y of the Truth of his
Doctrines, and Confirmation of God's _great Love_ to the World. This
was the Cause of Christ's Coming in the Flesh. God so loved the
World, that he sent Christ to save it, by such Preaching and
Miracles, and other internal Aids, &_c_. as were in themselves
sufficient to beget Faith in such as gave a proper Attention; such a
Faith, in the Soul, as was productive of Morality and Virtue in
Practice. It was an _original Act_ of Grace and Goodness in God, to
send Christ into the World, to save Sinners, and not (as some
superstitiously teach) a mere Compliance in God the Father (and
that, not without full Satisfaction first made) to the _voluntary_
and _merciful_ Intercession of Christ the Son. For then our
Salvation would be _owing only_ to the Love of Christ, and not _at
all_ to God's Love, who is here considered as a _rigorous_ and
_unrelenting Creditor_, that will not release the Debtor, until full
Satisfaction be made; so that Christ becomes our Creditor, and God
has no farther Demand: and what Need then can there be of
Intercession to God on our Behalf, when the Debt is already paid,
and full Satisfaction made? Christ's coming into the World was
_entirely owing_ to the Father's Mercy. His Doctrine, Miracles,
&_c_. were what he had in Commission from God, as a Means to
instruct and make the World happy; it is he who, instead of being
averse to forgive frail Man his Offences, has through Jesus
_proclaimed Pardon_ to _all_, on Condition of Repentance and
Amendment; and thro' the Love of God it was also, that Christ was
appointed a Mediator for sinful Man: So that the whole Affair arose
from God's own Mercy.

I stand amazed at the Gentlemen, against whom I am arguing; what a
_Scope_ do they give to the _Sovereignty_ of God, in the Doctrines
of _Election_ and _Reprobation?_ And yet they won't _suffer it_ at
all to operate, in the Case of _forgiving Sin_, on the Terms of
Repentance and Amendment. A small, yea _very small_ and reasonable
Allowance, in regard to the _Exertion_ of this Attribute, and in a
_good Cause_ too, would be sufficient to justify the Mercy of God,
in forgiving Sin. If, as a Sovereign, he punishes where no Sin is,
surely he may also, as a Sovereign, forgive Sin. So that this Notion
of the Impossibility of God's forgiving Sin, without Satisfaction
first made, is erroneous and despicable. Repentance and Amendment in
the Creature is, in the Nature of Things, a _much better_
Satisfacti