A Treatise on Atonement; in Which the Finite Nature of Sin Is Argued, Its Cause and Consequences As Such; the Necessity and Nature of Atonement; And

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 edition. Excerpt: ... nite law. We shall, however, now call into examination a subject something like it, which is, that of penalty; as it is contended, that the penalty of God's law is endless punishment, &c. We first inquire, why does a legislature affix penalties to laws which it makes? Answer, the first reason is, the strength and security of government. 2d. That the punishment may serve to reclaim the delinquent. 3d. That the punishment of a criminal may serve to deter others from the commission of like crimes. 4th. In many cases, to keep the delinquent, by confinement or death, from doing any more mischief. Now let us look into the government of an Almighty Being, and see how the matter of penalty will operate there. Observe the penalty is endless misery. We ask is this necessary, to secure the government of an Almighty Being ? Would his government be in danger, if this penalty were not enacted to his law ? Supposing a legislature of men had the power in their hands, of causing all the community, on whom its laws were binding, to love their laws, in every requirement, and with vigilance to attend to the faithful discharge of their duties in all things, would it be necessary for them to enact penalties to their laws ? Allowing the legislature to have such powers, who, in the world, would say, it is not best to exercise it; that it is better to have penal laws, and let the people have their wicked obdurate hearts, so that now ana then we may have a poor criminal to execute ? We can hardly believe, that any will contend, that penalty is necessary in the law of God, in order to secure his government. Is there any scruple respecting God's power to turn the hearts of his creatures as he pleases ? If there be not, then there is no need of a penalty in his...