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The fire burns , without any influence of a free and rational principle , but the Deity is a free agent , and therefore determines the mode , seasons , degree * and other ^ circumstances of punishment by his sovereign will and pleasure . Further , when we say that
God cannot let sin go unpunished , we do not thereby limit the power of God , but it is the justice and righteousness of his own nature that bounds him . As he cannot lie or deny himself , so he cannot do any thing unjust , and it would be unjust to let sin go unpunished . "
These sentiments are strictly just , hut utterly inconsistent with the foregoing assertion : for if we are to argue upon the grounds of ** a moral or rational necessity " as to the
proceedings of the Supreme fie ing as sovereign judge in a future world ; how does it thence appear , that his primitive justice will be " inexorable V * Or where is it said in scripture that it will be § o ? Rather , as his patience and
longsuffering are only ; so to speak , branches of his infinite goodness , which is essential to Jits nature , is it not far more ) robable , that these will continue as ong as that ?—that is , be coeval with lis being ? For , as our author well observes on ' th ^ £ ) zviheEternity , *« God always is What he was , and always will be what he i 6 !"
Sir Thbmtfs Brown * in his " Religio Medici , " rreaitytg-of future pimishrifcnt accordrtig to the high orthodox System oT hijfe day , among some exquisite passages ^ ihtrodtices others which , separately considered , mig ht lead a hasty reader to conclude that the au-¦ <
* « V I thank " God , that , with joy I mention i % I : Was never afraid of hell , nor ever grfew pal $ i * t its 4 espription I have * 0 ftyf ? & jny contemplation on heaven , that I hare almost forgot the idea of its contrary , and am afraid rather to lose the } oyi of tfte one , than endtiTe the sufferings ttfthe other ! To be deprived of them , is fc perfect hell , and needs , met » hinks , no addition ; to' complete our 'affliction I - That terrible ^ ierro hath n ever detained toe frona ftitt ^ nor do 411 < jwe any good action to the name ' thereof .: I fear , C *** U , yet am apt afraid « fc &im j < hie mercies n > ake me *? h $ QQ ^ 4 of ^ sips , before his Judgments *^ m jy |« for ihejr cpi > sequencesf These ^ T ^ n ^ forcQ ^ axxfL secondary methods * his wisdool 5 a course rather / t *> de £ er | N Wk ] b , ed than . incite the virtuou * tojbis ^ vy *** ~ Y * lte § i Jaethc . ¦•
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thor had possessed neither grace , reason nor humanity : he closes his remarks thus : ** the one , " the eternity of happiness , , * % heing so far beyond our deserts ; the . other , ' * the eternity of suffering , " being so infinitely below oiir demerits ! " What did this
good man require farther , or what could he expect , more than all ? Sir Kenetm Digby , his annotator , expresses upon this occasion a little alleviation of sentiment : he tells us ,
that the victim of divine anger , deprived of former criminal enjoyments , restless and insatiable , * ' will neglect all other contentments he migrkt have , for want of a due taste and relish ;
hating whatsoever good is in his power , and thus pining away a long eternity : " hereb y plainly supposing , that there is some real good to be obtained in that state , if the proper means could be discovered and adopted . The luminous author of " A Gen- * 1
tleman ' s Religion' dismisses this subject in a very summary way . " Eternal damnation , of-which we have fair warning given us , and may therefore avoid if we please , ifc as little as can be threatened , and often is but too little to
keep us back from all manner of sin and wickedness . ' * Thus taking for granted the question proposed , and confounding a supposed divine threatening with its execution ; though , to do the author justice , he clearly holds out the difference of degrees . Richard Baxter , in his Treatise of
Universal Redemption , or the Sufficiency of the Gospel in itself to save all Mankind , has the following pas *
sage : — All divines that I know , say that God'loveth those in hell , as his creatures and as men . Aquinas and the schoolmen have it frequently 5 and many Protestant divines say , that he punisheth those in hell short of their deserving , and so sheweth some mercy the " re . Tliat I will not meddle with . Thejre might be some reason
for this : the pi 6 us and laborious minister was branded as a heretic by many of his brethren ; and would probably have been still farther advanced on the black catalogue had he hinted at the possibility of universal restoration . But let us attend to his
sentiments in another part of thii work , Which sKould be deeply iinf > re $ * ed upon out-minds . **; lf any sav that God fottdweth npV the rule * of human laws j I answer , He h \ thd
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Inconsistencies qfj ^ nters JMtyre Punishment * $ 2 &
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1816, page 325, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2453/page/17/
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