^'l ,'# i >«^' ^-•■<.'. ■Vr,A<^ '^- 'U "' t; ^2Sat^. w. LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. Presented by Division ^ . i. Section 1.0 /O ^^v f ■^m f ^ VINDICATI\^oFPR„ OF THE Ncm^^ SCRIPTURE-DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN, FROM Mr. T AY L R\ free and candid Examination of it. To which are added. Several DISCOURSES relative to the fame Subject. By the Revd. Mr. S A M U E lIH E B D E N. LONDON: Printed, and Dublin Re-printed, by Edw, Bate in Geo?^^? s-lane^ Mdccxlvii. [3] THE PREFACE. TH E following Sheets pretend to no more than a Vindication of the Scripture-Dodlrine of Original Sin, from Mr. Taylor^s, Mifreprefcntations of it, and his Objcdiions againft it \ and a Vindication of fcveral Texts of Scripture, in which this Do6lrine is -contained, from the forced and unnatural Senfes which, the Author apprehends, Mr. Taylor hath put upon them, in favour of his own Scheme. No further Explication and Proof of this Do6trine is here attempted, than what was neceffa- ry to thcfe Purpofes. The Writer mod fincercly joins with Mr. Taylor^s hearty IVifh^ in his Preface, That we may alljiudy the Scriptures hnpartially, peaceably^ and in the Spirit of Love. It is hoped nothing will be found con- trary to that Spirit in the enfuing Pages. Mr Taylor would have us freely ufe our own Judgment, without any Regard to his. And he dcclareth, If we are led into any Error, by an implicit Faith in what he' faith, we ourfelves fjjall be accountable for it. This Book is writ with a fin- cere intention and Defire, that none may be accountable for any fuch Error. If any Sentences fhould be thought too fevere, the Writer hopes the candid Reader will con- fider how difficult it is to read over a Book, wrote with fo much Spirit and Warmth as that which this remarks upon, without, now and then, catching a lictle of the A 2 Author'^ 4 'I'he PREFACE. Author's Fire. He prefiimes, therefore, that the Admi- rers of Mr. Taylor's Book cannot juftly find Fault with this Performance, on that Account: He is rather apprc- henfive oi the Cenfiires of Tome otliers, who, perhaps, will not find their Indignation at Mr. Taylor's Book fuffi- ciently exprefied in this. But, however that be, he is fure, that he hath honejlly endeavoured to fet 'Ihings in a juft Light, without aiming at gratifying any Party ; and therefore hopes he fhall efcape the fevere Cenfures of all true Lovers of Truth, and of the Word of God. He is of Opinion with Solomon, that only by Pride cometh Con- tmtlon \ and that if we all ftudied the Scriptures with a more humble Mind, we fhould ftudy them more impar- tially and peaceably; we fhould then form our Notions by the plain exprefs Words of divine Revelation -, and not labour to twift and diftort the facrcd Words and Phrafcs into a Compliance with our own preconceived Schemes : And then would all our Opinions be more confident with Truth, and with one another, and our Love would abound more and mare in Knowledge and in all Judgment. A VIN- [5] VINDICATION O F T H E SCRIPTURE-DOCTRINE O F ORIGINAL SIN, From Mr. T a y l o r's free and candid Examination of it. PART I. " FREE a ad candid zxe very good Words, and Freedom and Candour are excellent Things, to mix with all our Enquiries afcer Truth, and in all our Controverfies, cf- pecially about Matters of Religion. 'Tis pity fuch good "Words (hould ever be abufed ; and it raifes a jult Indignation when, at any time, we fee them put for Bigotry and Prejudice, for Ignorance, Wrath, and Effrontery. What they really flani for in the Title Page of the Performance now under Confidera- tion, will appear from the Contents of it. The Doflrine here propofcd to onx free and candid Examination, is The Scripture Do£frine of Original Sin. The Author ftyles himfel.f a Minif- ter of the Gofpel, and affures us he has made the Revelation of God alone the Rule of his fudgrnent ; and alfo that he has laid out a good deal of Pains upon the Scriptures, luith a particular Eye to this Point. Thefe are inviting Confidcrationd to attend the Progrefs and Refult of liis Encjuiries about this Matter. One cannot but read liim with C:^ndour ; or if there be ?.v\y Danger ef a JJiafs from Prejudicisr, it mufV }\i:z'h be in favour of his A J , Scheme, 6 The Scripture-Do^rine of Scheme, which fo apparently tends to flatter our natural Vanity, and to give us a good Conceit of ourfelves. No Man, furely, can be prejudiced againft his own Nature ; Men are generally rather apt to be over charitable to themfelves. If this Author then can fatisfy us, that the Notion of Original Sin which has fo long and fo generally prevailed in the World, is nothing but a vulgar Error ; That we have no Reafon to heforry^ or dread the Wrath of God, for Adam's Sin * ; that we derive nothing but Benefts from it '^ ; that we are born into the World under the Smiles of Heaven, without any moral Corruption, or Pro- penfity to Sin in our Nature =. That we are made in the fame Image cf God that Adam was ^, and that to talk of our wanting that Righteoufnefs in which Adam was created, is to talk of nothing we want «. It is brave good News ; and if he can but prove it is true, fo that we may fafely venture our Souls upon it, we jnuft needs hold ourfelves very much obliged to him ; and we will promife to transfer much of our thankful Regard from Chrifl-, (whom we have ignorantly, it feems, looked upon as our Re- deemer, and Saviour from the manifold Ruins of the Fall,) to this worthy Minifler of the Gofpel. He offers to lead us by the Hafld in this important Enquiry ; and I rejoice that I can fet out with him in perfect Harmony, when he fays, Page 2, that all Truth, necefjary to Salvation, is revealed in the holy Scriptures ; and the Scriptures, not the Opinions of Men, no not of good Men, no fiat of many learned and good Men, are the Rule of our Faith. But it is the IVord and Revelation of God alone upon which my Faith is founded. Let us then, by all means, open the Bible, as our Author advifes, and keep a Jlriii Eye upon it, as we go a- long. This Writer finds hnt five Places, in all the Bible, w^ere the Confequences of the firjl Sin are certainly and plainly fpoke of. However, as he well adds, the Bible is open to every Body ; and there, I make no doubt, but any unprejudiced Reader will find a great many Places more, in which the firft Sin is certainly and plainly referred to, and the Confequences of it certainly and plainly defcribed ; but if Mr. T. will not allow that to be cer- tainly and plainly fpcaking of them, I will not wrangle for a Phrafe, nor difpute about Words. Pie fliail lead me by the Hand in his own Way ; and difpofe the f/iany Places of Scripture, tiiat fpeak of Original Sin, into what Clafles he pleafes. The firft Place then is Gen. ii. 17. where God threatens Adam with Death, in Cafe of his eating rhc forbidden Fruit. Up- on which, though iicrc is not a Word faid relating to Ada?)i's Poflerity, yet, our Author juflly obferves, if tlie Sentence had been » Page 14. .i«P. 2j, cP, 2-4, ,^4, iSj, 1P. 175 'P. 179. Parti. OrigiHalSinvindiLaled. ..^ 7 been immediately executed upon him, all his PoJIefity mnji^ in courfe, have been extin£i with hiin, p. 8. and fo deprived, even of an Exiftence, which otherwife was defigned them. Mcthinks this looks fomething hke Adorns being conftituted the foederal Head of all his Pbfterity, that their Exiftence, or Nonexiftcnce, is made to depend, (by the Original Law, or Covenant, which God gave to Adam,) on his perfonal Obedience, or Difobedience, to it. The fecond Place of Scripture, which fpeaks certainly and plainly of the Confequence of the firft Sin, is Gen, iii. 7-— 25. which gives an Account of the Fear and Shame that feized our firft Parents, immediately upon their Tranfgreflion ; their en- deavouring to fly from the Prefence of God ; the judicial Sen- tence which God pronounced upon Adam, and Eve, and the Serpent ; and the Expulfion of our firft Parents out of Paradice, and from the Tree of Life. Upon this Paflage Mr. T. difcants largely, for feveral Pages ; but, as a great Part of what he there offers, is quite befides the Purpofe of the Argument in De- bate, I fliall only take Notice of his Remarks and Refledlions lipon it. He obferves, that for any thing that appears in the Text, the evil ASlion which Adam and Eve convnitted W€ts per- fonal ; and that, jetting afide the Tempter, no body comm.itted that finful d^ of Difobedience but they themfelves : This, he faith, is manifef, p. 13. And if all his Obfervations were but as mani- feft as this is, his Book would then be indeed, what I am told it is boafted to be, vi%. an unanfwerable Performance. Vv ho ever faid, or thought, that the finful A6t of our firft Parents Difobedience was any body's A£l but their own ; or that any of their Pofterity, a6lually and perfonally, committed that Sin ; that is, eat the forbidden Fruit? If our Author means this wonderful ObfervatioH, in oppofition to the Imputation of the Guilt of Adam^% Sin to his Pofterity, it is as manifcft, as even this his Obfervation is, that he does not at all undcrftand the Doftrine v/hich he has undertaken to write againft. He (hould have known, before he wrote on this Subje6l, that a^ual perfonal Sin, and imputed Guilt, are quite two Things, which yet he perpetu- ' 'ly confounds, or makes them to be the fame, throughout his Look : Thus, in the Paflage now before me, from the evil Ac- tions being perfonal, which our firft Parents committed, and done only by them, he argues, yo miifi alfo the real Guilt be per- fonal, and belong only to theinfebies. Where, if by real Guilt he means perfonal Guilt, as diftinguifhcJ from imputed Guilty I do not know, nor fufpeil, that any body believes otherwife : But if he means, (as one fhould rather guefs from what follows) that, becaufe they only committed the finful A£lion, therefore the penal Effects of it could extend to none but themfelves ; or, A A which 8 fbe Scripure-DoSlrint of which is the fame thing, that the Guilt of it, or kn Obligation to fufFer Punifhment for it, could not, in Juftice and Equity, be imputed to, or laid on, their Pofterity. I fhall take the Li- berty to deny the Confequence, notwithftanding our Author has fo abundantly proved it, by many repeated Affertions. He tells us, indeed, that no other could, in the Eye of 'Jufl'tce and Equity le punijh able for that Tranfgrejften, which was their (viz. our iirft Parents) own A£l and Deed, and not the ASi and Deed of any other Man, or IVomany in the World. And in the next Page he fays, no other could beforryfor a thing in which they had tie hand, which was done before they had a Being. Now if there be any thing in this Argument, viz. that Adam^% Pofterity could not, in the Eye of Juftice and Equity, be puniftiabie for his Tranfgreifion, becaufe it was his perfonal A6t, and not theirs ; 1 conceive it muft prove univerfally, that it is unjuft and unequi- table to punifh the Children and Poftefity of any Man, for his perfonal Crimes, which they had no hand in committing, and which it may be were committed before they had a Being: and yet, moft certain it is, that God has, in other Cafes, adtually puniftied the Crimes of Parents upon their Children and Pofte- rity, and fometimes to far diftant Generations. Nay, and fuch an Imputation of the Guilt of one Man's Crime, or an Obli- gation to fufFer Puniftiment for it, upon his Children appears, in fadl, to be agreeable to the Reafon of Mankind, and to the ap- proved Rules of Juftice and Equity in all civilized Nations. Thus Canaan, the Son of Ham, is curfed with Slavery for his Father's Crime, and the Punifhment is entail'd on his Pofterity after him, Gen. ix. 25, 27. Noah pronounced that Curfe under a prophetic Afflatus, and God confirm'd it by his Providence. And thus not only the Wives and Sons, but the little Children of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, who cannot be fuppofed to have had any hand in their Fathers aftual Rebellion, are yet made to fhare in that exemplary Punifhment which was infli£led upon them by the immediate Hand of God, Numb. xvi. 27, 33. And when "Jojhua, and all Ifrael, had ftoncd Achan's whole Family, and burned them with Fire, for Achan\ fmgle Crime, we read, that upon this, the Lord turned from the Fiercenefs -£/" his Anger ; which fhcws his Approbation of what was done, fo/h. vii. 25, 26. Again the Punifhment of Gehazi's perfonal Sins of Covetoufnefs and Falfhood is laid upon his Seed for ever, 2 Kings V. 27. Now will Mr. 7. fay, that the Pofierity of Ham and of Gehazi, and the Children of Corah, znd of Achan could not, in the Eye of Juftice and Equity, be puniflinble for tlie Crimes of their Fathers, which they (their Children) had not perfoiially committed, and which they could not poffibly hclpi' Will he be bold to fay that, in thefe Cafes, the Judge of 9II 'Parti. Original Sin vindicated. g all the Earth did not do right ? Yet fo much his Argument muft prove, if it proves any Thing : and then might not his Terms of highly prophant and impious.^ which he fo candidly applies, by Cor^fequence, to the Do6trine of the Imputation of the Guilt of JdatTi's Sin to his Poflerity, p. 14. be juftly retorted on his own Argument ? Could not the Wives and Children of Corah and of Achan be forry, for what theiV Hufbands and Fathers had done ? And could not the Pofterity of Ham^ and the Seed of Gehaziy be forry for their Fathers Crimes, which had entail'd Slavery on the one, and Leprofy on the other ? No doubt but they could be forry, and wore forry : and if Mr. T. is not for- ry that our firft Pa;rents finned againft God, and brought fuch wide, and lafting Ruin upon the World, I am very forry for it. Or, whatever our Author will pleafe to make of thefe Old Tef- tament Stories, I hope he will pay feme Regard to the modern improved Wifdom of Mankind. Has he never then lieard, that the Children of any Nobleman were punifhed with the Lofs of Eftate, and of Titles, and Honours, which formerly belong- ed to the Family, fot their Fathers Treafon ? or, it may be, it was the treafonable Aft of their Great Grand-father, which he comrpitted before they had a Beuig. And have they no Caufe to be forry for what their Father or their Grandfather did, and for which they are fufFering Beggary and Difgrace to this Day ? Even the Heralds^ who are Gentlemen oft nice Honour, have their Abatements in Coats of Arms, belonging to particular Fa- milies, which denote feme difiionourable Adion, or Stain in the Character of fome remote Anceftor ; and the Defcendants are ftill obliged to bear the Difgrace of it. In fhort, this Au- thor's Afl'ertion, that none can^ in the Eye of Jujlice and Equity.^ he punijliable for a TratfgreJJion that was not bis civn J£t and Deed^ nor has any Reafon to be forry for it, flks moft direftly in the Face, not only of the Juftice and Equity of God, but of the common Senfe and Reafon of all Mankind. Now if it were juft and equitable, that Children fhould bear the Punifliment of their Fathers Crimes, in all or in atiy, of the forementioned Cafes, our Author's fo often repeated Argu- ment againft the Guilt of Adam's firft Sin being imputed to his Pofterity, viz. becaufe he^ and not they, committed the finful A6t, muft needs be good for nothing. Fafts are ftubbora Things, which will yield and buckle to noArguments whatever. And, if thefe Fafts are true, it is as certainly true, as that the "fudge of all the Earth doth right, that, though no Man can be confcious of his having committed a Crime, which not he, but another Perfon committed, and though there can be no Confci- cufricis of perfonal Guilt, but upon perfonal Tranfgreffion ; vet it is not, in all Cafes, unjuft and unequitable to impute tht. Guilt 10 ^^^ Scripture-DoSlrine of Guilt of one Man's Sin, or the Obligation to fufFerPuniftmcflt for it, to another Perfon. It is not always unjuft to punifh Children for the Sins of their Parents j for this is no more than what God has aftually done, very often, and what he does in the Courfe of his Providence every Day ; and it is what the wifeft and moft civilized Nations upon Earth continually pradife. And why then fhould it be thought unjuft and unequitable, for God fo to impute the Sin of Adam to all his Pofterity, as to infli6l fome Punifliment upon them for it ? If the Reader de- fircs to be further fatisfied of the Reafonablenefs and Equity of this divine Procedure, I would refer him to a late Book, viz, ^he Ruin and Recovery of Mankind^ in which, I believe, he will find the moft eafy, rational, and fcriptural account of the Do6lrine of Original Sin that has yet been publiflied. After all that Mr. T. has faid, to prove that the Guilt of our iirft Parents Sin belonged wholly to themfelves, and that we, their Pofterity, have nothing to do with it, nor any Reafon to be forry for it ; he cannot but be fenfiblc of one notorious Fa<5t, too glaring to be denied, that looks with a very malignant Afpeft on his Scheme and Argument, vi%. 