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It is here questioned, whether God could not pardon sin without satisfaction, or satisfaction be absolutely necessary, the decree and pleasure of God so to have it excepted.

Many sound, orthodox and learned Divines hold the affirmative, because justice is essentiall to God, and it is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that afflict, and that every transgression receive a just recompence, 2 Thess. 1. 6. Heb. 2. 2. Rom. 1. 32. Exod. 34. 7. And if recompence be just, it is injustice to let sin goe unpunished. The Lord testifieth, that he that justifieth the wicked is an abhomination to his highnesse: and he will not doe what he abhorreth in others, Prov. 17. 15. Isa. 5. 23. God cannot but love his Image, and so he cannot but hate the corruption of it, and severely punish that which is dissentanie from it. This seemes to be engraven in the heart of man by nature, that God is just, and that sin cannot be done away without satisfaction: and hence come those many fond devices amongst the Heathen to pacifie offended justice: they were ignorant of the true God, and how his wrath and displeasure was to be appeased: but assured of this, that he was offended by sin, and that without satisfaction the sin could not be expiated or done away. For these and such like reasons many have thought, that it is absolutely repugnant to divine justice to pardon sin without satisfaction.

Others and those learned and orthodox are of opinion, that the necessity of satisfaction depends upon the will and pleasure of God, and that God by his absolute power, salva justitia, might have pardoned sin without satisfaction. For God might out of his absolute soveraignty not have punished Adams sin, both because it was against himselfe, not others to whom he is tied to doe justice: and especially, for that the demonstration of his revenging justice springeth not from the necessity of his nature, but from his voluntary disposition, as well as the giving life perpetuall, to obedience for a certaine space performed. For with-draw that voluntary Covenant, who doubteth, but that had the creature kept his innocency a thousand yeares, God was free to have annihilated him? Also God is able were he pleased to shew his power to turne it to his glory, which mens impotency not attaining, being also forbidden by the Law of their Superiour, maketh them that they cannot alwaies with justice forgive, even that wherein themselves