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Editor's note: The subject for this Circular is the Atonement. Robert T. Anderson, Pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, was the author; he was assisted by a committee of the following: Reuben Ross, Pastor of Spring Creek West Fork, William Warder, Pastor of Russellville, John M. Pendleton of Bethel Baptist Church. - jrd
Circular Letter, 1836
Bethel Baptist Association, (KY)
"The Atonement"
Robert T. Anderson
BELOVED BRETHREN -
We have agreed to address you this year, on the subject of the Atonement, in order that there may be unity of sentiment among us, on that important matter.
Atonement is the satisfaction made to Justice, where the laws of a government have been violated; so that the justice and dignity of the government may be sustained and honored as effectually as though the offender were punished. This world as a province, by the seduction of Satan, has rebelled against the government of God: and the penalty is death. Adam was the lord or governor of this province, placed over it by Jehovah. (see Genesis 1.26.) And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let him have dominion, &c. Man transgressed and subjected himself and his posterity to death. This being his awful condition, how and whence can restoration come? It is written, "Since by man came death; by man came also, the resurrection from the dead. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The first man is of the earth, earthly; the second man is the Lord from heaven. (I Corinthians 15 ch.) The first man by transgression, placed himself and all his, under the dominion of death, and left them there. The second man came from heaven, with the power to quicken, or make alive, and by his obedience, magnifies the broken law, and makes it honorable, dies to satisfy the penalty; and rises triumphant over death, that he may restore all to life again.
That Christ is the Lord or Ruler of all things, is abundantly evident. (see Isaiah 9 ch. 6 v.) "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the prince of peace." And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore
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God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2 ch. 8-11.)
It is also abundantly evident, that as his government is unlimited, his atonement is unlimited, and co-extensive with his government. (see Hebrews 2.9). "But now we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God, should taste death for every man." "And he is the propitiation for our sins, and, not for ours only, but for the sin of the whole world." (I John 2.2) "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53.6) "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." (2 Corinthians 5.14.) Now if any man will show us one who has not gone astray, or was not dead in sins - then will we admit, that there is one, whose iniquity Christ did not bear, and for whom he did not die. The effect of the atonement, in one sense, will be as broad as the effect of sin. Sin brings all to death; the atonement will bring all to life. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." But the blessed effects, of salvation from sin, and its consequences, of justification and eternal joy will flow only to those who believe and obey the gospel; (we now speak of persons capable of gospel address; no doubt but infants and idiots will be saved also through the all abounding grace of God our Saviour.) "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness; that he might be justified and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3 ch. 25-26.) "Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Hebrews 5 ch. 8-9) The idea that Jesus wrought out a righteousness sufficient only for a part of the human family, and suffered just as much as they deserved to suffer, is inconsistent with the nature of atonement, and dishonorable to the justice and benevolence of God. It reduces the atonement to the penuriousness of a pecuniary transaction; and presents the God of love under the character of a narrow minded calculator, demanding of our surety the utmost farthing, determined to bestow no blessing for which he has not received the full compensation. And instead of humbling the sinner into penitential gratitude, at the feet of his beautiful God, it exalts him into the proud claimant, who, without regard to holiness, demands his salvation at the hands of justice for the indemnity received of his surety. A limited atonement could not save one sinner, for the satisfaction must either be in whole or in part; if only in part, then part of the law must remain unsatisfied; and he that is guilty of part is guilty of the whole; therefore, the whole law must be satisfied in order to save one sinner; and if the whole be satisfied every one that believeth can be saved as easily, and as consistently with justice, as one. So reasoneth the Apostle James, 2 ch. 10-11. "For whosoever shall keep the
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whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all, for he that said do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill: now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." The righteousness of Christ then must have filled every precept, and his sufferings have answered the whole precept, and his sufferings have answered the whole penalty, "that the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, might be unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3 ch. 22-23.
The whole matter, then, is reduced to this simple proposition: That the atonement is a governmental transaction, rendering full and complete satisfaction to law and justice; so that God, the Ruler of the Universe, can consistently with justice and the honor of his government, pardon and restore to favor all who repent of their sins and submit to the government of Jesus Christ. For we have proved, that the first Adam was Lord of this world, and through his transgression judgment came upon all men to condemnation. And that Christ, the second Adam, has taken the government upon his shoulder, that, by his righteousness, the free gift came upon all men, unto justification of life. Therefore the divine proclamation, just and honorable to God, safe and full of grace and peace to man, has gone forth; "go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned."
God now commands all men, every where, to repent. Does the scripture any where show that God requires a repentance that has no connexion with the atonement of his son? There is no motive for any sinner to repent unless there be an atonement for him. Yet God commands every man, every where to repent. The repentance of any man will not be available except through an atonement for that man; therefore, a call from God to every man must be founded on an atonement for every man in his own person. Again, "Paul inculcates the duty of love to Christ at the peril of being accused, when the cometh, in case of neglecting it. My duty to love God arises not from the fact that he made my neighbor, but for the fact that he made me. And my duty to Christ arises not from the fact that he died for my neighbor, but from the fact that he died for me. Now the Apostle uses the terms of a general message: 'If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ.' If any man, and every man is to love Christ at all, he is to love him as his Mediator, Redeemer and Saviour. The same Apostle in I Timothy 2 ch. 1 6v, teaches that supplications, prayers and intercessions, should be made for all men. Why? Because God wills that all men should be saved; and because Christ gave himself a ransom for all. We cannot pray for devils, because we have no testimony, that Christ died for them; but you can pray for all men, because you have a clear testimony, that Christ tasted death for every man."
Therefore, brethren, let us be diligent in every good word and work, and may the Lord bless and direct you in all things. Amen. ============= [From Bethel Baptist Association Minutes, 1836, pp. 6-8. From microfilm records at the Logan-Todd Association office, Russellville, KY. - Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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