'That all Adam'^ Pojierity are, infa^^fuhjeSied to the fame A ffli£iiom and Mortality here^bySentence ivfiSied upon our frfi Parents ; and they defend to us in Confe- quence of their Trangreffton^ p. 20. But yet our Author is very po- sitive, that thefe ar^ net ii; filled upon us as Punijhments for their Sin i we mayfufferfor that Sin and a dually do fujf erf or it ; but we are not punijhed for their Sin ^ bccaifewe ere not guilty of it, ^. 21. If Mr. T". would havcreafoned upon Faft. , inftead o|- indeavour- ingto make Fafls buckle to hisSchcme,the Argument would natu- rally have ftood thus ; We do, in facl, fuft'er for Adam's Sin, and that too by Sentence inflicted on ourfirft Parents, we fuffer the fame Mortality and Death which God puniftied them with, in confequence of their TranfgrefTion, therefore we are, fome Way, and in fome Senfe, guilty of their Sin ; for the Judge of all the Earth doth rights and, therefore, will not make a Per- fon fufFcr for a Sin which he is in no Serife guilty of. I would afk here. What is Guilt, but an Obligation to fufFer PunifhmenC for Sin ? Now fincc we fufler the hmc penal Evil, viz. Death which God threatned to, and inflidcd upon Adam, for his Sin ; andfioce, it is allowed, wc fufl^'cr this for Adatns Sin, and fince alfo wc are obliged to undergo this Suffering by the Sentence of God, who has appointed uiUo all Men once to die, becaufe Adam hnncd ; is not the Coiulufion then moft plain and evident ? ThereFore wc are all Tome Way guilty ot" Ada?n\ Sin. But our Author has a quaint Conceit to lielp in this prefting Difficulty, «/z. that the SulFcrings, Aftliclions, Mortality, and Death, which came upon Adam, and which come upon us, for liis Sin, are not Part I. Original Sift vindicated. ii not infliiSled under the Notion of a Curfe^ but they are given as Benefits to Mankind. As to our firll Parents, he obferves, that although (in the Sentence which God pronounced upon them) they are manifejily fubjedted to Sorrow, Labour, and Death j yet thefe are not inJliSled under the Notion of a Curfe, p. i^ This Gentleman fliould, by all means, have told us what a Curfe is, or, -ather, in uhat new Senfe he underftands that Word ; for without the help of fome new Meaning, I fufpecSfc no Mortal will be able to diftinguiui betwixt a Gurfe, and thofe Punifhments which God inflicted on our firft Parents for their Sin. It is obfervahle, he tells us, that the Spirit of God wholly abftains from the Ufc of that Word, viz. Cuife, even with regard to their outward Condition \ and much more with regard to their Souls. But, on the contrary, it is obfervable, the Sentence on Adam begins with Curjed is the Ground for thy Sake, Thorns and Thijlles friallit bring forth to thee. And if this Curfe does not relate to Jdam^s outward Condition, what does it relate to ? In what Senfe could the Ground be curfed, which had neither fmned, nor was capable of being puniflied, but only in regard to Adam's outward Condition ? It was Part of the Curfe upon him, that the Ground was now made lefs fruitful than before : fo that it would require his painful Labour to till and cultivate it. Thus the Jews are threatned, in cafe of their Difobedience, curfed JJoa II be the Fruit of thy Land, the Increafe of thy Kine, and the Flocks of thy Sheep, Deut. xxviii. ig. Did any Body ever conceit that this Curfe was threatned merely to ► the Fields, the Corn, and the Cattle, and not at all to the ProiV'^^o^s ^"^ Owners of them. A Line in Milton., if our Author had read it, might have prevented this egregious Blun- der ; where the true State and Aieaning of the Curfe upon the Grpund is expreffed with beautiful Propriety. ' "" On ?ne the Curfe aflope «* Glanc d dn the Ground : IVith Labour I muji earn " My Bread As to US the Poftcrity of Adam, our Author will have the Afflidlions and Death which wefuffer, in confequence of his Sin, to be Benefits and Bleflings to us, inftead of Evils and Curfes. So that it feems inftead ot being puniihed for the Sin of our firft Pa- rents, we are gracioufly rewarded, and blcfled for ir. This is turning the Tables to purpofe. But though the Scripture rcpre- fents the fan£tified Afflidtions of good Man, as Means of their fpiritual Improvement ; ihck Things Jlmll turn to their Salvation through the Supply of the Spirit of Jejus Chrifl, Phil. i. ig. And {^ the original Curfe is converted into a Blefllng to God's pe- culiar People ; yet Mi. T. will find it hard to ihew huw tempo- ral 12 The Scripture-Do^rine of xal Affliilions, SufFerings, ^nd Death, are Benefits to Men in the general ; or even to the bigger Part of Mankind 5 which, if there be any Thing in his Argument, they muft be. Another Text of Scripture, in which our Author allows the Confequenccs of Adam'^ Sin are diredly fpoke of, is, i Cor. XV. 21, 22. For ftnce by Man came Death y by Man alfo came the RefurreSiion of the Dead. For as in Adam all die, even Jo in Chriji Jhall all be made alive : Upon which Mr. T. ob- ferves very truly, that the Apojile here fpeaks, manifejlly, of that RefureSlion of Chrijiians^ which is oppofed to fleeping /« Chrijfy or being dead, in a State of Relation to Qhrifi ; of that RefurreHion, of which Chriji's rifing from the Dead, on the third Day, was the firfi Fruits, the Pledge and Pattern. But to me, it does, by no Means appear, equally clear and indifpu- table, from this Text, that in Ohr'ijl all that die in Adam are made alive, for then, how comes the Apoftle to make, them that fleep in Jefus, to be the peculiar Defcription and Privilege ©f the dead Saints ? even thofe whom God will bring with him, I Their, iv. 14. and by which they are diftinguiftied from thofe others, concerning whom there is no Hope, vcr. 13. And elfe- wbere I find Chrift called the firji born from the Dead, in rela- tion to his Body the Church, Col. i. 18. but no where, that I remember, in all the Scripture is the Refurredion of Chrift reprefented as the Firft-fruits, the Pledge, and Pattern of the llefurrefStion of all Mankind. It is not fo very certain, as this Writer would have us think, that all who fhall be raifed by Chrift's Power, fliall be made alive in Chriji, ac- cording to the true Scripture- meaning of that Phrafe. The Truth is, that in this i Cor. xv. the Apoftle is fpeaking of the Refurredlion of the Saints only. He treats here of the Refur- rcdlion, under the Notion of a Privilege j he defcribes the Re- iurredtion-Bodies as vaftly improved, as being raifed m Incor- raption and Power, and Glory. Now, does any one fuppofe that the Refurredtion will be a Privilege to the ungodly; and that this Defcription of the Refurredlion-Bodies will, in any tolerable Senfe, agree to the raifed Bodies of wicked Men ? If M V. T. will pleafe to open his Bible, and keep a JiriSi Eye upon the whole Context, he will fee it is quite undeniable, that x\\Q Apoftle is here fpeaking of the Refurredtion of true Believ- ers in Chrift ; and that he confines his whole Difcourfe to their . Cafe, and to theirs only : for the Perfons of whom, and of whofe Refurre(Sion, he is here fpeaking, are fuch as zxt fallen ajeep in ChriJ, ver. 18. they are thofe who have Hope in Chriji, ver. ig. and of whofe Refurreition the Refurreftion of Chrift was the Firji-fruits, which fuppofes their relation to him, as a Redeemer and Saviour, ver. 20. As to the Wicked and Unbe- livers. Part I. Original Sin vindicated. ig lievers, the Apoftle does not at all confider their Cafe in this Argument, From this Place, therefore, we cannot conclude that Chriji will deliver all Mankind from Death, which is the Con~ fequence of Adam^s firjl Sin, whatever that Death be. For what the Apoftle here aflbrts is only,that as all thofe Perfons, of whom he is now fpeaking, die in Adam, as well as other Men, fo they (hall all be made alive in Chrijf. Behold here the Mifchicf of Mens contenting themfelves luith Scraps and fmgle Sentences of Scripture, which in Sound may feem to mean one Thing, but real' ly have, taken with tuhat goes before, and what follows after, ei quite different Signification ; which, as Mr. T. very juftly ob- ferves, />. 3. is a very fallacious Way of proving Things from Scripture. We come now to that* which, in our Author's Apprehen- fion. is the moft difficult Place of Scripture, that fpeaks of this Point, viz. Rom. v. 12 19. and a moft difficult Place in- deed it is, to be in any tolerable Senfe reconciled with his darl- ing Scheme ; but otherwife I can fee no great Difficulty in it. The Apoftle having treated in the preceding Chapters of the Caufe and Manner of the Sinner's Juftification before God, viz. through the Rightcoufnefs of Chrift, and by Faith in his Blood 5 and having fpoke of feveralof the good Fruits and Confequen- ces, of Juftification, in the former Part of this fifth Chapter ; he proceeds, in the Verfes before us, further to illuftrate this Point of Juftification and Salvation by Chrift, by comparing it with, or rather fetting it in Oppofition to, the Caufe and Man- ner of our Ruin by the Sin of our fijft Parents, as Oppofites will often illuftrate one another. Ajid here any unprejudiced Reader will fee that the Apoftle compares Adam and Chriji as two foederal Heads ; and fliews how what wc loft in one, is re- flored by the other, and that with abundant Advantage. He makes Adam to be a Figure, or Type, of Chriji, ver. 14. and he (hews the Similitude, or Refemblance, betwixt them ; not, indeed, in refpedl to any thing that v»'as merely perfonal to ci- ther of them, but with refpect to fuch Things, as by, and from them, redound to others. He plainly confiders them both as public Perfons, political Heads, and foederal Reprefentatives, the One of all his natural Defcendants, the Other of all his fpi- ritual Seed : or, agreeably to the Diftindion which the Apoftle had laid down before, the One, even Adam, of the whole World of Mankind, who are all become guilty before God; and the Other, even Chriji, of all thofe who obtain the Righteouf- nefs of God, which is by Faith of J ejus Chriji unto all, and up- tn all them thai brlicv-', Chap. iii. 19, 22.. I moft ? 4 ^^^" Scr}plure-Do5lrine of I moft heartily approve of our Author's Advice here, that we jhould keep our Eye JriSfly upon the Texty as it lieth in the Bible. And, by the way, I am very well fatisfied, that the ftrider Eye we keep on the Bible, the lefs fhall we be in Danger of fal- ling in with his Scheme. Let us now attend ftridlly to this Text as it licth in the Bible, and fee what we can make of this difficult Placg^ this jeemingly oh f cure Paragraph. I am in great Hopes, if we do not I'ufFer ourfelves to be blinded by Prejudice, in favour of any preconceived Scheme, it may not feem quite fo obfcure as this Author intimates ; nor fhall we need fo much Labour of Criticifm to make it intelligible, as he hath beftowed upon it. Concerning the Confcquence of Adavi^ Sin upon his Pofleri- ty, we have here the following Particulars : L That by one Man Sin entered into the World, viz. into the World of Mankind : which will naturally lead us to conceive, that the whole World is, fome Way, afFe£ted with, and con- cerned in, Adam's Sin ; and this, indeed, is evident, bc- caufe, n. Death, which is the Wages of Sin, and which was the very Punifhment that God threatened to Adem\ firfl Tranf- greflion, is adlually inflidted on all Mankind ; Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, andfo Death pajfed upon all Men, vcr. 12. Upon which it is afTerted in the next Words, in. That all have finned, y3 Death pajfcd upon all Men, for that all have finned. It feems then that all Men are deemed Sinners, or, as having finned, in the Eye of God, on account of that one Sin, of which alone the Apoftle is here fpeaking, "jtz. the firfl Sin, of that one Man which brought Death into the World. And, IV. Not only after, but before, and until the Law (given by Mofes) Sin tvas in the JForld, and Men were deemed to be Sin- ners, and were accordingly punirtied with Death, through many Generations, while as yet God had given no other Law to Men (at Laft, which v/as generally broken by them *) in which he threatned the Punifhment of Death, befides that which was giv- en to Adam ; and he is not fo uiijufl as to impute Sin to his Creatures, * We find but one pofuive Law, which God gave to Men, from Jtdam to Mo fa, that made Death the Penalty of tranfgreffing it, tvc. the Law Hgainil Murther ; Gen. ix. 6. Whofo Jheddelb Mani Blood, by Mffn /hall his Blocd he fhed. But this Law was not given until more than i6oo Years after the Creation ; and it is not probable that, after it was given, many Perfons fufFered Death on that Ac- fount. Yet all thofe Ages afforded but one fingle Inftance, 'vix,. Enochs of an Exemption from Death in the whole World of Man- kind. Parti. Original Sin vindicated. 15 Creatures, and to punifh them, for tranfgrefling a Lav/ which they are not under. Sin is net imputed where there is no Law, neverthelefs Death reigned from Adam to Mofes, And it is fur- ther manifeft, that this Punilhment was not then infli6Vcd upon Mankind for any a6lual Sin of theirs, becaufe it was inflicted on. a \d{\ Multitude of Infants, who had neither eaten of the for- bif- icn Fruit, nor hved long enough to be capable of committing anv actual Sin whatever ; and therefore had not ftnned in any Senfc, after the Similitude of Adam^s TranfgreJJion, ver. 14. Therefore, V. It was through the Offence of one ^ or through the one Offence of Adam, that many are dead, ver. 15. and by one Offence Death reigned by one^ ver, 17, And fince the Sin of Jda?n is thus pu- nilhed upon all his Pollenty ; it follows, VI. That they were all involved in that Sentence of Con- demnation, which God pafTed upon him for his Sin. And fo the Apoftle faith, ver. 16. The Judgment was by one to Con- demnation ; and ver, 18. by the Offence of one, judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation. And finceit thus plainly appears, that all Adam^s Pofferity are involved in his Condemnation, and are actually punifhed for his Sin, it mufl needs follow, and it may very properly be faid. VII. That they all Sinned in Adam as their foederal Head, to which purpofe the Apoftle writes, ver. 19, by one A4an's Difo- hedience many were made Sinners, xec]iroi5Y,a-ae.y which Mr T. very well tranflates were conjlltuted Sinners. They were fo conftituted Sinners, by Adam^^ finning, as to become thereupon liable to all the fame Punifliment which had been threatned to his Tranfgrcflion. From all which now, methinks, were I to borrow a little of our Author's modefl Language, I might fay, it certainly, clearly, and infallibly appears, that Adam flood in the relation of a foe- deral Head to all liis Poftcrity j and it is, therefore, no impro- per Language to fay, that they all ftnned in him, and fell with him in his firfl Tranfgreffion. Let us further attend to the Parallel which the Apoflle runs in this paflage betwixt Adam and Chriji, the Type and the AniUypej in the following Particulars. I. Both have done fomething, by which, many others that came after them, are affected, and vVith whom it fares, either better, or worfe, for what they did. Through the Offence of cnt many are dead, and the Gift of Grace , which is by one Man Je- fusChrij}, hath abounded unto many, y^x. 15. II. That which the firft Adam did, with which many (that is, indeed, all Men, as having been reprefcnted by him,} are affcdtcd, and frgm whence they receive Detriment, was Sin^ Offence., 1 6 ^'he Scripture-T)o5lrine of Offence i and Dlfcbedience to God. They all fufFer by ene that- finned, ver. i6. by the Offence of one, by one Man*s Difohedience, rer. i8, 19. That which Chrift, the fecond Adam, did, by •which many (that is all to whom he is a foederal Head) are af- fected, and from whence they receive Benefit, is Righteoufnefs and Obedience. By the Righteoufnefs of one, by the Obedience of one, ver. 18, 19. III. The Detriment which thofe, whofe foederal Head Adam was, receive through him is, their being made Sinners, that fudgment is come upon them to Condemnation, and Death, which is the Wages of bin, is, therefore, inflifted on every one of them. On the other hand, the Benefits which thofe, whofe foederal Head Chriji is, receive by, and through him, are Grace, or the Favour of God, fufiification, Righteoufnefs, and eternal Life. The Grace of God, and the Gift by Grace, which is by one Man Jefus Chriji, hath abounded unto many. By the Righ- teoufnefs of one, the free Gift came upon all Men to JuJiificatioH cf Life. By the Obedience of one many are made righteous, ver. 15, 18, 19. Thus the Apoftle fliews the Parity betwixt Adam and Chriji, and betwixt the EiFedts of Adani's Sin and of Chriji'$ Righteouf- nefs, all the Way ; only in two Inftanceshe argues with a Much More, ver, 15, ^ 17. and ftiews that the EfFe6l of Chrifs Righteoufnefs doth vaftly exceed the Effect of Adam's Tranf- greflion ; as, I. It removes many Sins, befides thatone Sinof Adam, which involved all his Pofterity in the Guilt of it. If through the Offence of one, {or through one Offence) many be dead ', MUCH MORE the Grace of God, by fefus Chriji, hath abounded unta luany. 