Henry Scudder’s (c.1585–1652) Dualistic View of Christ’s Death

This is one of the clearest expressions of a dualist view that I have seen. The following quotation by Henry Scudder is packed with excellent theological insight.

In 1642, Scudder was "commissioned to be a member of the Westminster Assembly" and "served there faithfully, chairing a committee that reviewed proof-texts for the Confession of Faith" (Beeke, Meet the Puritans, p. 514). John Owen wrote a foreward to this book (The Christian's Daily Walk) and said, "I must say that I find in this [book] that authority and powerful evidence of truth, arising from a plain transferring of the sacred sense of the Scripture in words and expressions suited to the experience of gracious, honest, and humble souls, that the most accurate and adorned discourses of this age do not attain or rise up unto." Richard Baxter also highly praised it.

Scudder, seeking to refute the idea that all men shall be saved (he's using "universal redemption" in that sense in his refutation), wrote:

8. Some others go farther: they acknowledge that God's justice must be satisfied, and they think it is satisfied for them, dreaming of universal redemption, by Christ, who indeed is said to die to "take away the sins of the world." This causeth their conscience to be quiet, notwithstanding that they live in sin.

It must be granted, that Christ gave himself a ransom for all. This ransom may be called general, and for all, in some sense: but how? namely, in respect of the common nature of man, which he took, and of the common cause of mankind, which he undertook; and in itself it was of sufficient price to redeem all men; and because applicable to all, without exception, by the preaching and ministry of the gospel. And it was so intended by Christ, that the plaster should be as large as the sore, and that there should be no defect in the remedy, that is, in the price, or sacrifice of himself offered upon the cross, by which man should be saved, but that all men, and each particular man, might in that respect become salvable by Christ.

Yet doth not the salvation of all men necessarily follow hereupon; nor must any part of the price which Christ paid, be held to be superfluous, though many be not saved by it.

But know, that the application of the remedy, and the actual fruit of this all-sufficient ransom, redoundeth to those who are saved only by that way and means which God was pleased to appoint, which, in the case of adults, is faith, by which Christ is actually applied. Which condition, many to whom the gospel doth come, make impossible to themselves, through a wilful refusal of the gospel, and salvation itself by Christ, upon those terms which God doth offer it.

Upon this sufficiency of Christ's ransom, and intention of God and Christ, that it should be sufficient to save all, is founded that general offer of Christ to all and to each particular person, to whom the Lord shall be pleased to reveal the gospel: likewise that universal precept of the gospel, commanding every man to repent, and believe in Christ Jesus; as also the universal promise of salvation, made to every one that shall believe in Christ Jesus.

Although, in one sense, it is true, Christ may be said to have died for all, yet let no one think to enjoy the benefits of his precious death and sacrifice, without serious diligence to make their calling and election sure. For God did intend this all-sufficient price for all, otherwise to his elect in Christ, than to those whom he passed by and not elected; for he intended this not only out of a general and common love to mankind, but out of a peculiar love to his elect. He gave not Christ equally and alike to save all; and Christ did not so lay down his life for the reprobate as for the elect. Christ so died for all, that his death might be applicable to all. He so died for the elect, that his death might be actually applied unto them. He so died for all, that they might have an object of faith, and that if they should believe in Christ, they might be saved. But he so died for the elect that they might actually believe, and be saved. Hence it is that Christ's death becometh effectual to them, and not to the other, though sufficient for all. Now that many believe not, they having the means of faith, the fault is in themselves, through their wilfulness or negligence; but that any believe to salvation, is of God's grace, attending his election, and Christ's dying out of his especial love for them; and not of the power of man's free-will: God sending his gospel, and giving the grace of faith and new obedience to those whom of his free grace he hath ordained to eternal life, both where he pleaseth and when he pleaseth.

Furthermore, it must be considered that notwithstanding the all-sufficiency of Christ's death, whereby the new covenant of grace is ratified and confirmed, the covenant is not absolute, but conditional. Now what God proposeth conditionally, no man must take absolutely. For God hath not said that all men without exception shall be saved by Christ's death: although he saith, Christ died for all; but salvation is promised to those only who repent and believe.

Wherefore, notwithstanding Christ's infinite merit, whereby he satisfied for mankind; and notwithstanding the universality of the offer of salvation to all to whom the gospel is preached; both scripture and experience show, that not all, nor yet the most, shall be saved, and that because the number of them who repent, and unfeignedly believe, whereby they make particular and actual application of Christ and his merits to themselves, are fewest. For of those many that are called, few are chosen. Wherefore let none ignorantly dream of an absolute, universal redemption, as many simple people do. For though Christ be said to suffer to take away the sins of the whole world, yet the scripture saith, that the whole world of unbelievers and of ungodly men shall perish eternally.

Henry Scudder, The Christian's Daily Walk in Security and Peace (Glasgow: William Collins, 1826), 279–282.

Observe the following points from this quote:

1) Scudder denies the argument that all shall be saved because Christ ransomed all mankind. He doesn't do so by denying that Christ ransomed all mankind; rather, he does so by stating that the new covenant of grace is conditional (not absolute). In the case of adults, only those that believe will obtain the benefit.
2) He grants that Christ satisfied for the sins of every particular man, and associates that truth to Christ's common humanity. That's a classical Christology.
3) The sufficiency of which Scudder speaks is no bare internal sufficiency alone. He's referring to an extrinsic sufficiency whereby Christ bore the sin of all by the intention of God.
4) He grounds God's universal offer upon the fact of that extrinsic sufficiency.
5) Scudder calls God's general saving will an "intention."
6) He associates God's "general and common love to mankind" with Christ's death for all.
7) All men are salvable by virtue of what Christ did. None are left without a remedy. Therefore, those that hear the gospel and perish have only themselves to blame.
8) Faith and repentance are called "conditions" that man must meet (duty-faith), yet the fulfillment of these terms does not arise from free-will, but by the effectual grace of God enabling man to obey.
9) He doesn't use "world" to connote the elect in his scriptural allusions.