openly signified that Christ died for all in such a way that he died also for the reprobate. Moreover, this response is effectively destroyed by what we shall presently adduce from the Council of Trent, from the doctrine of the Church, and from the holy Fathers.

They answer 2°, that by these authorities it is signified only that Christ died for all sufficiently, in this sense, that his death is sufficient for the saving of all men, but not in this sense, that he ordained it and offered it to the Father for the salvation of all.

But on the contrary: 1° To die for someone manifestly implies that the intention of the one dying is that his death should benefit him: because for implies the final cause on account of which something is done; for when it is said that a physician came for a sick man, it is signified that he came for the advantage and benefit of the sick man, and for the sake of his health. Hence, if a father had two captive sons, and wished to free only one, the other being left neglected as a punishment for his crimes, and for the freeing of this one offered a sum which would suffice for the freeing of both, but which he wished to benefit and be applied to one only, he would indeed be said to offer a price sufficient for both, but not to offer it for both.

2° It is most evident, according to the Scriptures cited, that Christ died for men otherwise than for demons. But this would be false, if the response of the Jansenists were true: since indeed, as we have already said, the death of Christ is also sufficient for the saving of demons. Therefore.

Proof 2° of the conclusion. The Council of Trent, session VI, ch. 2, says: «Him (Christ) God set forth as a propitiator through faith in his blood for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.» And immediately it adds, in ch. 3: «But although he died for all, yet not all receive the benefit of his death, but those only to whom the merit of his passion is communicated.» By these words the Catholic dogma is openly handed down, namely, that Christ died for the salvation of all, both the elect and the non-elect; yet not all are saved, because the merit of his death is not applied to all through the sacraments of faith.

By this testimony also all the evasions of the Jansenists are precluded; for thus I press the point: the Tridentine council defined that Christ died for all, in the sense in which Calvin, against whom it is directed, denied it: otherwise its decree would be altogether vain and idle. But Calvin did not deny that Christ died for all in an accommodated sense, nor in the sense that he had taken on a nature and cause common to all, nor in the sense that his death was of itself a price sufficient for the saving of all; for he admitted all these senses, just as the heretics still admit them today: but he denied only that he had died with the intention and will of redeeming and saving all. Therefore the council defined this. Whence also Jansenius preferred to pass over this decree of the council in deep silence, rather than employ these inept solutions, as his followers do today.

Proof 3°, from the authority of the Fathers. Setting aside the almost innumerable Fathers, I propose one, Augustine, whom Jansenius contends to claim wholly for himself. Besides what has already been said, the holy Doctor writes thus on Psalm XCV, n. 15: «He shall judge the world in equity: not a part, because he did not buy a part. He must judge the whole, because he gave the price for the whole.» In Sermon 67, he introduces Christ on the day of judgment addressing the reprobate thus: «I took up your sorrows, that I might give you glory; I took up your death, that you might live forever.... Why have you lost what I endured for you? Why have you ungratefully refused the gifts of your redemption?» Tract. IV on John, n. 1: «They crucified their Savior, and made him their condemner.» In Book II On the Creed of the Faith¹, ch. 8, he introduces Christ reproaching the reprobate thus: «You recognize the side which you pierced: since it was opened both through you and because of you, and yet you were unwilling to enter.»

Proof 4°, from the common and perpetual faith of the Church contained in the Nicene Creed and that of Athanasius. This article of the Nicene Creed: «Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven... Was crucified also for us, etc.,» or, as it is found in the Creed of Athanasius: «Who suffered for our salvation:» this article, I say, is proposed to be believed with certain and undoubted faith by each and every one, not only the faithful, but also unbelievers, according to that precept of Christ, Matth., XXVIII, 19: Teach all nations; and indeed it is to be accepted under grave obligation, as is clear from the Creed of Athanasius: «This is the catholic faith (namely, contained in the preceding articles, one of which is the one we here press), which unless each one believes faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.» But no one is commanded to believe what is false. Therefore it is not false that Christ died for the salvation of unbelievers and the reprobate, inasmuch as this article of faith is proposed to them to be believed, as I have said. Hence the Church speaks thus in her prayers: Jesus, Redeemer of all, and Bernard, sermon II on Psalm Qui habitat: «All things can say to God: You are my Creator... All men can say: You are my Redeemer.»

This argument is pressed further. According to the doctrine of Jansenius, the aforesaid article of faith cannot be believed even by any one of the faithful. Therefore. — Proof of the antecedent. The object of divine faith must be certain and undoubted. But if, according to Jansenius, Christ died only for the salvation of the predestined, it will not be certain and undoubted to any believer that Christ died for his own salvation. Therefore. — The minor is evident; because, apart from a special revelation, it is certain and undoubted to no one that he is predestined, as the Council of Trent defines, session VI, ch. 13.

You will object these words of Matth., XXVI, 28: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. Ch. XX, 28: The Son of man came to give his life, a redemption for many. To the Hebrews, IX, 28: Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many. Therefore not for all, nor for the sins of all.

I answer 1°, that by many in Scripture it is everywhere understood all, when all are in a great number, so that concerning the same matter it uses now all, now many. Thus, for example, the Apostle, in Rom., V, 18 and 19, says: Therefore, as by the offense of one, unto all men to condemnation; so also by the justice of one, unto all men to justification of life. For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just. Where the Apostle, whom he had called all in the first part of the proposition, calls the same many in the second.

I answer 2°, with St. Thomas, on the passage cited from Matthew, that Christ died for many and for all: for many as regards efficacy and application, for all as regards the sufficiency of the reward offered. «And this by the fault of men.» In the same way the Roman Catechism explains these words of Matthew, part II, ch. 4, sect. 23.

[In the place here cited it is read: «Those words which are added: For you and for many, were taken severally from Matthew and Luke, which nevertheless holy Church, instructed by the Spirit of God, joined together. They pertain, however, to declaring the fruit and benefit of the Passion; for if we consider its power, it must be confessed that the blood was shed by the Savior for the salvation of all; but if we consider the fruit which men have received from it, we shall easily understand that this benefit extends not to all, but to many only. When, therefore, he said for you, he signified either those who were present, or those chosen from the Jewish people, such as the disciples were, excepting Judas, with whom he was speaking. But when he added for many, he wished the rest of the elect from among the Jews or Gentiles to be understood. Rightly, therefore, was it done that for all was not said, since in this place the discourse was only about the fruits of the Passion, which brought the fruit of salvation to the elect alone. And to this pertain those words of the Apostle: Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many. And what the Lord says in John, XVII, 9: I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me, because they are thine.»]