1 he Judgment was by one to Condemnation ; but the free Gift is of many Offences unto fufiification, ver. 15, 16. II. Chrtji raifcs his People to a much happier Life than that which Adam enjoyed in his earthly Paradife, and more firmly fecures the Continuance of it to them. Much More they which receive Abundance of Grace, and of the Gift of Righteoufnefs, fljoll nign in Life, by one Jefus Chriji, ver, 17. Thus we have gone throui^h this difficult Place of Scripture, as Mr. T. calls it ; and I peifuade myfclf, if we may be al- ?owed to Cake tlie Words and Phrafes, which the Apoftle here ufes, in tlic moft obvious and natural Senfe, we can have no great Difficulty to undeiftand it, even without the Help of our Author's Paraphrrife. And here I would afk, Suppofing the Apoftle, or, raiher, the Spirit of God, did really intend to teach us the Do£trine of the Imputation of the Guilt of Adam's lirft Sin to all his Pofterity, and of both the firft and fecond Adamh foederal Relations and Trapfai^iom, what plainer, ftrong- er. Parti. Originals invhulicaled ly ger, and more expreffive Words and Phrafcs could he have ufed to convey thofe Idtas to us, than thofe which are made ufeot in this Chapter ? As it is, to be fure a very wrong and fallacious Way of proving Things from Scripture^ to argue merely from the Sound of Words, which may feem to mean one Things but when taken with what goes before andafter, have quite a different Signification; fo it is no Ids wrong and fallacious, to depart from the moft obvious and natural Meaning of Words and Phra- fes, unlefs there be an apparent Neccflity. But fuch it Teems our Author thinks there is, in interpreting this FafTage of Scrip- ture. Some Errors of tlie IVanflation muft: be amended ; and^ fome Phrafes muft needs be conftrued into a lefs common and obvious Meaning. I will prefent the Reader with a few Speci- mens of each Sort; by which he will be very well able to form a Judgment of our Author's Admirable Abilities for writing a Pa- raphraje upon the whole Epijile to the Romans^ which he has as good as promifed us. As for Words and Phrafes, which this Writer would, by no means, have taken in the moft obvious and natural Senfe. One is. Many were made Sinners, which he aftures us means, neither more nor lefs, than, all Mankind tvere inade fuhjeSl to Deaths p. 30. and this, he is pleafed to tell us afterwards, he has dc- monjlratcd, p. ^3. By the Way I cannot help fufpetiing that, DOtwithftanding our Author is (o great an admirer of Sir Ij'aac Netuton^ and judges h,im to have been fo much wifer a Man than ever A^lam was, f/). 228.) he is not much acquainted withSir Ifaac% Demonftrations ; or he never would have talked of ha- ving demonftiated, what in reality he has not produced any common Evidence for. Again, to receive Abundance of Grace ^ ver. ly. is, with our Author, to improve the Abounding of Grace ^ p. 47. and by the "Judgment which came upon all Alen to Condemnation, he will have nothing more to be meant, than meiely Mortality and neiural Death ; heftdes which, he tells us, we find no other fiidgment to Condemnation, ivhich came upon all Jl^citp in the whole Bible, p. 39. It is poffible he may have foiaid no other j but, whoever will read Rom. iii. 19. without a Biafs to any favourite Scheme, wijl certainly find there, fome other and further Judgment to Condemnation, wnich came upon all the W^orld, tia fTro^i^o? yei/rrai 'Tra; xoo-/>t©^ tu (p^£W that all the JVorld may become guilty before God, or, as the Margin tran- fl.::es it better, that all the JVorld may become fuhjeB to the fudg- 7nent of God. And docs this Judgment mean nothing but Mor- tality, and natural Death ? Read the Account of the Bleflings which are oppofed to this Judgment in the following Vcrfes, and let any unprejudiced Pcrfon judge. Thcfe are Righteoufnefs Jiiftificaiion, Redemption, and Remiffion of Sins, ver. 22, 24., B 2.-. The 1 8 ^he Scripture-Do5lnne of 25. T}?e Right eoufnefs of God which iSf by Faith ofjefus Chrijj^ unto all, and upon all, them that believe i being juji i fed freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in fefus Chriji, whom God hith fet forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to de i.u ehis Right eoufnefs for the Remiffion of Sins that arepafty throu^ r (? Forbearance of God. And does all this mean no more than bare ' or Refurre£lion to Life, in oppofition to that Death and Morr .iity which is cc imon to all Mankind ? Does all this mean nothing but fuch a r Turreflion, and fo far only conlidered, as will be common to the godly and to the ungodly. If that be all the Apo{lle'i> Meaning, he iiad the worft Knack at ex- prcifing his Meaning of any Writer I ever met with. Again, accorJjng co our Author's argui. g, p. 47. by J ujiifieation of Life, ver. 18. and by being made righteous^ ver. 19. we are to underfland nothing but the Refurreffion. But can we believe that the learned, the infpired St, Paul doQi rtzWy ufe fo many differer t Words and Phrafcs, only to exprefs, what he might have expreiTed fo much more clearly, by one fingle Word, viz. RefurreSiion ; an.d that he ufes Words and Phrafes for the Re- furre6lion, which had always been ufeJ to fignify quite another Thing ; fo that if it had not been for our Author's uncommon Sagacity, in clearing up the ApolUe's Senfe, we fhould never have been able to come at his Meaning. I fuppofel have given Inftances enough of this Writer's Ta- lent, at conftruing the Scripture Words and Phrafes into any Meaning that will fuit his own Scheme. At this rare one might make any Thing of any Thing j and by the help of this Art he might have built his Scheme on the Alcoran, as well as the Bible. An Inflance or two of this Author's critical fkill, which he has moft learnedly difplay'd, in corredting the common Tranflation, in order to clear up this obfcure Place of Scrip- ture, fhall finifh our remarks upon it. The firft that he prefents us with is to prove that Many fignifies All, p. 26. For this he feems to think it fufficient, merely to fet the Greek Words before our Eyes, l\. -rr^-Xoi which he ren- ders, but without rendering any Reafon for it. The Many, or all .Mankind. If he really meant any thing more than to impofe his own Senfe, for Scripture, on fuch of his Readers as do not nnderftand Greeks I guefs he muft imagine, that the Article ot does fo very mucii enlarge and extend the Senfe of '7ro^^o^ as to make it fignify All inflead of Many. But this will never pafs with fuch as have any tolerable Knowledge of the Greek Lan- guage. They well know that. this Article is frequently redun- dant, fo as not at all to alter the Senfe of the Word it is join'd v/ith. Does 01 TToT^xoi fignify all Mankind ? Ram. xii, 5. fVe be- inr Parti. Original Sin vindicated. 19 ing many {U ttoWoi) are one Body in Chri/i. Or does it fignify fo much as all Chriftians, or even the Majority of them, 2 Cor. ii. 17. IP^e are not as many (St 7ro^^ot) which corrupt the IPordof God. Surely, this was not the Charader of all, or of the big- ger part of Chriftians, even in the Apcftle's Days, when the Church was in its infant Simplicity and Purity, that they were Corrupters of God's Word. And why then muft o* ttoMoj ue- ceflarily fignify all Mankind, when the Apoftle fpeaks of thofe to whom the Grace of God abottnded by Chrijly and who were made righteous by his Obedience ? The Truth is, It is no Part of the Apoftlc's view in this Context to determine how many, whe- ther if//, or Some only, of the human Race, are redeemed by Chriji ; but only to explain the Occafion and Caufe both of the Ruin and Recovery of Men, viz. of all that have been ruined by Aiam, and of all who aie faved by Chriji ; or, of all who were included in Adatn, as their fcrderal Head, (thefe are, in- deed, all that defcend from him,) and all who are reprefented by Chrift^ as their foedcral Head, in the New Covenant. But how many, or how h^^ thcfe are, whether they are y///, or only a Part of Mankind, is a Queftion which the Apoftb does not once touch upon in this Paragraph. This muft be deter- mined by other Places of Scripture which treat of that Subject. Here, therefore, S» 7ro>.?vo», many., as well as Trai/ls?, , that if our Autiior's Senfe B 2 of 20 The Scripture-Do£lrine of of Qi wo>.Xoi, viz. all Mankind, fliould fall to the Ground, not a few of his clear ^ certain^ infallible^ demonflrative A} gumentSy which are built on it, as their only Foundation, muft fall together with it. As fome other of our Author's Criticifms, by which he la- bours to prove, what no body denies, feem to be intended merely to difplay his Learning (a Point which I will by no Means difpute with him) I pafs them over. There is only one more that I Ihall take notice of in this firft Part of his Book, by which he propofes to corredl and amend the prefent Tranflation. It is upon Rom. v. 12. So Death pafl'cd upon all Men^ for that (up «) all have finned : The marginal Tranflation reads it, in whom-, but Mr T. obferves, that the Particle « refers according to the Rules of Grammar, to Sajolo?, Death, as being the next Subflan- iive going before that it can agree with ; therefore not to cf'^^ovoi;^ Jlthis poor jejune Account of our Saviour's glorious Work of Redemption will pafs, with any Perfons of common Senfe, who believe the Scriptures to be given by Infpiration of God ? This is making the Scriptures a meer Nofe of Wax ; and, at this Rate, inftead of their being the Rule of our Faith, they would be no Rule at all. If we may thus put Meanings to the Scripture Phrafes, which are quite foreign to their obvious and natural Senfe, the Bible might equally ferve to prove, or difprove, any Fhing ; and a Syftem of Paganifm may as well be gathered from it, as the Doctrines of Chriftianity. The Author clofes his Appendix with fome Reflexions j of which I have only this to fay, that they are perfedlly well- becoming the Do6trme he has advanced, to the great Impovc- rilhment and Difhonour of the whole Gofpel, THE " [27] THE SCRIPTURE-DOCTRINE O F ORIGINAL SIN VINDICATED. PART II. ' E proceed now to the fecond Part of this elaborate and much applauded Work, in which the Author propofes impart! aLy to' examine the principal Pajjhges of Scripture^ that have not been confidered already^ which have by Divines been applied^ in fufport of the common Scheme of Original Sin. And Ijecaufe it would ))e cndlefs to collect all fuch PaiTag.s, he v^'ill confine himfelf to the Account the JJJembly of Divines have given of it^ in their Catechifrns^ and the Texts they quote to inake good that Account. In this Part tlie Author has given us large Specimens of his Impartiality and Candour ; particularly in the honourable Mention he makes of the AfTembly of Divines, p. 125. and the charitable Apology he makes for their Weakncfs and Ignorance, in quoting fo many Texts of Scripture, fo very impertinently, to fupport a Doclrine which is no where in the Bible. He dehrcs that what he fays on this Head may be obferved, and, therefore, I will tranfcribe it ; / defire it may he objerved., that I have no Dejign to afpcrfe the Memory of the Affembly of Divines^ either here, or in any other Part of the Book. 'Tis my Opinion they were a Body of Men vot inferior either in XJnderJlonding^ or Integrity., to at.y in thofs Days. They tvere not the Authors of the Docirine we are examin- ing : No ', it had been profejfed and ejiablifixd in the Church of Rom." 2 8 The Scripture-Do^irine cf Roine many A^ei before the AJferhhly of Divines uoer' In being. And the Proofs they ufe Were fuch as had been, ^ f'^Ppf-j ^^■''iifnon- ly applied by learned Men to the fame Purpofe. I wonder what this Author would have faid of the Afrenibly of Divines, if he had really d Jlgned to afperfe their Memc v. If this be the Language ot nis Candour and Charity, wliat \v.>uld the Lan- guage of his Wrath have been. The AJfembly of Divines were nst the Authors of this DoSfrine, 'Tis very true, for they found it in the Bible, out of which our Author will never be able to expunge \u They were as wife as their Neighbours ; but it feems they, and their Neighbours, in thofe Days, were all Fools alike. The moft learned Men of thofe Times took Things upon Truft : They fwallowed down a Do6lrine which has no Foun- dation of Truth J and quoted Texts of Scripture to prove it, as they found them quoted by others, without ever examining into the Meaning of them. But the Mafter-piece of our Author's Ligenuity and Candour is the Account he gives us from whence they received this Do£trine : It had been profeffed and ejlablijhed in the Church ^Rome, ttiany Ages before the Affembly of Divines vjere in being ; and I will be bold to add, in the Church of Chrifiy fome Ages before the Church of Rome was fo corrupted. What does our Author mean by this Do6lrine's having been profeffed and eftablifhed in the Church of Rome ? if he means, that it is properly a Popifti Do6trIne ; let him (hew what Connection it has with any of the peculiar and diftinguifhing Doctrines of Po- pery : Or, is it's having been profeffed and eftablifhed in the Church of Rome, an Argument of its being falfe and unfcrip- tural ? That would equally prove againft the Being of God, and againft mofi: of the fundamental DotSlrines of Chriftianity. I take no Delight in retorting our Author ill Language; but, fure- \y his candid Terms of y^//^, unjuji, abfurd, and unreafonable^ which he fo plentifully beftows on the Dodrine of Original Sin, were never more applicable to any Paffage, even in any contro- verfial Writings, which are feldom wrote with the beft Temper, than to this Paffage of our Author's* Now, though I will affure this Gentleman, that ««///«j in •verba is as much my Motto as it can be his : 'Tis not the Affem- bly 's Catechifm, but the Bible, that is the Rule and Standard of my Faith ; yet I look upon the Affembly's Catechifm to be, in the general, as excellent a Siimmarv of the Chriftian Faith as any tiiat is extant : I honour the Memory of thofe worthy Divines, and, in particular, for the judicious Collection they have given us of the l\xts of Scripture that either direSily prove, or properly illuflrate, the Dodtrine of Original Sin. Befides the Texts that dire6tly prove this Dodlrine, they have quoted fome 'n which the fad Effects of our originjl Ciuilt and Depravity are Part n. Original Sin vindicated. 