of the temple Amphiproftylos: this print has also great merit. In plate the fourth, we behold the magnificent temple Peripteros, which is one of the finest examples of the ancient Doric architecture we ever remember to have feen. In 'fhort, the whole work is executed with so much taste and judgment, that doubtless our virtuofi will confider it as a valuable addition to their collections.

III. The great Chriflian Darine of Òriginal Sin defended; Evia dences of its Truth produced, and Arguments to the contrary an fwered. Containing, in particular, a Reply to the Objections and Arguings of Dr. John Taylor, in his Book, Intitled, "The "Scripture-Doctrine of Original Sin propofed to free and candid "Examination, &c." By the late Reverend and Learned Jonathan Edwards, M. A. Prefident of the College of New Jerfey. 8vo. Pr. 6s. Keith.

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HOUGH original fin is a phrase which does not occur in the whole compass of the Bible, yet the nature of the crime, and the manner in which it was committed are fo fully related, that they who admit the authority of the Scriptures, make no question of the fact. The great point in difpute is, what was the effect of this tranfgreffion; or in what degree its guilt and punishment may be faid to affect the pofterity of Adam?

Dr. Taylor, and fome of the most rational authors who have written upon the subject, have afferted, that the consequences of Adam's tranfgreffion were labour, forrow, and mortality; and that fo far, and no farther, our faith upon this article fhould extend.

And indeed this opinion feems to be extremely reasonable, if we only confider the history of the Fall. When God comes to pronounce the fentence of condemnation upon Adam, he fays, duft thou art, and unto duft thou shalt return. In these words we have no intimation that Adam's guilt was to be imputed to his defcendants; not a fyllable of any moral corruption derived from their birth, rendering them children of wrath, and hated of God from their cradles; not a word of their becoming, on that account, liable to eternal damnation : whereas if there had been any thing of this nature intended, it would certainly have been mentioned, in order to move the offenders to a deeper humiliation for their fin, and a greater care to amend their lives by repentance. And furely the facred writer would not have omitted any circumftance of this importance, in a place where he profeffedly treats of the fall

of

of our first parents, the punishment of their disobedience, and the unhappy condition to which they were then reduced. From this profound filence we have reason to suspect, that all the fatal confequences ufually attributed to the Fall, excepting those we have already mentioned, are rather the inventions of men, than the doctrines of revelation.

To which we may add, that our Saviour has not faid a word of original fin; nor given us the leaft intimation, that he came to redeem us from the guilt of Adam's tranfgreffion.

Yet notwithstanding thefe, and many other objections which may be urged against the doctrine of hereditary guilt, it has been fupported by innumerable writers, and infifted on as one of the most important articles of the Chriftian faith.

The author of this treatise is a very strenuous defender of this hypothefis. In the first part he undertakes to prove the corruption of human nature; and for this purpose endeavours to fhew, that all mankind, without exception, are guilty of fin, and that all fin deferves eternal destruction: from whence he infers, that there is an evil and destructive propensity in the human mind. This, he fays, is farther manifeft, in that all men fin immediately, continually, and progreffively. This, he thinks, likewise appears by the great prevalence of wickednefs, by the extreme folly and ftupidity of all mankind in matters of religion, by the fuperior number of wicked men in all ages, and by the infufficiency of all the means which have been used to stop the progrefs of evil.

In oppofition to these arguments it has been alleged, that if fin fuppofes a nature originally corrupt, it will follow, that Adam's nature was originally corrupt.

Our author replies, that a vicious propenfity is not to be inferred from one accidental failing, but from a continued and invariable courfe of finning.

It is farther objected, that there is no neceffity to attribute the wickedness of mankind to any depravity of nature. Man's own free-will is caufe fufficient.

In answer to this evafion, Mr. Edwards asks, how then comes it to pass, that mankind fo univerfally agree in this abuse of their freedom? If there be no natural tendency in this cafe, the univerfal finfulness of mankind is unaccountable.

It is faid by many of the oppofers of the doctrine of original fin, that the corruption of the world may be owing, not to a depraved nature, but to bad example.

Our author answers ft. This is accounting for the corruption of the world by the corruption of the world, zdly. There has been given to the world an example of virtue, which, VOL. XXIV. O. 1767.

were

were it not for the depravity of nature, would have influence on them that live under the gospel, beyond all other examples,, and that is the example of Jefus Chrift, And, 3dly, the influence of bad example without a corruption of heart,, will not account for the early wickedness of children, especially thofe of pious parents.

Some oppofers of the doctrine in queftion, to account for the general prevalence of wickedness, obferve, that, in the courfe of nature, our fenfes grow up firft, and the animal paffions get the start of reason.

Mr. Edwards replies, that this scheme is attended with the very fame difficulties which they who advance it would avoid : for it fuppofes, that the Author of nature has put the foul into fuch a fituation, that the inevitable confequence is, a ftrong propenfity to fin, as foon as the foul is capable of finning.

Laftly, it is alledged, that feeing men in this world are in a ftate of trial, it is fit that their virtue fhould meet with trials; and confequently, that it fhould have oppofition and temptation to overcome; not only from without, but from within, from the animal paffions and appetites; that by the conflict and victory our virtue may be refined and established.

