A26923:484
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1691
Chapter 12 › Section 1: Of the Law or Covenant of Innocency made to Adam.
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.
§. 23. The Penalty is called Death, which signifieth Undoing and Misery: But whether it was only temporal Death or also Hell, Divines are not agreed. They that are for the former, seem chiefly drawn to it, by comparing the Law with the ⟨p. 119⟩Judgment and Execution, thinking it indecent to say, that God fulfilled not his Threatening, but dispensed with it: And therefore seeing Temporal Death only is in the Sentence and Execution, they think that no more was meant: And consequently that Christ did not by Redemption, prevent the sentence and execution of that Death, but only when it was fulfilled, deliver us from continuance under it by a Resurrection.
§. 23. The Penalty is called Death, which signifieth Undoing and Misery: But whether it was only temporal Death or also Hell, Divines are not agreed. They that are for the former, seem chiefly drawn to it, by comparing the Law with the ⟨p. 119⟩Iudgment and Execution, thinking it indecent to say, that God fulfilled not his Threatning, but dispensed with it: And therefore seeing Temporal Death only is in the Sentence and Execution, they think that no more was meant: And consequently that Christ did not by Redemption, prevent the sentence and execution of that Death, but only when it was fulfilled, deliver us from continuance under it by a Resurrection.
§. 24. But I would have such remember, 1. That the Soul was made naturally immortal, that is, not tending to Annihilation, unless God should against Nature or settled Course annihilate it. And if it were not annihilated, it must be in some state, good or bad. If it was to be penally annihilated, Christ prevented that: And such an annihilation is as little desirable as a tolerable degree of Pain. 2. And that God's Law determining directly but de debito poenae, what should be Man's due, and not absolutely and peremptorily then de eventu, God reserved to himself a pardoning Power, so it were done upon valuable Considerations, more fully glorifying him and his Government and Law, than Man's Distraction would have done. And thus to dispense with his Law is no dishonour to God.