2g are defcribed, which are therefore very proper for the Illuftrati- on of the Doiirine 5 and it is no fufficient Anfwer which Mr T. gives to feveral of them, in order to fhew, that thev arc quoted impertinently on die Side of the Do6trine of Original Sin, that tney do notdiieclly fpcak of it. Howcvei tliere arq fo many Texts in vv^hi.ch this Dc6trine is either dircdiy fpok? of, or evidently implied, that our Author might well have fpared his Obfervation \i\p. 50. viz. That the Scripture fpeaks very fpar- ingly of the Conjeqiiences of Adam's Sin upon us^ becaufe^ as tbefe are freely abjolved and reverjed to Mankind^ in Chrifi^ we are not fo much concerned to biotv thctn^ 5{c. where the Fa^ which he obferves, and the Reofon which he affigns for itj are equally true. Let us now fingle out fome of the Texts which are quoted by the Aflembly to fupport, or iliuflrate the Doitrine of Oiiginal Sm ; and attend to our Author's Remarks upon them. The firft is Atls xvii. 26. God hath made of one Blood all Na- tions of Men, for to dwell on the Face of the Earth, Sec. this is quoted to prove, that all Manlyind defend from Adam. But here our Author brings in his that is, (which yery often, in this Book, ftands for that is not :) Made all Nations of Men of one Blood, that is, God hath made all the federal Nations of ths J'Vorld of one Species, or Kind, endowed zuith the fa?ne Faculties. And fo they might have been if all Men had been created fingly and fcparately, juil zs-Adam was ; but in no Propriety of Lan- guage, or common Acceptation of Words, would they tlien have been all of one Blood. Are Angels of one Blood, becaufe they are of one Species, or Kind; and arc probably endowed with the fame Faculties? But our Author has different Meanin^^s, from other People, for Abundance of conimon Words andPhra- fes. However, to the common Senfe of Men, this Text will appear to be quoted very pertinently to prove what it is brought for. He adds. If this Scripture is def.gned to prove that tls Covenant zuas fo made zuith Adam, as a public k Perjon, not cnl^i for himfelf, but for his Poflerity ; that he finning, they alfo Jhould Sin in him ; I muft leave it to every Man to make it out as he can. And whoever thought this Scripture was quoted to prove all that? Such trifling as this deferves no Notice, That God made a Covenant with Adam, as a public/: Perfcn^ including all his Pojierity ; and, confequently, that all Mankind defending fro?n him, by ordinary Generation, finned in him, and fell with him in his firf: Trnnfgrejfton, the Aflembly have prov- ed very methodically and fubftantially : Firft, from Gen. ii. 16, 17, where Death is threatened to Adam, in cafe of his finning: then UomRom. v. 12—20. and i Cor. xv. 21, 22. where we are exprefly toldj that all Men die /;; Adam \ that by his Offiucejudg- qo 5r^;.\t, which fccms to fpeak the AfTembly's Senfe of the Corrup- tion Part II. Original Sin vindicated. 37 tion of human Nature, but which they have omitted. For, indeed, it was not pofliblc for them to produce all the Texts of Scripture, which give Teftimony to this Dodtrine, in fo narrow a Room as they thought it neceflary to confine themfclves to. The Text is Gen. viii. 21. I will not again curfe the Ground for Man s fake ; for the Imagination of Man's Heart is evil from his Youth. This Text gives our Author forne Opportunity of difplaying his Skill in Criticifm 5 v/hich, perhaps, might be one Reafon of his producing it ; for, otliewife, it would have been altogether as prudent not to hav^ put his Readers in mind of it. He has difcovered, it feems, that the Hebrew Particle »3 which is tranflated for in this Text, does fometimes fignify although^ though for is undoubtedly the more common Meaning of it. And then, by his ufual Dexterity in fhuflling and changing Words and Phrafes, he turns for the Imagination of Man s Heart is evil from his Youth ^ into although he Jhould fall into the lajl Degree of Corruption. But alter all the learned Labour which he has laid out on this Text, to make it fuit his own Scheme, how plain and obvious is the natural Meaning of it, t'/z. I will not curfe the Ground again for Man^ s fake., for Man is not to be cured that Way, he is fo naturally bent to Evil, f:,r the Imagination of M'ln^s Heart is evil from his Youth. After all, if thcfc Scripture-Proofs cannot be evaded, accord- ing to the moft obvious and natural Meaning of the Words, > yet our Author is very fore that the Doflrins of the Corruption of human Nature, wl.ich the Aflembly quote them to prove, cannot be true, and that for two very fuhlfantial Reafons : One is, that, according to this Doctrine, Men are no moral //gents.^ not capable of performing Duty^ nor of regulati-ag their Aciions by a Latv commanding Good., and forbidding Evil. p. 225. In another Place he fays, that if all Men arc by Nature utterly in~ difpojedy difabled, and oppofte to all fpiritiial Good., and wholly inclined to all Evil contif.ua lly, they can be in no Capacity of uftng Means cf Amendment nor is any Man., except Adam^ blameable for ivhatevcr JVickednfs is in the IVorld.^ feeing it proceeds from a Caufe fubfijting in natural Necejftty^ p. 167. I have faid enough before, concerning natural and moral Impo- tency, to (hew the Weaknefs and Abfurdity of thcfs Inferences. Becaufe we have now no natural Difpofition to fpiritual Good, but are difibled or made oppofite to it by the prevailing corrupt Biafs of our own Wills, therefore we are not capable of it, even though we were willing and inclined to it. And bccaufr, by the fame corrupt Biafs, we are inclined to Evil, therefore we arc not blameable for any Evil we do. lliis is olainly the Amount of our Author's Reafoning on this Head ; I prcfume 1 may fafely venture to let it pafs withokt any Anfwcr. C 3 Another 2 8 '^^s Scripture- Do^rine of Another weighty Reafon for which this Author will not fcruple to fay, that the A[Jemhl'f s Propofition concerning the Corruption of human Nature is falfe is, that^ according to this DoSfrincy Sin mufl he natural to ns^ and if natural^ then Keceffury. This is a favourite Turn of our Author's, which he has repeated abundance of times in his Book ; but were he to repeat it a thoufand times more, I fhall not fcruple to fay, that a thoufand Repetitions would not make Truth and Reafon of it. If by Sin he means here the corrupt Biafs of our Wills, that, indeed, is natural to us, as our Nature is corrupted by the Fall; but it was not fo originally, as our Nature came out of the Hand of God : And therefore it is very improperly and unjuftly compar- ed by our Author to the natural Paflions of Hunger and Thirft, which God himfelf put into human Nature. This corrupt Biafs of the Will is certainly evil and fmful, and hateful to God, whether v/e have contracted it ourfelves, or whether we derive it from Adam^ that makes no Difference. A proud and paffio- nate Temper is evil, whether a Man has contradled it himfelf, or whether (as is often moft apparently the Cafe) he has derived it from his Parents. But if by Sin which Mr T. fays muft, according to the Affembly, he natural to us; and if natural , then neceffary ; and if necejfary, then no Sin ; he means finful Anions which flow from, and are occafioned by, this corrupt Biafs of the Will ; it remains for him to prove, that a corrupt Biafs of the Will makes the A<5lions nece/Tary, and, confequent- ly, not fmful. If a corrupt Biafs makes Sin to be neceflary, and, confequently, to be no Sin, then the more any Man is in- clined to Sin, the lets Sin can he commit : And, as the corrupt Biafs of his Heart grows {Ironger, his a£tual finning becomes more necefTary i and fo the Man, inftead of growing more wicked, grows more innocent. Then Lufl, when it hath 'con- ceivedy that is, as our Author explains it, when it is come to full Purpofe, Power, and Maturity in the Heart, inftead of bring- ing forth Sin, as St, James aflerts, would, according to this Author, bring forth puie Innocence ; and the Man would be very unjuftly puniflied with Death and Deftrudtion for doing what was now become neceflary, and which he coyld not help. This is very weak and wild talking; and yet thus much our Au- thor's arguing proves, if it proves any thing. He argues further, p. 128. that if all aiiual Tranfgrefftons proceed frcm Adam' J firji Sin, then, in effect, Adam finned all the Sin that hath been, is, or JJyall be in the fVorld ; and he is the only guilty Per fen that ever lived in it. For if our Sins pro- teed from his, his Sin is the Caufe of ours ; and the Caufe of every Ejfeil is alone chargeable with the Eff'eSi it produceth, or yroceeddh from it. But who fays that Adam'^ Sin is th,e alone and part II. Original Sin vindicated. ^g and only Caufe of all adual TranfgrefTions ? The corrupt Biafs which all Men derive from him may be, and is, further heigh- tened by Men themfelves. The natural Propenfity to Sin grows by Indulgence and by Cuftom in finning: Hereby it is raifed to its full Power and Maturity in the Hearty and pro- duces acSlual Tranfgreilions. So, 'tis the Sinner's own Fault that he fufFers himfelf to be drav.'n away and enticed into the adtual Commillion of Sin, by thofe Lulls which he derives in a corrupt Nature from Adam ; and it is his further Fault, that he has heightened thofe co rupt Propenfities of his Nature into more fettled and confirmed Habits by his own wilful Indulgence of them, and by a Continuance in the Practice of Sin and Wick- ednefs. As to our Author's faying, that if our Sins proceed from Adzm's^ his Sin is the Caufe of ours^ &c. 'Tis pity he had not learjied before he wrote on this Subject, to diftinguifli upon that old School Axiom, Caufa Caufce efl Caufa caifati : he fliould have known that this holds only where the immediate Caufe is effentially fubordina;e to the remoterCaufe, not otherwifc. But whoever thought that the aftual Choice of our ov/n Will, which is the immediate Caufe of our adtual finning, is eiTential- ly fubordinate to Jdam's Sin; or that it neceffarily follows from that corrupt Biafs which we derive from him. The immediate Caufe of a Stone's Weight in falling, is the Pi inciplc or Power of Gravitation^ wliich God has put into it. Suppofe the re- moter Caufe of a Stone's falling on my Head, and doing me a Mifchief, fhould be fome Man's purpofcly letting it fall upon me from the Top of a Houfe or Tower; in this Cafe the im- mediate Caufe is neceflarily fubordinate to the more remote Caufe, by an eftablirtied Law of Natuie; therefore the Man is chargeable with doing the Mifchief, not the Stone nor Gravi- ty. But fuppofe fome Perfon has told this Man a falfe Story of me, by which he has fet him againfl me, or made his Heart oppofite to me ; the Man's malicious Action may be confi- dered as the more immediate Caufe of the Mifchief, the other Perfon's Lye as the remoterCaufe, or the Caufe of the Man'i, Action. In this Cafe, though the other Perfon would begtjilty •f a Lye, yet the Guilt of the malicious Action would lie wholly on him that did the Mifchief. And were this Man ta be tried for it, in any Court of Juftice, it would be a vain Thing to plead in his Juftification, that the other Perfon was the Caufe of it, not he. So Jdarris Sin is the Caufe of the cor- rupt Biafs of our Wills ; but it is our own wilful indulging to this corrupt Biafs that is the Caufe of our aftual finning. There- fore ihe Caufe of our Sin is the Choice of our own Will ; or our Sin proceedcth immediately from our own Choice ; But it by no means follows, as our Author would have it, th;\t ihcre- C 4 foje 40 The Scripture-Do^rine of fore it proceedeth not alfo from Adam\ Tranfgreflion ; any more than, in the Cafe beiore fuppofed, that the Man's mali- cious A(Stion does not proceed from the other Perfon's Lye. Upon the whole then, it is no palpable nor dangerous Error, nor any Error at all, to affirm, that the Wickcdnefs of the World proceeds from Adam's firft Tranfgreffion ; in as much as that gave an Evil Bent and Biafs to all his Pofterity. This is no palpable and dangerous Error ; but on the other Hand, it is a moft obvious Truth that our Author talks very weakly and ignorantly on this Subject. I am afraid of quite tiring my Reader with fuch Kind of Ar- guments and Criticifms as we have hitherto met with in the Book before u? ; and I cannot promife him that thofe which are yet to come are any thing belter. I will only beg his Pa- tience while I remark upon a few more, and that as briefly as may be. The AfTembly quotes Pfal. li. 5. Behold, I ivas Jhapen in Iniquity^ and in Sm did my Mother conceive me, for one Proof, among others, that Original Sin is conveyed, from our firft Pa- rents to their Pofterity, by natural Generation ; fo as that all vho proceed from them, in that Way, are conceived and born in Sin. Upon this Text our Author takes Occafion to difplay much of his critical Skill and Learning : He makes the Word which our. Tranflators have rendered Jhapen to fignify brought forth, or born. I will not ftand to difpute with him for a few Months ; e'en let it fignily as he would have it, / was brought forth, or horn in Iniquity. As for the Word tranflated conceiije in this Text ; after this reverend Divine has taken much learned Pains, for about a Page and half, to clear it from an ob- icene Senfe which fcarce any Body would have thought of, if lie had not fuggefted ir, he makes it to fignify made hot, or warmed : And fo one would naturally fuppofe the Senfe fhould be /;; Sin did my Illotber vjarm tne, ox gave me the firft vital Heat. It ("ee:ns then our Author's Criticifm will not yet help his Caufe. But he is obliged to have recourfe to his ufual Slight Qi Jhujjiivg Words, and putting one for another. By this Art he has prefently turatJ warmed \x\x.o cherified or nurfed ; in Sin did my Mother nurfe me. But ftili this will not do, without fome further Help j for it is not to be fuppofed that David here charges his Mother, whom he elfewhere calls the Hand Maid of the Lord., with nurfing him in Sin, or giving him a bad Education : Befuies, the Word nurfed naturally refers to the State of Infancy, wlien according to our Author, David himfelf had no Sin of any Sort ; and as for his Mother's Sin he had no need to be forry for it. Therefore a little further jCaft of this Writer's Skill is iiecciTary to make this ftubborn ■ Te.x^ Part II. Original Sin vindicated. 41 Text buckle to his Scheme. And by and by he has turned, in Sin did my Mother nurfe 7ne^ into / am a great Sinner j and fo by all thefe Shiftings and Changings, of one Word for ano- ther, and that for another, &c. he has at length pretty well managed and fubdued this Text. But is this leading us by the Hand into the mod fruitful and pleafant Garden of God, his holy Word? as he had promifed us, p. 4. No furely, but it is leading of us quite out of it, into the Wildernefs of his own Fancy. Is this agreeable to that Rule which he hath given us for interpreting Scripture ? p. 3. nji-z. We muji not allow eur- fehes to feign any Thing ; hut miijl attend to the true, JiriSl^ and proper Senfe of every Place, without daring to add or dimi- niflj by our own Imaginations. And has our Author, indeed, given us the ftridt and proper Senfe of this Place ? No ; and to do him Juftice, he does not pretend that he has : And he gives us three Reafons why this Text cannot be taken in the literal Senfe. 1. In the whole Pfalm there is not a Word, nor Hint, about Adam, or the EffeSfs of his Sin upon us. I anfwer, that this fifth Verfe of the Pfalm ii more than a Hint about the EfFe6ts of Adam\ Sin upon us, 2. It is plain beyond all Doubt, that the Pfalmift is charging himfelf with his own Sin, confe[fing and lamenting his own per- fonal Wickednefs. And it is plain beyond all Doubt, that in this Verfe of the Pfalm, he is humbling himfelf before God upon the Confideration of his natural Corruption and Sinfulnefs. 