A53669:277
A brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the Trinity as also of…
A brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the Trinity as also of the person and satisfaction of Christ / accommodated to the capacity and use of such as may be in danger to be seduced, and the establishment of the truth by J. Owen.
London: printed by R.W. for Nath. Ponder, 1669
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. First, God cannot do. many things that men can do; nor that he is more imperfect than they, but he cannot do them on the account of his perfection. He cannot lye, he cannot deny himself, he cannot change, which men can do, and do every day.
Secondly, To pardon sin without satisfaction in him who is absolutely Holy, Righteous, True and Faithful, the absolute necessary supreme Governor of all sinners, the Author of the Law, and sanction of it, wherein punishment is threatened and declared, is to deny himself, and to do what one infinitely perfect, cannot do,
Secondly, To pardon sin without satisfaction in him who is absolutely Holy, Righteous, True and Faithful, the absolute necessary supream Governour of all sinners, the Author of the Law, and sanction of it, wherein punishment is threatned and declared, is to deny himself, and to do what one infinitely perfect, cannot do,
Thirdly, I ask of these men, why God doth not pardon sins freely without requiring faith, repentance and obedience in them that are pardoned; yea, as the conditions on which they may be pardoned? For seeing he is so infinitely good and gracious, cannot he pardon men ⟨p. 179⟩without prescribing such terms and conditions unto them, as he knoweth, that men, and that incomparably the greatest number of them will never come up unto; and so must of necessity perish for ever. Yea, but they say, this cannot be; neither doth this impeach the freedom of pardon. For it is certain that God doth prescribe these things, and yet he pardoneth freely. And it would altogether unbecome the holy God to pardon sinners that continue so to live and dye in their sins. But do not these men see that they have hereby given away their Cause which they contend for? For if a prescription of sundry things to the sinner himself, without which he shall not be pardoned, do not at all impeach, as they say, the freedom of pardon, but God may be said freely to pardon sin notwithstanding it How shall the receiving of satisfaction by another, nothing a all being required of the sinner; have the least appearance of