The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

2. An Hereditary Corruption is transmitted to all that naturally descend from him. If Adam had continued in his Obedience, the spiritual as well as the natural Life had been conveyed to his Children, but for his Rebellion he lost his primitive rectitude, and contracted an universal Corruption; which he derives to all his Posterity. And as in a Disease there is the defect of Health, and a distemper of the humours that affects the Body; so in the depravation of Nature there is not the mere want of holiness, but a strong proclivity to sin. This privation of original Righteousness considered as a Sin, is naturally from Adam, the principle of lapsed and corrupt Nature: But as a punishment, 'tis meritoriously from him, and falls under the ordination of Divine Justice. Man •ast it away, and God righteously refuses to restore it. 'Tis a solicitous impertinency to enquire nicely about the manner of conveying this universal Corruption. For the bare knowledge o• it is ineffectual to the cure. And what greater folly than to make our own evils the object of simple Speculation. I shall consider only that general account of it, which is set down in the Scripture.

2. An Hereditary Corruption is transmitted to all that naturally descend from him. If Adam had continued in his Obedience, the spiritual as well as the natural Life had been conveighed to his Children, but for his Rebellion he lost his primitive rectitude, and contracted an universal Corruption; which he derives to all his Posterity. And as in a Disease there is the defect of Health, and a distemper of the humours that affects the Body; so in the depravation of Nature there is not the meer want of holiness, but a strong proclivity to sin. This privation of original Righteousness considerd as a Sin, is naturally from Adam, the principle of lapsed and corrupt Nature: But as a punishment, 'tis meritoriously from him, and falls under the ordination of Divine Justice. Man •ast it away, and God righteously refuses to restore it. 'Tis a sollicitous impertinency to enquire n•cely about the manner of conveying this universal Corruption. For the bare knowledg o• it is ineffectual to the cure. And what greater folly than to make our own evils the object of simple Speculation. I shall consider only that general account of it, which is set down in the Scripture.