3. If we take the Words in the literal Senfe of our Verfion, then it is manifeji that he chargeth not himfelf with his Sin and Wickednefs, hut fome other P erf on : and who fees nSt that he throws the whoU Load of his Iniquity and Sin from off himfelf upon another, iiu: v/ho fees not, with half an Eye, that this is very abfuru Rcafoning ? For a Biafs toward Sin in Davidy given him in his Conception, did not make his Sin neceflary : Nor does it at all follow, as our Author would make it, that if David was (liapen in Iniquity, then God was the Author of his Iniquity, becaufe God fliaped and formed him ; for God a, Mr T. is pleafed to underftand nothing clfe but the mere Parts and Powers of Man ; and to be born of the Flejh, is according to him, to be born of a JVoman by natu' ral Defcent and Propagation, and fo to become a Man, cen- Jijting of Body and Soul, or the mere Cenjiitut'ton and Powers- of •s. Man in their natural State. Now kt us fuppofc, with our Author, th«r hujnan Nature is not at all corrupted -, that there is Part II. Original Sin vindicated, 43 is no Evil Biafs in our Nature ; no fuch Thing as a Propenfit/ to Sin and Difinclination to Holinefs and Goodnefs ; and let us try what Senfe we can make of other Texts of Scripture, where the Word Flejh is ufed in Oppofition to Spirit, as it is here ; as Rom. viii. i. There is noiv no Condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus., who walk not after the Flejh, but af- ter the Spirit ; that is, not after the pure and uncorrupted Conftitution and Powers of Man. Again, wr. 8. They that are in the Flefo cannot pleafe God y that is, no Man, who has the Conftitution, Parts, and Powers of a Man, can pleafe God. Again, ver. 13. If ye live after the Flejh ye Jhall die -, that is, if ye live fuitably to the pure and uncorrupted Conftitution and Powers of human Nature, ye (hall die, and fall under the Wrath of God. And inwliat Senfe we can underftand it, that the Flejh lujteth againft the Spirit^ and the Spirit againft the Flejh^ and thefe are oontrary the one to the other ^ Gal. v. i^. if Flefh means nothing but the pure and uncorrupted Conftitution and Powers of human Nature ? Nay, how (hall we underftand even our Author's Account of being horn of the Spirit^ in op- pofition to being born of the Flcjh^ and what Senfe can we make of it } viz. that it is to be born of God into a divine and fpiritual Life-, into the right life and Application of the natural Powers .y if there be no original Biafs in our Nature, and if thefe natural Powers are pure and uncorrupted in the firft or natural Birth. Why is not Man born in the right Ufe of his natural Powers at iirft^ if he has no natural Pravity, if his Nature that comes into the World is no other than God's own Work and Gift, that is, as pure and undefiled as God made it : And we are fure that an infinitely holy God would make nothing but what is pure and undefiled. In oppofition to the Doiftrine of the original Corruption of human Nature, our Author affirms, that, on the contrary, (this Text, viz. John iii. 6.) fuppofeth that zve have a Nature fuf- ceptible of the bcfl Kind of Habits, and capable of being born of the Spirit, p. 145. . And who ever denied it ? This Writer has a fingular Talent at making Contradictions of Confiftencies, and Confiftencies of Contradidf ions. 'Tis a Difcovery of his own, no doubt, that an Indifpofition to do a Thing renders us inca- pable of doing it, even when that Indifpofition is removed ; and that fuch a corrupt Biaft. of the Will, as doth in efFe(5t at prefent difable us for fpiritual Gocd, renders us alfo incapable of beino: born of the Spirit, or of having that evil Biafs corrected by his almighty Influence. Well, but, after all, if the Teftimony of this Text againft our Author's Scheme cannot be fairly evaded, yet he is veryr fure that his Scheme is right j and either this Text muft have fome 44 ^^^ Scripture-DoBrine of fome latent Meaning, or none at all. For if natural Generation is the Means of conveying Original Sin from our firji Parents to tis their Poflerity^ then it would follow, that natural Generation imijl itfelfbe a ftnful and unlawful Thing, which yet he has pro- ved, from another Text, it is not, />. 145. Here our Author's own Simile, for the Illuftration, of this Point, might, if he had well confidered it, have prevented his abfurd Conclufion, viz,. So far as we eat and drink in Sin, it is a Sin to eat and drink j end fo far as we are generated in Sin, it muft be a Sin to be gene- rated. I fuppofe he means it mufl be a Sin to generate : So far- as we eat and drink fmfully, that is, againft the Law of Sobrie- ty and Temperance, it is a Sin to eat and drink. But daes our Author mean, that it is a Sin for a wicked Man, who lives in Sin, (over whom Sin has Dominion, in whofe Body it reigneth, tand he obeys it in the Lufis thereof, who therefore does nothing but in Sin,) does he mean it is a Sin for fuch a Man to eat and drink, and that it would be more virtuous for him to Itarve himfelf to Death by total Abftinence ? I prefume this is not his Meaning ; though I will not be fo vain as to to fay, that I can certainly find out what his A'leaning is. Thus, fo far as any Perfons generate finfuUy, that is againft the Law of Chaf- tity, they commit a fmfuland unlawful Thing ; but while they keep within the Bounds and Rules which God has prefcribed, in this Cafe, they do nothing that is fmful ; nor are they anfwera^ bic for that natural Pravity which will be neceiFarily propagated to their Offspring, independently on the Choice and Confent, of their own Wills. Our Author's Illuftration here is not amifs, 'ui%. that Men produce one another as the Oak produces the Acorn. To which let me add, that if the Oak be corrupted, the Acorn may necefTarily be fo too ; and fo if human Nature be corrupted in the Parent, it will necefTarily be fo in the Offspring. A cor- rupt Stock will, by Virtue of God's vegetating Lifluence which he exerts according to his eftablifhed Lav,r of Vegetation, produce a corrupt Branch ; and fo will corrupt human Parents propagate a corrupt Offspring, by Virtue of that Influence which God ex- erts according to his original eftablifhed Law of Propagation. But neither do human Parents commit Sin in propagating their Nature, (whether it be pure or corrupted is what no waysaffe6ts the Lawfulnefs of their A61:ion) neither does God aifl unworthy of his Holinefs in continuing his propagating Influence on the human Race, according to his eftablilheJ Law of Nature ; and not working Miracles every Day, and every Moment, to prevent the Propagation of that Corruption with which the whole humaa Nature Part II. Original Sin vindicated. 45 Nature Is now infefled. In fhort God's vegetating Influence in Plants, and his propagating Influence in Animals is uniform and blamelefs, whether the Stock be good or bad. In p. 148. our Author fpeaks out his Meaning more plainly than he has done before, vi%. Allwelojl in Adam was that Life which c£afeth when we leave this World ; and all that God's Grace doth for us in Chrift, to repair that Lofs^ is raifuig us up at the lafl Day. To which I will only fay, let any Man of common Senfe, who is not under the Influence of violent Prejudice to a pre- conceived Scheme, read the New Teftament and the Accounts which are there given of our Redemption by fefus Chriji^ and the various Benefits that flow from it j and let him believe our Author's Scheme to be fcriptural and true if he can. The Aflcmbly afl'ert, that the Fall brought upon Mankind God^s Difpleafure and Curfe, fo as we are by Nature the Children of tVrath\ to prove which they, very properly, quote Eph. ii. 2, 3. a Text that has been confidered before. Our Author will be bold to fay, that neither from this Text nor from any other Scrip- ture, can this propofition he proved, p. 151. and I am as bold to fay it can be proved, and has been proved already. It is further afl'erted by the Affembly, that we are by Nature Bond-Slaves to Satan ; to prove which they quote iTim. ii. 26. And that they may recover theTnfelves out of the Snari of the De- vil, who were taken Captive by him at his Will. Here our Au- thor has fomewhat improved upon a whimt'ical Senfe, that was anciently given by TheophylaSl of this Text, and has adopted it for his own : It affx)rds him a glorious Opportunity of difplaying his profound Skill in Criticifm ; and by the help of that Art he gives this Turn to the Text that they may recover themfelves out of the Snare of the Devil, being caught to Life by him, viz. the Servant of God mentioned at the Beginning of ver. 24. to the Obedience of God's Will. I promifed our Author to remind him ol: his Critique on Rom. v. 12. />. 51. and now is a proper Time for it. There he ini'ifls upon it that the Particle J which is tranflated that, and in the Margin zvhom, cannot refer to ca^^o- wc-;, Muu,\u the Beginning of the Vcrfe, as the marginal Verfion refers it, becaule Sawrf^ Death, is the next Sub/iantive going before, to ivhich, therefore, according to the Rules of Grammar^ it miifi refer ; and yet in the Text, now under Confideration, he wdl have uvrovhim, refer, not to oia.^ooAoy, the Devil, which is the next Stibjiantive going before, with zvhich, according to the Rtdes of Grammar, it can agree, but \Ooov\w, Servay.t, at the Difl:ance of almoft three Verfts. Wliat wretched Shifts is this Man 46 J'he Scripture-'DDBrins of Man put to, to fupport his Scheme, or rather to keep the Scrip- tures from teftifyingagainft it ? And yet all will not do. His Criticifm on ihe Word s^wy^n/^Ewt taicen Captive.^ is ftill more extraordinary- He tells you^ that any, Greek Scholar, that can only look into his Lexicon tvill Jatisfy you that the Word Zuy^iu never fignifieth to take captive^ or catch either Men or Beajis to kill and defiroy ihem^ but it always fignifieth to revive^ to bring to Life^ to rejlore ; and when applied to War, or Hun- *^^Si f^nifieth to take with a Defign to preferve and keep alive ; not as Emmies taken for Bonds, or for Death, but as Captures re* deemed for Life and Liberty. One would think our Author was juft fuch a Greek Scholar as he has here defcribed, and that the Lexicon he has looked into is but a very forry one. It is ftranger that the Word Zs;y^Ew, which is commonly applied to hunting fliould never fignify to catch Beafts to kill and deftroy them. Not many Beafts are hunted and catched with a Defign to be pre- ferved and kept alive, befides Squirrels and Monkeys. When this Word is applied to War, i'. is ufed, indeed, for taking Cap- tives alive; but itby no Means determines what is tobedonewith them afterwards whether they are to be releafed again, or made Slaves of. Thus, in the Scptuagiiit, it is ufed for fAv\x\gRahab 2i- live, when the Defign was to give her her Freedom, Jo/h. vi. 25. and it is ufed for faving the Giheonites alive, when the Defign was to make Slaves of them, fo/h. ix. 20. Therefore our Au- thor's learned Criticifm on this Text is falfe, and fo we difmifs it, with all that he has built upon it. / have no Inclination to exfoje the frightful Confequences of our Author's Scheme *. How highly injurious it is to the Scriptures any one may fee. But give me leave, before I difmifs this Part of the Book, to ccmmiferate the Cafe of thofe mijiaken Perfons who I hope, are not majiy, jvith vjhomfvch an extravagant Scheme, fo contrary to the whole Current of Scripture, and to the common * The Author's Words referred to in this Paragraph are thefe : T have no Inclination to expofe it {the Do£i)tne of Original Sin) in all its frightful Confequences. How highly injurious it is to Divine Juftice any one may lee. But give me leave to commiferate the mifiaken Many, with whom fuch Points as thefe pafs for Articles of the Chriftian Faith. Their Eyes are covered with a thick Cloud of Error^ and the All-pert'e^ GooJnefs of God, which {hould he their Joy and Life, is thereby intercepted from their View ; or ap» peareth quite deformed : and they fit artonilhed in the gloomy cave of Superftition, haunted with cauCelefs Fear, Terror, and Defpair ; and refounding with the horrible Murmur of Blafphemy. Senfe M Part II. Original Sin vindicated, j^y Senfe and Experience of Mankind, can pafs for rational and fcrip- tural Divinity. Their Eyes are covered with a thick Cloud of Bi- gotry, Prejudice, and Error ; whereby that greateft Inftance of God's Goodnefs^ which Jhould he their Joy and Life ^evcu his giving his Son to be a Sacrifice for our Sins, and to fave us from the manifold Ruins of our Fall, is intercepted from their View whereby the whole Gofpel is moft wretchedly impoverifhed and deformed^ and almoft all the Glory of it quite darkened. May God give them Repentance to the Acknowledgment of the Truth, leaft their caufelefs difhonouring of Chriji, and his Gof- pel, fhould prove a Prelude to thofe Blafphemies which refound in that gloomy Prifon, where all the Defpifers of Chrift fhall luonder and perijh. THE ( 48 ) THE SCRIPTURE-DOCTRINE O F ORIGINAL SIN, VINDICATED. PART IIL IT is Time now to take a little Notice of the third Part of this Book, in which the Author undertakes to anfwer Objedlions againft his Scheme. The Firji, which he puts in the Form of a Query, is. Are •we not in warfe moral Circumjiances than Adam was ? To which I anfwer, that this is mere trifling, if not worfe, to frame an Objedlion in fuch Words as makes the Cafe all con- fufed, and affords Matter for flourifhing and expatiating in many Anfwers. But let the Objeftion be put thus : Are we not more inclined to Sin than Adam was by Nature ? And then let this Author anfwer roundly, according to his own Scheme, that we are not ; and let him prove it if he can. It is with him a very material Obje<£lion againft the common received Do£lrine of Original Sin, that, according to that Scheme, a corrupt Nature wilU to the End of the World, re- main in every Man [o long as he liveth, p. 167, and fo it will remain in fome Degree : and what then ? Does it therefore follow, that the Reformation of Mankind muji be impraSiicable with regard to the impure Spring of all Wickednefs ? For as this natural Part III. . Original Sin vindicated 49 natural corrupt Biafs may be greatly heiglitncd and fircngthned, ib, on the other hand, it may be greatiy weakned and diniinifh- ed, as it really is in all good Men : Does it follow, that there- fore Men are in no Capacity of iftng the Means of Amendment^ and that no Man is obliged to attempt the Preformation of the TV^orld, iwr any^ except Adam, blameable for zvhatevcr IVicked- ncfs is in it ? Nothing need be faid to Ihew the unrealbnablC' Alifurdity of thefe Inferences to any common Reader. Our Author takes occafion, under this Head, to expatiate largely on Adani% Folly. He can find no Traces of fuperior Wifdom in him, even before his Fall, to the Bulk of his Pof- terity ; and upon comparing the Ads which Adam performed in his State of Innocence, with what Men have fince been ca- pable of, he doth not find that he was a whit vv^ifer than they are. Now, though I have a much better Opinion of our firfl Parent's natural Capacity and Genius than, it feems, Mr T. has ; yet I will not ftand to difpute this Matter with him at prefent ; becaufe it is quite. foreign to the Argument about Original Sin. The Queflion is not about natural Capacity and Genius, but about ynoral Circumftances ; therefore it is not, Whether Adam was wifer than we are ? but. Whether we are not more inclined to Sin than Adam, was ? So that all our Author hath faid upon this Matter, for about fix Pages, is mere trifling in the Argument, and as fuch I fhall pafs it all over. But from >f^«//z's complying with the Temptation, to eat the forbidden Fruit, he gathers that Jofeph and Daniel and the three young Men who refifedto wor-^^ip'NehuchzdneT.zzT's golden Image, were far fuperior in Virtue to Adam, even in his mofl perfcSf State^ p. 172. But, he adds, fome ivill fay^ the Grace of God Jlrenthened and ajjified thefe Men : To which our Author replies, that all the Faculties and Helps that Adam had^ and that w.