SIN. 



Levi, nor the apoftle's argviment grounded upon it, have 

 any manner of relation to partaking in guilt, or contrafting 

 moral corruption : and it is alleged, that the inference dedu- 

 cible from the fecond pafl'age would bevery juft, if the apoftle 

 were here fpeaking of moral holinefs, of holinefs, as it is a 

 quality or principle in the mind : whereas the liohnefs here 

 mentioned is faid to be that external, relative holinefs which 

 is frequently attributed to the whole nation of the Jews, as 

 they were God's peculiar church and people. The notion 

 of a federal head or reprefentative of moral conduft, a re- 

 prefentativc, the guilt of whofe aftions (hall be imputed 

 to us, and whofe fin (hall corrupt and debauch our minds, 

 and this reprefentative appointed by God himfeif, is, as its 

 opponents maintain, not only without foundation in fcrip- 

 ture, but in itfelf a great abfurdity. Indeed, the external 

 circumftances of polterity may be affefted by the bad con- 

 duit of their anceilors. This is frequently affirmed in fcrip- 

 ture, and certainly holds good in the cafe of Adam and 

 his pofterity ; and may be a conilitution, juft, wife, and 

 anfwering very good purpofes. But that any man fhould fo 

 reprefent me, that when he is guilty, I am to be reputed 

 guilty, when he tranfgreffeth, I (hall be accountable and 

 punifliable for his tranfgreflion ; and this before I am born, 

 and coniequently before I am in any capacity of knowing, 

 helping, or hindering what he doth ; this, I fay, every one 

 who ufes his underllanding muft clearly fee is falfe, unrea- 

 fonable, and altogether inconfiilent with the truth and good- 

 nefs of God. And, if you pleafe, you may fee him fully 

 vindicated by the fpirit of truth from all injullice of this 

 kind in Ezekiel, xviii. 20. where he affirms, " that the foul 

 that finneth, it fhall die. The fon," however lie may come 

 under difciphnary vifitations, " (hall not bear the iniquity of 

 the father ; neither (hall the father bear the iniquity of the 

 fon ; the righteoufnefs of the righteous (hall be upon him, 

 and the wickednefs of the wicked (hall be upon him." And 

 V. 30. " that God will judge every one according to his 

 ways." It is further alleged, that the imputation of fin, 

 fo far as to make the pofterity guilty of and chargeable 

 with the fin of the parent, is no fcriptwral notion. An ailtion, 

 indeed, is often faid to be imputed, reckoned, or accounted 

 to a perfon ; but then it is no other than his own aft and deed 

 which is fo accounted or imputed to him, cither for 

 righteoufnefs or fin. See Gen. xv. 6. Lev. xvii. 3, 4. 



xi. 2. I Sam. xxii. 15. 

 Pf. xxxii. 2. Pf. cvi. 31. 

 Rom. v. 13. I Cor. xiii. 5. 

 Tim.iv. 16. .Tames, ii. 23. 



We might here introduce fome arguments for, and fome 

 objeftions to, the doftrinc of original fin, of a general 

 nature, if our limits would allow. We can only fugged, 

 on the part of its advocates, that original fin is neceflary to 

 account for the being of fin in the world. How comes ic 

 to pafs, that there is fo much wickednefs in the world, if 

 our nature be not finful ? — How is it confillent with the 

 jullice of God, that we fuffer at all on account of Adam's 

 fin ? Befides, it has been a generally received opinion, that 

 the fall, corruption, and apoltacy in Adam, have been the 

 reafon why Clirill came into the world, and gave liimfelf a 

 ranfom for us. To the queltion concerning regeneration, 

 which is infilled upon in the New Tellamcnt, why mull 

 we be born again ? it is replied, bccaufe wc are born in fin. 

 Our nature in Adam is corrupted, and utterly iiidifpofcd, 

 difabled, and made oppofite to all that is fpirit n.iUy good, 

 and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continuallv ; there- 

 fore we mull be born again, before we can do any thing that 

 is good and pleafing to God. 



Ou the other hand, the oppofera of this doftrinc allege, 



Numb, xviii. 26, 27 

 2Sam. xix. 19. Prov. xxvii 

 Rom. ii. 26. Rom. iv. 3, &c. 

