ftruction would be the very means by which it would be prevented; and therefore when God faid, yet forty days, and Nineveh fall be deftroyed, he could not, with any colour of reafon or juftice, be fuppofed to intend any more by his threatening than this, viz. that as the Ninevites, by their fin and folly, had made themselves the objects of God's difpleasure, fo, if they did not repent and turn to God, his patience and long-fuffering fhould be exercis'd no longer than forty days more towards them. And as this is a juft interpretation of God's threatenings, from the nature and reafon of the thing, fo it is agreeable to that declaration which God made by Jeremiah, chap. xviii. 710. At what inftant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deftroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what time I fhall Speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant it; if it do evil in my fight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I faid I would benefit them.

Thus we fee that those texts, which the objection fuppofes to impeach God of falfhood and injuftice, when they are tried by the standard of human reafon, are very confiftent with both. May we all fo know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent, as that we may be conformed to his likeness, and may be changed from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the Lord.

AN

ENQUIRY

CONCERNING

Infinite juftice, and infinite fatisfaction.

T

HIS enquiry is two-fold, first, whether there be any fuch thing as infinite juftice? and, fecondly, whether there be any fuch thing as infinite Satisfaction?

First, Whether there be any fuch thing as infinite juftice? In order to answer this enquiry, it is neceffary to state the notions both of infinite, and of justice. Infinite, is that which is without meafure, bounds, or limitation, and to which there can be no addition. Juftice, is the balance of common equity, by which is weighed out or difpenfed good, and evil, in a proportion exact and equal to the merit, or demerit of things, or to any other right of claim. So that justice, in the administration of good, is the exact mean between bounty and fraud; the balance of justice standing upon fuch an even poize, as that if it turn to one fide it is bounty, if to the other it is fraud: and the exercifing either bounty, or fraud, in the administration of good, is a breaking the balance of justice, that is, it is unjust, ftrictly speaking. Again, justice, in the administration of evil, is the exact mean between mercy and cruelty; the balance of juftice ftanding upon fuch an even poize, as that if it turn to one fide it is mercy, if to the other it is cruelty and the exercifing of either mercy or cruelty, in the adminiftration of evil, is a breaking the balance of juftice, that is, it is unjust, strictly speaking. This being fo, it follows, that juftice admits of no fuch diftinctions as finite or infinite, because in justice there are no degrees; justice being the fame in all its acts, none is greater or lefs than others, all and every of its acts being equally great alike: for in the administration of evil, it is as great an act of justice to proportion a leffer evil to a leffer crime, as it is to proportion a greater evil to a greater crime: it is the highest act of justice in an inferiour magiftrate to punish the smallest offence with a propor

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tionable punishment: and it is the lowest act of juftice, even in the fupreme God, to punish the greatest offence with a proportionable punishment; justice being the fame in both cafes, viz. an equaling the punishment to the demerit of the offence. Juftice may be administered by a finite, or by an infinite being, and it may be administered to a finite, or to an infinite being, but still justice is the fame in either: and if we do fuppofe an infinite crime (for crimes do admit of degrees, fome are greater, fome are lefs) I fay, fuppofing we do admit of an infinite crime, all that juftice is concern'd to do, with relation to this infinite crime, is to proportion a punishment in an exact equality to the demerit of this infinite offence: and there is as much as this done in proportioning a punishment in an exact equality to the leaft offence poffible. The cafe is the fame, with relation to juftice in the administration of good: from all which it appears, that there is no fuch thing, properly fpeaking, as infinite juftice.

Secondly, Whether there be any fuch thing as infinite fatisfaction? In order to answer this enquiry, it is likewife neceffary to ftate the notions of infinite, and of fatisfaction. Infinite is, as I have said, that which is without measure, bounds, or limitation, and to which there can be no addition. Satisfaction is the answering to the full the demand of another, whether that demand be just or unjuft, finite or infinite. Juft demands, are fuch as are exactly proportionable to the damage or demerit of the offence, or to the merit of the thing rewarded, or to any other right of claim. Unjuft demands are fuch as are not thus proportionable, but are either greater or lefs than the damage or demerit of the offence, or the merit of the thing rewarded, &c. Finite demands are fuch as are limited, and are capable of being extended to a greater degree. Infinite demands are fuch as are without bounds, or limitation, and are uncapable of any extension or addition. From which it appears, that infinite fatisfaction supposes an infinite demand, and an infinite demand, if the demand be just, fuppofes an infinite crime, or an infinite merit, or fome other right of claim equally infinite. We will only confider this matter, as it relates to an infinite crime, because the cafe is the fame, when applied to infinite merit, or to any other right of claim. Now with relation to a crime, it is very uncertain whe ther there be any fuch thing as an infinite crime. For, first, the committing a crime against an infinite being does not make that crime infinite: and this will appear, if we confider that the crimes which are committed against God, who is an infinite Being, do admit of degrees, fome are greater, fome are lefs, whereas in infinity there is no fuch thing as degrees. We read, 1 Kings xvi. 25. Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him. And, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 9. Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had deftroyed before the children of Ifrael. 2 Tim. iii. 13. Evil men and feducers fhall (or will) wax worfe and worfe, &c. Secondly, It is a queftion, whether a finite being can be guilty of an infinite crime, feeing the committing a crime against an infinite being does not make it fo? Thirdly, Suppofing that a finite being can be guilty of an infinite crime, yet it remains a queftion, whether there has been any fuch infinite crime ever committed; because it is a thing above our faith and

