A27004:960
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.
Answ. True, and therefore he showed mercy to sinners in the day of Mercy: And it is for the contempt and abuse of mercy that he condemneth them: If the Mercy abused had been less, the sin and punishment had been less. A merciful ⟨p. 174⟩King and Judge will hang a Murderer or Traitor. Mercy to the good requireth punishment of the bad. Gods Attributes are not contrary. He is merciful to the due Objects of mercy, and hath penal Justice for the Objects of that Justice.
Answ. True, and therefore he shewed mercy to sinners in the day of Mercy: And it is for the contempt and abuse of mercy that he condemneth them: If the Mercy abused had been less, the sin and punishment had been less. A mercifull ⟨p. 174⟩King and Judge will hang a Murderer or Traytor. Mercy to the good requireth punishment of the bad. Gods Attributes are not contrary. He is mercifull to the due Objects of mercy, and hath penal Justice for the Objects of that Justice.
Obj. But after this life, the ends of punishment cease: therefore so will the punishment: 1For there will be none in the next World to be warned by it, nor any further sin to be restrained; unless it be a Castigatory Purgatory for the sinner himself.
- 1Ut fulmina paucorum pe•leulo cadunt, omnium n•etu; sic animadversiones magnarum potestatum, terient latius quàm nocent. Senec. Solon. counsel for the felicity of the Commonwealth was, ut boni praemiis invitentur, & mali poenis coerceantur. Cicer. ad Brut. Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae. Hor.