4. The common Suffrage of Man-kind doth give in Evidence to this Truth, That such is the Nature of God, that sin must of necessity be satisfied for. There is such an innate principle as this engraven upon the very Conscience of men, that God will punish sin. Hence the Apostle speaking concerning the Generality of the Gentiles saith as in Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit ⟨p. 164⟩such things are worthy of death. They knew- that God judged this meet to be done, even that Sin should be punished with death. Hence even those Barbarians could say, (as in Act. 28. 4.) Vengeance will not […] him to live. They looked upon Vengeance [[…]] us a Deity that would surely find out […] that deserved Death, but escaped it from the hands of men. Such a notion was implanted in their minds, that, there is a GOD who will take Vengeance for Sin. From this it came to pass that the Gentiles had so many Sacrifices, thinking that this would pacify a provoked God. And from this principle it is, that the Consciences of sinners do secretly sting them & condemn them, when they do evil in the sight of God, Rom• 2. 15. Now Conscience is a man's Judging of himself, as God will judge him forever. Yea, and from this principle it is, that when men do apprehend themselves any ways injured, they appeal to God to right them. Surely, there would not be such a presumption in the minds of all men that God will punish sin, if his punishing thereof did proceed merely from an Act of his Will, and not from an essential property of His Nature. For the Acts of God's Will which are merely such) are not known but by Revelation; whenas this, That God will punish sin, is known by the Light of Nature ⟨p. 165⟩without any special Revelation, which shows that it proceeds not merely from the Will, but from the righteous Nature of God.
4. The common Suffrage of Man-kind doth give in Evidence to this Truth, That such is the Nature of God, that sin must of necessity be satisfied for. There is such an innate principle as this engraven upon the very Conscience of men, that God will punish sin. Hence the Apostle speaking concerning the Generality of the Gentiles saith as in Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit ⟨p. 164⟩such things are worthy of death. They knew- that God judged this meet to be done, even that Sin should be punished with death. Hence even those Barbarians could say, (as in Act. 28. 4.) Vengeance will not 〈…〉 him to live. They look'd upon Vengeance [〈…〉] us a Deity that would surely find out 〈…〉 that deserved Death, but escaped it from the hands of men. Such a notion was implanted in their minds, that, there is a GOD who will take Vengeance for Sin. From this it came to pass that the Gentiles had so many Sacrifices, thinking that this would pacify a provoked God. And from this principle it is, that the Consciencies of sinners do secretly sting them & condemn them, when they do evil in the sight of God, Rom• 2. 15. Now Conscience is a man's Judging of himself, as God will judge him forever. Yea, and from this principle it is, that when men do apprehend themselves any wayes injured, they appeal to God to right them. Surely, there would not be such a presumption in the minds of all men that God will punish sin, if his punishing thereof did proceed meerly from an Act of his Will, and not from an essential property of His Nature. For the Acts of God's Will which are meerly such) are not known but by Revelation; whenas this, That God will punish sin, is known by the Light of Nature ⟨p. 165⟩without any special Revelation, which shows that it proceeds not meerly from the Will, but from the righteous Nature of God.
