N06399:276
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 9
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.
If they need Repentance, what they are guilty of is truly & properly Wickedness, or moral Evil; for certainly Men need no Repentance for that which is no Sin, or blameable Evil. If it be so, that as a Consequence of this Propensity, the World lies in Wickedness, and the far greater Part are of a wicked Character, without Doubt, the far greater Part go to eternal Perdition: For Death don't pick and choose, only for Men of a righteous Character. And certainly that is an evil corrupt State of Things, which naturally tends to, and issues in that Consequence, that as it were the whole World lies and lives in Wickedness, and dies in Wickedness, and perishes eternally. And this by the Supposition is a State of Things wholly of the Ordering of the Author of Nature, before Mankind are capable of having any Hand in the Affair. And is this any Relief to the Difficulties, which these Writers object against the Doctrine of natural Depravity?
And I might here also observe, that this Way of accounting for the Wickedness of the World, amounts to just the same Thing with that Solution of Man's Depravity, which was mentioned before, that Dr. T. cries out of as too gross to be admitted, (P. 188, 189.) viz. God's creating the Soul pure, and putting it into such a Body, ⟨p. 118⟩as naturally tends to pollute it. For this Scheme supposes, that God creates the Soul pure, and puts it into a Body, and into such a State in that Body, that the natural Consequence is a strong Propensity to Sin, as soon as the Soul is capable of sinning.
Dr. Turnbull seems to suppose, that the Matter could not have been ordered otherwise, consistent with the Nature of Things, than that animal Passions should be so aforehand with Reason, as that the Consequence should be that which has been mentioned; because Reason is a Faculty of such a Nature, that it can have Strength and Vigour no otherwise than by Exercise and Culture.