N06399:164
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 6
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.
A Second Instance of the natural Stupidity of the Minds of Mankind, that I shall observe, is that great Disregard of their own eternal Interest; which appears so remarkably, so generally, among them that live under the Gospel.
As Mr. Locke observes, (Hum. Und. Vol. I. P. 207.) Were the Will determined by the Views of Good, as it appears in Contemplation, greater or less to the Understanding, it could never get loose from the infinite eternal Joys of Heaven, once proposed, and considered as possible; the eternal Condition of a future State infinitely out weighing the Expectation of Riches or Honour, or any other worldly Pleasure, which we can propose to our selves; tho' we should grant these the more probable to be obtained. Again (P. 228, 229.) He that will not be so far a rational Creature, as to reflect seriously upon infinite Happiness and Misery, must needs condemn himself, as not making that Use ⟨p. 56⟩of his Understanding he should. The Rewards and Punishments of another Life, which the Almighty has established, as the Enforcements of his Laws, are of Weight enough to determine the Choice, against whatsoever Pleasure or Pain this Life can show. When the eternal State is considered but in it's bare Possibility, which no Body can make any Doubt of, he that will allow exquisite and endless Happiness to be but the possible Consequence of a good Life here, and the contrary State the possible Reward of a bad one, must own himself to judge very much amiss, if he does not conclude that a virtuous Life, with the certain Expectation of everlasting Bliss, which may come, is to be preferred to a vicious one, with the Fear of that dreadful State of Misery, which 'tis very possible may overtake the guilty, or at least the terrible uncertain Hope of Annihilation. This is so evidently so; tho' the virtuous Life here had Nothing but Pain, and the vicious continual Pleasure; which yet is for the most Part quite otherwise, and wicked Men have not much the Odds to brag of, even in their present Possession; Nay, all things rightly considered, have I think even the worst Part here. But when infinite Happiness is put in one Scale, against infinite Misery in the other; if the worst that comes to the pious Man, if he mistakes, be the best that the wicked Man can attain to, if he be in the right; who can, without Madness, run the Venture? Who in his Wits would choose to come within a Possibility of infinite Misery? which if he miss, there is yet Nothing to be got by that Hazard: