N06399:294
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 2
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. T. himself P. 252. says, That our first Parents before the Fall were placed in a Condition proper to engage their Gratitude, Love and Obedience. Which is as much as to say, proper to engage them to the Exercise and Practice of all Religion. And if the paradisaical State was proper to engage to all Religion and Duty, and Men still come into the World with Hearts as good as the two first of the Species, why is it not proper to engage 'em to it still? What need of so vastly changing Man's State, depriving him of all those Blessings, and in Stead of them allotting to him a World full of Briars and Thorns, Affliction, Calamity and Death, to engage him to it? The taking away of Life, and all those pleasant Enjoyments Man had at first, by a permanent Constitution, would be no stated Benefit to Mankind, unless there were a stated Disposition in them to abuse such Blessings. The taking them away is supposed to be a Benefit under the Notion of their being Things that tend to lead Men to Sin: but they would have no such Tendency, at least in a stated Manner, unless there were in Men a fixed Tendency to make that unreasonable Improvement of 'em. Such a Temper of Mind as amounts to a Disposition to make such an Improvement of Blessings of that Kind, is often spoken of in Scripture, as most astonishingly vile and perverse. So concerning Israel's abusing the Blessings of Canaan, that Land flowing with Milk and Honey; their Ingratitude in it is spoken of by the Prophets, as enough to astonish all Heaven and Earth, and as more than brutish Stupidity and Vileness. Jer. ii. 7. I brought 'em into a plentiful Country, to eat the Fruit there of, and the Goodness thereof. But when ye entered, ye defiled my L••d, &c▪ See ⟨p. 128⟩the following Verses, especially v. 12. Be astonished, O ye Heavens, at this.—So Isai. i. 1,—4.Hear, O Heavens, and give Ear, O Earth; I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me. The Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib; but my People doth not know, Israel doth not consider. Ah, sinful Nation! a People laden with Iniquity, a Seed of Evil-doers, Children that are Corrupters—Compare Deut. xxxii. 6