_Answ._ Pardon is the remitting of a punishment. So far as man is to punish sinners against God, so far they may pardon, that is, remit that punishment. (Whether they do well in so doing, is another question.) Magistrates are to execute corporal penalties upon subjects for many sins against God, and they may pardon accordingly. The pastors of the church, who are its guides as to public church communion, may remove offenders from the said communion, and they may absolve them when they are penitent, and they may (rightfully or wrongfully) remit the penalty which they may inflict. 2. The pastors of the church may, as God's officers, declare the conditional general pardon, which is contained in the covenant of grace; and that with particular application to the sinner, for the comforting of his mind: q. d. Having examined your repentance, I declare to you as the minister of Christ, that if it be as you express it, without dissembling or mistake, your repentance is sincere, and your sin is pardoned. 3. On the same terms a pastor may as the minister or messenger of Christ, deliver this same conditional pardon contained in the covenant of grace, as sealed by the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper; which is an act of investiture: q. d. I do as the minister of Christ, hereby seal and deliver to you in his name, the pardon of all your sins through his blood; supposing your professed faith and repentance be sincere; otherwise it is void and of no such effect. But this is, 1. But a conditional pardon, though with particular application. 2. And it is but a ministerial act of delivery or investiture, and not the act of the donor by himself; nor the gift of the first title: so that it is no whit proper to say, that the minister pardoneth you; but that the minister bringeth and delivereth you the pardon, and sealeth it in his Master's name; or that Christ doth pardon you, and send it you by his minister. As it is utterly improper to say, that the king's messenger pardoneth a traitor, because he bringeth him a pardon from the king. And though (if we agree of this sense) the controversy remaining will be but _de nomine_, yet it is not of small moment, when abused words do tend to abuse the people's understandings: he that saith, I forgive your sins, doth teach the people to take him for a god, whatever he meaneth in himself; and blasphemous words will not be sufficiently excused, by saying that you have not a blaspheming sense. So that a pastor may, 1. Declare Christ's pardon. 2. And seal and deliver it conditionally in Christ's name. But he cannot pardon the internal punishments in this life, nor the eternal punishments of the next. 3. But the punishments of excommunication he may pardon, who must execute them.
_Quest._ VI. Doth God forgive sin before it be committed (or justify the sinner from it)?
_Answ._ No, no: for it is a contradiction to forgive that which is not, or to remit a penalty which is not due; but he will indeed justify the person, not by Christ's righteousness, but by his own innocency _in tantum_, so far as he is no sinner. He that hath not committed a sin, needeth no pardon of it, nor any righteousness but his innocency, to justify him against the false accusation of doing that which he never did. God doth prepare the sacrifice and remedy before upon the foresight of the sin: and he hath made a universal act of pardon beforehand, which shall become an actual pardon to him who penitently accepteth it; and he is purposed in himself to pardon all whom he will pardon; so that he hath the decretive _nolle punire_ before. But none of this is proper pardon, or the justification of a sinner, in the gospel sense, as shall be further showed.
_Quest._ VII. Is an elect person pardoned and justified, before faith and repentance?
_Answ._ (Laying aside the case of infants, which dependeth on the faith of others) the former answer will serve for this question.
_Quest._ VIII. Is pardon or justification perfect before death?