-; havgy are wholly from the Grace or Goodnefs of God ; fo that he had no Powers nor Advantages from hinfelf any more than we. But he has quite forgot one very material Difference betwixt Adam and us, viz. that thefe Powers belonged to his Nature, but they do not to ours ; wliichj with his good leave, does very much alter the State of the Argument. A J'econd OhjcdiiCn which our Author is aware may lie sgainft his Scheme is, tliat Adam was created after God's oivn Image ; and ivill you fay., that his Pcfieriiy are made in the fame Image of Gad^ This, it fcen^.s, Mr T. will I'ay, and does roundly fay it, p. 175. and proves tliat Man was made in the Image of f.iod after the Fall, as well ss before it ; becaufe it is given as a Rca- fon for puniftiing Murther, with the Death of theMunhcier, in JSsab'i 'Fime, for in the hncge cf God made hs Adan^ Geia. xi. 6. ' ]) But 5© The Scripttire-BoSlrine of But though It may follow from hence, that Men, in }^oah*i t)ays, were truly made in the Image of God, as well as Adam ; yet it will by no means follow, thai Men were made in Noah*j Dayst and were to be made to the End of the Worlds in thefamt Image of God., or in his Image in all the fame Refpedts that Adam was. Adam was made in the Image of God in the Spirituality and Immortality of his Nature, which I apprehend is the Image of God fpoke of Gen. ix. 6. and thus far all Men arc made in the fame Image of God. Adam was made in the Image of God in refpeit to Dominion over the Creatures j vfhich political Image, as we may call it, was forfeited by Adam., but was gracioufly re- ftored in fome Meafure to Man in NoaV% Time. But Man was alfo made in the moral Image of God's Holinefs j which Image was loft by Adam., and is reftored, only in fome Part, to pious Men while they arc in this World. To prove that Man was original- ly made in the moral Image of God, the Affcmbly quote Col. iii. 10,. And have put on the new Man^ which is renewed in Know- ledge after the Image of him that created him : And Epk. iv. 24- And that ye put on the new Man., which ^ after God, is created in Righteoujnefs and true Holinefs. It feems they thought the Apoflle alludeth in thefe Texts to Adam'j being made in the Imagt vf God, and taketh his Manner of Expreffionfrom thence. And oar Author allows, Vtm., probably, he does fo. Methinks then, it is more than probable, that Knowledge, Righteoufnefs, and true Holinefs, belonged to that Image of God, in which Adam was created, and which is here faid to be renewed in thofe who kre created in Chrift Jefus. It is manifeft that theNewTefta- mcnt does, in feveral Places, run a Parallel betwixt Ada7Ti and Chrift ; and betwixt our Fall and Ruin by the former, and our Recovery and Rcftoration by the latter. Thus Adam is faid to be the Figure or Type of Chrift; and Chrift is called thefe- cond Man, and the laft Adam. As Adam was God's more immediate Workmanfhip than any other Man, being im- mediately created, by his Power ; fo, (to carry on the Allufion,) thofe whom Chrift reftores by the Power of his Grace from the Ruins of the Fail, are faid to be his Workmanfhip created in Chrift Jefus. Eph. i'l. 10. And as the firft Man was created in the Image of God ; fo the new Man, whom Chrift reftores, is faid alio to be created after God, and renewed after God, and renewed after his Image : And here the Apoftle mentions three Particulars of that Image of God ; Knowledge, Righteoufnefs, and trueHolinefs, Now if thefe Things made no Part of the Image of God, in which Adam was created ; where is the Parallel and Refcmblance betwixt the firft Man^ and the new Man ? be- twixt ',/*• part III. Original Sin "vindicated. 5 1 twixt the Creation of Adam, and this new Creation in Qhrift Jefus f And befides, with what Propriety can Men be faid to be renewed after an Image that never belonged to their Nature, and which they never, in any Senfe, either had or loft ? Thefe Texts, therefore, muft, according to their obvious Senfe, lead us to conclude that Knowledge^ Righteoufnefs^ and Holinefsy did really belong to that Image of God in which the firft Man was created. Let us fee now how our Author fhifts off the Evidence of thefe Texts againft his darling Scheme. Here he has recourfe to his ufual Slight of Jhuffiing Words and Phrafes, and fubftituting others, that are more convenient for his Purpofe, in the Room of thofe which the Spirit of God makes ufe of. Thus, renewed in Knowledge^ that is, fays our Author, in th» Acknowledgment of the Truth. He makes the new Man to iig- nify nothing but a Life of Truths Righteoufnefsy and Holinefs : And, after the Image of God^ is agreeable to his Nature, as thofe who walk in Righteoufnefs and Holinefs are like unto him. But ftili the Turn which he gives to thefe Texts is apparently fo forced and unnatural, that it may be feared few will cm- brace it, in preference to the natural and obvious Senfe of the Words, unlcfs there be fome urgent Neccffity to depart from the obvious Senfe j which, therefore, our Author labours, with his ufual Strength of Reafoning, to prove that there is. He tells us, it will notf nay, he had almojl. faid it cannety follow from thefe Texts, that Adam was originally created in this Image of God, for a very good Reafon ; becaufe this Image, or the Habits of Virtue and Holinefs, cannot be created in the fame Manner as eur natural Faculties, vi». by an ASi of God's ahfolute Power without our Knowledge, Concurrence, or Confent ; ---for Holinefs mufi neceffartly be the Choice of our own Minds — // muji be our awn ASfand Deed— therefore Adam could nat be ori- ginally created in Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs, becaufe he mu/i choofe tobe righteous before he could be righteous, andtheref ore he mufi exifl, he mufi be created before he was righteous. According to this Way of Reafoning, Chrift cou\6 not be holy at the Time of his Birth ; and the Angel was miftaken, when he faid to the Virgin Mary, That Holy Thing that Jh all be born of thee. Nay, God could not be righteous and holy from Eternity, becaufe he muft exift before he was righteous and holy. But might not a Quality or Principle of Holinefs, /'. e. an Inclination and Propenfity ta it^ be concreated with Adam without his actual Confent ? Molt certainly it might, notwithftanding our Author's cannot. Can he form no Notion of habitual Holinefs, or Propenfity to Good, diftintt from virtuous Actions ? Does not the Scripture defcribc D 2. a good 52 Th Scripiure-Docfrine of a good Man ?.s being ever merciful^ or merciful all the Day^ at the Margin renders it more clofely to the Original, Pf. xxxvii. 26. that is, he is always of a merciful Difpofition. And will our Author fay, that he is never merciful but, it may be, once or twice in a Day or in a Week, when he is a6lually performing "^Vorks of Mercy ; and yet, with jufl: as good Reafon, may he ixy fo, as that Adam could not be holy before he had performed fome holy Adiion. What Reafoning is here againft a Habit or Principle of Holinefs ! And yet, this Stuff Our Author calls De- '^mDnfirathn. '' He concludes this Paragraph with an Inference, in which I ■perfedily agree with him, vi-z. If the foregoing Reafoning and Arguments be good. Original Kighteouficfs is jufi as far from Truth as Original Sin, p. 179. But if his Arguments are good for. nothing, his Conclufion is worth nothing, and fo we difmifs ■■it : And we muft Itill prefer the Account which God gives us •in his ov/n Word of that Image of himfelf, in which he created Man, to Mr T's Demonftration againfl it. ' Our Author has framed a third Objeftion againft his own Scheme in thefe Words : But we derive from Adam a moral Taivt and Infe^ion, vohereby we have a natural Propenfity to Sin^ p. 184. As to this, he very honeftly confefTes in the next Page, that he doth not underjland what is meant by it ; and I moft firiniy believe him. He has giyen fuch abundantly convincing Evidences of this Truth, that one cannot doubt of it; one may clearly fee it, in almoit every Page of his Book, that he is ar- guing againft that which he doth not underftand. One glaring Evidence of this Sort I have lately turned over in p. 181. where, -after he has defcanted on Rom. ii. 14., 15, and proved by it, what no Body denies, viz. that the Light of A^ature, common Reafon, and Underflanding, is a Lazu, a Rule of right ASiion to -fill Mankind \ that all Men ought to follow it; and that if they do not they are anfwerable to God', he infers, therefore this^ext is fo far from [ervir^p the Purpofe for which it is br ought, ^that it overihroivs the whole Scheme of Original Sin, as taught by the Af~ fembly of Divines. As if a moral Taint, or native evil Biafs, upon the Will of Man, (which is all that the Aflembly teaches,) were any Way inconfiftent with tj^ Obligation which all Men are under to follow the Rule, whether of natural Reafon or of Revelation, which God has given them. Did any Mortal be- fore Mr T. ever imagine, that a Difmclination to Duty (v«he- ther natural or acquired makes no dilFcrence in this Cafe) would fet a Man free from all Obligation to perform the Duty ; or, that an Inclination to any Sin wouM make it to be no Sin, in the Man that commits it. It is evident, imleed, and we ftiould certainly have known it if our Author had not told us, that he doth Part III. Original Sin vi'ddicated, 55 dath not undtrf} and what a moral Taint means. Again, p. 184. By a natural Propmfity to Sin, he prefutnes, is meant a necejfary Inclination to Sin; or, that wc are necejfarily finful from the o-i riginal Befit and Biafs of our natural Powers, which, he fays, miijl be falfe ; for then we Jhould not be fmful at all, hecaufe that which is neceffary, or which we cannot help, is not Sin. Here again it is moft evident that our Author does not underftand what a moral Taint dcriv'd from Adam, or a native Propenfity to Sin, means : for if he had, he would not furely have argued at this monftrous Rate ; and inferred that a Propenuty or Incli- nation to Sin lays Men under a neceflity of a e. when ii w. is fee home with Pow- er on his Confcience by the Spirit of G>d, Sin revived in the, Senfe of it, and he died as to the Opinion which he iiad of him- D4 fvlf ( 5 5 Ihe Scripture-I)o5frine of felf. He now faw hlmfelf to be a dead Sinner, juftly condemn- ed to Death by the righteous Law of God. But our Author's main Argument to prove, that St Paul does not here fpeak of himfelf, is taken from fome Expreilions in the Defcriprion of the Perfon here fpoke of, which are fup- pofed to be inconfiftent with the Charadlerpf a truly good Man, as well as with the Account which this Apoflle does elfewhere give of himfelf; as particularly ver. 14. / am carnal, fold undet Sin. I grant this expreffion founds harfli and fevere to be appli- ed to the holy Apoftle, and it is, indeed, almoft the only Dif- ficulty in the Application of all that is here faid to him- But might not a very huiiil;le good Man, when complaining with the utmoft Dcteftation of that Principle of Sin v/hich he fometimes found working in him, make ufe of fuch a flrong Expreffion as this, which yet need not be taken in its utmoft and moft feverd Senfe. Doth not David in his Humiliation fay, L am a JVorm, and no Man, Pf. xxii. 6. And what if Paul, in his deep Hu- miliation, fhould have faid, 1 am a Sinner, and no Saint ', might not fuch an Expreffion have been allov/ed in fuch a Cafe ? Nay, doth he not fay of himfelf, I am lefs than the leaji of all Saints, Eph. iii. 8. (£A««irsIs§®-) and will our Author fay, this Expreffi- on muil needs be taken in its utmoft and moft fevere Senfe ? As for that other Expreffion which Mr T. hinges on, ver. Qj^. O ivretched Man that I am, who Jhall deliver me from the "Body cf this Death, which, he fays, plainly fiippofes, that the Perfon- here fpoke of is not delivered from the Slavery of Sin, and fi'ctn Death, the Condemnation of the Law, I cannot fee, that this is fuppofed here plainly, or at all ; for he might very well cry ou't, who Jlmll diliver 7ne from the inward Working of this Body 0/" Sin, or Death ; though he knew himfelf to be freed from its condemning Power. It is a weaker Argument ftill, by which our A.uthor endea- vours to prove, that this Chapter does not fpeak of any regene- rate Perfon whatfoever, hecaufe it is the conftant htJ}ru£fion of the Gofpel that wejmrtify the Deeds of the Flejh ; and the cer- tain Rule of the (^^l, that all who are born of God, and art inChriJI, have already 7n'irtifed' the Flejh with the Lu/ls. For the Perfon, who here fpsaks, might be conflantly employed in mortifying Sin, and he might really have mortified it, in a good nieafure ; and yet have Reafon to complain bitterly of its in- ward working Hi!!. But allovving there may be fome Difficulty in applying^e or two Expreilions in this Chapter to the Chara£ler of a good Mui ; yet I apprehend there is much more Difficulty in apply- ing feveral other Exprcfficns to th.e Character and Condition of a 'Jew in the Flejh j an ur.regenerate Man who is under the Power "f Part III. Original Sin indicated. c,y of Si?i ; of one cnjlaved to Sin without Help, and fuhje£ied to . "Death voithout Pardon : viz. That he confents unto the Law that it is good i that he delights in the Law of God after the inward J\4an : that he would do good ; that to tvill is prefent with him ;, or, that his Will is brought over to an Approbation and Choice of Holinefs and Obedience to the Liiw oF God ; and when at any time he fails of his Duty,' and commits Sin, he doth what- he allows not, what hewouMnot: That Sin is the Burden of his Soul, he earnel^ly defues to be delivered from it, and cries our,' O wretched Man that I am, who /hall deliver me from this Body- it hfinence of feme I 58 5"^^ Scripture-Do5Irine of fome Princlplt which It was never in his Power to command, for then he would he no Sinner at all. This ridiculous Argument, this Crambe repetita, has been fo often repeated, that it is now grown quite naufeous. Our Author has himfelf favoured us with a Defcription and Character of a good Man, which is fomewhat different, indeed, from the Character which St Paul gives us, but not quite fo confiftent: For Inflance, he tells us, p. 22o- It is the real Character of every true Chrijiian ; not that he feels he hath a corrupt and wicked Heart, hut that he crucifieth the Fle/h with the JffeSiions and Lujls. But how he crucifieth thisFlefh, thi^ finful Principle working in him, without feeling it, I muil leave our Author to explain ; which, I am perfuaded, no Man of in- ferior Abilities to himfelf can do. We are obliged to Mr 7. for his charitable Concern to free vs from a dangerous Snate into which ^ he fears, many have fallen, from a falfe Perfuafion that St Paul defcribes a good Man, and is fpeaking of himfelf in Rom. vii. which, he faith, ^ath a manifefi Tendency to give us too favourable an Opinion of the Workings of criminal Affe£lions \ to make us remifs in morti' fying them ; to encourage us to venture too far in fenfual Indul- gences ; and to lull Conjcience afleep when we are fallen under the Dominion of them, p. 223. But how this Perfualion, v/'z. That a truly good Man is grieved, above all Things, at the working of his criminal AffecSlions, fhould make any Perfon favourable to them, and remifs in mortifying them, is not eafy to com- prehend. That this CharaiSter of a good Man, i>/z. that hi would do good\ that he confents to the Law of God, and delights in it, and mofl earncftly defires us to be delivered from all Workings of Sin, fhould encourage any to venture too far in fenfual Indulgences, is very furprizing. That this Defcription, of a renewed Confcience, viz. That it is moil tenderly fenfiblc of the working of Sin, even in the Heart, as well as in the outward Praitic^, fiiould tend to lull Confcience afleep: Thefe are My Series whicl^)ur Author only can explain. Thus Mr T. halBt i" l^is Way, anfwcred all Objedlions a- gainft his Scheme, and prefumes we are fatisfied with his An- fwers : Yet he fuppofes, that, perhaps, we may be inclined to ^dery. I . Is rot the Do^rine cf Original Sin necefjary to account for the Being of Sin in the World ? How comes it to pafs there is fo iruch Wickedmfs in the World, if our Nature be not fmfi^ To which he anfwers ; Adam'j Nuture^ it is alloiucd, was very far from being finful, and yet he finned ; and, therefore, the common Doctrine of Original Sin is no more necfffary to account for the Part III.' Original Sin vindicated, 59 the Sin that hath heen, or is, in the Worlds than it is to accgnnt for AdamV Sin. If Men were never drawn into Sin any other Ways than as Adam was, viz. by Temptations offered from without themfelvcs, there might be fomething in what our Author faith : But there are Inftances, numberlefs Inftances, moft undoubtedly there are, of Men finning without any Temptation offered them from without. It is nccefTary, there- fore," fome other Account fhould be given of their finning than of Adam's. And how to account for the univerfal Spread of Sin over the whole World of Mankind, without one Excep- tion, if there were no Corruption in their common Root and Head, ftill remains a Difficulty, which our Author's Scheme doth, by no means, furmount. 