May 25, 2007

Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499–1562) Quote on Christ's Redemption of Our Neighbor

Aristotle, in his Ethics, taught many things concerning friendship: and in his Rhetorics he entreated at large concerning the same. And in effect his judgement is, that to love a man, consists in this; namely, that when we wish well unto him, then we do well unto him: and that for himself not for our own sake. Here does human wisdom stay, but Christian godliness is lifted higher. For such a one both wills well, & does well unto his neighbour; and not for his own proper commodity, but for God and Christ his sake; because he knows that his neighbour is created by God the Father, and is redeemed by the blood of Christ. Let charity then be thus defined; that it is a power inspired into our minds by the heavenly Spirit, whereby we wish well unto our neighbours, and do good unto them, according to our power; and that for God and Christ his sake.
Peter Martyr Vermigli, “Of Love,” in The Common Places, trans. Anthonie Marten (London: Henry Denham/Henry Middleton, 1583), II:558.

I've posted the following quote before, but this may be better documentation:
They [the anti-predestinarians] also grant that "Christ died for us all" and infer from this that his benefits are common to everyone. We gladly grant this, too, if we are considering only the worthiness of the death of Christ, for it might be sufficient for all the world's sinners. Yet even if in itself it is enough, yet it did not have, nor has, nor will have effect in all men. The Scholastics also acknowledge the same thing when they affirm that Christ redeemed all men sufficiently but not effectually.
Peter Martyr Vermigli, Predestination and Justification, trans. Frank A. James (Kirksville, MO: Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies, 2003), 8:62.

(HT: David Ponter)

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