I very well know that I cannot pretend to be either ingenious or quick-sighted ; but respecting this matter I am not ashamed to con- fess my dulness to be such, that I cannot see that God,^ consistently with the preservation of his right and glory entire, could, without the intervention of a ransom, pardon sins, as if justice did not re- quire their punishment, or that Christ had died in vain. For why? Hath not God set him forth to be a propitiation for the demonstra- tion or declaration of his sin-punishing justice? But how could that justice be demonstrated by an action which it did not require, or if the action might be omitted Avithout any diminution of it, — if God would have been infinitely just to eternity, nor would have done any thing contrary and offensive to justice, though he had never in- flicted punishment upon any sin? Could any ruler become highly famed and celebrated on account of his justice, by doing those things which, from the right of his dominion, he can do luitliout injustice, but to the performance of which he is no way obligated by the virtue of justice^ But if the adversaries suppose that Avhen God freely made a law for his rational creatures, he freely appointed a punish- ment for transgression, freely substituted Christ in the room of trans- gressors ; in fine, that God did all these things, and the like, be- cause so it pleased him, and that therefore we are to acquiesce in that most Avise and free Avill of his disposing all things at his pleasure ; ■ — they should not find me opposing them. Unless God himself had taught us in his Avord that sin is " that abominable thing Avhich his soul hateth," Avhich is affi'ontive to him, Avhich entirely casteth off all regard to that glory, honour, and reverence, Avhich are due to him ; and that to the sinner himself it is something evil and bitter, for " he shall eat of the fruit of his way, and be filled Avith his OAvn devices;" and that God, with respect to sinners, is a "consuming fire," an " everlasting burning," in Avhich they shall " dwell ;" that " he Avill by no means clear the guilty;" that "he judgeth those Avho are Avorthy of death, and by his just judgment taketh vengeance on them; and that, therefore, "Avithout the shedding of blood, there can be no re- mission," and that without a victim for sin, there remaineth to sin- ners nothing but " a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indig-
' The misprint of quia for quin has occasioned some confusion in the translation. It should run thus : " I cannot see hut that Christ has died in vain, on the supposition that God could pardon sins without the intervention of a ransom, consistently with the preservation of his right and glory entire, justice not demanding their punishment." —Ed.
558 A DISSERTATION ON DIVINE JUSTICE. [PART L
nation, that sliall consume the adversaries ;" and that he had appointed from the beginning his only-begotten Son, for the declaration and satisfaction of his justice, and the recovery of his glory, to open the way to heaven, otherwise shut, and to remain shut for ever; — if, I say, God had not instructed us in these and such-like truths from his word, I should not oppose them; but these being clearly laid down in the word, we solemnly declare our belief that no sinner could obtain the remission of his sins, provided that we are disposed to acknowledge God to be just, without a price of redemption/
Perhaps some one will say, " It doth not follow from the death of Christ that God necessarily punisheth sin ; for Christ himself, in his agony, placeth the passing away of the cup among things possible. * All things,' saith he, ' Father, are possible with thee. Let this cup pass from me/ "
I answer. It is well known that the word " impossibility '^ may be considered in a twofold point of view. The first is in itself absolute, which respects the absolute power of God, antecedent to any free act of the divine will : in this respect, it was not impossible that that cup should pass from Christ. The second is conditional, which respects the power of God, as directed in a certain order, that is determined, and (if I might so phrase it) circumscribed by some act of the divine will : and in this sense it was impossible; that is to say, it being sup- posed that God willed to pardon any sins to sinners, it could not be done without laying their punishment upon the surety. But we do not pursue this argument farther at present, because we intend to resume it again in the consideration of the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction.
There are yet many arguments very proper for establishing the truth on our side of the question, which we choose not to enter on largely and on set purpose, lest we should be tiresome to the reader. Perhaps, however, it will be judged worth while briefly to sketch out some heads of them, and annex them to the former arguments con- cerning justice and the exercise thereof The first is to this pui-port : —