2. A fecond Query is. How then are we horn into the World, and what Ideas ought we to have of our Being ? Here our Author takes Occafion to difplay the Excellency and Ufe of our natu- ral Appetites and Paffions j but quite forgets to mention the only Thing that is of any Confideration in the prefent Argument, vi%. The apparent and very fenfible Irregularity of them. He hath given us no manner of Solution of this grand Difficulty, How, and from whence, it comes to pafs that thofc Appetites and Paffions, which, no doubt, were at firfl wifely and kindly implanted in our Natures by a holy God, are now fo irregular and ftrong, as that not one Pcrfon has rcfifled them, fo as to keep himfelf pure and innocent. Nor can this Difficulty be folvcd upon our Auuthor's Scheme. 3. The next Query is. How far is our prefent State the fame with that o/'Adam in Paradifel As to menral Capacities, as far as I can find, this Writer hath as good an Opinion of his twn as of Adam's. He imagines Sir JJaac Netvton to have been a much wifer Man than ever Adam was. Whether he was fo, or no, is nothing to the prefent Argument, about moral Depravity and Corruption. However, I ought not to conceal, that he has fo much Complaifance to our common Father as to allow that, probably, many of his Pollcrity may be fillier than he was ; in which Oafs, I prefume I ina^ take it for grant- ed, he ranks the AfTembly of Divines, and all who are weak enough to believe the Doctrine of Original Sin. Under this Head the Author runs a Comparifon betwixt the innocent Adam and his Pofterity in fevcral Particulars ; One is. Many Men are overcome by Temptation^ and fo was Atiam. But fiill he forgets onq|very material Circumftance, vi-z.. that many Men are over- come by the Corruption of their own Hcaits, with(>ut : iiy Temptation from without 3 but fo was not Adam , 'till alter iiis Fall. He r 60 ^^f Scripturi-Do£frine of He allows, that cur Temptations are mare than Adam'j. He fhould have confidered alfo. It is by the Appointment of God that every Infant is now brought into the World under thefe fuperior Temptations, and in the midft of this Deluge of Ini- quity. And would a juft and kind Creator do this if there were »o original Conftitution, whereby original Degeneracy has over- fpread all Mankind ? Our Author fuppofes, that if we had come into the IVorld with our prejent Nature^ in an Age and Nation "where Vict had been bani/hed., Virtue of all Kinds univerfally praSiifed^ and the Grace of God, ss at prefent, revealed, and had grown up under gU the Advantages thence ariftng, we Jhould have come into Being under Circumjlances much more advantageous for Virtue and Pie- ty, and for perfevering in it than Adam, p. 229. This is all laid upon the Suppofition, that our prefent Nature is not deprav- ed and corrupted ; and upon that Suppofition he hath made a wonderful Difcovery, ^'/z. That if we had no Temptations ta Sin, and better Advantages for perfevering than Adam had, we ihould be under Circumftances more advantageous for perfever- ing than Adam was. This is fomewhat more evident than our Author's favourite Argument, w'z. If Sin be natural, it is ne- ceffary. But what ridiculous Trifling is it to argue upon a Sup- pofition of what never was in any Age or Nation fmce the Fall ci Adam? And what, upon the Principle which he is arguing againft, never will be. If this Author would fay any Thing to the Purpofe, he fhould argue upon the Circumftances which Mankind are actually in ; and not upon a Suppofition of Cir- cumftances which never were, nor ever will be. 4 The hft Queftion our Author ftarts is, How is it confifient with the fujlice of God, that we [uff'er at all upon Accomit of Adam'x Sin? For an Anfwer to this he refers back to his Ap- pendix to Part I. I would alfo refer back ro my Remarks on that Appendix,-: and let the Reader judge freely for himfelf. And now, tiiough Mr T. has proved his Scheme certainly, to Demon jlration, bey and all Doubt, and infallibly, he honeftly de- clares he is not infMible. I make no Doubt but the Reader hath found that out before now. He tells us, he hath declared his Sentiments honejlly and im- partially. I believe he has, /. e. his own Sentiments, or his own darling Scheme. But (to boiiow a few more of his can- did Words, p. 181.) one cannot forbear obferving, upon the whole, what ferious Regard hath been paid to'the true Sen^ of Scripture, and how careful he hath been to e/iablijh his Do^frine ■^pon a jufl and firm Foundation in the J Vord of God, when he could io wretchedly pervert fo many 'I>xts of Scripture £i:ora their Part III. Original Sin vindicated. Ci their natural and obvious Meaning, which manifejlly and iinde- 7itably afirm the Dodlrine of Original Sin ; rather than fubmit to the plain Senfe ©f Revelation againft his own preconceived favourite Scheme. The brighte/i Revelation thus ivretchedly ap- plied^ muji be worfe than the Dar'knefs of mere Ignorance : It will not only not difcover the Truth, but vindicate the greatejl Error. It is not yet enough to our Author's Purpofe, that he hath explained away the Scripture-Dcdlrine of Original Sinj for there are other Do£lrines that ftand fo nearly related to it, and are fo evidently connedled with it, that, if poffible, he mult explain away thefe too, or he does nothing. He propofcs, there- fore, to try what he can do with thofe two principal Articles y Redemption and Regeneration. As to the Dodrine of Redemption by Jefus Chriji, this Au- thor hath, in a good meafure, given us his own Sentiment le- .fore, p. 148, viz. that as all we lojl in Adam was the Life . which ceafeth when we leave this World j fo all that God' s Grace .doth for us in Chrift, to repair that Lofs., is raiftng us up at the la/i Day. But over and above this he now alfo allows, that the Reafon and End of Redemption in Chiift was the ereSling and fur- nifning a Difpcnfation of Grace., for the more certain and effeSiual SanSiifcation of Mankind into the Imagi' of God ; the delivering them from the Sin and Wickednefs into which they might fall., or were already fallen \ to redeem them from all Iniquity i and ta bring them to the Knowledge and Obedience of God, p. 232. And this, as far as I can find, is all this Author underftandech by Re- demption. Here is not a Word of the Atonement of Chrift's Death ; of his fuffering for our Sins, the fuji for the UujuJI, and redeeming us from the Curfe of the Lavj, being made a Curfe for us \ of his reconciling us to God by the Crofs ; of his giving himfelf for us, an Offering and a Sacrifice to God; of his bear- ing our Sins in his own Body on the Tree, the Lord hailing laid on him the Iniquity of us all. If our Author had been pleak-d to prefent us with a Catalogue of thefe, and Hiany other Texts, that fpeak nearly the fame Language, as he hnth done of the Texts that relate to Original Sin, what a World of critical Learning would he have difplayed, in order to clear ud the Senfe of them ; and to prove it muit be fuch as the Unlearned (for wliofe Ufe the Scriptuies were written as much as for the Leaned) could not, with the Help of the mod literal Trnnfla- .*.?'f tion, pofTibly underhand them in. What demonllra'tive Argu- ments, and infallible Proofs fhould we have had, that not one of thefe Texts means any thing like the '^iw^z which the'Worui import. Ho'.vcvcr, 62 'I'he Scripture-Do5irine of However, let Redemption mean what it will, this Author findsj that it refers only to the a£iual Wickednefs of Mankind wherewith they have corrupted themfelves ; and not, as Rom. v. 12, ijfc. and i Cor. xv. 2i» 22. exprefly refer it, to our being made Sinners in Adam, and our being brought under a Sentence of Condemnation and Death for his Tranfgreflion, To prove this, he thinks it Jufficient to put us in mind^ that when the Apoftle^ Rom. i. 16, 17. is profeffedly demonjirating the Excel- lency and NeceJJity of Go/pel Grace (which, faith he, is the farfie Thing as the Redemption in Chrift) for the Salvation of the World \ he proveth it, not from the Ejiate of Sin and Mifery in- to which they were brought by Adam'^ Fall, but from the Sin end Mifery which they had brought upon themfelves, by their own wicked departing fr 9m God, vcr- 21, ^c. 'Tis true Sti. Paul begins his Difcourfc on the Guiltinefs and Sinfulnefsof Men, in order to fbew their Need of Redemption and Juftification by Chrijf, with an Account of the a<5tual Tranfgreflions of the ido- latrous Gentiles ; afterwards. Chap. iii. he treats of the univer- fal Depravity and Corruption of all Mankind 3 and then pro- ceeds, Chap. V* to fhew, that we are all made Sinners in Adam^ and that by his Offence, fudgment is come upon all Men to Con- demnation. The Apoftle's Method is clear and natural. He begins with that which was moft obvious^ even adlual Sin ; and then pri>ceeds to fpeak of Original Sin as another, and more re- mote, Caufe of the Neceflity of Redemption for all Men, for Jews as well as Gentiles, But to infer, that becaufe he begiiis with the Mention of adtual Sins, in order to demonftratc thcNe*- ceffity of Redemption, therefore he wholly excludes Original Sin out of the Account, though he fo exprefly fpeaks of that too afterwards in it's proper Place ; this is fuitable only to our Author's Way of Reafoning ; and I verily believe the Thought vas originally his own. He often furprifeth us with extraordinary Arguments j but he would have us furprifed with what has nothing at all won- derful in it, viz. That Chrift faith nothing, in the four Gofpelsy cf redeeming us from the Sinfulnefs and Corruption of Nature derived from Adam, p. 135- And feeing he fpake exaSily accord- ing to the Commiffton which the Father gave him, may we not fafely conclude, it zvas no Part of his Comrniffion to preach the common Dc£lrinc of Original Sin F p. 236. With juft as much Reafon may we as fafely conclude, that the fnany Things wjjhich Chrijl had to fay to his Difciples, which they could not bear during the Time of his perfonal Miniftry, John xvi. 12. but which, according to his Promife, ver. 13. he afterwards taught them by his Spirit, and by them to the World, juft as well may we conclude that none of thefe Things were in Chrijl'% Com- miilion Part III. Original Sin vindicated > 6j miflioh to teach and make known o I^Ien. It makes no rea- fotiable DifFerence, as to the Ground of our Faith, whether a Dodrine was dehvercd by Chriji in Perfon, or by his Apoftles under the Infpiration of his Spirit. 'Tis the fame Thing whe- ther it be written in any of the four Gofpels, or in any of the divine Epiftles : One is as truly the Word of Chriji as the otlier : There is only this DifFerence, the Epifl^les were wrote, and the Matters contained in them were delivered, after the Refurrcc- tion and Afcenfion of C/^r//? ; therefore after the Commence- ment of the Gofpel Difpenfation : Whereas, all the Difcourfes of Chriji, which are recorded in the four Gofpels, were deli- vered by him while as yet the Kingdom of God was only at hand^ and before the Gofpel Difpenfation was adlually begun* It is natural, therefore, to look for the peculiar Dodrines of the Gofpel rather in the Epiftles, than in any of the four Hiftories of Chriji^ Life and perfonal Miniftry. However, this Dodrine of Original Sin was not peculiar to the Gofpel Difpenfation* Chriji fpake of it, and referred to it once and again during his perfonal Miniftry ; as, for Inftance, in his Difcourfe to Nicode- rnus, John iii. 6. That which is horn of the Flejh is Flejh, Sec. But it is not at all furprizing that he did not fpeak fo largely and fully of redeeming us from Sin, whether original or adtual, by the Price of his Blood, before that Price was adually paid, as his Apoftles do afterwards. Befides, it appears the Difciples were in a very weak State of Knowledge, and ftrangcly over- run with yewiJJj Prejudices, during the Life of Chriji. They had fct their Hearts, and their whole Hopes, in a manner, on temporal Redemption from outward Calamities; they could not yet bear to be told that their Hopes, as to this Matter, muft be Utterly difappointed ; and that the Redemption which Chriji would obtain for them was merely a fpiritual Redemption, from the Guilt of Sin both original and adlual, and from that Sin- fulnefs and Corruption of Nature which they derived from Adam* So that we can fuppofe a very juji Ground upon w^ich it was not ft tiiat Chriji ihould fpeak more plainly than he did to his Dif- ciples about redeeming them from the Sinfulnefs and Corruption if Nature. . Chrift himfelf gave a fubftantial Reaft>n for it, viz, becaule this was one of thofe Tubings which he had to fay to them, but as yet they could not bear it. Therefore, we have no Caufe to be furprifcd that no more is faid about this Dodrine, in thofe Difcourfes which Chrift delivered before his Death. But to Us he has told it plainly, and IVe do find the Dodtrines of Original Sin and Redemption from it by Jefus Chrift^ diftin- guijhed emphatically in aimoft every Page of the divine Epiftles, Mrr. r 6 4. *TI>e Scripture- DoSIrme of I^/Ir T, fays, It hath been delivered as a fundamental Truthy That no Man will come to Chrift, the feco-id Adam, who is not ■firfi thoroughly convinced of the fever al Things he loji in the firji Aoam. If fi then fur ely our Saviour, in his Minijiry^. would have laboured above alllhingsto explain and inculcate the Pravity and Dfflement of Nature we derive from Adam, andthe eternal Dajnnaiion due to all Men m that Account, p. 236. As to this^ I need only add to what I have faid in the laft Paragraph, that a Sinner's SenCe of his many Wants is neceffary to his coming to ■Chriji ; though he may not at firft know much about Adam^ And this Senfe of his Wants is very much inculcated by Chriji in hisperfonal Miniftry, as well as by his Apoftles afterwards. In the next Page our Author proves, with his ufual Strength of Argument, That Original Sin, as it is Guilt, imputed, is no ObjeSt of Redemption ; becaufe imputed Guilt is only imaginary Guilt — —for I am not guilty of a Sin I never cotnjyiitted. This Ar- gument hath been confidered and anfwered before. I would, only now afk again, W hen Poverty and Diftrefs come upon the •Pofterity of a Traitor, for his treafonable Acl, is it only imagi- nary Guilt that lies upon them, and for which they fufFer ? And when the King by a gracioi^s A61 of Pardon, reftores the Eftate and Honours to the Children, is itfuppofed that the Children ne- ver had the Guilt of Treafon imputed to them ? Another Scripture-Dodrine which our Author muft try to ex- plain away, as ftanding in oppoiition to his Scheme, is Rege- neration; by which lie underltands, our gaining the Habits sf Virtue and Holtnefs, f. 247. Ke owns, indeed, that, in explaining this Dodtrine, he does iiot Jland upon the Scripture Senfe of Terms, p. 11,C). which is very true : and he might with e- qual Truth have laid the fame concerning the Explication he has given us of Original Sm, and of Redemption. He doth not -Jt and upon the Scripture Set fe of Terrns, for he finds, it fecms, .that the facred Writers have u(ed very improper Teims, whereby they have wretchedly confounded and cbfcured the Do^lrine of -E.egcnerat.ion ; cur Author, therefore, takes ihe Liberty to fub- ilitute Letter Teinis in the Room of their?. They talk of being born again, born of the Spirit, and renewed in the Spirit of the Mind, of Mens bciiommg neiv Creatures, in \Nh\ch old things ■arc paffed aivay, and ail Things are become new. They exprcfs P^egeneratian by Mens being neiu created in Chriit Jefus, by their rifeng tvith Qhuikfrom Death toNewnefs of Life; by pod^s opening their Eyes and turning them from Darknefs to Light, and fran the Fewer of Satan to God, by his giving thein a ntw Heart, and a mw Spirit, 6zQ. If this Writer had /iood upon the Scrip- ture Senfe of Terms ; or if he had fuppofed tiiat thcfe Scripture Terms huve, really, any Senfe and Meaning in ihem, he could not Part III, Original Sin vindixated. 