N06399:693
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 3
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.
That God does, by his immediate Power, uphold every created Substance in Being, will be manifest, if we consider, that their present Existen•e is a dependent Existence, and therefore is an Effect, and must have some Cause: and the Cause must be one of these two; either the antecedent Existence of the same Substance, or else the Power of the Creator. But it can't be the antecedent Existence of the same Substance. For Instance, the Existence of the Body of the Moon at this present Moment, can't be the Effect of it's Existence at the last foregoing Moment. For not only was what existed the last Moment, no active Cause, but wholly a passive Thing; But this also is to be considered, ⟨p. 341⟩that no Cause can produce Effects in a Time and Place in which it self is not. 'Tis plain, Nothing can exert itself, or operate, when and where it is not existing. But the Moon's past Existence was neither where not when its present Existence is.—In point of Time; what is past, entirely ceases, when present Existence begins; otherwise it would not be past. The past Moment is ceased and gone, when the present Moment takes Place,; and does no more co-exist with it, than does any other Moment that had ceased twenty Years ago. Nor could the past Existence of the Particles of this moving Body produce Effects in any other Place, than where it then was. But its Existence at the present Moment, in every Point of it, is in a different Place, from where its Existence was at the last preceding Moment. From these Things, I suppose, it will certainly follow, that the present Existence, either of this, or any other created Substance, cannot be an Effect of its past Existence. The Existences (so to speak) of an Effect, or Thing dependent, in different Parts of Space or Duration, though ever so near one to another, don't at all co-exist one with the other; and therefore are as truly different Effects, as if those Parts of Space and Duration were ever so far asunder: And the prior Existence can no more be the proper Cause of the new Existence, in the next Moment, or next Part of Space, than if it had been in an Age before, or at a Thousand Miles Distance, without any Existence to fill up the intermediate Time or Space. Therefore the Existence of created Substances, in each successive Moment, must be the Effect of the immediate Agency, Will, and Power of GOD.
That God does, by his immediate Power, uphold every created Substance in Being, will be manifest, if we consider, that their present Existene is a dependent Existence, and therefore is an Effect, and must have some Cause: and the Cause must be one of these two; either the antecedent Existence of the same Substance, or else the Power of the Creator. But it can't be the antecedent Existence of the same Substance. For Instance, the Existence of the Body of the Moon at this present Moment, can't be the Effect of it's Existence at the last foregoing Moment. For not only was what existed the last Moment, no active Cause, but wholly a passive Thing; But this also is to be considered,