N06399:721
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 4
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.
1. As it has been already shown, that in the Threatening, denounced for Adam's Sin, there was Nothing which appears inconsistent with the Continuance of this present Life for a Season, or with the Propagating his Kind; so for the like Reason, there appears Nothing in that Threatening, upon the Supposition that it reached Adam's Posterity, inconsistent with their enjoying the temporal Blessings of the present Life, as long as this is continued: even those temporal Blessings which God pronounced on Adam at his first Creation. For it must be observed, that the Blessings which God pronounced on Adam, when he first created him, and before the Trial of his Obedience, were not the same with the Blessings which were suspended on his Obedience. The Blessings thus suspended, were the Blessings of eternal Life; which, if he had maintained his Integrity through his Trial, would have been pronounced upon him afterwards; when God, as his Judge, should have given him his Reward. God might indeed, if he had pleased, immediately have deprived him of Life, and of all temporal Blessings, given him before. But those Blessings pronounced on him before-hand, were not the Things, for the obtaining of which his Trial was appointed. These were reserved, till the Issue of his Trial should be seen, ⟨p. 357⟩and then to be pronounced, in the blessed Sentence, which would have been passed upon him by his Judge, when God came to decree to him his Reward for his approved Fidelity. The pronouncing these latter Blessings on a degenerate Race, that had fallen under the Threatening d•nounc••, would indeed (without a Redemption) have been inconsistent with the Constitution which had been established. But the giving them the former Kind of Blessings, which were not the Things suspended on the Trial, or dependent on his Fidelity (and these to be continued for a Season) was not at all inconsistent therewith.
1. As it has been already shewn, that in the Threatning, denounced for Adam's Sin, there was Nothing which appears inconsistent with the Continuance of this present Life for a Season, or with the Propagating his Kind; so for the like Reason, there appears Nothing in that Threatning, upon the Supposition that it reach'd Adam's Posterity, inconsistent with their enjoying the temporal Blessings of the present Life, as long as this is continued: even those temporal Blessings which God pronounced on Adam at his first Creation. For it must be observed, that the Blessings which God pronounced on Adam, when he first created him, and before the Trial of his Obedience, were not the same with the Blessings which were suspended on his Obedience. The Blessings thus suspended, were the Blessings of eternal Life; which, if he had maintain'd his Integrity through his Trial, would have been pronounced upon him afterwards; when God, as his Judge, should have given him his Reward. God might indeed, if he had pleas'd, immediately have deprived him of Life, and of all temporal Blessings, given him before. But those Blessings pronounced on him before-hand, were not the Things, for the obtaining of which his Trial was appointed. These were reserved, till the Issue of his Trial should be seen,