XLIX. That Christ died for all

What he then establishes he confirms by a second argument, in which there is both an equal force for persuading and a most similar splendor for illuminating. He deduces it from the universal redemption through Christ¹, writing:

There is no reason for doubting that Jesus Christ our Lord died for the impious and sinners. If anyone was found free from their number, Christ did not die for all; but Christ died absolutely for all; therefore, before the reconciliation which was made through the blood of Christ, there was no one among all men who was not either a sinner or impious.

This he shows continuously from the oracles of the Scriptures²,

then proceeds:

Therefore, whether circumcision or uncircumcision, all were universally enclosed under sin, and one guilt had bound all; and among the more or less impious there was no one who could be saved without the redemption of Christ. This redemption presented itself to the whole world and became known indiscriminately to all men, since on the fiftieth day after that Pasch on which the true Lamb had offered himself as a victim to God, when the Apostles and those who were with them in one mind, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in the tongues of all nations, a multitude of diverse kinds of men assembled in consequence of the miracle, so that the whole world might hear the Gospel of Christ in those who were present. For there had come together, as it is written³, Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya which are about Cyrene, and Roman sojourners, Jews also and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, all hearing the great things of God preached in their own tongues; and their testimony would run far and wide even to those nations which are more remote.

We believe that, for the accomplishment of this matter, the breadth of the Roman Empire⁴ was prepared by the providence of God, so that the nations to be called to the unity of the body of Christ might first be joined together by the law of one empire; although Christian grace is not content to have the same limits as Rome, and has now subjected to the scepter of the cross of Christ many peoples whom Rome did not subdue by her arms.

Nevertheless, through the primacy of the apostolic priesthood, Rome was made more extensive by the citadel of religion than by the throne of power.

Assuredly, the amplitude of the divine salvific will can be defined by no other rationale more fittingly than by the ascertained amplitude of that redemption which the true Lamb, Christ the Lord, offered to the Father. For⁵ he both came into the world and was made flesh, and,⁶ having assumed the form of a servant, emptied himself even unto the death of the cross, that he might fulfill the will⁷, not his own, but that of the Father who sent him. But Christ died absolutely for all and appeased the Father for all upon the altar of the cross. Therefore God both willed and wills the salvation of all, who for this reason, as Peter Chrysologus⁸ is witness, through Christ recalled the human race to obedience to the Creator, to the grace of the Father, and to the free servitude of the one good Lord; through him⁹ covered that nakedness which the first Adam had introduced; and through him, merciful and sweet, absolved the sin of the whole world. Truly sweet¹⁰ through the mercy by which alone he deigned to remove the most bitter sentence of the whole world.

Nor will those judge otherwise concerning the merciful and benevolent will of God who consider with themselves to whom God through Christ exhibited the salutary protection of the Gospel. For to whom did he exhibit it? To some only, or rather to all? Indiscriminately to all; and of this will embracing all he gave this sign: that the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in the tongues of all nations.