The great Christian doctrine of original sin defended

Thus a Propensity attending the present Nature or natural State of Mankind, eternally to ruin themselves by Sin, may certainly be inferred from apparent and acknowledged Fact.—And I would now observe further, that not only does this follow from Facts that are acknowledged by Dr. T. but the Things he asserts, the Expressions and Words which he uses, do plainly imply that all Mankind have such a Propensity; yea, one of the highest Kind, a Propensity that is invincible, or a Tendency which really amounts to a fixed constant unfailing Necessity. There is a plain Confession of a Propensity or Proneness to Sin, P. 143.—"Man, who drinketh in Iniquity like Water; who is attended with so many sensual Appetites, and so APT to indulge them—" And again P. 228. "WE ARE VERY APT, in a World full of Temptation, to be deceived, & drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites."—If we are very apt or prone to be drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites, and sinfully to indulge them, and very apt or prone to yield to Temptation to Sin, then we are prone to Sin: for to yield to Temptation to Sin, is sinful.—In the same Page he represents, that on this Account, and on Account of the Consequences of this, the Case of those who are under a Law threatening Death for every Sin, must be quite deplorable, if they have no Relief from the Mercy of the Lawgiver. Which implies, that their Case is hopeless, as to an escape from Death, the Punishment of Sin, by any other Means than God's Mercy. And that implies, that there is such an Aptness to yield to Temptation to Sin, that 'tis hopeless that any of Mankind should wholly avoid it. But he speaks of it elsewhere, over and over, as truly impossible, or what can't be; as in the Words which were cited in the last Section, from his Note on Rom. v. 20. where he repeatedly speaks of the Law, which subjects us to Death for every Transgression, as what CANNOT GIVE LIFE; and represents, that if God offered us no other Way of Salvation, no Man from the Beginning of the World COULD be saved. In the same Place he with Approbation cites Mr. Locke's Words, ⟨p. 22⟩in which, speaking of the Israelites, he says, All Endeavours after Righteousness was LOST LABOUR, since any one Slip forfeited Life, & it was IMPOSSIBLE for them to expect ought but Death.

Thus a Propensity attending the present Nature or natural State of Mankind, eternally to ruin themselves by Sin, may certainly be infer'd from apparent and acknowledged Fact.—And I would now observe further, that not only does this follow from Facts that are acknowledged by Dr. T. but the Things he asserts, the Expressions and Words which he uses, do plainly imply that all Mankind have such a Propensity; yea, one of the highest Kind, a Propensity that is invincible, or a Tendency which really amounts to a fix'd constant unfailing Necessity. There is a plain Confession of a Propensity or Proneness to Sin, P. 143.—"Man, who drinketh in Iniquity like Water; who is attended with so many sensual Appetites, and so APT to indulge them—" And again P. 228. "WE ARE VERY APT, in a World full of Temptation, to be deceiv'd, & drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites."—If we are very apt or prone to be drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites, and sinfully to indulge them, and very apt or prone to yield to Temptation to Sin, then we are prone to Sin: for to yield to Temptation to Sin, is sinful.—In the same Page he represents, that on this Account, and on Account of the Consequences of this, the Case of those who are under a Law threatning Death for every Sin, must be quite deplorable, if they have no Relief from the Mercy of the Lawgiver. Which implies, that their Case is hopeless, as to an escape from Death, the Punishment of Sin, by any other Means than God's Mercy. And that implies, that there is such an Aptness to yield to Temptation to Sin, that 'tis hopeless that any of Mankind should wholly avoid it. But he speaks of it elsewhere, over and over, as truly impossible, or what can't be; as in the Words which were cited in the last Section, from his Note on