N06399:448
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 3 › 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.
Dr. T. to take off the Force of the whole, would have us to understand (P. 104—107) that these Passages, quoted from the Psalms, and other Parts of the old Testament, ⟨p. 212⟩don't speak of all Mankind, nor of all the Jews; but only of them of whom they were true. He observes, there were many that were innocent and righteous; tho' there were also many, a strong Party, that were wicked, corrupt, &c. of whom these Texts were to be understood. Concerning which I would observe the following Things.
1. According to this, the Universality of the Terms that are found in these Places, which the Apostle cites from the old Testament, to prove that all the World, both Jews and Gentiles, are under Sin, is nothing to his Purpose. The Apostle uses universal Terms in his Proposition, and in his Conclusion, that ALL are under Sin, that EVERY MOUTH is stopped, ALL THE WORLD guilty,—[…] by the Deeds of the Law NO FLESH can be justified. And he chooses out a Number of universal Sayings or Clauses out of the Old Testament, to confirm this Universality; as, There is none righteous; no, not one: They are all gone out of the Way; There is none that understandeth, &c. But yet the Universality of these Expressions is nothing to his Purpose; because the universal Terms found in 'em have indeed no Reference to any such Universality, as this the Apostle speaks of, nor any thing a-kin to it; they mean no Universality, either in the collective Sense, or personal Sense; no Universality of the Nations of the World, or of particular Persons in those Nations, or in any one Nation in the World: But only of those of whom they are true. That is, There is none of them righteous, of whom it is true, that they are not righteous; no, not one: There is none that understand, of whom it is true, that they understand not: They are all gone out of the Way, of whom it is true, that they are gone out of the Way, &c.—Or these Expressions are to be understood concerning that strong Party in Israel, in David's and Solomon's Days and in the Prophets Days: they are to be understood of them universally. And what is that to the Apostle's Purpose? How does such an Universality of Wickedness, as this,—that all were wicked in Israel, who were wicked,—or, that there was a particular evil Party, all