65 not furely have given us fo pitiful an Account of Regeneration as he does. He takes it, to be born again, or of God, is no other than to attain thofe Habits of Virtue and Relig ion, which give us the realCharaSfer of the Children of God, p. 239. It feems, how- ver, by his own Account, there are fuch things as Habits of Virtue and Rehgion ; and if fo, where is the Impropriety of fup- pofing, that God may infufc thofe Habits at once into the Soul in feme Degree ? which is the very thing the Scripture Terra* do fo naturally import : And why then muft we ftot Hand upon the Scripture Senfeof thefc Terms ? What need have we to de- part from their plain and obvious Meaning ? Whatever good Habits are not impofTible to our Nature, but which Men can be fuppofed to gain by their own Induftry and Exercifcj God could, no doubt, concreate with us; or his almighty Power can infufe them immediately into us whenever he pleafeth. Cannot God make us as good as we can make ourfelves ? and cannot he do that in a Moment which we can do in any length of Time * I Nay, do not we know that, in other Cafes, God hath actually, and at once, infufed fuch Habits into fome Men, as others have not been able to gain without Years of diligent Application and Labour. The Habit of underftanding and fpeaking divers Lan- guages, which he infufed into the Apoftles, is an undeniable In- ftance of this Sort* And there is nothing more irrational in fuppofing, that God doth immediately infufe the Habits of Vir- tue and Holinefs into thofe Souls of Men whom he regenerates j and if we will adhere to the Scripture Senfe of Terms, it is as undeniable that he really doth this. So that after all, thefc Scripture Terms, born of God, renewed in the Spirit of the Mind^ &c. give us a much better and clearer Account of Regeneration, than thofe other Terms, which Mr T. has been pleafed to fub- ftitute in the Room of them. He acknowledges, that //; order to Acceptance with God, an^ an /Admittance into his peculiar Kingdom, it is not enough for an intelligent Being to exifl j but, moreover, it is abfolutely ntceffary that it learn to employ and exercife its Powers fuit ably to the Na- ture atid Ends of them, that it be created anew, p. 24.4.. But * N. B. I only fuppofe here for Argument's Sake, that Men might in Time gain the Habits of Virtue aud Holinefs by their own Power, not that 1 can believe that any Men rcaily do fo ; for We are not fuffi- eknt, of OMrfelves, to think any thing as of ourfelves^ 2 Car. iii 5. it is God nvbicb njuorketh iv us, both to fges to ajfijl our ftncere Endea'vours after IFifdom, ay.d the liaiits of Virtue .^ is a Blfjfing Jpoke of and prom fed in the Part III. Original Sin •vmdicated. Cy the Gpfpel, hut never as fuppofing any natural Corruption or Innate Pravliy of our Minds. But certain it h, that Chrijl oppofeth •our being horn of the Spirit, to our being born of the Fle/h^ John iii. 6. That vuhich is born of the Flejh is Flefo, and that which is horn of the Spirit is Spirit j therefore, the promifcd Influ- ence of the Spirit in Regeneration fuppofcih fomething that we arc born with, which makes fuch an Influence neceflary to our being horn again ; and if that be not natural Corruption or in- nate Pravityif the Mind^ let our Author tell us what it is. It is plain it is not any Habit of Sin acquired in after Life, that is there referred to, for it is fomething we are born with : and if to be born of the Flejh means nothing but to have the mere Parts and Powers of a Maa^ as our Author has before explained this Text, p. 144. And if, according to his Scheme, thcfe Parts and Powers are all pure and uncorruptcd, I know of no need we fhould have of any fuch Influence of the Spirit to be fuper-added to our natural Powers, to affifi us in our fmcere Endeavours after TVifdom, and the Habits of Virtue ; and then the Promife of it is as impertinent, as our Author's Account of it is trifling, which it is not worth while to detain the Reader with one Moment. We haften, therefore, to the Condifion of the Book in which there are abundant Speci- mens of this Author's Candour and Fairnefs, appearing in the Infinuations he makes, and the Confequences he is pleafed to fallen on the Do6lrines which he has been oppofing. He tells us, thefc Do6trincs reprefent the divine Difpenfitions asunjufi, cruel, and tyrannical, p. 249. As the /r?t'^ and only Anlwer which this defervcs, would not be quite civil for me to return to a Scholar and a Gentleman, I choofe to trufl it to the Reader's Judgment, without any Anfwer at all. He thinks common Experience will make it good t^^^^t t^>c more _ . ^nje^tu ... __ _ - fatisfied, common Experiennce- will make it good, that without fome ferious Thoughts and Meditations on thefe Points, fcnrce any will be truly humble and poor in Spiiir, and depend on the Riches of divine Grace in Chrift. HeafKS, Hath not the Dcarinc o'i Original Sin a Tendency to. chill and benumb our Spirits, to cool our Lwe, to dainp our holy Joy ahdPraifc? I anfwer, No; hvX quite the contrary, ^/i:;. to inflame our Hearts with Love, and to exalt our Praifc to God. our Redecm.er and Saviour from the nr.ir.ifold Riu"ns of tiie Fall. He goes on, Do vje thus requite cur Father by running daun and leffcninghisBenrfcence? I anfwcr, Wedonat iiithe?ea;i ichVii E 2 God's 6 8 'The Scripture-Bo^rine of God's Beneficence by owning the Guilt and Mifery that Man has brought on his own Nat\ire and Condition. He ftill proceeds in; ' the fame Strain, Doth not the Do£lnne of Original Sin teach y6U^ to transfer ycur l^ickcdnefs and Sin to a vjtong Caufe ? I anfwer No ; but to the ttue Caufc, But then, faith our Author, If the Corruption cf ycur Nature he the Caufe, you mu[l he necejfarily vicious. If he had not repeated this fcnfeicfs Fallhood fo often, if might, with more Charity, have been imputed to mere Igno- rance and Thoughtleflhefs : But if this be his beft EfTort and his dernier Rrfort, we may pronounce his Strength to be Weaknefs; ahd his ficquent Repetition of it (hews his Poverty of Argu- ment, as well as his EfFrontery. To the Belief of this Doctrine he imputes it, that the genera- lity of Chrijiians have been the moft wicked^ lewd, bloody^ and treacherous of all Mankind, p. 252. He might have known, that the generality of lewd, bloody, and treacherous Chriftians, areChriUians only in Name, as dwelling in Chriftian Nations ; but not one in a hundred of them either properly believes, or difbelieves this Dodlrine, or has ever confidercd any thing about it. He might have known too, that the beft of Chriftians in , many Ages have firmly believed this Do6lrine j and that it is fully believed by fome of the moft holy Men we now know. In fhort, he calls this divine Truth, which is fo firmly eftablifhcd by Reafon and Scripture, a Majlcr-fiece of the old Serpent^ s Sub- _ tility, p. 253. This is decent and candid indeed. He w\\]\r^\cihefe Dcflrines to Jet Religion in direSi Oppofition to Reafon and comtnon Senfe, and fo to render our rational Powers quite ufelefsto us, a;id confequently Religion too. Were I inclined to retort his Slander, it would be eafy to fix it on his own Scheme, which ftands in direct Oppofition to Scripture and Rearon, and the Experience of all Mankind, whether Heathens, Jews, or Chriftians, in all Ages ; and it renders the glorious Gofpel, the Atonement of Chrifl, and the Influences of his Spirit, in a manner, ufclefs : And then it is no Wonder that, in Proportion, as this Scheme prevails, Infidelity abounds ; as is moft appa- rently the Cafe. This Author would blind our Senfes, as, well as our Reafon, when he would have us believe, that the Doftrine of Original Sin hath filed our Land with Infidels. He afketh again. Which Notions are mcft likely to operate heft upon Parents Minds., and moji proper to be injlilled into a Child? So would I a(k too, Which Notions are beft, the true or the falfe ? Here he makes the Do6lrine of Original Sin to fay, that Children come into the World in the worft and mo/I deplorable State of Cor- rvption, p. 254. Nonefay, the woiil: and moft deplorable, be- fidcs Part III. Original Sin vindicated^ &c. 69 iidcs our Author. Their State is bad, yet, no doubt, it might be much worfe. He afketh again. If' hat Encouragemmt Parents have to bring their Children up in the Nurture and Almonition of the Lor^, if they think they are under the certain Curfe of God to et/^nal Damnation. But who aflerts this ? If no body, let \ki/% Writer be accountable for his own Slanders. Now we come to the Clofe of all. And I rejoice, that as I fet out at firft, with this Author, ir) perfeil Harmony, lO^ though we have happened to differ by the Way, we are like to conclude in the fame Harmony ; and part, as I hope, good Friends. For I moft heartily agree to what he writes, p. 258- As for me I am a weak and imperfe^ Man, and may have j aid Jeveral weak and imperfe^f Things. Nay, if his Modefty had even added, feveral falfe, flanderous, fpiteful, and malicious Things, I fhould not be (o uncivil as to contradict him. We have met with many wondrous Things in rliis Book ; and it is to me a greater Wonder than almoll any of them, that this Book hath been received with fuch uncommon Applaufe by many of the declared Enemies of Bigotry, and Pretenders to rational Religion. What St. Paul obferves concerning the Pre- tenders to Religion in his Time, viz. that all Men have not Faith, 2. ThefT iii. 2. may lurely, with a little Variation, be applyed to the Pretenders to Re.. fon in our Day, viz. that all Men have not Senfe. Al.iy tve be delivered from fuch (alaTrot) abfurd Men, who (as Dr Delrnne very jufliy obicrves in his Sermon onOrigin;■! « .See tbeu or 4 Man^s OfiginalRighteoufaefs or obferve thou ; he fpeaks to every one in particular, every Header and Hearer, You, me, and others, vi^hom he invites to obferve, to confider, what he was about to ofFer. I have found., I have difcovered this Truth, and aflert on the cleareft and fulleft Evidence, What ? that God made Man upright j but they have fought out many Inventions. For Man the original Word is, Adam., which Name is vari- oufly applied in the Scripture. To the firft Man j to both our firft Parents, Gen. i. 26, 27. Chap. v. 2 > to Mankind in c6m- moa ; and to any one of jdam^s Defcendants ; (not to add that with the diftinguiftiing Epithet of lafl, or fecond^ it is one of the Names of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the Name of a City not far from Jordan., Jofh. iii. 16 *). God made Man upright ; The QLieftion is, Does this relate to the firfl of Mankind only? or to Mankind in every Age ? That it relates to the frj} oi Mankind, all grant : There is no Diffe- rence of Opinions as to that : But fome will have it, that it e- qurlly refers to the natural State of Mankind in every Age'. Whether this be true or no, we ihall hear prefently, when wc have fettled the true meaning of this Term, upright. , Now the Hebrew Word *^{^» ^ jafmr, which we render upright., in the proper native Signification of it, is oppofcd to, crooked irregu- jar, perverfc, iJc. Not to mention the feveral Things it is ap- plied to «= to fignify their being flraight, agreeable to Rule, b'r. v/efind this Character given to God and Man, w\\.\\x.he Words aiid Works of both. As applied to God, the Ways of God, the Word of God, it is joined with Good, Pfal. xxv. 8- with Righteous, Pfal. cxix. 137. with true and good, "Nehcm. ix. 13. where Mention is made of right Judgments, true Laws, good Statutes. The Uprightnefs, or as it is in thePIebrew Uprightnef- fcs '^, in, or with, which God is faid to minifter Judgment to the ^ See my Sermon for Mri S. Harptr. on Job. xiv. 1,2, pag. 5. 6. *> From this fome derive fejhurun, v/hich Name is given to the Ifi- raelites, to fignify the Uprightnefs that ought to be found in them, at the Defcendants of good old "Jacob, or Ifmel. c It may be applied to 0/ fublime as Ox-jV calls it, the ered Poflure by which the Body of Man is diftinguifhed, and thi , fay fome, may bcconfidered as defigned for an external R.eprefentationof the Upright- neft of the Soul. * Ihis, as afcribed to God, might feem to denote the mod perfeB Uprightnefs, was not the lame plural Noun, which indeed v/ant? a fin- gular, applied to Creatures, as Cant. i. 4. ivtiere what wc render, the Upright love thee, is in the Uebrt-^'j Melharjm Ahebuka, Uprighturffes, for, the Upright hi-f ihee, or, they isve thee in Uprightnefei, or up- rightly. aj[erted,and proved. q the Peoole e anfwers to Righteoufnefs. In one WorJ, God'x Upri;^t:iH!jfs is the moral Reftitude oF his Nature, by which he is iiivaiiably difpofcd, and determined to ag here \ukd plainly, points out the Csimatu- raheft of Uprightncfs, or Righteoufnefs, with the human Sow!, in its original State ; for 'tis not faid, Gcd Jirfi, made Man, and then, made him upright, but God made M-z:-: upright. '» To tbJs Purpofe Mr J. fa^;lar Ipeak^ ir> his late TreatJfe of Qrigtnal Sir.. tijferted and proved 7 ttfyirht, which if we conform to the good old Rule, of inter- pretiii'^ Scripture by Scripture^ mufr fignify, ti)at God made Man, at firil, righteous^ or holy.- But I would. further ilrengthen this Interpretation of the Text, and further confirm the Do<^rine contained in it as (o interpreted by the following Arguments. I. A'fofcs in his Account of the Creation, reprefents God, as faying, ** Let us make Man in our Image, after our Like- nefs." Here, as the Antients ' obferve, God the Father is brought in, fpeaking to his Son and Spirit, Of thefe two Words, Image and Ltkenefs^ various Explications are given : Some di- ftinguifh them, others reckon them equivalent, or to fignify a perfect Kind of Likenefs : feme would extend this Image^ and, (or Likejufs) to the Body of Man, others reftrain it to the Soul. Some are for including herein the HaPpinefs of the primitive State of Man, v.'hile others chufe rather to confider that^ as X Refult from v/hat the Scripture mentions as Man's original Like- nefs to God. Some reckon Man's Dominion over the other Crea- tures, as one Part of the Image of God in which he was at firft made ; while others diftmguilk thefe two, as Mofes plainly does in the Text now before us. Some, /. e. the Pelagians^ and So- f;«?tf«junderftand it of the rational Faculties of Man's Nature | together with the Dominion given him, exclufively of what we call Original Righteoujnefs., or Holinefs ; but that this muft be included, and was indee<^, the principal Part (tho' not the whole) of the Image of God in which he made Man, appears as from the Text fairly interpreted, according to the conftant Ufe of the Word Upright in the Scripture, fo from Ephef. iv. 22, 24. and Col. iii. 9, 10. For explaining thefe two Pafiages of the Apof- tle, I obferve. (i.) By the Old Man is not meant an hta^ thcnijl) Life^ as it has been lately interpreted, •* or any ungodly Converfation, hut i\ corrirpi fu/ture, or an habitual Propenfity to Sin. For the Apoflle elfc where fpeaks of our old Afan, as dru- dfied with Chrijt^ and here he diftinguiflics from it, their for- mer Converfation and finful Actions, which he calls the Deeds of the Old Man. Again, by the Nnv Alan., is meant, not anew Courfe of Life ('as the Socinians^ ' weakly and in judicioufly in- * Barnabas and JuJIt'^ Martyr reprefcnt God the Father as fpeaking thus to his Son. Len^rus and feveral others reprefent him, as fpeaking it to his Son and Spirit, his PFord and Wifdom, whom Irtn