The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

For if God make a penal Law and execute it not, but let man sin with impunity, and do nothing which may deter him, nor demonstrate his Justice, as much as the sinners sufferings would do, it would tell the world, that he that gave them the Law, and thereby told them, that he would rule and judge them by it, did but deceive them, and meant not as he spake: And it would bring both the Law and Governor into contempt, and persuade men to sin without any ⟨p. 254⟩fear: and he that was questioned for the second crime, would say, I ventured, because I suffered not for the first. It was the devils first way of tempting men to sin, to persuade mankind that God meant not as he spake in his threatening of their death, but that they should not die, though God had threatened it. And if God himself should by his actions say the same, it would tempt them more to sin than Satan could, as his credibility is greater. Therefore he that is a Governor must be just as well as merciful; and if God should have pardoned sinners, without such a sacrifice or substitute means, as might preserve the honour of his Law and Government, and the future innocency of his Subjects, as well as their punishment in the full sense of the Law would have done, the consequents would have been such, as I will leave to your own judgements.

For if God make a penal Law and execute it not, but let man sin with impunity, and do nothing which may deter him, nor demonstrate his Justice, as much as the sinners sufferings would do, it would tell the world, that he that gave them the Law, and thereby told them, that he would rule and judge them by it, did but deceive them, and meant not as he spake: And it would bring both the Law and Governour into contempt, and perswade men to sin without any ⟨p. 254⟩fear: and he that was question'd for the second crime, would say, I ventured, because I suffered not for the first. It was the devils first way of tempting men to sin, to perswade mankind that God meant not as he spake in his threatning of their death, but that they should not die, though God had threatned it. And if God himself should by his actions say the same, it would tempt them more to sin than Sathan could, as his credibility is greater. Therefore he that is a Governour must be just as well as merciful; and if God should have pardoned sinners, without such a sacrifice or substitute means, as might preserve the honour of his Law and Government, and the future innocency of his Subjects, as well as their punishment in the full sense of the Law would have done, the consequents would have been such, as I will leave to your own judgements.