A27004:897
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.
12. And should they be ordinarily dispensed with, it would intimate, that the Ruler did he knew not what in making them; that he repented of them a unjust; or over-saw himself in them; or fore-saw not inconveniences; or was not able to see them executed: it would also make him seem a deceiver, that affrighted Subjects with that which he never intended to do; which Omnipotency, Omniscience and perfect Goodness cannot do, what ever impotent ignorant bad men may do.
- 1Noxiae par poena esto, ut in suo vitio quisque plectatur. Cic. 3. de leg. Injusti judicis est bene agentem non remunerare, & negligentem non corripere. Sen. de benef. Turpe quid ansurus, te, sine teste, time. Anson. Veterem ferendo injuriam, invitas novam. Gel. Noc. Attic. l. 28.Noxiae par poena esto, ut in suo vitio quisque plectatur. Cic. 3. de leg. Injusti judicis est bene agentem non remunerare, & negligentem non corripere. Sen. de benef. Turpe quid ansurus, te, sine teste, time. Anson. Veterem ferendo injuriam, invitas novam. Gell. Noc. Attic. l. 28.
3. And the offender must be disabled (when penitency showeth not the change of his heart) that he do so no more: and therefore death is ordinarily inflicted.
3. And the offendor must be disabled (when penitency sheweth not the change of his heart) that he do so no more: and therefore death is ordinarily inflicted.
4. And especially offences must be prevented, and the honour of the Sovereign and safety of the people be preserved: If Laws be not executed, they and the Law-giver will be despised; others will be let loose, and invited to do evil, and no man's right will have any security by the Law. Therefore it is a Principle in Politics, that Poena debetur reipublicae; it is the Common-wealth to which the punishment of offenders is due, that is, it is a means which the Ruler oweth them for their security. And Cato was wont to say, See mall pro collato beneficio nullam reportare gratiam, quàm pro maleficio perpetrato non dare poenam. Plutar. Apoth. Rom. He had rather miss of thanks for his kindnesses and gifts, than of punishment for his faults. And was wont to say, that Magistratus qui maleficos prohibere possent, & tamen impunitate donarent, lapidibus ol ruendos esse, ut Reipub. perniciosissimos. A hundred such sayings are in Cicero, Offic. 3. Quotusquisque reperietur qui impunitate propositâ abstinere possit injuriâ. Impunitas peccandi maxima est illecebra: De Natur. Deor. 3. Nec domus, nec Respubl. stare potest, si in ea nec recte factis praemia extent ulla, nec supplicia peccatis. In Verrem 5. est utilius unius improbi supplicio multorum improbitatem coercere, quàm propter multos improbos uni parcere. Offic. 1. Non satis est eum qui lacesserit, injuriae suae penitere; ut ipse nequid tale posthac committat, & caeteri sint ad injuriam tardiores. This is the common sense of all that know what it is to govern.