N06399:307
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.
Since God declared, that if there had been found but ten righteous in Sodom, he would have spared the whole City for their Sake, may we not well suppose, if Infants are perfectly innocent, that he would have spared the old World, in which there were, without Doubt, many Hundred Thousand Infants, and in general, one in every Family, whose perfect Innocence pleaded for it's Preservation? Especially when such vast Care was taken to save Noah and his Family (some of whom, one at least, seem to have been none of the best) that they might not be involved in that Destruction. If the perfect Sinlessness of Infants had been a Notion entertained among the People of God of old, in the Ages next following the Flood, handed down from Noah and his Children, who well knew that vast Multitudes of Infants perished in the Flood, is it likely that Eliphaz, who lived within a few Generations of Shem and Noah, would have said to Job, as he does in that forementioned Job iv. 7. Who ever perished, being innocent? & when were the Righteous cut off? Especially since in the same Discourse (Chap. v. 1.) he appeals to the Tradition of the Ancients for a Confirmation of this very Point; as he also does in Chap. xv. 7,—10. and xxii. 15, 16. In which last Place, he mentions that very Thing, the Destruction of the Wicked by the Flood, as an Instance of that perishing of the Wicked, which he supposes to be peculiar to them, for Job's Conviction; in which the Wicked were cut down out of Time, their Foundation being overflown with a Flood. Where 'tis also observable, that he speaks of such an Untimeliness of Death as they suffered by the Flood, as one Evidence of Guilt; as he also does, Chap. xv. 32, 33. It shall be accomplished before his Time; and his Branch shall not be green. But those that were destroyed by the Flood in Infancy, above all the rest were cut down out of Time; when in Stead of living above 900 Years, according to the common Period ⟨p. 136⟩of Man's Life, many were cut down before they were one Year old.
Since God declared, that if there had been found but ten righteous in Sodom, he would have spared the whole City for their Sake, may we not well suppose, if Infants are perfectly innocent, that he would have spared the old World, in which there were, without Doubt, many Hundred Thousand Infants, and in general, one in every Family, whose perfect Innocence pleaded for it's Preservation? Especially when such vast Care was taken to save Noah and his Family (some of whom, one at least, seem to have been none of the best) that they might not be involved in that Destruction. If the perfect Sinlesness of Infants had been a Notion entertain'd among the People of God of old, in the Ages next following the Flood, handed down from Noah and his Children, who well knew that vast Multitudes of Infants perished in the Flood, is it likely that Eliphaz, who lived within a few Generations of Shem and Noah, would have said to Job, as he does in that foremention'd