N06399:218
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 8
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.
Having thus considered the State of the Heathen World, with regard to the Effect of Means used for it's Reformation, during the Jewish Dispensation, from the first Foundation of it in Abraham's Time; Let us now consider how it was with that People themselves, that were distinguished ⟨p. 86⟩with the peculiar Privileges of that Dispensation. The Means used with the Heathen Nations, were great; but they were small, if compared with those used with the Israelites. The Advantages by which that People were distinguished, are represented in Scripture as vastly above all parallel, in Passages which Dr. T. takes Notice of. (Key, § 39.) And he reckons these Privileges among those which he calls antecedent Blessings, consisting in Motives to Virtue and Obedience; and says (Key, § 51.) That this was the very End and Design of the Dispensation of God's extraordinary Favours to the Jews, viz. to engage them to Duty and Obedience or that it was a Scheme for promoting Virtue, is clear beyond Dispute, from every Part of the Old Testament. Nevertheless, as has been already shown, the Generality of that People, through' all the successive Periods of that Dispensation, were Men of a wicked Character. But it will be more abundantly manifest, how strong the natural Bias to Iniquity appeared to be among that People, by considering more particularly how things were with them from Time to Time.
Having thus considered the State of the Heathen World, with regard to the Effect of Means used for it's Reformation, during the Jewish Dispensation, from the first Foundation of it in Abraham's Time; Let us now consider how it was with that People themselves, that were distinguished ⟨p. 86⟩with the peculiar Privileges of that Dispensation. The Means used with the Heathen Nations, were great; but they were small, if compared with those used with the Israelites. The Advantages by which that People were distinguished, are r•presented in Scripture as vastly above all parallel, in Passages which Dr. T. takes Notice of. (Key, § 39.) And he reckons these Privileges among those which he calls antecedent Blessings, consisting in Motives to Virtue and Obedience; and says (Key, § 51.) That this was the very End and Design of the Dispensation of God's extraordinary Favours to the Jews, viz. to engage them to Duty and Obedience or that it was a Scheme for promoting Virtue, is clear beyond Dispute, from every Part of the Old Testament. Nevertheless, as has been already shown, the Generality of that People, thro' all the successive Periods of that Dispensation, were Men of a wicked Character. But it will be more abundantly manifest, how strong the natural Biass to Iniquity appeared to be among that People, by considering more particularly how things were with them from Time to Time.