A26892:8315
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. To both these Questions I briefly answer, 1. We must distinguish between a Crime or sin against God, and the common good, and an injury or damage to our selves. 2. And between public justice and private revenge; 3. And between those damages which fall upon my self only, and those that by me redound to others (as Wife or Children, &c.) 4. And between the remitting of a punishment, and the remitting of reparations of my loss. 5. And between the various punishments to be remitted. He that will confound any of these shall sooner deceive himself and others, than resolve the doubts.
Answ. To both these Questions I briefly answer, 1. We must distinguish between a Crime or sin against God, and the common good, and an injury or dammage to our selves. 2. And between publick justice and private revenge; 3. And between those damages which fall upon my self only, and those that by me redound to others (as Wife or Children, &c.) 4. And between the remitting of a punishment, and the remitting of reparations of my loss. 5. And between the various punishments to be remitted. He that will confound any of these shall sooner deceive himself and others, than resolve the doubts.
§. 2. Prop. 1. It frequently falleth out, that it is not in our power to remit the penalty of a crime; no not the temporal penalty. For this is a wrong to God the Universal Governor; and God only can forgive it, and man no farther than God hath commissioned him: Murder, whoredom, drunkenness, swearing, &c. as they are sins against God, the Magistrate is bound to punish; and private men to endeavour it by the Magistrate: And if it may be said that the Sovereign Ruler of a Nation, hath power to forgive such crimes; the meaning is no more than this, 1. That as to the species of these sins, if he do forgive the temporal punishment which in his Office he should have inflicted, yet no humane power can question him for it: because he hath none on Earth above him: But yet God will question him, and show him that he had no power to dispense with his Laws, nor disoblige himself from his duty. 2. And that in some cases an individual crime may be forgiven by the Magistrate as to the temporal punishment, even where the Ends of the Law and Government require it: But this must not be ordinary.