N06399:143
The great Christian doctrine of original sin defended
The great Christian doctrine of original sin defended; evidences of it's [sic] truth produced, and arguments to the contrary answered. Containing, in particular, a reply to the objections and arguings of Dr. John Taylor, in his book, entitled, "The Scripture-doctrine of original sin proposed to free and candid examination, &c. / By the late Reverend and learned Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New-Jersey. ; [Thirteen lines of quotations]The great Christian doctrine of original sin defended; evidences of it's [sic] truth produced, and arguments to the contrary answered. Containing, in particular, a reply to the objections and arguings of Dr. John Taylor, in his book, intitled, "The Scripture-doctrine of original sin proposed to free and candid examination, &c. / By the late Reverend and learned Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New-Jersey. ; [Thirteen lines of quotations]
printed by S. Kneeland, 1758
The great Christian Doctrine of ORIGINAL SIN defended. › Part 1 › Chapter 1 › Section 5
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.
Dr.Turnbull abundantly insists, that the Forces of the Affections naturally in Man are well proportioned; and often puts a Question to this Purpose,—How Man's Nature could have been better constituted in this respect? How the Affections of his Heart could have been better proportioned?—I will now mention one Instance, out of many that might be mentioned. Man, if his Heart were not depraved, might have had a Disposition to Gratitude to God for his Goodness, in Proportion to his Disposition to Anger towards Men for their Injuries. When I say, in Proportion, I mean considering the Greatness and Number of Favours and Injuries, and the Degree in which the one and the other are unmerited, and the Benefit received by the former, and the Damage sustained by the latter. Is there not an apparent and vast Difference and Inequality in the Dispositions to these two Kinds of Affection, in the Generality of both old and young, adult Persons and little Children? How ready is Resentment for Injuries received from Men? and how easily is it raised in most, at best, to an Equality with the Desert? And is it so with respect to Gratitude for Benefits received from God, in any Degree of Comparison? Dr.Turnbull pleads for the natural Disposition to Anger for Injuries, as being good and useful: But surely Gratitude to God, if we were inclined to it, would be at least as good and useful as the other.
How far the Generality of Mankind are from their Duty with respect to Love to God, will further appear, if we consider, that we are obliged not only to love him with a Love of Gratitude for Benefits received; but true Love to God primarily consists in a supreme Regard to him for what he is in himself. The Tendency of true Virtue is to treat every thing as it is, and according to it's Nature. ⟨p. 46⟩And if we regard the most High according to the infinite Dignity and Glory of his Nature, we shall esteem and love him with all our Heart and Soul, and to the utmost of the Capacity of our Nature, on this Account; and not primarily because he has promoted our Interest. If God be infinitely excellent in Himself, then He is infinitely lovely on that Account; or in other Words, infinitely worthy to be loved. And doubtless, if he be worthy to be loved for this, then he ought to be loved for this. And 'tis manifest, there can be no true Love to Him, if he be not loved for what he is in himself. For if we love him not for his own Sake, but for something else, then our Love is not terminated on him, but on something else, as it's ultimate Object. That is no true Value for infinite Worth, which implies no Value for that Worthiness in itself considered, but only on the Account of something foreign. Our Esteem of God is fundamentally defective, if it be not primarily for the Excellency of his Nature, which is the Foundation of all that is valuable in him in any Respect. If we love not God because he is what he is, but only because he is profitable to us, in Truth we love him not at all: If we seem to love him, our Love is not to him, but to something else.