N06399:304
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.
(2.) Another Thing, which may well lead us to suppose Death, in a peculiar Manner, above other temporal Sufferings, intended as a Testimony of God's Displeasure for Sin, is, that Death is a Thing attended with that awful Appearance, that gloomy and terrible Aspect, that ⟨p. 133⟩naturally suggests to our Minds God's awful Displeasure. Which is a Thing that Dr. T. himself takes particular Notice of, P. 69. Speaking of Death,Herein, says he, have we before our Eyes a striking Demonstration, that Sin is infinitely hateful to God, and the Corruption and Ruin of our Nature.—Nothing is more proper than such a Sight to give us the utmost Abhorrence of all Iniquity, &c. Now if Death be no Testimony of God's Displeasure for Sin, no Evidence that the Subject is looked upon, by him who inflicts it, as any other than perfectly innocent, free from all Manner of Imputation of Guilt, and treated only as an Object of Favour, is it not strange, that God should annex to it such affecting Appearances of his Hatred and Anger for Sin, more than to other Chastisements? which yet the Scripture teaches us are always for Sin. These gloomy & striking Manifestations of God's Hatred of Sin attending Death, are equivalent to awful Frowns of God attending the Stroke of his Hand. If we should see a wise and just Father chastising his Child, mixing terrible Frowns with severe Strokes, we should justly argue, that the Father considered his Child as having something in him displeasing to him, and that he did not thus treat his Child only under a Notion of mortifying him, and preventing his being faulty hereafter, and making it up to him afterwards, when he had been perfectly innocent, and without Fault, either of Action or Disposition hitherto.
We may well argue from these Things, that Infants are not looked upon by God as Sinless, but that they are by Nature Children of Wrath, seeing this terrible Evil comes so heavily on Mankind in Infancy. But-besides these Things, which are observable concerning the Mortality of Infants in general, there are some particular Cases of the Death of Infants, which the Scripture sets before us, that are attended with Circumstances, in a peculiar Manner, giving Evidences of the Sinfulness of such, and their just Exposedness to divine Wrath. As particularly,