Section CLXXI

With these two consequences are fittingly connected, one of which pertains to the matter itself and the other to the usage and manner of speaking. And the former consequence indeed comes to this: that the hope of salvation shines upon all; that there is reason for all to trust in Christ, who is the common hope; that prayer ought to be made for all, even the most abandoned; and that the redemption procured by the blood of Christ extends no less widely than the stain diffused by Adam’s transgression extends; and that each is therefore universal. But this universality, to which the latter consequence pertains, is expressed ἀδιαφόρως, indiscriminately, whether Christ is declared to have been delivered to death for all or for us.

With this form of speaking Barnabas¹, or whoever else² was the most ancient author of the epistle which is distinguished by his name—

—wrote³:

For this reason the Lord endured handing over his body to destruction, that we might be sanctified by the remission of sins, which is through the sprinkling of his blood. For certain things have been written concerning him, some to the Jewish people, others to us. But he says thus⁴: “He was wounded on account of our iniquities and afflicted on account of our sins; by his blood we have been healed. He was led as a sheep to the sacrifice, and as a lamb before him who shears it, so he did not open his mouth.” Therefore we ought exceedingly to rejoice in the Lord⁵, because he both showed us things past and made us wise, and we are not without understanding concerning things future. But he says⁶: “Nets are not unjustly spread for birds.” He says this because the man who has the way of truth and knowledge, and yet does not restrain himself from the dark way, perishes justly. And for this the Lord endured suffering for our soul, although he is the Lord of the terrestrial globe, to whom he said⁷ on the day before the constitution of the age: “Let us make⁸ man according to our image and likeness.”

Here anyone sees that the amplitude of reparation is explained by formulas by which it is taught that the Lord endured handing over his body to destruction, that we might be sanctified by the remission of sins; and again, that the Lord endured suffering for our soul. But that formulas of this kind are universal, although at first sight they appear confined and particular, is proved by certain arguments.

Indeed, a) no man perishes except justly. But, according to Barnabas, only those perish justly who, although they have the way of truth and of knowledge, nevertheless do not restrain themselves from the dark way. Therefore, as many as perish have had the way of truth and knowledge which they might follow. But they could not have had it except—

—through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Therefore Christ poured out his blood even for those who perish.

In addition, b) when discoursing on the Incarnation and its necessity⁹, Barnabas writes: “Unless the Son of God¹⁰ had come in the flesh, how would we men have been saved by seeing him? For those who behold this sun—which at some time will cease, a work of his hands—are not able to gaze upon its rays.” Therefore the same force and the same power underlie the formula to suffer for us and to suffer for us men. But this latter formula is altogether universal.

Moreover, c) when setting forth the form and rationale of the final judgment¹¹, he says: “The Lord¹², without accepting a person, judges the world; each one will receive according to those things which he does. If he has been good, goodness goes before him; if wicked, the reward of wickedness follows him.”

But the Lord would appear to accept a person if he gave to some the power of pursuing goodness and denied this very power to others; nor would he appear to exercise judgment concerning those things which men freely chose unless he granted to all a ready faculty toward either part. Therefore, to all equally he gives the power of goodness, and all equally he withdraws from the necessity of wickedness. But he confers no salutary benefit upon men except through Christ. Therefore Christ merited for all immunity from the necessity of wickedness and obtained for all the power by which they might devote themselves to goodness.

Concerning this power conferred upon all, d) nothing is more illustrious than those things which Barnabas has when, describing the two ways proposed to men¹³, he says: Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσὶ διδαχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας, ἥ τε τοῦ φωτὸς, ἥ τε τοῦ σκότους· διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ τῶν δύο ὁδῶν. ἐφ’ ἧς μὲν γάρ εἰσι τεταγμένοι φωταγωγοὶ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐφ’ ἧς δὲ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Σατανᾶ. “There are two ways¹⁴ of doctrine and power—one¹⁵—”

—“of light, the other of darkness. But the difference between the two ways is great. For over the one are appointed the light-bearing angels of God, but over the other¹⁶ the angels of Satan.” For, after explaining by many things the condition of each way¹⁷, he finally gathers by inference¹⁸:

Καλὸν οὖν ἐστι, μαθόντα τὰ δικαιώματα Κυρίου, ὅσα προγέγραπται, ἐν τούτοις περιπατεῖν. ὁ γὰρ ταῦτα ποιῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοξασθήσεται· ὁ ἐκεῖνα ἐκλεγόμενος, μετὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ συναπολεῖται. διὰ τοῦτο ἀνάστασις, διὰ τοῦτο ἀνταπόδοσις. It is fitting, therefore, that a man, having learned the ordinances of the Lord, as many as have been written above¹⁹, should walk in them. For he who accomplishes these things will be heaped with glory in the kingdom of God; but he who chooses those other things²⁰ will perish together with his works. For this reason the resurrection; for this reason the retribution.

Therefore the final judgment will be the most noble specimen and exemplar of the retribution by which each and every man, according to his own choice, will either be honored with glory or consigned to everlasting punishments. But no place would lie open for choice unless the faculty of good were available to all and unless all were immune from the necessity of evil. Therefore we are governed in that order of providence in which the power of good is available to all and no one is oppressed by the necessity of evil. But in each endowment is contained the force and rationale of the salutary and repaired order. Therefore, as many as are men are to be believed to pertain to the salutary and repaired order.