Again, whatsoever things befall the children of God, are not punishments for sins, they are not remembrances of sin, and if men or Angels shall endeavour to contradict this, let them be accounted as they deserve.1 Thus the Antinomian. The Papist goeth into another extremity, for thus they hold, Bellar▪ de poen. lib. 4. cap. 1, & 2. That when God hath forgiven a sin, yet it is according to his Justice, that the sinner should suffer, or do something to satisfy this justice, not in respect of the sin as it is against God (for although some say so, yet others reject it) but in respect of some temporal punishment, either in this life, or in the life to come, which is the ground of Purgatory. And that this may be made good, they say, When God doth forgive a sin, he doth not presently remit the temporal punishment; therefore men may by some satisfactory penalties voluntarily taken upon themselves, rescue themselves from these temporal punishments. Now this is a doctrine extremely derogating from the full satisfaction of Christs death,2 as the Orthodox show against the Papists. Therefore in the third place, the truth is this, That God when he forgiveth a sin or sins, he doth likewise take off all temporal punishment, properly so called, viz. in order to any vindicative justice, as if a further supply were to be made to Christs sufferings by what we endure: yet we say withal, that God indeed doth take notice of the sins of those that are justified, and doth correct them for them: so that when he chastiseth them, it is in reference to their sins, they are the occasion, or the impulsive cause (as we may say, though improperly when we speak of God.) Although the final cause, and the end why God doth so, is not to satisfy his justice, but for other ends. It is doubted whether we may call them punishments or no: but we need not litigate about the word, I see Chemnitius and Rivet calls them so. And if we make a distinction in Gods ⟨p. 27⟩end, why he afflicts the godly for their sins, from that when he punisheth the wicked, though both for their sins, we speak the truth fully enough, though we call them punishments; and certainly the words punish or punishment, used Hos. 4.19. Ezek. 9.13. Levit. 26.41. do not take the word punishment in such a strict sense. The Greek word [Greek or Hebrew] is used of the damned Angels and men, 2 Pet. 2.9. Mat. 25.46.
Again, whatsoever things befall the children of God, are not punishments for sins, they are not remembrances of sin, and if men or Angels shall endeavor to contradict this, let them be accounted as they deserve.1 Thus the Antinomian. The Papist goeth into another extremity, for thus they hold, Bellar▪ de poen. lib. 4. cap. 1, & 2. That when God hath forgiven a sin, yet it is according to his Justice, that the sinner should suffer, or do something to satisfie this justice, not in respect of the sin as it is against God (for although some say so, yet others reject it) but in respect of some temporal punishment, either in this life, or in the life to come, which is the ground of Purgatory. And that this may be made good, they say, When God doth forgive a sin, he doth not presently remit the temporal punishment; therefore men may by some satisfactory penalties voluntarily taken upon themselves, rescue themselves from these temporal punishments. Now this is a doctrine extreamly derogating from the full satisfaction of Christs death,2 as the Orthodox shew against the Papists. Therefore in the third place, the truth is this, That God when he forgiveth a sin or sins, he doth likewise take off all temporal punishment, properly so called, viz. in order to any vindicative justice, as if a further supply were to be made to Christs sufferings by what we indure: yet we say withall, that God indeed doth take notice of the sins of those that are justified, and doth correct them for them: so that when he chastiseth them, it is in reference to their sins, they are the occasion, or the impulsive cause (as we may say, though improperly when we speak of God.) Although the final cause, and the end why God doth so, is not to satisfie his justice, but for other ends. It is doubted whether we may call them punishments or no: but we need not litigate about the word, I see Chemnitius and Rivet cals them so. And if we make a distinction in Gods ⟨p. 27⟩end, why he afflicts the godly for their sins, from that when he punisheth the wicked, though both for their sins, we speak the truth fully enough, though we call them punishments; and certainly the words punish or punishment, used Hos. 4.19. Ezek. 9.13. Levit. 26.41. do not take the word punishment in such a strict sense. The Greek word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is used of the damned Angels and men,
- 1The Papists error concer• ing the same.
- 2The Orthodox truth is, that God forgiving sin, remits the punishment in order to vindicative justice, but yet corrects in mercy as a father▪
