Answ. No: First, because that only Christianity doth acquaint us of a further satisfaction to justice than mans repentance, by which all these ends of Government, may be obtained better than by our perdition. Secondly, Because ⟨p. 121⟩it giveth us no assurance of life and time of Repentance, but calleth us to be always penitent and ready. Thirdly, Because it telleth us of the blindness of the mind, the power of sin, and hardness of the heart, by which Repentance becometh so great and hard a work, that without Gods grace it will not be done; And his grace is to be diligently sought in the use of means; and is so little at our command, as that the resisting of the holy Ghost, may cause us to be forsaken of God, and given over to our own hearts lusts, to walk in our own Counsels, Psal. 81. 11, 12. Fourthly, Because God doth not totally and perfectly pardon all sin, when he doth pardon the everlasting punishment (though some in their ignorance will say so and revile those that will not be as ignorant.) He pardoneth not temporal chastisements and death: he remitteth not the sad penalties of a temporary and partial desertion by his spirit; horrors of Conscience and fears of Hell. He remitteth not the temporal punishment by Magistrates, but commandeth Justice to be done even on the penitent, even to the ⟨p. 118⟩[…] ⟨p. 119⟩[…] ⟨p. 120⟩[…] ⟨p. 121⟩[…] ⟨p. 122⟩loss of life it self. Fifthly, And his mercy is so great, that through Christ he will forgive the eternal punishment, and will judge men as he findeth them, and not as they have been, before conversion: So that without Christ you cannot imagine how God should neither send one to Hell or misery that loveth him, and hath his Image; nor yet expose his Government, Laws, and the common good to so much mischief, as the Proclamation of a pardon to all villainies that are but repented of at last (alone) would cause.
Answ. No: First, because that only Christianity doth acquaint us of a further satisfaction to justice than mans repentance, by which all these ends of Government, may be obtained better than by our perdition. Secondly, Because ⟨p. 121⟩it giveth us no assurance of life and time of Repentance, but calleth us to be alwaies penitent and ready. Thirdly, Because it telleth us of the blindness of the mind, the power of sin, and hardness of the heart, by which Repentance becometh so great and hard a work, that without Gods grace it will not be done; And his grace is to be diligently sought in the use of means; and is so little at our command, as that the resisting of the holy Ghost, may cause us to be forsaken of God, and given over to our own hearts lusts, to walk in our own Counsells, Psal. 81. 11, 12. Fourthly, Because God doth not totally and perfectly pardon all sin, when he doth pardon the everlasting punishment (though some in their ignorance will say so and revile those that will not be as ignorant.) He pardoneth not temporal chastisements and death: he remitteth not the sad penalties of a temporary and partial desertion by his spirit; horrours of Conscience and fears of Hell. He remitteth not the temporal punishment by Magistrates, but commandeth Justice to be done even on the penitent, even to the ⟨p. 118⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 119⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 120⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 121⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 122⟩loss of life it self. Fifthly, And his mercy is so great, that through Christ he will forgive the eternal punishment, and will judge men as he findeth them, and not as they have been, before conversion: So that without Christ you cannot imagine how God should neither send one to Hell or misery that loveth him, and hath his Image; nor yet expose his Government, Laws, and the common good to so much mischief, as the Proclamation of a pardon to all villanies that are but repented of at last (alone) would cause.
