N05663:407
A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…
A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, virtue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, vertue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]
printed by S. Kneeland, 1754
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
'Tis needless to stand particularly to inquire, what God's giving Men up to their own Heart's Lusts signifies: It is sufficient to observe, that hereby is certainly meant God's so ordering or disposing Things, in some Respect or other, either by doing or forbearing to do, as that the Consequence should be Men's continuing in their Sins. So much as Men are given up to, so much is the Consequence of their being given up; whether that be less or more. If God don't order Things so, by Action or Permission, that Sin will be the Consequence, then the Event proves that they are not given up to that Consequence. If Good be the Consequence, instead of Evil, then God's Mercy is to be acknowledged in that Good; which Mercy must be contrary to God's Judgment in giving up to Evil. If the Event must prove that they are given up to Evil as the Consequence, then the Persons who are the Subjects of this Judgment, must be the Subjects of such an Event, and so the Event is necessary.
If not only Coaction, but all Necessity, will prove Men blameless, then Judas was blameless, after Christ had given him over, and had already declared his certain Damnation, and that he should verily betray Him. He was guilty of no Sin in betraying his Master, on this Supposition; tho his so doing is spoken of by Christ as the most aggravated Sin, more heinous than the Sin of Pilate in crucifying Him. And the Jews in Egypt, in Jeremiah's Time, were guilty of no Sin, in their not worshipping the true God, after God had Sworn by his great Name, that his Name should be no more named in the Mouth of any Man of Judah, in all the Land of Egypt. Jer. xliv.26.
If not only Coaction, but all Necessity, will prove Men blameless, then Iudas was blameless, after Christ had given him over, and had already declared his certain Damnation, and that he should verily betray Him. He was guilty of no Sin in betraying his Master, on this Supposition; tho his so doing is spoken of by Christ as the most aggravated Sin, more heinous than the Sin of Pilate in crucifying Him. And the Iews in Egypt, in Ieremiah's Time, were guilty of no Sin, in their not worshipping the true God, after God had Sworn by his great Name, that his Name should be no more named in the Mouth of any Man of Judah, in all the Land of Egypt.