In answer to this objection, our author fays, Either the ftate of temptation, which is fuppofed to be ordered for men's trial, amounts on the whole to a prevailing tendency to that fate of general wickednefs and ruin, which has been proved to take place, or it does not. If it does not amount to a tendency to fuch an effect, then how does it account for it? When it is inquired, by what cause fuch an effect should come to pafs, is it not abfurd to alledge a caufe, which is owned at the fame time to have no tendency to fuch an effect? which is as much as to confefs, that it will not account for it. I think, it has been demonftrated, that this effect must be owing to fome prevailing tendency. If the other part of the dilemma be taken, and it be faid, that this ftate of things does imply a prevailing tendency to that effect, which has been proved, viz. that all mankind, without the exception of fo much as one, fin against God, to their own deserved and juft eternal ruin; and not only fo, but fin thus immediately, as foon as capable of it, and fin continually, and have more fin than virtue, and have guilt that infinitely outweighs the value of all the goodnefs any ever have, and that the generality of the world in all ages are extremely ftupid and foolish, and of a wicked character, and actually perish for ever; I fay, if the ftate of temptation implies a natural tendency to such an effect as this, it is a very evil, corrupt, and dreadful state of things, as has been already largely fhewn.

2

• Befides,

Befides, fuch a ftate has a tendency to defeat its own fuppofed end, which is to refine, ripen, and perfect virtue in mankind, and fo to fit men for the greater eternal happiness and glory whereas, the effect it tends to, is the reverse of this, viz. general, eternal infamy and ruin, in ail generations." It is fuppofed, that men's virtue must have paflions and appetites to struggle with, in order to have the glory and reward of victory; but the confequence is, a prevailing, continual, and generally effectual tendency, not to men's victory over evil appetites and paffions, and the glorious reward of that victory, but to the victory of evil appetites and lufts over men, and utterly and eternally destroying them. If a trial of virtue be requifite, yet the queftion is, whence comes fo general a failing in the trial, if there be no depravity of nature? If conflict and war be neceffary, yet furely there is no neceffity that there fhould be more cowards than good foldiers; unless it be neceffary that men fhould be overcome and destroyed: especially it is not neceffary that the whole world as it were should lie in wickedness, and fo lie and die in cowardice.'

In oppofition to the arguments which this writer has hitherto produced in favour of original fin; it may be said, that the wickedness of mankind is no proof, that they derive a moral depravity from their firft parents. For, taking nature as we find it, it is the fame thing, with respect to man, whether the Creator has entailed this nature upon him, as a defcendant from Adam, or invefted him with it, by an immediate act of creation. Man has as little agency in the one case, as in the other; is equally paffive in both; and it would have been as fully confiftent with the goodness of his Maker, to have created him what he originally is, out of the earth, as to make him what he is, a defcendant from Adam. It is not improbable, therefore, but that the prefent conftitution of the human mind may be agreeable to the original defign of the Creator, and no ways corrupted by the tranfgreffion of our firft parents.

Our author thinks, that the universal reign of death over perfons of all ages indifcriminately, with its awful circumftances and attendants, proves that men come finful into the world.

This, we apprehend, is no evidence of the point in question'; unless the author could prove, that to Juffer a temporal evil, and to be punished eternally, is the fame thing.

The fecond part of this work contains obfervations on fome particular paffages of Scripture, which are fuppofed to prove the doctrine of original fin.

In the firft fection Mr. Edwards endeavours to fhew, that our first parents were created with a moral rectitude of heart.

This, he thinks, appears, 1ft, in that Adam's fin, with relation to the forbidden fruit, was the firft fin he committed; and zdly, in that he was, before his tranfgreffion, furrounded with teftimonies and fruits of God's favour.

Allowing the truth of thefe propofitions, we may allege that all the defcendants of Adam have an equal share of moral rectitude, before they are guilty of actual fin. And thus the doctrine of original righteousness amounts to nothing.

"

Solomon fays, God hath made man upright, but they have fought out many inventions. This, fays our author, is a very clear text for original righteoufnefs.

This paffage, in our opinion, by no means implies, that the wickedness of mankind is the natural and neceffary confequence of the Fall; but rather, that it is the refult of human invention.

In the fecond fection, Mr. Edwards endeavours to prove, that the first threatning implied a spiritual and eternal death, or a state of everlafting mifery, under the wrath and curfe of God.

But admitting that everlasting mifery is the proper fruit and punishment of perfonal fin; we cannot from thence infer, that all mankind were rendered obnoxious to everlasting punishment, for a tranfgreffion in which they were not perfonally concerned.

In the third fection, the author attempts to prove, that God, in his conftitution with Adam, dealt with mankind in general, as included in their firft father; and that the threatening of death, in cafe he should eat of forbidden fruit, had respect not only to him, but to his pofterity.

On this topic, nothing can be more fenfible and just, than the following obfervation of Dr. Taylor.

"That the conduct of ancestors fhould affect the external circumftances of pofterity, is a conftitution juft and wife, and may anfwer good purposes; and that reprefentatives of civil focieties, or any other perfons intrufted with the manage ment of affairs, may injure those who employ them, is agreeable to a state of trial and imperfection: but that any man, without my knowledge or confent, fhould fo reprefent me, that when he is guilty, I am to be reputed guilty; and when he tranfgreffes, I fhall be accountable and punishable for his trangreffion, and thereby fubjected to the wrath and curfe of God; nay farther, that his wickedness fhall give me a finful nature, and all this before I am born, and confequently while I am in no capacity of knowing, helping, or hindering what he doth-Surely any one, who dares ufe his understanding, muft clearly fee this is unreasonable, and altogether inconfiftent with the truth and goodness of God."

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