N06399:506
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 4 › Section 1
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.
III. In like Manner this Author brings to Nothing the Sense of the causal Particles, in such Phrases as these, so often repeated, Death BY Sin, v. 12. If THROUGH the Offence of one, many be dead, v. 15. BY one that sinned,—Judgment was BY one to Condemnation, v. 16. BY one Man's Offence, Death reigned BY one, v. 17. BY the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all, &c.v. 18. BY one Man's Disobedience, v. 19. These causal Particles, so dwelt upon, and so variously repeated, unless we make mere Nonsense of the Discourse, signify some Connection and Dependence, by some Sort of Influence of that Sin of one Man, or some Tendency to that Effect which is so often said to come BY it. But according to Dr. T. there can be no real Dependence or Influence in the Case, ⟨p. 244⟩of any Sort whatsoever. There is no Connection by any natural Influence of that one Act to make all Mankind mortal. Our Author don't pretend to account for this Effect in any such Manner; but in another most diverse, viz, A gracious Act of God, laying Mankind under Affliction, Toil and Death, from special Favour and Kindness. Nor can there be any Dependence of this Effect on that Transgression of Adam, by any moral Influence, as deserving such a Consequence, or exposing to it on any moral Account: For he supposes, that Mankind are not in this way exposed to the least Degree of Evil. Nor has this Effect any legal Dependence on that Sin, or any Connection by Virtue of any antecedent Constitution, which God had established with Adam: For he insist, that in that Threatening, In the Day thou •atest thou ••alt die, there is not a Word said of his Posterity; And Death on Mankind, according to him, can't come by Virtue of that legal Constitution with Adam; because the Sentence by which it came, was after the annulling and abolishing that Constitution. And 'tis manifest, that this Consequence can't be through any Kind of Tendency of that Sin to such an Effect; because the Effect comes only as a Benefit, and is the Fruit of mere Favour: But Sin has no Tendency, either natural or moral, to Benefits and divine Favours, And that Sin of Adam could neither be the efficient Cause, nor the procuring Cause, neither the natural, moral nor legal Cause, nor an exciting and moving Cause, any more than Adam's eating of any other Tree of the Garden.
III. In like Manner this Author brings to Nothing the Sense of the causal Particles, in such Phrases as these, so often repeated, Death BY Sin, v. 12. If THROUGH the Offence of one, many be dead, v. 15. BY one that sinned,—Judgment was BY one to Condemnation, v. 16. BY one Man's Offence, Death reigned BY one, v. 17. BY the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all, &c.v. 18. BY one Man's Disobedience, v. 19. These causal Particles, so dwelt upon, and so variously repeated, unless we make meer Nonsense of the Discourse, signify some Connection and Dependence, by some Sort of Influence of that Sin of one Man, or some Tendency to that Effect which is so often said to come BY it. But according to Dr. T. there can be no real Dependence or Influence in the Case,