N06399:184
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 7
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.
The exceeding Smallness of the Number of true Saints, compared with the whole World, appears by the Representations often made of them as distinguished from the World; in which they are spoken of as called and chosen out of the World, redeemed from the Earth, redeemed from among Men; as being those that are of God, while the whole World lieth in Wickedness, and the like. And if we look into the Old Testament, we shall find the same Testimony given. Prov. xx. 6. Most Men will proclaim every Man his own Goodness: but a faithful Man who can find? By a faithful Man, as the Phrase is used in Scripture, is intended much the same as a sincere, upright or truly good Man; as in Psal. xii. 1. and xxxi. 23. and ci. 6. and other Places. Again, Eccl. vii. 25,—29. I applied mine Heart to know, and to search, and to find out Wisdom, and the Reason of Things, and to know the Wickedness of Folly, even of Foolishness and Madness: And I find more bitter than Death, the Woman whose Heart is Snares, &c.—Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the Account, which yet my Soul seeketh, but I find not: One Man among a Thousand have I found; but a Woman among all these have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God made Man upright; but they have sought out many Inventions. Solomon here signifies, that when he set himself diligently to find out the Account or Proportion of true Wisdom, ⟨p. 68⟩or thorough Uprightness among Men, the Result was, that he found it to be but as one to a Thousand▪ &c. Dr. T. on this Place, P. 184. says, The wise Man in the Context is inquiring into the Corruption and Depravity of Mankind, of the Men and Women, THAT LIVED IN HIS TIME. As tho' what He said represented Nothing of the State of Things in the World in general, but only in his Time. But does Dr. T. or any Body else suppose this only to be the Design of that Book, to represent the Vanity and Evil of the World in that Time, and to show that all was Vanity and Vexation of Spirit in Solomon's Day? (Which Day truly we have Reason to think, was a Day of the greatest Smiles of Heaven on that Nation, that ever had been on any Nation from the Foundation of the World.) Not only does the Subject and Argument of the whole Book show it to be otherwise; but also the declared Design of the Book in the first Chapter;