will. Rather than provide a satisfaction, the atonement was simply accepted as opening up the possibility for God to forgive those who “do what lies within them” (facienti quod in se est deus non denigat gratiam).3 The Socinians in the sixteenth century elaborated this moral or exemplary theory by arguing that retributive justice is unworthy of God and unnecessary. The goal of Christ’s death in this view of the atonement is to provide an example for imitation (hence it is usually called the exemplary