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knowledge, whether the greateft crime that was ever committed, even the fin of the devil himself, was infinitely aggravated, and to which there could be no farther degree of aggravation added? For, that is properly an infinite crime, which is without bounds, or limitation, and to which there could be no degree of aggravation added, to make it yet more criminal. Seeing then that it is fo very uncertain, whether there be any fuch thing as an infinite crime, it will follow, that it is equally uncertain, whether there be any fuch thing as an infinite demand, and confequently whether there be any fuch thing as infinite fatisfaction.

Some farther OBSERVATIONS.

Forafmuch as the justice of God is often referr'd to, in certain controverfies, it may not be amifs here to observe some common mistakes relating thereto. Firf, That God is, in justice, abfolutely and neceffarily obliged to punish the breach of his laws, either in the offender, or in fome other that fhall be fubftituted to fuffer in the place of the offender. Secondly, That he which is fubftituted to fuffer, in the place of the offender, must so suffer, as that his suffering shall be strictly, and in the nature of the thing, equal to the demerit of the crime. These premises being taken for granted as true, from hence it hath been inferr'd, Thirdly, That he which fuffers, in the finner's behalf, must be, in all points, equal to, and the fame as the fupreme lawgiver; or elfe, fay they, he cannot fo fuffer as to fatisfy divine juftice, nor can the finner be difcharg'd upon his account. The foregoing premifes being taken for granted as true, and the foregoing inference being fuppofed to be juftly drawn from them, it has been farther concluded, Fourthly, That forafmuch as the finner is acquitted upon the account of the fufferings of Chrift, therefore Chrift is, in all points, equal to, and the fame as the fupreme God the Father; for otherways, fay they, his fufferings would not have been fo fatisfactory, neither would the finner be discharged upon their account.

But as the foregoing premises are erroneous, fo are the conclufions too hafty, which are drawn from them. For fuppofing God is, in juftice, obliged to punish for the breach of his laws, and fuppofing his juftice could not be fatisfied, except the fuffering was ftrictly equal to the demerit of the crime, which are both mistakes; becaufe if God is obliged to punish for fin, yet this obligation arifes not from his juftice, but from his truth and holiness, and because it lies wholly in the breaft of the lawgiver, to demand what fatisfaction he pleases for the breach of his laws, provided the demand does not exceed the demerit of the crime. But, I fay, fuppofing the premifes to be true; yet it does not follow from hence, that he which fuffers, in the finner's behalf, must be in all refpects the fame as the original lawgiver, but the contrary. For if God is obliged, by the laws of equity or juftice, to act fo ftrictly in this cafe, then it will follow, first, that the perfon fuffering must be neither fuperiour, nor inferiour, but exactly equal to, and in all refpects the fame as the offender; because the fufferer is fubftituted to fill up the place of, or perfonate the offender and

not

not the offended. Secondly, The fuffering or punishment must be for kind, meafure, and duration, neither greater nor lefs, but exactly equal to the demerit of the offence. Seeing then that it was man which tranfgreffed, it will follow, that he which is fubftituted to fuffer, in man's ftead, must be neither fuperiour, nor inferiour, but exactly equal to, and in all points the fame as man; or else his fufferings will not fatisfy divine juftice, neither will the finner be discharged upon their account. But the truth is, God is not obliged, from the principles of justice, to make any of the forementioned demands, as has been made evident in the foregoing enquiry, concerning the juftice of God; but he may require, or may accept what punishment, or what fatisfaction he himself alone, in his infinite wifdom, fhall think fit.

TREA