A27004:894
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.
London: printed by R. White for Fran. Titon, 1667
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.
§. 9. And reason telleth us, 1that God being the Governor of the world, and perfect Government being his perfect work and glory in that relation, it is not meet that in such a Divine and perfect Government so odious an evil be put up, and such contempt of God and all that is good be past by without such execution of his Laws as is sufficient to demonstrate the justice of the Governor, and to vindicate his Laws and authority from contempt: nor that it be pardoned on any terms, but such as shall sufficiently attain the ends of perfect Government.
§. 9. And reason telleth us, 1that God being the Governour of the world, and perfect Government being his perfect work and glory in that relation, it is not meet that in such a Divine and perfect Government so odious an evil be put up, and such contempt of God and all that is good be past by without such execution of his Laws as is sufficient to demonstrate the justice of the Governour, and to vindicate his Laws and authority from contempt: nor that it be pardoned on any terms, but such as shall sufficiently attain the ends of perfect Government.
- 1Sceleris etiam poena tristis, & praeter eos eventus qui sequuntur, per se maxima est. Cic. 2. de leg.
The ends of Punishment are, 1. to do Justice and fulfil the Law, and truth of the Law-giver. 2. To vindicate ⟨p. 162⟩the honour of the Governor from contempt and treason. 3. To prevent further evil from the same offender. 4. To be a terror to others, and to prevent the hurt that impunity would encourage them to. 5. And if it be but merely castigatory, it may be for the good of the sinner himself: but in purely vindictive punishment it is the Governor and Society that are the end.