 2 Cor. V. 19. Gal. iii. 6. 2 



Sam 

 14, 



that it is higlJy injurious to the God of our nature to be- 

 lieve that our nature is originally corrupted in the manner 

 which this doftrine fuppofes. To difparage our nature, is, 

 they fay, to difparage the work and gifts of God. They alfo 

 fuggeft, that the doftrine of original fin teaches men to trans- 

 fer their fin to a wrong caufe, to Adam rather tiian to thera- 

 felves ; and alfo that the doftrine, as it is commonly held, 

 has a manifell tendency to propagate a notion that they 

 mull be neceilarily vicious, and lliat it is thus deilruftive of 

 virtue. They fay, that to reprefent fin as natural, as 3I- 

 logelher unavoidable, is to embolden men in fin, and to give 

 not only an excule, but a reafon for finning. They alfo 

 intimate, that to charge Chriftianity with teaching this 

 doftrine, is to fink its credibility ; and that it is injurious 

 in another way, by perplexing the mind, and rendering all 

 religious principles uncertain. " We are made," as one of 

 them exprefles it, " finners we know not how, and there- 

 fore mult be forry for, and repent of, we know not what. 

 We are made finners in an arbitrary way, and we are 

 made faints in an arbitrary way : but what is arbitrary can 

 be brought under no rules." They think that it is not 

 expt client or defirable to teach children, that tliey are born 

 chilc; n of wrath, that they came into the world under 

 God'b curfe, and that their being, as foon as given, is in the 

 worll and moft deplorable ftate of corruption. Young 

 people are exhorted to remember their creator ; but how, 

 it is faid, can they remember him, without the utmolt 

 horror, who, it is fuppofed, hath given them hfe under fuch 

 deplorable circumftances ? 



We fhall clofe this article with a brief account of the 

 " Fall of Man," and its confequences, as they have been 

 flated by difterent divines. Adam was created, as the AfTem- 

 bly of Divines affirm, after God's own image, in knowledge, 

 righteoufnefs, and hohnefs, liaving the law of God written 

 in his heart, and power to fulfil it ; and for proof of this 

 afiertion, they refer to Gen. ii. 27. Col. iii. 10. Ephef. 

 iv. 24. Rom. ii. 14, 15. Eccl. vii. 29. This ilate of 

 moral reftitude, or original righteoufnefs, in which he was 

 created, is thus dcfcribed by Dr. Watts, " His reafon 

 was clear, and fenfe, appetite, and paflion were fubjeft to 

 it, his judgment uncorrupted, his will had an inward, con- 

 flant, fuperior bias, bent, and propenfity to holinefs and 

 virtue ; he had an inward inclination to pleafe and honour 

 God, fupren.e love to his creator, a zeal and defire to (erve 

 him, a holy fear of ofTendinfr him, with a readincfs to d i nis 

 will." When Adam finned he loll this moral reftimde; 

 and not only fo, but his pofterity became morally corrupt. 

 We have already flated the opn:ion of the opponent; to 

 the doftrine of original fin, concerning the moral condition 

 of Adam before his fall. By the advocates of this doftrine, 

 it is fuither maintained, that a covenant waa made with 

 Adam, as a public perfon, not for himfeif only, but for his 

 pofterity ; and therefore all mankind, deicending from liim 

 by ordinary generation, Cnned in him, and fell with him in 

 that firll tranlgrelTion. (See Afts, xvii. 26. Gen ii. 16. 17. 

 compared with Rom. v. 12 — 20. 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22. ) T!.e 

 Fall, it is faid, brought mankind into a ftate of fin and 

 inifery. (Rom. v. 12. iii. 13.) And tlic fi 'ulnels of 

 that (late into which man fell, confilteth in itie guiii of 

 Adam's firll fin, the want of that righteoufnef^s '11 w'nch 

 ho was created, and the corrHptioii nf his nature, &c. ( See 

 Rom. V. 12, 19. Rom. iii. 10. 20. Eph. 11. 1, 2, 3. 

 Rom. V. 6. viii. 7. 9. Gen. vi. j. James, i. 14, ij. 

 M.itt. XV. ig.) It is added, that the Fall b.ouirhi upon 

 mankind the lofs of communion with God, his dilple.^lure, 

 and curfe ; fo that we are by nature clnldren ol w ..th, 

 bond-flavcs to Satan, audjultly liable to all punifhrneuts in 



thit 



