N06399:649
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 4 › Chapter 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.
Again, The Choice, which chu•es and produces Sin, or from which Sin proceeds is it self sinful. Not only is this implied in his saying, "The Cause alone is chargeable with all the Blame;" but he expressly speaks of the Choice as faulty; †and calls that Choice wicked, from which Depravity and Corruption proceeds. ‡Now, if the Choice it self be Sin, and there be no Sin but what proceeds from a sinful Choice, then the sinful Choice must proceed from another antecedent Choice; It must be chosen by a foregoing Act of Will, determining it self to that sinful ⟨p. 314⟩Choice, that so it may have that which he speaks of as absolutely essential to the Nature of Sin, namely, That it proceed from our Choice, and don't happen to us necessarily.—But if the sinful Choice it self proceeds from a foregoing Choice, then also that foregoing Choice must be sinful; it being the Cause of Sin, and so alone chargeable with the Blame. Yet if that foregoing Choice be sinful, then, neither must that happen to us necessarily, but must likewise proceed from Choice, another Act of Choice preceding that: for we must remember, that "Nothing is sinful, but what proceeds from our Choice." And then, for the same Reason, even this prior Choice, last mentioned, must also be sinful, being chargeable with all the Blame of that consequent evil Choice, which was it's Effect. And so we must go back till we come to the very first Volition, the prime or original Act of Choice, in the whole Chain. And this, to be sure, must be a sinful Choice, because this is the Origin or primitive Cause of all the Trail of Evils which follow; and according to our Author, must therefore be "alone chargeable with all the Blame." And yet so it is, according to him, this "cannot be sinful," because it don't "proceed from our own Choice," or any foregoing Act of our Will; it being, by the Supposition, the very first Act of Will in the Case. And therefore it must be necessary, as to us, having no Choice of ours to be the Cause of it.
Again, The Choice, which chu•es and produces Sin, or from which Sin proceeds is it self sinful. Not only is this implied in his saying, "The Cause alone is chargeable with all the Blame;" but he expresly speaks of the Choice as faulty;