N06399:349
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 2 › Chapter 1 › Section 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.
And it may with the greatest Reason be supposed, that when God first made Mankind, and made known to them the Methods of his moral Government towards them, in the Revelation he made of Himself to the natural Head of the whole Species; and let him know, that Obedience to Him was expected as his Duty; and enforced this Duty with the Sanction of a threatened Punishment, called by the Name of Death; I say, we may with the greatest Reason suppose in such a Case, that by Death was meant that same Death which God esteemed to be the most proper Punishment of the Sin of Mankind, and which he speaks of under that Name, throughout the Scripture, as the proper Wages of the Sin of Man, & was always from the Beginning understood to be so in the Church of God. It would be strange indeed, if it should be otherwise. It would have been strange, if when the Law of God was first given, & enforced by the Threatening of a Punishment, Nothing at all had been mentioned of that great Punishment, ever spoken of under the Name of Death (in the Revelations which he has given to Mankind from Age to Age) as the proper Punishment of the Sin of Mankind, And it would be no less strange, if when the Punishment which was mentioned and threatened on that Occasion, was called by the same Name, even Death, yet we must not understand it to mean the same Thing, but something infinitely diverse, and infinitely more inconsiderable.
And it may with the greatest Reason be supposed, that when God first made Mankind, and made known to them the Methods of his moral Government towards them, in the Revelation he made of Himself to the natural Head of the whole Species; and let him know, that Obedience to Him was expected as his Duty; and inforced this Duty with the Sanction of a threaten'd Punishment, called by the Name of Death; I say, we may with the greatest Reason suppose in such a Case, that by Death was meant that same Death which God esteemed to be the most proper Punishment of the Sin of Mankind, and which he speaks of under that Name, throughout the Scripture, as the proper Wages of the Sin of Man, & was always from the Beginning understood to be so in the Church of God. It would be strange indeed, if it should be otherwise. It would have been strange, if when the Law of God was first given, & inforced by the Threatning of a Punishment, Nothing at all had been mention'd of that great Punishment, ever spoken of under the Name of Death (in the Revelations which he has given to Mankind from Age to Age) as the proper Punishment of the Sin of Mankind, And it would be no less strange, if when the Punishment which was mentioned and threatned on that Occasion, was called by the same Name, even Death, yet we must not understand it to mean the same Thing, but something infinitely diverse, and infinitely more inconsiderable.